Gaming, once charged with causing eyesight issues, impacting school grades, and even encouraging real-life violence, has enjoyed something of a volte-face in recent years.
The Conversation reported earlier this month on some of the potential benefits that gaming can bring to kids and teenagers, suggesting that regular playing of video games can develop problem solving, perseverance and compassion, as well as improving visual acuity. The report even pointed to a study which concluded that playing super Mario can induce structural brain plasticity, which in layperson’s terms means that playing the game can make your brain grow!
But let’s be honest here, there’s nothing wrong with simply playing video games – in moderation, of course – because they’re, well, really damn fun, regardless of the life skills you might be developing by winning the World Cup with San Marino on FIFA or breezing through Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’s #YOLO level.
We all deserve a little downtime after this most trying of years, and if you’re looking to take your gaming to the next level, then a domestic space dedicated to your favourite hobby could be just the ticket. With that in mind, here are 7 tips for creating the IDEAL gaming room.
LAPTOP, PC OR CONSOLE?
Firstly, you’re going to need to decide on your preferred medium for gaming. In the modern world of gaming, the vast majority of gamers prefer to use a PC, since this can handle the ultra-advanced graphics which many of the most cutting-edge games now come with. Generally speaking, a PC is advantageous over a laptop when considering price versus performance, but a laptop is fantastic for versatility and mobility, should you need to move your gaming room (or, you just love playing on the train, of course).
If you have gamer friends who regularly host LAN parties, then a gaming laptop is essential; you don’t want to be lugging your gaming PC around with you to friend’s houses or public events spaces.
That’s not to say that gaming laptops don’t deliver incredibly high performance, and are certainly more powerful than consoles in this respect. Lenovo, who are experts on laptops in the UK, suggest that you should prioritise ‘’FHD displays that flex up to 240Hz refresh rates, 500 nits brightness, and 100% sRGB0%’’. Consoles simply can’t compete with this spec.
Despite their relatively poor graphics quality, consoles do have some advantages over PCs and laptops. Firstly, Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo all boast gaming exclusives which you can only access on their dedicated devices. They can also serve as more comprehensive home media hubs, playing streaming platforms and more through the console.
Determine your priorities before deciding on a medium.
HD MONITOR
If you do opt for a console, or you simply want to hook up your high performance PC or laptop up to a larger, exterior monitor, then there are several factors to consider.
Your monitor is one of the most important parts of any gaming setup because there is no point having a computer with top processing and gaming specs if you are playing it on a fuzzy screen. Modern video games have incredible graphics, and in order to truly enjoy the experience to its full potential, an HD monitor is absolutely key. If you already have an HD TV in your home then you can link your computer up to that, but if not, invest in a quality monitor and it will really lift the whole gaming experience to another level.
HOW TO CHOOSE A GAMING CHAIR
You are going to be spending a lot of time sitting down in your gaming room, make no mistake, which means that your choice of gaming chair is essential for ensuring good posture and averting the risk of injury.
When choosing your gaming chair, you need to think about ergonomics. You should opt for a chair that offers you lumbar support and has an adjustable height to ensure that you’re not hunching your shoulders or harming your back.
You should also consider the material of your chair. Chairs that are made from leather are very easy to clean, whereas cotton chairs are generally much more breathable. If you have room in the budget, you could always look at the top-of-the-line gaming chairs. Luxury gaming chairs come with a range of additional features such as in-built massage features, speakers, and drinks holders. Wow!
PICKING A GAMING HEADSET
Experienced gamers will need to find the right headset to ensure they can have the most immersive experience possible while gaming. The majority of gamers choose wireless headsets, as they enable you to have a great range of motion while playing. When you’re choosing a wireless headset, you should look for a model that has a power dock. This means that you can charge up your headset far more quickly. If you spend the majority of your time playing on one console, then you should look for console-specific headsets.
PC Mag have offered a great rundown of the best gaming headsets on the market in 2021; do check it out sometime.
OR, ARE YOU GOING TO USE SPEAKERS?
Alternatively you could opt for speakers, which change the gaming experience into a more fully-blown affair, with the added risk of really annoying your housemates or family members…can you tell we speak from experience?
That said, some believe that modern games need to be played with surround sound to get the full experience. This is particularly true for some first-person shooters (FPSs), which are more immersive to play if gamers can get a decent idea of what direction things like gunshots and footsteps are coming from. A good surround sound system will make playing any game more enjoyable and may improve competitive gamers’ chances of winning, too, so it’s worth the investment.
DESIGNING THE RIGHT LIGHTING
Finding the right lighting levels for your game room is super important, too. Too much bright lighting can create glare and subsequently, lead to squinting, risk digital eye strain and bring about a real decrease in enjoyment.
On the flip side, sitting completely in the dark is bad for both your mental health and your eyes. You need to look for soft lighting features that provide enough light without creating glare on your screen.
A DEDICATED ROUTER
Remember when we mentioned those irritated housemates a little while back? Well, that high-performance gaming of yours can wreak havoc on the collective WiFi, data usage, and household harmony, so it’s best to install a dedicated wireless router used only for game playing online.
This will avoid issues with slow load times when other residents are using the household network, giving competitive gamers an edge and preventing unnecessary interruptions. You wouldn’t want to reach the iconic final life of Half Life 2 only for it to crash because your dad started streaming Netflix upstairs, now would you?