The tagline of being a gamer is something that everyone who's ever been invested in their N64, PS2, Xbox, or gaming PC know all too well. It doesn't matter whether you like cussing out young boys in FPS gaming lobbies or want to zen out in peace as you play a single-player game in the genre of your choice — the fact of the matter is that the joy one experiences through the act of gaming is something that can never be replicated by any other medium of entertainment. After all, gaming allows you to craft your own stories that are unique to your particular experience and no one else's... barring a few linear experiences.

However, gaming is a time-consuming activity — something that not many people have in spades. Therefore, it becomes important for these people to make the most of the time they have and enjoy the most from their gaming experience. We say this because no one wants to game for three hours only to realize that there's nothing particularly interesting about the extended time they spent staring at a screen.

Thankfully, the statement of "easier said than done" doesn't really apply here. With a bit of effort from your part, you can actually turn a mediocre gaming experience into a tale for the ages that you would look back on fondly. All you need to do is be a bit proactive and follow the following 25 DIY tips and tricks that will augment your gaming experience and bring it to the next level.

21 Enjoy Nostalgia Via Emulation

via instructables.com

The act of emulation is something that entices pretty much everyone who wishes to either relive their childhood dreams or explore an era of gaming that they couldn't, for a number of logistic reasons. Why wouldn't emulation be the rage? After all, you've got every game from most of the past eras you could possibly ask for in the palm of your hand.

Of course, there's an ethical dilemma when it comes to emulation — the ROMs that people use are generally downloaded from the internet, making them almost similar to the act of piracy. While we're not condoning such behavior, it's still amazing to notice the level of convenience that has been enabled in today's day-and-age.

20 Wedging Controller Buttons With Objects And Rubber Bands

via windowscentral.com

We've already mentioned before that gaming is a time-consuming affair. This mandates the need for people who are short on time to figure out the best course of action that can be taken to attain substantial progress in a limited period.

Yes, we're talking about grinding — a task that most gamers dread. However, with the nifty use of objects and rubber bands to artificially input commands on a controller's buttons and analog sticks respectively, this grinding time can be shaved to quite an extent.

Any JRPG player can attest to the usefulness of this particular tip.

19 Use A Gum Wrapper To Play Mobile Games

via youtube.com

The last thing you'd expect to be useful in a gaming scenario is a freakin' gum wrapper, but just hear us out here. We don't really need to tell you that the popularity of Fortnite and PUBG has escalated to such an extent that they've become all the rage on mobile as well.

However, mobile gaming has its downs as well — touch controls are considered to be quite finicky for a reason. However, with some ingenious origami involving gum wrappers, you can actually turn these seemingly useless pieces of paper into a trigger button of sorts!

18 Optimize Your TV For Gaming Purposes

Via ebay.com

For console gamers, having a great TV that can help you enjoy the visual quality and fidelity of your video games the most is an important aspect of the overall gaming experience. However, do these enhanced visuals really need to come at the cost of delayed input?

Well, look no further than the "Game Mode" (or anything around the same lines) present in most televisions. For just a minute decrease in video quality, you'll be able to enjoy a video game to the fullest without experiencing any of the lag that we've been speaking of.

17 Store Your Cables In Toilet Paper Rolls

via wikihow.com

Toilet paper rolls — or any type of paper roll, for that matter — might seem like an absolute waste of cardboard. Chances are that if you ask anyone around you about what they do with these rolls, the answer will be universal — chuck it in the bin without so much as a second thought.

However, what if we told you that these paper rolls might actually help you manage your cables? Instead of shoving all your wires in a convoluted setting, you can individually place them in these paper rolls and label them so that you aren't stuck in a tight spot further down the line when you just CAN'T FIND THAT DARN CABLE!

16 Use A Cardboard Racing Wheel For Your Phone

via youtube.com

Speaking of racing games, it must be said that the gyroscope functionality in racing games is a boon for gamers who wish to seek out that authentic driving feel that we've talked about at length in the previous entry.

For people who wish to alleviate this authenticity even further, we've got just the hack for you — just form a makeshift steering wheel out of cardboard, and you'll be even more interested in the game.

Isn't that a great — and cheap — alternative to spending oodles on a useless racing car that you won't even use once?

15 Turn An Old-School Video Game Controller Into A USB Gamepad

via www.warpzoneonline.com

If you happen to have a basic idea of soldering, then this DIY hack will surely be of use for you. Recreating the feel of playing on an old console is easier said than done in modern times, and emulation simply isn't enough for most people to experience this golden age.

If you really want to go the extra mile, then a better course of action for you to take would be to solder the button inputs to each ribbon cable. While it might seem a bit complicated, the end result would surely be worth it.

14 Storing Games In Your Controller To Play On-The-Go

Via redbull.com

Remember when we were talking about the act of soldering in the context of video game controllers? Well, if you happen to be well-versed with this particular activity, then boy do we have some good news for you.

With a nifty trick, you can turn your controller into a portable video gaming device!

The steps involved in this trick are — as is the case with any form of soldering — quite complicated, but trust us when we tell you that doing so will go a long way in cementing your status among your friends as the Ultimate Gamer.

Sorry... it seems that our Danganronpa fanboyism leaked out a bit right now.

13 Overclocking Your Hardware For Better Performance

[Via devhardware.com]

Overlocking is a word that might either puzzle, intimidate, or allure video gamers. For the uninitiated, the term "overclocking your system" means to manually set the limits of the system higher than normal, in a bid to improve overall performance.

However, this function should not be overused. After all, there's a reason why these limits are set in the first place, and — without a proper cooling system — there's a chance that chasing higher CPU performance might come at the cost of long-term damage to your entire setup.

12 Use Your Wiimote As A Pointer

via YouTube.com(gogeeks)

The Nintendo Wii was one of the most successful consoles of all time, and it's easy to see why this is the case. By using the technology of motion control, the company was able to nail down exactly what the casual market wanted and earned a ton of profit in the process.

But hey, if you thought that the Wii was only useful for that, then guess again — you can actually use the Wiimote as a pointer! You can also use it to control your computer, although that might be a tad too much, to be honest.

11 Use A Wired Internet Connection For Maximum Speed

via yahoo.com

Wireless connectivity has taken over the modern world by storm. After all — as we've already discussed before — the age of wires is behind us, with more and more people trying to avoid this hassle by adopting the latest in wireless technology.

However, there's a reason why wires haven't become completely obsolete — at a core functional level, they're still more reliable. So, if you happen to frequently dabble in multiplayer games, then having a wired connection will do wonders for your overall gaming experience.

10 Protect Your Eyes From Constant Exposure With Tools And Glasses

via youtube.com

We've already talked about the importance of posture in your day-to-day life, let along gaming. However, there's another aspect of your body that needs to be taken care of in this regard — your eyes.

There are certain solutions available that will help protect your eyes from any major harm while gaming.

These include glasses that can be bought online, although their overall effectiveness is up for debate. Then there's software like Flux, which adjusts the color temperature of your screen to ensure that you don't mess up your eyes in the long run.

9 Save Your Money By Exchanging Or Selling Your Games

via alamy.com

Perhaps the biggest challenge faced by most gamers — console or otherwise — is the act of constantly buying new games that burn a pretty massive hole in their pocket.

As gamers, we need to learn how to be smart with our money.

So, certain things should always be kept in mind to facilitate a certain level of savings. For starters, we need to start selling off old games or exchange them for new ones. Along with this, we should also buy pre-owned games so that our bank accounts aren't screaming at us after we've bought our 100th game for the console of our choice.

8 Using A PS4 Controller With Your PC

Via pushsquare.com

Xbox controllers and the PC have pretty much gone hand-in-hand. This is obvious since both parties are supported by Microsoft, making this compatibility all the more profitable for both business ventures.

However, with a nifty piece of software, the DualShock controller can also join the party.

People who wish to use their DualShock for PC gaming purposes can do so with a piece of software called DS4Windows, which takes the DS4 drivers and makes the system interpret them to be Xbox controls.

Isn't that nifty?

7 Charge Your PS4 Controller With A Normal Phone Charger

Via thesun.co.uk

Convenience is not exactly the first thing that would come to the mind of anyone when a person utters the phrase "console gaming." However, the fact of the matter is that the PS4 has even got this checkbox ticked.

One need only look at the convenient way in which these controllers can be charged.

The DualShock 4 is an interesting anomaly indeed — while its battery might not be all that great (something we've already discussed before), the fact that you can charge the controller via a normal USB cable should be more than enough to make up for this minor deficiency.

6 Turn A Stool Into A Racing Wheel

via htxt.co.za

Authenticity is a key aspect that most video gamers wish to pursue. It's understandable as to why this might be the case — after all, while video games might essentially be an escape from reality, that doesn't imply that one should not attain a sense of immersion in the process.

So, if you want to get the actual feel of driving a racecar but don't have the funds to buy a bonafide steering wheel, then don't worry — all you need is a rotating stool surface and a mouse that's fixed in place at one end of said stool.

Voila! Your very own racing wheel!

5 Cable Management With Zip Ties

via shapeoko.com

Cables — a word that strikes fear in the heart of any gamer. There's a reason why the world is going wireless, after all — no one wants to go through the hellhole that is managing tons of cables all at ones.

However, if you truly wish to manage these cables in a proper and efficient manner, then look no further than a common item that we're pretty sure everyone has seen in their lives (especially if you happen to be an ardent shopper) — zip ties. With these nifty little things, you can very easily manage your cables with little to no issues.

4 Remap Your Buttons On The Console

via GearNuke

Console gaming might seem quite rigid at first glance, but trust us when we tell you that this is not even remotely the case. If you explore the nitty-gritties of a console, then you're bound to figure out a ton of things that will enhance your gaming experience.

Case in point — just take a look at the fact that you can actually map your buttons for different functionalities in both the Xbox One and the PlayStation! This kind of convenience was only afforded to the PC Master Race, but it seems that this dynamic is slowly changing over time.

3 Maintain Proper Posture Always

[Via bodyaline/Youtube.com]

Sitting down for hours on end to play video games might sound like an extremely unhealthy activity with dangerous connotations in the long run, but this only matters on how a person carries himself.

Therefore, in a bid to prevent any major back pain in the near future, it's highly recommended that you fix your posture — regardless of whether you're gaming or performing any other activity. Doing so will do wonders to your long-term health.

2 Use A Banana Holder As A Headset Stand

via imgur.com

Do you have a headset that you've spent a considerable amount of money on to enjoy the ultimate gaming experience? Well, the last thing you'd want is for this expensive piece of equipment to be damaged if it's not kept in a proper place.

So, if you happen to have a banana holder at home that is not really being used properly, then congrats — you don't even need to buy a headset stand! Just prop your beauty up on this holder, and you've got yourself quite the nifty setup indeed.

Although — to be honest — if you can splurge a ton of cash on the best headset and can't bother yourself with spending money on a headset, then one might ask some pressing questions indeed.