A gaming chair is a type of chair marketed towards

gamer A gamer is someone who plays interactive games, either video games, tabletop role-playing games, skill-based card games, or any combination thereof, and who often plays for extended periods of time. Originally a hobby, gaming has evolved in ...

s. They differ from most office chairs in having high backrest designed to support the upper back and shoulders. Like many office chairs, they are customizable: the armrests, back, lumbar support and headrest can all be adjusted for comfort and efficiency. However, there are criticisms of gaming chairs. For example, they tend to be designed and marketed primarily for aesthetics at the expense of having worse ergonomics than modern office chairs.

History

The first ergonomic gaming chairs were produced by DXRacer around 2006, a company that was originally known for producing high-end seats for luxury cars. However, the company began to experience difficulties with Chrysler discontinuing multiple lines of cars, leading to DXRacer repurposing their stockpile of

bucket seat A bucket seat is a car seat contoured to hold one person, distinct from a flat bench seat designed to fit multiple people. In its simplest form, it contours somewhat to the human body, but may have a deep seat and exaggerated sides that partially ...

s into standalone chairs, marketed towards gamers. In 2008, more companies began to produce gaming chairs. The gaming chair market grew rapidly in 2011 with the advent of the live-streaming platform Twitch and the popularization of

esports Esports (), short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, played individually or as teams. ...

. Within the Twitch community, it became common knowledge that having a gaming chair labeled streamers to be a legitimate and respectable gamer.

Types

There are three main types of gaming chairs. These include PC, platform, and hybrid gaming chairs. ;PC gaming chairs: PC gaming chairs are the most popular and well-known. They resemble

office chair An office chair, or desk chair, is a type of chair that is designed for use at a desk in an office. It is usually a swivel chair, with a set of wheels for mobility and adjustable height. Modern office chairs typically use a single, distinctive ...

s, but include a

headrest Head restraints (also called headrests) are an automotive safety feature, attached or integrated into the top of each seat to limit the rearward movement of the adult occupant's head, relative to the torso, in a collision—to prevent or mitiga ...

lumbar In tetrapod anatomy, lumbar is an adjective that means of or pertaining to the abdominal segment of the torso, between the diaphragm (anatomy), diaphragm and the sacrum. Naming and location The lumbar region is sometimes referred to as the lowe ...

support (usually in the form of a cushion), as well as adjustable

armrest An armrest (or arm-rest) is a part of a chair, where a person can rest their arms on. Armrests are built into a large variety of chairs such as automotive chairs, armchairs, airline seats, sofas, and more. Adjustable armrests are commonly found ...

s. ;Platform gaming: Console gamers often choose platform gaming chairs for their comfort and design, which are suited for playing in front of a TV. This is because they are meant to rest on the floor and are efficient for television gaming. These chairs normally resemble recliner chairs. ;Hybrid gaming chairs: Lastly, hybrid gaming chairs share characteristics of both PC and platform gaming chairs. They are often mounted on a swivel base, but still include the shape and style of a platform chair.

References

{{commons category, Gaming chairs Chairs Video game culture

History

Types

See also

References