Gaming has ventured beyond Earth's atmosphere, with astronauts taking video games to space for recreation, research, and morale. A new Space.com report highlights five notable instances where gaming consoles and software traveled to orbit, starting with the classic puzzle game Tetris on a Game Boy aboard a 1993 Space Shuttle mission.
During a 2011 Expedition 27 aboard the International Space Station (ISS), astronaut Greg Chamitoff reportedly brought a Nintendo DS, using it to play games in microgravity. That same year, a commander on the ISS streamed footage of the player flying a spaceship—a moment that blended virtual and real spaceflight.
StarCraft 2 made its orbital debut during a 2017 ISS expedition. Astronaut Jack Fischer played the real-time strategy game with friends on Earth, using the ISS's internet connection. Fischer later told reporters that the gameplay helped him decompress during long shifts.
The most recent example comes from 2021, when a crew on the ISS played a cooperative puzzle game called Rocket League in a special tournament. The event was organized by NASA to study how microgravity affects fine motor skills and reaction times during gameplay.
While gaming in space offers psychological benefits for astronauts, critics argue that limited bandwidth and mission-critical tasks take priority over leisure activities. Some experts question whether gaming could become a distraction during high-stakes missions, especially on longer journeys like a trip to Mars.