Father's Day gifts for gamers and nerds 2023 - options to suit any budget

Nerdy Father's Day gifts
(Image credit: Her Universe, LEGO, Geeki Tikis, Nintendo)

Hunting down some nerdy Father's Day gifts but coming up short? Don't sweat, we've got you. Our resident bargain-hunters have been deployed to find you the very best offers like truffle-seeking pigs. Is this our best analogy? No, but you get the idea.

Regardless of whether your loved one is into video games, Star Wars, Lego, or something else entirely, you'll find something to suit them below with these nerdy Father's Day gifts. We've tried to select options with quick delivery too, so you don't need

Oh, and don't worry - everything listed here has either been tested by us or has been highly recommended via consistently good user reviews. That means these nerdy Father's Day gifts should pass the test and delight their recipient.

Father's Day gifts 2022

Mandalorian Holding The Child Funko POP! | $11.99 $9.86 at Amazon
Save 18% - UK price: £15.94 at Amazon

Mandalorian Holding The Child Funko POP! | $11.99 $9.86 at Amazon
Save 18% - Is there a more heart-warming parent-child duo on TV right now than Mando and Grogu? They certainly sit at the top of the pile, and that makes this cute (but very affordable) Funko POP figure the perfect Father's Day gift. It's top-notch in terms of affordable Star Wars gifts too.

UK price: £15.94 at Amazon

Choose Your Weapon t-shirt | From $8.86 at Amazon
UK price: 'Control Freak' t-shirt

Choose Your Weapon t-shirt | From $8.86 at Amazon
Got a gamer in the house? This is a cool way to show 'em you care. Vague enough to suit anyone no matter what they play, it's a fun who's who of famous controllers that fits the bill if you want good gifts for gamers. As always, make sure you check in with the measurements before hitting checkout.

UK price: Currently unavailable (closest UK equivalent is this 'Control Freak' t-shirt)

From a Certain Point of View book | $18 $12.69 at Amazon
Save 30% -UK deal: £9.99 £8.19 at Amazon

From a Certain Point of View book | $18 $12.69 at Amazon
Save 30% - Seeing as it's crammed with 40 short stories set during the events of the first Star Wars movie, this anthology book is a great gift idea for Force-sensitive fathers. It features the best and brightest Star Wars writers too, so it's of a high quality.

UK deal: £9.99 £8.19 at Amazon

Friends Central Perk mug | $14.99 $9.69 at Amazon
Save 35% - UK price: £10.99 at Amazon

Friends Central Perk mug | $14.99 $9.69 at Amazon
Save 35% - They'll be there for youuuuuu... especially if you get 'em this very cool Friends Central Perk mug. Fill it with a steaming cup o' Joe and it'll be like you're hanging out at the show's iconic coffee house.

UK price: £10.99 at Amazon

Best Movies of the '80s book | $16.99 at Amazon
UK price: £16.84 £13.54 at Amazon

Best Movies of the '80s book | $16.99 at Amazon
If your dad grew up in the '80s, this might be one of the best Father's Day gifts on this page - it's crammed full of nostalgia for silver screen classics like Back to the Future, Die Hard, The Goonies, Labyrinth, and more. It's a great read with informative commentary throughout.

UK price: £16.84 £13.54 at Amazon

Game Over mug | $16.99 at Amazon
UK price: this PlayStation mug

Game Over mug | $16.99 at Amazon
Ah, this one's a classic; the obligatory controller-themed mug. In terms of affordable Father's Day gifts for gamers, it's right on the money.

UK price: Currently unavailable (the closest equivalent is this PlayStation mug)

Super Mario Brothers heat-changing mug | $19.99 at Amazon
UK price:  Build-a-Level alternative at Amazon

Super Mario Brothers heat-changing mug | $19.99 at Amazon
As an ode to the original Super Mario Bros. game, this mug is an ideal present for retro fans - it's modelled on that iconic first level. It changes color when hot water is added, making it one of the better gamer mugs at Amazon and a strong contender in terms of Father's Day gifts overall.

UK price: Unavailable in the UK (the closest we found was this Build-a-Level alternative at Amazon)

Gryffindor Quidditch Team Seeker t-shirt | $19.99 at Amazon
UK price: see more Harry Potter t-shirt options from Amazon here

Gryffindor Quidditch Team Seeker t-shirt | $19.99 at Amazon
Fans of Harry Potter have been wondering which Hogwarts House they'd be a part of since the '90s, and now they can show off their choice with this t-shirt range. You can get Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw versions of this design, so it's worth a look if your dad's still bummed out that they never got their Hogwarts letter.

UK price: Currently unavailable (see more Harry Potter t-shirt options from Amazon here)

Super Mario Warp Pipe mug | $23.99$21.99 at Amazon
Save 8% - UK price: £23.72 at Amazon

Super Mario Warp Pipe mug | $23.99 $21.99 at Amazon
Save 8% - Another cool novelty mug, this is a clever design that isn't tacky about its connection to Super Mario; rather than just slapping the plumber and a logo on and calling it a day, it recreates the iconic Warp Pipe in pixel-form.

UK price: £23.72 at Amazon

PlayStation Vintage Icons t-shirt| From $22.95 at Amazon
UK price: browse for PlayStation t-shirts at Amazon

PlayStation Vintage Icons t-shirt | From $22.95 at Amazon
PS5 consoles may be hard to find right now, but this cool t-shirt is readily available to do its duty as a dope Father's Day gift. It's a straightforward, elegant design any design any PlayStation fan will appreciate.

UK price: Currently unavailable (browse for PlayStation t-shirts at Amazon)

Tropical Stormtrooper t-shirt | $22.99 at Amazon
UK price: £17.99 at Amazon

Tropical Stormtrooper t-shirt | $22.99 at Amazon
Is your dad feeling ready for summer? This fun Star Wars tee brings all the hot-weather vibes, so it's a Father's Day gift that'll come in very handy if you're going on vacation soon. Not sold? Don't worry, you can browse the official Star Wars t-shirt range at Amazon for more options.

UK price: £17.99 at Amazon

Tatooine C-3PO & R2-D2 t-shirt | $22.99 at Amazon
UK price:  browse for other Star Wars t-shirts at Amazon

Tatooine C-3PO & R2-D2 t-shirt | $22.99 at Amazon
Few locations in Star Wars are more iconic than Tatooine, so if your dad is really into the saga from a galaxy far, far away, this is spot-on in terms of top-notch Star Wars gifts.

UK price: Unavailable (browse for other Star Wars t-shirts at Amazon)

Geeki Tikis Batman mug | $37.30$29.36 at Amazon
Save 21% - UK price: £19.99 at Amazon

Geeki Tikis Batman mug | $37.30 $29.36 at Amazon
Save 21% - He's darkness, he's vengeance, he is... a Tiki mug? This is a fun Father's Day gift for any fan of the Bat, and it looks awesome on display too. Want to browse other mugs in the range to see if you can find a better fit for your pops? Check out Geeki Tikis on Amazon.

UK price: £19.99 at Amazon

PlayStation Icons light | $29.99 at Amazon
UK price: £32.30£27.99 at Amazon

PlayStation Icons light | $29.99 at Amazon
This is the perfect piece of memorabilia to show off a love of PlayStation; it looks class no matter whether you go for the multi-color version or the blue PS5 alternative, so gamer dads everywhere will appreciate it.

UK price: £32.30 £27.99 at Amazon

Geeki Tikis The Mandalorian mug | $29.99 at Amazon
UK price: check for more options at Amazon

Geeki Tikis The Mandalorian mug | $29.99 at Amazon
Tiki mugs are awesome, and the Star Wars designs from Geeki Tikis are some of the best themed versions you can get. They all come highly recommended, but this Mandalorian cup might be our favorite. An excellent choice of Father's Day gift for dads that enjoy a cocktail.

UK price: Currently unavailable (check for more options at Amazon)

Hellfire Club Raglan tee | $32.99 at Amazon
UK price: £10 at Primark

Hellfire Club Raglan tee | $32.99 at Amazon
Is your dad a fan of Stranger Things? This long-sleeved tee looks as if it's been dragged straight from the Upside Down; it's a screen-accurate replica of the gang's Hellfire Club t-shirt (UK fans can get it for £26.99 at Amazon or via the ridiculous deal at Primark seen below, while US readers wanting the full baseball design with shorter sleeves can head over to Hot Topic). It's a frontrunner in terms of top-notch Stranger Things merch, so we can't recommend picking it up as a present enough.

UK price: £10 at Primark

Gaming cookbooks | Check the range at Amazon
UK: Check prices at Amazon

Gaming cookbooks | Check the range at Amazon
For those of us drawing a blank on what to buy our game-loving, cooking-obsessed pa, why not blend the two interests together? These culinary delights are based on the menus of beloved in-game worlds like Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Destiny, and the ones we've been hands-on with are a delightful mix of cool recipes and lore.

UK: Check prices at Amazon

Atari 2600/7800: A Visual Compendium | $35 at AmazonUK price: £34.99£29.09 at Amazon

Atari 2600/7800: A Visual Compendium | $35 at Amazon
Is your dad big into retro gaming? This book harkens back to the good old days of the Atari, so it's a fascinating read and one of the best gaming books for anyone that grew up in that era.

UK price: £34.99 £29.09 at Amazon

The Witcher book series | Check deals at AmazonUK price: Check prices at Amazon

The Witcher book series | Check deals at Amazon
Fans of the gaming series or Netflix TV show may be interested to know that The Witcher started life as a book series, so treating them to the full collection is one hell of a Father's Day gift.

UK price: Check prices at Amazon

Nintendo Game and Watch | $49.99 $42.99 at AmazonSave 14% -UK price: £47.94 at Amazon

Nintendo Game and Watch | $49.99 $42.99 at Amazon
Save 14% - This might be the ultimate slice of retro Nintendo heaven; it comes with the original Super Mario Bros pre-installed along with the tricky Lost Levels pack. You can also get a Legend of Zelda version if you're lucky, but be warned - it's often out of stock. Either way, they're some excellent retro consoles.

UK price: £47.94 at Amazon

The Black Series: Darth Vader | $48 at Amazon
UK price: £42.05 at Amazon

The Black Series: Darth Vader | $48 at Amazon
There aren't many baddies that are as iconic as this Dark Lord of the Sith, so having him on the shelf in miniature is gonna make any fan of the series very happy. The Black Series Star Wars action figures are hyper-detailed and some of the best in the business, so it doesn't get better than this.

UK price: £42.05 at Amazon

Lego Friends Central Perk | $59.99$48 at Amazon
Save 20% - UK price: £64.99£49.99 at Amazon

Lego Friends Central Perk | $59.99 $48 at Amazon
Save 20% - Recreating the beloved Friends coffee house in blocky miniature (including stage lighting), this set was born out of the Ideas initiative where the public submits designs. That means it's filled to bursting with Easter eggs and references to the series.

UK price: £64.99 £49.99 at Amazon

PlayStation Classic | $78.95 at Amazon
UK price: £77.48 at Amazon

PlayStation Classic | $78.95 at Amazon
One of the best retro game consoles of all time returns with the PlayStation Classic, and it brings back so many good memories. Pre-installed with 20 games and capable of playing on your modern TV via HDMI, it's a neat way of revisiting childhood memories this Father's Day.

UK price: £77.48 at Amazon

Lego Optimus Prime | $169.99 at Lego
UK price: £149.99 at Lego

Lego Optimus Prime | $169.99 at Lego
This is one of the more expensive Father's Day gifts on this list, but hoooo boy is it a winner. An enormous 1,508-piece kit that stands at 13.5 inches tall when fully built, it's crammed with fan service and actually transforms from robot to truck and back again. As we said in our Lego Optimus Prime review, it's easily one of the best Lego sets we've ever seen.

UK price: £149.99 at Lego

Lego Back to the Future Time Machine | $169.99 at the Lego Store
UK price: £149.99 at the Lego Store

Lego Back to the Future Time Machine | $169.99 at the Lego Store
Made up of a very impressive 1,872 pieces and with three different setups to represent each film in the trilogy, this Lego DeLorean is the ultimate collectible for those movies. An excellent Father's Day gift, you say? Here you go.

UK price: £149.99 at the Lego Store

Oculus Quest 2 | $299 at Amazon
UK price: £299 at Amazon

Oculus Quest 2 | $299 at Amazon
This is another no-holds-barred Father's Day gift, but it's a corker. Virtual reality is really coming into its own, and there's never been a better blend of quality and price than with the Quest 2. The Oculus Store is full of excellent must-haves like Vader Immortal as well, so (as pointed out in our Oculus Quest 2 review) we can't recommend it enough.

UK price: £299 at Amazon

For more recommendations, don't forget to check out the best board games, the best Nerf guns, and the best water guns.

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Benjamin Abbott
Tabletop & Merch Editor

As the site's Tabletop & Merch Editor, you'll find my grubby paws on everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news. I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, and can normally be found cackling over some evil plan I've cooked up for my group's next Dungeons & Dragons campaign.