Turn your dorm room into a gamer den

By Ryan Fleming

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When you move into a college dorm room, you accept certain limitations when it comes to your available living space. For gamers, that means you need to get a little creative in order to turn your room into the gamer cave you need to help you unwind between classes.

Just because you are in college and engaging in fancy book learnin’ doesn’t mean you should have to give anything up. It does mean that you will need to change some patterns though, and consider looking in to some new gear. In fact, you may want to consider a whole redecoration of your dorm room. Here are a few tips to get you going.

Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ($199-$299)

With the next generation of consoles on the way, there are some serious deals to be had on the current gen. Both systems are offering bundles for around $199, some with games, others without – just look around and you can find something that fits your tastes.

Of course, you can always wait until the end of the year for the Xbox One or the PS4. Just start saving up $499 or $399 respectively. Then save a bit more money for the games, controllers, and other peripherals.

Turtle Beach XP510s ($289.99)

Depending on your roommate situation, you may want to skip the loud and booming sound system or risk a potentially violent showdown when they have finals and you have aliens to murder. The better option is a gaming headset like the XP510s. If price is a major issue, TB has other options as well.

Boom Chair ($170-$250)

When building a true gamer cave, you need more than just sounds and a clear picture: you need a throne. The Boom Chair is one of many, but it is also among the highest rated gaming chairs out there. It combines comfort and functionality, and best of all, it is small enough to fit in a dorm room without taking up too much space.

Samsung LN-S2651D ($350)

One of the most important decisions a young gamer can make is the TV they will play on. There are many, many options, and at this point it really comes down to preference more than anything. A few you might want to check out are the Samsung LN-S2651D and the Sony NSX-32GT1. Both are small and offer a crisp picture, perfect for limited space.

Razer Blade ($1,999)

You may have to do some fancy tap dancing to convince your parents/yourself that this is worth the fairly steep cost, but there are plenty of good reasons. The Razer Blade is an ultrabook with gaming potential, but it also can keep up with the majority of school work loads. And if it can’t, when the classes get you down, you can always game.

Power A Fus1on ($79.99)

Every hardcore gamer needs a good controller, and Power A makes some of the best for both the Xbox 360 and PS3. They are mainly for competitive gamers, but anyone can benefit – especially if they play online.

Oculus Rift

The retail version of the Oculus Rift won’t be out until next year, but you can buy a developer model right now for $300. You’ll need a gaming PC (maybe something like the Razer Blade ultrabook that can game and do schoolwork), but imagine sitting down in your chair, throwing a headset on, then putting on the Oculus Rift and fully immersing yourself in a digital world. Just remember to still go to class.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends