Desktops are meant to be messy

PC Gamer team cable management skills — (Image credit: Future)

I really dislike most of the "battlestation" stuff I see online—if you're not familiar with the term, I it's associated with people posting pictures of their PC gaming rigs. But most if it is just too clean! Influencer chic, streamer house style with flawless cable management and no indication that somebody actually plays games or works there.

When I see a desk with some clutter or like, something weird propping up the monitor, I know it's real. It's more beautiful to me than the smoothest, most LED RGB hypebeast thing. Basically, my ideal setup is the PC equivalent of the Satoru Iwata Saw basement station.

A backjack and towel set on concrete floor in what appears to be a basement, laid out before a CRT TV on a milk crate under the watchful gaze of a portrait of Satoru Iwata. — (Image credit: Unattributed Imgur user)

Ted has been thinking about PC games and bothering anyone who would listen with his thoughts on them ever since he booted up his sister's copy of Neverwinter Nights on the family computer. He is obsessed with all things CRPG and CRPG-adjacent, but has also covered esports, modding, and rare game collecting. When he's not playing or writing about games, you can find Ted lifting weights on his back porch. You can follow Ted on Bluesky.