Laptops are incredibly handy devices that let you work and, more importantly here, game on the go and anywhere you want in the house. However, in being compact and portable, laptops do have some inherent drawbacks. Power and specs aren’t as much of an issue anymore, given the standard gaming laptops generally meet now, but when setting up the ideal space for laptop gaming, there are some extras worth considering.
Ergonomics Will Be Your Secret Weapon
Laptops naturally encourage a somewhat slouched or hunched-over gaming position, and while many are fine with that, to truly upgrade and enjoy hefty sessions at the screen, it’s well worth focusing on your comfort. The ergonomic setup tips for laptops in general are a superb guideline for your gaming laptop setup, and greatest of all, a lot of what’s needed leans into key accessories that you’ll want to buy anyway.
The big three are to have a raised screen – as desk level for a laptop is rarely ideal – to have a separate keyboard and mouse so that you don’t need to lean in to use the controls, and, ideally, have as big of a screen as you can get.
Helping with the screen height and potential cooling issues down the line, try a laptop stand – preferably one that has a built-in cooler so that it elevates and gets extra cooling.
Get Free Gaming Out of the Gate
It’s become standard practice for many forms of gaming to offer free ways to play or free virtual goods for newcomers. You can see it in pre-order bundles or at online gaming sites with bonuses. The casino welcome bonus, for example, offers bonus funds and free spins on the most popular slot game in the world when new players join. From there, promos like daily tournaments and random cash drops keep the free gaming coming.
It follows a simple premise that players enjoy the games, and so, they enjoy getting games or gaming time for free. Of course, PC launchers tend to offer a way to get free games. There’s the slew of free-to-play games on Steam, and the regular free game drops on the Epic Games Store.
When you’re getting a new gaming laptop, though, you may be able to get even more. HP and Acer have been known to throw in free Xbox Game Pass months, and Lenovo Legion gaming laptops famously include three months of Xbox Game Pass. That’s a lot of free gaming!
Accessories to Overcome a Laptop’s Shortcomings
There are two main limitations of a laptop for gaming: the closeness of the screen necessary to use the keyboard, and that damned touchpad mouse. The former isn’t a huge issue as most gaming laptop keyboards are soft-key large, but you’ll usually have to lean your wrists over the front lip of the laptop, maybe stretching your arms to get the screen to the right distance.
Then, of course, the touchpad mouse is barely suitable for web browsing, let alone quick turns and looking around in a game. One alternate solution is to just get a console controller and hook it up, but then you lose the range of controls that makes PC gaming so superior. So, it’s good to invest in a keyboard, mouse, and mouse pad. Razer looks to have moved ahead as the market leader in all three of these areas, especially for top-tier mice.
Gaming laptops pack a punch these days, and with a few adjustments to your approach and core setup, you can enjoy the greatest PC gaming experience possible while still having access to hours of gaming on the go.
