If you've had one on your wishlist for a while, you'll know that the reMarkable tablets hardly ever get discounts. These digital notebook/e-reader hybrids are very pricey, so it means that for many, waiting for one of these rare discounts is the only option. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in this, the month of January, when no one has money to spend after the Christmas and New Year period, reMarkable is finally letting down its guard.
The reMarkable 2 tablet bundles are all $70 off at Amazon right now, which means that you can get the reMarkable 2, a folio cover, and the Marker Plus Pen for $499 at Amazon, down from $569. This discount is perfectly timed for us gamers, as Steam has just launched a "Detective Fest" sale, dropping the price of loads of puzzling detective-style PC games. If you haven't come across the reMarkable tablets before, $499 might seem like a lot to pay for a notepad, but hear me out.
I use my reMarkable tablet daily for all sorts of ideation, thought organisation, and reading, but I also use it as a gaming sidekick. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that without it, my girlfriend and I would never have been able to keep track of all the puzzles, theories, and tiny details while playing last year's indie darling, Blue Prince.
Being able to scribble down clues, start a separate page for each run, or just keep a log of what books we'd taken out of the in-game library was a massive help. If we had our own theories, we could scribble them down and track them with ease. And in other games from 2025, like Hell is Us, I found myself gravitating to my reMarkable to keep track of the game's many plot threads.
Even if I'm not playing a detective puzzler, I'll still keep my reMarkable handy so I can scribble down some review notes, a safe code or two, or even help me organise my gaming backlog. The reMarkable devices were never designed to be used as gaming sidekicks, but they do a wonderful job.
I'm not seeing this $70 saving on the color model, the reMarkable Paper Pro, or the newer and more portable reMarkable Paper Pro Move, but that may not be such a bad thing. I graduated to the Paper Pro a little while after it came out, and although I love being able to notetake in different colors, I do think the writing feel is a little changed from the reMarkable 2's ultra authentic paper feel. But no matter which model you go for, that's the thing that reMarkable can offer over any other brand. No other paper tablet I've tried has been able to replicate the writing feel of this brand, and it makes a huge difference.
Now, I'll level with you. $499 is a lot to pay when you could essentially get a regular paper notepad. I'm right there with you, but I think the price you pay for a reMarkable is for an experience, more than the simple act of scribbling down notes. Moreover, you can get so much more out of this device than simply writing gaming notes.
I usually don't recommend premium devices that charge more than the competition for seemingly not much reason. For me, reMarkable is the exception. Compared to something like the Kindle Scribe, which is also currently discounted at Amazon, you do pay more money for fewer features, but I really do believe reMarkable's minimalism makes it worth it.
In our modern world, being able to keep notes, read articles, and contribute to creative projects without the distraction of ads and the constant buzz of "smart" devices is utterly refreshing. I'm not saying that we should have to pay for the privilege of more simplistic technology, but I think there's a peaceful experience using one of reMarkable's devices that allows your brain to feel like it has all the space it needs to commit your thoughts to (virtual) paper. To me, that brain space feels worth its weight in gold.
Depending on who you are and what kind of technology you like to use, this deal might seem utterly insane or long-awaited. Since these tablets are highly coveted and get discounted so infrequently, I thought I should let you know either way. The folks at reMarkable tell me these bundle discounts are set to last until January 17. Meanwhile, the Steam Detective Fest sale will run from Jan 12-19th.
For more on clever gaming peripherals, I'd recommend reading up on the best live streaming gear for gamers, the best streaming mixer, and the best capture cards.
