As the multi-billion-dollar global gaming industry expands, it’s natural to see the ecosystem that supports it grow. Culturally, of course, gaming has become more influential, extending into shared experiences for children and adults of all ages. Increasingly, there is a focus on providing those spaces for gamers to pursue their passion.
The concept of a gaming room immediately evokes a neon-lit, dark room, looking more like a 1980s cyberpunk movie than an inviting sanctuary. Indeed, if you look through Google images for gaming room ideas, the vast majority are the clichéd neon design.
Yet there are many more ways to design a gaming room, making it feel more like a sanctuary. IKEA, perhaps sensing a shift in the market, has recently expanded its range of gaming room ideas and accessories, placing greater emphasis on comfort and chic style, with no neon bulbs in sight.
The room should reflect your gaming habits
The point is that there are so many types of gamers. One person might log on for hours on end to play RPG games, whereas another might want a quick session on Megaways slot games, and others will be more family-oriented. The market has sprung up to support that diverse spectrum of tastes.
At its heart, though, there seems to be a move to frame the gaming room as a sanctuary. Indeed, we have seen a rising trend in gaming garden sheds, something like a 2020s version of “dad’s tool shed”.
© Pixabay
Sanctuary should not be confused with space to escape from your family, of course, but the idea is rooted in gaming as escapism, an activity that allows you to switch off from the real world. That does not have to be a solitary experience, which is part of the reason that there’s a steady trade in family gaming rooms. To reiterate again, it’s not only the domain of 15-year-old boys.
Think about comfort as well as style
The diversity of gaming tastes means there is no single set of rules to determine the right setup for you. However, there are some rules that should be considered universal, such as the need to feel removed from other spaces in the home. Comfort should also be paramount. A gaming chair is deemed a necessary addition by many, but there are plenty of seating options that don’t make it look like you are stepping into an arcade.
© Pixabay
The main thing to consider is what type of gamer you aspire to be. If it is a family gaming room, it’s desirable to have plenty of space, natural light, and flexible seating arrangements (think of family-friendly games like Nintendo Switch Sports or Dance Party that require lots of space). If you are a hardcore WoW player, then you are going to want a more focused setup, one that perhaps has room for a fridge and accessories like a coffee machine. But overall, the main rule is that there are no rules.
BENQ has some interesting ideas on gaming rooms, tapping into a broader gamer culture rather than a PC-centric setup. It highlights how the room can become a sanctuary in other aspects, such as physical board games, collectibles and comic books. Again, one would need to have a passion for this sub-culture to go down that route, but you should not feel compelled to follow it simply for the aesthetic, should you not hold much truck with comics and superheroes.
In the end, it’s worth keeping an open mind about all aspects of a gaming room. Look beyond the concepts of a man cave or neon-lit boys’ bedroom. There are so many directions you can go.
