Gifting season is approaching fast! We’ve tried and tested a lot of gaming-related gifts this year.
The team at Quest Daily put our heads together and came up with our list of top gifts for 2023. This is for the gamer in your life; older gamers, kid gamers, streamers – you name it.
There’s gifts here from every price point.
Feel the game
Shaun’s top gamer pick for this year is the DualSense controller. If you already have one — you need two.
With all that tech crammed in there (adaptive triggers, haptic feedback, inbuilt speaker and microphone) the battery can drain fast. Having a second controller allows you to keep gaming with minimal interruption. A second controller will set you back around $79.00 AUD.
Shaun also recommends picking up an official charging station; not only does it charge 2 controllers at once, but it also displays your controllers in a neat and functional way. You can pick up the dock for about $49.00 AUD.
A personal touch
Xbox offers a range of customisable Wireless Controllers.
Choose from the colour of the triggers, thumbsticks – all the little bits and pieces, as well as a personalised imprint at the end. Prices start at $69.00 AUD.
But for those looking to step up their gaming… Here’s Rhiannen’s pick:
A custom Xbox Elite Wireless Controller – this controller offers custom button mapping, designed to your specifications. It’s her daily controller and charges easily through its protective case. The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller starts from $219.95 AUD.
On the go
There’s a stack of great handheld helpers for when you want to game from your phone while on the go.
The Backbone One: PlayStation Edition launched earlier this year, giving gamers the ability to take their PlayStation with them on the go.
The Backbone One was reviewed by Shaun earlier this year. Check out his review below.
The Backone One is available in both iPhone and Android editions and retails for around $175.00.
The Turtle Beach Atom is also another great controller for your phone.
Similar to the Backbone, but with a simplistic setup and no UI. The Atom folds away nicely and comes with a protective pouch. It retails for around $185.00 AUD.
For the streamer
Elgato is your go to for all your streaming needs. From cameras to stream decks and lighting – they’ve got it all. The Elgato range varies, with the classic FaceCam starting at around $150.00 AUD.
Recently Elgato introduced a teleprompter, just like the TV news, to allow you to read from a script without looking away from the camera. This retails for around $500.00 Aussie dollars.
Light ‘em up
Nanoleaf is almost an essential addition to any game setup these days. Try and find an online creator that doesn’t have a fancy setup on their walls. Nanoleaf’s lighting range comes in all shapes and sizes, from lines to hexagons and triangles.
The 5 Panel Shapes Mini Triangles Starter Kit starts from $189.99 AUD.
Recently, Nanoleaf released their 4D Screen Mirror and Lightstrip Kit that mirrors your TV or computer display. These are priced competitively at around $170.00 AUD.
Build it!
Find me a gamer who doesn’t love LEGO. now there’s so many gaming-related sets to choose from.
Rose’s pick is Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam Expansion Set, “This one is my fave part of my collection!”
This play set features Dixie Kong in the jungle alongside her pal Squawks. The Dixie Kong set retails for about $45.00 AUD.
When it comes to LEGO, at the top of my list this year is the Piranha Plant, as a big fan of the Super Mario LEGO series, this would be the icing on the cake.
Away from the screen
There are so many great games you can play off the screen. Obviously, they’re not “video games” but we feel these two go hand-in-hand.
Catan is a game you can pick up almost anywhere, it’s become a staple at boardgame nights for 40 years and this settlement builder is not slowing down.
Catan can be picked up for under $70.00 AUD right now, so jump on that!
And for the kids, did you know there is a Squishmallow card game?!
Squishmallows Take Four Card Game sees players collecting cards and build a full Squishmallows Squad to win! Squishmallows are all the rage right now (my 8 and 5-year-old would testify to this) and I can’t think of a better way to get the kids away from the screens for an afternoon. It retails for $29.95 AUD.
Sticking to the tabletop category
Have you ever heard of Magic the Gathering?
Of course you have… And there’s never been a better time to jump in. With card sets featuring huge IPs like The Lords of the Rings and Doctor Who, there’s something for everyone.
Sam attests to this. He’s currently checking out the The Lost Caverns of Ixalan set, which includes some incredible Jurassic Park-themed cards. Draft boosters, which include 15 cards, start at just $8.00 AUD!
Festive Gift
Ellie’s top pick will enhance the Christmas spirit for any gamer.
Tree ornaments! And Hallmark’s gamer range is elite. Mario, Animal Crossing, Fortnite, Minecraft, Pokémon and more starting from $25.00 AUD.
The obvious answer
Video games! This year has been overwhelming in the video game department. All of the games listed below we’ve tried and tested. These games are also all available in physical form. Follow the links to read our reviews and thoughts.
For the action lover:
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (PS5 Exclusive)
For the role player:
Final Fantasy XVI (PS5 Exclusive)
For the whole family:
Super Mario Wonder (Nintendo Switch Exclusive)
Pikmin 4 (Nintendo Switch Exclusive)
For puzzle lovers:
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo Switch Exclusive)
For the little ones:
For everything else there’s Xbox Game Pass, which offers a tonne of great games including Bethesda’s RPG latest big RPG: Starfield.
When all else fails
Shopping around getting too hard? Gift cards may seem like an easy way out, but Shaun argues they’re possibly the best gift of all.
We all know cash is king, the recipient can get whatever they really want.
A wallet top-up is the next best thing! Whether it’s purchasing a new game, DLC, or a battle pass, you can guarantee every gamer needs funds at some point.
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