The 20 Best Gifts for Gamers

Sony PlayStation 5 Slim

This version of the PS5 has a disc drive, so you can watch UHD Blu-ray movies, as well as play new or used PS5 and PS4 game discs. The rest of the features and hardware are the same.

Buying Options

$470 from Amazon

$425 from Walmart

$425 from Best Buy

If your gamer has a big collection of physical PlayStation 4 games and wants to watch 4K Blu-ray discs on their console—and if they’re a deal hunter looking for discounted new and used games on disc—our console pick, the Sony PlayStation 5 Slim, is the right call.

Microsoft Xbox Series S (512GB)

This smaller and lighter Xbox is capable of playing new-generation games. It’s a great value paired with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, but it doesn’t have a disc drive.

Buying Options

$299 from Xbox

The Xbox Series S is quiet, compact, and the cheapest modern gaming machine around, but don’t let that fool you—this little box packs a punch, and it plays every modern Xbox game and hundreds of older titles as well. Just don’t try to put a disc in it. During the month of December, Xbox typically sells bundles including three months of Xbox Game Pass, a monthly game-library subscription service.

Nintendo Switch

The best portable device for playing fun, family-friendly video games is still just as good as the day it came out.

Buying Options

$300 from Best Buy

For families with younger children, the Nintendo Switch is a no-brainer, and parents have a lot to enjoy here too with popular games such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (and Breath of the Wild), and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. For most people, we recommend the Switch Lite, which is a handheld-only device, though for people looking to play Nintendo games on a TV, the base model with a dock is also a great choice. If your gift recipient would appreciate the absolute best handheld experience, the OLED Switch looks great, but you pay extra for that beautiful screen.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

The Thousand-Year Door is Mario’s most clever, most character-filled adventure ever. The latest title offers classic Super Mario Bros. fun, with a lot of strange new worlds mixed in.

Buying Options

$15 from Best Buy

$60 from Nintendo

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door puts Mario and the rest of the cast of characters into a papercraft fantasy adventure. That might sound strange, but if your giftee already owns a Nintendo Switch, do them a favor with what might be the best game on the system this year. The Thousand-Year Door drops Mario and his friends (and enemies) into a turn-based role-playing game full of wild new worlds, clever writing, and gameplay that mixes RPG stuff with Mario-appropriate jumping and special attacks. This is a remake of a decades-old GameCube game, but you’d never know it—the game is energetic, vital, and charming from top to bottom. Younger kids might have trouble with all the reading, but otherwise, this is one of the best titles for all ages we’ve seen in 2024.

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown

A classic series returns to side-scrolling acrobatics in the best action-adventure game of 2024 so far.

Buying Options

$40 from Ubisoft

$40 from PlayStation

$40 from Xbox

$40 from Nintendo

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown is a reboot of a legendary gaming franchise, but it pulls from some of the best side-scrolling video games of the past 15 years. Putting the player in the role of Sargon, an Immortal tasked with rescuing a prince lost in a bizarre, time-distorted castle, The Lost Crown mixes sword and bow combat with dashes, jumps, teleports, and more. The result will feel familiar to anyone who has played games such as Super Metroid, Super Meat Boy, and Celeste, but the whole is more than just the sum of its influences. The Lost Crown is an absolute joy to control and responds instantly and intuitively to what players do on the controller.

Helldivers 2

This cooperative shooter throws you and three other friends into planetside battles in one of 2024’s biggest hits.

Buying Options

$40 from Steam

$40 from PlayStation

Helldivers 2 has set the gaming world on fire this year: More than 12 million players on PC and PlayStation 5 have joined together to beat back hordes of alien bugs and terrifying robotic soldiers across the galaxy. But there’s more going on here than meets the eye. This strictly cooperative shooter—yes, Helldivers 2 is teamwork-only, though players can “accidentally” shoot at or blow up teammates—borrows liberally from the 1997 film adaptation of Starship Troopers, which mixed sci-fi imagery with some heavy social satire and commentary on war and the threat of fascism.

HyperX Cloud III Wireless

Indisputably the best headset we’ve tested in the past year, this model offers rich, enveloping sound with superb clarity, as well as a generous range of adjustment to fit a variety of head sizes. But it works only wirelessly, and it’s not compatible with Xbox consoles.

Buying Options

$129 from Amazon

$149 from Walmart

$150 from Best Buy

No other headset we’ve tested in the past year has matched our upgrade pick, the HyperX Cloud III Wireless, in crispness and detail. Its surround sound makes playing familiar games feel like a new experience, and it’s light and cushy enough to wear all day—even while you’re wearing glasses. However, the Cloud III Wireless can be used only with the included USB dongle, and it doesn’t support Bluetooth connections. HyperX sells a wired version of the Cloud III, but we don’t recommend that version because the headband clamps tightly enough to be uncomfortable for many people, and the built-in cable is unreasonably short.

Razer BlackWidow V4 75%

This wired keyboard has smooth, quiet keys, hot-swappable switches, and a comfortable, compact layout. It’s also easy to customize with or without software.

Buying Options

$165 from Amazon

May be out of stock

$190 from Best Buy

$190 from Walmart

The Razer BlackWidow V4 75% is Razer’s first hot-swappable mechanical keyboard, and it’s the best gaming keyboard we’ve tested in the past year. Typing on the BlackWidow V4 75% feels smooth, and it comes with a number of features convenient for gaming, such as a built-in Game Mode function and support for on-the-fly macro recording. In addition, you can adjust the key assignments and lighting easily in Razer’s Synapse software. It connects with a detachable USB-C cable, and it also comes with a magnetic wrist rest that provides plenty of space and support for hands and wrists.

Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment

This book details the long, fascinating history of the massively popular multiplayer online role-playing game, World of Warcraft.

Buying Options

$24 from Amazon

$24 from Walmart

$30 from Barnes & Noble

Blizzard is one of the few video game developers big enough to be a household name, but when you create Diablo, StarCraft, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch, the whole world pays attention. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier’s new book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment, is a relentlessly readable, always fascinating, and often bizarre history of the most popular PC-game developer of all time—from its shoestring origins through its runaway success with World of Warcraft to its internal scandals and uncertain future. Any gamer, casual or serious, will likely find themselves vividly remembering their own journey with video games while reading it.

Creative Pebble Pro

These two tiny, spherical speakers are a huge upgrade from speakers built into a laptop—but don’t expect the same fullness and dynamic ability as you can get from our pricier picks. With Bluetooth, USB-C, and analog inputs, they’re great for playing PC games.

Buying Options

$55 from Amazon

$57 from Lenovo

$50 from Walmart

The grapefruit-sized Creative Pebble Pro speakers might not shake your walls with bass, but they sound better than other speakers we tested under $100. They draw power from the same USB-C cable that you use to plug the speakers into a computer, or from a phone or computer via Bluetooth. For analog connections, they also have headphone and microphone jacks, as well as a standard headphone-sized 3.5 mm input. The speakers are small enough to fit on most desks, and, mercifully, their RGB lighting can be switched off.

Samsung T7 Shield (1 TB)

This portable SSD hits the sweet spot with a good mix of price, speed, and size, plus a little extra physical protection. It’s also small enough to hide behind a console.

Buying Options

$110 from Amazon

$110 from Walmart

$135 from Best Buy

A 1 TB portable SSD like the Samsung T7 Shield can double or triple a game console’s storage space. Consoles such as the PlayStation 4 allow you to play games directly from the portable SSD, but even on newer consoles the T7 Shield is great for storing seldom-played games, eliminating the need to redownload them later. It’s a speedy drive for storing and saving games, plus its rubberized exterior allows it to easily survive drops from a shelf or a laptop bag.

Asus ROG Ally X

This powerful PC-gaming handheld runs Xbox Game Pass without a hitch, unlocking a world of games.

Buying Options

$700 from Best Buy

$800 from Asus

The Asus ROG Ally X is a gaming handheld that runs Windows 11, which means Steam, Epic, and the Blizzard launcher all work seamlessly—and so does Xbox Game Pass. We’ve played many of 2023 and 2024’s biggest games, including Diablo IV, Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, and Star Wars Outlaws, with great results. Plus, plenty of readily accessible power options and performance tweaks can help your gift recipient get the best experience—and its 80-watt-hour battery provides some of the longest-lasting playtime we’ve seen on a PC-gaming handheld.

Xbox Game Pass

This monthly subscription service for Xbox offers tons of day-one releases and other amazing games.

Buying Options

$10 from Microsoft
(per month)

Why give someone a single game when you can give them access to hundreds of them (at least for a few months)? Xbox Game Pass has a huge library of amazing games; Starfield, Fallout, Halo, Forza Horizon, Prey, and hundreds more are already on the service, with big new titles added regularly. It’s a great option for Xbox owners or for people who are getting an Xbox as a gift.

Backbone One for iPhone

The Backbone One accessory turns an iPhone into a console, complete with joysticks, triggers, and buttons for an optimal mobile-gaming experience.

Buying Options

$100 from Best Buy

Buy from Amazon

$99 from Backbone

The Backbone One is a controller that wraps around an iPhone, turning it into a portable game console that’s as comfortable to hold as any PlayStation or Xbox controller. It’s a great upgrade for anyone who is always playing games on their phone. It features all the typical buttons that you can find on any modern controller, as well as buttons for recording gameplay and launching the free Backbone app, which offers a unified way to open all your mobile games. Find out what phone your loved one has before clicking the buy button: Backbone makes a Lightning-compatible controller for older iPhones and a USB-C version for iPhone 15 and 16 models and Android phones.

Razer Basilisk V3

The Basilisk V3 is comfortable for most hand sizes and grip types, has plenty of buttons, and offers customizable RGB underglow lighting. But Razer’s Synapse 3 software doesn’t work on macOS.

Buying Options

$40 from Amazon

$41 from Walmart

$40 from Best Buy

Offering fast response times, customizable buttons, and better precision, a gaming mouse is a great gift for anyone who spends a lot of time playing on a PC. We love the Razer Basilisk V3, and we recommend it in our guide to the best gaming mice because it’s comfortable for most hand sizes and grip styles, and it provides well-placed, responsive buttons. Your giftee can adjust its fancy-looking RGB lighting—on the underside, on the scroll wheel, and on the logo—to match in-game colors or customize the hues to their heart’s desire.

Xbox Design Lab

Microsoft’s controller is comfortable to hold and benefits from built-in Windows support—simply plug it in, and it works with just about any game that supports a controller. The Design Lab customization allows you to tweak all the colors in an easy-to-use interface.

Buying Options

Buy from Xbox

If you know someone who uses an Xbox controller for Xbox or PC gaming, you can tailor a controller to match the color scheme of their cherished sports team, their favorite video game, or even their desk setup through the Xbox Design Lab. You can customize almost every part of the controller’s appearance, with options for different colors, finishes, and patterns on its body and buttons. The website’s design tool is easy to use and a ton of fun, too.

Microsoft Xbox Wireless Controller

Microsoft’s controller is comfortable to hold and benefits from built-in Windows support. But wireless play requires AA batteries or an add-on rechargeable battery pack.

Buying Options

$45 from Walmart

$60 from Best Buy

Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless Controller is our favorite controller for PC gamers because it runs seamlessly with Windows computers—simply plug it in, and it works with just about any game that supports a controller. It’s also comfortable for a variety of hand sizes. This is even a great gift for someone who already owns and enjoys using one, because an extra controller always comes in handy when the required AA batteries run out of juice.

Fangamer Flip Grip

Retrofit a Nintendo Switch vertically to play old-school games with this slide-on accessory.

Buying Options

$15 from Fangamer

Those who frequently play arcade games on their Switch—such as Pac-Man in Namco Museum or Donkey Kong from the Nintendo Switch Online library—will appreciate the ability to enjoy the classics the way they were intended for original arcade cabinets. Fangamer’s Flip Grip allows players to reorient their Switch tablet so that the screen is taller than it is wide, without sacrificing any space on the tablet’s display. It’s a simple accessory that slides right onto the Switch, so it’s easy for players to set up and hold. Not all games are compatible with the portrait-style orientation, but you can find a list of flippable games on the Does It Flip? website. A quick warning: The existing version does not work with Nintendo’s Switch OLED Model or Switch Lite, so make sure you know which Switch your loved one owns.

iFixit Mako Driver Kit

This iFixit kit has every bit you need for electronics repair, plus convenient features such as a spinning rear cap and a flexible extension.

Buying Options

$40 from Amazon

$40 from Walmart

$40 from Home Depot

iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit

The fancier iFixit Toolkit has all the same useful bits as the base kit, plus extra tools such as spudgers, opening picks, and tweezers.

Buying Options

$75 from Amazon

$75 from iFixit

If you know a tinkerer who wants to build or fix their own gear, we recommend the iFixit Mako Driver Kit, which provides all the bits necessary for dealing with modern electronics. If you can spend a little more, the iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit packs in additional tools, such as spudgers and picks to open tricky cases. iFixit also has guides for repairing every major game console, as well as repair instructions for the infamous Switch Joy-Con controllers. Some projects are more complex than others, but one of the most useful is a battery swap for a controller (Switch Pro, DualShock 4, DualSense), which can extend the life of your giftee’s favorite controller so they don’t have to buy a new one.

We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.

Haley Perry and Arthur Gies contributed reporting. This article was edited by Hannah Morril and Caitlin McGarry.