Will Peripherals Make a Difference to Your Playing Skills?

Some of us might have been stuck with a tiny and laggy display, while others have been tied to keyboards with broken or unreliable keys. Many of us even grew up in the age of the dreaded ball mouse, which we shudder to even think about.

In each of these cases, getting an upgrade to a new and better-performing peripheral can feel like the difference between night and day. It’s like an anime character taking off their weighted training gear, where we can finally feel ourselves living up to our potential. This raises some questions though: exactly how important can this gear be in our gaming performance, and to what level can it drive us?

Answering these questions means breaking down the contributions from each part, and seeing when cost and features only serve to overcomplicate.

The Mouse and Keyboard

To be in control you need to have the right control, which for Counter-Strike players means the right mouse and keyboard. The great thing here is that many of the pros use devices that aren't going to break the bank. Devices like the Logitech G Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse are fast and responsive, but they’re not the super-complex systems you see in MMORPGs. High accuracy and responsiveness are musts, and these are available from the mid-range upwards.

Looking at Displays

Displays can be more complicated, and they tend to be much more expensive. The most important aspects of monitors are response time and refresh rate. Low latency and high refresh rates mean a stronger connection between your controls, the game's actions, and what you see. Most pro gamers will aim for at least 240Hz displays, but for most players, 144Hz will be enough. 4K resolution also doesn't matter, and neither does HDR lighting, so keep that in mind.

Internet Connections

Like with monitors, the most important component in internet connections is low latency and reliability. Bandwidth targets are usually easy to meet with modern connections, but latency can be a much bigger problem. The best advice here is to avoid using Wi-Fi, and instead use the much more reliable cabled connections. If you can’t run a cable through your house to your PC, consider using a powerline adapter as a solution. Wi-Fi is so unreliable that some games have players turn down opponents playing on these connections, as the effect on playability can be more drastic than we realize.

Technology isn’t a Guarantee

Ultimately, the lesson that players need to take away is that no level of tech is a guarantee of victory. Perhaps the best example of this concept taken to the extreme is found in gambling. Online UK casino games like roulette, blackjack, and roulette don’t care about what device you’re using. From the fastest PCs to outdated smartphones, everybody here is on an equal playing field. Once you achieve the core requirements, you’re good to go.

The difference is that, back in video games, moving past these core requirements is simply a matter of practice and skill. Everybody has a skill ceiling, and while proper practice can help you achieve better, we all have our limits. Of course, without practice, we never know where those limits lie, and just how much potential we have left to unlock.