A Review of the Best Gaming Accessories

Passionate gamers understand the importance of gaming accessories. These thoughtfully designed hardware devices can make a huge difference in your overall gaming experience. Most importantly, gaming accessories facilitate full immersion and comfort. They also offer distinct advantages for competitive gaming, including improved accuracy, faster response, and precision. 

There is a vast selection of gaming accessories out there, to the point where it can be overwhelming. If you’re looking to narrow down accessories and enhance your gaming experience, you’re in luck. Today, we are going to review some of the best gaming accessories of 2023.

1. Barracuda X Gaming Headset

When it comes to gaming headsets, nothing offers better value than the Razer Barracuda X. This multi-platform wireless headset boasts a simple design and impressive features yet is surprisingly affordable. It’s among the most popular gaming headsets this year.

Design-wise, the headset has a sturdy build that is mostly plastic, but the padded headband has some metal. The oblong-shaped ear cups have a premium matte finish. Lining the cups are memory foam cushions underneath a breathable mesh fabric. 

The headset offers amazing comfort with its ear cup design, leatherette-covered headband, and low weight (250g). The control panel is situated along the left ear cup. It features a power button, mute button, and volume slider. 

What makes the Razer Barracuda X a great gaming headset is its multi-platform connectivity, made possible by its USB-C 2.4 Ghz dongle and 3.5mm jack. Living up to its all-in-one status, the Barracuda X is compatible with gaming platforms, including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. The headset also features low-latency Bluetooth(5.2) connectivity, which was absent in its predecessor. This high-speed connection is excellent for gameplay audio. 

Backing up all the Barracuda X features is the headset’s excellent sound quality. The soundscape is well balanced and rich with deep bass, clear treble, and detailed mid-ranges. We are confident this is among the best audio you can get for under $100. 

The Barracuda X also has a decent virtual surround sound on PC. However, accessing it is a bit of a hassle. You’ll need to download the separate Razer 7.1 Surround Sound kit. The battery life of the Barracuda X is also one of its strong features. The gaming headset has an estimated 50-hour battery life. Many gaming headsets at this price range often manage around 30 hours.

Pros:

• Compatibility with multiple gaming platforms 
• Excellent sound quality 
• Simple, comfortable, and aesthetic design
• Low-latency Bluetooth game-mode
• Virtual surround sound 
• Impressive 50-hour battery life 

Cons:

• Reduced quality of wired sound performance
• Accessing virtual surround sound  is a hassle
• It doesn’t support wireless connection on Xbox

2. BlackWidow V4 Pro Gaming Keyboard

For the ultimate gaming keyboard experience, you should set your eyes on the BlackWidow V4 Pro. This fully-sized command center offers a highly customizable keyboard experience for passionate gamers. BlackWidow V4 Pro is a mechanical gaming keyboard and the first of Razer’s V4 product lineup. 

It has a sizable and hefty build, measuring about 18.25 inches long and 9.25 inches wide and weighing 1.08 Kg (2.4 pounds) with the wrist rest attached. Granted, some people may be put off by the large size. However, if you have the space to accommodate it, you will enjoy everything the keyboard offers. 

The mechanical keys feature neat concave tops where your fingers can sit without sliding off. The key caps also have a double shot construction whereby a coating seals the letters, making them nearly impossible to rub off. RGB lighting is per key, and it shines through the caps for easy visibility. Its large chassis also enables you to locate keys quickly. 

The BlackWidow V4 PRO keyboard boasts either linear (Yellow) or clicky (Red) fully-sized mechanical switches rated for 100 million presses. The linear switches are designed for smoothness and quiet, while the clicky ones are designed to prevent accidental strokes. The gaming keyboard has an equally impressive layout featuring 8 macro keys and 4 media buttons. 

This makes the keyboard well-suited for MMO games where you can map essential actions. You can customize the keys and tweak the RGB lighting using Razer’s Synapse software. The chassis also features a tall and user-friendly command dial with 8 programmable functions. 

On the performance side, the BlackWidow V4 Pro is lighting quick. It’s among the few keyboards with an 8000Hz hyperpolling rate, which translates to near instantaneous key actuation. For competitive first-person shooters, it provides a considerable advantage. 

Rounding out BlackWidow V4 Pro’s neat features is the leatherette wrist rest. It’s soft and comfortable and lights up your gaming space through the RGB underglow. The BlackWidow V4 Pro packs a premium price and may be too bulky for some. However, if you can overlook these aspects, it’s a must-have accessory if you want the ultimate keyboard experience.

Pros:

• Lightning fast key actuation
• Comfortable and tactile slide-resistant mechanical keys
• 8 mappable macro keys
• Excellent customizable RGB lighting 
• Comfortable and illuminating wrist rest.

Cons:

• High price
• It’s considerably bulky and requires a lot of desk space
• Its weight affects portability

3. Logitech G502 X Lightspeed

Logitech’s G502 product line of gaming mice is incredibly popular with gamers. Logitech amped up this already-amazing lineup with the release of Logitech G502 X Lightspeed, a wireless multi-genre gaming mouse. The gaming mouse has great core performance and features, which make it one of the best gaming accessories to get in 2023.

It has an impressive ergonomic, functional, and aesthetic design. The build is also solid, with no creaks under pressure. At 102 grams, it isn’t the lightest mouse around, but it isn’t heavy either. It’s comfortable to use for extended periods but may not be to the liking of people with small hands. Nonetheless, the bulk helps gamers who prefer placing their wrists right behind the mouse. 

A soft-touch plastic with either black or white color schemes covers the mouse. It has textured rubber grips down either side that eliminate the need to adjust your hands often. The USB-C input for charging is located at the front of the mouse. It also features the Powerplay feature from Logitech that allows you to charge the mouse via powered mouse pads. 

Another draw of the Logitech G502 X Lightspeed are 11 mappable inputs for binding actions in games. These include a scroll wheel with customizable tilt inputs and an FPS sniper button. This versatility makes the mouse ideal for playing games in different genres. The mouse also features Logitech’s durable opto-mechanical mouse switches, which reduce latency and improve click timing.

Located on the bottom of Logitech G502 X Lightspeed are PTFE feet. This is a non-stick polymer coating that reduces friction to facilitate the gliding motion of the device. Another highlight of the gaming mouse is the tried-and tested Hero 25K sensor, which is incredibly responsive and snappy. The sensor supports tracking up to 25,600 DPI with an accuracy of 400 inches per second.

The battery life on the Logitech G502X Lightspeed wireless gaming mouse is excellent. The mouse boasts an estimated battery life of up to 140 hours on a single charge. On the software side, you can customize settings through Logitech G Hub, the configuration app for Logitech’s gaming peripherals.  

Pros:

• Sleek ergonomic design
• Highly versatile with 11 mappable inputs
• Responsive gaming performance
• Excellent battery life

Cons:

• Lacks Bluetooth connectivity
• It can be considered costly

4. J S Vision Blue Light Shield Gaming Glasses

The screen time associated with extended gaming sessions can have some negative effects. This is partly due to the blue light emitted by monitors and TV screens. The effects may include digital eye fatigue, insomnia, light sensitivity, decreased productivity, and headaches. Fortunately, blue-light blocking glasses can help prevent these problems. J S Vision Blue Light Shield Glasses are one of the best gaming accessories you can buy in 2023.

These highly affordable gaming glasses have been designed to block up to 90% of potentially harmful (high-energy) blue light. To minimize color distortion, the glasses let through 70 % of low-energy blue light. As such, the glasses help protect you from the negative effects of extended screen time without affecting your gaming experience. Filtering blue light allows you to better focus on your games. 

J S Vision Blue Light Shield has a stylish unisex design. The large rectangular frame covers a large field of vision. The polycarbonate frame is sturdy and features spring-loaded temples that facilitate comfortable fits for different face and head shapes. Also, there is a wide range of frame colors to choose from, including black, clear, and tortoise.

J S Vision offers two variants of these glasses, including Low Color Distortion and Heavy Duty options. The Low Color Distortion glasses are designed for general everyday use, offering good levels of protection. The Heavy Duty glasses are well suited for extended gaming periods as they offer the best protection. 

Unfortunately, there are no prescription-based model glasses. They may pose a problem for gamers with poor eyesight. J S Vision offers a one-year warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee for the gaming glasses.

Pros:

• Effective at blocking blue light
• Comfortable frame fitting different head sizes and shapes
• Timeless unisex design 
• Highly affordable
• One year warranty

Cons:

• They are not prescription glasses
• Cannot be worn over existing glasses

Conclusion:

And there you have it! These are our top picks for the best gaming accessories of 2023. We considered different types of gaming accessories and checked out the best from each category. Investing in gaming accessories is worth the cost if you seek to level up your gameplay and improve your overall experience. 

As a gamer looking to purchase gaming accessories, you should consider several important factors. These include gaming platform compatibility, gaming performance, features and functionalities, value for money, brand reputation, and extras.