Best Gaming Gifts for People Who Don’t Know Anything About Gaming

Introduction

The best gaming gifts are not determined by price tags or how many LEDs light up when you plug them in. They’re determined by one simple question: will this person actually use it, or will it end up in a drawer after two weeks?

Gregory — the donkey who had never, once upon a time, held a controller in his life — has watched countless humans struggle with this exact problem. You want to buy something thoughtful for the gamer in your life, but the moment you step into a GameStop or open Amazon, you’re drowning in acronyms, platform exclusives, and $300 chairs that claim to improve your K/D ratio.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: gamers are extraordinarily specific about their gear, their games, and their ecosystems. What delights a PlayStation loyalist might be completely useless to a PC gamer. A thoughtful gift for someone who plays Stardew Valley every night is very different from what a competitive Call of Duty player needs.

This guide is for people who don’t speak gaming fluently but need to buy a gift that doesn’t scream ‘I Googled this five minutes ago.’ We’ve broken it down by gamer type, budget, and — most importantly — how to avoid the expensive mistakes that make gift-giving painful. Grab a beverage and let’s dive into the best gaming gifts with Gregory!

The Core Problem: Gamers Already Know What They Want

The single biggest obstacle when shopping for gamers is that they’ve already done the research. If there’s a game they want, they bought it during a Steam sale three months ago. If there’s a peripheral they need, they’ve been watching YouTube reviews for weeks.

This creates a paradox: the more you try to anticipate what they want, the higher the chance you’ll buy something they either already own, don’t need, or actively don’t want.

The safest gaming gifts fall into three categories:

• Universal consumables (gift cards, subscriptions, storage)
• Comfort/quality-of-life upgrades they wouldn’t buy themselves
• Nostalgia or merch tied to games they already love

Everything else is a minefield. Let’s navigate it.

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Best Gaming Gifts by Gamer Type

Not all gamers are created equal. Here’s how to match the gift to the person.

For Console Gamers (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch)

Console gamers have one huge advantage for gift-givers: their ecosystem is locked in. If they own a PlayStation 5, they can only use PlayStation-compatible gear and games. This narrows your options significantly.

Safe Gifts:

• Extra wireless controller (official brand, not third-party)
• PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass subscription (gives them access to hundreds of games)
• High-capacity microSD card for Nintendo Switch (256GB or higher)
• Quality gaming headset (works across all platforms)
• Carrying case for Nintendo Switch

Gregory’s Take: Do NOT buy games unless you’re 100% certain they don’t already own them. Check their game library first, or just get a subscription instead.

→ Find gaming controllers on Amazon

For PC Gamers

PC gamers are the most particular subset. They care deeply about specs, brands, and whether their mouse has a 25K DPI sensor (don’t ask). The safest move here is gift cards or universal accessories.

Safe Gifts:

• Steam gift card (the most universally appreciated PC gaming gift)
• Quality gaming mouse (brands: Logitech G Pro, Razer DeathAdder)
• Mechanical keyboard (brands: ASUS ROG, Razer, Corsair)
• Large mouse pad (extended desk mat style)
• External SSD for game storage (1TB or 2TB)

Gregory’s Take: Unless you know their exact setup, do not buy internal PC components. You will get it wrong. Stick to peripherals or gift cards.

→ Find Steam gift cards on Amazon

For Retro/Nostalgia Gamers

These are the folks who still talk about the Nintendo 64 like it was yesterday. They appreciate anything that taps into gaming history.

Safe Gifts:

• Analogue Pocket (plays original Game Boy cartridges with a modern screen)
• LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System or Game Boy set
• Retro game-themed merch (posters, art prints, collectibles)
• Atari Gamestation Go (200+ classic games built-in)
• Gaming cookbooks (The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, etc.)

Gregory’s Take: Nostalgia is a powerful gift motivator. If they talk about old games constantly, lean into that instead of trying to guess what new game they’d like.

→ Find retro gaming gifts on Amazon

What NOT to Buy: The Gaming Gift Graveyard

These are the gifts that seem thoughtful but almost always miss the mark.

1. Games for the Wrong Platform

This is the #1 most common mistake. PlayStation games don’t work on Xbox. Xbox games don’t work on PlayStation. PC games don’t work on consoles. If you’re not 100% certain which platform they use, do not buy a physical game.

Gregory’s Take: When in doubt, gift cards > guessing.

2. Generic ‘Gaming Chairs’

Most sub-$200 gaming chairs are cheaply made, uncomfortable after an hour, and fall apart within a year. Unless you’re buying a premium brand like Secretlab ($500+), skip the chair entirely. A good office chair is a better investment.

3. Cheap Third-Party Controllers

Off-brand controllers are tempting because they’re $20 instead of $60. They’re also terrible. Stick drift, connectivity issues, and buttons that stop working after a month are common. Always buy official brand controllers (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo).

4. Random RGB Desk Toys

LED light strips, glowing mouse pads, and RGB coasters look cool in product photos. In reality, most gamers find them gimmicky and they end up unplugged within a week. If they wanted RGB everything, they would have bought it themselves.

5. Headsets Without Doing Research

Gaming headsets are deeply personal. Wired vs. wireless, open-back vs. closed-back, over-ear vs. on-ear — these details matter. Unless you know their exact preferences or current setup complaints, a headset is a risky gift.

Gregory’s Take: If you’re buying a headset anyway, go for a reputable brand (SteelSeries Arctis, Razer Kraken, HyperX Cloud) and keep the receipt.

Universal Gaming Gifts That Work for Almost Everyone

When you genuinely don’t know what they need, these gifts are low-risk and high-appreciation.

1. Gift Cards (Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo eShop)

Gift cards feel impersonal, but for gamers, they’re gold. They can wait for sales, pick exactly what they want, and never feel like they wasted money on something they won’t use.

→ Find gaming gift cards on Amazon

2. Game Pass or PlayStation Plus Subscriptions

These subscriptions give access to hundreds of games for a monthly fee. It’s like Netflix for gaming. A 3-month or 12-month subscription is a thoughtful, practical gift that gets used immediately.

3. High-Quality Headset (Multi-Platform)

If you’re going to buy a headset, make sure it works across multiple platforms (PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch). The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 and HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless are safe, well-reviewed options.

→ Find gaming headsets on Amazon

4. External Storage (SSD or microSD)

Gamers are always running out of storage. A 1TB external SSD for PC/console gamers or a 256GB microSD card for Nintendo Switch players is practical and appreciated.

Find External Storage on Amazon

5. Gaming-Themed Merch from Their Favorite Game

If you know their favorite game, merch is a safe bet. Art prints, collectible figures, themed apparel, or even a high-quality gaming cookbook tied to a franchise they love (Zelda, Final Fantasy, Fallout) shows thoughtfulness without requiring technical knowledge.

→ Find gaming merch on Amazon

Quick Reference: What to Buy by Gamer Type

Gamer Type	What NOT to Buy	Safe Gift Territory
Console Gamer (PS5/Xbox)	❌ Wrong platform games or gift cards	✅ Extra controller, headset, or Game Pass/PS Plus subscription
PC Gamer	❌ Console accessories or generic keyboards	✅ Steam gift card, quality mouse, or mechanical keyboard
Nintendo Switch Player	❌ PlayStation or Xbox games	✅ microSD card, carrying case, or Nintendo eShop card
Retro/Nostalgia Gamer	❌ Latest AAA titles they won’t play	✅ Analogue Pocket, LEGO Nintendo sets, or retro game merch
Mobile Gamer	❌ Expensive PC peripherals	✅ Backbone controller, portable charger, or subscription (Apple Arcade)
Competitive/Esports Player	❌ Gimmicky RGB desk toys	✅ High-DPI mouse, pro controller, or tournament-grade headset
Casual/Cozy Gamer	❌ Intense FPS games or pro gear	✅ Cozy games (Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing), gift card, or themed merch

How to Choose the Best Gaming Gifts (When You Have No Idea What You’re Doing)

Here’s a step-by-step process to avoid disaster:

Step 1: Identify their platform

Do they play on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, or mobile? This is the single most important piece of information. Ask directly if you don’t know.

Step 2: Check what they already own

Look at their game library, Steam wishlist, or PlayStation/Xbox profile if you can access it. This prevents buying duplicates.

Step 3: Ask about pain points

Casually ask: ‘Is there anything about your setup that’s annoying?’ If they mention running out of storage, an uncomfortable chair, or a dying controller, you’ve just been handed a gift idea.

Step 4: Default to consumables when in doubt

Gift cards, subscriptions, and storage are universally useful. They’re not exciting to wrap, but they’re guaranteed to get used.

Step 5: Keep the receipt

Gaming gear is personal. Even with research, you might miss the mark. Make returns easy.

The Bottom Line

The best gaming gifts are the ones that either solve a real problem (storage, a broken controller, an expired subscription) or tap into something they already love (nostalgia, their favorite game, quality-of-life upgrades).

Everything else — the flashy RGB gadgets, the guessed games, the third-party controllers — is a gamble. And when you’re spending money on someone you care about, gambling is the wrong strategy.

Gregory’s Final Verdict: When in doubt, ask. Gamers would rather tell you exactly what they need than receive something thoughtful that doesn’t work. If asking ruins the surprise, gift cards don’t.

Further Reading

For in-depth hardware reviews and platform-specific buying guides, check out:

PC Gamer — Gaming Hardware Reviews & Buying Guides

PC Gamer provides expert-tested reviews on gaming peripherals, laptops, and accessories across all platforms. Their annual gift guides are written by people who actually play games, not marketers.