Christmas is a time for family, for friends and for general merriment, but above all else it’s a time for video games. Whether it’s trying to teach to your grandparents how to play Wii Sports, or unwrapping a brand new NES back when you were a kid, we’ve all got enjoyable Christmas memories tied to video games.
Now that we’re older, though, things shouldn’t have to be any different. While our tastes may have moved on since we were doing our respective impressions of the “NINTENDO SIXTY-FOOOOUR!” kid, and there may be plenty more gaming-related paraphernalia to buy outside of a console and a copy of Super Mario Bros, video games as a hobby have grown up alongside us and as such there are plenty more gifts to both and give and receive this Christmas.
In our following gift guide we have excluded both consoles, games and, for our own sanity, detailed explanations on the components you’ll need to build a satisfying PC rig, and have instead focused upon the accessories that will greatly complement your gaming experience heading into 2016.
2015 Gaming Gift Guide
2015 Gaming Gift Guide
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DXRacer King Series Zero
DXRacer chairs can frequently be seen hosting the posteriors of professional eSports players, and there are a number of very good reasons in regards to why they're so popular among those who spend a vast majority of their time gaming.
Offering a nigh-on unparalleled level of comfort for those who will spend a regular amount of time sitting in front of a keyboard and mouse, the chair manufacturer's King Series Zero is built for the larger individual, with it accommodating both the tall and, thanks to its 400 pound weight limit, the sizable, too.
With a bulky, premium design and a fully reclining seat (yes, you could even utilize it as a bed if you really couldn't be bothered to make it to your room after a particularly intense League of Legends session), this is one of the best chair options available to those who spend an ample of amount of time sitting at their desks.
Image Credit: DXRacer
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AVermedia Live Gamer Portable
A new contender in a market that has long been dominated by the likes of Elgato, the AVermedia Live Gamer Portable provides the easiest way of capturing video game footage yet, with it even foregoing the need for a PC thanks to a built-in SD card slot.
Providing the perfect solution for recording gameplay whenever, wherever, the portable device may not come with its own free video editing software, but it makes up for it by nullifying the need to have wires trailing throughout your home, as is necessary with the vast majority of capture cards. This ease-of-use also doesn't impact too much on its overall video quality, with it able to record in both 1080p and 720p at a steady 30fps, with it also capable of hitting that 60fps sweet spot if the recording resolution is capped at 720p. For those looking to get into the lucrative business of YouTube Let's Plays, this is the ideal gift.
Image Credit: AVermedia
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Loot Crate
A membership to Loot Crate grants subscribers a mini-Christmas every month of the year.
A box that contains a selection of mysterious goodies, every month Loot Crate will arrive at subscribers' doors and treat them to an array of video game, film and TV paraphernalia, ranging from boxes containing Fallout 4 merchandise through to Star Wars and comic book-related gifts. An ideal present for someone who doesn't want Christmas to end on December 25th (and who really loves POP! Vinyl figurines).
Image Credit: Loot Crate
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SteelSeries Siberia 200
SteelSeries' discontinuation of the Siberia V2 following their release of the V3 upset a lot of games, who were saddened that they could no longer get their hands on what was considered one of the best headsets on the market.
The Siberia 200 is a return to the build of the V2 - it's a "remake," if you will - boasting a majority of the same components, the same high-end heavyweight design, but improved audio and microphone quality. A PC gamer's best friend.
Image Credit: SteelSeries
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Xbox One Elite Controller
A steep price point led many to question whether Microsoft had lost their minds following the announcement of the Xbox One Elite Controller, but after having been given some time to reflect, it's clear that this is a must-have purchase for the Xbox One owner who takes wants to play their games with an unrivalled level of control.
The standard Xbox One controller is already arguably the best on the market, but the Elite Controller stands head and shoulders above the rest as the greatest gamepad that's been released thus far. With a fully customizable button layout scheme enabling the user to pick and choose how they want to experience each of their games, this is the ideal controller for someone who spends probably a little too much time on their Xbox One.
Image Credit: Microsoft
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Razer Firefly
The ostentatious design of the Razer Firefly mouse mat sounds ludicrous at first, what with the patented Chroma lighting surrounding its edges providing no other function than to simply make your gaming setup stand out that little bit extra. But when you take into account that PC rigs are often designed to be as eye-catching as possible, then the Razer Firefly will look a lot less needlessly superficial by comparison.
This large mouse mat features customizable lighting, along with optimized surface coating and a micro-textured finish to ensure smooth mouse movements and, by extension, responsive gameplay.
Image Credit: Razer
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SteelSeries Rival 100 Optical Gaming Mouse
SteelSeries have provided a wonderful yet affordable alternative to many of the more expensive gaming-focused mice on the market, with the Rival 100 Optical Gaming Mouse featuring a custom-designed sensor that boasts 1:1 tracking, zero hardware acceleration along with movement speeds of up to 143 inches per second.
Its buttons are completely remappable, as you'd expect, though unlike its rivals it boasts around 40% higher accuracy than competitors within its price range. It also lights up which, if placed on a certain Chroma-lit mouse mat, would probably make your neighbors think a UFO had landed in your house.
Image Credit: SteelSeries
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Samsung M9T 2TB / Seagate Game Hard Drives
PS4 and Xbox One owners will know the pain of running out of storage space. While the console's 500GB of space may seem more than enough for a console, in reality even disc-based games have huge install sizes, not to mention the abundance of patches and DLC we're regularly downloading.
There are now 1TB versions of both consoles, but for the many who already own the systems, they're not going to want to buy a second PS4 or Xbox One for the sole purpose of the extra storage space. The best option, then, is to buy either the Samsung M9T hard drive for the PS4, or the Seagate Game Drive for the Xbox One.
Both offer a whopping 2TB of storage space and are easy to set up, install, and above all else transfer your current game data/downloads to. They're not the most exciting gift, but for those who find themselves having to delete old games in order to play new ones, they're essential.
Buy the Seagate Game Drive here
Image Credit: Samsung / Microsoft
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Turtle Beach Elite 800
If you find yourself a new owner of a PS4 over the holiday period, the first thing you're going to want to do is get rid of its packaged earbud/microphone and buy yourself a real headset.
For those who are going to be spending most of their time not listening to game audio/voice chat through their TV's speakers, the Turtle Beach Elite 800 is the very best option.
This noise-cancelling headset offers 7.1 channel surround sound and DTS surround sound modes, for the best audio experience you're going to get on a PS4 headset.
Image Credit: Turtle Beach
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Turtle Beach Stealth 500X
While the Xbox One's bundled headset is passable, if you're going to want a better audio experience you need look no further than the Turtle Beach Stealth 500X.
With optimum audio quality and a mobile cable to receive incoming texts/calls while you play, this wireless, surround sound headset should be at the top of every Xbox One owners wish list.
Image Credit: Turtle Beach
