Christmas Gift Guide 2018: 20 gadget gift ideas for gamers

PLAY YOUR WAY

It was easy, at first: you just bought them a console, put them in front of the TV and left them to it while the grown-ups fought over a not-so-friendly game of Monopoly. Now, things have changed. That starter pack of games has grown old. One controller simply isn’t enough. Even that themed charging cable has started to fade. Fend off a festive gaming nightmare with these thumb-mashing gift ideas – certain to entertain streamers and dreamers alike. From headphones and controllers to mugs, jumpers and, yes, a small dragon, there’s something here for everyone – though probably nothing that can stop Uncle Pete insisting on “just one more” round of COD.

CORSAIR HS70 (£99)

Still rocking a pair of corded cans? Give yourself the gift of walkaround sound with these wire-free gaming ‘phones from Corsair. Besides low-latency 2.4GHz wireless and a 16-hour battery life, there’s virtual 7.1 surround sound hiding in them there cups – all the better to hear those bits rolling in. Best of all, a 40ft wireless range means your faithful Twitch followers can enjoy running commentary even when you go walkabout. To the microwave!

TOTAKU SPYRO THE DRAGON (£13)

Forget the Mother of Dragons: while this 10cm-tall Spyro model might not inspire fear in the Seven Kingdoms, it’ll be plenty helpful enough if a similarly miniature Ripto comes calling. In the meantime, keep the feisty fire-breather on your desk for trash-talk inspiration – ideal for when you win a Battle Royale or, you know, build something really cool in Minecraft.

OCULUS GO (£200)

We love VR: brain-bending virtual experiences; zombies coming right at you in your living room; and all those lovely wires to tangle yourself up in. No more! Oculus Go is a phone-free vision of the virtual reality revolution, a lightweight wireless headset with in-built audio drivers, high-res visuals and a handsome catalogue of games and experiences – all without a PC in sight. Welcome to the future.

PLAYSTATION CLASSIC (£90)

What’s Christmas if not a time for sitting round the fire and reminiscing about the good old days? You know, when video game graphics were terrible and a freezing disc meant the end of your play? Take the throwback chat a step further with this retro revival from Sony: smaller than the original but every bit as blocky, the grey-on-grey PlayStation Classic ships with 20 of the biggest titles from the console’s heyday – think Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid, Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee, Rayman and more – as well as two wired controllers and an HDMI cable.

VIDEO GAME PRINTS (FROM £8)

Nothing says cool like stylised prints of vintage games – but those monstrosities you printed out with Paint should never see the light of day. Shred them and pick up one of these stunners instead, available in a range of sizes and featuring everything from Space Invaders to Outrun – all with subtle titling that screams museum chic.

RETRO ARCADE GHOSTS T SHIRT (£26)

Take one look at an esports shirt and you’ll know subtlety isn’t something often afforded to the modern pro gamer. Oh, how it was different when you were king of the arcade: all you got was a celebratory beer mat and your initials chalked on the side of the machine – until some fool changed them to spell P.O.O. Relive the glory days with this understated tee, complete with coin slot icon on the sleeve.

NINTENDO LABO VARIETY KIT (£60)

Crafting crazy creations from leftover cardboard is as much of a Christmas tradition as leaving carrots out for Santa. So why buy more of the stuff from Nintendo? Well, for one thing, it’s much less messy than going at it with the safety scissors on the living room carpet. And, if you’ve got a Switch handy, those sheets will fold into remarkable sets that interact with your Ninty machine – from motorbike handlebars to a fishing rod to a piano – in a glorious fusion of corrugated paper and portable console.

PLAYSTATION VR CONSOLE STARTER PACK WITH ASTRO BOT (£270)

All of your PSVR-owning friends insist that their headset is little more than a stylish dust magnet? Ignore them: in Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Sony’s virtual reality system finally has its killer app. Fire up the PS4, strap on the goggles and take charge: it’s all on you to guide Astro – a little robot the might just out-cute Wall-E – through a series of wildly inventive levels. Take that, dust.

8BITDO SN30 PRO (£40)

Keen to add some retro kicks to your daily gaming? You could spend a few hours wiring up your old SNES controller with a Bluetooth module, swearing at the soldering iron and cursing the cabling in consternation. Or you could buy this throwback Bluetooth ‘pad from 8Bitdo. Inspired by all things past, it packs rumble vibration, clickable joysticks and will play nicely with everything from a Switch to a Raspberry Pi.

SONIC GEM CHRISTMAS JUMPER (£40)

Five gold rings might be enough to tempt everyone’s favourite hedgehog round for a mince pie this Christmas, but the speedy sprinter is unlikely to stick around for the turtle doves. Still, once he’s ploughed off in search of more hoops and loops, you can show your Sonic colours with this tasteful knitted number.

RETRO ARCADE GAME KIT (£25)

How many retro consoles does it take to send the whole world back to 1983? Roughly 17, give or take – and this DIY number might be the one to tip things over the edge. Still, the Raspberry Pi-powered kit should stand you in good stead if things go all Stranger Things: packing a 120 LED screen, it’s on you to assemble and solder this thing together by following the gloriously old-school Haynes instruction manual. Your reward? A Pong-style game that’s oddly addictive.

HYPERKIN DUKE (£70)

Ah, the original Xbox controller: huge, hard to hold and hardly what you’d call ergonomic. Good news! The mammoth gamepad is back and, thanks to the magic of nostalgia, it’s now something that you probably want to own. Almost identical to the original, the updated Duke – compatible with PC and Xbox – packs a screen in the centre that displays the old-school Xbox start-up animation. More importantly, you can buy it in translucent green.

GAME BOY ALARM CLOCK (£25)

Already sleeping with a Gamecube controller by the bed, wearing Mario pyjamas and dreaming of saving Princess Peach? Complete the set with this Game Boy alarm clock which, you guessed it, is an alarm clock disguised as a Game Boy. Set the time with the buttons and prepare to wake to the sounds of Super Mario Land. Now to gobble a giant mushroom for breakfast.

ELGATO HD60S CONSOLE GAME CAPTURE CARD (£143)

Streaming used to be the reserve of chilly noses in the winter air, but its online namesake has rapidly become one of the most popular ways to play – and you don’t need vapor rub to join the fun. Attach this puck to your Xbox or PlayStation for straightforward streaming in Full HD at up to 60fps. Elgato’s Stream Command software also makes it a cinch to add webcam feeds, overlays and more to your video stream. Twitch riches here you come.

HALO FIRETEAM OSIRIS BELT (£15)

“Ah, Fireteam Osiris! Those were the ones in Halo 5 what went on that big mission to find Gregg Wallace!” They were looking for the Master Chief, not Master Chef, fool. Anyway, yes, this belt is inspired by the squad led by Jameson Locke – and now you can show your true dedication to the cause by kitting up, too. Better yet, there’s an in-built bottle opener for when the mission is over.

FALLOUT 76 PIP-BOY 2000 CONSTRUCTION KIT (£150)

Convinced the apocalypse is right around the corner? Pick up this Pip-Boy kit and you’ll be all set for life in a barren nuclear wasteland. Not because it actually functions, obviously, but because the lovely build quality should distract you from the ruin that’s come to everything. Shipped as parts in a vintage display case, it’s fully faithful to the Fallout forearm friend. Piece it together and you’ll be rewarded with a stunning replica, complete with buttons to push and dials to twiddle.

NINTENDO CLASSIC MINI: NES (£50)

Still regretting selling your NES back in ’94 to help fund your PlayStation purchase? Take the pain away with this retro Ninty reboot. A shrunken version of the grey-on-grey 1980s original, the miniature NES ships with 30 of the platform’s greatest titles – including Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong and Metroid – as well as a faithful new-old controller. So switch off that Snowman CD, plug in the HDMI cable and make like the Mario you remember.

MONOPOLY: FORTNITE EDITION (£22)

Obliterated the bandwidth with one Battle Royale too many? Until you can convince the ‘rents to upgrade your bundle, you’ll have to make do with this table-top alternative. Pick your outfit from the 27 available, collect Health Point chips to stay in the game and floss ’til you can’t floss no more. Actually, on second thoughts, just sit down.

100 GAMES BUCKET LIST POSTER (£13)

“I’m not picky about my consoles, man. I’m just in it for the games.” Prove your commitment to cross-platform play with this scratch-off poster: printed with 100 of history’s top titles across every console, it’ll be harder than you think to reveal them all. Sure you’ve spent hours on Overwatch and finished Goldeneye twice, but have you ever gone 30 minutes without dying on Frogger?

INKY THE GHOST MUG (£11)

Having Blinky, Pinky and Clyde over for tea? Best not use this cup or they’ll fear their unpredictable friend has been well and truly mugged. Mercifully, it’s not actually a cyan ghost, but a cute ceramic interpretation of the Pac-Man foe – and, thus, much better at retaining hot beverages.