Plus a $100 Nintendo 3DS bundle and Steam Machines as low as $225.

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Once again, Black Friday is a bonanza for gamers this year, offering some rare discounts on gaming hardware and especially good prices on in-demand software. As in years past, we've sifted through all the advertisements and retailer offers to pick out the best deals available on the day after Thanksgiving (though many of these deals will start on Thanksgiving day itself and/or last into the weekend. Check your local store's hours before you head out).

PlayStation 4 hardware

The general going rate for a PS4 Slim packaged with a 500GB hard drive and Uncharted 4 this Black Friday season is $250, down from the usual $300. Pretty much every major retailer will have the system at this price, but there are a few stores that are throwing in a few extras with the bundle as well. Here are the best bonuses we could find:

  • Best Buy: The Last of Us & Ratchet & Clank

  • GameStop: The Last of Us OR Ratchet & Clank

  • Walmart: $30 gift card

  • Meijer: $25 gift card

  • Fred Meyer: $20 gift card


If you need extra controllers more than extra games, Costco has its own Uncharted 4 bundle with a second DualShock 4 for $280. If you want to pick up controllers a la carte, they'll be going for $40 at Target, Walmart, Kohl's, and Toys R Us on Black Friday.

If you'd rather invest in a PS4 Pro, the only Black Friday deal comes attached to a television. If you buy a specific Toshiba 55" 4K TV for $750 at Best Buy, you'll get a PS4 Pro for free. That's a $200 savings on what you'd usually spend for the combo, but we can't vouch for that specific TV over the competition.

Xbox One Hardware

This Black Friday, a standard 500GB Xbox One S can be had for $250 (down from the standard $300) at most major retailers, packaged with your choice of either Battlefield 1 or Minecraft. A few stores have special add-ons on top of the price reduction:

  • Dell Home: An extra controller and Gears of War 4 (with BF1 bundle)

  • Walmart/Sam's Club: An extra controller (with Minecraft bundle)

  • Target: $40 gift card


In addition, a few retailers are extending their Xbox One deals to include $50 off every Xbox One bundle. That means, in addition to the $250 500GB system, you can also get a 1TB system (bundled with Gears of War 4) for $300 at Best Buy, GameStop, Meijer, and BJ's Wholesale. And Meijer will throw in a $50 gift card with any Xbox One hardware purchase. Not too shabby.

If you need extra Xbox One controllers, Best Buy and Target will be selling them for $40. HH Gregg has a $30 deal on a wired controller with camouflage coloring if you really want the bargain-basement price.

Other gaming hardware

The HTC Vive sees its first ever official price reduction on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, down from $800 to $700 for the complete package. More information on the deal and retail locations is available on HTC's blog.

The New Nintendo 3DS (non-XL version) is also being marked down to $100 packed with Super Mario 3D Land at many retailers this Black Friday (down from $150). You can find that price at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, GameStop, Meijer, and Fred Meyer.

Further gaming hardware deals:

  • Walmart: 500GB Xbox 360 with Forza Horizon 2 for $129

  • GameStop: All Alienware Steam Machines 50% off ($225 for the lowest spec version)

  • GameStop: Steam Link or Steam Controller for $35

  • Toys R Us: Atari Flashback 7 or Genesis Classic plug-and-play retro consoles for $30 each


Toys to Life

Black Friday is one of the best times to stock up on those pricey figurines that work with special video games. If you're looking to get into Lego Dimensions, you can get the Starter Pack for just $40 at GameStop and Target or $39 at Walmart. Walmart also has the best deal on Team Packs and Level Packs for the game, at just $14 each (Team Packs are $15 at Target and Level Packs are $20 at GameStop if Walmart is out). Target also has a deal on Lego Dimensions Fun Packs, just $10 each.

If you'd rather play around in Skylanders Imaginators, the Starter Kit is just $37.50 at Toys R Us (Thursday only). The same kit is available for $40 at GameStop and Best Buy, or $45 at GameStop if you can't get out on Thanksgiving Day. You can stock up on Skylanders Sensei figures for $9 each at Walmart, or $10 each at GameStop, Target, Best Buy, and Toys R Us. Toys R Us is offering Skylanders Crystals at three for $20, and Best Buy is offering Dual Packs at $20 each.

Games

As always, there are too many Black Friday video game deals to possibly list them all here. Here are some games that come with Ars' recommendation that are available for particularly good prices on this holiday weekend:

  • Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4) - $10, GameStop

  • Battlefield 1 - $35, Target

  • Bloodborne - $15, Best Buy, Target

  • Civilization VI (PC download) - $40, GameStop

  • Dark Souls III - $20, GameStop

  • Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - $30, Best Buy, GameStop, Meijer

  • Doom (XB1) - $15, Walmart

  • Dragon Age: Inquisition (pre-owned) - $10, GameStop

  • Fallout 4 (PS4) - $15, GameStop

  • Far Cry Primal - $15, Walmart

  • Gears of War 4 - $30, Meijer, Target

  • The Division - $25, Best Buy

  • Guitar Hero Live (w/ Guitar, PS4) - $50, Best Buy, GameStop

  • The Last of Us Remastered - $15, Best Buy, Walmart

  • Mafia III - $30, Best Buy, Target

  • New Super Mario Bros. 2 - $15, Target

  • No Man's Sky (PS4) - $20, GameStop

  • Overwatch - $35, GameStop (PC download), Target, Walmart (PS4)

  • Rare Replay (pre-owned) - $10, GameStop

  • Ratchet & Clank (PS4) - $10, GameStop

  • Rise of the Tomb Raider - $40, Meijer

  • Star Wars Battlefront (PS4) - $10, GameStop

  • Super Mario Maker - $35, Target

  • Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (XB1, pre-owned) - $10, GameStop

  • Titanfall - $8, Target

  • Titanfall 2 - $27, Walmart

  • The Witcher III: Wild Hunt - $30, GameStop