My Ultimate Tech & Gaming Gift Guide for Christmas 2024
For the sweats that need to "win" at gift giving.
For the past few years, I’ve spent most of each year testing new products, sinking my teeth into new consumer tech, and getting familiar with the latest in gaming peripherals and accessories. While it’s work I love doing, I also want it to mean something to others. If my year-long expedition into the great unknown of tech and gaming can put a smile on someone’s face come Christmas morning, I’d feel quite validated.
Throughout 2024, I really got to know the portable power station market very well, kept my finger on the pulse of strange gaming accessories, tinkered with a projector or two, had hands-on time with more keyboards than I can count, amassed a collection of office furniture, and continued to enhance the lighting of the LoPrototype Casita. Among the dozens of items I’ve tested and reviewed, I feel these would make stellar (if not unconventional) Christmas gifts. Of course, some are pretty specific or niche, so they may not all fit every household!
Secretlab TITAN Evo NanoGen
Perfect for:
Gamers
Telecommuters
While I’m still thrilled with the Secretlab TITAN Evo SoftWeave Plus I started using last holiday season, the new Titan Evo NanoGen is a worthy competitor. In fact, if I didn’t have cats that would tear the hybrid leatherette apart, I’d have considered keeping the pure white beauty.
Much like its SoftWeave counterpart, the NanoGen is incredibly comfortable. The NanoFoam filling and NanoGen Hybrid Leatherette enhance the already premium quality of the TITAN Evo line of chairs. It’s on the pricier side, but even after a year of constant use, my TITAN Evo still feels like a new chair with absolutely no signs of wear and tear.
Bluetti Handsfree 2
Perfect for:
Outdoor enthusiasts
Drone operators
Nature photographers
Bluetti, a leader in portable power supplies and whole-home energy backups, released one of the most portable power stations this year. The Handsfree 2 is a 512Wh, 700W station that fits perfectly in the included 60L backpack. Even if you’re somehow not impressed by the convenience of the power station, the backpack is a work of art with more pouches and zippers than I could count. Complete with 2 USB-C, 2 USB-A, and one AC port, the Handsfree 2 is a great option for anyone who camps, works outdoors, or enjoys long hikes. Add the 60 or 100W solar panel so they can charge on the go and have a near-infinite supply of power.
Secretlab MAGNUS Pro Standing Desk
Perfect for:
PC Gamers
Streamers
Home office telecommuters
I’ve used quite a few standing desks over the past year or two, and even the best of those don’t quite come close to Secretlab’s MAGNUS Pro. The all-metal desk with built-in wire management makes it one of the easiest desks to organize and customize to your needs. Different modular components, such as a dual-arm monitor stand and an under mount PC desktop carriage, easily affix to the sturdy, durable desktop. The desk is available in 59 x 27.6” and 70” x 31.5” and adjusts from 25.6” to 49.2”.
Xbox Series S / Game Pass
Perfect for:
New gamers
No, neither the Xbox Series S nor Xbox Game Pass are new to 2024. However, as someone who’s played on all three ecosystems (four, if you count PC), I believe this pairing has always come across as the best for new gamers. First, the Series S is relatively inexpensive and works as a great entry-level platform. Yes, they lose the ability to buy physical discs, but Game Pass opens up a considerably large library of games, with more added virtually every month. For the highest tier, you’ll pay $19.99 per month, which sounds like a lot. With the cost of games hitting $70, though, that’s only the cost of 3 new titles. Best of all, Game Pass often receives brand new titles, like Call of Duty and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, on launch.
Have any questions about how Game Pass works? Don’t hesitate to shoot me a message! I’m more than happy to help break down the specifics.
Backbone One
Perfect for:
Gamers who travel
College-aged gamers
The Backbone One bridges the gap between stationary console gaming and players who don’t want to be tied to the same chair every time they play. Users can use their phones to immerse themselves in AAA (and AA) gaming virtually anywhere they are. Android and iPhone owners can boot up their Xbox Cloud library or sync to their Steam account or PS5 to take their gaming on the go. The phone fits perfectly right in the middle, acting as a screen flanked by two surprisingly comfortable controller components. Is it the perfect alternative to, say, a Nintendo Switch? Not really. Nintendo did a rather fantastic job with the console’s portability. However, the Backbone One is a really cool idea for gamers who are frequently on the road or waiting for class to start.
Govee Lighting
Perfect for:
Gamers
Streamers
Anyone who loves a custom aesthetic
I have quickly become an enthusiast for ambient lighting, and Govee is 100% to blame. If I recall, I first stumbled up on its line of home lighting options at an electronics expo, and I quickly fell in love. From lights that interact with the games you’re playing to pathway lights that glow in whatever vibrant color you could think of, Govee has an ever-growing, impressive line of ambient lighting options. I’ve lost track of how many Govee products I have in my house, but the answer will soon be “every light.” Outside of the cost per light, which is understandably high, I can’t think of a reason not to switch to smart lighting that’s fully customizable, reactive to music, and even capable of creating an entire ecosystem of synched lights.
Monster Blaster 3.0 Portable Speaker
Perfect for:
Music lovers
Anyone with a pool
Anyone who throws parties
The booming bass of the Monster Blaster 3.0 really surprised me at first. The clarity, even at the loudest volume, was enough to get me hooked on having a speaker poolside all summer. It’s bulky, but it would need to be for its 120W speaker output and 4 15W full-range drivers. It even has a 60W woofer to enhance the audio quality, whether you’re playing off a Bluetooth connection or using the AUX port.
Asus ROG Delta II
Perfect for:
PS5 owners
When I wrote my initial review of the ROG Delta II for TechRadar, I focused heavily on how well it works in the PS5 ecosystem. So much so that the company feared I misunderstood that it was made with PC gamers in mind. While it is a very PC-friendly headset, I stand by my assessment. Without having to adjust a single setting, the ROG Delta II produced the best audio I’ve experienced from my PS5, and it’s not the first high-end headset I’ve used on it. The 3D spatial audio, which produces lifelike sound quality, has so far been unmatched. On PC, you do get to tinker a lot more with the settings, which audiophiles will absolutely love. Even without the desktop app, though, the ROG Delta II is still a star, and I’m having a difficult time prying it off my ears despite having a backlog of headsets to review.