Another year gone, another roster of gaming hardware releases under our belts. 2024 saw the rise of AI in our PCs, the controversy of SOCD in our keyboards, and an explosion of new brands entering the handheld space. Asus, Razer, MSI, Corsair, Dell, HP, and Lenovo all came to play with their own innovations and developments, and were joined by new names and faces every step of the way.
We've had our hands on a massive range of 2024's releases, on a hunt to find the best tech on the market. We've spent the year searching for everything from the greatest PC tech to the most versatile controllers, finding the audio that sounds best and the retro emulators that blast us straight to the past. All of that comes together right here, with 2024's instalment of the 12DOVE Hardware Awards.
You'll find all our top picks across PC and console here, with some VR thrown in for good measure. So, without further ado, here are this year's winners.
Best gaming PC - Maingear Zero Ruby
The Maingear Zero Ruby is a revolutionary gaming PC. It marks a long-term victory for its maker, who strived to make cableless prebuilds over a decade ago. Now, they finally have.
Project Zero motherboards from MSI arrived at the beginning of the year, and they quickly garnered praise for hiding all of their cable headers on their backs, leaving no clutter or awkward cable management on the side. The story goes that around a decade ago, the founder of Maingear pitched this type of motherboard to computing companies, only to be laughed out of meetings. Now, in 2024, Maingear leads the charge in prebuilt machines that use these motherboards.
The best gaming PCs are often thought of as filled to the brim with bloatware, and thanks to a few veteran brands, a lot of shoppers are worried about their limited upgradability. Maingear is on the frontline of the fight against that reputation though, it builds beautifully constructed gaming PCs with custom liquid cooling, and it keeps all of the annoying bloatware to an absolute minimum.
Although it's pricier than some other brands out there, the selection of configurations and parts on offer in the Maingear Zero range is nothing short of stellar.
Best gaming laptop - Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9
While fewer internal upgrades meant brands went all in on displays this year, Lenovo kept things classic with a super powerful 16-inch machine that pitches below competitors' price points.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 is a premium device, with only RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 GPUs on the market and a top of the range Intel i9-14900HX. Its performance is incredibly impressive, its display offers a stunningly vivid picture without the need of an expensive OLED panel, and its 16-inch form factor feels far more streamlined than the chunkier options next to it on the shelves. This machine is the best gaming laptop I've tested to date - and it's far from the most expensive.
Lenovo hasn't thrown everything at the Legion Pro 7i, but that's why it stands so tall. You're getting everything you need for a high-end laptop experience without paying for extra faff or fancy features. It beat bigger, more cumbersome RTX 4080 machines (like the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16) in in-game benchmark testing, while still out-performing the slimmer RTX 4090 Razer Blade 16 in some tests as well (and at a considerably lower price).
We didn't get any new GPUs in 2024, and Intel's 14th Gen processors offered only incremental upgrades in performing power. That meant gaming laptop brands had to find a new way to innovate - and a lot of that brain power went on displays. OLED panels are premium, though, and have their own drawbacks. While I loved the displays on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 models (and my runner up is here purely because of such a development), Lenovo managed to keep raw performance at the top of its priority list while still impressing in its visuals. That's a considerable feat, especially when it's also offering some of the best value for money in its class.
Best handheld - Anbernic RG Cube
The Anbernic RG Cube is, without a doubt, an oddball handheld - but its strangely square screen is what helps it stand out in 2024.
Designed to run classic capers using Android, the Anbernic RG Cube merges the benefits of emulators with premium comforts. The result is a device that stands out from the best gaming handheld crowd by catering directly to retro gaming fans. That's where it's unique 1:1 3.95-inch IPS screen comes into play, as it better fits aspect ratios and resolutions from the past rather than leaving more distracting letterboxing at the side.
Of course, the RG Cube has more than a weird display to offer. It's a solid handheld with Hall effect thumb sticks, satisfying buttons, and a Quad-core Mali-G57 GPU doing the heavy lifting. While the screen is admittedly better suited to older adventures with square pixels, the overall package is more than capable of running Dreamcast and PS2 games, and it's surprisingly good at mimicking the DS/3DS using its touchscreen abilities and extra vertical space.
In a scene currently dominated by either Steam Deck rivals or Game Boy-shaped portables, the Anbernic RG Cube serves as a versatile alternative. Granted, it can't keep up with handheld gaming PCs performance-wise, and it misses out on a wealth of Steam games since it's closer to a phone under the hood. However, it serves as a gold standard for emulation in 2024, and that earns it a place at the Hardware Awards table this year.
Best monitor - LG UltraGear 32GS95UE-B
Armed with a gorgeous 4K OLED panel and ridiculously handy dual resolution tricks, the LG UltraGear 32GS95UE-B earns its top gaming monitor status through versatility and fidelity.
As someone who loves to dabble with different game genres and hardware, the 32-inch LG UltraGear 32GS95UE-B feels like the perfect panel. That's largely due to the fact that it can switch from being a 4K 240Hz display to a 1080p 480Hz screen in an instant, something that'll save you picking up multiple gaming monitors for your PC and console setup. Naturally, both modes use a speedy refresh rate that'll benefit your rig more than a PS5, but I'd argue this screen has both player types covered with some headroom to spare.
I've spent a lot of time playing high frame rate shooters and grand 4K adventures on the UltraGear 32GS95UE-B. In both instances, LG's premium panel serves up super responsive visuals paired with glorious contrast and colors, resulting in a visual experience that feels free from compromise. There's something extremely pleasing about spending a few hours playing Overwatch 2 at 480Hz then capping off your night playing Baldur's Gate 3 at 4K.
Resolution-switching magic tricks aside, the UltraGear 32GS95UE-B also makes room for punchy Pixel Sound speakers, which is neat since similar monitors skip on providing audio output. While the year ahead will no doubt feature similar screens that use potentially the exact same LG panel, I'll likely continue to recommend this model throughout 2025 and beyond.
Best graphics card - Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super
Building upon the mid-range abilities of last year's release, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super brings elevated performance to 1440p players.
The vanilla RTX 4070 ended up winning the same hardware award last year, which perhaps explains why the Super stands out in 2024. Nvidia has essentially taken what is a solid mid-range GPU and helped it achieve better frame rates, all while maintaining the same MSRP as the original. Simply put, it gave the 70-class graphics card a boost to help later adopters future-proof, and I'm on board with that.
In my eyes, the RTX 4070 Super is designed to nudge frame rates to more of a sweet spot for both 1440p and 4K. Nvidia doesn't really market the model as a UHD capable card, but this Zotac Trinity version does bring performance closer to 60fps on average without any upscaling assistance. Adding DLSS 3 into the mix helps the card feel more premium than it actually is, which really helps when it comes to hitting better-than-console visuals in demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077.
Ultimately, the RTX 4070 Super is the graphics card I'd recommend to most PC players in 2024. The original is still worth grabbing for the right price too, but with the RTX 5090 and its siblings ready to enter the fold, picking up something with even a modest performance bump is worthwhile. Plus, it means you'll be better equipped to meet system requirements as you sail through 2025.
Best SSD - Corsair MP600 Elite
The Corsair MP600 Elite is the latest in a long line of gaming-based SSDs from this brand. I liked the previous version a lot, but this one adds even faster speeds and a beautifully designed heatsink.
There have been three SSDs for gaming at the top of the market for a while now. There's the Samsung 990 Pro, the Seagate FireCuda 530, and the WD Black SN850X. The market has been a bit stagnant in the last few years as Gen 5 SSDs have started to arrive and prices for existing storage devices have bounced up and down on a trampoline. The Corsair MP600 Elite has changed the narrative, bringing those top-performing Gen 4 speeds into a new device that gives the top dogs a serious run for their money.
Not only are the speeds impressive but they're bolstered by an innovative heatsink that works wonders inside a PS5 of a gaming PC.
Best gaming mouse - Razer Viper V3 Pro
A new shape and Razer's best sensor yet makes the Viper V3 Pro the top rodent on the market right now.
The Razer Viper range hasn't changed too much in the last few years - these have historically been flat, skinny speedsters with top of the range sensors and super low weights. Half of that is true for 2024's Razer Viper V3 Pro, but where the shorter bodies of previous generations may have proved uncomfortable for those with larger hands, the new chunkier grip is excelling. That larger shape won't be for everyone - it's got a taller dome with a wider base that some with smaller hands will find less nimble on the battlefield than the Viper V2 Pro.
Beyond the chassis, though, there's some fantastic tech plugged in under the hood. This is the best of Razer's tech, squeezed into an ultralight 54g form factor. A new Focus Pro 35K sensor can take you up to dizzying DPI heights, with a zippy 750 IPS tracking speed and wireless 8kHz polling straight out of the box (no need to buy a separate dongle). Like most of this mouse's features, that polling rate is only going to be used (or noticed) by players at the very top of competitive rankings. It's not the best gaming mouse for everyday play, but it's certainly the best overall pointer on the market for those with the budget.
It's faster and more reliable than competitors like the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 and Glorious Series 2 Pro, which both opt for similar tall-dome structures in their ergonomics. At this price, and when facing this tournament-ready market, that speed is going to win above all else.
Best gaming keyboard - Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile
A 65% deck with one of the best typing feels in the business and all the extra features you could ask for.
You would have had a tough time convincing me to like a low profile keyboard before the Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile landed on my desk. Previous skinny-cap decks have felt too slippery, imprecise, and mushy in my own experience, but the Falchion has turned everything on its head to become one of the best gaming keyboards I've tested so far. Each of the brand's optical switches feels crisp, clean, and fresh, with a super grippy but still soft keycap up top making for a fantastic typing experience. I was surprised just how fast I could move with these stealthy clackers gently thudding underneath my fingertips, marrying the speed required for twitch-reflex responses with the satisfaction of a tactile, snappy key feel.
The Falchion does much more than perform, though. It's rare to find a 65% keyboard that manages to both save space and provide access to additional media controls. It's a small feature, but I do start to seriously miss dedicated volume and playback options whenever I test a compact keyboard without them. Asus has installed a slick touch-sensitive control bar on the top section of its keyboard, though. Running your finger along this panel provides access to a number of different inputs fully customizable in Armory Crate, with multiple different profiles available to swap between.
It's an incredibly flexible device with on-the-fly macro recording and an easily portable chassis. The Falchion is at home whether stuck on a desk or in a backpack, with a handy transport tray straight out the box, versatile Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connection options, full Mac compatibility.
Best gaming headset - Turtle Beach Atlas Air
The Turtle Beach Atlas Air isn't just the most comfortable headset I've ever tested, it also packs a set of unique features I rarely see at this price point.
The market is crying out for more open back headsets, and Turtle Beach has answered the call. The brand released its first open back design in 2024, and the Turtle Beach Atlas Air made a massive splash - not just in the audio arena. It's the best gaming headset I've tested for sheer comfort, with a mesh headband system that relieves any kind of pressure from the crown and a light clamp force around supremely plush cup cushions. I barely registered I was wearing a headset, even during longer sessions. That ergonomic design is second to none.
This is a versatile wireless device, a rarity in this class, designed for easy connection across PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and mobile and with a wired option for Xbox players as well. It's bringing the wide soundstage and passthrough audio of high-end audiophile devices to the mainstream, and sitting at an excellent price point while doing so.
Rather than closing the driver into the cup design, an open back headset allows for a much wider imaging space. The result is richly textured audio that can actually breathe, rather than staying stuck in the confines of the cup itself. The Atlas Air is the first headset I've tested that achieves this open back sound quality in a flexible wireless device. The benefit of going digital rather than acoustic? You've still got full access to EQ settings, chat-mix, and sidetone.
Best gaming chair - Fractal Refine
When a hardware brand reaches into a market they have no prior experience in, it can go one of two ways. Sometimes, the result is a laughable attempt to grab some extra cash. Other times, they show all the other manufacturers what they've been doing wrong.
The latter is exactly what Swedish gaming PC company, Fractal Design, did with its first-ever gaming chair this year. The Fractal "Refine" is the perfect name for this chair, because it really does take the traditional design elements of a gaming chair and evolves them a step further.
The perfect example of this is that the Refine is available in both mesh and fabric options for the same price. It bucks one of the most irritating trends among the best gaming chair brands, which often launch a totally separate mesh product and hike its price into the stratosphere.
This chair looks incredible, and it feels just as good to sit in. A blend of ergonomics and adjustability is hard for even veteran chair brands to achieve, and Fractal did it with its first attempt.
...Now all it needs to do is work out how to fix armrests in one position
Best controller - Azeron Cyborg II
The Azeron Cyborg II improves upon the brilliance of the original Cyborg. It's my favorite gaming controller this year, combining the comfort of the best PC controllers with the speed and functionality of a keyboard.
If you've never been comfortable playing on a keyboard, but you want more functionality than even the most "pro" controllers can give you, where do you turn? Moreover, if you're transitioning from console to PC, how can you get the best of both worlds?
Azeron's Cyborg keypads have been around for a few years now, but the brand's latest model, the Azeron Cyborg II, dropped in the last few months. It'd be easy to chalk it up to a simple USB-C refresh at first glance, but the brilliant Latvian company has made small refinements to its passion project that make a huge difference.
The result is something that requires a bit of a learning curve to get used to, but soon feels like the most intuitive way to interact with video games. This keypad is like someone time-traveled to the future, saw the innovative hardware that humans were using, and snuck it back to us.
Best VR headset - Pico 4 Ultra
The Pico 4 Ultra is the Meta Quest competitor the industry needs right now. With Meta's headsets in such a dominant position in the standalone market, there's a real demand for an alternative to keep things moving forward, and Pico delivered that in droves this year.
By all accounts, this VR headset was very close to not being made. There were rumors circulating that this brand was done with making hardware after the original Pico 4 struggled to make ground against the Quest 2. Nonetheless, the Pico 4 Ultra is here, and it's an excellent alternative, packing more RAM, higher-definition front cameras, and a bigger battery than the Meta Quest 3. It's hard for me to pick a favorite between the Quest 3 and Pico 4 Ultra because, in truth, they're neck-and-neck. If I had to choose though, I think Pico might just have the edge as a gamer's headset.
Its design has an excellent way of distributing its weight so that it's comfortable to wear for long periods of time - and that's something that even the best VR headsets can struggle with. Its controllers are longer and have some extra buttons too, which feels strangely more immersive in VR games. This headset even sports the same chipset and Pancake lenses that make the Quest 3 so attractive.
It's a real shame that the Pico 4 Ultra is only available in the UK and Europe right now because I think if more shoppers had access to a quality Quest 3 alternative, it would only help the VR industry to thrive. In the next year, I really hope enough noise is made about this headset so that the consideration of moving to the US is in sight. This really is the best mixed reality headset to launch this year if you want to play games - and it doesn't cost $3,500!
Best 3D printer - Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Pro
An easy to use 3D printer with fantastic thermal controls, Anycubic is my go-to device from 2024.
When I'm making 3D-printed miniatures for the best tabletop RPGs or terrain to use in wargaming, I want the process to be as easy as possible. Personally, I don't have the time to be fussing over many technical details – and I suspect many of you will be the same.
That's why the Mono M7 Pro is such a winner in my eyes. Besides yielding incredible results out of the box with no mucking about by me, it nips a problem I often have at this time of year in the bud: resin temperature. I usually have to leave nearby windows open for airflow when printing, but that runs the risk of dropping ambient temperature and thus making resin less pliable (e.g. more prone to going wrong). Thanks to the M7 Pro's heated vat, though, it stays toasty regardless and my print failures have been dramatically reduced as a result. Yes, we've seen this kind of technology before. But considering all the other bells and whistles included here (such as self-levelling, a fancy resin removal device, and subtle but handy ease-of-use tweaks), this machine edges out the competition when it comes to accessibility among the best 3D printers.
In addition, this thing is fast. I don't know what sorcery Anycubic has deployed to achieve this, but it's comfortably the quickest resin printer I've used. Considering the fact that the models are pumped out at a crisp 14K resolution as well, this version of the Photon series can't help but impress. As I mentioned in our Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Pro review, "of everything I've tested so far in 2024, it's the standout."
Best board game - Life in Reterra
It's rare that a game has me itching to reset the board and start over the moment I've finished a match, but Life in Reterra is one of them.
Thanks to simple yet impressively versatile mechanics, it eases players into the swing of things whilst teasing them with a clutch of 'what ifs.' What follows is one of the best board games I've played in a long time.
Even though Life in Reterra's set in a world where civilization has come to an end, you won't mind much; rather than devolving into Viking-style biker gangs or mutant monstrosities, humanity has come together to rebuild society instead. As a result, your aim is to construct buildings on an ever-growing set of tiles to earn points. Whoever has the highest score by the end wins… but the road there isn't easy by any means. These buildings come in different sizes that you may struggle to find space for, and they all have distinct powers as well. Some give you extra points if you build them on the edge of your board, for example, while others allow you to place 'relics' (which boost your score) when you fulfill a specific criteria. Seeing as the game ends once players have made a four-by-four square of tiles, you've got to juggle forward planning, efficiency, and the best bonuses for your particular strategy. It's surprisingly deep.
Because there are three sets of two-sided buildings (each carrying their own benefit) to choose from or mix and match with, this game also has more replayability than most I've seen this year. There are many worthy candidates from 2024 that deserve heaps of praise, of course, but this is the one that's stuck with me. As I mentioned in my Life in Reterra review, I can see it becoming a modern classic.
Best projector - BenQ X3100i
The BenQ X3100i took over from its predecessor, the X3000i earlier this year with a range of image upgrades and some fancy new features under the hood.
It's the only projector I tested this year that allowed for super-fast console gameplay, and one of the best 4K throwers I've binge-watched as well. The X3100i improves contrast and brightness compared to the previous model, pushing 3,300 lumens across a super vibrant image that manages to hold up on even the cheapest of screens (or even a bare wall). With HDR10 and powerful speakers thrown in, this is everything you need for console gaming on the even bigger screen.
The best projectors can be chunky devices, but the X3100i manages to keep things more streamlined than larger Horizon models. The 10.7 x 8.4 x 10.2-inch form factor rises a little taller than the previous model, but it's still easily placed on most shelves and is light enough to be mounted with a wide range of brackets as well. Placement is much less of a headache than usual here as well. Vertical lens shift has been added via a small dial at the top of the device - a particularly premium feature that doesn't often make its way to 4K projectors in this price range.
The brand also debuted its SettingXchange software with this device - essentially a bank of presets tailored to specific games that negates the need for an in-depth technical understanding of your picture to get the best experience possible.
Best retro console - Evercade Alpha
The Evercade Alpha is somewhat of a disruptor within the at-home arcade scene, as Blaze's consolized bartop machine serves as multiplatform retro powerhouse.
Adding support for more than a few games to an arcade machine feels like a no-brainer, but the Evercade Alpha is one of the first to do it. Rather than relying on a few baked-in titles, Blaze's counter-top cabinet uses the same cartridges as the Evercade handheld range and Super Pocket, something that gives the Alpha an edge in the best retro console ring for 2024.
Naturally, the Alpha focuses on providing an arcade feel first and foremost, and it nails that thanks to its exceptional controls and crisp ISP display. However, it can perform most of the same tricks as the Evercade VS too, with USB controller support and dual cartridge slots providing a console feel. There's no HDMI output, so you will have to use the built-in display if you fancy playing some games on the couch. Still, the cabinet works just as well as a way to play classics like Tomb Raider as it does a Street Fighter 2 machine - a huge boon in my book.
With the Evercade library ever expanding, and six themed games baked in to both the Mega Man and Street Fighter 2 versions, the Alpha will only get better with time. It already offers up an authentic arcade experience while providing access to over 500 retro romps, making it a fantastic time capsule for collectors and casual players alike.
Best streaming device - Elgato Prompter
Elgato is at its best when it creates those content creation accessories you never knew you needed until you have them sitting on your desk. Then they make you wonder - how did no body else think of this until now?
The Elgato Prompter is exactly that type of product. It's practically unmatched by any other brand, save for the traditional teleprompters that TV stations use. It's got loads of scope to work with different cameras, and make your delivery as seamless as can be. You can change the color of the text you're reading, you can change the font, background color, you can even sync it to scroll with your voice.
The Prompter goes a step further though, because it's not just for the content creator recording pieces to camera every other day. The device's chat mode makes it a handy way to interact with your audience while you're live, and using it as an additional monitor is a great way to keep it useful when you're video editing or working remotely.
All in all, this is one of the best streaming gadgets to come out in years.
