Gaming Desks are somewhat misunderstood at times as users and reviewers grapple with the obvious question that one must ask when considering them as a potential purchase: Are they a gimmick or a necessity? The answer is a bit of both. Gaming Desks can simply be flasher versions of standard desks, or they can provide an immense amount of utility if you know which ones to look for. That is what has prompted the team at GameRant to list our best picks for a gaming desk in 2023.

There are a few things that make gaming desks stand out against regular office desks, including:

• Built-in RGB lighting
• Greater adjustability and customizability
• Convenient extras like cupholders and charger racks

Players should think about whether any of these features are important to them while choosing a new gaming desk in order to narrow their search down from thousands of options.

Related: Best Lighting for Your Gaming Room

The SEDETA L-Shaped Reversible Computer Desk is the best gaming desk right now because it suits most gamers extremely well. Although not everyone wants a large desk, if space allows it, usually having more room to spread out is a good thing. The SEDETA computer desk doesn't just leave players to their own devices though, offering a variety of organizational tools such as a peg board, a headset hook, and lots of shelving. Players even get a hanging bag, a roll-out keyboard tray, and a power outlet to help keep all of their electronics protected and powered.

Along with the impressive features of the SEDETA gaming desk, the overall design is super stylish, available in both sleek black and crisp white. Both color options include RGB lighting that can be controlled through an app or through the built-in voice control. With a mid-range price that can't be beat, this reversible gaming desk from SEDETA is the best option for most gamers.

The SecretLab Magnus Pro is a premium gaming desk made by a company that prides itself on providing gamers with the very best ergonomic design. Although Secretlab is better known for their gaming chairs, their Magnus Pro gaming desk is just as ergonomic and can even serve as a standing desk. Players can use the capacitive touch control panel to adjust the height using the very smooth and nearly-soundless motor, which features 3 convenient preset heights.

This Secretlab gaming desk comes in 2 sizes: Magnus Pro and Magnus Pro XL, meaning users that require more space have the option to upgrade to a larger version of the same for an increase of around $150, depending on what other add-ons are chosen. On top of everything, the Magnus Pro comes with a best-in-class cable management solution that is further supplemented by a dedicated power supply option that allows for concealed wires, giving the desk a clean look. Players willing to spend a bit more on their gaming desk will find that the Secretlab Magnus Pro pays off with its premium build.

The Flexispot E7 Pro Plus is not a gaming desk per se. But given its versatility and ergonomics, there is nothing stopping what is probably the best-in-class desk from becoming a force to be reckoned as it competes directly with desks that often cost an arm and a leg more than what is arguably the best height-adjustable desk we have seen.

With a variety of desk top options that allow a different tier of customizability for the end user, the Flexispot is a viable alternative to the more RGB/gaming centric desks. With multiple offerings for RGB strips and lighting that have emerged in the past few years such as the Philips Hue lineup, there is really no reason why a gamer can simply not trick out Flexispot E7 to be an excellent gaming desk.

Alternatively, they could skip that aspect entirely. After all, most PCs do come with significant RGB control and the desk does not necessarily have to have controllable lighting while offering a premium finish and experience to gamers.

The Arozzi Arena is an easy gaming desk to consider. It comes well under $500 on sale, has a variety of colors and has excellent cable management. One can somewhat discount the lack of RGB natively on the desk simply because of its price point as well as its less-is-more approach to a gaming desk. With a full-surface gaming mousepad, there is even more value associated with the Arozzi Arena than the competition in general.

RELATED: The Best Budget Gaming Desks You Can Buy In 2023

The Arena has an excellent water-resistant mouse that can also be bought separately for those for looking for a bundle. All in all, the Arozzi Arena, which also happens to be our pick for the best overall budget gaming desk is an easy recommendation from the GameRant team.

The Thermaltake Level 20 RGB Battlestation is a premium gaming desk and is priced accordingly. It has an excellent full-surface mousepad and a sturdiness that allows it to handle up to 330 lbs of load while being height adjustable.

The desk however showcases innovation which is otherwise lacking in its peers. Not only does it support 8 unique lighting effects via the bundled ITake software, but it supports Alexa Voice commands, Thermaltake's own proprietary SyncALL TT RGB PLUS software as well as the significantly more popular Razer RGB Chroma software solution. This essentially means more fine-grained control of your RGB lighting as well as the ability to use user-defined presets for the Level 20 Battlestation.

The Lian Li DK-05 FX is a testament to the celebrated casemaker's commitment to building cases that cater to every consumer out there. It however happens to be, to date, its most premium offering. It does come in two options: single or dual system offerings depending on the user's needs.

With switchable glass panels on top of what is essentially one or two full-blown PCs, the customization possibilities are truly endless here. One can build a liquid-cooled system thanks to the immense amount of space in play and even control the entire PC with power, fan, and RGB controls that are built into the desk (or case if one feels that is more appropriate). With a removable motherboard and PSU and radiator trays, you can truly build a system/desk of your own choosing even if the end-goal is a complete custom water loop or simply an air-cooled performance-centric behemoth.

All in, the Lian Li DK-05 FX in both iterations will turn heads given its unique solution to the problem of getting the right gaming desk for your PC: Making it one. It does however happen to be quite pricey given what it does offer. First-time PC builders might want to get assistance before attempting a build inside the Lian Li case too, despite its modular approach, especially given that it caters to higher-end and more complex builds by default.

The FEZIBO Triple Motor L-Shaped Electric Standing Desk is the perfect L-shaped gaming desk for both those wanting to get started with an L-shaped desk and those already experienced with them. Why? Because the FEZIBO L-shaped gaming desk has loads of versatility and personalized optimizations available. From construction, you can opt for the L's "trunk" to be on the right side or the left side of the finished table. Maybe you think you want more space on the right side, but it turns out the left side is ideal for you. That's okay with the FEZIBO.

Related: Most Customizable Keyboards

FEZIBO also does not skimp on customization options. The desk is made of engineered wood and steel but comes in "colors" including black, black walnut, light rustic brown, rustic brown, and white upon ordering. The black is the most "gamery" while the black walnut has an elegant look and the white gives a very modern finish. Customize your user experience, as well, via height adjustment options that can be remembered by the desk's computer control panel. Set the best standing height, lock it in, and return to that height at any time with the push of a button, zero hassle. In fact, the whole experience is relatively "hassle-free" excluding parts of the construction, where some complain the bored-in screw holes are a bit too tight. Granted, for this sort of thing, too tight is always better than too loose and provides for better longevity.

How to choose a good gaming desk

In many ways, choosing a good gaming desk is like choosing any quality computing desk. Users of a lot of desks likely already have a good idea of what they want to bring into their gaming setups. And you can use a normal desk as your gaming desk (seriously, there's no law against it!) but there are a few things that matter more when purchasing a gamer desk as opposed to a worker desk. These come in the form of the desk's materials, height-adjustment options, surface size and shape, and what we might vaguely refer to as "gamer features."

The Secretlab Magnus Pro desk is an excellent example of these features, which is why we've named it the best gaming desk overall. It's made with highly durable steel, can be adjusted for sitting or standing, offers efficient wire management, and looks super sleek. Although it's easy to point these things out after seeing a great example, it's not difficult to know how to spot the good versus the bad.

Material

Wood works great for desks, so it is the perfect material for gaming desks, right? Not so fast! The reality is that the amount of sturdiness you'll want to provide for a multi-monitor setup with a gamer behind the wheel is a bit different from other uses. A solid metal frame can prevent unnecessary jiggling, keeping even your budget monitor still and pleasant to look at. Be honest with yourself, do you get emotional when you game? Especially as we play games that are designed to frustrate the player, there can be a tendency to literally push back at the desk, keyboard, mouse, whatever. Metal frames take damage better and are more resistant to long-term usage.

So, a large hunk of metal with a flat surface is all it takes? That's not the case either. The best gaming desks have a combination of metal and plastic and/or wood, with the latter parts serving as a coating or top surface. Plastic and wood diffuse heat well, are softer on the arms and elbows, provide adequate friction, and have an overall higher aesthetic appeal. In other words, the best gaming desks use a wide variety of materials.

Height-adjustment

Sitting for long periods does a number on our bodies, minds, and collective postures. While at work, lunch breaks and trips to the water cooler can keep us moving. The days are also only about eight hours long (hopefully) so the damage won't be too severe. But, if you come home and game after a long day sitting at work, you may want the ability to convert your gaming desk into a standing gaming desk. This is especially important if you're playing one of those immersive open world games that pulls you in and doesn't let you out for many hours. Desks with height-adjustment options can give you that standing desk optionality even while you are gaming, letting you game for longer without hurting yourself.

But don't be fooled, height adjustment isn't only about standing. No matter how height-adjustable your ergonomic gaming chair is, if the arm-rests are too high and the bottom part of the tabletop is too low, you're going to have a problem. Being able to lift your desk by even an inch or two can make it a match for your favorite gaming chair. So, while height adjustment isn't a requirement for gaming desks, even a little bit can help you put together your overall dream set.

Shape

The shape of your gaming desk matters for both functionality and safety. A gaming desk's form factor will be very important for anybody and can determine the desk's overall functionality, while the desk's corners might be a safety issue depending on the user's family and gaming needs.

Gaming desks come in several form factors, with the typical ones being described as follows:

• The standard rectangle form factor is likely what you are most used to and needs no introduction.
• The concave rectangle form factor has a "dip" on the user-facing side of the desk. This allows a gamer to get "inside" the normal desk area. This desk style is typically better for immersion but may take some getting used to with the mouse-using arm's positioning.
• L-shaped desks are like standard rectangle desks, but with a short side desk "attached" to create an L-shape. They provide strategic opportunities to display tertiary monitors, hold mouse-side notepads, and more.

No matter the form factor, it is important to decide if sharp corners are acceptable for your environment. While many gamers like the look of sharp corners, if they come at eye height to siblings and children — who might run into them while excited — going with rounded corners is better. Also, consider if the room where the gaming desk is to be used will also be the home of a lot of virtual reality gaming or Wii Sports playing. Any flinging of the arms or legs could result in a wound if someone hits a sharp corner.

Gamer features

There's this undeniable factor that separates the best gaming desks from average desks. So-called "gaming features" are hard to generalize, but easy to feel. Maybe it is an RGB strip, a headphones hook, or an overall aesthetic. Perhaps even something less easy to describe. Desks built for the office and the gaming area are just going to be somewhat different in ways that only a gamer can pick up. Of course, even non-strictly gaming desks can have a piece of the gaming magic, too! That's why reviews and recommendations from gamers, for gamers, tend to work best. Each product selected is made with gaming in mind. Even a budget gaming desk that is truly gamer-friendly can surpass the power of a desk that doesn't have gamer features.

RELATED: The Best Gaming Chairs

FAQ

Q: What does a gaming desk cost?

A gaming desk can cost anywhere from sub-$100 to as much as $3000 in some cases depending on brand value, material used and customization options in play

Q: Does a gaming desk have RGB?

Not all gaming desks have RGB but most do given that it is at times, a sought-after feature for gaming-themed desks.

Q: Are gaming desks height adjustable?

Yes, Gaming Desks can be height adjustable. Given the price point these trade at, it normally is a feature for higher-end versions of gaming desks.

Q: What materials are used to make gaming desks?

Gaming desks generally tend to have Steel or Aluminum as core metals with wood, carbon fiber and/or tempered glass as part of the desk top.