Every year, fantastic gaming devices are released to the delight of fans everywhere. We here at CGMagazine have compiled a list of potential gifts this Holiday Season.
As the year continues to wind down, so does the proverbial sand from the hourglass to procure gifts for loved ones for the holiday. We have recently gone over gifts of games and even more generalized gifts for the holiday in the form of handy walkthroughs to give shoppers the edge when gifting friends and family.
This time, we here at CGMagazine haven’t only parentally no-scoped the holiday season with guides, we have compiled a list of some of the gaming device darlings that we can recommend for the season. Without further ado, here is the CGM Recommends edition of great gaming device gifts for 2021.
MSI GE76 RAIDER Laptop
The latest gaming laptop from MSI gives all games a boost while on the go with power to lift gamers out of their former held back devices into power and portability. Our review on the MSI GE76 Raider laptop states “ultimately, the MSI Ge76 Raider is a robust and fully featured laptop, one which can easily handle heavy work and gaming sessions, making it an ideal desktop replacement or, at the very least, a dedicated gaming machine with portability in mind.” The gaming device gift of a desktop replacement power laptop at your fingertips.
Razer Blade 14 Laptop
As far as gaming devices go, Razer develops some of the highest quality devices in the world, and this gaming laptop is no different. Our review of the Razer Blade 14 suggests “It is made of some powerful, high-quality components and will certainly do whatever you need done, whether it be gaming, productivity, or other intense computing.” Give the sharpness of Razer for the holidays.
Retro-Bit Go Retro Portable V1.3
Turn the clock back and revisit the 1990s where mobile gaming was making waves in the industry. The Retro-Bit Go Retro Portable V1.3 is the perfect mobile system for enjoying classic games like Tetris and multiple Mega Man titles, along with over 250 games. The experience gets better as the device can entertain you for up to 10 hours at a time with an immersive 2.8-inch screen to set the retro mood. This gaming device makes a great gift.
Retro-bit Super Retro Trio+ Plus HD System
Retro gaming has never looked cooler than with the Retro-bit Super Retro Trio+ Plus HD System. This console will make you feel nostalgic this holiday season as it is able to play all of your NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis games—in crisp 720p resolution to boot. It comes with two 10-foot long wired controllers for you, but has a total of six controller ports, meaning you can savour all the classic games with all of your friends, a gaming device gift for a group indeed.
1942 x RepliCade Cabinet
Time to take a blast to the past this holiday season. The 1942 x RepliCade is a ROMSTAR/Capcom Lowboy Arcade machine that is 1/6 scale of the original arcade machine (11-inches tall). Everyone wants to get the latest consoles but forget about the thrill of going to physical arcades in their local towns. No more nostalgic thoughts! RepliCade was able to finely tune this machine to play the original 1942 and 1943: The Battle of the Midway games on a platform that is very similar to ones found in arcades.
Invite your friends and family to partake in the classic fun as the device comes with a second mini control panel. If the screen is too small, it can be hooked up to a TV as well. This is not only a great game machine but an awesome collector’s piece and gift for anyone who enjoys playing arcade games.
PlayStation 5
Although the PS5 is basically the John Cena of gaming consoles, and even though Santa’s Sony workshop is still trying to bring more of these consoles to the market, they are a must-have for the ultimate gaming experience. The PlayStation 5 takes console gaming to a whole-new entertainment level.
The highlights include superfast loading with the integrated high-speed SSD, and awesome haptic feedback, and adaptive triggers from the controllers that make players feel things from the game to their hands, along with 3D audio available for compatible headsets. This console is a beast as it runs like a modern PC with its own GPU and CPU, including ray tracing for all those great frame rates, the perfect gaming device gift.
Xbox Series X/S
The new Xbox Series X|S have both received one of the best and biggest overhauls from all the latest consoles, in terms of design and performance. The Xbox team wanted to create a whole new design for better performance, packed into a console that would be smaller and be more unique from the competition. This console is most definitely a unique monster, delivering 12 teraflops of power with AMD’s Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures.
Our review of the Xbox Series X says “The Xbox Series X is a powerhouse, offering features even my $2,500 purpose-built gaming PC lacks. It is a cool, silent, and blazing fast gaming monster, all wrapped in a matte black box. The SSD, processing power, and a focus on next-level fidelity and backward compatibility make the Xbox Series X feel like a truly remarkable offering,” making the Series X a gaming device upgrade essential.
Nintendo Switch
Get the perfect Nintendo gift that everyone either has or wants! The Nintendo Switch will play your games at home or on the go—perfect for an avid traveler or if you want to just bring gaming into the bedroom.
Our review of the Nintendo Switch says “Nintendo needed a Hail Mary pass to return to the top, and they responded with their mobile/home console hybrid, the Nintendo Switch. While it is surely lacking in terms of power compared to its living room competition, the Nintendo Switch makes up for this with pure functionality and a little dash of innovation. This makes it the most interesting home console to date.” This masterpiece offers gameplay in 720p and 1080p resolution with its touchscreen display. One of the most recommended games to get the best experience out of the Switch is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. An excellent gaming device choice.
Nintendo Switch OLED
A great number of the games in our gaming holiday gift guide are for the Nintendo Switch, so why not play them on the better version of the Switch. The Nintendo Switch OLED brings the crispest, vibrant screen for a mobile gaming console. It also features an adjustable stand for the best portable viewing angles. It also has a built-in wired LAN port, so you know it is not you that is lagging.
Our review of the Nintendo Switch OLED says “Built into the new Switch is a wider, adjustable stand that puts the screen at a number of different angles, allowing you to find just the right angle for your needs without having to compensate for the limited movement of the original stand. The extra width of the stand also makes it a lot sturdier for when a one-on-one game with a friend gets rowdy.”
If you love to download your games digitally, there’s no problem here. It comes with 64 GB of internal storage and can still hold more with external storage. Learning from the feedback of the original model as well, the Switch OLED has enhanced audio for when in Tabletop and Handheld mode to hear your competition grovel loud and clear.
ASUS TUF Dash 15 Laptop
Another gaming laptop graces our gaming devices list with the ASUS TUF Dash 15 Laptop. Our review says “ASUS has managed to combine the power of a high-end gaming laptop, the battery life and the professional style of a notebook, and a display that rivals some monitors out there. The device itself is absolutely gorgeous,” making this a perfect gift for the holidays.
Acer Predator Helios 300 Laptop
The Acer Predator Helios 300 laptop is a device with power and gaming prowess. To upgrade anyone’s gaming experience this is an ideal laptop, with a 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H 6-Core Processor featuring a free Windows 11 upgrade to allow for optimal performance. With many reliable ports and a backlit keyboard, this slick machine is a gaming device to make anyone’s holiday a happy one.
Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop
Alienware not only brings power with this gaming desktop, but also brings a Tron-esque futuristic look to make a gaming desk look like a spaceship. With the allowance for user upgrades to be more streamlined, and the EMI clear shielded side panelling finally becoming available for all Aurora desktops globally, this is the ideal machine to beat out the competition. A gift of prowess and style in the gaming device world, even if it is alien.
CLX Set Gaming PC
The photo provided is the stock image that comes with the initial price of the CLX Gaming setup, but there are many options for upgrading the chassis or other peripherals for a more customized dynamic feel for this CLX gaming rig.
Our article about the possible CLX Gaming setups suggests “I just marvelled at how pretty the build of the CLX Ra was. Cable management was cleaner than I could ever hope to do on my own. It really is an art form (or a craft of more talented and more patient people). The Chassis side door opened on a hinge, so I could easily access the inside without tools, which was a wonderful little perk that I didn’t even know existed.
Oculus Quest 2 VR
The Oculus Quest 2 is the latest Oculus VR headset that allows maximum injection of the person into a game in a VR-capable system.
Our review, which is a stellar 10/10 on the Oculus Quest 2, states “the Quest 2 still packs a number of surprises to keep users inside VR longer (and keeping the fun going). The result is nothing short of a hardware which continues to push the boundaries of what users can do in a virtual realm,” including “For new users, it’s one of the best ways to dive into one of gaming’s bright futures without a hitch.” Give the gift of a new world gaming device for the holiday.
Alienware m15 R6 Laptop
Elevating your laptop game this holiday has never been easier with the Windows 11-installed, Alienware m15 R6 laptop. This is a mobile gaming powerhouse machine. It delivers a crystal-clear visual experience with refresh rates from 165Hz up to 360Hz, keeping all the swift action smooth for better gameplay. The 11th Gen Intel Core processors are even more impressive with 8-cores and 16-threads for all your needs.
Want an RTX 3080 GPU, you got it! All of this power is thermally managed with a smart, advanced airflow design. The typing experience is a great ‘cherry’ on top with the optional laptop keyboard offering Cherry switches that give gamers the mechanical keyboard true feel. A gaming device in the form of a laptop that is extraterrestrial.
As another CGM Recommends guide on what to buy for loved ones this holiday, the gaming devices listed above are a notable safe bet to blow the hinges off the expectation doors. Finishing up holiday shopping has never been easier than following walkthroughs and we here at CGMagazine have delivered guides to help fans spark inspiration on the gift front.
