The Joy Of Sound

Some months back, upon visiting a family friend, their teenage son excitedly wanted to show off his gaming setup. He had an amazing monitor, a rig packed with the latest tech buzzwords, and enough RGB lighting to launch the holiday lighting season prematurely. And hanging loosely from his chair was a too-small, busted headset with one earcup chewed off by what I can only hope was his dog.

Now, no shade intended here. Setting up one’s ideal gaming arrangement is a time-consuming and usually expensive affair; I’m as guilty as anyone of letting aspects of my tech linger too long in a state of disrepair. Still, I was struck by the way many players prioritize the very peak of graphical fidelity before even beginning to think about the other senses that will be most involved in enjoying the game.