:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67742384/jbareham_201027_1055_giftguide_2020_lead.0.jpg)
The holiday season is upon us. If you haven’t yet started thinking about gifts, we don’t blame you — the passage of time has felt all kinds of freaky this year. But now’s the time to start making your list and checking it twice.
Of course, either the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 would make a great gift for the gamer in your life, but pre-orders for both next-generation consoles have been hard to come by. If you weren’t able to pre-order one, you’re not necessarily out of luck though. We expect retailers to have more in stock in the window between launch dates and the end of the year.
But new consoles aren’t the only gifts we’d recommend in 2020. We’ve rounded up our favorite accessories, toys, books, board games, and more. (If you’re looking for video game gift ideas, check out our Essentials lists.) From Parasite’s Criterion Collection release to Razer’s kitty ear headset, these are the things that brought us joy this year.
What are you looking for?
Hardware Video Games Books Toys TV & Movies Apparel Subscriptions Tabletop Games Accessories Decor Music
How much do you want to spend?
$$$ $ $$
Anker Nebula Capsule 2, $579.99
A projector the size of a soda can elevates at-home movie nights while theaters are closed.
Annapurna Interactive Deluxe Limited Edition box set, $199.99
The limited edition PS4 box set includes eight beloved Annapurna Interactive games: Donut County, Gorogoa, Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition, Outer Wilds, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Telling Lies, Wattam, and What Remains of Edith Finch.
Atari 2600/7800: A Visual Compendium, $39.99
This art book features images from "over 200 classic games, with articles on third-party developers, interviews with key industry figures and features on cover art, prototypes and even 'homebrew' releases."
Baby Yoda lego set, $79.99
Last year, Disney wanted to keep Baby Yoda a secret ahead of The Mandalorian's launch — which meant no merch in time for the holiday season. This year, though, we've got plenty of Baby Yoda, including a 1,073-piece Lego set with a posable head.
Baby Yoda holiday sweater, $34.99
Celebrate Life Day in style with a holiday sweater featuring everyone's favorite alien.
Courtney American Girl Doll, $110
American Girl's 80s-themed Courtney doll is a Pac-Man champion and aspiring game developer.
Disney Plus subscription card, $69.99/year
Disney is now offering yearly gift subscriptions for its streaming service, Disney Plus.
Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit, $24.99
The D&D Essentials Kit is the best introduction to modern Dungeons & Dragons on the market.
Dungeons & Dragons puzzle, $20
This 1,000-piece puzzle will keep your occupied for much longer than your average D&D session.
Feature Presentation dad hat, $22
Super Yaki's movie-inspired apparel is a hit for any cinephile, especially this hat sporting the recognizable "Feature Presentation" logo.
Gem Painting Kit, $39.90
Gem painting is like a mosaic paint-by-numbers or, if you prefer, like IRL pixel art.
Genki Covert Dock, $74.99
The tiny Genki Covert Dock is built for travel, but it's also convenient if you just don't want to transport your Switch dock from room to room.
Hori Split Pad Pro, $49.99
Hori's Split Pad controller replaces the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Cons for a much more comfortable handheld gaming experience.
Klask, $49.99
Danish board game Klask is even more fun than Air Hockey — and it fits on your kitchen table.
Lego puzzles, $17.95 each
Combine two popular quarantine activities with Lego puzzles, available in five different designs.
Logitech G305 gaming mouse, $59.99
Logitech's new Color Collection adds lilac and bright blue colorways to several of its gaming accessories, including the wireless G305 gaming mouse.
Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing: New Horizons Edition, $299.99
The Animal Crossing: New Horizons edition of the Nintendo Switch channels the island vibes with pastel Joy-Cons and a dock featuring Tom Nook and his nephews.
Nintendo Switch Lite, $199.99
Nintendo's smaller, lighter Switch console is portable, ideal for long car rides or when someone else has control of the remote.
Oculus Quest 2, starting at $299.99
Polygon called Faceebook's latest Oculus VR headset "smaller, cheaper, [and] better" than its predecessor.
Pandemic Legacy: Season Zero, $79.99
The final Pandemic Legacy installment (blessedly) eschews the global pandemic angle in favor of a cooperative spy thriller. It's a prequel to Pandemic Legacy seasons 1 and 2.
Parasite Criterion Collection Blu-ray, $39.95
Criterion added Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning masterpiece to its prestigous collection in October. This special edition Blu-ray includes new interviews and commentaries, as well as a black-and-white version of the film.
PlayStation 5, $499.99
The next generation of PlayStation arrives on Nov. 12. Pre-orders sold out almost immediately, but we expect retailers to have more in stock before the holidays.
Pokémon Battle Academy, $39.99
Pokémon Battle Academy packages everything you need to learn how to play Pokémon Trading Card Game, including three pre-built decks and a playmat with helpful rule reminders.
Razer Blade Stealth, starting at $1,699.99
The upgraded version of the Razer Blade Stealth gaming laptop includes an 11th Gen Intel i7 processor and a GeForce RTX 1650 Ti graphics card.
Razer Kraken Headset, Kitty Edition $149.99
The pink headset with kitty ears from Razer's Quartz line is a favorite on Twitch and Instagram.
Ring Fit Adventure, $79.99
The spiritual successor to Wii Fit, Nintendo's Ring Fit Adventure brings a fun role-playing game to your workout routine.
Sandman box set, $205
This new collection of Neil Gaiman's iconic Sandman comic series comes packaged in an exclusive slipcase box set.
Sega Genesis Mini, $79.99
According to Polygon's Sega Genesis Mini review, it's a "best-in-class retro console with excellent games, excellent emulation, original controllers, and a price tag that seems fair."
Spider-Man 2 EP 10-Inch Vinyl, $20
This limited edition EP pays homage to Dashboard Confessional's "Vindicated," the highlight of the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack.
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge merch, starting at $17.99
With the pandemic scrapping many people's plans to check out Disney's new Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park, Disney dropped some previously park-exclusive merch onto ShopDisney. That includes costumes, pins, books, and theoretically lightsabers, but the lightsabers sold out almost instantly.
Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, $199.99
The Best Buy-exclusive box set compiles all nine movies in the Skywalker Saga, from Star Wars Episode 1 to Star Wars Episode 9.
Studio Ghibli SteelBooks, $19.99 each
Studio Ghibli movies are finally streaming on HBO Max, but these SteelBook Blu-rays are too lovely to pass up.
The ABCs of D&D, $14.99
This adorable picture book from D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast introduces children to the fundamentals of both the English language and the fantasy role-playing game.
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, $69.99
This four-volume collection includes every Calvin and Hobbes comic strip in syndication.
Unmatched: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, $50
The latest expansion of Mondo's excellent asymmetrical fighting game features Buffy, Spike, Willow, and Angel as heroes.
Untitled Goose Game Lovely Edition, $34.99
Iam8Bit is debuting its new eco-friendly packaging with this "Lovely Edition" of Untitled Goose Game. It's 100% recyclable, made from 100% post-consumer waste, and includes a map, pamphlet, and "No goose" sticker (which are all, of course, also recyclable.)
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, $14.99/month
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate combines Microsoft's game subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, with its online service, Xbox Live Gold.
Xbox Series X, $499.99
The Xbox Series X arrives on Nov. 10. Like the PS5, pre-orders have sold out but Microsoft will likely restock ahead of the holidays.
This is fine. Funko Pop, $13.99
The iconic Gunshow comic strip meme is now immportalized in this officially licensed Funko Pop, expected to ship in December (just in time for the holidays.)