Are Gaming Tables Worth It?
With the pandemic of “gaming” devices that are targeting the average gamer that does not yet understand how to discern a good product, we have come to a point where even the table you are using for your setup is either gamer or not.
In essence, a table is a table no matter how you look at it and it serves limited purposes compared to primary components like RAM, GPU, CPU, motherboard, etc. If you have been contemplating buying a gaming table I am here to dissuade you from said purchase since most likely you will be paying more for a subpar experience.
Can a Table Improve My Gaming Experience?
Although limited as mentioned above the table that you game on does have an impact on your health and gaming prowess. The height and shape of the table will essentially dictate your posture and will either aid or hinder your aim in games.
A table that is the perfect height for your build should allow you to comfortably place both elbows at a 90-degree angle and offer full support for your movements. Extra points go to the tables that have a bit of a curvature that allows you to go in further and place your elbows on the sides easier.
Image Source: Arozzi
The table should be spacious enough for multi-monitor setups and be sturdy enough to where it does not wobble or shake when making fast movements. An important consideration that is often overlooked is the depth of the table as it will allow you to place the monitors and other devices further away from your face if that is your preference.
Overall the sturdier the build of the table is, the better the experience will be for the user, so indeed a good table will impact the way you game. Does a “good” table equate with a gaming table? Not necessarily.
Normal Desk vs Gaming Desk
A sturdy desk is good for both your health and your gaming experience but do you necessarily have to buy a branded gaming desk to achieve those qualities? In reality, if you would do a bit of research you would see that even the Arozzi desk mentioned above is quite expensive at 400$+.
With that kind of money and a bit of planning, you can purchase better materials (thicker and sturdier wood table tops) and add extra features like height adjustment or extra length/width while paying less money overall.
This is not as convenient as simply buying the gaming desk and assembling it but quite often these desks are shaky with thinner table tops that do not inspire confidence. For a little bit over 200$, I was able to build a huge corner desk that can accommodate my setup easily with lots of extra space.
(The main monitor is 27’’ so it is by no means small, the table is so big it makes it look small)
With the kind of thickness I have on my table, you can have all the gamer rage moments because that table is not moving anywhere.
If you do not want to go around and source materials you can also go for a normal desk (Ikea, Jysk, etc) that can fit your necessities. I was able to buy a huge dinner table for 80$ on a discount (it had a defect) which is an amazing deal for a gaming setup. You can have all of your monitors and PC on top while also having enough space to take a nap on that table.
What I am trying to exemplify here is that gamer tables are only worth it if you have an unlimited budget and want to stroke your gamer ego. Otherwise considering sourcing materials or just buying a dinner table from Ikea makes a lot more sense both financially and durability-wise.
Unless gaming tables in the future will also come with included aimbot in the purchase there is absolutely no reason to fall for the gaming desk scam.