Key Points
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You don't need premium gear to be a great player, but a lot of great players pick up high-quality gear.
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Mouse and gamepad accuracy differs for every player, so play to your comfort.
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A standalone microphone leads to higher-quality comms and callouts.
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Whatever your interests, the right gear for you is a personal decision.
Players need great gear to reach their full potential. The ultimate gaming setup needs a great player to utilize it, no matter the league or sport. The best player starts with natural talent and builds that through routine and practice, but at some point, money and resource management factor into a player's peak. It doesn't matter who or what the situation is — access to premium-level gear is essential for a top player to reach their peak.
What does the ultimate gaming setup look like? It's a mix of ergonomics, durability, and, arguably most important, style. Here's what goes into each individual piece of gear.
Gaming Mouse
If you play on a mouse and keyboard, you need something to help flick aim for headshots, camera placement, and precise cursor placement. Gaming mouses like the Logitech G502 Hero or Razer DeathAdder significantly affect gaming mouse accuracy and reaction speed. Consider mouse shape, dots-per-inch (DPI), sensor sensitivity, and whether you want to play corded.
Ensure that your gaming mouse accuracy reflects your physical reaction speed by fine-tuning your settings according to whatever game you play. If you play multiple games, adjust your settings to your current game. If you play multiple first-person shooters, your sensitivity usually falls within the same range as in other games. Do your research, watch professional players, and get tips on what settings complement your play style best.
Gaming Keyboard
A customizable gaming keyboard with responsiveness, tactile key bands, and finger travel distance tailored to comfort means improved performance. The most expensive hardware in the world doesn't matter unless the person using it is relaxed and able to tap into their flow state. If you play Halo Infinite on PC, you won't pop off for Killing Frenzies unless you're comfortable with your keyboard and mouse.
It's recommended you acquire, at minimum, a wired keyboard for improved performance. While convenient, wireless commands like pressing WASD and spacebar have an input delay that only hinders performance in high-pressure situations. A wired customizable gaming keyboard like the Corsair K95 or SteelSeries Apex offers custom keys, RGB lighting, and other features designed specifically for gaming. If you need a more budget option like a keyboard and mouse combo, the Redragon S101 is an excellent choice.
Gaming Mousepad
Consider what material you place your mouse and keyboard on while you play. A premium, large gaming mousepad like the SteelSeries QcK or Razer Goliathus offers smooth and consistent tracking for your mouse and a nice boost in the aesthetic department for your space.
Large gaming mousepads cover a larger portion of your desk, meaning there are plenty of ergonomic options beyond the classic look of your mouse tracking for quick no-scopes. Larger pads are typically more durable, protecting your hardware and desk from scuffing and other damage. Large gaming mousepads are also pretty easy to clean should you indulge in snackies while grinding the latest Halo Infinite battle pass. No judgment here if you grub it up.
Gaming Headset
A gaming headset is one of the most important purchases you'll make, whether you play on a console or PC. You must prioritize comfort over deeply immersive sound quality, although a balance doesn't hurt. A good rule of thumb is what experts call the 60 percent rule.
According to Editor-in-Chief of Headphonesty Colin Toh, "If you find [sound] creeping up to over two-thirds of the volume control or over 60 percent, then it is too much for your ears." Comms are essential to good gameplay, but keep in mind that prolonged playtimes at volumes above 60 percent lead to long-term ear damage.
With this in mind, a high-quality gaming headset with immersive sound, comfort, and performance doesn’t have to break the bank. Options like the HyperX Cloud II or Razer Kraken offer outstanding sound quality and comfort for extended gaming sessions.
Photo source: Amazon.com
Gaming Chair
As with a high-quality gaming headset, a comfortable gaming chair is also one of the most essential gaming setup components. You spend a lot of time in that chair. If you work from home, it likely doubles as an office chair during video meetings when you daydream about racking up multi-kills in Big Team Battle instead of discussing quarterly performance reports.
When shopping for a comfortable gaming chair, test some out at your local retailers. Some online vendors offer money-back guarantees for you to try the chair and see if your butt and back agree with its ergonomics. Every player knows that back pain from sitting in a wonky chair is no joke. Options like the RESPAWN 110, the Secretlab Omega series, or the DXRacer Formula series provide proper support and posture for long hours of gaming. Do your research and choose wisely!
Photo source: Amazon.com
Gaming Monitor
A high-performance gaming monitor is often the pride and joy of professional gaming setups. Excellent displays with eye strain reduction are the secret sauce for long sessions played in comfort, meaning you don't have to sacrifice your health doing what you love.
Options like ASUS TUF Gaming, ASUS ROG Swift, or Acer Predator are performance gaming monitors with top-of-the-line refresh rates, low response times, and blue light features optimized for gamers' comfort, eye strain reduction, and enhanced efficiency. What player doesn't love that?
Gaming Controller
A quality gamepad is essential when putting together your setup, especially if you play Halo Infinite. A precise gaming controller can outduel a mouse in high-pressure situations due to aim-assist. Sometimes gamepad precision and look sensitivity win the day.
Precise gaming controllers like the Xbox Elite Wireless series or the PlayStation's DualShock 4 offer a control accuracy level difficult to find elsewhere. It's all the more worthwhile when your choice of gamepad has customization options like extended thumbpads, texture changes, and colorways.
Gaming Microphone
A headset with a built-in mic is great. You know what's even better? Top-tier sounds emitting from a clear gaming microphone that you don't risk biting like a headset mic. (Everyone's been there.)
A clear gaming microphone means little to no feedback or interruptions when you need to get information to your team. Callouts interrupted by the kids, the cat, or the roadster screeching down your street are no fun. A microphone transmits your buttery smooth voice into your friend's ear while you rack up Ws in matchmaking. Consider brands like Blue Yeti or the Audio-Technica AT2020 when shopping for a standalone microphone.
Gaming Glasses
In the visual clarity improvement department, specialized gaming glasses save your eyes from eye strain with amber and yellow-tinted glasses. Take Lucid, lead slayer for OpTic Gaming — he wears amber-tinted glasses while playing.
If you're shopping around for visual clarity improvement and UV rays mitigation, consider brands like Gunnar Optiks or Felix Gray to reduce eye strain and save your eyes from excessive damage during long play sessions.
Heavy Armor Inbound
Now that you understand what goes into the ultimate gaming setup, you're ready to drop in. Gaming mouse accuracy, eye strain reduction, and ergonomic gear all go hand-in-hand for top player performance and comfort at the highest levels of competition. Without a balance of all three, it's difficult to increase your skill level. This skill cap may hinder your ultimate enjoyment of playing.
Whatever your interests, the right gear for you is a personal decision, so cater to your likes and recommendations from health and gaming professionals. Sometimes it's a process, but with a little bit of inspiration, handy guides, and professional insight and opinions from friends, you'll get the gear that's best for you.
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