We asked our members
what non-game they wanted for gifts this December. 2020 has been a wild ride, and its last stop is the holiday season. If you’re looking to get gifts for gamers this year, keep reading to see ways to improve their setup and styles.
Make sure to click on the pictures to check them out!
1. Govee Smart RGB Led Strip Lights
RGB lights can take a room from blah to baller with the clock of a button. Or in this case, just ask Alexa! These are available everywhere and can be affixed to a gaming rig to make their PC set up pop, or behind the tv, they play their console on for ambiance.
“Simple gift that can go a long way in spicing a setup.” – Brandon “Images” Villarreal, News & Media Team
2. Nanoleaf Light Panels
In the same vein, these light panels are super cute and provide a more whimsical feel to a space. You can program these to mirror what is happening on your monitor or TV screen to kick game night up a notch.
“Nanoleaf lights are so dope and come with a lot of customization that can really spice up your room.” – Quaide Parker, OU Valorant Captain
3. Ring Fit Adventure
This game from Nintendo is perfect for your friends who just wanna play Super Smash Bros all day. It an engaging workout for your body and mind and fun for the whole family!
“Being completely online for my work and classes, I’ve been way more sedentary this year. It can be hard to motivate myself to get out of the house and be active. Ring Fit Adventure combines exercise with an adventure game campaign and would let me get in a fun and engaging workout from my own room and help me be healthier in the coming year.” Kara “Kelbright” Brightwell, Community Outreach Coordinator
4. Logitech – G502 HERO Wired Optical Gaming Mouse
This mouse, currently discounted at Best Buy, has it all. Style, function, and price. This mouse is sure to bring a smile to a serious gamer or someone who is just getting started come Christmas morning. A favorite of those in esports and gaming, the mouse has customizable weights, wide range of sensitives, and a unique smooth scrolling feature in addition to two macros. Its used by several of OU’s competitors and leadership, including our Editor-in-Chief.
“It’s the best-wired gaming mouse for the best price in the market right now.”
- Jody “BosnWifey” Farmer, CoD Coach
5. SPIN Macro Pad Kit GB
A macro pad is perfect for your techie friend who’s always busy. They can save time by creating shortcuts for common actions. This model has the option to pick different knobs if you’d like, making them feel totally custom.
“As a photographer, videographer, and graphic designer, having a macropod is a huge help when editing. This one, in particular, has 3 rotary encoders. These can be programmed to do a variety of things, from raising/lowering volume, zooming in/out, and fine-tuning levels of details
- Zachary “Thunderbird” Satz, Marketing Director
6. Persona 4 Original Soundtrack
You can never go wrong with some classic tunes. This one comes on CD and Vinyl, which can be displayed on walls to liven up the game room!
“It’s the Persona 4 soundtracks, probably the best collection of music known to man.”
- Russell “Schiecenzoria” Hanks, OU Student
7. Cotton Stretch 5-Pack Boxer Briefs
We think its best to let this quote speak for itself.
“Like an ascetic atop a windswept mountain, the limited amount of cloth that I wear has been bared ragged to the elements. Unreplaced, reliable, undenied in its unending service. Tattered remnants that hearken back to an industrial era of unbelievable availability of textiles to the common man, yet my irresponsible purchase of new hedonistic boxes and entertainment stations ask for those in need of reprieve and replacement to last just one more year.
It is an inevitable truth that they will not last, like the coastguardsman serving in an isolated lighthouse for just too long. They have been asked just one more year too many times to count. They have lost their elasticity of youth, they have aged years beyond the years they have temporally aged from being overworn for underwear.
Replace them for your gamer, before they return to fig leaves like our forebearers.”
- Jason “DrBanelingMD” Yee, Overwatch Captain
8. Graphics Card
Another amazing upgrade for the PC gamer in your life, a new graphics card to there rig will usually be an improvement — as long as you make sure its fit for their setup and motherboard. Specifically, we recommend the new Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080, this is definitely an investment but you’d be lucky to get your hands on it. The good news is that it is a huge performance upgrade and will last a very long time.
“Honestly never been hype about new GPUs but Nvidia has put out a affordable (relative to the 20 series cards) line of GPUs with the 30 series cards. Though I wouldn’t ever get their first model, this card will let me play Cyberpunk 2077 on High settings at 144 FPS so that’d be a lot of fun!”
- Matt Kish, OU Student
9. SCUF PRESTIGE TUNGSTEN GRAY
For your console gamer, nothing is better than a buttery smooth, always charged controller. This one from Scuf is pricier, but nothing else quite hits the spot as it does. Pro tip: Double and then triple check what console your gamer plays on before you buy, nobody likes to return gifts! However, this specific controller is compatible with PC/Windows, which could expand your giftee’s setup.
“I’ve been looking at a scuf-like controller for a while now, but none of the off-brand types seem to live up a scufs reliability. I’ve been looking into these controllers for a while because of the movement achievable with a scuf controller that simply can’t be done with a normal controller. [And while] having a scuf controller is not required to play competitive COD, it allows for massive growth in skill. As stated before, the scuf controllers are top of the line for reliability and ergonomics that simply can’t be matched by the off-brand controllers.”
- Logan “Pralimos” Goin, CoD Team
10. Razer Nari Ultimate – Overwatch Lúcio Edition
A good headset is key to good communication; and good communication wins matches. These Razer headsets are pricier, but they are durable and stylish and are sure to bring a smile to your gamer’s face. This model is made to match with Overwatch’s character Lúcio, but can be customized to other games and characters.
“Anything Razer gets me so giddy, it’s the best brand out there. When I tear through the wrapping paper and see that logo I get so excited. Also, the fact that they team up with games to make game-specific products is so epic. I love that I can rep my favorite brand and my favorite game at the same time.”
- Conner “KnockKnock” Robb, Overwatch Captain
11. Oculus Quest
VR gaming is honestly so immersive and exciting. This is definitely the new way to the game. With the release of the Oculus Quest 2, more people can experience truly integrated gaming. This is the perfect gift for someone who might feel stuck at home during quarantine! You can experience a whole new world with a few buttons.
“This is what we’ve been waiting for. The Oculus Quest 2 is truly one of the best VR headsets out there period. Boasting a higher resolution than the valve index! It’s all in one design means that you can use it wirelessly and all the hardware is built in so no computer! The best thing is it’s a barrier to entry is only 299! In comparison, a valve index comes in at 1000.”
- Hashim Hassany, CoD Ambassador
12. Gaming themed T-shirts
cute graphic tee is an easy Dub for the gift list, and are honestly super cute. these options on Etsy support small businesses.
On a personal note, I love the softness and personality of these shirts. I got one for my fiance that had our names on it as a joke but he loved it so much he wears it at least once a week!
