Father’s Day should be a time for dad to enjoy himself, and there are few better ways to unwind than playing a quality game. If you’re looking to treat a dad who spends much of their free time exploring other worlds, we’ve picked out a few gaming-related gifts that should spark delight, from controllers and consoles to board games and coffee table books.
Quick OverviewMore options
8Bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller
$60 at Amazon$60 at Best BuySee more options
Valve Steam Deck
The Game Console 2.0: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox
$26 at Amazon$40 at Books-A-Million (BAM!)See more options
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: 3 Month Membership
MIYOO Mini Plus
$100 at MIYOO$77 at AmazonSee more optionsMore options
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
$292 at Walmart$339 at Adorama$350 at LenovoSee more options
Grid Studio artwork
$269 at Grid StudioMore options
Razer Basilisk V3
$49 at Amazon$70 at Verizon$70 at WalmartSee more optionsMore options
Mario Vs. Donkey Kong – Nintendo Switch
$40 at Groupon$44 at Walmart$50 at HSNSee more options
Satisfye ZenGrip Pro Gen 3
Backbone One
My Arcade Micro Player Mini Arcade Machine: Pac-Man
Panic Playdate
Dominion
$34 at Amazon$45 at Tractor SupplySee more optionsSee 9 more8Bitdo
8Bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller
The 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller is a versatile alternative to Nintendo’s Switch Pro Controller that also works easily on PC. It connects over Bluetooth, a wireless dongle, or a USB cable and notably uses magnetic Hall effect sensors in its joysticks, which means it’s much less susceptible to developing the dreaded “stick drift” than traditional controllers. While it might feel a little cramped for those with particularly large hands, its shape doesn’t have any weird curves or quirks, and all its inputs are appropriately crisp to press. Battery life is solid at 20-ish hours, too, and the whole thing comes with a slick charging dock. If dad wants to get hardcore, 8BitDo’s companion app offers a wealth of customization options, such as adjusting the sensitivity of the triggers or assigning macros to certain buttons. 8BitDo sells a few cheaper variants of this controller as well, but those sacrifice the Hall effect sticks, among other features. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter, Buying Advice
$60 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$60 at Best Buy
Valve Steam Deck
Busy dads, especially one with younger kids, probably don’t have much time to sit in front of a gaming PC. That’s where the Steam Deck comes in handy. Valve’s handheld gaming system puts a ton of games into their hands, and it has enough power to play most indie titles and some AAA ones. Mostly, though, we found it to be a great way to clear out a PC gaming backlog — perhaps as they’re holding a little one who will only nap in their arms.
With the Steam Deck, they can carve out slices of gaming time when they have time to breathe. I’ve personally found it very useful in that wonderful period right after putting the kids down to sleep. They can play PC games in bed without moving a muscle! And if they already have a PC, they can also stream demanding games directly from it. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior Reporter
$399 at ValveAmazon
The Game Console 2.0: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox
The Game Console 2.0is a good coffee-table book for any dad who enjoys looking back on gaming’s history. It’s a visual tour of more than 100 different consoles, from the Magnavox Odyssey to the PlayStation 5 to less-remembered fare like the Tapwave Zodiac. The author, Evan Amos, is best known for taking many of the stock photos of gaming hardware you’d find on Wikipedia (and beyond), so it shouldn’t be a surprise to hear that the shots in his book are consistently clean and sharp. Each console has some light yet interesting background detail, and Amos neatly organizes the systems he documents by console generation. It’s not the deepest dive into the industry’s past, but it should be a pleasure for any gaming enthusiast to flip through every now and then. — J.D.
$26 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$40 at Books-A-Million (BAM!)Xbox
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: 3 Month Membership
Microsoft’s pitch with Game Pass Ultimate is hard to pass up. For $15 a month, you get access to a large library of Xbox and PC titles, including day-one releases from Microsoft studios. Now that new game prices have crept up to $70, Game Pass Ultimate seems like a better deal than ever. It’s a useful way to dive into new and older games, and it’s also helpful for keeping kids busy once they turn into little gamers. If they end up liking a particular title, there are discounts if dad wants to permanently add something to their library.
Game Pass Ultimate also unlocks Xbox cloud streaming, which I’ve found to be useful on the road (all you need is a laptop and an Xbox controller to get some playtime!). It’s also helpful for previewing a game quickly, without waiting for it to be downloaded and installed. Progress is also stored on Microsoft’s servers, so dad can also pick up and keep playing if they choose to download a cloud title eventually. — D.H.
$45 at AmazonMIYOO
MIYOO Mini Plus
If your dad knows his way around emulators — or if you’re willing to set things up for him — the Miyoo Mini Plus will be a charming way to return to the classics. This is a cute little handheld that’s built like a modern Game Boy, with four face buttons, a quartet of back buttons and a 3.5-inch display that’s pretty decent for a handheld that’s often priced around $60. It can emulate older consoles like the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, PlayStation 1 and Game Boy Advance without issue, so if your dad wants to go back and play NHL ‘94, Chrono Trigger or any of the old Pokémon games on the go, it should serve him well. Battery life checks in around five hours, depending on screen brightness.
Just remember that retro gaming handhelds like these, particularly ones from lesser-known Chinese companies, aren’t known for being user-friendly out of the box. It’s worth watching a setup guide to ensure you’re getting the most out of Mini Plus before gifting one. Also note that you can get this device at Amazon if you want faster shipping, but it’ll usually cost extra. — J.D.
$100 at MIYOOExplore More Buying Options