Whether or not you have fun Christmas, Festivus, or Saturnalia, it’s possible you’ll effectively have scored some videogame-related loot final month. Perhaps your office Secret Santa delivered and you bought a mousepad you will truly get some use out of? Perhaps some blessed soul purchased no matter sport was on the high of your wishlist? Perhaps a distant relative despatched a wad of money in a card and also you simply purchased it your self? Perhaps anyone gave you a brand new GPU, through which case can I be adopted by your loved ones please?
Did you get any gaming presents final 12 months?
Listed here are our solutions, plus some from our forum.
Chris Livingston, Options Producer: No. However I did get a brand new Yeti mug which I think about to be 100% a gaming and productiveness accent as a result of I want espresso to operate and I want that espresso to stay sizzling and Yeti mugs preserve that caffeinated gasoline sizzling for ages. Significantly, I sprint by way of my first cup of espresso however nurse my second, and even when I go away it untouched for hours it is nonetheless good and sizzling. It is a actually good mug.
Robin Valentine, Print Editor: I by no means actually ask for gaming presents from pals or household as of late. I get meals and socks and stuff as an alternative. This 12 months, although, I made a decision to get myself one thing—an Xbox Elite Series 2 controller. I’ve all the time been an actual nerd about controllers, and I’ve needed an Elite for a very long time, nevertheless it’s all the time felt too costly to justify. Nicely, after every part that is occurred within the final couple of years, I am performed having to justify issues to myself. I deserve all of the overpriced items of plastic I would like, thanks.
I adore it to date, too—it feels correctly luxurious in my fingers, and I do suppose it is a real improve to my gaming. Definitely it is an enchancment over my previous Xbox One controller’s unfastened d-pad and spongy bumpers.
Wes Fenlon, Senior Editor: I used to be gifted this set of gaming coasters for Christmas, which I’ve to confess are usually not precisely my aesthetic. But it surely was a pleasant thought! They usually’re first rate coasters with cork backs, which implies I am going to in all probability break them out subsequent time I’ve various individuals over and want to guard each wood floor in the home.
I gave some gaming items this 12 months that I am comfortable about, although. My accomplice’s youthful cousins all sport, so I gave one Hitman 3, one the unlikely however profitable combo of Baba Is You and Ultimate Fantasy 9, and one some Riot Factors to seize a snazzy outfit or gunbuddy or regardless of the children are into in Valorant as of late. Costume to impress!
Katie Wickens, {Hardware} Author: I lastly acquired my fingers on a Sneki Snek head pillow which I would been longing for ages. Something to make my demon chair slightly extra comfy after I really feel the necessity to rip and tear. Since Razer ignored my emails asking for a overview mannequin, I lastly caved. I put it on my Christmas checklist and my accomplice acquired it for me, as a result of he is additionally a gamer and he will get the struggles. Oh, and technically I acquired an RTX 3060 as an early Christmas current, although my accomplice paid for it about 10 months in the past… and I’ve to pay him again, sadly. So possibly it would not depend.
Lauren Morton, Affiliate Editor: This 12 months my accomplice gifted me the Steelseries Apex 7 keyboard I would had my eye on. I used to be able to downsize after six years on a keyboard with 22 macro keys—which I hardly ever used—so I opted for the tenkeyless model. One other relative acquired wrangled into getting me a matching mouse. I am going to admit I’ve made enjoyable of the cheese grater mouse design prior to now, nevertheless it’s the one white Steelseries mouse for the time being and I recognize the dedication to consistency. The feel is not bizarre whereas I am utilizing it, fortunately, however my concern of eventual hand goo in these holes stays. I even spent an hour in my Steelseries app organising colours and results for each whereas on vacation, so I am feeling fairly good in regards to the desk aesthetic for this 12 months.
Fraser Brown, On-line Editor: I am notoriously troublesome to get presents for, apparently, however at the very least after I was youthful one thing gaming-related was normally going to be a win. Not so, now. Precise video games are out, since there is a large threat of getting me one thing I have already got. And the stuff I want, like a brand new GPU, is much too costly for me to really feel comfy receiving as a present. This 12 months individuals principally acquired me stuff for the canine, which is far more sensible.
Nat Clayton, Options Producer: I am undecided my household ever is aware of what to get me, so it was principally simply socks and jammies as per. My brother did cruelly get me a duplicate of the board sport Pandemic, which I count on to have the ability to play with out harrowing undertones in roughly 5 to fifteen years. Like Chris, nevertheless, I think about espresso a vital piece of gaming gear, so I handled myself to a strong kilo of grind from an area roaster.
Andy Chalk, NA Information Lead: I am too previous to get “enjoyable” items anymore, though my recently-turned-legal-drinking-age nephew made a degree of shopping for me a bunch of beer, which was beautiful. I considered shopping for myself some new gear as an alternative—I’ve had an urge for a brand new keyboard for some time now—however I am not too desperate to drop just a few hundred bucks on one with out having the ability to strive it first, so after hemming and hawing over numerous product listings and opinions, I gave up on that concept. I do not really want anything, I suppose, and I could not work up the vitality for consumerism for its personal sake, so… possibly subsequent 12 months?
Morgan Park, Workers Author: Our buddy group performed numerous Overwatch this 12 months, so when Secret Santa got here round, my buddy Ian actually delivered. This… um, pronounced mouse pad with built-in wrist relaxation was truly a present for my accomplice who mains Mercy. For some purpose it has not grow to be her most popular mouse pad for Overwatch, nevertheless it has been good to often look at it awkwardly amassing mud on a desk and snigger. I attempted it out for a couple of minutes and located the wrist relaxation delicate, but satirically restrictive. Most FPS gamers use decrease mouse sensitivity for precision, however resting my wrist between the squishy cheeks made it arduous to maneuver it in any respect. 12/10 reward, 3/10 mouse pad.
DXCHASE: I acquired a Nintendo Sport Boy mug that, when one thing heated is added to the cup, it adjustments the display of the Sport Boy to Tremendous Mario, so it appears prefer it goes from off to on, fairly neat.
McStabStab: I acquired a brand new mechanical keyboard with cherry blue switches. I had a cherry blue “equal” keyboard at house nevertheless it simply wasn’t the identical. Now I’ve my previous keyboard on the workplace and my new one with the nice switches at house.
Thank god I’ve my very own workplace in any other case I would drive my coworkers loopy with the clicky-clacky!
ZedClampet: I acquired a Steam reward card from my spouse, and my dad gave me the standard card with money. It is all the time good to get a lift throughout the Steam Winter Sale.
Krud: Due to a sure virus making the rounds, our Christmas has truly been delayed to this weekend, so I am undecided what all I am getting. That stated, I’ve already been gifted two new [to me] board video games [Imhotep and Forbidden Island], a set of heavy steel cube [not Led Zeppelin-themed or anything, just literally heavy and made of metal], and a Quest-a-Day RPG calendar. Nothing PC-related, nevertheless.
Edit so as to add: Actually, as soon as pc video games went primarily to digital obtain format, the variety of games-as-gifts dropped considerably for me, principally as a result of too many non-gamer individuals (aka most individuals I would get presents from besides my spouse) do not appear to grasp how sport playing cards work, although they perceive Amazon and Google Play effectively sufficient.
Withywarlock: Not for Christmas, however my girlfriend acquired me some Name of Responsibility: Warzone socks as a part of our first anniversary. A pleasant topper to our week away in Bristol. Not gonna lie, these are the comfiest socks I’ve ever worn in my life.