A new year brings a new lease on this planet. But, with it also comes a whole new year of mass and excessive consumption that has never done Mother Earth any favors. The pandemic might have given her a bit of a breather, but now we’re back and worse than ever. Even the ongoing supply chain shortage hasn’t stopped us from buying products we don’t need (and items that we have convinced ourselves we do need).
Gaming, in particular, has never been the most sustainable industry. It isn’t helped that we get too much into gear, we buy more than we need including any new product that gets released, despite already having perfectly-good peripherals at home. That’s without mentioning the fact that gaming itself, especially PC and console gaming, considerably increases one’s electricity consumption.
Luckily, a handful of manufacturers of gaming peripherals are cracking down on waste, with some of them already starting to roll out carbon-neutral products for those who want to drastically reduce their consumption while still reaping the benefits that only high-quality gaming gear can offer.
Gaming gear from Logitech G
Logitech is one of the very first peripheral companies to make a pledge towards sustainability. And so, it follows that its gaming brand, Logitech G, isn’t just focused on making excellent gaming gear. It’s also climate-positive, with its entire gaming portfolio now certified to be CarbonNeutral and its product packaging recyclable.
Logitech G also proves that you can still deliver in quality and performance while ensuring that you’re producing eco-friendly products. Among our favorites from its lineup are the Logitech G915 TKL Lightspeed Wireless gaming keyboard, Logitech G Pro keyboard, the new Logitech G303 Shroud Edition mouse, and budget Logitech G305 Lightspeed Wireless mouse. Audio-wise, the Logitech Pro X Wireless gaming headset that boasts DTS Headphone:X 2.0 technology is an excellent sounding pair that’s comfortable to wear. You might help the kids get an early start on living sustainably with the kid-friendly Logitech G435 Lightspeed gaming headset.
Razer gaming peripherals
Razer is all about going green, even though it hasn’t quite made great strides in carbon neutrality like Logitech. Not only are its contract manufacturers and partners practicing industry-standard responsible manufacturing, but the company itself uses only conflict-free minerals and other raw materials during the production of its offerings. It also recycles its own products, encouraging Razer users to return Razer gaming gear they’re retiring to RazerStore locations for that purpose.
There’s certainly a lot more room for change still, but the company is also promising to use recycled or recyclable materials for all its products by 2030. And, if you do want to join it in its journey towards sustainability, you’ll appreciate that its gaming peripherals are known to be the best out there. Among the best of those are the Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro wireless gaming keyboard, the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed, and the new and portable Razer Orochi V2. For an immersive experience, both the Razer Barracuda X and the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro get our seal of approval. Do check out its Sneki Snek lineup too, as every product purchase helps you save 10 trees.
Astro gaming headsets
All of Logitech’s brands have CarbonNeutral certification and their products are in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol. That includes Astro’s gaming headsets and controllers. They’re not just made of sustainable, eco-friendly materials. The design, production, and shipment of these products have net-zero emission, which means they’re among the greenest gaming gear out there – alongside those from Logitech G.
Of course, you’re getting a lot more with Astro’s offerings. Its gaming headsets, especially, are among the best out there, with the extremely comfortable and very versatile Astro A50 leading the charge. This multi-platform gaming headset can be used for PC and console gaming, including the next generation consoles (although you’ll need separate base stations for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S). Plus, if you’re looking for something customizable, you can personalize the Astro A40 to your heart’s content.
Gaming mice, keyboards and headsets from SteelSeries
SteelSeries still has a ways to go to catch up with Logitech, but the company is still doing its share. That’s especially considering rival companies like Roccat and HyperX haven’t reported any sustainability and ethical practices. SteelSeries does not just track and report its energy consumption and carbon emissions, but it uses sustainable practices in the design, manufacturing, and transport of its products. Plus, all of its gaming peripherals are designed for easy disassembly, recycling, and repurposing while its inner packaging is made from 100% recycled paper.
Perhaps SteelSeries’ pride and joy when it comes to sustainability is its SteelSeries Aerox 3 mouse, which uses 25% less plastic than the average mouse. But, getting the other products on its roster should still help with your carbon footprint. We personally love the SteelSeries Rival 5 gaming mouse, whose RGB is as epic as its performance, and the SteelSeries Apex Pro, which is available in 5 languages. Not to be outdone are the legendary Arctis headsets with the SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless and the newly-released SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ Wireless leading the charge.