Black Friday lands in just a few short weeks, and with it comes a plethora of discounts across all corners of the gaming web. However, not all Black Friday gaming deals are built the same - and there are a few discounts I'm particularly looking forward to in 2023. From this year's biggest releases to older products about to be shoved off the shelves, from cheaper workarounds for some of the holiday's most anticipated tech to devices poised to take their first proper discounts, there's a handful of products I anticipate will be shining particularly bright in this year's sale.
I've been tracking Black Friday deals professionally for years now, and shopping them personally for much longer than that. I've seen the PS4 and Xbox One come and go, welcomed new generations of consoles and PC components, and watched swathes of accessories hit the limelight (and quickly drop their prices after). Spending all this time in the Black Friday trenches quickly reveals patterns to prices and discounts, especially where newer releases are concerned.
2023 has offered up some fantastic tech across PS5, Xbox, and the PC space. Ninty's lagging behind, but that's likely only because 2024 could well be a big year for Mario fans - and even that helps us out over Black Friday as well. All the pieces are lining up for some particularly special savings this November, but some products are going to be more interesting than others. You'll find all the Black Friday deals I'm waiting for just below.
1. Meta Quest 2
MSRP: $299 / £299
Expected Price: under $249 / £249
Yes, it's all about the Meta Quest 3 now - or is it? The Meta Quest 2 has had a tumultuous life when it comes to pricing, with official MSRP changes bringing the base 128GB model up to $399 / £399 for a short while, before plunging back down to its original $299 / £299 position. We've only started to see Black Friday Meta Quest deals on this device in the last couple of years, though, starting with a $50 voucher in 2021 and progressing to a price cut and a voucher in 2022. With the Quest 3 firmly in place on the shelves at a heavier $499.99 / £479.99 base price, 2023 is looking like our last chance to score a super cheap VR headset.
Based on the last two years of discounts, I would expect to see discounts at least pushing us to $249.99 / £249.99 in November - with free games or additional gift cards included.
Yes, it's older now but with so much working against that MSRP, the Meta Quest 2 could be one of the biggest Black Friday deals we see this year.
2. Asus ROG Azoth gaming keyboard
MSRP: $249.99 / £269.99
Expected Price: $199 / £239.99
The market for the Asus ROG Azoth is going to be far smaller than the Meta Quest 2 above, but if you're after a high-end keyboard for 2024, this is where I'd recommend looking first. Not only is it the best gaming keyboard we've tested yet, but it's been on the shelves since January and only just started seeing some significant discounts. The timing's right and all signs are already pointing to big savings here, the Azoth hit its latest record low price in September - dropping down to $199 in the US.
That's big news considering this is one of the first true gaming keyboards to offer hot-swappable switches - a move we've started to see creeping into fashion over the course of the year. Before this, the majority of hot-swappable keyboards were simply too slow or didn't offer the additional customization options required by players. This is one of the year's biggest releases, and considering it's coming up to its first birthday, I believe Black Friday is going to be particularly kind to those investing in a long term device here.
3. Nintendo Switch OLED bundles
MSRP: $349.99 / £309.99
Expected Price: $349.99 / £309.99 with free game
This year's roster of Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals are going to be interesting. With the carrot of the Switch 2 perpetually held at the end of 2024's stick, the current generation's days may well be numbered. Nevertheless, with so little information about the new generation device, and the OLED model having spent two years on the shelves now, it's time for some bundle action. I'm anticipating Black Friday 2023 to be the first sale event where we see real, honest-to-goodness bundles landing on the newer OLED device. Not only is it older on the shelves now, but the standard edition bundles we would traditionally see retailers leaning on during this period are already available.
In the US, Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy all launched the classic Black Friday Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle in October, and the UK is seeing a similar deal with Switch Sports thrown in as well. With this early jump on what was previously one of the most revered discounts of the holiday sales season, I can't help but feel there's a new offer waiting in the wings - and that's likely going to sit with the OLED. Expect a $349.99 / £309.99 price tag, but with a free game and some Switch Online months in these November Nintendo Switch bundles.
4. Backbone One PS5 Edition
MSRP: $99.99 / £99.99
Expected Price: $69.99 / £69.99
The Backbone One isn't the biggest piece of kit on the web, but it's certainly poised to make its mark over Black Friday. The mobile controller had a PS5 workup in May of this year, with the PlayStation Edition launching at the same $99.99 / £99.99 MSRP as the standard model. With both Android and iOS compatibility and specific Remote Play features that allow for a slick and easy experience, it could well be the PlayStation Portal killer. Sony's own Remote Play device, a larger tablet with a full official DualSense control scheme wrapped around it, will launch just before Black Friday kicks off (November 15 to be exact) - at $200 / £200. That gives the Backbone One a unique edge and considering this is the device's first Black Friday we could see something special here.
As it stands, that $99.99 / £99.99 MSRP gave way to a $69.99 / £69.99 sale price in October's Prime sale, which bodes well for November's discounts. I wouldn't be surprised to see a return to this position during the main event, though the optimist in me is hoping for a $59.99 / £59.99 cost.
5. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (RTX 4070)
MSRP: $1,849.99 / £2,099
Expected Price: $1,599 / £1,799
I've been watching Black Friday gaming laptop deals for years now, and this is a machine that consistently shows up and gets the job done. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a mainstay of November's sales and it's one of the most popular machines out there. 2023's model earned its position as the best gaming laptop in this 14-inch form factor in our rankings, and with Nvidia RTX 40-Series graphics and an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor a the helm it's a next-gen powerhouse.
An RTX 4070 configuration is the sweet spot here. I tested an RTX 4090 model, but that stacks up to nearly $4,000 at checkout. By contrast, you can pick up a fantastic amount of power in a form factor that suits it for under $2,000 with this spec. Once Black Friday rolls around, it's easy to see that cost dipping to $1,599 in the US - it's already done so in 2023 after all. That's the kind of discount I see flying off the shelves year after year, and with the boost in performance vs price in this year's generation of components the overall value will be better than ever.
Of course, gaming laptop deals are going to be hitting all sorts of models in November. After all, this is when we see retailers clearing stock of this year's devices ready for the next round of announcements in January. Once discounts start coming into play, there's no laptop I would personally recommend more than the G14 (though that's partly because these smaller machines have earned a special place in my heart). It's compact enough to slot easily into your everyday work life, light enough to sit neatly in a backpack, but powerful enough to really open up when let loose on some of the biggest games around.
6. SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
MSRP: $349.99 / £329.99
Expected Price: £249.99 / £269.99
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless hit the shelves last year, so it's already been through a round of Black Friday gaming headset deals. It may be a little older, but it still holds the top spot when it comes to the best gaming headsets around, and considering last year's official offers didn't drop that MSRP a penny I'm expecting big things from 2023.
I say the Nova Pro Wireless didn't see discount in 2022's 'official' offers, because it did drop down to $249.99 in the US very briefly last October. I'd chalk that up to a strange pricing blip rather than an intentional discount, but it still stands as the lowest price I've ever seen recorded on the high-end cups. A return to this position isn't out of the question for 2023, though. SteelSeries has held onto its MSRP for most of the year, in between quick flashes down to $299 / £269 during more major sales events. With its first birthday under its belt and plenty of competition from more recent releases like the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro, I can see a $249.99 / £269.99 sale price in our future if we're lucky.
That would put a wireless gaming headset with easy multi-platform connections, the longest lasting hot-swappable batteries we've tested, a dedicated physical EQ hub and DAC, and SteelSeries' longstanding audio quality down at just $250. If you're after an investment piece, that price isn't easy to ignore.
7. Victrix Pro BFG
MSRP: $179.99 / £179.99
Expected Price: $159.99 / £129.99
The Victrix Pro BFG stepped on the shelves just before the DualSense Edge could make its landing. At $179.99 / £179.99 it's undercutting the Edge's price by $20 / £30, while still offering all the pro features you could ask for and more. That makes it a far more appealing PS5 controller for anyone looking to get more involved in their gamepad. Yes, you're dropping the PS5-specific software features of the Edge, but being able to swap nearly every component and use four back buttons (the Edge only has two), makes the Victrix Pro the better buy overall.
This is the gamepad I'll be watching closest over Black Friday, as it's primed to receive its first major discounts in the US. While the BFG has spent just about a year on the shelves, it hasn't seen a decent saving in the US yet. That slipped in the UK back in September, though, then the similar RRP dropped to between £120 and £130. This gives us hope that Black Friday PS5 deals could offer up the device's first significant price cut, though conservatively speaking I'm pitting this one at around $159.99.
8. Xbox Series S (512GB)
The 512GB Xbox Series S may be under threat from the new 1TB model, but the September release could also spell some fantastic prices on the older device over Black Friday. Last year we saw the all-digital console drop to $219.99 / £189.99 - fantastic rates by 2022's standards. This year, I'm expecting the same, but hoping for more. The $349.99 / £299.99 MSRP of the newer device does sit a little higher than the 512GB's $299.99 / £249.99, but is far less likely to see savings on the same level.
If we're really lucky and the 512GB Xbox Series S drops to $199.99 / £189.99, it's perfectly positioned as a second console for PS5 players. The 1TB model is going to struggle to reach these heights and with the extra storage breathing down the cheaper device's neck it's anyone's game in 2023. Black Friday Xbox deals are going to be catering to all players with this offer if it materializes, and the lure of Game Pass may just be too strong.
We're also keeping you up to date with all the Black Friday gaming PC deals we expect to see as well as the Black Friday TV deals and Black Friday Lego deals you should be looking out for.
