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Tribune News Service

Hardcore gamers can be difficult to shop for during the holidays. They may already have the game that you bought for them or it could be the right one, but for the wrong platform. Plenty of gift-buying pitfalls exist for the uninitiated.
With that in mind, here are gift ideas for gamers that have everything – a mix of items that enhance the player’s experience, top games of the year and lifestyle products.
1. SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds
Headphones are a natural way to level up a gaming experience and these versatile earbuds will certainly do the trick.
Players can use them with their smartphones like AirPods or they can connect them to a console for a deeper gaming experience.
Impressive battery life, active noise cancellation and robust software make these headphones not only great for gaming but perfect as a daily driver. Price: US$169.99.
2. Audeze Maxwell headset

Those wishing for an upgrade to their regular headset should look no further than this set of cans.
Boasting 90mm planar magnetic drivers, the Maxwell produces luscious sound that will please audiophiles while also having the chops for gaming.
Players will marvel at audio that places them in an environment while also giving them an edge in the competitive scene.
It also has excellent battery life that will last weeks. Price: US$299.
3. Chilkey ND75

Gamers looking for a keyboard that is versatile enough for work and play should consider this one that offers a 75 per cent layout size format.
The mechanical keyboard has a smaller form factor than a 10 keyless – keyboards that drop the number pad but keep the arrow and navigation keys – while offering gaming accoutrements such as RGB lighting and a customisable postage-stamp-sized screen.
Keyboard enthusiasts will love its sturdiness and sound, but the best part about the keyboard is its price at US$99.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

A rule of thumb is that whenever there is a sale on first-party Nintendo titles, it is best to pick them up. The newest entry to the famed Legend of Zelda franchise is certainly worth considering.
It is the first title that stars Zelda as the central protagonist and it also offers up a distinctive gameplay style that makes her adventure as good as anything starring Link. The title is on sale starting at US$41.99.
5. Nintendo Alarmo

If the Nintendo fan in your life wants extra Zelda, Mario, Splatoon or more, this device – a physical alarm clock that adds a bit of whimsy to the day – is the one to pick up.
Packed with hi-tech features such as motion sensors, it lets users hit the snooze with a gesture before the device ramps up its alarm.
It turns waking up into a little game, but all that fandom is pricey at US$99.
6. Metaphor: ReFantazio

Gamers craving an epic adventure cannot go wrong with this Japanese role-playing game from the minds behind Persona 5.
It has much of the same trappings of that beloved game, with players going through nearly five calendar months and building relationships (but not romances) with allies.
It all adds up to one of the most enjoyable games of the year. Price: US$49.99.
7. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

If you are still struggling to decide what game to buy, why not give them the choice of picking from more than 500 of them?
This is Microsoft’s version of Netflix for gamers and it includes popular recent titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Price: A subscription costs US$20 a month, with a three-month pass going for US$49.99.
8. PlayStation 5 Pro

If your gamer has been extra good this year, then this top-of-the-line console is a worthy reward.
This mid-generation refresh has 67 per cent more computing horsepower than the standard version, with the system using that to provide features such as AI-enhanced visuals and advanced ray tracing that creates more realistic environments.
The system approaches the graphics of a high-end PC gaming rig and is designed to compete with that at a price of US$699.


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Video gaming

8 great gift ideas for gamers for Christmas 2024, from headphones to consoles

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, which feature impressive battery life, active noise cancellation and robust software, can be used with both gaming machines and smartphones. Photo: SteelSeries

The Audeze Maxwell wireless gaming headset. Photo: Audeze

The Chilkey ND75 keyboard. Photo: Chilkey

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is the first in the long-running franchise to star Zelda as the central protagonist. Photo: Nintendo

The Nintendo Alarmo. Photo: Nintendo

Metaphor: ReFantazio is from Altus, the same developer behind the Persona series. Photo: Sega

The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offers more than 500 games. Photo: Xbox

Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro (centre) offers 67 per cent more compute units than the original PlayStation 5 (left). Photo: AFP

The chaotic journey of Stalker 2, Ukrainian-made game coming to PC, Xbox

A cosplayer poses at the Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl booth at the Gamescom video games trade fair in Cologne, Germany on August 21, 2024. Photo: AFP

Ievgen Grygorovych, CEO of GSC Game World, sits in front of a Ukrainian flag at the developer’s Prague studio on November 8, 2024. Photo: AFP

Visitors play Stalker 2 game at the Xbox booth at the Gamescom video game fair in Cologne, Germany, on August 23, 2023. Photo: AFP

How a decades-old snub by Japan’s Nintendo created a gaming giant

The PlayStation logo at the offices of Sony Interactive Entertainment in Tokyo. Photo: AFP

A Sony PlayStation 5 display at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. Photo: AFP

The PlayStation logo. The first Sony games console went on sale in Japan on December 3, 1994. Photo: AFP

PlayStation 1 games for sale in France. Sony sold over 102 million units of the first PlayStation generation. Photo: AFP

A Sony PlayStation 5 and 5 Pro. It was only last year that Sony was able to fully resolve the supply chain issues with its latest console. Photo: AFP

From The Remarkable Life of Ibelin to Grand Theft Hamlet, how video games became film sets

Custom characters from World of Warcraft and Blizzard Entertainment in a scene from the documentary “he Remarkable Life of Ibelin. Photo:  World of Warcraft and Blizzard Entertainment/Netflix via AP

A still from Grand Theft Hamlet, which was made inside the virtual world of Grand Theft Auto online. Photo: AP

A scene from Grand Theft Hamlet, set in the world of Grand Theft Auto Online. Photo: AP

Mats Steen in a scene from the Netflix documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin. Photo: AP

Characters from World of Warcraft and Blizzard Entertainment in a scene from the documentary about the life of Mats Steen. Photo: AP

A young Mats Steen in a scene from the documentary. Photo: AP

How the Erotic Ghost Story films shocked and seduced Hong Kong

(From left) Amy Yip, Man Siu and Kudo Hitomi in a still from Erotic Ghost Story.

Pal Sinn (left) and Amy Yip in a still from Erotic Ghost Story (1990). Yip made the first Erotic Ghost Story a success, mainly because of her buxom physique.

Joey Wong and Leslie Cheung in a still from A Chinese Ghost Story (1987). Photo: Film Workshop

A promotional image for Erotic Ghost Story (1990).

Charine Chan (bottom right) in a promotional image for Erotic Ghost Story 2 (1991).

A promotional image for Erotic Ghost Story 3 (1992).

(From left) Pauline Chan, Kenny Wong and Chik King-man in a still from Erotic Ghost Story 3 (1992).

Lifestyle

Gadgets

Whether the gamer in your life plays on PC, PlayStation or Xbox, you’re sure to find something unique for them on our gaming list


Whether the gamer in your life plays on PC, PlayStation or Xbox, you’re sure to find something unique for them on our gaming list.


Christmas

Nintendo

Microsoft