Best Gaming Accessories 2024: Top Picks for Gamers - IGN (2024)

After you’ve armed yourself with the best gaming PC, you need to equip your battle station with top-notch accessories to get the most out of your gaming experience. A great gaming chair, like the Secretlab TITAN Evo series ensures comfort as you game, while SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless or the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed can keep you tuned into the action. And that's just the start of it. So whether you’re seasoned pro or newbie, our experts have found some absolutely awesome accessories to pair with your PC or console.

TL;DR – These are the Best Gaming Accessories:

• SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless – Best Headset
• HyperX QuadCast S – Best Microphone
• Secretlab TITAN Evo series – Best Chair
• Cooler Master GD160 – Best Desk
• Asus ROG Keris II Ace – Best Mouse
• Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro – Best Keyboard
• Xbox Core Controller – Best Controller
• LG UltraGear 34GP950G-B – Best Monitor
• Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed – Best Earbuds
• WD_Black P40 Game Drive - Best Hard Drive
• PlayStation VR2 - Best VR Headset
• Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro - Best Router

Navigating the world of the best gaming accessories is challenging, especially with the seemling endless options to choose from. And unfortunately, not all of them are winners. That’s why we’ve helped narrow your search, making it easy to find equipment to create the ultimate gaming setup. From gaming desks and chairs to mice, microphones, and routers, we’ve got you covered.

1. SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless

Best Gaming Headset

• See it on Target

Pros:

• ANC and spatial audio
• Hot-swappable battery system

Cons:

• Expensive

Nothing’s better than the immersive experience that the best gaming headsets deliver, surrounding you with the rich, detailed sounds of the wondrous worlds in your games. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless has everything you could want, from a sleek, comfortable design and multiplatform connectivity to active noise cancellation and fantastic spatial audio.

This headset steps away from SteelSeries’ previous designs, instead opting for telescoping arms on the adjustable headband and slimmer earcups ready to accommodate all head shapes and sizes. A hot-swappable battery system ensures you’re never without charge—an essential feature of the best wireless gaming headsets. Connecting to your gaming PC and consoles is simple thanks to both a 2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth, which you can use simultaneously.

Features on the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless don’t disappoint. The hybrid noise-canceling system does a great job of blocking out most distractions to keep you focused on the action, though some of the best noise-canceling headphones are slightly more effective. Spatial audio support means you can hear where enemies may be lurking. Customizations to the EQ setting and game chat mix with Sonar and the SteelSeries GG app only amplify your gaming experience.

SteelSeries recently announced a new white edition of the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, adding a bit more comfort and slightly better ANC while keeping everything else we love about the headset the same.

2. HyperX QuadCast S

Best Gaming Microphone

Pros:

• Four pick-up patterns
• Easy to use

Cons:

• Bulkier

Are you looking to get into game streaming, or maybe you just want the clearest line of communication with your teammates? You need to grab one of the best microphones, and our favorite option for gaming is the HyperX Quadcast S.

This microphone is designed specifically with gaming in mind; the stunning RGBs that shine through the honeycomb body are a dead giveaway. But it offers a lot more than good looks. The build is solid and sturdy, with easy-to-reach controls for mute, mic gain, and pick-up patterns. It uses a USB-C connector for your gaming PC, so even novices can get the hang of this mic quickly.

Perhaps most important is how you’ll sound, and the Quadcast S doesn’t disappoint. It covers the whole range of human hearing, delivering warm, thick vocals. It offers four pick-up patterns, so whether you’re streaming on Twitch using a cardioid polar pattern or want to interview friends for your podcast with a bidirectional pattern, this mic has you covered.

3. Secretlab TITAN Evo series

Best Gaming Chair

Pros:

• High-quality, durable build
• Comfortable and ergonomic

Cons:

• Backrest foam can be stiff for some

If you scored a great gaming PC deal and are looking to spend a good chunk of time pulled up to it, a comfortable seat to rest your behind is an absolute must. You want an option where you can dial in the ergonomics and sink in without the fear of fatigue or back pain. Luckily, Secretlab’s TITAN Evo series is the perfect gaming partner.

It’s the best gaming chair you can buy, thanks to a superior build quality that includes a plush, well-padded seat paired with a long, sturdy backrest. You’ll find the seat quite spacious to get your legs in whatever position you prefer, while the backrest has adjustable lumbar support, keeping your posture on point. Occasionally, you’ll want to take a break between heated gaming sessions, so the TITAN Evo series offers a deep incline for ultimate relaxation.

Adding to the comfort of this racing-style chair are a headrest and 4D armrests that use a unique magnetic system, delivering finer control and a more aesthetically pleasing design. You can even swap out the tops of the armrests for more cushioning or a different look. Another perk is the TITAN Evo comes in an XL model, making it the best big and tall gaming chair, too.

4. Cooler Master GD160

Best Gaming Desk

Pros:

• Large 63-inch by 29-inch tabletop
• Full surface mouse pad

Cons:

• No standing functionality

An essential part of any PC battle station is a sturdy, secure place to rest all your expensive gear. That’s where one of the best gaming desks, like the Cooler Master GD160, comes in clutch. This desk delivers all the basics and a few extras for an appealing price.

You probably want tons of surface space for your equipment, so you’ll welcome the perfectly sized 63-inch by 29-inch tabletop ready to house a multimonitor setup. That tabletop rests on a stable frame that can hold over 220 pounds. There’s even some slight height adjustability for an ergonomic position while seated. If you’re looking for a standing option, you’ll want to grab a great standing desk.

Admittedly, the features on this desk are more toned down than some, but sometimes you don’t need all the extra frills. What you do get is a cable management tray and a full surface water-resistant mouse pad—so you can skip grabbing the best mouse pad. All your pesky wires will stay hidden away, while your mouse will track with ease and precision no matter where you venture on the GD160.

5. Asus ROG Keris II Ace

Best Gaming Mouse

Pros:

• Lightweight, larger build
• Accurate and precise tracking

Cons:

• Default grips aren't great

No gaming PC setup is complete without a great gaming mouse, and the Asus ROG Keris II Ace keeps things simple while delivering a top-notch performance, making for a spectacular partner in all your favorite PC games.

If you’re after flashy RGBs or a wealth of features, this isn’t the mouse for you. Instead, Asus delivers an option with accurate and precise tracking, reaching a maximum of 42,000 DPI. A high polling rate thanks to a Polling Rate Booster makes for smooth, responsive motion while optical micro switches ensure tactile left and right clicks. The mouse body itself is also lightweight helping aid speedier movements, and the bigger size is ideal for larger hands. Unfortunately, the side grips are lacking, but the included grip tape makes for an easy fix.

The Asus ROG Keris II Ace is a wireless mouse with a low latency 2.4GHz wireless receiver or Bluetooth support but comes with a 6.5-foot USB-C for a wired connection. The Armory Crate software makes it easy to create profiles on the mouse, letting you adjust settings like DPI, polling rate, enabling angle snapping, and angle tuning. However, the DPI and profile-switching buttons are on the bottom of the mouse – a peculiar design choice.

6. Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro

Best Gaming Keyboard

Pros:

• Tons of customizability
• Hot-swappable switches

Cons:

• High price tag

The best gaming keyboard is the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro. It’s big, bright, and full of features to make tinkerers and macro-lovers shout with joy. Just be prepared to shell out a good chunk of change for this greatness; if you’re looking for a more affordable option, check out the best budget gaming keyboards.

This mechanical wired keyboard is a little bit larger than your average keyboard, allowing room for dedicated media controls, eight macro controls, and a “Razer Command Dial” that lets you easily switch between apps and games, zoom, adjust brightness, or about 100 other things. It’s even possible to store up to five profiles on board—all with different key mappings—and a HyperShift button gives each key a secondary command. Talk about customizability.

Tailoring the keyboard to each game you play is great, but its overall performance is also exceptional. A responsive 8,000Hz polling rate means extra speed to potentially edge out opponents, while full-height Doubleshot ABS keycaps cover tactile green or linear yellow switches. We just wish they were hot-swappable. Still, the BlackWidow V4 Pro is a marvel, and the extensive RGB lighting opportunities only add to its greatness.

7. Xbox Core Controller

Best PC Controller

• See it on Target

Pros:

• Budget-friendly
• Familiar, reliable controls

Cons:

• Uses two AA batteries

Sure, a controller may be sacrilege to accuracy-focused keyboard and mouse enthusiasts, but there are more than a few cases where a controller amplifies your gaming experience. The best PC controllers put all the buttons in an easy-to-reach location and provide an ergonomic hold, letting you play for hours without fatigue. An option that delivers all of this and more without any gimmicks is the budget-friendly Xbox Core Controller.

Given the name, this controller features the familiar Xbox controller layout with asymmetrical sticks and a tactile D-pad. Plus, most of the controls are remappable. Grips on the side, rear, and triggers keep the gamepad from slipping out of your hand during heated moments in the action, while the quality build means it should hold up great over time.

Like many of the best Xbox controllers, the Core Controller makes pairing with your PC a breeze. A wired USB-C provides a stable, lag-free connection, and Bluetooth is baked in for a wireless option. If you have an Xbox Wireless adapter for PC, you can take advantage of the Xbox’s wireless protocol that offers less latency and fewer mispresses. The only place we can really fault this controller is the somewhat archaic use of AA batteries when playing wirelessly.

8. LG UltraGear 34GP950G-B

Best Gaming Monitor

Pros:

• Immersive 3800R curvature
• Overclockable 144Hz refresh rate in 1440p

Cons:

• Poor contrast

You probably invested in the best graphics card, CPU, and other components for your PC build, and now you need a monitor ready to keep up. The LG UltraGear 34GP950G-B is the best gaming monitor for the job thanks to its big display, crisp resolution, high refresh rate, and host of gaming features.

This 34-inch monitor wraps around your field of view with 3800R curvature. That, paired with the cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio and 1440p resolution, makes for an immersive gaming experience. LG opted for a Nano IPS display this time. So, you can expect impressive color performance and high peak brightness. There’s even DisplayHDR 600 certification, though contrast and local dimming could be better.

The LG UltraGear 34GP950G-B excels in gaming, starting with a 144Hz refresh rate overclockable to 180Hz for super-smooth action. Adding to its visual fidelity are fast response times, low input lag, and VRR support. In fact, G-Sync Ultimate is on display, keeping screen tearing and stuttering at bay and making it one of the best G-Sync monitors. LG takes things a step further by including content-responsive bias RGB lighting on the back, rounding out a true gaming beast. If LG’s monitor is out of your price range, be sure to check out the best cheap gaming monitors right now or see our guide explaining the differences between monitors and TVs for gaming. If you had something wider in mind, explore our roundup of the best ultrawide monitors.

9. Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed

Best Gaming Earbuds

Pros:

• Low latency 2.4GHz dongle
• Adjustable EQ settings

Cons:

• Mediocre battery life

Gaming headsets are great and all, but sometimes you want something lighter on the head for extra comfort and more compact to take on the go. That’s where the best gaming earbuds come into play—literally. Razer knew what it was doing when it created the Hammerhead Hyperspeed, and the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed just amp up the greatness.

These are essentially just a pair of wireless earbuds only in addition to your typical Bluetooth connection, you get a low latency 2.4GHz dongle, eliminating the lag that often plagues these types of headphones. You can slot the dongle into the best handheld gaming PCs, PlayStation 5, Switch, Android phones, and more for a seamless, reliable connection. Given these are wireless, you get up to 6.5 hours of use before needing to pop them back in the case.

Though the Razer Hammerhead Pro Hyperspeed earbuds are tiny, they are still mighty, delivering impactful sound while resting securely in your ears. Active noise cancellation is baked in to keep you focused on the action no matter where you’re playing. Directional audio, customizable EQ settings, and remapable touch controls are also included—all features of the best high-end gaming headsets. Razer doesn’t forget to add a touch of RGB lighting, as the earbud's logo illuminates.

10. WD_Black P40 Game Drive

Best External Hard Drive for Gaming

Pros:

• 2,000Mb/s read speeds
• 1TB of storage

Cons:

• Can’t play PS5 or Xbox Series games directly

The best SSDs live inside your gaming PC or console and are perfect boot drives with their impressive speeds. But they can be a pain to install, expensive, and difficult or impossible to move between devices. That’s why you need one of the best external hard drives to store your precious library of games and other important files for easy movement wherever you need them.

The WD_Black P40 Game Drive is perfect for gaming, and it’s actually an external SSD rather than your typical hard drive. You get a whopping 1TB of storage space ready to house a sizable gaming library on this compact drive while blistering 2,000Mb/s read speeds when using the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface. That means you can play or transfer your games quickly. There’s even a touch of RGB lighting, playing into the gamer aesthetic.

Whether you’re using a gaming PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X/S, you can take advantage of this speedy drive. Though you won’t be able to play PS5 or Xbox Series games directly, it will save you the trouble of redownloading massive 100GB titles. It’s also perfect for transferring data from older consoles to the new ones.

11. PlayStation VR2

Best VR Headset

• See it on Amazon

Pros:

• Comfortable to wear
• Outstanding eye tracking

Cons:

• Expensive (plus you need to own a PS5)

If you’ve got all the gaming accessories you need, own all the consoles you want, and are wondering what else you can invest in, the PlayStation VR2 should be your next consideration. Of course, you’ll need to own a PS5 for it to work, and fork out over $500 for the pleasure, but if you can, it’s so worth it. Featuring a 4K OLED screen, 110-degree field of view, and incredible tracking, this VR headset is hands-down the biggest improvement over its predecessor we’ve ever seen.

This is an immersive experience like no other. Every action is incredibly detailed, with the PSVR2’s camera tracking your eye movement and the Sense controllers detecting your hand movement, you’ll feel like you’re actually in the game, rather than simply playing it.

12. Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro

Best Gaming Router

Pros:

• Wi-Fi 7
• Insanely good throughput performance

Cons:

• Bulky

Boasting Wi-Fi 7 technology, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro is the best gaming router if you’re serious about gaming. With speeds of up to 1376Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, 5,764Mbps on the 5GHz band, and 11,529Mbs on the 6GHz band, this is one of the fastest routers on the market today. Of course, there’s a bunch of top-shelf tech in there too, like 4K QAM, beamforming, MU-MIMO, and OFDMA. It also supports AiMesh-compatible devices.

If you’re considering investing in a gaming router and have children in your household, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro comes with Trend Micro-powered AiProtection Pro software - essentially top-level parental controls to keep your little ones safe. And it wouldn’t be a gaming accessory without RGB lighting, which you can configure in the router’s settings.

How to Pick the Best Gaming Accessories

Picking the best gaming accessories can be a game-changer for your gaming experience, but with so many options out there, it can also feel a bit overwhelming. There’s no right or wrong answer, either.

To help you narrow down your choices, consider your gaming style and preferences. Are you into fast-paced shooters, immersive RPGs, or perhaps competitive multiplayer games? The type of games you play can influence the accessories you'll need. For example, if you're into competitive gaming, a high-performance gaming mouse with customizable buttons and DPI settings might be essential. On the other hand, if you love story-driven games, a comfortable gaming headset with excellent sound quality and immersive features could be a priority.

Depending on how you game, and what other devices you have, you might also want to consider compatibility and connectivity. If you have a PC, console, and smartphone, and game across all of them, you’ll want accessories that can be used across the board.

Comfort shouldn't be overlooked either, especially if you're planning on long gaming sessions. Look for ergonomic designs and adjustable features in gaming chairs, keyboards, and mice to ensure maximum comfort and minimize fatigue during extended play.

Last, and by no means least, don't forget about your budget. All of our picks are worth the investment. However, sometimes—especially if you’re newer to gaming—you don’t want to spend a fortune kitting out your battle station. If that’s the case, we’ve created a bunch of guides to suit those on a tighter budget, from the best budget gaming headset, best budget GPUs, and best budget gaming mouse to the best budget gaming chair and best budget monitor. Be sure to check them out.

FAQs

What Equipment Do Gamers Need?

There are some essential gaming accessories that all gamers should consider investing in. A good chair should be a priority; if you’re sitting there for long gaming sessions, your chair should be comfortable, ergonomic, and be suited to your build and weight. Similarly, a decent keyboard/mouse combo or controller is a must-have. If you chat with friends or want a more immersive experience, you’ll also want to invest in a decent headset.

Are Controllers Better Than a Mouse and Keyboard for PC Gaming?

No, it’s more a matter of personal preference. Playing the best PC games with a comfortable controller might seem sacrilege to accuracy-focused keyboard and mouse enthusiasts, but you just need to do you.

The biggest—and most obvious—difference is the physical design of the peripherals. A great controller is ergonomic and simple to use, putting all the inputs in an easy-to-reach location. Its buttons and triggers are also often remappable. A keyboard and gaming mouse combo is larger and more spread out, requiring you to use a gaming desk or lapdesk when playing. However, you get an excess of possible inputs at your fingertips, and many keys are customizable. These peripherals also tend to be more precise and responsive, while analog sticks on a gamepad deliver smoother control over movements.

Who Makes the Best Gaming Gear?

Some of the biggest names in the gaming world include Razer, Corsair, SteelSeries, Logitech, Secretlab, and HyperX. They all produce great gaming accessories that can level up your gaming experience.

Danielle is a freelance writer for IGN based in Los Angeles who spends most of her time updating buying guides. When she’s not writing, you’ll probably find her obsessively reading, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts, or scouring the web for anything related to music history.