The holidays mean you don’t have to work so much and can kick your feet up, which is especially awesome when there have been an abundance of games you’ve wanted to play but haven’t been able to.
So this is a guide for the gamer you might know, and provided you know what sort of device they play, we can help you work out what will be best.
Console
One of the easiest ways to get into gaming, there are two popular consoles worth checking out, with Sony and Microsoft owning the market right now.
But it’s not just a console that you might want to consider, with a few accessories, too.
Sony PlayStation 4
Price: $480
Still without doubt one of the best consoles around, Sony’s PlayStation 4 offers a solid smattering of games, a great Blu-ray player, and an awesome experience across the board.
It’s debatable as to which console is better, but if they own a Sony smartphone, tablet, or previously owned a PlayStation 3, we’d probably opt for the PS4.
For added awesomeness, grab one of the PS4 packs, providing a special edition PlayStation console and usually a game thrown in for good measure.
Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact
Price: $499
There’s no such thing as a portable Sony PlayStation 4, but Sony’s Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact gets close to this idea provided “portable” means “working inside your own home”.
You could be sitting on the loo or just working away in bed, and Sony’s tiny tablet will still connect you provided you’re within the same WiFi network, one of only a few devices that can do this.
Sure, playing on a touchscreen slate isn’t as fun as playing with an actual controller, but it’s a cool idea, and a bloody good tablet at that.
Logitech G29 Racing Wheel and Pedals
Price: $499
Gaming is getting more realistic, but graphics are only one part of the equation. There’s more you need to do to bring realism to a game, such as control.
In racing games, that control can be delivered with a specialised controller, specifically a very well built steering wheel and a set of pedals.
Logitech’s G29 is one such gadget, and delivers a dual-motor force feedback system to make the bumps and slips more accurate, while bringing a construction to the controller that makes it feel more like a steering wheel.
Because that’s what racing gamers want: a game that feels less like a game and more like the real thing.
Microsoft Xbox One
Price: $549
It doesn’t quite garner the same level of respect, but Microsoft’s Xbox One is without a doubt still an awesome sauce console, and with the most recent update, it’s even better.
Now the interface gels better with the Windows design, and there’s even a degree of backwards compatibility for your old Xbox 360 games. Sweet.
Xbox Elite Wireless Controller
Price: $200
Microsoft’s Xbox One has a decent controller, and it’s easily our favourite of the bunch, but you can do better, and Microsoft aims to show how.
Revealed earlier in the year, the “Elite” controller delivers a totally customisable controller with extra buttons, switches, and modifiable sensitivities, turning it into a controller that you can totally turn into something of your own.
WD My Passport X
Price: $200
Xbox One owners have one thing they can easily regret: the drive inside the console just doesn’t seem big enough.
Games are massive these days, and only 360-odd gigabytes of the 500GB inside an Xbox One can be used, which means the Xbox One fills up quickly.
WD’s My Passport X deals with this nicely by delivering a portable USB drive to sit along the side of an Xbox that you can install games to.
Is it technically just an external drive? Yup, but it’s also one made just for an Xbox. It even arrives with a similar paint job.
