A PC Gamer’s Desk: What Should Be There And What Should Not

Just like how a person’s room can tell a lot about them, a PC (or Mac) gamer’s desk can tell even more. I’m going to look at three types of things that a PC gamer should have on his or her desk, and three types of things that are probably already there, but shouldn’t be.

First up: three things you need on your desk:

1. A cheap tissue box: Yeah, yeah, I know what you’re thinking, but there are other uses to tissues—like scraping the hand residue off your mouse and “w” “a” “s” and “d” keys, or dust from your monitor, or nose rockets from your wrist after wiping it. All throughout college, I actually had a roll of toilet paper on my desk for these things. It lasted longer and cost less money.

2. Tape: Scotch is preferred, but when it runs, out even electrical tape can do the job. Oftentimes, you need to perform a quick fix on peripherals to your computer. For example, if your mic only works when the wires are in a specific position, or a key is falling off of your computer. Tape can be the difference between virtual life or death when you cannot pause.

3. A writing utensil (and hopefully something to write on): There are too many times where you want to remember something, like a phone number after listening to your messages while fragging, or an enemy’s name after they’ve angered you in some way and leaves you with a new entry for your hit list. Most times, people will settle for the first thing available, which tends to be something like a felt pen or yellow highlighter. Both get the job done, but please just get up and get a pen, or prepare ahead of time.

And the three types of things that are probably on many PC gamers’ desks, but shouldn’t be there:

1. Something big and unused/broken: An old computer monitor that you’ve been meaning to fix, an electronic piano with a pound of dust on the keys that hooks up to your USB, or even just a Nintendo DS with batteries that are out of energy and you’ve been too lazy to replace for three months.

2. Trash from food or beverages: Old soda or beer cans that are slowly welding their sticky posteriors to your desk over time, receipts from trips to your nearest fast food place, the infamous Red Cup x 5.

3. Random grooming tools: A nose hair trimmer you brought to your computer one time while you were waiting for something to download, a comb you forgot was there, a toothbrush or fork you swore belonged to someone else, or other even more random things one might use to make themselves more presentable, but never have time to bother with.

Of course, the most obvious thing to be on a PC gamer’s desk would be unnecessary papers or notebooks. But come on, that’s on everyone’s desk. Oh, and how could I make an article about stuff on desks that didn’t belong without adding you-know-what:

Quick, give her some attention or she’ll bite!

What’s on your desk right now?