Gaming remains a wildly popular pastime. According to TechJury, more than 3.3 billion people worldwide played video games in 2025, and gaming is a mainstream hobby across all generations. The Entertainment Software Association’s 2025 Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry report indicates the average player is 26-years-old and female and male gamers are nearly evenly split (47 percent versus 52 percent). Baby Boomers and even older generations also play video games each week and benefit from the mental stimulation and relaxation the hobby offers.
Given the popularity of gaming, gifting video games for the holidays can be a smart tactic. The following are some 2025 releases that can be wrapped up as gifts this year.
· Donkey Kong Returns HD: Players will blast out of barrels, ride mine carts, stomp enemies, and more in this popular game newly imagined for the Nintendo Switch. Players join Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong on their wild adventures to retrieve their stolen banana horde.
· Split Fiction: In this game, a player and partner become Mio and Zoe, two writers who are trapped in a simulation of their own imaginations after a high-tech attempt to steal their creative ideas goes awry. This unlikely duo will need to work together in order to escape with their memories intact from a world filled with dragons, trolls, cyber ninjas, and robo-parking attendants. The game is available for PlayStation 5.
· Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles: Video games often tap into nostalgia, which is perhaps why gamers were excited to find out that this popular Star Wars game was being remastered for modern consoles. This enables players to enjoy the original experience with only minor updates that include a simpler control scheme.
· Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector: This role-playing game is a sequel to the popular game from 2022. Players control an escaped android with a malfunctioning body, a price on its head and no memory of the past. The goal is to get a ship, find a crew and take on contracts.
· Doom: The Dark Ages: This game is a prequel to the popular Doom experience, including Doom and Doom Eternal. It tells an epic story, and players inhabit the boots of the Doom slayer in this medieval and sinister war game.
· Elden Ring: Nightreign: This game is a standalone adventure within the Elden Ring universe. It’s crafted to offer players a new gaming experience by reimagining the core attributes of play. Players join forces with others to battle the creeping night and become heroes.
Video games are popular gift ideas, and 2025 doesn’t disappoint with its newest crop of exciting releases perfect for gamers of all ages. GG25A192
