Here in the 21st century, home entertainment is now a major part of the modern home. The rise of things like eSports, streaming and entertainment platforms like Netflix has meant that everything we need to entertain ourselves digitally can now be accessed via a computer or smart TV screen. Consequently, having a dedicated gaming and entertainment room no longer needs to be a fantasy – especially if that room can double up as a home office with a practical workstation.
Here are some simple ways that you too can build the perfect gaming room.
The basics
As with every new room transformation, if you want to build the ultimate gaming room you will need to give it a good paint job first. You can stick to neutral colours, or even plain white, but if we’re talking a dedicated gaming and entertainment space, darker shades like blue and purple create incredible ambiance. Try dark blue on the walls and matte purple on the ceiling, it’s definitely an “out there” colour scheme but it goes with gaming so well.
As far as lighting goes, ultraviolet LED tube lights are a perfect way to illuminate a gaming room. UV light makes you feel comfortable and keeps you calm, but it will really make the colours of your walls and whatever else you choose to decorate your room with shine. If you’ll be going with blue and purple paint, back light fixtures will really take the room to the next level.
Furniture
Whilst the hardware discussed below is purely optional, or something to invest in in the future, a decent gaming room does need sturdy, long lasting furniture that is both comfortable and supports your body during those marathon gaming sessions. First and foremost, you’re going to need a desk and workstation. Specialized gaming desks, like Arozzi’s Arena Gaming Desk are purpose built for gaming. As such, they come in a range of colours for a more personalised touch and offer plenty of space for your set-up, as well as things like cable management holes and dedicated sections for table lamps. They’re a little pricey though, at around $300 a pop, so another alternative could be to build your own workstation.
In fact, many elite gamers prefer to build their own desks, using plexiglass or wooden panels and attaching them directly to the wall. Desks are great, but since they are made for a mass audience you can only personalise them to a point. Building your own workstation means you can enjoy total customisation and total creativity. Don’t ruin your brand new gaming room by bringing in a sunken old sofa to sit on. Believe us, you’re going to be craving a supportive upright chair after not too long. The ultimate gaming chair is probably the DX Racer Gaming chair, which is inspired by the original designs of Ferrari and Nascar vehicles. At around $499, however, they might just be out of your price range.
At the more pocket-friendly end of the scale, the Markus Office chair from IKEA is a great option. This chair is a top choice for geeks – like Joey Ingram, who has dubbed it his “official computer chair of the PokerLife podcast” – thanks to its comfortable ergonomic design and affordable price tag. If you do want something a bit more comfortable to relax in while watching a movie, or catching up on your favorite livestreamer’s exploits, then a bean bag chair is a better alternative to a sofa. You can get all manner of high tech ones these days, which are part chair and part beanie couch and can be used as both.
Specialised hardware
If you’re dedicated enough to build your own gaming room then chances are you’ve already got a pretty good hardware setup. But if you are looking for a top notch gaming laptop, be sure to check Razer out. No, you don’t need to rush out and buy a brand new PC, LCD screen or a projector to complete your gaming room; however, here are some items of specialised hardware that you can put on your wishlist.
- LG OLED 4K Ultra HD TV – 27 to 35-inch monitors more than suffice as a primary display for playing games and work projects, but a 55 inch OLED screen will really take things to the next level.
- ASUS ROG PG348Q Curved Gaming Monitor – running a second monitor when you’ve hooked your PC up to a TV is often a necessity if you have work assignments and projects to complete during gaming sessions.
- BenQ DLP HD1080p HT 4050 Projector – a definite luxury, since projectors really are suitable only for gaming.
