GEAR OF THE YEAR
THE BEST PC PERIPHERALS CONTINUED
BEST WIRELESS GAMING MOUSE LOGITECH G903 $169 | logitech.com
The Logitech G903 Lightspeed tries to do everything, and actually manages to pull it off. It’s a wonderfully sculpted ambidextrous design that fits a left hand as comfortably as any right-handed mouse, but can also accommodate lefties and has removable thumb buttons for either configuration. It has a brand new click mechanism that feels and sounds better than any other mouse we’ve used.
BEST VR FOR PC HTC VIVE $939 | vive.com
When it originally released, the HTC Vive was streets ahead of its nearest competitor, the Oculus Rift. Now, however, the gap has narrowed. Today the Oculus Rift matches much of the Vive’s functionality and includes two motion controllers of its own. But the Vive still has the edge over the Oculus because, for our money, the room-scale tracking is that much better, adding another dimension to the feeling of presence that you experience while using it.
BEST GAMING HEADSET CORSAIR HS70 $159 | corsair.com
The HS70’s virtual 7.1 surround sound actually does its job very well, delivering clear positional audio at all virtual distances, and at a great price point for such a strong showing. Right now, these are probably right in the sweet spot for price and performance, and if you’re in the market for a new set of gaming ‘phones (that also work with a PS4), you can’t go wrong .
BEST LAPBOARD RAZER TURRET $279 | razerzone.com
While there are arguably better lapboard typing experiences to be found for the same price, the Turret from Razer is a compact unit that gives you all the essentials without dominating your living room. Sadly, you won’t be able to dim your living room lights, as the Turret misses out on any backlighting, but this does allow for a totally wireless experience, an attribute that is surprisingly rare in lapboards. To top it off the mouse and keyboard’s rechargeable batteries will last around 40 hours, which is more than enough to be convenient.
BEST GAMING CAPTURE CARD RAZER RIPSAW $229 | razerzone.com
The Razer Ripsaw is one of the few capture devices targeted at providing a solution for the gamer looking to record from anything to everything. You can plug the Ripsaw in and play straight from one rig into another. And it’s fairly painless to set up. Our testing found the Ripsaw wonderfully consistent, with recordings crisp and sharp. Despite not having the option of capturing footage above 1080p, using the Ripsaw makes for a surprisingly enjoyable experience.
BEST PC GAMEPAD RAZER WOLVERINE ULTIMATE $199 | razerzone.com
The Razer Wolverine Ultimate has only one audience in mind: the really hardcore, couch-based gamers. It’s not ideal if you’re sitting further than 10 feet away from your monitor or TV or necessary for those who enjoy single-player campaigns more than they enjoy the thrills of online competition. If you don’t care to have the option of wireless and can stomach the asking price, the Razer Wolverine might otherwise be one of the best constructed – and best looking – controllers ever made.