The TechRadar Christmas wishlist

The TechRadar Christmas wishlist
All of these please

The weather outside is about to turn frightful, but our articles this year have been mostly delightful so we're relatively certain we've made it onto Santa's 'nice' list.

It's that time of year again where the TechRadar team rummages through their Christmas crackers and tells the world which tech-tastic pressies they'd like to find in their stockings (before you question our choices you should know that some of us have really large stockings). We think we got that round the right way.

Patrick Goss Global Editor-in-Chief

Alienware Alpha

Alienware Alpha

Oculus Rift! GTA V first person! Steam Machines! PC Gaming is back baby! And as much as I'm desperate to dust off my old tower PC, contact the electricity company to warn them about the size of the pre-caring-about-global-warming graphics card it has and recalibrating my mouse, my wife would probably be a little happier with something a little less, well, room-sized.

But it's okay, because Alienware's Alpha may be waiting eagerly for the arrival of the official Steam Machine code, but with all the dials turned up to 11, it may just be enough to scratch that gaming itch that consoles just can't quite reach.

iPad Air 2

iPad Air 2

I've worked with the legendarily hard-to-please TechRadar mobiles guru Gareth Beavis for so many years I'm pretty much the best in the business at reading the signs of when he's grudgingly impressed. So I definitely sat up straight and took notice when his normally rock-like demeanour cracked a little as he described Apple's iPad Air 2.

Thing is, I already have and love an iPad Air so it is entirely unnecessary for me to have its successor and I should be saving my Santa-dollars for the iPad Air 3. But that's a year away and I really want it, however insane that sounds.

Sony KD-65X9005B 4K television

Sony's 4K beauty

While we're talking about insanity, I'm not mad enough to think that Santa's pockets are anywhere near deep enough to arrange for a 4K TV to be propping up my tree, but Sony's X9005B is just pretty enough to make me consider holding a reindeer for ransom.

It might not fit in my house, of course, but that's what moving is for right?

Grand Theft Auto V

GTA V

Apparently I've used up my pointless Half Life 3 wishes for the year/decade so I'll just have to plump for GTA V.

Despite what the TechRadar team thinks, I'm not a fan of hovering behind people dictating what they do, so I'm keen to get me a little bit of first-person sandbox adventuring.

Marc Chacksfield Tech Content Team Lead

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Galaxy Note 4

The iPhone 6 is the closest I've got from switching allegiance from Android to iOS but the Galaxy Note 4 made me change my mind. I like the fact that Samsung has stopped adding inches to the screen, instead have focused on improving the screen resolution and things like the camera.

And the new S Pen functionality (the ability to 'cut' things from the web and add to notes is inspired) means that I would actually start using the S Pen.

iPad Air 2

iPad Air 2

Where I always choose Android for phones, I am an avid tablet user and nothing can compare to the iPad. I love my iPad Air, but the Air 2 has raised the bar in terms of screen clarity (even in direct sunshine) and it's now even lighter.

Couple that with a better battery and this is a must buy.

i-box Slix

iBoxSlix

2014 saw a glut of Bluetooth speakers so to stand out manufacturers had to offer something that little bit different.

Enter the i-box Slix. Its USP, other than its tractor track-like design, is that you can have two Slix speakers linked up for true stereo sound. That and they are small enough to fit into your pocket and can take a hosing down, thanks to their IPX5 rating.

GTA V for PS4

GTA V

I wasn't going to double dip with any remastered PlayStation games but GTA V's first-person mode has swung it for me.

The graphics look superb too, which means Trevor's choice of vest looks even grubbier than it did on the PS3 version. Looks aside, though, it's great to Rockstar offering something different and not just the same game with a lick of paint.

Hugh Langley UK News Editor

Xbox One

Xbox One

Like a lot of people, I've been to-ing and fro-ing between the two next-gen consoles, but now that I've had time to weigh up both titans I've decided that the Xbox is the One for me.

After a shaky start, the Xbox One has turned into the true media hub it was always meant to be, and while Kinect still isn't where it should be, it's added some genuinely neat features to a handful of games so far. Plus, Forza Horizon 2 is awesome.

Moto 360

Moto 360

This time last year I wasn't convinced that the smartwatch would ever become a thing people would actually buy. To be honest, I'm still a little skeptical, but the Moto 360 is one of the few wearables to give me hope.

As a lover of traditional round-faced watches, Motorola's already bested the Apple Watch in my eyes. It might not be a perfect circle, but the 360 is exactly what a smartwatch should be: a nice watch that happens to have some cool tech inside it.

Nest thermostat

In these cold Winter months it can be a real pain to constantly adjust the thermostat in my home, not to mention how inevitably eye-watering my bill is going to be come January. The Nest thermostat would go some way to solving both these problems, learning my heating habits and cutting down costs over time - so you can understand why I want one.

And with the promise of Google Now bringing voice-operated controls, I won't even have to pick up my phone. The world's laziest person just got lazier.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Smash Bros

I've already killed many an hour on Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, so it would be a shame to waste all that effort, right?

Having become a bit of a pro with Villager, I can't wait to take the fight to the big screen. Those trees aren't going to cut themselves down.

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