A teenage son versus a grown one
For a teenager, the headset is almost always the right call — it’s how he talks to his friends while playing, and a decent one is a genuine upgrade over whatever came with the console. The games here show their ratings: Forza and Smash Bros. are rated E and E10+, Spider-Man 2 is rated T (Teen). Our gifts for teens list has more at that age, and if he’s younger the tween list is the one.
For a grown son, think about his setup rather than his age. A second controller means he can play with a friend or a partner. A gift card is never the wrong answer if he’s the type who has already bought everything he wanted. And if you want the gift to be something bigger, our gifts under $200 and splurge lists cover consoles and premium gear.
The one mistake to avoid
Buying a game or an accessory for the wrong console. A PlayStation game will not play on an Xbox, a Switch game will not play on either, and most controllers are locked to one machine. Every pick on this page says exactly what it works with, and the ones in the “any console” group at the top are there precisely so you have a safe option if you never manage to find out. The eight most common gaming gift mistakes guide covers the rest.
Gift card or game?
If you know he wants a specific game, buy the game — it’s a better present to open. If you don’t, a gift card for his console’s store lets him pick, and he can’t already own it. The Xbox card here is for an Xbox owner; our gaming gift cards guide has the PlayStation, Nintendo and Steam equivalents and explains which amount to load.
