Not sure if this is the appropriate subforum, but I was curious to know if someone has found a way to play ergonomically. If I play on the sofa, at some point I have problems at my shoulders.
If I play on the Switch portably, I end up laying on the bed and this is also problematic for the same area (neck, shoulders, arms).
Have you found any solutions that are both comfortable and ergonomic?
No joke, this is my favorite way to play Switch. You just need a gooseneck tablet stand and you’re good to go.
@Tony On the couch, your shoulders probably strain over time to support your arms while you hold your controller. And depending on the height of your screen, your shoulders and neck might strain to support your head looking up or down. So here’s my suggestion to help with shoulder pain while gaming:
i’ve promised myself to build something like this for my pc monitor, since i do all my work and play from bed anyway
i used to lay in bed and rest my virtual boy on my face and play that way. best video game experience of my life
Split controllers so you can have your hands at your sides helps. Don’t engage your traps to keep shoulders raised, let them fall.
Most TVs are slightly too low (or way too high but only in bourgie homes with fireplaces) to have your neck in a neutral position. Eye level should be around 1/3 from the bottom.
I want to recreate the hospital bed setup above with a monitor arm and knockoff LC4 chaise
i’ve definitely done the switch clamp on the bed with the controllers on the sides and it’s probably the most comfortable way to play the switch
What kind of clamp did you guys buy for the Switch? Any links?
I was wondering if something like a Stokke Varier could work too, when playing to Playstation 4 games.
I use this stand:
This promotional pic shows it with a Switch, but I mostly use it with an iPad with Steam Link and a PS4 controller. Lets me convert any game into a bed setup if my back is wrecked that day
But, it’s discontinued and I can’t find a similar type of construction anymore, so maybe not that helpful a specific suggestion. As far as non-clamped stands go, it seems the variations that hold their weight with long tentacles to the bed itself outcompeted the body-balanced stands, but I’m not sure they would work as well for games as this does (a nice thing about this is that although you can’t move your chest too much, your arms have a lot of room to hold the controller comfortably)
Other than explicitly “ergonomic” apparatus like that, I found it helps to experiment with heights, distances and softness in general. For example, raising your sofa seat a bit with a thick blanket if it’s too low or adding a cushion behind your back if it’s too deep. On the bed, try mixing firm and soft pillows in different configurations (I find my neck doesn’t ache even playing/reading for hours with a particular combination of mid-soft pillow covered with very firm pillow).
Just as correctly adjusting all the different heights on an office desk goes a long way, doing the same for your sofa/bed also does. The difference is to do it I needed to buy a bunch of potential cushioning material and then throw out the ones I found no use for (most of it), while a chosen few become my everyday implements.
Looks like it was born from a kickstarter and they want to make a new model:
My gaming/computing postures are an absolute mess and will probably continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
I like to sit crisscross and my knees absolutely hate it now that I’m old and my connective tissues are degrading
