Gaming can be an expensive hobby so knowing where to look for deals and discount can be a big help.
The same applies for people who have gamers in their life whether it is a niece, nephew or your partner, value is always important when buying them a gift.
With Christmas on the horizon, it is good to get an idea of what is out there and specifically what is good value based on different price ranges.
With that being said here is a good guide for the gamers in your life broken down by price range.
€20-€50
Overcooked 2-:€26 on Amazon
Overcooked and its sequel and Overcooked 2 are perfect Christmas games. If you are used to falling out with family members for playing charades or pictionary, Overcooked is the game version of that.
The premise is pretty simple, you take on the role of chefs in a kitchen, where you prepare ingredients, cook the meal, serve it and clean up all while under a time limit to complete as many dishes as possible.
You and up to four players will be on your toes as the orders come swiftly and inevitably you will run into each other and mess things up. It is guaranteed to be a blast for family members both young and old.
Marvel Spider-Man 2: €42 at Smyths
The sequel to the excellent Marvel Spider-Man 2 on PlayStation 5 is a great follow up which allows to play as both Peter Parker and Miles Morales.
They have to deal a new threat in Kraven the Hunter and his goons along with an alien symbiote which ends up corrupting Peter.
It packed full of high octane set pieces along with the more impactful smaller moments that developer Insomniac Games are known for.
It is the perfect game for the Marvel mad member of your family or someone who just loves action games with great combat, gadgets and open world to fully explore.
Super Mario Party Nintendo Switch: €49,99 at Smyths
It is hard to go wrong with a Mario Party game to entertain the whole family. You play like a board game by rolling the dice and moving your character around the board.
There are over 80 mini games to play so everyone is bound to have one they are good at. There are also 20 classic Mario characters to choose from.
Take turns rolling dice and racing across the game board searching for Stars in the 4-player Mario Party Mode, or make it a 2 vs 2 battle for grid-based maps in Partner Party. You can even pair up two Nintendo Switch systems for tabletop gaming in Toad’s Rec Room.
€100-200
This price range is for those who want to treat someone in their life but not have to break the bank to do it.
Backbone One Gen 2 Controller for iPhone, €119.99 at Smyths
The Backbone essentially turns your phone (in this case an Iphone) into a cloud streaming device. You simply attach your phone to the device and now you have a handheld device.
This particular Backbone allows you to stream PS4 and PS5 games directly from your console to your phone. Of course you will need a strong Wi-Fi network so the games will run smoothly.
Seeing as phones are more powerful nowadays you can also play the likes of Call of Duty: Mobile, Minecraft, Diablo Immortal and Apex Legends as well.
RG353V Handheld Game Console, €184 on Amazon
For that retro game in your life, it is hard to go wrong with a gaming handheld. The RG353V Handheld comes with two SD cards loaded with up to 4,000 retro games.
It is also a perfect travel companion for long car journeys or flights as you can easily store it in your hand luaggage. While this is one of the more expensive handhelds, it is worth having a look at the other handhelds that offer a similar experience.
PlayStation Portal, €219.99, Smyths
While you might think that the PlayStation Portal is just a more robust verison of the Backbone, it offers the same controller features as the PlayStation 5's Dualsense like adaptive triggers and haptic feedback.
While it acts as a Remote Play device to stream PS5 games while the telly is taken, a new feature recently added allows you to cloud stream games without the need for a PS5.
You will need a PlayStation Premium subcription (€16.99), but it adds another string to the bow of the Portal.
€200-€430
This price range is for those that want to make a bigger investment and buy hardware people will still be using for years to come.
Xbox Series S, €299 at Smyths
One of most accessible way to get into the new generation of consoles is the Xbox Series S. While the more powerful Xbox Series X is around €550, its more sleeker cousin the Series S is just under €300.
Paired with Xbox's subcription service Game Pass (€17.99 a month) you get access to a library of hundreds of games along with Xbox first party games that release day and date on the service.
Of course you will miss out on the better performance of the Series X, but if you don't really care about having the most graphically impressive games, the Series S is a great option.
PlayStation 5, €469.99 at Smyths
For an extra €160 you can buy the PlayStation 5 Slim which is a great next generation console. It has an upgraded SSD for super fast loading and the Dualsense controller with features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
There is also a great line up of exclusive games like Spider-Man 2, God of War Ragnarök, Horizon Forbidden West, Stellar Blade and Helldivers 2 which take advantage of the new hardware.
Meta Quest 3S, €429,99 at Smyths
The final product is for the real techies in your life. While there are number of options for virtual reality headsets, the Meta Quest 3 offers a relatviely affordable price without the need for a PC or console.
While the PSVR2 is another great VR headset, you need a PS5 to use it. The Meta Quest 3 is completley wireless as well so you have increased freedom to move around while playing.
There are great experiences like Batman: Arkham Shadow, Asgard's Wrath II, Alien: Rogue Incursion and Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord on offer.
