By interest

Gifts for gamers

Updated July 2026 · 7 min read

Buying for someone who games seems easy until you realise how much you’d need to know: which platform, which library, which of the three versions of a title, whether they already bought it in a sale eight months ago. Get any of it wrong and you’ve bought a thing they can’t use.

Which is why the reliable approach is to ignore games entirely and buy the things that make every session better, regardless of what’s being played.

1. Comfort, because sessions are long

Gaming is sitting down for extended periods, and most setups are assembled from whatever was available. This is the least glamorous and most appreciated category.

• A proper seat cushion or lumbar support. Cheaper and often better than a “gaming chair”, and it fixes an actual problem.
• A monitor light bar — reduces eye strain in a dark room without washing out the screen. One of those things people didn’t know they wanted.
• A footrest, which sounds absurd and materially improves long sessions.
• A blanket for the sofa players.
• Blue-light glasses, if they play late.

2. Audio

The single biggest experiential upgrade available, and the thing most people are running the cheapest version of. A good headset improves immersion, competitive performance and household peace simultaneously.

If they play with friends, the microphone matters as much as the sound. If you’re spending more, a standalone microphone plus decent headphones beats most all-in-one headsets, though it’s a bigger commitment in desk space.

Check the platform for wireless compatibility — this is the one place where hardware specifics matter. Wired headsets sidestep the issue entirely.

3. Storage and the boring infrastructure

Modern games are enormous, and nearly every console owner is quietly juggling what to delete. External storage is an unromantic gift that gets used immediately and constantly.

Also in this category: cable management, a controller stand, a headset hook, a powered USB hub, a better mousepad, or a desk mat that makes the whole setup look deliberate.

4. Gift cards, used properly

This is one of the few gifting situations where a card is genuinely the best answer rather than a retreat. Games are personal, frequently discounted, and often bought the week they release.

Two things make it feel like a gift rather than a transfer. First, buy it for their specific platform store, which shows you knew what they play. Second, pair it with something small and physical so there’s an object to open — a snack they like, a small piece of merchandise, a card with a note about what they should spend it on.

Handheld, retro and tabletop

“Gamer” is broader than a console under a television, and a few adjacent categories are easy to buy for and often overlooked.

For handheld players, the accessories are genuinely useful and rarely bought: a case that actually protects the thing, a grip that makes long sessions comfortable, a screen protector, extra storage, or a stand for tabletop play. All are cheap and all get used from the first day.

For anyone with a nostalgic streak, retro is rich territory. A well-made reproduction controller, an original boxed copy of a game they loved as a child, artwork from a title that mattered to them, or a book about the era. These work because they’re about memory rather than about hardware specifications, which makes them personal in a way current-generation kit rarely is.

And plenty of people who play video games also play board games, which is one of the easiest categories in this entire article to buy for. A well-reviewed modern board game is a genuine social gift, and unlike a video game it doesn’t need to match a platform or a library.

Improving the room, not just the desk

A final category worth considering, because it’s where the biggest quality-of-life gains usually sit and almost nobody buys them for themselves.

Bias lighting behind a screen reduces eye strain noticeably in a dark room and costs very little. Acoustic treatment — even a rug and a couple of soft furnishings — makes a hard-surfaced room far less fatiguing over a long session. A small desk fan matters more than it sounds if their machine puts out heat. Better curtains for daytime glare. A dedicated drink container that won’t destroy the setup when it inevitably gets knocked.

None of it is exciting to unwrap, which is exactly why it never gets bought. That’s usually a strong signal that it will be quietly appreciated for years.

What to avoid

• Games, unless you know the platform and have checked they don’t own it.
• Generic “gamer” merchandise — slogan mugs, RGB tat, anything with a controller graphic and a joke.
• Cheap controllers. Third-party pads with poor sticks are a frustration, not a gift.
• Gaming chairs, for the reasons above.
• Peripherals for the wrong platform. Check before buying anything that plugs in.
• Anything implying they play too much. The joke gift about touching grass is not as funny to receive as to give.

If you can’t name their platform, buy something that doesn’t plug into it. Comfort, audio and consumables are always safe.

Working out their platform without asking

If you want to buy something that does plug in, you need the platform, and asking directly telegraphs the gift. A few quieter routes usually work. Look at what they talk about — console players discuss releases and multiplayer sessions, PC players discuss settings, frame rates and upgrades. Look at what’s visible in the background of video calls. Ask a mutual friend who plays with them, who will know instantly.

Failing all that, ask a question that sounds like curiosity rather than reconnaissance. What are you playing at the moment? Is that any good? Would I be able to play it? The third question in particular usually produces the platform without you ever mentioning it.

The social dimension people forget

For a lot of players, gaming is primarily how they see friends. That reframes what a good gift looks like: anything that makes playing together easier is more valuable than anything that makes playing alone slightly prettier.

That means a decent microphone so they can be heard properly, a subscription that covers online play, a copy of a co-op game plus the same copy for yourself so you can actually play it with them, or paying for the service their group uses. The gift here isn’t the object, it’s the evenings it enables.

It also means being careful with gifts that read as a comment on how much they play. The joke present about going outside lands very differently depending on whether the recipient sees gaming as a hobby or as their main social life — and you often can’t tell from outside.

Buying for younger players

If you’re buying for a child or teenager who games, two practical notes. First, check with whoever pays for their internet before buying anything involving subscriptions, online play or in-game currency — those decisions usually belong to a parent and it’s easy to accidentally override one.

Second, age ratings on games exist and are worth respecting even when the recipient argues otherwise. If you want to avoid the whole question, the comfort and audio categories above are entirely uncontroversial and will be used just as much.

Finding out what they’d actually want

If you want to be more precise than the categories above, one question does most of the work: what’s the most annoying thing about your setup? Players answer that instantly and in detail, because they encounter it every session — a chair that hurts after an hour, storage that’s always full, a headset that pinches, a room that’s too bright in the afternoon.

It doesn’t sound like gift research, which is exactly why it works. And unlike asking what they want, it produces an answer that’s specific enough to buy from.

The best version of this gift

If you want the gift to actually mean something, buy a co-op game and a copy for yourself, then put a date in the diary to play it. For someone whose hobby is often described as antisocial, being asked to share it is a genuinely warm gesture — and it’s the one gift on this page that gives them something no accessory can.

One last thing

If you take one rule away: don’t buy the game. Buy the chair, the sound, the light or the storage — and let them choose what to play with the store credit you attach to it.

The short version

Don’t gamble on titles. Improve the chair, the sound, the light and the storage — the parts of the setup they’ve never spent money on because the money always went to the games themselves. And if you want to fund the games too, a store card for their platform is a perfectly good gift, provided you attach something to unwrap.

Frequently asked questions

What do I buy a gamer if I don't know what console they have?

Platform-agnostic things: a good headset, a comfortable chair cushion, a monitor light, storage for their setup, or snacks and drinks. All improve the experience regardless of hardware, and none require you to know a model number.

Are gift cards a bad gift for gamers?

No — they’re one of the few categories where a gift card is genuinely the right answer, because games are personal and often discounted. Buy the card for their specific platform store, and pair it with something small and physical.

What's a good gift for a PC gamer?

Peripherals and comfort: a decent mousepad, a better headset, monitor lighting to reduce eye strain, cable management, or a fan for the desk. PC players upgrade components themselves but rarely replace the things around them.

Is a gaming chair worth buying as a gift?

Usually not. They’re expensive, personal, bulky and often worse than a decent office chair. A good seat cushion or lumbar support delivers most of the benefit for a fraction of the price and the risk.

What about merchandise from their favourite game?

Fine in small doses, and best when specific. A well-made item from a game they genuinely love beats generic gaming merchandise. Avoid anything mass-produced with a logo slapped on it — enthusiasts can tell the difference immediately.

This guide contains affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability change; the retailer’s listing is always the final word.