How Can Gaming Accessories Help in Online Multiplayer Games?

Enhance Your Gameplay

How can using better accessories improve online gameplay? It may seem a bit surprising, but not all of the fancy additions gamers can plug into their machines are just for more RGB lights and a sleeker design. Certainly, there are plenty of gaming accessories out there that sell solely on their brand name and whatever gimmicks are popular at the time, but some accessories can actually improve gameplay if the player knows how to use them properly and has the right tech.

Some benefits that come with upgrading your tech are obvious. Better headphones mean a better audio experience, a better mouse is less likely to kick the bucket early, and a better monitor makes high-end graphics pop. But what about the technical aspect of things? Can a quality set of headphones really improve performance in online games? Could the quality of a monitor actually mean the difference between a win and a loss? In this article, we'll provide some examples of several different kinds of tech that can improve a player's performance in online games, and explain how it all works.

The Basics

The most important aspect to consider when choosing new tech or updating current accessories is the technical specs. Generally speaking, the materials an accessory is made from don't matter all that much. Instead, focus on the quality of the item, the reputation behind the brand that made it, and the additional features that put it ahead of the competition.

For example purposes in this article, we will be talking about Rust, a popular online multiplayer survival game with strong base-building elements, exploration, tense first-person-shooter encounters in both PVP and PVE format, and vibrant online communities and markets where players can find servers and buy rust coins for additional customization and in-game advancement.

Monitors

When it comes to an open-world title like Rust, a good monitor is an excellent way to improve one's experience. First and foremost, a high-spec monitor allows players to appreciate the graphics and environments of the world in their full HD glory. A good monitor can do more than just provide a prettier picture, however.

Oftentimes, high-end gaming monitors will boast about how short the delay is between input and display. This time scale indicates the space of time between when the player makes an input, and when the display reacts. Players with low-quality monitors may find themselves seeing an enemy in one location even though the server has already registered their movement to another. Having a short monitor response time also improves the player's ability to utilize hand-eye coordination and more accurately time their inputs.

Headphones

A good set of headphones can open an entirely new world to gamers and lets them experience the full range of music and sound that modern games have to offer. That said, there are additional benefits that a good audio headset can offer in an online game like Rust.

In a PVP First-Person Shooter setting, it is often the player who notices the other first who wins an engagement. But what if one player could detect their opponent before they even come into view? A solid set of headphones can do this, making sounds like distant gunfire or nearby footsteps much more audible.

Additionally, a set of high-quality headphones allows for discernable directional audio. Directional audio allows a user to tell not only how close the source of a sound is by its volume, but also which direction it is coming from. This provides a major advantage to those with high-quality sound devices over those without. When raiders are sneaking around the walls of your base, it gives you a leg up to know where they are, how many there are, and how close they are before they even know you are there.

Mice

When it comes to PC games, the mouse is the foremost input a player interacts with. Choosing a good mouse can offer a more comfortable grip and a longer lifespan, but it can also offer faster inputs and additional controls for the hand using it.

When choosing a mouse, players must take into consideration the speed at which inputs are processed, much the same as when choosing a monitor. That said, not all companies will openly advertise the input speed of a given mouse, so be sure to check consumer reviews on the product before making a decision.

Those who have shopped for PC accessories before have likely seen a wide range of strangely shaped mice for sale, many of which are covered with strange buttons and switches. Most commonly, the altered shape of a mouse exists to offer a better, more comfortable grip to the user, though this is certainly a matter of preference. The buttons and switches, however, provide a distinct advantage.

Often, these buttons on the mouse can be mapped to key inputs in a game's control menu. For a game like Rust, that allows a player to switch weapons or utilize a consumable item such as a grenade or bandage without shifting their hands from moving and aiming. Some mice also include a button that can toggle its sensitivity, allowing players to change their look and aiming speed on the fly. That means a player can swap from a high sensitivity when looking for an enemy to a low sensitivity for precise aiming once they've found them.

Improve Your Tech, Advance Your Gameplay

For online PVP-based games like Rust, a player can be significantly stronger or weaker depending on their equipment. At the end of the day, a skilled player with poor gear can still win out over an unskilled player with high-spec equipment, but the advantage will generally go to the player with better stuff. The scenario is much the same when it comes to tech, so why not give yourself the advantage and take a look at some of the incredible advancements in gaming tech available to players now?