Looking for the best Christmas gifts for gamers? Or hoping to stumble across the perfect treat for that retro gaming fan in your life? Well, you've certainly come to the right place.
Whether it's retro games consoles, accessories, books, or clothing you're after – or even if you haven't quite decided yet – you'll find plenty of fantastic options to spoil any retro gamers in our guide below. We've split up our guide by category, helping you to quickly browse through products that meet your needs.
Dive in below and discover all sorts of retro treats that are sure to win over any gaming fan this holiday season.
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Retro Consoles
There are more retro gaming-inspired consoles launching in the market than ever before, with so many options available for anyone looking to get that sweet nostalgic fix by playing some of the good old classics.
Here are some of our top picks for retro gaming consoles that should go down a treat this Christmas.
✅ Mini Consoles
We've seen quite the boom in sales of 'Mini' consoles over the past few years, machines that are effectively scaled-down versions of the original hardware that ship with authentic controllers and come pre-loaded with games. They connect to your TV via an HDMI lead and are usually powered using a common Micro-USB connection.
We've had offerings from the likes of Nintendo and Sony, and several models from retro giants like Sega and Atari, but they often sell out quickly and aren't usually reproduced. Here are some of our top choices to consider that are, at the time of writing at least, still available!
✅ Evercade
Starting life as a handheld device with its own collection of newly-made cartridges, and soon expanding to include the home console variant, Evercade VS, the Evercade brand is known for being a reasonably priced entry into retro gaming with a fantastic library of games.
Sadly, the original Starter Pack is hard to find at retail these days, but the all-new Evercade EXP launches this November, replacing the original handheld Evercade system. You can pre-order a special Tomb Raider pack right now below.
Learn more about Evercade EXP: Hands On Evercade EXP - Now Packed With Capcom Goodness
✅ Original Hardware
Using them might be more complicated than we'd like these days, but it's hard to argue against the authenticity and sheer coolness of playing retro games with authentic, original hardware.
If the person you're buying for values authenticity above all else and prides themselves on being a fan of gaming history, you could always hunt down old consoles from back in the day. eBay is littered with people selling their old PlayStations, Nintendo systems, Sega consoles, and more – just bear in mind that older systems can sometimes come with issues owing to their age.
Books
There's a surprising number of fantastic gaming books out there that we're sure will prove to be an excellent gift for any fan. Here are some of our favourites...
✅ Best Gaming History: The Console Chronicles
The Console Chronicles was born thanks to a partnership between ourselves here at Time Extension and the lovely folks over at Lost In Cult. It's a tribute to five decades of home console gaming, including all the consoles we've grown up with and loved over the years, and focuses on people's personal stories with the consoles we all hold dear.
You'll actually find that some of our staff members have contributed to this one, so we hope that convinces you of its quality! You can take a closer look here, or order a copy below.
✅ Best Biographical: Two Ex-Nintendo Presidents
In recent years, we've had not one but two fantastic books relating to Nintendo's top brass. Both of these books – an autobiography from ex-Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils Aime and a collection of words of wisdom from late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata – are excellent reads that'll no doubt prove to be perfect gifts for diehard Nintendo fans.
✅ Best For Your Little Ones: Pokémon Primers
Designed for younger children, the Pokémon Primers series of books are board books full of colour and interactive flaps to engage your little one's mind. The first three in the series tackle letters, numbers, and colours, which we think make for a great start – if they love the first three, there are even more Primer books to be found.
✅ New For Christmas 2024
2024's been a cracking year for new book releases, and the trend appears to be continuing as we enter the holiday season. Below, we've picked out some of our top choices for books that have launched just in time for the big day, perfect for diving into when things get quiet after your Christmas feast!
Clothing
As you might expect, there are countless awesome t-shirt and hoodie designs to be found that are aimed at retro fans. In an effort to avoid breaking our entire website, we've tried to narrow the selection down to just a handful of our favourite pieces across the US and UK – see if any of these look like they'd make a perfect gift:
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Christmas Sweaters
Nothing screams Christmas like an ugly Christmas sweater, and if you thought gamers were one of the few corners of society that would be able to escape such woollen horrors, you'd be deeply mistaken.
Get one of these for your loved one and badger them into wearing it on the big day. You can tell them we encouraged you, we don't mind...
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Gift Cards
Even modern consoles offer fantastic retro-related experiences these days, with so many classic games and new titles inspired by them becoming available on current platforms all the time.
If your loved one has a Nintendo Switch or an Xbox sitting at home, a credit voucher will allow them to spend the money you give on any games of their choosing – perfect for anyone who's tricky to buy for.
You can purchase gift cards from our sister sites at Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox below – simply click on your chosen amount, head through the checkout process, and you'll receive a voucher that can be shared with anyone you like:
Nintendo Gift Cards
You can use Nintendo eShop Cards as a fast, safe and easy method to purchase games and other content on the Nintendo Switch eShop or via the official Nintendo website.
Xbox Gift Cards
With an Xbox Gift Card, give the freedom to pick the gift they want. It can be used to buy Xbox full game downloads, apps, films, TV programmes, devices and more across the Microsoft Store online, on Windows, and on Xbox consoles.
Home Arcade
We want a home arcade. Your loved one wants an arcade. Everyone wants a home arcade.
Arcade1Up has been offering up some great home arcade products in recent years, with cabinets for games and studios like Pac-Man, Mortal Kombat, Marvel vs. Capcom, The Simpsons, Atari and more ready to spruce up your house. As long as you have a budget big enough to accommodate such purchases, that is.
If you're in the US, we'd recommend browsing the range over at Best Buy; those in the UK should check out all of the options at GAME. Here's the sort of thing you'll find – how cool are these!?
Toys & Board Games
Need to take a break from playing video games? No problem, that's where board games come in!
Check out these top picks for board games and toys to enjoy this Christmas – that Pac-Man board game has our name all over it.
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Artwork
Have a dedicated gaming space at home or want to liven the place up a bit? We've gathered some of our favourite artwork and posters available to buy at the moment for you below.
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Homeware
And the home goodies just keep on coming! In our opinion, there's just nothing quite as cool as seeing everyday objects around the home inspired by our beloved games. Plenty of our favourite homeware pieces come from Paladone, a company that sells lots of great products on Amazon. You can shop the whole range here or view some of our top picks below.
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Statues & Figures
Statues and figures can be pretty expensive, but if you have the budget available, there's nothing quite like them. These would make any mantelpiece twenty times better in an instant – you can't go wrong!
Our top choice for stunning statues and figures is, without question, First 4 Figures. The items available here can be pretty pricey, but boy do they look amazing.
Browse their entire collection at the following link, or keep scrolling to see some of our top choices (don't worry about the US pricing if you're from elsewhere – these ship to most places worldwide!)
Christmas Cards
Want to go the extra mile and make their Christmas even more gaming-themed? Check out these Christmas cards!
We've actually found that Etsy is often the best place for cute video game-related Christmas cards, with lots of sellers offering customisable designs so that you can include your special someone's name on the front. Check out the full range here, or keep scrolling to see some of our top picks.
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Stocking Fillers
Finishing up, here's a quick round-up of gifts from our guide that could work as perfect stocking fillers or smaller gifts, including Christmas cards. All items featured here are $10 / £10 or under.