Tom’s Guide reviews dozens of gaming gear each year. It’s impossible to count the total number of gaming mice, keyboards, headsets, monitors, desktops and laptops in the last decade or so, but it’s enough to fill a small electronics warehouse.
I’ve been writing about TG gaming gear since 2013. During that time, we’ve evaluated some good products, some really bad products, and a ton of products in between. However, of all the equipment I’ve tested so far, only a few have been impressive enough to make me want to incorporate them into my personal gaming setup.
It’s one thing for Tom’s Guide writers to share positive or negative reviews. Pulling back the curtains to show you what we’re using is another story. With that in mind, here’s a little look at his PC gaming setup at home and his five peripherals that make it possible. To be clear, these may or may not be the best product for your setup, but I personally vouch for all of them.
game console and monitor
While Entire subreddit We’re dedicated to PC gamers showing off their battlestations, but that’s a bit beyond the scope of this article. My gaming desk is nothing special, and it’s often pretty messy. However, before diving into specific peripherals, it might be helpful to give a little background on what my general setup looks like.
First, I built my machine in 2020. For more information, seeHow to make a gaming PCA series of articles. (Many people have already read it and yes, I have received angry emails on this topic. Discussing this specifically probably won’t help much. .
Likewise, I don’t want to spend too much time discussing monitors for two reasons. First, buying a monitor is highly dependent on your personal setup. The amount of space, PC performance, resolution and frame rate preferences, etc. Discussing my monitor in detail isn’t very helpful to anyone but me. Second, I have an old Samsung monitor that has been discontinued for years, so not everyone can buy it.
Instead, let’s talk about the topic I know best: peripherals. All of the devices described here should work beautifully on any gaming PC and are all available for purchase today.
Logitech G502 Lightspeed
When I first reviewed Logitech G502, gave it an unprecedented 5-star rating, declaring it “the best multi-purpose gaming mouse on the market.”When the mouse first came out, I still put my beloved mouse down Logitech G500s Through that pace, I didn’t need it much at home.
But by 2020, my G500 started failing, so I decided to move to an all-wireless setup. I didn’t think twice.I Logitech G502 Lightspeed, and I’ve been using it ever since. This mouse boasts a comfortable design, easily programmable software, flawless wireless connectivity, and decent battery life. (More on this later.)
There is only one reason I would recommend against the G502 Lightspeed. Logitech G502 X LightspeedHowever, you can find some excellent sales as stores try to sell G502 Lightspeed stock. We recommend that you purchase as soon as you find a bargain.
Logitech G PowerPlay
of Logitech G PowerPlay It’s probably just one “extra” part of my gaming setup to the point that nothing bad happens if you ditch one of the best gaming mouse pads outright. As I pointed out in my first review, “Stop chopping up words. The PowerPlay system is a $100 mouse pad.” PowerPlay isn’t exactly accurate, though, as he’s ballooned to $120 over the past few years.
That said, there’s no denying that PowerPlay does what it promises. You get a large, high-quality Logitech mouse pad, with a hard or soft surface. For Logitech G Lightspeed models, PowerPlay charges your mouse while you work or play. That’s the whole setup. This makes the mouse wireless 100% of the time instead of 99% of the time. It’s overpriced. It’s a luxury. It’s borderline ridiculous. Still, I use it daily and it never disappoints.
Logitech G915
For years I have wondered when we would see a true wireless mechanical gaming keyboard from a major manufacturer. Logitech Logitech G613 — I actually didn’t like it. We appreciated the comfortable keyswitches and decent wireless connectivity, but the design left something to be desired, as did the lack of a rechargeable battery.
A few years later, however, Logitech came out with a much better product. Logitech G915This was the wireless mechanical gaming keyboard I’ve been waiting for. It had a rugged chassis, slim keycaps, low-profile switches, full RGB lighting, and a sleeker profile. I had to bring my own wrist rest, and the asking price of $250 is eye-popping. But in this case, you get what you pay for.
Friends and readers often ask me why bother with a wireless keyboard, since keyboards are usually fixed, especially in gaming setups. I don’t get very good feedback on that point, but I’d be surprised how often he moves the keyboard if it’s not fixed in one place. No extra wires is a boon when you’re installing new hardware or cleaning your desk. His Bluetooth connectivity on the G915 allows you to take it anywhere in the house and easily connect it to other devices. It’s not as convenient as a wireless mouse or headset, but it’s a luxury worth it.
Logitech G Pro X Wireless
If there’s one part of your PC game setup that you can pause on, it’s Logitech G Pro X Wireless headset. When I first reviewed this device, I loved it for its comfortable fit and excellent sound quality. It turned out to be a great accessory when working from home, thanks to its powerful microphone and robust software options.
I still love this headset, but I ran into a few issues.After two years, the battery started to degrade — 20 hours wasn’t the most generous run time to begin with . I’m guessing he’s down by about 15 and there’s very little time between “low battery” tone to complete shutdown. Plus, it’s not a versatile headset. The earcups cannot be folded, so they cannot be carried around. It connects via 2.4 GHz USB and that’s it. No Bluetooth. No hardwired connections.
At $200, it’s also far more expensive than the best gaming headsets and many wireless models. The soundscape and fit are so good that I can’t bring myself to explore other options just yet (although the Steelseries Arctis 7x is my go-to headset when traveling). But that day will surely come.
Why Choose Logitech Why Wireless?
Astute readers may have noticed two themes in this article. All my gear is Logitech and all my gear is wireless.
The latter point can actually be addressed more quickly. I’ve been reviewing gaming gear for almost ten years. During that time, I’ve seen wireless devices evolve out of curiosity and become perfectly superior alternatives to wired ones. Frankly, if you get wireless gear from any major game maker, it should work perfectly. However, wireless gear is still expensive, so it’s worth considering how much you need.
As for why I use Logitech gear, I have two answers. First and foremost, I like to use gear from the same manufacturer whenever possible. I don’t like running multiple game software packages as it can overwhelm system resources. Easily sync your RGB settings and create software profiles to activate all your gadgets at once. From an aesthetic point of view, it looks cool when all the gear matches.
Second, Logitech is designed to last. A few years ago, I visited his Logitech headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and asked one of his engineers, his well-worn Logitech laptop, which I had carried around in my backpack for about ten years, his mouse I showed When I said it was still working perfectly, the engineer replied, “Why isn’t it working?”
Either way, there’s a lot of great gaming gear out there, and these four products are by no means the be-all and end-all of a PC gaming setup. But if you’re wondering about gaming mice, keyboards, and headsets, these are the ones I trust at home.
