With summer gone and the skies already greying over in preparation for six months of uncontested rain, you may well be thinking more seriously about video games. September and October tend to see the biggest releases of the year, so you can expect many evenings spent hiding from the world while playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 or Mario Party Jamboree. If your gaming set-up is looking a little tired and you want to treat yourself to a serious seasonal upgrade, here are some suggestions.
Television
If you have a PS5 or Xbox Series X, you’ll want a 4K TV at the very least, but also a model that supports a 120-Hz refresh rate, which provides incredibly smooth, fluid image quality for compatible games. The TV should have at least one HDMI 2.1 port and you’ll need a 2.1 HDMI-compatible cable to plug in your console.
Support for high dynamic range (HDR) lighting, a technology that produces much more detail and colour at both high and low brightness, is also a must. Confusingly, there are multiple iterations: HDR10 is the basic version supported by both PS5 and Xbox. However, if you have Microsoft’s machine, it also offers Dolby Vision, which is essentially an improved version of HDR. These days, almost all TVs provide special game modes or game optimisers, which switch off inessential image processing effects to reduce input lag and enhance response time, but it’s worth checking exactly what a potential purchase offers in this regard.
Recommended: The LG C4 range
I recently tested one of these for a month and absolutely loved it. The C4 is LG’s latest line of mid-range OLED sets with astonishing visual detail, vibrant colours and support for Dolby Vision, HDR and 120-Hz refresh rates. I tested it with a range of titles from Elden Ring to Helldivers 2 and it made them all look gorgeous. The gaming mode is particularly good, allowing users to tweak the settings depending on the type of game they’re playing. You can even plug in your PC and use it as a monitor, thanks to the 144-Hz option and support for Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync technologies, which help to maintain a smooth frame-rate when playing demanding action games. If it’s a little too expensive, the Samsung Q80D range is a very good alternative, but the LG C4 is going to be hard to beat.
Monitor
If you’re playing on PC rather than console and you want to update your monitor, you need to be thinking about the three Rs: refresh rate (the number of frames per second the display can show, measured in Hz), resolution (the detail of the image, measured in pixels) and response time (how long it takes each pixel to respond to changes in image, measured in milliseconds). What you need will depend on the types of games you play. If you like fast shooting games, refresh rate and response times are most important factors; if you like graphically rich adventure games, resolution is the key concern. For general play, I’d look for a model with at least a 144-Hz refresh rate, a resolution of 1440p and a response time of around 5ms.
You should also think about what type of panel your new monitor uses (VA, TN, IPS or OLED, all of which have different pros and cons – there is a good guide here), and whether it supports technologies such as HDR, Nvidia G-Sync and/or AMD FreeSync.
Recommended: This is tough as I’m still using my Acer Predator from five years ago and it continues to perform brilliantly, but I’ve also used the much newer Samsung Odyssey, LG UltraGear and Gigabyte Aorus, and they’re all excellent. Acer, Dell and MSI all do very capable budget displays.
Headset
What you’re looking for here is comfort and build quality, especially if you’re playing for long periods. I’d also recommend noise cancelling (if you’re playing in a busy living room) and support for a virtual surround-sound technology such as Dolby Atmos – this doesn’t just add to the atmosphere of a game, it can also be useful if you’re playing online shooters and want to hear where your enemies are coming from. If you chat to friends while playing, a good clear mic is also vital. You also need to think about whether you want a wired or wireless headset, and if the model is compatible with your console.
Recommended: Audeze Maxwell (£319)
I really advise trying a few headsets on if you can, as this is such a personal decision. However, for sheer sound quality, this one is hard to beat. Featuring planar magnetic drivers (which tend to provide more clarity than standard dynamic drivers) and Dolby Atmos support, the Maxwell presents an incredibly rich, immersive sound stage, with convincing positional effects. The mic is very clear, too. For more modest budgets, I regularly use the HyperX Cloud (£60-£120), SteelSeries Arctis 1 (£60-£80) and Razer BlackShark (£60-£160) headset ranges and they’re all very good.
Alternatively, if you want luxurious audio but don’t need a mic, you could kill three birds with one stone and buy yourself a pair of high-end headphones that you can also use for music and films. I’ve been testing the glorious Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX headset and the sound is incredible, giving games a truly expansive audio feel. They’re also much more comfortable with better build quality than a lot of dedicated gaming headsets – you can wear these all day, which makes them perfect for those weekend-long Elden Ring marathons.
Controller
For most console players, the standard first-party pads are absolutely fine, but if you want a more technical controller, there are plenty of options. You’ll need to decide between wired and wireless options, and then look at the customisation options. High end pads offer switchable configurations as well as extra, user-definable buttons.
Recommended: Victrix Pro BFG (£160)
I was always a fan of Scuf controllers, especially for first-person shooters, but the Victrix has really impressed me. Featuring a clever modular design that lets you rotate or swap your D-pad and analogue controllers, the Pro BFG also has a range of programmable back buttons (great for giving you immediate access to different weapons and abilities), several analogue stick caps to try out and three different storable profiles, so you can change your preferences depending on the game you’re playing. It feels lighter than many of its pro competitors, but it’s still well-built and the sleek, understated design is nice, too. If you’re just looking for a decently priced second joypad, I’d opt for anything by 8BitDo who make good, hardwearing controllers for most platforms.
Lighting
This is an often overlooked element of the gaming experience, but good lighting is crucial to set the atmosphere. There are two recommendations here. Video game accessories manufacturer Razer has its Aether range of lamps and light bars providing thousands of colours, all highly configurable via the company’s Chroma software. The Philips Hue range of smart lights is slightly more expensive but provides a varied and adaptable environment for your gaming and living rooms.
