Do you need a gaming chair?

As gaming has slowly but surely transformed from a niche pastime, appealing only to a limited demographic, to one of the biggest growth sectors within the global leisure industry, we have seen significant advances in the overall experience. Console or PC, sports or multiplayer action, today’s games are more realistic and immersive than ever before.

With the major advances in virtual reality technology over the past year or so, we can expect the next generation of games to take this trend to the next level. However, there is one factor that can hold us back when we load up the latest game and don our headset. If you are sitting on the edge of a sofa, or perhaps on an office chair at a desk, can you really hope to get the best gaming experience?

This is a question that manufacturers have been quick to answer, and there is a huge choice of gaming chairs on the market, catering to every type of platform, gamer, and budget. So should you be looking to buy one, and if so, what is the best gaming chair for you? To find the answer, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

1) How’s your back?

If you find yourself having to massage your neck every evening, or staggering around as if you have been shot when you get up from the PC as you straighten your back, you clearly need to review your seating arrangements for gaming.

A gaming chair has two main purposes: It provides additional comfort through better support and it delivers an enhanced interactive gaming experience. The second point is a “nice to have,” but the first is absolutely essential, to avoid doing yourself physical damage.

2) What types of games do you enjoy?

Some games are more interactive than others. If you are predominantly a fan of sports classics like John Madden or FIFA, the special features of some chairs, such as vibration motors, will have limited use. They are a bit of fun when your quarterback is sacked, but that is about all.

In other games, surround sound and small vibrations can make all the difference, for example in certain combat games, or when you want to feel every nuance of the car’s behaviour in a racing game.

3) What is your budget?

Leather upholstery, removable supports, surround sound, a subwoofer, and Bluetooth connectivity all sound great, but they do not come cheap. Before you start getting too over excited, work out your budget. The phrase “something for everyone” might sound like a cliché, but when you can pay anything from $30 to $1,000, it is definitely appropriate here.

4) PC or console?

The choice of gaming chairs can be mind-boggling, but you can immediately narrow it down by 50 percent. PC gaming chairs are quite different to ones designed for consoles, so that is the first decision you need to make.

Take care of yourself

Those of us who are of a certain age probably remember our parents telling us we would do ourselves damage if we sat gaming for hours. Years later, the truth is coming home to roost, but today’s range of gaming chairs can help us indulge our hobby in comfort and without those stresses and strains. Why not treat yourself to one this Christmas?