Top products from r/OverwatchUniversity

Overall people overthink these products. If you look at what pro gamers use, the answer is almost always whatever their sponsor provides. Ultimately peripherals aren't that different and you will get used to whatever have.

Mice are subjective. Some prefer a larger, palm-filling mouse like a deathadder or a g403, but plenty of people with large hands use smaller mice as well, like the logitech g-pro. Personally, I use a g303 with claw grip. As long as you have appropriate side buttons and an optical sensor you're fine. I suggest going to a store that has mice on display and seeing what feels right in your hand. You should be able to find something suitable for $30-40, perhaps less.

For mouse pad get a very large generic pad from Amazon for ~$10. I like the ~3 ft wide mouse mat style that goes all the way under the keyboard. I got the Corsair one at Best Buy on sale for $15.

On headset you should consider getting a decent set of headphones and using a separate mic. They make mics that clip on, like this. The mic just needs to be functional, unless you really care about other people's sound quality. Headphones are one area where you might want to get something a little nicer, since comfort and sound quality are noticeable. I have the Philips SHP9500s, at ~$50 street price, which sound great and are very comfortable.

Headphones I've used the past 10 years.

• ATH-AD700 - Discontinued now, but cheap used, open back, under $50, one of the biggest soundstage, but lacks bass
  
• ATH-AD700X - updated revision of the ad700, under $100 on sale, tiny bit better bass. The stock pad made my ears sore since it touches the driver. I replaced it with memoryfoam BrainWavz pad, and they feel much better. Puts less pressure on my eyeglasses too.
  
• ATH-M50X - My go-to music headphone, but I use it for travel gaming too since they fold up nicely and closeback for noise isolation.
  
• ATH-AD900X - Better version of AD700X
  
• Philips Fidelio X2 - About $200 on sale, a little bit less soundstage than AD700X, but much better bass. If you can splurge, I highly recommend this. They are balanced type headphones. Basically replaced the the M50X for music listening and AD700X/AD900X for gaming. It feels really nice, pad fits much better than the AD700X. I forget I am actually wearing headphones. If this is too expensive, SHP9500, is a cheaper alternative at 1/3 the cost.
  
• All of the headphones listed above are low impedance meaning you don't need an amp to get good sound output.
  
• Most gaming specific headphones aren't that good for the price. You're paying mostly for the marketing. Get any decent audiophile headphone and it will be much better.
  
   
  
  Virtual surround sound I've used
  
  
• Xonar U3 - Got this to replace my broken mobo sound, but found out it does virtual surround sound. Basically simulates 5.1/7.1 sound on a 2 channel headphone. Used it for many years gaming. Sounds awesome with good headphone that has big soundstage. Nice to hear directional audio to know here footsteps are at in games. Also acts like an amp with boost mode for high impedance headphones.
  
• Razer Surround Sound - free, but the worst virtual surround sound I've heard. Things sound muffled.
  
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi - Upgraded to this, it has better virtual surround sound technology.
  
   
  
  Hate wired headphone?
  
  
• How to convert wired phones into wireless gaming one
  
   
  
  Microphone
  
  
• ModMic - Used this for many many years, but got tired of wires dangling around
  
• Blue Yeti - Audio quality is so much better than the modmic, but it is big. Use a mic stand or arm.

Sorry I just noticed that the Dell you linked actually has a pretty bad harddrive, is recommend this one instead, but it's a few bucks extra https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06XFGDD8P/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1520295735&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=dell+gaming+laptops&dpPl=1&dpID=41zfabBnrLL&ref=plSrch

Also if you really wanna stay on the cheap side, this is the best I could find in just a few minutes of searching, but this laptop had 1 tiny fan vs the 2 giant fans in the Dell (And more cooling/fans = better performance) https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B075FLBJV7/ref=psdcmw_13896615011_t1_B01K1IO3QW?th=1&psc=1

I highly recommend the Dell though as it has all better parts + wayyy better cooling so it's miles better for only $150 extra

Coming from 1450 hours in CS:GO, solid gear is a great investment.

You absolutely will not regret getting a Zowie mouse. I've used one for the last 500 hours of CS:GO (EC2-A) and it is great. The mouse is light, has solid profile key placement, perfect sensor and plug and play ready. It is the essence of a perfect FPS mouse. All the features you need, none of the stuff you don't. If/When this mouse dies I'm going back to get another. Something to note about Zowie, each of their mice use the exact same components (buttons, switches, sensors) the only difference is the shell.

A large mouse pad is also great. If you want something on a budget take a look at these. I recommend at a minimum, the XL Heavy. I myself have the Extended at work and the XXXL at home for gaming. The large surface allows for lowering your sens to get finer aiming capability (important for CS:GO Headshots, can do without it in OW)

For monitors, I have witnessed 144hz gaming and can confirm that nothing is smoother. If your PC can get 144FPS in OW then it isn't a bad investment. Look at this or this if you want quality well priced panels. When it was time for a new monitor I opted for 21:9 Ultrawide with 75hz refresh and have no regrets. The games I've played on this monitor are great experiences and I believe 21:9 panels are 100% the best you can buy. When 21:9 is available in 144hz and 1440p I'll buy day one. Until then I wait.

EDIT: a few people recommend steelseries mouse pads. I've had some and didn't care for them too much for the price they're at. The "generic" one I have and recommended are great for the price and have held up extremely well over the last 18+ months I've had them. MIONIX mice are also top quality and from what I remember, they actually come out of the same manufacturing plant that Zowie mice do. I didn't mention a keyboard b/c I believe there are better places you should put your money first (Mouse, Mouse Mat, Display, then a keyboard). If you want to get a mech kb, cooler master has some good entry options. I have their CM Storm Quickfire and it's been great. Keep the audio you have now, sound isn't as vital as it is in CS:GO but if they were to die out on you, look for some quality headphones that don't have a "gaming" label.

I'd suggest a pair of open-backed headphones since I've found that those headphones tend to have better soundstaging to help me pinpoint where people are.

I found closed headphones tend to have more "immersive" sound with more bass, but if you're looking for something for purely competitive performance I think an open-backed pair would do you well. There's some generalizing going on here, but in general I personally feel open-backed headphones are better for gaming.

Here's a couple suggestions around your price-point - disclaimer that I haven't actually owned any of these (except for the original AD700 which I can vouch for being great for gaming), and it's merely meant to serve as a starting point for cans to check out. Filter the reviews and find the ones where people mention the words "gaming" or "soundstage".

• Audio Technica ATH-AD700X
  
  
• Sennheiser HD 558
  
  
• Philips SHP9500
  
  
• Grado SR80e
  
  
  I personally use the Sennheiser HD 600 which are open-backed but these are out of your $100 budget.
  

Zalman mic for 8 bucks on Amazon - Sounds good and uses a standard 3.5mm audio jack, so no drivers or BS. If it's not long enough you can get it with an extension cable or pick up a cheap one from Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, whatever. It clips onto your headphone cord or shirt or whatever, and if it doesn't hold tight enough you can just put a binder clip on it. It's a great way to not spend 100 bucks on a headset that sounds as good as $30 headphones. Now you can spend that money on something that sounds really great, or beer.

I don't know if this is of interest to you, but I play on PC with Mouse + PS3 Move Navigation controller. There are a couple of ways to get the controller to work but the easiest is to simply buy the Mayflash PS3 to USB adapter.

The Move controller is one handed, so you hold it in your off hand that would normally be placed on the WASD keys. For me, it's mainly a comfort thing.

For a headset, I opted for a "good" set of $12 earbuds and $8 mic. I just attach the mic to the earbud cord and it's great. The mic sounds good, and the earbuds are surprisingly nice compared to every other free set of headphones i've ever gotten with a phone purchase.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00029MTMQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UH35NEI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I know exactly what you mean. I have had days where I feel absolutely on fire. Every shot I take lands and my tracking is almost second nature. It just flows so perfectly and without having to focus incredibly hard. Others, I lose track of people while tracking them. I cannot consistently aim for heads and it seems everything I do is just off. Believe me you're not alone in this.

I've been looking into this quite extensively myself. Trying to find exactly what causes my on days to be so good and how to replicate it.


I have found I do play better when I hold higher FPS. I have a 240hz monitor and my PC is capable of running it consistently at 250-300FPS, however, randomly I will run into times where I can only hold 130-190 FPS. I can reboot, and it persists, reboot again, fixed. Completely random. As I do see a decent improvement in my aim if I hold higher FPS this may be partially what is causing the problem.

I have tried energy drinks to see if it is something to do with how awake you are. Results so far have been inconsistent. Too much, too little, just enough, doesn't really seem to effect performance other than if you're too tired or had too much it will adversely effect your performance.

One thing that completely throws off my game that I have identified is my mouse tuning. Logitech and Razer mice have the ability to tune to your mousepad. I find after rebooting it does not always reapply the tune and causes my aim to be off. (This sounds fake but I assure you it is real. Proof). Ensure your mouse is tuned if you have a mouse that can do this. I run 4000eDPI so it is near identical to yours. I would advise you make sure the Enhanced Pointer Precision See Here is off as it is an acceleration tool that effectively destroys your muscle memory and will cause inconsistency in the way you play. Additionally, if your mousepad is worn out or dirty i'd advise replacing it. Steelseries QcK+ XXL or ASUS Sheath are the two i've used and I love them both.

Above all of these, though cliche, I find my attitude and confidence plays the biggest role. If I start the day and kick ass, i'll continue to do so. If I start the day and get my ass kicked, especially if someone starts talking shit. I'll play poorly for the next few hours at least.

In the end I do not know for sure what causes the massive changes in our ability but I know it happens. Please, if you find the answer to this let me know. Below is my Overbuff profile. Feel free to add me on battle.net and message me there or on here if you find anything. Goodluck!

https://www.overbuff.com/players/pc/MapleD-1579


https://www.overbuff.com/players/pc/Kyro-11648

I've got the Qck+. It's pretty big, but just at your budget price I believe. The edges aren't sharp, my mouse glides on it perfectly, and it stays in its place on my desk, no sliding around. I highly recommend it. I've had it for a few months now and it hasn't frayed on the sides or worn down at all. The Qck+ is a great choice if you ask me. Link!

I've been around the block as far as aiming sensitivity goes. Started at maybe 1000(?unkown)/10 then moved to 800/6, and am now pretty comfortable down at 800/4.5. I'm sitting at 4200 right now and Pharah is once of my favorite characters, so I can understand your concerns about mobility.

Your sensitivity is definitely limiting to you right now, but dropping it to 400/8 is going to hurt you even more if you don't have the desk space to wave your arm around that much. I'd start with adjusting your sensitivity to the point where moving your mouse from one side of the mouse pad to the other will result in your character doing a single 360. Get used to that and adjust up or down accordingly. Don't just copy the pros though, that's a mistake many make. Find what is comfortable to you. Here's a video explaining a method that helped others I know find a good sensitivity.

Also, here's a very popular and inexpensive large mouse pad if you have the desk space for it. It will help accommodate your new sensitivity more.

I have been using Logitech G930 ($90 on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VANOFY) for the last year and they're really great. Being able to run to the kitchen or flip laundry between games and keep talking to my party is awesome. It has 3 buttons on the side that you can use for anything you want (I have 1 bound to in-game PPT, so I can talk when I'm away from the computer). Also, the ear cups are big and sit around your ears, so they aren't uncomfortable if you do long gaming sessions.

Way too high. I had a pro friend come over, he switched me cold turkey to 800 DPI and in game sens of 5.

Buy a large mouspad like the QcK+.

Also, it's CRUCIAL to disable mouse acceleration, otherwise you will never hit flicks reliably.

It took me 2-3 weeks, but now I can snipe for the first time in my life.

Good luck!

I use this one and it's fantastic, especially for the price. I have to move my keyboard way to the left to make room but with 2.35 sens and 1800 DPI I can do over 360 with the entire mousepad, so tracers and genjis are just an arm workout now, haha. It's fun.

When PC players speak of their "superiority", they're only referring to mouse and keyboard being a superior interface than a controller. That's it. They have no more game sense than console players (of equal rank), but their mouse does provide an advantage over controller only players. I say mouse because a Nav controller and mouse, is absolutely as effective as a keyboard and mouse, if you're used to playing with controllers.

This one is good price/performance. If you are absolutely cash-strapped, go with this. Don't go any cheaper, at that point you might as well just ferret around a thrift shop (and it would likely be a waste anyway). I use this, but only recommend if you really care how you sound.

This is an awesome starting point as long as you have a big enough mousepad (my recommendation) and a decent wired mouse. I think it's important that early on your sensitivity is low enough that you are forced to pick up and set down the mouse so it becomes a natural motion. Beyond that, the best practice is just playing the game.

I will say you can get a nicer set up as far as headset goes is you ignore the "gaming" headsets.

CAD MH210W $50.00

Blue Snowball Mic $50

I have musicians buds who use these in home studios. More than enough for gaming.

IF that is still too much look at the Plantronics 202180 , ~$40

My personal favorite mousepad is the QCK+. $15

Rosewill RGB80 Keyboard is a solid mechanical keyboard for about $50 marked donw from $150 for whatever that is worth.

And I always recommend the Deathadder Chroma for about $60

EDIT: What are you running for gaming rig?

I have a 1060 also. I did a ton of research on 144hz monitors and there's a lot of conflicting information out there. What I summarized was that almost any of them are going to be good enough for this type of application (OW, general gaming). If you're building some military grade super computer and need very specific performance out of your monitor then spending 700+ for the "perfect" monitor is probably worth it.

I ended up getting https://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-1920x1080-144Hz-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B00B2HH7G0 It was at bestbuy at the time and on sale so I was content with that.

My only complaint was that it is a TN monitor and my 60hz that I was already using was an IPS. The IPS has better color than a TN and the TN generally feels darker and kind of feels like the colors bleed. I found this thread https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/3c8fpi/the_old_thread_for_just_bought_a_glorious_asus/ and it helped me with some color correction tweaks that made the colors much, much better. Damn near the same as my IPS monitor. I took it a step further since that 1060 includes a vibrance slider in the nvidia tool. That vibrance adjustment helped a metric ass ton in making the colors look better.

If you have the money it might be worth springing for a 144hz IPS monitor from the get go. But if not this could be a viable option for you. Or if you're not accustom to IPS monitors then you won't notice any real difference between color anyway so it likely won't bother you. You may still tweak with the default settings anyway. Especially for the game. Everything kind of felt dark and washed out with the default settings to me. But again, that's after comparing it to an IPS monitor.

there are laptops around 500 which could run overwatch better than what you have now. something like this would probably run overwatch at at least 30 fps around medium/low settings and something like this would probably be closer to 60 on medium/lower settings even though it is a bit pricier.

I bought a Zowie FK1 and I love it

https://www.amazon.com/Zowie-Gear-Gaming-Mouse-FK1/dp/B00LHRTO5W

This is the one I bought, can adjust poll rate and DPI, good feel to it.

Sounds like it's time for a new mouse.

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Proteus-Spectrum-Tunable-Gaming/dp/B019OB663A/

I use this one and love it.

I haven't tried it in Overwatch yet (I'm still playing on PS4) but for other FPS games I use the PS3 nunchuck and rebind the keys since I much prefer an analog stick (even if it's actually digital input in this case) to WASD. Since you came from a console this might feel more comfortable for you too.

Bought this one a week ago, really liking it. Good if you're on a budget $209.

I used to run one of these https://www.amazon.com/WolfKing-DK2388UBK-Warrior-Gaming-Keypad/dp/B000IMZHL2 that I actually really enjoyed using, but over time it just took up too much space (i had to have a keyboard around usually even if i was using it for like MMOs). It definitely cut down on some of my strain hitting some buttons though (like pinky to left ctrl over and over)

To add to this, when you are buying a 144hz monitor that allows multiple inputs, only some may allow the full 144hz. My monitor, an AOC G2460PF, only supports 144hz through the display port, not HDMI. So that is another thing to watch out for. I do not know if all monitors are like this or if this AOC is unique.

Also, here are links to some of the other mice:

• Zowie EC1-A
  
• Zowie FK-1 (ambidextrous mouse)
  
• RedDragon M601 (best seller on Amazon)
  
• Logitech G502 (very high rated)
  
  Also, be sure to use http://CamelCamelCamel.com to check price change trends on these mice if you're comfortable waiting for if/when the price drops.

Unless you have a very odd surface on your table, yes it is a huge hinderance. Invest in a nice large mouse pad, it doesn't even have to be that expensive. https://www.amazon.com/SteelSeries-XXL-Gaming-Mouse-67500/dp/B00WAA2704 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LWL80R2/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile?th=1&psc=1

I have this one and I love it: ASUS 24" 144hz 1ms

This is the mousepad I got and I'm extremely happy with it. I actually prefer it over my friend's QcK


https://www.amazon.com/iXCC-Gaming-Smooth-Surface-Stitched/dp/B01ANHH82M

Well, in general wireless mice aren't ideal for gaming, however some wireless mice are marketed as gaming mice; On those I can't comment. I would recommend getting a wired mouse with an optical sensor. I have a razer death adder chroma and it's not bad, however if I had the chance to go back I would probably get something from logitech; most likely this: Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum RGB Tunable Gaming Mouse, FPS Mouse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019OB663A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_KqGjzbC72Z9JH

But steeleseries has some good mice as well as redragon <---- I think that's the brand name 🤔 it'll show up if you search for it. I've had one of their mice and it performs well.

I have this one, and it's been working great for me so far.

I've got a Nvidia 1050TI card instead of an AMD like yours, but it should work for you too.

Have you happened to read the International Spy Museum's Handbook of Practical Spying?

Your writing style is ridiculously similar to that in the book (one of my favorites).

Love your post btw!

any headphones + vmoda boom pro = better than any of the gaming headsets on the market.

I use these - buy them and get a v-moda boompro to go with it. Thank me later.

I bought this mic that works well for me:

V-MODA BoomPro Microphone for Gaming & Communication - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BJ17WKK/

https://www.amazon.com/Keyboard-Mouse-Adapter-Xbox-playstation-4/dp/B00MG654FM might as well just buy the game on PC

Yes. It prevents sliding and hitching and other inconsistent responses from spot to spot.

Crappy pads are crappy, but the Steelseries QcK+ (or the QcK if you can't fit a big one) is cheap and quite good.

https://amzn.com/B00HTK1NCS is a great cheap mouse. the light is a bit obnoxious but it has 3 DPI settings and slightly more weight to it than a generic cheap-o

I feel like it's big enough and never have issues as far as running out of space. I use this mouse pad.

I do feel that I should probably see about lowering my sens some more, though, based on what other people in the thread have mentioned.

I've been using this for years now. Comfortable and convenient. Only problem I've had is occasional disconnect with the wireless, but it always fixes itself within a few seconds.

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Surround-Headphones-Microphone/dp/B003VANOFY

Here is the mobile version of your link

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00029MTMQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/SteelSeries-QcK-Diablo-Gaming-Mouse/dp/B005L38SJG

Would this work?

And what difference would 144hz and 60hz make?

And would that be on a 1920x1080 or a bigger monitor?

Any pair of open headphones will give you more directional audio than a closed back set. These are typically considered some of the most open for a reasonable price: AudioTechnica AD900x

I don't think G-Sync is that big of a deal, but I'm also not very savvy on it, so I'm probably not the best to ask. I have the 1070 as well, though, and this is the monitor I use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B2HH7G0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ty1EAbJ007HFQ

I run some of the graphics settings at high, with a few at low, and 100% render. I have FPS capped at 180, and I don't dip below that very often. I've never had problems with tearing or anything.

I have this mouse pad which makes it harder to play lower than 900 DPI, 8 sensitivity. Is this too much to be serious about getting better?

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000UEZ37G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edit: wrong link

Try getting a XIM for PS4. It's basically a keyboard and mouse adapter. I'm all for "pad warriors" as I used to be one a long time ago, but there is really no comparison to using a mouse.
https://smile.amazon.com/Keyboard-Mouse-Adapter-Xbox-playstation-4/dp/B00MG654FM?sa-no-redirect=1