For serious and casual gamers alike, creating the best possible gaming experience is vital to maximizing your competitive edge and overall enjoyment.

Needless to say, better gaming gear translates to a better overall gaming experience, and while this general concept might seem to be a no-brainer, the real question for you is what sort of upgrades will yield the most benefit relative to their cost.

To help you out, we’ve narrowed down a few key areas you’ll want to consider focusing your efforts on. Follow these tips and you’ll be able to take your gaming setup to new heights while still saving enough to spend on the most anticipated games.

Your Gaming Machine

One of the most decisive factors in your gaming experience is your choice of gaming machine. Putting PCs aside for a moment, your experience differs on consoles, regardless of whether you’re in the Xbox camp or if you consider yourself part of Team PlayStation—or opt for their bigger, more powerful siblings the Xbox One X and PlayStation Pro, respectively.

We won’t be taking a side in the console war (or weighing in on the console v. PC debate), but for dedicated console gamers considering an upgrade to one of these advanced consoles is one way to boost your gaming experience while maintaining your preferred setup.

Your TV

A brand-new console alone isn’t the only avenue available for altering your gaming experience. In some cases, you can make substantial gains just by switching up the visuals. The TV or monitor you’re using can have an a substantial effect on your gaming performance — in more ways than one.

The size of your screen, for instance, will affect how large (or small) objects in your game appear regardless of resolution. When playing a frantic, high-paced game like an FPS, for example, having larger targets might make them easier to spot on screen (and provide a competitive advantage when playing).

Then there’s input lag you’ll have to consider. While many TVs and monitors have low delays between what you do on your controller and what happens on screen, not all are equal in their responsiveness.

As the official TV of the Call of Duty® World League, we know know the importance of having a TV that’s gamer-friendly. For starters, our smart TVs boast low input lag, wide color, and Dolby Vision HDR. If you’re the type of console gamer who enjoys superior graphics, an upgrade to a 4K HDR television like the 6-Series will allow you to squeeze the most out of the most powerful consoles like the PlayStation Pro and Xbox One X, delivering images with crisper details that’s four times the resolution of Full HD.

Your Sound Setup

To complete your experience, complementing a new console and TV with a more immersive audio setup is often a great way to go. Beyond providing sharper audio cues, which can improve your performance when playing competitive games, a richer sound system offers more enriching play sessions.

Deep, layered sound effects and music from surround sound setups or a good pair of gaming headphones will draw you into the world of the game, allowing you to enjoy these experiences exactly as their developers intended them. Our new line of sound bars, available in two sizes and in 2.0 or 2.1 channels, will also provide stunning sound that's perfect for gaming and all of your favorite entertainment. 

The Bottom Line

Any one of these upgrades can help enhance your gaming experience to a degree, but keep in mind that all three in tandem can truly maximize your gaming gains. Start your journey to a better game by checking out some of the ways gaming on the big screen will take your experience to the next level.