Fuck a headset. Mic quality is typically dog shit compared to a stand alone mic.

I recommend you buy a nice pair of quality headphones instead. You're gonna either want those or a nice set of speakers, but typically the headphones are going to be cheaper.

If you decide you want to do some online gaming or voice calls in the future, you can always buy a standalone desktop mic for like $50-100 and the sound quality will be immaculate.

You only need a mouse and a keyboard. A game controller is nice to have for many games. And then I would reccomend.a headset if you like coop multiplayer games. I'm a social butterfly and i like talking to people I play with. And from a gameplay syandpoint being able to communicate, ie "there's a dragon on our left!" Or "the healer just exploded try to stay alive while I rez them" can make games much more fun and smoother to play.

If you're just starting out the biggest thing with a "gaming mouse" is comfort. Find a mouse that feels good in your hand. I think almost all mice are 5-button these days - left click, right click, middle click, and forward/backward and that's more buttons than most games need

Same with keyboards, whatever feels comfortable

If you decide to get a controller there are lots of options and I'd say either go to a physical store and hold some to get a feel for what suits you, or order then return them on amazon until you find one you like.

Re: headsets - the cost, features, and comfort of headsets are all over the place. I'd suggest checking reviews on reddit then doing the amazon order - return thing until you find something that fits comfortably. Wired vs wireless is a personal choice. Wired is usually a bit lighter while wireless gives you more freedom to move. I much prefer headsets to speakers as many modern games make very good use of 3d positional audio and you can hear where things are around you in a detailed way.

Not sure anyone mentioned a monitor. I dont know what sort of rig you're looking at, but you should make sure you've got a monitor with g-sync (or the amd equivalent, can't remember what its called). 1080 144Hz is solid on the lower end. I've got a Dell, 27 inch 1440 165Hz that was like $200 and I love it.

Mouse, keyboard, external drives, and maybe a mic.

Budget depends on what you get, a mechanical keyboard will cost more than a membrane and a namebrand gamer one will cost even more. It is not necessary however.

I like mice with extra buttons and cannot imagine using one with only 2 extra. The last time I checked the current fad for mice is lightweight and excessively high DPI options, neither of which I would pay attention to or consider. In general most mice seem to develop some issue after a while but I would avoid logitech at all costs, never heard anything good about them online or offline. Razer supposedly had a massive quality drop after 2014 and still has subpar software. The Evga mouse I had developed an issue with disconnecting that apparently everyone gets at some point.

https://www.rtings.com/mouse/tools/3d-model-shape-compare/3d/razer-naga-x is good for comparing shapes if you already own a mouse that's listed.

There are smaller keyboards than the standard if you are concerned about desk space. Most will get rid of the numpad and the keys in the arrow key block, some will let you access those with the fn key. I don't have a mechanical but everyone says they're better while costing more.

I have never used a headset, I just used a mic. Games like Squad and Dayz pretty much need a mic, talking is a focal point of those games. I don't think it's really necessary in anything else and I think most people use discord anyways. The first mic I used was ~$15 from amazon. No one ever told me it sounded excessively bad or was horrible to listen to.

i mean, what do you already own? you really don't need special equipment to enjoy video games. just a mouse (and mousepad), keyboard, and some speakers or headphones. the only thing really worth shelling out for if you find yourself playing team games online a lot is a decent microphone or headset. peripherals branded "for gamers" are usually overpriced and underbuilt, so unless you really want the removed LEDs don't feel pressured.

if you really want fancy stuff, there's a whole mechanical keyboard hobby that you could spend months and hundreds on chasing a particular experience, but if you just want A Mechanical Keyboard, other than finding a model M at your local thrift store, I'd say go to your local electronics store and see if they're stocking any of Redragon's budget offerings. They're almost as good as Razer at half the price.

I'm not a gamer either, only games I've enjoyed are the American/Euro Truck simulators, and Civilazation games and I play these with my keyboard and mouse. I also enjoyed The Last of US pt1, and Red Dead Redemption 2, for me, these two are better played with controller and mouse. Try some games out and see which ones you enjoy.

I don't know anymore, I just play off my laptop.

But please play Disco Elysium.

I'd add a controller to the maybe list. If you like driving or flying games they can be better played on a controller. Xbox controllers and a USB cable will just work when you plug it in.

I use a headset to be polite to the other person in the house and neighbors to not be disturbed by the loud explosions and epic music.

I have one of the wired OG 7.1 surround sound HyperX headphones. They've lasted a long time. Durable. Have a detachable adjustable mic. Comfortable.

Cloud 2 is on sale for $60 on their site. Amazon might have some lower prices just off the sponsored search pictures, but fuck and who knows whos selling them.

Here's a review site comparing different models and some differences between the competitors.

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.