Five categories, one honest method
Choose a category to compare products by published specs and UK RRP, then read which specs actually matter.
Game controllers
Controllers look alike on the shelf, but power source, connection type and stick technology vary more than you might expect. Here are seven current pads from Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, 8BitDo and GameSir, compared using the makers' own specs and UK prices. We did not test them.
Gaming headsets
A headset's box is full of numbers, but only a few of them decide whether it will work with your console and suit the person wearing it. We compared seven current headsets, mostly under £100, using the specifications and prices published by each manufacturer — we did not test them — and explain which specs matter.
Gaming mice
Gaming mouse boxes compete on huge DPI numbers, but weight, shape, connection and software tend to matter more day to day. Below are seven current mice from Logitech G, Razer and SteelSeries, compared using each maker's published specs and UK prices. We have not tested them.
Gaming keyboards
A budget gaming keyboard does not need to do much: register every press, fit your desk and use the key layout printed on UK keyboards. Below are seven keyboards from five brands, compared only on what each manufacturer publishes on its UK site, with the RRP we saw on 3 November 2026. We have not used these keyboards ourselves; the notes on who each one suits are our editorial view of the documented features.
Gaming monitors
For a budget gaming monitor, the important decisions are screen size, resolution, refresh rate and which HDMI version the ports use, because that last one decides what a console can actually send. Here are six 24-27 inch monitors from five brands, compared on the specs and UK prices published by each manufacturer on 3 November 2026. We have not used them ourselves; the notes are our editorial reading of the spec sheets.