If action, adventure, and the thrill of a game are on the list of someone you’re buying for, here’s a gift guide for the gamers in your life.
Know someone looking for some entertainment this holiday season and a little beyond? It might be time to dabble with a gaming decision, and head to your local electronics store to find something to make them happy.
CRKD Neo S controller
Price: $89
Almost a bit of classic revival, CRKD’s wireless game controller looks like something Nintendo might have released back in the day, except made for today.
There are a few versions of it — the classic retro gold is all kinds of clever — but the long and short of the Neo S is a wireless Bluetooth gaming controller for PC, Mac, tablet, phone, and Switch, with the ability to customise controls on some of those platforms.
It’s like another wireless controller, but that little bit smarter.
Gtek Wireless Gaming Controller Pro
Price: $90
If the idea of a controller that wraps around your phone or tablet is more your cup of tea for a gamer you know, consider Laser’s contribution to the mobile gaming world by way of Gtek.
Its latest contribution is a gaming controller similar in design to the equivalents from Backbone, but reliant on Bluetooth so compatible with just that little bit more.
It will wrap around phones and tablets across the Android and iPhone divide, and also covers Nintendo Switch, plus can be used as a wireless controller for PC, Mac, and PlayStation.
Nintendo Switch Lite
Price: $349
Nintendo’s Switch has long remained the portable gaming system of choice, but now with portable gaming PCs popping out, there’s a bit of a challenge, albeit in a different way.
With the Switch 2 rumoured for next year, the more impressive OLED variety with controllers you can disconnect is still an okay option, but we’d probably look at the less expensive option given that sort of turnaround.
The Switch Lite is an all-in-one gaming portable designed like others, but sporting support for all those Nintendo Switch games. And these days, you can typically find it for under the expected $349 price, hitting closer to the $299 mark.
Logitech G923 Racing Wheel
Price: $650
Know a gamer who loves their racing games? They may not be able to own and race an F1 car for real, or even a high-speed and equally high-priced sports car, but with a racing wheel and their gaming system of choice, they’ll be able to experience something like it. Kinda sorta.
Logitech’s G-series gaming gear in the G923 includes the wheel and pedals, as well as a level of force feedback made to simulate the rough feeling you’d get in real life, making it more than just a simple wheel, but one that brings a dose of exciting realism to a gaming experience.
Valve Steam Deck OLED
Price: from $899
Easily one of our favourite gaming gadgets of the year, the Valve Steam Deck OLED is a capable gaming PC made to go that comes with support for thousands of games available on Steam, and even comes with a case.
We’re not kidding when we say that almost every aspect of this system has been considered. From the design to the controls to the way you set it up and use it. There’s a less expensive LCD model, but if you want a slightly bigger battery to match a better screen, the OLED model is where you want to be.
Xbox Series X or PS5 and Indiana Jones game
Price: from $799 for the console, $99 for the game
Easily one of the most hyped up games for the year, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is amassing great reviews left right and centre, and looks like a stunning title to play over the holidays when folks have time off.
If you know someone who loves the classic films, it might be time to let them experience it in the right way: with a high-powered gaming console and the game that some reviewers are calling better than the films.
Add to that there are a whole bunch of other games on each platform worth playing, and you have a solid gift experience on offer.
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Price: from $19 per month in a gift card
Alternatively grab a gift card for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and let someone you know get to gaming on their phone, tablet, or laptop with Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Bundle it in with one of the aforementioned game controllers in this gaming gift guide and make it that much easier for a gamer to connect to (and with).
