What gift do you give to the man or woman who has everything? Luckily for you, if the man or woman in question is a gamer, that will never happen — there’s always the next big game or gadget that will make the perfect gift this festive season.
Here are my picks for the best 2016 stocking fillers:
Hardware
Ultra HD TV
While 3D television has failed to catch on and the jury is still out on just how successful virtual reality will be, ultra-high-definition (UHD), also commonly called 4K has proven to be the next big shift in the gaming and living room entertainment world. UHD screens offer truly noticeable image quality improvements, with four times the resolution of standard HD sets, and much livelier colours on models that offer HDR.
Last year they were still prohibitively expensive for many, but they are now finally priced at a point that should make them your go-option when looking at buying a new television. Both Sony and Microsoft are now catering to gamers with 4K sets with the mid-generation updates of their consoles. With 4K Blu-rays becoming more common, and Netflix now releasing its shows in UHD, a 4K television also offers something to the non-gamers in the home.
Xbox One S
Microsoft’s mid-generation update to the Xbox One brings a smaller form factor, a slight increase in power, 4K upscaling and a 4K Blu-ray drive to your TV stand. If you have a 4K TV, it’s worth getting for the ability to watch native 4K content, and a lot of games look incredible when upscaled to UHD. For those who’ve been holding off on getting an Xbox One, there’s never been a better time.
PlayStation 4 Pro
The PS4 Pro is Sony’s take on the fashionable new mid-generation update idea, offering a considerable increase in power when compared to the original PS4. Whereas the Xbox One S only offers upscaling, the PS4 Pro gives developers the chance to release games that render natively at higher-than-HD resolutions, with some hitting native 4K. All future PS4 releases will have Pro support, and several older ones have been patched to let them take advantage of the more powerful hardware.
Software
Titanfall 2
In my review of Titanfall 2, I called it one of the best first-person shooters ever made. It’s my game of the year, and one I recommend to every fan of the genre, even those who think they’ll never be excited by an FPS again.
The Last Guardian
One of the most-anticipated releases in recent years, this PS4 exclusive is an action-adventure game very different from almost anything else out there. Players get to explore a carefully-crafted fantasy world as you form a special bond with a mythical creature. Get it for the gamer who’s tired of the usual bullets or swords gameplay.
It’s been out for a while now, but better late than never, right? If the gamer/s in your life have yet to give this incredibly fun and addictive team-based multiplayer shooter a try, you owe it to them to make them see the error of their ways.
Not all reviewers have been fans of Square Enix’s open-world adventure, the latest entry in their long-running Japanese role-playing game franchise, but there’s probably not one FF fan who won’t be ecstatic to find this game under the tree.
Battlefield 1
It’s the latest Battlefield, and it’s set during World War I. Ride horses into battle, channel your inner Red Baron, take down Zeppelins and face off against armoured trains. What more needs to be said?
