With the announcement of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King returning as a forthcoming WoW Classic option, the lure to come back to what I would consider the series’ pinnacle experience is pretty strong. After hopping back into Burning Crusade in preparation, I was reminded of the many macros and keybindings created for days of yore… and the gear that they were tethered to.
If you’re like me and it’s been a minute since you have found yourself in the regular practice of MMO life or if you’re just itching for ideas to upgrade, what you are about to read is a list of some of the PC hardware that you might find helpful in your journey. It isn’t exhaustive, but we have seen a thing or two over the years.
So, stay while… and listen as we pull quotes from our reviewers, scores, prices, and links to the articles. I will also be sharing the gear I will be using as I find my way back into Azeroth and what products I, personally, like.
MMO Mice:
Ah, the MMO mouse: that daunting, multi-buttoned monstrosity that makes the adept feel godlike… or make you weep like a child for accidentally using your last potion instead of summoning your mount. There is nothing quite like it!
In this list, you’ll find a few newer options in the market, some with genre-defining numbers pads and others with enough buttons to assist without being unwieldy.
HyperX Pulsefire Raid
- MMORPG.com Score: 7/10
- Retail Price: $59.99
“If you’re looking for a few extra buttons to put more commands at your thumb and don’t want to resort to a full-on button grid, this is a way to do that.” - Chris Coke
Steelseries Aerox 9 Wireless MMO Mouse
- MMORPG.com Score: 9/10
- Retail Price: $149.99
“…when compared to all that the Aerox 9 has going for it, it's hard to find many other mice that can stand against it… it's priced well ($149.99 MSRP), when compared to other MMO mice with the same features and functions.” - Matt Keith
Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite
- MMORPG.com Score: 8/10
- Retail Price: $79.99
“… the Scimitar RGB Elite is a solid buy for those who’ve been looking for a great little MMO mouse but have yet to pull the trigger.” - Joseph Bradford
Razer Naga Pro
- MMORPG.com Score: 9.5/10
- Retail Price: $149.99
“I love the ergonomic design and style of the Razer Naga Pro, as well as the capability to change it from an MMO mouse to an FPS mouse and back. The wireless features and improved DPI took an already amazing jack-of-all-trades mouse and turned it up to 11…” - Garrick Durham-Raley
My personal favorite: Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite
This story is a bit of a journey, so hang in there:
I’ve used a number of MMO mice over the years, beginning with a refurbished Naga Epic. Sadly, after a relatively short period of time, it died on me. With Razer’s redesign of the button orientation in the mid-2010 iterations of the Naga, I moved on. Eventually, I found a budget MMO mouse that stunned me: the Enhance Theorem. Unfortunately, this gem is no longer in production, so I can’t recommend it as an option.
However, I caught a sale directly from Corsair of a refurbished Scimitar RGB Elite. With their adjustable button pad and textured number keys, I have been eyeing this mouse for some time now. While it did take a little bit to set up within Corsair’s iCUE software, the price was right and I have not been disappointed yet!
Keyboards:
Keyboards are like underwear; everyone knows what they are, some care more about their style, function, and design more than others, and some don’t clean them nearly as much as they ought to. And that’s as far as we’re taking the analogy.
So, when it comes to keyboards: consider what you like, what size is comfortable to you, how important aesthetic is, and whether or not you are really going to bother programming macros or not!
In this list, we chose a variety of sizes and styles to give a picture of what’s out there… and believe me when I say we’ve seen some wild ones!
Razer Blackwidow V3 Mini
- MMORPG.com Score: 9/10
- Retail Price: $179.99 - $199.99
“The Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini delivers a feature-packed, wireless mechanical keyboard which gives a ton of versatility in both connectivity and in its uses. The best part? This 65% keyboard doesn't feel cramped… Throw exceptional battery life into the mix and what you have is a space-conscious, well-built keyboard that you can “grab and go” wherever the action takes you” - Damien Gula
Corsair K70 RGB Pro
- MMORPG.com Score: 8/10
- Retail Price: $159.99
“The K70 RGB Pro is a refinement instead of a reinvention. It takes the classic features of the line-up and brings them up with the times to include Corsair’s latest technological advancements. Added features like PBT keycaps and a new wrist rest only add to the appeal.” - Chris Coke
MOUNTAIN Everest 60
- MMORPG.com Score: 9/10
- Retail Price: $139.99
“In my years of reviewing keyboards, however, one of the biggest things I’ve learned is that, gaming keyboard or no, what really matters is that a keyboard is responsive and feels good to use. The extras come behind that. The Everest 60 nails the basics and adds innovation on top.” - Chris Coke
NZXT Function
- MMORPG.com Score: 6.5/10
- Retail Price: Starting at $119.99
“Where the FUNCTION series really shows its best potential is this: it is a platform to build from and experiment with. With a myriad of hot-swappable switches out there, there are a number of options for growth and discovery with the keyboard rather than replacing the entire unit when the itch to try something new strikes.” - Damien Gula
My personal favorite:
This is tough for me because I vacillate between two keyboards for very different reasons. I love the Razer Blackwidow V3 Mini. It is, out of the box, a high quality, high features keyboard that just feels good to use. The NZXT Function, while carrying the lowest score on this list, has had some work done to remove some of the issues I picked apart within the review. I have swapped out retail switches and changed around some key caps to make this a truly custom piece for my liking. It also helps that I’m using some other NZXT products, so doubling up on support software doesn’t hurt its case.
Headsets:
Headsets are products where personal preference and comfort needs require a person to try a few different pairs to find their best all-around fit. Some retailers have some mainstream samples in store to try out. If that kind of thing doesn’t make you squeamish, I recommend it for no other reason other than it will inform your decision. Below we have a mix of wired and wireless offerings with a myriad of noteworthy features.
Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless
- MMORPG.com Score: 8.5/10
- Retail Price: $149.99
“The HS80 is a great headset that definitely fits the bill for a high-quality, premium gaming headset without completely breaking the bank. The out-of-the-box support for spatial audio technologies like Dolby Atmos provide a ton of value, and while I wish the range was a bit more consistent, as well as more RGB accents on an RGB-marketed headset, but the function of the HS80 doesn’t disappoint.” - Joseph Bradford
LucidSound LS50X Wireless
- MMORPG.com Score: 8/10
- Retail Price: $199.99
“Overall, our experience with the LucidSound LS50X has been a highly positive one. The versatility of the headset in control, soundscape, and connectivity provide a possible ‘one-stop-shop’ for audio needs… If you are looking for a headset to connect to multiple sources with higher than typical options for mixing audio volumes on the fly, the LS50X might be worth some deeper consideration.” - Damien Gula
Beyerdynamics MMX150 USB
- MMORPG.com Score: 7/10
- Retail Price: $149.99
“My experience with the beyerdynamic MMX 150 Studio-class USB Gaming Headset was, overall, a positive experience. The headset delivers a fairly broad soundscape across multiple media types… even in bass-rich environments. The listening experience was only rivaled by the microphone quality - which speaks well of both!” - Damien Gula
EPOS H6PRO
- MMORPG.com Score: 9/10
- Retail Price: $179.99
“From a comfortable fit to detachable microphones and a catalog for ordering replacement parts... EPOS seems to have thought of everything I could ask for in a headset and delivered it in a well-built, beautifully designed package that boasts the best listening experience that I’ve had to date. At $179 the EPOS H6PRO is well worth the purchase and I would be surprised to hear about anyone not being satisfied with that purchase.” - Robert Baddeley
My personal favorite:
While I like the convenience of wireless headphones, I also prefer to route my audio through an outboard audio interface for mic monitoring and mixing. With the number of headsets I have tested, none feel as good to me for long-term gaming sessions than the Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless I reviewed back in 2019.
While I was and still am not a huge fan of their price tag or the battery life, the comfort of the headset as a glasses-wearer and their wired sound serve my preferences.
Monitors:
When it comes to monitors, I’ve seen a thing or two because I have reviewed a monitor or twelve. What I have come to appreciate about the variety on the market is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get rich colors, high refresh rates, and desirable feature sets. Before looking at monitors, we recommend making a priorities list based off of the system you are pairing the monitor with. Be realistic about your expectations and budget from there. For example, if you have had the good fortune of securing an NVIDIA RTX 3060 or AMD Radeon RX 6700XT, chances are, you’re aiming in the 1080p to 1440p range for higher quality performance. Could you push 4K? Yeah… but it may not be your best gaming experience. While spending money on a 4K monitor is not your best option, the 1080p and 1440p offering under $400 are pretty spectacular.
In the list below, we have a few options in each common resolution category.
Acer Predator X28 (4K)
- MMORPG.com Score: 7/10
- Retail Price: $999.99
“The Acer Predator X28 is a beast of a monitor with both 4K resolution and a refresh rate of up to 152Hz… At 28” this Predator will sit comfortably at just about any desk without being overly dominant. Why choose between a monitor with higher refresh rate or one with higher resolution, when you can just have both?” - Garrick Durham-Raley
Gigabyte M28U KVM (4K)
- MMORPG.com Score: 8.5/10
- Retail Price: $599.99
“The Gigabyte M28U is Gigabyte’s entry-level 4K experience that is anything but entry-level. Providing the feature-rich options that we have come to expect from their offerings (4K @ 144Hz, HDR), Gigabyte ups their game by giving the M28U a high refresh-rate 4K display capable of being utilized by multiple systems with its KVM functionality.” - Damien Gula
Viotek GFV27DAB (1440p)
- MMORPG.com Score: 8/10
- Retail Price: $299.99 (Amazon)
“All in all, this is a great 1440p, 144Hz monitor for the price, especially as the name brand varieties typically run upwards of $300. For those looking for what is being called the “sweet spot” in gaming performance, the Viotek should be on your radar when deciding on the monitor for your mid-range rig.” - Joseph Bradford
Gigabyte G32QC (1440p)
- MMORPG.com Score: 9.5/10
- Retail Price: $349.99
“While it is hard to consider $349.99 USD a “budget” price, the Gigabyte G32QC is hardly a budget monitor in its features set and delivery on those features. Remember: this is a curved 32-inch monitor with high refresh rates, mid-range HDR support, G-Sync and FreeSync Premium compatibility, and much, much more.” - Damien Gula
Viotek GFT27CXB (1080p)
- MMORPG.com Score: 8/10
- Retail Price: $289.99
“…the Viotek GFT27CXB is a stunning offering in the 1080p monitor space. Its rich depth of color along with its 240Hz refresh rate and GPU-agnostic Adaptive Sync make this monitor a solid recommendation for value and performance.” - Damien Gula
My personal favorite:
It is hard to play favorites in this arena, but I have to say that the monitors I have seen from Gigabyte have made an impression on me. They are putting out feature-rich monitors while keeping the prices in a decent range for what they are offering. They do have some higher end options in their AORUS line, but it seems like the company is trickling down those premium perks into standard features with each new release.
At the moment, I have both the Gigabyte M28U KVM and Gigabyte G32QC on my desk with the M28U serving as my main gaming monitor.
Honorable Mentions:
While I could cover an exhaustive list of products you might want or need for your MMO enjoyment, part of the fun of preparing to jump into a new immersive experience is the joy of discovery. But, much like those random tutorial NPCs, I would like to leave you with a few extras that might brighten your experience.
The first is the PreSonus Revelator io24 - an audio input device with a bunch of tricks up its sleeve. If you are looking for a feature-packed interface to pair with an XLR-based microphone, you aren’t going to want to sleep on this interface. While it comes in at $199.99 USD, it is bundled with a professional grade digital audio workstation, tons of software plug-ins, and a myriad of presets for immediate quality out-of-the-box.
If you aren’t quite ready to jump on the audio interface train, but you’re easing your way into that world, the Samson Q9U is a hybrid XLR and USB microphone. This dynamic microphone has a solid construction and the audio quality is superb. This mic has not left my desk since the day it came in.
Finally, and this is a big one here… if… it’s been a while and you are just getting back into the MMO space, but you aren’t quite sure your old rig will still boot up let alone get you into whatever digital world you are wanting to spent time in, I want you to take a deep breath and relax. It’s going to be okay.
If you are looking to build your own system, NZXT’s BLD Kit is a fantastic place to start. With everything provided within the kit, including tools and instructions (written and in video form), the BLD kit takes some of the anxiety out of PC building. I only say “some” because you still have to put it together!
If building a system isn’t quite your speed, there are a number of great system builders out in the wild (including NZXT’s BLD service) that can show you the way.
We hope this list has been helpful to you in your journey toward jumping into an MMO! While this list couldn’t possibly cover every product on the market, we hope that it has been helpful to introduce (or reintroduce) you to the wide world of peripherals and parts out there to help you in whatever realm you find yourself in.And, wherever you fare, may you fare well.
