Living Room, PC Gaming
By pureguava 25 Comments
I am an avid PC gamer, but not a pro gamer by any means. I've played a lot of console games mind you, from the NES all the way to the XBOX360, but I have always preferred that mouse and keyboard combination - and the ability to truly customize my game, and my gaming platform.
I also, like some of you, now have a family - wife and a kid, dog and a cat. While I love my family, shutting myself away for hours back in my "man cave", as I like to call it, to play some PC games, doesn't always gel very well with the girls. And working in the web-hosting business, I get to sit in front of a PC a majority of my day. Coming home to sit in front of another PC for my entertainment has gotten less and less appealing over the years. Solution?
Build a rig for the living room!
If you are a PC gamer as well, the first question you might be asking is: "Mouse and keyboard on the couch? Really? Headshot much?"
That was the most difficult part of the project, and required many many trips to the local Fry's Electronics. However, I found this gem of a product: Microsoft Comfort Desktop 5000 with Bluetrack technology. Look it up! This Bluetrack mouse works on just about every surface I have tried, and has made PC gaming from the couch a reality for me. It offers extremely precise control as well - it isn't as gimmicky as it sounds.
Surprisingly, the adjustment hasn't been that problematic. Now granted, with games like Dragon Age: Origins, World of Warcraft, Diablo II and strategy games, this transition was quiet easy (and quite comfortable I might add!) - My TF2 and CS:Source matches are still needing work, but by no means is it impossible or dreadfully worse than some might imagine a transition from the desk to the couch to be. And a true ladder match of any kind will always require a desk.
Some other myths/theories I was facing:
- 1280x720 on my 720p Samsung 40inch LCD + a DVI to HDMI cable = loss of quality?
- Sound quality
A 3.5mm stereo jack to RCA to my home theater didn't present any problems, and wow, do home theater speakers/sub make a difference for a game! I need to get an optical 5.1/7.1 surround sound card to really make this part of the experience shine. And thank the nines for Bluetooth headsets.
Having had this setup for only a few weeks, I can already tell you it was a great decision. The family time has gotten more exciting, and sharing the PC and the web this way has made for a really cool experience overall. Bringing the PC into the living room is a must try for all you Dads out there wanting to do some gaming, and share music, the web, etc. with your spouses and/or kiddos. Move over consoles.