School is back, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop gaming. Whether you are going to college andliving in a dorm roomor just want a moreportable gaming setupfor the school year, there is some great tech to make your gaming experience amazing this year.
Asus ROG Ally
Razer Kishi V2 Controller
While these products will not offer a full gaming experience by themselves (besides the Asus ROG Ally), they are all great additions to any gaming laptop and will complete your gaming setup for the year.
The Best Tech That Makes College Life Easier For a Gamer
MelGeek Made68
Unlike many other MelGeek keyboards, the Made68 has a minimalist design. However, it still offers the excellent performance and build quality you have come to expect from a MelGee keyboard. The magnetic switches give you incredible control over how this keyboard feels when typing and playing. But the customization options don’t stop there; the side panels and rear panels can be customized to fit your looks.
Logitech G305 Lightspeed
The Logitech G305 Lightspeed wireless gaming mouse is a bold budget offering perfect for personalizing a desk. It weighs just under 100g and uses a AA battery that is said to last 250 hours. It boasts 6 programmable buttons, including a DPI button on the top. The HERO sensor has a DPI of up to 12,000 and a max acceleration is 40g, like most of Logitech’s mice, and the report rate is the industry standard of 1ms.
Arzopa Z1FC Portable Gaming Monitor
The Arzopa Z1FC monitor boasts an impressive 144Hz refresh rate, 1080p resolution, and HDR support on an incredibly slim 16" screen. With two USB-C ports, it can be easily used with laptops and the Switch with one cable.
CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub
The CalDigit Element Hub is perfect for users looking for an ultra-compact Thunderbolt dock. It is tiny but packs a big punch with four Thunderbolt 4 ports, and four USB-A ports, along with many benefits like dual 4K display support and laptop charging.
SanDisk 2TB Portable SSD
The SanDisk 2TB Portable SSD stands out for its blend of affordability, ample storage capacity, and solid performance. Its 2TB Storage Capacity offers abundant space, while up to 800MB/s speeds allow users to transfer files faster. Its USB-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 support makes it versatile while allowing for faster and more efficient file transfers.
Anker Soundcore Space One Noise Cancelling Headphones
The Soundcore Space One is a pair of over-ear headphones with 40mm drivers that deliver hi-res audio and, on supported devices, LDAC audio. Paired with unparalleled noise-canceling that blocks out 98% of sound around the user, the Space Ones can make a change for anybody’s commute or music listening experience, not to mention that with ANC on, the battery lasts for 40 hours and with ANC off it last up to 55 hours.
The Asus ROG Ally is the ultimate handheld system for PC gamers. Relying on the new AMD Ryzen Z1 series of processors, the ROG Ally can handle any game thrown at it. The 7-inch 1080p Full HD display with FreeSync Premium on the system provides gamers with a crystal clear and smooth gaming experience. The advantage of the ROG Ally is that it can run most Windows-compatible games and is compatible with Xbox Game Pass titles. It also comes with 3 months of Game Pass Ultimate. The ROG Ally also features an ergonomic design that makes gaming for long periods enjoyable.
The Razer Kishi V2 allows for seamless mobile gaming with both Android and iPhone. The ergonomic design of the controller makes gaming on the go way more comfortable, and it can be collapsed into a compact, portable shape that’s easy to take anywhere.
Choosing Tech For College Gaming
Picking out what accessories make the most sense for your college gaming setup mostly comes down to what you want your setup to be like. If you want to kit out your dorm room to be a full gaming battle station, you will probably want to pick up many of the products in this guide. However, if you just want to add a bit more gaming flexibility to your laptop, a nice gaming mouse is probably the best way to go.
Even if you decide to go with other products, these are the three main things we look for when choosing a gaming accessory for college students.
Best Budget Gaming Tech
Logitech G305 Lightspeed Mouse
While it’s not the most flashy or high-performance mouse out there, the Logitech G305 is easily one of the best budget gaming mice, even though it was released in 2018. Inour full review, we found that the G305 more than outperforms its price tag and seemingly boring exterior.
Thanks to its smaller form factor, this mouse is super easy to transport back and forth to class. Even though it only connects wirelessly with a 2.4 GHz receiver, which is kind of a pain for some laptop users, it more than makes up for it with its incredible battery life of 250 hours with a single AA battery. Even with regular use, the G305 can easily last a couple of months at a time without needing the battery replaced.
Best Premium Gaming Tech
At the time of writing, all the handheld gaming hype is about the Steam Deck OLED and Asus ROG Ally. While those are super exciting, the original ROG Ally offers excellent value for gamers looking for a premium handheld gaming experience but still want to save a few bucks.
The ROG Ally is not only a more affordable option but also a sleeker and more portable option that holds its own against its thicker competitors when it comes to outright gaming performance. Whether you want to play AAA titles on the go or just want to chill out with some less strenuous games, the ROG Ally handles it all wonderfully. With Valve confirming it will support the ROG Ally with SteamOS, now is as great of a time as any to pick the Ally up.
Editor’s Choice
Arzopa Z1FC
Aportable monitor is not entirely necessaryfor an excellent gaming experience, especially if you are gaming on a laptop that already has a nice display. However, if you are using a laptop that is locked to a 60Hz or 75Hz refresh rate, the Arzopa Z1FC is a great way to boost your gaming performance at a very affordable price instantly.
This portable monitor boasts an impressive 144Hz refresh rate, 1080p resolution, and HDR support on an incredibly slim 16" screen. With two USB-C ports, it can be easily used with laptops and the Switch with one cable. However, the Mini HDMI port is not the most durable for long-term use.
But one of the biggest pluses of the Z1FC is that its kickstand is pretty intuitive and rigid. That’s unlike many other portable monitors, which come with stands that take a good five minutes to fold up to hold the monitor.
FAQ
Q: What percent of college students are gamers?
While it may seem like your gaming habits have to change at school, 70% of college students say they play video games in some way at least once a week, and 65% of college students reported being regular or occasional game players.
Q: Is college eSports a thing?
According to NACE, the National Association Collegie eSports, there are currently 170 member schools with over 5,000 student-athletes participating in varsity eSports programs across the U.S.
