The hardest part about finding gifts for gamers can be knowin🧜g where to start. There's a continent's worth of tat out there right now, so how do you sort the rubbish from the treasure?
That's where the GamesRadar+ team and I come in. We seek out the best gifts for gamers all year round both as our job and personally (we have to make our own wishlists, after all). As a result, we won't ever choose tacky tie-ins that don't do much more than slap a brand label on the box; we'd act⛄ually be happy paying for everything listed here ourselves. And because they're from well-respected names, they won't be five-minute novelties that break soon after they're opened either.
You'll also find something to suit every kind of gamer here. No matter whether your loved one plays PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, or good old-fashioned pen-and-paper games, there will be a present to suit them in this roundup of gifts for gamers. Not sure what to get, on the other hand? Here's 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how to choose the right present.
Written by
Written by
Benjamin Abbott
Benjamin handles all of the site's gifting content, and has been writing about it for six years now (on top of published credits stretching back to 2012). He plays everything from ജPS5 to Dungeons & Dragons, and is hoping someone grabs him shiny new dice this year.
Best gifts for gamers overall
Best PS5 gift
1. PlayStation Gift Card
If you've left things a little late or are simply out of ideas (don't worry, I won't tell anyone), this is your ꦉbest bet. It allows the recipient to buy whatever they want from the official PlayStation Store, and comes in a variety of amounts.
Best Xbox gift
2. Xbox Gift Card
Unsure of what to get the Xbox fan in your life? This ♛is the perfect choice. Besides allowing them to get whatever they fancy from the official Xbox store (be it games or add-ons), you can give as much or as little as you wa🍸nt.
Best Nintendo gift
3. Nintendo Gift Card
If you're cutting it fine when it comes to presents for Switch fans, don't stress - you can pick up eShop gift cards at a variety of prices. The recipient can then buy games or downloada𓆉ble bonus content from the official store.
4. Game Pass (PC)
For anyone struggling to find something a PC gamer will want, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is a 𒐪great choice. It provides a massive library of games to play on PC, sort of like Netflix foဣr video games. Because there are so many big titles on the way, now's a good time to dive in as well.
5. Gaming cookbooks
Stuck for ideas? Gaming-themed cookbooks should do the trick. With options for fans of Fallout, Minecraft, and beyond, there's something to suit most people. Besides being an amusing novelty, they're also a fun activity to share as you cook meals inspired by gaming great♔s.
6. Dice for RPGs/wargames
Does your loved one play tabletop games like D&D or Warhammer? You can never go wrong with dice. As a massive fan of miniature wargaming and pen-and-paper RPGs🍨, 💯I assure you that we can never have enough.
Gifts for gamers: PlayStation
Does your loved one play on PS5 or PS4? Here are some stocking fillers, novelty items, and handy accessories that should delight them. For more, check out our full guide to 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:PS5 gifts.
This curiosity brings the console's iconi෴c symbols to life with an atmospheric glow, and that eye-catching yet simple design should enhance any setup. It's probab🍷ly my favorite gift for PS5 gamers.
2. PS5 mugs
Not sure what to get sꦿomeone, but know they own a PlayStation? These sleek mugs are the best 'playing it safe' present on offer. What's more, they're designed by industry giant Paladone - a company known for quality merch.
3. PS5 t-shirts
There's no shortage of PlayStation-t♈hemed tees, so I'vꦺe cut to the chase with what I think are the best ones. These shirts are surprisingly tasteful designs from Ripple Junction, a reliable brand known for its tie-in merch.
Under $50 / £50
1. PlayStation logo hoodie
You can never go far wrong with a hoodie, if you ꦛask me - particularly when sweater weather closes in. That's why I'd point you in the direction of this handsome design from the eve꧙r-reliable Ripple Junction.
2. Headset stand
This fancy-looking gift for gamers is one of the more practical options out there, giving the recipient s꧑omewhere to store their head♎set so it's not just lying around. However, the fact it's an ambient light adds some pizazz too.
Best for Xmas
3. Christmas Sweater
Wearing your finest 'ugly' Christmas sweater over the Holiday is practically mandatory these days, so why not giveꩲ your loved one a jum𓂃per celebrating their console of choice? I'm a fan of this classy Numskull design, personally.
Gifts for gamers: Xbox
Trying to track down the ultimate present for Xbox gamers? Here's a whistle-stop tour of the best options, taken from our guide to essential 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Xbox gifts.
Under $30 / £30
Best decoration
1. Xbox Icons Light
As well as bei🅰ng well-made official merch, this looks as if it's been pulled from straight from a Twitch streamer's studio. An atmospheric addition to any setup, in other words, and one most fans should love.
Best homeware
2. Xbox Heat-Change Mug
You can never go wrong with a good old-fashioned mug, and this is the perf♚ect choice for Xbox fans. For added novelty, it also changes color and design with heat. Perfect for a brew to pꦿower you through an intense gaming session.
3. Xbox socks
Look, it's hard to beat socks in terms of iconic (but cheap) 𒁃gifts. These are my favorite Xbox ones because they pay tribute to Microsoft's console without being overly garish. Th🐲ey're solid value, too.
Under $50 / £50
1. Xbox PJs
The older I get, the more I appreciate loungwear and being able to vegetate on the sofa. With these comfy Xb🐷ox-branded PJs, I'm all set for a lazy aft♔ernoon around the house playing Xbox.
2. Xbox throw blanket
If the cold weather is biting, there's nothing better than s✅nuggling under a blanket. That's why this officially licensed option jumped ou🐻t at me - it has me day-dreaming about naps on the sofa or oh-so cozy gaming marathons.
Best for Xmas
3. Christmas sweaters
♑There's nothing like a cozy Christmas sweater, and these examples♊ are made by Numskull and Ripple Junction. They're two of the most respectable brands for merch, so expect comfort.
Gifts for gamers: Nintendo
Searching for presents that a fan of Nintendo will love? No problem - here's a hit-list of accessories and stocking-fillers, with more available in our guide to the best 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Nintendo Switch gifts.
Under $30 / £30
1. Official t-shirts
Luckily, it isn't hard to find good Nintendo t-shirts; there are enough of them to b🐲ury anyone in tees. My personal favorites inclꦗude a fancy that's made up of tiny Super Mario icons and this eye-catching .
2. Light-up mushroom
Super Mario and Nintendo are synonymous, so a mood-setting light based on the series i𝄹s sure to go down well with anyone that plays on Switch. It's made by the highly-respected Paladone as well, so you can be sure it isn't cheap tat.
3. Hallmark Nintendo ornaments
I only recently discovered Hallmark's gaming range🌼, and I'm in love. The Nintendo batch are my favorite 💙by some way due to their quality, and I think the best ones might just be the that add a subtle Switch spin to your tree.
Under $50 / £50
1. Gaming Lego
Regardless of whether you're buying for a kid or an adult, the bricks from Billund make for delightf🌺ul presents - and there are sets that allow you to recreate everything from Super Mario courses to an Animal Crossing village♉.
2. Nintendo plush toys
Plushies are always a safe bet when buying gifts for gamers, and they're amongst my go-to presents. Nintendo is particularly well-stocked with cuddly toys based on its characters (I adꦐore this , for example).
3. Mario Christmas sweater
It's a grand tradition these days to break out your ugliest sweater for the Holiday Season, and it just so happens that you can get one based on Nintendo's premie꧑r characters from the esteemed merch-makers at Numskull.
Gifts for gamers: Tabletop RPGs
Trying to find some presents for fans of tabletop RPGs like D&D? Don't worry, I've gone ahead and done it for you. For a more comprehensive list, check in with our 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:D&D gifts guide.
Under $30 / £30
Best overall
1. Glow in the dark dice
Here's a great gift for tabletop RPG or wargamers that always delivers: dice. Speaking from experience, players can never have enoug𒐪h of these... and the fact that this particular set can glow in the dark makes them one of the cooler🌱 novelty presents on the list.
2. Themed mugs
You can't beat a classic mug, and these ones - ranging from jokes to tankard-style alternatives - should fit in well at the gaming table. I'm personally fond of the🐟 , because it makes m💟e feel like I'm kicking back ale at a tavern.
3. Heroes' Feast cookbook
Themed cookbooks are a solid novelty present at the best of times, but this D&D ver💟sion is better than I'd expected. It's crammed with delightful recipes from that tabletop world which are perfect for the next session.
Under $50 / £50
1. HeroForge mini
Is the person you're buying f😼or a fan of RPGs, or do you want to surprise them with their own wargaming model? It's well worth considering a create-your-own HeroForge miniature;ꦡ they're a thoughtful, very personal present.
2. Dice tray
You can't go far wrong with dice trays when hunting down tabletop gaming gifts. These nifty accessories mean that any heavy dice don't dent your wooden taღble, or fly off the edge. This model has the best reviews I can find at Amazon.
3. Official D&D plushies
These soft toys are adorable takes on D&D's best-known monsters, so they're ideal gifts for gamers who like to play the tabletop RPG. I've bee🌳n hands-on with many of them, but my standouts are the and .
Gifts for gamers: Wargaming
Does your loved one play Warhammer, Crisis Protocol, Legion, or another of the many excellent wargames currently on offer? These presents should provide a little inspiration.
1. Golden Maple brushes
Much like dice for D&D fans, wargamers can never have enough paintbrushes; even the best ones wil꧙l wear down and become splayed in time, so replac🤡ements are a thoughtful gift. I've used the Golden Maple set linked here myself, and they're great.
2. Miniature paints
If you're totally stuck for ideas, paints are always 🍰a solid bet. Your loved one is likely to have a few already, but these run/dry out in time so backup will probably be appreciated. Army Painter and Vallejo are good alternatives to Warhammer paints.
3. Warhammer 40K The Ultimate Guide
For anyone hunting down presents 40K fans will enjoy, this is a solid bet. Coffee table books are one of my go-to gifts ideas, and this one is a lavishly-illustrated, informative tome by some of the biggest Warhammer expert♏s around.
How to choose gifts for gamers
(Image credit: Future)
Not sure what to get for your loved one? Don't worry, this whole business can be overwhelming - but I'm here to help. I've been writing about gifts for gamers since 2018, and have spent a lot of time recommending presents to shoppers before that when I worked in a video game store. With all that in mind, here are some general tips to point you in🌟 the right direction.
🎮 Work out what they play on The first and most important part of choosing gifts for gamers is working out what they like to play on. Are they a PS5 gamer, for instance? Do they prefer Xbox? Is Nintendo Switch their preferred machine? These consoles aren't interchangeable, and Switch controllers♐ won't be much use to a PC gamer or D&D fan, so figuring this out early is crucial if you're interested in getting games or accessories. Once that's out of the way, you can hone in on potential presents. Bear in mind that a new console, Switch 2, is on the way to shake things 𝔍up as well! If your loved one is getting it, buying them some accessories is a great idea.
🎁 If in doubt, prioritize merchandise Want to play it safe and avoid doubling up on something they already have? Not to worry, there's loads of merch for each of the major brands (be it PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo). As an example, giftware company Paladone🍸 makes everything from PS5 mugs to st🍸orage solutions for Xbox gear. Similarly, manufacturers like Numskull create what are arguably the best gaming-themed Christmas sweaters on the market. Want an easy present? Get one of those jumpers.
🕹 It's best to avoid games unless asked for one Although it can be tempting to grab the latest release for your loved one, I'd suggest a𒀰voiding that unless you know for certain they don't already have - and aren't getting - the game in question. It's different if they've asked you for a specific game, of course; at that point, all you need to do is make sure you grab it for the right system (e.g. PS5, Xbox, etc).
🎧 Check guides from experts if you're shopping for accessories The world of accessories can be a minefield of cheap knockoffs that aren't going to last long, so I'd always suggest looking at buying guides if you know someone wants a headset, controller, or other add-on. If you'd like to see what the GamesRadar+ experts recommend, a good place to start would be these features on the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best PS5 accessories, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Nintendo Switch accessories, and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best Xbox Series X accessories. There ꦅare plenty of other roundups beyond this as well iꦇf you want something more specific.
🎲 When buying for tabletop RPG fans, get dice Does your loved one adore the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best tabletop RPGs or 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:D&Ds books? You're in l🤪uck, because this is pretty straightforward. We'll give you a single word: dice. Pen-and-paper adventurers can never have enough. Trust me on this. Their eyes will wﷺiden and they'll give out a big "ooooo" at the sight of pretty, unusual, or inventive rollers. Case in point: most of the players from our GamesRadar+ game get thoroughly distracted when new ones are brought out (our 'ducky dice' with mini ducks suspended in the middle are always popular).
Gifts for gamers FAQ
(Image credit: Future)
What gift should I get a gamer?
It can be tricky to find good gifts for gamers, but don't panic; we have some tips. To start with, it's always a good idea to look at merch based on what they play (e.g. PS5, Xbox, Switch) because they're unlikely to have it already. T💮his includes everything from mugs to 'ugly' Christmas sweaters, so the chances of them owning the present in question is low.
Tha🌳t's why I'd advise against choosing games or💧 accessories. Unless you know for certain what they do and don't have, there's a good chance they own - or have something similar to - the item you're hoping to get. That can put a real damper on things.
If you ask me, the best merch companies right now are Paladone (which crꦍeates gifts such as lighting and cups modelled after each major gaming platform), Merchoid, and Numskull. While the latter two have plenty of other goodies to o♉ffer, they're perhaps best known for their top-tier Christmas jumpers.
Should I buy games or accessories for a gamer?
In my opinion, it's risky to get a game or accessory for a gamer unless you know exactly what they have already. There's a good chance they'll own the product in question or use something better as is, so I'd advocate for sticking to merchandise like branded hoodies, collectib🎉les, mugs, and cookbooks if possible. Your loved one is much less likely to have those, and product lines are being updated all the time. This increases your odds of finding something they'll adore and don't have already.
Should I buy a console for gamers?
Unless you know for sure that the gamer in question doesn't have the machine already, buying them a console can be a risky business (not to mention pricey). The exception would be Switch 2, if you ask me. That system isn't out yet, and if your loved one hasn't put down a pre-orde𒐪r (but adores Nintendo games), it could be a winner so far as presents go... albeit an expensive one.
What is a good cheap gift for gamers?
If you're hoping to keep costs low, I'd highly recommend looking at branded t-shirts from the likes of Ripple Junction or small bits of tie-in merch like themed mugs/bottles from Paladone. Besides showing that you've put some thought🌼 into the gift, the recipient is unlikely to have those items already.
I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, and now manage GamesRadar+'s tabletop gaming and toy coverage. You'll find my grubby paws on everything fꦚrom board game reviews to the ꦕlatest Lego news.