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Article updated on December 23, 2020 at 4:00 AM PST

Best gaming accessories to give as holiday gifts

Some ideas to get you started when you're staring at a blank list for your favorite gamers.

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Written by 
Lori Grunin
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Lori Grunin Senior Editor / Advice
I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
Expertise Photography, PCs and laptops, gaming and gaming accessories
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Our Picks

$99 at Backbone
backbone-iphone-11-09147
Best iPhone game controller
Backbone One
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$50 at Amazon
glorious-pc-race-model-0
Light on the wallet but not on the features
Glorious PC Gaming Race mice and keyboards
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$90 at Best Buy
hyperx-alloy-origins-clicky-blue-switches
Excellent keyboarding for a midrange price
HyperX Alloy Origin or Origin Core keyboard
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$70 at Amazon
nintendo-switch-pro-controller
The best controller for the crowd-pleasing console
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
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$50 at Amazon
powera-enhanced-wireless-controller-for-nintendo-switch
Best budget Nintendo Pro-like controller
PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch
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$30 at Amazon
01-steelseries-rival-3
Cheap but excellent mouse
SteelSeries Rival 3 mouse
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$300 at Best Buy
2020-pc-sim-racing-wheels-ogi-2
Baby drivers
Logitech G920 or G29 racing wheels
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$50 at Amazon
razer-blackshark-v2-x-1
For every budget and head
Razer BlackShark V2 headsets
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$100 at Best Buy
Microsoft Accessibility Controller
Best Xbox/PC controller for gamers with limited mobility
Microsoft Xbox Adaptive Controller
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$510 at Best Buy
omen-27i-monitor-12
Suitable for work and play with a great design
HP Omen 27i 1440p 27-inch monitor
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See at SecretLab
secretlab-titan-1300
Comfy for work as well as play
Secretlab gaming chairs
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$150 at Amazon
nexuslink-dsc09414
The gift of a stable network connection
NexusLink AC1750 Wireless Bridge
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Gaming  is unprecedentedly popular this year, but you don't have to give an expensive, hard-to-find console or PC to spread the love -- every PC gamer needs a great gaming mousegaming keyboard, comfy chair or headset. Here's my first stab at a list of the best gaming accessories to gift the video gamers in your life, intended to appeal to a variety of gamers and wallets. I'll be expanding it on a regular basis, so check back. 

Read more: Best gaming gifts for the holiday season 2020

As you're shopping, keep in mind that gamers can be a picky lot. Do you know what mouse grip she prefers? Whether he likes his keyboard switches clicky or smooth and silent? In theory, this list would need to be about 50 products long to cover all the bases just for keyboards, mice, headsets and controllers. So your best bet is to (somehow) suss out in advance what they need or want. Or at least make sure they'll be able to exchange it for something they really like.

You can also check out more of our recommendations on Nintendo Switch accessories and Xbox or PS4 headsets.

$99 at Backbone

Best iPhone game controller

Backbone One

It's amazing how good this Lightning-connected controller from startup Backbone is compared to the alternatives. It turns any iPhone 6s or later into a Nintendo Switch-style gaming experience, with added smarts for social and chatty gamers. 

$50 at Amazon

Light on the wallet but not on the features

Glorious PC Gaming Race mice and keyboards

With budget prices but better-than-budget build quality and features, this line of mice and keyboards come highly recommended. The mice come in two sizes (which is rare), because hands aren't one-size-fits-all -- the "minus" models are the smaller sizes -- and the keyboards have swappable switches. Before you buy a keyboard, check with your giftee to find out what type of switches they prefer.

$90 at Best Buy

Excellent keyboarding for a midrange price

HyperX Alloy Origin or Origin Core keyboard

The HyperX Alloy Origin and its tenkeyless (TKL) sibling, the Alloy Origin Core, are great streamlined gaming keyboards and will only run you around $100. There are no discrete media controls, but the function keys are marked out with media controls as well as a Game Mode so you can disable the Windows key and certain key combos while gaming. (The markings are illuminated also, which isn't always the case.) The company's Ngenuity app is simple enough for building custom macros and reassigning key functions. And the keyboard's bright per-key RGB lighting is fully programmable with the app.

The Alloy Origin's braided cable is removable and, since it's a USB-C connector, you can easily plug it in without looking. Plus, rear flip-down legs give you three keyboard angles to work with.



$70 at Amazon

The best controller for the crowd-pleasing console

Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

If you can afford to get the official Switch Pro Controller, do it. It's the best you can give at the moment in terms of comfort, performance and features. And even if your giftee already has an inexpensive controller, this one can serve for at-home gaming while the less expensive option can be drafted for visits with friends and family.

$50 at Amazon

Best budget Nintendo Pro-like controller

PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch

Sitting on our list of best Nintendo Switch controllers, the PowerA Enhanced Wireless is the closest you'll find to Nintendo's own Pro. How low the price is depends on which model you buy, from Pokemon to Overwatch, though.

$30 at Amazon

Cheap but excellent mouse

SteelSeries Rival 3 mouse

Steelseries' $30 Rival 3 is surprisingly decent for the money. The ergonomic right-handed six-button mouse is very light at 77g (2.7 oz.) and uses the company's TrueMove Core sensor with an 8,500 CPI and one-to-one tracking for precise movement. This wired mouse uses the same switches as the $120 Rival 650 mouse, and, while the buttons require a little more force than others we've tested, it has a fair amount of configuration possibilities, including three zones of RGB LED lights that Steelseries says are the brightest it's used in any mouse. 

$300 at Best Buy

Baby drivers

Logitech G920 or G29 racing wheels

According to our friends at Roadshow (who know best), these are the best steering wheels for the driving-game aficionado in your life; at least, with prices in the mid-$200 range, the best that don't cost a gazillion bucks. Both are PC compatible; the G920 is designed to be used with an Xbox and the G29 with a PlayStation.

$50 at Amazon

For every budget and head

Razer BlackShark V2 headsets

There's a BlackShark V2 headset for every budget, starting with the V2 X at $60 through the V2 Pro wireless at $180. These are some of the most comfortable headsets I've ever worn, lightweight and not too head-squeezy, with excellent sound. They all work with consoles as well through 3.5mm jacks. If you have the budget, I'd opt for at least the $100 BlackShark V2; it's got a lot of nice touches, such as a removable mic, braided cable and USB dongle.

$100 at Best Buy

Best Xbox/PC controller for gamers with limited mobility

Microsoft Xbox Adaptive Controller

Microsoft's controller lets any gamer who can't maneuver typical gaming input devices easily customize it for their particular needs. It comes with some basic inputs, like big buttons, but you might want to pair it with Logitech's $100 kit with a ton of extra inputs.

$510 at Best Buy

Suitable for work and play with a great design

HP Omen 27i 1440p 27-inch monitor

This has become one of my favorite monitors of the year. HP's 27-inch 2,560x1,440 27i features a wide color gamut (98% P3), a gaming-friendly 165Hz refresh rate with Nvidia G-Sync (over DisplayPort) and an elegant design that should pass muster with less gaming-oriented family members; it's got some simple gaming lighting, but also a useful task light shining down beneath the bottom bezel. And because of the unique port arrangement -- on the sides of a diamond in the back -- it's a lot easier to maneuver cables than the typical recessed, bottom-accessed design. I've been using it for months and I haven't had a single problem or screen artifact issue. (Note that the wide-angle photograph makes it look curved, but it's not.)

See at SecretLab

Comfy for work as well as play

Secretlab gaming chairs

If you feel generous, one of the nicest gifts you can give is comfort -- in this case, comfort for long gaming or work-from-home sessions. The Secretlab chairs are some of the most comfortable around and come in several sizes and a ton of color and game-specific variations. For the giftee who's resisted getting gaming chairs because they tend to be flamboyant, Secretlab has a low-key black-and-gray Softweave fabric that I really like. It's not just great for pretending it's a staid office chair during the workday, but the fabric is exceptionally comfortable against sensitive skin (because you know it's shorts below the waist).

As a gift it works well, too. Secretlab packages it extremely well, and it's easy enough for the least handy in your crowd to assemble. You might want to get some posterior measurements -- if there's any discreet way to do that -- to ensure the right size, because you don't want to have to disassemble and pack it back up for a swap.

Prices start at $419 for the smallest chair.

$150 at Amazon

The gift of a stable network connection

NexusLink AC1750 Wireless Bridge

Wireless bridges create a direct wireless connection between a Wi-Fi router and another device, which helps provide a stronger signal to get through walls or to deliver a separate wireless connection that's not affected by the rest of the use in a household. The NexusLink connects directly to the router on one end and to the peripheral, such as a gaming console, PC or streaming box, via Ethernet on the other. While individual mileage may vary -- in my apartment it doesn't deliver better speeds or lower latency, for example -- but the "wired" connection does seem to be more stable and that lets me get more consistent download speeds for those 50-plus gigabyte games.

It's exceptionally easy to set up, too, and can sort of match a new PS5.

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