In any competition, spectators and pros alike obsess over finding an edge. And in gaming, it’s incredibly easy to obsess over what gear can optimize gameplay and help you win.
With Overwatch League Season 2 fast approaching, I thought it’d be a fun exercise to break down what peripherals the pros are actually using these days. Because what group would be more qualified to determine what gear you should use than an entire league of professionals?
For those unfamiliar with the Overwatch League, here’s a quick explainer: Overwatch is a team-based, first-person shooter which has elements of MOBA games thrown in, not unlike Team Fortress. It’s one of the most popular games right now, boasting over 40 million players worldwide. And this season, 20 professional teams—eight of which are new—will begin facing off at Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles.
The list below spotlights the most used peripherals in every major category in the Overwatch League. (Big props to the good folks at ProSettings.net who compiled the available data.) You’ll find the top three mice, keyboards and headsets used in the league, plus the monitor that most of the pros use. None of it will immediately make you a better player, but it can give you an edge as you improve your skills.
ASUS ROG Swift PG258Q
Notable Features: 240Hz Refresh Rate, G-Sync, 1ms Response Rate, VESA-compatible
Pro Users: The vast majority of OWL pros use this monitor.
Also Good For: All Gaming
Logitech G Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse
Notable Features: Wireless, 200-16,000 DPI, 8 Programmable Buttons, Built-in Rechargeable Battery, RGB Lighting
Pro Users: sinatraa, Profit, Gesture, Fl0w3r, OGE, LiNkzr, ArK, Libero, Bunny, Agilities, Munchkin, Rawkus, and Taimou
Also Good For: MMO, MOBA, RTS, RPG, Puzzle and Action
Logitech G PRO Hero Gaming Mouse
Notable Features: Wired, 200-16,000 DPI, RGB Lighting
Pro Users: OGE, Taimou, Kariv, Profit, Gesture, Bdosin, NUS, Ark, Bunny, sinatraa, Libero, Fl0w3r, LiNkzr, Rawkus, aKm
Also Good For: MMO, MOBA, RTS, RPG, Puzzle and Action
Logitech G703 LIGHTSPEED Gaming Mouse
Notable Features: Wireless, 200-12,000 DPI, 2 Uses AA batteries
Pro Users: Boombox, Fate, Carpe, Striker, Janus, Xepher, Poko, Fury, and Space
Good For: MMO, RPG, Puzzle and Action
Logitech G Pro Mechanical
Notable Features: Romer G switches, Tenkeyless design, RGB lighting
Pro Users: Mano, Architect, birdring, OGE, Profit, Gesture, Bdosin, Fl0w3r, Ado, and sleepy
Also Good For: MMO, MOBA, RTS, RPG, and Action
Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition
Notable Features: Cherry MX Green or Orange switches, Tenkeyless design, RGB lighting
Pro Users: Agilities, Munchkin, ryujehong, Space, Fate, Fleta, Zunba, Fissure, and ShaDowBurn
Also Good For: MMO, MOBA, RTS, RPG, and Action
Corsair Vengeance K65 Compact
Notable Features: Cherry MX Red Switches, Tenkeyless design, RGB lighting
Pro Users: Hydration, sinatraa, Muma, dafran, and BABYBAY
Also Good For: MMO, RTS, RPG, and Action
Sennheiser GAME ZERO
Notable Features: Stereo sound, leatherette memory foam ear pads, foldable, and noise-cancelling microphone.
Pro Users: dafran, Carpe, SoOn, Ado, Furty, Fate, ShaDowBurn, SPREE, Poko, and HarryHook
Also Good For: All Gaming
HyperX Cloud II
Notable Features: 7.1 Surround sound, leatherette memory foam ear pads, replaceable noise-cancelling microphone.
Pro Users: Hydration, coolmatt, aKm, Envy, sleepy, OGE, and TviQ
Also Good For: All Gaming
Logitech G Pro
Notable Features: Stereo sound, leatherette memory foam ear pads, foldable, and replaceable microphone.
Pro Users: Architect, birdring, Profit, Gesutre, Bdosin, NU, MekO, ArK, Anamo, super, Striker, and Boombox
Also Good For: All Gaming
Just in case you’re curious, I’ve also included my gear, which is predominantly made up of Alienware computer gear—an Alienware 15R3 laptop and a 25" AW2518H monitor—and Razer peripherals, like the Basilisk mouse and Black Widow Tournament Edition keyboard.
Before you yell at me in the comments...I use a laptop as my rig because I often host LAN parties in my kitchen.
I’m just a sucker for RGB lighting and a thematically unified setup, what can I say?
There is one exception to my brand loyalties though: my headset. I chose the DIY path for two big reasons: gaming headsets often feel cheap, and you can always tell where companies cut corners. I use the ATH-M50x over-ears, or as I like to call them “The Internet’s Favorite Headphone,” combined with the Antlion ModMic attachment.
If you’ve got recommendations of your own, please comment below. I’d love to see what you all use.