The Best Gifts For Geeks

Sega Megadrive Mini

by William Lobley |
Updated on

What is a geek? A geek is a tech enthusiast, through and through. The archetypal “uber-fan”, fan-personing their way through life, completely in love with the latest and shiniest gadgets, toys and models. Geeks are rightly proud of their love for tech and gaming, and their passion is all encompassing, seeping into every part of their life. It isn’t just about having the latest smartphone or PS4 game, it’s about celebrating and using technology at every given opportunity.

If you’ve got to purchase a gift for a geek, then you need to make sure you get it right! Don’t confuse them with nerds, falling into the trap of thinking any old thing that’s got batteries and bleeps will do.

To help you find what’s needed, we’ve put together a gift guide to help you spoil your tech-lover. We’ve got geek gifts of novelty, nostalgia and necessity, from coasters, gaming lights and mini-consoles to the very latest in smart-home and VR tech. Have a look and take your pick, they’re all sure to please.

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Empire's geek gift guide

GreatGadgets 1986 Floppy Coasters1 of 14

GreatGadgets 1986 Floppy Coasters

This set of four floppy coasters is sure to bring a smile to the face of any geek with a long memory. The coasters' design is based on the floppy disk that broke onto the tech scene in 1986, boasting a huge, mind-blowing, groundbreaking 1.44 MB of storage...

Nintendo GameBoyu2122 Digital Watch2 of 14

Nintendo GameBoy™ Digital Watch

Turning a geek's love of retro tech into a true fashion statement. As if the iconic GameBoy design wasn't enough, the alarm sound is the Super Mario Land theme tune.

PlayStation Icons Lamp3 of 14

PlayStation Icons Lamp

These four symbols mean the world to any pedigree geek and will allow them to showcase their love and continued support for the gaming world. Plus, it reacts to music for that extra tech-shine.

RED5 Gyro Flyer Mini Helicopter4 of 14

RED5 Gyro Flyer Mini Helicopter

Time to put those controller skills to the test with this mini helicopter. The gyroscopic controls make for a very quick and nimble little gadget. Don't worry, it comes with a spare tail blade in preparation for the inevitable collision.

SEGA Mega Drive Mini5 of 14

SEGA Mega Drive Mini

Kick the geek in your life right in the nostalgia gland with this plug-and-play time machine. The Mega Drive is a legendary console in the gaming community, and this one comes loaded with 42 timeless classics, including; Sonic the Hedgehog, Earthworm Jim, and Street Fighter II.

Alexa Echo Dot6 of 14

Alexa Echo Dot

This is an easy one – geeks love gadgets, and an Alexa device will help transform their house into a voice-controlled tech-haven.

Worldu2019s Smallest Vacuum Cleaner7 of 14

World’s Smallest Vacuum Cleaner

Geeks spend a lot of time exploring digital playgrounds and universes far. Sadly, most of this adventuring takes place at a desk. Because it's tough to step away from these fictional wonderlands, often times the desk is also the scene for lunch, snacks and, on occasion, dinner. Because of this, crumbs are a major issue. This handy vac will keep nacho crumbs at bay with ease.

Oblio Phone Sanitiser & Wireless Charger8 of 14

Oblio Phone Sanitiser & Wireless Charger

Think about how much stuff you touch. It's gross. Now imagine how much you touch all that stuff… and then your phone. Super gross, especially considering that thing touches your face. While a quick wipe is a great way of removing grease, this device from Obli uses UV light to kill 99.9% of germs in just 20 minutes – plus, it'll even charge the phone at the same time. Available in black and white.

Kikkerland iPad iBed9 of 14

Kikkerland iPad iBed

This isn't a gadget, but it'll help any tablet-wielding geek out. An iPad is to a geek what a lightsaber is to a Jedi – a reliable tool that never leaves their side, and they're lost without it. The iBed will keep them in touch with the digital world hands-free and in full comfort, while lounging on the sofa, bed or when having breakfast.

Tile Pro (2020) Item Finder10 of 14

Tile Pro (2020) Item Finder

Gadgets gadgets everywhere, but, actually – where? Misplaced tech is a geek's nightmare. The Tile Pro operates in two ways. Push the central button and it'll ring the linked smartphone, even if it's on silent, or call the Tile Pro and it'll ring to let you know where its attached item is (perfect for those pesky keys). If the Tile Pro is lost, the wider Tile community can be enrolled to anonymously ping the lost finder – genius! Compatible with Amazon Alexa devices. Available in packs of one, two and four.

Nintendo Switch11 of 14

Nintendo Switch

While the PS4 and Xbox One held the market share for console gaming for some time, the Nintendo Switch has broken through and proven its value as a true innovator. With an impressive roster of games and functionality, the standard Switch setup's versatility far surpasses its competition before you even look at the peripherals available separately. It ticks all of the geek's gift criteria.

Yubico YubiKey 5C12 of 14

Yubico YubiKey 5C

Cloud-based tech is incredible, but it comes along with one very tedious feature – two-factor authentication. It's a necessary evil which protects our precious files from ne'er-do-wells, but that doesn't stop it being a pain that any geek could do without. In steps the YubiKey 5C! A little USB security device that's compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux, and smartphones with a USB-C connection. Simply insert, press the gold button, and you're in. It's both quicker and safer than a password and passcode.

Amazon Fire TV Cube13 of 14

Amazon Fire TV Cube

What can the Fire Cube do? What can't it do, more like. This little shiny box takes the Fire Stick's capabilities and pumps them up to true geek-pleasing degrees. The Cube is the ultimate entertainment centre, allowing the user to control their television, Blu-rays players, hi-fi and any other smart-compatible products with simple voice commands. Plus, the more the Cube is used, the more it learns – so the user experience only gets better.

PlayStation VR Starter Pack14 of 14

PlayStation VR Starter Pack

This is the future of digital entertainment – gaming, television and movies will all one day be part of the VR universe. That, to any tech geek, is a darn exciting prospect and adopting it into their entertainment system as soon as possible is a huge must.

READ MORE: A Guide To The Best VR Headsets

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