14 Christmas Gift Ideas for the Gamer in Your Life

14 Christmas Gift Ideas for the Gamer in Your Life
Contributor: Isabella Noyes, Leah J. Williams
At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Buying Christmas gifts for someone who is big into gaming can be difficult sometimes. Not only do you need to be aware of what consoles they own, but what their personal tastes are as well. While you could give them a copy of something like Spider-Man 2 or Super Mario Bros. Wonder, there’s a good chance that they’ve already picked these up, depending on how big of a gamer they are. Instead, here are a few gaming gift ideas that aren’t just another game.

From coffee-table books to mini arcade cabinets and Lego replicas, there are plenty of solid options for great gaming gift ideas this year.

Best gift ideas for gamers under $50

A Handheld History

best christmas gifts for gamers
Image: Lost in Cult

A Handheld History is a fantastic coffee-table book that celebrates the history of, you guessed it, handheld video game consoles. This comprehensive tome covers the long history of handheld consoles, from Nintendo’s Game & Watch devices to the Switch, along with Sony’s PlayStation Portable series, Sega’s Game Gear and the Steam Deck. With stunning photography, original artwork and essays, this is a great gift for someone whose childhood was full of playing Game Boy on long car trips.

You can find A Handheld History here:

Dangerous To Go Alone Key Rack

It's Dangerous To Go Alone key rack
Image: getDigital

Remember when that “It’s Dangerous To Go Alone, Take This” meme blew up on the internet? Well, while we guarantee your friend doesn’t need to take a sword with them every time they leave their house, a key would be a safe bet when venturing on the dreaded commute to work or study.

That’s why this Zelda-themed key rack is a great gift idea because not only will they be less likely to misplace their keys but they’ll also enjoy a spark of nostalgia any time they look at it. Maybe even a good chuckle.

Pick up the Dangerous To Go Alone Key Rack here:

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Manga

Image: VIZ Media LLC

If you’re buying for a Nintendo fan – and specifically a Legend of Zelda fan – Akira Himekawa’s manga adaptations of the iconic game series are a great gift idea. This Legendary Edition collects the two-volume adaptation of Ocarina of Time, with new covers and colour art pieces of Link’s epic quest.

Any Zelda fan will be thrilled to bits as they experience Link’s long journey from the very beginning, as the manga follows the hero’s search for the three spiritual stones that hold the key to the Triforce, the wielder of which will be able to rule the world. It’s a great gift idea for gamers and manga fans alike.

Buy The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time manga from here:

Terrible Old Games You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

retro gamer gift guide
Image: Stuart Ashen

Terrible Old Games You’ve Probably Never Heard Of by Stuart Ashen is a book that charts the early days of video games, and all the bad games that came out of an era filled with bad graphics and low-quality control. It’s also an amusing look at the history of gaming, and how retro games developed. There’s a heap of fun books surrounding the days of retro gaming and the death of the arcade, but this one comes highly recommended and will give your gamer gift recipient a good laugh to boot.

You can also pick up the sequel Attack of the Flickering Skeletons, which covers even more ridiculous, bad games.

Grab Terrible Old Games You’ve Probably Never Heard Of as a gift here:

Pac-Man and Ghosts Lamp

best christmas gifts for gamers
Image: Paladone

A great way to glow up any gaming set-up or office space, this Pac-Man desk lamp is also handy for scaring off any pesky ghosts in the room.

Shop the Pac-Man and Ghosts Lamp here:

Nintendo Game Cartridge Coasters

best christmas gifts for gamers
Image: Paladone

Save your surfaces from condensation with these handy Nintendo-themed drink coasters. Enjoy eight designs based on the iconic game cartridges of the original Nintendo Entertainment System.

Serve up the Nintendo Game Cartridge Coasters here:

Boss Monster

boss monster gift guide
Image: Brotherwise Games

Boss Monster is a cracker of a board game, and it’s inspired by retro dungeon crawler games and aesthetics. Basically, it’s a card game where you take the role of a video game monster as you attempt to build the most dangerous dungeons for heroes to travel through.

Each card features stunning video game-style art, and it’s a genuine delight to play. Anyone nostalgic for the good old days of gaming should have a blast with this game.

Grab Boss Monster from here:

8Bitdo SN30 Pro USB Gamepad

retro gamer gift guide
Image: 8Bitdo

8Bitdo make fantastic controllers, and this replica SNES controller is no exception. It’s fully functional and compatible with Mac, Windows and Android operating systems as well as the Nintendo Switch. That’s great news for PC and Switch owners who enjoy playing retro games, particularly if they dive into the collection Nintendo Switch Online members get. Bring on the good old days with this nifty and well-designed controller.

Shop the 8Bitdo SN30 Pro USB Gamepad here:

Best gift ideas for gamers under $100

Lego Sonic The Hedgehog vs. Dr. Eggman’s Death Egg Robot

Image: Lego

Everybody’s favourite blue blur now comes in brick form. This Lego set includes Sonic The Hedgehog along with Dr. Eggman and his Death Egg Robot. Part of this set’s gimmick is that you’re able to launch Sonic at Dr. Eggman via a bumper, and then save the cute animals the mad scientist has hidden way. Just like in the games!

Pick up the Lego Sonic The Hedgehog vs. Dr. Eggman’s Death Egg Robot set here:

MyArcade Retro Machine

Pacman mini arcade game
Image: My Arcade

Mini retro arcade machines can be found pretty much anywhere, and they’re a great gift for long-time gamers. These machines do a great job of replicating the feeling of wandering down to your local Timezone as a kid and popping your hard-earned cents into a dusty cabinet. Plus, it looks awesome and fits well into any bedroom or gaming room setup.

When they’re hankering to play some Pac-Man like the good ol’ days, this micro player will more than suffice. Sporting a mere 2.75-inch, full-colour display, we promise there’s nothing more hilarious than watching your friend bent over this tiny arcade game, tongue out in concentration.

Shop the MyArcade Pac-Man mini arcade here:

8Bitdo Sn30 Pro Controller for Xbox Cloud Gaming on Android

xbox controller retro
Image: 8Bitdo

8Bitdo’s controller is designed to fit an Android device for use as an Xbox Cloud Streaming device. With cloud streaming slowly rolling out in Australia, there’s never been a better time to invest in a hardy mobile controller — and gamers will love the classic style here. You can use it for cloud streaming or emulation across Android or tablet (there’s even a clip you can use to attach the controller) so gamers are sure to get plenty of use with the Sn30 Pro.

Shop the 8Bitdo Sn30 Pro Controller here:

Best gift ideas for gamers over $100

Lego Icons Atari 2600

best gaming gifts christmas
Image: Lego

Let Lego take you back to the past with a replica of the Atari 2600. Not only does this set recreate the popular retro console, but it also includes game cartridges and scenes based on the sprites from Asteroids, Adventure and Centipede. Even if the person you’re buying for isn’t a massive Atari fan, this is one of the best-looking sets released by Lego recently and would make for a great display piece.

Gift the Lego Icons Atari 2600 set here:

Nintendo Switch OLED: Mario Red

Image: Nintendo

If your budget is larger and you’re buying for someone who maybe hasn’t caught up with the current generation of Nintendo games, you could consider the Switch OLED as a great gift. This beefed-up version of the standard Switch includes 64GB of memory, along with a bright OLED display. Apart from the games you can pick up at any retail store, this console also includes a great little service called Nintendo Switch Online which lets subscribers play classic NES, SNES and Game Boy games. There’s even an ultra-cool retro controller that’s available exclusively for subscribers to the service to purchase.

Gift the Mario Red Nintendo Switch OLED here:

An Arcade Cabinet

Image: Arcade1up

Picture this: neon lights hanging from the wall, the unmistakable pinging sounds of a pinball machine and no dollar coins necessary. That my friends, is true living. While many of these gifts can evoke the feeling of nostalgia, why not live it by recreating an arcade in your very own home?

The first step, get yourself an arcade game. If you’re feeling generous this Christmas (and isn’t the festive season all about giving?) then why not give someone the gift of a good time with a full-on cabinet.

You can explore these options below:

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Image: Paladone/Arcade1up/Lego


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At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.