It’s that special time of year! We’re feeling festive (or trying to!) and we’re celebrating with friends, family and loved ones. There’s a good chance you’ll hit a rough spot on your holiday list when you just don’t know what to get for the gamer in your life… we’ve got you covered. Just remember these great holiday gaming-gift tips!
General Gamer Gift Ideas
These are safe gifts to consider if you don’t know what the gamer likes to play or what gaming system they use:
- Gift Card To A Gaming Or Electronic Store – Price $10-$100
Gift cards are a great gift to a gamer as they let the gamer choose where to spend it and whether to spend it on their favorite games, DLC, toys and collectibles, etc. Your gamer’s controller (or other hardware) may be old and worn out, and that gift card can buy them a new one. Best of all, if it’s a “Secret Santa” type of gift tradition, a gift card is a guaranteed winner.
- Visa or Amazon Gift Card – $10-$250
A Visa or Amazon gift card is a great gift for a gamer as it allows them to use it for anything they want. Like a gift card listed above, this gift card gives them the freedom to get anything that their gaming heart desires, like the cost of online play (about $60/year or less for 3-month intervals). These gift cards are also a safe bet for those who simply don’t know what to give to a gamer.
Gaming Specific Gift Ideas
Before that we start diving into gaming specific gift ideas, here are some questions to ask in order to make your gift-giving a success:
- “What is your favorite game to play?”
- “Which game(s) do you wish you had?”
- “Do you game on a PS4, Xbox One, Wii, or PC?”
- “When does your online membership expire?”
- “Do you need a new controller, batteries or a play-and-charge kit?”
Gifts for console gamers – those that play on the Xbox One, PlayStation, Wii:
- Xbox Live/PlayStation Network Gift Card – Price $10-$100
For a console gamer, this is a great gift. It allows them to purchase anything from the Microsoft or Sony PlayStation Store, but it gives them full freedom to get exactly what they want! From DLC to extending an online membership, this is a great gift.
- Xbox Live/PlayStation Network Membership – Price $10-$60
This is a great gift as this is more console specific vs. game specific. Gamers these days do need a membership to use the console to play online games with friends. This is a great way to get a practical gift for that serious gamer.
- Game-Specific Season Pass – Price $30-$60
This gets more specific as you have to know what game that the gamer is playing. A season pass allows to gamer to get additional content from the developer for a game. With so much DLC, most games now come out with a “season pass” that includes it all, so this is a very thoughtful gift. There are some risks to getting a season pass, however, as the gamer may have already purchased one for their game. Before purchasing a season pass, either make sure the gamer doesn’t already own it or that the retailer will accept it as a return or exchange.
- Netflix, Hulu or any other app related purchase – Price $10-$60
Lots of gamers these days also use their console to stream services like Netflix, Hulu or other media. A monthly subscription gift is a good way to help them keep binge-watching their favorite shows and movies. This also is a great, safe gift for “Secret Santa” at the office, too!
A Video Game-Related “Collectible” (Action Toy) – Price $15-$75
Guess what? Action figures are back and they are badder than ever! Just don’t call them “action figures” anymore… the “cool” lingo now is “collectibles”. True gamers love gaming-related gear, from t-shirts to backpacks to figures of the characters in their favorite games. Sites like Think Geek, Todd McFarlane and GameStop will have some sales on that special action figure (pardon, “collectible”) that will put a smile on any gamer’s face.
- For PC Gamers – A Steam Gift Card Or A Google Play Store Card – Price $5-$100
This is more specific for gamers on your holiday list who are either PC or mobile device gamers (phones & tablets). Steam is that great website for PC gamers to get the latest and greatest games, so a Steam gift card is a great gift for those hardcore PC gamers. This also works for mobile-device gamers as well. For those that always play on their phone or tablet, a gift card from either the Apple Store or the Google Play Store is a great, safe gift as well. These are also good stocking stuffers for those younger mobile gamers as well… just make sure you’ve read about the benefits and risks of “freemium” games that use micro-transactions!
So there you have it! A great guide for those that have friends, co-workers and love ones as family on how to best shop, and get those items that a gamer wants/needs, and to top it off you will be the coolest person on earth for getting them something that they love.
As always we are always here, so if you have a question about a gift that you want to get. Feel free to contact us via Facebook or Twitter!
