Controllers, mice, keyboards, and more from Amazon Basics

Amazon Basics, the online retailer’s value-oriented brand of essentials, has grown to cover a wide variety of product categories, and that includes gaming.

So players now have the potential to do most of their game setup with Amazon Basics products and potentially save a bundle. This is an understandable method, due to the low cost and ready-to-use offers on the site. But Amazon Basics products vary in quality, some proving to be a total steal and others an easy ​​pass.

Although these are often some of the cheapest options on the market, there are always better products for the same price if you know where to look. I’ve taken a wide set of Amazon Basics gaming products through their paces to help you figure out what’s right for you and where you might want to consider others.

Amazon Basics Racing/Gaming Style Office Chair

The Amazon Basics Racing/Gaming style office chair is a simple office chair with mesh racing stripes on the back like a cobra that is common on racing-style gaming chairs. The seat doesn’t have anything special about it, and its incredibly simple construction (just a few bolts to screw in) makes it feel a little too delicate.

While the seat only has height adjustment, the seat has a slight rocking sensation, but that’s not because it can rock when it turns while in use. The bolts don’t even use washers for a safer assembly, and the backrest and seat base are integrated into the armrests themselves. While the seat is comfortable in short bursts, it doesn’t offer much ergonomic support, especially with the stationary armrests.

This will serve you better than a dining chair at a table, but if you expect to spend a lot of time playing, it’s worth investing in a better chair. Even Amazon’s own mesh, mid-back office chair is probably a smarter choice. $98 on Amazon

Amazon Basics 24E2QA 24-inch Monitor

The Amazon Basic 24-inch gaming monitor is a cost-effective option with some surprisingly decent qualities, including a 99% coverage of the sRGB color space and surprisingly high color accuracy. . The low cost is immediately impressive, and the fact that it includes speakers at all is a plus, although the audio is only loud enough for a small room and not very good otherwise.

The stand is a little ugly and low, and offers only a small tilt adjustment, but the monitor supports VESA mounting. All this said, there is no reason to choose this monitor. For the same price, the 24-inch Monoprice Dark Matter gaming monitor runs at 144Hz to 75Hz on Amazon’s monitor.

The same can be said of the Gigabyte G24F 2, which is known to sell for less than $130. And then there’s the HP X27q, which packs a bigger 27-inch, 1440p display while sometimes dropping to just $175. $129 on Amazon

Amazon Basics Pro Gaming Mouse

The Amazon Basics Pro Gaming Mouse is a tough case. It’s a steal if you can get it for its regular price of under $20, offering RGB lighting, an adjustable DPI up to 12,000, capable tracking, and a 12-button bottom selection. on the thumb. The ergonomics are decent though, although a bit cramped for larger hands. If you’re shopping for your first gaming mouse and see it under $20, don’t be shy about getting it.

But don’t buy it if you already use a mouse, you like it or you see it at inflated prices that often go up to (always over $70). Part of the problem is the lack of software. (Reviews often call this out, and I wouldn’t recommend following a link provided in a software download review.) Without it, there’s no way to set the DPI to the level you want. want unless it’s already one of the mouse presets, nor can you control the RGB lighting or remap the 12 thumb buttons.

The other issue is that for $60 to $70, you can choose between a ton of great mice, including the ever-discounted Logitech G604 Wireless or the Razer Naga X that this Amazon Basics mouse is similar to. $72 on Amazon

Amazon Basics Gaming Computer Mouse Pad

There’s nothing particularly gamer-y about this Amazon Basics mouse pad, except that you’re playing for your value by going ahead and getting it. This is a simple, no-nonsense mouse pad. You can get the size you need at a low price.

It’s very thin and has no sewn edges to help with durability, but that’s true of many other mouse pads. The only tricky thing is the constant price change. SteelSeries’ QcK Edge pads will be the same price any time soon, and they are higher quality. $9 on Amazon

Amazon Basics A Computer Monitor Stand

While some of the products in this guide involve a bit of hedging, the Amazon Basics monitor arm is a straightforward recommendation. For $27, it’s not only well-built, but also offers some smart extras.

Its hinges are strong, so it won’t sag under the weight of the monitor. The clamp mechanism for mounting it on a table is sturdy and padded to prevent damage to the table or desk. And there is a friction lever that allows for easy height adjustment. The VESA bracket itself slides and clicks into place, so you can first mount the arm and then attach your monitor easily.

Perhaps best of all, the stand includes small cable guides and a wide routing channel through the vertical tube to provide a neat desk setup with hidden cables. You can even get the version with two arms for only $5 more. The only thing I don’t like is that I don’t know about this stand. $27 on Amazon

Amazon Basics DisplayPort 1.4 cable

This Amazon Basics DisplayPort cable is another solid option. It can provide a signal for high-resolution and high-frame rate situations, such as 4K/144Hz, and it can be done at a low price. The cable didn’t give me any trouble during my test on the Gigabyte M28U.

I will note that a previous Amazon Basics DisplayPort 1.2 cable with the same design caused some issues, however. None of Amazon’s cables include the locking teeth found on many other DisplayPort cables, and that can be an issue. With the DisplayPort 1.2 version of the cable, I’ve run into a sputtering image signal when my desk shakes, and this is something I’ve never seen from a cable held tightly to small teeth. $10 on Amazon

Amazon Basics HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) cable

The Amazon Basics HDMI 2.1 cable is great simply because it doesn’t cost much while doing exactly what it says on the tin. With a 48Gbps bandwidth, it is ready to deliver 4K HDR content to even a fast gaming monitor like the Asus ROG Swift PG42UQ, or a good gaming television.

I didn’t encounter any signal issues even when using the 10-foot Amazon Basics HDMI cable. You don’t need to run out and buy an overpriced cable for your gaming setup or home theater, and you can save a good chunk of change by buying this.

$7 on Amazon

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Prices are accurate at the time this article is published but may change over time.