FATHER’s Day is coming around again (its on Sunday, September 6) and since most of us here at GOA are gaming parents, we want gaming or tech stuff – hence this Father’s Day Gift Guide.
Twelve South are a lifestyle brand specialising in Mac accessories and I have to say they make some geniuinely interesting stuff, a lot of which (like this product) can be used with other systems.
One of the challenges I find with laptops is there’s just not enough USB ports for all the stuff I want to plug into them. Corded mouse, external SSD, phone, sometimes a controller… the list goes on.
The Twelve South StayGo USB-C hub isn’t just a USB hub, though – in addition to its three USB-A 3.0 ports, it also has a 4K HDMI port (30hz, though), a Gigabit Ethernet port, independent SD and Micro-SD card slots, as well as an 85W USB-C pass-thru power connection too. This latter feature means you can use it as a pass-through using the power supply that comes with a Mac.
It’s designed for a Mac but works with laptops and PCs as well and is a very useful all-in one hub with an excellent build quality – It can also be used to connect things to an iPad Pro to a TV (great for presentations), making it incredibly versatile.
RRP: $199
I love reading and I love my Kindle for the fact it lets me store thousands of books in the size of one traditional book. And with the Twelve South Book Book for Kindle, your kindle can even look like an actual book too!
It’s a cover for your Kindle that looks like an actual leatherbound book, and comes with a zip and ability to stand the Kindle up as well as wake it and put it to sleep.
It’s stylish, it’s practical, and it’s distinctive – so just the thing for a Dad who likes his Kindle.
RRP: $79.95
Portable speakers are a great thing to have around the house for music or gaming, and Bose have a well-deserved reputation for quality.
The Bose Portable Home Speaker is a really good unit – it’s rugged, it’s easy to use, it sounds great and the Alexa or Google integration really adds to the functionality of the unit too.
The sound quality is excellent no matter where you are in the house, with 360 degree audio as well as voice controls, water resistance, and generally being a top-quality piece of kit all around.
If you want something to enhance Dad’s music or gaming around the house – or want to expand a smarthome network – this is well worth considering.
RRP: $499
As games get larger and more complicated, a Solid State Drive moves from being a “nice to have” to a necessity – especially if you want your games or system to load in a reasonable timeframe.
The WD Black SN750 NVMe SSD is an excellent M.2 SSD that’s ideal for use as a primary (boot) drive or – in my case – a specialist drive for putting access- intensive games like Red Dead Redemption II and Metro Exodus on.
Available from 250GB up to 2TB, it’s an excellent addition to a gaming rig with fast read/write speeds and decent utility software – although you will need to find one of those small mounting screws from somewhere, since there doesn’t appear to be one in the box.
RRP: $210 (1TB)
JAYBIRD VISTA WIRELESS SPORT HEADPHONES
Wireless sport headphones are very useful things to have and there’s quite a few on the market, the Jaybird Vista Wireless Sport headphones have made a name for themselves with a quality, great sounding unit.
Fully IPX-7 rated and with a long battery life, the JayBird Vistas are great for gaming, exercise, or just listening to music – no matter where Dad happens to be.
RRP: $349
GHOST OF TSUSHIMA (PlayStation 4)
I had to include a game somewhere and this is the one that’s impressed me the most recently (besides Microsoft Flight Simulator) was Ghost of Tsushima, the PS4-exclusive open-world Samurai Adventure that’s as beautiful as it is engaging.
The game really is an experience – from its sound and music and environment – through to its combat and even the ability to make the game like an Akira Kurosawa film and is exactly the sort of thing a lot of dads would be delighted to have on their PS4 if they haven’t already got it.
RED DEAD REDEMPTION II (All platforms)
Most dads love a good Western and Red Dead Redemption II is one of the all-time great Western stories.
With a gripping and involved story, plenty of action, and an amazing, living world to experience – not to mention an online multiplayer mode as well – this is a game he can really get stuck into and enjoy for a very long time indeed.
Everything you could want from a classic Western is in here and it’s one of those games I still keep coming back to – so if your Dad doesn’t already have a copy of this, and he likes epic Westerns, he should be very pleased to get a copy of this.
