2025 was a good year for gaming (hardware, at any rate). Stuff‘s Gadget Awards winners on that particular slate are a stunning bunch, running the gauntlet from a new games console to something that would make a 1980s arcade kiddie cry with joy that such a thing exists.
Of course, you didn’t have to wait to find out who won the Best of categories for gaming. We’ve had these in print for some time now. Anyone wanting to leapfrog the rest of the announcements can just…grab a copy of the magazine. The full roster of Stuff‘s Gadget Awards winners is contained within, plus a few extras that aren’t going to make it onto the web. No sinister reason, they’re just… not.
Or you can stick around. Everything should be up and ready by the end of this week… just in time for the new issue of the magazine to hit shelves. And then you can go and buy that one too. First, though… the gaming winners are…
GAMING HARDWARE OF THE YEAR
NINTENDO SWITCH 2
Nintendo’s original Switch revolutionised portable gaming in 2017 – and while the sequel feels more evolutionary, its improvements justify calling it the company’s best bit of hardware yet. The expanded 7.9in screen delivers 1080p handheld gaming for the first time, complemented by 120Hz support for high-framerate slickness. There’s HDR capability and vastly improved speakers, too.
The return to LCD disappointed some Switch OLED devotees, but the superior brightness proves more valuable for outdoor play, while DLSS upscaling brings 4K output when docked.
This is Nintendo’s priciest console launch, but the power increase means ports of Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077 can run convincingly. It all adds up to Nintendo’s most capable handheld to date.
from R12 500 / store.nintendo.co.za
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS ● MSI Claw 8 AI+
SHORTLISTED
PlayStation 5 Pro ● Evercade Alpha
CONSOLE ACCESSORY OF THE YEAR
VICTRIX PRO FS
Recreating authentic arcade experiences at home requires tournament-grade hardware, and nothing currently available surpasses this fight stick. The aluminium construction feels aptly professional, housing Sanwa Denshi components identical to those in Japanese cabinets.
These industry-standard levers and buttons deliver close to zero input latency while taking hundreds of hours of punishment. The braided USB-C cable sidesteps wireless lag concerns, and customisable LED lighting provides personalisation without excess. Prongs on the rear facilitate cable management and double as carry handles.
All this comes at considerable cost… but dedicated players in search of uncompromising performance can probably justify the outlay.
R6 500 / amazon.com
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Belkin Charging Case for Nintendo Switch 2 ● Razer Kitsune
SHORTLISTED
Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller ● Samsung MicroSD Express Card
GAMING LAPTOP OF THE YEAR
ASUS ROG STRIX SCAR 18 (2025)
Gaming laptops have always required compromise: pick power or portability, never both. Asus chose power. The ROG Strix Scar houses Nvidia’s RTX 5090, the beefiest mobile GPU you can buy, as well as one of Intel’s Core Ultra 9 monsters. That’s desktop-crushing performance in a back-bending package.
The 18in QHD+ Mini LED screen hits a glorious 240Hz and delivers perfect blacks and vibrant colours that make even demanding games look utterly stunning. Performance never falters: 100-200fps in Counter-Strike 2, smooth 60fps+ in ray-traced titles, and DLSS 4.0 working miracles on frame generation. It’s ruinously expensive, sure, but this is the gaming laptop that dominates anything and everything it tackles.
from R85 000 / rog.asus.com
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI ● Razer Blade 14
SHORTLISTED
MSI Katana HX ● Asus ROG Strix G16 (2025)
PC GAMING ACCESSORY OF THE YEAR
RAZER DEATHADDER V4 PRO
Finding the perfect gaming mouse feels impossible… then when one finally fits, you’ll stick with it until it falls apart. The DeathAdder has earned legendary status because it feels moulded to your hand, and with this iteration, Razer has done something remarkable: making a brilliant mouse even better without touching that form factor.
The improvements astound. New HyperSpeed Wireless Gen-2 tech delivers 0.291ms average latency at 8,000Hz polling – 60% faster than previous versions – and the weight drops to just 56g despite sturdier recycled plastic construction, while battery endurance extends dramatically.
R4 500 / razer.com
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Samsung Odyssey OLED G81SF
SHORTLISTED
Razer BlackShark V3 Pro ● Logitech G915 X Lightspeed ● Shure MV6
