The PlayStation 4 is the undisputed king of the current console generation, with sales of over 100 million systems and some of the best first-party exclusives we’ve played in years. That means you’ll likely have plenty of PlayStation players to buy holiday gifts for this season, whether that be a powerful console like the PS4 Pro, an exclusive accessory like the PlayStation VR, a collection of great games, or even some merchandise so they can show off their fandom. With our PlayStation holiday gift guide, we’ll show you the best gifts you’ll want to consider picking up this year.
Consoles
PlayStation 4 “slim” system
The PS4 is the best-selling game system of the generation for a reason: It’s also the best game console. With plenty of horsepower under the hood to run games like Uncharted 4 and God of War, as well as the excellent DualShock 4 controller, an easy-to-use menu system and the excellent PlayStation Plus membership subscription, the PS4 can easily be your only game system. It’s also capable of HDR if you have a capable television, and it supports remote play with mobile devices so you can keep gaming on the go.
PlayStation 4 Pro system
The standard PS4 might not be enough for everyone, though. If you demand the very best out of your console games, then the PlayStation 4 Pro will be what you want to purchase. Compatible with all PS4 games, the PS4 Pro supports 4K resolution on several titles, and you can access additional performance settings to increase framerate or visual detail in a selection of games. If you want to see what your games are truly capable of, it will only be possible with the PS4 Pro, and cloud game saves will make switching from the standard PS4 a breeze.
Accessories
PlayStation VR
A must-have addition to any PlayStation player’s collection — especially if they don’t own a PC or the Oculus Quest — the PlayStation VR is home to immersive and engaging games across a variety of genres. Get scared senseless in Resident Evil 7, then fight in a car shootout in Blood & Truth or train for the belt in Creed: Rise to Glory. PlayStation VR is truly a necessity for its price, and the PlayStation 5 has already been confirmed to support the headset, so it’s an accessory you can use across generations.
PlayStation VR Aim Controller
The perfect controller to pair with a new PlayStation VR headset is the PlayStation VR Aim Controller. Shaped like a rifle and featuring a PlayStation Move light on the front, it allows you to play first-person shooters as if you were holding a weapon. The added sense of realism makes games like Farpoint and Firewall: Zero Hour feel even more realistic, and you can get the edge on opponents who might be using the traditional two-Move controller setup, instead. Sure, you’ll still look silly to everyone outside of your VR world, but don’t worry about them while you play!
PowerA Charging Station
The PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 controller uses an internal, non-removable battery, and the default way to charge the controller is to plug it into the system itself and play or leave it in rest mode. This certainly does charge the controller, but it also means you can’t unplug your PS4 when not in use and have a wire dangling from your entertainment center. With the PowerA Charging Station, you just plug it into a standard wall outlet and place your controllers on top to charge. It’s easy as pie, and we’ve been using the same charging station for the entire console generation without a single issue.
Seagate Game Drive
Even if you have a 1TB PS4 system, you are eventually going to run out of room for the games you have installed — the latest AAA games can be over 100GB each. Rather than start deleting your games, however, you can get the Seagate Game Drive 2TB model, which plugs into the system via USB and instantly adds a ton of extra storage space. USB 3.0 drives of a large enough capacity will work, as well, but the Game Drive is guaranteed to be compatible with your console, and when you make the jump to PS5, there is a good chance you will be able to start using it on the new system, too.
PlayStation Gold Wireless Headset
The perfect budget-friendly headset choice for PlayStation 4 players, the PlayStation Gold Wireless Headset includes a headset companion app with custom audio modes for several of the console’s biggest games, and an internal microphone lets you chat with your friends without having something in front of your mouth. It can be used wirelessly, as the name suggests, or plugged directly into your controller for when your battery dies. We’ve even used it with our Xbox One, where it functions well via the included 3.5mm cable.
Games
Death Stranding
The latest game from Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima, Death Stranding is one of the most bizarre games we’ve ever played. Set in a fractured United States, Death Stranding tasks you with reforming connections across the country, and to do so you’ll have to deliver packages and enter the world of the dead! Tools at your disposal include a collapsible ladder that can also become a bridge, as well as a special baby suspended in a jar that can sense nearby enemies. That all sounds totally normal, but we are perfectly fine with Kojima not spoon-feeding any of it to us.
Control
An action-adventure game for fans of X-Files or Remedy Entertainment’s Quantum Break, Control is a cerebral and creative thrill ride set in a secret government facility that houses paranormal phenomena. As the newly promoted director, you’re on a mission to discover your missing brother and defeat the “Hiss” enemies that are taking over the facility. A shapeshifting gun called the Service Weapon is your only weapon, if you don’t count your telekinetic powers, that is, and when you aren’t fighting, you’ll be reading up on the game’s expansive lore in journals and research materials.
Borderlands 3
The long-awaited sequel Borderlands 3 finally arrived in 2019, and Gearbox Software’s latest shooter is far more ambitious than anything we’ve seen in the series thus far. Split across several planets, the loot-shooter gives us diverse environments filled with quests to complete and new guns to acquire. The core shooting has never felt better, and the game’s goofy and occasionally grating humor is still fully intact. It’s also one of the prettiest games on the entire system, with its cel-shaded art style somehow made even prettier by the power of current-generation consoles.
Mortal Kombat 11
One of the best fighting games ever made, the tremendously goofy and gory Mortal Kombat 11 has everything a fan could want. The story mode is an excellent time-travel adventure that sees current characters meeting their past selves and changing the course of the entire series timeline, and when it comes to blows, the fighting emphasizes reaction and spacing over pure combo attacks for a deeper and harder-to-master system. When you see an expert lay down a beating on an enemy and finish with a bloody Fatality move, you’ll understand why Mortal Kombat 11 received such praise.
Devil May Cry 5
After more than a decade, the original Devil May Cry series is back with Devil May Cry 5, and the wait was definitely worth it. Starring three playable characters — Dante, Nero, and newcomer V — the action game is a sprint from start to finish, and the heroes’ drastically different playstyles mean you will almost never use the same strategy twice. Devil May Cry 5 is also surprisingly well-written, and the action is all backed by a crazy-good soundtrack that we have been humming since it launched earlier this year. We just hope it isn’t another decade before the sixth game releases.
Merchandise
God of War Kratos action figure
Boy! Show your love for Sony Santa Monica’s God of War with this Kratos action figure. Based on the recent semi-rebooted version of the character, this figure includes dozens of points of articulation and comes with his new Leviathan ax, shield, and dagger. You’ll be ready to take down the monsters waiting for you in the land of Norse mythology.
Kojima Productions Nendoroid Jumbo Ludens figure
Are you a big Hideo Kojima fan and want to show off what the game designer means to you? This Nendoroid figure is an adorable take on the new Kojima Productions official mascot and will be the perfect addition to your Death Stranding collection. The skeletal face on the interior is also quite creepy, so you can scare your friends by putting it in unexpected spots in your house.
The Last of Us: Part 2 Ellie Graphic Water Bottle
The Last of Us: Part 2 won’t be released until late next spring, but you can share your enthusiasm for the game ahead of time with this water bottle. It features a picture of protagonist Ellie on its side in a black-and-white comic book style, and the bottle itself includes copper vacuum insulation and a double wall to help keep your drinks at the right temperature. We’re guessing they don’t have these in the apocalypse.
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