Black Friday is only days away, and while it’s the official kick-off to holiday shopping season, if you’re like me and get a little overwhelmed by your gift list, buying early can be a lifesaver. This year, I’m shopping for several gamers in my life, which can become an expensive hobby if you’re not careful. That’s why I’ve been combing through major retailers like Best Buy, Amazon and Walmart to find you (and me) some of the best Black Friday deals on gaming consoles, accessories and games.
Since we’ve got a few days before Black Friday and Cyber Week to follow, keep your eye on this list because the dedicated deals team here at CNET is going to update it whenever we spot a quality deal worth adding.
Best Black Friday gaming console deals
It’s not a huge discount, but considering that Xbox gaming consoles don’t tend to go on sale very often, any savings are a win if you’re in the market. This price gets you the Series S console, a wireless controller and 1TB of storage.
Our reviewer Scott Stein called this one of the best VR headsets around, especially as a budget option, sitting around $300. Right now, Walmart has knocked $50 off the price, which means it’s a good time to snap one up ahead of the holidays. This one comes with Batman: Arkham Shadow and a three-month trial of Meta Horizon Plus.
Best Buy is offering $100 off the slim PS5, and Amazon has it for $101 off. At this price, you get the digital edition of the slim gaming console, a wireless controller and 1TB of storage. Plus, Best Buy has a trade-in program where you can save hundreds off.
- PlayStation 5 slim console: $450 (save $100). If you’re looking for the PS5 that can also take physical games, it’s also on sale for $100 off at Best Buy. The trade-in program can save you up to $400, depending on what you’re swapping.
- Playground interactive family game system: $200 (save $50). This little gaming console encourages physical games and active play during screen time. Comes with 5 free games.
- Legion Go S 8-inch handheld gaming console: $450 (save $200). A vibrant 8-inch screen, ergonomic design and 120Hz refresh rate make this handy little device a delight to play during your daily commute or long plane trips.
- PlayStation 5 gold limited edition Ghost of Yōtei bundle: $500 (save $100). Not only do you get the latest PlayStation along with the game, but you can also take advantage of Best Buy’s trade-in program to save up to $400.
Best Black Friday gaming PC and laptop deals
Walmart slashed the price of this fast gaming laptop, bringing higher-end performance to a midrange price. You get an Intel Core i5-13420H processor and 16 GB of RAM along with 10 hours of battery life.
This 16-inch gaming laptop has 16GB of RAM and a GeForce RTX 5060 along with a 1TB SSD. It’s not top-end, but it’s a very solid choice for pretty much everyone who wants to game on the go and still enjoy solid specs.
Reviewer Lori Grunin called the Alienware Aurora «the best gaming PC with a novel design.» She noted the slick and fairly compact design, along with how surprisingly quiet it was, as other pros. However, among the cons was cost, especially because there are nearly a dozen versions of the Aurora right now. The starter version is on sale for $450 off, but if you want to upgrade to something closer to what Lori tested, you can pick up a Core Ultra 9 285, RTX 5070 Ti configuration for $2,450, which is $950 less than the regular price.
- M4 MacBook Pro 16-inch (2024): $2,189 (save $310). Expert reviewer Lori Grunin called this the best gaming laptop for Apple users, owing largely to its massive screen, beautiful picture quality and impressive speed.
- HP 14-inch Omen Transcend: $1,200 (save $630). In her review of the Omen Transcend, expert Lori Grunin praised the OLED screen and stylish design of this HP gaming laptop.
- Lenovo Legion 5i 15.6-inch gaming laptop: $900 (save $450). With Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 and an Intel Core i7 processor, you’ll get speed and glitch-free gaming.
- Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16-inch gaming laptop: $1,300 (save $360). This Lenovo Legion features combines Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 and an AMD Ryzen 7 processor with a big screen.
- Sony PlayStation VR2 Call of the Mountain bundle: $300 (save $100). Sony’s virtual reality headset can be on your own head for $100 less this season. Core Ultra 9 285, RTX 5070 Ti configuration for $2,450
Best Black Friday game deals
Pick up the latest update of the ultimate NFL game for more than half off. Versions for the PS5, Xbox and Switch 2 are all currently on sale.
- NHL 26 for PS5: $47 (save $22). This year’s updated includes an all-new Goalie Crease control so you can up your defensive game.
- Snoopy and the Great Mystery Club for Nintendo Switch: $30 (save $10). An adorable game where you play Snoopy the Detective and build your Peanuts gang to help solve the mystery, this game is appropriate for younger players.
- God of War Ragnarök for PS5: $20 (save $50). Immerse yourself in the world of Norse mythology with this epic deal.
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for PS5: $30 (save $40). Travel across Marvel’s New York with different storylines as Miles Morales or as Peter Parker.
- Star Wars Outlaws for Xbox: $20 (save $30). Enter the Star Wars galaxy and you’ll never want to come back.
Best Black Friday accessory deals
An easy-to-use microphone that sounds clean and has customizable RGB lighting for a nice touch. It comes with a shock mount, pop filter, tap-to-mute button and multiple recording modes that work well across devices.
My son’s best friend brings his Xbox Series S over to our house all the time so that they can — as they explained with an eyeroll — «play the same game without split screen.» This is the perfect, padded case to get him for Christmas. It also doubles as regular storage as needed, and can hold the Series S console and two controllers and their cords.
It’s always handy to have a spare controller around and the Sony model for the Playstation is a responsive, wireless controller, affordably priced and comes in several color variants.
- Ecomoment wireless gaming headset: $29 (save $37). A great gaming headset for an even better price. These will work with PS5, PS4, PC and more.
- Logitech G713 wired RGB mechanical keyboard: $70 (save $58). If you’re looking for a solid RGB, TKL gaming keyboard, here it is. It even comes with a cloud-shaped palm rest.
- Xbox wireless headset: $96 (save $24). These headphones from the Microsoft Xbox franchise offer clear chat, easy pairing and a battery life of up to 30 hours.
- Xbox wireless controller: $40 (save $24). If you opt for either black or white, you can pick this controller up for a nice discount. Other colors are on sale but not by as much.
- Logitech Driving Force G920 wheel and shifter bundle for Xbox: $279 (save $50). Take those racing games up a notch with this epic accessory that includes a wheel, gear shift and pedals.
- Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro wireless gaming headphones: $290 (save $100). A top-notch headset compatible with Xbox, PS5, PC, Switch and mobile.
- DualSense Edge wireless controller for Playstation: $170 (save $30). Create your own custom controls for the ultimate playing experience.
Best Black Friday gaming gift card deals
A one-month game pass like this will set you back $20 at most retailers but CDKeys has it on sale for just under $11. Note that this deal is non-stackable, and can only be used when there are no other memberships active on your Xbox Live account.
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- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 3-month pass: $53 (save $26). Get three months of gaming at a 33% discount.
- Xbox $15 gift card: $13 (save $2). Target has a series of Xbox gift cards discounted. These are email delivery, and can save you a little or a lot.
- Xbox $25 gift card: $21 (save $4). Another great option, delivered straight to their inbox.
- Xbox $50 gift card: $43 (save $7). Send someone this digital card instantly and they can use it for whatever they please: games, skins, add-ons and more.
- Xbox $100 gift card $85 (save $15). A dramatic discount, snap this one up while you can. Email delivery.
When is Black Friday?
Black Friday is always the day after Thanksgiving — which occurs on the last Thursday in November. That makes Black Friday Nov. 28 this year.
Is Black Friday a good time to shop for gaming deals?
Yes. Black Friday is an excellent time to find deals on gaming consoles and games. Some of the best deals are on accessories like headsets, controllers and keyboards. Outlets like Best Buy, Target and Amazon offer Black Friday deals with some of the best prices of the year on gaming accessories.
Will tarrifs effect Black Friday sales?
Lots of CNET readers areconcerned about tariffs and how they could affect holiday shopping. It’s certainly possible that tariffs could affect Black Friday sales, as we have seen some related price hikes, including on Nintendo Switch consoles. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find great deals on tech and other items. The best way to determine if you’re getting a good deal is to track the item’s price history before making a purchase. You can do this on sites like CamelCamelCamel and Price Tracker, or by using the Keepa browser extension. We’ve rounded up several useful shopping tools for you to check out, and we’ll highlight the best deals we find throughout the event.
Best Black Friday retailers
- Amazon: One of the world’s largest online retailers, Amazon offers massive discounts with significant savings on tech, home appliances, and smart home equipment.
- Walmart: Save big on televisions, laptops, appliances like refrigerators and more at Walmart’s Black Friday event.
- Best Buy: Black Friday is historically a great time to buy TVs, and Best Buy has you covered for that and more.
- Home Depot: Eyeing home improvement tools? Home Depot has the best discounts on tools, appliances, and even grills.
- Target: It may not be as big on Black Friday as other retailers, but Target does offer some great deals on toys, gifts and board games.