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So you've finally purchased a gaming console and you've already loaded up on some of the best games. In order to get the most out of your hardware, we recommend checking out some of our top-rated must-have accessories.

It's a safe bet that you'll need at least one extra controller, but there are also plenty of first- and third-party items that will complement the system of your choice. Whether it's rechargeable battery packs, controller attachments, or HDMI cables, you're definitely going to want to take a look at what we recommend for each video game console.

Click on your gaming console below for our top picks:

This 25-inch LCD sports a pair of HDMI inputs and an impossibly low price tag.

(Credit: CompUSA)

Update: Unsurprisingly, this is sold out. Sorry if you missed it! Killer deals like this rarely last long.

You all know my motto by now: "Cheap things come to those who wait." The last time I posted a 25-inch LCD monitor was in July. The price back then: $199.99.

Today, CompUSA is offering a 25-inch I-Inc LCD monitor for $149.99 shipped.

D'oh! Wasn't it just yesterday that a 24-inch Synaps was selling for $159.99? (Yes, yes it was.)

So, to amend my motto, cheap things come to those who wait--a whole entire day. The I-Inc is not only $10 cheaper and one inch larger (diagonally speaking) than the Synaps, it also comes with an HDMI input. Two of them, actually.

That means if it's not destined for PC duty, you can pair it with a game console and a Blu-ray player. It also has built-in speakers, natch, though don't expect room-filling volume or Dolby-quality sound.

Other noteworthy specs include 1,920 x 1,080 resolution (aka 1080p), a 2ms response time (faster than most), and a one-year warranty (this is new, not a refurb).

Without putting too fine a point on it, this is the best monitor deal I've ever posted. Consequently, it'll probably sell out seconds after I click Publish, and then everyone will be mad at me (and I wouldn't blame them--even though it's not my fault :).

On the other hand, maybe we'll all get lucky and CompUSA will have enough supply to last the day--because I guarantee you these will sell like hotcakes. And rightly so.

People always talk about dog years, or cat years, but what about video game console years?

It's hard to know what that math is, but one thing is certain: Sony's PlayStation 2 turned 9 years old Wednesday, and it sure feels like the best-selling video game console of all time has been around a whole lot longer than that.

Yet even though we're already more than three years into the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360/Wii console generation, the PS2 is still going strong. Routinely, month after month, its sales are in six figures--146,000 in September in the United States alone, according to The NPD Group--and there's no reason to think the 485 (and counting) developers who have made games for the platform are going to stop any time soon.

The PS2 turned 9 on Wednesday. What's that in video game years, if dog and cat years are equal to 7 human years?

(Credit: Sony)

In large part, that's because there are millions of people for whom the world-beating processing power of the PS3 and the Xbox 360, and the graphics-so-good-you-can-see-beads-of-sweat-on-sports-players'-bodies aren't worth paying several hundred dollars for. For $100, they say, you can get one heck of a good video game playing experience with a PS2.

It "still holds a place in my heart--there's so many great games with huge amounts of replay value," said Michael Steavenson, a public relations professional who bought his PS2 around 2001. "I'm not so interested in blazingly fast processing speeds, graphics that make games look like a movie, or uber-cutting-edge hardware stats. If the game is well-designed, fun to play, and provides me with a good emotional connection, I'll play it forever."

According to Sony, one out of every three U.S. households owns a PS2, and, worldwide, almost 140 million people have one. To date, Americans have bought more than half a billion PS2 games, and all told, nearly 10,000 titles have been released for the platform. Not bad for a machine that has earned the right to be living out its golden years sitting on a porch somewhere, smoking a cigar and grumbling about kids these days.

(Credit: eBay)

Someone, somewhere, may be willing to pay $1.1 million for an Xbox 360 signed by former governor, former vice presidential candidate, and best-selling author Sarah Palin.

We aren't sure how Palin's name gives a game console cachet, as from what we can tell she isn't much of a gamer (looking up SaraccudaAK as a gamer tag turned up nothing).

Nonetheless, the starting bid on eBay for this thing makes us wonder more broadly about the Xbox. Is it magic now? Enchanted? Cursed? Or is this just about the name recognition? It's certainly a one-of-a-kind item (for now anyway).

I want in on this game. If I can get a celeb to sign my Xbox 360 and sell it on eBay for loads of cash, I could be rich! So I'm going to leave it to you, readers, to tell me who I should get to sign my Xbox. And yes, I'll do it. CNET is owned by CBS, so, you know, I know people who know people.

(Credit: Brian De Vitis)

Behold! The retro gaming force is strong with this one-of-a-kind R2-D2 replica by PopSci reader Brian De Vitis. The Star Wars droid was meticulously built from a cooler and houses no less than seven discontinued game consoles, a sound system, and a projector.

Based on the controllers shown in the image, our resident gaming guru has identified most of the consoles. They include the original Microsoft Xbox; Sony PlayStation; various editions of the Nintendo Entertainment System, aka NES; Sega Genesis; and Dreamcast. Give us a heads-up via Talkback below if you can recognize the joystick-like controllers and light guns on the extreme right.

A top view of the R2-D2 console droid without the projector.

(Credit: Brian De Vitis)

(Source: Crave Asia)

That's a big bundle of Xbox goodies for just $199.99 shipped.

(Credit: Buy.com)

Putting nearly all previous Xbox deals to shame, Buy.com has a complete Xbox 360 Pro bundle for $199.99 shipped.

Until recently, it was fairly exciting to find the console alone for less than $200. The bundle includes not only the 360 (with a 20GB hard drive and HDMI output), but also two wireless controllers and three games. Unheard of, right?

Yes, this is a refurbished system. But before you run screaming for the hills, check it out: Microsoft is backing it with a full one-year warranty, same as new units. So you literally have nothing to lose by going the refurb route.

As I've said many times before, one of the things I like best about the Xbox 360 is that it pulls double duty as a Windows Media Center extender. And you can scarcely buy one of the standalone extenders for such a low price.

On the other hand, it's no Blu-ray player. If you'd rather have that, Dell Home has the Sony PlayStation 3 Slim for $254.99 shipped (plus sales tax in most states).

(Search for A3018856 to find the console, then apply coupon code 6FWJ247J1P44CK at checkout.)

The Slim's on backorder right now, but it appears you can still place orders for it. Don't want to wait? The SonyStyle store still has refurbished 40GB PlayStation 3 consoles for $236.77.

Well, game fans, over to you. Both these deals are really hard to pass up. Which console will you choose?

Thanks to reader Cary for sharing the Xbox deal!

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Sony's announcement of the PlayStation 3 Slim on Tuesday was no surprise for most gamers and industry experts. Parts that once cost a small fortune, such as hard drives, processors, and special disc-reading lenses, continue to fall in price and take up less space. It's only natural the machines that use them would shrink as well.

The PlayStation 3 was physically the largest of the three current-generation home consoles, followed by Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii. With never-ending lust by consumers for smaller gadgets, the current configuration was just not cutting it.

What's surprising about the Slim, though, is that Sony was the second-most recent of the three companies to have released its console, yet it's the first to offer a completely new form factor. Microsoft was the first out of the gate with a North America release of the Xbox 360 in late November 2005. Sony and Nintendo followed suit with the PlayStation 3 and Wii, respectively, which were released a week apart from each other in mid-November 2006.

The closest either Nintendo or Microsoft has come to a redesign since is Microsoft, which began including an HDMI port and increasing the included storage, alongside a major revision to the system software which allowed games to be played off the hard drive.

In the case of the PS3 Slim, it's actually the fourth generation of the device. During that three-year period, things like the included storage space jumped from 20GB to 120GB. And a recently unearthed patent at the FCC filing shows that a 250GB model is just around the corner.

So is it normal to release a heavily revised version of a gaming system within three years of the initial release? It depends on who you are. Let's take a look at some notable shrinkage from the last three generations of consoles. I think that you'll notice a trend.

(Credit: Kotaku)

Video game console SKUs seem to be dropping like flies these days. Just 24 hours after hearing about how Japan may lose the 80GB PlayStation 3, rumors are starting to swirl about the Xbox 360 saying goodbye to its "Pro" model. The claim is only strengthened by the above image, which shows an Arcade box comparing only two consoles instead of the older box art (to the left), which looks at three.

Keeping track of console SKUs has become quite the task, but it seems that Microsoft will narrow the Xbox 360 line to the bare-bones Arcade model and the beefy 120GB hard drive Elite version. The current Pro console originally shipped with a 20GB hard drive which was subsequently bumped up to 60GB last year.

We'd imagine once the phasing out is complete that the Elite will fall to around $300 with the Arcade sticking at $200. Of course we're not against dropping the prices on both of these systems--we just don't expect anything like that to happen until the holidays.

(Via Kotaku)

Grab the top-of-the-line Xbox for under $200.

(Credit: Geeks.com)

Geeks.com has a ridiculously good deal on a refurbished Xbox 360 Elite: $199.99 (after applying coupon code XDEALS at checkout). Shipping will run you about $16.

For those not thoroughly versed in Xbox models, the Elite is, well, the elite. The top of the line. The Xbox that normally sells for $399.99.

Like a new unit, the refurb comes with a 120GB hard drive, an HDMI port, a wireless controller, and a headset. Unlike a new unit, the warranty expires after 90 days.

On the cabling side, the Xbox comes with only the usual component-video cable. If you plan on making an HDMI connection, you can get what you need for just a few bucks.

If the Elite is overkill for your gaming needs and/or your budget can't stretch quite that far, Geeks.com also has a refurbished Xbox 360 Pro (20GB) for $149.99.

Either way you're getting a killer game console and a damn fine media center extender (meaning it can stream music, videos, and photos from your PC).

The Xbox also lets you stream movies from Netflix, though for that you need both a Netflix membership and an Xbox Live Gold account.

OK, so what do you think? Too good to pass up? If memory serves, this is by far the lowest price I've seen on an Xbox 360 Elite. The deal is available through July 31, but something tells me it'll sell out long before that.