5 ways to make your gaming system more comfortable for people with chronic pain

While gamers put a lot of thought into their hardware and accessories, not everyone thinks about the comfort of their gaming setup.

Here's how to make your gaming setup more comfortable!

1. Find a lightweight gaming headset

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When people choose gaming headsets, they often don't think about weight. But weight is an important consideration for people with chronic pain because these people cannot use a heavy device for long periods of time before it begins to worsen their neck and head pain.

Try the Redragon H520 Icon gaming headset, which is a wired headset that offers good sound quality and is very lightweight. Gaming headsets have a much lighter design. But their main disadvantage is the cost and determining whether you can wear the headphones for many hours or not. But if that's what you want to learn about, there are headphones specifically designed for gaming like the Sony InZone Buds.

2. Install a night filter and reduce screen brightness

Between frequent headaches and chronic migraines, bright light is a major source of pain. But you can reduce eye strain by turning on the night filter on Windows and reducing screen brightness.

This isn't always good for in-game image clarity, but it's a sacrifice you should make. Your eyes will adjust to the color of the screen so it won't feel like everything is yellow. It's also one of the easiest ways to make your setup more comfortable because it doesn't require specific hardware.

3. Choose an ergonomic chair

Chairs are essential in any desktop PC setup, and ergonomic chairs can help keep your body in a more comfortable and healthy position for hours of gaming. That's why some people prefer ergonomic office chairs over gaming chairs.

Ergonomic chairs are important for a comfortable gaming setup. It gives you the ability to customize the height and position of the chair, supporting the lower back and arms. Choosing the right chair is one of the best ways to make your setup more comfortable and this will make a huge difference.

4. Use a reclining chair to play games

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While ergonomic chairs help with daily gaming sessions, sometimes the pain gets so bad that it can be difficult to sit upright. This is where armchairs come into play. Although it requires you to be quite close to the screen (or use another monitor mounted on the wall), it is one of the most comfortable ways to game.

Try combining an armchair with a folding lap table so you can play PC games with a mouse and keyboard, with the TV screen connected to the PC via an HDMI cable. But this is also where a PC-compatible controller comes in handy.

5. Use the controller to play games on PC

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As mentioned earlier, a controller is a useful accessory for PC games. But it can also help you set up more comfortably. Using a grip means you don't have to sit up straight with your arms and hands on the desk and keyboard. You have more freedom of movement in terms of where you want to place your hands.

When shoulder pain is especially severe, you can connect the PS5 controller to your PC to use it instead of a mouse and keyboard, which will be much more comfortable. And since so many PC games are optimized for controllers, this conversion is easy to make.

These are just some of the ways you can make your gaming setup more comfortable so you don't experience pain. Even if you don't have to endure pain on a daily basis, making your gaming setup more comfortable can help prevent future discomfort from long gaming sessions.

Kareem Winters

Update 17 August 2024