There are plenty of exciting gift ideas for Xbox One owners this holiday season, and some sweet deals on consoles for those who aren't in Microsoft's ecosystem yet. The Xbox One X was released recently and lives up to its claim of being the most powerful console to date, but it almost necessitates pairing it with a good 4K HDR TV. While not as powerful as the X, the Xbox One S still plays everything, including 4K HDR Blu-ray discs.
We've rounded up the things you should look out for when shopping for Xbox One accessories and consoles this season, which you can see in the video above. The items we highlighted are listed below with their price in USD.
Be sure to watch and read our other holiday gift guides for all the other gaming platforms:
- PlayStation 4 Holiday Gift Guide 2017
- Nintendo Switch Holiday Gift Guide 2017
- PC Hardware Holiday Gift Guide 2017
Xbox One X - $500 USD
The Xbox One X is a souped-up version of the Xbox One. It's also tailor-made for 4K HDR TVs. This means that many games will look dramatically sharper with a 2160p resolution and feature a wider color gamut thanks to the system's HDR capabilities. Certain games like Gears of War 4 arguably look better running on the Xbox One X than a more expensive high-end gaming PC. While the Xbox One X isn't cheap at $500, you really get your money's worth here.
TCL 55P605 4K HDR TV - $600
TCL's 55P605 is arguably the best budget 4K TV. Considering it also supports HDR 10, Dolby Vision, and costs $600, it's a great TV for its price. To top it off, this ultra high-definition TV comes with Roku support built in.
Xbox One S Bundle - $230 to $300 (depending on bundle and HDD size)
While the Xbox One S isn't a huge upgrade over the original Xbox One, it does support high-dynamic range so that games and movies that support HDR can look dramatically more vibrant and lifelike. Unlike the original Xbox One, it comes with a 4K Blu-ray player. There are also several bundles that pack in different games like Assassin's Creed Origins, Minecraft, Forza Horizon 3, and more.
Seagate Game Drive 2TB - $90
While you can't swap out the hard drive on an Xbox One like you can on a PS4, you can install games on an external drive. Seagate's Game Drive is designed for the Xbox One and has a green hue and logo to match. While it scales up to 8TB, we're recommending the 2TB version, which should be enough for most situations.
Xbox Elite Controller - $150
The Xbox One Elite Controller is quite possibly the best gamepad out there. It's wireless, has a nice substantial weight and four programmable paddles on the back that come in clutch for competitive shooters. You also get a useful carrying case, swappable thumbsticks, and the option for an 8-way satellite-looking D-pad that's better for fighting games than the traditional configuration.
Custom Xbox One Controller (Xbox Design Lab) - $80 to $93
It's fun to design an Xbox One controller on Microsoft's Design Lab site, especially if you're tailoring one for someone with specific tastes. There are 19 colors to choose from and you can also customize the grips, bumpers, triggers, and more. According to Microsoft, there are over one billion permutations. The cherry on top is that you can even engrave their name or gamertag on the controller.
Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Headset - $100
Good audio is really important to round out the gaming experience, and on the Xbox One, Turtle Beach's Stealth 600 headset does a lot of things right. The key feature here is that the headset connects directly to the console wirelessly without a dongle; just sync it up and the headset's ready to go. Comfort is just as important as sound quality; thankfully, the Stealth 600 is comfortable for long sessions, and the earcups are even designed to fit around glasses.
12-month Subscription To Xbox Live Gold - $60
A 12-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold costs $60. Not only does this grant access to online multiplayer, but the service offers multiple free downloadable games every month.
