One of the (many) reasons buying a Waterloo Region home after spending years renting someone else's is so great is that you are now free to do whatever you like with our new space, including taking a spare room/basement or attic and turning it into something you love.
In days past, this often meant a home gym, your own bar or a sports watching set up fashioned after a favorite local bar. Such things are still popular with some, but increasingly creating their own game room - as in video game room - is what those now blessed with extra living space are now choosing to do.
If video gaming was ever just a 'kid' thing, it's certainly not now. According to Statista, a 2020 survey of Canadian gaming audiences found that 61 percent of Canadian adults - those over 18 - played video games, and the average age of gamers in Canada was 34 years. It's also not just a 'guy thing'. The same survey found that 61% of the population that games regularly is split 50/50 between male and female.
So, the idea of using 'free space' in a Waterloo Region home to create a dedicated video gaming space is hot. Video game rooms, regardless of platform, are a terrific way to help you get more immersed in a game.
A gaming room can allow you to bring in more computer power, louder and richer sound, storage for all of your accessories and decor, and offer you a reason to use that empty room in your home, depending on your budget and space. With that in mind, here are some gaming room ideas for creating the best video game room on any budget.
Video Game Room Decor Tips
It's crucial to choose an aesthetic or theme for the gaming room before you start buying things or tearing down walls. It's your chance to express yourself through your favorite game, character, or genre by designing your room around it. If you're going to use art, make sure it complements the games you want to play. If you're framing an artwork, make sure the frame contrasts with the artwork; the difference will make it stand out.
Are you a fan of Mario? Use a lot of reds and yellows, add some mushroom decor, and hang lights that accent amazing wall art and posters. Do you have a favorite Zelda game? More emphasis should be placed on greens and browns, as well as memorabilia and creative artwork.
Do you like Call of Duty? Make sure your gaming setup is top-notch and incorporate realistic art and camouflage colors throughout your area. Into anime games? The possibiities for an amazing gaming set up for that genre are almost endless too.
This first phase entails thinking and experimenting with your surroundings. Pick something you enjoy and run with it. You want to be able to come into your gaming room and feel motivated just by being there.
Getting the Best Connections
Whether you are a PC gamer or a platform fan, to get the most out of almost any video game you are going to need good Internet.
You don’t necessarily need business-speed internet to be able to game seamlessly, but you do need at least 15-20Mbps if you’re going to play games. But you also need to think about your bandwidth.
If you or other people in your household are going to be doing other internet-based activities (such as streaming movies, video chatting and browsing the web) at the same time, it can strain the bandwidth. Activities like streaming videos and downloading files are particularly big as they require a lot of data - a lot more than gaming, in fact. This can significantly slow your internet and game down if you don’t have enough bandwidth to support it all.
This means that where possible an Ethernet connection, rather than a wireless connection, is often the better way to go. All the major gaming consoles support one, and it will mean that whatever else others in your home are doing, you should be able to stay connected.
Gaming Room Furniture Considerations
It's time to make some bigger adjustments and improvements to your game area now that you've chosen a theme and figured out your internet. This is the time to knock down a wall, get a custom-built workstation or storage area, or buy that piece of furniture you've been eyeing for months. You now have complete control over the space.
Gaming Desk
Your gaming room's desk will most likely be the focal point, so spending some extra time and money on it will make it feel more customized. Depending on your space, you can go in a number of different directions, but some frequent custom desk styles include:
Floating/wall-mounted
Standing
Tall
Curved
Corner
If you're short on space, a floating desk can help you get additional storage. If you have more room, a longer, curving desk that can accommodate extra desktops and peripherals is a good option. You can even combine many of the above styles into one unique desk if you go with the more expensive custom route.
Gaming Monitors and TVs
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ou'll be staring at your displays for hours while playing, so pick wisely. Monitors, televisions, and projectors are the three main options available. Monitors benefit from their smaller size and mobility, whilst projection screens can improve immersion and enrich your experience. Projector displays are not only more cinematic, but they are also better for your eyes.
Projectors are suitable for considerably larger rooms and are difficult to shift from one to the next. For individuals who like consoles and will be sitting further away from the screen, TVs are an excellent choice. However, since monitors are the most common, let's take a closer look at them.
When picking a monitor for your gaming room, there are four general quality characteristics to consider:
Size: The diagonal distance between opposite corners of the screen is measured in inches, therefore a 13" laptop measures 13" from top right to bottom left.
Clarity: The clarity of the image on your screen is determined by the resolution. The higher the resolution of your screen, such as 1920 x 1080, the better.
Refresh Rates: This refers to how often an onscreen image is updated or "redrawn" by a display. The number of refreshes per second is expressed in Hz; for example, a refresh rate of 144 Hz indicates that the screen is refreshed 144 times per second.
Price: Monitors range in price from around $100 to over $2000. While the more expensive monitors may appear to be of higher quality, the displays on the lower end of the spectrum are more than acceptable.
Most people would agree that screen size is less important than resolution or refresh rate, and that most games will look fantastic on a typical 1080p, 60Hz display. The latest Freesync and G-sync technologies provide greater image quality, but they are more expensive. Choose parameters that meet your budget, and keep in mind that higher numbers usually result in increasingly modest performance gains.
Gaming Chair
Between consoles and your desktop, you'll likely spend the majority of your time here, so it should be the pinnacle of comfort and style. Trying to feel comfortable by fidgeting or wriggling takes time away from your high-level gameplay.
There are numerous gaming chair models available, ranging from a normal desk chair to a custom-fitted leather racing chair with magnetic armrests and an adjustable headrest, as well as gaming armchair loungers and even bean bags.
The most important thing is to find a comfortable chair that will support you during your gaming session. Buy a chair that is both comfy and allows you to concentrate for long periods of time. Don't feel obligated to spend more than you can afford; there are lots of economical alternatives that are both comfortable and long-lasting.
Gaming Room Sound
Audio quality directly from a TV or laptop is often low, although game sound is always improving. Adding external speakers will vastly improve your audio. It gives your sound depth that might otherwise be lost. Let's take a look at some of the most popular choices.
Soundbars: Soundbars are a fashionable and minimalist option. In comparison to more traditional speaker types, there is a trade-off here between appearances and price for sound quality. These would look great in any gaming room.
Bookshelf speakers: These can be used in conjunction with soundbars or as a standalone system. These usually have more than two speakers and can deliver excellent surround sound. They can be set up to provide resonance sound in a large gaming room.
Floor Speakers: Floorstanding speakers are large, costly speakers that produce a loud, rich sound. They are the polar opposite of soundbars, being heavy and angular but some gamers love the look anyway.
If you want to be as versatile as possible, choose Bluetooth speakers, and try to match the speaker style to your gaming room. Many speakers have the capacity to light up, and if you're prepared to spend the extra money, you can have them custom-built.
While still on the subject of sound, you might want to consider some soundproofing for your video gaming room.
Gaming is noisy - it's better that way – but you don't want to be distracted or cause others in your house to be distracted. As a result, adding soundproofing to your gaming room is a good idea.
There are a variety of materials and objects that provide some soundproofing, but there are five main strategies:
Soundproof insulation
Dampening seals
Wall panels
Rugs/carpeting/drapes
Include a mix of soundproof paint, sturdy doors, and unique panels to smoothly merge strong soundproofing and attractive visuals into your gaming room if you have the budget for it. Panels and full-wall systems aid with acoustics as well as protecting your walls from hits and impacts, and they can be customized to your needs.
Apply dampening sealants to the cracks around your door/s and windows and use a thick rug if you're on a budget. After the soundproofing is completed, you or anybody else in your house can also use this space as a streaming or podcast studio
Game Room Lighting
It's time to freshen up your room and give it a new look with home lighting. We're not talking about ordinary bulbs or fluorescents here. Strip lighting, Bluetooth lightbulbs, backlights, custom-shaped panels, and hanging decals are all options. Lighting can be a great way of helping create an ideal video gaming environment.
Correctly placed lighting not only improves the aesthetics of the space, but it can also reduce eye strain. Although lighting may appear to be superfluous, it significantly improves the look and functionality of your space. These lights can also be synced with your gaming laptops, mouse, keypad, and even headset to create an RGB LED explosion over the entire room.
You'll also be able to save energy at home and avoid racking up your monthly bill because all of the suggested lighting uses LEDs, which require less electricity.
Gaming Room Extras
Other furniture options to consider are shelving units, side tables, couches, custom display cases for your collectibles, TV stands, and mirrors. There are also a plethora of room modification and remodeling options. Add or remove a window or a wall, paint the walls, replace the flooring, or do whatever your heart desires. After all, it's your space.
Still looking for the right Waterloo Region home to create your ultimate gaming space in? Let Team Pinto use their huge local real estate experience and expertise to help you. Contact the award-winning Team Pinto here, or book a free Zoom consultation to discuss your unique Waterloo Region real estate needs first.