The holidays are here, which means it’s time for gifts. And while getting a nice, big present to put under the tree is fun, we can’t forget about the unsung holiday hero: stocking stuffers. There are lots of options to level up your gaming that are also small enough to fit in a stocking, so we decided to curate a list of our 10 favorites.
There’s a little something for everyone, with options ranging from simple to practical to premium. We also included a wide range of prices so you can find something in your budget. But since it’s the holidays, we decided to go one step further and offer a free giveaway. In total, we’ll give away five prize packs, all of which include every item on this list, plus some additional goodies. You can find more details and enter the giveaway here. Without further ado, let’s get to the gifts (the prices listed below were accurate at the time of posting, but could be subject to change).
Steam Deck 512GB OLED ($549)
This gift alone would make you the holiday MVP. The Steam Deck puts powerful PC gaming in the palm of your hand and lets you take it anywhere. We went with the 512GB OLED version to give you the benefits of the OLED upgrade without the highest price point of the 1TB version. The OLED screen has improved picture quality with a larger screen, brighter colors, and better display clarity. However, the screen isn’t the only upgrade. The OLED version also offers significantly better battery life, a bigger fan and updated thermals for improved cooling, better bandwidth, and lower latency.
Steam Deck/Nintendo Switch Carrying Case ($35.99)
The Steam Deck comes with a small handheld carrying case, but this travel case offers more versatility and the ability to carry multiple things at the same time. It has two zippable compartments, so you can put the Steam Deck in one and a Nintendo Switch in the other. And it has additional pockets for things like external batteries and enough space to carry cords and other accessories. Plus, this gives you the option of an incredible gift reveal during the holidays. Put the Steam Deck inside this case, put the case in their stocking, and let your loved one believe that’s their main gift. Then have them look inside the case, and voila! Double gift!
Keyboard Cleaning Gel ($5.91)
We’ve all been there. After a marathon PC gaming session full of snacks and intense gameplay, your keyboard is full of crumbs. Or maybe it’s full of dust after you went a while without cleaning it. Hey, no judgment here, it happens. But who says cleaning up after yourself has to be a chore? Why can’t it be fun? This cleaning gel is basically a ball of goo that you slap on your keyboard, roll it around a bit, and the goo gets into the crevices between all the keys. It’ll grab dirt, crumbs, and any other stuff that’s stuck in there. Then you just pull the goo out, and all that nastiness comes with it. Problem solved.
Xbox Elite Series 2 ($140.99) / PlayStation 5 DualSense Edge ($199.99) Controller
*giveaway winners can choose one of these to receive
Whatever flavor of console your loved one prefers, there’s a premium controller for them. Both offer extra features that aren’t present in the base controllers that come with the console, and both can be linked to a PC. One of the biggest draws for both controllers is the ability to customize them how you want, with adjustable thumbsticks, added back paddles, and remappable buttons. Honestly, it would take a whole article to dive into the specifics of each controller and how they compare to each other. Luckily, we already did that. Give it a read if you’re not sure which to choose.
5-hour ENERGY® Gamer Shot Variety Pack ($33.99)
If your loved one often feels themselves lagging during long gaming sessions, a 5-hour ENERGY® Gamer Shot can give them a boost. This variety pack comes with three flavors: Apple Bash, Pineapple Charge, and Rocket Raspberry. They all have no sugar and are packed with caffeine, B vitamins, and amino acids to help with alertness and energy levels. Each shot is small, easily portable, and can be finished quickly, so you don’t even need to step away from your keyboard. Each shot is meant to be taken all at once, but they can be resealed and finished later. That, plus the design of the bottle, means you don’t have to worry about spills like you would with a coffee or other large drink.
Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Wireless Headset ($79.00)
A good gaming headset can really elevate the experience, and this one offers solid results at a reasonable price. It has up to 40 hours of battery life, and you can use the Swarm II app to monitor its battery life, enable or disable features, swap between audio presets, and monitor your game-chat audio. The headset comes with a built-in microphone that you can also use the app to customize. Plus, it can be used with PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch, so whatever platform your loved one plays on, chances are good they can use this headset. If you want to hear more, including additional details about the sound quality, design, and comfort, you can check out IGN’s review.
Nintendo eShop Gift Card (various prices)
*a $50 gift card will be included in the giveaway
With the Nintendo Switch 2 (or whatever it ends up being called) on the horizon, it’s difficult to recommend any Switch-focused products or accessories. We don’t know what will stay compatible with future versions of the Switch, and we don’t want you spending money on something that ends up outdated in a few months. So the safest bet to gift a Nintendo gamer is an eShop gift card, which they can keep in their account until we get official details about the Switch 2 and they know what games they want.
Nintendo Alarmo ($99.99)
Who needs a boring old phone alarm when you can wake up to Alarmo? It’s an interactive alarm clock that plays music and sounds from a variety of Nintendo games. It uses motion sensors to pick up on your body movement and responds with certain sounds while it plays music. Once you get out of bed, it'll sense that too and stop playing. So if you’re looking for a gift for someone who struggles dragging themselves out of bed in the morning and also wants to wake up feeling like they’re in Hyrule, this is the gift for them.
Keychron Keyboard Switch Tester Keychain ($9.90)
This is a simple portable and clickable keyboard key that acts as a stress relief toy. It’s small and can be clipped onto a bag or other accessory, so it’s always available. Click it to relieve stress and tension between rounds of a gaming session. It’s a great choice for people who tend to fidget and need something simple to occupy them, mechanical keyboard enthusiasts, or those who find the click of a keyboard key to be oddly satisfying.
Call of Duty Ghost Edition Glasses ($74.00)
Gunnar made these glasses as part of a collaboration with Call of Duty. They have a military-inspired aviator frame and amber lenses, and there’s an upgraded option with sun-shift lenses that transition to sunglass tint in 15 seconds. The lenses for either version are designed to reduce eye strain and visual fatigue that can result from long hours looking at a digital screen. So if you know a gamer who regularly deals with dry or irritated eyes, blurry vision, or headaches, these glasses might help.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter or win the Ultimate Stocking Stuffers Giveaway. Open to legal U.S. residents in the 50 U.S. states & D.C., 18+ yrs of age. Other restrictions apply. Begins 12/2/2024 at 8:00 AM ET and ends on 12/30/2024 at 11:59 PM ET. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules: https://studios.ign.com/rules/5-hour-energy-rules.pdf. Sponsor: IGN Entertainment, Inc.
