Connecting a video game console with a computer screen lets you play video games at a desk. Hooking up your Xbox or PS5 to a TV frees you to play games on the couch, floor, or bed. Given so many choices, what’s the best console gaming setup for home users? To find the answer, this article considers both health and pleasure factors.
For the benefit of console gamers, PC gamers have already done the research and testing. The healthiest way to play video games is at a desk with a good gaming chair. Sitting in neutral positions with supported arms soothes the spine and surrounding muscles.
Here’s a gorgeous Secretlab Titan 2022 Series setup including a high-end Magnus desk. It’s a battle station at the height of formal seated luxury. It lets gamers enjoy themselves for long periods without back pain.
However, most people don’t play video games for physical health reasons. Rather, many studies show that playing video games has a profound effect on mental well-being(1).
For example, a salaryman could play Animal Crossing after work. That will provide him with an easy escape from daily stress. Then, he can connect with his inner child and forget about his pressures. In that state of pleasure-seeking, healthy sitting habits fall by the wayside.
For people like him, console gaming is all about having fun. After sitting at a desk at work all day, gaming at a home desk might feel dreary. So let’s run through the pros and cons of all options.
Best Home Setups for Console Gamers
There are five seating choices to play console video games at home. Here’s our ranking of methods from the best to the worst:
- Desk + gaming chair: best for long-term health; not as relaxing as a sofa.
- Reclining bed: decent support with a lumbar pillow; not as good for the back as a desk setup.
- Sofa: bad for your back over long periods but loved by millions.
- Floor: excellent for the back — with perfect form. Otherwise, this option can be ruinous.
- Console gaming chair: awful all-around. No redeeming qualities.
Desk + Gaming Chair
Rated #1
Stack a desk with a gaming chair, a computer screen, and a screen desk mount. It’s a clean console gaming setup with all the tools you need to enjoy healthy sitting.
With proper use, the chair will keep your spine in a healthy alignment. Its armrests will also take the pressure off your neck and shoulders.
Meanwhile, a desk-mounted monitor lets you adjust the screen to the perfect height. As a result, you’ll never crane your neck or sit in a slouch while gaming.
- Healthiest way to play video games
- Cheap to set up
- Clean, minimalist look
- Too formal for full-time desk workers
- Not as relaxing as gaming on the couch
There are three big downsides for console gamers. First, if your priority is to relax, sitting at a desk can feel dreary. Second, although better for your long-term health, sitting on a couch brings more short-term happiness.
Third, if you only game for short periods (1-hour sessions), a full desk setup might be overkill. On the flip side, if you also need a computing and study space, building your own desk setup is ideal. Learn more:
Gaming in a Reclining Bed
Rated #2
Spending long periods of time playing video games in (a normal) bed is a terrible idea. A flat 90° backboard buttressed with flimsy pillows provides torturous back support. Doing so curves your spine like a banana, flattening your lumbar curve(2).
As your lumbar curve flattens, it places a heavier weight-bearing load on the lower back and shoulders. As a result, while seeking pleasure, you’ll wreck your happiness with headaches, back pain, and poor sleep.
The Ultimate Bed For Gamers
Gaming in bed was a terrible idea. With the recent launch of the Flexispot Adjustable Bed Base, that has changed. In fact, after a classic desk setup, this is the healthiest option for console gamers!
That’s partly because the other options are quite bad. But it’s also because the Flexispot bed frame fills a gap in the console gaming market. It’s a queen-sized (80″ x 60″) bed base compatible with various mattresses and outer bed frames. It has adjustable legs that you can set to 3, 6, or 9″ high.
An included wired remote has two buttons. Press the top one to angle the bed from 0-60°. For bedroom gaming, lift the back angle up to its full 60°. Tuck a small pillow behind you to support your lumbar spine. With your TV set to the right height, that puts you in a position to enjoy some healthy, pain-free gaming.
Any cheap lumbar pillow from Amazon can do the job. For instance, the pictured McKenzie Lumbar Roll is a popular choice available for $24.95.
- Easy to use
- Better support than a normal bed
- Good back support with a lumbar pillow
- Not as good for your back as a desk setup
- Not ideal for marathon gaming sessions
In sum, although not marketed as such, the Flexispot Bed Frame is an excellent option for console gamers. It’s not as good for your back as a desk setup, but better than using a normal bed.
EB011 Base From Flexispot $299.99
Learn more: Flexispot Adjustable Bed Base Review (For Gamers)
Gaming On The Sofa
Rated #3
After a hard day of work, many people come home and crash on the couch. Few things are as relaxing — or bad for your back! Most sofas come stuffed with soft, spongy polyurethane foam with a 20-35kg/m³ density.
In comparison, a Secretlab Titan foam density is a more solid 65 kg/m³. Softer foam provides unstable support. To keep the body balanced and upright, that forces back muscles to work harder than usual.
When muscular fatigue sets in, good posture falls apart. That forces muscles to work even harder to hold the body upright(3). This explains why many people feel exhausted after a few hours of ‘relaxing’ on a sofa.
Do Healthy Sofa Hacks Exist?
In our review of healthy console gaming accessories, only one stands out for sofa gamers. A gaming lapboard lets you game on a sofa while enjoying a full desktop experience. Instead of holding a controller, you can rest your arms on the board.
Without needing to hold up your arms, that puts less pressure on the neck and shoulders. For example, the Corsair K63 Wireless Keyboard measures 26.4 x 10.9 x 2.1″. It has memory foam cushions for your lap, plus a built-in wrist rest (Price not available on Amazon).
Bottom line: using a lapboard helps to reduce muscle strain while sofa gaming. But that doesn’t change the fact that sofas are bad for your back. No amount of accessories can change that.
- Every home has a sofa
- Comfortable
- Provides unstable support that’s bad for the back
- Causes exhaustion over long sitting periods
Gaming On The Floor
Rated #4
Sitting on the floor while playing video games is great for your back — if you do it right. Then, you’ll reduce hip tension while strengthening your core(4).
There are a few healthy methods:
- Kneeling: rest your butt into the soles of your feet. Then, balance your shoulders over your hips.
- Cross-legged: shift all weight to your hips, instead of your feet. Then, balance your belly over your hips.
- Asian squat: stand with feet shoulder-width apart and plant your feet. Lower your butt until it hits the floor. Then, find the balance to hold your torso upright.
Warning: without perfect form, healthy floor sitting positions can fall apart fast.
With sloppy sitting on the floor comes a host of health problems:
- Extra joint stress: imbalanced postures force upper body weight onto lower limbs. Over time, this places harsh pressure on the knees and ankles.
- Clogged circulation: standing legs serve as a powerful pump pushing blood up against gravity. Sloppy sitting on the floor will slow circulation to a crawl.
- Poor posture: unbalanced sitting is terrible for posture. The more you sit that way, the worse your posture becomes.
- Exacerbated pain: if you already suffer hip, knee, or ankle pain, sitting on the floor isn’t ideal.
Bottom line: unless you have the discipline of a Zen Master, gaming on the floor can harm your health.
- Good for health — with proper technique
- Builds core strength and balance
- Demands constant effort and attention
- Can be harmful if your form isn’t perfect
Using a Console Gaming Chair
Rated #5
Console gaming chairs defy physiological fundamentals. Instead of providing back support, they provide spinal stress. You don’t need to be an ergonomist to figure it out. The picture speaks for itself:
In simple terms, maintaining a good lower back curve while you sit is essential. While standing, the lower back maintains a healthy inward curve of 20-45°. Sitting forces back muscles to work harder at holding the torso upright.
When back muscles tire, the lower back curve flattens to less than 10°. That’s a precursor to serious lower back pain. From this perspective, intentionally sitting in a chair that flattens your spine is nonsensical. Who’s buying these things?
Console gaming chairs are especially problematic for children. Most kids are born with amazing flexibility and near-perfect posture. Sitting in a console gaming chair while their body develops can cause abnormal spine growth and spinal disc degeneration.
However, spinal problems in children are often asymptomatic(5). Symptoms typically won’t appear until the late teens. That’s when chronic back pain, lethargy, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc. begin to emerge.
Note that different types of console chairs exist. Some come with extra features like Bluetooth speakers or armrests.
Even so, all force the back into a banana shape, essentially flattening the lower back curve. By far, this is the worst seating option for console gamers.
- Inexpensive
- Horrible for your back
- Most are made from cheap plywood
Conclusion
A desk + gaming chair is the healthiest setup for long periods of console gaming. But after grinding at a desk all day, many office workers want to kick back and relax.
Most people do their relaxing in the living room — on the sofa. The problem with sofas is that they’re too soft to provide stable body support. The softer the sofa, the worse the support.
If you feel stiff, sore, or weary after long sofa sessions, overworked muscles are the likely reason. So what’s the best setup for console gamers? Based on this article’s findings, none of the five options qualify. Each has at least one serious drawback:
- Desk + gaming chair: best for long-term health; not as relaxing as a sofa.
- Reclining bed: decent support with a lumbar pillow; not as good for the back as a desk setup.
- Sofa: bad for your back over long periods but loved by millions.
- Floor: excellent for the back — with perfect form. Otherwise, this option can be ruinous.
- Console gaming chair: awful all-around. No redeeming qualities.
Luckily, there’s a sixth option that works with all five setup types: frequent breaks. Keep each gaming session shorter than 30 minutes to reduce all health downsides. Then, it won’t even matter if you use the crappiest console gaming chair.
Getting out of an unsupportive chair to move around is all you need to enjoy healthy console gaming. Therefore, the best console gaming setup is whatever you enjoy most. As long as you adhere to frequent breaks, good gaming fun is yours to enjoy!
Boost Health And Happiness With Frequent Breaks
Footnotes
- Dr Niklas Johannes, et al. ‘New research from Oxford University has delivered a surprising finding- time spent playing games is positively associated with wellbeing’. Oxford Internet Institute, 16 November 2020, Press Release, (accessed 1 March 2022).
- Dr. Steven Pollack, ‘Reading in Bed May Lead to Neck Problems’, Pollack Health and Wellness, 7 September 2020, https://pollackhealthandwellness.com/reading-in-bed-may-lead-to-neck-problems/, (accessed 1 March 2022).
- Umesh Isalkar. ‘Sofa, not so good: Cushy couches give bad backs’, Times of India, 17 October 2015 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/sofa-not-so-good-cushy-couches-give-bad-backs/articleshow/49429178.cms, (accessed 1 March 2022).
- Kirsten Nunez. ‘The Benefits and Precautions of Sitting on the Floor’, Healthline June 25 2020. https://www.healthline.com/health/sitting-on-the-floor/, (accessed 1 March 2022).
- ‘Shock Over Disc Degeneration in 10-Year Olds—But Are Disc Abnormalities in This Age Group Surprising?’ Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, January 1 2004, https://journals.lww.com/backletter/Citation/2004/01000/Shock_Over_Disc_Degeneration_in_10_Year_Olds_But.1.aspx (accessed 1 March 2022).
