Curtains for Gamers: How to Eliminate Screen Glare

You've been in an important match for three hours, and just when the southern Florida sun dips a little, your screen turns into a mirror. You see your own silhouette, lose detail in the dark scenes, and end up tilting your head to dodge the glare.

It's not your monitor. It's the light in the room. And it can almost always be fixed by controlling the window.

A bright screen or one with a glossy finish acts, in part, like a mirror. Any light source stronger than the image on the screen overlaps it. That's why a room with a large window is often a problem.

There are two different effects, and it helps to separate them:

• Direct reflection: you see the window, a lamp, or your own image on the monitor glass.
• Loss of contrast: even when you don't see a clear reflection, ambient light “washes out” the blacks. Dark scenes look gray, and it's hard to make out details.

The second effect is tricky because you don't always recognize it as a light problem. You simply feel that the image “looks flat” during the day.

Many people think about light coming from the front or back. But side light is the most bothersome in a desk setup, especially if you use multiple monitors or a curved one.

When the window is off to one side, light enters from the side and hits the screen at an angle. The glare lands right in the area you look at most. Side light also changes throughout the day: in the morning it may come from one side and in the afternoon from the other, so a setup that works at 10 a.m. may fail at 4 p.m.

A simple rule of thumb that often helps: if you can, position your desk so the window is perpendicular to the screen, not in front of or behind it. Even so, you can almost never avoid it completely, and that's where the curtain comes in.

We have three fabrics in Ripple Fold, and each solves a different problem. Here's the straightforward guide.

If you play at night and during the day, or if you want the best possible immersion, Blackout is the most logical choice. It blocks light, so you have full control over the environment. You no longer depend on whether it's sunny, cloudy, or whether a streetlight is right outside your window.

It's especially useful for:

• Rooms where the monitor is the only light source you want.
• Daytime gaming sessions, when the outdoor brightness is stronger than the screen.
• Anyone who also sleeps in that room or plays late into the night.

The trade-off is obvious: with Blackout closed, the room is dark. Many people solve this with a soft backlight behind the monitor, which also reduces eye strain by avoiding extreme contrast between the screen and a dark room.

If your desk is used for both work and play, or if the room serves other purposes too, Light Filtering is usually the most comfortable middle ground. It filters and softens light, keeps your privacy, and doesn't leave the room in darkness.

It reduces direct brightness and harsh reflections, and spreads light more evenly. For work video calls, it's an advantage: diffused light looks more natural on camera than direct sun coming in from the side.

That said, Light Filtering softens light but doesn't block it. With a window that gets very strong afternoon sun, you may still notice some brightness on a glossy screen. If that's your case, consider combining it with another solution or switching to Blackout.

Sheer is almost transparent and lets light through. For a setup where glare is the enemy, it isn't the main fabric. It provides light daytime privacy and a soft look, but it doesn't control brightness.

It makes sense in two situations: a room where the screen faces away from the window, or as a second layer alongside Blackout or Light Filtering for a more decorative finish in the room.

• Blackout: maximum control of light and contrast. Ideal for a gaming room and long sessions.
• Light Filtering: a balance between light and glare. Ideal for home offices and spaces used in several ways.
• Sheer: lets light through. Useful as a decorative layer or if the window doesn't face your screen.

You can see how each fabric looks in our fabric catalog, and request free fabric samples to test them in front of your own window, with your own screen.

Ripple Fold hangs in soft, even waves, with no hooks or rings showing. It looks clean, which suits a room where you already have cables, lights, and equipment.

In practical terms, because it's custom-made, the curtain covers the window with a precise fit, which helps you control better where light gets in. A curtain that ends up short or narrow leaves gaps at the sides, and those gaps are exactly what send a beam of light onto your screen. That's why measuring carefully matters: you can follow our complete measuring guide.

• Adjust your monitor's angle. A slight tilt can move the glare out of your line of sight.
• Control the lights in the room. A lamp behind you will also reflect. Soft, indirect light works best.
• Consider your screen's finish. Matte screens usually reflect less than glossy ones, although this depends on the model.
• Keep heat in mind. A room with a lot of equipment and direct sun can get hot. Curtains can help with comfort, but they don't replace air conditioning.

If the room is only for gaming and you want maximum control, choose Blackout. If you also use it for work or need some natural light, Light Filtering is usually more comfortable.

They help a lot, but they're not magic. With Blackout, you control window light almost completely. Even so, lamps, monitor angle, and screen finish also make a difference.

Yes, many people pair Sheer with Blackout or Light Filtering for flexibility during the day. If you want to fine-tune the combination, schedule a free video call and we'll figure it out together.

The safest option is to test. Request free fabric samples and look at them in your room's actual light, at different times of day, in front of your monitor.