Stuff Picks Gaming gear

Take your virtual thumb wars up a level

Logitech Driving Force G29 steering wheel Ryan Jones, Staff Writer

I’ll confess. I’m a terrible driver – at least, that’s what my instructor said after he stopped me driving the wrong way around a roundabout. But while it’s true that practice is the only way to improve, I’m seriously concerned about knocking over old ladies like bowling pins. Step in Logitech’s G29 wheel. Compatible with PS4, PS3, PC and Mac, its 900º steering means every turn feels terrifyingly real, while dual-motor force feedback lets me know when I’ve strayed from the track. The bundled pedals complete the experience, so I can get to grips with driving without putting anyone at risk. £330 / logitechg.com

Corsair Void Pro Guy Cocker, Global Brand Director

The rise of esports has resulted in an explosion of gaming headsets. Problem is, most of them are rubbish. The Corsair Void Pro, though, is actually worth buying, hitting the perfect sweet spot between price, sound quality and features. It costs just £130, but still manages to pack in wireless connectivity, Dolby Headphone 7.1 support and 16-hour battery life. It also looks sleeker than 99% of gaming headsets, so you won’t look like a total berk wearing it – unless, of course, you’re shouting expletives at American teenagers while playing Call of Duty. £130 / corsair.com

Roccat Horde AIMO Rob Leedham, Editor

No self-respecting gamer should make do with four buttons and a couple of control sticks if they want to be king of the nerds. Fortunately, Roccat’s Horde AIMO model has more inputs than you can shake a gravity gun at. As well as being capable of 16.8m colours, the AIMO’S keys follow a ‘membranical’ design that allows for super-responsive strokes. I’d love to say that such genius marginal gains added up for a monster Overwatch killstreak when I plugged it into my rig. Alas, I’m born incompetent when it comes to shooters. But hey, those colours sure do look pretty. £90 / roccat.org

Razer Panthera Tom Morgan, Reviews Editor

There’s no hiding my fighting game addiction with one of these on my lap. Razer’s chunky arcade stick is a bit of a brute, but it’s perfect Street Fighter fodder, with arcade-perfect buttons sourced straight from Japan and a joystick purpose-built for throwing knockout hadoukens. I’ve been able to pull off combos that I’d never dream of with my standard Dualshock controller. Pop the lid and you can even customise the lot, swapping the joystick for an American-style bat-top. Could be useful if you’re one of those Mortal Kombat-mad weirdos. £200 / razerzone.com

Steelseries Rival 600 Matt Tate, Hot Stuff Editor

In professional sport, you’ll often hear elite competitors say that the first thing they think about after winning a title is the next one. I’m yet to emerge from a game of PUBG with a prestigious chicken dinner to my name, but I reckon when it happens I’ll just want more of ’em. This marvellous mouse can only help my cause. It’s reassuringly grippy, and thanks to the dual optical sensors I know that lifting it for readjustment won’t send the cursor flying off towards the sky. With this sort of precision at my fingertips, my poultry cabinet surely won’t stay empty for long. £80 / steelseries.com

[ Photography Mitch Payne ]

SMART ’PHONES It’s not just games you can enjoy with these cans. Corsair’s PC app includes presets for movies and music, and you can also tune the mic so your friends can hear your cry as you’re shot. COLOUR MATCH It’s not proper gaming gear unless it has flashy LEDS. The app lets you change the colour of this headset’s lights, so you have a rainbow of options to celebrate your win.

TINNED TUNER The Horde AIMO comes with its own tuning wheel that you can customise to tweak any setting you please, from volume to brightness. Sadly, you can’t spin it for random weapon selection. LIVING COLOUR Almost every gaming keyboard comes with a rainbow-style lighting array these days, but this one reacts to your buttonmashing so you needn’t programme it beforehand.

TINKER, TAILOR, SANWA, SPY There’s room inside the box to hide the long USB cable, and a handy colour-coded wire diagram lets modders swap out the Sanwa Denshi buttons and joystick. RESPECT YOUR ELDERS Got a collection of fighting games from last generation? Flip a switch and this PS4 stick will play nicely with any PS3 console – or you can plug it into a PC to play old-school arcade classics.

WORTH THE WEIGHT With 256 weight and balance combinations, this is one of the most customisable computer tethered rodents there is. You can add any combo of the eight 4g weights. LIGHT FINGERED The Rival 600’s eight customisable RGB lighting zones mean you can have the mouse cycle through a range of hues, or dazzle your eyes with a rainbowcoloured illumination.