Well, it’s that time of year again. Where the weather turns colder, the nights grow longer and, yes, the Black Friday beast ventures forth. This year’s sales event looks to be the biggest yet compared to years past, largely due to the imminent arrival of PlayStation 5 and Project Scarlett next year, as well as the recent release of a new Nintendo Switch model. It sure can get hairy out there, so we thought it worthwhile to run you through the best Black Friday retailers expected to take part in 2019.
All the UK retailers listed below have featured some of the best video game and console deals during previous Black Friday sales events, either slashing the prices of popular games outright or putting together some unbelievable console bundles. This year’s Black Friday begins on November 29th but will carry through until Monday, giving you plenty of opportunity to treat yourself and others in time for the Christmas period.
GAME
As the UK’s largest outlet solely dedicated to video games, GAME has proved itself in previous years to be one of the best Black Friday retailers in a couple of ways. For one, they make it easy for customers to bag a bargain by rolling out sperate deals specific to their physical stores as well as online. Don’t get us wrong, visiting GAME.co.uk is always your best chance at grabbing a saving quickly, but in recent years it’s also been worth paying a visit to your local outlet to witness the new and preowned titled going cheap.
Last year’s Black Friday highlights from GAME include a 500GB PS4 Slim bundle that came with Red Dead Redemption 2, Doom and NOW TV for just £249.99. You could also nab a 1TB Xbox One S with exclusive Fortnite content for as low AS £179.99. The missing piece last year was any worthwhile discounts on the Nintendo Switch, but expect this to change when Black Friday 2019 rolls around. Both the original Switch model and new Nintendo Switch Lite should significantly drop.
Argos
Easily one of the best Black Friday retailers here in the UK, the benefit of visiting Argos for all your discounted console bundles and bargain buys is having the ability to reserve any item you wish to collect. This means that you’re guaranteed to have the game or console you want ready and waiting for you ahead of time, making it relatively easy to avoid disappointment.
The biggest Black Friday boon touted by Argos last year was its price for the PlayStation VR Worlds bundle, which had its price slashed by well over £50 to just £179.99 The 1TB Xbox One S with two controllers bundle also fell from £249 to £179.99, and games like Call of Duty: WWII, the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy and Forza Horizon 4 were all less than half price. Here’s hoping Argos treats gamers in a similar fashion during Black Friday 2019.
Currys PC World
Believe it or not, Currys PC World offer more than just laptops and desktops, always gifting players with some strong video game-related discounts whenever Black Friday arrives. In fact, the retailer has already been laying down the groundwork, running what are known as ‘Black Tag’ deals running in the lead up to the big day. If that isn’t a sign of one of the best Black Friday retailers, we don’t know what is. Should you expect some great Xbox, Nintendo and PlayStation deals? Absolutely.
Black Friday highlights from Currys PC World last year included the Nintendo Switch Neon Red & Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle, which fell from £319 to a worthwhile £299.99. They also had an Xbox One S bundle with Forza Horizon 4, Tekken 7 & Project Cars 2 Bundle for only £179.99. With the arrival of PS5 and Xbox One’s successor confirmed to be Holiday 2020, expect to see these discounts go a lot deeper. That’s not to mention Currys PC World’s price promise, which will see them match any offer on a product even seven days after purchase.
Amazon UK
The behemoth that is Amazon easily earns its place on this list as one of the best Black Friday retailers, not least because it covers a wide swathe of categories and departments. However, this doesn’t mean it forgets to satisfy players whenever the mass sales event rolls around, seeing substantial discounts on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch console bundles, in addition to standalone games themselves.
The main difference between Amazon UK and other retailers is that it parses out its Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers in a timed manner, rather than simply unloading them all at the same time. This means sales fans need to keep a watchful eye when a game or console deal they want specifically is due to be unlocked. It should go without saying that Prime members receive early access in a lot of these cases, but Amazon UK are generally good in setting enough stock to appease general purchasers.
Are you prepared for Black Friday 2019?
Black Friday is obviously an exciting time for anyone who loves a bargain, but it can also sometimes be a frustrating one. However, by knowing how these various best Black Friday retailers function and operate, you can avoid being stung and take advantage of the many deals and discounts for as long as they last. We at Gaming Deals can help you stave off a lot of pressure by pulling in the best prices for every available console bundle and game discount, so be sure to pop back here when November 29th arrives.
