Best Buy just launched its early Black Friday sale - these are the 15 gaming deals I'd actually buy

1. Asus ROG Ally | $699.99 $619.99 at Best Buy
Save $80 - I certainly didn't see this coming, but the Asus ROG Ally (my go-to for PC gaming when I'm not testing laptops) has taken its first price cut in Best Buy's early Black Friday deals. That's truly impressive, with a full $80 off the $699.99 MSRP dropping it down to $619.99. 

Buy it if: 

✅ You prefer to play with a controller
✅ You can play plugged in most of the time
✅ You want to play as many games as possible 

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You only play Steam games 

Price Check: Walmart: OOS | Amazon: OOS

2. It Takes Two (PS5 / Xbox) | $39.99 $19.99 at Best Buy
Save $20 - It Takes Two is down to just $19.99 on both Xbox and PlayStation right now. Considering I've only ever seen this co-op adventure down to $22 in the past, that's a fantastic offer. This title has been discounted regularly in recent weeks, but you're grabbing a record low price here. 

Buy it if: 

✅ You have a player two ready
✅ You enjoy puzzle platforming

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You prefer solo adventures

Price Check: Walmart: $22.15 | Amazon: $27.10

3. Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX | $179.99 $119.99 at Best Buy
Save $60 - The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX is perfectly positioned for both Xbox and PlayStation, and at $119.99 it's never been cheaper before. We've only seen the Gen 2 Max at $139.99 in the past, and that sale was over the holidays last year. That's pretty good going for what was our favorite multiplatform gaming headset before the Pro model came along. 

Buy it if: 

✅ You play across multiple platforms
✅ You want as good sound on Xbox as you get on PS5
✅ You won't be relying on Super-Human Hearing mode

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You're only interested in the Super-Human Hearing Mode

Price Check: Walmart: $139.99 | Amazon: $166.99

4. Turtle Beach Recon Controller | $59.95 $29.95 at Best Buy
Save $30 - With $30 off the final price, the Turtle Beach Recon Controller is down to a record low at Best Buy right now. I've only seen this wired gamepad drop to $39.95 in the past, and that was back over Black Friday last year. Considering you're getting pro features like remappable buttons and extra audio controls, that's excellent value. 

Buy it if: 

✅ You'll use the extra buttons
✅ You want extra grip on your controller
✅ You play Xbox in a smaller space or on PC

Don't buy it if: 

❌ A wireless connection is a priority 

Price Check: Amazon: $44 | Walmart: $44.99

5. Dead Island 2 HELL-A Edition (PS5) | $99.99 $69.99 at Best Buy
Save $30 - Best Buy is returning this HELL-A special edition of Dead Island 2 back down to a record low price I've only seen a couple of times since launch. This $69.99 rate saves you $30 and has only appeared in brief flash sales before today. In addition to the game you're getting a steelbook, Venice Beach map, six slayer cards, two pin badges, a patch, and two weapons packs. 

Buy it if: 

✅ You're a fan of the original game
✅ You want all the extra merch you can get
✅ You've got a co-op partner

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You don't like gore

Price Check: Amazon: $69.99 | Walmart: $85.57

6. Dragon Quest Treasures (Nintendo Switch) | $49.99 $34.99 at Best Buy
Save $15 - Still holding out for Dragon Quest 12? This $15 discount on Treasures should satisfy that craving and featuring 11's Erik and Mia you'll get a slice of the previous game's vibes to boot. That cost has dripped down to $29 in the past, but that's only $5 away and such a price hasn't been seen since June. 

Buy it if: 

✅ You enjoyed Dragon Quest 11
✅ You'll recognize older Dragon Quest references
✅ You prefer live combat 

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You're expecting the quality of a main line game

Price Check: Amazon: $34.99 | Walmart: $34.99

7. Dead Space (PS5) | $69.99 $39.99 at Best Buy
Save $30 - Dead Space has been dancing around this $39.99 sale price over the last few weeks, jumping back up to full price at Best Buy every now and then. It's back for these early Black Friday deals, though, and that record low price saves you an additional $5 over the $44.99 figure we've seen before. 

Buy it if:

✅ You enjoyed the original game
✅ You enjoy Resident Evil games
✅ You've been waiting for a discount

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You don't like horror

Price Check: Walmart: $45.22 | Amazon: OOS

8. Octopath Traveler 2 (Switch) | $59.99 $39.99 at Best Buy
Save $20 - The Nintendo Switch version of Octopath Traveler 2 is at a record low $39.99 price at Best Buy this week. Considering I only started seeing these kinds of savings over the summer, that's a solid early offer. If you're after PlayStation editions, though, we'd head over to Amazon where you'll find the PS5 game up for $29.99. 

Buy it if: 

✅ You enjoyed the original game
✅ You have plenty of time to sink into an RPG

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You're after faster paced action 

Price Check: Amazon: $39.99 | Walmart: $42.99

9. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 3 months | Mystery Starfield Collectable | $44.99 at Best Buy
This is the standard rate for a three month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, but you're also getting a free mystery Starfield collectable thrown in. From the looks of it, you'll receive one of three carboard suitcase designs with some game-themed stickers. It's not a major freebie, but it's certainly worth it for fans of the game looking to top up their membership. 

Buy it if: 

✅ The Game Pass library suits your playstyle
✅ You enjoyed Starfield
✅ You want to top up your membership months

Don't buy it if: 

❌ There's nothing you want to play on Game Pass 

Price Check: Amazon: $44.99 (no stickers) | Walmart: $44.99 (no stickers)

10. Xbox Series S (512GB) | 3 months Xbox Game Pass Ultimate | $299.99 at Best Buy
If you're after the budget Microsoft console, you can actually pick up three months of Game Pass Ultimate for free when you go to Best Buy. That means you're getting $44.99 worth of subscriptions included in that $299.99 MSRP. 

Buy it if: 

✅ You want a simple Game Pass machine
✅ You don't need the best specs
✅ You don't need a disk drive

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You need 4K resolution 

Price Check: Walmart: $279.99 (no Game Pass) | Amazon: $326.99 (no Game Pass)

11. First 4 Figures The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Hylian Shield | $109.99 $59.99 at Best Buy
Save $50 - Other retailers can't keep up with this record low price on the First 4 Figures Hylian Shield. This collector's piece has never dropped below $80 before, making today's $59.99 sale price all the more impressive. 

Buy it if: 

✅ You're a Zelda fan
✅ You've got a good place to display it 

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You're not a Zelda fan 

Price Check: Amazon: $82.91 | Walmart: $86.08

12. SteelSeries Arctis 9X | $199.99 $99.99 at Best Buy
Save $100 - It might be going back a generation now, but the SteelSeries Arctis 9X is still a powerful gaming headset for Xbox. This is the first time I've seen it drop to $99.99, having previously been stuck at around $135 when on sale. That makes today's two-figure price tag all the more impressive. 

Buy it if: 

✅ You want a wireless headset for Xbox Series X
✅ You still want dual connections with Bluetooth
✅ Comfort is a priority 

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You can get by with a wired connection 

Price Check: Amazon: $99.99 | Walmart: $139.99

13. Meta Quest 2 (128GB) | Logitech Chorus Off-Ear Integrated Audio | $399.98 $349.98 at Best Buy
Save $50 - Yes the Meta Quest 3 is out in the wild now, but you can save some cash on the older model if you grab it with the Logitech Chorus audio solution as well. Normally $399 together, Best Buy has taken $50 off the price here, dropping it down to just $349.98. 

Buy it if: 

✅ You don't want to wear headphones
✅ You don't need Quest 3's mixed reality features
✅ You're experimenting with VR for the first time

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You need the newer features of the Quest 3

Price Check: Amazon: $349.99 together | Walmart: $359.99 together

14. HP Victus 15.6-inch RTX 3050 gaming laptop | $899.99 $549.99 at Best Buy
Save $350 - I rarely find myself recommending RTX 3050 gaming laptop deals these days, but if you're up against a strict $600 budget this is going to be your best bet right now. You're getting an entry level starter rig for $350 off - this kind of sale price generally only appears during Black Friday sales. If you can move further up the price scale, though, there's much better value out there at around $799 these days.

Specs: Intel i5-13420H | Nvidia RTX 3050 | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD | 144Hz FHD display

Buy it if: 

✅ You want an entry level rig as cheap as possible
✅ You play lighter indie games
✅ You don't need super fast framerates 

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You play more demanding releases 

Price Check: Walmart: $660 | Amazon: $769

15. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 RTX 4060 gaming laptop | $1,599.99 $1,249.99 at Best Buy
Save $350 - I was happy when this RTX 4060 configuration of the fantastic Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 dropped to $1,399.99 earlier this month. Now it's down to $1,249.99 at Best Buy. Yes, it did drop to $1,199.99 for a couple of days last week, but considering the $350 saving this is still a solid offer. 

Specs: AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS | Nvidia RTX 4060 | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD | 165Hz QHD display

Buy it if: 

✅ You travel regularly with your laptop
✅ You want portability and power
✅ You only need a mid-range graphics card

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You want to run the latest games at the highest settings 

Price Check: Amazon: OOS | Walmart: OOS