iDB Holiday Gift Guide: great gift ideas for gamers

For this segment of our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide, we put together a thoughtful collection of great gift ideas for the gamers on your list.

Logitech G Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse

If the gamer on your list is of the PC variety (or Mac, I guess), they need a good mouse like the Logitech G Pro. Now I know a lot of purists are going to say wireless isn’t the way to go, but hear me out. The G Pro was built from the ground up with pro gaming in mind. There’s no lag, it’s super accurate, it has a comfortable (and ambidextrous) design, and you can even charge it wirelessly with a special mouse pad.

Buy for $150

HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset

HyperX headset for gamers

The gaming headset space is a complex and crowded one, but I think most agree that the HyperX Cloud II is still one of the best in terms of bang-for-your-buck. Yes it’s wired, which might turn some folks off, but this eliminates the whole Bluetooth/hardware compatibility issue. These work with PCs and consoles, sound great, are super comfortable, and offer virtual 7.1 surround sound.

Buy for $80

New York Puzzle Company Video Games Collection

video games collection puzzle for gamers

Every gamer, young and old, will appreciate this jigsaw puzzle from the New York Puzzle Company. It features 1,000 pieces and measures 19″ x 27″ when completed, and as you can see it’s just dripping with nostalgia. Some of the legacy gaming systems featured in the puzzle include the original NES, the Atari and Intellivision.

Buy for $20

Hot Wheels Rocket League Stadium

So this is pretty cool. It’s essentially a real-world, miniaturized version of the smash hit Rocket League. You get a collapsible arena, oversized ball, and two Hot Wheels vehicles you can control with your smartphone. Now just a heads up, touchscreen controls plus small, non-high-performance cars don’t make for the most exhilarating gameplay. But if you keep that in mind going into it, it can actually be a fun little family activity.

Buy for $80

Cable Guy Sonic the Hedgehog Device Holder

Sonic device holder for gamers

Haha, I love these little things. They’re called Cable Guys, and they’re made to sit on your desk or wherever and hold your various devices. Each one stands about 8 inches tall, and will hold a DualShock4 controller, Xbox One controller, or smartphone (depending on the size). There’s even a little spot for you to tuck a charging cable. I like the Sonic one, but there are dozens of characters available.

Buy for $26

Handheld Oregon Trail Game

Here is an authentic 80’s version of the popular Oregon Trail game. In handheld form. Built to look like the Apple IIe. Need I say more? Seriously though, the software is licensed, the hardware build quality is great, and this thing is getting 4+ star reviews across most retail sites. The smaller key layout will take some getting used to for things like hunting and fording rivers, but that’s about the only caveat I could come up with.

Buy for $17

Oculus Quest All-inOne VR Gaming Headset

Ok so we went old and nostalgic, now let’s go futuristic and cutting edge. If you want to put the gamer on your list, ahead of the game, get them the Oculus Quest VR headset. Unlike other VR systems, this one comes with everything you need to play right out of the box. No need for an expensive high performance PC. It’s obviously on the pricier side, but most gaming consoles are, right?

Buy for $399

Kinesis Freestyle Edge Gaming Keyboard

Back to traditional gaming equipment. Just like with mice and headphones, there are a ton of gaming keyboards out there to choose from. I like the Kinesis Freestyle Edge for a few reasons. It checks all of the usual boxes: mechanical, RGB backlighting, customizable hot keys and plug-and-play friendly, but it’s also very ergonomic. It comes with a comfy wrist wrest, and you can split and tilt the keyboard to whatever position is most comfortable for you. As someone who suffers from wrist/hand pain, I wish I had started thinking ergonomic sooner.

Buy for $199

Secretlab Titan 2020 Gaming Chair

Ok you have your mouse, keyboard and headset. What else does a gamer need? A proper gaming chair. Now any well-made, comfortable, high-backed chair will suffice, but if you want to get the absolute best, go for the Titan from Secretlab. Everyone pretty much agrees that this is one of the best gaming chairs money can buy based on build quality and comfort level.

Buy for $399