A Gift Guide for the Ultimate PlayStation 4 Fan
Posted by BEN STEGNER
Owning a PlayStation 4 is one of the best ways to enjoy video games. Whether you have an original model or the more powerful PS4 Pro, you can enhance your experience by buying great games and some extra accessories.
Do you have someone in your life who loves their PS4, but don’t know much about gaming? If so, here’s a handy list of gifts they’re sure to love, at every price point.
PlayStation 4 Gifts: $15 and Under
Gaming can be an expensive hobby, but that doesn’t mean every purchase is major. Here are a few small but worthwhile upgrades for any PS4 owner.
Analog Stick Grips
The DualShock 4 is a great controller, but your thumbs can start slipping if they sweat during longer play sessions. You can improve this with analog stick covers, which serve two purposes: they help protect the original rubber, and offer improved grip.
Otherwise, these grips are worth a try just for improving your skills. For a cheap solution, we recommend these Pandaren grips. They’re inexpensive, work on any controller, and come in a pack of 16.
Pack of 16pcs Pandaren Thumb Grip Thumbstick Noctilucent Sets for PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One Controller Pack of 16pcs Pandaren Thumb Grip Thumbstick Noctilucent Sets for PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One Controller Buy Now At Amazon $9.99If you’re buying for a more serious player, consider one of KontrolFreek’s offerings like the FPS Freek Vortex. These are slightly more expensive, but offer raised sticks for increased control.
KontrolFreek FPS Freek Vortex Performance Thumbsticks for PlayStation 4 Controller (PS4) KontrolFreek FPS Freek Vortex Performance Thumbsticks for PlayStation 4 Controller (PS4) Buy Now At Amazon $16.99A Longer USB Cable
Although the DualShock 4 controller has a rechargeable battery, charging it is still a common occurrence. Make it easier by picking up an extra-long cable. That way, you can charge and play indefinitely without having to sit closer to the system.
This 15-foot micro-USB to USB-A cable from MATEIN does the job for just a few dollars.
Android Charging Cable, 15ft PS4 Xbox One Controller Charger Cable, Durable Micro USB Fast Charging Cord Wire 2.0 for Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge/S6/Note 5,Sony,LG,Moto,HTC,BlackBerry,Smartphones (Black) Android Charging Cable, 15ft PS4 Xbox One Controller Charger Cable, Durable Micro USB Fast Charging Cord Wire 2.0 for Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge/S6/Note 5,Sony,LG,Moto,HTC,BlackBerry,Smartphones (Black) Buy Now At Amazon $7.99PlayStation 4 Gifts: $30 and Under
If you’ve got a little more money to spend, these gifts are a bit more substantial.
A Wireless Keyboard
Console players don’t typically use a mouse and keyboard to control games, but a cheap wireless keyboard can still be helpful for some PS4 owners. If you send a lot of messages, browse the web, or use your system as a media player, a keyboard is nice to keep around.
Without it, you have to manually enter every letter using the PS4’s on-screen keyboard, which is slow and will get old quickly. We’ve covered the best wireless keyboards you can buy—so take a look at that article for recommendations.
A Charging Dock
As mentioned before, the PS4 controller doesn’t have great battery life, so it’s smart to charge up whenever you can. Since the PS4 only has two USB ports and charging multiple controllers is a pain, a charging station is the perfect solution.
You can plug this BEBONCOOL controller dock into a wall or computer (saving you a USB slot) and charge up to two controllers. The stand is small so you don’t have to worry about it taking up lots of room, and the unit lights up letting you know when they’re done. A charging dock is a must-have for anyone with more than one controller.
BEBONCOOL PS4 Controller Charger, DualShock 4 PS4 Controller USB Charging Station Dock, Playstation 4 Charging Station Sony PlayStation4/ PS4/ Slim/ PS4 Pro Controller BEBONCOOL PS4 Controller Charger, DualShock 4 PS4 Controller USB Charging Station Dock, Playstation 4 Charging Station Sony PlayStation4/ PS4/ Slim/ PS4 Pro Controller Buy Now At Amazon $13.99PlayStation 4 Gifts: $60 and Under
Have you got some serious money to spend on yourself or a friend? Then here’s what you can buy for the price of a new game or less.
A PlayStation Plus Subscription
Every PS4 owner should subscribe to PlayStation Plus.
PlayStation Plus includes free games, frequent discounts, cloud storage, and exclusive game trials. On PS4, it’s also required for online multiplayer, but all the other benefits mean it’s more than worth it.
What’s more, your subscription also to the PS3 and PS Vita, if you still have those systems. However, Sony will no longer offer free games for the PS3 and Vita as of March 2019.
Giving a 12-month PS Plus subscription renewal as a gift is great because the recipient doesn’t have to worry about paying for another year themselves. Plus, membership stacks and codes don’t expire, so don’t be afraid to buy a subscription no matter how long they have left.
PlayStation Plus: 12 Month Membership [Digital Code] PlayStation Plus: 12 Month Membership [Digital Code] Buy Now At Amazon $59.99PlayStation Camera
The PS Camera isn’t necessary for using the PS4, unless you have PlayStation VR. The PS VR is too expensive to make this list, but the Camera is a neat toy nonetheless. It allows you to broadcast yourself during play sessions, log in with your face, and sync with the DualShock 4’s light bar for tracking motion.
It’s a good idea to know your audience before buying this—a diehard shooter fan probably won’t want it. But for kids or families, the PS4 camera could be a smash hit.
PlayStation 4 Camera PlayStation 4 Camera Buy Now At Amazon $44.95An Extra Controller
For everything from dead batteries to unexpected visits from friends, it never hurts to keep an extra controller around. Since they’re roughly the same price as a game, a PS4 owner might not want to pay for one themselves, but will appreciate receiving one as a gift.
You can get the DualShock 4 Wireless Controller in a variety of colors including black, white, red, and blue.
DualShock 4 Wireless Controller for PlayStation 4 - Magma Red DualShock 4 Wireless Controller for PlayStation 4 - Magma Red Buy Now At Amazon $63.59Games
As games are the core of any system, they of course make a perfect gift. Since the system has been available for years, there are tons of great PS4 games on the market.
What game to buy depends on the player. Thus, we recommend starting with our list of the best PS4 exclusives—just make sure they don’t already own them. If you’re nervous about buying the wrong game, the gift card option below is safer.
A Controller Adapter
The official “elite” controller for the PS4 is ridiculously expensive. But with an adapter, you can supercharge any standard PS4 controller without paying so much.
The Collective Minds Strike Pack F.P.S. Dominator easily snaps onto any DualShock 4, and includes a 10-foot USB cable so you don’t have to worry about charging your controller. You can hot-swap whatever buttons you’d like to map to the two paddles, and it even includes mods if you want to bend the rules a bit.
Collective Minds Strike Pack F.P.S. Dominator Controller Adapter with MODS & Paddles for PS4 Collective Minds Strike Pack F.P.S. Dominator Controller Adapter with MODS & Paddles for PS4 Buy Now At Amazon $32.31It’s aimed at first-person shooter players, but anyone who could benefit from an enhanced, paddle-enabled controller can enjoy it. For other choices, check out the best PS4 controller options.
PlayStation 4 Gifts: $100 and Under
Need to buy a gift and have more money than you know what to do with? One of these options will suffice.
A PS4 Headset
The PS4 includes a basic headset for voice chat, but it’s pretty junky. You can choose from a ton of gaming headsets to upgrade it, but we think the HyperXCloud Alpha offers the best bang for your buck.
HyperX Cloud Alpha Gaming Headset - Dual Chamber Drivers - Award Winning Comfort - Durable Aluminum Frame - Detachable Microphone - Works with PC, PS4, PS4 PRO, Xbox One, Xbox One S (HX-HSCA-RD/AM) HyperX Cloud Alpha Gaming Headset - Dual Chamber Drivers - Award Winning Comfort - Durable Aluminum Frame - Detachable Microphone - Works with PC, PS4, PS4 PRO, Xbox One, Xbox One S (HX-HSCA-RD/AM) Buy Now At Amazon $99.99Its powerful drivers let you hear every bit of game audio, and it packs a removable boom mic that’s much better than the PS4’s stock mic. And the included cables let you use it with your computer—or any device with a headphone jack. Thankfully, it offers a great music listening profile too.
Hate wires? Check out some of these great wireless headsets.
PlayStation Gift Cards
If you’re totally unsure of what someone might want, go with a gift card for the PlayStation Store. Available in several denominations including $10, $20, and $50, these cards let anyone with a PS4 pick from a wide variety of games, DLC, and other content.
$50 PlayStation Store Gift Card [Digital Code] $50 PlayStation Store Gift Card [Digital Code] Buy Now At Amazon $50.00They won’t have to use a credit card to add funds and the money never expires, so they can save it for a sale. One of the above gifts is probably a more personal choice, but we doubt anybody would be upset at getting what is essentially free money.
‘Tis the Season for PlayStation 4 Gifts
Now, even if you’ve never touched a video game controller before, you have a variety of gifts to choose for the PS4 owner in your life. No matter your budget, you can make someone’s gaming life a bit better this holiday season.
And if you’re buying for someone who owns an Xbox One or PC instead, check out our gift guide for gamers.
Image Credit: Mike Flippo/Shutterstock
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