While gamers put a lot of thought into their hardware and accessories, not everyone thinks about the comfort of their gaming setup. However, for me, comfort is a major factor when it comes to playing games because I have fibromyalgia and chronic migraines.

Here’s how I made my gaming setup more comfortable—which will hopefully come in handy for anyone looking to make their own setup more cozy.

1 Finding a Light Gaming Headset

When people choose gaming headsets, they don’t often think about the weight. But weight is an important consideration for me when because I can’t use a heavy device for long before it starts worsening my neck and head pain.

I currently use the Redragon H520 Icon Gaming Headset, which is a wired headset that delivers good audio quality. But my favorite thing about it is how light it is. When it comes to wireless headsets, you have to choose between the convenient mobility and the excess weight of the battery, which usually rules out these types of devices for me.

I’ve also been interested in the advent of gaming earbuds, which are a much lighter form factor. But the main drawbacks to those are cost and determining whether you can wear earbuds for several hours—I usually can’t. But if that's something you want to look into, there are earbuds specifically built for gaming like the Sony InZone Buds.

2 Setting a Night Filter and Lowering Display Brightness

Between my frequent headaches and chronic migraines, bright light is a major source of pain. But I reduce eye strain by turning on the night filter on Windows and lowering the brightness of my displays.

This isn’t always great for visual clarity in games, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. Your eyes adjust to the tint of the screen so it doesn't feel like everything has a yellow tinge.

It’s also one of the easiest ways to make your setup more comfortable, as it doesn’t require specific hardware. During my recent 150-hour Baldur's Gate 3 playthrough, I was able to enjoy the cinematics and cutscenes of the game without even noticing the yellow tint on my screen.

3 Choosing an Ergonomic Chair

Your chair is essential in any desktop PC setup and an ergonomic chair can help keep your body in a more comfortable and healthy position for the hours you spend gaming. It's why some people prefer an ergonomic office chair over a gaming chair.

While many gaming chairs advertise pillows and other perks, an ergonomic chair is important for a comfortable gaming setup. It provides you with the ability to customize the height and position of your chair and provides support for your lower back and arms.

Choosing the right chair is one of the best ways to make your setup more comfortable and it makes a huge difference for me.

4 Using a Recliner for Gaming

While an ergonomic chair helps for daily gaming sessions, sometimes my pain gets so bad that it’s difficult to sit upright. This is where my recliner comes in. While it requires you to be relatively close to your screen (or use another display mounted on the wall), it is one of the most comfortable ways to play games.

I have combined my recliner with a lap desk to enable me to play PC games using a mouse and keyboard, with a TV screen connected to my PC via an HDMI cable. But this is also where a PC-compatible controller comes in handy.

5 Using a Controller for PC Gaming

As mentioned beforehand, a controller is a useful accessory for PC gaming. But it can also make your setup more comfortable. Using a controller means that you don’t have to sit upright with your arms and hands on your desk and keyboard. You have much more freedom of movement regarding where you want to keep your hands.

When my shoulder pain is particularly bad, I can connect a PS5 controller to my PC to use it instead of my mouse and keyboard, greatly increasing my comfort. And since so many PC games are optimized for controllers, it's an easy switch to make.

These are just a few of the ways I make my gaming setup more comfortable so that I don't end up in pain. Even if you don't deal with daily pain, making your gaming setup more comfortable can help prevent future discomfort from long gaming sessions.