Online gaming can start out simple, and all the rest can come with time. Please read our guide for everything you need to start online gaming.
Online gaming can be a daunting prospect for an industry that was previously made up of introverts, and it can look like you have to dive in rather than dipping your toe due to all the tech that gaming enthusiasts would have you think you need. However, online gaming can start simple, and all the rest can come with time. Please read our guide for everything you need to start online gaming.
The tech
The tech elements of what you need can range from simple to elaborate. Don’t believe the hype that Twitch streamers and gaming YouTubers are offering. You don’t need a chair that “can do this” or a third monitor or even a second monitor. You don’t need to remortgage your home and turn the spare room into your custom-made arcade. You just need a few pieces of equipment to get started, and if you feel like expanding – and you have the money for it – go for it.
Even the most casual of players have most bases covered with a console or PC and a headset. The problem with today’s games is that they are getting better and better. That is to say that it takes more to run them: more storage, more power, more screen resolution, etc. You can play with your laptop if you are casual enough, but that can get irritating, with a smaller screen and whirring fan trying desperately to keep up with the games of today. So it’s the main recommendation when looking into gaming tech to invest in a gaming PC or laptop to play your games the way they were meant to be seen, like watching movies on a phone screen versus going to the cinema. One is an experience, while the other is tolerable.
You will need a stable and reliable wi-fi connection. Make sure your internet is up to par before investing in anything else since the whole concept of online gaming relies on it. So boot up a device and choose your favourite Trustly casino to test it out.
What you really need in the headset is the mic, since (if you’re not going to bother anyone) your TV or PC speakers can play the sound. Gaming headsets are big and bulky suits of armor that say to an outsider, “I take this seriously,” but you can do just as well with earphones with a mic plugged into your controller or PC.
However, to walk back earlier criticism of PewDiePie and his fully reclining gaming chair, investing in a comfortable chair is something your back and legs will significantly appreciate in the long run. You’d be surprised how quickly that discarded dining or foldaway garden chair can get very uncomfortable, and it could cause you to do some long-term damage. You’re going to be sitting in it for hours at a time, and, depending on just how much of a gamer you are, for a lot of days in the week.
The personality
There are a few things you can work on if you are feeling nervous about online gaming. Online gaming, no matter the game is chosen, will have some level of social interaction. Whether you’re playing with friends or random players, thriving and enjoying online gaming will require an ability to put yourself out there.
Sure, you get the people who are fixated on the game and have very little banter, and you can be that person barking orders and planning strategies, but your teammates have to trust you even a little bit.
Online gaming is consumed by the battle royale genre, where you are looking to be the last person standing, so you will find many dedicated players all aiming towards one goal. To take some lessons from the movie Battle Royale the genre was named for, and its Western counterpart The Hunger Games: sometimes you’ll get further with a friend. And then you’ll probably have to betray them.
So, confidence is definitely a must. Bring the charm you’d usually take to the pub since, at least at the pub, you have body language and dancing to your advantage, but a Fortnite dance isn’t going to cut it over a headset. There are many reliable (and a lot of unreliable) confidence guides online so that you can freshen up your chat before you get into the arena. But the main takeaway from most of these guides is to just be yourself, with a few tweaks. Every person is Marmite: if you start talking to people like you’ve known them forever, they will soon get a picture of who you are and decide if they love or hate you, and simultaneously you will know if you love or hate them.
