The main goal of any gaming set-up is to facilitate your play style and meet the hardware requirements in your favourite games. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun with the aesthetics. This article is here to guide you through how to create a themed gaming set-up.
What is a Themed Gaming Set-Up?
A themed gaming set-up is a gaming environment that is built around a recognisable subject. This could be a colour, seasonal event, or even your favourite gaming series. Of course, you can also go all out with your theme or make it a more subtle addition to your gaming set-up. There are no wrong answers, as it is your space to make your own. What’s the point in creating a set-up you don’t like the look of, eh?
Why Do I Want a Themed Gaming Set-Up?
Themed gaming set-ups are a great way of celebrating your favourite things. Whether you’re a die-hard Fallout fan or all about them autumn vibes, you can craft an aesthetic to honour that and enjoy high-performance gaming. No compromises here!
How to Create a Themed Gaming Set-Up
With the ever-growing variety of hardware styles and officially licensed special editions, it’s getting easier to create a themed set-up. But it is important to not sacrifice performance in the name of style. It’s all about finding that balance.
Now, the first step is to pick your theme. For the sake of this article, we’re going for a purple theme, but what you style your set-up on is entirely up to you. We’re also going to compile a complete set-up, from PC to peripherals. What your set-up requires will differ, and you won’t necessarily need to buy a whole new environment to make your theme work! (I mean, if you have the budget for it, you do you, boo.) We’re just here to spark ideas and provide the way!
Purple Themed Set-Up
Whatever your theme is, RGB is going to be your friend. (Unless your theme is no RGB, but shush.) With the simple addition of RGB lighting and accessories, you can enhance the vibe and build an ambience. Obviously, for our theme, we’d use purple lighting with pink or white highlights. If you’re rocking a Fallout theme, you’d use blue and yellow, whereas you’d opt for warm oranges, reds, and yellows for an autumnal theme.
We’ve got some great guides to help with setting up your RGB and getting the right amount of lighting for your gaming environment.
For your gaming PC, the priority should always be getting the right hardware first. Anything that fits your theme or aesthetic is a bonus. Some brands do have limited-run special edition components, such as the Sapphire Radeon RX 7700 XT Pure Frostpunk 2 GPU, which can go a long way to boosting your aesthetic. The beauty of special edition hardware is you know you are getting a gaming-optimised product as well as something to fit your theme. The downside is you are subject to the whims of manufacturers and which licences they can score.
As such, we’re always going to favour making sure your hardware works for you first. Accessories, RGB, and colour are going to do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to executing your theme. The majority of components are black or grey, and we all know black works well with everything. Plus, you can build an entire gaming PC from white components if your theme needs something a little lighter. Either way, the important thing is to pick a spec that suits your needs. We have all the components you need, helpfully broken up into easy-to-navigate categories, just waiting to be explored.
If you are in the market for a fresh PC and you’re thinking of going pre-built, then you can confidently pick something to fit your theme from the Overclockers UK collection. Each of our gaming PCs, whether fully pre-built or configurable, has been engineered to facilitate high-performance gaming at a range of price points. Plus, most come with RGB lighting so you can prioritise spec and adjust colour for ambience later!
With our purple theme, the Refract Gaming Indigo is the obvious choice. From name to aesthetics, it has them purple vibes down. Plus, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Super GPU are nothing to be sniffed at either!
Refract Gaming Indigo Pre-Built PC
- Pre-built gaming PC – fully tested and ready to ship!
- AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D CPU
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Super GPU
- 32GB DDR5 RAM and SSD storage
- Covered by our three years parts and labour warranty
Sticking with your PC’s internals, cables are a great way to inject some colour or play to a theme. Brands like CableMod, Kolink, and BitFenix offer a veritable rainbow of cable colours to match any aesthetic. (To this day, I can’t see red and black stripes without thinking of The Beano.) From single bold colours to classic pairings and RGB lighting, you can enhance your theme while ensuring reliable connections within your gaming PC.
Naturally, for our purple set-up, it has to be the Kolink Core Adept Extension Cable Kit in Jet Black and Titan Purple.
Kolink Core Adept Braided Cable Extension Kit – Jet Black/Titan Purple
- Braided extension cable set
- Vibrant black and purple design
- 16AWG copper wiring
- Pre-installed cable combs and spares included!
- PCIe 5.0 ready
Moving outside your PC, gaming peripherals aren’t the boring beige blocks they used to be. You can get special edition designs, colourful keycaps, and even detachable cables in vibrant colourways. As such, you can really commit to the theme!
With keyboards, you can pick from pre-built models in a range of colours or brave your own custom build. With ranges like Glorious GMMK 3 and Ducky ProjectD, you can start with the barebones keyboard and work your way up, adding the perfect switches and keycap sets to fit your aesthetic. Using our purple theme, we’d pair the GMMK 3 TKL with Tai-Hao Purple Boom keycaps, Glorious Mako switches, and the Glorious Nebula Cable.
Glorious GMMK 3 75% Barebones Gaming Keyboard
Tai-Hao Translucent Cubic ABS Purple Boom Keycaps
Glorious Mako Mechanical Keyboard Switches
Glorious Coiled Cable USB-C to USB-A Nebula
Now, with gaming mice, your colour ranges are a little more limited. Most are enhanced by RGB lighting, but you can find a few in different shades. In a true “stars align” moment for our purple theme, Endgame Gear has recently released a limited edition OP1 8K Purple Frost mouse – so that’s this imaginary build sorted!
Endgame Gear OP1 8K Purple Frost Gaming Mouse
- Wired gaming mouse
- Stunning Purple Frost design
- 8,000Hz polling rate
- Kailh GX mechanical switches
- Pixart PAW3950 optical sensor with up to 30,000 CPI
Please Note: This is a limited edition item. Stock and availability is limited.
The final statement piece for your themed set-up could be your gaming chair. While you should absolutely prioritise comfort and support when it comes to your chair, many of the ergonomic chairs at Overclockers UK also happen to have incredible aesthetics. The variety of upholstery materials provide a nice selection of finishes and textures, whilst the sculpted contouring is both stylish and comfy! Plus, with an impressive mix of colours available, you can either go for a subtle addition or something that pops! Not to mention the officially licenced special edition gaming chairs available.
Of the gaming chairs we have, it has to be the noblechairs ICON Fallout Nuka-Cola Quantum Edition. The bold blue and purple design is stunning, and the superior ergonomics are a must-have whatever the theme!
noblechairs ICON Gaming Chair Fallout Nuka-Cola Quantum Edition
- Special Edition officially licenced gaming chair
- Stunning Fallout Nuka-Cola Quantum design
- Glow-in-the-dark embroidery
- Superior ergonomics
- Premium build materials
Knick Knacks, Posters, and Extras
Your theme isn’t limited to your gaming hardware. Whether you’re creating an ode to your favourite colour, game, or TV show, you can show your love with artwork, models, figurines, and more. A couple examples from our own set-ups: Ruth has gorgeous Stardew Valley posters whilst Simon’s space is populated with figurines and vintage games.
There’s lots you can do to execute your theme and truly make your space your own.
Themed Gaming Set-Up Inspiration
If you’re feeling the itch to add a theme and redecorate your gaming set-up, we have plenty of articles to help inspire and guide – starting with our lifestyle posts for gaming rooms, custom keyboards, and small offices!
Custom Keyboards
Small Office
Game Rooms
Looking for more game-themed hardware? We have some ultimate set-ups for that too!
Is Your Gaming Set-up Themed?
My office space has a pretty nifty vintage style to it, but would I make a farming sim set-up if the budget allowed? Yes. Yes, I would. (I guess the sequin pumpkin I have on my desk will have to suffice for now.) Does your gaming set-up have a theme, or do you have a dream theme? Let us know in the comments below!
PC specs are subject to change.
- 8 min read
Emily Haylock
Author
Emily is a board and cosy gamer, keyboard obsessive, and content copywriter for Overclockers UK. She has been with Overclockers UK since 2020, writing about everything from noblechairs to 8Pack PCs. She writes from within her desk nest with a foster pup at her feet. (What, a desk duvet is a totally normal thing!) In her downtime, she likes to play board games, farming sims, and old-school Final Fantasy. IX to be specific. It is the best, and that is a hill she will die on.
Read More >>