Best buys · 5 picks

The fun stuff

Nobody needs any of these, which is the point. Each is the one in its category that people are still using after the first month, rather than the one in the drawer.

The action camera

GoPro HERO

Waterproof without a case, mounts on a helmet, a handlebar or a dog, and the stabilization makes a rough trail look like a smooth shot.

Buy it for
Bikes, boards, water, and filming the kids without holding a phone.
Skip it if
It will mostly film birthday parties. Your phone already does that.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →
The handheld

ASUS ROG Ally

A handheld gaming PC running Windows, so it plays games from Steam, Xbox Game Pass and every other launcher rather than one store. Plug it into a TV and it is a small gaming PC.

Buy it for
PC gamers who want to play on the couch, in bed or on a plane.
Skip it if
You only play Steam games and want the simplest setup. Valve's Steam Deck, sold on Steam, is easier.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →
The family console

Nintendo Switch 2

Plays on the TV and in the hand, and it is where Nintendo's own games live: Mario, Zelda, Mario Kart. It also runs most original Switch games.

Buy it for
Families, couch multiplayer, anyone who grew up on Nintendo.
Skip it if
You want the big third-party games at their best. A PS5 or a gaming PC does those better.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →
The VR headset

Meta Quest 3

No PC and no wires: put it on and play. The color passthrough lets you see the room around you, and it is the easiest way into VR without a gaming PC.

Buy it for
Fitness games, flight and racing sims, showing the grandparents a roller coaster.
Skip it if
You get seasick easily. Try one before you buy.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →
The smart glasses

Ray-Ban Meta glasses

Sunglasses with a camera, open-ear speakers and a voice assistant that look like ordinary Ray-Bans. Filming hands-free, on a bike or with a kid on your shoulders, is the thing a phone cannot do.

Buy it for
Riders, fishermen, dads who miss the moment filming it.
Skip it if
A camera on your face bothers you, or the people around you.
What to look for, the cheaper option and the step up →