2022 was a great year for video game tech as Sony and Microsoft started to come into their own with the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, while the PC space introduced its next generation of graphics hardware. However, there is more to gaming than simply better hardware and nicer graphics. For competitively-minded gamers or those simply looking to get the most immersive experience out of their systems,third-party peripheralsplay a massive role in how games are enjoyed.
This year was a particularly good one for content creators looking to take their content up a notch thanks to a slew of high-quality upscale-production-level tech flooding the market at a great price. For those not so inclined with content creation, there were also plenty of screens, headsets, and peripherals that made games look better, sound better, play better, and fit into the lifestyle of any gamer in 2022. With lots of good stuff introduced to this market this year, the following list includes the20 best video game hardware and tech of 2022, in alphabetical order.
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8BitDo Ultimate Controller
8BitDo creates some of the best third-party controllers for the Nintendo Switch and PC, and this year’s 8BitDo Ultimate Controller is the best one yet. At the same price as theofficial Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, the 8BitDo Ultimate makes some solid improvements, like adding two rear buttons and a wireless charging dock, while being as high-quality as Nintendo’s first-party offering. The 8BitDo Ultimate also includes the all-important Hall Effect sensors, which eliminate the possibility of the dreaded stick drift. As if that wasn’t enough, the controller is also fully customizable and can store up to three profiles on the device.
Analogue Pocket
Retro gaming is as popular as ever, making theAnalogue Pocketa must-have for gamers still holding on to their precious Game Boy and Game Boy Advance cartridges. The Analogue Pocket is a perfect solution for gamers needing a device to play their old games as their 20 to 30-year-old Game Boys start to fail. However, it also enhances the experience beyond what these retro consoles could ever do. The Analogue Pocket’s 3.5 in, 1440p LCD screen makes those retro games look the best they ever have while also improving the experience with quality-of-life improvements like save states and a sleep-and-wake function.
Asus ROG Strix SCAR 17 SE Gaming Laptop
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 Special Edition is one of the best gaming laptops on the market right now. Packing a 16-core Intel i9-12950HX with an Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti at 175 watts, there is no game that the Strix SCAR 17 can’t handle. At 1440p, the Strix SCAR 17 SE has enough horsepower under the hood to take on demanding games likeCyberpunk 2077fully maxed out with ray tracing at 60 FPS with ease. Asus’ cooling solution for the Strix SCAR 17 SE this year is also improved as the laptop uses a liquid metal solution to ensure that both the CPU and GPU stay cool even in the most intense gaming sessions.
ASUS TUF RTX 4090
This year,Nvidia revealed its flagship RTX 4090 GPU, ushering in a new generation of graphics architecture and creating one of the biggest gen-on-gen leaps in rasterization performance in a long time. Not only is 4K gaming at 60 FPS fully achievable now, but so is 4K gaming at 120 FPS. Nvidia’s new DLSS 3.0 upscaling solution also brings gaming into the future with A.I.-processed frame insertion for a smooth gaming experience, even in the most demanding titles. The Asus TUF RTX 4090 leads the pack as one of the best AIB graphics cards that gamers can buy, being both quieter and cooler than other brands while also being marginally more expensive than the Founder’s Edition RTX 4090.
BEACN Mic
Any great Twitch stream or YouTube video has its foundations in great audio quality. BEACN’s brand new USB-C broadcast microphone promises to take content creation to the next level thanks to its studio-grade components and robust BEACN software that lets content creators customize their sound to however they like. It’s an XLR-grade microphone without all the hardware required to get it working on a PC due to its simple USB-C connection. TheBEACN Mictakes the complexity of a traditional studio set-up and simplifies it, letting content creators quickly and efficiently take complete control of whatever they make.
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Bose QuietComfort II Earbuds
TheBose QuietComfort II earbudsare a perfect choice for gamers looking to break away from traditional gaming headsets and step up their audio experience in gaming or any other media form. Their 9mm drivers deliver the same crisp audio experience that Bose is known for, while its active noise-canceling functionality creates an immersive experience for movies, music, or gaming. The Bose QuietComfort II’s BlueTooth capability makes them perfect for the Steam Deck, the Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, or mobile phones, and their 6-hour battery life makes Bose’s in-ear headphones a real competitor to Apple’s Airpods Pro.
Corsair K70 RGB Pro Keyboard
Versatility is at the heart ofCorsair’s K70 RGB Pro keyboard. As a refresh of the original K70 keyboard, the K70 RGB Pro retains everything that made the original so successful, like its durable aluminum frame, Cherry MX mechanical switches, and per-key RGB lighting, while also improving its performance with 8x faster processing and inclusion of a tournament switch for competitive gamers. With up to 50 keyboard profiles that players can quickly swap through and a fully customizable RGB layout, the Corsair K70 RBG Pro is tough to beat.
Elgato FaceCam Pro
Webcam quality can often be hit-or-miss and frequently pales in comparison to a proper DSLR camera. However, the Elgato FaceCam Pro finally brings DSLR-like image quality to a webcam form factor, ensuring that all types of content creators look the best they can without needing to spend tons of money on a DLSR camera. The FaceCam Pro uses a studio-quality Sony Starvis CMOS sensor to ensure that every detail and color is properly represented at 4K 60 FPS. Combining the FaceCam Pro withElgato’s Camera Hubsoftware takes this webcam to the next level, with options to tweak exposure, shutter speed, white balance, and more to get the look content creators want.
Elgato Stream Deck+
The original Elgato Stream Deck was a versatile tool, helpful for content creation and general PC use due to its nature as a macro keyboard. TheElgato Stream Deck+takes everything great about the original Stream Deck and adds four dials and a touch screen to it, further expanding the possibilities of an already versatile device. Fine-tuning lights, changing webcam settings, and on-the-fly audio mixing are all a breeze with the Stream Deck+, and it even expands the Wave Link software to any microphone. However, content creation is only the beginning. The Stream Deck+ still functions as a macro keyboard, meaning that workflows are simplified with third-party integration for apps like Photoshop, Premiere, or even non-work related apps like Spotify.
HYTE Y60 ATX Case
As PC parts get faster, they also get hotter. The recent trend among PC case manufacturers involves designing cases with proper airflow and ventilation to accommodate power-hungry and hot PC components. HYTE’s Y60 ATX case has all the room current-gen CPUs and graphics cards need to breathe while also sporting a stylish aesthetic with functionality to boot. Its rounded glass front and side panels allow gamers to showcase their hardware proudly while not compromising on build quality. The Y60’s design is also highly flexible, allowing for two AIO water coolers or even the biggestthird-party RTX 4090 graphics cards.
