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Like gamers themselves, 2026's gaming gear is all over the place. The lines between PC and console are blurring like the lines between hardcore gamers and casuals. Handhelds run full Windows and that little old lady you assumed was playing Candy Crush is smoking you at Counter-Strike. Whether you're trying to push as fast a frame rate as possible on your PC or you just want to kill a little time when you're waiting for the bus, the gaming gear below is the best 2026 has to offer.
Best overall: Steam Deck
The Steam Deck is the Swiss Army Knife of gaming—a single device that will please portable gamers, PC gamers, and console gamers alike. It's a PC but in a slip-it-in-a-backpack form factor, and it can be plugged in to play on your TV. Handheld gamers will like the portability and the touchscreen display. The no-nonsense UI and XBox games will make console gamers happy. PC fans can escape their desk, and play their backlog of Steam Games while sitting on the couch or waiting for a bus. Even game haters could wipe the drive, install Windows, and have a spare portable PC. You can buy the Steam Deck exclusively on Valve's website.
Best gaming headset: SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni wireless headset
Whether you play on a PC or console, a decent headset will embetter your gaming life. In terms of quality, features, and price, the Nova Pro Omni wireless headset hits the perfect sweet spot of features, sound quality, and price. Built from the ground up for immersive sound, the Nova Pro Omni can handle up to four audio sources at once. It has a hot-swappable battery so you'll never run out of juice, a high-quality omnidirectional mic so you won't have to repeat yourself as much on Discord, and the pedigree of an established audio company that has earned the respect of both reviewers and users.
Best gaming PC of 2026: iBuyPower Element 9 RTX
This powerhouse prebuilt PC from iBuyPower features an AMD Ryzen 9 processor, 32GB of RAM, and an an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card. In other words, it's a beast that will handle any PC game you throw at it. But the price is a beauty: It fluctuated between $1,899.99 and $2,262.44 over the past few months on Amazon. It comes without bloatware (only Windows Home 11 installed), there's a keyboard and mouse included so you can start playing while you're deciding which high-end controllers you want to add later, and the aquarium-style glass chassis shows off the liquid cooling system. Yeah, you could build a better PC yourself for less, but this is a "no hassle" option that's within in a realistic price range.
Best console of 2026: ROG Xbox Ally X20
I don't know if the ROG Xbox Ally X20 technically "counts" as a console, but the distinctions between PC, portable, and console gaming are awfully blurry these days thanks to devices like the Rog Ally and the Steam Deck. It's a full-blown Windows 11 PC disguised as a portable gaming system that can hook up to your TV for full console gaming too. The ROG Ally X20 lets you play XBox Game Pass games and Steam games right out of the box on a portable system, so it's all things to all people.
Best mobile controller of 2026: Razer Prio
Cool innovations tend to miss people who game on mobile devices, but this piece of gear is the exception. The Razer Prio weighs only 100G and folds to the size of a credit card. When you want to play, unfurl it, and it surrounds your phone. Plug in the USB-C connection and you have a controller with a full console layout: thumbsticks, face buttons, triggers, and all. If you're looking for real gaming on a mobile device, Razer Prio is for you.
Best gaming mouse of 2026: Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike
Logitech's Pro X2 Superstrike is not for casuals. Its unique Haptic Inductive Trigger System (HITS) ditches the mechanical switches other mouses use in favor of inductive magnetic sensors and haptic actuators. The end result: a click speed Logitech says is 30 ms faster. This would make no difference to a half-ass gamer like me, but it's a game changer for a serious eSports athletes or anyone who wants to make sure it's not their mouse response that's making them lose.
Best gaming keyboard of 2026: Corsair Galleon 100 SD
Corsair's Galleon 100 SD keyboard is a premium mechanical wired keyboard with a built-in stream deck. Instead of a number pad, you get a small screen, 12 programmable buttons (each with its own customizable LCD display), and, best of all, two programmable dials, so no more fumbling through menus or macros while you're gaming. The top case is matte-black aluminum, it weighs a satisfying 3.07 pounds, and the keys make that satisfying thock sound. OK, $350 is a lot for a keyboard, but add a built-in command center and dials, and it starts to look a lot more reasonable.
Best console controller of 2026: DualSense Edge
PlayStation's DualSense Edge is a serious upgrade from the PS5's out-of-the-box controllers. There are two customizable back paddles, adjustable trigger stops that let you choose between "hard pull" and "hair trigger" and everything in between. The grips are premium, the cable is braided, and the sticks are a separate unit, so if you ever do come down with that dreaded stick drift, you can replace them without having to toss the whole controller.
from Lifehacker https://ift.tt/sPnApcQ
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