When a hardcore video gamer decided to design his personal gaming room in Calgary, Alberta, only the fastest, most reliable components would satisfy his expectations for ease-of-use and immersive onscreen experiences. Using RTI’s award-winning automation and control products, integrator Progressive Home Automation put together a setup that allowed the home owner to retrofit his gaming space with the market’s leading components for residential AV entertainment and control. Incorporating a wide range of devices from gaming consoles to HD TVs to Apple TVs — including a rack with color-changing LED lights — the new gaming room retains the excitement of a professional gaming setting while remaining easy enough for friends or family members to use.

“Our client has been gaming all his life. He wanted to create a space in his home where he could share the wonders of gaming with his entire family, but it needed to be reliable and easy to use,” said Ryan Lowe, project manager at Progressive Home Automation. “So we retrofitted the space with three side-by-side 50-inch Sony HD TVs, a Panamax power management system, and a handful of gaming consoles including Xbox Ones, Xbox 360s, and a Wii U. When it came to putting it all together to create a seamless operating experience, we went straight to RTI. There was really no discussion — the interfaces are amongst the market’s easiest to use, and we could customize things to give the client and his kids exactly what they had in mind.”

Set up within a 20-by-12-foot space, the innovative gaming room uses RTI’s powerful XP-6 control processor to integrate its numerous components into one straightforward control system. Equipped with an impressive feature set that rivals processors at much higher price points, the XP-6 is capable of bi-directional communication with third-party devices such as security, lighting, and HVAC systems, as well as A/V components. Using RTI’s powerful Integration Designer® programming software, the integrator custom designed the user interfaces specifically for this game room. The unique programming included the equipment rack’s RGB lights that switch to green when a user activates an Xbox®, turn blue when the Wii U is selected, and turn red when the system is powering down before automatically shutting off after one minute.

Upon entering the room, players can activate their console of choice on one of the three TVs by simply selecting a hot button on any of three RTI interfaces. Installed near the entrance of the room, RTI’s KX7 in-wall touchpanel controller features a 7-inch, 800x480 WVGA LCD with a multi-touch capacitive touchscreen, delivering a custom experience that is simple enough for any family member to use.

When seated or moving around the room, users can operate the entertainment system using RTI’s sleek T3x remote control. Equipped with innovations including a 3.5-inch touchscreen with haptic feedback, integrated grip sensors, and three wireless control options. Even the controller’s color-coded hard buttons were programmed to correspond with the changing LED rack lights for a more personalized experience. Using the RTiPanel app, members can also use the family iPad® to conveniently interact with the system.

“Since so many people in our family use the gaming room, flexibility and simplicity were absolute priorities when we were designing the space,” said the homeowner. “We wanted the kids to be able to just touch a few buttons and begin playing on their own TVs without any confusion or assistance from us. With extras like coordinated LED lights on the rack that light up to instantly tell the kids what’s going on with the system, it creates a fun atmosphere where they can hang out with their friends without needing to plug in equipment or turn any sound or video components on or off. When you’ve been gaming as long as I have, you get to see a fair share of setups, and this certainly stands out as something special and unique. I’m definitely enjoying it just as much as they do!”