By Jon Scarr
The holidays always sneak up fast, and it can be tough to figure out what to buy for the Xbox fan in your life. This year’s lineup is packed with games, hardware, cloud gaming options, and accessories, so it helps to know what's actually worth picking up.
Some folks want the biggest new game. Others want a headset upgrade. And then you have the people who keep running out of space and need storage before they can even install the next big thing. No matter who you’re shopping for, there’s something worth grabbing this season. Some great travel-friendly picks this year include the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds and Fire TV devices, which let you play cloud games or access your library without sitting in front of a console.
This guide pulls together the games, hardware, and Designed for Xbox accessories that make the most sense this year. Whether you’re shopping on a tight budget or looking for something bigger, there should be something here that fits.
Table of contents
- Top Xbox Games to Gift This Holiday
- Xbox Game Pass Plans Explained
- Best Xbox Hardware Gifts
- Best Xbox Accessories to Gift
- Finding the Right Xbox Gift for Your Gamer
Let’s jump into the best Xbox gifts for 2025 and see what’s worth picking up this year.
Top Xbox Games to Gift This Holiday
The Xbox lineup this year has a bit of everything. You get brand new releases for fans who want something big to dive into, along with a few long-awaited sequels that people have been talking about for years. If you need a safe pick that feels exciting to unwrap, any of these will land well.
Big Fall Releases
One of the biggest releases this season is The Outer Worlds 2, a new sci fi RPG from Obsidian. It brings back the sharp writing and branching choices the series is known for, all wrapped in a storyline about strange rifts threatening humanity. It launches on October 29 and is also available through Game Pass, so it works for someone who wants a long adventure with plenty of humour and action.
If you are shopping for someone who loves fast reactions and arcade style fun, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is a great throwback. It brings together two classics with new skaters, updated parks, more tricks, and a modern soundtrack. It stays true to the originals and is one of the easiest games to recommend because it hits both nostalgia and pick up and play appeal.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is the big fall shooter. The campaign is set in 2035 and mixes heavy action with psychological themes as Mason and his team uncover a conspiracy in the city of Avalon. It drops November 14 and is another strong gift for someone who always grabs the new Call of Duty each year.
Adventure Picks
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants DLC adds a new chapter set in Rome with catacombs and ancient puzzles, making it a nice add on if the person already owns the main game.
Keeper is another great option. It is a smaller and more artistic game from Double Fine about a mysterious lighthouse and a journey across a forgotten island. It is a calm, story driven pick that works well for someone who prefers something quieter and more emotional.
Action and Combat Focused Games
Borderlands 4 brings back its over the top weapons and chaotic combat on a brand new planet ruled by a tyrant.
Ninja Gaiden 4 gives the series a modern return with flashy combat, legacy techniques like the Izuna Drop, and a new Bloodbind Ninjutsu system. Both picks are great for someone who wants fast paced battles and a real challenge.
Sports, Family, and Co op Choices
EA Sports College Football 26 is stacked with 136 FBS schools, more than 300 coaches, thousands of athletes, and a huge playbook. It is an easy pick for fans of college football.
Minecraft and Forza Horizon 5 both remain solid gifts since they offer endless replay value and work well for younger gamers or anyone who likes open, creative experiences.
Grounded 2 is perfect for co op fans. It has a much larger world this time, plus Buggy mounts that make exploring and surviving more fun. If the person you are shopping for loves crafting, building, and team play, this one fits well.
Story Driven Highlights
Gears of War Reloaded, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Battlefield 6 all round out the lineup with strong narratives, stylish combat, or large scale set pieces. These are great picks for someone who wants a story that pulls them in or a game with strong replay value across different genres.
Xbox Game Pass Plans Explained
Game Pass is still one of the easiest gifts to give because it works for almost anyone. Some people use it to jump between new releases, while others stick to a few favourites and enjoy having a huge library ready to go.
Game Pass Essential
Essential is the most affordable plan and covers the basics. You get access to over fifty games, cloud play, online multiplayer, in game perks, and the ability to earn up to twenty five dollars a year in the Microsoft Store through Rewards. It works on console, PC, and cloud, and it is a good fit for someone who wants steady value without jumping into the higher tiers.
This plan is great for casual gamers or anyone who mainly sticks to a few comfort titles.
Game Pass Premium
Premium is the middle tier and offers a larger library with more than two hundred games. It includes new Xbox published titles within a year of release, low wait times for cloud gaming, and up to fifty dollars a year back in Rewards. If someone likes discovering new games often, this plan gives them more room to explore without costing too much more each month.
It also works across PC, console, and cloud, so it fits well for people who bounce between devices.
Game Pass Ultimate
Ultimate is the top tier and the one that makes the biggest impact as a gift. You get more than seventy five day one titles every year, including all Xbox published games. Ubisoft Plus Classics and EA Play are built in, and Fortnite Crew is joining in November. Cloud streaming gets the best quality and the shortest wait times at this level. Rewards also go up to a hundred dollars a year when you play consistently.
If you are shopping for someone who plays a lot, or someone who uses a mix of Xbox, PC, handhelds, and cloud devices, Ultimate is the plan that covers everything without any limitations.
Best Xbox Hardware Gifts
The hardware side of Xbox is in a really good place this holiday. You can go big with a full console, keep things flexible with a handheld, or even let someone jump into cloud gaming on a TV without any major setup. Here are four main options, and each one fits a different type of gamer.
ROG Xbox Ally X
The ROG Xbox Ally X is the premium handheld option this year. It uses an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, has a full 1TB of storage, and comes with 24GB of RAM. It is built for people who want strong performance in a portable setup. You can access Xbox titles, Battle.net games, and other PC storefronts all in one place, so it feels like a small PC that just happens to be great for gaming. It is the most powerful handheld in the Xbox lineup right now and a strong gift for someone who likes playing on the go or away from the TV.
ROG Xbox Ally
The standard ROG Xbox Ally is a more affordable option. It still delivers smooth portable gaming, but with a different internal setup. It uses the AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. It works well for people who want a handheld experience without paying for the extra features of the Ally X. It is a solid mid tier pick for someone who splits time between PC game libraries and Xbox cloud features while still wanting portability.
Xbox Series S
The Xbox Series S remains one of the best value consoles on the market. It is compact, all digital, and supports frame rates up to 120 FPS. With Quick Resume and the usual fast load times, it feels great to use and pairs perfectly with Game Pass. If you are buying for someone new to Xbox, or someone who wants a cheaper entry point before jumping into a bigger setup, this is an easy recommendation. It also fits well in smaller spaces, which can be a bonus during the holidays when everything feels a bit crowded.
Xbox Series X
If you want the most powerful option, the Xbox Series X is still the top pick. It supports up to 120 FPS, includes a 4K Blu ray drive, and comes with a 1TB SSD. It is built for big holiday releases like Ninja Gaiden 4, Grounded 2, Hollow Knight Silksong, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, all of which benefit from the higher performance. This is the best choice for someone who wants the strongest console experience and a system that's built to last for years.
Amazon Fire TV Stick for Cloud Gaming
This one is surprisingly useful. Xbox cloud gaming works on supported Fire TV devices, which lets you play hundreds of games as long as you have a Game Pass subscription and a compatible controller. It is a small, inexpensive way to access cloud gaming without needing a console. If you want a budget friendly gift or something for someone who travels a lot, the Fire TV Stick is a clever option that still lets them jump into Xbox games anywhere.
Best Xbox Accessories to Gift
Accessories are always easy gifts because they fit almost any setup. Some people want a new controller, some want better audio, and others just need more storage. Xbox highlighted a solid mix this year, and these are the picks that make sense for most gamers.
Xbox Wireless Controllers
Here are three special edition controllers with their own styles. Ice Breaker, Heart Breaker, and Storm Breaker use metallic finishes and frosted translucent elements, giving each one a unique look. If someone needs a new controller or likes collecting special designs, these are an easy holiday win.
Xbox Wireless Headset
The Xbox Wireless Headset is still one of the best value upgrades. You get spatial audio, clearer communication through an improved microphone, and up to twenty hours of battery life. Bluetooth 5.3 makes it easy to pair with consoles, mobile devices, or a PC. It is a practical gift that instantly improves any setup.
Backbone Pro Xbox Edition
Backbone’s Pro Xbox Edition is great for cloud gaming or for anyone who likes playing on a phone or tablet. It has full size ALPS thumbsticks, Hall Effect triggers, a comfortable grip, and up to forty hours of battery life. It works across multiple devices and is made for people who want something portable without buying a separate handheld.
Premium Controllers
If you are shopping for someone who loves competitive play, two controllers are great picks.
The Scuf Valor Pro includes rear paddles, anti drift thumbsticks, low latency wireless, 1k Hz polling on PC, and up to seventeen hours of battery life.
The Nacon Revolution X Unlimited Anniversary Edition adds Hall Effect joysticks, instant triggers, a command center screen, and multi mode connectivity.
Both feel like upgrades for gamers who want more control during fast gameplay.
Earbuds and Headsets
If the person on your list prefers something lightweight, the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds offer low latency wireless audio, Bluetooth 5.3, active noise cancellation, and up to forty hours of total battery life with the case.
The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro is a higher end headset with ultra low latency wireless and a detachable full band mic. It is made for people who want clear audio for competitive play.
Storage and Xbox Ally Accessories
Storage upgrades are always welcome. The Seagate Storage Expansion Card adds up to 4TB of space for Xbox Series X|S.
If they play on a ROG Xbox Ally or Ally X, there are a few useful add ons. The ROG Xbox Ally Premium Case protects the device and includes room for the charger. The Sandisk microSD cards are built for Ally systems and go up to 2TB.
Two SSD options also make great gift ideas. The Seagate FireCuda 530R and the WD Black SN7100X deliver fast NVMe speeds for larger game libraries.
There are also two docks for Ally users. The ROG 100W Charger Dock supports charging, display output, and data transfer. The ROG Bulwark Dock adds HDMI 2.1, USB ports, Ethernet, and RGB lighting.
And if they need strong protection, the Dbrand Killswitch adds a durable case, built in kickstand, and a travel cover.
Finding the Right Xbox Gift for Your Gamer
Shopping for Xbox gear this year feels pretty straightforward once you look at everything in one place. The mix of games, hardware, and accessories gives you a lot of options without making the process overwhelming. Whether you are buying for someone who spends most of their time on big story games or someone who prefers quick sessions on a handheld, there is something that fits their routine.
What makes this holiday lineup easy to work with is the flexibility. Some people want a fresh controller or better audio. Others want a new game to jump into during the break. And then you have the gamers who split their time between cloud devices, handhelds, and consoles. Xbox has gear that covers each of those habits, so you can match the gift to the way they already play instead of guessing.
If you are unsure where to start, a Game Pass subscription is usually the safest move because it works for almost every kind of gamer. Special edition controllers also make simple gifts that still feel fun to open. But if someone in your life has been talking about portable gaming or needs more space for new releases, the ROG Ally accessories, storage cards, and SSD options feel like practical upgrades that will get plenty of use.
The main goal of this guide is to save you time during a busy season. If something here makes shopping easier or gives you a clear direction, then it has done its job. Whatever you end up choosing, there is plenty in this year’s Xbox lineup to make the holidays a little more fun for the gamer on your list.