I'm going to buy a new prebuilt PC next week. I'm almost certain I'll buy a Windows PC and making a PC is not my thing. I haven't been a gamer since the late 1970s so I'm a bit behind the curve.

What peripherals should I buy?

I know that's vague but I sincerely don't know what kind of games I'll end up liking.

How much should I budget for it?

~$300? I have no idea. For the short term - I want the basic core stuff I need and maybe a bell and whistle or two.

I want to avoid going crazy and buying specialized stuff like a wheel and pedals set. If I decide that driving games are my thing - I can always buy that later.

Should I buy a headset right off the bat?

Do you use a headset? My mental image is that I don't want to talk to anybody or listen to anybody because there are a lot of trolls out there. But am I wrong? Are there games where a headset is worth it? I'll let you define "worth it".

Also - how much does a good headset cost?

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Edit

I thought I needed to budget more for peripherals. It seems I don't. And - I don't need to buy everything next week anyway. There's no rush and my gaming needs might turn out to be (very) modest anyway. Current plan

  • Keyboard. My current keyboard is beyond crap anyway.
  • Gaming mouse?
  • Microphone headset?
  • Speakers? Maybe not. For reasons I don't want to explain - no speakers might be better.
  • LGOrcStreetSamurai [he/him]
    ·
    2 days ago

    What peripherals should I buy?

    Mouse, Keyboard, and maybe a microphone headset for voice if you want talk to people on calls or whatever. Anything else is gamer decadence

    Should I buy a headset right off the bat?

    Sure if you like headsets. Headsets with a microphone are nice, most of them are pretty good and lets you listen and speak comfortably.