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Black Friday is usually a good time to pick up some new gaming gear at lower-than-usual price, and generally speaking, that's the case again this year. This year we're seeing strong discounts on a number of the year's highest-profile games, special offers for the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series S and a wide range of discounts on gaming accessories we like. To help you figure out what's worth your time, we've picked through the avalanche of offers at , , and other retailers and rounded up a few of the highlights below. Here are the best Black Friday gaming deals we could find.
Engadget
Nintendo's bundles the standard Switch console with a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a three-month subscription to the company's Switch Online service at no extra cost. Nintendo has offered this exact for the past few years, and given that the is a pretty firm upgrade over the base model, it's hard to call this a great deal. Still, if you're gifting someone their first Switch and you don't think they'll need the Switch OLED's bigger and more vibrant display, there's some value here. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still and normally retails around $50, while three months of Switch Online typically cost another $8.
Aaron Souppouris / Engadget
The Xbox Series S is down to $250 with at Target, which is effectively a $100 discount. At Woot, the diminutive console is outright, while Amazon and several other retailers have it for $250. Normally, the Series S retails for $300. Either way, this is a good value for PlayStation or Switch users who want a cheaper way into the Xbox ecosystem. We gave the Series S a at launch: It isn't powerful enough for 4K gaming, lacks a disc drive and only has 512GB of built-in storage, but it can still play all the same games as the pricier Xbox Series X.
Aaron Souppouris / Engadget
If you need a spare gamepad for your Xbox or PC, Microsoft's is currently available from $39 at several retailers. While that's not the absolute lowest price we've seen, it's still about $10 below the controller's usual going rate. The sale applies to multiple finishes, though some colors are priced $5 higher. Just note that these pads still rely on AA batteries by default; if you want one , that'll cost you another $25.
Aaron Souppouris/Engadget
Sony's for the PlayStation 5, meanwhile, are down to $49 in several finishes. That matches the lowest price we've seen, and depending on what color you choose, comes in either $20 or $25 below the pad's usual price. In general, the DualSense is harder to hook up with a PC than its Xbox counterpart, but its D-pad isn't as clicky, it doesn't rely on AA batteries and its haptic feedback system is much more nuanced.
One of the and games of 2022, is a mammoth, haunting and challenging open-world game from the developers behind the Souls series of action-RPGs. It's currently on sale for $35, which is the lowest price we've tracked and $15 below its usual going rate. Like its spiritual predecessors, Elden Ring can sometimes feel punishing, overwhelming and overly cryptic, but its dark-fantasy world is refreshingly honest, letting you discover — or completely miss — its many secrets at your own pace.
If you're need something new to play on your Switch, a handful of well-regarded first-party Nintendo games are discounted deeper than usual. The colorful multiplayer shooter , for one, is down to a new low of $45, and the game is available for a new low of $40. The game is still priced at $60, meanwhile, but it includes a $10 store gift card at various retailers.
The package is within $2 of its all-time low at $42, while the all-time great is about $10 cheaper than usual at $29. Finally, the hack-and-slasher was available for $45 earlier in the week, but at its current price of $50, you're still getting $10 off a game that launched less than a month ago.
Most of these deals are only available at third-party retailers like Amazon — and some aren't visible until checkout — but if you're not interested, Nintendo has discounted at its online eShop.
If you're looking to build out your PS5 library, meanwhile, several exclusives for Sony's console are also down to new lows. There are no discounts on , sadly, but one of our of the year, the robot-fighting open-world game , is down to a new low of $35 (or ).
Beyond that, a few recommended exclusives are down to $30, including the atmospheric roguelike , the samurai drama , the accessible shooter-platformer and the gorgeous remake. Other picks like ($20), ($20), ($35) and ($10) are at or near their respective best prices as well.
Outside of the realm of exclusives, a smattering of popular 2022 games are discounted for the first time as well, including ($39), ($55) and, yes, ($35).
Sony
If you need to top up your PlayStation Plus subscription, Sony has dropped the to that service by 25 percent. The deal applies to all three PS Plus tiers, so the basic "Essential" tier is down to $45, the "Extra" tier is down to $75, and the "Premium" tier is down to $90.
As , the Essential tier should be enough for most: It gets you broad access to online multiplayer, an allotment of cloud storage for backing up game saves and a handful of free game downloads each month. The Extra tier adds an on-demand library with a few hundred games, while the Premium tier provides cloud game streaming and an additional selection of "classic" PlayStation games on top of that.
Kris Naudus / Engadget
The is a clever and well-built mobile game controller that we've recommend in . The PlayStation-branded, iPhone version of the device is currently down to a new low of $64, which is $36 off its normal going rate. If you don't like the look of that model, the is also down to $75, though the two are functionally identical.
Either way, playing gamepad-compatible iOS games — or cloud-streamed console and PC games — feel much more natural than a touchscreen. The main complaints are that its face buttons are on the clicky side and that you'll to get it to work with certain iPhones.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
is a couple years old at this point, but its standalone design, competent performance and relative comfort have kept it the looking to give virtual reality a try. For Black Friday, Meta is selling a bundle that pairs the 128GB Quest 2 with two of its better games, the classic horror game and the energetic rhythm game Beat Saber, for $350. That's a roughly $50 discount. If you need more storage, a bundle with the 256GB variant is .
Now, we're using the term "discount" with some caveats here, since the Quest 2 used to start at $299 until Meta by another $100 earlier this year. Still, this is the best deal we've seen since that price hike — and if nothing else, it's a much better value than the . We gave the device formerly known as the Oculus Quest 2 a when it launched back in 2020.
Rozette Rago/Wirecutter
The is down to $55 at Amazon, which is about $15 below its usual going rate and one of the best prices we've tracked. This is a sturdy, no-frills gaming headset that's comfortable to wear for hours at a time. A good set of non-gaming headphones will sound better for the price, but what's here is still relatively well-balanced, and the included mic is perfectly fine for everyday party chats.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
is a high-performing for both work and play, and right now it's back down to its all-time low of $110, or about $25 off its usual street price. That's still not cheap, but the G Pro X Superlight stands out for being exceptionally light (at about 63 grams), quick to glide, and consistently responsive in faster-paced games. Just note that you only get a couple of customizable shortcut buttons, and that the whole thing connects over a USB dongle, not Bluetooth.
This is just one of a plethora of low or near-low prices on gaming accessories we like, though. If you want a high-performing gaming mouse for less and don't mind going wired, is a good value at its current deal price of $40, which is an all-time low. We've for those who want a fast gaming keyboard in an ultracompact form factor; it's currently within $5 of its all-time low at $70. is a great buy for MMO gaming at $50, while remains a fine value for those looking to get their first racing wheel at $200. gamepad for Switch and PC, meanwhile, is currently down to a joint-low of $40, but only in a limited-time Lightning sale.
A configuration of with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX chip, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and an RTX 3080 GPU is currently down to $2,000 at Amazon. That's about $300 off its typical street price and tied for the best price we've tracked. We gave the Blade 14 a last year, and we've recommended the similar Blade 15 in and . It can run a bit hot, and you can still get similarly powerful gaming laptops for less, but it still puts enough power to play demanding games at higher settings in a slim and slick-feeling design that weighs less than four pounds.
Your Cyber Week Shopping Guide: Get the latest and offers by following and . Also, shop the top and on Yahoo Life. Learn about on In the Know, and our car experts at Autoblog are covering must-shop and auto deals.
Console Bang News!
Nintendo Switch + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + Switch Online
Engadget
Nintendo's bundles the standard Switch console with a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a three-month subscription to the company's Switch Online service at no extra cost. Nintendo has offered this exact for the past few years, and given that the is a pretty firm upgrade over the base model, it's hard to call this a great deal. Still, if you're gifting someone their first Switch and you don't think they'll need the Switch OLED's bigger and more vibrant display, there's some value here. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still and normally retails around $50, while three months of Switch Online typically cost another $8.
Xbox Series S
Aaron Souppouris / Engadget
The Xbox Series S is down to $250 with at Target, which is effectively a $100 discount. At Woot, the diminutive console is outright, while Amazon and several other retailers have it for $250. Normally, the Series S retails for $300. Either way, this is a good value for PlayStation or Switch users who want a cheaper way into the Xbox ecosystem. We gave the Series S a at launch: It isn't powerful enough for 4K gaming, lacks a disc drive and only has 512GB of built-in storage, but it can still play all the same games as the pricier Xbox Series X.
Xbox Wireless Controller
Aaron Souppouris / Engadget
If you need a spare gamepad for your Xbox or PC, Microsoft's is currently available from $39 at several retailers. While that's not the absolute lowest price we've seen, it's still about $10 below the controller's usual going rate. The sale applies to multiple finishes, though some colors are priced $5 higher. Just note that these pads still rely on AA batteries by default; if you want one , that'll cost you another $25.
PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller
Aaron Souppouris/Engadget
Sony's for the PlayStation 5, meanwhile, are down to $49 in several finishes. That matches the lowest price we've seen, and depending on what color you choose, comes in either $20 or $25 below the pad's usual price. In general, the DualSense is harder to hook up with a PC than its Xbox counterpart, but its D-pad isn't as clicky, it doesn't rely on AA batteries and its haptic feedback system is much more nuanced.
Elden Ring
One of the and games of 2022, is a mammoth, haunting and challenging open-world game from the developers behind the Souls series of action-RPGs. It's currently on sale for $35, which is the lowest price we've tracked and $15 below its usual going rate. Like its spiritual predecessors, Elden Ring can sometimes feel punishing, overwhelming and overly cryptic, but its dark-fantasy world is refreshingly honest, letting you discover — or completely miss — its many secrets at your own pace.
Splatoon 3 and other Nintendo Switch exclusives
If you're need something new to play on your Switch, a handful of well-regarded first-party Nintendo games are discounted deeper than usual. The colorful multiplayer shooter , for one, is down to a new low of $45, and the game is available for a new low of $40. The game is still priced at $60, meanwhile, but it includes a $10 store gift card at various retailers.
The package is within $2 of its all-time low at $42, while the all-time great is about $10 cheaper than usual at $29. Finally, the hack-and-slasher was available for $45 earlier in the week, but at its current price of $50, you're still getting $10 off a game that launched less than a month ago.
Most of these deals are only available at third-party retailers like Amazon — and some aren't visible until checkout — but if you're not interested, Nintendo has discounted at its online eShop.
Horizon Forbidden West and other PS5 exclusives
If you're looking to build out your PS5 library, meanwhile, several exclusives for Sony's console are also down to new lows. There are no discounts on , sadly, but one of our of the year, the robot-fighting open-world game , is down to a new low of $35 (or ).
Beyond that, a few recommended exclusives are down to $30, including the atmospheric roguelike , the samurai drama , the accessible shooter-platformer and the gorgeous remake. Other picks like ($20), ($20), ($35) and ($10) are at or near their respective best prices as well.
Outside of the realm of exclusives, a smattering of popular 2022 games are discounted for the first time as well, including ($39), ($55) and, yes, ($35).
PlayStation Plus
Sony
If you need to top up your PlayStation Plus subscription, Sony has dropped the to that service by 25 percent. The deal applies to all three PS Plus tiers, so the basic "Essential" tier is down to $45, the "Extra" tier is down to $75, and the "Premium" tier is down to $90.
As , the Essential tier should be enough for most: It gets you broad access to online multiplayer, an allotment of cloud storage for backing up game saves and a handful of free game downloads each month. The Extra tier adds an on-demand library with a few hundred games, while the Premium tier provides cloud game streaming and an additional selection of "classic" PlayStation games on top of that.
Backbone One
Kris Naudus / Engadget
The is a clever and well-built mobile game controller that we've recommend in . The PlayStation-branded, iPhone version of the device is currently down to a new low of $64, which is $36 off its normal going rate. If you don't like the look of that model, the is also down to $75, though the two are functionally identical.
Either way, playing gamepad-compatible iOS games — or cloud-streamed console and PC games — feel much more natural than a touchscreen. The main complaints are that its face buttons are on the clicky side and that you'll to get it to work with certain iPhones.
Meta Quest 2 + Resident Evil 4 + Beat Saber
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
is a couple years old at this point, but its standalone design, competent performance and relative comfort have kept it the looking to give virtual reality a try. For Black Friday, Meta is selling a bundle that pairs the 128GB Quest 2 with two of its better games, the classic horror game and the energetic rhythm game Beat Saber, for $350. That's a roughly $50 discount. If you need more storage, a bundle with the 256GB variant is .
Now, we're using the term "discount" with some caveats here, since the Quest 2 used to start at $299 until Meta by another $100 earlier this year. Still, this is the best deal we've seen since that price hike — and if nothing else, it's a much better value than the . We gave the device formerly known as the Oculus Quest 2 a when it launched back in 2020.
HyperX Cloud Alpha
Rozette Rago/Wirecutter
The is down to $55 at Amazon, which is about $15 below its usual going rate and one of the best prices we've tracked. This is a sturdy, no-frills gaming headset that's comfortable to wear for hours at a time. A good set of non-gaming headphones will sound better for the price, but what's here is still relatively well-balanced, and the included mic is perfectly fine for everyday party chats.
Logitech G Pro X Superlight, plus more gaming accessories
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
is a high-performing for both work and play, and right now it's back down to its all-time low of $110, or about $25 off its usual street price. That's still not cheap, but the G Pro X Superlight stands out for being exceptionally light (at about 63 grams), quick to glide, and consistently responsive in faster-paced games. Just note that you only get a couple of customizable shortcut buttons, and that the whole thing connects over a USB dongle, not Bluetooth.
This is just one of a plethora of low or near-low prices on gaming accessories we like, though. If you want a high-performing gaming mouse for less and don't mind going wired, is a good value at its current deal price of $40, which is an all-time low. We've for those who want a fast gaming keyboard in an ultracompact form factor; it's currently within $5 of its all-time low at $70. is a great buy for MMO gaming at $50, while remains a fine value for those looking to get their first racing wheel at $200. gamepad for Switch and PC, meanwhile, is currently down to a joint-low of $40, but only in a limited-time Lightning sale.
Razer Blade 14
A configuration of with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX chip, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and an RTX 3080 GPU is currently down to $2,000 at Amazon. That's about $300 off its typical street price and tied for the best price we've tracked. We gave the Blade 14 a last year, and we've recommended the similar Blade 15 in and . It can run a bit hot, and you can still get similarly powerful gaming laptops for less, but it still puts enough power to play demanding games at higher settings in a slim and slick-feeling design that weighs less than four pounds.
Your Cyber Week Shopping Guide: Get the latest and offers by following and . Also, shop the top and on Yahoo Life. Learn about on In the Know, and our car experts at Autoblog are covering must-shop and auto deals.
Console Bang News!