Gamer’s Buying Guide 2021 – Professor Picks

The new year is upon us, so it’s time for The Business of Esports’ annual gamer’s buying guide! This is a perfect resource for fans of the podcast – and gamers in need of guidance – alike.

This year, we’ve compiled 5 top picks selected by the Professor, and 5 top picks selected by the Profit. Each is uniquely geared to our (respective) gaming tastes, and was selected from our favorite things of 2020.

Quick Disclosure: Some of these are Amazon paid links, and Business of Esports earns a very small commission from any purchases made. This did not affect our editorial choices in any way.

So what are you waiting for? Check out the Professor’s recommendations below!

The Professor’s Top Five Recommendations

(Honorable Mention) The Book of Esports

The Professor feels remiss not to recommend this work. If you are interested in esports, this remains the best (by any standard – highest reviewed, bestselling, etc.) book on the business of esports. Harvard Business School trusts it. You should too! Stay tuned for the official Business of Esports book coming in 2021!

(#5) Xbox Wireless Adapter

A wireless adaptor you say?! What a boring, bland item! But fear not my friends – because this is the year of playing PC games with a controller. Because this is the year of aim assist!

The Profit may detest it, but the Professor has found the only way he can play modern FPSs is the gloriously magnetized pull of a reticle towards a target, as if beckoned by some ethereal hand. So what are you waiting you?

This adaptor makes it entirely effortless to hook your Xbox One controller up to pretty much any PC game. Sure you can mess around with Steam settings, but for the price this takes all the hassle out of wireless controller set up. A must buy if you intend to win death matches the easy way!

(#4) Oculus Quest 2

You can’t argue with the price! The Professor got into virtual reality this year, and while he did find the space needed a bit more time to mature, that doesn’t mean there aren’t fantastic games to explore on the Quest. And let’s be honest – it’s rare that the cheapest option is the best. But this truly is the case with the Quest. Untethered mobility, but the ability to tether to play higher hurdle games tethered (like Half-Life: Alyx) is simply unbeatable. If you want to wow your family this season, getting into VR can be a great way to go! The Professor recommends Super-Hot and Wrath of Asgard as two immediate purchases!

(#3) MSI Gaming Laptop (GE66 Raider)

Like to game on the go? The Professor regular maxes out Heroes of the Storm (or whatever your preferred game is) on MSI Gaming laptops. Seriously. He really loves them! There are more premium models available in the Stealth series, but for the price listed here you are still getting an incredible product that will carry you through many marquee titles. And most importantly, the MSI laptops look just serious enough to take out in a business setting without raising too many eyebrows!

 (#2) Citadels

Gaming doesn’t have to be about PCs or consoles. Family time may be more important than ever. So the Professor urges you to consider Citadels – easily the greatest board game ever made (in his humbly opinion). Its combines intrigue, politics, tactical decision making, and deck-building into some of the most memorable moments in board gaming, ever. Find the fantasy theme too much? Consider Modern Art, which scratches many of the same itches with a more universal flavor.

(#1) Nintendo Switch LITE

Recently, the news is all about PlayStation 5 and Xbox S. But in the Professor’s mind, the Switch remains the star of 2020 – particularly for families. Affordable and portable, fun and flexible, if you don’t own a Switch this is easily the year to get one and bask in the glow of modern classics that are suitable for all ages. The professor recommends Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey. And for the more Indie minded of us, Untitled Goose Game is a glorious win as well.