With only a basic knowledge of computers or coding, and a few hundred dollars, anyone can begin 3D printing. More elaborate and complex printers can cost much more but for printing basic objects, these aren’t necessary. It’s easy to print items for entertainment or to make your life a little easier.

There’s plenty of overlap between the worlds of gamers and 3D printing enthusiasts. This is no surprise since both involve tech. What might surprise some people, however, is that 3D printing can be revolutionary for online gaming. In this article, we’ll look at some of the ways in which 3D printing can be used to improve the online gaming experience.

Casino accessories

One of the things that’s missing from online casinos is the physical element – the feel of pulling the arm on the slot machine, holding the dice or cards in your hands or toying with the chips as you weigh up how much you want to bet. 3D printing can change some of that – though we still have a way to go before we can have dice that are synced to an online casino!

Slot machine games are among the most popular at online and sweepstakes casinos. WSN has a list of sweepstakes casinos, and provides information on some of the leading sweepstakes casinos where these types of games can be played. Online slots require players to click on a button to spin the reels. It’s possible to 3D print a moveable slot machine arm that could fulfill that function. There are also plenty of printer files for entire slot machine bodies. These can make your mobile device or computer screen look like a classic slot machine. Combining the two designs would really up your online casino experience.

3D printing your own chips is another fun way to customize your online casino gaming experience. Chips could be customized in your favorite color, with a logo you’ve created, or even just your initials. Having physical chips would also help monitor your gambling budget, which can be harder to do online.

RPG figurines

Role playing games (RPGs) are popular both in person and online. The most famous in-person RPG is Dungeons & Dragons. For online RPGs, most people are familiar with the classic multiplayer game World of Warcraft. Both of these games, and others in the genre, have characters that are fantastical creatures, monsters or humanoids.

Many Dungeons & Dragons players choose to use figurines to represent their characters and locations while they’re playing. Playing RPG online games doesn’t require any physical pieces but it can improve the overall experience to have some. 3D printed RPG character figurines are still a niche project type but you can find patterns for many characters from the most popular online RPGs.

One of the most intriguing parts of creating 3D figurines based on your RPG character is the amount of customization that’s possible. You can either wait until a basic design is printed and then add unique elements when painting, or you can practice your coding and modeling skills and add those elements to a basic character pattern template. Either way, it’s a good creative exercise.

Printing figurines isn’t just for fantasy RPG fans. Imagine how cool it would be to have a 3D printed model of each of your cars in Grand Theft Auto?

Personalized controllers

Personalized controllers are one of the ways in which 3D printing can directly impact and improve your online gaming experience. For the casual gamer, it doesn’t really matter what mouse, keyboard or controller they use. Just like with any hobby, however, when you begin to take it more seriously, you’ll need better equipment.

There’s a huge industry for controllers, mice and keyboards that are designed specifically for gamers. These can end up being incredibly expensive and they usually share a similar style. If you’re not interested in looking like a stereotypical gamer bro, it can be a little embarrassing to be using some of these controllers.

3D printing a mouse, keyboard or controller that perfectly fits your hand, has intuitive button placement and matches all of your needs can step your gaming up a level. It’s particularly helpful for left-handed players, who usually have to pay more or adapt to using tools designed for right-handed people.

For players who want to have a little more fun with it, you can also print add-ons for headsets. Adding a personalized touch looks cool, like you’re an esports professional. Or you can print design features to make your headset look like it belongs on your avatar.