If you like games and were hesitant to buy one of the new consoles that came out last year, Black Friday might be a good time to do so. There are finally enough good games to play on the Xbox One and the Playstation 4, and Nintendo has released enough heavy hitters for the Wii U that we can safely say that has the best library of any of the current systems at the moment. All three consoles will be available for cheap at various stores on Black Friday, along with good deals on tons of recent games. Here are the best bargains you’ll find this week.
10. Forza Horizon 2 for Xbox One—$29.99 at the Microsoft Store
I am neither a big fan of racing games or European EDM festivals, and yet I enjoyed Forza Horizon 2 on the Xbox One more than I ever thought I would. It’s both soothing and stressful, great alone or with friends, and has a beautiful visual aesthetic and great soundtrack. The gorgeous open-world racing game still retails for a full $59.99, but it’ll be available for half off at the Microsoft Store on Black Friday.
9. 1 year membership to Xbox Live—$35.99 (eBay)
Apparently even eBay isn’t safe from Black Friday madness. The auction site will be running new deals every hour starting right when Thanksgiving ends at midnight ET on Friday. Among the deals listed is a year’s membership to Xbox Live for $35.99, which is 40% off the regular price.
8. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor—$25 (Target, Best Buy)
One of the year’s biggest surprises will be on sale for $25 at Target and Best Buy. If you want to hunt down Cockney orcs on a bargain, this is the deal for you.
7. Mario Kart 8—$35 (Walmart)
It takes years for big Nintendo games to get a significant price reduction, so getting the almost brand new Mario Kart 8 for $25 off is a fantastic deal. (Mario Kart 7 came out three years ago and the regular price has only gone down by $10.) Mario Kart 8 is one of the best games of the year for any system, and this is probably the best price you’ll find for a new copy until next Thanksgiving.
6. Buy one game, get a second one for 40% off (Toys R Us)
Whether you want to stock up on recent hits or fill out your loved one’s wish list, the best overall deal on games is at Toys R Us. Every game will be available for 40% off after the purchase of a full-price game.
5. Disney Infinity 2.0 starter pack—$37 (Walmart)
The collectible toy games keep multiplying. Disney just released the second wave of Disney Infinity 2.0 toys earlier this month, featuring Donald Duck, Tinker Bell and a few other Disney characters. They’ll be on sale for $9 at Walmart, alongside the Marvel heavy first wave from September and all of the figures from the first Disney Infinity line-up. Walmart also has the starter pack for 2.0 for $37.50. It’ll be $39.99 at Target and Best Buy.
4. Skylanders Trap Team starter pack—$37 (Walmart)
Don’t forget about the original collectible toy game. Skylanders Trap Team, the latest Skylanders game, introduces new heroes and new “trap” pieces required to play as the game’s villains. The starter pack will be $37 at Walmart, which is half-off. Target will have the starter pack for $39.99. If you feel the need to go shopping on Thanksgiving itself, the starter pack is also $37.50 at Toys R Us (it goes up to $49.99 there on Friday.) Walmart also looks like your best bet for figures, at $9 a piece.
3. Playstation 4 bundle with GTA V and The Last of Us: Remastered or Lego Batman 3 and Little Big Planet 3—$399 (Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, more)
If you’d rather get a Playstation 4, there are two different basic bundles available. One includes next-gen remakes of two of last year’s biggest games, Grand Theft Auto V and The Last of Us. The other is a more all-ages friendly assortment, with the brand new Little Big Planet 3 and Lego Batman 3. Both bundles are available at various retailers for $399.
2. Wii U bundle with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Super Mario 3D World and NintendoLand—$359.97 (Best Buy)
The Wii U may not pack the horsepower of the Playstation 4 and Xbox One, but Nintendo’s weird little box boasts some of the best games of the last few years. You can get four of them along with the system in Best Buy’s Wii U bundle, including Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, which just came out last week. The other games include Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and NintendoLand. The price is $359.97, which will save you about $50.
1. Xbox One Assassin’s Creed bundle with Assassin’s Creed: Unity, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and a free game—$329.99 (The Microsoft Store)
Either the Microsoft Store or Target has the best Black Friday bundle deal. They’re both selling an Xbox One with last year’s excellent Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and this year’s middling Assassin’s Creed: Unity for $329, along with a different bonus at each store. The Microsoft Store is adding another free game, although they haven’t specified what choices are available. Target is tacking on a $50 gift card on top of the bundle. The basic deal of the console and two Assassin’s Creed games will also be available for $329.99 at Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart and other stores. Only Target and the Microsoft Store are offering more.