Whether your favorite tennis player is Carlos Alcaraz or Aryna Sabalenka, when they’re not on the court, you likely look for another way to fill your free time. If you’re like many tennis fans, you turn to gaming when there’s not an exciting match to tune into. For decades, game developers have released titles that have captured the essence of the sport. These games are giving tennis fans a chance to feel like they’re in a virtual match, even when they’re hanging out in their living rooms.
Whether you’re into playing casual games on a mobile device or high-performance titles that require the power of a PC or gaming console, there’s no shortage of options to suit your style. However, to get the most out of your gaming, you’ll want to make sure you have the right gear. In this article, we take a look at the gadgets that will help you get the most out of your virtual tennis game.
Accessories to Boost Your Tennis Gaming Setup
A good gaming headset should be at the top of any list of gaming gear for tennis enthusiasts. When you’re playing a tennis-themed game, you want to be able to hear every bounce of the ball, the crisp sound of the racket heating the ball, and the crowd cheering as you hit a perfect winner down the line. Without the right headset, you’ll miss out on many of the subtle sounds that make a tennis game what it is because the speakers on most TVs, PCs, and mobile devices just don’t cut it when it comes to producing rich, deep sound.
You might think that if you’re playing a casual tennis game, the sound isn’t as important, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. One example of another gaming genre where sound is important is online casinos, which have become popular in recent years and, along with them, sports-themed slots. As gamers play these online slots, several sounds add realism to the experience, making it feel like players are on the casino floor. In a tennis-themed slot game, wearing a good headset will allow you to hear things like the spinning of the reels or a celebratory tone that lets you know you’re on the right track.
Beyond casino games, those who play multiplayer games like Tennis World Tour 2 will benefit from having a quality headset for communicating clearly with others when the game is online. Another gaming accessory worth investing in is an ergonomic gaming chair to ensure you’re comfortable and maintain good posture during those long gaming sessions.
Controllers: The Key to a Realistic Tennis Experience
Lots of fans buy consoles like the Nintendo Switch or PlayStation to get the most realistic gaming experience possible. When using motion controllers like the Nintendo Joy-Cons or the PlayStation Move, gamers get to experience the feeling of having a tennis racket in their hand and swinging it at the ball, making the virtual court feel almost like the real thing. The haptic feedback technology and precision tracking these controllers use credibly mimic the sensation of hitting the ball in a tennis match.
If you’re looking for deeper customization, you can invest in high-end controllers like the
Xbox Elite Series 2 that let you interchange different components, including thumbsticks and paddles, giving you the ability to tweak the controls to match your preferences. If you own a PlayStation 5, the DualSense controller has the ability to imitate real-world sensations, such as racket tension during gameplay. Choosing the right controller can make all the difference in how you experience your next virtual tennis match.
Virtual Reality (VR) for Tennis Fans
Sports-themed video games like tennis have really benefited from the realism VR has brought to the world of gaming. If you’re ready to take your gaming experience to the next level, a VR headset like the Oculus Quest 2 or Meta Quest 3 can help you do it. While these headsets can be expensive, what you’ll get in return for your investment is a fully immersive 360-degree view that traditional games can’t match. With VR tennis games, you really are on the tennis court playing a match, complete with racket swings, footwork, and ball tracking, albeit in the virtual world.
