The best gaming gifts under $100

5 days ago 3

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Graphic: Alice Jovanée/Polygon | Source images: Various

Alice Jovanée

Alice Jovanée (she/her) is a commerce writer, and she has been writing about gaming and tech since 2005. Prior to Polygon, she worked at publications such as The Verge.

It’s easy to get carried away with spending during the holidays, and being thrifty gets tough if you wait too long to buy gifts. Polygon is here to help by providing you with a litany of gift ideas for your favorite gamers that each fall below the $100 mark.

This list includes a number of 2024’s most coveted video games, like Astro Bot, Balatro, and others. We’ve also included some of our favorite accessories, collectibles, and other essential gear that gamers will love to receive, like the iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit, a Keychron V1 mechanical keyboard, and the Elgato Stream Deck Neo. Hopefully, our gift suggestions will give you some inspiration as you shop while helping to keep your budget in check.

In case you want to do more shopping, we’ve been busy coming up with gift ideas that different kinds of gamers will appreciate, like gifts for cozy gaming and gifts that PC gamers will love. For the tabletop aficionado in your life, we’ve also rounded up the best D&D gifts for fans, players, and DMs.

How much do you want to spend?

$69

Forget touch controls or a phone clip; snap this on your iPhone or Android phone to turn it into a premium handheld device, whether you’re streaming Xbox or PS5 titles or playing Genshin Impact. A PlayStation version is also available.

$80

A wireless headset recommendation that’s just as good for use on PC as it is for consoles like PS5 and Nintendo Switch. Just plug in its USB-C transmitter and start playing.

$79

Keychron has made a name for itself with its solid mechanical keyboards, and its standard 75% model, the Keychron V1, is one of our favorites. This compact keyboard features hot-swappable switches, a volume dial, durable PBT keycaps, and built-in sound dampening.

$60

The Killswitch is the best option for keeping your handheld PC safe from minor falls, and even comes equipped with a built-in kickstand for playing with a Bluetooth controller.

$85

A pair of aesthetically pleasing speakers that won’t break the bank. The Creative Pebble X 2.0 is a pair of RGB-enabled 30 W speakers that can be wired to your desktop, or paired to a variety of devices via Bluetooth.

$80

Elgato’s latest Stream Deck isn’t equipped with fancy dials like its pricier model, but this eight-button version has access to all the same handy tools and apps to help you streamline your setup.

$100

If you need to expand the internal storage of your Steam Deck or Asus ROG Ally, the Sabrent Rocket M.2 SSD is likely your fastest yet most affordable option. While this method does require a bit of disassembly of your handheld (iFixit is your friend), this SSD offers far better performance than relying on a microSD card.

$75

The iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit is equipped with 64 individual bits and other handy tools to mod or repair virtually any controller or handheld.

$90

The Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite is an easy way to add accent lighting to your living room that reflects the on-screen action. Composed of a sensor and light strip, the Backlight 3 Lite is available in three tiers based on the size of your set — i.e., the length of the backlights required — supporting TVs that range from 40 inches all the way up to 85 inches.

$48

If you’re looking for a platform-agnostic controller, the 8BitDo Ultimate is one of many great options. This unique gamepad has the Xbox analog stick layout, Hall effect joysticks that won’t degrade over time compared to standard analog sticks, plus native wireless support with the Nintendo Switch.

$80

This handy power bank has plenty of juice, and its 65 W output is more than sufficient to keep your Steam Deck or other handheld gaming devices topped off. It also comes equipped with a digital display to show you power levels and output.

$80

The latest wired version of Razer’s Basilisk gaming mouse is equipped with a 35K DPI optical sensor, it has RGB lighting built into the base, and it features a total of 13 programmable inputs. It’s one of Razer’s most comfortable mice around.

$50

The creators of beloved Persona titles delivered one of 2024’s most memorable (and politically charged) titles. It retains the franchise’s turn-based gameplay, but there’s a spin on every familiar aspect from previous games that keeps this one fresh all the way through.

$60

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom puts the eponymous princess front and center after Link gets lost in a mysterious rift. Despite the shift in protagonist, this game shares a lot of DNA with modern Zelda titles.

A Helldiver is covered in neon alien bug blood in Helldiver 2 on a jungle planetA Helldiver is covered in neon alien bug blood in Helldiver 2 on a jungle planet

$25

One of 2024’s biggest hits involves hunting bugs and robots, and irresponsibly (read: hilariously) calling in massive artillery to squash these opposing forces.

$15

Game Pass Ultimate gives you access to a robust catalog of great games and grants you exclusive discounts on any games that you want to make a permanent part of your online library. You can even stream games directly to compatible TVs and mobile devices without the need for a console.

$50

Winner of the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards, Astro Bot mimics the responsive, bouncy, and endlessly creative spirit of Mario 3D platformers, and it’s so easy to fall in love with.

A screenshot of Balatro, depicting a top-down view of cards on a table, with a series of special Joker cards splayed out at the top of the screen and the player’s hand, containing regular cards as well as two special Stone cards, at the bottom.A screenshot of Balatro, depicting a top-down view of cards on a table, with a series of special Joker cards splayed out at the top of the screen and the player’s hand, containing regular cards as well as two special Stone cards, at the bottom.

$15

The simple but engaging gameplay in poker-based deck builder Balatro makes it way too easy to say “just one more game,” and it has become absolutely flush with free content since launch.

$70

The middle chapter of Square Enix’s bold, brilliant remake of Final Fantasy 7 is a must-play for fans. It picks up where Remake Intergrade left off, with even more open-world challenges to tackle this time around.

$30

If you’re looking for a new wireless Switch controller, you don’t need to spend anywhere close to the cost of a new game. Just grab this Ultimate 2C. It lacks a few of the Ultimate Bluetooth’s features, but is a great deal at half the cost.

$21

Instead of getting tabled in cables as you try to charge your phone, Switch, or Steam Deck, grab this cable that can charge two devices at once.

A photo of someone using the Mechanism Gaming Pillow with their Steam Deck while laying on a couch.A photo of someone using the Mechanism Gaming Pillow with their Steam Deck while laying on a couch.

$64

Whether the gamer you’re shopping for has a Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, PS Portal, or Switch, gift them this cozy gaming pillow that’ll give their arms and wrists a rest.

$38

The grimdark aesthetic of Warhammer 40K is pretty awesome, but if you don’t have the budget for all those miniatures, or the time to paint them, JoyToy makes an array of highly detailed, fully-painted action figures from all of your favorite factions.

Titus of the Ultramarines, a Space Marine in blue armor, wields a chainsaw in a melee struggle against a horde of Tyranids. An Imperium city burns in the background.Titus of the Ultramarines, a Space Marine in blue armor, wields a chainsaw in a melee struggle against a horde of Tyranids. An Imperium city burns in the background.

$50

Space Marine 2 is the long awaited sequel to the 2011 classic in the Warhammer 40,000 community. Titus returns in defense of the Imperium of Man, fighting back both the Tyranids and the Thousand Sons legion of Chaos.

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