Over 162 million people in the U.S. own video game consoles—that’s half the entire U.S. population. Video games are no longer just for kids or serious gamers, they’re part of a $6.9 billion industry that keeps growing. With consoles costing hundreds and the average game costing $60, it’s important for any gamer—from the casual Mario Kart player to the Madden season ticketholder—to know the proper way to store games and equipment.
To Display or to Disguise?
If you’re proud that your game collection ranges from Atari and Pong to a Playstation 4 and Kingdom Hearts III, you should give them the recognition they deserve and display them on a bookshelf, floating shelves, or in a game tower. If you’re looking for more of a low-key solution or have limited space, you can make use of covert storage options, like ottomans and coffee tables with hidden space, keep them in a drawer, or ditch the cases entirely and house them in a CD or DVD sleeve case.
Make Them Comfortable
Just like most people, video games and consoles don’t like extreme temperatures. If you keep them somewhere that gets very hot, like that storage room by your furnace, you can easily fry and damage them. Conversely, if your game room is in the garage, the winter will be very rough on them. Try and house them someplace with a temperate atmosphere to ensure they keep working well.
Keep an Eye Out for Critters
There are few things mice and other uninvited houseguests enjoy more than snacking on your cables and wires. Sure, you can easily replace some of the newer ones—for a price—but you’ll find yourself scouring eBay for the rarer ones. Play it safe and keep them away from edible things that attract mice, or in a plastic tote with a lid if necessary.
Avoid Scratches
Once disc formats started replacing game cartridges, “scratch” became a four-letter word. While minor scratches may not affect your game’s playability, too many or ones too deep can mean game over. Try to store games in their original cases to stop scratches, but if you don’t have the original, keep them stored in CD or DVD sleeve cases with soft lining.
Now you know how to properly store your video games and consoles at home, but what do you do with the ones you don’t use often but can’t part with? You need long-term storage you can trust to keep them safe until Player 1 is ready to enter the game again. Contact the storage professionals at Secure Self Storage for a climate-controlled, secure and affordable home for your favorite past-time.