Black Friday gaming deals 2022: Best early discounts on PS5, Xbox, Switch and more
Black Friday is undoubtedly the biggest sales event of the year, with huge savings on products ranging from the latest TVs to essential home appliances. Chances are, if there’s something on your Christmas wish list, the sale is a great opportunity to buy it.
One particular area to keep an eye on is gaming, where the latest games on PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch are often found at a reasonable discount, and accessories such as monitors and keyboards can be found with a significant price decrease. And now we’re already starting to see some big deals rolling in this month before the big day itself.
Follow live: The best early Black Friday 2022 deals
The sales event initially started in the US as a way for brands to mark the start of the Christmas shopping season the day after Thanksgiving, and has since seen a cultural export across the Pond, so now most UK-based retailers also take part. It’s no longer just a one-day event either, with many retailers offering discounts weeks in advance.
The Black Friday 2022 sale will run from Friday 25 November (the day after Thanksgiving), across the entire weekend, until Cyber Monday – when all the best gaming deals can be found – which marks the end of the sale event.
At IndyBest, we’re simply giddy for a good deal, so, like the ever-vigilant deal hunters we are, we’re ready to predict all the best Black Friday gaming deals you can expect. Will we see discounts on the PS5 and Xbox series X/S consoles? We can only dream, but these are all the other savings we can expect to shop.
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The best early Black Friday gaming 2022 deals
‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’: Was £69.99, now £58, Amazon.co.uk
Another year, another Call of Duty hits our store shelves but this year’s entry takes the franchise back to a modern setting after last year’s tepid response to Vanguard. Modern Warfare 2 puts players back in the boots of Task Force 141 as they infiltrate, exfiltrate and dehydrate behind enemy lines.
Of course, one of Call of Duty’s biggest selling points is its excellent online multiplayer, and with the free-to-play Warzone 2 releasing on 16 November, it’s a great way to hit the ground running with this 17 per centsaving on the full release.
HP victus 16in gaming laptop: Was £1,249, now £849, Currys.co.uk
While they don’t boast the same kind of horsepower as a dedicated gaming PC, a good gaming laptop is a compact, more affordable, and streamlined solution if you want to take your PC games on the go - not to mention they often come with a high-end screen. With this whopping £400 saving on HP’s victus range, it’s a great value proposition if you want to take a dive into PC gaming for less than £1,000.
With an RTX 3060, 16GB of RAM and a Ryzen 7, this model will comfortably run games such as Fortnite at 1080p without any issues and with a 144Hz screen, you will really notice the difference in those silky framerates compared to most console games on an HD TV. Unlike other gaming laptops, the victus has a more discreet casing that would look the part in a board room or LAN party, if you’re looking for something to use for work and gameplay.
‘Horizon Forbidden West’ for PS5: Was £69.71, now £35.03, Amazon.co.uk
Now, here’s a decent saving to be had, with a whopping 50 per cent off the cost of the RRP. Horizon Forbidden West is the follow up to 2017’s Zero Dawn and one of our favourite games for the PS5. We praised it for its “detailed, rich and fascinating depictions of a post-apocalyptic future” as well as being “one of the PS5’s best-looking games to date”.
If you missed it the first time around, it’s definitely worth picking up for the price, even if it’s just to marvel at its open world.
‘Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope’ cosmic edition: Was £49.99, now £44.90, Amazon.co.uk
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is the recently released sequel to Kingdom Battle that takes Mario, his Mushroom Kingdom comrades and an army of quirky ‘rabbids’ into a tactical turn-based role-playing adventure.
While ‘Give Mario a gun’ may seem like a silly premise, it’s a surprisingly deep strategy game that builds on an already unique system found in Kingdom Battle. We had a chance to play it for ourselves (and speak with the game’s director, Davide Soliani) and were thoroughly impressed in our playthrough, praising it for its “meaningful changes to entice Super Mario fans that fall outside the tactical genre, while also staying true to its core appeal”.
The game was only released on 20 October 2022 and with a decent 10 per cent discount to the cosmic edition – which includes some cosmetic bonuses – it’s definitely one that Italian plumber fans will want to check out.
Samsung odyssey G3 32in gaming monitor: Was £299, now £199, Currys.co.uk
If you happen to be in the market for a new gaming monitor and want to prioritise higher framerates over resolution, the odyssey G3 from Samsung is now a more affordable prospect, with a £100 saving.
While it’s limited to playing games at 1,080px, it does have a 165Hz refresh rate, meaning games will look silky smooth and responsive, which can make all the difference if you’re playing competitive multiplayers, where every frame counts.
If a higher resolution is non-negotiable, the G7 28in monitor is also discounted (Was £649.99, now £485, Currys.co.uk). This monitor can handle resolutions of 4K ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160px) with a still fairly impressive 144Hz refresh rate.
‘Splatoon 3’: Was £49.99, now £36.99, Amazon.co.uk
Nintendo’s own competitive splat-em-up Splatoon 3 has seen a sizeable discount this month, with a decent saving of 26 per cent..
We loved our time with Splatoon 3. In our round-up of our favourite Nintendo Switch games, we said: “It’s one of the most enjoyable and accessible multiplayer experiences currently available on the Switch. By sticking to its guns (or paint rollers), Nintendo has crafted a competitive shooter with near-universal appeal in both its presentation and simplistic take on team-based deathmatches.”
Shoppers should take note that to access the game’s online features, a Nintendo Switch Online account will be required.
‘God of War Ragnarok’ for PS5: Was £69.99, now £61.23, Amazon.co.uk
If you’re hoping to save on this new PlayStation game, Amazon currently has a deal on God of War Ragnarok that will save shoppers 13 per cent.
It’s one of our favourite games released this year. In our 5/5 review, we said: “After the dust has settled and the credits have rolled, God of War Ragnarok is as strong a continuation as anyone could have hoped for, and a fitting end to Kratos’s latest chapter. On its own merits, it’s difficult to fault but on the foundations of 2018’s God of War, it’s nothing short of a masterpiece.”
‘Pokémon Scarlet’ and ‘Pokémon Violet’: Was £49.99, now £42.99, Amazon.co.uk – available 18 November 2022
The latest ’mon-catching games are arriving later this month with pre-orders for both Scarlet and Violet being offered at a generous 14 per cent discount.
Each version of the game will have different Pokémon exclusive as well as different characters players will meet on their journey.
‘FIFA 23’ digital code and PS5 dualsense wireless controller: Was £129.98, now £79.99, Amazon.co.uk
If you’re hoping to pick up a copy of FIFA 23 this Black Friday, then there’s currently a 38 per cent saving on a bundle that includes a brand new controller, so you can play matches (friendly or otherwise) with a second player locally.
Taking into consideration the cost of the digital version of the game (£69.99, Playstation.com) and the white dualsense controller (£59.99, Playstation.com), customers will be saving a massive £50 with this bundle, making it exceptional value for money. The deal can be shopped at both Amazon and Argos, depending on your retailer of preference.
‘Nintendo Switch Sports’: Was £39.99, now £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
Swing, bump and kick your way through a kitbag of sporting games. A spiritial successor to the monumentally successful Wii Sports, Switch Sports includes fan favourites such as tennis and bowling, with a few new additions, such as volleyball.
In our review of the game, we said: “Nintendo Switch Sports is a strong continuation of a tried-and-tested formula that will find near-universal appeal with anybody who remembers the glory days of the Nintendo Wii, or even younger audiences who will wonder what all the fuss was about 15 years ago”.
A leg strap is included in the box, which means players can also attach their joy-cons to their leg to try out the penalty shootout game mode – or you can use it as a makeshift wedding garter, if you’re in a pinch.
‘Ms Pac-Man’ quarter scale arcade machine: Was £129.99, now £109.99, Game.co.uk
Have you ever wanted to feel like a giant in an Eighties arcade? Then this quarter scale arcade of a retro classic could be for you. This miniaturised cabinet is a quarter of the size of the standard arcade machines but includes a fully playable version of the classic Ms Pac-Man (Pac-Man’s better half) on a bespoke emulator.
With a £20 saving, it would make for a great desk toy, or even as a space-saving addition to a games room, complete with era-accurate cabinet art and miniaturised controls.
Razer tarok gaming chair: Was £279, now £199, Currys.co.uk
It wouldn’t be a Black Friday sale without some discounted gaming chairs, would it? Thankfully, trusted peripheral manufacturer Razer has a discount on one of its thrones, with a saving of £80 at Currys.
The chair is built on a steel frame with custom-moulded foam for support, as well as two removable cushions to offer neck and the oh-so important lumbar support. It even has “By gamers, for gamers” emblazoned on the seat, in case you were ever in doubt about the manufacturer’s credentials.
SanDisk microSDXC UHS-I card for Nintendo, 128GB: Was £40.99, now £16.99, Amazon.co.uk
Okay, there’s nothing particularly riveting about upgradeable storage but if you’re planning to load up your Nintendo Switch with some beefy games, the 32GB that comes built in just won’t cut the mustard. Luckily, there’s an excellent deal to be had with this 61 per cent saving on a 128GB memory card, which will give your Nintendo console ample room for your games to live on.
The Nintendo-branded memory card is just that, designed to work with your favourite handheld console. It’s able to transfer up to 100mb/s for faster loading of games, though it’s unconfirmed if the mushroom logo affects performance.
What is Black Friday?
If you’re yet to shop during Black Friday, you can expect to save some serious money in time for the Christmas rush. The shopping event originally started in the US as a one-day event, the day after Thanksgiving, to help clear out old stock before the latest products hit the shelves in time for Christmas. But now, it’s a worldwide affair, with huge discounts on offer from just about every major retailer.
Many UK retailers take part and slash the prices of big-name brands, including Apple, Dyson, Shark, KitchenAid, LG, Nintendo, Asos, Flannels, Sky and more.
For more intel on who takes part and what products we expect to see on offer, read our extensive guide to the brands and retailers that offered hefty discounts last year for Black Friday.
When is Black Friday 2022 in the UK?
As Black Friday always takes place the day after Thanksgiving in the US, it’s quite an easy event to track in our calendars. This year, Black Friday itself will take place on 25 November. But, for most brands and retailers, the sale spans the weekend until the following Monday, known as Cyber Monday.
UK retailers have been hosting sales events for Black Friday for a number of years and, as such, those sales periods have noticeably become longer. Owing to this, you can expect to see some of your favourite online giants, such as Amazon, Currys, AO and Argos dropping deals weeks in advance.
While this may sound daunting, it’s here in this very guide where you’ll find all the best early deals as they drop, so bookmark this page to make sure you’re always in the know.
When will the Black Friday 2022 sales start?
While a number of sales will trickle out throughout the month, the best sales can usually be found on the day itself, on Friday 25 November. However, you can expect a huge number of brands and retailers to kick things off weeks in advance. Amazon, for example, started its Black Friday 2021 sale a whole month early.
What were the best Black Friday deals from last year?
In terms of gaming deals, we spotted plenty of Nintendo Switch bundles (£333, Very.co.uk), including three months of Nintendo Switch Online as well as a copy of Mario Kart 8. We also saw the Oculus (now Meta) Quest 2 on sale for £299 at Currys with a £50 voucher included (Currys.co.uk). However, since Meta recently raised the prices of their VR headsets, it’s less likely that we’ll be seeing it discounted once more, but we’re happy to be proven wrong.
Voucher codes
For the latest home appliance discounts, and more offers, try the links below:
Read more on Black Friday 2022:
How to get the best Black Friday deals this year – when the sale starts and how to prepare
Best Black Friday tech deals – whether it’s noise-cancelling headphones, tablets or a smartwatch, these are the offers to expect
Best Black Friday home appliances deals – upgrade your vacuum cleaner, coffee machine or stand mixer during the sale
Best Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals – level up with discounts on the OLED, lite or original device
Best Black Friday mattress deals – rest easy with big discounts on brands such as Emma, Simba and Brook + Wilde
Best Amazon Black Friday deals – find out when the retailer will kick off the sale and the best bargains to expect
Best Apple Black Friday deals – from AirPods to iPhones, we predict the rare offers on the brand’s bestsellers
Best Currys Black Friday deals – all the details of the sale with deals on everything from TVs and laptops to kettles and coffee machines
Best John Lewis & Partners Black Friday deals – the high-street stalwart will have great prices across fashion, beauty, tech, kids and homeware
Best Boots Black Friday deals – save on skincare, make-up, electricals and more
Best Argos Black Friday deals – find discounts on everything from kids to homeware, fitness and DIY
Best Black Friday Dyson deals – bag a bargain on the brand’s corded, cordless and handheld vacuum cleaners
