Wired or wireless? A tale as old as time. The choice between the two can be difficult to make, so we’re breaking down some great products from both sides of the fence.
Wired vs wireless gaming goes much further than just headsets and mice. From keyboards and gamepads all the way to virtual reality gaming, there is a wireless solution for everything.
Wireless Gaming – All the Fun, No Tangled Cables
Wireless gaming offers plenty of benefits over traditional wired peripherals. There’s nothing worse than looking down at your gaming setup to see a tangle of cables so entwined with each other you’d need an electrical engineering degree to separate them.
So, if cables are bad, let’s just remove them. There are wireless options for almost every gaming peripheral. What’s more, without excess wires to manage, creating the perfect minimalist Reddit front page worthy PC setup is easier than ever.
However, a cable-free setup does have some drawbacks. You’ll have to keep all those peripherals charged up. Don’t panic, as there are plenty of wireless gaming mice, keyboards, and even headsets with super long-lasting batteries, and some even have wireless charging!
Gaming Mice: Wired or Wireless?
Wireless mice have received a bad rep over the last decade, with either short battery life or their weight being the most common complaint. Over the last few years, however, we’ve seen wireless gaming mice come into a world of their own with the same feature sets as even the most expensive wired gaming mice.
Pros:
- Perfect for a minimalist PC setup with no need for cables to get in the way
- Can be used from longer distances, ideal for a home media PC
Cons:
- Unlike wired mice, their wireless counterparts need to be charged
- More expensive than a wired mouse.
Glorious Model O Wireless RGB Gaming Mouse – Matte White
- Eye catching design with clean lines and RGB illumination
- Honeycomb surface for strength & comfort
- Extremely lightweight (67/68g)
- Play time of up to 71 hours
Glorious Model O USB RGB Odin Gaming Mouse – Matte Black
- Eye catching design with clean lines and RGB illumination
- Honeycomb surface for strength & comfort
- Extremely lightweight (67/68g)
- USB connectivity
The wired and wireless Glorius PC Gaming Race Model O mouse offer outstanding gaming performance with a polling rate of 1000hz (1ms). What’s more, their lightweight 67g design is accented by addressable RGB and signature honeycomb styling.
Need a little help selecting the perfect gaming mouse? We’ve got a guide for that!
Wireless Virtual Reality
Thanks to the Meta Quest 2, fully wireless VR is no longer the dreams of madmen in science fiction. But is wireless virtual reality worth it? With options for fully wireless VR from a range of brands, you can choose to embrace a wire-free life or get the best possible graphics with a wired VR headset and a hefty gaming PC.
Pros:
- Completely free movement with no added cable weight or movement restriction
- With no need for base stations or even a PC to run the games, wireless VR offers excellent portability
Cons:
- Tethered VR allows your headset to be charged whilst gaming, increasing playtime
- Tethered VR allows for higher quality graphics and resolutions within VR headsets which support them
HTC VIVE XR Elite All-in-one VR Gaming System
- All-in-one VR system
- Includes headset and controllers
- Compatible with PCVR via wireless streaming
- 110-degree field of vision
- 90Hz refresh rate
HTC VIVE Pro 2 Full VR Set
- Dual LCD 2448 x 2448 pixel per eyeScreens
- 90/120hz refresh rate
- 120-degrees field of view
- Hi-Res audio and dual microphones
- PCVR
Like to learn more about VR? We have collected all our VR content into one handy blog!
Wireless Gaming Headphones – Yay or Nay?
A great gaming PC is nothing without the best audio to back it up. From rougelikes with epic soundtracks to the sound of rapid gunfire in FPS games, high-quality audio can take your gaming experience to the next level.
With a wireless gaming headset, you’re free to wander over to your fridge without getting tangled in cables. What’s more, with headsets from premium brands such as EPOS and ASUS ROG, you won’t have to compromise on audio or style either.
Pros:
- Complete versatility – with wireless headphones, you can walk away from your PC without getting tangled in cables
- Without the need for messy wires, you can store your wireless gaming headset anywhere, perfect for a super clean gaming setup
Cons:
- Wired gaming headphones are often cheaper alternatives whilst still offering high-quality audio
- Wired headphones are usually plug and play without the need for special software to configure settings
ASUS ROG THETA USB 7.1 Surround Gaming Headset
- Eight ASUS Essence drivers and virtual subwoofers
- AI noise-cancelling microphone
- Four ESS 9601 headphone drivers
- Exclusively customised ROG 7.1 DAC
- USB-C connector for extensive compatibility
Razer BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed RGB Gaming Headset
- Razer HYPERSPEED wireless connectivity
- Razer HYPER CLEAR Wideband Microphone
- Razer TRIFORCE Titanium 50mm drivers
- THX Spatial audio
- Alternate connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2 or USB-A
Of course we have another guide to help you out with headsets! We’re just good like that.
More Wireless Content
We’ve got plenty more content talking about wireless, from how they compare to their wired counterparts to helpful “How to” guides. We’ve got it all linked below, so bookmark this article as your one-stop shop for all things wireless!
Wired vs Wireless Gaming Mice: Which One is for You?!
Your mouse should be an extension of your arm – so which is better: wired or wireless?!
Wired vs Wireless Keyboards – Which One is For You?
You’re got your mouse sorted, now what about your gaming keyboard? Figure out if wired or wireless keyboards are for you!
Ducky Zero 6108 Manual
If you landed on the Ducky Zero 6108 for your wireless gaming keyboard, we have a full breakdown so you can get the most out of this product!
How to Connect Wireless Devices
Need a little help getting your wireless hardware connected? We have some step-by-step guides to get you started.
Wireless Gaming: Is it the Future?
Is the future of gaming untethered?
So Wireless or Wired?
How do you play? Are you cable-free and charging your peripherals, or do you prefer the simplicity of wired inputs? Let us know down in the comments.
- 6 min read
Robert Mullane
Author
When not working, you'll find me in VR or losing in bottom-tier Valorant matches. I write about all topic's tech and gaming with a particular focus on representation in gaming, virtual reality, and LGBTQ+ themes. If you're still not fed up with me, you can also catch me over on the Overclockers UK TikTok and YouTube accounts.
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