It’s just over two weeks until Christmas and there’s still plenty of time to get your shopping done. We’d like to pitch in with Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas. Today we’re covering your options for gaming gifts.
Australians love playing computer and console games and there is plenty of hardware and games that will make great gifts.
Here are Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas:
Day 3: Wearables/smartwatches (Dec 5)
Day 4: Headphones/speakers/audio (Dec 6)
DAY 5: Gaming (Dec 9)
DAY 6: Tablets/e-readers (Dec 10)
DAY 7: Drones/Gadgets (Dec 11)
DAY 8: Smart/IoT devices (Dec 12)
DAY 9: In-car gadgets (Dec 13)
DAY 10: TVs/Blu-Ray/4K (Dec 16)
DAY 11: Appliances (Dec 17)
DAY 12: Computers (Dec 18)
DAY 5: GAMING
PLAYSTATION 4 – $399 (500GB), $479 (1TB), $559 (PS4 Pro 1TB)
The PlayStation 4 is a powerful console with an 8-core processor which brings the latest cutting edge games to life.
Graphics are clear as crystal thanks to the AMD Radeon-based GPU.
There are your choice of either 500GB or 1TB of storage available as well.
And if you opt for the Pro edition you get double the power and 4K and HDR capabilities as well.
XBOX ONE S DIGITAL EDITION – $349
Microsoft has released a discless version of the Xbox One S which has been created for players who prefer to find and play their games digitally.
The console comes bundled with three of the most compelling and popular Xbox games – Minecraft, Forza Horizon 3 and Sea of Thieves.
All of your games, saves and backups can all be stored in the cloud which means your content can go with you so you can play your games on any Xbox One.
The console does not play any physical discs.
Microsoft already offers the Xbox Game Pass which provides members with access to more than 100 games with new games being added every month.
The console will also allow viewers to enjoy 4K HDR entertainment as well through services including Netflix and Amazon.
READ TECH GUIDE’S REPORT ON THE XBOX ONE S DIGITAL EDITION
TURTLE BEACH STEALTH 700 GAMNG HEADSET – $249
If there’s one thing you need when playing a competitive online game it’s focus. You need to keep your eyes open and your ears open. What really helps with the latter is the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Headset.
The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Headset offers DTS 7.1 Surround Sound as well as Active Noise Cancellation.
And these gaming headphones are also wireless and connect to the PS4 (there’s a version for Xbox One as well) via the Bluetooth dongle which plugs into one of the console’s USB port.
For our review we got hold of the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Headset for PS4 which has blue logos and styling on the mainly black headphones.
The Xbox One version has the green logo and styling to match that device.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE TURTLE BEACH STEALTH 700
SEGA MEGA DRIVE MINI – $139.95
Take a step back in time with the Sega Mega Drive Mini which includes a number of number of memorable masterpieces that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
From Sonic The Hedgehog and Streets of Rage II to Golden Axe and Ecco the Dolphin, the system is filled to the brim with classic titles from SEGA and our amazing third-party partners – 42, to be exact. That includes two bonus titles never previously released on the Mega Drive – Tetris and Darius.
30 years ago, back in 1989, the Sega Mega Drive put Sega on the map.
Now the miniaturised version of the iconic Model 1 will allow fans to get their hands on the system and share their experiences.
SENNHEISER GSP 370 GAMING HEADSET – $349.95
When it comes to audio Sennheiser has a reputation for providing great quality and that expertise has now entered the gaming space with the GSP 370 wireless headset.
The headset provides a wire free low latency connection to a PC, Mac or Sony PlayStation 4.
For our review we connected the Sennheiser GSP 370 to our PlayStation 4 while we were playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare multiplayer.
We connected the headphones to the PS4 with the included USB dongle.
The headphones have a closed acoustic design with integrated digital sound processing to ensure you get an all-enveloping directional experience.
Audio quality was impressive and it gave a great mixture of clarity and bass performance.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE SENNHEISER GSP 370 GAMING HEADSET
CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE – $79
It’s one of the biggest game franchises of all time – and it’s back. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is a rebooting of the original 2007 game that sent the first person shooter into the stratosphere.
It might have the same name as the 2007 blockbuster but the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare takes the brand to a whole new level.
There are some familiar elements and characters that return but all in all – it is a brand-new campaign.
And the extremely popular multiplayer modes that set Call of Duty above the rest also delivers quite a punch.
If you have a 4K HDR TV and a decent surround sound system, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare looks and sounds like a blockbuster movie that you’re a part of.
READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE
STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER – $79
Star Wars fans – warm up your lightsaber in this new third person action adventure game.
Players assume the rule of a Jedi Padawan who escapes the Jedi massacre at the end of Episode III Revenge of the Sith following Order 66.
Now the character has to pick up the pieces and develop new abilities and try and master the Force and his lightsaber.
HTC VIVE COSMOS VR – $1,299
The HTC Vive Cosmos was designed to adapt to the needs of users and has an all-new simplified set up and tracking system which means you can enter the VR world faster and easier than ever before.
There are six camera sensors for wide and accurate inside out tracking.
The Vive Cosmos has a 2880 x 1700 combined pixel resolution which is a huge 88 per cent increase over the original Vive.
That means players will have crystal-clear text and graphics right before them with the all-new LCD panels that reduce the distance between pixels and reduce the screen door effect.
