This year, the PlayStation 4 is filling the holiday season with multiple bundles and already has a few compilations in its library that released earlier in the year and are ready to be discounted. Several extra accessories are still worth considering, some more tailored for specific genres than others. Of course, if you're looking for a safe option like a PSN card or a PS-Plus subscription, that's all right too but there's a host of alternatives too for the Sony fan.
Star Wars: Battlefront PlayStation 4 500GB Limited Edition Bundle
Price: $399.00
While Star Wars: Battlefront has issues when it comes to content, any Star Wars fan won't mind this fantastic bundle which has Darth Vader's face emblazoned along the top of the PlayStation 4 500GB console. This Limited Edition bundle comes with a customized DualShock 4 wireless controller with red and white accents on the D-pad and face buttons, along with a Deluxe Edition copy for Star Wars: Battlefront and a digital voucher for four Star Wars Classics (movies). Not bad for starting a friend's journey on the new-gen gaming.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III PlayStation 4 1TB Limited Edition Bundle
Price: $429.99
If your friend prefers realism over Stormtroopers, then this Call of Duty bundle might fit the bill better. For just a handful of dollars more, you can upgrade the console to a 1TB capacity. The console itself has a sleek bright-orange and black design, with the controller colored gray with bright-orange decals for the analog sticks and the D-pad. I would recommend upgrading the bundle to include two controllers instead of one for just about $65 more. This bundle comes with a physical copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops III and a voucher for the Nuk3town Bonus Map.
PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station
Price: $48.00
This official product from PlayStation is a great way to charge your wireless Dualshock 4 controllers. It also frees up the limited USB ports (just two) on the front of the PlayStation 4 console and removes the need to have a micro-USB cable tethered to the console too. The station charges up to two controllers simultaneously with an AC adapter so you can move it somewhere that has free outlets. This makes sure that your gaming session are uninterrupted due to drained batteries.
PlayStation TV
Price: $79.99
While PlayStation TV will allow you to play lots of PlayStation games, the best part of it is its Remote Play ability, allowing you to stream your PS4 content to another TV over local Wi-Fi. This is perfect for a TV in your bedroom (so that you can fall asleep to your Netflix show of choice). The PlayStation TV can plug in and play on any TV that has an HDMI connection and, with PlayStationNow READY, it will soon be able to stream PS3 games straight to your TV.
Bloodborne
Price: $59.99 (or much less than that)
This PlayStation 4 exclusive may still retail at $59.99, but you can plenty of sales for this title released back in March this year, including a sale on Amazon that cuts the price down to merely $26.99 (at the time of this writing). This spiritual successor to FromSoftware's Dark Souls series is one of the most hardcore titles around and isn't for the feint-hearted, so make sure the person you're gifting this to has the perseverance and determination to get through the macabre streets of Bloodborne. Better yet, the DLC content, including the recent The Old Hunters, will be sure to add extraordinary value to the game.
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
Price: $59.99
For a safer option than Bloodborne, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is "general gaming" at its best with a remastering of all three Uncharted titles at a very affordable price. It features strong gunplay, an action-driven storyline with fantastic characters and dialogue, and has a multiplayer component that's actually quite solid. Together, this packaged trilogy by NaughtyDog is the perfect segueway to the upcoming Uncharted 4 while showing off the graphical prowess of the PlayStation 4.
Mad Catz Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition 2
Price: $199.99
With Street Fighter V having gone exclusive to the PlayStation 4 on the console front, this fight stick from Mad Catz is one of the best in the genre. This Tournament Edition stick, compatible with PS4 and PS3, features Sanwa Denshi parts that are standard in Japanese arcade cabinets and is durable and reliable enough for competition. The best part is that its components can be altered and the case comes with storage compartments for extra tools and parts for easy customization. It even comes with a lock button so that you can't accidentally press buttons that would disqualify you in actual competition. Not a bad gift if your friend is an aspiring EVO player or just really into fighting games.
Nyko Data Bank + Seagate 4TB Gaming SSHD
Price: $39.99 + $239.99
The storage space for the PlayStation 4 at 500GB or 1TB is rather low given how large game installs and software updates are nowadays. The Nyko Data Bank changes this by allowing you to upgrade the storage capacity of the PS4 to allow for standard 3.5" hard drives instead of the console's 2.5" drives. One of the best hard drives to take advantage of this is the Seagate 4TB Gaming SSHD. If you're a bit leery, though, of propping open your PS4 to install the Nyko Data Bank, the Seagate Backup Plus 4TB external drive is a solid alternative. Either way, these are great gifts for tech-savvy friends who don't mind modding their PlayStation 4.
$50 PlayStation Network Card
Price: $50 (also comes in $10, $20, $60, $75, $100 denominations)
Of course, if you can't make up your mind about what to give your Sony friend or family member, then a straight-up $50 PSN card is a safe and flexible option. With the likes of Shovel Knight, Everyone's Gone to the Rapture, The Talos Principle, Journey, and Rocket League, there's plenty of critically-acclaimed titles to purchase through PlayStation Network. Heck, you should consider buying one for yourself.
1-Year PS-Plus Subscription
Price: $49.99
If the straight-up PSN card feels a bit stuffy, you can opt for a 12-month membership to the premium PlayStation Plus subscription instead. As one of the better premium services out there, PS Plus will allow you to get free games for PS4, PS3, and Vita (so long as you continue your subscription) as well as online multiplayer for the PS4. It also provides discounts for all sorts of deals through PSN. It's another safe gift that any PlayStation owner will appreciate.
