It's all here folks. The Black Friday game deals are finally here. After weeks of prep, it's all systems go for the official deals, and they're coming in thick and fast. If you're reluctant to spend hours checking out every Australian retailer individually, well lucky you, that's our job. Amazon AU, Ebay AU, Mighty Ape, Microsoft, JB Hi-Fi... we're keeping a very close eye on all of these outlets, and when they fire their delicious deals into the web, we're here to catch them.
It's a good time to shop PS4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. With next-gen consoles expected to land in late 2020, we're expecting to see some pretty hefty discounts between now and the end of Cyber Monday. We're collating the best discounts across all of these platforms, as well as PC, and all peripherals besides.
Black Friday deals from around the web
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- Amazon Australia: sale kicks of at midnight, November 29
- eBay Australia: plenty of offers live already, with the use of the code PITCH20
- Microsoft Australia: save on Surface devices
- Kogan: decent bargains on a lot of tech
- Dick Smith: plenty of offers live
- Big W: up to 50% off hundreds of items
The deals below are relevant at the moment you see them, but keep in mind that some retailers (particularly Amazon) like to run flash sales throughout the day, so you'll want to keep this page open in a tab, or bookmarked, in order to keep abreast of every new deal as they come to light. We're expecting a bunch of Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch bundles to stay good for today and most of the weekend, but if you're after especially steep discounts, you might want to check back every hour or so.
Nintendo Switch consoles
PS4 consoles
Xbox One consoles
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Peripherals
Black Friday game deals - when do they start?
While retailers always like to get the jump on each other, the official date for Black Friday 2019 is November 29. That's when you'll see the deepest discounts on all things gaming, but also the most people shopping for them. If you miss out on the 'thing you want' during Black Friday, then most retailers offer special deals on Cyber Monday, which will be December 2 in 2019. Keep both these dates in your diary.
What we often see is that retailers run deals throughout the months of November and December, usually starting about a week or two before Black Friday itself. So the Black Friday game deals are likely to actually begin around 21-22 November, and run until mid-December, as people continue shopping for Christmas gifts. If we were buying a new console (which some members of Team GR absolutely plan to do), then we'd be looking at the deals on or before November 29. However, if you plan to go all-in on Black Friday itself, you need to accept that the best offers sell out in minutes. Literal minutes. So, sometimes it pays to grab a great deal beforehand, just so you know you have it all secured and in your home.
Black Friday game deals - what will they be?
What will the Black Friday game deals actually be? Well, we can make a few sensible predictions based on what we saw last year, and what we've seen in 2019 so far. For reference, here are the current best prices on the three top consoles, so you know what they cost right now.
1. Xbox One will get deep discounts
Microsoft isn't messing around. It knows it lost ground to Sony this generation, it knows it has a strong cross-generational library of games, and it wants to bring in as many people as possible before launching into next-gen. We've seen Xbox One S systems go as cheap as $250 during events like Prime Day, we think you'll see them dip below that $230 threshold during Black Friday. What's more, you'll get a couple of games thrown in too. Xbox One X will follow the same aggressive discounting: It'll get to $400 or below with some Black Friday deals. You'll likely see those offers come with a AAA game too.
2. PS4 will lean heavily on bundles
Sony is winning, so it doesn't need to try that hard. PS4 Black Friday deals will follow the same pattern as they did in 2018, with one big exception. Last year we saw Sony completely rely on the launch of a PS4 Pro bundle that included Red Dead Redemption 2, and it sold at pretty much full price ($399). There was a PS4 Slim bundle too, which also went for $299. In 2019, there's no killer game to rely on for full-priced bundles, so Sony will shift tactic a little. Sure, we may see a small saving on PS4 Pro and Slim, but that will likely come from retailers undercutting each other. What we'll get more of is bundles: PS4 Pro with Death Stranding and Days Gone? Very likely. PS4 Slim with Spider-Man and a Greatest Hits game? Certain. You're less likely to save money on PS4 than with Xbox One, but you'll get a handful of games thrown in during Black Friday for sure. As another note: we often find that the Black Friday Walmart PS4 deals are the best.
3. Nintendo won't cut Switch prices... but retailers will
With the Switch Lite now available, and the improved battery-life Switch also in the wild, it seems Nintendo is in no rush to reduce the prices of either console any time soon. With these new models still attracting good sales, why should the Japanese giant offer discounts? Despite that, you can expect to see retailers like Amazon and Walmart to push harder on savings, as they'll all be competing to be 'the place' to buy Switch during Black Friday. Previous years have seen decent savings on the console itself, and a host of generous bundles. This year will probably lean heavier on the bundle, as the Switch has a decent library of games to choose from. We'd expect to see the vanilla version of the Nintendo Switch sell for up to $100 cheaper on Black Friday, and we'd also expect to see bundles with one or two games for about the $400 price. There's rarely a good time to buy the console, given how rarely they're discounted, but the Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals are your best bet.
4. November is prime time to go PC
While console makers fuss over bundles and next-gen plans, PC parts have rarely been better value for money. In turn, that means gaming PCs are superb value for money, and will be even better during Black Friday. The GPU is the most costly component of any gaming PC or laptop, and there's a price war happening between Nvidia, AMD, and er, Nvidia (which is muscling out its own 20-series cards with new 20-series Super cards). The end result is that graphics cards are cheaper, and therefore all builds are cheaper too. SSDs are tumbling in price, and DDR4 RAM is steadily getting ever more affordable. 144Hz screens are increasingly the norm for both laptops and monitors too, so unless you're looking to pack in 4K or touch-screen tech (which isn't necessary for gaming), you can grab great laptop builds for less. Couple this pricing trend with the fact manufacturers always slash prices over Black Friday, to make room for next year's models and... it's the year of PC gaming. Here's our guide to all the Black Friday gaming PC deals.
5. Games prices will vary
Ok, the actual games in the Black Friday game deals will be a mixture of amazing discounts and 'meh'. The big hitters that will definitely go on offer will be all last year's AAA games and those from early 2019, like Red Dead Redemption 2, Mortal Kombat 11, Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Resi 2. You'll definitely see decent savings on some of this summer's big games - we predict $40 off both Control and Borderlands 3. The huge winter blockbusters like Gears 5 and Death Stranding won't get decent price cuts, but are likely to be freely bundled with consoles. Notice how we haven't mentioned Nintendo games here: discounts on Switch titles are rare, and not usually implemented by Nintendo, so you're not going to see any cheap Nintendo games unless retailers slash prices. Our guess? Mario Odyssey will go for $55, Zelda for $55, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle for $30, and Smash Bros for maybe $55 too. Nothing fantastic, but hey, better than paying $70-$80 full price. The best way to get games will be bundles, so watch out for Black Friday gaming specials.
6. Gaming TVs will be everywhere
As certain as death and taxes, Black Friday will see the slashing of 4K TV prices. This is great news for gamers, because you can either pick up a decent sized 4K panel for around $800-$1000 (from a good manufacturer like LG or Samsung) or upgrade to an OLED or QLED TV for less than $1700. That may seem like a lot of scratch, but the difference in picture quality from regular 4K to OLED is very noticeable. So, whether you're looking to pop your 4K cherry, or upgrade to a sleeker model, it's best to save your money for Black Friday. Check our guide to the Black Friday TV deals for more.
7. It's always on for headsets
Much like TV tech, audio is often the star of the sales in November. Picking up a Black Friday gaming headset deal is a smart thing to do, as the majority of modern headsets will not only give you years of superior audio, but they will also be compatible with future consoles and PC builds. Even if they do lack whatever connection MS and Sony insist on for their next consoles, we've started to see amps and DACs that not only enable you to connect to other devices, but also enhance the sound provided by regular headsets, even adding 7.1 surround in some cases. There's never a bad time to get a headset deal, but Black Friday is certainly the best opportunity to do so.
Black Friday game deals - money saving tips
While it's great to get a Black Friday game deal or two, you don't always get the best value for money. Sometimes retailers will deliberately hike up prices a few weeks before November, only to cut them back to 'normal levels' and insist they're special offers. So, how do you know if you're getting an actual decent deal, or if you're just paying normal rates? Here are a few tips.
1. Make a list now
You'll already have a good idea of what you want to buy during the Black Friday game deals, so make sure you make a note now. Maybe pop it onto an Amazon wishlist, or keep a doc on your PC. There really aren't many saving events in September, so you get a good idea of what the 'average price' is for something. If you have a list of stuff you really want, you'll easily be able to see what the real discount is, come Black Friday, and whether you're getting good value. Just don't wait until October to do it, or you'll be seeing inflated prices. If you're looking for a Black Friday gaming headset deal, for example, do the research now.
2. Price comparison sites are your friend
There are several price comparison sites – like Getprice (which, full disclaimer, is published by our parent company Future) – which will help you see the price history of an item. Give them a quick check before buying something, if you're unsure. But what if other retailers have the same item cheaper? Well, we've got a bunch of price comparison tools, so we actually do all that work for you if you see something in our guides. Failing that, you can always check your favourite retailers manually, but that takes time.
3. If you like it, get it
While we all like to get something at the rock bottom price, sometimes that isn't possible. Often the most popular stuff will sell out in minutes, when you're not even online, and that means you have to get whatever you want for either full-price or less of a discount. One common-sense tip we always give is that if you like what you see, and it's at a historically great price, then you should buy first and regret it later. Chances are you're actually getting the best deal and, even if you pay a few dollars more, you're guaranteeing you're getting the thing you actually want at a price you're happy with.
Black Friday game deals - our promise to you
The wealth of Black Friday game deals that go on offer in November is, quite frankly, very confusing. We're here to hunt down the genuine best deals, and tell you about them, to help save you money. We know games, we know PC, we know hardware and peripherals, so we know what you might actually want.
We only recommend deals that are actually good. By 'good' we mean: Is the product or bundle ACTUALLY worth buying? Would we buy it ourselves? If the answer is 'Yes' to both these questions, we'll include it here. And by 'deals' we mean: Is the product or bundle actually a bargain? Is there a big enough saving to genuinely recommend you buy it immediately, or seriously consider buying it? Again, if the answer is 'Yes' to both these questions, we will include it in this feature.
We won't include bad deals or poor products, and we will never recommend products from retailers that we don't trust ourselves. Below is a list of some of our most popular guides - to help you inform your buying decisions even further.
Best PS4 headsets | Best Xbox One headsets | Best gaming TVs | PS4 external hard drives | Xbox One external hard drives | Best PS4 games | Best Xbox One games | Best gaming PCs | Best gaming laptops
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