Post-Christmas sales are certainly a key time of the year for gamers as retailers generally put out excellent bargains on products like consoles and games. So whether you’re a first time buyer or a keen gamer looking to upgrade, you’ll want to know the benchmarks in pricing for both standalone consoles as well as the bundled packages (including games) to help you pick out the best deals.
Many people believe that the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales in November are the best times to find gaming bargains. However, according to NPD Group, it’s actually during the Christmas season through to New Years Eve that you will find retailers putting the largest amount (around 50%) of video game hardware, software and accessories on sale. So if you’re in the market to buy new console gaming related goods, don’t buy anything until you’ve read this post.
Without a doubt, the two most popular games consoles out at the moment are the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Nintendo are still a potential contender with their ‘Nintendo Wii’ along with some smaller devices such as the Gameboy and PS Vita. Although whichever platform you decide to go with, ultimately the choice boils down largely to the individual and what style of gameplay they prefer.
If you are looking for a bargain this festive season, it’s worth considering the console bundles as the games they include tend to be much cheaper than buying them separately. Generally speaking, the console won’t cost you much less, but you will get a few free games added to the deal to help you save money.
PLAYSTATION 4
This year PlayStation haven’t managed to secure as many exclusive deals on games compared to the Xbox One, however the future of this console looks very promising. The following deals are what Buckscoop has seen over the past month and should be used as a guideline to find yourself a bargain. The best prices we have seen so far are:
Best Bundle Bargain: $398 (500 GB + 1 Game + Stan), via the Target catalogue
Cheapest Console Deal: $299 (500 GB); in-store at Dick Smith
Retailer
Deal
Price
Big W
PS4 1TB + 3 Games
$478
Target Catalogue
PS4 500GB + 1 game + Stan (3 months)
$398
Big W
PS4 500 GB + Disney Infinity
$439
Online Game Play:
Free
The Controller
PlayStation have paved the way for all games consoles by creating the most popular hand held controller over the past decade. No other games controller fits a snugly in one’s hand, compared to the PS4’s DualShock 4 controller. It includes a finger-sensitive touch pad (like that on a laptop), plus it has a built in speaker and LED lights to create a more immersive gamer experience.
Social Media
The PS4 makes it easy to share your conquests with friends, because with a click of a button you can upload videos of your gameplay to Youtube. Perhaps you just defeated a boss, well you can also easily upload a picture to Twitter for all to see.
The Future
Looking ahead into 2016, PlayStation have announced that they will be releasing the PlayStation VR (Virtual Reality headgear) that is likely to get any gamer excited. PlayStation fans can also look forward to a range of popular titles such as:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
Just Cause 3
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Uncharted 4
Farcry: Primal
Just Cause 3
PlayStation 4 owners will also have early access to expansion packs on titles such as Black Ops 3 later in the year.
Additional Features
The PlayStation 4 comes with an inbuilt Blu-ray / DVD player and it can also be used to stream Netflix and other online content.
XBOX ONE
The Xbox started life as the ugly duckling with very little popularity to begin with, however since its first edition the console has blossomed to be a formidable opponent in the games console arena. The prices available for this console also make it a very attractive option too.
Best Bundle Bargain we’ve seen this December: $389 Xbox One (1TB) + Halo 5 + Gears of War + Rare Reply + Blind Forest + Delivery included (Target)
Lowest Console Deal: $345 (Target)
Retailer
Deal
Price
Target (Catalogue)
Xbox One + 3 games
$459
Kogan
Xbox One + Kinect + Forza
$499
Dick Smith
Xbox One + Halo
$499
Online Game Play:
3 months: $29.95 / 12 months: $79.95
The Controller
The Xbox controller has changed over the years from its cumbersomely large first edition. Now it sits better within the gamer’s hand and everything is well within reach of your fingers and thumb.
The Future
Xbox in recent years have managed to secure more exclusive titles (e.g. Gears of War, Fable Legends, Forza 6) along with providing a much larger range of apps on its online interface. Accessories such as its Xbox Connect also allows players to interact with games that require full body movement, e.g. volleyball which required gamers to be on their feet and jump to hit the virtual ball on screen. Xbox gamers can look forward to all the big titles that I mentioned within the PlayStation: The Future section above, plus the exclusives mentioned a few sentences ago.
Additional Features
New accessories can be added to the Xbox One such as the HD TV channel receive which can pick up over-the-air HD TV signals. The Xbox One also has a Blu-ray / DVD player built-in and can be used as an online streaming device for apps such as Netflix. However, the most significant feature from Xbox is the fact that some old Xbox 360 Games can be played on the new console, meaning cheaper Xbox 360 games can be bought rather than their more expensive Xbox One equivilant.
NINTENDO Wii U BASIC
Nintendo Wii U is the latest addition to the Nintendo family and the controller comes with its own inbuilt screen, so when someone else wants to use the TV, the gamer can continue on the handheld controller undisturbed.
Best Bundle Bargain: $334 Nintendo Wii U (32GB) + Splatoon (Target eBay)
Lowest Console Deal: $278 (BigW)
Retailer
Deal
Price
EB Games
Console (32GB) + Nintendo Land + Super Mario 3D
$399
.
.
.
EB Games
Console (8GB)
$297
Online Game Play:
Free
The Controller
The controller comes with an inbuilt screen as mentioned above which allows the gamer to connect to the console via the controller screen and not hog the TV if for example the gamer has their set up in the living room.
The Future
The Nintendo Wii U is more family friendly with a range of interactive games that the entire family can join in on. Titles released on this device and in the future will include the likes of Super Mario 3D World and the Mario Kart series. The Nintendo Wii also promotes activity within game play with numerous games requiring the gamer to do things like swing the controller to hit either a tennis or golf ball.
Additional Features
Perhaps more related to the older generations, the Nintendo Wii U has a virtual console system, which allows gamers to play classic titles such as Donkey Kong or Super Mario Bros. Old Nintendo Wii controllers will also work on the new console along with every single Wii game from the old console, again meaning money can be saved by buying older games.
How To Bag a Bargain on Gaming Consoles During the Post-Christmas Sales is a post from: Buckscoop - The Oz Bargain Blog