Gaming is a hobby enjoyed by almost everyone today, rather than just the stereotypical younger male demographic that was commonplace in the 1980s and 90s. Thanks to a much broader selection of game types and genres, the growth of the free-to-play model, the evolution of the casual gaming format, and devices like smartphones and virtual reality headsets expanding the number of options available, there’s a game for almost everyone.
Across the entire world, there are now more than 3.5 billion gamers, accounting for around 44% of the world’s population. Here in the UK, the proportion is even bigger with more than 60% of us enjoying a good gaming session every now and then.
But if gaming is a big hobby for you, it can become a little tricky to keep all your gaming gear in your house without upsetting the aesthetics of your other rooms. After all, a giant neon Pac-Man will look out of place in a room with soft pastels and timeless wooden furniture. No matter how much you try to merge your styles, you’ll come up against a lot of stumbling blocks.
Instead, many gamers prefer to create a dedicated gaming space where they can enjoy their hobby without disturbing the others that they live with.
You can, of course, just slap a desk and a console or computer in any old space in your house and call it a games room. But if you want to really get the most from it, then you should treat it like any other space – as a canvas to express yourself and a room to make your own.
If this sounds like your ideal place to play your favourite games, then these are the top things to consider before you even think about picking up a paintbrush.
What Games Are You Going to Play?
The types of games you play will heavily influence the design of your games room as it will dictate the types of equipment needed. For example, if you’re a big fan of first-person shooters, then you’ll likely want a big screen and either a powerful gaming computer or a console. Alternatively, if you love diving into the immersive world of VR gaming, then you’ll need to make sure your room has plenty of space so that you won’t accidentally punch through something expensive or run into a wall.
You may not need huge amounts of space, though. In recent years, online casinos have become an incredibly popular platform for gamers searching for new titles to play. Of all of the options, online slots are the biggest category as casinos have created a huge range of different themes and developed unique bonus features for their slot games. In which case, if all you want to do is enjoy spinning the reels of Deal or No Deal Megaways or PokerStars Casino’s exclusive Diamond Stars, somewhere with just a desk for your computer or even a sofa on which to use your smartphone may be enough.
Internet Connection
Most games we play today have some form of online features. So unless you’re planning to exclusively play retro console games on old hardware, it likely makes sense to ensure you have a stable link to the internet in your games room.
The easiest solution to this is to have a mesh WiFi network as you can simply plug in additional access points around your home and get a solid connection practically anywhere. However, if you want the absolute lowest ping for your games, then it may be better to invest in a wired connection.
Storage
No one likes a messy room, so don’t forget to think about how you’re going to keep your games room tidy. This will, again, be heavily influenced by the types of games you plan to play as, if you want to enjoy retro console games, you’ll likely need a lot of shelves for all your cartridges and boxes.
Similarly, if you’re planning to play console games, you’ll want somewhere to keep your controllers charging without having cables trailing everywhere.
Also, don’t forget about a place to store your snacks so you don’t have to rush quickly to the kitchen between rounds to grab something to eat and top up your drink.
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