Once in a while you get the itch to give your gaming setup another upgrade. But what gear do you need to do that? WANT editor Dennis got to work on three excellent products for your mancave.
Some of us spend a fortune on gaming, while others are fine with things working long ago. That’s why we enjoy testing new gadgets in a range of price points, like these three that came out this month.
Gadgets for gaming in all price ranges
This time we discuss a wireless headset, a wireless (pro) gaming mouse, a waterproof speaker, a special wireless keyboard and a gaming monitor.
#1 Astro 30 gaming headset
The moment we received the Astro 30 at the editorial office to review, we immediately had a soft spot for it. Indeed, Astro, a brand owned by Logitech, makes extremely fine headsets in various price ranges in our experience. In that regard, the Astro A30 excels for relatively little money (249 euros).
The headset is light and, thanks to the very soft ear protection, incredibly nice to wear during long gaming sessions. That protection is removable and magnetically replaceable if necessary, as are the outer edges of the headset, if you want a different look. The set can be found in Astro Gaming’s online store.
The Astro also excels in other areas, including the number of devices you can connect. You can opt for an Xbox Series S/X or PlayStation 5 version anyway, but in addition it also connects to your phone or PC and Mac through Blue-tooth or the classic, wired 3.5mm jack.
So indeed yes: three devices at the same time. And even if, in theory, you want to use the headset with your Nintendo Switch, your TV, Apple TV or, say, an Nvidia Shield, you can do so just fine (if your device sees the Astro). They don’t run with it, but Astro should.
Fantastic equalizer settings
Connecting up is a piece of cake, then, but things get really interesting when you dive into the accompanying Logitech G app. There you’ll find equalizer settings that go a long way. You can create multiple profiles for certain games (FPS, platformers, or whatever), music, movie; whatever you want. Sliding through the settings makes a world of difference. We like hefty bass in our music, but want more nuance when gaming. Everything is possible (and pooh what does the Astro know how to blow!).
Consequently, the Astro’s sound is excellent once you get the hang of its intuitive app. Note that this is not necessarily a surround headset if you are gaming or watching movies, but as Astro itself says, that is done software-wise on many devices these days (sources).
And a nice detail: the headset can be used with the external mic as well as without (also has a built-in mic): so yes, you can also use it just fine on the street, listening to music and making calls, and you won’t be embarrassed. Even better: it might be more flashy than an expensive headset from Sony.
Austro 30 plus and minus points
+ Cool design that is customizable
+ Very nice sound that is also very customizable in the app
+ Sturdy and comfortable (includes rugged case)
+ Multiple devices are easily, simultaneously connected
+ Works instantly with Xbox and PlayStation thanks to a dongle
– It has a dongle and you can lose it
#2 Logitech G502X-Plus mouse for gaming
We’re sticking with the Logitech stable for a while, as they recently released the G502X Plus wireless gaming mouse. This is an update to the G502 Lightspeed and improvements are therefore in the details, both positive and negative.
The X Plus example has more PTFE on the bottom, a polymer that reduces friction with the mouse pad. This benefits your speed anyway, but that won’t please everyone. Certainly not because of the fact that the mouse has no weights, and we personally like a somewhat heavier mouse (this one weighs only 106 grams). We flew “all over the place” a bit too often.
Anyway! Another fine detail is that the button on the left side of the mouse can be removed. And if you’re a little click-clack-happy during an intense moment, you’d rather not have it there. So you pull that one out and make it unusable. In addition, as in previous editions, the thirteen buttons can be programmed to your heart’s content in Logitech’s G-Hub software.
Logitech is further proud of the implementation of 8 RGB zones on the mouse, which can be set individually (or even per game). Somewhat superfluous luxury if you’re hanging on the mouse with your whole hand anyway.
All in all, this is an excellent gaming mouse, but not really a great leap forward from its predecessors. In addition, the price is not bad either. After all, the Logitech G502X Plus costs 170 euros. Still, let’s see if the other 502 is on sale?
Austro 30 plus and minus points
+ Hugely accurate and fast
+ Many programmable buttons
+ More PTFE
+ Excellent ergonomics
– Quite redundant RGB
– Pricey
#3 Ultimate Ears WonderBoom 3 for home and on the go
This is basically not an ultimate speaker for gaming right away, unless you meet the following profile. You game with your headset on, but enjoy watching YouTube or listening to music through a speaker, for example. And when you go out, you grab your box and head to the beach or into the woods.
In that respect, the WonderBoom 3 is the best of both worlds. The rugged Blue-tooth speaker can, in fact, easily be thrown into water or thrown into sand. Then it doesn’t sound fantastic, but on dry land the sound is quite good for such a small speaker.
Compared to the predecessor, the difference is only noticeable in sound. They look the same and also have the function of making sound more spacious thanks to a button on the bottom.
Still, the Boom 3 has slightly more boom than the Boom 2. By the way, another interesting feature is that you can pair two Boom 3s for excellent (louder) stereo sound. The downside, however, is that this cannot be done in conjunction with the WonderBoom and WonderBoom 2, and to buy two boxes right away … nah.
Anyway, it is a nice little speaker for next to the PC, in the living room, the shower or on the road for relatively little money (100 euros).
Austro 30 plus and minus points
+ Great sound for a small speaker
+ Waterproof
+ Small size and robust
+ Affordable
– Cannot be linked to previous versions
– Without Bluetooth connection unusable