Guide for gaming peripherals

Whether you’re thinking about building a gaming PC or already have a gaming PC you are going to need the peripherals to match. Although to some it can be overwhelming to decide on what to get it can all depend on what you are after, a person who plays first-person shooters may want a shorter keyboard whereas an avid RPG player might need the whole keyboard, it’s all dependent on what the player is going to be playing.

This guide will be going through all the potential considerations when it comes to buying gaming peripherals to try and help you decide what will work best for you.

Gaming mice are everywhere it seems like every tech brand now has its own range of mice and at varying prices too. But don’t let that confuse you as although there are many only a few will suit your needs. Here are just a few things to consider when buying a gaming mouse:

DPI – Some people would say that this is the most important consideration when buying a gaming mouse. Dots per inch (DPI) is how a computer mouse measures the distance when a person is using the mouse. So if the DPI is high then the mouse moves faster and if the DPI is low then the mouse moves faster and so on. The reason that this is important is that people usually want a mouse that will match their reaction times, there is no use in having fast reaction times with a low dpi mouse setting.

High DPI mice are found in more modern higher quality mice such as the Steelseries Rival 650, you’ll also find that most gaming mice now have built-in buttons to increase and decrease the DPI whilst playing.

Weight – Considering the weight of your mouse may seem trivial at first but actually can improve the way you play. It’s also dependent on what you’re comfortable with, as some people won’t like a mouse that’s too light and so on. Instead of looking in the description for how much the mouse weighs have a look if it has an adjustable weight distribution. Most modern gaming mice come with them now and this way you can find out yourself if the mouse is for you.

Software – When you buy your gaming mouse you may want to make a few tweaks or changes to how it works how it looks. This is usually achieved via the software that the manufacturer offers with their hardware. So if you want to change the colour of your mouse’s lights or effects you’ll want to make sure that the brand your mouse comes from offers it.

Wired or wireless – Now if you are considering having a wireless mouse then you will be left with more freedom when it comes to moving your mouse as well as a less cluttered desk. Yet the only issue is that you will have to manage the charge of your mouse, although most modern mice currently have long-lasting batteries it can still be an inconvenience if you must charge your mouse mid-way through a game. Another thing to look out for with wireless mice is input lag, which is the amount of time that passes for the PC to receive the signal, although being very minor in high-quality mice it can be an issue for some.

Out of all the gaming peripherals, keyboards are probably the most customizable and with that comes a slew of different considerations to make. Yet we have a list here of the things you may want to consider when getting yourself a new gaming keyboard:

Size –  Having the size that suits you can be important to the way you play as well as the way you organise your set-up. There are multiple different sized keyboards from full-sized standard keyboards to 40% keyboards with a minimal amount of keys. Although you may not have seen these different sized keyboards you may find that they are perfect for you. A prime example of a different size keyboard is the Sandberg Ragestrom Mech Gaming Keypad as it is designed for people who play FPS (first-person shooters) games as it leaves more space on the desk for mouse movement.

Switches – Switches are what essentially affect your key pressing experience when using your keyboard, there are three main types of keys:

• Red/Linear has no bump and click which means that the key goes straight down with no resistance or click similar to your standard non-keyboards.
• Brown/Tactile has a bump with no click, a “bump” is having some feedback/resistance before you press the key all the way down to improve accuracy.
• Blue/Clicky has a bump with a click, these are the same as the brown but they also make a clicking sound once pressed. These would be more suited to typing as opposed to playing games.

Custom keycaps – More and more people are making their gaming setups more extravagant and personalised and now you can customise your keyboards keys. Depending on what keyboard you go for it can now have its keycaps changed. Although this probably won’t do much for your performance at least your keys can look nice whilst your playing.

Wired or wireless – Again if you are considering getting a wireless keyboard it will improve your cable management and will also mean that you can take the keyboard around the room. But it will mean that there is the chance that there will be some input lag depending on the quality of the keyboard you get. You’ll also find that there is quite a price margin between wired and wireless keyboards so if you are going to do it be ready to spend a little extra.

When getting a mousepad there are a few things to consider, one of which being its size. The reason being is that some people use more of their desk when using their mouse than others so having that reach could prove to be useful, one of the best companies to look at when buying a different size mouse is Steelseries as they offer a range of different sizes.

Having a headset in the modern era of gaming that we are in can make or break a gaming set-up. If you’re an online gamer this can be the difference between winning through either hearing the footsteps of your enemies or communicating with teammates. When buying a headset there are a handful of things to consider when buying:

Wired/Wireless – Having a wireless or wired headset is completely down to the user’s preference but they both have their positives and negatives. Having a wireless headset over a wired one means that you can move freely in your set-up without having to be tangled up by wires but it does mean that the headset does need to be regularly charged which can become tedious especially if it needs charging mid-game. Whereas having a wired headset just means that they are constantly on but with less freedom.

Surround sound – With competitive games becoming more and more popular, the need for surround sound technology is growing as it enables players to get a sense of where the sounds are coming from. Now in higher quality headsets, they will offer features such as Dolby surround sound which could instrumental in how you play games. So it’s worth having a look for this on your headsets when you consider buying your next one.

Microphone – If you’re a social gamer it’s also worth looking into the quality of the microphone as everyone has that one friend with the spotty mic and no one want to be that friend. So when looking for a headset ensure that you’re getting the best one for your budget. It’s also handy to have a microphone that can be folded away although it’s not a necessity, you may not want it in your face at all times.

In the current era of gaming PCs having RGB in peripherals can make or break a set-up for some people. For those who don’t know what RGB(Red, Green and Blue) is, it’s the led lights in devices that can be a spectrum of 256 colours. Now if having RGB in your devices is not your thing then don’t worry, as the majority of top brands tend to have their software that can help manage the different colours of your device. This also means that the device’s lights can be turned off.