The fancy gear that pro gamers boast around aren’t just for show, it’s what they bring to the battlefield. There’s a reason they choose to use their own equipment, imagine each part a piece of armor and weaponry together creating an arsenal of destruction. Everyone is different when it comes to what they prefer but it’s shown by individual performance that there are some basic necessities when it comes to gaming accessories that anyone who wants to perform at their best should have equipped.
Whether you want to look awesome as you sit in front of your computer, have that technical edge over others, or simply go to the extreme and get into your serious mode of hardcore gaming these are just some of the basic gaming accessories that you should be prepared with.
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5. Eyewear
Let’s be real here, sitting in front of a monitor and straining your eyes for hours on end every day is not doing anything good for them. Not having eyewear is like going to the beach without sunblock, it can damage you pretty badly. Not wearing protection before turning that monitor on can lead to headaches, vision becoming blurry and eye strain. How many times do you catch yourself leaning forward while scoping in on an enemy or trying to spot another player? Trust me, we all do it, but it does more harm than good. Reducing these symptoms, or making them disappear completely will help keep you in top performance and able to concentrate on what you love the most.
There are different type of glasses that you can acquire from all different price ranges that can make sure no matter what your budget is, you’ll be able to protect yourself. Gunnars are probably the most mainstream brand for protective eyewear. They hover around $70 but rest assured if you aren’t willing to invest in this there are other brands such as Izeez, NoScope, and more for those willing to do a little bit of research.
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4. Mousepads
Possibly one of the most overlooked gaming accessories, the mousepad deserves more recognition than it gets. Different mousepads serve different purposes. There are two major types of mousepads gamers use, soft and hard. Soft mousepads tend to have a fabric that your mouse is placed on while the hard ones are a plastic. If your hands need padding then you would want to go with a soft one and maybe look into having a wrist pad as well to rest your wrist on while you game to minimize strain and symptoms of carpal tunnel. On the other hand, you sacrifice some precision as the hard mousepads help your mouse to flow more naturally.
Not only do you have to figure out what kind of mousepad you would like to use but you also have to figure out what size works best. There are small mousepads for people that tend to move their mouse with their wrist, medium for those that like a little bit more space to move their arm and wrist and lastly, large, for those that prefer to move their mouse from their elbow.
At the end of the day, you will probably have to try out multiple different mousepads to find the one that best suits your needs, everyone has different tastes and requirements. We’re human, there’s never a “one choice works best” option for us.
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3. Gaming Mouse
Because DPI means everything when we’re talking about precision and speed. “DP - What?” fancy talk for Dots per Inch. Doesn’t really explain any better but if we are to skip the technical mumbo jumbo it basically means how sensitive your mouse can become. Adjustable DPI and high numbers have been a craze taking over the market and for good reason. Think about it this way, knowing if you like high sensitivity or low sensitivity is a big deal in game. Mastering the ability to click on one side of your screen to the next immediately or precisely clicking with lower DPI in shorter distances is preference. Shooters tend to have players using a lower DPI for higher accuracy and adjustments, however if you were to play RTS (Real Time Strategy) games you’d want to have a much higher speed.
DPI, although it’s considered a really big deal, isn’t the only thing that matters when gaming. You want a mouse that is comfortable to you. Everybody has different sized hands, there’s a reason that hobbits don’t use a giants sword and vice versa. Not to mention, if you play a wide range of games you may want extra buttons, almost as if you have an extension of your keyboard that extends onto your mouse. Macros are recommended in most games so having a mouse that can handle them would take a load off your chest.
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2. Gaming Keyboard
Ahh, the main instrument of our arsenal. The gaming keyboard. This is possibly the most important of all gaming accessories simply because of how necessary it is for EVERY SINGLE GAME. You can choose from small keyboards, large keyboards, curved keyboards, adjustable keyboards, wireless, mechanical anything! The amount of ideas that are around for keyboards is almost neverending. Why is it so important, though? Trying to play a game without a keyboard is similar to a pianist playing without an instrument. It doesn’t work. Funnily enough, you’d probably be better off than the pianist, they can at least make use of their lap or a table to produce sound; try commanding your game by patting your desk - Spoiler Alert: It doesn’t do anything.
There are quite a few things to be looking out for when choosing a gaming keyboard, don’t just go to a store and buy the cheapest keyboard that has the word “gaming” in it. Those are usually traps and are sometimes the same as a standard keyboard just with a few extra buttons or maybe a design that looks cool. When finding a keyboard you need to first find one that will fit your style, then find one that has some extra buttons (unless you're wanting to be a minimalist) for macros that you may want in the future. After that you most likely are going to want to make sure it has mechanical keys. These type of keys will have faster and more responsive feedback as you type. Standard keyboards just don’t stand a chance when compared side by side. It’s hard to believe but there is a huge performance spike when you swap to one for the first time that only once you use one will you understand.
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1. Headset
This is what I would consider the most important gaming accessory. Sound is the single most important part to games, it can make or break huge plays and the ability to speak to people you’re playing with to work together allows less downtime from typing, instead. If you are choosing between each of these on what to upgrade, choosing a headset is your best bet. You don’t want one that will hurt your ears after a while of sporting them and you don’t want one that’s too flimsy, either. Durable headsets are all over and investing even $100 into a good one will prove miraculous. No matter what game you’re playing, sound is going to be a major contributor and so will communication if it’s multiplayer.
There’s nothing quite as amazing as the feeling of being at your computer late at night and playing a horror game where you can hear the crunch of your footsteps as if you’re actually there, or when you get to make an amazing play in a shooter when you hear someone running past you and can pinpoint exactly where their footsteps are coming from to get the upper hand. Even if you’re not a major gamer and tend to listen to music more the bass that higher end headphones will offer will give you an experience that will blast you away and falling out of your seat from ecstasy.
If you’re looking to enhance your arsenal of gaming accessories and are unsure of where you should start, don’t worry, it’s intimidating at first for everyone - you’re not alone. There are so many brands and models to choose from that anyone would get overwhelmed. Some brands that can give you a start in your search are as follows: Razer, Plantronics, Logitech, SteelSeries, HyperX, and Corsair. The problem with recommending specific gaming accessories is that it’s not “One Size Fits All” you’re going to want to do some research, read some reviews and maybe ask for a second opinion as well.
What gaming accessories do you currently own? Let us know what brands or models are your favorites along with your opinions of what’s most important to have in the comments below.
