AI models are shaping how gamers and gift buyers discover brands this upcoming holiday season. Our study of 70 gaming brands shows surprising winners, eye-popping numbers, and unique insights about how consoles, PCs, and accessories rise to the top in AI-powered search.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are peak discovery moments for gaming hardware. Shoppers aren’t just using traditional search anymore – they are asking AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews for advice on what to buy. These platforms pull in content from across the web and often become the “first stop” for recommendations.

We analyzed 70 leading gaming hardware brands across three major AI models, weighting results by platform impact (ChatGPT 50 percent, Google AI 30 percent, Perplexity 20 percent). What we found is that brand visibility in AI search is not random. It is shaped by the types of content AI trusts, the way shoppers phrase their queries, and the unique culture of the gaming industry where forums and community chatter play an outsized role.

When shoppers ask AI tools for gaming deals or gift ideas, consoles are nearly impossible to miss. Xbox and PlayStation appeared in 85 percent of all holiday-related AI queries, with Nintendo frequently close behind. These brands benefit not only from their popularity, but from their presence in nearly every holiday gift guide, tech review, and deal roundup that the AIs pull from.

Interestingly, accessory and PC brands only shine when the question itself narrows the focus. Razer, Logitech, and Corsair rose in visibility specifically in “gifts for gamers” queries, where accessories like headsets, keyboards, and wearables are expected. PC brands like Dell and ASUS broke through only in queries about “trusted gaming brands” or laptop deals.

1. Xbox surfaced 15 percent more often than PlayStation in holiday AI search answers, giving Microsoft a notable visibility edge in Black Friday and Cyber Monday content.
   
2. Reddit was referenced in nearly 75 percent of AI answers about gaming brands – far higher than any single news site – showing just how much community chatter drives results in this industry.
   
3. Best Buy’s “Gifts for Gamers” page was cited 106 times across AI responses, making it the single most influential retailer-owned source for holiday gaming queries.

Several factors emerged as consistent drivers of AI search visibility:

Query context

Consoles dominate “deals” queries, while accessories win in “gift” queries.

Media coverage

Brands appearing in editorial “best of” lists and reviews were far more likely to surface in ChatGPT and Google AI results.

Community conversations

Perplexity leaned heavily on Reddit and YouTube, elevating whichever brands gamers were actively discussing.

Retailer-owned content

Pages like Best Buy’s gift guide and Amazon deal hubs directly boosted brands mentioned within them.

Together, these show that AI visibility is a reflection of both brand popularity and content presence across multiple ecosystems.

One of the most interesting findings is how visibility and sentiment align in this industry. The top-mentioned brands like Xbox, PlayStation, and Razer were also covered positively more than 70 percent of the time. This contrasts with other consumer categories where highly visible brands often face mixed sentiment.

Another unique aspect is the outsized role of UGC. In categories like health or finance, institutional and editorial sources carry more weight. In gaming, however, Reddit and YouTube act as quasi-authorities. AI models trusted gamer reviews, discussion threads, and influencer videos just as much as they did traditional media. This heavy weighting toward community voices appears to be unique to the gaming vertical.

Each AI platform showed its own sourcing “personality”:

• ChatGPT: Preferred editorial content such as Tom’s Guide, GamesRadar, and LaptopMag. Strong media coverage was critical for visibility here.
  
• Perplexity: Weighted user-generated content and retail pages. Reddit, YouTube, and Best Buy were its top three domains. Even niche blogs like PBTeen’s “30 Gifts for Gamers” surfaced in its answers.
  
• Google AI Overviews: Mixed search-driven results including BlackFriday.com, IGN, Best Buy, and Reddit threads. Being present in SEO-friendly content mattered most here.

Each AI platform pulls from a different mix of sources when recommending hydration brands.

• ChatGPT relies most on editorial coverage, with over three-quarters of its references coming from magazines, blogs, and expert reviews. 
• Perplexity takes a balanced path, splitting almost evenly between editorial and brand-owned sites, which makes both PR placement and strong product pages important. 
• Google’s AI casts the widest net, blending editorial and brand content with health institutions and even some consumer forums. This broader mix shows that Google values not just authority, but also medical validation and real-world sentiment.

• Perplexity’s reliance on community chatter means brands can get surfaced even if they don’t have big PR budgets, provided they are talked about in active gamer forums.
  
• ChatGPT’s editorial bias means brands absent from holiday “best of” lists may never be mentioned, even if they have discounts running.
  
• Google’s AI is the most SEO-dependent, so retailer rankings and aggregator sites can make or break visibility during high-intent searches.

AI is already shaping how consumers learn about gaming hardware during the holiday season. Our research shows that winning visibility is not just about product popularity, but about presence across editorial, retail, and especially community-driven content.

For gaming brands, the unique takeaway is clear: Gamers trust each other, and the AIs trust the gamers. Unlike other industries where institutional voices carry more weight, the gaming space rewards brands that spark discussion, reviews, and hype in community spaces. Those conversations then echo through AI-generated answers, influencing what millions of holiday shoppers see first.