“Bro, I swear I play better when my room’s glowing red.”

I’ve heard that one so many times. And hey—I’ve even said it. There’s something oddly powerful about flipping on those RGB lights, letting your room bathe in neon like you’re inside a spaceship, and settling in for a night of Apex or Valorant.

But do RGB lights actually make you a better gamer… or is it all just fancy fluff and gamer placebo?

Let’s unpack it—with a cup of coffee (or maybe some Tim Hortons) in hand, eh?

Problem: Your Game’s Off—But Is It You or Your Environment?

We’ve all been there. The shots aren’t landing. You’re slow to react. The ping’s fine, the FPS is smooth, and yet—something’s just off.

So, you tweak things. You change your mousepad. You raise your DPI. You turn your monitor two degrees to the left because, y’know, maybe that’s it.

Then you flip your RGB setup from blue to red, and suddenly—you’re locked in. Focused. Hitting shots you had no business landing.

Sound familiar?

Agitation: Placebo or Performance Hack?

Let’s get real for a sec. Most of us aren’t full-time pros. We’re working jobs, going to school, dealing with life. Gaming is our escape—our little slice of control in the chaos.

And what about when a situation feels like more control? More focused? More ready?
Even if it’s just a strip of LED lights… we lean into it.

Here’s the wild part: colour does affect your brain.

Researchers have shown that different colours can literally impact your mood, energy levels, and even reaction time.

• Red has been linked to increased alertness and faster decision-making.
  
• Blue can be calming, but also sharpen your focus.
  
• Green is easy on the eyes and helps with long-term focus.
  
• Even purple has been shown to spark creativity.
  

I mean, no one’s claiming you’ll suddenly go pro because you lit up your room like a rave—but your brain does pick up on these cues.

A 2015 study published by the University of British Columbia (shout out to my fellow Canadians!) showed that red colors aided in tasks requiring detail orientation and blue boosted creativity. Gaming often requires both—fast reflexes and creative problem-solving—so depending on the game, your lighting may be providing more than just something to look awesome on Instagram.

Solution: Use Colour to Hack Your Mindset (Not Just Your Setup)

Now you are in the position to see that this is not a gimmick at all. Colour plays a very subtle role in how you feel and how quickly you react.

Want a real chance to improve your game using RGB? Here are some things to try:

Match the Mood to the Game

• Playing a fast-paced FPS like COD or Apex? Try red or orange—something warm and energizing.
  
• Grinding through story-driven games or chill co-ops? Cool blues or purples work wonders.
  
• Late-night grind sessions? Keep it green or soft white to reduce eye strain and stay locked in longer.
  

Train Your Brain with Light

This might sound silly, but it works.
Set a specific colour for when you’re in “focus mode.” Every time you sit down to game competitively, turn the lights to that shade. Over time, your brain links that colour with performance and starts to snap into gear faster.

Reaction Time and Colour Psychology

Some esports coaches even suggest warming up under bright red light to get the brain firing. Not blindingly bright, obviously. Only just enough urgency to create a sense of oh no—not full blown panic.

It’s kinda like putting on a pair of basketball shoes and feeling ready to dunk, even if your vertical hasn’t changed a bit.

But Let’s Not Kid Ourselves…

RGB isn’t magic. If your aim sucks, no colour in the rainbow’s gonna fix that. You still need to practice, train, tweak your sensitivity, drink water, maybe stretch once in a while.
(Yeah, I said stretch. Your wrists and back will thank you.)

But mindset? That’s half the battle.
And if setting your lights to fire-engine red makes you feel like the main character, then do it. That confidence translates into real performance. And that, my friend, is not nothing.

Final Word: It’s Not About the Lights. It’s About You.

Here’s the real truth about gamers that no one seems to acknowledge:

We all have little methods of getting into the zone.

For some of you, that involves RGB. 

For others, it might be the right playlist, or sitting just right in their chair. 

Hey, don’t knock it; and when you notice with queuing of that thing, it’s just works.  

So the next time that you are in the zone, and someone is rolling their eyes at your glowing RGB, just smile. They just don’t get it. 

But you do.

Because it’s not even about the RGB lights. It’s just about being in a good place, entering the zone, and giving yourself whatever edge you can, even if it happens to be very small. 

And if that edge happens to be top-fragging a match where your entire room looks like a night club?

That’s just good vibes, baby.