It’s ‘that’ time of year again. When everyone from Amazon to the Milkman is offering you a ‘discount’ on things you probably don’t need. From a gaming perspective, Black Friday remains a decent time to pick up a new console but don’t get caught up in the hype. Plenty of these sales aren’t as great as the screen-wide SALE banners would have you believe. Here are some of the better places to look if you’re getting a jump on your Christmas shopping, or if you’ve got money to burn, this Black Friday.
As usual, the ringleader is still Amazon. Head over there for some competitive pre-Christmas pricing on Nintendo Switch Lite consoles – down to £179. Throw in a copy of Pokemon Sword or Shield at its still a pretty reasonable £214.99. At time of writing they’re selling off Nintendo Labo kits off with variable discounts. The presumably-less popular robot and vehicle kits are just 14.99. There’s comparable price reductions on PS4 and X-Box One consoles, too, but unlike previous years nothing really leaps out as an unprecedented opportunity.
Perhaps less-well known is Base.com. I’ve bought from there a couple of times (they tend to have good prices on new releases) and everything I’ve ordered has shown up. Their Black Friday offering are definitely a little more eclectic, but there’s some deeper discounts if a game you actually want is included in their sale. Good PS4 games seem to be the main attraction here: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is down to £15.84, Spider-man is just under £20, and Kingdom Heart’s 3 is just under £15.
If you prefer to do your shopping in person Argos are heavily promoting their gaming deals. Again, there’s nothing overwhelming but there’s some reasonable reductions on their bundles if you don’t want to give your business to Amazon.
The Official Nintendo UK Store is worth a look if you want something from Nintendo. They have some decent bundles on Switch consoles and 2DS/3DS XLs. There’s not much to be saved on games themselves, unless you want one of their combo-packs that combines things like Link’s Awakening with a Rupee-shaped lamp. There’s even a Black Friday offer where you can get a free calendar (or wrapping paper) when you buy a Nintendo Switch. It’s a nice bonus, but sadly Amazon is still cheaper.
