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 | Cons |
|---|---|
| Perfect for a minimalist PC setup with no need for cables to get in the way. | Unlike wired mice, their wireless counterparts need to be charged. |
| Can be used from longer distances, ideal for a home media PC. | More expensive than a wired mouse. |
Glorious PC Gaming Race Model O Wireless RGB Gaming Mouse – Matte White
- Eye catching design with clean lines and RGB illumination
- Honeycomb surface for strength & comfort
- Extremely light weight (67/68g)
- Play time of up to 71 hours
Glorious PC Gaming Race Model O USB RGB Odin Gaming Mouse – Matte Black
- Eye catching design with clean lines and RGB illumination
- Honeycomb surface for strength & comfort
- Extremely light weight (67/68g)
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.
Wireless Virtual Reality
Thanks to Meta’s 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, 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 | Cons |
|---|---|
| Completely free movement with no added cable weight or movement restriction | Tethered VR allows your headset to be charged whilst gaming, increasing playtime. |
| With no need for base stations or even a PC to run the games, wireless VR offers excellent portability. | Tethered VR allows for higher quality graphics and resolutions within VR headsets which support them. |
Meta Quest 2
| Fully wireless virtual reality |
| PCVR compatible via link cable or wireless with AirPlay |
| 1832 x 1920 pixel per eye resolution |
| Inside out tracking |
| Snapdragon XR2 |
| 6GB RAM |
| 128/256 GB storage |
The Oculus Quest 2 offers fully wireless VR with an onboard operating system and games shop, featuring AAA titles like I Expect You To Die and The Walking Dead Saints and Sinners. In addition to this, PCVR games can be played via a tether cable or streamed wirelessly to the headset via Air Link. Sound is provided by two speakers built into the head strap that sits just above your ears, with the option to use headphones via the 3.5mm jack or USB C port.
HTC Vive Pro 2
| Dual LCD Screens |
| 2448 x 2448 pixel per eye resolution |
| 90/120hz refresh rate |
| 120-degrees field of view |
| Hi-Res audio |
| Dual microphones |
| PCVR |
| Steam VR Tracking v2.0 |
The HTC Vive Pro 2 packs a punch with a 5K resolution and a 120-degree field of view. This VR headset offers a near-natural vision with lifelike high-resolution displays and high-fidelity audio. In addition, a 120Hz refresh rate not only looks buttery smooth but helps reduce motion sickness. Finally, the lighthouse tracking system allows for full-body tracking, letting you move freely in games and social apps.
Wireless Gaming Headphones – Yay or Nay?
A great gaming PC is nothing without the best audio to back it up. From Rouge-likes 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 | Cons |
|---|---|
| Complete versatility. With Wireless headphones, you can walk away from your PC without getting tangled in cables. | Wired gaming headphones are often cheaper alternatives whilst still offering high-quality audio. |
| Without the need for messy wires, you can store your wireless gaming headset anywhere, perfect for a super clean gaming setup. | 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
- 7.1 surround sound with eight ASUS Essence drivers and virtual subwoofers
- AI noise-cancelling microphone
- Four ESS 9601 headphone drivers and exclusively customised ROG home-theater-grade 7.1 DAC
- USB-C connector for compatibility with PC, Mac, PS4, Nintendo Switch and smart devices
EPOS GSP 670 Premium Closed Acoustic Wireless 7.1 Surround Gaming Headset
- Separate controls for chat and game audio built directly into the headset
- Customize 7.1 Surround Sound in the EPOS Gaming Suite for Windows® 10
- Low-latency wireless connection
- EPOS Gaming Suite Customize 7.1 Surround Sound in the EPOS Gaming Suite for Windows® 10
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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