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It's no secret that Nintendo Switch bundles are hard to come by in the US. In fact, there's only one time of year when we can rely on package offers to bring the price down and the value up - and that's Black Friday. November's sales have traditionally offered the biggest bundle offers of the year, throwing in free games and subscriptions with both the standard edition and OLED console. That's all changed this year.
Walmart has already launched 2024's Nintendo Switch OLED bundle onto the shelves, listing a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe package with 12 months of Nintendo Switch Online for $349 this week. Mario Kart 8 is still a $50 game even when on sale, so even with the OLED model's current $20 discount at Amazon this is still the better buy. Not only are you getting the game for free but this bundle also includes 12 months of that subscription service (essential for playing online but also offering an excellent selection of retro titles). That's far more than the three-month sub included in previous Nintendo Switch bundles and is worth $49.99 by itself. Removing the full MSRPs of both the game and subscription means you're essentially only paying $240 for the OLED console itself.
That's some serious value, which is why these bundles generally only ever appear during Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals. A couple of years ago a deal like this (though only on the standard edition console) was swept off the shelves in a matter of days over the course of the event itself. However, Amazon's new October Prime Day Nintendo Switch deals have been kickstarting the whole holiday sales period for a couple of years now - and that's exactly what we're seeing here.
Should you buy the Nintendo Switch OLED Mario Kart bundle?
If you're already in the market for a Nintendo Switch OLED, this is absolutely the best way to buy right now. Even flipping the game if it's not to your taste will net you a better deal than picking up a console outright. The device by itself is still $329.99 on Amazon's shelves, after all.
Of course, this bundle makes the most sense if you're a Mario Kart fan. Whether you've played and enjoyed previous entries or you're introducing younger players to the franchise, it's an excellent way to start a Nintendo Switch collection. It's the first game I bought for my system back in 2017 and it's often a go-to for new buyers. It's a perfect multiplayer title for players of all ages - with not just races but battles and challenges to complete with or against each other as well. Throw in that online subscription for global race leaderboards and you're all set.
If you're between the Nintendo Switch OLED and the standard edition console, I would recommend making sure you know exactly how you're going to play your device; handheld or docked. Both models feature the same internal power, battery, and storage - so it's only the display you're swapping out. If you're only ever going to play in docked mode, I'd recommend holding out for some standard edition bundles. There's no point in paying for that OLED display if you're not going to stare at it. However, this is absolutely my go-to if you mostly play in handheld mode, or even if you're going full hybrid with a 50/50 split. If you're still undecided, check out our guide to which Nintendo Switch you should buy on Black Friday.
Of course, we have both October Prime Day and Black Friday coming up, but I wouldn't be too concerned about jumping in early here. Last year's Nintendo Switch bundles hit the shelves a little earlier too, though we were still waiting for the end of the month, and remained there until the official holiday sales were over and done with. Nintendo packages up its own bundle offers and sends them out to retailers - we rarely see stores themselves creating their own discounts. That means this is likely the big hitter for 2024, it's just a question of how long it will stay around.
We're also rounding up all the best Nintendo Switch accessories to see you through your games, as well as the best Nintendo Switch chargers and best Nintendo Switch memory cards as well.
