Best Xbox Gifts For 2021: Gift Ideas For Xbox Series X And Xbox One Owners (2024)

The main event console itself, the Xbox Series X is a marvel of engineering that's home to a selection of games that truly do look next-gen when you seem them in action. The impressive hardware inside of the black tower is capable of running games at 4K and 120Hz, while the Velocity Architecture of the internal SSD means that you'll be able to switch between titles almost instantly thanks to the Quick Resume feature.

One of the other big selling points of the Xbox Series X is its backwards compatibility and Smart Delivery software that allows for legacy titles to be played on it. Basically, any Xbox One game you owned will work flawlessly on the Xbox Series X, and a large selection of Xbox 360 and original Xbox games shine on the console with various visual upgrades that are provided for free. More modern games also feature this upgrade, such as Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Watch Dogs Legion, and Yakuza: Like A Dragon.

*The Xbox Series X is, unfortunately, quite difficult to find in stock. If you're looking for one, the Series X will be on sale at multiple retailers during Black Friday week.

While it may not pack as much pure hardware horsepower as the Xbox Series X, the Xbox Series S is no lightweight when it comes to providing a similar gaming experience. Perfect for households on a more limited budget, the Xbox Series S is capable of outputting 1440p gameplay at 120Hz and can play the exact same games as its bigger brother console. While newer titles may have some graphical concessions, these games will still load at lightning-quick speed thanks to the 500GB SSD.

It's worth noting that this console is purely for digital games though, as it has no disc-drive like the Xbox Series X has. Still, the cheaper price tag and a monthly subscription to Xbox Game Pass makes for a gaming machine that has a lot to offer.

*Though the Xbox Series S is easier to secure than the Series X, it still sells out at major retailers very quickly. Luckily, there will be restocks next week during Black Friday.

Money as a gift is boring and people will often take that present and use it on necessary items instead of luxury goods that they deserve. With an Xbox Gift Card, you can make certain that your loved one has an acceptable amount of digital currency that can only be spent on that system's marketplace, while also saving you from the worst-case scenario of buying the recipient a game that they already own. Now that's a win-win situation.

Xbox gift cards can be used to purchase new Xbox games, preorders, and movies, and each card has a maximum limit of $100.

Microsoft's official Xbox controller for the Series X|S generation has done the impossible, by making one of the best peripherals of all time even better. Ergonomically divine and featuring textured parts that keep your fingers in play, this controller provides all the immersion you could ask for on an Xbox. While the matte black finish makes for an attractive device, fans can go a step further by customizing the look of the Xbox controller through Microsoft's Design Labs.

For $70, you can choose from a variety of colors and apply them to every physical aspect of the controller. You can even add an engraving to it $10 extra, creating a one-of-a-kind controller just for your hands.

For the gamers in your life who take their hobby seriously, fret not. There's no shortage of Xbox controllers when it comes to gaining an edge in Call of Duty or Apex Legends, and at the top of the pile there's the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller. This one has adjustable analog stick tension, remappable back paddles, and an internal rechargeable battery, as well as an overall build quality that's unmistakably premium in its finish.

Alternatively, there's the new Razer Wolverine V2 Chroma, a customizable beast of a controller that has hyper-responsive actuation with a cushioned touch and multi-function buttons. Another professional controller worth looking at is the Scuf Instinct Pro, which can also be customized and can presumably survive several world wars with its build quality.

Tight on space and worried that your expansion options don't feature enough metal around the precious data stored within them? Western Digital's P10 drive will probably ease your paranoia, as this rugged case houses a jaw-dropping amount of digital real estate to store games on with a sturdy steel shell. Perfect for when you need that added sense of security next to your console. Just remember, you can't play Xbox Series X games from this SSD, but you can transfer those games from an external hard drive to that internal SSD whenever you want to play them, thus saving space on the console.

On the plus side, you can store original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One games on this drive and play them off of it, making life that much easier.