Best buys · 5 picks

The gaming setup

The screen and the box get the attention. These are the things you touch every session and never think to upgrade.

The controller

Xbox Wireless Controller

Works with a PC out of the box as well as an Xbox, and it is the layout most PC games are designed around, so the button prompts on screen match the ones in your hands.

Buy it for
PC gaming from the sofa, racing games, anything third-person.
Skip it if
You play mostly shooters at a desk. Keep the mouse.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →
The headset

HyperX Cloud II

Keeps turning up on best-headset lists years after launch, because it is comfortable for a long session and the sound holds up against headsets that cost twice as much.

Buy it for
Long sessions, voice chat, a first proper headset.
Skip it if
You want wireless. Look at the Cloud wireless models.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →
The storage

A 2TB NVMe SSD

Games are enormous now. For most people 2TB is the size that ends the uninstall-to-make-room shuffle. This pick is a specification: whichever reputable drive is cheapest today.

Buy it for
Anyone whose library no longer fits.
Skip it if
Your machine has no free M.2 slot. Check the motherboard first.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →
The gaming mouse

Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT

Around sixty grams, wireless with no delay you can feel, and a plain shape that suits most grips. A light mouse is easier to aim, and this is the one many professionals use.

Buy it for
Shooters and anything that needs fast, precise aim.
Skip it if
You want side buttons for an MMO. Get a mouse with a thumb grid.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →
The PlayStation controller

PlayStation DualSense

Adaptive triggers and rumble that games actually use, and it works on a PC over Bluetooth or USB as well as on a PS5.

Buy it for
PS5 owners, and PC players who prefer the PlayStation layout.
Skip it if
You want back paddles. Look at the DualSense Edge.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →