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Northeastern University experts recommend the best gear, accessories and games for the holiday season.
Finding the perfect gift for friends and family is hard, especially when it comes to tech. Whether you’re tech savvy or more of a luddite, with so many gadgets, games and accessories –– and so many online reviews –– it can get overwhelming.
Luckily, Northeastern Global News did the hard work for you.
After consulting experts in tech and gaming, these are the best gifts for the techie or gamer in your life. From the year’s hottest video games to hardware that will improve your work life to accessories that will spice up anyone’s laptop or PC, there is something for everyone.
It can be tempting to buy this year’s gadget of the moment, but how quickly will it be thrown into a drawer and never used again? This year, Northeastern’s array of tech experts recommended some more practical gifts that will probably get used every day of the new year.
No matter who you’re buying a gift for, everyone could use an extra charge. Christo Wilson, a professor of computer science at Northeastern, recommends Anker’s upgraded three-in-one charger as the gift that keeps on charging, especially during the holidays.
For the workaholic, or obsessive notetaker in your life, John Basl, an associate professor of philosophy whose work focuses on the ethics of AI and synthetic biology, recommends the Obsidian note-taking app. It works on pretty much every device and allows you to “easily create templates for notes, like meetings, create internal links between notes, attach PDFs or images to notes, capture websites and annotate them” and much more, Basl says. The app is free but pairing it with a sync subscription unlocks the ability to keep notes in sync across a number of devices.
For the person who spends hours on virtual meetings every day, Elgato’s Prompter is a must-have, Basl says.
“It lets you look directly at your audience even while you look at your notes or what’s on your screen,” Basl says. “There are lots of teleprompter options but this one is very user friendly and works with lots of different camera models.”
Sometimes the little things make all the difference. Instead of gifting a big, expensive piece of tech, Northeastern experts say accessories and minor upgrades are just as valuable.
Alexandra To, an assistant professor of game design at Northeastern, says if someone is spending a lot of time on their laptop, either gaming or working, “the best upgrade you can get is to their ergonomic setup” with a lightweight laptop stand like Rain Design’s iLevel.
“The long-term positive impact on your health is huge and really overlooked, especially for younger folks,” To says.
Fox Zarow, an assistant teaching professor of game design at Northeastern, says high-quality mouse pads are another way to add some color to someone’s home office or gaming setup. Zarow recommends The Mouse Pad Company’s collection of creatively patterned options to help friends and family spruce up their desks and express themselves.
“Suddenly your plain IKEA desk is a gallery for your favorite Ed Hopper painting,” Zarow says.
The world of gaming is vast. In 2024 alone there were enough high-quality titles to satisfy gamers of every age and taste.
“Balatro,” the year’s unexpected runaway hit that offers a creative spin on poker, has the general appeal and addictive gameplay to land with both experienced gamers or newcomers, says Bob De Schutter, an associate professor of game design at Northeastern.
“It took me a minute to get into it, but ‘Balatro’ is well worth the hype,” De Schutter says. “At its core, this is just a game about making poker hands, but the surrounding joker system makes it an absolute thrill that is hard to put down.”
However, the holidays are all about spending time with loved ones, and there is no shortage of games that can help bring people together.
“If you have a long-distance bestie or someone where you’re looking for an excuse for a weekly or monthly call, ‘It Takes Two’ is great,” To says of the cooperative action-adventure game. “It’s free to get a second copy for a friend. It has some really incredible mechanics and each chapter feels really unique.”
For the cozy gamer in your life, To recommends “Stardew Valley,” the classic farming simulation game where players work together to build the farm of their dreams.
“I like a gift for someone else that also says, ‘I want to spend more time with you,’” To says.
Sometimes the best gaming gift isn’t a game at all.
If you want to help make a gamer’s experience even more immersive, Zarow recommends gifting a candle to match the mood of someone’s favorite game. Zarow stands by Cantrip Candles, which are designed and marketed for tabletop roleplaying games but are meant for any gamer.
“They’ve even got a list for 10 candles to burn throughout your next ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ playthrough,” Zarow says. “A sample box lets your giftee explore a variety of scents, plus, there are wax melts for a flameless option.”
Don’t forget the retro gamers either. Atari’s joystick-shaped decanter set is a little pricey but “the perfect set for a couple of older gamers that like to reminisce about how games were just objectively better and more fun back in the day,” De Schutter jokes.