The Best Black Friday Deals On Gaming Consoles And Accessories
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While some PC gamers might argue that their Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 offers better performance, it's hard to ignore the value of a gaming console. Sure, you can set up a gaming PC in your lounge to play from your sofa, but we all know that a living room is not the PCs natural habitat. It's that lounge-centric design, utter simplicity, and, of course, console exclusives that make some people just prefer the gaming console to a gaming PC.
As a console gamer, nothing quite beats waiting out the cold months by cozying up under a blanket on the sofa next to your favorite snack and playing your favorite game. While consoles do usually represent better value than PC gaming, a discount always helps make the often-high prices of gaming easier to swallow. With Black Friday around the corner, brands and retailers have started announcing what should add up to be some of the best sales of the year. Best of all, a host of Black Friday sales are already available, so you don't even have to venture out into the chaos of your nearest shopping center to take advantage of them.
Xbox Series S
Microsoft's latest console generation is, by all accounts, a home run. While the high-performance Xbox Series X satisfies the premium segment in delivering 4K gameplay at 120 frames per second, the Xbox Series S represents some of the best gaming value this generation. At a regular suggested retail price of $299.99, Microsoft still managed to cram most of the major features from the Series X into the Series S.
The Xbox Series S is a cut-down version of the Series X. As such, although you can run games at 120 frames per second, the resolution is limited to 1440p. Although features like DirectStorage are present, and the storage is expandable via the 1 TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card, the base storage configuration is only 512 GB. Storage limitations are probably the biggest restriction of the Xbox Series S on its own, especially considering its lack of a disc drive makes it digital-only, and many modern games are now well over 100 GB.
You can grab the Xbox Series S for $249.99 online on the Microsoft Store, or at $249.99 at select retailers like BestBuy.
Logitech G435 Lightspeed Wireless Headset
Logitech's low-latency wireless Lightspeed technology is some of the best out there, and it makes the G435 Wireless Gaming Headset a solid choice for quality gaming audio that doesn't cost an arm and a leg — even at the regular price of $79.99. The G435 Wireless Headset features wireless connectivity via Logitech's own 2.4 GHz Lightspeed or Bluetooth 5.0, and is compatible with PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Nintendo Switch, while connecting the headset to an Xbox reportedly requires a workaround via a TV or monitor with Bluetooth support.
Logitech markets the G435 headset squarely at young gamers on the product page, claiming that the design is optimized for the comfort of younger players and those with smaller heads. It features an optional 85 dB volume limit, weighs only 5.82 oz, and — aside from the black colorway — it comes in some pretty unorthodox color options like Blue and Raspberry, and White and Lilac.
The Logitech G435 Wireless Headset is available on Amazon for $29.99 as part of a Black Friday sale, amounting to a savings of 63% off the regular price.
Razer Wolverine V2 Wired Xbox controller
Wireless controllers are great, and the battery packs they are equipped with have come a long way since the days of having to scrounge for a set of rechargeable AAAs midway through a gaming session, but sometimes simplicity is king. Whether you're forgetful, looking for the lowest latency, or you simply want a backup controller for your occasional player two or those impromptu gaming sessions, the Razer Wolverine V2 Wired controller is a worthy replacement for the default Microsoft controller.
The Razer Wolverine V2 loses out on some of the features of its predecessor, but maintains the same spirit of customization, with the extra buttons on offer and the remappable front-facing buttons. The triggers also feature a hair-trigger mode with trigger stops for rapid actuation and return during those intense first-person shooters, and the 10-foot cable attached to the front of the controller make it basically impossible to run out of length in any reasonable setup.
Usually, the Razer Wolverine V2 wired controller costs $99.99, which is probably a bit steep compared to the competition, but you can grab it on Amazon during Black Friday for $59.99.
Nintendo Switch Bundle with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The Nintendo Switch was a pretty important console when it launched back in 2017. Not only is it a capable handheld device backed by Nintendo's incredible IP library, it also functions as a living room gaming station when connected to a dock, making it the king of party games — and a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. Five years later, the little-console-that-could still represents just about the best value in handheld gaming, despite the incredible Steam Deck threatening its reign.
Nintendo does Black Friday a little differently. Firstly, the company has a tendency to recycle old Black Friday deals. Secondly, instead of changing the list price of an item, it launches new bundles and SKUs instead. In the case of Black Friday 2022, Nintendo is guilty of both of these practices — although, to be fair, the value of the deal cannot be denied, especially for fans of old-school Nintendo games.
The $299.99 Nintendo Switch bundle in question comes with a standard Switch featuring the Neon Blue and Red Joy-Cons, "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe," and a 3-Month Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership. The deal, available at BestBuy, represents a savings of $70 compared to buying the console, game, and online game service separately.