how do you play games?

Soldato
Joined
9 Dec 2006
Posts
9,230
Location
@ManCave
by this i mean your setup & how you game.

  • Controls - 90% time using Xbox Controller 4 feet away from screen. (48")
  • daily check of windows updates before i game
  • second screen 27" must be playing a TV series or film, or rare occasions Music
  • drink of coke next to me, with finger food (malteasers/minsterls etc)
  • Must have headphones on with noise cancelling on
  • Leave Firefox in Background for OCUK during waiting on multiplayer matches
  • All games are launched via playnite
  • MSI afterburner running to use undervolted 3090 settings, with minimal overlay
 
Caporegime
Joined
22 Nov 2005
Posts
45,169
sat 2-3ft away from a 24 inch monitor
browser in the background.
Afterburner power setting set all the way down unless a game needs more.
book shelf stereo speakers with the bass usually turned down unless I watch a movie.
I started using an old xbox360 controller more and more recently, after buying it many years ago and never really using it.


I should probably get a bigger monitor I have a 2 seater couch in the same room but even if I watched a movie at the pc I wouldn't use the couch cos the screens too small
 
Man of Honour
Joined
25 Oct 2002
Posts
31,707
Location
Hampshire
I use a couple of setups:

Competitive gaming:
-25" 360hz 1080p screen slightly closer than arms length away, gsync disabled
-High mouse DPI setting (11200)
-Mouse and keyboard
-Headset
-FTTC connection (lower ping / jitter)
-Background apps usually shutdown except for voice comms etc
-Office door closed

Casual gaming:
-27" 165hz 1440p curved screen at arms length, gsync enabled
-Lower mouse DPI (3200)
-Xbox One controller or mouse and keyboard dependent on game type
-Cheap desktop speakers if playing with my son, otherwise headset
-Cable connection (faster downloads)
-Browser and other apps open in the background usually
-Office door open
-Sometimes using afterburner or whatever to monitor performance
 
Man of Honour
Joined
13 Oct 2006
Posts
90,821
As above two setups currently:

FPS/Competitive:

-27" 144Hz G-Sync TN 1440p
-Keyboard and mouse, 1000Hz polling
-Headset or earbuds depending on what I'm doing/comfort required

Casual gaming/racing/sims:

-43" 60Hz adaptive sync QD-LED HDR1000 2160p (normally I can't stand 60Hz but this display actually nails most aspects of latency/response to make it tolerable)
-Varied input usually keyboard and mouse or flight stick or wheel but pretty much never a standard controller as I just can't enjoy gaming on one
-Speakers or higher end headphones

I stick to Windows 7 for gaming when I can - Windows 10 there is always some kind of Windows Update or background maintenance task, etc. just waiting to ruin your day - MS can go **** right off with that BS.
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Feb 2009
Posts
3,814
  • Mouse on my left (40x45cm mouse pad) and red switch mechanical keyboard for controls. It doesn't matter the game, I only plug a controller in for the odd game that needs one to navigate menus properly and then use the mouse and keyboard to play the game itself.
  • About two feet back from my 34" ultrawide G-Sync monitor.
  • Surround sound headphones.
  • Cup of tea to the left of my mouse pad.
  • Chrome is generally left open with my ridiculous number of tabs that I always tell myself I will get around to one day.
  • Launched via whatever launcher is needed - mostly Steam, sometimes Epic, rarely GoG, Ubi or Origin. Recently I've been playing a lot of Gamepass games that launch from their start menu shortcut.
  • Autohotkey with a custom script for that thankfully small number of games that either don't let you rebind keys at all or that restrict use of any of the arrow, keypad or del, end, or pgdown keys.
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Mar 2005
Posts
5,043
I use controller or keyboard and mouse depending on game, I mostly use my monitor but have my computer connected to my tv as well, so sometimes I might play on the big screen (depending on game and how I feel). My computer normally has many things opened in the background but it doesn't seems to affect performance so why bother to close anything.
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Mar 2015
Posts
4,528
Location
Earth
Most my games have moved to larger screen, OLED with gsync, 120hz and all that stuff from the couch since getting Corsair lap board. Love it on OLED with atmos system so built a purpose built gaming htpc, just clean windows 11 and games, rarely do anything else on that machine so nothing much open aside AB. Depending on games will be the lapboard combo or Xbox elite controller.

Few expeditions, MMO, specifically ESO though will play from desk setup, 3440 x 1440 panel with macros and all that stuff.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Oct 2011
Posts
3,133
Sitting in front of my Monitor which is less than 6 inches away (really really bad sight) in my living room.

27" 1440p freesync monitor with G-Sync in compatibility mode capped at 73FPS

Headphones

Blackwidow Keyboard with macros for various games same with mouse via G-Hub.

Afterburner running for OC and Razor synapse and G-hub.

Win 10 with all auto-updates disabled until I am ready to move on.

Use Google but tent to keep it closed when I game.
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Jan 2008
Posts
6,024
Location
Manchester
Sat at my desk, game on the main 34" screen, 2nd screen will usually have some sort of video playing (tv series, youtube, twitch) depending on what I'm playing. 3rd screen might have a game wiki page open, again depending on what I'm playing but that's fairly rare and the 3rd screen mainly gets used for WfH and otherwise is turned off.

On champions league nights I often have 2 football games going while I play some slow paced game on the main screen. :)

Most of my gaming is mouse and keyboard
speakers unless there's need for headphones, don't play online much these days
glass of water or beer or typically both
 

HRL

HRL

Soldato
Joined
22 Nov 2005
Posts
3,025
Location
Devon
Sofa, 65” OLED, Series X XBox controller, Sonos surround setup. Probably about 5-6’ away from the TV.

Win 11, 5950X & 3090FE @ 4K/120 whenever possible.

Whatever snacks and drinks I fancy once everyone else has gone to bed as I’m a bit of a night owl.
 
Man of Honour
Man of Honour
Joined
23 Dec 2002
Posts
9,979
Location
London
VR. Custom home built flight rig using a seat from an MX5. Dedicated HOTAS, pedals, control boxes (x4). Audio via headphones. Force feedback from a jetseat.
Not cheap, but highly immersive.
 

V F

V F

Soldato
Joined
13 Aug 2003
Posts
21,184
Location
UK
I use a couple of setups:

Competitive gaming:
-25" 360hz 1080p screen slightly closer than arms length away, gsync disabled
-High mouse DPI setting (11200)
-Mouse and keyboard
-Headset
-FTTC connection (lower ping / jitter)
-Background apps usually shutdown except for voice comms etc
-Office door closed

No headbands, arm glove for the mouse hand and a towel? as well as no G-Fuel/Monster Energy crate?
 
Soldato
Joined
6 Oct 2004
Posts
18,302
Location
Birmingham
Whenever I can at my desk:
  • 38" ultrawide on adjustable arm so I can move it to the best position for the type of game
  • Logitech g910 gaming keyboard
  • Logitech g700s mouse
  • Steelseries arctis pro headset
  • Discord in the background to chat with my brothers/mates
  • Hue play bars on the back of the monitor set up to sync with the game
However more and more recently I don't get the chance to sit down and play properly, so i also have my PC connected to my 65" QLED TV in the living room, playing more console/controller friendly games on a dualsense controller
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
3,166
Location
Elsewhere
Sofa, 65” OLED, Series X XBox controller, Sonos surround setup. Probably about 5-6’ away from the TV.

Win 11, 5950X & 3090FE @ 4K/120 whenever possible.

Whatever snacks and drinks I fancy once everyone else has gone to bed as I’m a bit of a night owl.
How does the Sonos go down once everyone’s gone to bed? :D
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Aug 2019
Posts
2,583
At the minute...wait for the little one to become sleepy, then I sit on the yoga ball ( makes for a good chair) put a big pillow on my lap so it's wedged between the desk and myself so she can't fall off, whack the sleeping child on top fire up the PC , play planetside 2 until she wakes up.

Bouncing ball /yoga ball helps get her back to sleep should she decide dad has had enough pc time!

Not the best way to play and I end been an xp cow for every one else but I get to play at least and she gets her sleep so win win.
 
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