Shopping for a gamer? Here are the best gifts to buy this year
Maybe you’re into gaming, or perhaps you just happen to love someone who is. Either way, you’ll know that no gift brings quite so much joy to a gamer as a console, game or gaming accessory that’ll take gameplay to the next level.
As we all start hunkering down in the lead-up to Christmas, gaming brands are launching a dazzling array of deals on their sought-after tech, from record-breaking PS5 deals to excellent Nintendo Switch offers on games and accessories. All that choice is a good thing, but it can make it tricky to tell when you’re actually getting a good deal, especially if you’d struggle to tell a Series X from a Series S, or a Luigi from a Waluigi.
If you found that last sentence confusing, rest assured that the gamers on our team are here to help you navigate the best gifts for gamers this festive season – from consoles and controllers to retro gifts and stocking fillers. Find our top picks aimed to suit a diverse audience of PC, PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox gamers below.
Can’t find the ideal present in our gaming gifts roundup? There are some great options to explore in our guides to the best gifts for movie lovers, best gifts for music lovers, best technology gifts and best photography gifts, too.
Sony PlayStation 5 Digital Edition Console
It's a big gift, but for most gamers, there couldn't be a much better present than a brand new PS5.
This version, the Disc Edition Slim, is the most reasonably priced PS5 you can get – especially factoring in an ongoing Black Friday discount that has seen the console reduced to £309.99.
Backbone One Mobile Gaming Controller
Mobile gaming is more popular than console gaming these days, and many gamers who play mostly on their phone could really benefit from a few upgrades.
This mobile gaming controller from Backbone would be a great place to start. It connects to the phone's USB port and slots around the sides of the handset, so mobile users can play mobile games with greater control and comfort.
Seagate 2TB Game Drive for PS4/PS5
External storage devices tend to be a grudge purchase for gamers, so you'll be doing someone a big favour if you buy them this HDD Game Drive as a gift.
Games often require enormous amounts of data these days, so it can be hard to store them digitally on a console without needing to constantly delete and redownload them.
That's where external storage comes in! This officially licensed Seagate device has 2 TB of storage to bolster the memory of a PS5 (or PS4). Simply plug into your console and play with greater freedom.
Hogwarts Legacy
An ideal gift for Harry Potter fans, this is an open world adventure game that lets you fully explore the world from the movies, including Hogwarts castle and its surrounding areas. The player can customise how they look in the game and upgrade their wizard’s magical abilities as they play. While we’ve highlighted the PS5 version here, it’s also available for the Xbox and the Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo Switch Lite Animal Crossing Bundle - Coral
The Nintendo Switch Lite is the handheld-only version of Nintendo's joyous Switch console, with a compact design and a lower pricing than the base version.
This exceptional bundle deal gets you the coral-coloured Switch Lite, plus a 12-month membership of the Nintendo Online service and one of the platform's best games – Animal Crossing: New Horizons – pre-installed.
Glorious Gaming Model D- (Small) Wireless Gaming Mouse
Any serious PC gamer is going to want a top-notch gaming mouse with very low lag, great battery life and perhaps a little flair.
This wireless model from Glorious ticks all the right boxes, with excellent performance and customisable RGB light-up details. The honeycomb design on the enclosure makes this a particularly lightweight option for games where every millisecond counts.
SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds for PlayStation, PC & Switch
Only certain models of earbuds are compatible with games consoles, so you need to choose this accessory carefully. The SteelSeries Arctic GameBuds are a great choice for most gamers, compatible with the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, as well as with PCs.
These buds have plenty of great features to enhance the gaming experience, including 360-degree spatial audio, PS5 audio presets and active noise cancellation.
Anker USB C Cable 2-in-1
It might not look all that exciting, but this Anker charging accessory could prove very useful to the gamer in your life.
The cable effectively works as two USB chargers as one, so you can use it to charge two compatible devices – including some leading models of gaming controller – at the same time.
Samsung Q60D 55" 4K Ultra HD Smart TV
To get the very best out of advanced gaming console features such as ray tracing, you'll need an equally up-to-date TV.
The Q60D Smart TV from Samsung is a particularly gamer-friendly choice, with support for 4K visuals, a Gaming Hub allowing you to conveniently stream games from a console to the TV, and Object Tracking Sound LITE for realistic, immersive audio.
Official Atari Cartridge Console
A retro gift to delight the more seasoned gamer in your life, this offical Atari Cartridge Console crams in three classic Atari games: Pong Sports, Asteroids and Missile Command. It's so tiny, you can use it as a keyring.
Bose Smart Dolby Atmos Soundbar
A soundbar can transform the gaming experience, especially for console gamers who use a monitor that's slightly (or entirely) lacking in the audio department.
This Bose model has £100 off for Black Friday 2024, and boasts some high-end features including Dolby Atmos surround sound, Bluetooth connectivity and built-in Alexa voice control.
Avantree Headphone Stand
Most gamers use a headset to play online, especially if they’re chatting with friends on multiplayer titles, so this stand gives them a safe spot to store them when not in use.
The base is metal, so it remains stable on a desk, while the silicone top adds lots of extra grip. The circular stand has walled edges, so it’s ideal for keeping any headphone wires contained, or it could be used to store some earbuds.
PS5 controller charging station
PS5 controllers use rechargeable batteries but they’ll quickly run out after a few hours of heavy use. This docking station makes sure up to two controllers are always ready to go.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1
SteelSeries is a reliable brand for PC audio and accessories – and the Arctis Nova 1 is a brilliant headset for the money. It supports immersive spatial audio (which makes sound seem like it’s coming from specific directions) and the earcups use memory foam so they’re comfortable to wear.
This model is wired with a 3.5mm cable, so it connects to all consoles and PCs, including PS5, Xbox and Switch.
Logitech G G840 Large Mouse Pad
No gamer wants their keyboard and mouse to be shifting around their desk while trying to concentrate on playing, and this massive pad solves that problem. The soft surface (90 x 90 x 3 cm) adds plenty of extra grip for the peripherals, and the mat uses a non-slip rubber base on the underside for stability.
Nintendo Switch memory card
Nintendo Switch consoles come with some built-in storage for games, but if the player wants to create a larger collection – additional space is needed. That’s exactly what this game-themed memory card is for. We love the 128GB card, as it keeps the price under £40 (that’s enough room for around 19 different titles), but there are other options available: including 64GB, 256GB, 512GB and 400GB.
Xbox Series X
The main rival to the PS5, the box-shaped Xbox Series X is a latest-gen console with one big appeal: Game Pass. This is a paid-monthly subscription service (think Netflix for games) that lets you stream or download from a library of hundreds of titles – but crucially it also lets you play games owned by Xbox Game Studios (that would usually cost £60+) on the first day of release, without paying any extra money.
Meta Quest 3
Meta’s Quest series is the best entryway into virtual reality – with an excellent balance between specs and price, plus a huge library of games, apps and experiences to buy or download. We’ve been hands-on with the previous model, but this version has better graphics, a smaller design that’s more comfortable, and a more advanced processor for enhanced speed and performance. The best part? It’s standalone, so you don’t need to pair it with a console or a PC – just pop it on your head and power it on.
Razer Huntsman V2
Gamers love a quality mechanical keyboard for the responsive performance, flashy red-green-blue (RGB) lighting, sturdy build and customisation that lets them change the keycaps to different styles. We’re fans of the Huntsman series. The V2 has a magnetic wrist rest so your giftee can play without discomfort, and a dial that can be used to quickly change the brightness or volume on the PC with a twist.
Lego Nintendo Entertainment System
A gift for gamers who were playing in the mid-80s, this is a LEGO reconstruction of the popular NES console – complete with a controller, cartridge and a retro TV. With more than 2000 pieces, we love the handle on the TV that replicates movement from the Super Mario game with a turn. A sure-fire dose of nostalgia, but it’s not one for the kids – this set is designed for users who are 18 and over.
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