Gaming laptops comprise a pretty decent subset of the laptop market, and while they do work out of the box as complete gaming PCs, laptop keyboards often get hot while gaming. Which makes a wired or wireless controller a must for most owners of gaming laptops.

But there are other laptop accessories that can transform your gaming laptop setup from something that works to a proper gaming battle station.

Quality audio

Laptop speakers just don't quite cut it

Whether you want to listen to the award-winning soundtrack of your current favorite game or coordinate combat with your teammates, kitting out your gaming laptop with a good pair of headphones is an absolute game-changer. It's hard to coordinate movements for your fire team or raid group if you can't isolate the chat from the game's background tracks to fine-tune controls. And this is where a good headset comes in.

Most games these days also happen to have killer soundtracks, and you don't want to be stuck listening to the tinny, distorted version you'll get through your laptop's built-in audio. Some gaming laptops have better audio systems than others, but all built-in speakers will pale in comparison to a pair of studio-quality headphones or a dedicated set of computer speakers.

A microphone

Built-in to your headset or standalone, you want solid quality either way

It's hard to talk to your chat if you don't have a good mic. Sure, any laptop with a webcam has a built-in microphone, but just like laptop audio, the mics are often pretty bare-bones. So if you want to be sure your team hears you as well as you hear them with your new headphones, make sure to pair that headset with a good mic.

If you plan to stream your games, you might want to opt for a dedicated USB podcast-style microphone. Alternatively, most gaming headsets come with a built-in mic, and these are getting better and better all the time. So be sure to tweak the levels appropriately, and your raid chat will be able to hear you call for healing before you're stuck tanking the floor.

Capture card

For all your game clip capture needs

This one is definitely geared towards folks who want to stream their game sessions or use game highlights for social media content, but a capture card can be useful for other projects as well. A capture card can turn your camera into a webcam or turn a tablet into a portable display, so they're a handy piece of computing equipment to have on hand.

And if you do end up streaming, a dedicated capture card is a far better option than trying to use any built-in game highlight capture features that your gaming laptop might ship with. You'll have better control over your clips and can capture higher-quality video than most built-in capture systems.

You might also want to pair your capture card with a Stream Deck, or a mouse with Stream Deck functionality like the Corsair Scimitar Wireless Elite SE. After all, streaming integrations can be tricky to keybind on a laptop's limited keyboard, so putting them on a Stream Deck is incredibly handy. Plus, you can use a Stream Deck for more than just streaming, and let it become your go-to productivity tool.

A second monitor

Keep an eye on your Discord or Twitch chat while gaming

Portable monitors aren't just for work productivity. They're also a great option for keeping your Discord chat or Twitch chat open while gaming, so you don't need to split your screen or tab away from your game. While a spare phone or tablet can fill this niche, it's often easier to just run everything from the same computer, and a portable monitor is a great option for this, since it's easy to take with you if you ever need to haul your gaming laptop to a friend's for a game night.

Alternatively, if you'd prefer a more permanent setup, you can grab a high refresh-rate external monitor as your main display and use the laptop's built-in display as your team chat monitor. You'll probably want to pair this setup with a good gaming keyboard, since it would be awkward to use the laptop's built-in keyboard to control an external display.

A proper mouse

Whether you prefer FPS, MOBAs, or MMOs, a good mouse is a must

Most gaming laptop keyboards get a little toasty when gaming, but they're still operating at usable temperatures. So you don't need to replace your gaming laptop keyboard with an external model. But you absolutely do want to upgrade that built-in trackpad. Gaming with a laptop's touchpad is one of the worst experiences of my gaming life to date, so you're better off avoiding it at all costs.

And if you aren't using a controller for your game, then a mouse is an absolute must. In some cases, a mouse is also the better option for aim accuracy and latency, though this also depends on the type of games you play. Most PC games these days support controller input, but older games may not have the correct mapping. Additionally, some game genres, such as first-person or third-person shooters, often play better with a keyboard and mouse.

Even if you do plan to use a controller for a lot of your gaming, you might still want to grab a good mouse just in case. After all, some do offer additional functionality with mappable buttons or even Stream Deck integrations.

A USB-C Dock

Streamline all those accessories

Adding a headset, mic, capture card, Stream Deck, monitor, and mouse requires a lot of I/O ports. While most gaming laptops these days ship with plenty of built-in ports, it's often easier to just run all your accessories through a dock, so that you still have a few open ports for any incidental connections you need in the future while using your gaming laptop for work, school, or a home tech project.

You can go for a standard slim USB-C dock or a heftier docking station like the Razer USB 4 Dock, depending on just how many accessories you want to use in your game setup.

A controller is still a worthy investment

Obviously, if you're more comfortable gaming with a gamepad, you can absolutely buy that wireless controller you've been eyeing. The point is that a controller isn't the only thing you'll want to pick up alongside your new gaming laptop if you want to get the most out of your new purchase.

Some of these accessories are a higher priority for streamers than folks who just want to game with their friends, but a lot of them have multiple uses and can even boost your productivity when you aren't gaming on your laptop. So they're definitely worth considering regardless of how serious you are about your game time.