Buying a great gaming laptop with the performance and design to suit your mobile ambitions is a great start. To fully realize your PC's potential, however, we recommend adding some must-have gaming laptop accessories that are actually worth your time and money.
How do we decide which gaming laptop accessories are best? Most of us at Windows Central are gamers who test, use, and review gaming laptops and their accessories, giving us a clear idea of what works and what's better left behind.
We've pulled the best gaming laptop accessories from our ever-growing collection of reviews, delivering a long list of hardware with everything from keyboards, mice, and gamepads to headsets, monitors, external SSDs, and docking stations. Oh, and we didn't forget to include a capture card and webcam upgrade for those with streaming ambitions.
No matter how you like to game on your laptop, these cool accessories can help you take your experience to the next level.
The best gaming laptop accessories in 2024
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We've reviewed all of these gaming laptop accessories at Windows Central save the Kootak Chill Mat 5, which has thousands of third-party reviews and an overall great reputation. I've linked our reviews where available, and I've provided a more detailed breakdown of some of our essential accessory picks below the collection of products here.
Best headset
Gaming laptop fans can get loud, or you might want the best sound and voice possible for competitive team gaming. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is the best headset we've reviewed, offering active noise canceling, a feature-filled DAC, cross-platform compatibility, and a comfortable fit with a premium build quality.
Best budget headset
The HyperX CloudX gaming headset is more affordable than our top pick, yet it offers a comfortable fit, quality construction, and a detachable microphone. It works across gaming platforms, connecting with a 3.5mm audio input. Sound quality is better than the price suggests, and the mic offers noise cancelation to keep your teammates happy.
Best mouse
Razer's DeathAdder V3 Pro has been our favorite gaming mouse since it was released in 2022. It's lightweight with a wireless or wired connection, it has a Focus Pro 30K optical sensor for extreme accuracy, and it has five programmable buttons with a four-way tilt wheel. It's built with ergonomics in mind for right-handed users.
Best budget mouse
Logitech's G203 is a wired gaming mouse that delivers an 8,000 DPI sensor, 1,000Hz polling rate, and six programmable buttons. The mouse is comfortable to hold for long gaming sessions (it weighs in at 85g), it has RGB lighting built in, and it runs on a USB-A connection. Choose from four different colors to best match your gaming laptop's design.
Best keyboard
The Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro is the ultimate wired keyboard for laptop gamers who want a more permanent setup. It's covered in customizable knobs and dials, it's dripping in RGB lighting, and the upgraded wrist cushion is stellar. The aluminum chassis is sturdy, doubleshot ABS keycaps are durable, and you get an 8,000Hz polling rate for competitive play.
Best wireless keyboard
Dell's gaming accessories have really come a long way, and the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming keyboard is perfect if you hate dealing with cables. It uses a 75% design to be extra compact, and its Alienware Linear switches provide a satisfying sound and reliable performance. RGB lighting is customizable, battery life is solid, and you can connect with Bluetooth or a 2.4GHz dongle.
Best monitor
Gaming laptop displays continue to improve, but sitting down at a desk demands a bigger screen. The Alienware AW2725DF is one of our favorites thanks to its brilliant QD-OLED panel, 360Hz refresh rate, QHD resolution, 0.03ms response time, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support, and 1,000 nits of brightness. It's on the pricey side, but it's well worth the money.
Best controller
The latest iteration of Microsoft's Xbox Wireless controller is comfortable and responsive, working seamlessly with a wired connection to interact with your gaming laptop. The AA batteries last for about 30 hours, and you can expect about 20 feet of range. That's more than enough if you're connecting your laptop to your TV and sitting back on the couch.
Best mousepad
It's always nice to have somewhere to park your gaming laptop during extended sessions, and you can make your spot your own with something like Fnatic's Dash mouse pad. It comes in four different sizes, all with a premium quality, smooth surface, and grippy back to keep it in place on your desk. If you use an external mouse, this is what you want for maximum accuracy.
Best cooling pad
Gaming laptops don't always have the best cooling abilities, but setting your PC on Kootek's Chill Mat 5 can help direct air up through the intake vents on the bottom of the laptop chassis. Its five fans run quietly, the stand can be propped up at different angles, and it's powered by a USB-A connection. The top has an anti-slip coating to keep your PC in place.
Best docking station
Although gaming laptops often have a wide selection of ports, anyone with a more permanent desktop setup can benefit from the convenience provided by a docking station. Razer's Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma has a ton of ports, and its black aluminum shell is highlighted by customizable RGB underglow lighting.
Best external SSD
WD_BLACK is the gaming sector of Western Digital, and its P40 external SSD is great for gamers looking to free up space on their built-in laptop SSD. It supports the USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2x2) standard for strong transfer speeds; it's commonly available in 1TB and 2TB capacities. The metal shell protects the storage inside, and there are even RGB strips for some extra style.
Best capture card
Elgato's 4K X is the company's latest capture card, and it can help you realize your streaming ambitions. Instead of making your laptop handle the game and secondary video output, you add the card to your video-out line. It records at up to a 4K resolution at 144Hz or even 1440p at 60Hz with HDR enabled. Pair this with a great webcam, and you'll be ready to stream.
Best webcam
The Logitech MX Brio is the "new benchmark for webcams" according to our review, all thanks to an easy setup with USB-C connectivity, 4K video, autofocus, great exposure handling, and a competitive price. It has an 8.5MP resolution, physical privacy shutter, and it's compact enough to sit atop your laptop's display lid.
Best HOTAS
Flight sims only get better when you add a HOTAS controller, and the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flightdeck is the best we've tested. It's covered in customizable dials, knobs, toggles, and buttons, and there's even an OLED touchscreen with extra options. RGB lighting is also customizable, and the flight sticks and controls are built to a high standard.
What are essential accessories for a gaming laptop?
This list of 15 gaming accessories might be a bit overwhelming for those just looking to get started with PC gaming. Your gaming laptop can technically do it all, but some add-ons will seriously change your experience.
When it comes down to absolute essentials for gaming on a laptop, we recommend a gaming mouse and a headset. A laptop's touchpad is designed for quick and easy pointing in everyday use, but it's rarely well-suited for gaming. That's where a quality external mouse comes into play.
We chose Razer's DeathAdder V3 Pro as the top pick, as it's been a favorite since 2022 when it was released. In our Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro review, former Senior Editor Rich Edmonds gave it a Windows Central Best Award and said, "The performance of the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro, with its Focus Pro 30K sensor, is fantastic. You likely won't notice any difference when moving from another premium mouse with a high polling rate, but if you're looking to replace an old or budget-friendly pointer, prepare to be blown away."
If you don't want to spend nearly as much, Logitech's G203 is a great alternative. While it uses a wired connection instead of a wireless hookup like our top pick, those with a more permanent desktop setup shouldn't have any problems. Windows Central Managing Editor Richard Devine remarked in his Logitech G203 review that "it ticks all the major boxes, with a great price, good build quality, and excellent performance."
As for great gaming headsets, the functionality is two-fold for a gaming laptop. They can help drown out the fan noise of a laptop under a heavy load, and they'll also provide far more accurate sound for competitive play. Add in a microphone, and you're ready to play with your pals.
Our top pick is the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro, as it offers the best collection of features and sound quality. Windows Central Managing Editor Jez Corden handed it the Best Award in his Arctis Nova Pro review, noting, "Sublime sound, next-level quality and construction, a feature-packed DAC, and connectivity with basically every device on Earth makes this headset simultaneously the jack of all trades, and the master of all trades."
The SteelSeries headset doesn't come cheap, and something like the HyperX CloudX wired headset might be better suited to your budget. You can usually find it for around $45, which is impressive for the audio and build quality on offer. It also received a Windows Central Best Award, with Chelsea Beardsmore calling it "one of the best-value headsets for Xbox and PC that money can buy" in our HyperX CloudX review.
More cool gaming laptop accessories we recommend
Gaming laptops are a great way to take your games with you wherever you go, but they can also serve as the centerpiece of a more permanent desktop setup. If you're looking to have someplace to sit down and game for extended periods, you'll probably want to check out a keyboard, monitor, and maybe even a docking station for extra convenience when connecting your accessories.
Our current top pick for a great gaming keyboard is Razer's BlackWidow V4 Pro. It's a full-size board that uses Razer's Mechanical switches, doubleshot ABS keycaps, and per-key Chroma RGB lighting. There are tons of extra dials, knobs, and switches to be customized, and there's even a padded wrist rest for extra comfort. Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino gave it a Windows Central Best Award in his BlackWidow V4 Pro review, stating, "It's the most fabulous keyboard I've tried yet, and if you have or are creating a PC battle station, you should seriously consider it for your setup."
If you'd rather use a more compact wireless gaming keyboard, Alienware's Pro Wireless Gaming is a strong option. It comes with Alienware Linear mechanical switches, doubleshot PBT keycaps, customizable RGB lighting, and a 1,000Hz polling rate for its 2.4GHz or Bluetooth connectivity. Zachary Boddy awarded it a Windows Central Best Award in their Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming keyboard review, pointing out that "build quality is exceptional, typing feels great, and gaming performance is flawless."
Gaming laptop screens are getting really good, but a 27-inch desktop display is still what a lot of people consider the sweet spot for PC gaming. Enter Alienware's AW2725DF monitor. It uses a brilliant QD-OLED panel for exceptional color and contrast, hitting a 2560x1440 (QHD) resolution with a sizzling 360Hz refresh rate.
Editor Rebecca Spear gave it a Windows Central Best Award in her Alienware AW2725DF review, saying, "QD-OLED displays are one of the very best options on the market today due to their excellent contrast and color accuracy." Indeed, she tested 100% sRGB, 95% AdobeRGB, and 98% DCI-P3 color reproduction, making the display also great for specialized work.
If you're looking to connect all of your accessories in one convenient spot, you might want to check out a great docking station. Razer's Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma I reviewed is made specifically for gamers from one of the leading brands in the space, bringing underglow RGB lighting and a ton of ports for your accessories.
Best accessories for streaming with a gaming laptop
Streaming your games to a rapt audience is a great hobby, and with enough determination, it might even become a decent little source of income. If you want to stream with a gaming laptop, there are a couple of accessories that you'll no doubt want to consider.
The first is Logitech's MX Brio webcam. Gaming laptops traditionally don't offer anything more than a serviceable webcam built into the top bezel above the screen, but adding a camera that connects via USB can solve the issue.
The MX Brio offers 4K at 30FPS or 1080p at 60FPS, with HDR support, auto-exposure, auto-white balance, auto-color, and autofocus to keep you looking as good as possible for your viewers. In our Logitech MX Brio review, Zachary Boddy gave it a Windows Central Best Award, noting that "it sets a new benchmark for other companies to innovate around."
The other accessory we recommend for streaming or recording gameplay with a laptop is a capture card. If you're playing and streaming from the same laptop, it's unnecessary, but those with a second PC to handle streaming will benefit.
Elgato makes this as easy as possible with its 4K X hardware, which works with PCs and consoles. It supports streaming at up to a 4K resolution at a 144Hz refresh rate, but it'll also handle 1440p and 1080p at 144Hz.
It also supports HDR streaming, knocking back to 30FPS at 4K, 60FPS at 1440p, and 120FPS at 1080p. In our Elgato 4K X review, Senior Editor Zac Bowden said it's "worth every penny, as it is the ultimate external capture card on the market right now."
