Switch Controllers
A new controller is always a welcome gift for any gamer – either to use as a backup, or to enable multiplayer fun. Here are some controllers that are a) definitely compatible with Nintendo Switch, and b) great gift ideas!
⭐️ Best of the Best: Official Nintendo Controllers
When you’re in the market for a new Switch controller, nothing compares to the official offerings from Nintendo. Below, we’ve rounded up plenty of options for both Nintendo’s Pro Controller (a comfortable, premium pad designed for longer gaming sessions) and Joy-Con (the detachable controllers that come with the Switch as standard). There are plenty of designs to choose from.
✅ Best For Comfort And Playability: Split Pad Pro
Hori’s Split Pad Pro range has become something of a favourite here at Nintendo Life, serving as a perfect Joy-Con replacement for those who want extra comfort – and especially for anyone with large hands who struggles to use Nintendo’s smaller controllers. If you want to treat your loved one to something a little different this year, maybe give one of these a go…
✅ Best Designs: PowerA
Oddly, when it comes to controllers, Nintendo doesn’t tend to release all that many options with fun designs featuring its top mascots. Thankfully, that’s where companies like PowerA step in, launching more affordable pads with some awesome designs.
The controllers featured below don’t have all the features of Nintendo’s own (you won’t find HD Rumble or NFC capability here), but we’ve had plenty of game time with PowerA’s offerings and have never come away disappointed.
Here are some of our favourites that have launched recently.
Switch Headsets
Whether you want to play with friends online or simply enjoy your gaming without disturbing the entire house, a headset is a great accessory for any Switch owner. Here are some of our top picks:
⭐️ Best Wireless: SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
When it comes to the best wireless headphones for gaming at a price point reflective of the headset’s quality, you’ll find the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless sitting right near the top of almost everyone’s list.
Endorsed by popular gaming streamers, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pros boast active noise cancellation tech to immerse you in your gameplay, have truly wonderful sound quality, and come with two easily-swappable rechargeable batteries so that you never run out of juice.
If you’re looking for a premium set at an impressive price point, these are a fantastic choice.
⭐️ Best Wired: Razer BlackShark V2 X
By going for a wired headset, you can often save quite a bit of cash but still enjoy the same excellent sound quality – just bear in mind that wired headsets will need to plug directly into the Switch console, even when playing docked.
The BlackShark V2 X is a lightweight headset with comfortable memory foam ear cushions, perfect for longer gaming sessions. Its noise-isolating microphone is great for chatting with friends in games like Fortnite, and a Windows-only 7.1 Surround Sound feature make these even better if you happen to play games on PC as well as your Switch.
💰 Best Budget Choice: Best Affordable Headsets For Switch
There are plenty of budget headsets available on the market these days, allowing you to plug in and play at very little cost. Below, we’ve gathered three more affordable headsets from brands we can wholeheartedly recommend – just bear in mind that the sound quality and comfort, whilst still more than good enough for playing on Switch, won’t quite match the more expensive options listed above.
Nintendo Clothing
What’s almost as important as saving Zelda? Clothes! Yes, even gamers need to put clothes on sometimes, so here are some cool Nintendo-themed options.
Split across US and UK markets, we’ve gathered some of our favourite pieces from Amazon (thanks to their ease when it comes to ordering and returns) and Zavvi (because of the fantastic quality we’ve always received when ordering there ourselves). If you want even more options though, we’d urge US readers to check out GameStop’s clothing range, and for UK readers to take a look at both GAME and Just Geek.
US
UK
Nintendo Christmas Sweaters
Or how about we go one step further with an ugly Christmas jumper? Some of these look perfect.
US
UK
Nintendo Christmas Cards
Want to go the extra mile and make their Christmas even more Nintendo-themed? Check out these Christmas cards!
We’ve actually found that Etsy is often the best place for cute Nintendo-themed Christmas cards, with lots of sellers offering customisable designs so that you can include your special someone’s name on the front. Check out the full range here, or keep scrolling to see some of our top picks.
Books
There’s a surprising number of fantastic gaming books out there that we’re sure will prove to be an excellent gift for any Nintendo fan. Here are some of our favourites…
✅ Best Overall: The Legend of Zelda Series
This series of The Legend of Zelda books is quite frankly essential reading for any fan of the series, and indeed anyone with a deep interest in Nintendo’s game development practices. These books dive deep into The Legend of Zelda’s lore, offering up concept art, timeline details, interviews with artists, maps and databases of in-game characters, and so much more.
✅ Best For Older Kids: Super Mario Encyclopedia
This official Super Mario Encyclopedia is jam-packed with information and pictures detailing the first 30 years of the franchise. It offers info on the series’ games, characters, items, worlds, and more, even including an interview with Super Mario producer Takashi Tezuka. It’s a perfect resource and timesink for kids with a strong reading ability – and it’s pretty great for us big kids, too!
✅ Best For Younger Kids: Pokémon Primers
Designed for younger children, the Pokémon Primers series of books are board books full of colour and interactive flaps to engage your little one’s mind. The first three in the series tackle letters, numbers, and colours, which we think make for a great start – if they love the first three, there are even more Primer books to be found.
✅ Best Educational: Nintendo Encyclopedias
If you’re looking for a top coffee table tomb full of interesting facts about Nintendo’s greatest games, Chris Scullion’s Encyclopedia series is a great place to start. You might have seen Chris’ words on this very site from time to time – what further proof could you possibly need to show that these will be top quality?
You’ll find books relating to specific Nintendo consoles below.
✅ Best Biographical: Two Ex-Nintendo Presidents
In recent years, we’ve had not one but two fantastic books relating to Nintendo’s top brass. Both of these books – an autobiography from ex-Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils Aime and a collection of words of wisdom from late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata – are excellent reads that’ll no doubt prove to be perfect gifts for diehard Nintendo fans.
Nintendo Homeware
In our opinion, there’s nothing cooler than seeing little Nintendo trinkets dotted around the home. So we thought it only fair to share some of our favourite pieces with you here.
Again, we’ve split our favourite choices into those available in the US and those from the UK, so head to your region’s section below and have a browse.
US
UK
Nintendo Statues & Figures
Statues and figures can be pretty expensive, but if you have the budget available, there’s nothing quite like them. These would make any mantelpiece twenty times better in an instant – you can’t go wrong!
Our top choice for stunning statues and figures is, without question, First 4 Figures. The items available here can be pretty pricey, but boy do they look amazing.
Browse their entire collection at the following link, or keep scrolling to see some of our top choices (don’t worry about the US pricing – these ship to most places worldwide!)
Nintendo Artwork
Posters? Prints? You got it. Help your special someone transform their home with these gorgeous pieces of art:
US
UK
Nintendo LEGO
In recent years, Nintendo’s been expanding into the world of LEGO with lots of official collaboration sets.
If Nintendo + LEGO sounds like the dream combo for your loved one, check out our dedicated Nintendo LEGO guide which offers all the links you need to buy the best sets and offers more info:
Switch Controllers
A new controller is always a welcome gift for any gamer – either to use as a backup, or to enable multiplayer fun. Here are some controllers that are a) definitely compatible with Nintendo Switch, and b) great gift ideas!
⭐️ Best of the Best: Official Nintendo Controllers
When you're in the market for a new Switch controller, nothing compares to the official offerings from Nintendo. Below, we've rounded up plenty of options for both Nintendo's Pro Controller (a comfortable, premium pad designed for longer gaming sessions) and Joy-Con (the detachable controllers that come with the Switch as standard). There are plenty of designs to choose from.
✅ Best For Comfort And Playability: Split Pad Pro
Hori's Split Pad Pro range has become something of a favourite here at Nintendo Life, serving as a perfect Joy-Con replacement for those who want extra comfort – and especially for anyone with large hands who struggles to use Nintendo's smaller controllers. If you want to treat your loved one to something a little different this year, maybe give one of these a go...
✅ Best Designs: PowerA
Oddly, when it comes to controllers, Nintendo doesn't tend to release all that many options with fun designs featuring its top mascots. Thankfully, that's where companies like PowerA step in, launching more affordable pads with some awesome designs.
The controllers featured below don't have all the features of Nintendo's own (you won't find HD Rumble or NFC capability here), but we've had plenty of game time with PowerA's offerings and have never come away disappointed.
Here are some of our favourites that have launched recently.
Switch Headsets
Whether you want to play with friends online or simply enjoy your gaming without disturbing the entire house, a headset is a great accessory for any Switch owner. Here are some of our top picks:
⭐️ Best Wireless: SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
When it comes to the best wireless headphones for gaming at a price point reflective of the headset's quality, you'll find the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless sitting right near the top of almost everyone's list.
Endorsed by popular gaming streamers, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pros boast active noise cancellation tech to immerse you in your gameplay, have truly wonderful sound quality, and come with two easily-swappable rechargeable batteries so that you never run out of juice.
If you're looking for a premium set at an impressive price point, these are a fantastic choice.
⭐️ Best Wired: Razer BlackShark V2 X
By going for a wired headset, you can often save quite a bit of cash but still enjoy the same excellent sound quality – just bear in mind that wired headsets will need to plug directly into the Switch console, even when playing docked.
The BlackShark V2 X is a lightweight headset with comfortable memory foam ear cushions, perfect for longer gaming sessions. Its noise-isolating microphone is great for chatting with friends in games like Fortnite, and a Windows-only 7.1 Surround Sound feature make these even better if you happen to play games on PC as well as your Switch.
💰 Best Budget Choice: Best Affordable Headsets For Switch
There are plenty of budget headsets available on the market these days, allowing you to plug in and play at very little cost. Below, we've gathered three more affordable headsets from brands we can wholeheartedly recommend – just bear in mind that the sound quality and comfort, whilst still more than good enough for playing on Switch, won't quite match the more expensive options listed above.
Nintendo Clothing
What's almost as important as saving Zelda? Clothes! Yes, even gamers need to put clothes on sometimes, so here are some cool Nintendo-themed options.
Split across US and UK markets, we've gathered some of our favourite pieces from Amazon (thanks to their ease when it comes to ordering and returns) and Zavvi (because of the fantastic quality we've always received when ordering there ourselves). If you want even more options though, we'd urge US readers to check out GameStop's clothing range, and for UK readers to take a look at both GAME and Just Geek.
US
UK
Nintendo Christmas Sweaters
Or how about we go one step further with an ugly Christmas jumper? Some of these look perfect.
US
UK
Nintendo Christmas Cards
Want to go the extra mile and make their Christmas even more Nintendo-themed? Check out these Christmas cards!
We've actually found that Etsy is often the best place for cute Nintendo-themed Christmas cards, with lots of sellers offering customisable designs so that you can include your special someone's name on the front. Check out the full range here, or keep scrolling to see some of our top picks.
Books
There's a surprising number of fantastic gaming books out there that we're sure will prove to be an excellent gift for any Nintendo fan. Here are some of our favourites...
✅ Best Overall: The Legend of Zelda Series
This series of The Legend of Zelda books is quite frankly essential reading for any fan of the series, and indeed anyone with a deep interest in Nintendo's game development practices. These books dive deep into The Legend of Zelda's lore, offering up concept art, timeline details, interviews with artists, maps and databases of in-game characters, and so much more.
✅ Best For Older Kids: Super Mario Encyclopedia
This official Super Mario Encyclopedia is jam-packed with information and pictures detailing the first 30 years of the franchise. It offers info on the series' games, characters, items, worlds, and more, even including an interview with Super Mario producer Takashi Tezuka. It's a perfect resource and timesink for kids with a strong reading ability – and it's pretty great for us big kids, too!
✅ Best For Younger Kids: Pokémon Primers
Designed for younger children, the Pokémon Primers series of books are board books full of colour and interactive flaps to engage your little one's mind. The first three in the series tackle letters, numbers, and colours, which we think make for a great start – if they love the first three, there are even more Primer books to be found.
✅ Best Educational: Nintendo Encyclopedias
If you're looking for a top coffee table tomb full of interesting facts about Nintendo's greatest games, Chris Scullion's Encyclopedia series is a great place to start. You might have seen Chris' words on this very site from time to time – what further proof could you possibly need to show that these will be top quality?
You'll find books relating to specific Nintendo consoles below.
✅ Best Biographical: Two Ex-Nintendo Presidents
In recent years, we've had not one but two fantastic books relating to Nintendo's top brass. Both of these books – an autobiography from ex-Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils Aime and a collection of words of wisdom from late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata – are excellent reads that'll no doubt prove to be perfect gifts for diehard Nintendo fans.
Nintendo Homeware
In our opinion, there's nothing cooler than seeing little Nintendo trinkets dotted around the home. So we thought it only fair to share some of our favourite pieces with you here.
Again, we've split our favourite choices into those available in the US and those from the UK, so head to your region's section below and have a browse.
US
UK
Nintendo Statues & Figures
Statues and figures can be pretty expensive, but if you have the budget available, there's nothing quite like them. These would make any mantelpiece twenty times better in an instant – you can't go wrong!
Our top choice for stunning statues and figures is, without question, First 4 Figures. The items available here can be pretty pricey, but boy do they look amazing.
Browse their entire collection at the following link, or keep scrolling to see some of our top choices (don't worry about the US pricing – these ship to most places worldwide!)
Nintendo Artwork
Posters? Prints? You got it. Help your special someone transform their home with these gorgeous pieces of art:
US
UK
Nintendo LEGO
In recent years, Nintendo's been expanding into the world of LEGO with lots of official collaboration sets.
If Nintendo + LEGO sounds like the dream combo for your loved one, check out our dedicated Nintendo LEGO guide which offers all the links you need to buy the best sets and offers more info:
