Holiday Gaming Gift Guide 2024
It may only come once a year, but the holidays can be a stressful time, which is why we’ve put together a Gaming Gift Guide to help you buy for your loved ones. From titles we recommend to cool things that we like, or have enjoyed throughout this year, our Gaming Gift Guide aims to offer something for most budgets, from stocking fillers to the premium gifts for that extra special person.
So sit back with a cup of hot chocolate, or whatever beverage you prefer, and scroll away looking at cool things you can grab and make someone’s Christmas with. Here’s our 2024 Gaming Gift Guide.
Gaming Gift Guide – The Spectrum: £89.99
For those of a certain generation, the original Spectrum or the ZX81 will be a defining moment in their life, kindling a life-long love of gaming, and playing games. Retro consoles are nothing new, but this one is a bit special due to the legacy. With original-style rubberised keys, and 48 built in games (including Skool Daze, Auf Widersehen Monty, The Hobbit, Horace Goes Skiing), it’s a simple plug and play unit, and you can even buy a joystick to add via one of the four USB ports. With progress saving, rewind mode, and the option to load a game with that cassette loading effect you remember, this is a wonderful reminder for some of us, where it all started
Super Mario Party Jamboree: £49.99
From our review: “This is the Mario Kart Deluxe of the Super Mario Party series. There are so many modes and ways to play, and the inclusion of Pro Rules means you can even eliminate chance and get seriously competitive. The mini-games are pretty much universally great, the boards are enjoyable, it’s a laugh with friends and family: what more could you want? Super Mario Party Jamboree is the biggest and best in the series to date, and it’ll be staying on my Switch for a very long time indeed.” A fun present easily added to anyone’s gaming gift guide.
FUSION Pro Wireless Controller for Xbox Series X|S with Lumectra: $149.99
These days, third party controllers have it rough. With such a good controller in the box, the Xbox Series S|X has less competition than you’d expect, but when it comes to an “Elite” model, price comes into play. The PowerA Fusion Pro Controller is absolutely superb, and goes one further than playing the part, as it also looks the part, with RGB lighting you can switch on and off. Also, and this is more of a factor than you might think, but it has a built in rechargeable battery, meaning you can say goodbye to having to constantly buying AA batteries. Because it’s not a Microsoft product, you will have to plug in a small USB adapter, but the Series S|X has plenty of spaces for that. Yes it’s a more expensive controller, but this one adds locks, changeable thumbsticks, RGB lighting, and four mappable buttons on the back, making it a premium choice but a good one for any gaming gift guide.
Gaming Gift Guide – Asus Rog Ally: £399.99
From our review: “The Asus ROG Ally reminds me of the older days of PC gaming, where you had to spend a bit of time getting things just right to get the best performance. While that’s not always the case, and most things just work fine out of the gate, I really do love this thing, and feel like it’s just going to get better and better.”
And it did, reader. It did. The form factor remains on par with the competition, and the software has improved making it the Windows-based handheld. If you want more power, you can even prompt for the latest model, the X, offering more power for a higher cost.
Game Pass Ultimate: Various Prices
It’s been a fantastic year for people who have already subscribed to Game Pass. But if you’ve gone all out and grabbed a new Xbox Series S or X for a loved one this year, Game Pass is the easiest way to make the console even better. Where we used to have to pick a console and a game for Christmas, now you can get a subscription and have access to a plethora of titles. This year, Xbox has seen the likes of Indiana Jones and the Lost Circle, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II all hit the service. But there so many hidden gems and indies also on there, that if you’re getting a new console for Christmas, you have to grab a Game Pass sub, even if it’s just for a few months to try it out.
8bitdo Retro Mechanical Keyboard, £84.99
Perhaps it’s wrong to fall in love with a keyboard, but 8bitdo makes such nice things, and the Retro mechanical keyboard feels great, is well priced for such a high quality product, and comes with a visual flair and a fun factor you can’t really find elsewhere. Yes, it looks great, but the addition of two large “NES style” button you can map to do whatever shortcut you want is a bonus. 8bitdo has been making fantastic products for ages now, but this keyboard may just be the pick of the bunch.
Displate: Various Prices
From our write-up: “As someone who hadn’t ordered a Displate before I had no idea that their metal posters would be something I loved so much, but now I’ve got them I can’t imagine hanging much else on my walls. The quality of the posters is absolutely incredible, and the amount of designs available to choose from is fantastic. If you’re looking for some durable decor that you’ll be proud to hang in your house then you need to check out Displate now, I simply cannot recommend them enough.”
UFO 50: £20.99
From our review: “UFO 50 is one of the most unique video games I’ve ever played, and alongside that it’s also a blast to play. With a ridiculous number of clever ideas contained within the fifty games featured, I can almost guarantee you’ll find a whole lot of games you adore in this wonderful collection. I can’t help but wish that UFOSoft were a real developer, as after UFO 50 I just want to play more of the team’s games.”
The Meta Quest 3 (512GB): £469
For the price, the Meta Quest 3 is probably the best home VR console available. Lighter and more powerful than the Meta Quest 2, the Quest 3 offers greater comfort and a better experience for gaming or fitness. No wires are needed; just a bit of empty space and motivation. It’s also worth noting that if you purchase the 512GB version between now and April 2025 on the Meta store, you’ll recieve Batman: Arkham Shadow for free, as well as a 3-month free subscription to Meta+.
Warhammer 40,000 – The Ultimate Guide: £26.99
Any Warhammer 40K fan would be thrilled with this sacred dataslate, featuring a full comprehensive history of the Citadel Miniatures line from its inception 40 years ago to present day. With full chapters dedicated to every faction of this wartorn, grimdark universe, it has beautiful, detailed images of some of the earliest miniatures, now largely lost to history, as well as a mountain of lore and extra information for the discerning fan. DK Book’s Warhammer 40,000 – The Ultimate Guide is a great resource for veteran painters and newcomers alike.
