TWELVE Days of Christmas sounds a bit different to gamers.
While ten lords are leaping in the classic, we have Sonic collecting five gold rings, four Angry Birds, two Turtle Beach headsets and an Atari cartridge in an Xmas tree.
As the last-minute shopping rush approaches, there is still time to get some Christmas crackers for any gaming loved-ones on your list.
Whether it’s noise-cancelling headphones to drown out granddad’s post-dinner snoring or multiplayer family games that put an end to boring old Monopoly, we’ve got you covered.
Below is our last-minute gaming gift guide for Xmas, from the year’s best games to cool tech to pimp out your set-up.
And don’t forget to keep an eye out for decent discounts in the Xbox-ing Day sales.
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Arc Raiders
Xbox/PS5/PC, £32.99
ONE of the delightful surprises of 2025, Arc Raiders is a third-person extraction shooter which is up there with some of the best online multiplayers around.
Players venture “Topside” into a dangerous, robot-infested world to collect loot before returning to safety in the underground base of Speranza.
Sell, craft and upgrade gear before taking on missions solo or with squads of up to three.
Embark Studios was founded by former DICE and EA developers – and there are heavy hints of Star Wars Battlefront here.
Combat is superb, with responsive and varied weaponry.
The PvPvE element (fighting both human players and ARCs, aka AI bots) adds to the unpredictable nature of the game.
Superb visuals and fantastic environments make this an Xmas must.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Xbox, PS5, PC, £55
NO Xmas gaming gift guide is complete without Call of Duty.
It’s like the Snowman – every year you insist you won’t bother, but every year you get drawn back in.
This is the 22nd – yes 22nd – outing for the military FPS behemoth and the eight in the Black Ops series. And needless to say, it’s an utter blast.
Set in the year 2035, you play elite operative David Mason who takes his squad on missions around the globe, from neon cities to the Med coastline.
The co-co-op campaign, where you can play solo or with a pal, ticks all the usual boxes for a Black Ops title.
But online is where it’s at. There are 16 6v6 maps and two new large-scale 20 v 20 Skirmish maps – in a bid to keep up with rival Battlefield 6.
The wall jumps are cool and wingsuits add an awesome edge to Black Ops 7.
The new Overload mode blends careful strategy with fast-paced combat.
The brilliant round-based Zombies mode returns too. Stunning visuals and reverberating recoil are expected, but still exceptional.
Like a second serving of pigs in blankets, CoD is a guaranteed winner on Xmas Day.
NBA Bounce
All formats, £44.99
THIS is a fun, family-friendly game that is more satisfying to dunk than a roast spud in the gravy pot.
If you’re looking for an intense and deep basketball game, then skip this one from Unfinished Pixel and pick up NBA 2K26 instead.
But NBA Bounce is perfect for Xmas Day fun where everyone can get involved in the 3v3 mayhem with simplified mechanics and vibrant visuals.
The arcade style and basic controls mean it’s a brilliant pick-up-and-play option to keep the kids entertained while the undercooked turkey goes back in the oven for another blast.
Choose from all 30 official NBA teams and build your own avatar with fun looks and gear. You can then unlock jerseys, trainers and mascots as you progress.
With charming visuals, it’s a swish party game all round.
Sniper Elite: Resistance Deluxe
Xbox, PS5, PC, £69.99
THE action-loving Rebellion is bang on target yet again with this super shooter.
Careful positioning, calculating wind speed and bullet drop, a calm finger on the trigger, all combine for a stunning reward, A spine-tingling slow-mo ballistics cut-scene which tracks your bullet as it passes through vital organs.
A tactical takedown in all its gory replayed via the signature X-Ray Kill Cam (like a Mortal Kombat finish move)
You play as Harry Hawker, an operative of the British Special Operations Executive working with the French Resistance to stop a new Nazi Wunderwaffe threat deep in occupied France.
The campaign mode blends the main story with optional side-missions.
And the multiplayer boasts 16-player matches, co-op survival modes and the return of Axis Invasion mode, where another player invades your campaign as an enemy sniper.
You can forgive slightly average graphics and textures because the X-Ray Kill Cam is still so much fun.
Donkey Kong Bananza
Nintendo Switch 2, £58.99
O COME, all ye faithful Nintendo fans – this is the perfect game and the Switch 2’s best so far.
The reinvention of the jungle OG is smashing, quite literally.
Dig, punch and bash your way through entirely destructible terrain for a 3D platformer which has more ap-peel than a giant banana.
The game’s mechanics are magical and being able to use the crumbling environment as a tool is a great touch.
Break up some rock and fling it as a weapon – or use it as a makeshift surfboard to get around.
Donkey Kong uncovers hidden routes and secret loot and is joined by sidekick Pauline as they hunt down stolen bananas on Ingot Isle.
The levels are lush and it’s a visual delight to the senses.
Co-op mode is perfect for a post-Xmas dinner gaming session with all the family.
It’s a barrel of laughs… unlike your uncle’s rubbish Xmas Day jokes.
Indiana Jones And The Great
Circle: The Order Of Giants
Xbox, PS5, PC, £13.49
THIS brilliant Indiana Jones game is a golden find – like a loose Ferrero Rocher unearthed after a frantic dig through your Christmas stocking.
The Order of Giants is DLC for the main game – and at £13.49, it’s an absolute bargain.
The all-new story chapter takes Indy to the ancient streets of Rome where forgotten catacombs expose something far more sinister.
Our whip-snapping hero must outwit a dodgy cult and solve tricky puzzles to reveal the legacy of the Nephilim Giants.
The game is a perfect blend of cinematic and interactive gaming.
Hand-to-hand combat involves old-school “thwacks” and his revolver booms just like in the films.
You’ll need the base game for this add-on. But it’s well worth it and an Xmas gift that will be treasured by any gaming fan.
QPAD OmniBeam Stream Mic
£89.99, Currys UK
ONE for the generation that has taken gaming to a whole new level.
The QPad Omni Beam Stream mic is insanely good value for streamers or podcasters and a brilliant gift for gaming fans looking to show off their Fortnite thrashing or FC26 screamers from the half-way line.
This mic brings studio-level audio to your set-up and content creation with 24-bit resolution at a 90 kHz sample rate.
That results in crisp, high-fidelity capture that preserves every detail of your voice.
The dynamic RGB lighting gives a classy, yet subtle, boost as it reacts to sound.
Live commentary is clean and background noise filtered out thanks to the uni-directional cardioid pickup pattern.
It’s an incredibly user-friendly mic too, with touch-mute, plug & play USB-C connection and no overly-complex software to confuse matters.
A sound prezzie to make you a hit with “the kids”.
Atari 2600+ Pac-Man Edition
£129.99
THIS gorgeous 80s throwback is more yellow than a painful Coldplay song annoyingly stuck on repeat.
Bandai Namco has teamed up with Atari in a classic collab to get old-school gamers foaming at the mouth.
The iconic dot-munching Pac-Man is celebrated here in a magnificent manner – a bright yellow console with cute ghosts chasing the P-Man on the side make for a stunning reminder of one of gaming’s greatest characters.
The legacy of the original machine is kept intact while the modern quality of the gaming world (HDMI output, USB slot, multiple screen modes) allows for a fun-filled Xmas Day.
The slot for the cartridge (in a pear tree) is backwards compatible with hundreds of original Atari 2600 and 7800 games.
And the wireless CX40+ joystick is icing on a very cool cake.
Snakebyte Gamepad Switch 2
Wireless Pro Controller
£34.99
ARGUMENTS over who gets what controller are as common as an uneaten flambeed Christmas pud thrown straight in the bin.
So this is a great way to solve that row – and a brilliant gift for any lucky new Switch 2 owner.
While Nintendo’s latest console offers friendlier ergo-grip controllers with bigger SL and SR buttons, it’s still nice to get hold of a proper controller.
Snakebyte’s S2 Wireless Pro is perfect when it comes to taking advantage of the AAA games on offer at 60FPS and 4K on the Switch 2.
The Hall-Effect thumbstick offers drift-free and reliable use. The rumble feedback brings you deeper into the game and the dual back buttons boast extra control options compared to the standard Switch option.
The USB-C charger makes for quick refill of battery juice and the RGB lighting creates a fancy backdrop to your Switch 2 gaming.
There’s a C-Button option, 3.5mm jack to hook up to your headphones and very handy mappable M1/M2 back buttons to customise the controller to how you play.
Sony PlayStation VR2
£399.99
WITHOUT doubt this is Santa’s biggest and best Christmas cracker to delight any gamer on Xmas Day.
There are a few decent virtual reality headsets out there but PlayStation’s VR2 has an edge over the rest.
The next-gen device delivers high-fidelity visuals with dual OLED displays, HDR support and the refresh rates of 120hz are unbelievably smooth.
The eye tracking is impressive and allows for games to respond to where you’re looking which results in performance-boosting techniques.
When it comes to games, there are some crackers… but Horizon Call of the Mountain is out of this world.
The action-adventure shows off all that is great about VR gaming – and is a brilliant world to escape to on Xmas Day when the family arguments start over what film to watch after the EastEnders special.
Xbox Wireless Controller – Ice
Breaker Special Edition
£74.99
YET another gorgeous gaming controller for Santa to drop into a stocking.
This pretty slick Xbox wireless is part of a brand new line-up of three controllers which offer up their own stylish skins and unique features (Storm Breaker and Heart Breaker are the other two funky designs).
The Ice Breaker is easily one of the coolest-looking controllers around, with a frosty-blue tint and teal backing.
The ergo grip is supported with textured triggers and bumper.
It easily pairs and switches between any Xbox device plus Windows PC, Android and iOS
The RRP is normally £74.99 but it’s currently £59.99 at Xbox.com.
OXS S5 Soundbar
£234.99
TALK about a sound purchase.
The OXS S5 soundbar is an astonishing piece of tech that advances your gaming experience to the point where Santa will hear your cries for a medic on Battlefield 6 all the way from the North Pole.
The Dolby Atmos brings an immersive surround sound which delivers realistic 3D sound for a second-to-none cinematic experience.
There are six drivers integrated into one soundbar, including a centre speaker, two up-firing speakers and a subwoofer.
It optimises voice clarity and the output can reach 230W.
You can connect via HDMI cable to sync up a device via Bluetooth. And there’s a no-nonsense list of modes – Standard, Movie, Music, Voice and Night.
Sometimes gaming headsets are great – but there are times when a soundbar like this one simply blows them out of the water.
