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Right, we’re seeing some great gaming deals at Amazon at the moment. Incoming…
Amazon Black Friday vs Amazon Prime Day
Aside from Black Friday, the next biggest sale held by the retailer is Amazon Prime Day in the summer – so how do the events compare?
The main difference we often see between the two is around the offers on Amazon’s own devices such as the Echo Dot, Fire TV Stick, Kindle and so on. Usually, the biggest discounts are reserved for Amazon’s members-only event, and they’re either repeated (or slightly less) during other sales such as Black Friday.
We’ve already seen that this year: Fire TV Sticks were available for up to $5 less during Amazon Prime Day, for example.
So, for those kinds of devices, it’s often better to buy in the summer.
However, the sheer variety of products on sale over Black Friday can make up for those extra discounts over Prime Day. Even in the early sales, there are countless items that are available for their lowest prices ever – including TVs, laptops, appliances and much more.
PS5 DualSense controller drops to its lowest price
Vic Hood, associate editor, TechRadar Gaming
On the hunt for great Black Friday PS5 controller deals? You’re not alone. While the PlayStation 5 console comes bundled with a DualSense controller as standard, you may be looking to upgrade on Sony’s original offering or simply to add more gamepads to your collection for when friends come around.
Right now, the DualSense is at its lowest price yet in the US: $49 – down from $69. Amazon isn’t the only retailer with this deal: Walmart has also reduced the PS5 controller by $20, as has Best Buy, so you can take your pick.
Meanwhile third-party manufacturer Scuf is offering 20% off all its custom PS5 controllers. There’s also a decent discount on one of our favorite premium alternatives.
Read more: Great Black Friday DualSense discounts
Is the Oculus Quest Black Friday bundle any good?
Just a matter of months ago, Meta increased the price of the Oculus Quest 2 by $399 – a huge jump of $100 from the previous price of $299. Even in a time of high inflation and increasing costs, it was a bombshell.
So, is the fact you can now get an Oculus Quest 2 for $349 during Black Friday any good?
In our eyes, it’s actually very good, considering this year’s offer also includes the VR headset and two games for $349.
We rate it as one of the best VR headsets you can buy, and sure, you’re still paying more than you would have earlier in the year, but when you factor in the value of the two games included as well, it’s actually a solid price.
And these aren’t two random or rubbish games, either. The first is Beat Saber: perhaps the VR headset’s most iconic title that takes the rhythm game in a fun and exciting new direction. The other is Resident Evil 4 VR: a seminal survival horror game when originally released that translates impressively to the new format.
Read more: Meta’s best-ever Oculus Quest 2 deal is finally live
13 of the best deals in Amazon’s Black Friday sale
Mackenzie Frazier, Deals Editor, TechRadar
I’ve had a first-pass at Amazon’s Black Friday sale, and many of the deals have carried over from the retailer’s early sales – but there are some new offers as well. Here are 13 top deals that have caught my eye so far.
Five-star earbuds at their cheapest price ever
The excellent Sony WF-1000XM4 true wireless earbuds are currently on sale at Amazon for the lowest price we’ve seen so far.
We awarded these top-tier, class-A Sony buds the full five stars in our Sony WF-1000XM4 review. They deliver stunning sound quality, strong active noise cancellation and a solid eight hours of battery life.
This discount isn’t exclusive to Amazon – Walmart has them at the same price this morning – but if you’ve got Prime, you can get same-day delivery at Amazon so you’ll get them faster. Either way, if you’re looking for a deal on some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds this Black Friday, then you’ve just found them.
And… we’re live!
Amazon’s 48-hour Black Friday sale has officially started.
Less than 30 minutes to go
The clock is ticking: Amazon’s Black Friday sale launches in 25 minutes. Stay tuned for “millions” of deals – we’re on hand to bring you all the best ones here, and we’ll tell you the ones to avoid too…
Should you buy the MacBook Air M1 (2020) – or the newer M2 (2022)?
Matt Hanson, Managing Editor, Core Tech, TechRadar
Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
The MacBook Air (M2, 2022) has a fantastic design, bigger screen and incredibly long battery life, but also a much higher price tag. Think of it more as a replacement for the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and it starts to make a lot more sense. Read more: MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review
For
- Great new design
- Upgraded performance
- Long battery life
- Larger, brighter screen
Against
- Much more expensive
Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
The MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is phenomenal value for money, which makes it incredibly tempting. It’s no slouch in the performance stakes, although if you’re looking to do heavy graphics editing and multitasking go for the M2. Read more: MacBook Air (M2, 2020) review
For
- Excellent value for money
- Great all-around performer
- Good battery life
- Silent in use
Against
- Not as powerful
The 13-inch MacBook Air (M1, 2020) has returned to its lowest-ever price. There’s no question that it’s incredible value for money, but it’s no longer the newest model. So: should you buy the newer and more powerful MacBook Air (M2, 2022), or the better-value and still excellent MacBook Air (M1, 2020)?
It’s a tricky choice, which is a testament to just how good the older laptop is.
The MacBook Air (M2, 2022) brings some big changes, both inside, with the new M2 chip, and on the outside, with a radical redesign. If you want a modern experience and upgraded performance, it’s the way to go. The new design is great, it’s more portable, and the screen is a big step up. The M2 could also prove to be a big upgrade.
However, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is a lot cheaper, which makes it incredibly tempting. If you don’t want to spend a fortune on a laptop, choose this one, as it offers excellent value for money, while also being a great all-around performer. And that’s true even more so today, now that the MacBook Air M1 is down to its lowest price ever at Amazon.
It’s the right time to buy an M1 MacBook Air
Allisa James, Computing Staff Writer, TechRadar
If you’re in the market for a MacBook Air, you’re in luck: the 13-inch MacBook Air (M1, 2020) has plummeted in price to just $799 at Amazon (opens in new tab). That’s a $200 discount on the older-but-still-excellent laptop, and returns it to the cheapest price we’ve seen.
Even though the 2020 model has been superseded by the more powerful (and more expensive) new MacBook Air M2 (2022), it still sits at number three in our best laptops guide.
We gave it 4.5/5 stars in our Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) review: its performance is incredible thanks to the powerful M1 chip, and the battery life is excellent. It’s easily the best value laptop money can buy right now, and a great choice for work or school. It’s also great for watching movies.
Best Buy has the same deal – but Walmart can’t match it this morning (the same model is $888.88 at Walmart).
Read more: M1 MacBook Air returns to record-low price
What to expect in the Amazon Black Friday sale
So what new deals will drop when the sale gets underway at midnight?
Well, it’s likely that many of the existing discounts will remain available. As we’ve seen over the last few years, many offers that go live in early November actually stay the same through Black Friday and into December. Increasingly Black Friday doesn’t have the huge price-drop spike that we saw in the past; instead prices drop earlier and the deals run for longer.
That said, Amazon did confirm a few more in its initial sale announcement. They are:
- Up to 50% off select Fire TV devices
- Up to 30% on De’Longhi Espresso Machines
- Up to 40% on select laptops, desktops, and monitors from HP and Dell
- Up to 40% on the NordicTrack S22i Studio Cycle
- Up to 30% off select Peloton accessories and apparel
- Up to 30% on select toys from Play-Doh, Transformers, and Nerf
- Save on kitchen products from Cosori, KitchenAid, Ninja, and Vitamix
A Black Friday classic: Echo Dot for $24.99
Here’s one you don’t need to wait until midnight for…
Amazon has already cut the price of its latest Echo Dot by 50% – dropping the price to $24.99. Amazon’s smart speakers are always a classic Black Friday bargain, and this deal is particularly notable because Amazon only released the new Echo Dot 5th Gen at the end of September – this is the first time it’s been on sale.
We’ve not reviewed it yet, but according to Amazon it has improved audio – specifically, up to 50% less distorting, and yet up to twice the bass at the same time – as we reported at the time.
Right now, it costs the same as the excellent fourth-gen version, which we awarded 4.5/5 stars in our Echo Dot 4th-gen review, so we’d go for the newer model. If you’re not sure where to start with smart home tech, here’s your answer.
Welcome to our coverage of the Amazon Black Friday sale
Thanks for joining us this morning.
Hold on, you may be thinking, haven’t there been Black Friday deals at Amazon for the majority of November already? It’s true, the retailer has had early offers for a few weeks, but tomorrow marks the true start of the Amazon Black Friday sale.
Whether it makes that big a difference remains to be seen, but Amazon has said the event will run for 48 hours across November 24 and 25. Thousands of new offers are set to go live – including a selection of limited-time lightning deals every 30 minutes.
These include price cuts of up to 70% on Amazon’s own smart home devices, coffee machines, toys, appliances, Samsung, HP, Dell, Bose and Xbox – as well as a brand new Nintendo Switch bundle.
Stay tuned for regular updates on some of the best early deals in the run-up and then we’ll share our top picks from the fresh batch of Amazon offers once they go live at midnight. Whatever they may be.