Whether you have been in the streaming game since the early days of Twitch.tv or only recently gotten onboard with YouTube Gaming or even Facebook Live there are multiple ways you can stream your top video game playstroughs or cooking shows (whatever takes your fancy really).
Below we have selected some of the best streaming devices you might find ideal gifts this Christmas, or if someone has one of those annoyingly close birthday’s to this time of the year (I know because I am one of them).
For those who want to get the most out of their streaming game, the Elgato HD60 Pro capture card is one of the best you can get on the market. Designed to work directly from the motherboard instead of USB, it boosts to eliminate the lag usually seen with other capture cards on the market.
If a loved one is serious this Christmas about wanting to get into streaming, there is no better gift that the HD60 Pro
Elgato, £140
If you are like me and you wish to sometimes play your PC games from the comfort of your sofa but your PC is upstairs, long HDMI cables can be an issue. This is where Nvidia can hopefully solve you problem.
The Nvidia Shield is a micro-console that runs Android TV and able to pack a lot more power behind it than Apple TV, it also comes with its own game controller. It lets you stream your games from your PC (if you have an Nvidia Card) through the Geforce NOW service. You can also download games onto the device itself and play those without having to steam but the library differs.
Nvidia, £273
Much like the Nvidia device, the Steam Link is Valve’s alternative to streaming your PC games onto your TV over your home network. This will allow you to stream your games on a bigger picture and enable you to connect up a gamepad.
As it is the cheaper option, no gamepad is included but you can pay a little bit extra and get one bundled with the Steam controller. There has also recently been an update which allows you to also use Wireless Xbox One controllers and other accessories.
Steam, £40 / £72 (w/ controller)
Chromecast allowed you a lot better connectivity to your non-smart TV but did have its shortcomings. Now with Chromecast Ultra the latest version is not a decent price but it is more powerful than its predecessors.
The pocket-sized device, plugs into any HDMI port on your TV and lets you stream 4K video and media using your smartphone, tablet or any Chromecast compatible device (even your browser).
Google, £69
So hopefully by now you’ll have a few ideas for some ideal gifts to buy for someone who is into video games, technology wants to either stream themselves or their games. If you still need to do some shopping, head back to our Holiday Gift Guide 2016 Hub for other gift ideas.
