Black Friday retro deals: handheld and console offers to watch for this November

Every year, I make a point of digging for Black Friday retro deals. The sale makes for a great chance to grab handhelds and plug-and-play consoles while they're at their lowest price, and I fully believe this year will offer up plenty of cheaper ways to revisit classic capers.

Collecting the best retro consoles with modern perks can be a pricey hobby, especially if you opt for authentic remakes armed with HDMI output and other fancy features. Even if you stick with original hardware, essential accessories like upscalers are anything but cheap, so there's no shame in trying to snag some savings while splashing out on your setup.

Trust me when I say I'm also looking to bag some excellent Black Friday retro deals this year. In truth, the only offers that I end up personally pouncing on are cheap handheld emulators, mini consoles for my collection, and new accessories for my evolving setup. Therefore, you'll want to stick with me for advice on what to expect from the sale this year and retro systems worth looking out for.

Black Friday retro deals: FAQ

Black Friday retro deals: What to expect

Black Friday retro deals can sometimes catch you off guard, as everything from the latest mini consoles to older systems can end up discounted. For that reason, I'd keep an eye out for even systems that have been long discontinued as well as fresh releases from the past few years.

I'll kick things off with the Atari 2600+, as the 2023 mini remake is highly likely to show up for less this Black Friday. The iconic woodgrain system is the oldest version of the company's new-age HDMI devices, meaning it should theoretically drop further than its Atari 7800+ sibling and its Pac-Man themed counterpart set to release October 31. Ultimately, your goal should be to grab any of these for under $100, and $70 is the average record low to beat.

Both those systems are designed to run actual cartirdges and hook up to modern TVs, but the Atari 400 Mini is also worth watching out for if you prefer microcomputer classics. What I will say is that you might struggle to find it at its absolute lowest this Black Friday since there used to be a European listing at Amazon with free shipping. However, there will still be discounts to be had that'll take the beige homage under $100.

Atari is absolutely dominating the "new" retro console scene right now, but I reckon we'll also see some big Evercade savings this Black Friday. Ideally, we'll be treated to discounts on the Super Pocket since it's already my best gaming handheld pick for budget players and tends to drop under $50 during sales.

Blaze has an entire lineup worth considering, and I'd be surprised if the Evercade VS doesn't show up this year. Both the TV system and the Evercade EXP-R now come in "solo" versions that ditch a pack-in game, meaning discounts could be applied to a lower MSRP. I am also holding out for the company's excellent Evercade Alpha arcade machine dropping to a new low, but I'm not so sure we'll see movement since the previous Street Fighter 2 and Mega Man variants have been replaced by a new Bubble Bobble flavor.

If you're hellbent on building an at-home amusements this Black Friday, there will be arcade machine offers to be had. Without fail, a bunch of Arcade1Up cabinets normally end up dipping in price, and while they've got a pretty lofting starting price, you should be able to grab a cabinet for under $300.

Yes, these machines are almost as tall as the original, but fear not, as I've also tested far smaller cabinets like the Quarter Arcades Bubble Bobble. That specific tiny replica is a bit pricey at $250, but Black Friday could help it reach $180 based on past record lows. I'm also a big fan of some much older discontinued micro machines like the Sega Astro City and Neo Geo Mini, especially when the former pops back up under $100.

SNK's offering is already sitting pretty cheap since it's under $60, so I'm not entirely sure whether it'll get a massive price cut. It is worth noting that the right discount could be enough to wipe out any remaining stock of the Neo Geo Mini, so waiting for reductions is potentially a gamble.

Since I seem to be touching on smaller systems, it's only right to touch on retro handhelds. Offers on emulation devices aren't uncommon during Black Friday, and I often find that some of the best savings pop up unexpectedly at Amazon. The trick is to stick with tried and tested brands, as that will help you steer clear of cheap novelty devices out to make a quick buck.

At the lowest end of the scale, you're going to find the likes of the Anbernic RG28XX and Myioo Mini Plus. Your mission will be to grab either for as close to $30 as possible, and while that's sort of already possible sometimes at Aliexpress, I have witnessed portables plummet below other discount retailers during Black Friday.

Moving up the scale, Black Friday is also a nice time to target the Anbernic RG Cube. The square screen portable normally stays pretty steady at $170, and there is a cheaper XX version with fewer features for $70. But, if discounts do kick in, you might be able to grab the former for a record low closer to the $100 mark.

Looking for price cuts on portables? Swing by Black Friday Steam Deck deals for savings on Valve's handheld PC and accessories. You'll want to peek at Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals if you'd prefer something console-flavored, and Black Friday monitor deals will help you revamp your setup.