Welcome to TechCrunch’s 2021 Holiday Gift Guide! Need help with gift ideas? We’ve got lots of them. Looking for our other guides? Find them here!
The giving season has arrived, but an ample supply of next-gen consoles has not. Between chip shortages and resellers/bots, the chances of someone getting their hands on a PS5 or Xbox Series X without a whole lot of effort(/luck) are slim to none. It can be done! But you might not want to bet the holiday on it.
If it’s just not gonna happen this year, there’s still plenty of stuff that should make the gamer in your life happy — accessories and nice-to-have extras that any gamer will appreciate and make their current setup a bit comfier while Sony/Microsoft/et al. catch up with demand.
This article contains links to affiliate partners where available. When you buy through these links, TechCrunch may earn an affiliate commission.
Every gamer needs a good pair of headphones — skimping on this is a one-way ticket to a headache. In many of today’s most popular games, bad audio is a distinct disadvantage.
Trying to decide between wired and wireless? Wired could be fine if they’re gaming at a desk; for couch gaming, wireless will help ’em be more comfortable and less tangled.
Here are some recommendations for each platform
Image Credits: Devin Coldewey
I’ve played pretty much every PS5 game with these. They’re just fantastic and much better than Sony’s own PlayStation-branded headsets. Comfortable, amazing sound, good battery life and quick connecting.
They’re not the cheapest but they’re definitely not the most expensive either — there’s a new version that doesn’t change much, so the (still great) last generation is on sale. Note: The 7X is for Xbox consoles and the 7P is for PlayStation — sadly there isn’t one version that works for both. Fortunately if you want something like that, it’s the next thing on the list.
Price: SteelSeries 7X (Xbox), $133 from Walmart | SteelSeries 7P (PlayStation), $150 from Best Buy
Image Credits: SteelSeries
These aren’t as cushy or expansive-sounding as the 7 series but they’re solid, comfortable and (because they’re wired) are compatible with everything under the sun: all major consoles plus phones, and the price is definitely right. If this list seems SteelSeries heavy, it’s just because they really got it right this generation.
Price: SteelSeries Arctis 1, $50 from Amazon
Image Credits: Devin Coldeway
This headset is understated in design, sounds great and plenty comfortable. I’ve had nothing but compliments for the sound of the mic.
To be honest I’m not sure it’s worth the extra cash for the wireless (Pro) version, since PC gamers tend to be within three feet of their computers. If you can get the wireless one on sale go for it, but the wired version is a great option when money is tight.
Price: Razer BlackShark V2 (Wired), $75 from Amazon | Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (Wireless), $140 from Amazon
Image Credits: Catherine Shu
This is a tough one. I was originally going to do a roundup of a bunch of keyboards … but, like next-gen consoles, many of the best ones are very hard to find right now.
If your PC-gaming loved one has a keyboard they like, you can sneak a look and get them a new one or an upgraded one of the same brand. But if you hear them talking about what “color” of mechanical switch they like or they’re talking about building their own … maybe back down. Once they go down that rabbit hole, the choices are very individual and it’s hard to get right as a gift. Maybe go with a gift card or something.
Maybe your loved one was lucky enough to get a Series X or PS5 already, or they have one coming soon. Maybe they just want to upgrade their current-gen console. Either way, they’ll probably still want a little extra gear.
Image Credits: Sony
If someone uses their PlayStation 5 as the primary way of watching Netflix, Plex and so on, it gets old pretty fast using the rather large, heavy, easy-to-bump-off-the-couch DualSense gamepad for it. Snag one of these remote controls and no one has to learn whether “O” or “X” means cancel, or whether to use the bumpers, triggers, D-pad or analog sticks to rewind and fast forward. Honestly, this thing should probably come in the box. Super easy and convenient gift for combination gamers/cord-cutters.
Price: $30 from Amazon
Image Credits: Samsung
On a PS4, you can just buy a big ol’ external USB hard drive and plug it in. You can do the same with a PS5, but there are … limitations. For the most part, it’s better to upgrade the internal storage.
Any reasonably tech-confident person should be able to install this expansion drive for PS5s, which they’ll probably want eventually since games these days are flippin’ huge. This is a one-time purchase and install that will extend the life of the console and make things simpler, especially if they have the “digital” version without a disc drive. The major brands (Samsung, PNY, Kingston) all have PS5-compatible options; just make sure it’s one of those and you’re good. One detail that’s easy to miss: Some models note that they need a heatsink to work with a PS5 but don’t actually include one in the box. THANKS.
Image Credits: Microsoft
This is a bit of a splurge since the vanilla Xbox controllers are pretty excellent … but if the Xbox has been your loved one’s main gaming platform for years, you might be able to help them up their game a bit. The improved ergonomics, sweet D-pad, rear paddle triggers and other improvements can be game changers — no joke. You can do things with those rear paddles that would require ridiculous hand contortions to pull off otherwise. Xbox One-era controllers are compatible with Xbox Series X consoles, so this one is an investment that should work for years regardless of what gen they’re on right now.
Price: $160 from Amazon
Image Credits: Seagate
Same deal with the PlayStation: External USB drives work well enough on the last-gen Xboxes, but there are limitations when using them with the next-gen consoles.
Not that installing the PS5’s expansion card is particularly hard, but with the Xbox Series X you literally just plug it into the back. That’s it. $220 for 1 TB seems a bit expensive to me, but it’s up to you.
Price:...
The giving season has arrived, but an ample supply of next-gen consoles has not. Between chip shortages and resellers/bots, the chances of someone getting their hands on a PS5 or Xbox Series X without a whole lot of effort(/luck) are slim to none. It can be done! But you might not want to bet the holiday on it.
If it’s just not gonna happen this year, there’s still plenty of stuff that should make the gamer in your life happy — accessories and nice-to-have extras that any gamer will appreciate and make their current setup a bit comfier while Sony/Microsoft/et al. catch up with demand.
This article contains links to affiliate partners where available. When you buy through these links, TechCrunch may earn an affiliate commission.
Headphones
Every gamer needs a good pair of headphones — skimping on this is a one-way ticket to a headache. In many of today’s most popular games, bad audio is a distinct disadvantage.
Trying to decide between wired and wireless? Wired could be fine if they’re gaming at a desk; for couch gaming, wireless will help ’em be more comfortable and less tangled.
Here are some recommendations for each platform
For Xbox or PlayStation: SteelSeries 7X and 7P
Image Credits: Devin Coldewey
I’ve played pretty much every PS5 game with these. They’re just fantastic and much better than Sony’s own PlayStation-branded headsets. Comfortable, amazing sound, good battery life and quick connecting.
They’re not the cheapest but they’re definitely not the most expensive either — there’s a new version that doesn’t change much, so the (still great) last generation is on sale. Note: The 7X is for Xbox consoles and the 7P is for PlayStation — sadly there isn’t one version that works for both. Fortunately if you want something like that, it’s the next thing on the list.
Price: SteelSeries 7X (Xbox), $133 from Walmart | SteelSeries 7P (PlayStation), $150 from Best Buy
For Switch, multiple consoles or for a budget: SteelSeries Arctis 1
Image Credits: SteelSeries
These aren’t as cushy or expansive-sounding as the 7 series but they’re solid, comfortable and (because they’re wired) are compatible with everything under the sun: all major consoles plus phones, and the price is definitely right. If this list seems SteelSeries heavy, it’s just because they really got it right this generation.
Price: SteelSeries Arctis 1, $50 from Amazon
For PC: Razer BlackShark V2 or V2 Pro
Image Credits: Devin Coldeway
This headset is understated in design, sounds great and plenty comfortable. I’ve had nothing but compliments for the sound of the mic.
To be honest I’m not sure it’s worth the extra cash for the wireless (Pro) version, since PC gamers tend to be within three feet of their computers. If you can get the wireless one on sale go for it, but the wired version is a great option when money is tight.
Price: Razer BlackShark V2 (Wired), $75 from Amazon | Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (Wireless), $140 from Amazon
Maybe a mechanical gaming keyboard?
Image Credits: Catherine Shu
This is a tough one. I was originally going to do a roundup of a bunch of keyboards … but, like next-gen consoles, many of the best ones are very hard to find right now.
If your PC-gaming loved one has a keyboard they like, you can sneak a look and get them a new one or an upgraded one of the same brand. But if you hear them talking about what “color” of mechanical switch they like or they’re talking about building their own … maybe back down. Once they go down that rabbit hole, the choices are very individual and it’s hard to get right as a gift. Maybe go with a gift card or something.
Console accessories
Maybe your loved one was lucky enough to get a Series X or PS5 already, or they have one coming soon. Maybe they just want to upgrade their current-gen console. Either way, they’ll probably still want a little extra gear.
PlayStation:
Media remote
Image Credits: Sony
If someone uses their PlayStation 5 as the primary way of watching Netflix, Plex and so on, it gets old pretty fast using the rather large, heavy, easy-to-bump-off-the-couch DualSense gamepad for it. Snag one of these remote controls and no one has to learn whether “O” or “X” means cancel, or whether to use the bumpers, triggers, D-pad or analog sticks to rewind and fast forward. Honestly, this thing should probably come in the box. Super easy and convenient gift for combination gamers/cord-cutters.
Price: $30 from Amazon
A big hard drive expansion
Image Credits: Samsung
On a PS4, you can just buy a big ol’ external USB hard drive and plug it in. You can do the same with a PS5, but there are … limitations. For the most part, it’s better to upgrade the internal storage.
Any reasonably tech-confident person should be able to install this expansion drive for PS5s, which they’ll probably want eventually since games these days are flippin’ huge. This is a one-time purchase and install that will extend the life of the console and make things simpler, especially if they have the “digital” version without a disc drive. The major brands (Samsung, PNY, Kingston) all have PS5-compatible options; just make sure it’s one of those and you’re good. One detail that’s easy to miss: Some models note that they need a heatsink to work with a PS5 but don’t actually include one in the box. THANKS.
Xbox:
Elite controller
Image Credits: Microsoft
This is a bit of a splurge since the vanilla Xbox controllers are pretty excellent … but if the Xbox has been your loved one’s main gaming platform for years, you might be able to help them up their game a bit. The improved ergonomics, sweet D-pad, rear paddle triggers and other improvements can be game changers — no joke. You can do things with those rear paddles that would require ridiculous hand contortions to pull off otherwise. Xbox One-era controllers are compatible with Xbox Series X consoles, so this one is an investment that should work for years regardless of what gen they’re on right now.
Price: $160 from Amazon
Series X storage expansion card
Image Credits: Seagate
Same deal with the PlayStation: External USB drives work well enough on the last-gen Xboxes, but there are limitations when using them with the next-gen consoles.
Not that installing the PS5’s expansion card is particularly hard, but with the Xbox Series X you literally just plug it into the back. That’s it. $220 for 1 TB seems a bit expensive to me, but it’s up to you.
Price:...