Gallery: Buying Guide: Gear for Gamers
01who-dat
Picking gear for gamers isn't as difficult as it may sound. We like a frictionless experience so we can concentrate on the business at hand (icing enemies), which means the hardware options that offer the most comfort and stability will always be welcome additions to the arsenal. Here are some suggestions for controllers, displays, headsets and other gear that'll help you pwn the holidays.
02alienware-m17x-notebook
Alienware M17x Notebook ----------------------- Gaming Laptop Alienware M17x $1,500 and up [Alienware.com](http://www.alienware.com/Landings/laptops.aspx) The most serious gamers prefer to build their own machines, so they can drop in a screaming graphics card and spec out the very best hardware. But when the LAN party calls, a gamer has to take his rig on the go. For the best portable option, our top recommendation is the [Alienware M17x](http://www.alienware.com/Landings/laptops.aspx). At its heart is an overclocked Core i7 processor and a 256GB SDSD, and you can juice the bright and gorgeous 17-inch display with either an NVIDIA or AMD graphics chip (3-D is an extra option as well). Using an external monitor? Choose from three options: HDMI, mini-display or VGA. When it comes time to head home, it's not too heavy at under ten pounds.
03razer-blackwidow-ultimate-stealth-edition
Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth Edition ----------------------------------------- Gaming Keyboard Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth Edition $140 [Razerzone.com](http://www.razerzone.com/) Mechanical keyboards are annoying in the workplace -- all that clicking in the next cube will drive you batty -- but they're highly favored in the gamer world. The springy resistance is ideal for precision of movement, and the heightened tactile feedback is a key ingredient in a perfectly timed attack in certain games. But there's no *click-click-click* here. The [BlackWidow Stealth Edition](http://www.razerzone.com/) matches the springiness of the best mechanical keyboards with eerily silent operation. The keys are backlit -- choose between three levels of brightness, a pulsing feature, or no backlighting at all. There's also a line of programmable macro keys on the far left, and new macros can be recorded on the fly, but these keys won't work on the Mac. At $140, the BlackWidow Stealth is a pricey keyboard, but it's competitive among other high-end mechanical keyboards.
04sumo-sway
Sumo Sway --------- Sweet Bean Bag Chair Sumo Sway Corduroy $280 [Sumolounge.com](http://www.sumolounge.com/) Bean bag chairs are the sweatpants of furniture -- it's what you turn to when you want to tell the world you've given up. But who cares when your ass is this comfortable? [Sumo's chairs](http://www.sumolounge.com/) provide exceptional back and neck support (something few other bean bags have ever been accused of) and they are comfortable to lounge on for hours. This 46-inch-wide version, the Sway Single, is just big enough to hold both you and your sweetie (assuming we're not talking about the imaginary variety). The larger Sway Couple is a little more generous. The corduroy covering is a little dressier than Sumo's other options, but it's durable. We spilled a beer on ours and were able to clean it up with no trouble. Too bad that was before we discovered that the remote pocket on the side holds a bottle of brew just fine.
05turtle-beach-earforce-delta
Turtle Beach EarForce Delta Limited Edition ------------------------------------------- Turtle Beach and Activision teamed up to deliver four different limited-edition offerings exclusively made to enhance the gameplay in this season's hottest title, *Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3*. These bad boys, the [Ear Force Delta headphones](http://www.turtlebeach.com/products/call-of-duty-headsets/mw3-ear-force-delta.aspx), are at the top end of Turtle Beach's lineup. Gaming Headset EarForce Delta LE for *MW3* $300 [Turtlebeach.com](http://www.turtlebeach.com/products/call-of-duty-headsets/mw3-ear-force-delta.aspx) Based on TB's excellent XP500 headset, the Deltas have the same wireless freedom and the same surround-sound profile, but they've been souped up with a host of presets and voice commands. The presets are programmable, too. We used the presets to amplify ambient sounds like distant footsteps and approaching aircraft. Because the game really needs to be that much more intense. The cans come in their own custom case that includes all the necessary cabling, but there is a way to go completely wireless with the included Bluetooth chat adapter. The crazy-clean soundstage brings the gameplay to new heights -- your shoulder will twitch with every kick of the rifle stock, and when artillery shells start tearing up the pavement around you, your brain will turn into a ball of pepper jelly. It's as immersive, intense and realistic as gaming gets.
06fragfx-shark-360
FragFX Shark 360 ---------------- FPS Controller FragFX Shark 360 $90 [Splitfish.com](http://www.splitfish.com/index.php/en/products/fragfx-shark-360) PC gamers will tell you: The ultimate way to play a first person shooter is with a mouse and a stick controller. Now you can get that same level of precision and control on a console as well with the [FragFX Shark 360](http://www.splitfish.com/index.php/en/products/fragfx-shark-360). The original FragFX Shark was only available for PCs, but this version has been newly dressed up for the Xbox 360. The specially mapped mouse can be adjusted on the fly for when you want to switch between playing point or hanging back as the sniper. Splitfish's controller is wireless -- two AA batteries gave us around 40 hours of gameplay -- but you'll need a standard wired Xbox 360 controller to act as a bridge to the console.
000004711307playstation-3-d-display
PlayStation 3-D Display ----------------------- 3-D Gaming Sony PlayStation Display $500 [Playstation.com](http://us.playstation.com/ps3/accessories/sony-playstation-3d-display-ps3/index.html) Sony has doubled down on the third dimension with this [PlayStation-branded 3-D gaming monitor](http://us.playstation.com/ps3/accessories/sony-playstation-3d-display-ps3/index.html). The 24-inch display is custom-made for use with a PS3. In addition to support for 3-D games, it also uses Sony's new "SimulView" technology -- each gamer sees a full-screen display on the single monitor, doing away with the split-screen in two-player mode. The box comes with the monitor, an HDMI cable and two pairs of active-shutter 3-D glasses. The glasses charge via USB, and they'll work with other active-shutter 3-D TVs that use IR emitters like those from Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sharp. Setup is easy, and the built-in speakers are actually pretty good. *Gran Turismo 5* in 3-D, anyone?
08gaems-g155
GAEMS G155 ---------- Console to Go GAEMS G155 $300 [Projectgaems.com](http://www.projectgaems.com/) Heading to the chalet in Aspen to spend a little time on the slopes with the wife? Good for you guys. Hang on.... What? The in-laws are coming? Better save your sanity by taking a slice of home with you. The [GAEMS G155](http://www.projectgaems.com/) is a carrying case for your Xbox 360 or PS3 Slim that also packs a 15-inch 720p screen and a pair of speakers. It's about nine pounds before you load it, and there's room for a couple of controllers and a few clamshell cases once it's packed up. The screen isn't the best, but it does the job and there's no annoying lag. Also, the dual headphone jacks will come in handy when you sneak upstairs with your new black briefcase to "get some work done."
