Do you need video game storage? Although most people buy digital copies of games these days, many long-time gamers are still in need of reliable video game storage solutions to ensure the long-term preservation and playability of physical games. Check out these seven video game storage ideas that can help maintain the integrity of your collection!
Assess Your Storage Needs
Before you begin the video game organization and storage process, you’ll need to consider the size of your collection, since this will determine what kind of video game and console storage options you need. Start your assessment by organizing video games by platform, genre, and personal significance. After assessing the size of your collection you can start to declutter your video games. Consider getting rid of these excess games by selling or donating them. Finally, you’ll need to consider the fragility of games when choosing storage solutions. Make sure to select options that meet the needs of your games and provide protection for them.
Organize Your Game Collection
Proper game storage involves organizing them in a way that makes things easy to find. You can categorize your collection by game console, genre, alphabetical order, studio, and more. By alphabetizing your games within their console categories, you’ll make searching for specific titles more efficient and enhance the overall visual appeal of your collection. Embrace these solutions to create an organized collection that you can truly enjoy.
Protect Video Game Cartridges & Discs
To ensure the preservation of your physical video game collection, you should choose storage options that offer protection, organization, and accessibility. One of the best video game storage ideas you can implement is to use bookshelves, cabinets, or disc towers for your video games. These options keep your games off the floor and safeguard them from any potential damage. Don’t have the original case for your games? You can slide game discs into a CD/DVD carrying case as a way to store them in a mobile container. For games that aren’t disc-shaped, plastic sleeves or plastic containers with dividers are great for protecting game cartridges to ensure their safety. Make sure to use labels on your containers so it’s easy to identify each game.
Preserve Retro Games
Retro game storage requires extra care and attention due to the age of vintage consoles and games, as well as the wear and tear from years of playing them. Video game preservation involves cleaning consoles, maintaining capacitors, storing wires carefully, and ensuring all your gaming components are kept in a climate-controlled environment to prevent any damage related to extreme temperature fluctuations. Consider placing silica gel packets in the storage containers with your retro video games to help prevent moisture buildup, which can cause damage. It’s also important to organize your collection by console type to avoid any damage caused by improper storage pairings.
Take Care of Modern Games
With the cost of modern games and consoles on the rise, it’s important to take care of your current collection to help ensure long-term functionality. One of the best tips for storing video game consoles is to provide proper ventilation. Avoid stacking consoles on top of each other—which can limit airflow—and consider wall-mounted storage options for consoles and controllers to help prevent dust buildup. A regular video game cleaning schedule is also essential for maintaining console performance. You can use compressed air to occasionally dust the interior or store your consoles with a dust cover when not in use. Additionally, make sure the area around your video game collection is clean to deter pests, and avoid placing consoles near heat sources to prevent overheating.
Be Innovative With Storage Solutions
Having an organized gaming area can greatly enhance your gaming experience. If you don’t have room to install large bookcases or video game shelves, there are still some things you could do to organize your game room. Try using storage solutions like pegboards to mount your controllers and other gaming accessories, or install floating shelves to make use of vertical storage space for your games. If you want somewhere to store your games that also keeps them out of direct sunlight, you can try hidden video game storage ideas like drawers or furniture like ottomans. All of these options offer a way to keep your gaming gear organized and accessible. Once you nail down a video game storage system, you can continue to add to your collection and still enjoy an organized space.
Consider Long-Term Storage Options
If you don’t have room in your home to store your entire video game collection, you should think about renting a climate-controlled storage unit! Units with climate control help safeguard your equipment from harmful temperatures and humidity levels, which is particularly important if you have retro consoles. Before putting your games into storage, it’s important to clean any exposed surfaces and label the containers they will be going into. Opt for waterproof containers to provide additional protection from moisture. You can also put your storage bins on shelves to keep containers off the floor and maximize space in your storage unit.
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Do you need secure storage for your video games? Life Storage has convenient locations throughout the U.S., equipped with great features and amenities that can help with preserving your video game collection. Rent storage near you today!
This post was originally published 05/19/2019, and last revised on 01/29/2024 with updated information.
