PC gaming in the living room

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Caporegime
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Who here plays mouse and keyboard games in their living room?

I'm lining up a living room HTPC that will double as my gaming station. The main PC is currently upstairs, but that will have to change soon as there's a baby on the way and space will be limited until we move house. So the study is become a nursery.

The problem is I don't just want this HTPC to play FIFA, Tiger Woods and GTA on the X-Box controllers, I want it to be a good setup for first person shooters over the 5.1, in particular the upcoming Battlefield 3.

So my question is - what comfortable solutions have people come up with that allows mouse and keyboard gaming in the living room? A desk is not an option...

Thanks.
 
Theres a tv advert showing atm for something called a lapdesk, it looks like that phantom but its £19.99 iirc. Its one of those JML items.

And its in the blue and red supermarket.

Of course it doesnt have a keyboard integrated though.
 
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im just thinking about extension leads maybe, or going wireless, although i dont really like wireless mouse/kb's. and then just get a coffee table and play it on there.
 
Robbie G said:
Who here plays mouse and keyboard games in their living room?

I'm lining up a living room HTPC that will double as my gaming station. The main PC is currently upstairs, but that will have to change soon as there's a baby on the way and space will be limited until we move house. So the study is become a nursery.

The problem is I don't just want this HTPC to play FIFA, Tiger Woods and GTA on the X-Box controllers, I want it to be a good setup for first person shooters over the 5.1, in particular the upcoming Battlefield 3.

So my question is - what comfortable solutions have people come up with that allows mouse and keyboard gaming in the living room? A desk is not an option...

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Currently I have a similar setup.

First off, I would get Logitech Wireless Desktop Mk250, which is only £14.99 but is a quality piece of equipment, at least as a backup if you go for something more expensive that breaks.

I looked at loads of wireless solutions and this little fella blew them all away.

I actually use my own gaming mouse with a USB extension lead. I have a side table to use my mouse on.

Obviously a desk is out of the question, but you do need something solid for your mouse as is this the most important item you will use, well that and your 360 controller.
 
why not just get a cloth mouse mat and rest it on the sofa you're sitting on...keyboard in lap.

not tried them but usb extensions should work...ordered some myself several months ago but have been too lazy to try them out and now i don't know where i put them.
 
Just get yourself a fold up table. They are high enough and have enough room for a Keyboard and Mouse. You can also put it away easily when not in use.
 
Get a stress ball, so that you can take your anger out on that instead of shouting OMFG HAX!!! and stuff, while your missus is trying to watch coronation street :p.
 
I have my pc in the living room on a desk set-up (it's pictured on the show us your set-up in the home cinema section of these forums, post number 2448 on page 82). My girlfriend said i had to have the pc in the living room as if it was in the spare bedroom then she would never see me. Its also handy as i have it next to our 50" plasma so it is also a HTPC. When the GF is out i often play games on the plasma instead of the 24" monitor. My pc is also connected to my amp so i never need cd's as i have ripped everything to my hard drive or i use spotify/grooveshark. It really works well for me as my GF watches rubbish on tv which would bore me to death so i will be playing games or using the internet or even watching stuff on my pc that she won't watch like footy/top gear as i have a satalite tv card in my pc.
 
One word of warning about 'serious' PC gaming in the living room, is you may find yourself battling the family for access to the TV, plus the usual fears about babies crawling around and damaging your hardware.

Obviously, the above posters setup (24" monitor alongside 50" plasma) would be ideal, then you can game while the other half is watching some rubbish. I must admit, as with kingy666 it would probably work great for my wife and I; currently I'm sat top floor in the office, while she is watching TV on the 1st floor, this is very typical of our evenings past 8pm or so and having a PC in the living room might mean we spend more time in the same room even if we are doing different things.

That said, if I'm playing an online FPS or something I quite like being hidden away at the top of the house without the distraction of Holby City or some other drivel in the background.
 
Set a HTPC up for my mate last week, he's got himself a wireless keyboard and mouse and plays off a small dinner table thing. Loves it so far but has to sit upright a bit though he's started to play with his keyboard on his lap and the mouse on a book lol.
 
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