The Best PC Gaming Accessories of 2024

The 2024 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 isn’t just the best gaming laptop you can buy right now, it’s the best period. Asus has crammed an excellent 14-inch, 120Hz, 2880 x 1800 OLED panel into a thin and light unibody aluminum chassis that boasts the same footprint as a typical 13-inch laptop.

But just because the 2024 G14 is only 3.3 pounds and boasts nearly 12 hours of battery life doesn’t mean it underperforms or costs an arm and a leg. To the contrary; our review unit, configured with an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM at 6400MHz, and a mobile Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card, smashes similarly spec’d competitors.

For those who want to eke out even more frames, the G14 can be configured with up to an RTX 4070—unfortunately, unlike the 2023 model, there’s no RTX 4080 or 4090 option available due to cooling constraints. If you want a top-end GPU, look towards the larger Asus ROG Zephyrus G16.

All of that power and portability is reasonably priced at $1,600, and the G14 regularly goes on sale for $1,350. The top-tier configuration with 32GB of RAM and an RTX 4070 is $2,000, or the same price as a similarly configured G16. Rounding out what’s already a promising package is rock-solid build quality, good ergonomics, and a subdued finish that puts the G14 at home in an office or in a full-on gaming setup.

Read our full review of the 2024 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.

Alienware was the first to use Samsung’s third-generation QD-OLED panels for gaming monitors, and months later, the Alienware AW3225QF still can’t be beaten. It’s a 4K, 32-inch OLED gaming monitor with a 240Hz maximum refresh rate that doesn’t skim anywhere. Its subtle curve might throw some off, but even that helps bring the edges of the screen closer to your center of vision.

OLED panels can turn each pixel off individually when not in use, resulting in (almost) perfect black levels and instant pixel refresh times that blow IPS and VA monitors out of the water. Dell didn’t skimp on the quality-of-life features here like prior generation OLED gaming monitors, including ample USB ports and power over USB-C.

Color reproduction, gamut, and accuracy are fantastic. We measured an average DeltaE value—the difference between a target value and what’s actually measured—of 0.57 after calibration, which is virtually perfect and low enough for color-sensitive creative work. Games and movies are vibrant and realistic. Browsing the web or editing photos looks leaps and bounds better than on a non-OLED display, and even better than some older WOLED panels.

That effect is further enhanced when HDR is turned on. Shadows are dark, moody, and atmospheric thanks to the effectively infinite contrast ratio, and highlights get extremely bright without losing detail. HDR on the AW3225QF is astoundingly color-accurate as well; we measured an average DeltaE of only 0.93 with it enabled. It’s accurate and bright enough to leave on even when not gaming. The AW3225QF is also the only gaming monitor that supports Dolby Vision and even has an eARC port for soundbars.

The features you can use every day push the AW3225QF over the top. It can easily hit 220 nits of uniform brightness even when an all-white screen is displayed, making it bright enough to write and fill out spreadsheets with. Switching between brighter and darker objects doesn’t rapidly dim or brighten portions of the screen like with older OLED displays, and the aforementioned port selection is plentiful while the OSD menus are easy to use.

Combined with excellent viewing angles and a gentle curve that’s easy to forget exists, the AW3225QF is an all-around winner. If 32 inches is too large, the 27-inch, 1440p, 360Hz Alienware AW2725DF is a smaller flat QD-OLED gaming monitor that’s just as good.

Read our full review of the Alienware AW3225QF.

The Gulikit KK3 Max is an excellent gamepad that competes with high-end controllers like the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 but at a more accessible price of $80.

The long list of higher-end features includes magnetic Hall effect triggers and thumbsticks, trigger locks, four detachable and customizable back paddles, and macro support. Many competitors offer a few of these features, but the KK3 Max bundles them in one package.

Yet the KK3 Max is also excellent to game with even when those features aren’t required. It boasts a comfortable design, responsive BAYX face buttons (that is recognized as the more familiar ABXY, Xbox-style layout when connected to PC), and a partially customizable layout that lets owners attach or detach the paddle buttons, swap the position of the face buttons, and toggle between a 4-way or 8-way D-Pad.

It feels great to use out of the box and even better after taking a few minutes to tweak it to your preference.

There’s one catch, and that’s device compatibility. The KK3 Max only officially supports PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices but eschews major consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. And the battery life, though adequate at up to 28 hours with LED lighting disabled, isn’t at the front of the pack.

If you can accept those downsides, however, the KK3 Max is nearly unbeatable. It offers all the features found in more expensive alternatives, yet makes no sacrifices in quality or layout to obtain them. It’s an easy recommendation for gamers who play on Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, or iOS and for $10 more, handily outpaces our previous top pick, the Gulikit KingKong 2 Pro.

Read our full review of the Gulikit KK3 Max.

The Audeze Maxwell is a special breed of gaming headset. They’re audiophile headphones with a detachable boom microphone, and it’s a formula that works shockingly well. The Maxwell headset boasts a low-latency 2.4GHz wireless connection that works with a broad range of gaming platforms, something that really drives up the value. It also supports high-quality Bluetooth connections with LDAC, LC3, and Bluetooth LE, and AAC. That’s topped off with wired connectivity over both 3.5mm AUX cables and USB.

The audio pumps out of powerful, precise 90mm planar magnetic drivers. Every part of even the busiest music comes through quite clearly, and that clarity carries over into gaming as well. The boom mic ensures crisp communication. Meanwhile, built-in pinole microphones let you keep chatting when you’re on the move and don’t want a clunky boom mic in the way, so the Audeze Maxwell can pull double duty as a normal (if heavy) set of headphones.

This headset may not quite have active noise cancelation but that’s made up for with more impressive audio quality and an overall experience that will likely be well worth it for gamers who care about maximum fidelity.

Read our full review of the Audeze Maxwell.

Even though the SteelSeries Apex Pro is a full-sized mechanical gaming keyboard with a number pad, it doesn’t take up too much room on the desktop (there is a tenkeyless version available, though). The build quality is top class, with a matte black aluminum board, and an incredibly comfortable, soft-touch wrist rest that connects magnetically.

There’s a small OLED at the top right, along with a clickable roller and a large key that serves as dedicated media controls. The OLED can display your gamer tag or even a GIF, but also offers welcome feedback on your chosen settings and profiles so you don’t need to tab out of your game to tweak things.

The headline feature here comes courtesy of the Omnipoint switches. Not only does SteelSeries claim that they’re much more responsive and durable than conventional mechanical switches, but they also offer customizable actuation. This means you can configure your preferred sensitivity level, dictating whether you’d like the lightest of touches to register or a deeper press (from 0.1 mm to a maximum of 4.0 mm). It doesn’t change the feel of typing on the keyboard (which is excellent, by the way) but it does change when the key press registers.

Since you can set sensitivity per individual key, it allows you to dampen certain keys you find yourself accidentally pressing, but leave WASD super sensitive, for example. Take the time to set up different profiles for work and play, and even for individual games and you will feel the benefit. Accurate typing is a breeze on this keyboard and it’s relatively quiet for a mechanical keyboard.

The SteelSeries Apex Pro features bright RGB lighting which is also fully configurable on a per-key basis. The SteelSeries Engine 3 software is fairly easy to get to grips with. You can set main and meta key bindings, use a macro editor, tweak the actuation, set up lighting effects and colors, and even load a custom image or GIF for the OLED screen. There’s room for five onboard profiles.

With cable routing left, middle, or right, and a pass-through USB with its own lit-up port on the left, the SteelSeries Apex Pro embodies thoughtful design. Gaming and general typing on this keyboard is an absolute pleasure and nothing offers deeper customization, but the price makes it a serious investment.

Comfort and grip reign supreme with this full-featured, right-handed, wireless gaming mouse which packs in an impressive amount for the relatively low cost.

It’s quite large and weighty at 133 grams, so it’s best suited to larger hands. There’s a textured surface for enhanced grip on your palm and there’s a textured thumb rest on the left. You can remove the right-side panel (which reveals a slot for the USB receiver) and switch in a textured pinkie rest to keep your hand completely off the desktop. It’s incredibly comfortable to use for long gaming sessions.

Connectivity is seamless thanks to Corsair’s “Slipstream” technology which can switch channels on the 2.4 GHz frequency automatically. There’s also Bluetooth support as a backup. This mouse handles frenetic in-game action with aplomb, boasting a sensor that goes up to 18,000 DPI with a 2,000Hz polling rate.

There are eight programmable buttons you can remap or customize with shortcuts and macros. You’ll also find nine RGB lighting zones. Everything is configured via Corsair’s iCue software, which takes some concentration to get to grips with, but proves to be very versatile indeed, offering deep customizability.

With a battery life of up to 50 hours, the Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro has some stamina, though you’ll need to be in power-saving mode with lighting off to get close to that time. There’s a USB-C port, so you can always plug in and keep playing when the battery runs down. If you really want Qi wireless charging support, you can get it for a price upgrade with the Dark Core Pro RGB SE.

You can buy Corsair’s MM1000 Qi Wireless Charging Mouse Pad, or you can charge the mouse on any Qi wireless charging pad. Just know that the wireless option can tend to add more to the bottom line than we feel is worth it at most retailers.

At the end of our testing, this was the mouse we wanted to return to. The Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro offers everything you could want in a gaming mouse.

They may be small, but the Audioengine A2+ speakers feel reassuringly solid and well-made. The elegant design and matte satin black finish blend in easily on any desktop, or you can opt to stand out with a glossy red or white exterior.

The left speaker has a volume dial that also clicks on the power and there’s a pairing button for Bluetooth connections, but no remote is included. There’s no separate subwoofer, either, though there is an output should you want to add one. The cabling is good quality and generous enough to allow for a sit-stand desk.

We were instantly blown away by the power and punch of these speakers. Tested second to last, the jump in class over other speakers was immediately obvious. Strong stereo separation makes for good positional sound in games. Voices come through loud and clear, whether it’s in-game chat, a movie, or a video call. But it’s with music that the Audioengine A2+ shows their quality and superiority.

There’s a real depth and accuracy to the sound with a rich clarity from low mids through to the higher registers. They may lack a little extra depth in the bass, but they produce a finely balanced and impactful sound, and you always have the option of adding a subwoofer. There’s also no digital signal processing (DSP) here, which can dampen things and is present on most of the other speakers on our list.

Connectivity is versatile with USB, dual analog inputs, and support for Bluetooth 5.0. It’s quick and easy to connect wirelessly and support for aptX and AAC codecs (a rarity in PC speakers) ensures high-quality audio when streaming.

There are no superfluous extras; the Audioengine A2+ delivers excellent sound in a compact, unfussy package that’s perfectly sized for the desktop. The only obvious omission is a remote control, but that won’t trouble most people. One issue we did encounter was a major jump in volume when switching between sources, so that’s something to watch out for.

Ultimately, the Audioengine A2+ are the best compact PC speakers we’ve tested and produce the highest quality sound regardless of the source. What else could you ask for?

The Blue Yeti X is our overall best in show microphone. It feels solid and well-built, with a wide variety of features that make day-to-day use easier.

A single knob on its front adjusts the gain, headphone volume, and lets you blend the audio coming through the headphones. That means you can choose to hear just what the microphone picks up with no latency, or you can hear the sound coming through your computer, too—crucial if you’re recording music or tracking dialogue.

The same front button also serves as a mute button in case you need to sneeze or cough while podcasting or in a meeting. An LED meter on the front also shows the volume of the incoming sound. If it's too loud, you can see that and adjust the gain on the microphone.

A button on the back adjusts the pickup pattern. This affects where in the room the mic “hears,” so that you can use it in a variety of situations. A regular cardioid polar pattern is great for sitting in front of the mic by yourself, for instance, but in a group, you may want a broader pickup pattern. With the Yeti X, you can make those decisions and adjust them as you go.

The Yeti X’s sound is consistently solid. There are other microphones more focused on tuning out room noise, but this mic does a fantastic job of blending high quality with versatility. It’s easy to use in a wide range of situations, with plenty of features that let you control the sound without having to fiddle with your computer.

We didn't find a ton of downsides to this mic, but the knob on the front may be trying to do too much at once. Navigating its various controls can be a little complicated. The manual makes things clear, but it takes a while before it becomes second nature. And while the weight felt like a benefit in the home studio, it might be a little obnoxious on the go.

It’s all in the name. The AKRacing Core EX gaming chair looks like it belongs in a race car, not in an IKEA office (though it might match your gaming desk). But unlike some of the other gaming chairs we’ve tested, the quality doesn’t just stop at aesthetics. This was the most comfortable chair that we tested.

The AKRacing Core EX has just about every adjustability option that you need to find a comfortable fit. Height-adjustable and removable neck and lumbar support pillows keep your spine aligned with enough softness in each that they cradle your body instead of pushing against it.

The separate recline and tilting functions give a much wider range of sitting options than either can alone. Also, the fact that this chair could come up to 90 degrees means it provides quality lumber and neck support no matter what position you want to sit in

The armrests are likewise adjustable in almost every direction. They move forward and backward, up and down, and can turn in and out. The chair even has bolts on the bottom that allow you to slide them left and right to get as tight to your body as you want.

The only real issue with this chair was the fabric that comes with the baseline model. There’s nothing wrong with it, as it’s high quality and almost as easy to clean as PU or PVC leather chairs. However, it holds onto more of your body heat than faux-leather upholstery does. On a 90+ degree day, we can see it getting uncomfortable quickly.

That said, AKRacing makes plenty of chairs with more breathable PU leather upholstery. So, if it’s in the budget and you like everything else about the AKRacing chair, we might recommend splurging for that upgrade. We also recommend checking out the sizing chart available on their website to make sure that you get a chair that will fit your body.