“A Very Pixely Christmas Gamer Gift Guide”
7 min read
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
-JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit
Happy Christmas season to you, my friends and family! This year, we at The Pixels decided to put together a gamer gift guide (GGG) for you. Finally something useful here for non-gamers! It can be tough shopping for the gamers in our lives. Heck, it’s the reason why so many of us just buy our own presents and then act surprised when we unwrap them.
If you need a few ideas, hopefully this gamer gift guide can help. Each of our writers picked out a single item. Be nice, not naughty, and let us know what’s missing from the list! Prices were accurate at the time of writing.
SNES Hallmark Ornament ($19.99)
If there’s anything Hallmark is known for, it’s cards. After cards, though, it’s adorable themed ornaments for every type of fan, with new ones releasing annually. In 2020, there was a precious NES console ornament with lights and Super Mario Bros. sound effects. This year, they’ve upgraded to the SNES and Mario Bros to Mario World! Hang a trip down memory lane on your tree this year. (And if you were more of a Sega fan, don’t worry, there’s a Genesis console this year too. With Sonic, of course.)
With multiple themes available, these boxes including stickers, magnets, buttons, bookmarks, photos, cards and more are perfect for gamers and especially for those that already have huge collections or that you are not sure what game to get them.
Everything is custom made and specific requests are welcome.
Sonic Encyclo-speed-ia Deluxe Edition ($64.65 new)
With the rising popularity of Sonic the Hedgehog in recent years (yaaay!), why not get an extensive look at his thirty-year history? Covering just about every video game appearance from consoles, arcades, and educational material (SEGA Pico, anyone?), the Sonic Encyclo-speed-ia gives an in-depth look at all things Sonic the Hedgehog. It includes interesting anecdotes about the games, deep dives into the lore and worldbuilding of the Sonic universe, and a rich look at the numerous characters that the hedgehog had either teamed up with or faced off against. The Deluxe edition features a sweet-looking slipcase, an exclusive mosaic cover, and a folio containing two dynamic prints of Sonic and Eggman facing off against each other drawn by artist Yuji Uekawa! This is the perfect gift for either the long-time Sonic fan or for someone who just got into the series thanks to Sonic Frontiers.
Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One ($99.99)
You don’t need to go to flight school to fly around like Tom Cruise in Top Gun. I recently purchased the THRUSTMASTER T.FLIGHT HOTAS ONE which was the first official flight simulator controller for the Xbox and PC. It was a breeze to set up and start using. The joystick is very responsive and makes the experience of flying a fighter jet in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown much more fun than using a normal controller. It can even be used in virtual reality if you have a Valve headset. It also has a dual rudder system which corresponds to the pedals used by a pilot to pivot a real plane around its vertical axis. There are a few different versions of the T.Flight including the HOTAS 4 and HOTAS X used for the PS5\PS4 and PS3. All versions are compatible with your PC (through Steam or compatible software). With the latest Microsoft Flight Simulator launching across the board on Xbox Game Pass, now is the perfect time to try out the Thrustmaster!
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Ultimate Works by Keith Stuart (£32.20)
Right, I’ve had enough of that Red Mage guy going on about how much better that “Snezz” thing is than the mightiest console of the 16-bit era, the Sega Mega Drive! But we don’t have debate teams here in the UK so I’ll hand over the defense of the blast processing powerhouse to Keith Stuart in this wonderful book!
The first thing that draws one’s eye is that cover… so sleek, so black, so… Sega! And the artwork within its pages is lush as all heck, let me tell you! And if lovely art and presentation don’t rock your socks off, it’s jam-packed with information and facts about the best retro console of all, without debate too!
Buy it and show that Red Guy what a real console looks like… you may even learn something along the way!
8BitDo SN30 Pro+ Controller ($49.99)
Let’s get past all the nonsense: the most important thing when it comes to games is the controller you’re using to play them. Graphics are nice and thus a nice monitor is important, sure, but if all you care about is graphics, why not just watch a movie? Likewise sound – if you only care about sound, why not just listen to music? No, if you’re playing games, the key is the controller…and the 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ Controller is a fantastic choice for a variety of platforms.
Behold: it’s got the classic Super Nintendo colors! It’s got two analog sticks and the whole standard slate of buttons! You can hook it up to your Switch! To your PC! To your compatible mobile device! What’s more, there’s a variety of customization options allowing you to make it really shine just as you’d like! The 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ is a fantastic choice for your gaming needs. Most importantly, it’s only USD $50. You could do a lot worse.
Related: If you’d like to do a lot worse, the NexiGo Wireless Controller for Switch is this but terrible. The sticks are stiff, the buttons are stiffer and there’s a nice fat chunk of input lag with whatever you connect it to. Trust me: get the 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ instead.
MSI DS502 Gaming Headset ($44.99)
Hear me out!
And with this headset, you’ll want to because when I use this, people think I’m talking to them on a $200 microphone. The audio quality is that of professional audio monitors.
…For $50 (MSRP, I usually find it for $45 or lower), which is an absolute steal. Turtle Island and Sony are out here peddling lower-quality headsets for double, sometimes quadruple that price.
The feel is snug and not out to destroy your ear cartilage. The sound quality is good enough to blare hip-hop, jazz, or your favorite gaming soundtrack.
You’re sleeping on this, and you really shouldn’t be.
Disrupting the Game, Reggie Fils-Aime ($21.99)
Every gamer knows and loves the former president of Nintendo, Reggie Fils-Aime. Whether they’ve seen him on a Nintendo Direct showcase, an E3 presentation, or any of the many memes he’s appeared on over the years, he is one of the most beloved figures in video gaming.
The man truly is a legend. So why not give the gift of his lessons, personal stories, and insight into this bright mind? Not only that, but Reggie also offers inspiring words on how to be confident, creative, and persistent enough to achieve your dreams. It is a gift that keeps giving!
MAYFLASH Magic NX Wireless Bluetooth Controller USD Adapter For Everything Under the Sun ($19.99)
Even the most ardent Nintendo fan boy will admit one sad truth: the JoyCons are an abomination. From stick drift to chiclet keys to sheer ergonomics, the core Switch controllers are a classic example of good ideas, poor execution. But there’s a solution – buy a Pro controller for a measly $70. Sarcasm mode engaged.
Enter a real answer to this very real problem – the Magic NX Controller Stick. This lovely $20 device allows you to use nearly any non-Nintendo controller for your Switch. Pop it into the dock, sync your controller of choice, and you’re good to go. And it works with nearly every console. Murdering the Foot Clan in Shredder’s Revenge on my Switch with a PS4 controller is an amazing experience. The stick only works while the Switch is docked, but you can’t have everything in life. And it works with nearly every permutation and combination of controller/system. The perfect gift for the gamer in your life who loathes the joyless JoyCons and desires the freedom and comfort of more capable input devices.
Rudolf the Conformist Reindeer stickers ($2)
Nothing says Christmas like trying to keep up with the Joneses. Hide your individualism by purchasing products built for mass consumption! Sorry if that’s a little bleak, I’m just trying to sell some stickers here. Spice up your holiday cards this season by slapping one of these on there for all of the other reindeers in your life. Ideal for letting people you love know you have a frickin’ sense of humor! Stickers come in various sizes. This design and others are available to print on various products including shirts, magnets, posters, totes, laptop bags, mugs, and more. Act fast on the most affordable item on this gamer gift guide, support an independent artist, and shock your friends and family in one fell swoop.
Thank you for checking out our gamer gift guide and happy holidays from The Pixels!
Red formerly ran The Well-Red Mage and now serves The Pixels as founder, writer, editor, streamer, and podcaster. He has undertaken a seemingly endless crusade to talk about the games themselves in the midst of a culture obsessed with the latest controversy, scandal, and news cycle about harassment, toxicity, and negativity. Pick out his feathered cap on Twitter @thewellredmage, on Twitch at /thewellredmage, or Mage Cast.
