Assessing the impact of a tennis-themed sports video game on physical literacy and participation on physical activities among university students: A cluster randomized controlled trial study protocol.

University students experience a decline in physical activity and an increase in sedentary behavior after high school, representing a critical stage for physical literacy development.

• Physical literacy is described as 'a multidimensional construct encompassing motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding'
• The paper identifies university students as a population particularly at risk for reduced physical engagement
• Sports video games are noted as 'especially popular among university students, making them an accessible and engaging tool for promoting PL'

The study will use a cluster randomized controlled trial design with 176 first-year university students enrolled in compulsory tennis physical education courses.

• Eight entire classes will be used as clusters, comprising four male and four female classes
• Classes will be randomly assigned to either an intervention or control group
• Participants are first-year students at The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• All participants are enrolled in compulsory tennis physical education courses

The intervention involves playing the tennis sports video game TopSpin 2K25 twice weekly for six weeks alongside regular physical education lessons.

• The intervention group will play TopSpin 2K25 in addition to regular PE lessons
• Frequency is twice weekly over a six-week period
• The control group will receive regular PE lessons without the SVG component
• The intervention is described as sedentary in nature

Assessments will be conducted at three time points covering both self-reported and objective outcome measures across multiple physical literacy domains.

• Assessment time points include baseline, post-intervention, and three-week follow-up
• Self-reported measures include gaming behavior, physical activity level, and physical literacy domains
• Objective measures include reaction time, eye-hand coordination, and tennis knowledge tests
• Outcomes span physical, cognitive, affective, and social domains of physical literacy

Although the SVG intervention is sedentary, gameplay may influence aspects of physical competence such as reaction time and coordination through required reflexes and eye-hand coordination.

• The paper notes 'SVG gameplay often requires reflexes and eye-hand coordination which may influence aspects of physical competence such as reaction time and coordination'
• The study aims to evaluate effects on motivation, sport-specific knowledge, physical competence, social engagement, and physical activity engagement
• Sports video games 'have shown potential to enhance motivation and cognitive engagement with sports'

The study protocol identifies several limitations including potential contamination bias, variability in prior gaming experience, short intervention duration, and reliance on self-reported measures.

• Contamination bias is identified as a concern, likely due to students across groups potentially interacting
• Variability in prior gaming experience among participants is noted as a limitation
• The six-week intervention duration is acknowledged as short
• Self-reported measures 'may introduce bias' according to the authors

The role of sports video games in supporting physical literacy development remains underexplored, particularly in Asian contexts.

• The paper states 'the role of SVGs in supporting PL development remains underexplored, particularly in Asian contexts'
• The study is set at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, addressing this geographic gap
• Integrating technology into physical education 'may offer innovative ways to enhance engagement and support PL development'
• The protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework on 25 July 2025