36 Black Friday gaming deals on consoles, games and gear for PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch or PC

We’ve consulted our gaming experts and sorted through the sales to find the best Black Friday gaming deals for 2023.

Black Friday is often a good time to restock on gaming gear on the cheap, and that’s the case again this year, whether you’re partial to PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch or PC. If you’re not sure what’s worth grabbing, we’ve sorted through the many sales happening around the web and curated a roundup of the best Black Friday gaming deals below. The selection includes a few rare discounts on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S; several top picks from our guides to the best gaming mice, gaming headsets and gaming handhelds; spare controllers and, of course, a whole bunch of games.

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  Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Switch, Digital)

  $30 $60

  Save $30

  See at GameStop

• 

  Starfield (Xbox)

  $55 $70

  Save $15

  See at Amazon

• 

  Alan Wake 2 (PC)

  $33 $50

  Save $17 with coupon

  See at Epic Games Store

• 

  PlayStation 5 DualSense Wireless Controller

  $49 $69

  Save $20

  See at Amazon

• 

  Xbox Wireless Controller

  $40  $60

  Save $20

  See at Microsoft

• 

  Red and Blue Joy-Cons + Super Mario Party Bundle

  $100  $140

  Save $40

  See at Amazon

• 

  ASUS ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme)

  $620  $700

  Save $80

  See at Best Buy

• 

  Meta Quest 2 (128GB) + $50 Amazon credit

  $249$350

  Save $101 with code ( META50 )

  See at Amazon

• 

  Backbone One (USB-C, 2nd Gen)

  $70  $100

  Save $30

  See at Amazon

• 

  WD Black C50 Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S (1TB)

  $12  5$150

  Save $25

  See at Amazon

• 

  Corsair MP600 PRO LPX SSD (2TB)

  $110  $120

  Save $10

  See at Amazon

• 

  Samsung Pro Plus (256GB)

  $18  $30

  Save $12

  See at Amazon

• 

  Razer Basilisk V3

  $40  $70

  Save $30

  See at Amazon

• 

  Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite

  $50  $80

  Save $30

  See at Amazon

• 

  Logitech G203 Lightsync

  $20  $40

  Save $20

  See at Amazon

• 

  Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X

  $249  $349

  Save $100

  See at Amazon

• 

  Sennheiser HD 560S

  $150  $229

  Save $79

  See at Amazon

• 

  Astro A40 TR + MixAmp M80

  $100  $200

  Save $100

  See at Amazon

• 

  HyperX Cloud Stinger 2

  $35  $50

  Save $15

  See at Amazon

• 

  HyperX Cloud Alpha

  $50  $100

  Save $50

  See at Amazon

• 

  Logitech G535 Lightspeed

  $79  $130

  Save $51

  See at Amazon

• 

  Razer Huntsman V2 TKL (Linear Optical switches)

  $80  $160

  Save $80

  See at Amazon

• 

  SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless

  $175  $250

  Save $75

  See at Amazon

• 

  ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless

  $145  $180

  Save $35

  See at Amazon

• 

  ASUS ROG Azoth

  $200  $250

  Save $50

  See at Amazon

• 

  Razer Huntsman Mini (Linear Optical switches)

  $70  $100

  Save $30

  See at Target

• 

  ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

  $1,200  $1,600

  Save $400

  See at Best Buy

• 

  MSI Stealth 14 Studio

  $1,100  $1,500

  Save $400

  See at Best Buy

• 

  Dell G15 5535 Gaming Laptop

  $900  $1,150

  Save $250

  See at Amazon

PlayStation 5

The PlayStation 5 is $50 off and down to $450 at Amazon and GameStop. This offer only applies to the older version of the PS5, not the smaller “slim” version that was announced last month. But discounts of any kind for Sony’s console have been extremely rare since the device arrived in 2020, and there’s no performance difference between the two models, so this is a great opportunity to save.

If stock for that deal runs out, Sony is selling a couple of new bundles that do include the latest version of the console: one that comes with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and one that includes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. You should go with the former while both are in stock: We called Spider-Man 2 a “perfectly balanced game” in our review, while Modern Warfare 3 has been roundly criticized as one of the most undercooked CoD entries in recent memory. Both games cost $70 on their own, so that’s what you’re saving here. As of this writing, the Spider-Man bundle is further discounted by an extra $20 at BJ’s, bringing it down to $480.

As a refresher, Sony says the slim PS5 takes up 30 percent less volume than the original models and weighs up to three pounds less. It also has two USB-C ports instead of one. If the slim Spider-Man 2 bundle runs out of stock, Sony is running a similar deal with the older “fat” PS5 as well. The bundles are available at several retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, GameStop and PlayStation Direct.

Nintendo Switch OLED

Nintendo’s main Switch deal for Black Friday is a bundle that pairs the $350 Switch OLED with a digital copy of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and a three-month individual subscription to Nintendo Switch Online for no extra cost. Smash Bros. arrived back in 2018, but it still tends to retail between $50 and $60 on its own, while the Switch Online sub normally goes for $8. This version of the console also comes with Smash Bros.-themed controllers.

We’ve seen the Switch OLED go for less in the past, so we’d have liked a more substantial discount — especially with a follow-up console reportedly on the horizon. But if you’re jumping on the Switch bandwagon late, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate remains one of the device’s best games, so there’s still value here. This bundle is available at Walmart, Target, GameStop, Best Buy and Nintendo.com.

Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite

Nintendo is selling a pair of holiday bundles for the $300 Switch and $200 Switch Lite as well: The former is available with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the same three-month Switch Online sub as above, while the latter now comes with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It’s really worth stepping up to the Switch OLED’s larger and more vivid display if you can swing it, but both of those games usually cost between $40 and $50 individually. Both make our roundup of the best Switch games as well.

Xbox Series X

Both Xbox consoles are genuinely discounted for Black Friday as well. The Xbox Series X, for one, is on sale for $440 at Walmart and Microsoft as part of a bundle that also includes the (divisive) action-RPG Diablo IV. That’s a rare $60 drop for the console itself, while the game goes for $70 (though it’s currently on sale for $42). Target may have a better deal, though: It’s selling the same bundle for $450 but throwing in a $75 Target gift card on top. Other stores like GameStop, Best Buy, Newegg and Amazon have had the bundle for $450 without any extra coupons or gift cards.

If you have no interest in Diablo IV, the console alone is available for an all-time low of $400 at BJ’s, and for $450 with different gift cards and store credit bundles at Amazon, Target and Best Buy. At Target, you can get the console with a $75 gift card. At Amazon, you can get a $50 store credit when you use the code XBOX50 at checkout. Best Buy has the device with a $50 gift card as well, and you can take an extra $50 off if you’re My Best Buy Plus or Total member. Walmart also has the machine for $439.

Xbox Series S

As for the Xbox Series S, a “Starter Bundle” that packs the digital-only console with a three-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription is on sale for $240 at Microsoft and Target. Other retailers like Walmart, Best Buy and GameStop have it for $10 more. If stock for the bundle runs out, Microsoft and Target have the console alone available for $60 off as well. Neither deal represents an all-time low, but this is still $50 or $60 off the console’s list price, while the subscription normally costs $51 on its own. In general, discounts on the console remain fairly uncommon. Note that these offers apply to the older Series S with 512GB of storage, not the updated 1TB model that Microsoft released earlier this year.

PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox gift cards

Several different gift cards for the three major console platforms are 10 percent off at Amazon, Walmart and Target. Increments ranging from $10 to $100 are on sale, so you could get a $50 gift card for PlayStation’s, Xbox’s and Nintendo’s respective online stores for $45 apiece. If you’re looking to pad your backlog or top up a subscription anyway, it’s hard to complain about a bit of (effectively) free money.

Black Friday PlayStation 5 game deals

A metric ton of video games are discounted across various stores for Black Friday. There are frankly too many deals for us to recap them all here, but we’ll run through some of the highlights below.

Starting with PlayStation exclusives, the blockbuster action game God of War Ragnarök is down to a new low of $35, while the PS4 version of the gorgeous open-world game Horizon Forbidden West (which includes a free upgrade to the PS5 version) is on sale for a low of $20. The dramatic action-RPG Final Fantasy XVI is also down to $35, the PS5 remake of The Last of Us is down to $40 and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is available for $20. (We aren’t seeing deals on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, though.) Other recommended games like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal, Demon’s Souls, and Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut are each available for $30. Not all of these are all-time lows, but each is at least a little lower than usual. Many of the titles on sale make our list of the best PS5 games.

Among multiplatform games, notables include Street Fighter 6 and the turn-based RPG Octopath Traveler II for $30 each, the recent Dead Space remake for $35, the recent Resident Evil 4 remake for $40 and Assassin’s Creed Mirage for $40 as well. Sports games EA Sports FC 24, Madden NFL 24, and NBA 2K24 are each $30 too. You can peruse through the PlayStation Store’s Black Friday sale for more offers.

Black Friday Nintendo Switch game deals

Over on the Switch, the 2D platformer Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is down to a new low of $30, and the cutesy adventure game Luigi’s Mansion 3 is about $10 off at $40. Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are each $30 at Walmart, while Kirby and the Forgotten Land is available for a new low of $39. All of those are included in our lists of the best Switch games or best couch co-op games.

Elsewhere, the strategy game Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is on sale for $14 and the well-reviewed RPG Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is down to $40. The Nintendo eShop’s “Cyber Deals” sale has several other discounts of note, including the Portal Companion Collection for a new low of $6.79. However, because Nintendo is still Nintendo, we aren’t seeing significant deals on newer hits like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as of this writing.

Black Friday Xbox game deals

For Xbox owners, Microsoft’s Black Friday sale has discounted a handful of titles from our guide to the best Xbox games. The rhythm-action game Hi-Fi Rush, for instance, is back at a low of $22.49, while the open-world racer Forza Horizon 5 is down to $29. The wonderfully written murder mystery Pentiment is about $7 off at $13.39, the Halo: Master Chief Collection is back down to $10 and the third-person shooter Gears 5 is available for $12. Older gems like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Prey are available for $3 each. And while our review wasn’t huge on Starfield, the Bethesda space RPG is now down to $55 (or $56 digitally), a $15 discount for those who’ve been curious. Many of the multiplatform titles noted above are also on sale; just keep in mind that several of these games are also available with an Xbox Game Pass subscription.

Black Friday PC game deals

PC gamers have plenty of deals to shop through as well. Steam is running its annual Autumn Sale through November 28, while the Epic Games Store’s Black Friday sale includes a recurring coupon that takes 33 percent off eligible games when your cart totals $15 or more. Humble and GOG have kicked off storewide promos as well.

These stores have literal decades of games on sale between them, so it’s worth browsing the sales for yourself. One highlight, though, brings the trippy survival horror game Alan Wake 2 down to a new low of $33.49 when you use the aforementioned coupon at Epic. Beyond that, the action-RPG/management sim hybrid Dave the Diver is back at a low of $16, while the madcap platformer Pizza Tower is at a low of $15.

Game of the Year contender Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t discounted, sadly, but several picks from our list of the best PC games are at lower-than-usual prices. Those include the roguelike Hades for $12.49, the VR-only Half-Life: Alyx for $20, the thoughtful RPG Disco Elysium for $10, the driving sim Euro Truck Simulator 2 for $5 and Stray (aka the cat game) for $20. The 27-game Valve Complete Pack is another standout at $14.

PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller

If you need a spare controller for your PlayStation 5, Sony’s DualSense wireless pad is down to $49 in various colors at Amazon, Walmart, Target, PlayStation Direct and others. While not an absolute all-time low, that’s a nice $20 or $25 off Sony’s list price depending on which finish you choose.

Xbox Wireless Controller

If you’re after a new Xbox gamepad, official Xbox Series X/S controllers are on sale for $40 at Microsoft, Target and Best Buy. Other stores like Amazon, Walmart and GameStop have them for $5 more. Again, the discounts apply to several different finishes. We typically see the gamepad retail between $50 and $60 depending on the color. The big caveat with the Xbox controller is that it requires a pair of AA batteries for power; we recommend grabbing a rechargeable set like the Panasonic Eneloops to mitigate that annoyance. That said, if you want a new controller for gaming on the PC, the Xbox pad is generally easier to set up and use with most Windows clients than the DualSense.

Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons bundle

Apart from the Switch console bundles, Nintendo is selling a bundle that pairs a red and blue set of Joy-Con controllers with a digital copy of Super Mario Party for $100. A pair of Joy-Cons usually goes for $80, while the game alone typically retails in the $50 range these days, so you’re saving about $30 by getting the two together. Note that this isn’t the latest Mario Party game, though — that would be Mario Party Superstars, which was released in 2021. Still, if you’re looking to play a few new Mario Party boards and need a new set of Joy-Cons anyway, it might be worth the extra cost.

ASUS ROG Ally

The ASUS ROG Ally is down to $620 at Best Buy, which is $80 off the handheld gaming PC’s normal price and a rare discount. If you’re a My Best Buy Plus or Total subscriber, you can get it for $600. The ROG Ally is the “best Windows alternative” pick in our guide to the best gaming handhelds. As that title suggests, the ROG Ally runs Windows, which isn’t nearly as straightforward to use on a seven-inch display as the Steam Deck’s Steam OS but makes it easier to play games from other clients such as Epic, Xbox, GOG and Itch.io. The ROG Ally is physically smaller than Valve’s handheld, too, and the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip in this config gives it stronger overall performance. It also has a sharper 1080p display with a faster 120Hz refresh rate.

We’d still recommend the Steam Deck (which isn’t discounted) to most, especially after the launch of the new Steam Deck OLED. Apart from being less prone to software quirks, that machine usually lasts longer on a charge, and the new model’s OLED panel is more vivid. The ROG Ally has also had issues with malfunctioning microSD card readers, so you’ll want to stick to its built-in SSD storage (which is thankfully replaceable). But if you’re willing to brave Windows and want the wider game support, the ROG Ally does enough right to be a solid alternative to traditional gaming laptops.

It’s worth noting that the entry-level version of the ROG Ally with a less powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 chip is also on sale for $450, which is a $150 discount. That’s a decent price if you’ll stick to less-demanding games, but the Z1 Extreme model is significantly faster, so it’s worth the extra cash if you can afford it.

Meta Quest 2

Meta’s Quest 2 VR headset is down to $249 and comes with a $50 store gift card or credit at Amazon, GameStop, Target and Newegg. (For Amazon, use the code META50 at checkout to see the complete offer.) Other retailers like Walmart, Best Buy and B&H have the same $50 discount without a gift card. It’s tougher to recommend the Quest 2 after the release of the comprehensively superior Quest 3 last month; that newer model isn’t on sale as of this writing, but it’s worth the extra cash if you can stretch your budget. If you can’t, though, the Quest 2 still offers a relatively polished VR experience. While it’s designed to be used cordless, it’s still perfectly usable when tethered to a gaming PC as well. We name the Quest 2 the top headset for those on a budget in our VR headset buying guide.

Backbone One

The Backbone One mobile game controller is down to $70 at Amazon, Target, Backbone’s online store and other retailers. That’s a $30 discount. Both the USB-C and Lightning models are on sale; the latter is compatible with Apple’s iPhone 15 series as well as numerous Android phones. We gave the Backbone a positive review last year, and we note it in our gaming handhelds guide: It’s more cramped than a traditional gamepad, naturally, but it has all the requisite buttons to play modern games, it’s extremely easy to set up and it works well for remote streaming from your console or PC. If nothing else, it’s a much better value than the PlayStation Portal.

WD Black C50 Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S

Unlike the PS5 or Switch, the Xbox Series X/S requires you to use a proprietary expansion card if you want to add storage space for current-gen games. If your Xbox is running out of room, WD’s Black C50 is one of those cards, and its 1TB model is now on sale for an all-time low of $125 at Amazon, WD, Walmart and Best Buy. That’s much more expensive than a typical SSD with the same capacity, but it’s at least $25 off WD’s usual price. If you need more storage, the 2TB version of Seagate’s Storage Expansion Card is $50 off at $230, which again matches the lowest price we’ve tracked. Both cards perform just about identically.

Corsair MP600 Pro LPX SSD

If you’re looking to upgrade a PlayStation 5’s storage, the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX is the top pick in our guide to the best PS5 SSDs, and it’s now down to $110 at Amazon and Best Buy for a 2TB model. That takes about $15 off the device’s average street price and ties its all-time low. The 4TB variant is also on sale for $260, which is another low and $20 less than the drive’s price over the last month. Either way, this PCIe 4.0 SSD checks all of the PS5’s requisite performance boxes and comes with a heatsink pre-installed to keep from overheating. It’s also backed by a five-year warranty.

Samsung Pro Plus

The top pick in our microSD card buying guide, the Samsung Pro Plus, is also on sale for Black Friday. You can grab a 128GB unit for $11, a 256GB unit for $18 and a 512GB unit for $32; the first two of those represent the lowest prices we’ve seen, while the third is within $3 of its all-time low. Despite its relatively affordable price, the Pro Plus was among the fastest cards we tested in both sequential and random performance, so it’s a dependable option if you need to add space to a Switch or Steam Deck.

Elsewhere, Samsung’s Evo Select card is down to $15 for a 256GB unit. That one was a fair bit slower in testing, but the differences aren’t hugely noticeable when it comes to load times on Nintendo’s and Valve’s handhelds, so it should do the job if you want to save a few bucks. Both cards come with 10-year warranties.

Razer Basilisk V3

The Razer Basilisk V3 is the top overall recommendation in our guide to the best gaming mice, and it’s dropped to $40 for Black Friday at Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy. That’s an all-time low and $10 off the device’s usual street price. The Basilisk V3 isn’t the lightest mouse around at 100 grams, but its sturdy shape should be comfortable for users of each grip type and all but the smallest of hands. It has no major issues with latency or tracking accuracy, either, plus it comes with 11 customizable buttons, including a “sensitivity clutch” for moments where more precise aiming is required. Beyond that, its scroll wheel supports both left-right tilt and a faster free-spin mode — both helpful for navigating large documents — though it is on the noisy side.

Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite

The Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite is the “best for MMOs” pick in our gaming mouse guide, and it’s now down to $50 at Amazon, Newegg, Best Buy and Corsair’s own store. That’s $2 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked but still $10 below the mouse’s typical going rate. Like most MMO mice, the Scimitar RGB Elite is fairly bulky, but that’s because it has 12 easy-to-distinguish side buttons that you can use to access commands in games like Final Fantasy XIV or Baldur’s Gate 3. Its rounded, gently sloped shape should be comfortable to palm- and claw-grippers of most hand sizes. And while its sensor is fairly old, it’s accurate enough. Just note that its cable is somewhat stiff, and that you probably won’t want to spend much time in Corsair’s messy companion software.

Logitech G203 Lightsync

Sticking with gaming mice, the Logitech G203 Lightsync is on sale for $20 at Amazon, Walmart, B&H and Best Buy. That’s about $8 off its usual going rate. The G203 is the budget pick in our gaming mouse buying guide: It’s small, its scroll wheel is a bit mushy and its rubber cable isn’t especially flexible, but it tracks accurately, it’s built well and its light (85g) shape should suit righties and lefties. For less than $20, it’s hard to do better. If you’d rather go wireless, the Logitech G305 Lightspeed puts a newer sensor in more or less the same shape, and it’s currently discounted to $30.

Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X

Beyerdynamic’s DT 900 Pro X headphones are down to $249 at Amazon and Target from a trusted third-party seller. That’s only $20 off their usual going rate, but we haven’t seen many larger discounts over the past few months. The DT 900 Pro X is a wired pair of open-back headphones designed for critical listening at home. It’s currently the top pick in our guide to the best headphones for gaming, as its wonderfully spacious sound does well to envelop you in the fine details of any given game. Like most open-back cans, it can’t produce truly deep sub-bass, but it delivers enough low-end to give in-game explosions a powerful sense of impact. A set of soft velour earpads keep the whole thing comfortable, though it can’t fold up, and the open design means it won’t block much external noise when you’re outside of the house.

Sennheiser HD 560S

The Sennheiser HD 560S is another open-back pair of wired headphones we highlight in our gaming headset guide. It’s down to $150 at Amazon, B&H and other retailers — that’s not an incredible deal, as the pair often sold for the same rate earlier in the year, but it’s about $30 less than the street price we’ve seen since the summer. Regardless, the HD 560S offers a pleasingly balanced, spacious and detailed sound profile and a frame that’s comfortable to wear for extended periods. It can sometimes sound a little piercing in the treble, it’s not as sturdily built as the DT 900 Pro X and, again, it’ll leak and let in lots of noise. But if you want a pair of audio-centric gaming headphones for less than $200, this is one of the better options in the price range.

Astro A40 TR

Our favorite dedicated gaming headset for most people, the Astro A40 TR, is down to $100 at Amazon. That’s a $30 discount. This deal bundles the headset with Astro’s MixAmp M80, an optional amp that connects to Xbox controllers and provides various audio controls. Even without the accessory, we like the open-back A40 for providing a wider soundstage than most gaming headsets. It’s not as open or detailed as the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X, and it misses more detail in the treble range, but it’s immersive, with a slight bass boost gives in-game effects a little extra boom. The headset as a whole looks “gamer-y,” but it’s comfortable. And while its built-in mic isn’t the clearest we’ve tested, it’s at least serviceable for basic chat.

HyperX Cloud Stinger 2

If all you want is a decent gaming headset for as little as possible, the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 is worth considering at $35. That’s only $5 below its usual going rate, but it matches the lowest price we’ve seen. The Cloud Stinger 2 is the budget pick in our gaming headset guide: It sounds narrower and less balanced than the Astro A40, but its built-in mic is great for the money and its bass-heavy profile at least makes action scenes feel a little more exciting. It’s all comfy, too, though it’s largely made of plastic.

HyperX Cloud Alpha

HyperX’s Cloud Alpha headset is also on sale for $50. The wired Cloud Alpha has been around since 2018 but continues to offer great comfort and a solid detachable mic. It doesn’t sound bad either, though it can’t provide the same sense of width as the Astro A40 and its underemphasized treble keeps it from delivering pristine detail. Nevertheless, this is a nice step-up over the Cloud Stinger 2 if you’re willing to pay a little bit extra. We highlight the Cloud Alpha as an honorable mention in our gaming headsets guide.

Logitech G535

The Logitech G535 is another honorable mention in our gaming headsets guide, one that should specifically appeal to those who want a wireless option for less than $100. If that’s you, good news: It’s available for just under $80 at Amazon, B&H and Best Buy, which is about $25 off its usual street price. The G535’s noticeably light frame, relatively balanced sound and Bluetooth support all impress for the price; just note that it doesn’t work with Xbox, and that its mic sounds a bit thinner than the wired headsets highlighted above. Its battery life clocks in at 30 to 35 hours per charge, which is decent but not great.

Razer Huntsman V2 TKL

If you’re after a new keyboard for gaming purposes, the Razer Huntsman V2 TKL is worth a look at its Black Friday price of $80, a record low. We recommend the Huntsman V2 TKL in our guide to the best gaming keyboards due to its sturdy tenkeyless frame, crisp PBT keycaps, clean RGB lighting and steady performance. Its keystrokes are quiet, plus it comes with a wrist rest, all for a relatively attainable price. We’re specifically talking about the model with Razer’s linear optical switches here; a variant with clicky switches is also on sale for $45, but we found typing on that model to be distractingly noisy in testing.

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless

The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless is back down to $175 for Black Friday, a $75 drop that comes within a dollar of the best price we’ve seen. This is the top wireless pick in our gaming keyboards guide. It uses SteelSeries’ magnetic OmniPoint switches, which enable a range of helpful gaming features: You can raise or lower the actuation point of individual keys — setting a high point to make typing more comfortable or a low point to make presses faster for games — or use a rapid trigger mode that lets you repeat critical inputs faster. The rest of the keyboard is solid too, though you’d buy it for that gaming flexibility more than its raw typing experience. The Wooting 60HE, our top overall pick, is a better value if you don’t mind going wired, but it’s not discounted as of this writing. If you really want to reduce clutter on your desk, this is a good alternative.

ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless

The ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless is down to a new low of $145 at Amazon and Newegg, which is a $35 discount. This was a close second to the Apex Pro TKL in our testing when it came to wireless gaming keyboards. Its pre-lubed ROG NX switches, superb sound dampening and PBT-coated keycaps make it a pleasure to type on, it’s hot-swappable, plus it lasts longer than SteelSeries’ model on a charge. It just lacks the custom actuation tricks we found so useful on the Apex Pro. Still, if you care about a premium typing feel more than gaming-friendly features, this is a good buy.

ASUS ROG Azoth

The ASUS ROG Azoth, meanwhile, is down to $200 at Amazon, Newegg and B&H. That matches the lowest price we’ve seen and marks a roughly $25 drop from the wireless keyboard’s average street price. The Azoth is like a smaller version of the Strix Scope II 96 Wireless with a few more enthusiast touches, including a gasket-mounted design (which gives presses a softer feel), a programmable OLED display and a toolkit for lubing switches in the box. It’s exceptionally well-made, but it probably goes without saying that it’s meant for enthusiasts only, even with this discount.

Razer Huntsman Mini

The Razer Huntsman Mini is down to $70 at Target for a model with linear optical switches. If stock there runs out, Amazon and Best Buy have it for $10 more. Normally, we see this keyboard retail between $90 and $100. The Huntsman Mini is another honorable mention in our gaming keyboards guide. It’s a 60 percent keyboard, so it omits dedicated arrow and function keys but takes up very little space on a desk — providing more room to move a mouse around in turn. Its textured PBT keycaps and aluminum top plate keep it from feeling cheap, while its linear switches are quick, responsive and not terribly loud. Another version of the Huntsman Mini with analog switches is also on sale for $80: We haven’t tested that model, but it lets you customize each key’s travel in a manner similar to the Apex Pro TKL Wireless above.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is available for $1,200 at Best Buy for a configuration with a Ryzen 9 7940HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. That matches the lowest price we’ve seen and takes $400 off ASUS’ list price. This model also has a 14-inch 1440p display with a 165Hz refresh rate. The ROG Zephyrus G14 is the top overall recommendation in our guide to the best gaming laptops. It’s a compact notebook that’s plenty capable for triple-A gaming but doesn’t totally sacrifice the “laptop” part of the phrase “gaming laptop.” It’s relatively light and portable at 3.6 pounds, and its keyboard and trackpad both work well. Its 720p webcam could stand to be sharper, though.

MSI Stealth 14 Studio

The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is another gaming laptop we like, and right now Best Buy has it for $1,100. This model includes a Core i7-13620H chip, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an RTX 4060 GPU and a 14-inch 1,920 x 1,200 display with a 165Hz refresh rate. We gave the Stealth 14 Studio a score of 87 in our review this past June; like the ROG Zephyrus G14, it’s light for a gaming laptop (3.75 pounds) and offers capable performance for everyday gaming. This config is a lower-end model than the one we reviewed — it has a slightly slower CPU and its display isn’t as sharp or fast — but the gist is the same. Its biggest flaws are its middling 720p webcam and the fact that it can run hot under load. It’s still a gaming laptop, so battery life isn’t amazing either.

Whether you should get this model over the ROG Zephyrus G14 deal above comes down to whether you can sacrifice a higher-res display for more storage space. The G14 has more ports as well, though the Stealth 14 Studio includes a Thunderbolt 4 port, which may be important if you ever plan on connecting an external GPU.

Dell G15 5530 Gaming Laptop

A version of Dell’s G15 5530 Gaming Laptop with a Ryzen 7 7840HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, an RTX 4060 GPU and a 15.6-inch, 1080p, 165Hz display is down to $900 at Amazon. That’s a 22 percent discount and the lowest price we’ve tracked. Another model with a more powerful Core i7-13650HX chip and 1TB of RAM is available for $1,160, which is about $190 below its average street price. This is the most recent version of the “best budget” pick in our gaming laptops buying guide. It’s big, heavy (6.2 pounds) and not especially premium feeling, but it’s strong enough to play many games at high-ish settings, and its memory and storage are user-upgradeable.

 

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