Buying Christmas gifts for someone who likes video games can be complicated. There are so many factors – preferred brands, favourite games, whether they like statues or figurines, or whether they’re really, really into collecting controllers. If you’ve got an Xbox fan in your life, for example, you might consider buying a colourful new console accessory, or a brand new game. But where do you start?
That’s where this gift guide comes in. If you’re struggling for ideas, but you know the gamer in your life is an Xbox fiend, then read on. These ideas are by no means the end of your search, but they may provide some inspiration for your shopping in December.
Here’s what the GamesHub editorial team recommends for Xbox players this Christmas.
Note: All gifts are selected from Amazon US. Check your local online stores for equivalent pricing, and other gift ideas. GamesHub has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content. GamesHub may earn a small percentage of commission for products purchased via affiliate links.
Our Top Picks
A Custom Xbox Controller
The Xbox Design Lab is an impressive and extremely fun controller customisation service run by Microsoft itself. Within the online interface, you can hop in and create your own special controller by choosing colours, patterns and add-ons that suit your style. These custom controllers start from US $69.99, and make for awesome, personal Christmas gifts.
Sure, they’re a novelty – and they function exactly the same as your standard Xbox controllers. But there’s something so cool about designing a unique controller for yourself or – in this case – for another person.
If you’re not keen to go the custom route, there are also plenty of snazzy controllers available online, including some in our favourite colours:
- Stellar Shift – US $59.95
- Starfield Limited Edition – US $139.99
- Astral Purple – US $56.49
- Gold Shadow – US $64.99
- Lunar Shift – US $69.99
- Shock Blue – US $52.99
Clip Mount for Remote Play
The Xbox Series X and Series S feature remote play functionality, with most home internet setups being able to handle direct game streaming to mobile devices. The only issue with this novel system is you’ll need to balance holding a phone with holding a controller as you play – but luckily, an Xbox Clip Mount (US $19.99) fixes this.
By attaching a mount to a controller, you can essentially play games anywhere, with your phone acting as a mini gaming screen. Simple, yes, but a very effective tool for making remote play more accessible and convenient.
Before grabbing one of these, you should check that your Xbox-loving pal will actually use remote play, and that they have a hearty internet connection to use the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Cloud Gaming service, but if they do – it’s a very thoughtful gift.
Xbox Series S Console
The Xbox Series S is now more affordable than it’s ever been, with the console typically floating around the US $299.99 mark. You’ll really need to think about a purchase like this, and save it for the most loved people in your life – but if you know someone who’s looking to make the console upgrade, a Series S is a very worthy gifting option.
While the Xbox Series X (US $483.99) is the more powerful ‘next gen’ Xbox console, the Series S performs very well on its own, and provides the capability of enjoying the latest games at a cheaper cost.
The Best Xbox Games of 2023
It just makes sense, right? If you’ve got an Xbox fan in your life, there’s almost no doubt they’ll be on the hunt for their next big gaming adventure. So, where do you start? There’s been plenty of great video game releases in 2023, and any of them would make for great Xbox-themed gifts.
Here are a few of our favourite recent releases:
- Starfield – US $61.49
- Resident Evil 4 Remake – US $59.99
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage – US $59.99
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – US $46.90
- Forza Motorsport – US $51.47
- Street Fighter 6 – US $59.99
- Diablo 4 – US $47.00
- Armored Core 6 – US $59.9
- Lies of P – US $59.55
Seagate 2TB Xbox Game Drive
At a certain point in every gamer’s life, they hit a wall. A storage wall, that is. Games are very big now. Huge, in fact. If you’ve get even a handful of AAA adventure games stored on a console, space gets tight fast – particularly when consoles only have around 1TB of available storage.
Purchasing an additional hard drive designed for use with these consoles will open up their potential, and let keen players store more of their favourite games at once. While on the surface, a hard drive may seem like a boring gift, it’s also very practical. If it doesn’t come in handy now, it will eventually – and you’ll feel very smug for helping out.
The Seagate 2TB SSD (US $279.99) designed for Xbox Series X/S is a great pick if you’re willing to fork out a little bit extra for your gift recipient.
Xbox Game Pass Subscription (3 Months)
Xbox Game Pass is a very handy subscription service to have. It provides a massive library of playable games for subscribers, with every game being freely downloadable. Each month, the service also gets a flood of new games, including some new releases. This saves players a lot of money on the latest releases, and also allows immediate access to blockbusters and indie games alike.
Even if the Xbox fan in your life is already an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, nabbing a few extra months for their subscription is a great gift option. It’ll save them some time and money, while giving them all the benefits of the much-loved service. We recommend a cost-effective voucher for 3 Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (US $44.99) as a starter gift.
Rechargeable Battery Pack
Picture this: you’re in the heat of battle, enemy soldiers advancing on all sides. Suddenly, there’s an opening. If you take your shot, you can win the match, and put away the encroaching hordes for good. But alas – the screen goes dim. Your controller is out of charge. What do you do?
If you’re lucky, you have a few spare batteries running around your home. If you’re even luckier, you have a set of Rechargeable Battery Packs (US $27.99), and you can easily reload your controller to keep playing as long as you like.
Having one or two of these rechargeable batteries on hand is an absolute need, particularly if the gamer in your life loves longer playing sessions. There’s nothing worse than having to wait for a controller to charge – but with two batteries, they’ll easily be able to swap between them to keep the good vibes going.
Upgrade Stand for Xbox Series X/S
Gaming consoles and accessories take up a lot of room, but you can maximise space with special stands that hold everything from games, to controllers, and headsets. The FYOUNG Upgrade Stand (US $54.99) is an impressive iteration of this idea, with this RGB-illuminated stand allowing space for an Xbox Series X, 10 games, and multiple controllers – with the addition of dual charging for these controllers.
The stand also includes a fan to help keep the console cool, and it comes with two rechargeable batteries for Xbox Series X/S controllers. It’s pretty much the full package – and should prove to be a very handy gaming companion.
Halo: The Official Cookbook
If the gamer in your life loves Xbox, it’s also more than likely they’ll love Halo – Microsoft’s long-running flagship franchise. This space-faring series has more than enough merchandise to fill a list like this, but we’re going to handpick a few favourite options – like the Official Halo Cookbook (US $15.46).
There’s just something special about cooking meals derived from your favourite video game. It makes you feel a little bit closer to the worlds you love, and you get to enjoy a nice meal. If you’ve ever wanted to know what space really tastes like, the Halo cookbook would make for a great gift. Plus, it might guilt your receiver into making a delicious treat for you. Win-win.
If you’re looking for alternative options, there’s also great cookbooks for Diablo (US $25.49), Overwatch (US $18.71), Fallout (US $19.98), The Elder Scrolls (US $16.90), and more.
Halo Novels and Encyclopaedia
If cooking isn’t quite the flavour for your gamer, the Halo series still has plenty of other great tie-in merchandise to pick from, including meaty art, story, and game development books. If you’re looking to expand the horizons of your gift receiver, the Halo Encyclopaedia (US $27.99) might be a useful learning tool. If not, never fret – there’s also a bunch of other tomes we can recommend, including:
- Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo – US $27.64
- The Art of Halo Infinite – US $12.51
- Halo: The Great Journey: The Art of Building Worlds – US $24.33
- The Halo Series: 10 Book Collection – US $69.99
- Halo: Legacy Collection – US $12.56
The Game Console 2.0
The Game Console 2.0: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox (US $18.50) is a dense hardcover book that gives meaty insights into the history of the home console, with the legacy of classic devices tracked across the decades. It makes for a great coffee table book, and includes great photos of each console component alongside revelatory tidbits.
While the original Xbox is only a small part of this photographic history, it’s always good to see where consoles come from, and how they’ve evolved over the years. This book would make for a very insightful gift for the right person.
Note: All prices are accurate as at the time of writing. As sales end, these may differ. Equivalent discounts will be available around the world.
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