Oct 14, 2024
Best gaming desk 2024 | GamesRadar+
Here are the best gaming desks for work and play. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. The best gaming desk arguably serves as the
Here are the best gaming desks for work and play.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
The best gaming desk arguably serves as the centerpiece of your entire setup, ensuring your PC or console setup is stylish and comfortable to use. That's not to shame any of you using a makeshift surface right now, as sometimes it's naturally cheaper to use an old dining table or your family's old computer station from the '90s. That said, actually investing in furniture designed for playing games can completely shake-up your battle station, whether you've got an comfy chair to go with or want to try standing.
Our overall favorite gaming desk right now is the Secretlab Magnus Pro, as it's one of the most feature-packed we've tested to date, not to mention it boasts brilliant build quality. It also serves as proof that not all gamer-related products have to be clad in RGB and racing stripes, and you'll find that most of our top picks are fairly contemporary. You'll even be able to stand and use many of our go-to surfaces if you're fed up with chairs, and I've personally sank a few hours in Baldur's Gate 3 while on my feet.
To save you drowning in a sea of surface options, we've tested all the best gaming desk options out there right now and provided our expert opinion. From budget furnishings to premium pieces, there are models to suit a variety of setups and budgets below. Some will even be able to blend into your living room or shared space without drawing attention, while others feature a design that'll match with the rest of your gamer gear. We've even went to the trouble of testing out add-ons for your desk, so you'll have everything you need to hand to pick the perfect desktop.
Phil has been sitting at gaming desks since the '90s, and fondly remembers using one of those all-in-one family workstations with the little doors in the front. A lot has changed since then, and they're now a PC setup connoisseur, particularly when it comes to creating high-tech, contemporary battle stations that aren't just needlessly clad in RGB lighting.
Best overall
The best overall
The Secretlab Magnus Pro is a superb standing surface that leads the charge with super smooth motors and solid build quality.
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Best overall
The best for most
The Secretlab Magnus might lack the pro label, but it's still an excellent option with superb cable management included.
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Best under $100
The best cheap desk
It's cheap, cheerful, and perhaps a bit on the small side, but this Homall desk includes fun extras like a headphone hook and cupholder that are great value.
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Best standing
The best standing desk
On your feet, soldier. The Flexispot E7 Pro is a heavy duty standing desk that'll keep you comfortably upright while gaming.
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Best mid-range
The best mid-range desk
The Eureka Z1S gaming desk comes with, you guessed it, cupholders, but throw in a carbon fibre surface, PC tower trolley add-on, and blue LED lighting and you've got an excellent mid-range option.
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Best premium
The best premium desk
You could pick up multiple desks for the price, but the Herman Miller X Logitech G Nevi comes with a 12 year warranty and feels like it'll last a century.
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Best L shaped
The best L shaped desk
Nobody puts baby in a corner, but this L shaped gaming desk is certainly built to fit into those awkward nooks. Combining form and function with a professional design to boot, we love this space-saver.
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Best RGB
The best RGB desk
The AndaSeat Mask 2 proves you can add RGB to practically anything. With a spacious worktop and vibrant LEDs it should blend in nicely with your setup. Not to mention the headphone hooks.
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Best for esports
Best desk for esports
Buying a new desk won't magically improve your competitive FPS skills, but the Arozzi Arena targets esports players with a wide surface area and mouse mat.
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Best for features
The best for features
The Respawn 3010 feels like a gaming desk Swiss army knife. With plenty of accessory trays, cup holders, headphone hooks, and a second monitor level this thing has it all. And you can adjust every aspect of this surface to your liking.
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September 30, 2024 - This gaming desk guide now has a section on how to choose a model based on your personal preferences and setup needs. General housekeeping has also been carried out on our entries and we've checked each to make sure they're still the best option for their respective category.
Our expert review:
The Secretlab Magnus Pro is easily the best gaming desk we've ever tested. And not only is it the top gaming desk, but it's also the best standing desk for gaming too. For anyone who works from home, this is the best do-it-all package there is.
Every inch of the Magnus Pro works is designed to provide a premium experience for both work and play. The cable management system and space are a godsend and truly setup-changing from other, simpler desks. The motors and memory system are both excellent with the former offering very smooth travel, gliding you into position without causing a ruckus. There's also a wide range of accessories available for the Magnus range, including PC mounts, desk risers, and even a Secretlab Heavy Duty Monitor Arm that will hold even the chonkiest screens like the Philips Evnia 42M2N8900 and ultrawide displays.
Its level of quality can easily match the Herman Miller Nevi, too, but the extra features like great cable management and accessories elevate it - and that's not even mentioning the fact it is significantly cheaper than the Nevi. Plus, it also comes in two sizes with the XL variant offering a bit more weight and desk real estate.
Any flaws are really tiny in the grand scheme of things: the weight might put some off on paper as it appears impossible to build or move (but this really isn't the case); the screws provided can easily be overtightened (but once you get a feel for them you'll be fine); and while the price is high, the value on offer is still strong and we'd be recommending this desk in a heartbeat to anyone looking for a top workspace or play space. There is no better gaming desk out there.
Our expert review:
Secretlab has dominated the best gaming chair world for years and with the Magnus, the brand turned its keen eye to gaming desks. The result is the Secretlab Magnus - a real winner and easily one of the top gaming desks on the market right now.
In our testing, we found that the Secretlab Magus was capable of supporting 220lbs, meaning that this model can more than handle the weight of your setup. Thick cast steel in the legs gives the desk a super sturdy feel and we love the quasi-floating design of the surface. The flip-up tray lid over the cable management system at the rear of the desk is a great feature and perfect for anyone that likes to move their gear around a lot and doesn't want their setup to have ugly cables dangling everywhere underneath.
The Secretlab Magnus is a fantastic gaming desk with a cool design and a cable management system that will clear up the most cluttered of setups
The Secretlab Magus took around 30 minutes to put together, with the only real point of frustration being the awkward rollout of the magnetic mat. Due to its magnetism, this mat was difficult to line up correctly, which means you might need a second pair of hands to help out to avoid unnecessary frustration.
Priced at $89.99, and even usually on sale for cheaper than this, the Homall gaming desk is an excellent choice for anyone wanting a whole suite of features and decent construction all under $100. This model features not only a non-slip carbon fiber tabletop, which is rarer on budget desks but also a headphone hook and cupholder as small quality of life inclusions.
Measuring 44-inches across, the Homall gaming desk is far from the largest on the market. However, due to its ergonomic Z-shaped design, there should be little issue with maximizing space for the likes of your gaming mouse, keyboard, and multiple monitors. What's perhaps most appealing about the Homall is that it is available in multiple colorways which is scarcely seen from many gaming desks. As well as the standard black, you've also got the option for grey, white, and pastel pink, too, all within the same price range.
This is a great budget option for those who want the style and design of a gaming desk but don't want to spend a fortune while doing so.
Our expert review:
The Flexispot E7 Pro is far from the cheapest standing desk on the market, but it's ability to bear the load of even the heaviest PC setups makes it our current favorite. It's also pretty elegant compared to some gaming furniture out there, and it manages to pack plenty of features into its frame to accommodate your battle station needs.
If you're concerned about the weight of your setup, the Pro is going to be your friend.
In many ways, the E7 Pro takes what the vanilla Flexispot E7 does and ramps things up to eleven. It boasts exceptionally smooth motorized controls, leads the way with 440 lbs maximum supported load, and will furnish your setup with plenty of USB-A ports and ways to manage cables. I ultimately feel like a desk that's courteous to its user, as even its adjustable motor springs into action as soon as its front panel buttons are pressed but avoids juddering like many alternatives out there.
Provided you're not looking for a standing desk with extra storage capacity, the Flexispot E7 Pro is up there with the top surfaces available right now. While we tested the model with a bamboo top, you can also opt for one that's made of a mouse pad material, provided you're looking for something ultra-gaming-focused.
If you love the sound of this surface but crave something that's a bit more sturdy, you'll also want to check out the Flexispot E7 Plus, as the four-leg version adds even more support for heavy-duty setups and projects.
What's better than a good gaming desk? A gaming desk that's reasonably priced and has a gosh-darn cup-holder built in, that's what. The Eureka Ergonomic Z1S has all of this on offer, not to mention a neat carbon-fiber pattern, ambient blue lighting, and raised, protected edges to avoid scuffing the walls. It's eye-catching but functional.
On top of this sweet design, the Eureka Ergonomic Z1S also features a trolley for your PC tower that you can buy as an add-on. It's a clever addition; the wheels mean it can be easily pushed anywhere you like. Need to get access to the back of the tower? Forget having to crawl beneath the table to do so - with this, you can simply pull it somewhere more comfortable.
Even without it, the Eureka Z1S is a good starter desk (particularly if you're heading to college in September). It's practical, distinct, and hard-wearing.
Our expert review:
The Herman Miller X Logitech G Nevi is a premium gaming desk in every sense of the word. Yup, it has a hefty price tag but this is a seriously nice desk for work and play. Its premium build, feel, and finish, and build are superb, while it is a beautiful sit-to-stand desk with strong motors, making it perfect for use all day work, and all-night gaming.
Construction is relatively simple and takes a couple of hours, and once it's up and built, the Nevi is as solid as anything, on both carpet and harder floor surfaces. It puts my previous small corner desk to shame and makes managing my setup easier than ever. The Nevi's aesthetic is a symphony in black - and it looks chic and heck as a result of this restrained aesthetic. Part of me would have loved some flashes of Logitech blue on parts to give a nod to the gaming hardware's pedigree and name on the Nevi - just like the Embody chair - but such touches would probably be hard to register while sitting at the desk. And the black colorway means it'll go with anything too.
The Nevi is a deceptively simple gaming desk but it does everything it needs to very well indeed
On the whole, any gripes we have with the Nevi are quite small and nitpicky - and largely relate back to a desk that demands such a high price tag. For example, one would really hope that paying this much for a desk would also get the necessary tools thrown in too but this isn't the case (a caveat here is that such is the design of some parts of the Nevi, Herman Miller would have to throw in a magnetic, long screwdriver with every unit). Another such caveat would be that one might hope for some extra bells and whistles in the controls; they are super simple housing just up and down buttons and the ability to store a height or two - but some might be expecting more memory slots, and even USB ports on such a premium desk.
All in though, this is about as premium as it gets for gaming desks and for sit-stand desks; an incredibly well-designed, well-finished, and beautiful gaming desk.
Our expert review:
The Fezibo Triple Motor L-Shaped Desk is our new go to surface for game room corners, and while it's not perfect, it hits harder than many other angled options out there. It strikes a fantastic balance between space, functionality, and dashing good looks, and it won't look out of place in less gamery living rooms.
Admittedly, the Fezibo Triple Motor L-Shaped Desk isn't the simplest surface to put together, and it did cause our reviewer some turmoir. However, once put together, it proved to be a great looking corner surface with plenty of space on top, convenient hooks for your gaming headset, and smooth controls that prevented a ruckus when moving from sitting to standing mode. Built in monitor risers also help free up some more space for your gaming keyboard, mouse, or even the best gaming handheld, so you won't have to worry about if your tech will actually fit.
While you'll certainly find better made desks out there, especially since this model uses veneer rather than a solid top, it ultimately looks the part. If you're not really into RGB and racing stripes, then this model will furnish you with the subtlety you're looking for, and it'll serve budding streamers and causal users a like well.
Our expert review:
The AndaSeat Mask 2 features both sturdy construction and a large surface area to accommodate multiple monitors and all the peripherals that you need. It's one of the best gaming desks on that front, not to mention the slick RGB lighting that adorns the legs of the unit itself for that added touch of flair.
The one main drawback is the included plastic accessories, such as a cable management tray which sets underneath. In our testing, we found that this box did not do much to mitigate wires free-falling underneath. However, the two cable holes in both the left and right corners did an effective job of keeping leads out of the way on their own.
AndaSeat Mask 2 is a sturdy and stylish gaming desk that provides all the space and support that you would need for a gaming setup
All told, you're looking at around 45 minutes of construction time with the AndaSeat Mask 2, and you're thankfully provided all the tools that you need for the job in the box. Provided are a screwdriver and a set of Allen keys to screw the legs and frame together. The main point of frustration that we found in our testing was in the LED light strip which needs to be threaded through a thin metal frame. It took us more attempts than we care to admit to get it right, but of course, your mileage may vary here. While the AndaSeat Mask 2 isn't exactly compact, it's also not as big as some other of the best gaming desks either we've tested either. We found that this model was effective in both a corner of a room and at the center of a home-office setup.
Both eye-catching and paradoxically simple, the Arozzi Arena comes in a variety of arresting color-schemes that really make it pop in any room. However, the real appeal lies in its build-quality and the slightly curved shape that puts you in the middle of the action. The idea behind this is that it offers better reach to either side and tons of depth for moving your mouse, too.
This desk's built-in mouse mat is the icing on the cake, however. Running along the entire surface and providing a smooth glide anywhere, it's perfect for even the broadest of strokes. It's water and tear resistant as well, and that makes it a whole lot more practical than you might expect. Undue wear and tear? Begone!
Sometimes you need something a little different, and the Respawn 3010 caters to those who want to be prepared for every eventuality. And we mean every eventuality. There are separate trays here for your accessories. There are headphone holders. A cupholder is available. Mid-level shelving on the surface allows you to put your speakers or monitors at a better height. Oh, and the whole thing is adjustable.
Yup, this is one of the best gaming desks around if you want something that'll suit your very specific needs. Rather than being a one-size-fits all solution, this is a table that you can tinker with until it's absolutely perfect for you.
While there's no exact one size fits all solution as far as the best sizes of gaming desks, we've generally found that a minimum size tabletop of 30 (W) x 23 (H) should accommodate most people. Ideally, if you have the room for it, then going bigger is always going to be better, though, depending on the real estate available to you.
All things considered, we'd bet that the majority of pro gamers are using the Secretlab Magnus Pro, or something similar to it. Whether its for streaming or high-level performance, the Magnus pro is the best for desk space, cable management, and can even be a standing desk too. Elsewhere, corner desks are also some of the best gaming desks for pro gamers since they offer a lot of versatility.
Standing desks can be a great addition to your gaming setup. Plenty of content creators, streamers, and other pro gamers will have standing desks due to their harsh schedules that make it tough to stay active. There are plenty of great standing desks that are designed for gaming specifically - ones like the Secretlabs Magnus Pro, for example. Using a standing desk obviously doesn't mean standing the whole day, but a few hours each day can make the world of difference to your circulation, as well as your focus.
Many of the best gaming desks brands our featured in our roundup, with the likes of Secretlab, AndaSeat, Arozzi, Eureka Ergonomics, and Respawn making some of the best tabletops on the market right now. While these companies are perhaps best known for their chairs, these options show that the commitment to quality furniture continues passed them, too. For a more traditional desk setup, such as one without carbon fiber and flashing lights, Eureka and FlexiSpot should have you covered, too.
While we love our tried and true mousepads of all shapes and sizes, opting for an all-over desk mat can be an interesting shake up as well. As you've see from the likes of the Arozzi Arena, a desk mat (or textured tabletop finish) eliminates the need for a mousepad that's cut to size, instead meaning you've got free-reign for your pointer anywhere on the work surface. A desk mat is unlikely to make you any better at FPS or RTS games, however, it could be an added convenience should you find one affordably priced.
Any good gaming desk setup will typically contain at least one gaming monitor (or several) along with a keyboard, mouse and some kind of speakers or soundbar. We generally find that games consoles mounted vertically, such as the PS5 or Xbox Series X, work well when put to one side, too. It will generally depend on the weight capacity of your gaming desk of choice, though, we would generally advise having your gaming PC on the floor if able as a tower can take up an awful lot of valuable space, and may even weigh more than your other gaming gear combined.
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As something of a setup connoisseur, I fully believe there's an art to choosing a gaming desk. Not every surface will suit all players universally, and while playing games is a personal priority within the decision making process, it's important to take adjacent activities into consideration.
For example, if you're into building PCs and upgrading your rig, picking something sturdy enough to serve as a workbench is wise. Those of you with limited space will want to go with something smaller too, which narrows your list down to surfaces with narrower dimensions. On the flip side, you don't want to fall into the trap of immediately running out of space when trying to fit multiple monitors on top of your new desk, so always take your hardware into consideration when choosing.
Of course, all of the above is dependant on budget too. Furniture prices can range from approachable to premium investments, and how much you're willing to spend will impact features and build quality. That's not to say you can't get a fantastic desk for cheap, but you'll have to be extra careful when eyeing up anything under $150. Sticking with reliable brands is a good way to avoid post-purchase disappointment, and checking in with us regularly for reviews will go a long way.
You can find out specifics on how we test gaming desks in our full hardware policy, though it's worth stating here, too. We put all gaming desks through their paces by using them as gamers would, by working and playing at them for extended periods of time. This means replacing any prior setup and evaluating the value for money combined with the construction quality and feature set. We never recommend models that we wouldn't consider for ourselves.
Gaming desks are becoming more popular with major manufacturers throwing their hats into the extended furniture ring, and at GamesRadar, we're often given opportunities to review gaming, and standing, desks of all shapes and sizes.
Now you've sorted a desk, you'll need something to put on top of it. Here's our list of the best gaming monitors. If you'd rather have something you can take on the go, here are all the best gaming laptops available on the market right now.
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I’ve been messing around with PCs, video game consoles, and tech since before I could speak. Don’t get me wrong, I kickstarted my relationship with technology by jamming a Hot Wheels double-decker bus into my parent’s VCR, but we all have to start somewhere. I even somehow managed to become a walking, talking buyer’s guide at my teenage supermarket job, which helped me accept my career fate. So, rather than try to realise my musician dreams, or see out my University degree, I started running my own retro pop culture site and writing about video games and tech for the likes of TechRadar, The Daily Star, and the BBC before eventually ending up with a job covering graphics card shenanigans at PCGamesN. Now, I’m your friendly neighbourhood Hardware Editor at GamesRadar, and it’s my job to make sure you can kick butt in all your favourite games using the best gaming hardware, whether you’re a sucker for handhelds like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch or a hardcore gaming PC enthusiast.
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The best overallRead more belowThe best for mostRead more belowThe best cheap deskRead more belowThe best standing deskRead more belowThe best mid-range deskRead more belowThe best premium deskRead more belowThe best L shaped deskRead more belowThe best RGB deskRead more belowBest desk for esportsRead more belowThe best for featuresRead more belowSeptember 30, 2024 - Read more: