The Best Gaming Gifts Under €50
The best gaming gifts under €50 for a gamer on a budget, from controllers and headsets to storage and gift cards, and why each one makes a great present.
Buying a present for someone who games can be surprisingly tricky. You don’t know which games they already own, consoles cost a fortune, and half the accessories marketed as “gamer gifts” are glowing plastic nobody needs.
The good news is that some of the most useful upgrades for any setup cost well under €50. We’ve picked gifts that genuinely improve how someone plays, rather than novelty items that end up in a drawer. Everything below usually sells for €50 or less in Greece and the rest of Europe, though prices move around, especially around Black Friday and Christmas.
A quick tip before you start: find out what they play on. A great PC gift can be useless for a PlayStation player, and the reverse is just as true.
And don’t underestimate the boring stuff. Pixel’s most successful gift ever cost about €20: a big desk mat for a friend who had been gaming on a bare glass desk for years. It’s still in use, and it still gets mentioned every Christmas.
For PC players
A good wireless controller: 8BitDo Ultimate 2C
Typical price: around €30 · Works with: PC, Android, and some models with Switch
Plenty of PC games play better with a controller, and 8BitDo makes some of the best value ones around. The Ultimate 2C uses Hall effect sticks, which use magnets instead of physical contact and so avoid the “stick drift” that eventually ruins most controllers. It connects wirelessly through a small USB receiver, feels solid in the hand and costs a fraction of a first-party pad.
Where to get it: 8BitDo
A wireless gaming mouse: Logitech G305 Lightspeed
Typical price: around €35 to €45
The G305 has been a favourite for years for good reason. It’s light, accurate, wireless with no noticeable lag, and runs for a very long time on a single AA battery. It’s a big step up from a basic office mouse and suits almost any hand size.
Where to get it: Logitech G
A mechanical keyboard: Redragon K552
Typical price: around €35 to €45
If the person you’re buying for still types on a cheap membrane keyboard, a mechanical one will feel like a real upgrade. The Redragon K552 is a compact, tenkeyless board (no number pad, so more room for the mouse) with a metal top plate and clicky mechanical switches. Note that “clicky” means loud, so think about who they share a room with.
A large desk mat
Typical price: €15 to €30
A full-desk mouse mat, like the SteelSeries QcK in its larger sizes, protects the desk, gives the mouse a consistent surface and makes the whole setup look tidier. It’s one of those things people rarely buy for themselves and use every single day once they have it.
For console players
A charging station for controllers
Typical price: €20 to €35
Dead controllers in the middle of a session are a universal frustration. A charging dock that holds two controllers keeps them topped up and off the floor. Sony makes an official one for the PS5’s DualSense, and there are cheaper third-party options for both PlayStation and Xbox. For Xbox, a set of rechargeable batteries with a charger does the same job.
Storage for a Switch 2, Steam Deck or handheld PC
Typical price: €30 to €50 (depends heavily on capacity)
Games are big and internal storage fills up fast. One important detail: the Switch 2 only accepts microSD Express cards, a newer and faster standard, so a regular microSD card won’t work for Switch 2 games. Expect to pay more for these than for standard cards. A 128GB microSD Express card typically fits the budget, while 256GB often goes slightly over.
For the Steam Deck, ROG Xbox Ally and original Switch, a standard high-speed microSD card works fine, and you get much more space for the money. Memory prices rose sharply in 2026, so compare prices before you buy. If you’re not sure which handheld they have, our Steam Deck vs Switch 2 vs ROG Ally guide explains the differences.
For everyone
A gaming headset: HyperX Cloud Stinger 2
Typical price: around €40 to €50
A good headset improves games more than most people expect: you hear footsteps behind you, the music hits harder, and voice chat is clearer. The Cloud Stinger 2 is comfortable for long sessions, light, and works with PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch through a standard 3.5mm jack.
Where to get it: HyperX
A digital gift card or subscription
Typical price: whatever you choose
Not the most exciting thing to unwrap, but by far the safest. Gift cards for Steam, the PlayStation Store, the Xbox Store or the Nintendo eShop let them pick a game they actually want. A few months of Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus or Nintendo Switch Online is another good option, giving them access to a library of games instead of just one. Make sure you buy for the right region: Greek accounts usually need European cards.
A book about how games are made
Typical price: €12 to €25
For the gamer who’s curious about what happens behind the scenes. Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier tells the stories behind the making of games like The Witcher 3, Stardew Valley and Uncharted 4, and it’s a gripping read even if you don’t know anything about development. Masters of Doom by David Kushner, about the two Johns who created Doom and Quake, is a classic for anyone who grew up on PC shooters.
LEGO sets based on games
Typical price: €20 to €50
LEGO now makes sets based on Super Mario, Animal Crossing, Minecraft and Sonic, among others. The smaller sets in most of these lines fit the budget, and they’re a great gift for both younger players and adults who want something for the shelf. Check the box for the age rating and piece count.
LED lighting for the setup
Typical price: €20 to €45
A strip of LED lights behind a monitor or TV, or a pair of light bars on either side of it, reduces eye strain in a dark room and makes any setup look much better. Brands like Govee offer app-controlled lights with colours that can even react to what’s on the screen. This is one of the few “glowing” gifts we’d actually recommend.
A carrying case for a handheld
Typical price: €15 to €30
If they own a Switch 2, Steam Deck or ROG Xbox Ally, a proper hard-shell case protects a very expensive screen from bags, drops and keys. Look for one with space for cables and a few game cards.
Gift ideas under €20
Need something smaller, or a stocking filler?
- A controller thumb grip set, for better grip and comfort.
- Screen protectors for a handheld or a phone used for mobile gaming.
- A small Steam, PlayStation or eShop gift card.
- A cable organiser or headset stand to tidy the desk.
How to choose the right gift
- Check their platform. PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch or a handheld changes everything.
- Look at what they already have. If they’ve had the same headset or mouse for years, that’s your clue.
- When in doubt, go digital. A gift card is never wrong, and it arrives instantly if you’re running late.
- Keep the receipt. Accessories are personal, and an easy exchange takes the pressure off.
Not a video gamer?
If the person you’re shopping for prefers cards and dice to controllers, our guide to The Best Board Games for Beginners has plenty of ideas that work just as well under the tree.
