With games like FIFA, The Last of Us, and Call of Duty being among the most popular games over the last decade, video games are a huge part of this modern age.
Video games remain incredibly popular for the younger generation, emphasised by the fact that ‘88% of young adults (aged 16-24) play video games’.
Video games aren’t cheap, and if you’re a gamer with an extensive collection of video games, you might be looking to learn how to properly store your video games to protect your investment.
Whether you’re storing old or current video games, having a storage solution in place is essential to keeping your video games in pristine condition for longer.
To properly store video games, you will need to:
- Organise your video games into piles
- Clean the video game collection
- Store your video game collection in airtight containers
- Store your video games in a temperature-controlled room
- Keep the video game collection away from direct sunlight
1. Organise Your Video Games Into Piles
Before putting your video games into storage, you will first need to organise your video games into piles.
This is especially useful if you have a lot of games you no longer play and don’t want to keep. To do this, create a ‘Keep’, ‘Donate’, and ‘Recycle’ pile. If you’ve got lots of games you’ve outgrown but are still in great condition, then these are best left in the ‘Donate’ pile and can either be given to charity or friends and family.
Alternatively, if you have any older games that are scratched, worn or not worth keeping, these are the ones you can recycle.
By organising your video games in this way, you’ll not only streamline your collection but can also re-home any games you no longer use anymore.
Video games remain incredibly popular for the younger generation, emphasised by the fact that ‘88% of young adults (aged 16-24) play video games’.
2. Clean The Video Game Collection
Once you’ve organised your video games into piles, you can set about cleaning your video game collection.
Whilst it’s safer to leave the game discs themselves, using a slightly damp cloth on the exterior of your video game’s cases will do the trick.
Once you have removed any dirt, dust or grime from your video games, you will need to carefully dry each of the cases with an old towel.
This will help to remove any moisture from the cases before you store them.
3. Store Your Video Game Collection In Airtight Containers
There are numerous ways to store your video game collection. That said, whichever storage method is your preference, it’s important to store your video game collection in airtight containers.
Many people opt to store them in games wallets, others prefer to store them in their original cases. Generally speaking, the latter is the safest option to ensure your games aren’t in danger of being scratched.
For your convenience, you can pack your video games into each box in alphabetical order or by genre to make them easier to find, especially if you need to frequently access your video game collection.
You will need to avoid stacking your video game collection too high in these boxes, especially when storing your games long-term, as this can damage the games at the bottom.
Instead, stick to smaller stacks and use more airtight containers to ensure your games remain in the best condition.
Many people opt to store them in games wallets, others prefer to store them in their original cases. Generally speaking, the latter is the safest option to ensure your games aren’t in danger of being scratched.
4. Store Your Video Games In A Temperature-Controlled Room
Once you’ve packed your video games into airtight storage containers, you’ll need to find a temperature-controlled room to keep your games.
This could be where you keep your other video game equipment or even camera equipment.
The room should be kept cool and low in terms of humidity and moisture, so you should avoid keeping them somewhere such as in a cold and damp garage.
This step is essential as both humidity and moisture can negatively impact and even damage your video games if you’re not mindful.
5. Keep The Video Game Collection Away From Direct Sunlight
Lastly, you will want to keep the video game collection away from direct sunlight.
As airtight containers are often completely transparent, they’re thus not suitable to be stored on a shelf that receives a lot of sunlight throughout the day.
Whether you choose to store your video games in the back of a wardrobe, or in another type of cupboard, this is important to prevent the cases of your video games from fading and becoming damaged over time.
For your convenience, you can pack your video games into each box in alphabetical order or by genre to make them easier to find, especially if you need to frequently access your video game collection.
Hopefully this article has given you some inspiration on how to safely store your video games.
To learn more about our removals services or purpose-built storage facilities, contact Nathan. At Falconers we use meticulous moving techniques, passed down and perfected through generations for over 132 years, to ensure your goods are moved with expert precision and kept in perfect condition.
For more expert advice on how to pack, move and store your belongings — or other FAQs on how removals work — check out our blog page.
If you also happen to be moving with a dog, check out our guide on how to help dogs settle into a new home.
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Written by Jemima Thomas for Falconer Removals & Storage.
