Andy Edser, a PC Gamer hardware writer, says the biggest upgrade he made to his gaming setup in 2026 was adding a seat cushion to his gaming chair. His account, published October 1, 2026, is about a modest comfort fix—not a PC component or a formal product test. It also reflects why a small change can feel worthwhile when he is putting off more expensive hardware upgrades.
What cushion did Andy Edser buy?
Edser linked to a FORTEM memory foam cushion on Amazon. The link identifies a FORTEM listing, but its current specifications, availability and price are not established here. In the US context, Edser described it as costing $20–$25. He reported paying £40 for an extra-large UK listing that came with a lumbar support cushion; he swapped that support for one he already owned. Those are his reported prices and bundle details, not confirmation of what either listing currently costs or includes.
Edser described his gaming chair as firm and uncomfortable after long days. His verdict was emphatic: “So, I gave in and bought a cushion. It’s magnificent, and has improved my comfort levels at least ten-fold in comparison to the firm seat of my steely-buttocked gaming chair.” That is one person’s subjective experience, not the result of a controlled comparison or a promise that another chair owner will feel the same improvement.
Why did a cushion matter more than a PC upgrade?
Edser says his existing gaming PC already runs the games he wants to play, and he is willing to use DLSS or frame generation in demanding games. Against that backdrop, he chose to improve the part of the setup he sits on rather than buy components he did not feel he needed immediately.
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In his October 2026 article, Edser described his memory as a 32 GB kit he bought for about $100 around three years earlier, and his SSD as a 2 TB model bought for about $130 around the same time. He said 64 GB of DDR5 was then well above $800 and good 4 TB SSDs were above $400. Those are his account of his own purchases and the prices he encountered, not independently verified market averages.
He also named the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB and RX 9070 GRE as GPUs he would consider if shopping, while saying he found an RTX 5070 listed for $779. These are his observations and opinions in that article, not current buying recommendations or a validated price comparison. Edser speculated that demand from AI servers had affected consumer hardware availability and prices, but cited no market dataset or study for that explanation.
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Could a seat cushion help with a firm gaming chair?
Edser’s experience suggests a seat cushion was a meaningful comfort change for him, but it cannot establish how well this cushion—or any cushion—will work for someone else. Fit and feel depend on the chair and the person using it. If you are considering one, check the cushion dimensions against your chair’s seat, consider whether you prefer a firmer or softer feel, look into how the cover is cared for, and verify whether a lumbar cushion is actually included in the listing you are buying.
Edser’s joking reference to buying it “for legitimate medical reasons” is not a medical recommendation. His article offers no clinical assessment or evidence that the cushion treats pain or a medical condition.
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The useful takeaway from this small upgrade
Edser’s point is less that a cushion is a must-have gaming accessory than that upgrades do not have to be expensive or involve a new graphics card. When a PC is already doing the job, a relatively small change to a frequently used part of the setup can feel more worthwhile than a costly component swap. Whether this particular cushion is right for you depends on its current listing details and how it fits your chair—not on one writer’s enthusiastic review.
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- Cool Comfort: Enjoy a stable surface with our lap desk's dual bolster cushion, designed for comfort and airflow, keeping your lap cool during extended use.
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