With eSports winners earning over four million dollars in one year, it has driven plenty of people into the world of professional gaming. Naturally, everyone is wondering how to get better at gaming so they can appear on top. But how do you ensure that you get every benefit you can?
In this article, I will go into all the steps you can take to give you the best advantage you can get in the area of professional gaming. Give it a read and start your journey in the digital crucible.
Analyze Your Gameplay
I could rewatch the playbacks of my games by streaming on services such as Twitch, Facebook, or YouTube, there were several ways to view my game. Using these, I was able to not only get feedback from other players but view my own habits and in time get better at PC gaming.
By rewatching, you may discover issues that you do not realize at the moment of playing but are obvious to a casual observer. Viewing your mistakes lets you get into better habits by improving on how you play in the future. You can even analyze your weakest points and make explicit efforts to improve upon them.
Find a Game You Enjoy
Do not push yourself to compete in games you are not enjoying. You will end up resenting the experience and wanting to play something else. This happened to me with a couple of different types of videogame before I found something I could enjoy for myself.
You may enjoy learning how to be better at gaming with friends. But there is every chance that you do not enjoy playing it when doing so in a competitive field. So, make sure you are engaging with experiences you can tolerate playing for hours on end.
Similarly, you should understand that no matter what game you play, if you do become an eSports player the game will be your job. This will cause it to be something you will not always enjoy, so make sure you are comfortable with that when you start.
Get Better at Communication
One of the best gaming tips and tricks is teamwork: When playing team games you must learn how to work well with others. Being the “lone wolf” only works in games built for that, even if it is sometimes fun. Even then, though, you have to be sportsmanlike and respectful or you may end up with the ire of other professionals.
When playing, I make decisions in the game that benefit all players. I listen to my compatriots and learn when to trust what they say rather than my own opinions at all times. Ego is a dangerous thing in a team, so I try to ensure I learn to be humble, even I am carrying my team.
Get Better Kit
If you are using old, clunky equipment you will find yourself being held back in your gaming. While fancy keyboards and gaming mice are no replacement for actual skill, they can be helpful. Having them might push you over the edge and give you that advantage you need.
When I got serious, I investigated the monitors, desks, and chairs my competitors use to get a good idea of how the other half lived. They knew how to not only have quality, precision equipment but how to be comfortable using it. It was like night and day when I finally put down a few dollars on the correct setup.
Get Feedback
It is not only you who can take a look at your plays and focus on feedback. I spoke to my peers, fans, and even my competitors. Respectful opponents will want to talk to you about how to improve your game and be a better player.
I had to get comfortable with passing my VODs on to other players so that they could tell me what I have missed. This is especially true when I looked over my game and could not find any problems myself, as I was blind to my own failings by that point. It turns out this is very normal, as you cannot know what is wrong until you recognize it.
Sometimes you can do this in realtime. By streaming online, I was able to look at my stream’s chat and get feedback from those watching as I played and improved in realtime.
Get Fresh Air
Staying in the same location with closed windows and doors can lead to a buildup of Carbon Dioxide. This can result in tiredness, forgetfulness, and irritability.
Instead, I make sure that I spend some time outside of the room I play in. This can either be a break, or I will read up on strategies in a different room, or call up a teammate while outside. I try to get more oxygen in my lungs and feel refreshed.
The Germans even have an obsession with “Frische Luft”, or fresh air. They make sure to open all the windows in their house at least once a day to give their home a good airing, even in the middle of winter. This prevents the rooms from getting too stuffy and you will feel the difference after a couple of days in the same location.
Hydrate
There is a lot of evidence that not remaining hydrated can affect your ability to maintain your mental performance. Even your visual perception and mood alter if you do not have enough water. It’s simply a fact that water is one of the many things that make you a better gamer.
For this reason, I recommend that you take in plenty of water during your practice sessions. I even have a water bottle with a straw so I do not need to worry about spillages or even moving the bottle too much during gameplay.
So make sure you get at least two liters of water every day, especially if you are talking a lot during a competitive game. The water you lose as you speak can also affect your body’s hydration levels too.
Keep Your Body Healthy
It is not only water that your body needs to maintain peak performance. Like any athlete, keeping your physical form healthy is key to ensuring you can keep up with the competition. Do not eat snack food as you play, but ensure you eat balanced meals that give you all the nutrients you need.
If you eat a meal that gives your body everything it needs, you will not need to keep reaching for the snacks during the game. This loss of distraction might help at critical moments and you will improve gaming skills going forward.
Do not stay in your room all the time either. Take days off, exercise, and make sure that all your muscles get the movement they need.
Finally, if you need glasses, wear them, and rest your eyes now and then. Nobody wants eye strain and it can set your attempts to improve your game back if you have to take days off for your eyes’ sake.
Make Your Experience Comfortable
You should be ensuring that you sit in a way that does not cause you any harm over time. This includes sitting up straight, having a good posture, and having a comfortable chair can make the different
It is not only platitudes, either. Studies have shown that sitting up straight and having positive physical habits can affect how well you perform. If you have a chair that enables good posture, make sure that you use it in a good position.
Another thing that can make your gaming comfortable is to ensure you are not gaming in a noisy area. Straining to hear your computer can harm your gaming habits. You will also not face distraction from noisy interlopers around you.
Finally, something I found is that I had to make sure that what I wore and touched was comfortable. I made sure that the clothes I wore were going to be comfortable after several hours sat down. I also checked that the headphones I used would be ok in the same position for a long time.
As the last point, it turned out I needed wrist pads for my keyboard and mouse, so I grabbed them so that my wrists were not put in a poor position.
Teach Someone Else How to Get Better at Gaming
In a similar way to the above, while I recommended letting others tell you how to play, it can work the other way. Several times, I have been helping others and found areas where I could improve my own gaming. Going over how to help others can also help you remember the lessons you yourself need.
Getting others up to speed improves your own memory regarding the maps, strategies, and actions you need to dominate in any other game.
What Next?
With the above advice and a little bit of luck, I hope you can start your journey into the big leagues. eSports is not an easy world to break into, so you may end up needing a lot more help learning how to get better at gaming.
For more advice, check out other articles in our blog. You will be working on that 10:1 Kill: Death ratio in no time.
