Suggesting gifts for the couch potato in our lives feels different in 2022, given many of us are still working from home and likely spending much more time on the sofa than normal. That said, there are still plenty of top-quality products out there to help make extended periods at home more enjoyable. There are video game consoles plus smart home entertainment devices in the form of projectors, surround sound systems, smart lighting, streaming boxes and more.

We've even included a wireless surround system, a robotic vacuum cleaner than not only cleans your floors, but also uses an embedded camera to act as a roving security bot when you're away from home.

Read More:

• The Ultimate Holiday Tech Gift Guide for Parents 2022
• Best tech gifts for students this holiday season
• Best Tech Deals for Connected Home Theatre Devices
• Holiday gift guide 2022: Devices that connect to Amazon Echo and Alexa
• Top tech toys for children this holiday season

Xbox Series S - $299

The Series S is available\u00a0from November 10Microsoft

At just $299, it is hard not to recommend the new Xbox Series S as the perfect holiday 2020 gift. Not only is it significantly cheaper than the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, despite still playing next-generation games, it is also more readily available than the sold-out alternatives.

It doesn't play games natively in 4K resolution, but till upscales content, costs $200 less than its Series X bigger brother, and is considerably more compact, too. As well as playing Xbox games new and old, the Series S can double as a fully-fledged media streamer, with access to 4K content from Netflix, Amazon and others (although Apple TV is missing from all game consoles).

If your budget can stretch further (and you can find one in stock), the more powerful Xbox Series X is also available, but costs $499. Both consoles are available on Microsoft site.

Read about the differences between the Xbox Series X and Series X here

Xbox Series S - Starting at $299

Up-Switch Orion Gaming Monitor - A Gaming Accessory for Switch

Up-Switch by Orion can also be a good portable monitor

GearBrain

The Up-Switch Orion is a gaming monitor for the couch potatoes who are also Nintendo Switch users. It provides a incredible viewing experience for your favorite Nintendo games. The Orion triples the size of the Nintendo Switch screen, featuring a low-latency 11.6” IPS panel with USB-C dock port designed for the Switch. The UP-Switch Orion also boasts integrated Joy-Con holders, ready for the upcoming combined Joy-Con support for the Steam Deck and iPhone on iOS 16. It also boasts an HDMI input to plug in anything else, a kickstand for tabletop gaming, and a strap to hold a portable battery.

Other features for this Nintendo Switch gaming monitor includes dual stereo speakers, headphone jack and the ability to support multiple power bank solutions. We like. how you can also use this devices as a portable monitor when traveling.

The cost of Up-Switch by Orion is $249.99 and available on company website and Amazon.

Buy on Amazon

Sonos Ray - A New Soundbar for Couch Potatoes

Sonos Ray SoundbarAmazon

Looking for a soundbar for your couch potato friend or family member? Then check out Sonos Ray, a new compact, easy-to-use soundbar by Sonos. Its got great sound and comes with Trueplay tuning technology to help the soundbar adapt to the sound in your home. If your couch potato friends need a new soundbar or you want to treat them to a easy-to-setup device that can enhance their TV or movie watching, Ray is a great solution. You will be able to user your existing smart TV’s remote for controlling the sound. If you want to play music when the TV is off, you can on Ray. It connects to your home Wi-Fi network, and you can easily the Sonos app or Apple AirPlay 2 to connect to your favorite music source.

Ray costs $279 and is available on the company site as well as Amazon and Best Buy.

Buy Sonos Ray Soundbar

Govee TV Backlights a Must for Coach Potatoes This Holiday Season

Govee RGBIC TV BacklightsGearBrain

If you are a looking for a gift idea for someone who spends most of his/her time watching TV, then you should consider getting them smart TV backlights. These smart devices can help reduce eye strain while enhancing one’s viewing pleasure. And one company that makes good smart TV backlights is Govee. Their DreamView TV Backlights work with smart TVs of any size and come with RGBIC colored lighting, a ColorSense 1080p HD camera, voice and app controls. They are also easy to install on the back of your smart TV.

The cost of Govee DreamView TV Backlights depends on the size of your smart TV. For smart TVs that measure 55-65 inches, the cost is $89.99 and for TVs 75-85 inches you will pay $109.99. All are available on Amazon.

Buy Govee DreamView RGBIC TV Backlights on Amazon

Holiday Gift Idea for Couch Potato Friend: Proscenic T21 Smart Wi-Fi Air Fryer

Proscenic T21 Smart Wi-Fi Air Fryer is perfect smart appliance for couch potatoes

GearBrain

A good gift idea for a couch potato is a smart air fryer. There is nothing better than a smart appliance that can be programmed to cook your food while you lounge around watching TV. One good smart air fryer is made by Proscenic. The new Proscenic T21 Smart WiFi Air Fryer is an app controlled smart air fryer that works on a Wi-Fi connection. Using the Proscenic Home APP, find your menu, users can schedule the cooking, adjust and monitor the cooking process, and customize your own recipes, which is very easy and convenient to operate. The App provides tens of preset and allows you to customize your own recipes and save the corresponding program on app.

This smart air fryer is a great gift for couch potatoes or anyone who is looking for help in the kitchen. It has a list price of $99.99 but is on sale now for only $59 on Amazon.

Buy on Amazon

Monoprice SYNC-ANC Wireless Bluetooth ANC Headphones

Monoprice SYNC-ANC Wireless Bluetooth Headphones unboxedGearBrain

If looking for a good pair of over-the-ear headphones with high quality sound at an attractive price, you have to consider Monoprice’s SYNC-ANC Wireless Bluetooth Headphones.

They connect to your mobile devices via a Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connection and have Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling that works on either a wired or wireless connection. These headphones also support AAC, SBC, Qualcomm aptX and Qualcomm aptX low latency audio codecs. And for those phones calls you make with the headphones on, Monoprice SYNC-ANC has Qualcomm cVc Echo Cancelling and Noise Suppression to ensure quality and noise free phone calls. They also have good batterly life (20 houres of audio play).

These wireless Bluetooth over-the-ear headphones list for $59.99 but are on sale now for only $44.99 on the company’s website.

Read our full review for more information.

Buy Monoprice SYNC-ANC Headphones

PlayStation 5 - $499

There are two versions of the PlayStation 5 Sony

If your loved one is in the PlayStation camp instead of Xbox, then good news – the next-generation PS5 is also available for pre-order right now. It also goes on sale in November but is more expensive than the Xbox, with the PS5 starting at $400 for the digital-only model without a disc drive. The PS5 with a disc drive is $500.

There isn't much to split the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but you can read mire about exactly how they compare here. You can also read more about what new games will be available for each console before the end of 2022 in the articles below:

• All the games coming to the PlayStation 5 in 2022
• All the games coming to the Xbox Series X and S in 2022

PlayStation 5 Console

List Price: $499.99

New From: $499.99in Stock

Roku Streaming Stick 4K - $24.99

Roku Streaming Stick 4KRoku

Roku's streaming media device is called Roku Streaming Stick 4K. It features the Roku Voice Remote Pro for users looking to upgrade their streaming experience with a rechargeable, hands-free voice remote.

This new Roku device is 30% faster than previous models and supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and has a redesigned long-range Wi-Fi receiver that can deliver up to 2x faster Wi-Fi speeds. It works with both Alexa and Google Assistant enabled devices. You can use Apple AirPlay 2 to stream and control content directly from your iPhone, iPad or Mac. And if you have Apple HomeKit setup, you can ask Siri to control your Roku devices.

Roku's new 4k media streaming device comes in two versions: Roku Streaming Stick 4K and 4K+. The Roku 4K costs $24.99 and 4K+ is $39.99. Note: Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ comes with the new Roku Voice Remote Pro which features TV controls, personal shortcut buttons, private listening, hands-free and push to talk Roku voice support. Either of these devices will make a great holiday gift for your couch potato friend or family member.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K 2021 | Streaming Device 4K/HDR/Dolby Vision with Roku Voice Remote and TV Controls

List Price: $34.99

New From: $34.99in Stock

Philips Hue Play light bars - $79.99

Hue Play creates smart lighting to match the moviesSignify

Smart lighting is a great way to improve your TV and entertainment area. We have previously recommended attaching an LED light strip to the back of your TV, but a new alternative from the Philips Hue portfolio is the Play light bars.

These can stand up vertically, lay horizontally, or attach to the back of your TV. They then cast an attraction puddle of light onto the wall behind and to the side of your TV, creating the perfect atmosphere for movie nights, gaming sessions and box set binges.

If you have a larger budget, add in the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box(Read the GearBrain review here) to have the lights change color to match whatever is on the TV.

Buy - $79.99

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K - $25

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4KAmazon

There are a lot of options when it comes to streaming sticks and set-top boxes. At $50, the Fire TV Stick 4K by Amazon is great value as it has 4K resolution, Dolby Vision, and Alexa built into the remote. That way, you can press a button and ask Alexa to find something to watch, then control you TV with voice commands.

The Fire Stick gives access to Amazon Prime Video, plus HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Sling, ESPN, YouTube, Disney+, Apple TV and more. Amazon claims there are 500,000 movies and TV episodes to watch in all. Having Alexa means you can also use the remote to control any compatible smart home devices, and ask the assistant to show video feeds from security cameras on your TV.

Fire TV Stick 4K, brilliant 4K streaming quality, TV and smart home controls, free and live TV

List Price: $24.99

New From: $24.99in Stock

Used From: $21.73in Stock

Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen) - $129

The Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen) works with Dolby Vision Apple

Another great streaming option is the Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen). It's more expensive than most, at $149, but is one of very few to offer Wi-Fi and ethernet connectivity as well as both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, ensuring you get access to the most quality movies and TV. money can buy. The Apple TV also plays games downloaded from the AppStore and acts as a hub for the company's HomeKit smart home system.

For the holiday season, we are starting to see deals on the original Apple TV 4K. We found Best Buy selling Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen) 32GB for $109.99 and $119.99 for 64GB. The biggest difference between 2nd Gen and 3rd Gen is the chipset and wireless connections. The 3rd Gen comes with the new A15 Bionic chip, has Siri buit-in and works on Wi-Fi 6 connection and Bluetooth 5.0 connections. Something to think about. (You can learn more about the differences between Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K here.)

Apple TV 4K 128GB (3rd gen) with Wi-Fi + Ethernet - $149.99 at Best Buy

Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen) - $109.99 at Best Buy

Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen) - $20

Google confirms Home speakers got premium feature upgrade for free by mistake Google

If your couch potato pal is yet to invest in a smart home, then the Google Nest Mini smart speaker is the perfect place to get started. It retails for $49 but on sales now for just $20. This mini smart speaker gives you full access to the Google Assistant, which can be spoken to to place music or the radio, read out news headlines and weather forecasts, look up directions and local businesses, and ask Google just about anything.

The Nest Mini also taps into the Google Home ecosystem, so can be used to control a huge range of smart home devices by other manufacturers, including smart plugs, lights, thermostats, locks, cameras and much more besides. You can even ask it to order you takeout, but we're afraid collecting food from the front door isn't yet possible.

On sales Best Buy - $19.99

Trifo Max Home Surveillance Robot Vacuum - less than $300

The Trifo Max has an integrated home security cameraTrifo

A bit of a left-field suggestion, but one we think fits the bill well. This robotic vacuum cleaner works like most others, diligently driving itself around your home, plotting a route around the furniture and cleaning the floors. But, unlike most others, it also has an integrated security camera.

That way, when you do finally leave the sofa and head out for more Netflix binge supplies, the Trifo can be set to clean up the chip crumbs and act as a roving security guard. It will alert you via a smartphone app is motion (such as an intruder) is detected, and there's a microphone and speaker for two-way audio.

Read the GearBrain review here

Buy on Walmart - $298.43

Check out The GearBrain, our smart home compatibility checker to see the other compatible products that work with, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa enabled devices.

How to Find Products in The GearBrain, Our Compatibility Find Engine for Smart Deviceswww.youtube.com