From bedrooms to basements, there is not a room in our houses that can’t be claimed as a gaming room these days. More of an intent than a checklist, a gaming room is more about having a dedicated space than a decorated one.
However, once that space is claimed, you may find yourself wanting more and more of the typical trappings of an all-star gaming room.
Whether you’re just getting started and want a checklist of great ideas for your gaming room, or hoping to find a piece of inspiration to help finish off your nearly perfect battle station, look no further.
Here’s a list of 10 game room must haves, from devices, accessories or peripherals which can take your gaming room to the next level.
Things Every Gaming Room Needs
- The Perfect Gaming Chair
The qualifications for this particular piece of furniture are as myriad as gamers themselves. The right chair for the right behind is its own whole article’s worth of conversation but with this first step comes trust.
Trust that you know yourself and know what chair will suit you. For some, the newest SecretLab Titan gaming chair or Razer Enki is exactly what they need. For others, anything with more of a name than “armchair” is too much.
Finding the right chair can be a challenge, but sitting comfortably is one of the most important things you can do while relaxing, so take this one seriously.
- A Noise-Canceling Headset
If you’ve ever been deep into the story of a lifetime, only to have someone rudely interrupt the swelling orchestra and fantastic voice acting with a question or activity, you’ve maybe already considered some of these.
Available from almost any electronics retailer, a set of noise-canceling headphones can remove all of those pesky outside distractions.
Just be sure not to deafen yourself if something more serious than gaming (like finishing chores) comes up.
- A 60hz Monitor
Not every item will be applicable to every gaming room. That said, a 60hz monitor will fit fairly nicely pretty much anywhere, so as an expense it isn’t particularly frivolous.
With higher Hz monitors out there, and definitions up to and soon to be over 8k, aiming specifically for a 60hz monitor might seem strange.
However, unless you’re running a top-of-the-line PC with high-end graphics card and a spaceship’s worth or RAM, you’re not likely to see all the benefits of that extra power in the TV. Nintendo Switch, Playstation and Xbox are all just breaching the world of 120Hz and 4k resolution, but the lower band is all but perfected.
A good 60hz monitor will last you the next few years easily, with no need to upgrade until you’re ready. Definitely a sensible option.
- A Strong Internet Connection
Becoming less and less of an issue as time goes by, having a shaky connection is still a problem for a lot of gamers. While not all gaming rooms will need dedicated internet connections, any gamer serious about their online play should know a few things.
First, NAT type is king when it comes to connectivity. There are three typical NAT types and they are; open, moderate and strict. Looking at the internet as a highway, open is the fast lane and no one else is on the road. Moderate would be moving responsibly at the highway limits and strict is the equivalent of taking a toll road.
Many online games only allow connections through NAT types of the same availability, and more still simply won’t allow strict NAT type users to connect. Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, for example, restrict many options based on NAT type. Mobile hotspots are considered strict NAT types on these devices no matter what, due to restrictions placed by Sony and Microsoft.
All this to say – A strong internet connection – copper or fiber optic cables – is not only beneficial for gaming, in some cases it’s necessary!
- Chargers And Extension Sockets
Ideally, your setup already has all the power socket access you could want but for many, the perfect location for gaming doesn’t line up with the electrical architecture of the home.
Having a few lengthy extension cables so you’re not limited to just the space around a socket is one of the truly impossible-to-do-without additions to any gaming room.
Keeping a few spare charging cables for phones and other mobile devices is also sensible, with many extension cables having USB charging ports included in their design now.
- Personalization
Once the reason in your gaming room has been settled, it’s time for the rhyme. Sprucing up your walls with posters and figurines can help you cement a theme for your gaming room.
A theme isn’t just matching colors or designs, though. So long as you know why each piece of memorabilia or ephemera fits where you placed it, your theme is perfect.
- Lighting
There are now many unique and stylish options available in the world of lighting. Streamers everywhere have begun decorating their backgrounds with all kinds of light panels and displays, connected to apps on their phones or computers. These smart lights are both functional and vibrant.
While these are inarguably cool, there’s also a benefit to not being surrounded by darkness. Sitting in a dark room is proven to be detrimental to one’s health.
- The Big Stuff
When people picture a fully-fledged gaming room, a few centerpiece items come to mind.
The pinball machine. The arcade unit. The pool or ping-pong tables.
Showstopper items that only fit in the higher tier of gaming rooms but are something to aspire to for anyone that is aiming to specifically have the best gaming room possible.
- Something A Little Extra
It is easy to forget in the middle of a marathon raid or a particularly long win streak but hydration and nourishment are still super important. Definitely close to the importance of getting that new piece of gear or finally breaking through that ranked ladder barrier you’ve been feeling.
A mini-fridge (or a big one!) in your gaming room might be perfect to keep the gaming going without getting dehydrated or hungry.
- The Games!
There’s no chance you read this far without them but ultimately, the most important thing about your gaming room is having fun. Whatever your theme, that should be the goal. Whatever peripherals you pick up or decorations you deploy, the core of the room is enjoying your hobby.
Make sure you don’t focus too hard on the room and forget the reason!