How I Built My Gaming Collection

Gaming stopped being just a hobby a long time ago. For a lot of people, it is a full lifestyle, from the games themselves to the setup they get played on.

I wanted my gaming collection to live in two places: the wall behind my desk and the desk itself. That meant pairing bold wall art with something I touch every day, like a mouse pad. Here is how I built it, plus eight real places every gamer should know.

A gaming collection usually starts with wall art and desk pieces, then grows into a travel wishlist of real gaming landmarks. The World Video Game Hall of Fame has inducted new titles every year since 2015, and U.S. gamers spent $60.7 billion in 2025, more than film, TV, and music combined. Building a gaming collection means picking the desk and wall pieces first, then filling in the travel list over time.

In this article

• Quick Facts ↓
• Why Gaming Setups Need Both Wall and Desk Art ↓
• 4 Gaming Museums Worth the Trip ↓
• 4 More Icons Every Gamer's Map Needs ↓
• FAQ ↓

Quick Facts: Building a Gaming Collection

Why Gaming Setups Need Both Wall and Desk Art

Gaming setups in 2026 get judged as a whole look, not just the hardware inside them. The wall behind a monitor and the desk in front of it are expected to match, the same way a streamer's background tells you who they are before they say a word. That full battle station aesthetic is a real, current trend, not a one-off fad.

A gaming collection works because it splits the job between two spaces. Wall art fills the vertical space above a monitor or shelf, since that is the spot people notice first when they walk in. A matching mouse pad handles the surface someone touches every day, so the art has to hold up to daily use, not just a glance from across the room.

4 Gaming Museums Worth the Trip

A gaming collection trip usually starts with museums, since they hold the history behind everything on a desk or wall. These four cover Japan, the United States, and Germany.

Nintendo Museum: Kyoto, Japan

The Nintendo Museum sits in Uji, just south of Kyoto, and opened to the public on October 2, 2024. It traces Nintendo's path from playing cards to consoles, with hands-on exhibits that use coins built into the ticket price. It is the only museum Nintendo itself runs, which makes it a first stop for any real gaming collection trip. Visit the Nintendo Museum ↗

The Strong National Museum of Play: Rochester, New York

The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, houses the World Video Game Hall of Fame, which started inducting games in 2015. The Hall of Fame picks titles based on how long they stayed popular and how much they influenced the industry, not just sales numbers. Recent inductees like Angry Birds and Dragon Quest sit in the same display case as arcade-era classics. See the World Video Game Hall of Fame ↗

Computerspielemuseum: Berlin, Germany

Computerspielemuseum in Berlin opened the world's first permanent exhibition on gaming culture back in 1997, then reopened at its current Friedrichshain location in 2011. The museum holds one of the largest video game collections in Europe, with more than 300 exhibits covering consoles, cabinets, and magazines going back to the 1950s. It is open daily, which makes it an easy add to a Berlin stop. Explore Computerspielemuseum ↗

4 More Icons Every Gamer's Map Needs

A gaming collection trip does not stop at museums. Theme parks, dedicated archives, and entire neighborhoods built around gaming culture round out the list.

Super Nintendo World: Osaka and Los Angeles

Super Nintendo World opened first at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka on March 18, 2021, then at Universal Studios Hollywood on February 17, 2023. Both lands turn Mario and Donkey Kong's worlds into full-size streets, complete with Bowser's Castle and interactive Power-Up Bands that track coins and challenges. A third version opened at Universal Epic Universe in Orlando in May 2025. Super Nintendo World Osaka ↗ · Super Nintendo World Hollywood ↗

National Videogame Museum: Frisco, Texas

The National Videogame Museum in Frisco, Texas, is the only U.S. museum built entirely around the history of the videogame industry. Its archive holds more than 100,000 pieces of hardware, software, and memorabilia, plus a full 1980s-style arcade visitors can actually play. For a road trip stop, it packs more game history per square foot than almost anywhere else on this list. Visit the National Videogame Museum ↗

Tokyo's Gaming Double Feature

Tokyo alone earns two spots on any gaming collection trip: Akihabara and teamLab Borderless.

Akihabara: Tokyo's Gaming Shopping District

Akihabara grew from a postwar electronics market into the center of Tokyo's gaming and pop culture. Multi-floor stores stock retro cartridges and consoles going back to the Famicom era, and arcades run late into the night with everything from classic cabinets to rhythm games. Explore Akihabara ↗

teamLab Borderless: Immersive Digital Art

teamLab Borderless in Tokyo's Azabudai Hills calls itself the world's first digital art museum, with more than 75 borderless artworks that flow between rooms. The museum has welcomed over 4 million visitors since it opened, roughly 70 percent of them from outside Japan. It is not a video game museum, but the same interactive, game-like energy runs through every room. Visit teamLab Borderless ↗

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the World Video Game Hall of Fame and who decides what gets in?

The World Video Game Hall of Fame is housed at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, and started inducting games in 2015. A selection committee picks titles based on how long they stayed popular and how much they shaped the industry or culture, not just how well they sold. Recent inductees include Angry Birds, Dragon Quest, FIFA International Soccer, and Silent Hill.

How much bigger is gaming than movies and music combined?

Gaming passed movies and music as an entertainment category in the United States in 2025, when consumer spending on video games reached $60.7 billion. That figure, reported in the ESA's 2026 Essential Facts report, is more than the combined U.S. total for film, TV, and music. It is one reason gaming decor now gets treated as seriously as any other fandom's merchandise.

What real-world places inspired famous video game worlds?

Several well-known game worlds are commonly said to borrow from real places. Prague's gothic architecture and Charles Bridge are often cited as inspiration for Yharnam in Bloodborne, and the Horizon series drew its Southwestern U.S. landscapes from places like Utah's Zion and Arches National Parks. New Zealand's Coronet Peak ski area is even believed to have lent its name to Mt. Coronet in Pokémon Platinum, though Nintendo has not confirmed that link directly.

What makes Akihabara different from an average video game store?

Akihabara in Tokyo packs an entire gaming ecosystem into a few city blocks instead of one storefront. Multi-floor shops sell everything from brand-new releases to Famicom-era cartridges, and arcades stay open late with classic cabinets alongside modern crane games. Most visitors need four to six hours just to see the main strip.

Is Super Nintendo World the same experience in Osaka and Los Angeles?

Super Nintendo World opened in Osaka first, on March 18, 2021, followed by the Hollywood location on February 17, 2023. Both versions are built around Mario and Donkey Kong's worlds with similar rides and interactive Power-Up Bands, though ride lineups and store layouts differ slightly by park. A third version opened at Universal Epic Universe in Orlando in May 2025.

Why does a Gaming metal print make a great gift for gamers who love retro arcade culture?

A Gaming metal print gift for gamers who love retro arcade culture is a thoughtful, ready-to-display choice because it captures the neon, pixel-art energy they already chase in museums and arcades, arrives with no framing needed, and includes a matching 5mm mouse pad for their desk. Handcrafted in North Liberty, Iowa and shipping in 3 to 5 business days, this gaming wall art is meaningful battle station decor that still works last-minute.

Where can you get gaming decor like this for a desk?

X2Metal offers gaming designs printed on glossy ChromaLuxe metal and sized for a desk, with matching 5mm mouse pads. Browse the Gaming Metal Prints collection. Everything is handcrafted in North Liberty, Iowa.

About the author: Business Alchemist | Turning Ideas into Products, Brands & Businesses | Navid Malik. Navid is the founder of X2Metal, a metal print studio in North Liberty, Iowa creating bold, durable metal prints and 5mm mouse pads.

Sources: Nintendo Museum ↗, The Strong National Museum of Play / World Video Game Hall of Fame ↗, Computerspielemuseum Berlin ↗, Universal Studios Japan, Super Nintendo World ↗, Universal Studios Hollywood, Super Nintendo World ↗, National Videogame Museum ↗, GO TOKYO, Akihabara ↗, teamLab Borderless ↗, Entertainment Software Association, 2026 Essential Facts Report ↗, How-To Geek, real-world video game location inspirations ↗. X2Metal is not affiliated with any organization mentioned in this post.

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