Gifts for Gamers 2026: Consoles, Controllers, Headsets, and Storage
Switch 2 photo: Crisco 1492. DualSense photo: Chris Woodrich. Both CC BY-SA 4.0. Quest 3S photo: Loafhouse, CC BY 4.0.
Gaming hardware costs more this Christmas than it did last year. Nintendo raised the US price of the Switch 2 from $449.99 to $499.99 on September 1, Meta raised the Quest 3S 128GB to $349.99 in April, citing memory chip costs, and Valve raised the Steam Deck OLED to $789 for the 512 GB model in May. A controller, headset, or storage upgrade costs far less and still gets used every day.
Prices below were on Amazon on October 23. Black Friday is November 27, and prices often drop then, so check the current price before ordering.
Shopping for a younger kid? The STEM gifts for kids guide sorts science and coding kits by age, and the Christmas tech gifts under $50 guide covers smaller gifts.
Quick picks by player
- For someone who just got a Switch 2, a microSD Express card or the Switch 2 Pro Controller is the most useful add-on.
- A PS5 owner would get the most from a second DualSense, a PlayStation Portal, or an internal SSD.
- A PC player can use the Logitech G PRO X Superlight 2 or the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5.
- A Steam Deck or ROG Ally owner will appreciate a bigger microSD card.
- Someone who plays on a phone would like the BACKBONE Pro.
Consoles and handhelds
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle
Check the Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle price on AmazonThe Switch 2 is the console to give a family this year. It plays in handheld mode on its 7.9-inch screen or on a TV through its dock, and it plays most original Switch games. The bundle listed on Amazon on October 23 included Mario Kart World and a 3-month Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership for $549.99, $50 more than the console alone. Buying the bundle works out cheaper than buying the game separately.
The Switch 2 has 256 GB of built-in storage, and games stored on a card need a microSD Express card, not the regular microSD card from an original Switch. A Samsung P9 Express 512GB was $99.97 on October 23 and makes a good second gift. The Switch 2 microSD guide explains which cards work.
Meta Quest 3S 128GB
Check the Meta Quest 3S price on AmazonThe Quest 3S is a standalone VR headset, so it doesn't need a PC or console, and it shows the room around you in color for mixed reality games. This Amazon bundle includes Gorilla Tag, one of the most popular Quest games with kids and teens. It needs the Meta Horizon app on a phone for setup.
Meta requires users to be 10 or older, and accounts for kids under 13 have to be set up by a parent. The 128 GB model is enough for most players, since many Quest games are small.
PlayStation Portal
Check the PlayStation Portal price on AmazonThe PlayStation Portal is a handheld with an 8-inch screen and a full DualSense controller split around it. It streams games from a PS5 over Wi-Fi, so someone can keep playing while the TV is in use. Since November 2025, PlayStation Plus Premium members can also stream select games from Sony's cloud without a PS5.
It is only a good gift for someone who already has a PS5 or a Premium subscription and a strong home Wi-Fi network. It can't play games on its own.
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X
Check the ROG Xbox Ally X price on AmazonThe ROG Xbox Ally X is a Windows handheld with a 7-inch 1080p 120 Hz screen, an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip, 24 GB of memory, and a 1 TB SSD, according to Xbox's spec page. It runs games from Xbox, Steam, and other PC stores, which makes it a better fit for someone with a PC library than for someone new to gaming. It was $999.99 on Amazon on October 23.
ASUS also released the ROG Xbox Ally X20 this fall, with a 7.4-inch OLED screen and a microSD Express slot, for more money. The Steam Deck OLED is the main alternative. In the US, Valve sells it only through the Steam store, at $789 for 512 GB since its May price increase.
Controllers
Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller
Check the Switch 2 Pro Controller price on AmazonThe Switch 2 Pro Controller is the controller to get for anyone who plays a Switch 2 on the TV. It adds two remappable GL and GR buttons on the back, a C button that opens GameChat, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and retailers list about 40 hours of battery life. It was $89 on Amazon on October 23.
PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller
Check the DualSense price on AmazonA second DualSense is the simplest PS5 gift for anyone who plays co-op or has friends over. It has the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that PS5 games are built around, and it also works with PCs, Macs, and phones. Sony sells it in several colors, so it is easy to match the person's console or pick a favorite.
8BitDo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Controller
Check the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth price on AmazonThe 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth costs less than Nintendo's controller and works with the Switch 2, the original Switch, and Windows, according to 8BitDo. It has TMR joysticks, which are designed to avoid the stick drift that wears out older controllers, Hall effect triggers, two back paddles, and extra L4 and R4 bumpers. It was $56.97 on Amazon on October 23.
Razer Wolverine V3 Pro
Check the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro price on AmazonThe Wolverine V3 Pro is a wireless controller for Xbox and PC, aimed at competitive players who want extra buttons and a more tuned feel than a standard Xbox controller. It is a premium gift for someone who plays shooters or fighting games seriously, and overkill for a casual player. The Wolverine V3 Pro review covers who it suits.
BACKBONE Pro
Check the BACKBONE Pro price on AmazonThe BACKBONE Pro clips around a phone and connects over USB-C, turning it into a handheld for mobile games, Xbox Cloud Gaming, or PS Remote Play. Unlike the cheaper BACKBONE One, it also pairs over Bluetooth with tablets, computers, and TVs, and Tom's Guide lists about 40 hours of battery life. It has passthrough charging and a headphone jack. Its Amazon listing says it works with USB-C iPhones (iPhone 15 or later) and USB-C Android phones running Android 10 or later, so it doesn't fit older Lightning iPhones.
Headsets and mice
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless
Check the Arctis Nova 5 price on AmazonThe Arctis Nova 5 Wireless connects through a USB-C wireless dongle or Bluetooth 5.3 and works with PCs, Macs, PS5 and PS4 consoles, the Switch, phones, and handhelds like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, according to its Amazon listing and SteelSeries. SteelSeries rates it at 60 hours of battery life, with 6 hours from a 15-minute charge, and its companion app has more than 100 game-specific audio presets. It was $129.99 on Amazon on October 23.
It is a good gift for someone who plays on more than one device, since one headset covers all of them. People who play only on an Xbox need the Xbox version instead, which is sold separately.
Logitech G PRO X Superlight 2
Check the PRO X Superlight 2 price on AmazonThe PRO X Superlight 2 is a 60 g wireless mouse built for competitive PC shooters, with Logitech's HERO 2 sensor and LIGHTSPEED wireless. It has a simple, symmetrical shape and five buttons, two of them on the left side, so it suits players who want a light mouse more than one with lots of macro buttons. It was $146.49 on Amazon on October 23.
Someone who wants more buttons for MMOs or productivity should look at the Razer Basilisk V3 vs Logitech G502 Hero comparison, and a wired budget option is in the Alienware AW320M review.
Storage upgrades
Storage is the gift a gamer is least likely to buy for themselves and most likely to need, because modern games often take 50 to 100 GB each. Check which console or handheld the person has first, since each one takes a different kind of card or drive.
- Switch 2: a microSD Express card. The Samsung P9 Express 512GB is a good size, and the Switch 2 microSD guide covers the rest.
- PS5 and PS5 Pro: an M.2 PCIe Gen4 SSD with a heatsink. The PS5 SSD guide lists the drives that fit.
- Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and ROG Xbox Ally: a UHS-I, UHS-II, or microSD Express card depending on the model. The handheld microSD guide explains which.
Buying open-box and used
eBay has new and open-box listings that can come in below Amazon's price. Searches for the Switch 2 Pro Controller, PlayStation Portal, Meta Quest 3S, and Arctis Nova 5 are a good place to start. Buy from sellers with a return policy, and make sure a used Quest 3S has been factory reset and removed from the previous owner's Meta account.
Where to buy
Where to buy
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