I get A LOT of Facebook messages and Tweets about the best deals for all sorts of things. Recently I’ve been getting a lot of enquiries about entry level gaming peripherals to help get someone sorted or set up. Mostly these questions come from ladies wanting to get into gaming or moms looking to set their kids up. After Constantine104’s Redragon review I had even more requests so now I’m putting together my entry level gaming peripherals list to try help you along.

Right off the bat let us be clear – I’m a RAZER Brand Ambassador and they sponsor my YouTube channel. So there is going to be some bias here. But I’ve included other brands as well to try be as fair as possible. Gaming peripherals are things like a mouse, keyboard and the like. So you’ve hopefully realised by now that we’re specifically focusing on computer gaming here? Good.

Why do I need gaming peripherals?

Well the truth is, you don’t. You can play games with a normal mouse and keyboard. However, with some of these entry level items you’re looking at similar costing anyway, so cost shouldn’t be a factor. Gaming focused peripherals improve your overall gaming experience. They increase efficiency in game and just ensure the overall experience is heightened. But you’ll see, like I mentioned in my Headset section – this isn’t a be all and end all must purchase to play situation.

But we can get in to that discussion another day. Let’s get in to my suggestions.

Keyboard and Mouse

You’ll see I’ve bunched these two together and that is because there are two entry level bundles that I think are ideal for a new gamer. The deal includes a mouse and keyboard. Winning. First up:

Razer Cynosa Pro Bundle

I did warn you this would be biased. The Cynosa Pro Bundle includes a Cynosa Pro Keyboard and a Razer DeathAdder Mouse. I currently use the DeathAdder Elite but I’ve used the first derivative of this product before. It is a fantastic mouse that is going to last you AGES. Which is kind of what you want. It also does everything you need so you won’t need to be upgrading your peripheral kit any time soon. The Cynosa Pro is a great keyboard. You aren’t going to be having a full RGB light show while playing but it does offer 3 colour backlighting. It has gaming grade membrane keys which will allow you to feel the tactile feedback. It is also spill resistant (which is good, trust me) and you can synchronise your devices (by using the Razer Synapse software you can have a funky lighting effect. It’s fun, trust me). I think this is a great entry level bundle and was priced on Evetech at about R1300 – which is pretty decent for both those items together. However, everywhere I’ve looked seems to be out of stock – so you might have to wait for a new shipment. Sorry 🙁

VPRO V100 Keyboard and Gaming Mouse

This is, without a doubt, the best value for money entry level peripheral bundling I’ve found to date. You might not be familiar with the brand name yet but VPRO offers up a range of really great and affordable gaming peripherals for those not able to drop giant cash dollar on their set up. The v100 bundle is exactly what a new gamer needs. The bundle has 16 million colour smart backlit lighting options. Much like Razer’s Synapse, you can use the VPRO software to tweak your backlighting, change colours and go full RGB. There’s also options to synch the lighting to your actions per minute so as to keep the heat in check. It is something offered on most of the “big boy” peripherals so it is impressive seeing it come in to the more budget items (thanks VPRO). All the keys are programmable and there is customisable real time resolution adjustment. It is a fantastic gaming bundle and only costs around R899 (yes, for both the keyboard and the mouse!).

Your headset

Now this one is really tough for me. I’m a bit of a sound snob in that I believe if you’re going to buy a headset you need to buy a proper headset. I don’t think an “entry level” gaming headset will suffice and you should rather prepare to drop cash dollar. BUT in the same breath, do you even need a gaming headset to begin with? Personally, I don’t think so. I think that when you start out on your gaming journey a normal set of headphones or in ears will do just fine. Once you’ve got comfortable and are ready to take the overall experience to the next level then drop some money on a gaming headset.

I’ve recently been playing with a bunch of sound products from Rocka. A new brand on the block and these are great purchases not only for gaming but just if you’re looking for a decent set of headphones or in ears. So I’m going to start my list with them.

ROCKA Switch Headphones

The ROCKA Switch headphones are normal on ear headphones that work well for your sound needs and could do the job in game as well. They don’t have a mic but I think they’d work well because of the soft headbands. The headphones come with two detachable headbands – one in black and another in a colour of your choice (usually pink or neon yellow). You can switch these out according to your fashion needs. The bands are covered in a soft breathable material so they sit comfortably on your head. This is important for long hours of gaming. The entire headset is super light weight and the sound quality is good. The Switch headphones retail at around R199 so don’t expect surround sound epic quality but they do the job well and will get you started. The bonus of being to use them as actual headphones is why I’m featuring them. Drop the big money on your keyboard and mouse, save some cash on your headphones AND you can take these out to listen to music. They also have a flat cable which I like and find tends to last longer than the round ones. Random share there.

If you absolutely have to have a mic then drop R79 on the ROCKA Curve earbuds. They have a walk ‘n talk built in mic so you’d be able to utilise them for Team Speak or Discord (they’re compatible with Windows to a degree).

The ROCKA range is my “if you have to be cheap” solution BUT, if you’re serious about your gaming needs then the best “entry level” headset is below. 

Razer Kraken Pro V2 headset

This is the ideal gaming headset for n00bs and hardcore players alike. It costs around R1000 from Evetech but is worth every damn penny. Super comfy over ear cups, an aluminium unibody that is light weight and comfortable as well as 50mm drivers for in game audio and communications. The sound is crisp and clear, the retractable mic is neat and well designed. These headsets are a purchase you won’t regret ever. I’ve recently moved to the Man O War headset but suggest these babies every time. They’ll last you a life time.

There you go. Some suggestions to get your game started. And you won’t be spending more than R2000 in total. Not bad!

Disclosure: I was sent the VPRO bundle to test out. I was also sent a variety of ROCKA products to test. I’m sponsored by Razer and have tried their products as well (in fact, I only game with Razer).