Valentine’s Day is almost here, and gaming should could and can be at the heart of every great relationship, whether that’s for couples, roommates, friends, or just showing yourself a little self-love. From 6th-14th February, SteelSeries.com will be offering a buy one, get one 40% off on all products excluding Arctis Nova Elite & Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2.
Here are some strong SteelSeries picks that make it easy to treat someone (including yourself) this year, whether you prefer some cozy couch co-op or side-by-side PC battle stations:
Check out some of the offers below..
Arctis Gamebuds: Toggle between your phone and your console with these comfortably designed in-ear headphones. We have a review coming for these soon and they are fantastic
Arctis Nova Pro Wireless: Enjoy the premium audio experience with SteelSeries’ signature, award-winning headset!
Arctis Nova 3 Wireless: Available in multiple new colourways, meet the budget, lightweight king/queen with presets for over 200 games including Call of Duty, Fortnite and even Arc Raiders in the Arctis App and GG software.
Rival 3 Gen 2 Wireless: Available in multiple new colourways, meet the next-generation gaming mouse with subtle RGB lighting and pro-level performance at an affordable price.
The video game industry is thriving, with around 3.32 billion active gamers worldwide. Many of these players can be found online, playing multi-player open-world games. If you’re one of them and you’ve been playing the same games for many years, you may have noticed that a level of boredom has set in. Many of the top games are found in the same genres, like multi-player first-person shooter games, with players sitting at their desks or in front of their consoles, mindlessly clicking away.
Fortunately, online gaming doesn’t have to be boring anymore. You can use the tips below to reinvigorate your love for gaming and keep it interesting for many years to come.
Explore New Genres
There are so many different video game genres out there, so it is time to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. If you usually enjoy adventure games, why not try out a racing game? Or if you’re go-to genre is multi-player games, a single-player game can bring about an entirely new experience.
Video game genres and game examples to consider include:
Simulations:Cities: Skylines II, Farming Simulator, The Sims
First-person shooter:Call of Duty, Overwatch, Far Cry, Apex Legends
Puzzles: Wordsearch, Miesweeper, Woordle
Role-playing:Elder Scrolls Online, EVE Online, World of Warcraft, Baldur’s Gate
Racing:Forza, Need for Speed
Fighting:Mortal Combat, Tekken, Dead or Alive
Sports: PGA Tour, NHL, Madden
Try Out Alternative Games
Apart from different genres, there are also thousands of games within each genre. You may be a dedicated Elder Scrolls player, but you have never explored an alternative online game within the RPG genre. You can try Dragon’s Dogma or The Witcher instead.
If you enjoy online gambling and iGaming, many Stake sister sites offer alternatives to the Stake platform. These sites offer a wide variety of games, incredible bonuses, and real-money payouts.
Fortnite players should consider Apex Legends or PUBG for a new twist on their beloved game to keep things interesting.
There is no reason to limit yourself to a specific game or platform only because you’ve been playing it for years. There are so many Indie game developers out there that are releasing incredible games that provide more entertainment than the mainstream games that everyone seems to play.
Engage With Online Communities
You can transform your gaming experience by engaging with online communities. Almost all online games have dedicated Discord servers where the games are discussed and online matches or campaigns are organized. This allows you to connect with other players, adding a social element to a solo activity.
Many games also offer in-game events or collaborative projects, which can make your standard game much more engaging. By participating in these events and discussion forums, you can make friends or join teams to transform your experience online.
Upgrade Your Set Up And Gear
If your budget allows it, it may be time to upgrade your gaming setup. If you’re placing on your PC, consider getting a new gaming keyboard and mouse for better ergonomics. You can also add a larger screen to your setup for a more immersive experience.
An increasing number of games are becoming compatible with virtual reality (VR) headsets like the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 2. By investing in one of these headsets, you can be immersed in the game and experience it as if you are walking around the worlds of No Man’s Sky or Resident Evil 4.
Take Frequent Breaks
A surefire way to prevent an online gaming session from becoming boring is to step away from the game on occasion. Taking breaks is the best way to avoid burnout or feeling exhausted while gaming. Games should never become a chore, because then they will no longer be interesting.
Make sure you balance gaming with real-world activities so that you feel excited when you sit back down at your PC or console.
Set Goals
You can really keep a game interesting if you create personal goals or challenges. For example, you can aim to play until you reach a specific level, unlock a reward, or master an in-game skill. By having these achievable goals, you will be more invested in the game and also enjoy a sense of accomplishment while playing.
In the digital age, the influence of social media on various aspects of our lives cannot be ignored. It has revolutionised the way we communicate, share information, and stay connected with friends and family. However, the widespread use of social media has also brought unforeseen challenges, particularly in the realm of personal relationships and family dynamics. From flirting on Facebook or gaining traction on Twitter, social media has got its tentacles into almost every aspect of our lives, including our romantic relationships.
There are a few ways that social media can have a role in a divorce and we’re going to explore some of these in this section.
Instigating the Breakdown of a Relationship
Social media is all about connecting people but, in some cases, friending someone can lead to the blurring of the line between friendship and something more. Shockingly, figures show that social media has a hand in one in seven divorces and this is usually down to one spouse believing that the other is ‘cheating’ with somebody online. Often this will lead to that spouse turning detective and scrutinising their wife or husband’s social media presence for evidence which, in turn, can lead to the breakdown of the relationship.
Quality Time
There doesn’t necessarily need to be infidelity involved for social media to impact on a marriage or relationship. 51% of mobile phone users say that quality time with their partner is often interrupted by social media use and many say that they have regular arguments with their partner over excessive social media use when they’re together.
During and After the Divorce
As well as being a factor in a divorce happening in the first place, social media can also have a negative impact during and after the divorce proceedings and we’ll take a look at how in this section.
Emotional Impact
For many people, a divorce is a stressful time and this can be exacerbated by seeing your soon-to-be ex flaunting a new relationship on social media. A lot of people continue to check out their ex’s social media even though they know that no good can come of it and, similarly, some will choose to deliberately ‘wind up’ their ex by showing off a new partner.
Unfortunately, even the most innocent of interactions can be misinterpreted on social media and so it’s always best to keep any intimate or romantic pictures close to your chest until the ink is dry on your divorce.
Child Care and Custody
It’s only natural to want to share pictures of your kids on social media but this can cause problems if your ex is watching your every move. In some cases, a spouse will try to use the most minute detail of a social media post to strengthen their bid for child custody. This can be amplified further if a new partner is, quite literally, in the picture.
Being Caught Out
It’s extremely common for money to play a huge part in divorce proceedings, and many people don’t realise that their social media presence can leave them out of pocket. For example, one partner is claiming that they need financial help in order to be able to pay the rent and bills and is then spotted on Facebook showing off a new car or extravagant holiday. In 2023, social media is routinely used to ‘catch people out’ and that includes a number of factors relating to separation and divorce.
Publishing Private Information
For a lot of people, social media offers an opportunity to have a little vent and, while this is fine when you’ve suffered poor customer service or fallen victim to the weather, it can be held against you during a divorce. Unfortunately, we often fail to use the same filters on social media that we would in real life and sharing private information about your divorce or your former partner can land you in hot water and potentially damage your case during a divorce.
Pause Before Posting
Social media can be an extremely useful tool and a great way of staying connected with friends and family even if you live miles apart. However, when going through a divorce, you should always proceed with caution. We have a tendency to want to give the illusion of living our best lives on our Facebook and Instagram but this can very much work against you during a divorce.
Where possible, try to take a social media break until your divorce is finalised. If this isn’t possible, try to be mindful of what you’re posting and how those posts might be interpreted by your former partner or a divorce court. While this may be frustrating, it’s worth remembering that it’s only for a few months after which you’ll be starting your brand-new life – both on and offline.
