By: The GameSpot Editors
Welcome to the GameSpot Hardware of the Year Awards, where we recognize all the great hardware products that have been released in 2004. A lot of products, ranging from the fantastic to the mediocre, have passed though our hands, but we've decided to limit our Hardware of the Year Awards to only four categories, focusing on the products that have had the most impact this year.
At GameSpot, we understand that gamers don't buy new hardware products as often as new games. It takes a really special product, one that significantly improves the gameplay experience, to get noticed. While we applaud novelty in games, novelty PC hardware and console accessories don't have as good a track record. The best products aren't new kinds of oddly shaped controllers--the best hardware products, aside from new platforms, are often those that work a lot like already existing products, but offer improved performance or increased functionality.
This year's categories include Best Game Accessory, Best PC Hardware Upgrade, Best Design, and Best Cell Phone. Most of these categories cover a wide variety of product types and exhibit a blatant disregard for platform distinctions. It may be odd to see a mouse go up against a 5.1 speaker set, but that's part of the fun of these awards. We did take product cost into consideration, but mainly in terms of value rather than absolute cost. If a product offers excellent performance for the money, then it's a good value.
Only products released in North America in 2004 received consideration, so products such as the Sony PSP will be considered for next year's awards. Also note that these awards come at the end of the year and are decided with the benefit of hindsight, so the highest review score doesn't necessarily make the winner. Read on for our picks of 2004, and check out the movies for a closer look at the winners.
| We're more than able to play games with the standard equipment that comes with the average console bundle or PC system, but there are plenty of add-on gaming accessories that can augment or even replace your regular equipment and make the gaming experience that much more enjoyable. Our finalists for the Best Gaming Accessory award represent the most useful gaming accessory upgrades available this year, and they all found their way onto the list by offering improved performance over existing solutions or added convenience, such as wireless technology. |
  | Plantronics GameCom Halo 2 Edition The GameCom Halo 2 Edition headset sounds great and it's comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time. The over-the-ear unit features an adjustable swivel with several interchangeable earpieces for optimal placement, and the noise-canceling microphone has a flexible boom that allows you to position the mic right where you want it. |
| | Logitech Cordless Action Controller The Logitech Cordless Action is the wireless controller of choice for the PlayStation 2. It operates on the 2.4GHz frequency and offers responsive, lag-free performance. The controller lasts for 50 hours on two AA batteries, and that's with the rumble feature enabled. Logitech also offers a similar Cordless Precision Controller for Xbox, but its lack of a Communicator port knocks it out of the running. |
| | Logitech Z-5500 Digital The Logitech Z-5500 Digital is an upgraded version of the Z-680 speaker set. This 5.1 speaker system outputs over 500 watts and the subwoofer features a massive, 10-inch driver. The unit also features a digital control module that offers Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS, and DTS 96/24 processing and it can accept an optical connection direct from a console. |
| | Logitech MX1000 Wireless Laser Mouse The Logitech MX1000 features a new laser engine that's 20 times more sensitive than regular LEDs. The optical sensor is still only 800dpi, but the laser allows the mouse to track on glossy surfaces that no regular optical mice dare to go. The mouse also uses Logitech's Fast RF cordless technology for lag-free wireless performance. |
| | Razer Diamondback Mouse The Razer Diamondback comes to bat with a 1600dpi optical sensor that makes the mouse two to four times more sensitive than regular optical mice. You can also adjust mouse sensitivity on the fly, and if you want even more specific adjustments, the software drivers allow you to set independent mouse sensitivities on the x and y axis. |
 | Razer Diamondback Mouse  The Razer Diamondback Mouse flew in under the radar to take our vote for Best Gaming Accessory of the year. Not many gamers pay attention to mouse technology improvements, but we've had two major advancements this year with the introduction of laser technology in the Logitech MX1000 and the ultrahigh resolution optical sensor featured in the Razer Diamondback. Logitech and Razer have shown the industry that gamers want more out of a mouse than additional buttons or a better scrollwheel design.
We enjoyed using all of this year's Best Gaming Accessory finalists, but the Razer Diamondback was the only peripheral that offered performance significantly better than the next best available option in its product category. The Logitech Z-5500 Digital, for example, could be considered a sequel product that's slightly better than the original Z-680s. The other finalists, all very good in their own rights, weren't able to blow away its nearest competitors the way the Razer Diamondback manhandled other mice on the market. The Logitech MX1000 may be the best wireless mouse we've ever tested, but the Razer and its 1600dpi optical sensor offers a revolutionary mousing experience that makes other mice feel like mud. The Diamondback will perform well for fast-twitch and slow-twitch players alike. Razer's unique software drivers and on-the-fly sensitivity-adjustment ability also demonstrate that the Diamondback status as a "gaming" mouse extends beyond the product packaging. We weren't fans of the original Razer Boomslang mouse, with its odd shape and unconventional sensor placement, but the Diamondback shows us that Razer has definitely learned from its past mistakes. From the moment we first placed our hands on the mouse, the Diamondback amazed us with its fantastic feedback and excellent feel. The shape and optical sensor placement is also conventional enough to make it easy for longtime Microsoft or Logitech users to make the switch. Overall, the Razer Diamondback is the most responsive mouse we've ever tested, and it's our choice for Best Gaming Accessory of the year. You only have to use the Diamondback for a few hours before discovering that there's no going back to other mice. |
| To experience modern PC games to the fullest, you need the best hardware. Every component plays a key role in how a game looks and performs. Having a single component weakness in your system can push your gaming experience from utter enjoyment to sheer frustration. In such a broad category, with so many excellent choices, choosing a winner was quite difficult. We usually advise our readers to keep their systems "balanced," making sure that all components are matched for optimal performance, but if we had to pick a single PC hardware product to have in our systems, it would be the winner of this award: |
 | AMD Athlon 64 When it comes to gaming, we can say without any reservation that AMD's Athlon 64 is the best processor you can get for your computer. It outperforms the Intel Pentium 4 in just about every game benchmark, and it comes at a lower price. |
| | Nvidia GeForce 6800 Series Nvidia's remarkable recovery from last year's unfortunate GeForce FX experiment is nothing short of astounding. Video cards based on the GeForce 6800 series support Shader Model 3.0, and provide excellent graphics performance across all price categories. |
| | Plantronics GameCom Halo 2 Edition The GameCom Halo 2 Edition headset sounds great and it's comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time. The over-the-ear unit features an adjustable swivel with several interchangeable earpieces for optimal placement, and the noise-canceling microphone has a flexible boom that allows you to position the mic right where you want it. |
| | Plantronics GameCom Halo 2 Edition The GameCom Halo 2 Edition headset sounds great and it's comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time. The over-the-ear unit features an adjustable swivel with several interchangeable earpieces for optimal placement, and the noise-canceling microphone has a flexible boom that allows you to position the mic right where you want it. |
| | Plantronics GameCom Halo 2 Edition The GameCom Halo 2 Edition headset sounds great and it's comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time. The over-the-ear unit features an adjustable swivel with several interchangeable earpieces for optimal placement, and the noise-canceling microphone has a flexible boom that allows you to position the mic right where you want it. |
| | Plantronics GameCom Halo 2 Edition The GameCom Halo 2 Edition headset sounds great and it's comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time. The over-the-ear unit features an adjustable swivel with several interchangeable earpieces for optimal placement, and the noise-canceling microphone has a flexible boom that allows you to position the mic right where you want it. |
| | Plantronics GameCom Halo 2 Edition The GameCom Halo 2 Edition headset sounds great and it's comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time. The over-the-ear unit features an adjustable swivel with several interchangeable earpieces for optimal placement, and the noise-canceling microphone has a flexible boom that allows you to position the mic right where you want it. |
| | Plantronics GameCom Halo 2 Edition The GameCom Halo 2 Edition headset sounds great and it's comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time. The over-the-ear unit features an adjustable swivel with several interchangeable earpieces for optimal placement, and the noise-canceling microphone has a flexible boom that allows you to position the mic right where you want it. |
| | Plantronics GameCom Halo 2 Edition The GameCom Halo 2 Edition headset sounds great and it's comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time. The over-the-ear unit features an adjustable swivel with several interchangeable earpieces for optimal placement, and the noise-canceling microphone has a flexible boom that allows you to position the mic right where you want it. |
| | Plantronics GameCom Halo 2 Edition The GameCom Halo 2 Edition headset sounds great and it's comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time. The over-the-ear unit features an adjustable swivel with several interchangeable earpieces for optimal placement, and the noise-canceling microphone has a flexible boom that allows you to position the mic right where you want it. |
| | Plantronics GameCom Halo 2 Edition The GameCom Halo 2 Edition headset sounds great and it's comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time. The over-the-ear unit features an adjustable swivel with several interchangeable earpieces for optimal placement, and the noise-canceling microphone has a flexible boom that allows you to position the mic right where you want it. |
| | Plantronics GameCom Halo 2 Edition The GameCom Halo 2 Edition headset sounds great and it's comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time. The over-the-ear unit features an adjustable swivel with several interchangeable earpieces for optimal placement, and the noise-canceling microphone has a flexible boom that allows you to position the mic right where you want it. |
| | Logitech Cordless Action Controller The Logitech Cordless Action is the wireless controller of choice for the PlayStation 2. It operates on the 2.4GHz frequency and offers responsive, lag-free performance. The controller lasts for 50 hours on two AA batteries, and that's with the rumble feature enabled. Logitech also offers a similar Cordless Precision Controller for Xbox, but its lack of a Communicator port knocks it out of the running. |
| | Logitech Cordless Action Controller The Logitech Cordless Action is the wireless controller of choice for the PlayStation 2. It operates on the 2.4GHz frequency and offers responsive, lag-free performance. The controller lasts for 50 hours on two AA batteries, and that's with the rumble feature enabled. Logitech also offers a similar Cordless Precision Controller for Xbox, but its lack of a Communicator port knocks it out of the running. |
| | Logitech Cordless Action Controller The Logitech Cordless Action is the wireless controller of choice for the PlayStation 2. It operates on the 2.4GHz frequency and offers responsive, lag-free performance. The controller lasts for 50 hours on two AA batteries, and that's with the rumble feature enabled. Logitech also offers a similar Cordless Precision Controller for Xbox, but its lack of a Communicator port knocks it out of the running. |
| | Logitech Cordless Action Controller The Logitech Cordless Action is the wireless controller of choice for the PlayStation 2. It operates on the 2.4GHz frequency and offers responsive, lag-free performance. The controller lasts for 50 hours on two AA batteries, and that's with the rumble feature enabled. Logitech also offers a similar Cordless Precision Controller for Xbox, but its lack of a Communicator port knocks it out of the running. |
| | Logitech Cordless Action Controller The Logitech Cordless Action is the wireless controller of choice for the PlayStation 2. It operates on the 2.4GHz frequency and offers responsive, lag-free performance. The controller lasts for 50 hours on two AA batteries, and that's with the rumble feature enabled. Logitech also offers a similar Cordless Precision Controller for Xbox, but its lack of a Communicator port knocks it out of the running. |
| | Logitech Cordless Action Controller The Logitech Cordless Action is the wireless controller of choice for the PlayStation 2. It operates on the 2.4GHz frequency and offers responsive, lag-free performance. The controller lasts for 50 hours on two AA batteries, and that's with the rumble feature enabled. Logitech also offers a similar Cordless Precision Controller for Xbox, but its lack of a Communicator port knocks it out of the running. |
| | Logitech Cordless Action Controller The Logitech Cordless Action is the wireless controller of choice for the PlayStation 2. It operates on the 2.4GHz frequency and offers responsive, lag-free performance. The controller lasts for 50 hours on two AA batteries, and that's with the rumble feature enabled. Logitech also offers a similar Cordless Precision Controller for Xbox, but its lack of a Communicator port knocks it out of the running. |
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