HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR TECHNOLOGY AND GAMING FANS

It’s hard to believe, but the holidays are just around the corner! Gift guides are coming soon, but in the immediate, if you’re looking to get the Fall season started off right, keep an eye out for the following picks:

Xbox Game Pass subscription – $14.99/month – Who needs a video game system or souped-up computer when you can stream a rotating selection of 100 top-end video game products right to your smartphone, iPad, laptop, etc. on-demand? If you have an Xbox, it’s like having access to a Netflix for games; if you don’t, it basically lets you play all sorts of games, even on devices that weren’t originally designed to run them, by wirelessly connecting a Bluetooth controller and streaming the games down in real-time from the online cloud (https://www.xbox.com/en-us/play/gallery/all-games).

Spelljammer: Adventures in Space – Spaceships! Wizards! Brain-eating octopi! Oh – and it’s a brand-new reboot of the 30+ year old setting that many Gen Xers loved as teenagers back in the day.

Arcade 1Up Countercades – Retro-futuristic is all the rage these days. While the stand-up replica machines of old classics cost more, check out Arcade 1Up’s line of countertop units, which regularly go on-sale (and you can find dipping to the $150 level). For example, Super Pac-Man is $119 now.

Retroid Pocket 3 – A portable handheld that emulates dozens of old systems and plays THOUSANDS of old games – it’s basically a top choice if you love classic gaming and want to hack/mod (modify) a unit to your heart’s content. Now you can take entire catalogues (Super Nintendo, Genesis, etc.) to go.

As you can see, the holidays will bring no shortage of great gift giving options. Remember: These are just the tip of the virtual iceberg!