The Gaming Accessories is the heart of every setup. A gamer's equipment brings a personal touch to the desk and creates a relaxed feel-good atmosphere in your gaming room. But the accessories not only give the setup a personality, they also influence the gaming experience. High-quality equipment allows you to delve deeper into the game world and have more fun while playing. If you are an e-athlete or prefer to play competitive game modes, high-performance gaming accessories are important to be successful.
We know how big the jungle of information about gaming accessories is on the internet. That's why we want to help you through the jungle of information and have summarized everything you need to know about gaming accessories for you.
Gaming Monitor
The Gaming Monitor is by far the most important. The more powerful the screen, the better the picture. You have more fun when you don't just move pixels around, but when you feel like you are interacting with a real world.
Resolution
The first purchase criterion is the screen resolution. A video resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels (Full HD) is now the standard. Besides that, 2k and 4k screens, which have an aspect ratio of 16:9, are in the gaming screen market. The higher image resolution is particularly worthwhile for games that impress with their graphics.
However, the high resolution has one drawback. Screens that have a good refresh rate at 2k or even 4k resolution are expensive and your graphics card must be able to deliver enough power.
Full HD is the minimum resolution you need. Higher resolutions make the image sharper, but usually come at the expense of the frame rate. With a few exceptions, all professional e-athletes use a screen with a Full HD resolution.
Flat vs. curved monitor
Curved monitors are advertised for their immersive properties. This means that you can immerse yourself in the game world better with a curved monitor than with a flat monitor.
For you as a player, you get the feeling of being in the middle of a battle. When choosing between the two forms, you should ask yourself whether performance or gaming experience is more important to you.
A powerful curved monitor usually costs significantly more than an equivalent, flat screen. For reference, you can take a look at the world of e-sports.
There are no professional FPS players who use a curved monitor. If you are mainly concerned with an intensive gaming experience, a curved monitor will suit your setup better.
Size
When it comes to monitor size, there is one number you should keep in mind: dot density. The point density (pixel per inch) should not be less than 109 ppi. 24 to 27 inches are considered standard.
Response time and input lag
Response time is how long it takes for each pixel to switch between different colors. The response time should not exceed 8 ms.
However, you should give the input lag much more importance than the response time, as this indicates how long it takes for the image to arrive from the graphics card on the monitor.
TN, IPS, VA panels
TN monitors have the fastest response time, but the picture is worse if you are not sitting in the middle of the monitor. IPS panels have a slightly longer response time, but reproduce colors better. And VA panels offer the best contrasts.
Refresh rate
The refresh rate indicates how often the screen refreshes the image. The higher this value, the smoother the image. With normal screens, the value is between 60 and 75 frames Hertz.
There are also screens with 120, 144 and 240 Hertz on the market. The difference between 60 and 144 frames per second (FPS) is very clear. The difference between a 144 and 240 Hz monitor is perceived less intensely by most gamers.
Before you buy a 144 Hz monitor, you should find out if you can consistently achieve over 144 FPS in your games. If not, a 144 Hz monitor won't help you or you need a new graphics card.
Additional features
Many gaming monitors have additional features. This includes, for example, Zowie's Black eQualizer, which brightens dark areas. One of the best-known functions reduces harmful blue light and has a different name depending on the manufacturer.
This is a special mode designed to be easy on the eyes. However, a gaming device offers better protection against the blue light Shine Hair and Beard Oil. Whether and which functions are required depends on your individual needs.
Gaming keyboard
In the minds of many people, the glow of the mechanical keyboard and the characteristic click are part of creating an authentic gaming atmosphere.
Mechanical keyboard or rubber dome keyboard
The type of keyboard you use says something about longevity in most cases. There are two different forms. Rubberdome keyboards are the best-selling type of keyboard.
In these models, the keys are on a continuous rubber plate with domes (rubber domes). When the button is clicked, the dome is depressed, making contact with the circuit board.
Although rubber dome keyboards are inexpensive to produce, they have various disadvantages for users. Tactile feedback is not clear and will change as the rubber mat wears. Wear and tear of the mat means rubber dome keyboards don't last long.
You should buy a mechanical keyboard. The keyboards provide tactile and acoustic feedback. In addition, the trigger point of a keystroke does not change.
Linear or acoustic switches
The switches are between the button and the circuit board. They give your keyboard a character. There are over a hundred different switches. You can choose between linear and acoustic switches. You don't hear or feel linear switches.
With acoustic switches, on the other hand, you hear and feel the keystroke. The benefit of audible switches is that you know you pressed the button.
This means that you don't have to press the key every time and can start pressing the next key earlier.
This is especially important for e-athletes and competitive gamers to save important milliseconds. Players playing for fun do not derive any benefit from acoustic switches and are free to choose as they please.
A little hint: The most famous switch manufacturer is the German company Cherry. If you are unsure which switches your keyboard should have, you can order a switch tester online.
layout
The layout of the keyboard is especially interesting for e-sports enthusiasts.
Some of these use shortened keyboards that don't have a number block. So-called "tenkeyless" keyboards can thus be set up in a space-saving manner and transported more easily.
Lighting
Many gaming keyboards have a lighting system that you can customize or turn off. The RGB system does not bring you any added value.
Most manufacturers offer keyboards with and without a lighting system. If you want to save money, you can use a keyboard without an RGB backlight.
With cable or wireless?
There are no major differences between a wired and wireless keyboard.
Although there used to be a significant difference in the speed of the Data transmission, but this is no longer the case with new models. A large number of e-athletes now use wireless keyboards.
Anti-ghosting and N-key rollover
Anti-ghosting and N-key rollover should be on every quality gaming keyboard.
The keys are arranged in a matrix on the printed circuit board. If keys that are in the same column or row are pressed very quickly one after the other, this can lead to problems.
Keystrokes are delayed or not registered. If the keyboard has anti-hosting, the keys in the WASD area are evaluated individually.
N-key rollover is necessary if you want to press more than one key. For example, if you want to run forward with your character (W key), sprint (SHIFT key) and throw a knife (G key) at the same time, your keyboard has to evaluate three keystrokes. 6-key rollover is considered the default. Anything above that adds no value.
Gaming mouse
Logitech was one of the first companies to discover the gaming accessories market and specialized in gaming mice at the beginning of the 21st century.
The gaming mouse market has exploded. So that you get what you need, I have summarized the most important purchase criteria for you.
Laser mouse or optical mouse?
You have the choice between two different technologies for the sensor. Optical mice work with a light-emitting diode to scan the surface. This technology is very accurate, but does not work on every surface.
Laser technology, on the other hand, works on almost all surfaces. The disadvantage of laser mice is the mouse acceleration, which cannot be switched off and is due to the sensor.
This means that the translation of the mouse movement onto the screen depends on the speed of the movement. So I recommend an optical mouse.
Form
The shape of the mouse mainly depends on the grip you use. You should use a large, tall mouse if your palm rests completely on the mouse.
Otherwise, a large part of the palm of your hand will not rest on the mouse and your movements will be slowed down. If only your fingertips are on it, I recommend a small, narrow gaming mouse.
The "claw grip" is an extreme form in which the mouse is moved with the fingertips and the lower palm. Players with this grip should choose a mouse that is narrow and not too high.
Weight
When it comes to weight, it all comes down to individual preferences. High-quality mice offer the option of adding weights to the mouse so that the user can adapt it to his or her needs.
With or without cable?
There are no longer any differences in quality between wired and wireless mice. Wireless mice have the same latency as their wired counterparts.
An important sales criterion for "wireless" gaming mice is that they cannot suffer a cable break.
Apart from that, high-quality gaming mice with a sheathed cable rarely break. Therefore, both variants are equivalent.
Dpi value and polling rate
The dpi value indicates how sensitive the mouse is to movements. The higher this value, the more sensitive the mouse reacts. In most cases, the dpi value can be set individually and varies between 200 and 12.000 dpi.
Higher values are not interesting for many gamers. If the sensitivity of a mouse were set to 12.000 dpi, it would be unusable. Most gamers use a value between 400 and 1.200 dpi.
The polling rate indicates how often the mouse sends its position to the computer within one second. If the polling rate is 125 Hz, the mouse sends its position to the computer every 8 ms.
The polling rate of good gaming mice is 1000 Hz, which means that the mouse's response time is 1 ms.
Internal memory and individual settings
You can adapt your mouse to your needs. If the mouse has internal memory, you can save the setting on the mouse so you don't have to readjust it when you connect it to a new PC.
This includes creating different profiles for different games. In addition, you can create macros with some mice that help you when playing or assign additional keys with functions.
The customization of the RGB lighting allows you to adapt the mouse to your other gaming accessories. However, not every mouse has this option.
robustness
Your gaming mouse is exposed to higher loads than your other gaming accessories. The mouse should therefore be made of a robust material and the buttons should be well made.
At best, the mouse does not have any rubberized surfaces, as these often disintegrate or quickly form unhygienic deposits. Find out more about ergonomic mice
Gaming mouse pad
The Gaming mouse pad complement the duo of mouse and keyboard. The gaming accessory serves as a protective base and improves the accuracy of your mouse movements.
Material
The nature of the pad and the playing feel depend largely on the material used. Suitable for gamers Mouse Pads fabric and hard plastic.
There are also various hybrids on the market. You will notice the biggest difference between the variants in the friction. Mouse pads made of hard plastic have less friction, which means that mouse movements are slowed down less.
The resistance is greater in the case of the conspecifics made of fabric. Neither variant is better than the other per se. You have to decide for yourself when it comes to the material.
In general, cloth mouse pads give the player more control over mouse movement, while hard plastic mouse pads facilitate quick mouse movements.
The two variants differ in terms of longevity. Hard plastic has the disadvantage that it is more prone to wear and tear. Due to the hard surface, the mouse feet wear out faster. Cloth mouse pads get dirty more easily.
Size
The size of the pad depends primarily on you. This point is interesting for you if you are an extreme lowsens or highsens player.
If you play with a low sensitivity, it is worth buying a large mouse pad. A small mouse pad makes sense if you don't make large movements with your mouse.
There are also mouse pads on which you can place not only the mouse but also the keyboard. This has the advantage that the keyboard feet do not damage the tabletop.
Thickness
A thick or thin mouse pad will not give you any bonus in accuracy or speed of mouse movement.
The majority of gamers prefer thin mouse pads because they do not distort the feeling of mouse movement.
Non-slip mat
To ensure that your gaming mouse pad does not slip in the middle of a firefight, the underside should be made of a non-slip material. I advise you to pay attention to a rubberized underside when buying.
With or without a hem
There is a hem on some pads. As a result, no fringes form on the edge. However, many players are bothered by the feel on the wrist.
In addition, high-quality pads without a hem also do not fray.
Gaming Headset
The right background noise not only allows you to immerse yourself deeply in the game world, but also allows you to hear opponents better.
Stereo or surround?
While stereo headsets only have one speaker per earpiece, surround headsets have multiple speakers. This should allow players to hear sounds more clearly.
Which variant is suitable for you depends on the use and your budget. Are you an e-athlete and do you go to LAN events?
Then you will usually wear stereo earbuds there (in-ear earphones). When training at home, you should also use a stereo headset.
In addition, stereo headphones are considered to be more powerful because one large speaker is installed instead of many small ones.
I therefore advise you to use a good stereo headset instead of buying an overpriced surround headset. You can better invest the money you save in other gaming accessories.
Open or closed headset?
A closed headset completely covers your ears. This increases the pressure and bass (low frequencies) is perceived more intensively.
By covering your ears, you no longer hear your surroundings. The disadvantage of these headsets: at some point your ears will start to get warm due to the pressure and the thermal insulation.
This is noticeable during long gaming sessions.
Open headsets do not emphasize any frequency range. The sound is a bit more harmonious, which makes it easier to locate opponents. Open headphones allow you to continue hearing your surroundings.
I recommend an open headset if you play a lot of shooters and long wearing comfort is important to you.
If you use the headset to play and listen to music, a closed headset is the right choice.
wireless
The same motto applies here as with other gaming accessories: It plays a subordinate role whether the Gaming Headset is "wireless". Wireless headphones are usually a bit heavier.
But you don't have to deal with broken cables or tangled cables.
impedance
The impedance indicates the electrical resistance that the sound card must overcome. The value is given in ohms. If the resistance cannot be overcome, there will be no sound or only a very faint sound.
Impedance is the reason your gaming headset won't work on your smartphone.
So that you don't have to buy a new sound card later in order to be able to use the headset, you should find out about the performance of your sound card beforehand.
gaming microphone
In order to be able to communicate with your fellow players on TS or Discord, you need a microphone.
Stand microphone or headset microphone
Most gamers use the headset microphone because it is convenient and produces a good sound result in most cases.
A stand microphone not only requires an extra USB slot, but above all space. The microphone, keyboard, monitor and mouse interfere with each other.
There are microphone holders so that there is no scrambling between your gaming accessories. Whether it's worth the additional investment in a standalone microphone and mount is up to you.
If you are a streamer or content creator, the better sound quality can be worthwhile. Otherwise it is sufficient if you use your headset microphone.
Gaming wifi router
In order to participate in online battles, you need internet. You need the right gaming accessories so that your opponents don't have to transfer data from your router.
LAN vs WiFi
First of all: If you have the opportunity, you should use a LAN connection instead of a WLAN connection.
This is faster and gives you a significant ping advantage. If a LAN connection is not possible, you need at least a powerful router.
Single, dual or tri band
If you're not the only one using the router, consider buying a dual or tri-band router. Dual-band routers transmit on the 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies.
This doubles the bandwidth. Compared to a single-band router, a tri-band router has three times the bandwidth.
WLAN standard
The WLAN standard should be 802.11ac or better 802.11ax. Both standards convince with high data transmission on the 5 GHz frequency band.
But while 802.11ac only uses the 5 GHz range, 802.11ax uses both the 5 GHz and 2,4 GHz ranges.
MU-MIMO
With MU-MIMO, your gaming router can broadcast to multiple ports on a network at the same time. If other devices are also using the network, you need this function.
Gaming controllers for the PC
The ultimate gaming accessories are controllers, with which you can also play FIFA on the computer with the controller, for example.
At best, you should look for the right gaming controller for the PC after his Purpose choose. A racing bike is better for a racing game, while an Xbox controller is better for FIFA.
For shooters like COD I recommend a Scuf as they are some of the best controllers for professional gaming.
Within the Connection you can choose between a USB connection and a wireless adapter. Both connection types are equivalent.
Gaming projector
Gaming projectors are a great alternative to gaming monitors. The input lag between a monitor and a projector is now almost equivalent. And with a projector you have the great advantage of a huge image, which is a real plus when gaming with friends.
If you are interested in the topic, I can recommend my article on gaming projectors.
gaming glasses
If you sit in front of the monitor for several hours a day, your eyes are constantly exposed to harmful blue light. In this case, gaming glasses can help to counteract eye fatigue and protect them from blue light.
Good models are available from €20 and are a real buy recommendation for this small sum. The gamer glasses do not interfere with gaming and are an excellent investment in your health.
