The PC gaming accessories market is always full of innovative gadgets and devices that seek to improve your gaming experience, but some stand out more than others. I mean, sticking RGB lights in a mouse doesn’t necessarily make it a “gaming mouse”, as hard as companies try to sell you on that idea.
In this article we’ll take a look at 6 of the best PC accessories that will actually improve your gaming experience.
Microsoft Elite Series 2 Xbox One Controller
Microsoft has a respectable history of designing great PC gaming accessories, going all the way back to the Sidewinder controllers in 1995. They’ve stumbled a few times along the way, but the Elite Series 2 Xbox One controller is pretty darn flawless.
While genres like first-person shooters and real-time strategy games are better played with a mouse and keyboard, other genres such as arcade fighters, racing games, platformers, and io games in those mentioned genres are far more enjoyable with a gamepad. And because many Xbox console games are ported to PC, they already have XInput support, which means plug-and-play compatibility with the Xbox One controller, no remapping buttons or configuration necessary.
What the Elite Series 2 offers over a standard Xbox One controller is adjustable-tension thumbsticks, Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth support, swappable paddles and D-pads, and even voice-assistant commands.
Oculus Quest / Oculus Rift S
VR-tech has come a long way since the early nausea-inducing models several years ago, and the Oculus Quest and Rift S are two of the best VR headsets money can buy in 2020.
The Quest can be used wirelessly, which means untethered PC gaming, and it has a built-in Snapdragon 835 processor so that its performance isn’t held back by your PC specs. It also has an adjustable IPD slider, and an OLED screen with 2880×1600 resolution at 72Hz refresh rate. As a standalone device, it supports many PCVR titles, as well as mobile VR.
The Oculus Rift S on the other hand is powered by your PC hardware, so it should give a better VR experience when gaming on a more powerful PC. The Rift S has a slightly smaller 2560×1440 resolution display but at a higher 80Hz refresh rate, and an overall larger library of Oculus titles. If you buy the Rift S over the Quest, it’s a good excuse to also go shopping for good PC gaming chairs.
While the Rift S seems like the better choice for hardcore PC gamers with the hardware to support VR gaming, many recommend the Quest due to its overall versatility as a PC and mobile VR headset.
Razer Deathadder Elite
The DeathAdder Elite is Razer’s most precise mouse built specifically for Esports gamers, as it offers a mind-blowing 16,000 DPI optical sensor. You’ll probably be accused of “aimbotting” in more than a few games using this thing, and even Razer claims that it was “engineered to give you the unfair advantage in intense gameplay”. It’s really the perfect mouse if you enjoy playing browser games like Paper.io 2.
Other features include seven programmable buttons, two dedicated DPI buttons, and up to 1000 Hz ultrapolling. It also uses special Razer™ Mechanical Mouse Switches, which they claim are durable for up to 50 million clicks. I’m inclined to believe them, as I’ve been using the same Razer Abyssus for around 10 years now.
Philips Hue
Philips Hue is a line of smart lightbulbs and strips, and while you wouldn’t normally think of them as a “PC gaming accessory”, but the recently-released Hue Sync desktop app changes all that.
Hue Sync can detect color changes on your desktop screen and then change your Philips Hue lights to match those colors. It’s an extremely cool effect. For example, imagine you have two Philips Hue lights on either side of your screen, and you’re dual-casting fire and frost spells in Skyrim. One light will become a fiery red, the other a frosty blue, adding a really immersive atmosphere to your gaming area.
Dell Alienware 1900R
Serious PC gamers need a serious gaming monitor, and that’s where the Alienware 1900R comes in. It’s the fastest gaming monitor with 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio (3440 x 1440 WQHD resolution), an overclocked refresh rate of 120Hz, and G-Sync technology.
The monitor itself is a curved 34.1” LED screen, and offers buttery-smooth 4-millisecond response time with zero screen tearing, thanks to the G-Sync technology.
Logitech Z906
Once you experience surround-sound PC gaming on a real speaker system set up, no “7.1 channel” headset or 3.1 channel soundbar will ever sound good enough. The Logitech Z906 is a 5.1 surround sound speaker system that comes with a 165w subwoofer, 4 wall-mountable 67w satellites, and a 67w center channel speaker.
It uses 6-channel direct input, which your onboard audio should already support (the pink, blue, and green ports behind your PC). While it’s not the best 5.1 speaker system out there, for a little over $100 USD, the Logitech Z906 system is a great entry-level surround sound system for PC gamers that are used to headsets or crappy soundbars.