The 2019 Player 2 Gift Guide
Look, Christmas is about friends, family and food for sure, but let’s be honest, who doesn’t love the act of giving and receiving gifts? Well, the P2 team sure does, so they put together this handy selection of highly practical and sensible gift ideas for your loved ones. Each gift is satisfaction guaranteed*.
*P2 makes no promise of satisfaction.
Hope Corrigan
Under $50
We get it, you’re poor (high five comrades), you like this person but not too much, or you are obligated to find a gift for them and they have exactly my taste. It’s me, isn’t it? Well if so, then maybe consider getting them this fantastic amazing one of a kind super cool… thing.
Food. Honestly, just give me food. Everyone eats, right? This can be an incredibly helpful gift especially if the person in question is expected to put on a Christmas dinner for the whole family with no other financial support. It’s pretty easy to forget how expensive it can be to feed a house full of people who’re probably just gonna fight about it anyway. I don’t care if it’s vouchers, or you buy me dinner, or it’s a hamper full of stuff. Am I hungry while I’m writing this? Did I skip lunch again? Irrelevant! If it’s the dinner we can even have a delightful conversation about how the world is ending and our dreams are dead.
Over $50
Joy Cons
Look, I don’t even care whether or not they have a Switch you can always do with an extra set of Joy Cons. They come in quite a range of colours nowadays and I really could use another pair. My current ones have started to drift and I’d like to have one set charging while the other is in my Ring Fit which I will totally use… Check out what colours they have and try to get them something different – BAM immediately cool and new looking console. If you’re feeling a little (ok a LOT) splurgy you can even get some customs made up by cool folks on Etsy. If you’re not feeling so rich and they’re the handy type you could always get them some shells or triggers and let them mod their own.
Joy Cons are a world of possibilities for “the me” in your life. Please, someone, buy me some spare Joy Cons. It’d mean I can take my Switch with me, taking one of the last good things on earth, preserving it for when I get my biiiig present.
Sky’s the Limit
When I look deep into the cold vapid echoing cavernous abyss where a human heart is meant to be in my chest, I see one item purchasable with currency, that could potentially fill this gaping pustular wound.
A ticket to space.
We say the Sky’s the limit but last time Nick chose the Moon so I’m going for this one. $52 million dollars will get you a ticket to stay in orbit for a month.
A month literally not being on this hellscape of a planet sounds absolutely fantastic and altogether too short. Maybe I’d even be able to see the smoke slowly engulf all of Eastern Australia while delighting in the fact that I’m not breathing the same air as the people who refuse to do anything about climate change because they like money more than a future. Realistically here’s hoping they miss and shoot me straight into the sun. If not, maybe in the month I’m up there I can develop some sort of hammer of dawn satellite weapon and solve the problem myself. Wait… is it too late to change my gift? Merry Christmas, everyone.
Stephen del Prado
Under $50
While not too long ago I would have written it off as complete excess, this year I found my love of bias lighting. As someone who often games in the evening hours in a dark media room, I was finding my eyes strained and would become tired very easily, regularly falling asleep controller in hand. My Luminoodle Bias Lighting kit has alleviated many of these problems without detracting from image quality and in turn has made my media room a much more pleasant place to be. The included remote makes it easy to change between colours that will better suit the mood of what I’m playing or simply brighten the room up a bit more.
Over $50
I’ve only had these for a few weeks and I have to say, I wouldn’t be without them. While a sunglasses/headphone combo is probably not to everyone’s taste, I’ve found the Bose Frames a comfortable fit with the headphone feature a welcome bonus when going for walks as it allows me to listen to music while staying aware of my surroundings, alongside answering calls. The Bluetooth functionality is also seamless, switching to and from the Frames to my in-car system with no hassles whatsoever. Simple controls and decent quality sound as well as the ability to easily swap out the lenses ensure I should be enjoying my Frames for years to come.
Sky’s The Limit
Samsung’s The Wall 292 Inch Display
Forget those pathetic 82-inch QLED TV’s they’re flogging for $13k at JB Hi Fi – talk about amateur hour. No, what you need is ‘The Wall’ – Samsung’s latest MicroLED technology that can finally make you feel like you’re ‘in the game’. Not in the same way a VR system would mind you – in the way that ensures nobody will ever consider hosting a movie night or Pay Per View anywhere else but your living room which now contains a 4K LED TV where a wall used to be. Much like a lottery winner, you’re bound to find friends and family you didn’t even know you had coming out of the woodwork once you take out a second mortgage to finally get installation underway.
Paul James
Under $50
Powerwave PS4 or Xbox Controller Phone Mount
Have someone such as myself who has fallen down the Apple Arcade well? Maybe they like to remote play their PS4 games on their phone? Well the Powerwave Controller Phone Mount will be for them. With a growing number of reasons to use the phone as a gaming platform, many of which support console controllers, you’ll be wanting the convenience of the controller mount because how else are you going to hold the phone and use your Dualshock 4 at the same time? Jump on the couch, lock your phone in and play away!
Over $50
Playstation VR
If you’re yet to have picked up a PSVR, and you’re considering it now, well you’re about to get in at the best possible time. Iron-Man VR is just around the corner, while the back catalogue is vast; Moss VR, Blood & Truth, Job & Vacation Simulator, Astro Bot, Beat Saber and the list goes on and on. Yes, VR is crazy new tech, and yes, it’s a nasty tripping hazard if you’re not careful, but it’s also home to some of the coolest gaming concepts that you never knew you needed to try out.
Sky’s The Limit
Respawn Entertainment
EA doesn’t yet realise the incredible thing they have with Respawn, so with my infinite well of money I’m taking it to EA, buying Respawn off of them and then on-selling (or even just donating) them to any other publisher, first or third party, because almost anyone will do a better job of supporting that studio than EA. Maybe not Activision, we all know how that went before, but give them to a company who isn’t solely motivated by the bottom line, and watch their already impressive work blossom even further… whilst not being cannibalised by other internal products.
Ken Lee
Under $50
Disney Plus subscription – $8.99 per month (7-day free trial for new users)
Subscription services can offer differing value depending on what you are looking for. Something like Crunchyroll is perfect for someone who is keen on anime. Netflix or Stan is good for general entertainment.
For me, I find the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars and Pixar movies infinitely re-watchable. I would happily just have every one of those movies just running on a constant loop. I also really want to see what exactly this ‘baby Yoda’ thing is all about.
Gundam 1/144 High-Grade Barbatos Lupus – $21.99
I love mechs – giant robots of death. But on the mech spectrum, I have always been more partial to the plodding, walking tanks, rather than the fast and nimble ‘mechas’. Think more Battletech and Chromehounds, rather than Gundam, Macross and Armoured Core. But over the last several weeks, I have been obsessed with the Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (seasons 1 and 2 available on Netflix). The show itself is far more grounded than other Gundam series. I also really love the design of the main mecha, Barbatos. I have not built a Gundam plastic model in almost 20 years. Many things about it seem confusing. The different numbers and acronyms. All I know is that this specific model kit costs around $22, and looks phenomenal.
Over $50
Pokemon Sword and Shield – $69
I want a modern Pokemon game, with updated graphics, and the same sense of adventure as the original. By all accounts, the newly released Pokemon Sword and Shield is exactly that. I loved my time with Pokemon Yellow, the first and last game in the series that I dedicated any serious amount of time in. And my son is now of the age whereby knowledge of Pokemon is essential to thrive in the schoolyard. Every generation must have its Pokemon game.
Sky’s The Limit
Win & Win Inno CXT 25” Riser – $1,049.95
I had a hard time picking this last gift idea. I am fully into dad mode, so everything that I can imagine are fairly mundane: Holidays, a house in the country, that sort of thing. So reaching back into the archery bag again, I could really do with a new bow. I have been using the same one for almost two years now. It is decent equipment, but as with all things, there are always better and shinier things to acquire. So why not go for the top of the line? And this piece here is only just the middle part of the bow, i.e. the handle. Slap another cool thousand on top of that price for limbs, stabilisers and other bits for the full Olympic set-up.
Matt Hewson
Under $50
So what is better than giving someone a bunch of games/books/programs? Supporting a worthy cause in the process of course. That is exactly what Humble Bundle has been doing for years now, putting together great “pay-as-much-as-you-want” packs that bundle great items and fundraising for charity. You could get that special creative someone a range of design software, that friend who likes comics a collection of famous titles or even just spoil yourself with a batch of some of the year’s finest indie titles. It really is win-win for everyone involved.
Over $50
If you are anything like me then you love cool stuff on your walls and honestly there isn’t anything cooler than getting a sexy new metal print from Displate. There are so many amazing designs that you could easily spend days looking through the website. What is even better is that there is no need for hooks, hammers or screws. These metal plates come with a stick-on magnet, slap it on the wall and you are done. I have 8 of these at home already and I have probably run out of room for more, but that doesn’t stop me from wishing.
Each Displate ranges in about $50 – $100 per metal sheet depending on the size and you quite often get significant discounts for ordering multiples. Trust me your walls will never look cooler.
Sky’s The Limit
A Tesla Truck
I know what you are saying, that thing is frigging hideous. You are totally right, it looks like it came from the old Quake Rally mod from the late 90’s, but that is the point. If you ever wanted to drive around in a car that looks like it came straight out of the Daytona arcade cabinet, this is it, only the original Daytona had more polygons. Angular, seemingly fragile and the colour of my cooking pans, the Tesla Truck has almost nothing going for it, except for cheap running costs. But none of that will matter because your dreams of driving in a Playstation racing game for real have just come to life.
Shaun Nicholls
Under $50
While this book came out in 2014 I had not read it myself until recently and I was hooked. Looking at the rise of Nintendo and Sega in America, and the fall of the latter, Console Wars gives a great insight behind the scenes of the war for dominance of the early gaming landscape. While the book does have issues, with the writing style as more of a novelisation than straight-up non-fiction expose, it stills plucks at the nostalgia of playing those games as a child. You can purchase Console Wars through Booktopia for $31.50, or if you really want to save a few bucks you can purchase someone the eBook for only $12.99.
Over $50
Disney Toy Story Collector’s Chess
In this world of video games it is sometimes nice, and when the power goes out necessary, to be able to play a game without any power. Chess is a classic game that has stood the test of time and with this collaboration with the world of Toy Story, it gives you a great way to introduce the game to your kids or even friends that have never learned the game. Be warned though, it is not the cheapest version of the game so maybe keep it away from the little ones lest Woody is lost forever.
Sky’s The Limit
If one of the current home VR kits is not quite enough for you then take a look at the KAT Walk Premium. This baby solves the big problem of moving around in a VR headset, with an Omni-directional treadmill and harness to make sure that you always stay upright no matter how fast you are moving. Already compatible with Insteam VR games, you can use this baby to trudge around the Wastelands of Fallout 4, slay the demon horde in Doom or tame dinosaurs in Ark in a whole new way. While not widely available you can purchase one through Alibaba.com for between $8800 and $ 9600 excluding shipping, which to be honest if you are spending that much on a gift the shipping is just chump change.
