Video game consoles take home three of the five 2022 most wanted Christmas gifts by state. Yet the Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch are all looking up at Sony’s PlayStation 5. So it’s official: the PS5 is the hottest Christmas gift of the year.
Rakuten researchers analyze Google trends and calculate the most wanted items in each state during the holiday shopping season. Gaming and tech are a big focus. Except for one slot, all the top ten most-wanted Christmas are related to tech hardware or video games.
Presenting Your Most Wanted Christmas Gift of 2022
Only two items were able to be the most popular in double-digit states. The PlayStation 5 tops Christmas lists in 13 states, including Texas, Florida, and Louisiana. It has been a great year for PS5 fans. Horizon Forbidden West is an excellent sequel to 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn on the PlayStation 4. God of War Ragnarök is one of the best games of the year.
If you want to pick up some items for those wanting a PS5 this year, check out our PlayStation holiday gift guide!
The Nintendo Switch is in demand in ten states, including Georgia, Iowa, and Oregon. It should come as no surprise that the Switch is one of 2022’s most wanted Christmas gifts. Like the PS5, it’s been an excellent year for the Nintendo Switch. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a fantastic platformer. Pokémon games were released.
Nintendo aims to end the year as strong as it began in 2022. Lil Gator Game was recently released, and Sports Story is due this month. The future is bright for indies on Nintendo Switch.
If you’re looking for some Nintendo Switch Christmas gift ideas, read our Nintendo holiday gift guide!
Next on our list are two Apple products. The iPad continues to do well during the holiday shopping season. iPads are the most wanted gift in seven states, including Indiana, West Virginia, and Hawaii. I guess the idea of sitting on a lovely Hawaiian beach with your iPad continues to be appealing!
Apple Products Are Still Popular Holiday Gifts
Apple AirPods are behind the iPad, topping Christmas lists in six states. These states include North Carolina, Arizona, Wyoming, and Kansas. Those AirPods can come in handy on one of Arizona’s hiking trails.
Finally, we reached the Xbox Series X on the list of the most wanted Christmas gifts for 2022. It’s the hottest item of the year in five states: Massachusetts, Minnesota, South Dakota, Connecticut, and South Carolina.
Unlike the PS5 and Nintendo Switch, the Xbox has struggled a bit this console generation, particularly this year. Nevertheless, games like Tunic, Immortality, and Vampire Survivors are some of the best of the year. Still, they’re sadly lacking the same mainstream appeal as games from Sony and Nintendo.
Help is on the way in 2023 for the Xbox Series X and Series S. Surprisingly, we didn’t hear much about it during The Game Awards. For more Xbox holiday ideas, check out our Xbox holiday gift guide.
Christmas Lists Include Video Games, Tech, And A… Vacuum?
The only non-gaming or tech item to be one of 2022’s most wanted Christmas gifts is the Dyson Airwrap. Four states wish for this under their Christmas tree: Alabama, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. One thing that has helped the Dyson Airwrap is going viral on TikTok. The hashtag #DysonAirwrap has an impressive 3.2 billion views.
The MacBook is still a hotly desired Christmas gift, particularly in Maryland and Vermont. This accounts for both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch tops the Christmas list in Nebraska.
Finally, we have two more states to account for. Arkansas’ most searched for holiday gift is the Oculus headset. As for Maine, the Samsung Galaxy Watch is the most-wanted Christmas gift of the year.
