Walmart's early Black Friday sales are here and I'd jump on these seven gaming deals right now
Nov. 12, 2024Walmart launches sale two weeks out from Black Friday
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
A week after Amazon and Best Buy launched their own early Black Friday sales, Walmart has joined the party. Everyone can now benefit from the site’s early offerings, and discounts are spanning PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch right now. I’ve scrolled through this entire sale this morning and picked out seven offers that stand a cut above the rest. That’s either because they’re at record-low prices, or they sit on rarely discounted products.
We’re still two weeks away from officialBlack Friday gaming deals, but retailers have bee running their full sales early for years now. In fact, I often see these kinds of discounts simply running through to the main event itself. It was Walmart’s early Black Friday sale last year that signposted a lot of the official offers that would land on the big day - and many products simply stayed at the same sales prices that entire time.
That means I wouldn’t fret about jumping in early here. While there’s likely another wave of deals heading our way once Thanksgiving is over, the below prices could well sail through the whole event as is. You’ll find all my top picks below.
Walmart’s early Black Friday sale at a glance
- Xbox Series X 1TB Digital Edition | Extra Xbox Wireless Controller |$499.99$489.99 at WalmartSave $10 -Walmart has a pretty odd previous price on this Xbox Series X bundle considering it holds an MSRP of $449.99 by itself. However, you’re still getting a great price here, with the cost of the controller coming in at $40 - pretty much the lowest I’ve seen it.
Buy it if:
✅You’re going all in on Game Pass✅You want a spare gamepad✅You don’t use physical discs
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You have older physical games to play
Price check:Amazon: $448 (no extra controller)
- Xbox Series X |$499.99$448 at WalmartSave $50 -If you still want access to your disks, the OG Xbox Series X is down to $448 at Walmart. We generally only ever see $50 off this console, so this early Black Friday offer is as good as it gets.
Buy it if:
✅You have older games you want to play✅You want to save by buying physical discs✅You don’t use Game Pass
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You solo Game Pass
Price check:Best Buy: $449.99|Amazon: OOS
- Sony DualSense Edge controller |$199.99$189.99 at WalmartSave $10 -It’s a smaller saving on a premium accessory, but this is actually the first significant discount I’ve seen on the DualSense Edge. The pro controller has been on the shelves for a couple of years now, but has only ever dropped a few bucks off its $199.99 MSRP in the past.
Buy it if:
✅You want more control over your controls✅You prefer to remap your gamepad✅You want swappable thumbsticks
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You don’t care about the direct PS5 integration
Price check:Amazon: $199.99|Best Buy: $199.99
- Pokemon Go Plus+ |$54.99$49.99 at WalmartSave $5 -Discounts are rare on this niche Pokemon gadget, but prices can also climb into the $60s when stock runs low. While it has been $4 cheaper in the past, that was back in February and costs have been closer to $65 for most of the year.
Buy it if:
✅You liked the original Pokemon Go ball✅You want a sleep tracker✅You enjoy Nintendo’s wilder releases
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You don’t play Pokemon Go
Price check:Best Buy: $54.99|Amazon: $63.99
- PlayStation Pulse Elite headset |$149.99$129.99 at WalmartSave $20 -The PlayStation Pulse Elite hasn’t strayed too far from its $149.99 MSRP since launch, so this $20 discount actually represents a record-low for the second-generation PS5 headset.
Buy it if:
✅You want to make the most of Tempest Audio✅You want to keep PS5 aesthetics✅You want a headset for the PS Portal
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You need a particularly durable headset
Price check:Amazon: $149.99|Best Buy: $149.99
- Dead Island 2 |$49.99$17.97 at WalmartSave $30 -Dead Island 2 has been on the shelves for a little while now, but Walmart has just dropped us to a new record-low price. It’s previously only ever dipped to $19.99 during major sales like this. It’s good timing too, with that PS5 Pro Enhanced patch now available.
Buy it if:
✅You like hack and slash games✅You want extra gore✅You’re not concerned about storylines
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You need a solid driving narrative
Price check:Best Buy: $29.99|Amazon: $39.99
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door |$59.99$42.99 at WalmartSave $17 -The latest Paper Mario title has held firm in its $60 price tag for most of its life, but Walmart has brought us a record-low ahead of Black Friday. You’re saving $17 on this puzzler this week.
Buy it if:
✅You enjoyed The Origami King✅You like puzzle mechanics✅You want exploration
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You prefer precision platforming
Price check:Amazon: $49.47|Best Buy: $59.99
Gone are the days of Black Friday actually meaning the last Friday of November, for the last few years retailers have been extending their holiday sales earlier and earlier - sometimes even stretching into October. In the first few weeks of that sale it’s natural to be a little skeptical - there’s so much time for prices to drop further, after all. I’ve noticed a trend in the last couple of years, though. The discounts that land on the shelves from the start of November tend to stick across the sale as a whole. While there will likely be more products on sale on Black Friday itself, the kinds of savings we’re seeing now will be representative of prices on the day as well.
That means it’s worth taking a look at early sales - you can avoid the competitive rush of Black Friday itself while still taking the time to price check other stores, evaluate exactly what you need from your gaming tech, and make sure you’re getting a ‘real’ saving. Things can move fast on Black Friday - and the increase in attention means deals that may have been on the shelves for weeks leading up to the main event can quickly run out of stock. Early offers can present excellent peace of mind.
That said, we don’t ever truly know what will go down on the big day. I can track price histories and make an educated guess as to whether a game or accessory is at its rock-bottom price for the year, but stores can always surprise us with their flash sales. This is more dangerous for expensive gadgets - PCs, laptops, and TVs. The difference in price between now and Black Friday could be a couple of hundred dollars, it could be nothing, it could be out of stock. However, it’s safer to buy from early Black Friday sales when the MSRP of an item itself is lower - if it falls further at the end of the month, you’ll only miss out on a few bucks extra discount.
We’re also keeping you topped up with all the latestBlack Friday Nintendo Switch deals,Black Friday PS5 dealsandBlack Friday Xbox deals.
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
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.
8BitDo’s latest Switch controller is perfect for a very specific type of player
Asus TUF A14 review: “a wonderful step towards a portable and powerful future”
Doctor Doom is emperor of the world – but the insurgent Iron Man is coming for him in “new, deadly” armor
