Can’t-go-wrong presents for the gamer in your life — even if you don’t know a headset from a controller. Sorted by who they are and what you want to spend.
Every other gift guide claims they tested twenty gadgets. We haven’t hands-on-tested these — and we say so. Instead we read the manuals and the official game details, show the real age rating, check what actual owners report, and put a live, dated price on every pick. That’s more checkable than a claim you can’t verify. Here’s exactly how we pick.
The picks at a glance
Ranked for who they suit and how safe a gift they are. Tap a row to jump to the full write-up. We haven’t hands-on-tested these — here’s exactly what we do instead.
#
Gift
Best for
Price
1
Nintendo eShop Gift Card
When you're not 100% sure what they own, a store card is the honest, can't-go-wrong answer. This lets any Switch owner pick their own games and add-ons — no risk of a duplicate.
The single safest game gift there is. Everyone from a 6-year-old to a grandparent can pick up a controller and have fun in ten seconds, and almost no Switch owner will be sad to get a second copy for parties.
A lightweight wireless headset that sits in the sweet spot between budget and premium, and works across almost everything — Switch, PlayStation, PC and phones. A confident mid-range gift.
An award-winning game built entirely for two people to play together, start to finish. It's the perfect gift for a couple — even if one of you barely games — and a genuine joy the whole way through.
Color-changing lights are the easy way to make any gaming setup feel special, and they're a genuinely fun, affordable gift. Stick them behind a desk or TV and the whole room glows.
A spare controller is the gift almost every gamer is quietly happy to get — for a second player, or to replace a worn-out one. The official Xbox pad also works great on PC.
A premium wireless headset that consistently tops 'best headset' lists. This is the splurge gift for a serious gamer — superb sound, comfy for hours, and no cable to fight.
Seven safe bets across every budget and every kind of gamer. Tap any one to see who it’s for, an honest “skip it if” note, and a live price.
#1Safest bet
Nintendo eShop Gift Card
When you're not 100% sure what they own, a store card is the honest, can't-go-wrong answer. This lets any Switch owner pick their own games and add-ons — no risk of a duplicate.
Great because
+Impossible to get wrong — they choose
+No worry about duplicate games
+Available in several amounts
Keep in mind
−Feels a touch less personal than a wrapped game
Platform
Nintendo Switch
Type
Gift card
Works with
Any Nintendo Switch account
Good for
All ages
Skip it if: Skip if you'd rather give something they can physically unwrap.
Details read from the product listing on July 22, 2026. Price is live from Amazon.
#2Best game for anyone
Nintendo Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The single safest game gift there is. Everyone from a 6-year-old to a grandparent can pick up a controller and have fun in ten seconds, and almost no Switch owner will be sad to get a second copy for parties.
Great because
+Zero learning curve — pick up and play in seconds
+Up to four people on one Switch, so it's an instant party
+The best-selling Switch game ever; it's beloved for a reason
Keep in mind
−A very online player may already own it
Platform
Nintendo Switch
Type
Game
Works with
Switch, Switch Lite, Switch OLED
Good for
All ages
Age rating
E (Everyone)
Skip it if: Skip if you know for certain they already have it (most Switch owners do eventually).
Details read from the product listing on July 22, 2026. Price is live from Amazon.
#3Best headset
Razer Barracuda X
A lightweight wireless headset that sits in the sweet spot between budget and premium, and works across almost everything — Switch, PlayStation, PC and phones. A confident mid-range gift.
Great because
+Wireless and very light
+Works across Switch, PS5, PC and mobile
+Doubles as everyday headphones
Keep in mind
−Not Xbox-compatible in this version
Platform
Any platform
Type
Gear
Works with
PC, PlayStation, Switch & mobile
Good for
Teens & up
Skip it if: Skip if they're primarily an Xbox player.
Details read from the product listing on July 22, 2026. Price is live from Amazon.
#4Best for couples
Electronic Arts It Takes Two
An award-winning game built entirely for two people to play together, start to finish. It's the perfect gift for a couple — even if one of you barely games — and a genuine joy the whole way through.
Great because
+Designed 100% for two-player co-op
+Won Game of the Year — it's that good
+Approachable for a non-gaming partner
Keep in mind
−Needs two people — not a solo game
Platform
PlayStation
Type
Game
Works with
One disc covers PS4 and PS5; also on Xbox, PC & Switch (buy for their device)
Good for
Teens & up
Age rating
T (Teen)
Skip it if: Skip if they mainly play alone; this needs a second player.
Details read from the product listing on August 29, 2026. Price is live from Amazon.
#5Best under $25
Govee RGB LED Strip Lights
Color-changing lights are the easy way to make any gaming setup feel special, and they're a genuinely fun, affordable gift. Stick them behind a desk or TV and the whole room glows.
Great because
+Instantly upgrades a gaming room
+App and voice control, millions of colors
+Cheap crowd-pleaser for any age
Keep in mind
−Adhesive backing sticks best to clean, smooth surfaces
Platform
Any platform
Type
Accessory
Works with
Any room or setup
Good for
All ages
Skip it if: Skip if their setup is already decked out with lighting.
Details read from the product listing on July 22, 2026. Price is live from Amazon.
#6Best spare controller
Xbox Wireless Controller
A spare controller is the gift almost every gamer is quietly happy to get — for a second player, or to replace a worn-out one. The official Xbox pad also works great on PC.
Great because
+Useful to essentially any Xbox or PC player
+Comfortable, reliable, works on PC too
+Comes in lots of colors
Keep in mind
−Confirm their console — Xbox and PlayStation controllers aren't interchangeable
Platform
Xbox
Type
Gear
Works with
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One & Windows PC
Good for
All ages
Skip it if: Skip if they play mainly on PlayStation or Switch (get the matching pad instead).
Details read from the product listing on August 14, 2026. Price is live from Amazon.
#7Best splurge
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7
A premium wireless headset that consistently tops 'best headset' lists. This is the splurge gift for a serious gamer — superb sound, comfy for hours, and no cable to fight.
Great because
+Excellent wireless sound and long battery life
+Very comfortable for marathon sessions
+Works across consoles and PC
Keep in mind
−A real investment — the priciest headset here
Platform
PC
Type
Gear
Works with
PC, PlayStation, Switch & mobile (Xbox variant available)
Good for
Teens & up
Skip it if: Skip if your budget is tighter — the Cloud Stinger 2 covers the basics for far less.
Details read from the product listing on July 22, 2026. Price is live from Amazon.
Not sure where to start?
Pick the way you’re shopping. Whether you know who they are, what console they own, or just your budget, there’s a shortlist waiting.
Can't-go-wrong gifts sorted the way you actually shop — by who they are, what console they own, and how much you want to spend. No gaming knowledge required.
The actual games worth giving — sorted by console and by who you're buying for, including the ones a total non-gamer will love. Every list explains how to gift a game the right way.
Plain-English answers to the questions that stop a non-gamer buying with confidence — how to gift a digital game, and whether a gift card beats an actual game.
One gift at a time, examined properly: what it actually is, who it suits, what it doesn't do, and whether it's worth the money as a present rather than as a purchase.
Two options, one decision. Straight answers on the choices that stall a gift buyer — wired or wireless, physical or digital, this controller or that one.
Steam changed its gifting rules in July 2026 and most guides online still describe the old ones. You no longer need to be Steam friends with the person, you can send a game straight to an email address, and you don’t need a Steam account of your own at all. Our guide covers the whole thing — sending, accepting, declining, the region rules, and whether to send wallet credit instead of a game.
Why trust a gift guide that hasn’t tested anything?
Because we don’t pretend otherwise. Here’s what we do instead — and all of it is checkable.
We speak plain English
Every gift leads with who it's for and why it lands. Any gaming term gets explained in one clause. No DPI, no tier lists, no jargon.
We show the real age rating
Every game lists its official ESRB rating (E, E10+, T, M) so you can match it to the recipient — no guessing whether it's right for a 9-year-old.
Prices are live and dated
Numbers come from a daily Amazon check with the date attached. If the check stops, the price disappears rather than going stale.
We tell you when to skip
Every pick has an honest “skip it if…” note. Where a cheaper gift is the smarter buy, that's our pick — commission never decides it.
We recommend games, not just gear
The best gift is often an actual game or a store gift card for their console. We cover those, not just headsets and controllers.
One honest author
Written by an enthusiast who's genuinely into games and into helping non-gamers pick well — no fake test lab, no borrowed credentials.
How this site is funded
Player Two Cois free to read because some of the links to gifts are affiliate links: if you buy through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It never changes which gift we recommend — the reasoning is the same whether a link earns us anything or not.
