Best Gaming Gifts to Buy on Black Friday 2023

This article is part of Collector’s Digest, an editorial series powered by:

It’s the best time of the year for gaming! The holiday season is host to not only the biggest console and PC releases of the calendar year, but it is also a great time to catch up on the games you didn’t get to play months ago. And if you’re a collector, it’s also the perfect time to add to plenty of gaming collectibles to your collection, from fancy posters to statues to those hard-to-find retro cartridges you’ve always wanted to stick into your SNES.

With help from eBay, we’ve picked the must-have gaming gifts you need to snatch up this holiday…

Limited Edition Spider-Man Displate Poster

First up is one of the best games of the year, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. This sweet metal poster from the folks over at Displate is one way to celebrate Spidey’s return to consoles. This poster can attach easily to your wall without any additional tools.

Given that it’s a limited edition design, this one will really stand out in your collection. Plus, be sure to scour for other Displate designs, as they’ve got PLENTY of other gaming-inspired ones to choose from.

Buy the Spider-Man Displate Poster here

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Switch Console

If you’re like us, you love The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It’s perhaps the front-runner for every Game of the Year award from every major publication and YouTuber and writer out there. But if you’re not already on the Zelda or Switch wave, this special edition Tears of the Kingdom console is a must.

The fun part about special edition consoles is you’re not just getting a nifty-looking piece of gaming hardware, but a controller—or Joy Cons, in this case—too! And in this case, these ancient golden markings are some of the coolest you’ll see on any special edition Switch console.

Buy the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Switch Console here

The Legend of Zelda Hylian Shield

Look, it’s Zelda, so it’s worth mentioning twice. While this doesn’t directly correlate with the aforementioned Tears of the Kingdom—and it isn’t necessarily something brand-spanking new—this one feels like a staple for any gaming enthusiast’s collection. The Hylian Shield has been a staple of the Zelda series for eons. It works equally as a display piece AND as an accessory for cosplayers.

Buy the Zelda Hylian Shield here

First4Figures Sonic the Hedgehog Collector’s Statue

Sonic’s games may sometimes waver in quality, but his vibes certainly don’t. The folks over at First4Figures are known for high-quality collectibles across several major franchises, and this one for the fastest hedgehog alive is no different. It’s a simple pose—Sonic readying himself for a record-breaking sprint—and the checkpoint marker is a nice touch.

It’s the classic Sonic design rather than the modern one, which again feels timely given the recent release of Sonic Superstars. First4Figures also has some other Sonic designs, including one featuring Sonic in his iconic pose from Sonic Adventure, so keep an eye out.

Buy the Sonic Collector’s Statue here

Mega Man NES Cartridge

Every gift guide needs a wild card pick, and this is exactly that. While the blue bomber has taken all kinds of shapes and forms over the decades, this recommendation goes back to basics. What makes this NES cartridge so special? The North American release of the original Mega Man not only kicked off one of the most important and popular game series of all time but it also had one of the most heinous box covers of all time.

Mega Man is usually made to look like a cartoonish young lad, even to this day. But the cover for this one was almost a parody, with a regular-looking man seemingly perplexed that he’s even there to begin with. The face is so ugly it actually kind of rules. The box art is so infamous, in fact, that this version of Mega Man was even made a playable character in 2012’s Street Fighter X Tekken. It’s a creative, hilarious gift for all the Mega Man fans out there.

Buy the Mega Man NES Cartridge here

Five Nights at Freddy’s Plush

The best-selling Five Nights at Freddy’s is having a moment. Practically out of nowhere, the series exploded onto the scene in 2014 and has ballooned into one of the most successful horror franchises in games. It’s so big, in fact, that it’s now spawned a feature film from noted horror studio Blumhouse Productions.

What better way to commemorate the occasion than these special teddy bear plush fellows? There are plenty of different types you can find—each exceedingly creepy in its own special way—and they are the perfect collectibles for horror fans. Seriously, horror fans love this stuff; the number of Poppy’s Playtime plushes you’ll see out in the wild speaks to it.

Buy Five Nights at Freddy’s Plushes here

Pixel Frames Street Fighter Diorama

These things are just too cool. Like level 99 gamer cool. These pixel-frame dioramas commemorate some of the most iconic imagery in classical gaming, from Sonic the Hedgehog to the impossible bike level in Battletoads. This particular one, of Ryu and Ken of Street Fighter fame, feels especially relevant with the recent release of Street Fighter 6.

There’s just something special about the pixelated look being brought to life, and it makes for a unique gift this holiday season. But there are plenty of others if the rumbling and tumbling ways of street-fighting don’t float your boat.

Buy the Pixel Frames Street Fighter Diorama here

First4Figures Mario and Yoshi

There’s no better way to close things out than with the plumber from the Mushroom Kingdom. If you love gaming’s most famous characters, this figure is a must-have. The same folks behind the Sonic figure really outdid themselves with this bad boy, which also features the legendary dinosaur Yoshi.

On top of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, 2023 also blessed us with a feature-length Super Mario movie—which featured a little end-credits tease of Mr. Yoshi. The resin statue looks fantastic and is a perfect set piece to cap off what has truly been a year of Mario epicness.

Buy the First4Figures Mario and Yoshi here