It's been a great year for gaming, but there's still plenty to look forward to, and while we wait for the PS5 Pro and Nintendo Switch 2 to arrive, we've got plenty of new games and peripherals to make our gaming experience even better.

As for consoles, the PS5 was dominant, while portable gaming PCs stole the show with the launch of the MSI Claw and, more recently, the Asus ROG Ally X.

While in the past we have evaluated both gaming and hardware, this year we decided to focus solely on consoles and our favorite peripherals. For more categories and to see all the winners of this year's Tom's Guide Awards, see the list below.

The PS5 console generation endured a slow start, leaving us frustrated that Sony continues to refuse to leave the PS4 behind. However, more than three and a half years after its launch, there is no doubt that this oversized machine has delivered a number of quality gaming experiences and has moved the industry forward in a big way.

The PS5's list of best games is growing at a rapid pace, and some of last year's best games can only be played on the PlayStation. Furthermore, its fast SSD continues to impress, with long load times no longer feeling like a relic from another era, and the novelty of the dual-sense controller has yet to wear off; the PS5 Slim's launch has also improved its flashy design somewhat, and the PS5 Pro is now available for the first time in the US. Additionally, rumors of a PS5 Pro continue to abound.

At the risk of being a bit hyperbolic, one might say that the Steam Deck OLED is the best handheld gaming console of all time. Certainly the best handheld PC, Valve's gorgeous Linux-based device has yet to face a worthy Windows challenger to take its crown, despite the market's rapid growth.

Slightly larger than the original LCD Steam Deck and featuring a vastly superior OLED screen, this is the finest screen on the handheld PC market. Colors are extremely accurate, and the best HDR-enabled Steam games look genuinely stunning on the Steam Deck OLED with a peak brightness of 597 nits; if you're looking for a portable, hassle-free way into the wonderful world of PC gaming, you need the Steam Deck OLED.

Yes, some would have expected the Apple Vision Pro to win the award. But the best VR headsets are not just about packing in cutting-edge technology, but about finding a balance between features and price. And the Meta Quest 3 is the clear winner in this category.

Like the Meta Ray-Ban glasses, this choice is as much about hardware as it is about ongoing software support and truly getting the most out of this platform. Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR Gen 2 chipset keeps the image quality of 4K displays very smooth, and the full-color pass-through mode extends this from just a VR portal to a full mixed reality experience.

Meanwhile, in gaming, over 500 apps offer a variety of high-quality experiences that feel amazing when played with the included controller. The Oculus Link cable also extends this infinitely through its compatibility with Steam VR. The Oculus Link cable also extends this infinitely with its compatibility with Steam VR. You can get all of this for $499, which is a no-brainer.

[21] The LG UltraGear 45GR75DC is one of the best gaming monitors if you want to make your gaming experience better, and the LG UltraGear 45GR75DC is one of the best gaming monitors for the task.

With a curvature of 1500R, the LG UltraGear 45GR75DC's 45-inch display will immerse you in whatever game you are playing, especially FPS or racing games. This monitor also delivers great performance thanks to its fast 200Hz refresh rate, low 1ms response time, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support (supports Nvidia

). AMD FreeSync Premium Pro also provides smooth and responsive gameplay on gaming rigs with both AMD and Nvidia graphics cards.

The display isn't as bright as other monitors, but the LG UltraGear 45GR75DC more than makes up for it thanks to its immersive panel, fast performance, and (relatively) cheap $899 asking price. It's more than enough to win the Best Gaming Monitor award.

If you're looking for the best gaming keyboard, look no further than the ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96. With a 1,000 Hz polling rate and low response time, this keyboard is perfect for FPS, RPG, and racing games. The lubricated ROG NX Snow switches have 1.8mm actuation points, making the keys highly sensitive and ideal for gaming. Not only that, but you don't have to worry about running out of charge during combat; ASUS says that a single charge provides a whopping 1,500 hours of battery life with RGB off and 90 hours with RGB on. The keyboard has a plastic chassis and aluminum top plate, with double-shot shine-through PBT keycaps attached to the body.

The ROG Strix Scope II 96 meets all of our requirements and is therefore a deserved winner of the Tom's Guide Award for Best Gaming Keyboard.

The first model of this mouse won the Tom's Guide Awards 2021 for “Best Gaming Mouse” in the gaming category. The Superlight 2's minimalist design, with no fancy lighting, weighs only 2.11 ounces and is very comfortable to use. The Superlight 2 uses a HERO 2 sensor that delivers up to 32,000 DPI, and the mouse has a polling rate of up to 4,000 Hz. Not only does this mouse last for 95 hours, but it is compatible with Logitech G PowerPlay, so you can charge it while you play. No other mouse we've tested has come close to matching the Superlight 2 so far.

Say hello to the new undisputed king of gaming headsets, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5. It's the only headset we gave a perfect score: compatible with PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS, and Meta Quest, with a quick-switch 2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth 5.3 for easy device switching. 360° spatial audio makes you feel as if you are the hero. With the companion app, you can choose from more than 100 presets tailored to different games. The Baldur's Gate 3 preset, for example, brings the game to life, making background conversations feel more lifelike and even the sound of an arrow leaving a bowstring can be heard, bringing you into the heat of battle.

SteelSeries' latest offering is designed for long gaming sessions, and the breathable memory foam ear cups eliminate discomfort. The headset is surprisingly lightweight at 9.41 ounces, so you won't feel the weight. All of this for $129. It is truly the cherry on top of the cake.

Sometimes it's better to wait for a second iteration of a product after all the issues have been addressed, and the Razer Iskur V2 certainly does that Razer has gone back to the drawing board with this gaming chair, addressing many of the criticisms of the first product. Along with widening the upper shoulder arches, the chair's seat base has also been widened to allow the user to sit cross-legged.

The Razer Iskur V2 retains the same appearance as the original, but has a prominent lumbar pad positioned away from the chair back. This provides lumbar support no matter which direction it is rotated. There is also a knob on the side of the Razer Iskur V2 that allows the lumbar support to be pulled out further when sitting closer to the monitor.Razer has listened diligently to customer feedback and has made significant improvements to this chair without losing what made the first chair successful.

To present this award just days after Microsft announced the price increase speaks volumes about how much we love the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. While the monthly price increase is unwelcome, even at this new price point, Xbox Game Pass continues to be a very good value: a library of games playable on both Xbox consoles and PCs, nearly every Xbox Games Studios release and third-party titles, including a generous selection of third-party titles, is vast.

The real boon is the ability to play AAA games (both PC and Ultimate versions) all day long. This is a benefit that no other game distribution service currently offers. Additionally, Xbox Game Pass is going strong later this year with the release of Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.