2023 Christmas Gadget Buying Guide

Lexar

I’m a big fan of gaming on the Nintendo Switch, but with most of the best gaming deals being in the Nintendo eShop, we rarely play games from the cartridge these days! But then we hit another problem, as downloading more and more games is starting to eat into the internal storage on the Switch, and the 64GB MicroSD card I put in there a couple of years ago is now maxed out.

Features

• Compatible with Nintendo Switch, portable game consoles, smartphones and tablets
• Fast transfer speeds for fast load times with up to 150 MB/s read speed
• Save more videos, movies, games, music, and your favourite content
• Loads apps faster with A2 performance There are separate conditions for international products, they are sold from abroad and may differ from local products, for example in terms of fit, age rating, language of the product, lettering or instructions.
• Check whether the issue is with the microSD card or the device. To check if the problem is with the microSD card and not with the device, we recommend that you use the microSD card on your computer. If possible, you should also try the microSD card on another computer or another port on your computer. NOTE If you’re using a corporate computer, make sure your IT department doesn’t block files from being saved on removable drives.

The solution? More storage! In my case, this is a faster storage drive than the one we already have installed. At 128GB and 150Mb/s it’s going to hold more games and improve loading times, which is a good thing!

Available in sizes of 128GB up to 1TB, there’s a version available for all your needs or budgets. This 128GB version is just £11.99, while the 1TB is now just £109.99, with prices and capacities in between the two. Of course, it’s MicroSD, so not just for the Switch, and well suited to cameras, smartphones, handheld gaming devices, laptops and so much more. A great little stocking filler to go alongside larger gadgets this Christmas.

Available on Amazon.

For those wanting internal storage, the new Lexar NM790 2TB is a personal favourite of mine when building systems, something I do more for people at this time of year! It’s PCIe Gen 4, so it’s largely compatible with motherboards of the last few years, while still delivering some killer performance, with read speeds of up to 7400 MB/s.

Features

• Exceptional performance up to 7400MB/s read, 6500MB/s write
• Up to 40% less power consumption than DRAM cache-enabled PCIe Gen 4 SSDs
• Host Memory Buffer (HMB) 3.0 activates the DRAM cache function of your device for a smoother transfer speed and seamless performance
• Designed for hardcore gamers, professionals, and creators
• Compatible with PlayStation 5

For price to performance, M.2 storage is in a good place right now. This drive has 2TB of storage, which is plenty for any modern PC gamer, it’s fast, and yet it still only costs around £110. With prices like that, it’s easier than ever to step away from traditional 2.5″ SSDs. A great treat for yourself to upgrade your PC, expand your storage, or an ideal drive if you’re building someone a PC for Christmas, or just looking for a more premium stocking filler.

Available on Amazon.