Using specialized gear like gaming headsets, mouses and keyboards can mean the difference between life and death in games, especially in the ones you play against other people online, like World of Warcraft, Starcraft 2 or maybe COD Black Ops. Of course, even when you play a single player campaign in a fun and engaging game, you do feel the benefits of better sound quality from your gaming headphones or a lag free gaming mouse with programmable buttons. However, the real difference is felt when playing against human adversaries.
Having a sharpened sense of hearing is one of the most important advantages in close combat, and this is why you need the best headset you can afford. This is one of the most basic things you should know. It’s much better to hear and to be able to quickly pinpoint the location of every footstep close by than to just hear some footsteps you can’t really figure out where they come from. This is why the latest gaming headsets have 7.1 surround sound systems, which are incredibly accurate and realistic, providing the suspension of disbelief which makes you love the action even more. Also, a nice touch of some of the most interesting headsets is the wireless feature. There have been some other experiments with this before, but there was a problem: the lag was too high sometimes and was interfering with the gaming experience. However, for a while now, gaming headsets and mouses got rid of this problem, and now the lag is negligible. Now you can put on your wireless headphones and, when you prepare for a raid with your friends in World of Warcraft, you can go to the kitchen and make a sandwich while still being able to discuss the strategy for the first boss with your team.
One of the best gaming headsets to date is the Logitech G930, which I warmly recommend to all avid gamers who want to take a step forward in their gaming experience. It has 7.1, it’s wireless, and it has three programmable buttons (or G-keys) you can use to create personalized macros. Also, if your batteries are low, you can recharge while still using the headset, which is pretty cool.
When it comes to gaming mouses, there are three important aspects: smoothness, comfort and special gaming features. There is virtually no difference in smoothness between optical and laser mouses, especially if you have a large, smooth mouse pad. I prefer laser mouses, but that’s just a personal preference.
Losing and winning a multiplayer game depends on your wits and quick reflexes, but the equipment you use comes to a close second in importance, especially if the ones you play against also use gaming gear. If you love gaming and you want to be a winner, you definitely need to keep up in this gaming arms race.