Atom controller – an alternative hardware suggestion for Christmas (pic: Turtle Beach)
Didn’t get the bargains you wanted on Black Friday? GameCentral offers suggestions for gaming tech and accessories this Christmas.
From a fluffy cloud supported keyboard to a Pokémon flavoured Switch, there’s never any shortage of gift suggestions if you’re a gamer – and that’s just counting peripherals that aren’t even the games themselves.
Father Christmas might not be able to bring you, or anyone else, a GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card but there’s lots of other tempting hardware out there, including speciality controllers, headphones for every taste, and light-up keyboards and mice.
Few of them are cheap but all of them should be welcomed by the technophile in your life, or you can just treat yourself and enjoy a merry Christmas online instead.
Which ears will you choose? (pic: Razer)
Razer Kraken-Kitty V2 headphones
It may still have kitty in the name, but you now have the option of bunny and bear ears as well, along with a detachable microphone and stream reactive lighting for the pros. Technically, not much has changed in the new version of the Razer Kraken Kitty Edition V2 Pro, which has always been a streamer favourite and still sports 50mm Razer TriForce Titanium drivers, 7.1 channel digital surround sound, and delivers outstanding gaming audio. It’s available in quartz (aka pink) or black with green lights in the ears.
Razer – RRP £199.99
Roccat Vulcan II Max keyboard
This new Roccat gaming keyboard is stunning. With the brightness and bling of Disney World’s closing fireworks, this keyboard is designed to dazzle, even the wrist rest lights up! But this show will cost you two USB 2.0 ports worth of power to run for a full-on display and there’s no linear optical switch, so it’s not only your wallet it makes big demands on.
The Vulcan II Max isn’t lacking in the performance stakes: it’s an excellent gaming keyboard with speedy optical actuation and built-in secondary functions – although customising these can be a bore. It’ll save you having to shell out on fairy lights but the Vulcan II Max is clearly an acquired taste.
Roccat – RRP £199.99
Turtle Beach Atom controller
Logitech recently released their new handheld offering that only works over Wi-Fi but the new Turtle Beach Atom is focused on mobile gaming and cloud streaming for Android phones, making it a more portable option. Looking a lot like a Transformer, with a neat blocky aesthetic, it’s got a familiar button layout that feels great on the go. The Atom’s left and right halves attach to a phone via clamps and connect to it via Bluetooth 4.2. Battery life and a low latency are essential for cloud gaming and it’s impressive how its performance stacks up against competitors Backbone One and Razer Kishi, even with its cheaper price point.
Turtle Beach – RRP £89.99
The most Pokémon-esque Switch yet (pic: Nintendo)
Nintendo Switch OLED Model Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Edition
There’s been lots of special editions for the OLED model of the Switch so far but the one for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is clearly aimed at Christmas shoppers, with legendary pokémon Koraidon and Miraidon pictured on the system dock and lots more details on the Joy-Cons and the console itself. The controllers are coloured scarlet and violet, naturally, and have the emblems of the games’ Naranja and Uva academies stamped at the bottom. The OLED model is already the best version of the Switch but if you, or your loved one, is also a pokémon fan then this could be the perfect gift.
Nintendo – RRP £319.99
For the sound of Sonic (pic: OTL Technologies)
Sonic the Hedgehog Pro G4 gaming headphones
If you’ve got any Sonic fans in the family, you can keep Sega’s blue blur close at hand with this over-ear, super snazzy headset. it’s super comfortable, with a padded polyurethane headband and soft earpads for small heads. The microphone is detachable and omnidirectional for high quality and clear voice chat, with an in-line controller to mute or chat with other adventurers, who are also collecting Chaos Emeralds on Starfall Islands.
OTL Technologies – RRP £24
Of course they’re illuminated (pic: SteelSeries)
SteelSeries Arena 7 gaming speakers
Not only do SteelSeries make some of the best headsets and keyboards, with striking designs and a nod to green gaming initiatives, but now they’re branching out into gaming speakers and these look and sound great. The Arena 7 gaming speakers are all smooth curves, strong sound, and solid build. Hefty enough to make you feel they are worth the price tag, the SteelSeries Arena 7 would be a great Christmas present for someone who appreciates immersive gaming audio but also likes a subwoofer included for a bit of bass on the side.
SteelSeries – RRP £299.99
Relatively cheap (pic: Thrustmaster)
Thrustmaster T128 sim racing wheel
The new Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel may be top-of-the-range but it’s also extremely expensive, but there are cheaper alternatives. This is an ideal entry level wheel for racing fans who enjoy their driving games but don’t take them seriously enough to spend a grand on a controller.
The T128 has a handy LED strip that tells you when to switch gear and allows you to keep a check on your speed. It’s still a big expense, for what is going to be a lean Christmas for many, but it will help transform any compatible game. The only problem is you’ve got to make sure you get the right version, either Xbox and PC or PlayStation and PC – you can’t mix and match.
Thrustmaster – RRP £169.99
X marks the spot (pic: Razer)
Razer Leviathan V2 X gaming speakers
The budget version of its more fully-featured brother (which has the same name, just without the ‘X’), this is aimed specifically at gaming rather than music, since there’s no subwoofer or THX Spatial Audio, but the highs and mids are crystal clear. Impressively, the 15.7-inch soundbar is less than £100 and still has two full-range drivers and two passive radiators, with a maximum volume output of 90dB.
The fact that you don’t need an additional power connector, only a USB-C, to power it is also a blessing. It wouldn’t be Razer without some RGB lights and the underneath of the soundbar can pump out enough red and green to light up the street.
Razer – RRP £99.99
Logitech G Aurora G715 keyboard and G705 mouse
Designed for a utopian world of pastel shades and smaller hands, these gaming peripherals have an emphasis on customisation, accessibility, and inclusiveness – they also manage to make gaming peripherals look cute without being cringy. They’re not cheap though and Logitech’s Aurora Collection adds an unattractive pink tax. Beyond the cute designs these are serious peripherals that justify the price, with the best RGB tech available and deep customisation options.
Logitech Aurora G715 keyboard – £179.99
Logitech Aurora G705 mouse – £94.99
Noblechairs Legend TX Series Gaming Chair
Fancy a really comfy Christmas? The new design of the Legend TX, with wings and harness hole, looks racy and is a huge comfort upgrade. Like most noblechairs it has a firm feel, that takes some getting used to, as do the huge armrests and trying to work out how to get them just right. However, this chair oozes quality, with reinforced, cushioned fabric covers and dense cold foam padding – all of which, naturally enough, comes at a high asking price.
Noblechairs – RRP £419.99
Email [email protected], leave a comment below, and follow us on Twitter.
MORE : Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld hands-on – the new portable console
MORE : How sustainable video games gear makes buying new hardware safer for the planet
MORE : Steam Deck review: the best portable games console ever- Reader’s Feature
Follow Metro Gaming on Twitter and email us at [email protected]
To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.
For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.
Didn’t get the bargains you wanted on Black Friday? GameCentral offers suggestions for gaming tech and accessories this Christmas.
