We used to be a society in which PC gamers had little speakers on their desks instead of RGB headsets—here are 2 speaker deals that I like

(Image credit: Audioengine)

Remember those beige computer speakers everyone used to have on their desks? It used to be normal to play PC games with speakers, before we got obsessed with positional audio and wanted headsets with microphones so we could yell at each other over TeamSpeak.

But you don't have to shrink your aural experience when you're all by yourself. Let your ears breathe!

These are the speakers I currently own. They look great, and sound plenty good for the size. The connection options make them very versatile: Bluetooth, USB, RCA, and 3.5mm aux. Get a bigger pair of bookshelf speakers if you're building an audiophile hi-fi setup, but for a warm sound in a stylish form that's easy to stick on your desk and connect to your PC or phone, I'm very happy with these.

Key specs: 60 Watts | 65 Hz-22 kHz frequency response | Auxiliary, Bluetooth, RCA, USB

Price check: Audioengine $278

We're curating all the Cyber Monday PC gaming deals right here

Audioengine also makes a set of desktop speakers that are specifically labeled as such, the Audioengine A2+ Desktop, which are a little cheaper at $223 on Amazon right now—I haven't used them, but I imagine they're very similar.

I've also found a good sale on the Harman Kardon Soundsticks. You might recognize them, as the design has been around for a long time now, and there aren't many other clear tubes full of speakers on the market that I know of. I liked my set a lot, but I had an older version and eventually swapped to the more traditional-looking Audioengines.

If you're trying to put together a proper hi-fi setup, you can get better sound from larger bookshelf speakers, but you won't necessarily get speakers that sit nicely on your desk and are easy to connect to whatever you want to listen to. The Audioengine HD3 is especially good in that department, with Bluetooth, USB (they have their own built in DAC), RCA, and 3.5 mm connections.

👉See all desktop speakers at Amazon👈

I do spend a lot of time with headphones on—either the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros that I've used for years on my desktop (recommended if you want studio headphones, but you'll need a USB DAC to use them with your PC), or the wireless Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones that go with me everywhere, but now and then it's nice to remember that sound can fill your room, not just your ear holes.

If you want more recommendations, our pals at Tom's Hardware have a list of the best desktop speakers according to their testing. For something a little cheaper, they like the $100 Creative T100.

Secretlab Titan Evo gaming chair in Royal colouring, on a white background

Best PC gaming kit 2025

1. Best gaming chair: Secretlab Titan Evo

2. Best gaming desk: Secretlab Magnus Pro XL

3. Best gaming headset: Razer BlackShark V3

4. Best gaming keyboard: Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless

5. Best gaming mouse: Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro

6. Best PC controller: GameSir G7 Pro

7. Best steering wheel: Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel

8. Best microphone: Shure MV6 USB Gaming Microphone

9. Best webcam: Elgato Facecam MK.2

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Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.

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