Best Buy just unleashed its early Black Friday sales - but there's one big problem for gamers
Nov. 11, 2024A lot of this tech is cheaper at Amazon
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Early Black Friday deals have landed at Best Buy, so I’ve been scrolling the full sale all morning. While gathering all the biggest discounts, though, I noticed a problem. I price check every deal I find, to make sure it’s the lowest on the web, and have found that Amazon has snuck into Best Buy’s party this week.
The online retail giant is cheaper than Best Buy’s official sale most of the time right now. I’ve found eight earlyBlack Friday gaming dealsthat are actually worth buying ahead of the official sale - they sit on top recommended tech and are at or near record-low prices. Five are currently cheaper at Amazon, and three are only available at Best Buy. I price matched dozens of discounts, and the trend remains. Where the yellow label retailer has exclusivity or outlasting stock it tends to win, but for the majority of big-brand products (from Razer, SteelSeries, Corsair, Logitech etc.), Amazon is currently considerably cheaper.
Take theLogitechG Pro X Superlight, for example. Right now, it’s up atBest Buy for $99.99, apparently ‘on sale’. The problem is that’s the price Amazon has had on this model for months now, and the online giant has dropped a further $11 on the cost this week,down to $88.95. It goes to show how important it is to check both other retailers and individual product price histories when hunting for holiday sales - especially when big Black Friday banners are hung. I’ve rounded up the top discounts on products featured in Best Buy’s sale from both retailers just below.
Winner: Amazon
Razer Naga V2 Hyperspeed |$99.99$78.99 at AmazonSave $21 -The Razer Naga V2 Hyperspeed has only ever been $4 cheaper than this in the past, and that was back in July. Over the last few months it’s been hovering at between $80 and the full $99.99, only dipping back below that threshold in late October.
Buy it if:
✅You need plenty of buttons✅You mostly play MMOs✅You like a curvier shape
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You mostly play FPS
Price check:Best Buy: $85
Buy it if:
✅You mostly play FPS✅You want good value speed✅You like a matte texture
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want the lightest mouse possible
Price check:Best Buy: $99.99
Sony Inzone H9 |$299.99$198 at AmazonSave $100 -TheSony Inzone H9is down to a brand new record-low price at Amazon right now, after spending the last few months stick at around $245. This is only the second time the headset has dropped below $200 in its life, shaving an extra dollar off that $199.99 previous record.
Buy it if:
✅You want that PlayStation aesthetic✅But you mostly play on PC✅You want extra comfort for glasses
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You need a high quality microphone
Price check:Best Buy: $199.99
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless (white, Xbox) |$349.99$275.47 at AmazonSave $74.52 -The Xbox version of theSteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wirelessdoesn’t drop to this price every day - the cheapest it generally ever goes is $299, but it’s been up at $350 for most of its life so far. Considering it’s my favorite headset on the market overall, that’s a steal.
Buy it if:
✅You play across both PS5 and Xbox✅You don’t want to worry about charging✅You prioritize high quality audio
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You don’t like EQ tinkering
Price check:Best Buy: $293.99
Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 27-inch monitor |$899.99$649.99 at AmazonSave $250 -TheSamsung Odyssey OLED G6has actually been $20 cheaper fairly recently, but I’ve included it here to demonstrate just how different each retailer’s prices can be. Best Buy is still at $799.99 on this panel, even though that’s the rate I’ve seen the monitor at for most of the year. Sale prices usuallyreturnto $799.99 once they’re up, so Amazon is the clear winner this week.
Buy it if:
✅You’re upgrading your color and HDR✅You need a high-speed monitor✅You hate glare
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want a bigger screen
Price check:Best Buy: $799.99
Backbone One PlayStation Edition |$99.99$59.99 at Best BuySave $40 -It’s rare to find discounts on theBackbone One. The hugely popular mobile controller only shaves its price during major sales, and often only to $79.99. Best Buy has a new record here, with the PlayStation Edition down at $59.99 - that’s a hell of a lot cheaper than a Portal.
Buy it if:
✅You have an iPhone✅You want cheap remote play controls✅You play other mobile games
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’ve got a Portal
Price check:Amazon: $99.99
Corsair Virtuoso Pro |$199.99$139.99 at Best BuySave $60 -Best Buy also has the edge on the open backCorsair Virtuoso Progaming headset. It’s dropped to $139.99 once or twice at Amazon before, but that record-low is just out of reach of competitors right now.
Buy it if:
✅You’re a streamer✅You want a wider soundstage✅You play in a quiet space
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You play in a busy environment
Price check:Amazon: $149.99
Asus TUF A15 15.6-inch RTX 4070 gaming laptop |$1,399.99$999.99 at Best BuySave $400 -This is often where Best Buy will beat Amazon fairly easily. Cheaper gaming laptop are hard to find at Amazon, but theAsus TUF A15(my favorite budget laptop) is currently at its lowest price yet at Best Buy. $999 is a fantastic rate for an RTX 4070 machine - the cheapest I’ve seen so far.
Buy it if:
✅You want the RTX 4070 as cheap as possible✅You don’t mind a 16:9 display✅You still want a solid build quality
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want to push the RTX 4070 as hard as possible
Price check:Amazon: $1,289
Black Friday is an endlessly competitive season, where retailers work to outprice each other as quickly as possible. That can mean pricing changes in a matter of minutes on the big day itself, but those wars rage on even weeks ahead of the event. Amazon often undercuts its competitors' prices by a few dollars in an attempt to maintain its edge, so I always recommend checking a deal from Best Buy, Walmart, or Newegg against those online shelves. However, that’s not the end of the story.
Even if you’ve found the web’s lowest prices on top tech, it’s important to make sure you’re actually getting the best deal of the year. Black Friday is renowned for introducing new record-low prices, particularly on previous generation tech as retailers look to shift older stock ahead of the new year. Checking the price history of a product using a tool like CamelCamelCamel means you always know you’re actually getting a Black Friday-level discount. You’d be surprised how many prices are upped ahead of a big sale, just so that sub-par savings can be headline news on the day itself.
We’re also getting you prepped for all this year’sBlack Friday PS5 dealsandBlack Friday Nintendo Switch deals. Or, take a look atBlack Friday Xbox dealsif you’re inMicrosoft’s camp.
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Managing Editor of Hardware at GamesRadar+, I originally landed in hardware at our sister site TechRadar before moving over to GamesRadar. In between, I’ve written for Tom’s Guide, Wireframe, The Indie Game Website and That Video Game Blog, covering everything from the PS5 launch to the Apple Pencil. Now, i’m focused on Nintendo Switch, gaming laptops (and the keyboards, headsets and mice that come with them), PS5, and trying to find the perfect projector.
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