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The best games and gear you have to give this holiday season

Be sure you're buying the best games and gear for the ones on your list this year.

Jeff Bakalar
Jeff is CNET Editor at Large and a host for CNET video. He's regularly featured on CBS and CBSN. He founded the site's longest-running podcast, The 404 Show, which ran for 10 years. He's currently featured on Giant Bomb's Giant Beastcast podcast and has an unhealthy obsession with ice hockey and pinball.
Jeff Bakalar
odyssey
1 of 17 Nintendo

Super Mario Odyssey

The Nintendo Switch is getting one of its most anticipated games on October 27. Super Mario Odyssey is a new adventure-focused game that lets players capture items in Mario's world and temporarily play as them.

SNES Classic Edition
2 of 17 Sarah Tew/CNET

SNES Classic Edition

The SNES Classic is going to be one of this season's absolute must-haves, but finding one will likely be the biggest challenge. The tiny retro console packs in 21 classic games from what's regarded as one of Nintendo's best systems, and even features an unreleased game!

xbox-one-x-e3-2017-7803-006
3 of 17 Josh Miller

Xbox One X

It's Microsoft's turn for a console refresh, and it's called Xbox One X. It promises improved performance across the board and 4K gaming. It'll definitely be the most powerful console on the market, but whether or not it'll have a list of must-play exclusives still remains to be seen.

ps4-pro-05.jpg
4 of 17 Sarah Tew/CNET

PlayStation 4 Pro

If you're in the market for a PS4, this is the one to get. The PS4 Pro adds increased performance and higher resolution graphics for many first and third-party titles.

New Nintendo 2DS XL
5 of 17 César Salza /CNET

Nintendo 2DS XL

The 3DS platform is getting up there in age, but if you never had a chance to check out its impressive library of titles, the 2DS XL will let you do just that, but without support for 3D.

xbox-one-s02.jpg
6 of 17 Sarah Tew/CNET

Xbox One S

If a 4K TV isn't necessarily in the cards for you, or you're fine playing Xbox One games in their original form, the Xbox One S is still a solid buy. Better yet, it is capable of 4K output for UHD Blu-rays, so you'll be prepared if you ever purchase a 4K TV.

sonyps4slim07.jpg
7 of 17 Aloysius Low/CNET

PlayStation 4 (slim version)

The PlayStation 4 isn't our first choice, but it's a more than capable gaming system with a fantastic library of titles. If you're not thinking 4K any time soon, this console will do just fine.

wolf.jpg
8 of 17 MachineGames

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

The follow-up to an impressive Wolfenstein reboot puts players in a world where the Nazis have taken over every aspect of American life, and you must join the resistance to stop it.

assassins-creed-origins
9 of 17 GameSpot

Assassin's Creed Origins

After a year off in the release schedule for the franchise, Assassin's Creed aims to takes players to ancient Egypt.

star-wars-battlefront-ii-ea-maul-e3-2017
10 of 17 EA

Star Wars Battlefront II

The sequel to 2015's third-person action shooter promises to up the ante for online multiplayer and single-player experiences, all while exploring other events in the Star Wars universe.

astroa20
11 of 17 Astro Gaming

Astro A20 Wireless Gaming Headset

We're impressed with this headset's fidelity and durability. At $150, it's priced competitively with higher-end cans but we think the A20's are the best bang for your buck in terms of performance. (Comes in PS4 or Xbox One chat support varieties.)

Asus ROG Zephyrus
12 of 17 Sarah Tew/CNET

Asus ROG Zephyrus

This super-slim gaing laptop packs in a very high-end Nvidia 1080 GPU, becasue it has a unique pop-open vent to keep everything cool. A clever, inventive design.

k68
13 of 17 Corsair

Corsair K68 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

The Corsair K68 is a great mechanical keyboard for work and play but the best part is that it's spill resistant! No need to worry about accidental spills with this one, just don't go swimming with it.

rival
14 of 17 Steelseries

Steelseries Rival 310

The Rival 310 is one of the most comfortable ergonomic mice we've ever tested. This Steelseries gaming mouse boasts an impressive list of features and is priced competitively.

Razer Blade Stealth (13-inch, 2017)
15 of 17 Sarah Tew/CNET

Razer Blade (2017)

A 14-inch gaming laptop with decent performance, but an amazing design. Slim, stylish, and it has a multicolored lighting system that can run through literally millions of keyboard backlighting schemes.

acer-aspire-vx-15-01.jpg
16 of 17 Sarah Tew/CNET

Acer Aspire VX 15

For gaming on a budget, the VX 15 more than gets the job done and doesn't feel like a compromise.

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17 of 17 CNET

RAVPower 20100mAh External Battery

The RAVPower 20100mAh External Battery is one of the only battery packs we've used that reliably charges the Nintendo Switch as you play. It also comes in handy as a solid replacement for a laptop charger.

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