Top Esports Gadgets for New Players

Here to Stay

And while a less nuanced analysis may suppose that, upon the return of regular events – like the 2022 FIFA World Cup – the market would see an equivalent exodus, this has not occurred. In fact now global esports is worth over $1 billion, and is on course to hit $3 billion by the end of the decade.

Its rising profile is also being felt in the sports betting sector, with leading platforms such as SBO opting to include esports among their top-listed event coverage, giving it a rough parity to conventional mainstays like the NFL, association football and the NBA.

As SBO provides bets and offers on more than 50 separate sports, the fact that esports makes the cut of its top 8 is extremely significant, especially when one considers the extent of its emergence from relative obscurity over the past 5 years.

New Players

With more people than ever watching esports, it follows that there are also more new players than ever before, a fact that is borne out by a surge in gaming laptop and peripheral sales.

However those just starting out can be at a loss on how to begin this process. In light of this, here we’re taking a look at some essential esports gadgets that any new player ought to invest in if they want to make progress quickly.

MSI Vigor GK71 Sonic Mechanical Keyboard

A mechanical gaming keyboard is an extremely useful bit of kit for any esports hopeful, though you may wonder why your standard keyboard is not the best choice for gaming. This is due to the way it’s set up.

A keyboard built around typing is not going to offer the same performance as one optimised for gaming, due to the way the keys actuate and travel. There are many great gaming keyboards on the market, but arguably the best today is the Vigor GK71 Sonic by MSI.

With an actuation force of just 35g, the Vigor’s keys are softer and faster than virtually anything else on the market, with most rivals hovering around 50g.

Beyond this, the keyboard looks great to boot, with a sleek aluminium design that conceals its gaming pedigree. A full complement of RGB lighting, as to be expected in an esports peripheral, and good in-built cable management furthermore make for a considered and well-designed product.

Other small features such as the integrated volume roller round off this hardware to guarantee a complete package more than worth its $129.99 asking price.

Razer Kishi V2 Universal Controller

Of course it’s not just consoles and PCs that are riding the waves of the esports explosion – titles such as Free Fire, Arena or Valor and League of Legends: Wild Rift have made a strong case for the fact there’s an active and growing community of mobile esports players eager to put their abilities to the test.

Yet while a games console has everything you need to begin playing included with it, and most PC gamers can make do with standard keyboards and mice, the picture is somewhat different in the mobile space. This is because smartphones are not primarily designed for gaming.

Their portrait form-factor, small batteries, comparably poor thermal efficiency, and touch controls, make them challenging devices to extract the best gameplay out of.

But a new range of so-called gaming phones, like the Asus ROG Phone, are seeking to amend this, and even would-be mobile esports pros with regular devices can still convert them into impressive gaming systems with the right peripherals.

One of the best examples of this is the Razer Kishi V2 Universal Controller. This pad, which attaches to the horizontal ends of your smartphone, gives you tactile buttons and triggers to work with, improving accuracy and response times.

There’s also the obvious advantage that comes by removing your fingers from your display so you can catch more of the action as it unfolds.