How to wall mount your console and manage cables
Gamers aren’t typically known to be enthusiastic about home improvement work. That’s why installing a console mount is the perfect excuse to learn the best wall mounting practices.
Console mounts themselves are well designed and easy to attach the system to. The intimidating part is finding the right spot to anchor it into your wall. At the same time it needs to mount in a convenient place for easy cable management.
Preparing the console wall mount
Because of how the Xbox One and PS4 are designed, they are able to latch into mounts that require no assembly. For these types of mounts, you will just need to know the difference between wall anchors and screws.
Wall anchors are necessary for console mounts because they decrease the chance of the console falling. These help even in situations like earthquakes. It’s basically a thick screw that your regular screw can be threaded into. All together you should only need a mount, the wall anchors and some screws.
Unfortunately, the PS5 and Xbox Series X are not out at the time of writing. Since the Series X is essentially a solid square, there may be extra assembly required for a flush mount look.
How to mount your gaming console
- If you can’t find a stud in the wall, don’t worry about it. Since your console isn’t extremely heavy, wall anchors can easily secure it in drywall.
- Drill holes in your wall, matching exactly with the holes in the console mount
- Twist your wall anchors into the holes in the wall
- Match the wall mount up with the anchors and insert the screws
- Slide in the console and secure the push in plug
Can you mount consoles behind a TV?
Many people are curious about whether it is safe to mount your console behind a TV. The answer varies depending on the situation.
If you are using a flush TV mount, then your console will simply not fit behind it. On the other hand, if your TV mount has an arm that allows it to move in and out, you will be able to fit a console behind it.
Still, if you are using a flush TV mount, you can position the console mount in a way that hides the cables completely. Place the console with the HDMI port directly facing the TV and get it as close as you can to being covered by the TV. This way, you can zip tie your cables so that they’re invisible while facing towards the screen.
You might be worried about the console overheating behind a TV, but mounts are specifically designed to maintain full airflow. Additionally, TVs don’t emit hot air to the extent that consoles do, so you won’t have to worry about hot spots.
How to manage cables with your console wall mount
If you would like to mount your console far enough away from the TV that cables will be showing, it is possible to still make them look aesthetically pleasing.
There are two ways to accomplish this. One is by using cable clips, and the other is by drilling into your wall.
If you decide to use cable clips, your goal is to make the cables look as straight as possible either horizontally or vertically. You will want to hide the cable clips behind the TV so that they cannot be seen. First,extend your HDMI and power cable directly towards the TV, then install a cable clip to hold it in place. Depending on where your power outlet is, you might want to use another cable clip to direct it while reducing extra slack.
If you prefer to run cables through your wall, we recommend getting covered grommets to make the entry look nice and close off the inside of your wall as best as possible. The downside to this method is that it is not safe or practical to run power cables through the wall, so you will still need cable clips or cable concealers to organize those.
Regardless, cut a hole to match your grommet near your console and another behind the TV. This will be useful if you end up mounting more than one console as multiple cables will fit through the hole.
