That’s funny. I actually did read some of the research on that subject years ago because my son was so into gaming.
And it’s true. There are easy to find, solid sources that show a number of potential, specific beneficial effects associated with certain types of gaming. It’s associated with increased occurrence of absorptive (flow) states, for example. I believe that I read about it stimulating certain forms of spatial reasoning that are associated with stronger outcomes in math.
My main takeaway from everything I reviewed back then was this:
When any hobby or activity (including, but not limited to, gaming) is used in an attempt to replace important needs or areas of development, that is when it starts to wander into dysfunctionality. If I think that communicating with people, or moving my body, and so on, is just too difficult or too troublesome, and so I give up on those things, and game instead (or do anything else instead), then that’s a problem. In the short-term, it’s not so extreme, but if that goes on for too long of a time, then it will skew and throw off my overall development.
So, in my opinion, the issue is not ‘is gaming bad’ or ‘is gaming great’. It’s rather: ‘How well do I understand my basic health needs as a person? Are those needs being met?’ Once the answer to that is ‘Yes, pretty much’, I think you are fine. Whether you’re into gaming or whether you’re into beetle-watching.
Apart from that though, yes, there are a number of areas and lines of cognitive development that appear to be stimulated and strengthened by gaming activities. (But the same is generally true of any problem-solving or skill-oriented context.)