Father's Day Gift Ideas For Every Kind Of Gamer Dad

Father’s Day is fast approaching on Sunday, September 3rd but it’s not too late to pick up something nice to show the Dad or Dad-like figure in your life that you appreciate them with a thoughtful gift. If they consider themselves a bit of a gamer – even better, because we’ve got more than a few great gift ideas up our sleeves to suit every type of gamer Dad.

Take a look, and say hi to your Dad for us!

It’s Obvious But… Games!

The easiest and most obvious answer for what to get your “gamer” dad? Games! The year isn’t over yet, but 2023 has already given us so many games that would make great gifts. There are the obvious ones like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor or Resident Evil 4, but you could also go for something they might not have thought to try like Immortals of Aveum, Final Fantasy XVI, LEGO 2K Drive or Pikmin 4!

Their Very Own Custom Xbox Controller

Xbox Design Lab is a fantastic way of gifting someone a gaming essential while adding a bit of a personal touch. Whether you decide to customise a standard Xbox Wireless Controller or go all out on a custom Xbox Elite Wireless Controller 2, there are tons of ways to personalise in Xbox Design Lab from the colours or finishes on just about every part of the controller to adding on the full suite of Xbox Elite components and slapping your dad’s name (or Gamertag!) on the front. Get designing right here.

A Sick Setup For The Budding Streamer Dad

Has your dad shown interest in starting their very own streaming career? Or perhaps they already have and they’re in need of a gear upgrade to take those streams to the very next level? Elgato’s range of streaming tech is a great place to start whether it’s the simplicity and crisp quality of the Wave:3 USB streaming mic (on sale for $189), a Facecam (on sale for $199!) or Facecam Pro to really highlight Dad’s good side or the ultimate streaming device for a parent that loves to tinker – the excellent Elgato Stream Deck+.

If Dad’s streaming tech is already top-notch, why not give their background a bit of flavour with one of Nanoleaf’s many lighting kits, like Nanoleaf Lines – which now offers both 60-degree and 90-degree kits so Dad can spend a Sunday afternoon being an RGB artist.

Digital Goodies For A Minimalist Dad

Got a Dad that’s also watched too much lifestyle TV and pivoted to a clutter-free existence? There are plenty of ways to give the gift of gaming without encroaching on their precious shelf space. Amazon has just started selling a huge range of digital gaming goodies like Xbox Game Pass or Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions, PlayStation Store Gift Cards and even a range of full Nintendo Switch game downloads like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom or Splatoon 3, all with instant email delivery – these all also come with the advantage of being perfect last-minute gifts if you happen to be reading this on September 3rd, 2023.

Something For The Hardcore Gamer Dad

Does your Dad consider themselves something of a gaming god? How about making them prove it with some of the toughest games around like last year’s Game of the Year, Elden Ring, or something more recent like the excellent Remnant II or the brand-new Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon?

Or if Dad’s more about proving their skills online and would appreciate an even more competitive edge, you could level up their PlayStation experience with the DualSense Edge Wireless Controller for pro-level features or the Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Gaming Headset so that they can hear their enemy’s every footstep (and not hear you taking the last Mint Slice from the fridge).

Game Room Essentials

Has your Dad spent the time and money on cultivating the ultimate game room vibe and needs that extra touch of something? We already mentioned the Nanoleaf Lines, but for a more sophisticated angle you could go for the wood-look Nanoleaf Elements smart lighting kits. Or for the cutting-edge games room compliment, you could check out the new Nanoleaf 4D screen mirror and lightstrip kit, an affordable kit that uses a tiny camera to create real-time backlighting that matches what’s on their TV screen.

If Dad’s gaming space is a bit less Ron Burgundy and a bit more Ariana, you could hook them up with Nintendo’s latest pastel-coloured Joy Con controllers for when mates come around. They come in a purple/green pair or a pink/yellow pair!

And let’s face it, some Dads just need to zone out in their own space after a long day doing Dad stuff, so why not set them up with a headset upgrade – the HyperX Cloud III just came out and is available in both wired and wireless versions (releasing September 8th). We reviewed it and it’s an affordable winner. If money isn’t so much a concern, you could even go full-on and get them a PlayStation VR2 to give them a new kind of experience on their PS5 console and truly escape from life for a few hours at a time.

Vintage Dad? How About A Tabletop Classic

Some gamer Dads are from way back and still have an affinity for more tangible gaming experiences, the kind made from cardboard and paper and require getting friends over for drinks around a big table to make happen. If they’ve got enough like-minded pals (or just really enjoyed Stranger Things) you could get them into Dungeons & Dragons with an easy-to-play Starter Kit. Or for something a bit less time-intensive and casual you could go for a Magic the Gathering Starter Kit, MtG even has a whole range of Lord of the Rings cards if Dad’s a bit of a nerd for Tolkien!