What Is Minimalist Gaming? (And Why Should You Adopt It)

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Written By: Lorenzo • Updated: 02/04/2021

Minimalist gaming is a way of life for many.

It's not about being bored, it's about trying to be more mindful and aware in the digital world.

You may be wondering what this entails?

In the long run, by saving money and playing with your ideal personalized set of games, hardware, and peripherals you will not only be able to limit the clutter from your gaming room, but also eliminate the mental garbage that builds up owning too many things.

Set up your desk so that you can play games, edit videos or even do some streaming online with your console or PC with ease.

Whatever your reason for becoming a person that follows this way of life, make sure that you do it with passion and dedication and I am sure that you will see the result after all is done.

Why Should You Take A More Minimalistic Approach To Game?

With the rise of smartphones and social media, it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of distractions.

Taking a more minimalistic approach can help calm your mind, and allow you to think more clearly, and have more clarity.

Nowadays people only have the attention span of a goldfish, so when you dumb everything down to its simplest form, it leaves room for focus.

So why a minimal approach?

Pros
  • Free up space so there is more room for movement.
  • Being able to only play the games that you enjoy and get the chance to master them.
  • A great way to distress after a long day at the office.
  • Saving tons of money to only get the games and hardware that you want.
  • Allows you to focus on real-life since gaming takes up a lot of your time.
  • Minimal space being used allows more space for your friends to come over and jam with you.
  • The options to own only the best quality items
Cons
  • Putting mental pressure on yourself to stick to your minimalistic plan
  • Limits you to only certain games and restrictions that only you set yourself.
  • You might not have the right hardware for the right application, which possibly might restrict you from playing one of your favorite games.

The Ability To Master One Game

This gives an undeniable edge against other non-minimalistic players that spread their arsenal of games over different genres.

You can beat your friends at their "favorite" games just by being dedicated to your particular specialty.

Intentional focus on one subject is proven to make you increasingly more dedicated to getting the hours in.

Less Time Wasted, More Time Being Productive

You want to grow and achieve things in the world even as a minimalist, so minimizing your gaming hobby will help you to get more out of your day by being more productive.

Why do I say this?

Because if you have limited distractions in your gaming room you tend to not spend so much time on your hobby and this is a win because you get to do stuff that helps you grow.

Saving Money & Time In The Long Run

You can save money in the long run by buying only what's necessary, instead of binging on all these different components and accessories.

Just take a look at these minimalist gaming setups. Many of them are clean, simple yet they have all you need to a comfortable gaming setup.

Nothing can beat saving time and as everyone knows time is money so this is a win-win in any regard.

The potential to center your attention on a certain genre is a massive stepping stone in putting you forward in your gaming career.

Minimalism is the way forward for many people and is only growing more each day.

The 5 Different Types of Minimalistic Gamers

Minimalistic gaming, what type are you?

Minimalistic gamers have an advantage over other regular gamers since their focus is simple.

Stick to 1 strategy, and do it over and over again.

Whether you're into story-driven games, competitive games, or like to speedrun, the more you practice a game, the faster you will improve.

Story-Driven Games

Story-driven games keep players captivated and enthralled in their deep universes that can sometimes span over a few discs depending on your platform of choice.

They tell you a story that is deeply satisfying and will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Some superb games to mention in this category are the Uncharted Series, Resident Evil, and even the outstanding Final Fantasy series that is well known for delivering masterpiece storylines.

Competitive Online Games

Being a competitive gamer gives you a thrilling feeling that can't be explained until it is felt.

Games such as Counter-Strike have taken the world by storm and have a following of millions of players worldwide.

Dota has amassed a following of around 2 million players and has some of the biggest prize pools in gaming history.

Competition-based gaming brings a whole new level of excitement and teamwork to games that require players' full attention to get good at a particular game, this is a great advantage in minimalist gaming since you can primarily focus on competitive games.

The Completionists

Completionists are extremists that want and need to get every quest in the story completed so that they can receive every medal that the game has to offer.

Using gaming in a minimalistic state, completionists can get the most out of their games by focusing on 2 to 3 specific genres at a time and over a short space of time to complete some of their most favorite titles.

Minimalist Video Game Enthusiasts

Minimalist video game enthusiasts enjoy simple yet challenging games with normally one goal in mind and that is to be to put simplicity over complexity.

One game that comes to mind is the EA Dice game Mirrors Edge which is praised for its use of minimalism by guiding players to object painted in red.

Another example that could be used is the Nintendo Wii console completely based around minimalism, where they use basic motion sensitivity to help take the difficulty out of games and make it easier to use for more players to get started.

Whatever your reason, maybe to join the revolution there are tons of games to choose from.

Speedrunners

These enthusiasts are a niche group that loves a certain play style of game where they can complete the game in the fastest time possible to get a result.

Completing a game in record time can be something that can make you world-famous, by being placed in some of the top speedrunners for that game in the world.

This being an extremely prestigious title to hold you will need to direct all attention on maintaining your position that other speedrunners don't overtake you to get the next world record.

Big events like this can normally be witnessed through live streaming, just join a Twitch channel, and away you go.

There was a very interesting video I came across in the speedrunning community

This may peak your interest in becoming a speedrunner, feel free to check it out:

Hardware Enthusiasts

Building your own PC is the perfect way to express yourself.

With a huge selection of parts and components, you can assemble a machine that reflects exactly what you want or need it for- from gaming PCs to work computers.

You get full control over every configuration detail with no limitations on cost; however, this level of customization does require some knowledge about hardware so be sure when choosing which route suits best for your needs!

How To Achieve A Minimalist Gaming Lifestyle?

minimalist lifestyle

Ask Yourself, Is Being A Minimalist Going To Improve Your Lifestyle?

Why wouldn't you want to clear up things so that you can concentrate on what is most important to you to help you achieve the life of your dreams?

Imagine being stress and worry-free not only able to make decisions more concisely but also clearly with less worry about what is the next item of clothing you are going to wear.

Clearing Up The Clutter (AKA Your Game Library)

A Steam library full of games is a major distraction to a person that wants to move forward in life, the never-ending Steam sale always gets to the wallets of gamers around the globe, by removing games you don't play and sticking to games you love will keep you motivated to come back for more.

Please leave a comment on our website telling us which games you have in your collection that you don't play anymore.

No More Distractions

Less choice equals less distraction and then, in turn, it helps to make you a better player as you are completely engulfed by the game you are playing.

Keeping all attention on your specified things of choice you open up to the possibility of completing tasks quicker than usual and keep things competitive while always trying to beat previous scores.

Minimize Your Gaming Devices

Personally owning 2 gaming devices is one of the best things I could have done for myself, being a person that came from owning multiple different consoles and games before having the ability to concentrate my energy on Nintendo Switch and PC gaming has made my life that much more fun and manageable.

I like having the portability when I'm on the move and my gaming room for when I really want to immerse myself in a game.

Don't Impulse Buy New, Upcoming Games

A prime example of a game that fell well below expectations through the hype is Cyberpunk 2077, develop CD Projekt Red promised to deliver an outstanding game, but their rushed schedule had them cut a few corners which left a sour taste in some gamers mouths.

Although the game studio is working super hard on updates to improve the playability of the game, this is a good lesson that teaches us to be patient as minimal gamers to see what is good and what will be better in the future.

A Quick List Of The Best Minimalistic Gaming Gear

minimalist gaming accessories

Make sure all required fields are marked when putting together a play station for your new minimalist ways.

Consoles, monitors and physical games can all feature here so choose wisely what you want to keep.

Minimalism is going to allow you to sell any old consoles and monitors and upgrade to play your favorite video game with no distractions.

Minimalist Gaming Computer (Pre-Made)

I feel like this is the starting point for anyone going minimalist, moving off to a personal desktop to power your station is the best decision you will make, that will save space and run your video games smoothly.

You want something that is powerful and looks the part too and I think I have just the perfect one for you.

One of my top choices on the market includes this bad boy here, the iBUYPOWER Gaming PC Core-i7 16GB beast that is running a 500GB SSD, there is no shortness in power and looks in this setup.

I'm sure any gamer would love to buy this addition to their gaming room. Sell your old case and upgrade to the exceptionally powerful tower.

iBUYPOWER Pre-Made Gaming PC

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Minimalist Gaming Chair

The Corsair T3 Gaming Chair is as minimalistic as you can get at a steal of a price, it gives you an award-winning aesthetic appearance that you can expect from the brand.

An extremely notable feature of this chair is the fantastic neck cushion and the microfibre material that it is wrapped in helps keep the seat breathable so that you keep cool and comfortable during your long hours of gaming.

Having the ability to tilt the chair back to almost 90 degrees, give you more ways to find your sweet spot and get in position to game.

If you want an awesome, minimalistic gaming chair, the Corsair T3 is a great choice!

CORSAIR T3 RUSH Gaming Chair

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Minimalist Gaming PC Case

Depending on what kind of person you are, you might want to go for the luxury of the budget kind of gaming case, which will help minimize and save you more surface area in the room that you have your setup.

I like the luxury side of things so the DEEPCOOL MACUBE 550 BK Full-Tower Case stands out to me and provides enough room to fit in any extra hardware you might be planning on installing.

Being on the pricey side of things might not be for every user so we have found the NZXT H510i Mid-Tower PC Gaming Case which is the perfect style for a minimalistic approach.

If you want a deeper dive into finding the best minimalist PC cases, then check out our top 7 picks! No matter what size you are looking for, there is a case perfect for your minimalist gaming setup.

DEEPCOOL MACUBE Full Tower

NZXT H510i Mid-Tower

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Minimalist Gaming Desk

Letting go of an old gaming desk is a hard thing to do especially when it has served you well for many years, but it will create an extra room that you will need when partaking in your new lifestyle.

When it comes to gaming I truly enjoy using the Eureka Ergonomic Home Office Desk, it's the perfect value for money that you can store your monitor, PC, and speakers on.

Getting rid of those old chunky desks leads to you receiving this beautiful masterpiece that I would like to comment on for its sleek and minimalistic design.

Keep things clean and tidy with this sturdy contemporary-style desk that will be a superb addition to your studio.

Eureka Ergonomic Home Office Desk

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Minimalist Gaming Bedroom

Choose a room in the house and make it your video game den where you can hide away for hours and get lost in the journey of playing your most loved titles. 

Making this as comfortable and impressive as possible it would be nice to hang one decoration that are gaming-related around your studio, why not hang this awesome neon controller?

Finding joy in the small things also plays a big role in your search for happiness.

ineonlife Neon Controller

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Minimalist Gaming Mouse

The last piece missing from this collection is a mouse to play your video games, don't limit yourself as there are so many choices on the market, but one that brings me the most joy is also the most value-for-money mouse out there.

This is the example of a killer mouse, it's the SteelSeries Rival 650 Wireless, a great addition to anyone's collection this mouse has super impressive DPI and will make your setup look even more boss.

SteelSeries also offers outstanding customer service and if there are any problems you simply use their email website to contact them. Your journey to becoming a minimalist gamer starts here.

SteelSeries Rival 650 Quantum Wireless Gaming Mouse

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Conclusion

How do you become a minimalist gamer?

We hope this article has caused a shift in your mindset and helped you to design a system that is not only a setup that can perform but a setup that can give you the ability to monitor your progress on becoming a minimalist.

Is minimalism only for rich?

Not a chance there is a whole range of hardware available that can suit your new way of life.

Are minimalists happier?

It is proven that the lack of attachment to items helps your brain work at optimum because you have fewer choices to worry about.

Don't buy into the idea that it can't work for you, join the revolution and make the leap into life with fewer distractions.

Let me know if this post was informative to you and maybe sold you on taking your first steps. Please leave your comments and suggestions by email if you can recommend any other particular hardware.

Article written by Lorenzo
Since the age of 6, Lorenzo has enjoyed gaming on computers. Having grown up in the digital age, the technology revolves around him. He enjoyed growing up gaming throughout his high school years and is now a young adult who does most of his work on his computer. Lorenzo's mission is to make buying products and building PC's an easy and fun experience for all.

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