The 35 Best Gifts for Gamers This Holiday Season

By | October 31, 2020

The next era of video games is here. And yes, you’ll want to be a part of it.

Really, there’s no better time than now to be a gamer. There are a pair of ultra-powerful new video game consoles in the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, and the longtime consoles (the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4) still have staying power. Virtual reality is as electric as it’s ever been (hello, Oculus Quest 2!), and Google’s Stadia is pushing cloud gaming to new heights.

Add in a new wave of smartphones with ultra-vibrant screens that seem built for gaming (hello, PlayStation Remote Play on Samsung’s magical Galaxy Z Fold 2), and you have a recipe for holiday video game nirvana. Right now, there’s a great gaming gift for everyone and anyone, even if they don’t consider themselves a gamer.

Check out the 35 best gifts for gamers this year.


Final Fantasy VII Remake

amazon.com

$ 59.99

$ 49.95 (17% off)

The magical game on the PlayStation is back and completely remade with a newly immersive battle system and updated visuals that put the blocks of two decades ago to shame. All that but the game still retains so much charm and spirit that you’ll be dying for more when the adventure finally ends.

The Last of Us: Part II

amazon.com

$ 58.95

The original The Last of Us was a stunning story video game. The Last of Us: Part 2 delivers an equally engaging experience, this time casting you as an older Ellie after something tragic happens, then telling a unique story of rage, vengeance, and being made whole again.

Microsoft Surface Book 3 15-Inch

amazon.com

$ 2,358.94

Meet your stealth gaming machine. Microsoft’s Surface Book 3 has everything you could want in a laptop, from Nvidia graphics acceleration to a touchscreen, pull-apart tablet screen to more than a day’s worth of battery life, yet it’s small enough to still be convenient to take on the go. That makes it perfect for games like Fallout 4, or even a little bit of Oculus VR action (more on that later).

Pikmin 3 Deluxe

amazon.com

$ 59.88

Hit the backyard for a unique resource management game that has you lassoing tiny Pikmin to take on giant bugs and other creatures. Pikmin 3 first arrived in the Nintendo Wii U era, but it plays even better on the Nintendo Switch.

Nioh 2

amazon.com

$ 28.99

Nioh 2 once again fuses Dark Souls-style combat with an electric pace for a potent and addictive combination. It does this all in an attractive, stylish package that also delivers some of the best boss fights of 2020.

Marvel’s Avengers

amazon.com

$ 56.99

You’ve seen Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the rest of the Avengers in action for movie after movie. Now you get to be them in a game that delivers legitimate superhero action and manages to let you feel legitimately super heroic. The best part: Even when the story’s done, there are loads of missions to take on online with friends.

Watchdogs: Legion

amazon.com

$ 59.99

$ 49.94 (17% off)

Ubisoft’s hacker franchise returns for a third go-round, and this one adds even more variety: Play as anyone and everyone at all in the game. It’s gameplay variety to the max, wrapped in an engrossing world that dares to imagine what will happen next in our interconnected lives.

Resident Evil 3

amazon.com

$ 35.50

Back in the day, this was Resident Evil: Nemesis, the unique Resident Evil game that had you being chased by a vicious Nemesis at the most inopportune times. It returns in this Capcom rebuild, full of more vibrant visuals and stronger storytelling. And yes, it’s still plenty of fun.

Three-year-old Monster Hunter World gets an infusion of energy, monsters, and other goodies with Iceborne with deeper story and a new area filled with frozen tundra.

XCOM: Chimera Squad

amazon.com

$ 19.99

The finest strategy franchise in PC gaming returns for one more go-round, this time skipping some of the setup that took place in battles in XCOM 2 to place you right in the thick of the action. A new story underlies the entire experience too, pairing humans and aliens together in the same squad.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2

amazon.com

$ 39.99

$ 33.88 (15% off)

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was that rare video game franchise that got people into a sport (skateboarding) whether they cared about that sport or not. And nearly two decades later, it’s back and just as captivating and fun as it used to be in this remastered version.

Mario Kart Live Home Circuit

amazon.com

$ 157.65

There are video games, and then there’s Mario Kart Live Home Circuit, the racing video game that comes to life. Set up a course in the living room, pull out the radio-controlled Mario Kart, and, through the wonder of augmented reality, you’ll run your race in real life. It’s addictive and fun, and yes, it may scare your pet cat just a little, too.

Madden NFL 21

amazon.com

$ 59.99

$ 39.99 (33% off)

EA Sports returns with its trademark football video game, and this year’s game is again a solid on-field experience with just enough franchise depth to keep you interested. There’s a solidly deep franchise mode, and the on-field action is as good as ever, backed by upgraded X-Factors for all top players.

Samsung Z Fold 2

amazon.com

Samsung’s most visually arresting phone yet delivers masterpiece level visuals on an extra-large foldable screen that you can’t help but love. It makes for a mobile gaming paradise, the best way to enjoy titles like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Mobile.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

amazon.com

$ 57.11

You can never get enough of Super Mario. Nintendo goes back to Paper Mario: The Oragami King for a unique experience that’s full of humor and challenge. But yes, jumping on enemies still hurts them, keeping this fully authentic to the Mario you know and love.

Streets of Rage 4

amazon.com

$ 34.99

Who says old school can’t hang? Streets of Rage 4 is a classic beat-em-up title with upgraded visuals that feel right out of a cartoon. It’s a perfect dose of retro gaming, and yes, it’s just as tough as you remember!

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

amazon.com

$ 26.49

This elegant platformer tells one of the best stories of gaming this year, and it does so while delivering a beautiful immersive world that you’ll never want to leave.

Nintendo Switch Mario Kart Bundle

amazon.com

$ 445.79

The Nintendo Switch is one of the best values of this holiday, an established console with a strong library of games that you can’t get enough of. This gaming gift bundle gives you that console and everything you need to get started, along with one of the best games on the Switch, Mario Kart Deluxe. The best part: With a pair of JoyCon controllers, you’re all set for multiplayer, right out of the box.

What happens when you marry a real-time strategy game to a first-person shooter? Disintegration is an experiment into that very unique and challenging world of gaming, and it delivers a mix of campaign and multiplayer fun that’ll have your brain going in circles. Shooter? Strategy game? Which is it? Answer: both . . . and loads of fun.

Doom Eternal

amazon.com

$ 52.00

There are fast-paced, electric shooters, and then there’s Doom Eternal, which barely lets you breathe as you run, jump, and gun your way against demons and all manner of hellspawn. You’ll learn a new brand of shooting in Doom Eternal, and the Ancient Gods expansion makes things even better, too.

Ghost of Tsushima

amazon.com

$ 59.85

Developer Sucker Punch delivers a unique open-world samurai masterpiece title that sucks you in for everything from stealth exploration to intense swordplay to relaxed exploration.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales

amazon.com

$ 49.98

Marvel’s second-most-famous Spider-Man gets his own video game in Miles Morales, and this story is even better than the first, backed by explosive next-gen graphics on the PlayStation 5. It’s an intense experience that’s equal parts cinematic and action-adventure, and it’ll keep you invested for hours on end.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars

amazon.com

$ 59.99

Nintendo collects the top three Mario games of the 3D era (Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy) in this compilation, and each game still lives up to its billing. The best of the bunch remains Mario 64, a platformer that’s filled with exploration and wonder and introduces a host of new mechanics for everyone’s favorite plumber.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

amazon.com

$ 49.94

Lose yourself in a fun world that’s the farthest thing from life, a happy-go-lucky vacationing-always island that’s the home to the latest Animal Crossing. This game is your breath of holiday fresh air, an empty canvas where you can roam and relax. Dive in and enjoy the most relaxing game of the year.

NHL 21

amazon.com

$ 59.88

The best sports game of the year is this gem from EA, a loaded hockey video game that introduces new ideas into its Be a Pro mode, features an excellent collectable card game minigame, and delivers on-ice action that includes distinct moves for key players.

Street Fighter V

amazon.com

$ 26.48

The definitive version of Street Fighter V packs every single DLC character into the action, delivering a wealth of options, from Chun-Li and Guile to lesser lights like Oro and Rose. All the while, you get the deep, precise tactical fighter experience that’s long driven the franchise. Get ready to fight!

Sling TV Gift Card

amazon.com

When is a video game console more than a console? When you’re cutting the cord and turning your console into your source of TV cable too. From Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to Series X and PS5, all consoles can handle Sling TV, the streaming TV app that delivers everything from Starz and Showtime to NFL games and news channels. And all it takes to get started is a quick gift card.

This Wii U era game was originally a showcase for the Wii U Gamepad. But now it’s another game that benefits from the Switch treatment. The fast-paced action lights up both big screen and small Switch screen and holds steady in either format, and the entire experience is filled with energy.

GT Racing Gaming Chair

amazon.com

$ 129.99

Get ready to feel like a racer. The GT Racing Gaming Chair delivers everything you need to comfortably game for hours, from a faux leather feel to a variety of adjustments for both neck and leg comfort. And it manages to be more than that, too, serving as a great work chair as well.

Cyberpunk 2077

amazon.com

$ 59.99

$ 49.94 (17% off)

There are few video games as anticipated as Cyberpunk. Get ready for The Witcher, future edition, filled with gameplay variety and delivering a unique image of the future that awaits us.

Oculus Quest 2

amazon.com

$ 299.00

Yes, virtual reality is here to stay. And the Oculus Quest 2 is the best headset in this emerging gaming field, an affordable machine that delivers crystal-clear graphics and responsiveness, all in a fully wireless experience. Even better: Get an Oculus Link and you can play PC-level VR experiences on your Quest 2.

Sonic Mania + Team Sonic Racing

amazon.com

$ 39.99

Get two light-speed games featuring Sonic the Hedgehog, the fastest blue blur in gaming, for the price of one. Team Sonic is Sega’s answer to Mario Kart, a fast-and-furious racer that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Sonic Mania, meanwhile, delivers classic lightspeed platforming and can keep you busy for hours on the Nintendo Switch.

Astro A20 Next-Gen Gaming Headset

amazon.com

$ 119.00

Meet our ultimate do-it-all gaming headset option. Astro’s A20 works with the Xbox One and Xbox Series X, and if you purchase a simple USB transmitter, it’ll instantly work with a PlayStation 5 and PS4 as well. The rechargeable battery gets you 15 hours worth of talk time, more than enough for marathon gaming sessions, and the entire design is near-indestructible, perfect for kids and adults alike.

Xbox Series X

amazon.com

MIcrosoft’s next-gen console is all about versatility, playing everything from classic Xbox titles to Xbox 360 and Xbox One games to brand new Xbox Series X titles, all with the press of a button. The machine is meant to be backward-compatible, even working with your old Xbox One controller for a smooth experience, and it’s perfect for the gamer who already has a solid library of games they don’t want to quit on.

PlayStation 5

amazon.com

What’s the best part of the Sony Playstation 5? It may be the DualSense controller, a precise bit of wizardry that includes haptic feedback and a perfect-sized touchpad. Or it might be how PS5 is still compatible with VR experiences via PlayStation VR. Nah, it’s the ultra-fast solid state hard drive that makes load times near-invisible and powers a machine that delivers next-level visuals, like what you see in Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

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