The earliest home gamers had to be dedicated, struggling to whizz their little rectangles across the screen to hit the square ball back to their opponent’s paddle. If those pioneers could see the specialist rigs, the dedicated chairs, and the immersive gaming gear that now forms part of most hardcore gamers’ set-ups, they would be thrilled to see that their dreams had been realized.
Today, gamers can choose from a wide range of specialist equipment, from the machines they play on to the furniture in their gaming space, and almost every aspect can be customized to suit the individual player perfectly. Some prefer to play on a PC, others opt for consoles, and some play mostly on mobile devices, but any gaming setup can be tweaked to make it perfect if you know what you are looking for.
Hardware
For most gamers, the choice of what they play is the first consideration, but there has to be a nod to the practical when narrowing down your choices. Gamers who largely play from home will usually opt for a PC so they can take advantage of the speed and memory capacity that you can accommodate in a larger computer.
PCs are hugely customizable, so avid gamers can choose the exact components that make their perfect computer, but that’s only useful if you are actually at home to play on it. Players who are squeezing their gaming time into their daily commute breaks at work or have little pockets of downtime may need a more pragmatic solution.
Fortunately, smartphone manufacturers have been quick to identify the potential market for phones designed specifically for gamers and bring out phones that are gaming machines first and foremost and a means for communication as an added extra. For those who want a more portable gaming solution, gaming laptops have high-spec systems in place to ensure that they do the games justice when it comes to the quality of the graphics and the processing speed.
Visuals
Whether you have the phone with the largest display you can get, a bank of high-def monitors transporting you into your gaming environment, or even a virtual reality headset, there are plenty of ways you can enhance your gaming experience using graphics. PC gamers might opt for the highest-spec graphics card they can find to give their machine a visual boost, whereas console gamers can make the most of the trend for high-def televisions to make their games really pop.
Even mobile gamers can choose phones with unprecedented refresh rates, allowing them to keep up with all the action even when they are on the go themselves. Players that want to enjoy the high-quality graphics that are now expected from video games have plenty of options to find the system that works best for them.
Sound
As gaming has become more popular, gamers have developed high expectations when it comes to the sound quality in games. Developers understand the importance of everything from atmospheric music to realistic sound effects, and gamers often choose high-end speakers to do justice to the games’ soundtracks,
Those who want to ensure they don’t miss a single thing (or just want to limit the noise they make) often choose headphones to ensure that they get the most important sounds delivered directly to their ears. Gamers can give themselves a truly immersive experience with surround sound, bringing the soundscape into three dimensions and transporting them more completely into their gaming world.
Equipment
The kind of accessories that make a gaming rig perfect depending on the type of game you’re playing, and the most dedicated gamers will often have a selection of specialist controllers. There are different types of guns for the multitudes of shooting games, steering wheels for racing games, and specialist mice and keyboards designed to make gaming easier.
While traditional casino slot games are still a popular choice with gamers the world over, the simplicity of their controls means that no specialist equipment has been needed to enhance their gameplay. However, as developers innovate, the first racing slot game has already been designed for land-based casinos, so it is likely that players will be able to use their accessories to play even more games in the future.
Whatever your situation, there’s a gaming rig to suit you, whether you need to consider your lifestyle, your budget, or just the kinds of games you play. Gamers are usually happy to discuss their gear, so there are plenty of helpful forums and social media channels dedicated to gaming.
These are great places to get honest reviews, recommendations, and ideas from people who can give you a realistic idea of whether a particular piece of equipment or system will work for you.