There are plenty of products that market themselves to the gaming crowd, but what if you want to go a little extra? From crazy lighting options to more accurate inputs, high-end gaming peripherals are convenient and look cool. So let’s look at some of the best accessories on the market and how they can improve your setup.
A Feature-Packed Keyboard: Corsair K100
Corsair’s K100 has a lot to offer, from its brushed aluminum top plate to full RGB lighting. Every key’s action and lighting is controllable through Corsair iCUE, with six additional “G-Keys” for additional functions—including Elgato Stream Deck actions, which is perfect if you’re a livestreamer. On top of that, there’s a full suite of dedicated media controls (including a volume wheel) and the iCUE control dial, which can do everything from zooming in Photoshop to scrolling through programs. Throw in a magnetic wrist rest and some high-quality double-shot PBT keycaps, and the K100 offers everything you need for a great wired gaming keyboard.
You have two choices when it comes to the switches on your K100: the Cherry MX Speed Silvers, which cut down on latency, or, if you pay $30 more, the Corsair Optical-Mechanical switches, which are even faster.
A Feature-Packed Keyboard
Corsair K100
The K100 is a quality gaming keyboard with all the high-end features you want.
$226.92
Cut the Cord: Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro
When it comes to wireless keyboards, Razer’s BlackWidow V3 Pro packs a big punch. One of the biggest concerns for wireless gaming devices is latency, and when you’re gaming, wireless latency can prevent inputs from registering quickly, which can ruin a game. Fortunately, the BlackWidow V3 includes Razer’s HyperSpeed wireless to cut down on latency, making it much faster than a standard Bluetooth keyboard.
The rest of the keyboard is great as well with its sleek, aluminum top plate, plush magnetic wrist rest, double-shot ABS keycaps, and 10-25 hours of battery life depending on the lighting configuration (If the lighting is off, it can go up to 192 hours.). Each key’s action and lighting can be individually customized with Razer Synapse 3, and there’s a suite of media controls at the top right alongside a volume dial.
It all makes for a great keyboard, and you can choose whether you want Razer’s Green switches (which are clicky and tactile) or the Yellow switches (which are smooth and silent). There’s also the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini, which includes all the features of the normal version but in a compact form factor. Granted, this does require you to give up a ton of keys—including the Function row, NumPad, and dedicated media controls—but if you think a smaller keyboard is worth sacrificing all that for, then it’s another great option.
Cut the Cord
$199.99
A Light, Wireless Mouse: Razer Viper Ultimate
A great gaming mouse should be as easy to move as possible, and with a low weight of 74 grams, Razer’s Viper Ultimate is just that. It has wireless connectivity (through Razer HyperSpeed for low latency) and a responsive, 20,000 DPI sensor. But the good news doesn’t stop there. This mouse also uses Razer’s second-generation optical switches for increased accuracy, and all eight buttons are reprogrammable through Razer Synapse 3 (along with the mouse’s minimal RGB lighting).
Throw in the 70-hour battery life, and the Viper Ultimate is easily one of the best wireless gaming mice on the market. It also comes in four styles: black, white, pink, and one themed after Cyberpunk 2077.
A Light, Wireless Mouse
Razer Viper Ultimate
A weight of 74 grams and low-latency wireless make this one of the best gaming mice on the market.
$117.99
A Light-Up Mousepad: Razer Goliathus
Sure, you have a light-up keyboard and mouse, but why not rest those on a mousepad with RGB as well? The Goliathus is a high-quality mousepad with an RGB trim. The lighting is controlled through Razer Synapse 3, which means it can be synced with any other Razer products you own. Designed for precision and comfort, this mousepad will look cool and improve your desk setup at the same time. Be aware, though, that you’ll need to plug it into your PC to power the lighting, so make sure you’ve got a slot to spare (or a hub).
The Goliathus comes in two sizes: Standard and Wide. The “Standard” size is 13 inches long and only fits a mouse, while the “Wide” is 36 inches and fits both the keyboard and mouse (and costs $10 more). Being able to fit your keyboard on a mousepad is useful since it stops the keyboard from moving around and potentially damaging your desk. While the Standard only comes in black, the Wide is available in four styles: black, white, gray with a pink accent, and one themed around Gears of War 5.
A Light-Up Mousepad
$49.99
A Quality Headset: SteelSeries Arctis 7
If you’re playing competitive games online, chances are you need to communicate with your teammates—and what’s better for that than a quality headset? Acting as both your headphones and microphone, the Arctis 7 delivers quality sound (going in and out), wireless connectivity, and a comfortable build. The battery lasts for 24 hours, and there’s surround sound, so you can tell which way sounds are coming from in-game. The Arctis 7 is a great headset whether you’re in comms, watching videos, or listening for an enemy’s footsteps mid-match.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 is available in two colors: black and white.
A Quality Headset
$136.96
A Headset Stand: Havit RGB Headphone Stand
It’s a good feeling when everything has its place on your desk, and a headphone stand can help keep things looking lean. This one from Havit sports a clean design, with a dash of RGB lighting to match the rest of the gaming gear on your desk. It plugs into your PC for power and even includes a couple of USB ports and a 3.5mm aux port in case you want to plug your headset into the stand itself instead of routing the wires to the computer. Using the button on the side of the stand, you can switch the lighting from using a single color or the rainbow mode you see in the picture above.
The Havit RGB Headphone Stand is available in two colors: black and white.
A Headset Stand
$28.99
A Crazy Monitor: Samsung Odyssey G7
This curved gaming monitor includes everything you need for gaming, alongside a quality display. With a 240 Hz refresh rate, compatibility with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, and a 1ms response time, the Odyssey G7 ensures that your games look great and respond quickly. Besides that, the QLED panel and 1440p resolution mean that the display can tackle whatever you throw at it with grace, gaming or otherwise. This display checks all the boxes of a gaming monitor and comes in three sizes: 27 inches, 32 inches, and an ultrawide, 34-inch model (although the refresh rate is only 165Hz there).
A Crazy Monitor
An Ultrawide Alternative: Alienware AW3420DW
Do you know what’s awesome for gaming? An ultrawide monitor. It’s more screen real estate, and certain games make smart use of it, allowing you to expand your field of view. So, not only does the Alienware AW3420DW have that going for it, but it’s also a beautiful, 34-inch, 1440p display. And when it comes to gaming, it brings excellent performance, with a 120Hz refresh rate and support for Nvidia G-Sync. Throw in a dash of RGB lighting on the back, and this monitor is excellent for any fan of ultrawide displays.
An Ultrawide Alternative
Alienware AW3420DW
For games that support ultrawide resolutions, this is the display you want to use.
$879.98
A Versatile Controller: Xbox Core Controller
Sometimes, it’s best to stick with the classics, and when it comes to PC gaming, an Xbox controller really is the best way to go. Not only are most games designed around it, but Xbox controllers are also built to work with Windows 10 out of the box. And the latest incarnation, the Xbox Core controller, includes a comfortable design, the option to play either wired or wireless, and the option to reprogram the buttons through the Xbox Accessories app. When playing in wireless mode, you’ll need two AA batteries to power the controller, which will last for about 40 hours.
The Core Controller comes in multiple styles, including Carbon Black, Robot White, Electric Volt, Pulse Red, and Shock Blue. And if you want to improve the controller further, there are a couple of accessories worth checking out, like the official wireless adapter, which provides a more stable connection than simple Bluetooth. There are also numerous options for a rechargeable battery pack if you don’t want to deal with AAs, either from Microsoft directly or third-party companies like PowerA.
A Versatile Controller
$54.99
A Bright Mic: HyperX QuadCast S
If you want to step up your audio game, the QuadCast S delivers useful features with some over-the-top style. It connects via USB, which, while not the highest-quality option, still provides solid audio at a sampling rate of 16-bit, 48 kHz. You can also switch between four different polar patterns (stereo, omnidirectional, cardioid, and bidirectional) to alter which direction it picks up audio from.
This is all wrapped up in some excellent hardware as well: There’s a built-in shock mount and pop filter to improve audio clarity, a mute button on the top of the microphone, and a volume-control wheel located on the bottom. And of course, it’s hard to ignore the bright RGB lights that fill the top part of the microphone, which are adjustable through HyperX Ngenuity. Overall, it’s a great USB microphone that packs in everything you’ll need for a gaming mic.
If the QuadCast S is a bit out of your price range, then the standard QuadCast delivers the same features and quality minus RGB for $20 less.
A Bright Mic
HyperX QuadCast S
This quality USB microphone packs in smart features, solid sound, and RGB lighting in a sleek package.
$198.90
Fancy Lights: Phillips Hue Lightstrip
RGB light strips are a common fixture of gaming setups at this point, and while they look great, Phillips took things to the next level with the Hue Lightstrip. Not only are the lights themselves nice and vibrant, but you also have a lot of options when it comes to controlling them. While cheaper light strips usually come with a physical remote, the Hue Lightstrip can be controlled via the mobile app and voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You will have to sync it through your computer, but Phillips provides some handy instructions for that. This is also just the base kit, which means you get six feet of lighting, but that can be expanded with one of the extension kits. You’ll also need to pick up a Hue Bridge if you don’t already have one.
If you want to go overboard (and have a fairly large monitor), then the Phillips Play Gradient is another great option. These are some expensive lights, but they do some cool stuff to make up for it. If you stick these on the back of your monitor, the lights will react to the content on the screen in real-time, providing some excellent ambient backlighting. It’s a great effect that can be further tuned and customized through the Hue software. But you will need to pick up a Hue HDMI Sync Box and Hue Bridge if you don’t already have those.
Finally, a nice bonus of Hue is that you can sync both of these products with any Razer gear you own through Razer Synapse 3—this way, your whole setup will light up in unison.
Fancy Lights
$79.97
Blue Light Glasses: BLUE CUT Glasses
Blue light glasses aren’t for everyone, but they can help if you experience a lot of eye strain when using your computer. These glasses from BLUE CUT filter out the blue light that’s emitted from the monitor, which has helped many people minimize the amount of strain their eyes experience. While there’s no concrete evidence that blue light actively harms your eyes, getting a pair of glasses like these can’t hurt either. It’s at least worth trying out if you deal with eye strain from your computer, and BLUE CUT’s glasses are reasonably priced, so they’re a fairly low-risk purchase.
These glasses are available in three colors (black and blue, black and red, and brown), along with multiple levels of magnification ranging from 0.0x to 1.5x.
Blue Light Glasses
BLUE CUT Glasses
If you suffer from eye strain when using your computer for long stretches, these could help.
$24.97
For Wrist Pain: Duerer Compression Gloves
Wrist pain is an unfortunate side effect of using your computer frequently for a lot of people. Whether it’s carpal tunnel, repetitive strain injury, or even arthritis, it’s never a good feeling. This is where compression gloves can be a lifesaver—these keep your hand in a more ergonomic position to avoid further damage while actively providing relief from wrist pain. And these gloves from Duerer use a soft, breathable material to ensure that they’re as comfortable as possible, and come in four colors to match your preference (either black, gray, brown, or pink). There are also three sizes (small, medium, and large), so be sure to measure your wrist with a tape measure before purchasing.
For Wrist Pain
$8.99
A Wireless Charger: Anker PowerWave II
A wireless charger is a great addition to any setup, so you’ll definitely want to pick one up for your desk. The PowerWave II from Anker is a simple charging pad that you plug into the wall, no fuss about it. It supports 15W fast-charging for modern Pixel and LG phones, 10W charging for Samsung phones, 7.5W for iPhones, and 5W charging for any other Qi-enabled devices (like AirPods). Anker is well-known for producing quality chargers, so it’s definitely the company you want to go with here.
A Wireless Charger
$29.99
Some More Ports: Anker Four-Port USB Hub
A lot of what we mentioned today uses USB ports, but your computer may already be running out of space as it is. This simple hub from Anker turns one USB-A port into four while remaining small enough to fit behind your computer. It’s sleek, practical, and extremely affordable, so it’s definitely worth picking up if you don’t have a hub already. Be aware, though, this is not made for charging mobile devices. It’s specifically for plugging in wired devices like keyboards, mice, and flash drives.
Some More Ports
$14.99
