rECOMMENDED gEAR
How important is my gear?
It would be nice to think that all gameplay was simply based on skill but at the end of the day your PC and peripherals have a significant impact on playing to your potential. Imagine that your maximum potential performance rating is 100 and this equals being a Grandmaster player. Oops you only have a small office mousepad so you can't play at a low enough sensitivity, your rating just dropped to 80. Low end PC with low framerate? Let's drop it down to 75. Don't have a 144Hz monitor to get cutting edge information and feedback? Down to 65 sorry. Your mouse doesn't fit your hand well or has a bad sensor? 60. Keyboard is old and key presses are slower than a modern mechanical keyboard? Aaaand we're down to 55.
The gear you use plays a huge role in maximizing your performance so I have analyzed the gear pro players use, sifted through reviews and tested my setup to compile a list of the most competitive items for your convenience.
Click on the orange product names or images for more product info and cheapest distributors.
Monitor
A 144Hz+ monitor provides a tremendous advantage and truly allows you to play to your potential. The smooth image and incredible feedback makes aiming and in particular tracking far more manageable. If you play on an older monitor you might feel like targets are moving so erratically that flicking or tracking is sometimes close to impossible, that's because of the low frame rate your monitor is displaying. You simply aren't being given enough information to work with. Make sure your computer specs are good enough to run Overwatch at this framerate though! If this is going to be a problem look into a graphics card like the GTX 970 or if you're feeling frisky the GTX 1080. Otherwise check out complete desktop options.
The ASUS ROG Swift PG258Q is extraordinarily popular among professional Overwatch players and for good reason. For gaming, you can't ask for much more as it offers an incredible picture alongside the 240Hz refresh rate that provides a massive advantage when playing FPS games. This monitor requires a powerful PC that can fully take advantage of the 240Hz refresh rate.
Notable players who use it: Dallas Fuel (Team), Florida Mayhem (Team), Houston Outlaws (Team), London Spitfire (Team), Los Angeles Gladiators (Team), Los Angeles Valiant (Team), New York Excelsior (Team) and many more.
If you're looking for the incredible performance of 144Hz monitors but you're on a budget, this is the option for you. A cheaper alternative to the ASUS above that still performs at a high level. If you have any doubts, have a read through the reviews and you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much you get while being so affordable.
Notable players who use it: Gale Adelade, ChipSa, Mangachu, Dante, Kryw, Nenne, Re1nforce, KnOxXx
Mousepad
This mousepad is quickly becoming a favorite among competitive players, boasting a massive size and overwhelmingly positive reviews about the material and the subsequent tracking it provides. The Zowie (G-SR) will be the next mousepad I purchase.
Notable players who use it: EnVyUs (team), Bromas, EISSFELDT, Enigma, Morte, Numlocked, Re1nforce, Shake, uNKOE, Zaprey.
This mousepad is very common among competitive Overwatch players as it is very thick (6mm) which allows it to be used more reliably on more surfaces, especially at LANs. There is another version that is wider for players who need the extra space - SteelSeries QcK+ Gaming Mouse Pad.
Notable players who use it: Lunatic Hai (team), Hymzi, Kryw, Joemeister, Twoeasy, vallutaja, winz, zombs.
The pic on the left is my new mousepad and it is by far the best I have ever used. At a whopping 48"x24" (120cmx60cm) it covers my desk and allows me unlimited freedom when arm aiming. With this pad I have been able to drop my sensitivity from 35cm/360 to 63.9cm/360 and my accuracy is significantly better and reliable. I highly recommend this pad if you have a desk large enough for it.
Mouse
Please take the following mouse recommendations as a guideline rather than a list of the 'best' gaming mice as the choice largely depends on preference and hand shape, as long as you choose a mouse with a perfect sensor. A couple of side buttons can be handy and I make great use out of them in all games I play.
Described as the 'World's most popular gaming mouse' this mouse has gotten a lot of mileage and overall people are very pleased with the ergonomics and performance. It presents a similar ergonomic profile to the Zowie FK1 although it is catered towards right handers rather than being ambidextrous.
Notable players who use it: DaHanG, flame, liddano, mafu, Mesrawr, rapha, ShaDowBurn, Twoeasy, vallutaja, winz.
They've gone back to the essentials with this mouse. The simple shape and design combined with state of the art performance results in a reliable and comfortable aiming experience. Easy to hold, and easy to aim with. It's a refreshing change from the unnecessarily complex mouse designs being released in recent years.
Notable players who use it: Seagull, Cloud 9 (Team), aKmzzz, uNKOE, Mangachu, Ajax, Zunba, Whoru, Hidan, Avast, Agilities, Grego, Selly, nomy, Flippy, zombs, Troma.
The Zowie EC2-A is a popular choice amongst competitive FPS players for its excellent shape accommodating many different grip techniques and aiming styles. Grippy material, balanced, light weight and with an excellent sensor it's a great all-round choice. Used by some of the biggest powerhouse names in aiming this mouse must be doing something right.
Notable players who use it: dafran, Taimou, AZK, dhaK, Numlocked, Fragi, G0DFRED, Clockwork, COOLLER, Veineless, ToxikeN, uNFixed, Mickie.
Headset and Headphones
Gaming headsets can get a bad wrap, but if you're looking for high quality sound and voice without breaking the bank the HyperX Cloud Revolver is a solid choice. With no significant drawbacks and a long life you may want to consider upgrading if applicable as this will improve your ability to play by sound.
Notable players who use it: EnVyUs (team), Liquid (team), Luminosity (team), NRG eSports (team), winz.
This space age looking headset boasts a very strong frame and design giving it a good shot at a long life. Sound quality is great and it comes with the benefit of being wireless which frees up a little more space on your desk.
Notable players who use it: Reaver, Grego, Selly, KyKy, Cloud9 (team).
This option of headphone (no microphone) is the high end option if you are looking for the best in sound quality. It's expensive but with the cost comes incredible quality with no discernible downsides. If you don't mind the price you don't have to look much further than these bad boys. You will need to find yourself a microphone to go with it though. A popular choice is the Blue Yeti.
Notable players who use it: PapaSmurf323, PYYYOUR.
Keyboard
The Logitech G810 is a minimalist approach to the modern mechanical keyboard, packed with the best hardware without superfluous additions and gizmos. It is quieter than your regular mechanical keyboard so there's less chance of your microphone picking it up. A keyboard like this allows you to have super responsive and quick key presses that make your gameplay feel much more fluid.
Notable players who use it: Cloud 9 (team)
The Razer BlackWidow presents a flashier alternative to the Logitech Keyboard above. It has a very similar functionality with high regard for the feeling and responsiveness of key presses, although the key presses are reportedly relatively loud which may or may not be your thing. This keyboard comes with a small wrist guard which is lacking from the Logitech option.
Notable players who use it: Liquid (team), flame, harbleu, KnOxXx, Kruise.
Chair
This variation of gaming chair is very popular and highly rated. When it comes to the racer style gaming chairs there isn't a huge amount of difference between them. This chair in particular is a great balance of craftsmanship and price. If you are looking for a chair with wider dimensions check out the DX Racer Tank Series.
Notable players who use it: Almost all players use some variation of a racer style gaming chair.
The Homall is a cheaper alternative to the big brand gaming chairs. It comes with curved arm rests which some people aren't fond of, but for the most part it's a functional, affordable and comfortable chair.
Desktop
GeForce RTX 2080, i7-8700K, 16GB DDR4, 1TB HDD, 240GB SSD
If you are looking for a pre-built desktop you don't need to look any further than this beast. With cutting edge hardware and sleek aesthetics it presents itself as a quick and easy way to ensure your computer will run games flawlessly for years to come. Reviews are overwhelmingly positive with no discernible negatives.