Gamer’s Christmas Gift Guide 2024

There’s something rather daunting about shopping for gaming enthusiasts. One wrong move and you might end up with a knockoff controller that falls apart faster than a raid party on patch day, or worse – something they’ve already got tucked away in their collection. Whether you’re shopping for a passionate player or treating yourself to some new gaming gear, we’ve put together a proper comprehensive guide that won’t lead you astray.

This year’s selection covers everything from budget-friendly stocking fillers to proper investment pieces, ensuring there’s something for every wallet thickness. We’ve personally vetted each item to ensure it’s worth your hard-earned pounds, focusing on quality, value, and that all-important ‘wow’ factor when the wrapping paper comes off.

Atari Pong 3D Wall Art – £34.99

A Slice of Gaming History for Your Walls

Whilst anyone can pop a gaming poster on their wall, true enthusiasts might fancy something a touch more sophisticated. Enter Atari’s rather splendid 3D Wall Art piece featuring the timeless Pong. This beautifully crafted decorative number measures a modest 33.8 x 25cm, making it an ideal centrepiece without dominating your space like an overeager boss battle.

The piece cleverly captures the essence of gaming’s earliest commercial success, transforming those simple paddles and that iconic square ball into a contemporary art piece that wouldn’t look out of place in a modern flat or gaming den. At £34.99, it’s positioned in that sweet spot between casual purchase and proper collector’s item – the sort of thing you might buy for yourself whilst pretending it’s going to be a Christmas present for someone else.

Cheap Game Keys – £10+

The Wallet-Friendly Way to Build Your Digital Library

Any savvy gamer worth their salt knows that keeping up with the latest releases can be a proper drain on one’s finances. Digital key retailers like CDKeys have emerged as an increasingly popular option for the budget-conscious player, offering significant savings on everything from the latest blockbusters to indie darlings.

During our recent Black Friday coverage, we spotted some rather eye-watering deals, including Starfield at 40% off its Steam price and EA Sports FC 24 going for nearly half the usual asking price. These marketplaces also tend to offer decent savings on gaming subscriptions – we’ve seen 12-month PlayStation Plus Essential memberships going for £15-20 less than retail. However, it’s worth noting that whilst these savings are tempting, one should stick to established retailers with proper customer service and buyer protection. After all, if something seems too good to be true, it probably needs more questioning than a suspicious quest giver in an RPG.

Hollow Knight Figure – £28.99

A Proper Little Piece of Hallownest

For those who’ve lost countless hours exploring the haunting depths of Hallownest, this charming interpretation of Team Cherry’s iconic Knight stands as a rather lovely piece of memorabilia. Standing at 6.5 inches tall, this PVC figure manages to capture the essence of our silent protagonist whilst adding a dash of cuteness that wouldn’t look out of place on even the most sophisticated desk setup.

What’s particularly nice about this piece is its attention to detail despite its ‘Q’ stylised design. Whilst some gaming figures can look a bit naff up close, this one maintains its charm whether it’s guarding your workspace or keeping watch over your gaming setup. At £28.89, it’s positioned quite nicely in the gift-giving sweet spot – not so cheap that it feels throwaway, but not so dear that you’ll need to skip lunch for a week. The non-toxic, hand-finished construction means you won’t have to worry about it degrading faster than the Pale King’s kingdom, either.

Tee Fury – Gaming Crossover T-shirts – £20

Where Gaming Fashion Meets Pop Culture Wit

Finding gaming merchandise that doesn’t scream “I live in my parent’s basement” can be a proper challenge, but TeeFury has rather cleverly carved out its niche in the world of gaming fashion. Their limited-edition t-shirts offer a brilliant mix of gaming references that manage to be both clever and subtle – think less “giant game logo plastered across your chest” and more “knowing nod from fellow fans on the tube.”

At a rather reasonable £14 (roughly $18), these tees often feature inspired mashups that wouldn’t look out of place in a trendy Oxford Street boutique. Whether it’s Link from Zelda reimagined in a Studio Ghibli style, or Hollow Knight characters paying homage to classic cinema, there’s something rather special about wearing art that combines multiple passion points. The 24-hour limited drops add a dash of FOMO to proceedings, though the Gallery section offers a second chance at nabbing designs you might have missed – provided enough TeeFurians vote for their revival. It’s worth noting that sizes can sell out faster than a Pac-Man gobbling power pellets, so setting a reminder for new drops isn’t a bad shout.

Displate Metal Poster – £26.13 / £39

When Gaming Art Meets Industrial Chic

Moving beyond those tatty paper posters blu-tacked to your walls, Displate offers something rather more sophisticated for the discerning gamer. These magnetic metal masterpieces transform your favourite gaming moments – be it Master Chief’s iconic helmet or Vault Boy’s cheeky grin – into proper wall art that wouldn’t look out of place in a trendy London flat.

The beauty of these sturdy metal prints lies in their versatility and faff-free installation. Unlike traditional frames that require you to wage war with a spirit level and wall plugs, these beauties snap into place via magnets in roughly the same time it takes to load a modern game (about 20 seconds, if you’re wondering). Whether you fancy creating a Destiny-themed feature wall or mixing up your World of Warcraft collection on a whim, these robust pieces can handle more rearrangements than your average raid party. At various price points depending on size and design, they’re a proper step up from standard gaming merchandise – the sort of thing that lets you display your gaming passion without your other half threatening to redecorate

Call of Duty: Zombie Ghost Cable Guy – £29.99

A Proper Battle-Hardened Device Holder

Whilst one might question the practicality of having a zombified Ghost from Call of Duty lurking about your gaming setup, there’s something rather brilliant about this ghoulish chap keeping your kit in order. Standing at a decent 8.5 inches tall, this officially licensed Cable Guy has got the sort of presence that’ll have your PlayStation 5 DualSense or Xbox pad feeling well looked after, even if its keeper does sport a rather haunting skull balaclava splattered with the red stuff.

The beauty of this particular holder lies in its versatility – whether you’re sporting the latest iPhone or prefer your gaming remote at the ready, Ghost’s steady hands provide a reliable perch for your tech. At £29.99, it’s positioned as a proper piece of CoD memorabilia that actually serves a purpose, rather than just gathering dust alongside your unopened Collectors Editions. The detailed sculpt, including Ghost’s signature headset, makes this a rather smashing display piece for the dedicated Call of Duty enthusiast.

Xbox Series S (2024)– £199 / £299

The Budget-Friendly Gaming Powerhouse Gets Even Better

At £199 (a proper bargain considering its original £299 price tag), the refreshed Xbox Series S presents perhaps the most compelling entry point into current-gen gaming this side of Christmas. Whilst it may lack the raw muscle of its beefier Series X sibling, this diminutive white box packs enough punch to handle modern gaming with aplomb, offering up to 120 FPS gameplay and rather nippy load times thanks to its 512GB custom SSD.

What makes the Series S particularly enticing in 2024 is Microsoft’s increasingly consumer-friendly ecosystem approach. Purchase a game digitally, and you’ll find yourself able to crack on with it across Xbox, PC, and even on your mobile via Cloud Gaming – a rather splendid proposition for those who fancy a bit of Forza Motorsport during their lunch break. Pair this flexibility with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription (sold separately, mind), and you’ve got access to a proper treasure trove of titles, including day-one releases like the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. The console’s Quick Resume feature means you can hop between games faster than you can say “tea break,” whilst the comprehensive backwards compatibility ensures your classic Xbox library won’t gather dust.

Gigabyte RTX 4070 Ti SUPER EAGLE – £750 / £1400

Taking Flight in the Mid-Range Arena

For those looking to give their gaming rig a proper boost without remortgaging the house, Gigabyte’s RTX 4070 Ti SUPER EAGLE presents a rather compelling proposition. The usual price of £1,400 might make your wallet wince, but is currently £795 in the Amazon Black Friday Sale. This beefy GPU sits comfortably in the sweet spot between performance and bankruptcy – particularly given the current state of graphics card prices.

The EAGLE variant brings some rather tasty features to the table, including Gigabyte’s robust WINDFORCE cooling system (essential for those marathon Cyberpunk 2077 sessions) and a dash of RGB pizzazz that wouldn’t look out of place in a proper gaming setup. The 16GB of GDDR6X memory is nothing to sniff at, and NVIDIA’s DLSS 3.5 technology means you won’t need to faff about with settings to achieve silky-smooth framerates in the latest titles. The dual BIOS feature is particularly handy for those who fancy themselves amateur overclockers but aren’t keen on bricking their investment during the first tweaking session.

Onyx 0782 – RTX 4060, Intel Core i5-12400F – £669

The Sensible Path to PC Gaming Glory

For those looking to dive into PC gaming without having to faff about with thermal paste and cable management, Stormforce’s Onyx 0782 presents a rather compelling proposition. This pre-built beauty strikes a clever balance between performance and price, featuring the sort of components that’ll have you running modern titles without needing to remortgage your house.

At the heart of this machine sits the no-nonsense Intel i5-12400F, paired rather nicely with an RTX 4060

– a combination that’ll handle everything from Baldur’s Gate 3 to Forza Motorsport without breaking a sweat. The generous 32GB of RAM means you can keep Discord, Spotify, and fifteen Chrome tabs open whilst gaming (we’ve all been there), while the 1TB NVMe SSD ensures you won’t spend half your gaming session staring at loading screens. What’s particularly reassuring is Stormforce’s attention to detail

– each system is assembled with the sort of care you’d expect from a proper enthusiast, complete with tidy cable management and even a protective cushion for shipping (do remember to remove that before powering up, mind). Whilst it might not be the sort of rig that’ll have you running Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K with all the ray-tracing bells and whistles, it’s more than capable of providing a proper gaming experience at 1080p or 1440p without making your bank manager wince.

Editor’s Note: For those keen on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, this system will handle the PC versions of those games rather nicely, effectively giving you a proper gaming PC and Xbox-like experience in one package.

Whether you’re splashing out on a proper gaming PC or just wanting to brighten up someone’s gaming space with some tasteful wall art, the key is knowing your gamer. The beauty of our 2024 selection is its versatility – from the wallet-friendly Xbox Series S at £199 to the more ambitious RTX 4070 Ti for those seeking serious gaming grunt.

Remember, while flashy new hardware is always exciting, sometimes it’s the thoughtful touches like a clever TeeFury t-shirt or a nostalgic piece of Atari wall art that make the most memorable gifts. And if you’re really stuck, you can’t go wrong with some discounted game keys – after all, the gift of gaming itself never goes out of style.