Any veteran gamers know all too well just how far the world of gaming has come over the past thirty-odd years. With the emergence of new ground-breaking consoles and technology like VR, now more than ever before, gaming is all about immersion in the story and the experience, and the best way to immerse yourself is to have your own dedicated space for gaming on a variety of consoles. Read on for some quick pointers on exactly how to bring your gaming room to life.
1. Go old school
Before we go forward, we must first go back and acknowledge our roots. Before consoles even existed, the first games were old arcade game machines that you’d have to wait in line to play on. Every machine had its own intricate controls, and learning how to master each game was incredibly satisfying. That age of gaming was superseded by home consoles, which allowed people to play arcade-style games from the comfort of their own home. Despite this, arcade games are a part of our cultural history, which is why the first addition to my gaming room was my Arcade 1Up TMNT Machine. Not only is it a nod to Konami’s original 1989 8-bit hit, but it’s also a source of comfort that transports me to a bygone era filled with popcorn, power ballads playing on wall-mounted speakers, and great friends.
2. Posters and wall art
When we were growing up, rumpus rooms were all the rage. They were usually filled with an eclectic array of Hot Wheels, action figures, and a loose stuffed animal or two and, if you were lucky, a little brick of a television with a PS1 or an N64 (and multiple controllers!) wired up for rainy days. Now I guess the new rumpus room is a gaming room!
I think back on all the fun memories I had in my rumpus room, and part of me always seeks to add certain reminders of those days to my gaming space. That’s why walls of repurposed Nintendo Pro Controllers, posters from old titles, and other nostalgia-inducing wall art fits in perfectly with any gaming set-up. You can even take it upon yourself to work within a specific theme, like only hanging up Star Wars-related art and other memorabilia.
3. Controls, consoles, and cable management
Of course, with any gaming set-up, cable management and console placement is always an issue. If you have multiple consoles and an array of controllers in your gaming room, you will need to be really proactive about your cable and console management plans. Consider using cable boxes and other forms of cable hiding and finding some inventive and intuitive ways to display your controllers so that they’re not only nice to look at but also easily in reach whenever you may need them.
4. Gaming chairs and other seating
Gaming chairs have been likened to thrones in recent years. There are a growing number of expectations from big-name chair manufacturers like ONEX, including reclining features and back support, amongst other things. Of course, general comfort and lumbar support must be prioritised, so it’s best to go with tried and tested models.
Alongside your personal ‘throne’, you should also greatly consider incorporating other flexible seating into your space, like a big couch for hosting, and maybe even some smaller ottomans or bean bags to lounge around in if ever you’re feeling keen to do some handheld or mobile gaming.
5. Level up your set-up
Alongside gaming chairs, there are now a myriad of options when it comes to gaming tables, keyboards, mice, mouse pads, and even monitor stands. Corsair have really been flexing their creative muscles and have been producing some truly fantastic desktop accessories that any PC gamer would be sure to enjoy. But try not to get too swept up in the beauty of RGB accessories and take some time to really think about what you need.
Will you benefit much from a metre-long mousepad or a mouse with programmable buttons? If not, investing in these products may not be a good decision, and your funds can be better spent on accessories that are more likely to enhance your gaming experiences. Let yourself do some shopping around before settling on any specific products, and do try purchasing products within the same range to ensure that your final set-up is as cohesive as it can possibly be.
6. Lighting
It’s been said that the colour of your gaming room can set the atmosphere for you and any guests. For this reason, smart LED lighting has become a fixture in most modern game rooms, as they allow gamers to take full control over their lighting design, as well as ensuring that their lighting stays flexible and adaptable in order to enhance a variety of different gameplay experiences. You could go from playing The Last of Us Part II in crimson lighting to playing the new Spiderman in midnight hues to mimic NYC at night within a matter of minutes. Just be sure that your placement of LED bulbs and light strips takes into consideration the placement of your screens to minimise the risk of creating distracting screen glares.
7. Sound design
Just as your lighting may require a little bit of conscious design, so too should the placement of your speakers! You want the sound to be balanced within your gaming space, especially if you’ve set consoles up with their own displays and could potentially have multiple people gaming simultaneously. Bluetooth or wifi-enabled speakers can help keep your sound set-up nice and flexible.
You may also consider soundproofing your gaming room to keep your neighbours or housemates happy. This can be achieved through the use of door seals and acoustic foam. Placing acoustic foam in your corners can help absorb heavy bass sounds, and even this can make a world of difference when it comes to eliminating noise pollution.
As you can see, there’s certainly a lot to be considered when setting up your dream gaming room but don’t let this initial heavy lifting deter you from creating a space built for finding next-level zen. And don’t be afraid to experiment with both your design style and the tech you incorporate!
