š Weāve rounded up the best gifts for gamers in 2025, covering new releases and accessories that enhance the gaming experience
š The list includes cutting-edge tech like the Xreal Pro One AR glasses and high-performance peripherals such as the Mobapad Huben 2 and Backbone Pro controller
š® New console upgrades and accessories are also included, like the PS5 Pro, PlayStation Portal, and Nintendo Switch 2 accessories like the dbrand Killswitch 2 case and PNY microSD Express cards
š² Novelty and retro items like the ModRetro Chromatic handheld, the interactive Board tabletop game, and the LEGO Game Boy set offer unique gifts for different types of gamers
Tisā the season to give the gamer in your life a gift theyāll cherish forever. Whether itās giving them something new to play, enhancing their overall gaming experience, or keeping them busy over the winter months, Iāve rounded up the best gifts for gamers that I know theyāll truly love.
Youāll find something for everyone on this list, be it young gamers getting into the hobby for the first time, or grizzled veterans who started playing video games before they were cool. Most of these gifts for gamers are also on sale during Black Friday, so make sure you grab them today to snag a cracking deal.
Xreal One Pro
The Xreal One Pro glasses feel like the future of AR technology. Instead of donning a heavy, world-obscuring headset, the Xreal One Pro glasses can transform your computer display or Steam Deck into a personal cinema. You can view your content on a massive, floating, resizable and completely private screen.
Inside the lenses are two crystal-clear micro OLED displays, and you can enjoy Bose speaker quality audio in the glasses stems. If youāre looking to boost your productivity or want to upgrade your entertainment, the Xreal One Pro glasses make a fantastic gift.
Mobapad Huben 2
Mobapad has been quietly producing fantastic controllers for a while now, and the Mobapad Huben 2 is no exception. A fantastic and vastly more affordable alternative to other pro controllers on the market, the Huben N2 feels fantastic in the hand and features four re-programmable buttons, 10 Omron mechanical buttons, capacitive joysticks, trigger stops, and even six-axis motion sensing.
You can also choose between a traditional and circular D-pad, and use the multifunction button to adjust the vibration levels and set a turbo function. Oh, and thereās a hard carry case and braided USB-C to USB-A cable included. If that wasnāt enough reasons to pick up the Mobapad Huben 2, the controller is compatible with the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Android, iOS and Windows 10/11, which means it works across practically every device.
Board
Itās time to bring the family back together with Board, an innovative take on the traditional tabletop board game, infused with the interactivity of video games. It also aims to bring back the joy of face-to-face gaming, something thatās admittedly been lost as more video games lean heavily on online play.
Board comes with 12 games pre-installed and 49 physical game pieces that create new gameplay experiences by interacting with the 24-inch touchscreen. Thereāre countless hours of fun to be had with friends and family, and you can get Board for an introductory price of $499 until December 2, 2025, which is cheaper than a PS5 and Xbox Series X. After that date, the price will be $699.
ModRetro Chromatic
Retro gaming has seen a huge revival recently, and the ModRetro Chromatic is partly responsible. The handheld is the ultimate version of the Game Boy, and a must-have for anyone who was a fan of Nintendoās timeless system.
The ModRetro Chromatic lets you play original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges on its super bright pixel-perfect display. However, thereās also a growing list of new and re-released classics that play better than ever on the Chromatic.
Itās easy to forget just how good the Game Boy and Game Boy Color generation of gaming was, but with the ModRetro Chromatic, you can transport yourself back to the early 90s and relive those precious memories all over again.
PNY 512GB microSD Express
The Nintendo Switch 2 may come with four times the amount of storage of the Nintendo Switch OLED, but that 256GB fills up fast. Game file sizes are far bigger on the Nintendo Switch 2, and you canāt use a regular microSD card this time around.
Thankfully, PNY has you covered with its excellent microSD Express options. You can choose between 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities, which will give you far more room to store the best Switch 2 games. PNYās microSD Express cards deliver blazing-fast read speeds of up to 890MB/s and write speeds up to 750MB/s, making them some of the fastest on the market. It means youāll spend more time playing, and less time waiting for games to load and install.
Backbone Pro controller
Mobile gaming continues to be one of the most popular ways to play, but not everyone can get to grips with touch controls. Cue the Backbone Pro, a superb controller that can transform your phone into a phenomenal handheld.
The Backbone Pro features full-size, console-grade analog sticks, remappable back buttons, and a familiar layout refined for mobile. However, unlike the Backbone One, the Backbone Pro also lets you connect wirelessly to other devices like an Apple TV or a Meta Quest 3 headset. This gives you more flexibility and means you can use the Backbone Pro as your go-to controller instead of just for mobile gaming.
dbrand Switch 2 Killswitch case
Thereās a high probability that the gamer in your life will have a Nintendo Switch 2 waiting under the tree. But as fantastic as Nintendoās new console is, it isnāt the most comfortable to hold for long periods. Thatās where dbrandās Switch 2 Killswitch case comes in.
Not only does it make the Switch 2 more ergonomic without sacrificing features like the detachable controllers, but it also provides some additional protection. You can still dock the Switch 2 using the included adapter, meaning youāll never need to take the Killswitch 2 case off. Not that youād want to.
PlayStation Portal
Sonyās PS5 Remote Play handheld has seen a resurgence recently thanks to a new update. You can now use cloud streaming on the PlayStation Portal, giving you access to thousands of games to play from the PlayStation Plus Catalog or your existing library. You can still stream your PS5 games to the Portal using Remote Play, too.
The PlayStation Portal is the perfect accessory if you want to play your PS5 away from the TV and keeps the same features as the DualSense. You can still enjoy the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that add an extra layer of immersion, and 3D audio is also available when using a wired headset.
LEGO Game Boy
LEGO has become incredibly popular with adults in recent years, and building the LEGO Game Boy is a perfect way to spend a cozy night in. A fitting tribute to Nintendoās iconic handheld, the 421-piece set lets you build an original Game Boy with two cartridges: Super Mario Land and The Legend of Zelda: Linkās Awakening.
You can also choose between three lenticular displays, two that show each game, and one that shows the Nintendo logo that appears when you power on the device. Tilting each lens shows a new frame, and it adds another eye-catching element to the already surprisingly interactive model.
PS5 Pro
If you want to play the best PS5 games at the highest resolutions and smoothest frame rates, then the PS5 Pro is for you. Sonyās souped-up PlayStation 5 is the most powerful console on the market, and can have a transformative effect on some titles.
Games that previously had to sacrifice resolution and performance, like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, now look better than ever on PS5 Pro. Countless other titles have benefited from Sonyās mid-gen console refresh, and weāve even seen the number of PS5 games with ray tracing support increase thanks to the PlayStation 5 Pro.
Up next: Apple Black Friday deals 2025: weāre tracking discounts on AirPods, iPads, and more
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcutās Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadarās Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.