// WIRED US/UK — HARDWARE & GADGET
18 Best Gifts for PC Gamers (2026): Headsets, Desks, Monitors
Shopping for a PC gamer is a perilous endeavor. What might look like a great sale on a GPU or gaming keyboard can turn out to be a bad deal because of an arcane spec only the most die-hard forum-dwellers understand. If you're shopping for the gamer in your life who lives that nerd life, we have a simple, accessible guide to what they might like.
Be sure to check out our other buying guides, including Best Gaming Laptops, Best Gaming Headsets, Best Keyboards, Best Gaming Mice, and Best Game Controllers. If your giftee prefers console gaming, read our Best PS5 Accessories and Best Switch 2 Accessories guides.
Updated November 2026: We've added the Razer Viper V4 Pro, SteelSeries Rival 3 Gen 2, Smartish Cord Holders, Razer Kraken Kitty V3 Pro, Branch Ergonomic Chair SEGA Edition, and Creative Pebble V3 Speakers.
The best advice I can give when shopping for a PC gaming enthusiast is simple: If you're unsure, just ask. Find out if they have a favorite mouse, keyboard, or headset brand they've been eyeing, or anything else they've been thinking about picking up for themselves. If you're still not sure and don't want to get them the wrong thing, another one-size-fits-all gift any PC gamer will like is a Steam gift card. This lets them pick a game from a vast online store. Most popular titles are around $60, so use that as a baseline for how much to add to the card.
Dedicated gaming headsets can get very expensive, especially if you want something higher quality with the latest features. But the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless (9/10, WIRED Recommends) delivers the goods at half the price of the competition without sacrificing sound quality or comfort. Reviewer Brad Bourque even called it the “most comfortable gaming headset" he'd ever tested. Check out our Best Gaming Headsets guide for other options.
There are more powerful computer speakers out there, but none are as giftable as the Creative Pebble V3. These tiny little speakers are shockingly small, so they don't dominate your desk. However, they are angled up toward your ears to deliver clear, loud sound that brings your games to life. WIRED reviewer Nena Farell has often recommended these, noting the impressive sound quality for the price.
Not everyone needs a mouse that costs over $100. If you want to spend a bit less, I'd recommend the SteelSeries Rival 3 Gen 2. It doesn't have some of the bells and whistles that higher-end mice have, but the average PC gamer will find everything they need here. It's light, has a grippy scroll wheel, and comes in either a cheaper wired model or a wireless option. It's the rare PC gaming accessory that comes in at a perfectly giftable price.
Asus' compact ROG Falchion Ace HFX (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great example of why small keyboards are all the rage. It removes the number pad, function keys, and navigation keys in favor of a smaller footprint (also known as 65 percent layout) than even the tenkeyless (TKL) layout. It won't get in the way of your mouse hand, especially when turned sideways or on a smaller desk. Meanwhile, the Hall effect switches feel snappy, and the software makes it easy to customize everything. The keyboard doesn't cut as much as a 60% layout, which removes the arrow keys, making it more usable for work and school.
For the gamer who has it all, lighting can be an aesthetic upgrade that enhances the PC gaming experience. It doesn't take much to toss in a splash of color to a wall or desk. This Govee light strip is a great option, since the light is already diffused, so it won't blind you when it's in full view. Whether you curve it into a shape on a wall or line your desk with it, these light strips are a simple way to enhance a gaming station.
If your giftee takes their multiplayer gaming seriously, they need a mouse that is fast, lightweight, and highly customizable—and that's exactly what the Razer Viper V4 Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is. New this year, the Viper V4 Pro replaced its already popular pred