Level Up Your Gameroom with the Perfect Window Coverings

For serious gamers, having a perfect gameroom is of the utmost importance. Whether you play on your PC or on consoles like XBoxOne or PS4, you need a gaming setup that helps you get in the zone with high-quality screens and speakers, has a comfortable place to sit and prevents any distractions from the outside world. Yet, an important and often overlooked part of creating a gaming space is the lighting. Whether you have a room entirely dedicated to gaming, or if your living room functions as your gameroom, the lighting of the space where you play can make or break your experience.

Few things are more frustrating when trying to watch TV than a glare on the screen from the sun coming in through a nearby window. Glares make it impossible to see what’s happening on a screen and puts stress on the eyes. This frustration is even more pervasive when playing a game, as the glare can inhibit your ability to spot enemies, make tactical decisions, and see everything that is going on. Luckily, gamers don’t have to be at the mercy of the sun as a strategically chosen window covering can help provide an immersive gaming experience at any time.

Not all window coverings are the same, and some are better suited for gamerooms than others. One style that is ideal for gaming is blackout window coverings. Blackout treatments completely block out all light when closed, so that even the room with the biggest windows in your home can become a gaming oasis. Made with opaque materials and designed to cover the entire window, blackout window coverings come in a variety of colors and styles—blinds, shades, drapes, and more—that can match your gameroom while protecting your screen visibility from the sun’s rays.

If you don’t want to completely eliminate light when you’re in your gameroom, another great window covering option is solar shades. Solar shades block UV rays from entering a room and reduce glare and heat from the sun, yet they are still sheer enough to let in light and let you see outside. They come in a variety of “openness factors,” which refers to the tightness of their weave and exactly how much shade they provide, so you can choose how much light is let in. Solar shades are a smart choice for gamerooms, as you’ll be able to see your screen without the intense glare, but also able to know what time of day it is (and not lose track of how long you’ve been playing).

Whether you opt for solar or blackout fabric, another way window coverings can enhance your gameroom is with automation. Motorized blinds and shades let you open and close them with the press of a button, and when motorization is combined with a home automation system, even more possibilities open up to enhance your gaming experience. You can hook your blinds or shades up with a voice assistant, so you can tell them to open or close without having to take your hands off the game controller. Better yet, you can set your window covering to close automatically when you turn the TV on, so that as soon as you’re ready to play, the lighting is all set.

These are just a few ways window coverings can help you optimize the setup of your gameroom. If you’re still unsure what’s best for yours, talk to one of our experts by setting up a free consultation.