Get your gaming set-up right, and you’ll be more comfortable every time you play. These top gamers share their essential equipment, including the best gaming chairs, mice and monitors.
The Mainstream Gamer
Rhiannen ‘Doomcutie’ Austin is a podcast host and freelance games writer. “I’ve been gaming for as long as I can remember,” she says. “It’s always been a form of joy in my life, and I remember helping my stepdad build computers from spare parts in the garage when I was around eight years old. The floppy disk DOOM and Stunts were my first games on PC.”
Today her favourite games are Forza Horizon 5, Hogwarts Legacy and Golf With Your Friends. “Play what you love,” she says. “I spent a long time trying to 'fit in' by playing games that were considered popular. This made me feel terrible about myself, and meant I wasn't making good-quality connections with other gamers.
I think finally accepting there are all kinds of games out there, and it's OK to not like or be good at all of them, were the things that helped me create more meaningful gaming experiences for myself.” Oh, and Rhiannen says not to forget a cosy hoodie or robe when gaming. “I do my best work when I’m comfortable.”
Rhiannen’s Gaming Set-up
1. Nanoleaf Lines: “A staple in any gaming set-up. They provide exceptional mood lighting for whatever game you're playing.”
2. Gaming chair: “A good quality chair is essential when you're spending extended periods of time in a space.”
3. Mic arm: “This is a must-have for me as I use my space for gaming and also recording my podcast, Confessions of a Gamer Girl. It helps keep the mic in reach when needed and then stored nicely for when I am just gaming.”
4. Mini fridge: “I love having little versions of my favourite drinks and water in there. It’s perfect for long gaming and podcast sessions.”
5. Curved gaming monitor: “Choose one with a high refresh rate and exceptional colour.”
SEE ALSO: 10 Hacks to Make Your Gaming Setup Even Better
Get the Gaming Set-Up Essentials
- Nanoleaf Lines 60 Degrees Starter Kit (9 Lines): Transform your space with these colourful geometric lighting displays with infinite customisation possibilities
- ONEX EV12 Fabric Edition Gaming Chair Graphite: This model has high-density foam, upholstered with short pile linen fabric for all-day comfort
- Blue Compass Premium Microphone Boom Arm Black: Mount this microphone to your desk so you can position it perfectly for recording and gaming
The Parent and Tween Gamer
Australia’s Strongest Man winner and gaming devotee Eddie Williams loves playing video games with his seven-year-old son, Nixon. “I grew up playing with my older cousins, who taught me how to play,” says Eddie, a dual winner of the national strong-man title who also appeared on America’s Got Talent: The Champions 2 in 2020. “It’s great being able to do the same with Nixon now.”
The father and son love playing Crash Bandicoot together “because of the nostalgia of when I first started playing.” Gran Turismo is another – “We love fast cars, and it always gets competitive”.
Eddie and Nixon’s Gaming Set-up
1. Quality PC: “Our 3060 PC means we can stream games at a higher resolution.”
2. Headset: “A great headset means you can hear everything really well. We love having it up loud so you can hear footsteps in the game.”
3. Stream deck: “Being able to swap between scenes is a dream when we’re playing together.”
4. Channel mixer: “It’s great to get the vocals and soundboard all in one, and it makes the games extra entertaining.”
5. Controller: “A great controller can make or break your session.”
Get the Gaming Set-up Essentials
- JBL Quantum 200 Gaming Headset Black: Optimised for Windows, Spatial Sound [360-degree audio] has incredible clarity. It also has a flip-up boom microphone for talking with friends during multiplayer sessions
- MSI Infinite S3 Gaming Desktop Core i5 16/512GB/1TB RTX3060: You’ll get a powerful gaming performance with a superior RTX 3060 graphics card, so you can enjoy your favourite games in a smooth, eye-catching manner
- PowerA Spectra Infinity Enhanced Xbox/PC Controller Black: You can customise your lighting combinations to create eye-catching illumination with this controller
SEE ALSO: Gaming for Beginners
The Student Gamer
Tom Melling recently graduated from Holmesglen Institute after studying for the Diploma of Information Technology in Game Art and Design and Game Programming. “When I was at school, games were my escape from everything,” he says. “I was always thinking up ideas and worlds, drawing characters and creatures in art classes. Now I can do that when I create my games, telling stories through small things such as a scar, or a collapsed wall. All these little parts tell their own stories that fit into and build out the world.”
Tom is currently working with other developers to build augmented and virtual reality systems for safety training and emergency scenarios, as well as setting up his own studio, Secretly Ants, with a fellow student from his course.
In the meantime, he’s still enjoying playing his favourite games: Deus Ex, Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Cyberpunk2077. “I love all these games for the same reasons; they have compelling characters and stories, but also offer the player freedom in how they tackle different situations.”
Tom’s Gaming Set-up
- Gaming chair: “I prefer a decent ergonomic chair over a gaming chair. You spend a lot of time in it and your back will thank you.”
- Big monitor with good resolution: “I use a single ultrawide. The width is great for splitting windows up on a single monitor but you need good resolution for reading lines and lines of code. It’s fantastic for immersion when playing games.”
- Decent sized table or desk: “I always keep a notepad and drawing book with me, and also occasionally have a second monitor for debugging so I like plenty of space to spread out.”
- Keyboard and gaming mouse: “I have the Logitech MX Keys keyboard and mouse. They are really comfortable [to use].”
- Lots of hard drives: “Games these days take up heaps of space, and if you’re developing they take up even more. I also mirror the main drive I work off, just in case my main drive fails.”
SEE ALSO: The Ultimate Gaming Chair Buying Guide
Get the Gaming Set-up Essentials
- LG 34” FHD UltraWide Monitor 34WP500: With plenty of area for side-by-side windows, this allows you to multitask with ease
- Seagate 4TB OneTouch Portable Hard Drive Sky Blue: This portable hard drive fits in your pocket, allowing you to back up your files and take them with you
- Typhoon Prime Gaming Desk 1800mm Black: This large gaming desktop has plenty of space for a second monitor and equipment
SEE ALSO: Gaming Technology and Gaming Trends for 2023
