HiGame

Did you get any awesome gaming gear this holiday season — a PS4 or Xbox One under your tree? Or maybe Aunt Marge and Grandpa Smithers made your day with a pile of gift cards instead. Regardless of your platform of preference, you can always improve your gaming experience with some snazzy new accessories. And if you can subsidize your upgrades with all those gift cards burning a hole in your pocket, even better.

Today, let’s take a look at eight of the very best ways to enhance your time spent gaming in 2015. Whether you have $5 or $500 to spend, there’s something here for everyone. Even if you’re still playing on a PS3 or Xbox 360, you’re still bound to find something here that catches your eye.

Now, let’s jump in, and find the perfect accessory to fit your needs.



Analog stick covers

I like the DualShock 4 a lot, but my rubber grips are falling apart one measly year into the PS4’s lifespan. Instead of buying a new controller or tearing up my thumbs on plastic, I invested in some analog stick covers for less than $5. They work like a charm, and fit just about any controller on the market. I whole-heartedly recommend picking up a few of these for any well-loved controller in your life — especially the controllers for older consoles.



Capture equipment

Recently, I wrote up a post showing off how to capture and stream video from the PS4. Sony’s built-in solution is nothing to sneeze at, but you’re definitely going to want some dedicated gear if you want to output high-quality video. Personally, I use Elgato’s Game Capture HD60 for 1080p60 game capture, and it works seamlessly. It will work with any unencrypted HDMI signal, so Xbox One and Xbox 360 users can join in the fun as well. PS3 and legacy console users should stick with the older Game Capture HD for the analog ports, though.


Remote Play

Remote Play has been an incredible bullet point for the PS4, and it’s the number one reason why I continue to invest in Sony’s ecosystem. With a $80 PlayStation TV or $200 Vita, you can play full-fledged console games wherever you are. Whether you’re in front of the big screen, curled up in bed, or playing some Peggle at the office, Remote Play is worth investing in for the convenience factor alone.



Headset

If you’re playing an online multiplayer game, you need a headset. Communication is key for strategy and tactics, and nobody wants to be the only one without the ability to chat. This HyperX headset from Kingston is a superb cross-platform solution, but there are countless high-quality headsets available on every major platform. Sony’s PlayStation Gold headset is excellent for the PS4 and PS3, and Microsoft’s Xbox One headset works perfectly for voice chat — no need for Kinect.


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