The biggest advantage of gaming on PC is the level of customisation you have, allowing you to play however you want.
While dedicated gaming rigs tend to forgo the usual selection of pre-installed software that comes with general computers, there are certain essential programs which are either required for a full PC gaming experience or improve that experience considerably.
Check out our picks for the essential software you need on your gaming PC:
Steam
Steam is a necessity for PC gamers these days, unless you plan on only ever playing one or two game for some reason.
The platform’s sales, unparalleled games library, and social features have made it the primary interface for PC gamers, and it even has a Big Picture interface for a more console-like gaming experience.
MSI Afterburner + RivaTuner
MSI Afterburner is a great utility which allows you to overclock and monitor your graphics card.
Rivatuner is an overlay for MSI Afterburner which closely monitors various temperatures and processing load during gameplay, and gives you a useful FPS counter.
These tools are great for ensuring you know exactly what type of performance you’re getting from your hardware.
TeamSpeak 3/Discord/Mumble
While some PC gamers may be able to go without voice communication, these programs are a must-have for social and competitive gamers.
There is not much difference between the basic functionality of TeamSpeak, Discord, and Mumble, so just use whichever platform your friends hang out on.
Drivers
This may seem obvious, but gamers sometimes overlook things like bundled peripheral software and graphics card control panels.
This advanced driver software allows you to customise the functionality of your hardware, and is especially important for graphics cards and gaming mice.
Also, it is usually better to stay away from driver manager programs, as most tend to bombard you with requests and notifications or automatically download updates.
Fraps/OBS
Open Broadcaster Software or Fraps are both great options for recording gameplay in either video or picture form.
This is not necessary for most gamers, but if you are a social gamer or potential content creator, you should give one of these programs a try.
It’s worth keeping around even if you only occasionally a share a replay or screenshots with friends.
F.lux
F.lux is not necessary for most gamers, but it can greatly reduce eye strain and sleep problems when gaming at night.
The program dims the blinding blue light of your display and changes it to a softer, warmer colour as the sun sets, allowing you to continue gaming without staring at the same bright blue light you were looking at throughout the day.
F.lux is a great, lightweight program that you should try if you experience any sleep problems after using a computer at night.
