Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals are going to look particularly interesting this year. With the next console waiting in the wings, this is likely the original device's final outing into the holiday sales - and that means there could be some of the best discounts we've seen yet.
One thing's for certain, bundles will likely be back in business. I've been tracking Black Friday gaming deals for years now, and time after time I see the same package offers landing on the shelves in November. A Mario Kart 8 Deluxe package with three months of Online included is our most likely option, but last year we saw a Smash Bros. Ultimate OLED deal sweep the shelves and we've had some particularly strong Switch Lite deals in recent months as well. These offers were abundant over last year's Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals, and I'm expecting more of the same in 2024.
Beyond the console itself, you can bet we'll be seeing big savings across accessories and games. While I've noticed a distinct lack of Nintendo first-party controllers taking discounts in recent years, third party options from CRKD and Hori have seen increasing discounts in recent months. Plus, we've got more games than ever on the shelves now, and that means deeper savings in many cases.
I scour the digital shelves for all the biggest Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals every year, but I have real hands-on experience with everything I recommend all year-round as well. I've picked up a thing or two in my five years of deals coverage, so while we wait for official sales to kick off I'm rounding up everything I expect to see from 2024's discounts right here.
What to expect from Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals in 2024
Earlier in the year, I was fully expecting a Nintendo Switch 2 to have taken to the shelves by this year's Black Friday holiday. That hasn't quite panned out, so we'll likely be faced with very similar offers as we saw last year come November - potentially with more of a shot at straight price cuts on the consoles themselves.
In the US, Nintendo's handhelds rarely shave their actual MSRPs, even over Black Friday. The story's a little different in the UK, where you'll usually find around £10 - £30 off a device depending on the model. However, the States are usually limited to bundle offers over holiday sales. These bundles do represent some of the best value we see all year, but they do nothing on that $299 / $349 (£259 / £309) MSRP.
2024 could be a little different. The Switch 2 is on the horizon, and the early-ish 2025 rumored release date means Black Friday could be retailers' last chance to shift a wedge of stock before new models land. Let's not forget this is an incredibly popular device, so straight discounts would be pretty groundbreaking by themselves - but they're far more possible this year than they have been previously.
What to expect from Black Friday Nintendo Switch game deals in 2024
Previous years have taught us there is a ceiling for discounts on Nintendo Switch games, particularly in the US. We've only ever seen the classics down by $20 during even the biggest of sales, which means the likes of Mario Kart 8, Super Mario Odyssey, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Luigi's Mansion will likely be sitting at around $39.99 during this year's sale. Over in the UK things are a little more flexible. These games are regularly seen for £36.99 day to day - a vast improvement on their original £59.99 rates, That means we don't typically see too many major discounts on older titles - it's more the newer or super cheap £29.99 games we're interested in.
This year's heavy hitters are going to be Princess Peach: Showtime, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. These are all fairly recent releases that have proven their prices to be volatile during previous sales but are still too young to be considered easy wins. I'm expecting to see around $10 off and potentially slightly more here if we're lucky.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Super Mario Party Jamboree, and Mario & Luigi Brothership are newer releases that might not make it to the discounted aisle in this year's holiday sale. Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals are usually a game's first chance at a discount, and we could see $5 or £10 off these titles by November time, but they're a much less solid bet.
What to expect from Black Friday Nintendo Switch accessory deals in 2024
We'll also be seeing all the regular savings on the best Nintendo Switch accessories, however controllers are likely to see the biggest savings in this year's Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals.
Official Nintendo items like the Pro Controller and Joy-Con have been stuck at the same sales prices throughout the year, and it's been a long time since I've seen official first-party kit on sale. These devices rarely drop down to a new price tier, so we can expect the same $69.99 / £49.99 price tag on the Pro Controller at Amazon and a $79.99 / £54.99 cost for Joy-Con. These are tried and tested offers that return sale after sale, so we would be surprised if prices dropped further in 2024.
However, third party controllers like those on offer from PowerA and PDP often come in significantly cheaper and older releases can plummet in price during larger sale events. PDP's wired gamepads will be available for well under $20 / £20 this year, considering we've seen $17.99 / £17.99 sale prices popping up throughout the course of the year.
We'll be keeping an extra close eye on three accessories, though; the Hori Split Pad Pro, CRKD Nitro Deck (and the new Nitro Deck+), and the Genki Covert Dock. These gadgets passed our desks last year and have since soared to the top of our lists.
The Split Pad Pro is one of the best Nintendo Switch controllers for those after a more ergonomic feel, but also adds extra turbo functionality and back buttons for a fraction of the Joy-Con price. Its $49.99 / £44.99 doesn't waver too often, but I have seen it dip to a record low $30 in the US and the UK is getting used to a £39.95 everyday price as well.
Meanwhile, anyone who travels regularly with their Switch will want to be keeping a close eye on that Covert Dock 2. The plug adapter works as a charger and dock for your system, allowing you to plug into any TV with an HDMI for on-the-road play. The latest model takes things a step further, upping your charging speed to 45W (the previous version tapped out at 30W) and adding support for 4K 60Hz display across a wide range of handhelds as well. It also drops the price from the $79.99 original model down to $59.99 - a rate that's sometimes helped along by additional 10% coupons at Amazon. It's a little more difficult to find in the UK at the moment, though.
The Nitro Deck has been a staple of Nintendo Switch accessories for some time now, offering a similarly large gamepad experience as the Hori Split Pad Pro but with additional features baked in. It's also been a firm sales-season favorite this year, seemingly permanently shedding its $59.99 / £59.99 MSRP for a $49.99 / £54.99 sales price day-to-day and sometimes going as low as $44.99 / £44.99 as well.
If you're after some extra audio options, it's also worth keeping an eye on Black Friday gaming headset deals as well.
FAQ
When will Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals start?
Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals will officially land on November 29 this year, but we generally see sales properly kicking off from the Monday before. In fact, Black Friday was running all the way through November last year and some stores even opened those shelves in October.
Where will the best Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals be?
We'll be rounding up all the best Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals right here, but if you're going it alone you'll find a list of recommended retailers and their specialities just below.
US
Amazon: regular savings on games and accessories
Best Buy: often the first to offer high value bundles
Newegg: best for cheap accessories - avoid third party console prices
Walmart: offers strong discounts on official controllers
GameStop: often stocks plenty of bundles over bigger sales periods
UK
Amazon: sometimes offers rare price cuts on Switch Lite
Argos: free cases and cheap games often included with consoles
Currys: has historically had the widest selection of bundles
John Lewis: regular discounts on games and accessories
Very: OLED bundle restocks sometimes available for pre-order
Is it better to buy a Switch on Black Friday or Cyber Monday?
It's better to buy a Nintendo Switch on Black Friday than Cyber Monday. We generally see the biggest offers landing around the main event itself, with Cyber Monday reserved for any stock that didn't run out over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Are Nintendo Switches discounted on Black Friday?
It's traditionally rare to find a Nintendo Switch actually discounted on Black Friday in the US. The majority of seasonal sales position themselves in bundle offers, so you'll find free games and accessories included in the regular MSRP of the console itself.
However, the UK has better luck. There it's likely that Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals will bring discounts to the consoles themselves - after all, we've already seen plenty of savings so far.
How much is a Nintendo Switch going to be on Black Friday?
I expect that a standard edition Nintendo Switch will cost $299.99 on Black Friday, but with a free game included. Over in the UK, those costs could dip down to £239.99, but if you're going for a bundle option we'd expect a £259.99 price tag with a free game.
If you're after a Nintendo Switch OLED, Black Friday could kick those MSRPs down to $319 / £289 in 2024, following the year's sales so far and with the Switch 2 being just around the corner.
The Nintendo Switch Lite is a little trickier. The cheaper console is likely to stick close to its MSRP over Black Friday, but we could still see discounts of around $10 or £20, dropping the handheld down to $189.99 / £179.99.
Should you buy a Nintendo Switch before Black Friday?
We see very few Nintendo Switch bundle offers running through the US on a day to day basis - in general, you're more likely to find discounted games and accessories packaged in with your device during the November sales. If you're shopping early in the year it's well worth jumping on any discounts you see.
Over in the UK, we see bundles and discounts on the new OLED model all the time. There are plenty of opportunities to save before competing with the masses over Black Friday. If you spot a bundle offering a completely free game worth more than £30 by itself, you'd do well to dive in early. These are the kinds of offers we're expecting to see come November, so you might as well get a few extra weeks with your device and beat the crowds.
How to find the best Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals
Not every Black Friday Nintendo Switch deal is going to be perfect for everyone. In fact, one player's dream bundle would be a last resort for another. That means it's important to head into the sale knowing what you want, but with the flexibility to make sure you still get great value.
However, before we dive into what makes a good bundle, and how you can make sure you're getting the best price possible, it's worth noting that you might have to turn up a little early to get the best Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals.
In 2021 I saw the season's only bundle (in the US) run out of stock just a few hours into the event. A standard edition console with a copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and three months of Nintendo Switch Online is the holy grail here, but this $299 package has only ever appeared during holiday sales and generally only sticks around for a few hours at a time. Yes, I did see a little more movement in 2023 - with last year's Black Friday offers holding out for weeks at a time, but I still wouldn't take the chance, especially if we see similar bundles on the OLED model this year.
If you already know which game you're going to be diving into first, it makes sense to look for that title bundled in with your console. However, it's worth noting the release date of your day one purchase, as there is a sweet spot in bundle inclusion - in both the US and UK. Generally we see the latest and greatest titles included in the highest value bundles; games that wouldn't normally see discounts by themselves just yet but are still around $10 / £10 off when bought with a console. We're looking at Super Mario RPG (due November 17) and Super Mario Bros. Wonder (due October 20) for those headline offers, but Tears of the Kingdom will also be up there in value.
These are rare, but often the best Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals around. If, however, you're after something from the last couple of years, things could go either way. Retailers may include older games for free in their Black Friday bundles, as these titles will likely be heavily discounted by themselves anyway. However, if you are still paying for the game itself within that package price it's essential that you double check you can't pick both items up for less.
We often see retailers tripping over each other a little here - sometimes even the same retailer will offer a lower price for a game than it is currently being sold at with a bundle. You'll likely still be able to find Nintendo Switch stock at $299 / £259 (though straight discounts are more of a possibility than ever this year), so make sure you really are getting the best value possible by shopping around a little before heading to checkout.
Last year's best Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals
Last year's best Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals in the UK
Of course, we're also keeping you up to date across the world of gaming, so you'll find our expectations for all the best Black Friday PS5 deals and the best Black Friday gaming laptop deals as well. If you're after more Ninty swag, though, check out our guide to this year's Black Friday Pokemon card deals.
