The holiday season is fast approaching. Before anybody realizes it, it'll time to deliver gifts to all of your loved ones. Some might be asking, "What can I possibly give to friends and family this year?" If the person you're shopping for is into video games, you'll want to follow our holiday gift guide. We've rounded up some ideas for the hottest games this year, peripherals to improve their gaming stations, tabletop games to enjoy with others, collectibles to show off, and so much more.
Try the following links to jump to whatever section suits your gift-buying needs:
- Video games
- Board games, card games & tabletop games
- Chairs
- Headset, Audio, Microphones, and Smart Glasses
- Mice, Keyboards & Webcams
- Action Figures, Figurines & Toys
- Miscellaneous
Video Games
In most cases, you can't go wrong with video games for the gamer in your life. Some incredible titles released this year, so we're here to guide you to the best ones. (The regular retail price will be shown below, but actual prices may vary depending on promotions.)
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $69.99
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (releases on December 9)
- Xbox Series X - $69.00
- Astro Bot (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $59.00
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (review)
- Switch - $59.99
- Super Mario Party Jamboree (review)
- Switch - $52.98
- LEGO Horizon Adventures (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $59.88
- Switch - $59.88
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (review)
- Xbox - $69.99
- PlayStation 5 - $69.99
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl (review)
- Xbox Series X - $59.99
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $69.99
- Xbox Series X - $69.99
- Sonic x Shadow Generations (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $49.49
- Xbox Series X - $49.94
- Switch - $49.00
- Metaphor: ReFantazio (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $69.00
- Xbox Series X - $69.99
- Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $69.00
- Xbox Series X - $69.00
- Silent Hill 2 (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $69.99
- Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble (review)
- Switch - $49.99
- Star Wars Outlaws (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $69.99
- Xbox Series X - $69.99
- Stellar Blade (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $69.99
- Helldivers 2 (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $39.88
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $49.99
- PlayStation 4 - $49.99
- Xbox - $49.99
- Switch - $49.99
- Tekken 8 (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $49.99
- Xbox Series X - $49.94
- Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth (review)
- PlayStation 5 - $69.99
- PlayStation 4 - $69.99
- Xbox - $69.99
- Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics (review)
- PlayStation 4 - $49.99
- Switch - $49.94
Some games can also (or, in some cases, exclusively) be picked up through services like Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, and Nintendo Switch Online. These services offer massive game selections. Consider gifting subscriptions to these services so that your friends and family can pick up such digital titles as:
- Balatro (review)
- Animal Well (review)
- Tetris Forever (review)
- New World: Aeternum (review)
- MySims: Cozy Bundle (review)
- Another Crab's Treasure (review)
- Metal Slug Tactics (review)
- The Jackbox Survey Scramble (review)
- The Plucky Squire (review)
- SteamWorld Heist 2 (review)
- Thank Goodness You're Here (review)
- Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (review)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate (review)
- Fear the Spotlight
- RetroRealms (impressions)
- Penny's Big Breakaway (review)
- Tales of Kenzera: Zau (review)
Finally, if you're still at a loss on what to get the gamer in your life, gift cards will do the trick. Visit your local retailer to find gift cards for Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, and Steam. Apple gift cards can be used to purchase games or on an Apple Arcade subscription.
Board Games, Card Games & Tabletop Games
Video games and peripherals are the primary focus of our annual holiday gift guide. With that said, there's definitely an appeal in board games. They're a great activity for friends and family, so let's take a look at some that might be a good choice for your next game night.
- Magic: The Gathering Foundations Beginner Box - $30.99
- Magic: The Gathering Foundations Starter Collection - $59.99
- Pokemon TCG: Scarlet & Violet - Surging Sparks - Prices vary on quantity and retailer
- Disney Lorcana TCG - Prices vary on quantity and retailer
- Fakin It and Fakin It All Night Long card games - $19.99/$9.99
- Foundations of Metropolis - $49.99
- Tower Up - $49.99
Chairs
A comfortable gaming chair can be hard to find. A good chair will help maintain your posture and give you all-day comfort. Take a load off with some of these chair suggestions.
Headset, Audio, Microphones, and Smart Glasses
We're all about a good audio setup to complement the rest of your gaming room. A strong headset can greatly enhance your game night and maybe even help keep you competitive when playing certain titles. Plus, be sure to consider a good microphone to make sure your lines of communication are clear.
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5P wireless headset (review) - $129.99
- Corsair Virtuoso MAX wireless headset (designed for Xbox) - $329.99
- Razer Kraken V4 Pro wireless headset - $399.99
- Elgato Wave Neo USB Condenser Microphone - $89.99
- Shure MV7+ podcast dynamic microphone - $279.00
Glasses are also in this season. Smart glasses, in particular, are the hotness. Check out the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, which feature hi-res cameras for photos and video capture, speakers for listening to music without obstructing anyone in the surrounding area, and Meta AI. Plus, they look sleek! Those who want to stick with the Amazon family can also pick up Echo Frames, which feature full Alexa integration.
- Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses - $316.00
- Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen) - $299.99
Of course, there are people who aren't into the smart glasses trend for various reasons, and that's okay. We have other glasses for your gifting needs. The folks at GUNNAR have released some fabulous lenses this year and have also had some keen collaborations that we're happy to share.
- GUNNAR x Fallout - $99.99
- GUNNAR x Groot - $129.99
- GUNNAR x tokidoki - $89.00
Mice, Keyboards & Webcams
We've got other peripherals to suggest for this holiday season, including sharp mice, comfortable keyboards, and sleek webcams.
- Razer Viper V3 Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse (review) - $155.99
- Logitech G309 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse (review) - $79.99
- Turtle Beach Kone II - $69.99
- Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% (review) - $299.99
- SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 - $219.99
- Turtle Beach Vulcan II TKL Pro Magnetic Mechanical RGB Gaming Keyboard - $149.99
- Elgato Facecam Neo Full HD Webcam - $99.99
Action Figures, Figurines & Toys
Toys bring out the child in all of us, so whether you're gifting to young children or to adults who need a break from the real world, there's something on this list for everyone.
- Proplica's The Legend of Zelda Master Sword
- LEGO The Legend of Zelda: The Great Deku Tree 2-in-1
- >LEGO Fortnite Battle Bus
- LEGO Fortnite Supply Llama
- LEGO Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi
- Darth Maul Sixth Scale Collectible Figure
- Batman Beyond (Black & Gold Version)
- Lite Brite Super Bright HD Pokemon Edition
- Care Bears x Hello Kitty
- Snorble
Miscellaneous
Not everything fits into a neat category, so for everything else, we have this section. Check out what else you can get for the people closest to you for the holidays.
- Meta Quest 3S
- Nintendo Switch - OLED Model
- PlayStation Portal Remote Player for PS5 Console
- Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo (review)
- Playdate
- Razer Freyja (review)
- Arcade1Up's Marvel vs. Capcom 2 X-Men '97 Edition Deluxe Arcade Machine
- iam8bit's Vampire Survivors Vol. 1 2xLP vinyl
- iam8bit's Sea of Stars 2xLP vinyl
This rounds out our gift guide, but be sure to come back throughout the month of December. We'll be sure to keep our 2024 holiday gift guide up to date as we discover new items that we think you'd like to give and/or receive. We welcome your input, so join the conversation below and drop in what awesome gifts you’ve discovered for your gamer friend, children, or partner! You can also chime in on the Official Shacknews Community Discord.
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Shack Staff posted a new article, Shacknews Holiday 2024 Gift Guide for Gamers