For years and years now, pretty much every gaming chair on the market takes its inspiration from high-end racing seats. Not many people know that there is actually a reason behind this, and it’s no coincidence that all of the chairs look so similar to one another.
Gaming chairs look like racing car seats because they typically provide great support from the strain and pressure of driving for hours at a time. In the same way, gaming chairs that mimic the racing car seat style provide great support for hours of gaming play. They do this by providing relief for the various pressure points and the correct back and lumbar support and help to make you sit up straight.
You can see how it would be important if you're playing for four plus hours a day gaming and how this might be important if you're someone putting in greater than four or five hours a day gaming. Bad posture causes damage to the spine over time.
We'll take a deeper look at the motivation behind why gaming chairs and racing chairs look so similar, and why the style is effective. So just keep reading if you would like to know the answer to "why do gaming chairs look like race car seats?"
The Similarities Between Racing & Gaming
It might surprise you to learn that there is actually quite a lot of crossover when it comes to the things that professionals gamers and professional racers go through throughout their day. Of course, gamers are not risking their lives every time they sit in front of their computers, but the pressures on their bodies are very similar to that of professional racers.
DXRacer supplied racing seats for sports cars and the racing industry. Pro racers have to sit for extended periods of time when racing and need to have as much support on their backs, spines, shoulders as possible, to ensure that their bodies do not become fatigued too quickly. So they were perfectly aware of the similarities between these different sports and decided to do something about it.
When looking at gaming, the similarities start to become more apparent. Pro and amateur gamers alike spend hours upon hours in the same seat while they play video games, whether on PC or console. Their bodies might not be experiencing the extreme pressures and moments like racers, but they do need the same support.
It is not unheard of for pro racers and gamers to spend up to 12 hours at a time sitting down - an activity that takes its toll on the body. Humans were not made to sit for extended periods, which is why chairs have to be developed to provide more support than normal, in order to prevent fatigue.
The Importance of Back Support
One of the first things that you will notice when looking at a gaming chair, other than the visual interest, is that the back support and ergonomics are at the forefront of the chair’s design. Gaming chair manufacturers pay incredibly close attention to the way that the back supports for their chairs are made.
You will notice that the back supports are often taller and sometimes wider as well so that the seated position of the person in the chair is a more ergonomic one. These back supports have been designed and crafted meticulously, so that the spine, shoulders, and lumbar are appropriately supported.
Sitting down for long periods puts a lot of pressure on different parts of your body, and because of that, your body is going to need some extra cushioning and support to prevent it from becoming fatigued and even injured. Back injuries are a common occurrence in the world of professional racing and are becoming even more prevalent in pro gaming.
Gamers must do everything that they can to make sure that their spine and back are being supported while gaming, as even a single bad injury can change it all.
Keeping the Body Functional
Racing and gaming chairs come with unique challenges, in that they not only need to provide support to the spine and back but also do enough work to those areas and keep them active. The last thing that you want is for your shoulder and back to become atrophic after becoming totally inactive for long periods of time.
Gaming chairs that are well made will have a taller shoulder and back support to combat this exact problem, while also supporting and working your back at the same time. If gaming and racing seats did nothing to stimulate the shoulders and back, then gamers would lose their muscle mass very quickly.
Whether you are a novice or an expert, you have to do all that you can to mitigate this problem as much as possible, since having a strong back is one of your greatest advantages when it comes to gaming. You might have the world’s quickest reflexes, but that doesn’t mean anything if your back can’t handle sitting down for long periods.
Pressure Points
If you have ever been the driver on a particularly long road trip, then you know how much pain you can be in when you activate your pressure points. Racing seats are excellent for mitigating this problem and relieving your pressure points when you’re sitting down for long, which is why racing-style gaming chairs are so valuable.
When you sit down in the same position for too long, specific areas of your body will start to support all of your weight. A high-quality gaming chair will have cushions and pads placed strategically, including complete adjustability, to relieve all of your body’s pressure and evenly distribute it.
Being in any sort of pain is going to worsen your gaming performance, so it makes sense to want a chair that removes the pressure from certain points on your body.
Motion
Another key point about racing and gaming chairs is the fact that what you are looking at does not move. Racers are focused on the road ahead of them, and a non-moving steering wheel, while a gamer is looking at their screen and a keyboard and mouse or a controller.
Because of this, you are going to need a gaming chair that can keep you comfortable throughout the duration of your gaming sessions. Most gaming chairs will be able to swivel at 360°, can recline at a number of angles, and even come with footrests.
Manufacturers will also sometimes include additional pillows for your neck and back. This is all in an effort to make gaming as comfortable as possible, even throughout those long, 12-hour sessions.
Conclusion
And there you have it! An answer to why gaming chairs look like race car seats. We hope that you can now enjoy your gaming chair for all that it provides.
