I made the inevitable transition from wired to wireless peripherals 3–4 years ago. The thought of going back to a wired keyboard, mouse, or headset seems incomprehensible now. Although I have used wired devices with my PC most of my life, the benefits that wireless peripherals provide seem to eclipse the few advantages of their wired counterparts. I love the convenience and performance of my wireless keyboards, mice, and headsets, and don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

4 I love the performance of my wireless peripherals

Not missing out on anything

One of the biggest concerns people have before switching to wireless peripherals is the inferior performance. They're apprehensive of increased latency, missed keystrokes, and unnecessary input lag. Well, I can assure you that none of those issues are present on modern wireless devices. I started my switch with a wireless mechanical keyboard, and I only had great things to say about it. When I added a wireless gaming mouse and headset to my setup, I never saw any drop in performance.

I'll admit that I have, on occasion, encountered the odd missed keystroke or spun-out cursor, but I resolved those issues easily by rearranging the dongles on my PC to remove any wireless interference. In fact, if you switch to lightweight wireless peripherals, you'll see your gaming performance improve noticeably. Wireless peripherals used to be inferior to wired ones a few years ago, but thanks to 2.4GHz connections and improved internals, the performance gap between the two categories of devices has all but disappeared.

3 The convenience is unparalleled

Cables, be gone!

Naturally, one of the biggest draws of going wireless is eliminating those pesky cables. You might have gotten used to being tied to your PC, but once you experience the cable-free life, you can't go back. And I'm not just talking about the ability to get up from your desk and grab a snack without removing your headset. It extends to maneuvering your mouse the way you like, and positioning your keyboard the way that works for you.

Besides getting rid of cables, wireless peripherals can also be great for ergonomics. Wired peripherals are generally lighter than wireless variants, but that doesn't always have to be true. Provided you pick one of the lightest gaming mice or headsets, you won't need to sacrifice ergonomics for convenience. My experience with my wireless keyboard and mouse has been one of seamless movement. It has also allowed me to wipe my desk much faster than before, since I can easily keep my devices away from my desk whenever I'm cleaning it.

2 Battery life and frequent charging aren't big problems

It's a teeny-tiny price to pay

When dealing with wireless peripherals, you have to talk about battery life. Sooner or later, your headset, keyboard, or mouse will run out of juice, and you'll have to switch to the wired connection like a caveman, waiting for it to get charged. While this might sound like a chore in theory, it's hardly a problem in practice. Each of my wireless peripherals lasts more than a week of daily use, so I only have to plug them in a few times a month.

Besides, my Razer DeathAdder V2 X works on AAA batteries, and I always have one recharged and at the ready under my desk. As for my Razer Barracuda X, I always plug it in on the days I'm fortunate enough to enjoy a long gaming session. The next time I need it, it's always juiced up. And the keyboards are the least of my worries when it comes to charging, since I can just plug the cable in and continue to type or game without a hitch.

1 I can't go back to a cluttered desk

I need fewer cables, not more

I may not have felt it at the time, but during all the years I used wired peripherals, my desk looked unkempt, to say the least. I realized how clean it could have looked when I switched to an all-wireless setup, and now going back is impossible. It's true that my desk isn't a zero-cable zone yet (my soundbar is wired), but removing the cables from my keyboard, mouse, and headset has transformed how clean my desk can look.

Switching back to wired peripherals will mean I'll need to get used to seeing three more cables snaking around on my desk, even when I'm not using all my wired devices. It sounds like a regression to me, and I'll do my best to avoid it for as long as I can. In fact, I'm thinking about how to eliminate more wires from my desk and how to get rid of the cable jungle behind my desk permanently. Switching to wired devices is completely out of sync with where my head's at right now.

Wired peripherals had their day

Wireless peripherals improve upon every aspect of wired peripherals. They're equally fast, more convenient to use, look cleaner, and come with a long-lasting battery life. Most users can't tell the difference between the latency of wired and wireless devices. Even the prices of wireless peripherals have come down a lot over the years. Only those who haven't gone wireless yet will ignore wireless peripherals; those who've already made the switch will find it impossible to go back.