OSNABRUECK, GERMANY – MAY 3: A computer game enthusiast plays a computer game during a computer … [+] gaming summit May 3, 2003 in Osnabrueck, Germany. About 900 computer gamers from across Germany came to play games such as “Counter Strike,” “Black Hawk Down,” “WarCraft” and “Medal of Honour” in teams across a LAN network for two days. Many gamers are part of clans, groups of 10-30 people, who play each other over the Internet and meet at LAN summits across Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
It’s that magical time of year again. Thanksgiving is here or, as it’s more commonly referred to, Black Friday Eve.
That means that after you stuff yourself with stuffing, mash yourself with mashed potatoes, and cram as many cranberries down your gullet as humanly possible, you can take a quick nap and then hit the shopping circuit.
If you’re lazy, you can just hop online and find plenty of great deals instead of waiting in line. And many of those deals are already upon us.
The following list is not a list of Best Black Friday Deals so much as it is a recommendation of great gaming gadgets that I’ve had the pleasure of testing out over the past year. I’ll update this list if I think of anything else to include, but for now there’s a selection of gaming accessories that should tide you over until Christmas. If you happen to have any suggestions of great gaming gifts, products, gizmos etc. please let me know on Twitter or Facebook.
For the Best Black Friday deals of 2023, be sure to check out Forbes Vetted’s main page.
1. HyperX Cloud III Wireless
Cloud III Wireless
HyperX has been my go-to gaming headset brand for years now. My favorite headset of all time is actually the HyperX Alpha Cloud II Wireless headset with its 300-hour battery life ($169.99 on Amazon @ 15% off) but you can also go for the more budget-friendly Cloud II Wireless headset ($99.99 on Amazon @ 33% off).
The Cloud III Wireless is an excellent middle-ground and boasts 120-hour battery life. It’s tough, comfortable and has great noise-cancelling. You really can’t go wrong with any of these headsets, all of which have great mics as well.
2. RIG 800 PRO HX
RIG 800 PRO HX
I actually tested out the cheaper RIG 600 PRO HX and found the sound quality quite excellent. It’s a very comfortable headset as well, and comes with a handy charging station. The reason I’m including the 800 in this list is that it’s an even nicer headset and, right now, is on sale for the exact same price as the 600 series.
This is officially licensed for Xbox and PC, has Dolby Atmos 3D Surround Sound and clocks in at 24 hours of battery time, which isn’t bad at all.
3. Secretlab TITAN Evo Gaming Chair
Titan EVO Gaming Chair
I’m currently typing out this list while sitting on the chair in this picture. I’ve sat in a lot of different gaming chairs over the years, but my go-to since forever ago has been Secretlab’s TITAN Evo, which is big and sturdy and comfortable and fits my 6’3” frame perfectly. I’m also a huge fan of The Witcher games, books and (season 1 of) the Netflix show. So this is basically a dream gaming chair. Over at the Secretlab website you can find some good Black Friday deals, including up to $100 off on these bad boys.
4. Samsung 49” (5120×1440) Gaming Monitor
Gaming Monitor
You ever hear the phrase “go big or go home”? Yeah, that phrase was invented for this gaming monitor from Samsung. At 49” of curved, 120Hz QLED, HDR goodness, this thing will blow your mind, though at 33% off ($799 at Amazon) maybe not your budget. Of course, if you do plan on gaming at this high of a resolution, you probably want a graphics card that can go along with it. Which brings us to our next item in this list.
5. ASUS ROG Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
RTX 4070 Ti
I’m a lifelong Nvidia gamer, having built my first PC with an Nvidia graphics card and almost every single one after that as well. I’m currently running an RTX 4070 which is terrific, making use of DLSS 3.0, ray-tracing and doing it all with a smaller footprint and less power draw than my previous RTX 3080. The 4070 Ti is even faster and will absolutely run just about any game you can throw at it with settings cranked to the max (even using that crazy Samsung monitor up above). This card is currently 14% off at $899.99 on Amazon.
6. Razer Basilisk V3 Ergonomic Gaming Mouse
Razer Basilisk
I suppose we all pick our favorite brands over the years, and I’ve always been partial to Razer. The Razer Basilisk V3 is designed to be as comfortable as possible, which I find more important than ever as I get older and encounter fun ways the body can betray you like carpal tunnel syndrome. Fun! But this is a mouse for all ages, and the great user reviews combined with the current 43% off savings ($39.99 on Amazon) make it a great purchase for your own gaming or as a gift this holiday season.
7. HyperX Alloy Origins Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
HyperX Alloy Origins Gaming Mechanical Keyboard
Along with HyperX’s gaming headsets, I’ve become a diehard fan of the company’s excellent, colorful gaming keyboards. I love a good mechanical keyboard, and I’m typing on this terrific Alloy Origins keyboard as we speak. This is a solid, weighty, space-efficient keyboard that doesn’t sacrifice features for its smaller footprint. You have a 10-key, RGB lighting, and HyperX Mechanical Switches in either Red (quiet, non-tactile), Aqua (quiet, more of a tactile response) or Blue (clicky, tactile, loud) depending on your preference. On Amazon, over 11,000 user reviews have this keyboard at 4.7 stars, which says pretty much everything you need to know about its quality. It’s 18% off at $89.99 right now.
8. PS5 Slim Spider-Man 2 Bundle
PS5 Slim
The PS5 Slim is a new edition to the PlayStation 5 lineup and cuts the size of the rather massive PS5 by a shocking amount. This little guy is just way, way smaller and easier to fit in your home entertainment setup. This particular bundle—$499 on Amazon, which basically means you get Spider-Man 2 for free—is perfect if you’re looking to get a great console with one of the very best games of the year.
9. Xbox Series X Gamepad
Xbox Gamepad
As much as I love the PS5 and its DualSense gamepads, I’ve always been more of a fan of the Xbox controllers, and the Xbox Series X gamepads are the best they’ve ever been. And hey, look at this lovely Astral Purple color! That’s pretty sexy. I love all my consoles, but I’m mostly a PC gamer and I love using the Xbox Series X gamepad when I play games like Dark Souls or Elden Ring on my PC. (Keyboard and mouse for shooters, gamepad for action titles and platformers!) This is 31% off at $44.99 on Amazon right now.
10. LG OLED C3 Series 77” Television
LG OLED
If you’re looking for a new TV to game on or just to stream your favorite shows and movies, I can’t recommend LG’s OLED line highly enough. I own two LG OLED television sets (55” in my bedroom, 65” in my TV room) and I’m tempted to upgrade to an even larger set, though that’s basically crazy and greedy and I should just be content with what I have. I know. But still, at $2,196—37% off—this is a screaming deal. Gorgeous, pure black OLED makes every image vivid and lush.
And that’s all for now. I might add more items to this list as they turn up, but 10 is a great number for lists and guides and so for now at least, 10 is where we’ll end. Have a lovely Thanksgiving and may you play lots and lots of games!
