Gaming chairs trace their history back to the early 1980’s. Three very interesting things were happening at that time, and their convergence is what ultimately led to the creation of the first gaming chairs.

First, the personal computer was moving from the exclusive domain of the business world and becoming increasingly common in homes.

Second, the first platform gaming systems were created and proved to be wildly popular.

Third, the concept of the home entertainment center was gaining traction and becoming a hallmark of middle-class households.

The convergence of these three trends led to the phenomenon of “cocooning,” which saw increasing numbers of people spending more and more time indoors, and correspondingly less time interacting with one another outdoors, and it was this phenomenon that led to the development of gaming chairs.

As materials sciences and technology have continued to advance, these types of chairs increased in complexity and the number of options available.

You can find chairs with cup holders, built-in speakers, massage heads, swing arms that hold monitors, and more. Now there are three types of gaming chair.

PC Gaming Chairs

Given that the go-to choice of seating for knowledge workers everywhere is the office chair, it makes sense that a dedicated PC gaming chair grew from those roots. This first picture is a fairly typical example, and you can see the similarities between this and the standard, ergonomic office chair.

While there are some similarities, you’ll also note some key differences, beginning with the fact that the gaming chair has a bucket style seat and extra cushioning. In addition to that, the armrests are height-adjustable, and these chairs offer added lumbar support. Some models even include a small pillow and a recline feature.

More advanced models have speakers built into the headrest.

If you’re looking for a chair that blends both form and function, then something like this would work quite well for PC gamers： 
SmugDesk PC gaming chair

Platform Gaming Chairs

Platform gaming chairs are a different animal altogether. Most commonly, these have the general appearance of a recliner but are usually set on the floor like this.

Most models can rock, and have side pockets for storing game controllers. The ones that don’t have built-in speakers contain headphone jacks.

Hybrids

A typical hybrid chair is mounted on a swivel base, which gives it an appearance that’s closer to an office chair, but it’s got the shape and padding you normally find in recliners. More advanced hybrids come with multiple monitors, built-in surround sound speakers, and a variety of game control mechanisms (note the steering wheel, used to play racing games).