The Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday Gaming and Tech Deals of 2021

Image via Complex

It’s the elephant in the room, so let’s get it out of the way first: Sony’s PlayStation 5 proved to be one of 2020’s hottest pieces of tech, and a year later nothing has changed. Even with Sony offering lottery-like access to PSN subscribers, the system is still likely to be notoriously difficult to get your hands on. It’s also worth noting that bundles are nowhere to be seen in the ads this year—although there will be some great deals on PS5 titles (see below).

Unless you like the idea of paying upward of $1,000 on eBay, you’ll have to be a fast draw to score the next-generation console. As far as Black Friday deals go, Best Buy has the system at list price with a price match guarantee, and Walmart will start online sales of the system Nov. 22. If you want an online headstart at Walmart, note that Walmart+ members will get a four-hour window ahead of other shoppers to try and snag a PS5. If you’re not already a member at $98 per year, just sign up for the $12.95 a month plan and cancel after you’ve got your hands on a sweet, sweet PS5.

While the Xbox Series X|S has been a bit easier to find than the PlayStation 5, you can bet that with the holidays approaching the stakes are going to get a bit higher. Boasting 4K gaming and a sleek design, the system is no slouch, even when compared to the PS5. Just like the PS5, there aren’t likely to be many bundles with the X or S; however, there are lots of good deals on games to be found if you’re also able to pick up a console.

Just like the PS5, you’ll want to make a game plan (or three), if you don’t want to wind up overpaying on eBay in order to grab an Xbox. One strategy to use is to sign up for a monthly subscription to Walmart+ and get a headstart on the action. Otherwise, keeping tabs with Best Buy, Amazon, and GameStop open might be the best approach if you’re not planning on heading to wait in line.

The Nintendo Switch OLED has had its haters, whether or not the added upgrades are worth looking for the OLED instead of a classic Switch this season is certainly a personal decision. That being said, the OLED has been a top-performing console in the US the past few months and certainly isn’t easy to find. This Black Friday may be when you luck out, with some OLED bundles including copies of Mario Kart 8 or Metroid Dread. Bundles won’t save you more than $10 off MSRP, but the fact that both come with some of the hottest titles the Switch has to offer definitely makes them worth shooting for.

Target is one of the first retailers to advertise OLEDs in their Black Friday sneak peek, so it might be worth waiting in line there to see if you can luck out. Otherwise, the usual suspects of GameStop and Best Buy are worth staking out—either online or in person. 

If you’re like me, you hate shelling out money for controllers. At the same time, if you want to have an enjoyable local play experience while gaming, you’re going to need to have controllers for your friends (or have friends remember to bring their controllers over). Especially with a system like the Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 5 with its haptic features, having a legit controller rather than a generic Amazon knockoff can make a big difference in how you game. Thankfully, you’ve got some good deals to peruse this Black Friday.

For starters, the Xbox Elite Series 2 gamepad is currently $10 off on Amazon—which means the price might get even lower than this historical price drop come Black Friday. The Razer Wolverine Ultimate Xbox One wired controller is also $60 off its list price of $159.99 from Best Buy. Amazon and Walmart also look like great places to find deals on PlayStation controllers, with Sony Dualshock 4 wireless controllers for the PS4 anywhere from 20 percent to 45 percent off.

Speaking of controllers, for iPhone gamers that know, the Backbone One controller is a game-changer. The device, which turns your iPhone into your mobile game screen, works best when paired with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and is available for $15 off during their general Black Friday / Cyber Monday sale, which technically kicked off on Nov. 22 on playbackbone.com and runs through Nov. 29. 

Word is that Backbone will be running an Amazon-exclusive sale on Nov. 28.

Google Stadia might have a free option, but if you want to get the most from Google’s streaming video game platform, you’ll want to subscribe to Google Stadia Pro. Additionally, if you want to play on your TV you’ll need a Google Chromecast Ultra—not to mention a controller for the best gaming experience. 

Google Stadia Pro is normally $9.99 a month, so on a typical day, you could expect to pay roughly $120 a year, plus the cost of a controller and Chromecast Ultra. Keep an eye on Google’s website this Black Friday, though, and you’re likely to be pleasantly surprised. Last Black Friday they offered a Stadia Pro Bundle that included the Chromecast Ultra for $129. As far as controllers go, Amazon has a variety of options, many of which should be on sale late November, too.

If you’d rather avoid duking it out over Xboxes and PlayStations with other shoppers, the Oculus Quest 2 is definitely worth going after. With titles like Resident Evil 4 and Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge, not to mention multiplayer mayhem with Population: One, this year might be the time to take the plunge if you’ve been on the fence about virtual reality. 

Thankfully, a variety of retailers are all offering similar deals on the Oculus Quest 2 this year. At Target and Amazon, you can get $50 in credit when you purchase a Quest 2. Best Buy is running a similar deal, with shoppers receiving a $50 gift card when they check out. All of this is likely a ploy by Facebook, oops, I mean, Meta, to get more VR headsets into the hands of consumers while they work to get their Metaverse off the ground. Regardless of if you have any intention of setting foot in Mark Zuckerberg’s virtual playground, the fact remains that the Quest 2 is one of the best headsets out there, and getting $50 back for your purchase is a solid deal. 

If you’ve already gotten your hands on a next-gen console (or are looking to build your own bundle), there are a bunch of great gaming deals to be had this Black Friday, hopefully on the recently-released Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition. Both Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Watch Dogs Legion will be available at retailers like Best Buy, GameStop, and Target for just $20 across all systems. Additionally, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is listed in some early Black Friday ads for a whopping $40 off, with Ring Fit Adventure for the Switch being advertised at $25 off.

If you can’t wait until Black Friday to start saving on video games, Amazon and GameStop currently have an amazing buy-2-get-1-free deal across PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch titles. This includes new releases like Madden 22, Call of Duty Vanguard, and Far Cry 6. Just make sure to pick three games that are all roughly the same price, since Amazon is automatically reducing the lowest-priced game in your cart to $0. 

The iPhone 13 is here, and if you’ve been waiting to upgrade to the newest version of Apple’s flagship smartphone, now’s as good a time as any. Best Buy is offering deals on the Phone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. How much you wind up saving will ultimately depend on what carrier you’re with and whether or not you have an iPhone 8 or newer to trade-in toward the purchase.

For example, Verizon customers will save up to $1,000 off their purchase of an iPhone 13, while AT&T customers can save up to $800. T-Mobile customers get the chance to save as much as $900 on either the iPhone 13 Pro or the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and up to $725 off the iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 mini.

If you’re interested in the new Google Pixel 6 (or Pixel 6 Pro), your best bet to get a good deal is through subscribing to Pixel Pass via Google’s website. Their Black Friday Pixel Pass deal is already live, and lets you subscribe to Pixel Pass for $55 a month—scoring a new device and subscriptions to Google One, YouTube Premium, and Google Play Pass in the process. This deal allows you to save almost $300 over your two-year contract, and is similar to other mobile phone carriers’ monthly contract options.

If you’d rather not mess around with monthly payments or aren’t interested in Pixel Pass, you can still score some savings on the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro this holiday season. Target has the device at $50 off, with Best Buy offering $150 off list price for the Google Pixel 6, so if you’re most interested in maximizing your savings, head to Best Buy.

[Ed note: Google has also made it a little easier to shop #BlackOwned.]

While smartphones and next-gen consoles are the big-ticket items this holiday season, there are plenty of other great deals on tech this Black Friday that may be easier to score while consumers are fighting over PS5s and Xboxes. From laptops to AirPods, savvy shoppers can put a dent in their Christmas lists without breaking the bank this Black Friday. For starters, Apple’s AirPods Pro are on sale for $30 off from Best Buy and also come with six free months of Apple Music. Best Buy also has the 21.5” iMac with Retina 4K display for $500 off this Black Friday. 

In the world of laptops, Best Buy has Chromebooks for as low as $119 and is also offering savings ranging from $100 to $400 off of select Windows Surface devices. Target has some good tech deals, too, such as the Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) for $169.99 and Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones for $100 off. Google Nest Video Doorbells are $50 off at Target as well, and Amazon has Fire 8 HD tablets for $45 off and 4K Fire TV Sticks for $25 off.