The best tech to level up your gaming experience
Summary
Picking up cool gaming gear is a venerable side-quest, no matter which game or platform you prefer. We put together a list of our favourites across categories, from smartphone controllers to your own arcade machine
Grid Legends on iPhone or Baldur’s Gate 3 on Steam, or even Genshin Impact on Android or Astro Bot on PlayStation 5—no matter what your choice of game or platform, picking up some new gamer gear to amp up your gameplay (or even just the vibes of your game room) is as rewarding as a side quest done right.
From controllers to headsets to pair with your console/PC games to tech that you can carry on the road and never have to stop gaming, our picks of the best gaming gear across categories has something for everyone. Be warned though—some of these indulgences are pricier than the latest game consoles!
Gaming Headset: SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
Hands down, the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless ($379.99, approx. ₹60,000) is the G.O.A.T of wireless headsets for gaming. With telescoping arms and slimmer earcups accommodating heads of all shapes and sizes, the Nova Pro connects to your gaming console and PC simultaneously thanks to a dedicated 2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth, ready to toggle at the press of a button. Spatial audio support means you can hear from which direction the enemy is advancing, and active noise cancellation does well to block out the complaints of the family! And with the two hot-swappable battery system and 22 hours per battery, you’ll run out of juice long before this does! Honorable mention: Logitech G Astro A50 X with a HDMI switcher built into the charging base, a blessing for gamers who own and use more than one console.
Smartphone Gaming Controllers: Razer Kishi Ultra
Smartphones are great for gaming on the go, but touch screens simply aren’t as tactile as a dedicated gaming controller, a fact you notice even more so if you play on a console and miss the feedback that only physical controls can provide. Pick up a Razer Kishi Ultra ($149.99, approx. ₹19,000) to transform your smartphone into a portable gaming console, replete with full size grips, customizable RGB lighting and controls that rival those of a Nintendo Switch in performance and tactile response. Connectivity via USB-C means you can plug in the latest iPhones, Android phones and even the latest iPad mini.
Noteworthy mention: the Backbone One ( ₹12,499), for its intuitive design and controls and feature-rich companion app.
Desk Accessory: Corsair MM700 RGB Gaming Desk Mat
If you lean towards RGB lighting on your Alienware laptop, why shouldnt your desk be invited to the party? Light up your desk setup with the Corsair MM700 RGB Gaming Mouse Pad ( ₹5800), with its three-zone RGB lighting that lets you cycle through 12 lighting profiles at the push of a button. At up to 4-feet by 2-feet, it’s large enough to cover most desks, with abundant room for your mouse, keyboard and headsets, and the woven textile surface is suited for high-performance gaming mice. And if you have other Corsair accessories with RGB lighting, the desk mat plays well with the setup.
Virtual Reality Headset: PlayStation VR2
Virtual Reality headsets have mostly been the victim of their own hype and princely price points, but wider game support and accessible price points have recently turned the tide. The easiest to recommend is the PlayStation VR2 ( ₹57,999) - with the 4K OLED screen, 110-degree field of view, the PSVR2 leads the field for immersive gaming experiences. You have to try one on for size to believe just how precise the PSVR2’s eye tracking gets and coupled with the Sense controllers detecting your hand movement, this is the closest you’ll get to feeling like you’re in the game, rather than merely playing it. Those gaming on a PC can use the PC adapter ($59.99, approx. Rs. 8000) to play VR games available on the Steam store. Honorable mention: XREAL Air 2 Pro AR Glasses, which look like a pair of sunglasses, but the moment you plug them into your device via USB-C, you can start watching movies or playing console games as if you were connected to a massive theater screen, just inches away from your eyes.
For Arcade Enthusiasts: Arcade1UP Arcade Machine
There’s a visceral feeling of being in a gaming arcade that old-school gamers can’t quite shake off, from the grainy graphics to the sound of the buttons being mashed in quick succession. Fortunately, you don’t have to trawl gaming forums or deal with sketchy sellers to bring the arcade flavor into your home. If you’re a retro gamer who has everything, consider this your next challenge, the ultimate accessory for your gaming den. The Arcade1UP video game machine ($449.99 onwards) has it all – a sharp 17-inch screen, Wi-Fi connectivity, retro-styled joysticks and light up features, plus 14 classic games, all in a 31-kilo, five-foot cabinet that is packed to the brim with nostalgia. Pick from theme like Pac-Man and Mortal Kombat, with the latter offering a two-player mode as well.
Gaming Chair: Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen
You could play all day on your trusty home-office chair, or you could invest in the luxe Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen ($799) gaming chair, with its plush, well-padded seat and a long, sturdy backrest with adjustable lumbar support. Add to that the headrest and 4D armrests, both of which feature a magnetic attachment system to quickly swap out the tops of the armrests for better cushioning or a completely different look when you have friends over. There’s even an upsized XL version to deliver the same benefits to a bigger audience. Like the Arcade1UP, the finished chair weighs nearly 35 kilograms, so you’re going to need a generous baggage allowance to bring one in!
Honorable mention to gaming chairs from the folks at Green Soul, available in India and with less of a sticker shock!
3D-Printer: Bambu Lab A1
Wait a minute, a 3-D printer for your gaming setup? With the explosion of 3D-printable models on Thangs and Printables, pretty much anything you need for your gaming setup is now a 3D print away! Want a stand for your headset? You can print one! How about decorative miniatures or figurines? Sorted. Add-ons for your controllers for added comfort or accuracy? Absolutely! Our pick is the Bambu Lab A1 3D Printer ($499, 32,499 on Robu.in) – it’s fast, offers four color printing and is super easy to use.
Storage: WD_Black P40 Game Drive
With burgeoning game sizes, running out of storage on your gaming PC or console is an inevitability, and an external hard drive to store your library of games comes highly recommended. The WD_Black P40 Game Drive (Rs. 12,499) perfectly fits the bill – there’s a sizeable 1TB of storage space coupled with blistering 2,000Mb/s read speeds when using the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface. Heck, there’s even a touch of RGB lighting, for those of you who love that gamer aesthetic on everything you own.
Gaming-themed LEGO Sets
Show your love for your favorite game franchise by picking up LEGO’s beautiful renditions of the Great Deku Tree (Legend of Zelda), a miniature PAC-MAN arcade set, or Mario and Yoshi (Super Mario). Each of these make for a stunning display in your game room, but our pick has to be the Lego Nintendo Entertainment system, a tribute to the eighties console that launched with Super Mario Bros and comes with a scale replica of the original four-button controller and a retro-style television that recreates “World 1-1" from the game. Epic stuff!
Also read: Haier Kinouchi: AC remotes are unreliable. Can a smart AC be the answer?
