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Feature

Game Informer's Spring Buying Guide 2023

by Game Informer Editorial on Mar 20, 2023 at 04:45 PM

In our never-ending quest to track down the best tech, toys, tabletop games, and gear, 2023 has already become a standout. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or looking for a gift for that special someone, we’ve got plenty of options.

Disclaimer: Recommended products are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company, GameStop.

Loupedeck Live S

The Loupedeck Live S is a workstation control interface allowing users to create custom pages with contextual actions, streaming shortcuts, scene-switching, and desktop macros for a variety of programs like the Adobe Creative Suite, Ableton Live, OBS Studio, Spotify, and Streamlabs. While Loupedeck’s software needs more optimization, the Live S is a handy tool for content creators seeking to implement a touch-sensitive controller into their workflow. $190

Nerf Elite Jr. Explorer

Nerf blasters continue evolving designs in ever more extravagant directions, many of which aren’t suitable for younger enthusiasts. The Elite Jr. line focuses on simple and safe designs easy for kids to enjoy, with lighter weights, grips for smaller hands, and easy loading. The Explorer can blast out four darts before making you scramble around to find them, and includes eight darts in the pack – you know you’re losing at least a couple. $13

Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game

This cleverly constructed card game for two players has each side take control of the Empire or Rebels and work to take down their opponent’s bases. Players each draw cards from a shared row of revealed options to flesh out a private deck. Some cards are neutral and available to each player, but others are unique to a particular faction and can be sabotaged or bounty hunted to remove their availability. Easy to learn but deep in its strategic potential, it’s a worthy entry in a recent strong run of Star Wars tabletop games. $38

Immortal Hulk Gallery Diorama

The Immortal Hulk comic series took the rage of the title character in exciting directions, focusing on horror and trauma to present new facets in the long-running character arc. This beautifully sculpted diorama statue perfectly captures the uncontrollable beast at his most ferocious, and with its nearly foot-tall height, it has the presence to dominate a display. $$125

Monaco 5.1.2 Surround Speakers

Platin Audio's Monaco all-in-one sound system offers a superb solution for a standout surround audio setup in your theater space, but with low complexity that won’t scare off relative newcomers to audio tech. The wireless speakers (except power cords) use WiSA SoundSend to transmit perfectly synchronized audio from your TV. The Dolby Atmos-enabled sound is lifelike, cinematic in scope, and rich in distinct sounds from onscreen action; it’s a particularly ideal match to a gaming setup. $1,300

BenQ X3000i Gaming Projector

Projectors have become an excellent way to display your favorite games, as illustrated by products like the X3000i. The 4K output and intense brightness rated at 3000 ANSI lumens help give great picture quality, and you’ll find the HDR performance impressive. Dedicated gaming modes for FPS, RPGs, and sports gaming help to differentiate your experience, but in every case, extremely low lag makes for a big win. $2,000

Sega Genesis Mini 2

The mini console trend may have slowed down, but Sega recently released a follow-up to its 2019 Sega Genesis Mini. This new version delivers a new form factor based on the Genesis Model 2, a six-button gamepad, and a whole new catalog of classic and obscure games that stretch into the Sega CD library. $100

Coyote & Crow Core Rulebook

Drawing inspiration from the indigenous cultures of its creative team, this new tabletop role-playing game posits an alternate history in which the last 700 years of colonization never happened; a strange mystical power allowed a vastly different civilization to develop. A game of building legends and exploring alternate ways of resolving conflicts, it’s a fascinating twist on expectations for gaming groups looking to try something new – no matter your cultural background. $70

Cubendi

The Shashibo magnetic puzzle box has only gained in popularity since its release, so it’s no surprise that Fun In Motion Toys has a new follow-up rolling out. Like its cousin, the Cubendi is a folding puzzle box that uses internal magnets for various fascinating configurations. Part fidget toy and part puzzle, the arrangements and options are more complex and challenging this time – perfect for busy fingers and minds. $25

Ricoh Theta SC2

Don’t be put off by the SC2’s status as an “entry-level” 360-degree camera. The 14MP 360 photos and 4K video that the camera produces turn out nicely for a device at this price point, letting users experiment with image capture in all directions simultaneously. Its compact size and ease of use offer a great way to get into this burgeoning arena of photography and videography. $300

DualSense Edge Controller

The DualSense that shipped with the PS5 is already a stellar controller. But this pricey upgrade might be worth it for players looking for greater personalization and increased input options while holding on to all the awesome features of the original. Tweakable profiles and mappable button layouts, multiple stick caps, and two half-dome or lever back buttons – everything is presented to support flexibility and a premium feel. All the new features ding the battery life a bit compared to the original DualSense, but that’s the worst part about an upgrade to what many have described as the best first-party controller on the market. $200

Purchase Purchase at GameStop

Lego Lion Knights' Castle

Longtime builders will appreciate this sprawling fortress’ many nods to the castle sets of yore and the possibility of instilling a love of the theme in a new generation of Lego enthusiasts. The lengthy 4,500-piece build includes clever engineering twists to get wall angles and rotations just right. It contains all kinds of hidden chambers and secrets for emergent storytelling and display placement of the 22 included mini-figs. $400

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Premium Figures

Jakks Pacific has a long history of releasing great-looking collectibles from the Mario universe, so it’s no surprise we’re getting a new line tied to the anticipated movie adaptation. The colorful new 5-inch figure line includes Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad, each with an accessory from the film and impressive articulation. $20

Purchase Purchase at GameStop

Dream Controller Switch Pro

While there are plenty of third-party options that alter the form factor or inputs for playing on Nintendo’s modern console, the Switch Pro Controller is already an outstanding performer. If your main goal is a cosmetic twist on the already familiar functionality, Dream Controller offers a variety of skins, colors, and customization tools to make the controller your own, including some drawn from established anime, movie, and game properties. $170

Frostpunk: The Board Game

A wonderful adaptation of the excellent video game, the Frostpunk board game challenges up to four players to work together to keep their city alive against the odds. It’s a big game with many components and strategic depth, but excellently written rules and an elegant structure keep it from feeling unwieldy. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Eking out a win in this brutal frozen wasteland will always feel unlikely, and that’s part of the charm. $120

Meeple Design Board Game Posters

Meeple Design’s striking silhouette-style posters draw from a range of beloved board gaming properties, like Terraforming Mars, Dominion, Betrayal at House on the Hill, and Codenames. The company leverages those properties to create understated but colorful posters that help you celebrate your favorite games. Available in multiple sizes to best suit your wall space, the posters are matte and museum quality, and arrive ready to frame. Starting at $23

Anker Charging Dock For Meta Quest 2

The Quest 2 is a great and affordable option for enjoying home VR, but surprisingly few good storage and charging options exist. The best we’ve encountered is Anker’s sleek unit, which adds rechargeable batteries for the controllers and a simple USB-C nub on the headset’s side that magnetically clicks into the storage base. It’s a simple and useful way to stow away your Quest 2 and have it ready to go when it’s time to play again. $100

V-Series Power 4-Outlet

Austere’s strong reputation for premium surge protectors is on display in this wall outlet setup. The device offers electrical noise filtration for the most sensitive equipment, excellent safety and surge protection, four AC outlets (with generous space for even the widest plugs), and three rapid-charging USB slots. That’s all in a visual design that looks at home beside your high-end setup and without taking up floor space since it plugs directly into the wall. $100

Sony INZONE M3 Gaming Monitor

If you’re looking for an admirable desktop gaming screen for console or PC gaming but you’re not quite ready to spring for the more feature-rich M9 (which retails for about $900), the 27-inch M3 is a worthy compromise. The 1080p visuals run with a 240 Hz refresh rate, gorgeous color spectrum coverage, surprisingly wide viewing angles, G-Sync compatibility to reduce screen tearing, and an overall look that pairs nicely with the white/black PS5 aesthetics. It’s a solid performer that won’t break the bank. $500

Pathfinder: Rusty Dragon Inn Box Set

A revival of sorts for a much-beloved set of minis from 2016, the Rusty Dragon Inn includes an impressive collection of over 50 characters, monsters, and accessories to populate your ongoing Pathfinder sessions. The sculpts and paintwork are great, but the variety of miniatures in one robust collector’s set is the real value here, as the included options are enough to fuel many adventures. $200

Couchmaster Cyboss

If you want the comfort of your sofa combined with the ideal surface for working or gaming on a laptop, the Cyboss couch desk is well worth a look. Two large side cushions (with included side pockets for accessory storage) support the bamboo desk surface, which features a ventilation grill to keep your machine cool, a cupholder space, and a tablet holder to holster desired devices upright. The whole setup nicely balances comfort and versatility. $175

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