Best Last Minute Gifts for Gamers in 2023

There are lots of reasons why you might be shopping at the last minute. Maybe you’ve been busy at work. Maybe you’ve been attending concerts at school or holiday parties for work. Maybe you have been busy bringing kids to practices or games. Maybe you were just too busy preparing to host a holiday gathering at your house. Either way, here you are shopping at the last minute for birthday presents or Christmas gifts.

You’ve got no time to drive around town and fight crowds, search for presents, and stand in line, but it might be too late to order some things online and have them delivered in time – especially if they are very popular and are currently out of stock. So what can you do?

Fortunately, there are still plenty of things you can get from Amazon if you are shopping for a video game enthusiast. Plus, to make it more convenient for you we have broken these ideas down according to which video game console the person you are shopping for has.

The Key is Getting A Digital Code

When buying any of the last-minute gift ideas on our list the key is for you to buy the digital copy and receive a digital code for the gift you are looking at.  With all of the products on our list, you will have the option to buy either a physical or digital copy. Both digital and physical versions of these products will work the same, but when you buy the digital version you don’t need to wait for it to be shipped. Instead, you will instantly receive a digital code that can be quickly and easily redeemed to receive the gift.

So when you are making your purchase on Amazon be on the lookout for the words digital copy and digital code. They will be the clues that tell you that you are not buying the physical version of the gift. Below are some images that show what you should be looking for.

Please note that some products, specifically video games, may not have digital copies available for download or might only have certain editions of the game available for digital purchase/download.

Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S Gift Ideas

Games

The most popular gift to give that Xbox owner in your life is a new game. There are always new games coming out, which means that there are always new gift-giving options available. Plus, you can find a ton of games on Amazon that have digital copies available for purchase. Below are some links for the current best selling Xbox video games that are available on Amazon.

• Best Selling Xbox One Games
• Best Selling Xbox Series X & Xbox Series S Games

Not familiar with what digital copies of video games are or how they differ from physical copies? You can learn more about digital copies along with their pros and cons here. However, it is worth pointing out that if you are shopping for someone who has the Xbox One All-Digital Edition console or the new Xbox Series S console, both of which don’t have an optical drive, digital copies of video games are your only option for those versions of the Xbox console.

If you don’t know what video game(s) the person you are shopping for wants, or if you can’t find a digital copy of the game you are looking for, or if the person you are shopping for prefers physical video game copies, don’t worry. There are other great gift options for you to look at.

Xbox Gift Card

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Xbox Gift Cards are another great last-minute gift option. You can buy digital versions of these gift cards and redeem them instantly. They come in several different denominations ranging from $10 to $100. You can purchase them from Amazon here.

An Xbox Gift Card can be used to buy and download Xbox games, apps, TV shows, movies, and more. Unlike some other types of gift cards, there aren’t any fees or expiration dates that you need to be concerned about.

Immediately after purchasing a digital version of an Xbox Gift Card from Amazon, you receive a code that allows the person you give it to redeem it on their console and have the value of the gift card added onto their account for future purchases.

Xbox Live Gold Membership

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One gift that virtually every Xbox user will use is an Xbox Live Gold Membership.

The Xbox Live Gold membership is essential for Xbox One, Xbox Seris X, and Xbox Series S owners to have for several different reasons. First, it allows members to play multiplayer games online with friends as well as with random people. Second, it gives members access to free games that are available to download and play. A third benefit given to people with an Xbox Live Gold Membership is that they will be given access to exclusive discounts in the Xbox Store up to 50-75% off regular prices.

It is also worth noting that some games can ONLY be played online and therefore REQUIRE an Xbox Live Membership in order for you to play them, which makes this gift even more valuable.

You can purchase an Xbox Live Gold Membership in various subscription lengths that range from 3 to 12 months. Click here to see the prices on the various options that are available.

Just like other digital purchases for Xbox consoles, you will receive a code immediately after making your purchase that will allow the membership to be redeemed on the Xbox console by whoever you are giving it to.

PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 Gift Ideas

Games

The first and perhaps easiest thing to get for the video game fan in your life is a game. If the person you are shopping for likes digital copies of games, they can be a terrific last-minute gift. Unfortunately, since Sony has discontinued offering digital codes for PlayStation games at Amazon and other retailers, buying someone a game at the last minute can be more difficult. However, if you find a game that is in stock on the Amazon website their Amazon Prime service can deliver things extremely fast.

Below are links to the bestselling physical game titles at Amazon.

• Best Selling PlayStation 4 Games
• Best Selling PlayStation 5 Games

If you aren’t familiar with what digital copies of video games are or if you want to purchase one you can learn more about them along with their pros and cons here. Note: For those who are not familiar, there is a Digital Edtion of the PlayStation 5 console, which doesn’t have a disc drive, meaning that digital games are the only option for that version of the PS5 console. 

If you can’t find a copy of the game you are looking for or can’t get it delivered in time there are other gift options for PlayStation owners that you can opt for.

PlayStation Store Gift Card

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Getting a Playstation Store Gift Card is a great option. You can get them here from Amazon and they come in various denominations from $10 to $100.

PlayStation Store Gift Cards can be used to buy both new and classic PlayStation games as well as game add-ons that can be downloaded. These gift cards can also be used to rent or buy movies and TV shows that you can stream or download to the PlayStation consoles.

When you purchase one of these PlayStation Store Gift Cards from Amazon you will receive a code that allows the person who redeems it on their console to have the money added onto their account for future purchases.

PlayStation Plus Membership

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If you want to buy something that will be sure to be used by the person who receives it a PlayStation Plus Membership is the perfect gift.

The PlayStation Plus Membership gives each member several benefits. The main motivation for having a membership is that it allows people to play multiplayer games online with their friends. However, if your friends aren’t online when you are playing you can still play with random people online. The second thing a PlayStation Plus Membership gives people is access to free games each month. The third thing members get is exclusive deals and discounts in the PlayStation Store.

You can purchase a PlayStation Plus Gift Card for varying amounts with all of them being able to be applied toward a PlayStation Plus Membership. Click here to see the prices of the various options that are available. Just like with the other digital purchases for the PlayStation, after purchasing a membership you will receive a code that will allow the membership to be redeemed on the PlayStation console by whoever you give it to.

Nintendo Switch Gift Ideas

Games

Just like the other gaming consoles out there the most popular gift option for Nintendo Switch owners is a new game. And like the PlayStation and Xbox systems, there is a multitude of Nintendo Switch games that you can buy a digital copy of on Amazon. You can see them here.

If you don’t know what a digital copy of a video game is or how it differs from a physical copy you can read our article where we discuss the pros and cons of both digital and physical video game copies.

Like the other video game consoles, if you purchase a digital copy of a Nintendo Switch game you will receive a code that allows a digital copy of the game to be downloaded onto the user’s console.

What do you do if you can’t find the game you are looking for or don’t know what game the person you are shopping for wants? Don’t worry Nintendo has other great options for last-minute shoppers who are looking for gift ideas.

Nintendo eShop Gift Card

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When you don’t know what game(s) the person you are shopping for would like a Nintendo eShop gift card is the perfect gift. An eShop gift card allows the user to purchase and download new games and apps directly from their Nintendo Switch console.

Just as with all of the gift options on this list, when you buy a digital version of a Nintendo eShop gift card you will get a digital code that can quickly be added to the recipient’s Nintendo eShop account in seconds so they purchase new games or apps right away.

You can buy Nintendo eShop gift cards from Amazon here. They are available in denominations that range from $5 to $99.

Nintendo Switch Online Membership

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The Nintendo Switch Online Membership is pretty much what you expect. It is a subscription service that allows you to play multiplayer games online. In addition to online gameplay, it also gives you access to play classic NES games and saves your game data to the cloud so you don’t have to worry about losing your progress.

It should also be noted that online gameplay isn’t a part of some Nintendo Switch games. However, a lot of games do include online gameplay and the number will continue to increase as game developers continue to make use of this functionality.

You can buy the Nintendo Switch Online Memberships here. Memberships can be purchased for both individuals or for families (where multiple people play on the same Switch) and range in duration from 3 to 12 months.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now know that there are still ways to get a great gift for that gamer in your life, even though you’re having to shop at the last minute. If you stick to the ideas on this list, you’ll know you’ll get something that he or she will be sure to use.

Last update on 2023-05-28 at 18:54 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API