Christmas Gifting Buying Guide for Gamers
It's that time of year when we all have to figure out just what it is our co-workers, friends and loved ones like, want, or need, without coming up with the answers 'socks' or 'smelling like Lynx Africa'. Every year it's the same conundrum, you're on a countdown to solve the annual Christmas edition of the Da Vinci Code armed with whatever confidence you have in your knowledge of the recipient and their preferences.
Whether you're shopping for your gamer partner, friend, son, daughter, niece, nephew, dad, secret Santa victim or yourself (you're worth it) I'll try my level best to lend a hand with some gaming gift tips and suggestions.
Christmas Gifts for PS5 and Xbox Owners
PS5 Storage Gifts
if your recipient is amongst the console crowd and a proud PS5 owner, there are a couple of standout areas to look at for gifting. The first is storage, as the PS5 has 667GB of usable storage space once the operating system is accounted for, and top PS5 games can reach 200GB each - the good news is that the PS5 supports adding your own internal M.2 SSD, and they're quick and easy to install. Don't fall into the trap of looking at external drives, as you cannot play PS5 titles from them.
Please note that not all M.2 SSDs can be used, as Sony have set compatibility standards to ensure performance and recommend the use of SSDs with heatsinks, however our suggestions below are PS5 compatible, ready to go and complete with heatsink.
PS5 and Xbox Headset Gifts
The next area to look at is the all-important audio. A good headset makes a world of difference for the user, anyone they communicate with while gaming and everyone in their immediate area. The best gaming headsets will keep the game noise in and other distractions out, providing a comfortable and immersive experience - being able to quickly identify where in-game sounds are coming from makes an enormous difference and being able to effectively communicate with your team isn't bad either.
Razer are always in the mix when it comes to gaming peripherals and the Razer Kaira X is a great option that doesn't break the bank. We'd prefer wireless but we won't find it at this price point, so if a cable isn't a deal-breaker this is a solid purchase for any PS5 owner.
As above, so below - The PS5 option might be listed first but the Razer Kaira X for Xbox offers the same great value and comes in multiple colours, styled to match your console.
SteelSeries Arctis 7+ is suitable for all platforms, wireless and boasts award-winning sound quality and a 30-hour battery life. Pricey, but packed with features.
As gamers we care about the presentation of our gaming area, and this Razer quick-charging stand for PS5 offers exactly that and is capable of fully charging your controller in under 3 hours. Just hook this up to your console, pop the controller on it when you're done gaming. Looks great and does its job - top gift.
Christmas Gifts for PC Gamers
From entire gaming rigs down to the noble mousepad, the length and breadth of potential PC gaming gifts is expansive to say the least. Here are a few suggestions for a selection of budgets that I hope will offer some ideas no matter who you're shopping for.
Gaming PC Storage Gifts
a gift that's always useful and has almost no compatibility concerns, look no further than external storage. Gaming PCs are usually blessed with a good number of USB ports, so adding USB storage devices to an existing setup is an easy upgrade for any gamer.
The other great thing about buying storage as a gift, is budget varies with the size and performance of the drive - from small, portable and inexpensive USB sticks all the way to high-performance external SSDs.
I know what you're thinking, a USB stick doesn't sound like much of a gift - but I'm not talking about the type of throwaway USB stick met with stark indifference when accidentally vacuumed (yes this did happen to me, yes it's still the vacuum bag) - I'm talking about keyring storage heroes in the 256GB - 1TB capacity range.
While the 'Basic' may not have an awe-inspiring name, it's a great value drive in a range of sizes from 1TB - 5TB ideal for general purpose portable storage. I wouldn't recommend this as a high-performance game storage drive but for everything else? Great value from a leading brand.
For those who love a touch of RGB lighting, this external hard drive offers exactly that, and it's compatible with Razer's Chroma RGB software for control over the colour. This is the 2TB option but you can also find it in sizes up to 5TB.
If you're looking for bang for buck, the Crucial X6 offers exactly this with good performance for its price-point. External SSDs can get very pricey very quickly so this one's a breath of fresh air and has a genuinely portable design that departs from the common rectangle in favour of a nicely rounded square making it a bit more pocket-friendly.
Back to Seagate with the FireCuda Gaming External SSD - this thing looks fantastic on a desk with its customisable lights and has the performance to match, reaching up to 2,000MB/s, making it ideal as an external game drive. The only caveat is that to reach this speed it needs to be connected to a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, which is not the most commonly available connection - something to check before diving in on this one, but otherwise it's a top-shelf.
Gaming PC Headset Gifts
A good gaming headset is absolutely essential for multiplayer games and a great way to improve a gaming experience in general. Poor quality audio ruins immersion, makes communication more difficult and if you can't tell where sounds are coming from, you can't tell where your enemies are until it's too late. And if that's not enough, won't somebody think of the music?
Great value headset with built-in sound card and a touch of earcup RGB as a final flourish - what's not to like?
Another excellent value headset, this time from the deservedly renowned SteelSeries Arctis range - Arctis 1 doesn't offer quite the same selection of features as higher numbered headsets carrying the Arctis moniker, but it's one the best gaming headsets you'll find in its price-range.
Go up a few Arctis notches (and a budget notch or two) to the Arctis 5 and get performance to match, with DTS surround sound and a USB ChatMix dial to help you quickly adjust volume between your game and comms audio on the fly - plus a touch of RGB for style points.
The Logitech Pro X is a great gaming headset in its own right, but if you're looking for something a little different from the standard black design for the League of Legends player in your life, take a look at this exclusive edition pair styled after the game itself.
Accessory Gifts for PC Gamers
Gaming Mice
You can't buy skill, but you can buy precision - whether that solves the issue of your recipients ability to hit their target is another matter.
I'd be remiss if I didn't include the popular Razer Basilisk V2, though there's now an V3 version available, the V2 is still a great all-round gaming mouse and should be available for under £40.
The Logitech G502 LIGHTSPEED doesn't come cheap, but if you're after a high-performance wireless mouse then it's up there with the best of them, with a 25,600 DPI range and 400+ IPS tracking speed, the HERO 25K sensor in this mouse is a force to be reckoned with.
Logitech feature again with the G203 LIGHTSYNC, this time at a much more palatable gifting budget. G203 is one of the best value gaming mice around, and my personal favourite in its price bracket. With a classic 6-button design and an RGB trim & Logitech G logo, this is a great option.
Gaming Keyboards
Keyboards come in greater variety now than ever before, they can be fullsize, tenkeyless or compact, click or clack, have RGB, a rest and media controls... or not. Here are a few good options worth considering:
Good price point, popular 60% size and brown switches - the safest all-rounder mechanical key - they feel great to type on, the actuation force required is enough to prevent silly mistakes and they don't don't make the awful, distracting noise you get from say, blue switches.
Rated as comfortable, quiet and satisfying to use, the ASUS ROG Strix Scope is one of many ASUS peripheral options, and one that focuses on quality execution rather than flashy features - it does have RGB backlighting, though, and is available in a couple of colours.
Me again with another Logitech peripheral... this time the wireless G915 Lightspeed, another TKL keyboard but this wireless, brushed aluminium beauty combines a slim, low-profile form factor with tactile switches, just enough RGB to be awesome, and includes media controls, with a satisfying volume roller. Logitech's wireless performance is excellent, so don't worry about latency - the only caveat is that the pricing is reflective of the performance (high).
Gifting a Gaming PC
If you're shopping for a gaming PC then you'll either be looking for someone's first gaming PC, or an upgrade on what they have right now. What you're looking for is going to largely depend on the needs of the person using it. We have a Find Your PC section here that can help with figuring out what you're looking for, along with guides and suggestions. If in doubt, give our team a call for some one-to-one advice.
RGB and Lighting Gifts for Gamers
Not every gamer is addicted to RGB, but even the least luminous battlestations benefit from good lighting - here are some lighting gift ideas to elevate any nerd's desk or gaming room.
Change the feel of an entire room by mixing colours with lamps, or even with the main light, with the freedom to swap it up at a whim.
Behind desks, screens, TVs or furniture, LED strips offer smart-controlled ambient lighting that can quickly breathe some personality into a room or setup.
This Corsair starter kit offers positional backlighting that'll look awesome on any desk.
Christmas Gifts for Streamers
If you've got a friend or family member desperate to give streaming a try, then there are a few things to consider. If they plan to be on-camera during streams, a good quality webcam is essential, and good lighting can make a huge difference to the perceived quality of their stream. If the room they're in doesn't offer much of a background, a green screen paired with some clever software can also be a key tool in leaving an impression on viewers from day one.
The perfect 'first stream-deck' - the Elgato Stream Deck Mini offers the same time-saving functionality of its big brother at a much more entry-friendly cost.
The Logitech BRIO 500 is targeted primarily at business users, but Logitech's pedigree in mics is such that it's a great option for just about anyone and comes in at a fair price-point.
A good entry option at under £60, the Streamplify CAM offers 1080p Full HD and 60FPS performance with a handy sliding 'anti-spy' screen that blocks the lens.
Getting started with streaming requires a good quality mic, and the Blue Snowball iCE is a great entry-level option that won't annihilate your budget.
