There is more to gaming than button smashing, as every hardcore gamer will agree. Most games require a good amount of strategising, perseverance and focus, and not just fingers to tap at the keyboard.
But just as important as mental faculties that go into winning a game are the equipment a gamer plays with. Even if you have the most zen-like focus, you can’t afford big lag times when you’re playing a time challenge.
Even if you have the most accurate strategy, you still need your joystick to work perfectly when making that jump to deliver the parting stab to the grand boss. It can be very fruitful to have the best equipment in the block.
Technology can be confusing. And the sales pitches only make it more difficult to pick one device to play your favorite games using. A lot of people have messaged us on our various contact places to know our choices/recommendations for gaming.
Being avid gamers, polling our choices for the list was quite a battle to be played over lunch, and we’re still undecided on some of these categories (so don’t be surprised when you see them blank). Anyway, here is our unofficial list of 7 things a hardcore gamer MUST own.
#1 Logitech G300S Mouse
With a tracking speed equivalent to 1.5 m/s, it really helps to have a mouse as fast as Logitech G300S. The device has multiple buttons that you can configure for various actions according to your game’s controls.
The device is muscled-up and has enough bulk to be stable during gameplay. Gaming becomes a lot easier when a sensitive mouse is prevented from flying off the shelves, and personally, it has saved me a lot of lives in the games.
Why is a mouse like Logitech G300S essential? Because it is fast, sensitive and well contoured to fit your grip. It is decently priced and should fit smugly on your PC gamestation.
#2 Corsair Raptor HS40 Headphones
The Corsair Raptor HS40 make a neat impression on everyone, but there is more to them than just their appearances. The earpieces deliver a crisp sound, and with the muffs, you might find yourself operating them at a volume level or two lower than you’re used to.
The microphone is pretty decent by itself too, though a quick online scan through the reviews suggests that people tend to experience some problems with it. You can always choose to use a separate microphone though, which should eliminate the problem.
The other big thing about Corsair Raptor HS40 that is worth pointing out are the comfortable earmuffs. It is pretty tough to find a pair of headphones that don’t cause your ears to smart because they have been pressing up on them. HS40 still causes your ears to feel warmer, but they’re much more comfortable than most other earphones we’ve tried.
#3 An Advanced Gaming Keyboard
You need a big gaming keyboard to play a game in a big way. An everyday keyboard can be used to play a game, sure, but it helps to have a few extra buttons to get repetitive and redundant actions done quicker, like switching profiles, pausing and recording screens, toggling audio and other such stuff. Some gaming keyboards might give you a better angle to help you play with more ease.
Others might come with back lighting to help you tell the various buttons apart so you can play in the dark as well. There are some which come with different colors to choose from, as well as some (albeit tacky ones) which come with rainbow lighting.
There are far too many options and specifications to consider that change with the game you’re playing as well as the type and placement of keys you’re comfortable with, so we thought it was wise to not make a recommendation, lest someone buys something based on it and come to regret it.
#4 Monitor
Good graphics are not just determined by your graphics card. It’s fairly intuitive that a CRT monitor from the 90s will only give you so much detail. But the number of pixels and flashy technical-sounding jargon is not what you need to look for alone. There’s a lot more to a monitor than flashy stickers.
You’re probably going to spend hours glued to your screen as a hardcore gamer. The first priority to choose a monitor based on, from a list of monitors with high graphics performance, should be your eye health.
A screen to block UV rays should be a great option, as can screens with superior image tuning capability. To a lot of gamers, the stretch of the screen matters. You can opt for split screen or even make an arc or monitors around you to get a pretty immersive experience. There are software that you might need to install, and free variants are available all over the internet.
#5 Mousepad
A mouse pad’s job is not merely to be a rag for the mouse to roll on; a good mousepad can make or break your game playing experience. A good mousepad must be comfortable for the wrist. A cheap mouse pad can work for your office desk or workstation, but if you’re going to be at your desk all day, you better be taking care of a lot of factors when buying one.
Factors like wrist support, slip and texture become very important when you’re having a gaming marathon. The wrist pillow should be plump and even a bit taut. Chances are it will deflate to an average amount of plushness, so I don’t mind breaking into a new mouse pad for the first week.
Glossy mousepads, however scintillating they might look, often turn out to be poor choices since they accumulate a lot of dirt and eventually become impossible to clean as the surface becomes more and more scratched up.
#6 USB WiFi Adapter
Internet is a necessity. Especially given how so many games are online, a true gamer needs WiFi at all times.
Enter USB WiFi Adapters, which promise to connect you no matter where you are. A lot of people actually prefer to deal with USB Adapters than a clop of wires running here and there (which, by the way, only get more confusing to sort using plastic ties).
Plug in the device into a port and enjoy internet connectivity as fast as one’s own dedicated router can provide. It is also a great way to share WiFi with friends on a road trip.
#7 A Microphone
Whether or not you have a channel on a website like Twitch or stream or upload your gaming videos to YouTube, a good microphone can come in handy. Whether that be to keep in touch with your teammates through your Discord server while playing an MMORPG, or just to skype with friends, a microphone can be a pretty versatile asset.
Getting one with noise cancelling enabled (usually through a mesh of fabric or metal) is ideal, but a simple lapel microphone can work as well if you’re on a budget.
There are of course cheaper alternatives for everything. People make do with a cheap pair of headphones with an awkwardly placed mic, as well as carrying inconveniently long LAN cables to connect to their laptops.
Not everyone might be able to afford an Alienware. But there is quite some advantage to be gained using these little upgrades which can be pretty inexpensive if resorted to gradually. Can you think of any other things every hardcore PC gamer should own? I’d love to go through your recommendations as well.
