Best gaming gifts for holiday season 2021
-
Xbox Series X
The home of Halo
$500 at Best Buy -
PlayStation 5
Hot exclusives drive the PS5
$400 at Best Buy -
Xbox Series S
Game Pass is its secret weapon
$300 at Best Buy -
Nintendo Switch OLED
A better portable with a bigger screen
$349 at Best Buy -
Oculus Quest 2 VR headset
Virtual playmate
$338 at Amazon
-
Nintendo Switch Lite
Kid-friendly handheld console
$200 at Best Buy -
Nintendo Switch V2
Kid-friendly and TV-ready
$300 at Amazon
This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas.
Gaming gear may be among the most popular holiday gift items, but it can also be the hardest to find. Even a year after their debut, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are in short supply, while the new OLED-screen version of the Nintendo Switch is expected to be similarly tough to find in stock.?
Read more:?Best gaming laptop to buy for 2021
Fortunately, we’ve got a PS5 restock tracker you can keep an eye on for new inventory updates, as well as updates on where to find ?the Xbox Series X and Series S, or even the fancy-looking Halo Infinite Limited Edition Xbox.?
Hard to find
These game consoles might only show up in blink-and-you’ll-miss-it sales and restocks, so act fast if you want to grab one.?
Oliver Padilla/CNET
Xbox Series X
The home of Halo
The Xbox Series X is a powerful 4K gaming machine that works best with a similarly advanced 4K TV. ?The platform offers exclusives like Halo and Forza, and look for more games from newly acquired publisher Bethesda (like future Fallout and Elder Scrolls games) ?to be Xbox only.?
Read our Xbox Series X review.
$500 at Best Buy
Sony
PlayStation 5
Hot exclusives drive the PS5
Spider-Man, the new Director’s Cuts of Death Stranding and Ghost of Tushima, Ratchet and Clank, the next Horizon. If you know a gamer interested in any of those, then they’re going to be looking for a PS5. ?Sony actually has two models of its ?PS5 console, which differ only by the presence of an optical disc drive; that may be a consideration for a long-time PlayStation gamer who has old games on disc. Otherwise, save $100 and get them the digital-only version.
Read our PS5 review.
$400 at Best Buy
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Xbox Series S
Game Pass is its secret weapon
The smaller, cheaper Series S version of the new Xbox plays all the same games, but outputs them at 1440 resolution, which lies somewhere between traditional HD and 4K. More importantly, it’s great for downloading and playing the huge catalog of Xbox Game Pass games, or for free-to-play online games like Fortnite.?
Read our Xbox Series S review.
$300 at Best Buy
$300 at Amazon
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Nintendo Switch OLED
A better portable with a bigger screen
This new Switch, really the fourth iteration of Nintendo’s hybrid handheld, adds a bigger, better built-in display (now an OLED screen), plus a redesigned kickstand and TV dock. For someone looking to jump into Switch or add a second unit for household multiplayer, this is the new default model to consider.?
$349 at Best Buy
$349 at Amazon
Easier to find
These consoles are usually in stock or can ordered directly online.?
Sarah Tew/CNET
Oculus Quest 2 VR headset
Virtual playmate
The Quest 2 is the easiest to use VR headset, and recently got an onboard storage bump, from 64GB to 128GB for its $338 base model. And it’s not just for gaming; it can be used for fitness training, virtual theatergoing and even VR meetings. Caveat parentis, though: The user has to login to Facebook, so be wary if you’re giving it to a kid.
Read our Oculus Quest 2 review.
$338 at Amazon
óscar Gutiérrez/CNET
Nintendo Switch Lite
Kid-friendly handheld console
The Switch Lite is a smaller, lighter version of the popular Switch console, built exclusively for mobile game use (relive the days of your old Game Boy). That means it is a Switch that can’t connect to your TV, but the mobile gaming design is perfectly hand-size, with permanently attached game controllers that won’t get lost in your bag. And if your gamer giftee will need to transfer game saves from an original Switch console before they play, they can navigate that particular minefield by following these instructions.
Read our Nintendo Switch Lite review.
$200 at Best Buy
$215 at Amazon
érika García/CNET
Nintendo Switch V2
Kid-friendly and TV-ready
Dec 2019
For now, at least, this model (with a slight battery life bump from the initial Switch hardware) will remain in store alongside the more-expensive OLED screen version. If you know a gamer who don’t care about the built-in screen and plans on keeping the Switch docked most of the time, this older hardware will work just fine.?
Read our Nintendo Switch V2 impressions.
$300 at Amazon
$325 at Walmart
$290 at GameStop
Read more:?
- Best Xbox Series X or Series S accessories for 2021
- How to find the best M.2 SSD for expanding PS5 storage
- Best Nintendo Switch accessories for 2021
Find The Perfect Gift
107 results
LG C1 OLED 65-inch
$1,797 at Amazon
The Mirror
$1,495 at Mirror
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
$1,166 at Amazon
Dell G15
$1,100 at Best Buy
Vizio MQ7 65-inch
$1,000 at Amazon
HP Pavilion Aero 13
$1,000 at HP
MacBook Air M1
$1,000 at Best Buy
TCL Series 6 TV 65-inch
$999 at Amazon
iPhone 13 Pro
$999 at Apple
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
$900 at Amazon
Lenovo Yoga 7i (2-in-1)
$850 at Best Buy
iPhone 13
$799 at Apple
Arcade1Up Arcade Machine
$600 at Best Buy
DJI Minin 2 Fly More Combo
$600 at Amazon
Google Pixel 6
$599 at Amazon
Acer Chromebook Spin 713
$530 at Amazon
TCL Series 4 TV 65-inch
$529 at Amazon
iPad Mini 2021
$500 at Best Buy
Sony PlayStation 5
$499 at Amazon
iPhone 11
$499 at Apple
Xbox Series X
$499 at Amazon
Apple Watch Series 7
$399 at Best Buy
Apple iPad 2021 (9th generation)
$309 at Amazon
Nintendo Switch OLED
$298 at Amazon
Carrie Hoffman X studs earrings
$290 at Carrie Hoffman
Apple Watch SE
$269 at Amazon
Sony WF-1000XM4
$250 at Walmart
Aarke water carbonator
$230 at Bed Bath & Beyond
Atlas Tea Club
$199 at Atlas Tea Club
Theragun Mini
$199 at Amazon
Fitbit Charge 5
$179 at Amazon
Madewell Transport Tote
$178 at Madewell
Apple AirPods 3
$168 at Amazon
Perfect Pot
$165 at Our Place
Coravin Wine Preservation System
$150 at Target
Bose SoundLink Flex
$150 at Best Buy
Illy Y3.3 Espresso and Coffee Machine
$149 at Amazon
Sarah Chloe diamond locket
$145 at Sarah Chloe
MakiMaki sushi roll kit for 2
$125 at MakiMaki
Best of Dylan’s Candy Bar Gift Basket
$100 at Dylan’s Candy Bar
Ingarden microgreens garden
$100 at Amazon
The Bouqs Co. Pixie bouquet
$99 at The Bouqs Co.
Wolf Circus Toni gold bracelet
$95 at Wolf Circus
A bouquet of exotic meats
$90 at Man Crates
Disney Plus Gift Subscription
$80 at Disney
EarFun Air Pro 2
$80 at Amazon
Keurig K-Slim Coffee Maker
$79 at Amazon
Letterfolk Customizable Tile Mat
$75 at West Elm
Maison Miru heart nap earrings
$75 at Maison
Mosaic Plant-Based Meal Delivery
$70 at Mosaic
Shun Sora Japanese petty knife
$70 at Amazon
Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Instant Camera
$69 at Amazon
Echo Dot with Clock
$60 at Amazon
Jacques Torres bonbons
$55 at Jacque Torres
JBL Go 3
$50 at Amazon
Crown & Paw Pet Canvas
$50 at Crown & Paw
Nintendo eShop Gift Card
$50 at Amazon
SteelSeries Arctis 1
$50 at Amazon
Lunya Silk Sleep Mask
$48 at Lunya
Botley 2.0
$47 at Amazon
Blockaroo Blocks
$40 at Amazon
Barrel Aged Hot Hive Honey and Reaper Salt Series
$40 at Fuego Box
Trade Coffee Subscription
$40 at Trade
Biolite TraveLight 135
$40 at Biolite
Roku Express 4K Plus
$39 at Amazon
Flavored Truffle Gift Box
$38 at La Maison du Chocolat
Max Brenner chocolates
$37 at Max Brenner
Parks Project Candle
$36 at Parks Project
ThisWorx Portable Car Vacuum Cleaner
$36 at Amazon
Wyze Cam v3
$36 at Amazon
Sweet heart bamboo
$35 at Plants.com
Five S Kneading Massager
$35 at Amazon
Hydro Flask
$35 at Hyrdo Flask
Lenovo Smart Clock
$35 at Best Buy
Gloomhaven: Jaws of The Lion Board Game
$32 at Amazon
Lego Speed Champions Corvette
$30 at Amazon
A delivery of fresh pasta
$25 at Goldbelly
Three-piece cheese knife set
$20 at CB2
Nixplay smart digital photo frame
$20 at CB2
Lodge Cast-Iron Grill Pan
$20 at Amazon
Spanish-style Wine Glasses
$20 at Amazon
Croissant Light
$19 at Amazon
Italian olivewood serving board
$17 at Sur la table
Cote des Roses rosé
$16 at Wine.com
Lite-Brite
$13 at Target
Fox in the Forest
$12 at Amazon
Wanna Date? sweet date spread
$12 at Uncommon Goods
Champagne Gummy Bears
$9 at Sugarfina
Slip silk pillowcase
See at Amazon
Mario Badescu face spray set
See at Ulta
State cashmere blanket throw blanket
See at Amazon
Bokksu Japanese snack box
See at Amazon
Tiki fire pit
See at Amazon
HyperChiller
See at Amazon
Online cooking classes
See at Online Cooking School
Washable Silk Tee & Shorts
See at Quince
Ouai Chill Pill Bath Bombs
See at Ulta
60 Hour Candle
See at TheraBox
