It’s that time of year when we find ourselves in need of gift ideas. Gift giving comes naturally for some, but for others, finding the perfect gift can be difficult. Thankfully, shopping for someone who enjoys playing video games is pretty straightforward. You can never go wrong getting them a new controller, a pair of headphones, or, well… more games to play.
IGN staff has assembled like the Avengers to provide great gift recommendations for that special gamer in your life. Whether they are fans of Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, or just love gaming in general, we’ve rounded up the absolute best gifts you can find below this holiday season.
Top Gifts for Gamers
If you’re shopping for a general gaming-related gift, the IGN Store is home to gifts from just about any fandom. Amazon Prime’s Fallout series is hot off the heels of its fantastic first season, and there are plenty of great gifts based on the show including a functional replica of Lucy’s Vault 33 backpack, a Vault 33 hoodie, a 3-piece lithograph poster collection, and more. Beyond the Wasteland, however, are many more great gifts like gaming-inspired cookbooks, vinyl record collections, figurines, and much more below.
More top gaming gifts
Still want more ideas? Scroll through the rest of our top video game gifts you haven’t explored yet.
Best Gifts for Nintendo Gamers
Shopping for a Nintendo fan shouldn’t be too difficult, as they have some of the most recognizable characters and franchises, such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Donkey Kong, which have been around for decades. IGN Technical Producer Amir Rakib recommends the 8Bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller as it’s more comfortable for extended gaming sessions than the standard Joy-Con controllers, and he likes the improved Hall Effect sensor joysticks that eliminate stick drift.
Whether you’re picking up a new game like Super Mario Jamboree or want to gift a Nintendo-themed toy like the LEGO Super Mario World set that’s perfect for a display, we’ve got plenty of great recommendations for you below.
Best Gifts for PlayStation Gamers
There’s plenty to pick out for fans of PlayStation, especially those that currently game on a PS5 as there are dozens of great games and accessories to choose from. IGN Commerce Manager Eric Song recommends the PlayStation DualSense Controller, specifically the new Chroma Collection that features iridescent colors that shift from every angle and look great with his RGB setup.
If controllers aren’t their thing, consider gifting a headset, this year’s popular Black Myth: Wukong game, or any of the other recommendations below.
Best Gifts for Xbox Gamers
IGN Executive Editor of Guides and Podcast Unlocked regular Miranda Sanchez recommends the Special Edition Ghost Cipher Xbox Wireless Controller. Why? She thinks it’s one of the coolest special edition controllers Xbox has ever released, and loves that you can use it with so many devices outside the Xbox ecosystem, too.
Other great gift ideas include the popular Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, headphones for online play, and of course, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription as it’s truly the gift that keeps on giving. When in doubt, don’t forget about Xbox gift cards too.
Best Gifts for PC Gamers
If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a PC gamer this holiday season, you can’t go wrong with picking them up some new peripherals for their rig. While I primarily play with mouse and keyboard, I do recommend having a controller for those times when you want to kick back and relax. I reviewed the Scuf Instinct Pro controller a while back, and it’s still one of the best controllers I’ve ever used. It feels great to hold, doesn’t slip while playing thanks to the textured grip, and the adjustable triggers are super snappy.
Other great gifts below include a small form factor mechanical keyboard, a lightweight mouse, headphones, or some gear for the aspiring streamer in your life.
If you’ve made it this far and you’re still not sure what to get the gamer in your life, you can always rely on a gift card and let them pick out what they want. While you shop around for others or for yourself, be sure to browse early Black Friday gaming discounts as they continue to drop. Black Friday is November 29 this year, but every day we’re seeing more deals drop ahead of the big sale’s event. For instance, SecretLab has an early deal happening now on Titan Evo gaming chairs, and there will be deals on other chairs (such as the GTRacing one shown below), plus desks, accessories and more.
Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
