Last minute Christmas gift guide for every gamer on any budget

It’s almost that time of year! Christmas is next week and if you haven’t got all your present shopping done we have you covered. Here’s some of our top tips for great Christmas gift ideas. There’s something for every gamer on any budget.

Keyboards and mice

We have the chance to review a lot of really cool products this year. There’s tons of new keyboards and mice to choose from. If you want to gift your gamer buddy a new mechanical gaming keyboard, where do you even start? Sometimes it’s easier to start with budget.

Keyboards

If you’re looking for something on the cheaper end of the spectrum, then take a look at some of the smaller, more compact keyboards. There’s the HyperX Alloy Origins or Razer Huntsman Mini. The Alloy Origins is a steal at about $100 USD. It’s got all the fancy features of most mechanical keyboards, just in a more compact package.

If you’re looking for a wireless keyboard, then Razer’s new BlackWidow is the obvious choice. The BlackWidow is in the higher price bracket however. You can also take a look at some of Logitech’s wireless keyboards. Again, these are in the higher price bracket. But if price isn’t an issue for you, then check these out. Wireless is great for the cable management conscious gamers. If you’re not worried about wires, then go all out and grab the new Corsair K100 keyboard. The controls and lighting are crazy awesome. At $229.99 USD, you want to make sure your gamer friend is truly worth it.

Mice

Now onto the other important piece of tech. The mouse. If you’re buying a combo — i.e. you want to purchase both a keyboard and a mouse — then the obvious choice is to gift the combo from the same brand. For example, you buy the Corsair K100 keyboard, then grab the Corsair Dark Core Pro mouse. If it’s the Razer BlackWidow, then choose the DeathAdder V2 Pro or Razer Naga. These mice, however, are in about the same price bracket as their corresponding keyboards. The K100 is expensive, and so is the Dark Core Pro.

If you only want to get a sweet mouse and you’re on a budget, then you can’t go wrong with the Glorious Gaming mouse. It’s got all the fancy specs of a high end brand and it comes in under $50 USD. There’s even a keyboard you can pair with it for around $100 USD. That’s $150 USD for a combo. It’s a bargain.

But if you want something really special then you must go for the Cyberpunk 2077 limited edition mouse complete with charger. It’s a treat for the Cyberpunk 2077 fan and will be much loved for years to come.

Headsets and streaming gear

2020 wasn’t the year to be outside, but it’s definitely the year to upgrade your sound. With more people gaming and streaming than ever before, there’s so much choice when it comes to headsets and other audio.

Gaming headsets

When looking for a headset to gift, it can again be easier to look at your budget. Down one end of the spectrum you have good quality audio headsets starting from around $50 USD. Take a look at the Razer Kraken, RIG 400 Gaming, HyperX Cloud Stinger, or the Corsair HS50. If you’re looking for great audio, you really don’t need to spend a fortune!

Otherwise at the top end of the spectrum, you have headsets with full audio surround sound and even THX Spatial Audio. If you’re wanting something in this category then the Razer Nari Ultimate, Razer Kraken Ultimate, Razer BlackShark V2, Sennheiser GSP 600, RIG 700, and HyperX Cloud Orbit S are your options. When we say they don’t come cheap, they do not come cheap. This category of headsets start from around the $200 USD mark right up to $500 USD. But this is the perfect time to buy. Some of these headsets have Christmas and Boxing Day deals with up to $100 off.

Streaming and video

Since 2020 was mostly spent indoors, at our desks, on video calls, the demand for streaming-type equipment has skyrocketed. If you’ve got a budging streamer in the family, or someone who’s on a lot of video calls for work, why not upgrade their setup. There are heaps of great Christmas gift ideas for these people. One of the best pieces of tech you can upgrade is their camera. Grab the Razer Kiyo webcam. It’s got a built in light, streams at 1080p, and isn’t too expensive at $99.99 USD. Check out some of the other great pieces of gear to upgrade along with it by revisiting our ultimate streamer setup guide.

Since this guide was published, there’s a couple of fancy new pieces of tech you might consider gifting. The Razer Seiren Mini is a great buy for anyone looking to get into streaming. It’s also perfect for workers who want slightly better audio while they are on video calls. At $49.99 USD it’s the ideal gift. It also comes in Black, Quartz pink, or Mercury white.

Next you might want to help your mates up their streaming game. Elgato’s range of stream lights will take your streaming game to the next level. These smart LED lights start at around $200 AUD with the Key Light Air, and go up to $359 AUD with the Key Light. There are some great bargains going around the internet for Christmas but you might have to do some hunting. If you want to get in the good books for the whole of 2021 then gift your friend the new Elgato Ring Light. It’s set to be one of the best streaming lights around and is about the same price at the Key Light.

Consoles

It certainly would not be Christmas without a console or two under the tree. If you’re looking to gift an Xbox Series X or S, check out our guide for finding one still in stock. Otherwise if the PlayStation 5 is your choice, we’ve got you covered there too. Nintendo has not released a new console this year, but the Switch is still a hot buy for a Christmas present. There are lots of great Switch titles you can buy both new and old. Playing on the Switch never gets old or boring and it’s perfect for gamers who also love to travel; when we can travel again that is.

If you’re looking for console accessories to buy then look no further than Razer. Their new Wolverine V2 Controller is great for Xbox and PC gaming. It’s at the slightly higher end of the spectrum in terms of price but a great buy if you can afford it.

This baby is awesome 🤩 I love the clickyness of the buttons and the rubber grip is oh so comfortable!

We'll be live again tonight using the Wolverine V2 to play Sea of Thieves. Come join

🕰 Approx. 8.30pm AEDT
📺 https://t.co/GSMm3LSEcY#Wolverine #Razer #SeaOfThieves #Xbox pic.twitter.com/QcXqdBncXA

— ✨ 🍩 Michelle Mannering (@MishManners) November 20, 2020

If you want to purchase other peripherals for console, then make sure you check each product. Most keyboards, mice, and headsets these days are compatible with at least one console, just read the specs.

Want to buy something great for gamers on the go? The Razer Kishi is the easy choice. You can transform any mobile phone into a gaming device instantly. It’s also not too expensive either and it’s such a fun way to experience gaming. It’s currently available for iOS and Android devices. Android devices must have a USB-C input.

Merch and other fun things

Some of our gamer friends already have all the peripherals and tech they need. Or they are simply just picky. So what do you buy for the gamer that has everything? Lots of gaming brands well some great merchandise for you to gift. Tees, hoodies, masks, and even shoes. Check out your favorite brands to see what they’re selling. Here’s a couple of great ideas you might not have thought about.

Razer Kitty ears

If you can’t afford the full Razer Kitty Kraken BT headset, then why not just purchase the ears? Sure they are specifically designed for the Razer Kraken headset, but these ears fits fairly well on most headset. I’ve got mine on a RIG gaming headset and they look sweet. I get lots of comments on my stream chat, video calls, and people on Twitter have wanted to “steal” them. They’re super cheap at only $19.99 USD ($39.95 AUD) and are guaranteed to put you in the good books this Christmas.

Ready again! Come join @mvkaran & I on the #Developer track. We're live now, tune in 👇https://t.co/DAtYtpfedK

How many Octocats can you spy in my background?#GitHub #GitHubUniverse #code #dev pic.twitter.com/L3kMSM5VDd

— ✨ 🍩 Michelle Mannering (@MishManners) December 10, 2020

Wrist rests

All the esports pros and top players like to be comfortable while beating their opponents. What better way to be comfy than gifting your esports buddies a keyboard wrist rest. All the big brands like HyperX, Razer, and Corsair sell them separately. Some of them start at $9.99 USD so it’s the perfect gift for anyone on a budget. Plus your mates will love you for giving them something to up their game.

Featuring lighting

It’s never enough to have RGB on your components and peripherals. Now you need RGB in your room, or better yet your whole house! There are lots are options for smart, fun, LED feature lighting. Check out LIFX for some great gaming ideas. They have a “Gaming at Night” product line and their gear even works with Razer Chroma and the Elgato Stream Deck. There’s also the popular Nanoleaf and of course the new Corsair iCUE lighting towers. Lights aren’t cheap though, so if you’re looking to gift some smart LED feature lights, make sure you have a bit of cash in the bank and that you really like your mates!

Sneki Snek

The Razer Sneki Snek is the perfect, feel good stocking stuffer. At $29.99 USD ($54.95 AUD), it’s not going to break the bank. Plus every sale of this ultra cute plushie goes to saving trees. Razer have already saved over 121,000 trees so far. It’s a win-win situation! To read more about the campaign, and track the trees being saved, check out the campaign page.

Go digital

What if your Christmas giftee isn’t easily accessible? What if they live on the other side of the world and shipping is a problem? Well don’t worry. There’s lots of great ways you can get them gaming gifts. Pick up some V-Bucks and drop them in your mates’ account. Gift a League of Legends random skin box. Send someone you care about a present in Elder Scrolls Online. If in doubt, just buy your bestie a subscription or voucher. Lots of games today are available on platforms to easily gift away: Steam, Epic Games, Xbox Game Pass you name it.

Buying presents have never been so easy with so many choices available. We hope this gives you lots of Christmas gamer gift ideas for 2020. What will you be gifting this year?