I've got a dozen or so of those Ikea shelves, although mine came from Wal-Mart! Same exact design and material though. I can fit about 96 big box PC games on each shelf unit, so it's awesome. Just gotta make sure that they're either mounted to the wall or lean backwards, because man, those things can get wobbly at full capacity.
thats not true it's possible to get good games for cheap like me, the most expensive game i bought was 20$ and I have smash and mario kart on GC, mario kart 64 boxed and over 180 games. dead fucking serious, yard sales, trades, flea markets, craigslist/kijiji, and small antique stores are the way to go. just be patient. good luck, its also fun looking for the best games at flea markets, its no fun just buying everything on ebay.
William Burgoon flea markets are flooded with resellers. Sometimes you come into what you think is a bargain and then realize that it's just an average eBay price. I haven't been to USA, so can't say anything about yard sales. Stores in Germany sell PS games for 5 euros each, which is not a bargain when you want to gather a nice collection. And of course it's 30-40 euros for FF games. Everywhere. People nowadays are aware of the collectors and rise their prices, otten for common items they think they're valuable. So I don't believe it's real to make a good collection in 2015 and run into less than thousands of bucks.
I'm in the middle of a move so I can't take a picture of it, but for controllers I bought a cloth shoe rack to hang on the wall. It allows me to have 30 controllers ready to use at any time. Don't have to do any digging or pulling out of bags, just grab and go!
Not a lot of people realize that sega Genesis cartrages are same exact size as a cassete case so if you have a lot of loose Genesis games you can just get cassette trays or storage shelves and they slip right in. should help make your sega Genesis collection neater for you Genesis collectors out there :)
+Matt Butt - Hold CTRL on the left side of your keyboard with your left pinky and press C. Then...run to your house... Hold the same CTRL button and press V. DONE!
Dude, every time I watch your videos I have to laugh because in your intro, the rhythm on the guitar is just impeccable. I'm about to go to college and I'm majoring in trumpet performance, so I very much appreciate music. Also in one of your videos you played the drums on RockBand and that was absolutely insane. I thought I was good until I saw that. I think your positive attitude is amazing and you sound like you have broadcasting experience or something because you know what to say and what inflection to put in your voice, and you know what to put in front of the camera. Thanks for making awesome videos!!
+John Riggs: RIGG'd Games Definitely put my hookups in plastic bags and in drawer storage. However, I love to display my controllers. Lots of nostalgia and a great conversation piece when visitors see those. I have a peg board that works well and I think looks really nice. i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/necrom99/Game%20Room/Update32.jpg
Such a nice guy. I really like your videos man. You do a great job being yourself, and always having good topics to discuss. Since you like Progressive Metal I'd suggest checking out Fallujah! They're Atmospheric Metal but if you like Opeth I'm sure you'd like them!
Been a gamer for 27 years and been a metal head for 13 years. I'm not a collector by any means but I am the "old man on the mountain" for my younger gamer friends and coworkers who are interested in retro gaming. I'm glad I found you and have actually linked several of your videos through Facebook and text. Enjoy all of your videos, whether it be for knowledge or nostalgia... More so because you are yourself and not a "professional" youtuber with intros and music you had to pay for. Keep up the good work and I hope to see an in depth video of the 360 (my favorite console and "dreamcast 2").
It's cool how much thought and effort you put behind your gameroom setup! For my bedroom/office/gameroom hybrid, I just started creating physical "playlists" of games by piling up games I want to play out of my collection in little sections of a tall thin bookshelf I have in the corner. The higher piles are the games I want to play currently while the lower piles are games I offer myself as alternatives. It kind of organizes my games in a way where it's easier for me to find and pick up relevant games at any time. I of course also have my collection itself, with the "playlist" games picked out, my collection is less cluttered and easier to look through as well! I also display some of my favourite or attractive looking items in my collection for certain 16-bit carts for instance held up with wooden small single-book holders I have from whom knows where.
If you have even minimal carpentry skills and the time to build them, make your own bookcases. A few screws, a sheet of thin plywood, and some shelving boards gives you a sturdy real wood bookcase for well under your $40 price point. Plus you can make the bookcases the exact size you want.
love your collection 😍 my husband is also a game/console collector definitely going to subscribe to this since this has giving me lots of creative ideas of setting his game room ☺ thanks for the great video👍
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I live in southern Arizona, where dust is just terrible. I have been covering my systems and tv's with towels and pillow cases. My family always has to tease me about it. I am glad to see that I am not the only one that does this. Great video. I have been hoping that you would do one of these game room set up videos. I don't have a dedicated space as of yet, but these are things I can use that wont clash too much with the surrounding decor.
Nice tips man! I'm 28 and about to build a new home for me and my wife, and since i already have 3000+ games and also aiming to do some youtube videos, those tips are THE BEST! Again, thanks alot!
Ooh, I love that dust-cover idea. In fact, if someone was handy with a sewing machine, they could create their own covers in whatever color they feel is appropriate, in the exact size of the console. I may consider doing this.
About the LED lighting system. If you keep an eye out on Ebay, you can find a full set (lights, controller, controller module, and power supply) for around $10-$15 most of the time. They are really nice. I have them on my old recording desk, arcade machine, system shelf, and now in the garage. I recommend them!
I like to keep my entertainment center very minimalist, so I keep all the consoles I'm not currently using in waterproof tubs in a closet in my game room, separated one console per tub. A cheap place to get waterproof tubs is actually craft stores, they're usually advertised as Scrapbook preserving containers. I like to get more than I need when I buy them, as companies will often change designs and I want something universal that will look clean and stack easily. Also, for more valuable systems, there are anti static light blue containers that you can sometimes get. My father works in the aerospace industry and I can sometimes get some from his company they use for their most sensitive equipment.
Didn't think I would learn much from this, I thought wrong. You have some pretty creative ways of getting around things, never thought different lighting would be so useful either.
I use a huge wardrobe with lots of shelves and metal baskets to store games that come in durable cases that can be stacked. Retro games and other games that come in more fragile boxes I store in normal IKEA-style bookshelves. For the consoles I use a couple of simple display shelves stacked on top of eachother.
I use the IKEA Billy bookshelves to hold most of my physical games that are in a box or in a case, and clutter some controllers and other stuff such as controller and cables in front of the game cases. I place the larger boxes and the stored consoles in an old cupboard. I'm planning on getting some drawer units from IKEA to store the extra controllers, electronics, cables, consoles, and so on.
My game room is an assortment of purchased shelving units along with custom built ones that I have put together myself. Was especially important for my retro computer collection, as it allowed me to condense it into a better space. I also built a custom shelf unit to fit exactly between some of the bought shelves to maximise the space, plus of course the shelf spacing is just right for boxed titles. My loose Gameboy titles, I actually use collector card sleeves in a folder, that I have put together a nice cover and spine label for.
This is one cool dude. Laid back, great content, and a great overall channel. Just recently subscribed and ive watched at least 20 videos so far haha. Keep up the good work MJ.
I have an old dresser in my game room that i keep extra cords, controllers, hookups, light guns, manuals....all sorts of stuff. Really helps reduce the clutter
Great video. For loose Game Boy and Game Boy Advance I use a few big binders with the games in those 9-pocket sheets meant for holding baseball cards. This lets me browse all the games pretty efficiently.
I also have a Book Shelf similar to yours and also I've created my own custom book shelf using my handy Tool sets, and using the Power saw gets the job done...cutting, measuring...etc, etc. I put my other systems on my custom book shelf unplugged...with the systems showing on display and official dates that the systems were released by year including the controllers that come with it-- Also have a sticker printer that can make Nintendo, Playstation, N64 labels and I put those on display as well and easily visible. I keep the other accessories stored nice and neat in separate containers and rubber band the cords so it doesn't get tangled up or ziplock bags work too...everything on display looks nice and neat without all the plugs and tangled mess. So if I want to play N64...I just pick it off from the display and go through the hassle of plugging everything in and play, and then when I'm done I unplug everything and make everything neat again as I am OCD like that...it does take a lot of time, and even there are times were it bugs me, but it's just the way I am I guess.
I got alot of my ideas for my game room from you Metal Jesus. Those totes to hold loose cartridges and stuff works great. Thanks a ton! Can't wait to see another pick up video
Given that I'm a carpenter by profession, I never had an issue with building custom cabinets to house all my games. A couple power tools and a little guidance which can be found on TH-cam is all you need to come up with custom solutions for all your games.
I use cube storage units (pretty cheap at Target) for disc based games and I have pair of Atlantic media storage units with modular shelves for my cartridge games. I also use the same mini plastic storage bins for my GBA/GB games and a long plastic storage box that's designed to go under a bed (normally for sheets, towels, etc. about 6-8" deep) for consoles I'm not using on my main entertainment center. The cube storage also makes a great side display next to an entertainment center for retro consoles.
To resolve dust problem, I suggest shelves with glass doors (UV proof will be the best). Then you can still show the beauty of your collection and keep it dust free.
The plastic drawers/bins for the carts are a fantastic idea! I've been wondering about good ways to store those without having specific carrying cases to fit them all. I've used plastic bins/totes to store carts before, but never thought to use drawers for quick access :D Very nice
thank you for this companion video. loved the first video and was excited to find this one. Looking forward to implementing some of these tip and strategies as begin rearranging my collection in the coming months
thanks!!finally i found the words for those things that holds books,have looked everywhere for it and now when i know what it called,it pups up everywhere :)
If you want some more storage, if you haven't already, get some long plastic storage bins for sliding under the couch (assuming there is room to do so).
Another way you can help combat dust is to just get a box fan and stick a high quality furnace filter to the back of it. Set it in the middle of the room and let it run over night and it will remove a lot of dust from the air inside the room.
I've noticed a smidge bit of manual sag when things are stored horizontally (moreso with the big box stuff- early PS1/SCD/Sat), sometimes with PS1 jewel case stuff as well.Either way, you have a wonderful collection and I love the idea for the lights. thanks for sharing!
Very helpful video, trying to ditch my bulky and less attractive plastic totes and have a more permanent and well organized solution. Thanks for some great ideas and the great video! :)
For Shelves I invest in Modular Cube Shelves. Particularly the ones that are 15 by 15 by 30. That way you don't have to take all of them down if say you want to rearrange. You can just move the individual boxes. You can put games in there, other boxes, the consoles, etc.
Another cabinet idea is a wooden aquarium stand, which are designed to hold hundreds of pounds of water and are relatively cheap too. They will hold the heaviest TV.
The ultimate dust deterrent is glass cabinets, the plus side to this is that you will be able to see your collection and consoles. For a cheaper customisable option you could try clear perspex and cut to whatever size required and its safer than glass if you have kids. +metaljesusrocks I know you're big on PC games, what is your current setup to run these old classics as the new operating systems from MS (windows 10 etc) do not install correctly.. a few tips to keep your system modern yet compatible with old games would be a great feature. Keep up the good work !
Air purifier for dust control on all surfaces, large ziplock bags with sharpie tags for cords and controllers + 2, those plastic drawers from Target + 2, IKEA shelving, under-bed large flexible nylon zip up boxes and nylon inserts from IKEA for more accessible but hidden storage, p-touch labels on cords and cables to identify consoles or on outlet savers (small 10” extension cords that eliminate bulky power packs), large CD wallet for roms/isos burned to CDs with p-touch labels, cut-to-fit Velcro strips for loose cables and cable organization or black zip-ties, and take a 1.25” hole saw to your new furniture and route those cables anywhere you want.
My idea for a game room/man cave is a retro '50s style diner. Black and white ceramic tiling for the walls, red (real or fake) leather booth couches mounted on the walls, that sort of thing. I might use that lighting thing you used, as I love ambient lighting, and RGB would make it *that* much better. Although, I _do_ want custom barstools, with arm rests and a little more than just a little metal thing for a backrest. I want sort of a minibar; a fridge full of various drinks and snacks, as well as wall-mounted shelving for my novelty/game displays. My current novelty display looks really nice on my computer desk right now. Granted, most of this is purely ideals and not really anything I see becoming a reality in the near future. I don't have any retro gaming consoles or anything either, which does throw a minor wrench in the operation...
If you don't mind super heavy furniture, a dado stack on a table saw and some MDF wood go a long way in making exactly the shapes and sizes you'd like. Or you could just use multiple passes with a single blade to get good dado joints.
I'm sort of OCDish... so everything has to match. My room is a rustic gray color and some back (can't go wrong with fancy black furniture). So I bought two 4 cubed cube organizer, put them together, set my HDTV on one with my Switch and PS4 under, set my CRTV on the other with my N64, GC, and PS1. Got my PS2 in a desk with it's portable LCD screen attached to it also (:
I had some spare wood, brought it to the hardware store and had them cut it to size. I had to buy an extra piece to make do for the amount of shelves I wanted. I bought some wood glue for use with my caulking gun. I used no nails and it is very sturdy. So I custom constructed my own shelves that hold my TV and all my game consoles. It is 4 ft wide and 31 inches tall, made with 2inch thick pieces of wood. It has 3 shelves, counting the top one. It has enough space between the floor and the bottom shelf(about 6 inches for me to have both my Xbox and Xbox 360 underneath... For game storage I have a DVD storage shelf for most all my disc game storage. I need to improve with my cartridge storing, the shelving on some hand-me-down shelves doesn't work quite right(although I keep many in plastic sleeves to help protect them). Most of my cartridge games are stacked in cardboard boxes or plastic bags..
I keep an eye out at Goodwill. Usually they have used shelving units of a good quality for around $40. My budget too is $40 so this past summer I got a brand new shelving unit for that price from Goodwill. My local store has a partnership with Target so I got what was normally a $200 shelving unit for $40 because there was some light cosmetic damage to one of the panels. Lucky for me, the shelf is against the wall and the side that is damaged is covered up entirely by the corner it sits in. I also went on ebay and bought 10 LED stick up lights for less than $20. So I have 2 lights per shelf and it looks excellent.
I got all of my bookshelves (for games and figures) at my local thrift stores for less than $20 a piece. Most of them look really nice. For $5 I got several DVD shelves as well.
just a tip for you, the shoe rack consoles look good, but if you pitch the systems up 30 degrees or so (top and bottom) you can keep them closer together. This covers the wires, you can better access the top of the consoles and they would be more visable if tilted just a bit - you can see them from the front, not just standing above them... looks sick tho, great stuff!
My room is small. I've reached the point where my collection is overwhelming. I've been going through a ton of games and just removing titles I'll never play, high dollar games I have no business owning, or games that I have on multiple consoles. I actually appreciate my collection more now that all I see are games I care about. And now I have some extra $ to shop for a new guitar :D
How you’ve stacked your games is driving my OCD crazy lol. I’ll be moving into a new build in a few months and your vid has given me some good ideas, also what to avoid.
I have a bathroom hanging organizer on the back of the door to my game room. Its out of the way, out of view, and its perfect for loose items, cables, etc. I got the idea from women I knew who had them for blow dryers, brushes, and various other things like that.
Awesome room MJR, keep the good work. Why not make a custom/cheap dust-cover made of towels? You only need a scissors, needle and thread to adjust them to every shape.
Hey Fella, long time watcher and fan of your channel, I enjoy the way come over on your vids, making it easy for a layman like myself to understand. Great hints & tips, which won't break the bank, great that the Star Wars OT posters haven't been lost from the Game Room. If you really want to know how I set up my room (there is gaming in there) then the day before yourself I uploaded a video of my room. Regards from across the Pond, Cheers, Fuzz.
Id like to recommend "media shelves" over bookshelves, in general. They're typically designed for DVDs/CDs and fits most video game media perfectly, tightly to the wall. They're also generally cheaper. I grabbed mine on CL as well, paying them to deliver. I keep most of my older consoles closed into entertainment centers, cuts down well on the dust nicely. Not the best for latest gen though, because they need more room to breathe.
+danekarl mm i seen media shelves are more expensive then books shelfs i like the book shelfs becaus you can set the height for each shelf some are for games consoles or game items
the good thing for me being in mid michigan. that stuff like the bookshelves or other stuff like that on craigslist generally runs alot cheaper here than in bigger cities like seattle. they only bad thing is with cost of living. we generally get paid alot less too.
I just got to the point where I really have to make something about my collection. There's a guy at my work who makes all kind of customized Ikea furniture for the offices. I'll ask him to build the shelvings and a good sturdy base for my beloved 29inch Panablack CRT.
That's my next things to look for I love the ninties and early 00s computer games so I'm going to be looking for a good older PC and the games I used to have. Those storage bins are just perfect for loose carts.
Dust is a major pita in a game room. I have everything in shelves with glass or transparent plastic doors that are as tight as possible, because I want to see stuff, but most importantly, the f*ing dust - I clean the room, clean glass parts and once or twice a year can go softly around consoles with vacuum. All those towels still gather dust and spread it around when removing them. I have even thought about vacuum tubes integrated in shelves, connected to built-in vacuum cleaner.
I like the varying colors and shelf levels of the bookcases next to each other. It gives it a little more personality. The only thing I don't recommend is covering the consoles with those clear buckets. Even with the cut-out in the back for the wires, it still prevents a lot of heat from escaping. Don't want to fry your consoles!
If I ever buy a house, I surely would want to make something like a game room. And as weird as it sound, it would have to be small and tight to make it look like some kind of student room that has too much stuff. I just find it more cozy. Spacious entertainment room just give the feel that you pay thousands of dollars for a big TV and fancy couches but only use them to show off to the guess.
How often do you have to dust? That is my biggest issue with my gameroom. Too much dust, seems like I'm always dusting and thus, knocking down my games all the time!:) I see you use covers for your consoles, but how do you keep the rest dust-free? Great video!
I have four Sauder Multimedia Storage Towers which work pretty well. They aren't as deep as bookshelves either, so you don't have a ton of space in front of the games. They look pretty nice. And they were only about $29/each on Amazon at the time.
Good tips dude, IKEA is king, bought a ton of stuff specifically for my gameroom, all matching though as bought it all at the same time! ;) Dust doesn't bother me that much, would rather see the consoles than tea towels or covers, i'll regret it when they all go belly up from cat hair though. The lights are something i will definitely consider though. My next big gameroom upgrade will be a new PC, a 4k TV and having TVs wall mounted so that i can get my CRT more central. Had a v heavy CRT for a while but got a B&O one now, so much less weighty! Keep up the good work! :)
Coll I have been wanting for this kind of video thanks please post some more videos like this I started collecting games because of you guys I put my game discs in zipper bags.
I'm envious of your game room MJR! I have too many hobbies lol! I'm more into some of my other hobbies than gaming, but I still love video games, and collecting. Priorities right ha ha! Thanks for all the great content man!
The only problem I've had with fiberboard is that after a couple years the shelves will start sagging. A lot of the cheap bookcases are just not built to hold a lot of weight. I've had to reinforce mine with wood screws and glue to hold them together.
What I am surprised about is I don't see anyone mention air purifiers in these kind of rooms. I use 1 that I paid about $50 for from target in my game room and it helps a lot too lower the amount of dust that accumulates over time. I've even noticed I don't have to clean the dust covers on my PC as much since I set it up. The one I got also has a nice blue LED light effect so it even adds to the rooms atmosphere.
Well i don't have a gameroom but i made a little section in my room with all my video games, consoles, and other items, awesome game room video its really rockin :)
Metal Jesus I actually got some what i call "on wall shelving" for about 10 bucks and it looks great and its big. I would recommend on some of that but look for it at yard sales its usually the cheapest and most people take good care of it
I find that custom shelves for my consoles are the way to go. Got te led's too, wired controller tho, no remote. One thing I have been struggling with is the lack of room for a flatscreen. And since I don't have a ps4 or xbox-one, all I have to buy a signal converter for is my computer. Everything else is connected directly or indirectly to a 4:3 aspect ratio sony triniton.
I've got a dozen or so of those Ikea shelves, although mine came from Wal-Mart! Same exact design and material though. I can fit about 96 big box PC games on each shelf unit, so it's awesome. Just gotta make sure that they're either mounted to the wall or lean backwards, because man, those things can get wobbly at full capacity.
+Lazy Game Reviews i still envy those shelves of yours!and now i know they are from ikea..good to know ;)
+Lazy Game Reviews :D i love your game collection!
+Flowmoshun The ones I got have some different peg placements. If not, you can just drill your own.
I personally like the mismatched furniture, I think it adds to the retro vibe.
+Barnacules Nerdgasm I need a plaid overstuff chair from the 70s with a TV tray to complete the look
+MetalJesusRocks when you got those bargains,who cares which color are your shelves? ;)
+Barnacules Nerdgasm agreed
Super cool to do cheap vinyl wrapping on some of those bookshelves too.
Only thing more retro would be if they were all covered in 1970s wood paneling.
Game room tip #1:
HAVE enough money to buy games. :'(((
+Chest Pec Respect hey you can buy games extremely cheap like I do with my whole collection
yea
+William “Billden55” Burgoon All you'll have will be sports games for PSX and shitty gameboy games then.
thats not true it's possible to get good games for cheap like me, the most expensive game i bought was 20$ and I have smash and mario kart on GC, mario kart 64 boxed and over 180 games. dead fucking serious, yard sales, trades, flea markets, craigslist/kijiji, and small antique stores are the way to go. just be patient. good luck, its also fun looking for the best games at flea markets, its no fun just buying everything on ebay.
William Burgoon flea markets are flooded with resellers. Sometimes you come into what you think is a bargain and then realize that it's just an average eBay price.
I haven't been to USA, so can't say anything about yard sales. Stores in Germany sell PS games for 5 euros each, which is not a bargain when you want to gather a nice collection. And of course it's 30-40 euros for FF games. Everywhere. People nowadays are aware of the collectors and rise their prices, otten for common items they think they're valuable. So I don't believe it's real to make a good collection in 2015 and run into less than thousands of bucks.
I'm in the middle of a move so I can't take a picture of it, but for controllers I bought a cloth shoe rack to hang on the wall. It allows me to have 30 controllers ready to use at any time. Don't have to do any digging or pulling out of bags, just grab and go!
Works great for pretty much any controller! Only the Dreamcast ones do you have to fight with a little bit.
+NostalgicRoe Very good idea. Maybe I go visit mom and remove her shoes she will never wear again and make use of it! :D
Not a lot of people realize that sega Genesis cartrages are same exact size as a cassete case so if you have a lot of loose Genesis games you can just get cassette trays or storage shelves and they slip right in. should help make your sega Genesis collection neater for you Genesis collectors out there :)
Famicom games too
dead ass? I could actually use that, cheers
I wish I could copy and paste your game room
+Matt Butt - Hold CTRL on the left side of your keyboard with your left pinky and press C. Then...run to your house... Hold the same CTRL button and press V. DONE!
+MetalJesusRocks It worked!!!
IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!
EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING!!!
I love your gaming room. it is so cosy.
nikon d3200 WHAT THE FUCK!
Dude, every time I watch your videos I have to laugh because in your intro, the rhythm on the guitar is just impeccable. I'm about to go to college and I'm majoring in trumpet performance, so I very much appreciate music. Also in one of your videos you played the drums on RockBand and that was absolutely insane. I thought I was good until I saw that. I think your positive attitude is amazing and you sound like you have broadcasting experience or something because you know what to say and what inflection to put in your voice, and you know what to put in front of the camera. Thanks for making awesome videos!!
Controllers and cords in separate ziplock baggies - GENIUS!!
+John Riggs: RIGG'd Games Definitely put my hookups in plastic bags and in drawer storage. However, I love to display my controllers. Lots of nostalgia and a great conversation piece when visitors see those. I have a peg board that works well and I think looks really nice. i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/necrom99/Game%20Room/Update32.jpg
+John Riggs: RIGG'd Games Hey i subbed to your channel to show some support, your bring a great vibe to metal jesus's videos
+John Riggs: RIGG'd Games I have started doing this lately with game console parts (spares) its a good way to store and see what you have quickly.
I saw +Tipster do that, and I've been copying ever since.
Yea if your not using them store in baggies I wish I had more space but I'm working with a bachelor apartment lol
Such a nice guy. I really like your videos man. You do a great job being yourself, and always having good topics to discuss. Since you like Progressive Metal I'd suggest checking out Fallujah! They're Atmospheric Metal but if you like Opeth I'm sure you'd like them!
Been a gamer for 27 years and been a metal head for 13 years. I'm not a collector by any means but I am the "old man on the mountain" for my younger gamer friends and coworkers who are interested in retro gaming. I'm glad I found you and have actually linked several of your videos through Facebook and text. Enjoy all of your videos, whether it be for knowledge or nostalgia... More so because you are yourself and not a "professional" youtuber with intros and music you had to pay for. Keep up the good work and I hope to see an in depth video of the 360 (my favorite console and "dreamcast 2").
It's cool how much thought and effort you put behind your gameroom setup!
For my bedroom/office/gameroom hybrid, I just started creating physical "playlists" of games by piling up games I want to play out of my collection in little sections of a tall thin bookshelf I have in the corner.
The higher piles are the games I want to play currently while the lower piles are games I offer myself as alternatives.
It kind of organizes my games in a way where it's easier for me to find and pick up relevant games at any time.
I of course also have my collection itself, with the "playlist" games picked out, my collection is less cluttered and easier to look through as well!
I also display some of my favourite or attractive looking items in my collection for certain 16-bit carts for instance held up with wooden small single-book holders I have from whom knows where.
If you have even minimal carpentry skills and the time to build them, make your own bookcases. A few screws, a sheet of thin plywood, and some shelving boards gives you a sturdy real wood bookcase for well under your $40 price point. Plus you can make the bookcases the exact size you want.
love your collection 😍
my husband is also a
game/console collector
definitely going to subscribe to this since this has giving me lots of creative ideas of setting his game room ☺
thanks for the great video👍
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I live in southern Arizona, where dust is just terrible. I have been covering my systems and tv's with towels and pillow cases. My family always has to tease me about it. I am glad to see that I am not the only one that does this. Great video. I have been hoping that you would do one of these game room set up videos. I don't have a dedicated space as of yet, but these are things I can use that wont clash too much with the surrounding decor.
Nice tips man!
I'm 28 and about to build a new home for me and my wife, and since i already have 3000+ games and also aiming to do some youtube videos, those tips are THE BEST!
Again, thanks alot!
Ooh, I love that dust-cover idea. In fact, if someone was handy with a sewing machine, they could create their own covers in whatever color they feel is appropriate, in the exact size of the console. I may consider doing this.
About the LED lighting system. If you keep an eye out on Ebay, you can find a full set (lights, controller, controller module, and power supply) for around $10-$15 most of the time. They are really nice. I have them on my old recording desk, arcade machine, system shelf, and now in the garage. I recommend them!
I like to keep my entertainment center very minimalist, so I keep all the consoles I'm not currently using in waterproof tubs in a closet in my game room, separated one console per tub. A cheap place to get waterproof tubs is actually craft stores, they're usually advertised as Scrapbook preserving containers. I like to get more than I need when I buy them, as companies will often change designs and I want something universal that will look clean and stack easily. Also, for more valuable systems, there are anti static light blue containers that you can sometimes get. My father works in the aerospace industry and I can sometimes get some from his company they use for their most sensitive equipment.
Didn't think I would learn much from this, I thought wrong. You have some pretty creative ways of getting around things, never thought different lighting would be so useful either.
I use a huge wardrobe with lots of shelves and metal baskets to store games that come in durable cases that can be stacked. Retro games and other games that come in more fragile boxes I store in normal IKEA-style bookshelves. For the consoles I use a couple of simple display shelves stacked on top of eachother.
I use the IKEA Billy bookshelves to hold most of my physical games that are in a box or in a case, and clutter some controllers and other stuff such as controller and cables in front of the game cases. I place the larger boxes and the stored consoles in an old cupboard.
I'm planning on getting some drawer units from IKEA to store the extra controllers, electronics, cables, consoles, and so on.
My game room is an assortment of purchased shelving units along with custom built ones that I have put together myself.
Was especially important for my retro computer collection, as it allowed me to condense it into a better space.
I also built a custom shelf unit to fit exactly between some of the bought shelves to maximise the space, plus of course the shelf spacing is just right for boxed titles.
My loose Gameboy titles, I actually use collector card sleeves in a folder, that I have put together a nice cover and spine label for.
This is one cool dude. Laid back, great content, and a great overall channel. Just recently subscribed and ive watched at least 20 videos so far haha. Keep up the good work MJ.
I have an old dresser in my game room that i keep extra cords, controllers, hookups, light guns, manuals....all sorts of stuff. Really helps reduce the clutter
Great video. For loose Game Boy and Game Boy Advance I use a few big binders with the games in those 9-pocket sheets meant for holding baseball cards. This lets me browse all the games pretty efficiently.
I also have a Book Shelf similar to yours and also I've created my own custom book shelf using my handy Tool sets, and using the Power saw gets the job done...cutting, measuring...etc, etc.
I put my other systems on my custom book shelf unplugged...with the systems showing on display and official dates that the systems were released by year including the controllers that come with it-- Also have a sticker printer that can make Nintendo, Playstation, N64 labels and I put those on display as well and easily visible.
I keep the other accessories stored nice and neat in separate containers and rubber band the cords so it doesn't get tangled up or ziplock bags work too...everything on display looks nice and neat without all the plugs and tangled mess.
So if I want to play N64...I just pick it off from the display and go through the hassle of plugging everything in and play, and then when I'm done I unplug everything and make everything neat again as I am OCD like that...it does take a lot of time, and even there are times were it bugs me, but it's just the way I am I guess.
I got alot of my ideas for my game room from you Metal Jesus. Those totes to hold loose cartridges and stuff works great. Thanks a ton! Can't wait to see another pick up video
07:25 a stack of hu-cards with a rubber band. That is actually a great and simple way to keep all of your loose tg16 and pce cards in one place.
Pretty much the only channel I like watching these days. You deserve more subscribers.
Thanks, I'm looking into the idea of moveing from an apartment to a house & for someone like me a gamer room is a must in my new home.
I had a few mismatched bookshelves myself, then bought a nice decal for them, they look so much nicer now,
Given that I'm a carpenter by profession, I never had an issue with building custom cabinets to house all my games. A couple power tools and a little guidance which can be found on TH-cam is all you need to come up with custom solutions for all your games.
I use cube storage units (pretty cheap at Target) for disc based games and I have pair of Atlantic media storage units with modular shelves for my cartridge games. I also use the same mini plastic storage bins for my GBA/GB games and a long plastic storage box that's designed to go under a bed (normally for sheets, towels, etc. about 6-8" deep) for consoles I'm not using on my main entertainment center. The cube storage also makes a great side display next to an entertainment center for retro consoles.
To resolve dust problem, I suggest shelves with glass doors (UV proof will be the best). Then you can still show the beauty of your collection and keep it dust free.
You know you are a nerd when you use custom made console covers.
Now, where can I get them? :-)
The plastic drawers/bins for the carts are a fantastic idea! I've been wondering about good ways to store those without having specific carrying cases to fit them all. I've used plastic bins/totes to store carts before, but never thought to use drawers for quick access :D Very nice
I keep my Genesis games in a cassette tape drawer, they are the perfect size.
thank you for this companion video. loved the first video and was excited to find this one. Looking forward to implementing some of these tip and strategies as begin rearranging my collection in the coming months
thanks!!finally i found the words for those things that holds books,have looked everywhere for it and now when i know what it called,it pups up everywhere :)
That lighting theme is bloody brilliant! Gotta get me one of those.
If you want some more storage, if you haven't already, get some long plastic storage bins for sliding under the couch (assuming there is room to do so).
Another way you can help combat dust is to just get a box fan and stick a high quality furnace filter to the back of it. Set it in the middle of the room and let it run over night and it will remove a lot of dust from the air inside the room.
I've noticed a smidge bit of manual sag when things are stored horizontally (moreso with the big box stuff- early PS1/SCD/Sat), sometimes with PS1 jewel case stuff as well.Either way, you have a wonderful collection and I love the idea for the lights. thanks for sharing!
Loved the video. I too rely on IKEA bookcases as I'm not a big an of making holes in walls for custom shelves.
Very helpful video, trying to ditch my bulky and less attractive plastic totes and have a more permanent and well organized solution. Thanks for some great ideas and the great video! :)
Thanks for the tips man! I live in panama city panama and what kill my retro consoles here are the hummidity and the dust. Thanks again.
For Shelves I invest in Modular Cube Shelves. Particularly the ones that are 15 by 15 by 30. That way you don't have to take all of them down if say you want to rearrange. You can just move the individual boxes. You can put games in there, other boxes, the consoles, etc.
Oh I forgot. For covers you can look at Digital Deck Covers. They have a category for game systems and pretty much every game system.
Another cabinet idea is a wooden aquarium stand, which are designed to hold hundreds of pounds of water and are relatively cheap too. They will hold the heaviest TV.
The ultimate dust deterrent is glass cabinets, the plus side to this is that you will be able to see your collection and consoles.
For a cheaper customisable option you could try clear perspex and cut to whatever size required and its safer than glass if you have kids.
+metaljesusrocks I know you're big on PC games, what is your current setup to run these old classics as the new operating systems from MS (windows 10 etc) do not install correctly.. a few tips to keep your system modern yet compatible with old games would be a great feature. Keep up the good work !
Air purifier for dust control on all surfaces, large ziplock bags with sharpie tags for cords and controllers + 2, those plastic drawers from Target + 2, IKEA shelving, under-bed large flexible nylon zip up boxes and nylon inserts from IKEA for more accessible but hidden storage, p-touch labels on cords and cables to identify consoles or on outlet savers (small 10” extension cords that eliminate bulky power packs), large CD wallet for roms/isos burned to CDs with p-touch labels, cut-to-fit Velcro strips for loose cables and cable organization or black zip-ties, and take a 1.25” hole saw to your new furniture and route those cables anywhere you want.
My idea for a game room/man cave is a retro '50s style diner. Black and white ceramic tiling for the walls, red (real or fake) leather booth couches mounted on the walls, that sort of thing. I might use that lighting thing you used, as I love ambient lighting, and RGB would make it *that* much better.
Although, I _do_ want custom barstools, with arm rests and a little more than just a little metal thing for a backrest. I want sort of a minibar; a fridge full of various drinks and snacks, as well as wall-mounted shelving for my novelty/game displays. My current novelty display looks really nice on my computer desk right now. Granted, most of this is purely ideals and not really anything I see becoming a reality in the near future. I don't have any retro gaming consoles or anything either, which does throw a minor wrench in the operation...
If you don't mind super heavy furniture, a dado stack on a table saw and some MDF wood go a long way in making exactly the shapes and sizes you'd like. Or you could just use multiple passes with a single blade to get good dado joints.
I love the coloured led lights I'm hoping to get some set up in my game room / living room.
I'm sort of OCDish... so everything has to match. My room is a rustic gray color and some back (can't go wrong with fancy black furniture). So I bought two 4 cubed cube organizer, put them together, set my HDTV on one with my Switch and PS4 under, set my CRTV on the other with my N64, GC, and PS1. Got my PS2 in a desk with it's portable LCD screen attached to it also (:
This video was very helpful. Thank you MetalJesus!
I had some spare wood, brought it to the hardware store and had them cut it to size. I had to buy an extra piece to make do for the amount of shelves I wanted. I bought some wood glue for use with my caulking gun. I used no nails and it is very sturdy. So I custom constructed my own shelves that hold my TV and all my game consoles. It is 4 ft wide and 31 inches tall, made with 2inch thick pieces of wood. It has 3 shelves, counting the top one. It has enough space between the floor and the bottom shelf(about 6 inches for me to have both my Xbox and Xbox 360 underneath... For game storage I have a DVD storage shelf for most all my disc game storage. I need to improve with my cartridge storing, the shelving on some hand-me-down shelves doesn't work quite right(although I keep many in plastic sleeves to help protect them). Most of my cartridge games are stacked in cardboard boxes or plastic bags..
I'm envious of this gameroom. I need to clear out a room in my house and do this... Or buy a bigger house lol.. Great vid as always, MJR! -JT
Ikea entertainment system.. what a console idea!
Retrex you're gonna need to assemble it yourself.
I keep an eye out at Goodwill. Usually they have used shelving units of a good quality for around $40. My budget too is $40 so this past summer I got a brand new shelving unit for that price from Goodwill. My local store has a partnership with Target so I got what was normally a $200 shelving unit for $40 because there was some light cosmetic damage to one of the panels. Lucky for me, the shelf is against the wall and the side that is damaged is covered up entirely by the corner it sits in.
I also went on ebay and bought 10 LED stick up lights for less than $20. So I have 2 lights per shelf and it looks excellent.
#ProTip - Screw the backing on the book shelf into the studs and it will feel sturdy as steel! That's what i do.
I got all of my bookshelves (for games and figures) at my local thrift stores for less than $20 a piece. Most of them look really nice. For $5 I got several DVD shelves as well.
just a tip for you, the shoe rack consoles look good, but if you pitch the systems up 30 degrees or so (top and bottom) you can keep them closer together. This covers the wires, you can better access the top of the consoles and they would be more visable if tilted just a bit - you can see them from the front, not just standing above them... looks sick tho, great stuff!
My room is small. I've reached the point where my collection is overwhelming. I've been going through a ton of games and just removing titles I'll never play, high dollar games I have no business owning, or games that I have on multiple consoles. I actually appreciate my collection more now that all I see are games I care about. And now I have some extra $ to shop for a new guitar :D
How you’ve stacked your games is driving my OCD crazy lol. I’ll be moving into a new build in a few months and your vid has given me some good ideas, also what to avoid.
I have a bathroom hanging organizer on the back of the door to my game room. Its out of the way, out of view, and its perfect for loose items, cables, etc. I got the idea from women I knew who had them for blow dryers, brushes, and various other things like that.
Awesome room MJR, keep the good work.
Why not make a custom/cheap dust-cover made of towels? You only need a scissors, needle and thread to adjust them to every shape.
Hey Fella, long time watcher and fan of your channel, I enjoy the way come over on your vids, making it easy for a layman like myself to understand. Great hints & tips, which won't break the bank, great that the Star Wars OT posters haven't been lost from the Game Room. If you really want to know how I set up my room (there is gaming in there) then the day before yourself I uploaded a video of my room. Regards from across the Pond, Cheers, Fuzz.
Id like to recommend "media shelves" over bookshelves, in general. They're typically designed for DVDs/CDs and fits most video game media perfectly, tightly to the wall. They're also generally cheaper. I grabbed mine on CL as well, paying them to deliver.
I keep most of my older consoles closed into entertainment centers, cuts down well on the dust nicely. Not the best for latest gen though, because they need more room to breathe.
+danekarl mm i seen media shelves are more expensive then books shelfs i like the book shelfs becaus you can set the height for each shelf some are for games consoles or game items
the good thing for me being in mid michigan. that stuff like the bookshelves or other stuff like that on craigslist generally runs alot cheaper here than in bigger cities like seattle. they only bad thing is with cost of living. we generally get paid alot less too.
I'm moving to a new place very soon and this game me a couple of cool new ideas. thanks!
I just got to the point where I really have to make something about my collection. There's a guy at my work who makes all kind of customized Ikea furniture for the offices. I'll ask him to build the shelvings and a good sturdy base for my beloved 29inch Panablack CRT.
That's my next things to look for I love the ninties and early 00s computer games so I'm going to be looking for a good older PC and the games I used to have. Those storage bins are just perfect for loose carts.
This channel has provided me with so much entertainment. Thanks dude!
Dust is a major pita in a game room. I have everything in shelves with glass or transparent plastic doors that are as tight as possible, because I want to see stuff, but most importantly, the f*ing dust - I clean the room, clean glass parts and once or twice a year can go softly around consoles with vacuum. All those towels still gather dust and spread it around when removing them. I have even thought about vacuum tubes integrated in shelves, connected to built-in vacuum cleaner.
I like the varying colors and shelf levels of the bookcases next to each other. It gives it a little more personality.
The only thing I don't recommend is covering the consoles with those clear buckets. Even with the cut-out in the back for the wires, it still prevents a lot of heat from escaping. Don't want to fry your consoles!
If I ever buy a house, I surely would want to make something like a game room. And as weird as it sound, it would have to be small and tight to make it look like some kind of student room that has too much stuff. I just find it more cozy. Spacious entertainment room just give the feel that you pay thousands of dollars for a big TV and fancy couches but only use them to show off to the guess.
How often do you have to dust? That is my biggest issue with my gameroom. Too much dust, seems like I'm always dusting and thus, knocking down my games all the time!:) I see you use covers for your consoles, but how do you keep the rest dust-free? Great video!
I'm just like you when it comes to my shelving. Doesn't matter the color, its all about the price and if its sturdy enough to hold my games!!
The off-center and crooked Atari sticker on your JVC TV is driving me crazy.
You're the cleanest hoarder I ever meet
I have four Sauder Multimedia Storage Towers which work pretty well. They aren't as deep as bookshelves either, so you don't have a ton of space in front of the games. They look pretty nice. And they were only about $29/each on Amazon at the time.
Small nail polish stands are perfect for displaying my Game Boy collection!
Wing Commander collection ON POINT!! I only ever played it on console but what a series hey
Great tips love the channel! Working on my first game room so excited for this project
Good tips dude, IKEA is king, bought a ton of stuff specifically for my gameroom, all matching though as bought it all at the same time! ;) Dust doesn't bother me that much, would rather see the consoles than tea towels or covers, i'll regret it when they all go belly up from cat hair though. The lights are something i will definitely consider though. My next big gameroom upgrade will be a new PC, a 4k TV and having TVs wall mounted so that i can get my CRT more central. Had a v heavy CRT for a while but got a B&O one now, so much less weighty! Keep up the good work! :)
Coll I have been wanting for this kind of video thanks please post some more videos like this I started collecting games because of you guys I put my game discs in zipper bags.
I love you metal Jesus. Thank you. Just when I was curious you save me again!
I'm envious of your game room MJR! I have too many hobbies lol! I'm more into some of my other hobbies than gaming, but I still love video games, and collecting. Priorities right ha ha! Thanks for all the great content man!
The only problem I've had with fiberboard is that after a couple years the shelves will start sagging. A lot of the cheap bookcases are just not built to hold a lot of weight. I've had to reinforce mine with wood screws and glue to hold them together.
What I am surprised about is I don't see anyone mention air purifiers in these kind of rooms. I use 1 that I paid about $50 for from target in my game room and it helps a lot too lower the amount of dust that accumulates over time. I've even noticed I don't have to clean the dust covers on my PC as much since I set it up. The one I got also has a nice blue LED light effect so it even adds to the rooms atmosphere.
Well i don't have a gameroom but i made a little section in my room with all my video games, consoles, and other items, awesome game room video its really rockin :)
Metal Jesus I actually got some what i call "on wall shelving" for about 10 bucks and it looks great and its big. I would recommend on some of that but look for it at yard sales its usually the cheapest and most people take good care of it
I swear every time I watch your videos I feel like I have to dust my consoles. You guilt trip me into doing it every time 😄
Any Game Boy carts can be placed in empty cassette boxes. You have to cut out a tab for the original & color ones, but works great.
Great collection you've got there. Kinda wish I'd hung on to a lot of my old consoles.
Metal... Jesus... Rocks...
You've got a lot of unique storage/display ideas. Great video!
Awesome rundown! Thanks man.
I find that custom shelves for my consoles are the way to go. Got te led's too, wired controller tho, no remote. One thing I have been struggling with is the lack of room for a flatscreen. And since I don't have a ps4 or xbox-one, all I have to buy a signal converter for is my computer. Everything else is connected directly or indirectly to a 4:3 aspect ratio sony triniton.