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This week, we focus on the essentials to ensure your summer gaming sessions are smooth and hassle-free.

As we race toward mid-May and temperatures persist in the high 30s and low 40s, it’s the time of year to discuss the best practices for gaming during the summer months. In such inclement weather, a marathon gaming session can be extremely demanding – both on the gaming device and the gamer.

This week, we focus on the essentials to ensure your summer gaming sessions are smooth and hassle-free.

Let’s begin by going over the basics:

When to play?

Early mornings or late evenings in ventilated spaces is the best time because not only is the weather cooler but there is also the chance of a cool breeze making things easier. If you play with the AC on, most times during the day work but I would still recommend not playing between 1-4 pm when the temperature is at its highest.

Where to play?

Despite the stereotypical image of gamers seeking dark places – a dark, cool room is one of the best places to play games. However, with gamers preferring large bright displays and fancy RGB lighting setups it is important to think about how cool one’s gaming space is. Always ensure there is enough space around your gaming device for good air flow. In the case of gaming consoles, if they are primarily kept in tight enclosures in TV units, bring them out in the summer and give them the breathing room they require.

This week, we focus on the essentials to ensure your summer gaming sessions are smooth and hassle-free.

Short bursts of time not exceeding 90 minutes at a time is a good way to go. Try and avoid marathon gaming sessions and ensure there is enough time between gaming sessions for the device to cool down. Also make sure to not leave your systems/consoles in rest modes, unplug the power on your laptops, and don’t leave your handhelds in their docks for too long.

Onto the more advanced bits in terms of cooling, I would strongly recommend giving your device a thorough clean and using a good blower to get rid of the dust in its many vents. The number of stories I’ve heard where dust accumulation has prevented cooling and led to a device catching fire is simply too many. If you rely on liquid cooling or gel-based cooling mats, make sure to test the system and the liquid that does the actual cooling.

If you play on a PC with one of the newer graphics cards (RTX series or Navi/Radeon RX), liquid cooling is a must. For console players, during the day, I recommend some air-conditioning given how small and tight the console designs can be.

If you play on a mobile phone, then my golden rule is: “If it’s hot to the touch, immediately stop playing.” I now extend this rule to gaming handhelds like the Switch, ROG Ally, and MSI Claw as well—always be aware of how hot a screen or the backplate feels.

While mobile phones are no longer as poorly optimized or throttled for heat as they once were, the handheld market is still relatively new and requires careful monitoring. No playing while charging the device, whether from a wall charger or a power band.

Lastly, always make sure you are well-hydrated and take as many breaks as possible during play sessions to maintain your posture and overall health. Gaming can get intense and very hot, and it can lead to you falling ill. You’re just as likely to get a heat stroke indoors as you are out in the sun if you’re trapped in a warm space for too long.