black headset

SteelSeries Arctis 3

Photograph: SteelSeries

Amazon, Best Buy

We like the Bluetooth Arctis 3 as a wireless headset, particularly when paired with the Nintendo Switch. However, if it’s more important for you to have one headset for all your consoles rather than going wireless, this corded version is an inexpensive option with great audio quality that you can use on just about any console with the 3.5-mm headphone cable. Since this is a wired-up headset, it also works great with both PlayStation or Xbox consoles!

Best Buy

We’re fans of a lot of SteelSeries gaming hardware, but this bundle has an Apex 3 keyboard, Rival 3 wireless mouse, and an Arctis 1 wireless headset (8/10, WIRED Recommends), which collectively can cost upwards of $165 when purchased separately. Plus, the bundle throws in a mouse pad, so you have all the accessories you need to level up your PC gaming rig with one purchase.

Razer Viper gaming mouse

Razer Viper

Photograph: Razer

Amazon, Best Buy

Wired mice might be slightly less convenient than wireless, but when you want to keep input lag and connection interruptions to a minimum, they’re indispensable. This Razer Viper mouse isn’t just great as a corded option, it’s also ambidextrous, so anyone can use it. Plus, it’s considerably cheaper than its wireless cousin, which is one of our favorite gaming mice.

Amazon

When you think “gaming hardware,” your mind might not immediately jump to routers, but if you play online, perhaps you should. This router from Netgear supports Wi-Fi 6 and comes with an impressive array of advanced tools that can help players get their ping down and allocate bandwidth not just to the device they’re playing on, but even to the specific game they’re playing. 

Target

There’s a decent chance you’ve seen this microphone before if you spend any time watching streamers on Twitch. It’s one of the more popular USB condenser microphones—and for good reason. Not only does it pick up stellar vocal audio like other condenser mics, but it has built-in LEDs to light up that striking red column, which might be why so many streamers flock to it.

PlayStation Deals

Steelseries Arctis 1 Wireless gaming headset

SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless

Photograph: Steelseries

Amazon

Every month, PlayStation Plus doles out a few free games, plus discounts on countless others. Over the course of a year, this subscription can pay for itself even at its normal price of $60 a year. Of course, it regularly goes on sale for less than that—like right now, when you can top off your membership for just $40.

SteelSeries

The SteelSeries Arctis 1 is one of our favorite inexpensive wireless headsets. It comes with a collection of dongles that let it pair wirelessly with PlayStation consoles, the Nintendo Switch, and most phones. While you can also pair it via Bluetooth, you’ll get fewer latency issues with the adapters.

PS5/PS4 Game Deals

Xbox Deals

xbox game pass

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Photograph: Microsoft

Amazon

The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription may already be one of the best deals in gaming. It comes with a Netflix-style library of games, including many day-one releases of games from companies Microsoft owns, like Bethesda and Bungie, for one low price. Normally it goes for about $15 a month, but right now you can get three months for $25, which you can stack up to 36 months.

Amazon

The Xbox Game Pass subscription comes with the same library of games as the Ultimate subscription, including many first-party Microsoft games. But this version of the subscription is specifically for PC players. You can also stack this deal for up to 36 months.

Xbox X/S/One Game Deals

Nintendo Switch Deals

various Nintendo Switch models

Nintendo Switch models

Photograph: Nintendo

Amazon

This is about as self-explanatory as a deal can get. This gift card for $50 in eShop credit is knocked down to $45, so it’s basically an extra $5 off any games you’re planning to buy. The card balance doesn’t expire, either, so if you ever plan to spend at least $50 on games, this deal’s a no-brainer.

SteelSeries

The Nintendo Switch handles multiplayer audio in an odd way, running team chat through an app on your phone. Fortunately, this headset can handle both. It can pair to your phone to get team chat, while still connecting to the Switch with a 3.5-mm cord for game audio. It’s the best of both worlds.

Switch Game Deals

VR Gaming Deals

Image may contain Electronics and Camera

Oculus Quest 2

Photograph: Oculus 

Target

The Oculus Quest 2 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is a contender for best-selling VR headset, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a stand-alone headset that doesn’t require all the external trackers or cables that most high-end headsets use. Yet it’s powerful enough to play most games. Best of all, it can still connect to a PC to play the higher-end games it can’t run on its own. This deal doesn’t technically come with a discount, but this has been a tough piece of hardware to get during the pandemic, and you can grab a free $50 Target gift card when you buy it here.

More Video Game Deals

Jackbox party games

Jackbox 3 Party Games

Photograph: Jackbox

Target

Over at Target, you can stock up on several games at once with the company’s current Buy Two, Get One offer. For every three games you buy, the cheapest of those three will be free. This offer stacks multiple times, so if you buy six games, two of them will be free. 


More WIRED Black Friday Coverage

Retailer Sale Pages and Coupons

Want to browse the early Black Friday 2021 sales yourself? Here are a few places offering deals. Be sure to check out our many buying guides and gift guides for additional ideas.

  • Amazon Sale
  • Target Sale, Coupons
  • Walmart Sale, Coupons
  • Bed, Bath, and Beyond Sale, Coupons
  • REI Get Up Get Out Sale
  • Best Buy Sale, Coupons
  • QVC Sale, Coupons
  • Kohl’s, Coupons
  • Moosejaw Sale, Coupons
  • Adorama Sale, Coupons