If you are a gamer or live with a gamer, you know just how loud the games can get. While you might be enjoying yourself and having the time of your life, the noise from the gaming room can be a nuisance to everyone else. So, what do you do?
The solution is quite simple; soundproofing the gaming room. You can even build your own soundproof gaming booth for the ultimate fun. This works whether you are a gamer looking to reduce the noise you make without compromising the game or a parent trying to control your kid’s games.
Let us look at how you can soundproof a gaming room by yourself. But first, we are going to discuss how you can improve the acoustics in your gaming room for a better experience.
How to Improve Gaming Room Acoustics
Acoustics play a significant part in any audio experience, even more so when gaming. You want to hear everything right, immersing yourself in the experience and becoming one with the game.
Below are some tricks to use if you want the best acoustics for your gaming room.
Acoustic Panels
There are two main acoustic products; acoustic foam tiles and fabric panels. We are talking about the latter here.
Fabric acoustic panels are wrapped in thick, soundproof fabric, which you can pin on your walls or against the door. These panels give you professional-level acoustic control, and the change will amaze you.
If your room has only a few problem areas and you don’t need full coverage, the panels have you sorted. You can get a few tiles to cover the areas – the acoustic panels are great for spot-treating sound.
Most panels have a wood backing that makes their installation much easier. You can hang or stick them on the wall or get standing fabric panels. These have sturdy support and are mobile, enabling you to move them to new locations whenever you want.
If you are skilled and experienced in using tools, you can make DIY fabric panels. Doing this can take up more time, but they are more affordable and will give you excellent acoustics just the same.
Acoustic Tiles
These are the other type of acoustic soundproofing products. Acoustic foam tiles go on your ceilings, although you can also place them on walls or on the floor.
The tiles work just like the fabric panels; all you have to do is stick them in the area you don’t want the sound to enter or leave.
They don’t have to be for game rooms; they are a terrific option if you live below someone or have bothersome upstairs neighbors.
They are a worthwhile investment because of their ability to reduce noise. The tiles are perfect for setting up an acoustic gaming room since they prevent sound from bouncing.
Moving Blankets or Soundproof Blankets
You can purchase acoustic/soundproof blankets to soundproof your gaming room. They work by preventing the sound from bouncing from the walls and entering or leaving the room, thus improving the acoustics. Pin a few on the wall, and you have a cozy, soundproof room with great acoustics.
Acoustic blankets are versatile in their use. You can pin or tape them to your doors or windows or move them anywhere that needs extra mass. Doors and windows are two of the main sources of a sound entrance, and putting blankets over them significantly reduces the noise.
You can get a blanket with grommets and hang it up like a curtain on your doors and windows. You can also move the blanket to the ceiling if you want, although this is harder to do.
Alternatively, you can use moving blankets if you are working with a tight budget. These are usually used by movers to protect fragile objects, such as furniture while moving.
They are, however, also good at soundproofing where they have been a success with most audiophiles because of the quality performance they give. This is because of their dense material that helps in sound absorption.
Use Household Items
This is the most affordable solution as you don’t have to purchase anything new. You can use any soft or fluffy materials you have at home to improve your room’s acoustics. Fill the space as much as you can with these materials; an empty room does not make for good acoustics. Filling the room up with items takes care of that for you.
Use soft materials that absorb the sound instead of reflecting it. Examples of these household items include:
- Heavy curtains. Get soundproof curtains to do the job.
Use old blankets to cover hard surfaces. These don’t have to be soundproof or moving blankets; any blanket you have around the house can do. - Cover the floor with rugs and carpets. You want to make sure you use thick, soft rugs that effectively absorb the sound.
- Hang some tapestries. Get gaming-themed tapestries to complete the whole atmosphere. Make sure the tapestries are also made using thick materials for better absorption.
Whatever item you choose to use in your gaming room, you need to make sure it is thick and soft. Such materials have better sound absorbing qualities; hence, they will not disappoint.
Way to Soundproof Your Gaming Room
Some of the approaches you can take to improve the acoustics and create an atmosphere that doesn’t bother others include:
Turn Down the Volume
I know this isn’t the solution you are looking for, but sometimes it is the right answer after all. Maybe you do use a higher volume than usual. This not only disturbs others around you but can also be damaging to your ears.
I’m not saying the play at a low volume, find a middle-ground volume that doesn’t take away from your experience or bother those around you. You can do it!
Move Your Gaming Station
This is an easier solution if you don’t have a designated gaming room. It also works if you share a wall. You can move your gaming console or computer to another side of the room if your neighbors keep complaining about the sound.
If your speaker is not attached to the gaming station you can try moving it across the room as well.
By doing this, you can lessen the shaking and trembling your speaker causes while also relieving some of the strain on the next wall. Try replacing the station with bigger, heavier pieces of furniture as an alternative.
The furniture will absorb part of the sounds and lessen the vibrations caused by the bass. If you have a shared wall, this option is fantastic because it will stop your neighbors from complaining.
To further prevent sound from leaving the space, combine this with acoustic panels on the walls.
Place Furniture on the Shared Wall
As mentioned above, you can use everyday household items to do some of the work for you. Get your armchairs, bookshelves, and cabinets against the shared wall. You can even add some books and files on the shelves for an extra layer.
The heavy furniture will reduce, sometimes even prevent, any sound from passing through the walls. They add mass to the area, giving the sound more surfaces to bounce off of, killing it before it gets out of the room.
If most of your furniture is made of hard surfaces, such as metal or wood, you might need to take some extra steps. These materials can increase the noise instead of reducing it. Use a heavy blanket, some throw pillows, and rugs to absorb the sound and counter this.
Place the rugs under the furniture and cover the shelves with blankets to reduce the reflection. You can also hang curtains around your furniture to add an extra layer of mass. Now you have a cozy, sound-absorbing gaming room with excellent acoustics.
Professional Soundproofing Techniques
Sometimes you can try all the above-suggested solutions, but none of them effectively works. If you are faced with such a problem, your only solution is to turn to professional techniques. These are more expensive solutions, but the results are well worth it if you have the money to spare.
Some of these solutions include:
- Mass-loaded vinyl. This is one method you can use to soundproof your floors, and it is highly durable too.
- Acoustic caulk. Use the caulk to cover any gaps, holes, or crevices that might be in the room. This stops any sound penetration from even the smallest of cracks and is as effective as they come.
- Add an extra layer of drywall. Increasing mass is the surefire way to reduce sound, and drywall does just that. Couple the drywall with Green Glue, and you have one of the most efficient ways of soundproofing a gaming room.
Further Reading: Which Are the Best Green Glue Alternatives?
- Resilient channels. These are metal joints you can use to suspend the ceiling and drywall a few inches, effectively dampening the sound from your room.
- Soundproof insulation. Includes MLV, you can use this in place of regular insulation to improve the acoustics in the gaming room.
Note that these solutions only work well for walls and ceilings, so you still need to soundproof the door and the floor.
Vinyl flooring is one way to reduce sound passing through the floor. You can boost its performance by using MLV and rubber mats on top of the flooring.
You can also use a memory foam carpet as an underlay for better soundproofing.
When it comes to the door, you can use an acoustic sealant to cover any gaps that might let in the air. The thickness of the door also matters as you might need to get a whole new door if the one you have is too thin.
Additionally, hang soundproof curtains or soundproof blankets over the door to stop the noise. Add a draft stopper or a door sweep to cover the gap between the door and the floor, and you are good to go.
Weatherstripping and rubber or foam gaskets are also other solutions that work great with doors and even windows. They cover the space between the window or door frame and stop sound from passing through. Both solutions are long-lasting, so you will get some years of use out of them.
Building a Soundproof Gaming Booth
Actual gaming booths are quite expensive to create, considering the individual air supply and all the fixings. For many, building an actual professional-level gaming booth is, therefore, not an option.
Luckily, you can still create a semblance of the booth at home. I am going to show you a faster and easier process you can use to create a soundproof gaming booth. All you need are a few tools.
Easier Soundproof Gaming Booth
The most effective way to create a fully soundproof gaming room is by ensuring that it is away from the walls. Creating an isolated gaming booth that doesn’t touch the walls, much like an island, prevents sound from entering or leaving through the walls or causing any vibrations.
Instead of creating a completely isolated area, I suggest finding a small closet, preferably a walk-in closet. If you have more space in your house, use an empty or little-used room and turn it into your gaming booth.
Follow the following steps to convert your space into a soundproof booth:
1. Empty the Area
Begin by removing anything from the room or closet. You want to strip it of everything it has, leaving it bare and ready for renovation. Find somewhere to place the items you relocate and proceed to clean the room.
2. Prep Time
Strip everything from the walls in the closet or the room. Remove any hooks, hangers, shelves, and whatever else is in there.
3. Find a Power Supply
See if the room/closet already has some power outlets. If there are, check to see if they are working. If the area doesn’t have any power, you can get a professional to do the wiring for you and bring in some outlets and lighting to brighten the space.
4. Install Soundproofing
Use ceiling tiles, drywall, acoustic panels, and whichever method is at your disposal to beef up the soundproofing. You can even create double layers to improve soundproofing.
Plug all the gaps around the windows and doors with acoustic sealant or weatherstripping to prevent sound from passing through. You can use acoustic foam twice by placing it between the drywall area and then mounting it over the new wall. Alternatively, you can mount the foam on the wall and use it alongside another type of soundproofing material such as hanging blankets.
An air purifier or a white noise fan or machine are also other things you can utilize. The purifier is a necessity if you are using a poorly aerated closet.
Another problem area might be the vents if the area has its own aeration system. Get a professional to cover the vents with proper soundproofing, or you can do it yourself if you are capable.
Related: Best White Noise Machines for Office
5. Soundproof Partitions
These are the alternative if you cannot or are unable to create a soundproof gaming booth.
You can get soundproof partitions online and use them for fencing your gaming station. This method is not the most effective, but you can combine it with any of the previous techniques for better results.
Some of the soundproof partitions you can get from Amazon include:
- JMAZ Event Facade Booth Lightweight Aluminium Frame
- Seismic Audio Multi Panel DJ Facade/ Booth
- ReFocus Acoustic Room Dividers
You can turn these partitions into a booth by suspending some blankets, preferably soundproof blankets, over them.
Cheaper Alternatives to Soundproofing a Gaming Room
Here are a few alternatives you can use at a much lower price:
Gaming Headset
A gaming headset refocuses all the sound into just one place. You can, therefore, turn the volume as high as you want and communicate with other gamers without bothering anyone.
You can get a wired headset or a wireless headset depending on your preferences.
Build a Soundproof Computer Box
It can be used to protect your computer. To build a more affordable gaming booth, use either standard or soundproof drywall or an OBS board.
Put acoustic foam inside the box to further muffle the sound coming from the computer.
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Lift the Speakers
This is an excellent solution if your speakers are against the wall or standing on the table or floor.
Put the speakers on rubber padding or acoustic foam. This lifts them from the surface, reducing the vibrations.
Use a Silent Mouse and Keyboard
There are both wired and wireless keyboards and mouse at your disposal. Some of the silent keyboards you can use are:
Both keyboards are silent, and they also have wrist rests, RGB backlighting, and anti-ghosting keys.
Conclusion
Creating a soundproof gaming room is not as hard as you might think. You have many solutions to try, with some being expensive and others more affordable.
Whatever your budget, you can find a worthwhile way to create a soundproof gaming room and enjoy your gaming experience without noise complaints from other people around you.
Last update on 2023-07-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API