Holiday Guide: Gaming Hardware — Best of 2025
Here are GamingTrend's picks for your next gaming hardware!
Editorials
These are the big purchases. There are a lot of expensive devices out there. We've spent a lot of money ourselves getting all the things. Thankfully, you can lean on us this holiday to make your choices or support the list you've been given! Check out our hardware picks below!
PlayStation 5 Pro
Yeah, these are expensive, but Grand Theft Auto VI is coming shortly. Besides that, you'll be able to play games like Assassin's Creed Shadows, Alan Wake 2, Ghost of Yōtei, NBA 2K26, and more with fidelity and performance enhancements. Beyond that, I've even watched my Pro get more out of brute forcing games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and Cyberpunk 2077 to more stable performance. If I can call Cyberpunk 2077 stable due to the PS5 Pro, this is an obvious pickup.
The PlayStation 5 Pro review — 4 months post launch, what’s the verdict?
The PlayStation 5 Pro was released on November 7, 2024, representing Sony’s mid-generation enhancement of its ninth-generation console. Building upon the foundation of the original PlayStation 5, the PS5 Pro introduces several hardware and performance upgrades aimed at delivering a smoother user experience, as well as a solid improvement to
Ron Burke
Nintendo Switch 2
This is probably the big holiday gift everyone wants. As someone who already has one, and has since launch, I can tell you it's a worthwhile purchase. With a screen that punches above its weight, offering 120hz and HDR, alongside a hefty performance boost, the machine itself is impressive. The library is starting to build too, with great third party support from games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Madden NFL 26 along with first-party monsters like Donkey Kong Bananza and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond landing this year. It's a great time to be a Nintendo fan, and the Switch 2 will only get better.
Nintendo Switch 2 review — Nintendo charm, Nintendo problems
A great technological leap forward, but still needlessly restrictive
David Flynn
Xbox Series consoles
While Xbox has been pressing towards a different direction recently, their console is still the best place to access their games. Xbox Game Pass is astounding, with a plethora of titles you can enjoy – AAA, indie, and everything in between. Besides that, their first-party rocked the house this year, with games like Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, DOOM: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, and more. That's even before talking about the incredible backwards compatibility spanning original Xbox to now. I could go on and on, but now is the best time to grab an Xbox console.
The 4K 60FPS Era is Here — Xbox Series X review
Reviewing a console is a bit strange as you don’t play the hardware, but the games you install on it. That said, this new generation is a massive leap forward in several ways and deserves additional attention beyond the launch games that ship with it. Without further ado, let’
Ron Burke
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally
Anthony Shelton said, "The Xbox ROG Ally isn’t the most powerful piece of hardware, but if the Xbox ROG Ally X is king, then the Xbox ROG Ally is the best affordable option. It can play a lot of games, even though it can’t play AAA games at their peak. That’s clearly not the intention of this model. But combined with excellent streaming and Cloud Gaming options, the Xbox ROG Ally is perfect for those who want to take their small-sized game libraries on the go."
ROG Xbox Ally review—Versatile affordability
Yes, it can run Crysis. Kind of.
Anthony Shelton
ModRetro Chromatic
I'm a sucker for retro devices, but I usually pick one up and put it down after the novelty wears off in a few days. Not with the ModRetro Chromatic. This is the best Gameboy player on the market, handling Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and reproductions with ease. ModRetro is also producing brand new games through their publishing arm, so you have more than just previous titles to enjoy. At a $199 entry, you'll be hard pressed to find a retro handheld more valuable than this one. Find out more about their games in a bonus section at the bottom of our gaming holiday guide!
ModRetro Chromatic review — The right kind of retro
It’s like I’m back in my childhood vehicle playing my Gameboy off street lights
David Burdette
MyArcade Atari Gamestation Go
Richard Allen said, "MyArcade has clearly poured a lot of time and effort into crafting a great handheld, and has largely succeeded. While your enjoyment of the console will vary based on your enjoyment of or nostalgia for the included titles, that doesn’t negate the impressive product MyArcade has released. Especially noteworthy is in the inclusion of multiple controls schemes, and the SmartGlow technology which illuminates the exact controls needed for each title during play."
MyArcade’s Atari Gamestation Go review — MyArcade has crafted a superb retro handheld
Relive Atari classics in handheld form!
Richard Allen
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
Ron Burke said, "With a 30% uplift on native power, and DLSS 4 delivering blisteringly high framerates, the RTX 5090 earns its place as the most powerful card on the planet. Sure, you’ll pay a premium for it, but there’s no doubt that you’ll get ALL the frames at any resolution you want."
GeForce RTX 5090 review — somewhere between 30% and 300% better!
The start of a new card generation is always exciting. It’s not just that the cards are faster, they also bring a whole bevy of new features that push them beyond their base capabilities. The GeForce RTX 5090 is going to set the gaming world on fire, there’s
Ron Burke
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
Ron Burke said, "While the native uplift on the 5080 is half that of the 5090, it’s also half the price. DLSS 4 provides blisteringly high framerates, and the ancillary upgrades to rendering, latency, super resolution and more are icing on the cake. This feels like a solid upgrade for anyone running a 3000 series or older card, and while you’ll pay a bit of a premium for this card, it also delivers excellent performance across the board."
GeForce RTX 5080 FE review — Excellent performance at a reasonable price
You probably saw our analysis and review of the new NVIDIA flagship, the GeForce RTX 5090. In that review, we pointed out that the device delivers a whopping 30% increase in raw power, but when combined with DLSS 4, you can wring upwards of 300% to 400% out of this
Ron Burke
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070
Ron Burke said, "NVIDIA nails the price to performance target with the RTX 5070. It delivers all of the power of the Blackwell chipset with a vastly-improved implementation of DLSS 4 and at a price that’s hard to beat. Does it hit the “faster than the 4090” claim? Sometimes, but ultimately that’s only telling part of the story."
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 review — Midrange power, priced to move
If you hit the Steam hardware survey and look at where the vast majority of PC gamers live in terms of GPU, it’s where we are for this review today – the midtier, in both price and performance. As you’ll see The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is slotting right
Ron Burke
ASUS Prime RTX 5070 Ti
Ron Burke said, "The ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is an excellent card, delivering an awesome amount of power at a very reasonable price. DLSS 4 technology continues to mature, and with image quality to match. Combined this gives you a card that can deliver with or without upsampling, and a price that doesn’t break the bank. "
ASUS Prime RTX 5070 Ti review — price, power, and performance, all perfectly balanced
Your new mid-tier leader
Ron Burke
PNY GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB
Cassie Peterson said, "The PNY GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB is a great alternative for those looking to make improvements in graphics and performance in their gaming rigs without having to dish out too much cash. While the card isn’t going to have you rolling 4K, you’ll often double your framerates, reduce latency, and still see some visual improvements."
PNY GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB review — An upgrade worth waiting for
NVIDIA’s latest entry-level graphics card may just be the right pick for you.
Cassie Peterson
Razer Blade 14 (2025)
Mike Case said, "The 2025 Razer Blade 14 undeniably delivers premium hardware—OLED so vivid it makes LCD screens feel dated, raw grunt that pushes 7 GB/s SSD speeds and near-60 FPS in demanding games (when plugged), all wrapped in a chassis that feels impossibly thin for its power. Razer's keyboard remains a marathoner's dream, too. But the mobile promise shatters when unplugged: that aggressive, unadjustable throttle isn't just inconvenient—it tames the RTX 5070's performance, turning high-spec power into mid-range reality the moment you need true mobility. If your gaming happens mostly in fixed locations but demands portability between them, this is exceptional hardware. Just don't expect full-throttle performance away from outlets."
Razer Blade 14 (2025) Review — High-spec hardware, mid-range mobility
As someone who’s been through the wringer with Razer laptops, my trusty 2021 Blade 14 has survived four years of coffee shop coding sessions and weekend gaming marathons. I approached the 2025 Razer Blade 14 like unboxing a new hoodie: fresh out of the package, crisp edges, and that just-right
Mike Case
Meta Quest 3 and 3S
Want to get into VR? You won't find a better or more inexpensive option than Meta's. The Quest VR headsets have been around for a while, and each iteration has done a better job than the last at fully immersing you in a digital world. While the Quest 3 is certainly the more powerful option, the 3S is more than capable of transporting you into Gotham City as Batman, or giving you laser swords to cut blocks to a hip-hop beat. Either way you go, you're getting a winner of a VR headset.
Meta Quest 3 review — Portability, Speed, and Visual Fidelity Powerhouse
It’s tough reviewing a console. You can talk about specs, you can talk about speeds, but that’s not really what people buy. No, they buy experiences. For a game console that might be an exclusive game, or a feature that causes all games to run extraordinarily fast like
Ron Burke
Meta Quest 3S review — The perfect blend of price and performance. Welcome to VR.
When John Carmack left id Studios to work at Meta (then Facebook), he clearly stated that he had a target in mind – he wanted to make a wireless headset that was affordable and powerful. It has been a long road, and Carmack has since left the company, but he might
Ron Burke
Pimax Crystal Light
Ron Burke said, "With gorgeous new aspheric lenses, the Pimax Crystal Light delivers a clarity unheard of on any headset other than its own bigger brother. The small compromises made by this headset are smart and don’t compromise the end result, making it a fantastic enthusiast headset sure to put a smile on your face as you roar through the sky with gauge clusters you can finally read clearly! "
Pimax Crystal Light review — Clear-Cut Clarity for the Cockpit
The next level of enthusiast-tier VR for pilots and racers alike
Ron Burke
Samsung Odyssey G7 Gaming Monitor
Mike Case said, "The $1,200 MSRP premium buys three key advantages over cheaper alternatives: unmatched immersion through size and curve, competitive-grade motion clarity at extreme resolution, and professional-grade color coverage (90% DCI-P3). However, VA's black bloom and brightness ceiling hold it back from OLED-tier excellence. If you can stomach those trade-offs and the price aligns with your budget, this is a definitive buy for sim and media enthusiasts.
Samsung's Odyssey G7 40" is a statement piece: bold in size, ambitious in specs, and uncompromising for its target audience. For sim racers, movie buffs, or gamers wanting one screen to rule them all, it's a transformative experience. At full price? Situational. On sale? Irresistible for the right person."
Samsung Odyssey G7 40″ review — The cockpit experience your desk didn’t know it needed
Samsung’s massive ultrawide
Mike Case
LG UltraGear 27GX790A
Mike Case said, "So, does all of this justify the premium price tag? For competitive players prioritizing raw speed and visual clarity above all else, and who are willing to forgo Adaptive Sync, the 27GX790A is a compelling choice. It excels where it matters most: delivering incredibly responsive, sharp visuals in fast-paced games. However, for more casual gamers or those sensitive to flickering issues and seeking seamless variable refresh rate technology, exploring alternatives might be a consideration. Ultimately, the LG UltraGear 27GX790A is a fantastic monitor hampered by one significant caveat. It's a powerful display that shines brightly... as long as you can live with its quirks."
LG UltraGear 27GX790A review — Vibrant colors at blazing speeds
A stunning OLED experience, but not without compromise.
Mike Case
Cevaton P5 Dual Laptop Screen Extender
Mike Case said, "The Cevaton P5 nails the basics with a premium build and fuss-free setup, but it's not without compromises. Gamers will crave higher refresh rates, pixel snobs will side-eye the 1080p resolution, and everyone will mock the speaker. Yet for remote workers and creators who value durability over bleeding-edge specs? This is the portable monitor that'll survive your backpack, your chaotic desk, and your coffee shop hustle."
Cevaton P5 Dual Laptop Screen Extender — A nomad’s second screen
Multiple monitor setup on the go
Mike Case
XREAL One AR glasses
Ron Burke said, "With premium sound, gorgeous OLED-based color, ultra-low latency, 3DoF head tracking, and support for just about any device you can throw at it, the XREAL One has finally checked all the boxes. More than a passing curiosity, the XREAL One is the ONLY way to travel."
XREAL One AR glasses review — Second screen sorcery
If you believe the ubiquitous marketing, augmented reality is the wave of the future. It’s very easy to look at forward-leaning tech and scoff. I’m here to tell you, they’re right. To be clear, I’ve bought several AR glasses from various manufacturers, and all of them
Ron Burke
Samsung 9100 Pro PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD
Ron Burke said, "With solid speeds that come fairly close to spec, extensive software, and at upwards of 49% reduction in power usage. The Samsung 9100 Pro is an excellent jump into the next generation of NVMe SSDs. If you're moving large chunks of data, or doing video work, this is the drive for you."
Samsung 9100 Pro PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD — Welcome to the next generation of speed
Video work? This drive is for you.
Ron Burke
Samsung 9100 Pro PCIe 5.0 8TB NVMe SSD review — Better speeds through consolidation
Literally “less is more”
Ron Burke
PNY CS2150 M.2 NVMe SSD
Ron Burke said, "The PNY CS2150 delivers solid performance at an unbeatable price. In both synthetic tests and real-world measurements we saw it run head-to-head with some of the fastest DRAM-less drives on the market, making this an easy recommendation for just about any workload. "
PNY CS2150 M.2 NVMe SSD drive review — Value priced, but exceptional speed
Interesting tech to combat the DRAM challenge
Ron Burke
T-Force GA PRO M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
Ron Burke said, "Whether it’s for a laptop, PS5, or PC, the T-FORCE GA Pro is a reliable and consistent drive that delivers solid speeds and shouldn’t break the bank. "
T-Force GA PRO M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD Review — Reliable, speedy, well-priced
TeamGroup has done a great job of establishing themselves as a solid mid-tier solution for Gen5 SSDs, with drives like the G50, G70, A440, and others delivering solid speeds and at a price that is palatable, even in the face of unpredictable tariff madness. Today we take a look at
Ron Burke
The OBSBOT Meet SE and OBSBOT Tiny SE
Ron Burke said, "Impossibly small, flexible, inexpensive, and easy to use, OBSBOT Meet SE are perfect for tabletop gaming's stationary shots, capturing players and terrain easily."
The OBSBOT Meet SE and OBSBOT Tiny SE review — Perfect for tabletop gaming?
Tabletop team ASSEMBLE!
Ron Burke
OBSBOT Tail 2 PTZR camera
Ron Burke said, "With an incredible array of advanced features normally found on cameras at 10x the price, it’s phenomenal how much of an upgrade the OBSBOT Tail 2 is over the Tail Air. It’s even more remarkable how it blows any other PTZ camera on the market out of the water. While the warranty still lacks, and AI hand gestures are still a work in progress, the rest of this camera is magnificent. If you need a portable camera that can do just about anything, the OBSBOT Tail 2 is precisely the answer."
OBSBOT Tail 2 PTZR camera review — The future of live video production
Incredible features, impossible price
Ron Burke
EMEET PIXY PTZ camera
Ron Burke said, "With solid tracking, visual quality, and software controls, the EMEET PIXY delivers on the tech front. Throw in a two year warranty, surprising Nintendo Switch 2 support, and a price that can’t be beat, and you’ve got a webcam replacement that’s very easy to recommend. Just bring a microphone if audio quality is important for your use."
EMEET PIXY PTZ camera review — Banish your laptop camera for good
I’m always on the lookout for good cameras. Professional, compact, and well-featured cameras are a challenge to find, and ones that are also reasonably priced and aren’t drowning in heavy software are even more rare. Recently we took the EMEET PIXY for a spin, using it while at Summer
Ron Burke
Elgato Facecam 4K
David Burdette said, "Elgato’s stranglehold on the streaming and content creation keeps getting tighter. The Facecam 4K is an outstanding piece of gear that raises the bar for what a webcam is capable of. It can outwork the competition, but even more impressively make your fancy camera seem like an over-investment for at the desk video capture. With 4K/60fps available, DSLR functionality in the Camera Hub, and even filters fitting over the lens, you can do everything with the Facecam 4K."
Elgato Facecam 4K review — DSLR quality at a fraction of the price
With the Facecam 4K, Elgato wants to make sure you never overpay for a gaming camera ever again
David Burdette
Elgato 4K S Capture Card
David Burdette said, "Elgato always manages to raise the bar with their gear, and they’ve done it again with the 4K S capture card. If you want something easy to use, they’ve got you covered. If you want something that gives you a great range of resolution and frame rate, the 4K S offers that. If you want portability, you won’t get better than this. In any case, you want an Elgato 4K S, that’s a fact."
Elgato 4K S capture card review — Caught in 4K
Elgato has captured my attention and my heart with their new 4K/60fps capture card
David Burdette
Elgato Stream Deck
David Burdette said, "Brimming with potential, the Elgato Stream Deck is a fantastic device that gives you even more control over your streaming, editing, gameplay, and more. It truly is a swiss army knife, easy to use and capable of many functions. The question simply falls to you, the user, as to which function you need to whip out. Whether a sharp knife to cut your videos, screwdriver to tighten your streams up, or tweezers to remove unwanted files, the Stream Deck can be customized to do exactly what you need it to do; and look slick while doing it."
Elgato Stream Deck review — Key to excellence
I have done a bit of streaming for GamingTrend here and there. That said, I’ve never done much of it. A few years ago I had the opportunity to mess around with an Elgato Stream Deck, and it was a neat device I figured would come in handy. Now,
David Burdette
Elgato Wave:3 microphone
David Burdette said, "This is simply the best streaming microphone options on the market. Elgato has been a gold standard here, and the Wave:3 is a fantastic buy. Not only is it plug and play, but the microphone itself is S-tier, with clear comms lent to gaming and streaming alike. Between that and easy to use software, this is the Wave to ride."
Elgato Wave:3 microphone & mic arm review — Wave goodbye to other mics
The right microphone for streaming or even just playing games with the squad is important. I used to use any old headset mic, but after using streaming mics to communicate with my team, it’s hard to go back to something of lower quality. I’ve used and reviewed a
David Burdette
Maono PD200W Hybrid microphone
Ron Burke said, "If setup and teardown in the blink of an eye, excellent flexibility, and incredibly crisp audio are your targets, the PD200W checks all of those marks easily. Better still, it does it at a price easily a third of its nearest competitor, making it an easy recommendation. "
Maono PD200W Hybrid microphone review -- Crystal clear sound capture anywhere you’d like
There are a lot of microphones out there that serve a specific niche, but very multi-purpose mics that do more than one thing well. The folks from Maono have a new microphone that is aimed directly at the creator space, and it has some specific features that are not only
Ron Burke
SteelSeries Alias and Alias Pro
David Burdette said, "Making streaming simpler, giving you the ability to utilize a great device no matter your setup, and assisting those who are just beginning to achieve the best, is a great accomplishment for any brand. SteelSeries has done just that with the Alias and Alias Pro streaming mics, with a delightful mic with good sound that can be what you need it to be. If you’re just starting out, you’ll get great audio. If you’re a pro, you’ll be able to tweak it to your liking and possibly get even more out of it. In any case, SteelSeries offers quality."
SteelSeries Alias & Alias Pro review — Sound your best
You all know, I’m a SteelSeries fiend. As I mentioned in our preview, my desk is taken over with their products, mainly because they’re all quality. With the SteelSeries Alias and Alias Pro releasing, it was time to switch out my Elgato Wave:3. That said, the Wave:
David Burdette
Boyalink 3 AI Noise Cancellation Wireless Microphone
Ron Burke said, "The Boyalink 3 is an impressive device. It’s one of only a few devices capable of handling eight interview subjects wirelessly, and almost unique in the portable space. With useful AI support, and pushbutton simplicity, it’s also remarkably simple to use. I wish it had a screen, but at this price, and at this impossibly small size, it’s an easy trade off. "
Boyalink 3 AI Noise Cancellation Wireless Microphone review — Crystal clear, impossibly small
I’m always on the hunt for an improvement to the audio we use here at GamingTrend for our video coverage. You can usually keep a viewer if your video isn’t pristine, but if your audio is muddy they’ll check out faster than you can say “Which wrist
Ron Burke
Boyamic 2 AI Noise Cancellation Wireless Microphone
Ron Burke said, "The Boyamic 2 is an impressive device made even more so with features only found at the top tier. It can also support up to eight interview subjects wirelessly, which is nearly unique in the portable space, with Boya’s smaller BoyaLink 3 being another option that comes to mind. With useful AI support, and pushbutton simplicity, it’s also remarkably simple to use, and with results that are very easy to achieve. Frankly, the other manufacturers in this space should be worried – Boya just completely ate their lunch. "
Boyamic 2 AI Noise Cancellation Wireless Microphone review — Flawless execution
With one clear advantage NOBODY else has
Ron Burke
R0DE Wireless GO (Gen 3)
Ron Burke said, "With an impossible-to-beat warranty, impeccable sound quality, and more quality-of-life upgrades than I can reasonably list, the R0DE Wireless Go (Gen3) is the best wireless audio capture on the market, hands down. "
R0DE Wireless GO (Gen 3) review — Sounds like upgrade time
R0DE has been in the premium audio business since 1967, when Henry Freedman, a London-born sound engineer, and his Swedish-born wife, Astrid, formed the company. While we’ve seen generation after generation of audio technologies, ever cleaner and feature-rich, a brand new generation of creators is looking to bring studio-quality
Ron Burke
SteelSeries Arena 9
David Burdette said, "It won’t replace your living room stereo, but that’s not what you bought it for. Easily sliding into your gaming space, the SteelSeries Arena 9 gaming speakers bring 5.1 fidelity to your desk… at least for most things. They sound absolutely fantastic, and bring a more high-end feel with nice designs and RGB lighting. There are a couple of kinks to work out, but you’ll forget all about it as you’re swept away into your favorite video game worlds via the auditory journey that is SteelSeries Arena and Sonar."
Steelseries Arena 9 gaming speakers review – Aural combat
I remember when the notion of gaming headsets sounded a bit silly. There I was in the early 2010’s, working at GameStop, and someone asked if we had any of those “Turtle Beaches”. I had no idea what was going on, but I was just a bit late to
David Burdette
KUXIU S2 MagSafe battery
Ron Burke said, "Almost impossible to destroy, and with 0% chance of fire or swelling, the S2 Magnetic Solid-State Power Bank is aggressively priced, charges incredibly fast, and is built to last. If you need a MagSafe battery, this is the best and only choice."
KUXIU S2 review — the solid-state MagSafe battery you didn’t know you needed
There are certain things that you just need to be simple. It’s frustrating to buy a multi-monitor setup for your laptop only to end up with another power brick and another two to three cables wired into your laptop sides. Similarly, it’s a pain to pick up a
Ron Burke
Thanks for checking out all our recommendations for your holiday shopping! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!
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