The best gaming gifts for dads this Father's Day

The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller is a versatile gamepad for Windows PCs and mobile devices. It connects over Bluetooth, wireless dongle or USB cable and notably uses magnetic TMRjoysticks, which means it’s much less susceptible to the dreaded “stick drift” than traditional controllers. While it might feel a little cramped for those with particularly large hands, its shape doesn’t have any weird curves or quirks, and all its inputs are impressively tight. Battery life is solid at 20-ish hours, too, and the whole thing comes with a slick charging dock.

If dad wants to get hardcore, 8BitDo’s companion software offers a wealth of customization options, such as adjusting the sensitivity of the triggers or assigning macros to certain buttons. If he plays more on Switch than PC, the original 8BitDo Ultimate pad is still excellent (albeit slightly less featured) as well and uses a Nintendo-style button layout. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter

Busy dads, especially one with younger kids, probably don't have much time to sit in front of a gaming PC. That's where the Steam Deck comes in handy. Valve's handheld gaming system puts a ton of games into their hands, and it still has enough power to play most indie titles and several AAA ones. (Though pricier Windows-based handhelds like the ASUS ROG Ally X certainly have it beat in that department.) Mostly, though, we found it to be a great way to clear out a PC gaming backlog — perhaps as they’re holding a little one who will only nap in their arms.

With the Steam Deck, they can carve out slices of gaming time when they have time to breathe. I've personally found it very useful in that wonderful period right after putting the kids down to sleep. They can play PC games in bed without moving a muscle! And if they already have a PC, they can also stream demanding games directly from it. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior Reporter

Microsoft's pitch with Game Pass Ultimate is hard to pass up. For $20 a month, you get access to a large library of Xbox and PC titles, including day-one releases from Microsoft studios. Now that new game prices have crept all the way up to $80, Game Pass Ultimate seems like a better deal, even after price hikes. It's a useful way to dive into new and older games, and it's also helpful for keeping kids busy once they turn into little gamers. If they end up liking a particular title, there are discounts if dad wants to permanently add something to their library. The service has been on a particular roll in recent months, with fantastic new games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Blue Prince and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle added to its library.

Game Pass Ultimate also unlocks Xbox cloud streaming, which I've found to be useful on the road (all you need is a laptop and an Xbox controller to get some playtime!). It's helpful for previewing a game quickly as well, without waiting for it to be downloaded and installed. And since progress is stored on Microsoft's servers, dad can also pick up and keep playing if they choose to download a cloud title eventually. — D.H.

If you’re looking for a tabletop game you can play with your dad (and a couple others), you can’t go wrong with Dominion. Board game veterans will be familiar with it by now, but this is one of the forefathers of the genre known as the deck-builder. If you know video games like Slay the Spire or the recent hit Balatro, you have a sense of how it works. Two to four players start with the same small set of cards. With each turn, each player draws from their deck, then uses the resulting hand to buy new action, money and other modifier cards from a common market. The goal is to create an optimized deck, one that makes it easier to acquire more “victory” cards before a certain supply runs out. There are what feels like a million different strategies you can take, a feeling aided by the many expansions that have been released since the game went on sale. As things progress, the choices you’ve made in previous rounds build on themselves, and your plans morph accordingly.

It all makes for a game where every decision matters, regardless of who makes it. Rarely will two games play out the same way. It can be tricky to grasp at first — and it takes a bit to physically set up — but after a session or two the fog should clear. (To wit: My wife and I have played with her parents, both in their 60s and far from tabletop veterans, for years.) Pretty card art and a helpful rulebook add to the appeal. If all of this sounds appealing but you’d like to try the game first, note that you can play the online version for free. — J.D.

Speaking of our gaming headsets guide, the Turtle Beach Atlas Air is currently the top pick in that roundup, and it remains an excellent buy if dad would prefer an open-back design. What’s that, you ask? In simple terms, it’s a type of headphone that lets air and sound pass through its ear cups. This makes it much worse at blocking outside noise, so it won’t be the best option if dad often plays in a loud environment. But if he’s in a quieter area, models like the Atlas Air provide a wider and more natural sound than rival closed-back pairs like the Arctis Nova Pro. His game will sound more like it’s happening around him, rather than feeling like it’s contained within an enclosed space.

The Atlas Air is one of the few gaming headsets we’ve tested that’s both open-back and wireless, so you get that spacious sound without having to deal with any cords. Battery life usually checks in around 50-60 hours, and the pair still can hook up over an included 3.5mm cable if needed. The design is also exceptionally comfortable, with a lightweight design that’s easy to wear for hours on end, while the built-in mic is totally fine. Just keep in mind that this headset won’t work with Xbox, and like most open-backs, it’s fairly light on bass. — J.D.

It’s best viewed as a show piece on a shelf rather than something dad would play seriously, but one of My Arcade’s Micro Player mini arcade cabinets is an adorable way for him to display a retro favorite. While there are certainly cheaper and more convenient ways to play old games, these 7-inch cabinets don’t feel flimsy and generally convey the spirit of each game well. (Just note that the artwork is usually “inspired by” the game in question, not a replica of its original cabinet.)

Their buttons are surprisingly responsive and, while the 2.75-inch screen looks washed out from an angle, it’s bright and colorful enough to be usable. There’s also a speaker and headphone jack built in. The line includes several classics, including Pac-Man, Galaga, Street Fighter II and Space Invaders, among many others. — J.D.

The Analogue Pocket will be a treat for the dad who’s still hanging onto their old Game Boy cartridges — or just wants to get into collecting the classics. It’s pricey, but it’s essentially a modernized version of Nintendo’s handheld, with a gorgeous 3.5-inch color display, extra buttons, a microSD slot, a USB-C port and a rechargeable battery. As we note in our guide to the best gaming handhelds, it runs original Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games just about flawlessly through its cartridge slot, while tiles from other old devices like the Sega Game Gear and TurboGrafx-16 are playable through optional adapters.

If you or your dad know your way around software emulators, you can also use it to run games from systems like the SNES and Sega Genesis. If something like the Steam Deck is too bulky, or if dad just thinks games haven’t improved since the Game Boy version of Tetris (not a bad argument!), the Pocket is a lovely way to play on the go. — J.D.

Panic's Playdate won't ever compete with the Nintendo Switch, or even the PlayStation Vita, when it comes to graphics or the depth of its library. But it's undoubtedly one of the most intriguing pieces of gaming we've seen recently. Imagine a super-slim version of the Game Boy with a sharp screen and a cute crank on the side, and you've got the Playdate.

While it only has two buttons and a directional pad, most games are built to use the crank, perhaps to steer a surf board as you're trying to catch some waves, or to direct a bumbling robot as he tries (and fails) to reach his date on time. It's a limited system (it doesn't even have a backlight!), but those limitations have led to some truly unique gaming experiences. — D.H.

You know your dad’s tastes better than we do, so if there’s a particular game you think he would enjoy as a Father’s Day treat, go get it. But if you want a more recent suggestion — or if a simple gift card isn’t enough — consider Split Fiction, a new co-op action game from the studio behind 2021’s consensus game of the year It Takes Two. Its story follows two aspiring writers who become trapped inside the worlds of their own stories, but that’s really just an excuse to let you romp through a series of inventive, crowd-pleasing set pieces. One minute you’re jumping off hovercars in a cyberpunk city, the next you’re swinging from the fingertips of mountain-dwelling giants — then you’re flopping around as hot dogs. It can be a little tricky for novice players, but it’s rarely punishing and its Nintendo-esque commitment to presenting new ideas is refreshing.

The catch is that it’s only playable in co-op. But if you’ve been looking for an excuse to get in some more bonding time with dad, this is a fun way to do so. For more suggestions along those lines, have a look at our guide to the best couch co-op games. — J.D.