Black Friday is an amazing time to buy an Xbox. That's been the case for years now, due in part to the fact the Series S consoles are incredible value for money. This year, however, buying an Xbox is even easier. Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, has taken on the approach that everything can be an Xbox these days thanks to Game Pass and its Cloud Streaming abilities.
Marketing campaigns literally saying "This is an Xbox" have been appearing everywhere recently. With that in mind, I'm recommending that any casual gamer out there looking to get back into gaming, or even play the odd title here and there check their internet speed. If it's fast enough to Stream 4K content, there's no need to buy an Xbox Series S - just grab this Fire TV Stick 4K bundle for $74.99 at Amazon.
Making the most of this Black Friday Xbox deal means you can stream Game Pass games right to your TV, without the need for dedicated hardware. Now, I'll grant you, that this only comes with a one-month Game Pass subscription, so in the long run, you might end up spending more - but then again, with a Series S or X, most people will subscribe to Game Pass anyway. Buying an Xbox Series S is fairly tempting right now, with Black Friday Xbox deals at Walmart dropping it to just $248, but this bundle saves you $173 compared to buying one.
Should you buy a Fire TV Stick instead of an Xbox this Black Friday?
Is everything an Xbox? No. Is this Fire TV Stick a much cheaper way to play Xbox games? Absolutely. You'll need to double check your WiFi strength to make sure you've got the speeds required to smoothly stream your games, but if you've got the digits and you're a more casual player I'd absolutely recommend this bundle instead of the full console. Microsoft recommends a minimum of 10Mbps download speed, but really suggests 20Mbps for the best experience. You can check your speed with a range of smartphone apps, but know that that's at the lower end of average.
Game streaming has come a long way since those early days of... Stadia (RIP). With far more sophisticated server systems and faster tech powering all your entertainment, going download-free is more popular than ever. That doesn't mean it's for everyone, though.
You'll get much better quality games from an actual Xbox Series X console. This is no substitute for the current generation graphics we see from the boxes themselves, and even the Series S can offer up better performance when playing games locally. Streaming is far more convenient, but you do drop a little quality. Similarly, if you actually want to own the games you play, you'll need to pick up a console to download them onto.
However, if there are just one or two titles on Game Pass the pique your interest, or you tend to hop between games pretty quickly and don't want to commit to a full console, this Fire TV stick bundle is absolutely worth it. You get everything you need to get set up - a controller, streaming stick, and one month of Game Pass Ultimate.
We're also rounding up all the latest Black Friday Xbox controller deals and the biggest Black Friday TV deals for more inspiration. Or, take a look at our full roster of the best Black Friday deals for gamers.
