There’s far more to gaming at home than having a computer or gaming console at hand. Whether you game solo, with a group of friends or broadcast to the world on Twitch, you need to create the best gaming setup for you, from the right tech to the right posture. Here’s what you should consider when building your ultimate home video gaming setup.

Find a Gaming Chair That Could Change Your Game

The noblechairs HERO TX Gaming Chair Anthracite in front of a beige desk that has a gaming setup on it, including a green-lit microphone and computer tower, as well as an electronic tablet, gaming mat, keyboard, mouse and gaming controller.


Gaming at home involves lots of sitting still. In fact, research suggests 68 per cent of gamers play for more than three hours a day without rest breaks or pauses. Keep your body happy by choosing your chair carefully and remember to get up and move around from time to time! “Altering your posture is key for a healthy body,” says Lana Rubinstein, occupational therapist and general manager at Risk Strategies. 

She recommends looking for a gaming chair with adjustable height so that you can sit “above” your keyboard with your elbows at less than 90 degrees flexion. “Leaning back is not recommended if you are using a keyboard and mouse, as you will be reaching forward to access them.”

If you have hard floors in your gaming setup area, you may also want to consider adding a gaming chair mat. Not only will it help protect your floors from any potential damage caused by the rolling castors, it can also give your chair a soft and supported base to cushion movement (and reduce noise).

What to Try

Updating Your Gaming Monitor

Just as we’ve mostly updated our TVs to flat panels with high resolutions, it’s worth investing in a good quality gaming monitor too. “Similar to mice, you’re really looking for something that’s fast,” says Leigh Stark, editor at Pickr.com.au. “For monitors, [it’s about] the refresh rate. When you see numbers like 144Hz and 220Hz, that tells you that you’re getting a fast monitor.” Faster refresh rates can significantly lower the quantity of on-screen tearing – when on screen elements don’t line up properly – and can make a big difference to your in-game enjoyment and accuracy.

What to Try

Consider a Gaming Laptop

A man wearing a white shirt and a gaming headset with blue backlighting sitting at a desk playing on a gaming laptop. He’s using the built-in keyboard, which has red backlighting, and an external mouse, which has green backlighting.

Gaming doesn’t have to involve a dedicated gaming PC if you don’t have the space or desire, but be sure to check specs carefully before investing in a good gaming laptop. “Specifications and screen are probably the most important details,” says Leigh. “Gamers are typically in need of a lot of graphic processing power and reasonable speed for their overall system. Don’t worry about weight, but make sure you’ve got enough power to get your games going, because you can’t upgrade a gaming laptop.”

What to Try

Get Your Screen Height Right

A rear view of the Typhoon Dual Gaming Monitor Arm with RGB Space Grey on a black desk in a black room to show the multicoloured RCG lighting along the monitor base and arms.

You can invest in the best tech there is but unless your gaming setup is positioned correctly, you’ll spend more time complaining about back and neck problems than you will celebrating a victory. Research from the Queensland University of Technology suggests less than 20 per cent of gamers consider ergonomic factors when working out their gaming spaces, compared to more than half of us in office spaces.

Gaming in comfort without hurting yourself starts with getting the height of your monitor right – the screen should be positioned so that the top of it is level with, or slightly lower than, your eyes. A monitor stand or laptop riser can help you get it to the optimal position. This will help you reduce distracting neck strain, leaving you free to concentrate on your game.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: Home Office Ergonomics: A Back to Work Guide

Invest in a Better Keyboard

A GIF series of gaming accessories including the Logitech G203 LIGHTSYNC Gaming Mouse in Black, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Wired Gaming Mouse in black, Typhoon Strike GB11 4-in-1 Gaming Bundle in black, the Logitech G502X Gaming Mouse in black and the ASUS ROG Spatha X Wireless Gaming Mouse

When you’re setting up your ultimate gaming space, a mechanical gaming keyboard is a must. “They’re more accurate, typically – there’s less chance of a stray keyboard press,” says Leigh. “There's something positively old school and more reliable about a keyboard that actually has an individual part for each key.”

Lana says a good keyboard can also help you stay ergonomically sound when gaming. “Your aim should be to keep wrists in as neutral a position as possible. An ergonomic or split-gaming keyboard not only enables good hand and wrist posture but may also improve your game as movements can be performed faster and with more accuracy.”

What to Try

Remember That Sound Is as Important as Visuals

The JBL Quantum Duo Gaming Speakers Black with its RGB lighting showing a purple colour. They are sitting on a white desk in a white room with blue ambient lighting.

The work and level of detail that goes into sound design for modern games is incredible, whether it’s the tense action soundscape of Doom Eternal or the VR experience of Half-Life: Alyx – and the results aren’t just limited to orchestral scores. Good game audio through a set of gaming speakers or gaming headsets can tell you so much about the world around you, but only if you can hear it properly. It’s not a question of just “louder” being “better”, as Lana points out. Prolonged use of headphones at high volume may lead to hearing loss so keep your volume at a sensible level, around 70 per cent or less.

Don’t overlook gaming microphones either. While the one built into your laptop may cut it for Zoom meetings, it’s nowhere near clear enough for gaming chatter.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: Find the Best Headphones and Wireless Earbuds For You

Seek Out a Great Mouse

A GIF series of gaming accessories including the Logitech G203 LIGHTSYNC Gaming Mouse in Black, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Wired Gaming Mouse in black, Typhoon Strike GB11 4-in-1 Gaming Bundle in black, the Logitech G502X Gaming Mouse in black, the ASUS ROG Spatha X Wireless Gaming Mouse, and the Logitech G PRO X Superlight Wireless Mouse in black.

If you’re serious about creating the ultimate gaming space, a good gaming mouse is a must. Beyond its build, you need to look at its ability to adjust its DPI (Dots Per Inch) rating. “Adjustable DPI is vital,” says Leigh. “It’s more accurate and it allows you to get a little bit closer when you’re playing games that are all about speed and accuracy, particularly first-person shooters, but also sometimes strategy games.” Lana also adds that your mouse should fit comfortably in your hand, and shouldn’t require repeated isolated movements to play.

What to Try

Go Online the Right Way

If you’re gaming on the router your internet service provider gave to you, you’re not making the most of your broadband connection. Geeks2U’s Anthony Hill recommends opting for a gaming-specific router able to provide QoS (Quality of Service) prioritisation. “Use a direct connection to the gaming router and avoid using wireless mesh networks which can introduce additional latency to the network,” he says.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: Gamers Reveal Their Must-have Gaming Set-ups

Shed Some Light on Your Setup

A silhouette wearing a gaming headset sitting in front of a desktop computer in a very dark room with purple ambient lighting. There is also purple lighting coming from the gaming mat, and computer monitor and tower.

Take your gaming setup to the next level with some cool RGB gaming lights, from subtle strips of LEDs to more statement-making options. You could create custom colour schemes to match your personality or room decor, intimidate your foes, or just look awesome on your Twitch feed. Plus they offset the need for harsh overhead lighting, helping you achieve the perfect atmosphere for a night of epic gaming.

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This article was originally published in 2021 and has been updated.