When you frequent PC gaming subreddits as often as we do, you’ll start to notice patterns in all of the best gaming setups. This is not to say they all look the same (although some would make that argument). The best gaming setups bring their own style into the mix while possessing a handful of common features. Make sure your setup has these nine traits if you wish to recreate some of their magic.
1. The “IKEA Special” Desk
Pictured: Jfox8’s Setup
Take an IKEA countertop like the KARLBY and rest it on top of two ALEX drawers and voila! The IKEA special.
Why’s this desk option so popular? It could be because it’s fairly inexpensive, provides a lot of surface area, and can be customized to your liking. Or, everyone’s just copying each other.
2. Excellent Cable Management
Many of these traits can be mimicked by simply purchasing the right products, but not this one. Let’s give these setup owners some credit. They have great cable management skills.
Pictured: Arccai’s Setup
Having wireless gear helps, but you’ll eventually have to get on all fours to achieve perfect desk cable management. Some people even go as far as drilling holes into their walls and desks to hide their wires. It ain’t easy, but it’s worth it.
3. RGB Lighting, Everywhere
If you’re PC enthusiast, you already know how fascinated we are with colorful RGB lights. And product manufacturers are enabling this trend to the best of their abilities. Everything comes with RGB lights including headphone stands, speakers, and even desks.
Pictured: Chroman’s Setup
While anyone can buy light-up products, it does require a little finesse to implement RGB lighting tastefully.
4. Nanoleafs
These technically fall under the RGB lights category, but they’ve become so popular we thought they deserved their own section. If you’ve ever wondered what those “light-up triangles” were on everyone’s walls, now you know. They’re
Nanoleafs have some pretty cool features:
- They’re modular, allowing you to arrange the panels into your own unique designs
- You can change each triangle’s color anytime via a mobile app
- They can sync and pulse with your music
- You can control them with smart devices like Siri, Google, and Alexa.
People frequently purchase more than one kit at a time so they can get pricey. If you can afford them, these triangles are a cool way to enhance the vibe of your room.
5. Extra Large Desk Mat
We don’t know when this became the norm, but it seems like every gaming desk setup now sports an extra-large mousepad.
Pictured: The SteelSeries QcK XXL in Navigas’ Setup
Is there a reason your keyboard needs to be on your mousepad? We’re not sure, but we dig the look. A dark desk mat can visually anchor your setup, providing a contrast to highlight your gear.
6. Customized Mechanical Keyboards
Mechanical keyboards and their enthusiasts have been around since the dawn of computers. But in recent years, there’s been an explosion of different styles.
Enthusiasts now often spend hundreds of dollars on a single keyboard, fully customizing each of its components. This trend is rapidly making its way into the mainstream and we love to see it!
Pictured: The Kira Mechanical Keyboard in Goldstarlabs’ Setup
7. Gaming Chair
Your favorite Twitch streamer probably sits in one of these. Around 2006, DXRacer, a luxury car seat manufacturer decided to bring its technology to desk chairs. What seemed like a wild idea at the time stuck, and now there are plenty of brands that provide a similar product.
8. Multiple Monitor Setup
The popular gaming setup subreddit’s name is r/battlestations after all. It’s no surprise multiple monitor setups are prevalent. You’ll often see dual, triple, and even up to six monitor setups.
Pictured: Arcwise’s Setup
Pulling this look off cleanly just requires pairing a couple of monitors with the right monitor mount.
9. Badass Desktop Wallpaper
What to do with all those monitors? Why not display a breathtaking image? It’s amazing how the right desktop background can tie an entire setup together. The best gaming setups have wallpapers that fit perfectly with their theme. Here’s a great example.
Pictured: Infante50’s Setup
Time to Go Viral
And now you have it, a formula for free Reddit karma.
Kidding aside, we hope these tips help. Start with these items and then insert your own personality into the mix. You might just end up with something amazing.
Let us know in the comments below if there was anything we missed! If your setup’s already awesome, we’d love to feature it.
I want to ask, what model is the host in the first picture?
Hi Henry,
The specs for the setup in the featured image can be found here: https://voltcave.com/setup/est4r/