Ah, gaming peripherals. An essential part of any true*** gamer’s battlestation.
(***There is no such thing as a true gamer)
There are so many parts that go into a setup, and no setup is the same as another. What you decide to game on, is ultimately your decision, and there are too many factors that influence said decision. Comfort, cost, color, usability, flair. Anything you want, really. With that said, there are definitely ways to get the most mileage out of what you buy.
Remember, you’re going to use these peripherals for, hopefully, a very long time. A big thing to take in with this list is that you do not have to necessarily spend more to get more. Sometimes, especially with non PC related parts, you’ll definitely get more out of an established brand, but as you’ll see, you can be more deliberate with your shopping and make your dollar go much further.
1. Keyboard
You’ll arguably use your keyboard more than anything during your gaming. You can put thousands into your graphics card or CPU or monitors, but it’ll never feel as good when you’re using a keyboard that isn’t up to snuff.
But what if I told you that you can do much better than the popular market keyboards, while paying about the same price?
Allow me to introduce you to mechanicalkeyboards.com. If you’ve ever wanted the power to make your own keyboard, however you want, with whatever design, color, switches, keycaps, or even frame you want, this is the place. There are way too many combinations of both premade, and custom made keyboards at your disposal here, and you’ll be glad you took the browse.
I got my own custom Ducky One 2 keyboard here for about the same price as the mainline Corsair keyboards. You can even get a keycap and mechanical switch sampler for very cheap, sometimes free with a bundle. The site has a tutorial on the differences between mechanical switch colors, keycaps, and keyboard sizes. This place truly has it all!
2. Chair
This one might surprise you, but those “gamer” or “racing” chairs?
They suck.
I’ve used one of those for over 10 years, and I didn’t realize how bad they were for you. There are a ton of writings and videos out there that explain this gaming chair phenomenon, and why they aren’t exactly the most ergonomic option out there. In short: chairs that force you into a position for long periods of time, and don’t allow for much leeway into your positioning, especially if you’re one to move a lot, will do more harm than good.
I’m normally not one to tell people to “Just spend more money!” In fact, I’m very against the notion. This is one exception that is so worth it, that it may quite literally save your back.
That is the Herman Miller line of chairs.
These chairs are so good, that I scaled back the cost of my entire gaming setup to acquire one. They’re so good, all of the back problems caused by my sitting in a “gaming” chair were gone within the week. It almost feels too good to be true, to this day, and I’ve owned mine for almost two years now. The best part about them is that you don’t have to buy them new. Used ones are almost readily available all across the country, and the materials used for them are so high quality, that I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard a structural problem with them amongst anyone who purchased used ones.
This is the one thing that I would recommend pulling back on the rest of your setup to get. It will genuinely change everything you know about chairs, and you’ll never want to go back to a worse one ever again.
3. Headphones
What good is a setup if it doesn’t sound good? This one is definitely biased of me, given my audio engineering background, but having good sound is definitely a big experience and immersion enhancer. You don’t have to spend a lot to do it either. Sound in general has come a long way in the gaming space, and you’d do yourself a big service by getting yourself a relatively cheap pair of cans for your day-to-day.
My personal entry level recommendation is the Audio-Technica ATH M50x when they’re on sale, or the Sennheiser HD598. Both go on sale quite often, and without getting too technical, will encompass everything you would do during your PC time, including music, games, and everything else in between.
Building a PC is easier than it’s ever been, but not everyone can just throw around money like it’s nothing. Being more efficient with your spending and maximizing what you want and what you get out of your purchases is essential, and knowing how to go about it is crucial.
Anthony Lowry (they/he) is a seasoned TCG, MMORPG, and FPS veteran. They are extensively knowledgeable on the intricacies of many competitive outlets, and are always looking for a new challenge in the gaming sphere.
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