Do you spend money on gaming gear?

[FenWoFon]

This is something that I like to discuss with a lot of people online, does it really make any difference playing with gaming mouses, keyboards, gaming chairs and that kind of stuff? It seems to be really weird for me because there are people who can get you rekt with wooden PCs and however, I have seen a lot of people using professional gear losing like A LOT, what are your thoughts about this?

 

[cortana]

Not really. I have an old office chair that I turned into my gamer chair. My sound system and TV is my old living room set.

Whenever we upgrade something in the house, the old stuff goes to the gaming room. We put the good stuff in the rest of the house, and the older (still good) stuff where the console and entertainment is.

Look at that Xbox elite controller that came out for $150 - unless you actually get paid to play games, then you're just wasting money. There's people all over Facebook posting about it, then they play a game and they realize "wow, I still suck at this game and I just spent $150 on a magic controller that made me just as bad" - it's all stupid because there's parents out there buying this crap for their kids, wasting money on it, when you can rekt people with the generic controller that comes out of the box.

When you can get a 4+ KD in a shooter game on a generic controller, then you're better off keeping your $150 in your pocket!

 

[FenWoFon]

Not really. I have an old office chair that I turned into my gamer chair. My sound system and TV is my old living room set.

Whenever we upgrade something in the house, the old stuff goes to the gaming room. We put the good stuff in the rest of the house, and the older (still good) stuff where the console and entertainment is.

Look at that Xbox elite controller that came out for $150 - unless you actually get paid to play games, then you're just wasting money. There's people all over Facebook posting about it, then they play a game and they realize "wow, I still suck at this game and I just spent $150 on a magic controller that made me just as bad" - it's all stupid because there's parents out there buying this crap for their kids, wasting money on it, when you can rekt people with the generic controller that comes out of the box.

When you can get a 4+ KD in a shooter game on a generic controller, then you're better off keeping your $150 in your pocket!

That is exactly what I mean, you dont really need anything to bacome a better player or anything like that, the only thing that I might accept would be headphones because they're quite important when playing FPS games so you can hear footsteps and all those effects loudly and that MIGHT help you a little bit, however if I was getting paid I would not buy anything, they should provide me everything

 

[fcuco]

This is something that I like to discuss with a lot of people online, does it really make any difference playing with gaming mouses, keyboards, gaming chairs and that kind of stuff? It seems to be really weird for me because there are people who can get you rekt with wooden PCs and however, I have seen a lot of people using professional gear losing like A LOT, what are your thoughts about this?

The thing is that most professional gear is marketed towards people that are clueless about technology or what it really takes to be good at a game, they use professional players just like sports clothing brands use professional athletes to sell outfits or running shoes to promote these gear and a lot of people fall for that. This works and probably will work forever as people really want to believe that all it takes to look like a body builder is to drink the same protein shake or whatever that the professionals drink, so usually the people buying this stuff do it because they are trying to compensate for a lack of skills to begin with, so you are going to see a strong selection bias and correlation between people that are not that good and expensive or heavily marketed gear.

That's not to say that you shouldn't try to get the best mouse possible and a nice keyboard because those things do make a difference, like buying the same shoes as Usain Bolt uses will never allow me run as fast but I could probably lower my track records a few seconds with the right gear.

 

[pwarbi]

Back a few years ago I had a gaming chair with pedals and greeting wheel set up, as I was a huge Gran Turismo fan, but I don't think it made me any better.

I'm sure many people like I did just buy the gear because it can make your gaming experience a little bit more realistic.

 

[Jordan]

My keyboard was roughly $240. My mouse was $90 and my mouse pad was $80 x
I need a new hobby

 

[pwarbi]

I wouldn't like to add up the amount of money I've spent on essential...Well, non-essential items that I couldn't live without.

Gaming as been an hobby of mine though for a number of years now, and its probably a good job, because with the amount I spend on it, I couldn't afford to do much else anyway!

 

[cortana]

The thing is that most professional gear is marketed towards people that are clueless about technology or what it really takes to be good at a game, they use professional players just like sports clothing brands use professional athletes to sell outfits or running shoes to promote these gear and a lot of people fall for that. This works and probably will work forever as people really want to believe that all it takes to look like a body builder is to drink the same protein shake or whatever that the professionals drink, so usually the people buying this stuff do it because they are trying to compensate for a lack of skills to begin with, so you are going to see a strong selection bias and correlation between people that are not that good and expensive or heavily marketed gear.

That's not to say that you shouldn't try to get the best mouse possible and a nice keyboard because those things do make a difference, like buying the same shoes as Usain Bolt uses will never allow me run as fast but I could probably lower my track records a few seconds with the right gear.

Great points! Who has bought a pair of Jordan's and then thought they were the best basketball player in history, but then they go to the court and they're just the same ol guy with the same average skills and a flashy pair of $180 shoes.

money well wasted!

 

[Catactus]

Well I did buy and awesome mouse because it had led lights and it was so pretty. I suck if I suck, and I don't buy things that "would make me better". If I've had extra money I have bought a new controller. Mainly I buy things because I need them. Like new headsets and stuff.

 

[OursIsTheFury]

Absolutely not. Paying for skins and all that are really ridiculous for me, as they contribute nothing to the game. It's just a way for a player to be different, and that's really annoying at times, as people would rather spend their money on looks rather than say, buying a new game that they can enjoy. Skins as well as other microtransactions are incredibly annoying, and I would be damned if I have to see another player showing off their incredibly expensive and flashy skin, then end up dying repeatedly and rage quitting.

 

[lexinonomous]

The only gaming gear I would consider buying is the rolling chairs for consoles. I have sat in a "gaming chair" a few times and they are incredibly comfortable. I might consider purchasing a keyboard, but I use a laptop, so it's hard for me to really consider that. I find the keyboards to be useful when they are specifically designed for video games on PC. The gaming mice (mouse?) are useful as well, though they are more frustrating to me than anything. I would not want to relearn how to use a mouse when my basic computer mouse works perfectly fine.

 

[Steamroller]

The only reason to buy gaming gear is to solve ergonomics issues. If you're already O.K without it, purchasing that kind of gaming gear will not dramatically improve your perfomance. If you're competitive player, perhaps you will need a razer with an on the fly DPI switch to adjust it depending of your needs, but that's it. Most of these stuffs are just gimmicks, at least for me.

 

[AndroidOS]

The only thing I would possibly spend a decent amount of money on is speakers/headphones. Other than that I try to keep costs down to a minimum. In fact, at the minute, the most expensive thing I use is probably my mouse mat. (Yes, I need new stuff)

 

[Casiox]

Well, it all might depend on the player indeed, there are many people who as you say, they like buying fancy stuff and upgrading their PC to the limits just to feel like if they were PRO players from any team or stuff of that nature, and that's basically a good waste of money especially if they're relatively bad at gaming. I would actually consider the idea of buying PRO gaming gear if I was somehow getting paid for playing any game, if I was being sponsored then I would definitely do the best and try to make my setup look as best as I can to be considered a PRO player, because that's what I am getting sponsored for, however, it's not a bad thing to buy gear, it's pretty normal for players nowadays, it's not that bad to make yourself feel good sometimes.

 

[fcuco]

Back a few years ago I had a gaming chair with pedals and greeting wheel set up, as I was a huge Gran Turismo fan, but I don't think it made me any better.

Well, that's actually the kind of gear that I would spend money on if I had it, I was talking about buying these super duped "gaming" keyboards or a mouse full of buttons, or the special mouse pad that only the "professionals" use, but actual simulation stuff like steering wheels its quite cool, I was really into flight simulators for a while and had a couple of cool joysticks. I've seen some crazy racing games setups online with the whole seat plus steering wheels, pedals and even iPads displaying telemetry, that's insane and awesome if you actually know how to use it, I watch Youtube videos from a guy that has a setup like that but the guy actually drives real rally cars so he is not simply a poser.

 

[Joel7050]

I just buy something decent, not professional gear. I'm currently using a Logitech mouse, keyboard and mousepad. Each of them cost under 70 USD. just something that works pretty well enough. My headphones are just some 30USD headphones that don't really have a good name. They are padded and have great bass so I just stick with them. I don't really feel the need to have the best gear, I would rather spend it to upgrade my PC parts.

 

[Shiori]

I do spend money on headphones and controllers, though quite rarely and each purchases are far apart. For me, it's not really about strengthening my gaming abilities or anything.. It's more for comfort above all else. I'm not a very competitive person game-wise from the beginning, so those gears are mostly there just to boost my enjoyment while playing. I don't splurge on state of the art stuff either, just good enough to function and last for a reasonable length of time.

 

[Casiox]

Well, that's actually the kind of gear that I would spend money on if I had it, I was talking about buying these super duped "gaming" keyboards or a mouse full of buttons, or the special mouse pad that only the "professionals" use, but actual simulation stuff like steering wheels its quite cool, I was really into flight simulators for a while and had a couple of cool joysticks. I've seen some crazy racing games setups online with the whole seat plus steering wheels, pedals and even iPads displaying telemetry, that's insane and awesome if you actually know how to use it, I watch Youtube videos from a guy that has a setup like that but the guy actually drives real rally cars so he is not simply a poser.

I highly agree with you there, it would definitely be a good investment to buy a driving set since it would help a lot of people, especially those who're into learning to drive and stuff of that nature, it would be really awesome, mostly if you're a speed lover and you also have a big passion for cars; I always wanted to have one of those back then when I was just a kid but the prices were way too high and you know why I did not have the chance to have one, however, I would definitely buy a set if I had the chance to, indeed.

 

[AnonLu]

As for chairs, that doesn't matter at all. Just whatever makes you comfortable.

Otherwise, there is so much on the market, labeled as "gaming" whatever. Sometimes a particular product will end up costing more than it should, just because it's labeled "gaming" something. On the other hand, a better keyboard will certainly help, and especially a better mouse. That's not to say they're needed, but it definitely helps to stay competitive in multiplayer games and such.

 

[SirJoe]

Not really, I play mostly on my pc so I don't really need anything else besides my keyboard and mouse. I ave used a joystick before and I will admit it did make the gaming a little bit more enjoyable but not to the extent that I had to go out and buy one. I like car games and have been tempted to buy a steering wheel but still haven't gotten round to that.