My Gaming Setup

If you are here chances are you are interested in gaming or have seen me play on www.twitch.tv/surfwidow or maybe a YouTube video embedded in this very site. Or maybe you have read one of my gaming reviews?

Below I will list my Gaming Setup of course some of this naturally crosses over into the Studio setup here. But this page is for gaming info and what apps I am currently playing.

Studio Office

HARDWARE

Hardware employed for Gaming videos is the following:

Controllers – I use a Logitech G27 for driving simulators such as Euro Truck Simulator.

I have since upgraded the Gear Shifter to a Thustmaster th8a

G27 and th8a for ETS2

I use a 3D Mouse called a Space Navigator from 3dConnexion. This was originally used for gaming and making movies in ‘Second Life’ where I could use it as a Steadicam® for smooth transitions and gliding through the air using Fraps.

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Space Navigator 3D Mouse

However, it is now a great tool for 3D modeling, or any virtual world, even like flying a glider with Google Earth, Space Navigator is highly recommended and sturdy solid metal product! unique in its class! As games like ‘Elite Dangerous‘ are effectively 3D modeling in ‘space’ (literally in this instance) I could use a Joystick and Space Navigator (apt!).

Saitek X55 for Elite Dangerous

I have opted for the Saitek X55 Rhino Hotas pictured above.The rason was simple it was enough to spend for a pro level HOTAS, The next one after this wold have been the ‘Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog’ and tbh I have not read enough or seen enough positivity to warrant that extra cost (£100+ more) than the Rhino above. The Saitek seems to be the best in its class and hopefully an investment piece for aviation/space sims, or Joystick capable games.

For anyhting else a 3D Mouse and Joystick with twist control, optical mouse and keyboard of course together can fill in everywhere else beyond gaming, and lowers desktop clutter as big controllers or ‘ driving rigs’  are unwieldy, space consuming (and expensive)! Although if I did want one and had the space I would probably go for GT Omega Combinations of all controllers can be mapped in various ways. The Joystick I have owned for sometime from Logitech and a rarely used game conroller is stored away for now.  And of course a Media Keyboard (from Logitech also along with all this – I as you can tell love Logitech products – a mouse, and about 4 other compact keyboards and mice (due to space issues) from Targus (they are very good, reliable, compact and smaller than a standard keyboard whilst retaining full USB functionality!) so can in effect have two keyboards on a table each side of me and sit back.
Head Tracking – TrackiR5. I have other suggestions here if you cannot stretch to that.

AUDIO

Headphones I am loving the Chinese (I think) copy of the amazing Superlux HD681 and they are one of the best kept secrets out there! For the price they are equally as good feel the same and have the same audio quality as the AKG K240 and when you look at them you can see why as they are hanging on my boom arm in the studio photos below. For an extra 5 bucks I purchased the soft cloth ear pads. Top stuff! Check them out here.

Backup Headset – My Headset (it is one of the rare ones that does not pinch my ears so have stuck with it but pimped it up with a pop windshield and of course an TrackiR5. I also can use a baseball cap withe the Track peak attachment with, lapel mic (from Giant Squid great hand built lavalieres and adored by those in the know) and earbuds if I have a headache

Sennheiser PC151 + TrackiR + Cable-tied Pro Quality Foam Wind Shield.

Headset – Sennheiser (Above) I have 2 of these, one is for editing audio without the attachments.

Microphone and Mixer 

Heil Sound PR40 with Rode POP Filter for studio.
Beyerdynamic M58 for spare and outside.
Sony ECM-MS907 Stereo Mic ideal for live performances.
Giant Squid Pro Lapel Mics (2) – These are the best kept secret in the AV Pro world highly recommended imported from cottage industry audio engineer in the USA.
Sennheiser e815s cos I have never sold it.
Yamaha – MG10/2c mixer – There are fancier ones I have had them in the past but for gaming this is simple and more than enough.
Roland VT-3 – This does two jobs in one for me. If I use it on bypass mode it is an excellent top quality phantom powered preamp! However it can be fully configured to change the voice even auto tune, male female even alien or perfect for playing a cop with a megaphone! You can watch a video of it here and if you play online role-play and are struggling with doing different voices then this is for you.

Cakewalk MA 150 Studio monitors.

Microphone Stands: Heil Sound PL2T Boom Mount and a cast iron based boom arm version from K&M 25960. Gorillapod original with mic clamp top attachment for in the field.

PC

PC SPECS
Zoostorm I7-6700 QUAD CORE GAMING PC, 16GB, 2TB (Games), 2TB (ext USB3 Dock Backup), 120GB M.2.(OS), GTX 1080, WIFI, WIN 10.

Update 2022

I also have a i5 running Windows 11 with a 3080. This allows me to run Win 11! Sadly the 1080 even at that spec cannot! The 3080 is downstairs rigged with a gamepad and running as a PS5 PC type platform. In other words a fancy gaming rig to chill with!

Monitors
3 x BenQ GW2470H 23.8-inch.

2022

Now added 2 x 27inch Monitors and a 55inch for the Next Level Racing driving Rig.

Peripherals
SteelSeries Apex 350, Gaming Keyboard. I am not a big fan of manual clicky cherry keyboards too much travel in the key strokes. This also has lots of configurable keys for OBS., Logitech G502 Gaming Mouse Proteus Spectrum RGB, Microphone Heil Sound PR40 on Heil Boom Arm, Sony and Seinheiser Headphones but digging the budget Superlux HD681 Headphones (think budget AKG 240!), TRACKir, Yamaha MG82 CX mixer, Edirol ua-25ex (Has built in compressor/limiter), Logitech G27, Saitek X-56 Rhino H.O.T.A.S. Acer Laptop to stream music on a separate mixer channel for sound FX and OOC chat. LGP Lite GL310 for external console game capture. And a recent acquisition is the Roland VT-3 so I can change my voice into something more interesting from time to time like a gruff butch male or a squeaky strange character LOL!

Music
Yamaha Piano DGX 620 and novation x station 61 plus a Stylus RMX Xpanded for copyright free music.

On the wish list – Streamdeck, streaming PC with HD60pro.

APPS

Streaming to Twitch see bottom of this page for Video Mixer. I use a commercial software Video Mixer for Skype interviews, multiscreen etc. However there is little doubt if all you want to do is stream a game to Twitch.tv little beats OBS (Open Broadcaster Software). For Video Editing I have always used Vegas but recently switched to the brilliant (and free like OBS) DaVinci Resolve from Black Magic (the professional video hardware people) do check it out you will thank me later! 😉
YouTube – Editing is completed on Sony Vegas (big fan and used it for years) with just about every commercial plugin there is! And why I do not change! 3D titling etc.
Games currently being played –
(PC) Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator are what my steering wheel are for really,  Elite Dangerous, GTA5, GTA5rp, LSPDFR with lots of plugins and RDR2 Ultimate see my blog post here for the essential collection. Of course Fornite, PubG and the host of Battle Royale games that have hit the market.

(Android) Clash of Clans, Starwars Commander, The Simpsons Tapped Out, WGT Golf, Battle Beach, Boom Beach, Dots,  Jenga, Pro Darts, Pro Snooker, Empire Z, Fifa 15, Clash of Kings ,Total Conquest… Many of these have been reviewed on this site.

This is an ongoing list and I will add more as time goes on, but there are only so many hours in a day, especially if you want to put in the time to get good at playing them and enjoy playing them as a gamer rather than just a reviewer.