Gaming Peripherals – How do you play?

Gaming Peripherals – How do you play?
In the world of gaming our computers are everything, much like our car on the road. When it comes to the computer, we like ‘em fast, tough, efficient and top of the line. We’ve all got gamer-friends that boast the best the industry has to offer; ultra-fast hard drives that scream like a Formula 1 racecars, over-clocked processors pumping out more juice than the competition, RAM larger than your grandmother’s Cadillac trunk space, and graphics cards that would make your brain explode if you could process every frame they punched out. While the guts of our computers are vital to every gamer’s success, the peripherals we use can be just as important. You spent all that dough on the computer; don’t you want to feel cool while you use it too?

Peripherals make a difference in the gaming world. They’re akin to your steering wheel, shifter, driver’s seat, windshield, and stereo system or more. Studies show as of 2010, online PC gamers spend an average of 8 hours a week playing their drug of choice, that’s more time playing than most of us spend in our cars! I know I clock in about 20 hours a week with ease. More avid online gamers easily spend an average of 24+ hours a week enjoying blasting pixels and slaying evil dragons in the name of loot, glory, and women. Well, maybe not women…
If we can spend 15 or 20 grand on a car that gets used less than our gaming rigs, then I’m sure we can invest on some things that keep us comfortable as we slip away into our $14.95 a month MMO subscription. Here are few items that you may want to give pause to in your next purchase.

The Chair
Your back is one of the most important parts of your body (with a bad back, you won’t want to use some of the other parts). As a serious gamer (we know we all are), a gaming chair is one of the more important investments you can make for your future, and your children’s future if you want them later in life. A chair’s comfort, support, and adjustability should all be taken in to consideration before you purchase ‘The Helm’ in your endeavor to conquer all that is in your next game. Do not forget to consider ease-of-cleaning as well; nobody likes salsa stains on their gaming throne. This in mind, no run-of-the-mill office chair will do.
Gaming chairs have recently gained popularity among gamers and have made their way to local electronics markets like Best Buy. While these chairs have all the bells and whistles, headrest stereos, and Bluetooth connections, they tend to remain a little above most gamers’ wallets. In that case, a modified executive chair might just do the trick.

The Controls
It’s just a keyboard and mouse, right? WRONG! The peripherals you use to defeat your enemies are like a sword and shield in your hands. You wouldn’t bring a knife to a gun fight, why would you sell yourself short at the controls? Numerous mice, keyboards, keypads, and controllers are out there for your enjoyment, yet only a few deserve the touch of your raw gaming power. I’ve talked to numerous gamers that are happy with their ‘average joe’ keyboard and mouse, and I’ve managed to turn more than one of them in to elite gamers with a few suggestions.

Keyboards. Keyboards out there number in the thousands, but no keyboard takes the cake like Logitech’s G15 and G19 boards. Macro functionality, quick response keys, and that beloved LCD display not only reduce your time alt+tabing to Ventrilo, Teamspeak, and Itunes, it also lights up in your mother’s basement!

Mice. I’ve gone through more mice in the last 12 years of PC gaming, than girlfriends (don’t tell my wife). There are a number of mice out there with all the bells and whistles, but few mice that settle true in a player’s palm. A smooth mouse wheel with left right tilt, adjustable DPI, and multiple thumb buttons should all be in your mouse’s package before you pick it off the shelf. While my favorite and most recommended mouse is the Logitech G9x, Razor makes an impressive lineup of mice available for PC gamers and they do have a mouse specifically designed for the MMO player.

Gaming pads/boards. If you’ve never used one, then find a friend who has ‘em and borrow it! Usage learning curves can be high, and take up to a week to become fully ‘one with the controller’, but the benefits are immense. While usually only used by RTS and MMO players, these pads can also benefit the FPS user once fully adjusted. 3 pads on the market now have high popularity. I’ve tried them all, yet only one pad suits my tastes. Logitech again produces a high quality gaming peripheral, the G13. Saitek produces the Cyborg Command Unit. Finally, Belkin makes their mark with the n52te. I like the G13, but it did not feel quite right in my hand, and its programmability was not as user friendly as Belkin’s n52te. The Cyborg Command Unit hat faster response times than the G13, however it felt cheap in my hand and the thumb controller was a little too small for my liking. The n52te walks tall and takes the gold on my desk, having both quick response and sturdy keys; and the thumb controller has a removable joy-stick button that can turn it into a D-Pad for users who prefer that type of feel. The controller also has a 3-way adjustable palm rest (off/close/far) to help adjust for the user’s hand. The n52te also boasts a robust programming tool by Razor with onboard memory so you can take it to your friend’s house and without the hassle of about setting it up. It too, will light up the basement.

The Headset
Nobody likes the guy that gets on ventrilo or teamspeak and all you hear is his speakers and everyone else talking because he’s too cheap to buy a headset. And what about that guy that sounds like he’s got his mic halfway down his throat? Your headset doesn’t just put you on the com, it tells everyone else you mean business. Headsets can range from a mere $15 to a walloping $200. It all depends on how much you love your ears.
Like all gamers, I have my preferred headset. The Logitech G35 headset I use has on-set volume control and mute functionality, which saves my ears when the drunk-guild member comes online and speaks about 40 decibels above everyone else. As always, it boasts a couple G-keys for gaming controls and other functionalities like voice morphing.
Razor makes a great line of headsets for gamers, with high quality on board sound processing and great input control, all highlighted by their top of the tier Megalodon headset.

The Display
For your viewing pleasure… nuff said. In today’s age, video games have opened themselves to the revolution of High Definition and 1080p of blood screaming pixels and half-naked babes with swords. You don’t drive down to the local burger joint to stare at the manager that eats half of her own stock, why would you torture your eyes with a beautiful game on a mediocre screen? In the age of HD TV, high quality monitors pumping out HD are quickly making their way to the gaming world, and should be enroute to your desk if you don’t already sport one.
Dell, HP, and Samsung probably make the best quality LCD Wide screen monitors on the market.
I currently have an HP w2338h on my desktop that screams of a great picture. I’ve long disliked HP computers and components, but this screen called my name when I was shopping. Before you buy your next monitor, take a look at both Dell’s and Samsung’s highest rated HD screens that keep taking the cake on reviews.