Is Black Friday a Good Time to Buy a PS5 or Nintendo Switch 2? (2026)
Black Friday 2026 falls on November 27. For a PS5 it has been a good time to buy, with Sony's official 2025 deals cutting $100 off consoles; Switch 2 now lists at $499.99 at Nintendo, so watch for bundles.
Published: 8 October 2026 · Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Author: Garry Shi, Cashback Expert, ShopBack US
Black Friday 2026 falls on November 27, and for a PS5 it has usually been a good time to buy in the US: Sony's official 2025 Black Friday offers priced PS5 bundles at $399.99 and $449.99 and took $100 off the PS5 Pro in select regions, according to the PlayStation Blog. For a Nintendo Switch 2, which Nintendo now lists at $499.99, the better Black Friday value is often a bundle with a game included.
Console prices have gone up, not down, since 2025. That makes the official Black Friday window one of the clearest chances each year to pay less than list price for a new console.
New to ShopBack? ShopBack US is a free shopping app and website that gives you cash back when you shop at partner stores such as Best Buy, Walmart and Target. Open ShopBack, tap the store, then check out. Join ShopBack US for free.
The verdict
PS5: yes, Black Friday is usually a good time to buy. Sony has run official PS5 Black Friday offers at participating US retailers in both 2024 and 2025, and in 2025 they brought a PS5 bundle down to $399.99 for the Digital Edition and $449.99 for the 1TB console, according to Sony's PlayStation Blog. Since Sony raised US PS5 prices in August 2025 and again in April 2026, those official offers matter more than they used to.
Nintendo Switch 2: it depends on the bundle. The Switch 2 launched on June 5, 2025 at $449.99, and Nintendo now lists the system at $499.99 on its own store. Nintendo's current bundles include a full game and a three-month Nintendo Switch Online membership, which Nintendo says saves money against buying them separately. If a Black Friday bundle includes the game you would buy anyway, that is usually the better value than waiting for a cut on the console alone.
When is Black Friday 2026?
Black Friday 2026 is Friday, November 27. The US Office of Personnel Management lists Thanksgiving Day 2026 as Thursday, November 26, and Black Friday is the day after. Cyber Monday is November 30, 2026.
Console offers do not wait for the day itself. Sony's past posts show the timing:
| Year | When Sony announced | When official offers started |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | November 20, 2024 | November 22, 2024 |
| 2025 | November 18, 2025 | November 21, 2025 |
Source: PlayStation Blog, "PlayStation's Black Friday Deals" posts for 2024 and 2025.
So for 2026, plan to start watching from the middle of November, around a week before Black Friday. For a wider look at which sale tends to win, see our Black Friday vs Prime Day vs Cyber Monday guide.
PS5 Black Friday deals: what Sony offered in 2025
Sony's official PS5 Black Friday deals in 2025 started on November 21, 2025 and ran for a limited time at direct.playstation.com and participating retailers, according to the PlayStation Blog. Here is what Sony listed for the US:
| Product | Sony's Black Friday 2025 offer |
|---|---|
| PS5 Digital Edition 825GB, Fortnite Flowering Chaos Bundle | $399.99 recommended price |
| PS5 Console 1TB, Fortnite Flowering Chaos Bundle | $449.99 recommended price |
| PS5 Pro console | $100 off |
| PlayStation VR2 | $100 off |
| DualSense Edge wireless controller | $30 off |
| DualSense wireless controller | $20 off |
| PlayStation Portal remote player | $20 off |
Source: PlayStation Blog, November 18, 2025, at the time of writing. Sony noted that offers vary by region and retailer.
These are last year's offers, not a promise of what 2026 will bring. They are still the best guide to what a "good" PS5 Black Friday price looks like. If a 2026 offer lands near these numbers, it is in line with recent Black Friday lows.
PS5 Black Friday deals in 2026: what to expect
Sony has not announced its 2026 Black Friday offers at the time of writing, but the pattern from the last two years points to official console bundles at participating retailers in the week before Black Friday. The bigger change for 2026 is the starting price.
According to Wikipedia's PlayStation 5 page, which summarizes Sony's announcements:
- August 2025: Sony raised the US price of all PS5 models by $50, citing a "challenging economic environment."
- April 2, 2026: Sony raised the PS5 Digital Edition by a further $50 and the PS5 Pro by $150 in the US, citing the "global economic landscape."
- Launch prices in 2020 were $499 for the base console and $399 for the Digital Edition.
With list prices higher than at any point since launch, a Black Friday offer of $100 off is a bigger share of what most buyers will spend on a console all year. Check Sony's current list price on direct.playstation.com before you judge any deal, because a retailer's "was" price may not match the official list price.
Nintendo Switch 2 on Black Friday
Nintendo has not announced 2026 Black Friday pricing at the time of writing. Nintendo's own store lists the Switch 2 system at $499.99, up from its $449.99 launch price on June 5, 2025. According to Wikipedia's Nintendo Switch 2 page, Nintendo announced the increase on May 9, 2026, effective in the US from September 1, 2026.
Nintendo's current US bundles, from Nintendo's own store at the time of writing:
| Nintendo bundle | Nintendo's listed price | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch 2 System | $499.99 | Console, Joy-Con 2 controllers, dock |
| Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle | $549.99 | Console, full game download, 3-month Nintendo Switch Online individual membership |
| Nintendo Switch 2 + Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Bundle | $529.99, available October 22, 2026 | Console, full game download, 3-month Nintendo Switch Online individual membership |
Nintendo says the bundle savings are based on its suggested retail price when buying the game, system and Nintendo Switch Online membership separately. Nintendo also notes the included membership auto-renews after the first term unless canceled.
What this means for a Black Friday buyer:
- If you want Mario Kart World or Switch Sports Resort, the bundle already prices the game in, so a Black Friday cut on a bundle is a stronger deal than a cut on the console alone.
- If a retailer runs a bundle at the console-only price, that is effectively a free game.
- Do not overpay to beat the rush. Treat Nintendo's listed prices above as your ceiling, since paying more means paying above Nintendo's own price.
Best Buy vs Walmart vs Target for PS5 Black Friday deals
No one retailer is cheapest every year, because Sony's official offers run at participating retailers and the console price can be similar across them. The difference usually comes from stock, store policies and what you can add to the order.
| Retailer | What to know for a Black Friday console |
|---|---|
| Best Buy | A major US electronics retailer that sells PS5 and Switch 2 consoles, bundles and accessories |
| Walmart | Walmart says its US stores match the price of an identical item advertised on Walmart.com; Walmart.com says it aims to offer its best price every day, so it does not price match |
| Target | Target says it will match a lower Target.com, Target store or Target Circle deal price on an identical item within 14 days of purchase |
Sources: Walmart Price Match Policy (updated June 8, 2023) and Target Price Match Guarantee, both at the time of writing.
Best Buy
Best Buy focuses on electronics, so it is a natural place to compare console bundles, controllers and storage side by side. Compare the exact bundle name and storage size, because similar-looking bundles can include different games.
Walmart
Walmart's price match policy works in one direction: in a Walmart US store, an associate can match the price of the identical item on Walmart.com, as long as it is in stock online and you raise it at checkout. Walmart.com itself does not match competitors or past purchases. So if Walmart.com shows the lower price, buy online or show it at the register.
Target
Target's price match is useful if you buy early. If you buy a qualifying console and Target's own price drops within 14 days, Target says you can request a match at Guest Services or through online chat. Target lists clearance, closeout, refurbished items and some promotional gift card offers among its exclusions.
How to compare on the day
- Match the bundle name, storage size and edition (Digital or disc).
- Check what each "was" price is based on against Sony's or Nintendo's list price.
- Look at delivery or pickup timing, which matters for gifts.
- Keep the receipt for any price match window.
Other electronics retailers on ShopBack US include Newegg, alongside Best Buy, Walmart and Target.
Go through ShopBack US before you check out
Open ShopBack, tap the store, then check out. ShopBack lowers the effective price of flights, hotels and online orders after you pay. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.
On ShopBack US, the steps for a Black Friday order are:
- Open the store's page on ShopBack, such as Best Buy, Walmart or Target.
- Tap through to the store and check out in that same visit.
- Withdraw the cash once the order is confirmed.
What earns depends on each store's terms, and consoles are often excluded. At the time of writing, the Best Buy page on ShopBack lists gaming consoles and video game hardware as excluded, and the Target page lists gaming, including video games and gaming consoles, as excluded. The Walmart page on ShopBack shows fixed amounts for categories such as a new Walmart customer's first general merchandise order and a Walmart+ subscription. These terms change, so check the store's ShopBack page before you buy, and plan around it: the console price itself comes from Sony's or Nintendo's offer, and ShopBack applies to what the store's page shows as eligible.
A worked example
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Items the store's ShopBack page lists as eligible | $150 |
| Cash back at an illustrative 4% rate | $6 |
| Effective price of those items | $144 |
The rate is illustrative only and applies to stores that pay a percentage. Walmart works differently: ShopBack pays a fixed cash amount on eligible Walmart orders, so your effective price is what you pay at checkout minus that amount; the live amount is on Walmart's ShopBack page. Check the live rate or amount and exclusions on the store's ShopBack page, because they vary by store and category.
Card rewards on a Black Friday console
Your credit card's own rewards usually still apply on a Black Friday console order, because the card issuer pays them separately from the store. Some cards also offer extended warranty or purchase protection on electronics, which can be worth more than a small price difference on a $400 to $550 console. Check your card's terms for what is covered, and check the merchant's terms for anything that changes how the order is treated.
Frequently asked questions
Is Black Friday a good time to buy a PS5 or Nintendo Switch 2?
For a PS5, Black Friday has usually been a good time to buy: in 2025 Sony's official offers started November 21, with PS5 bundles at $399.99 and $449.99 and $100 off PS5 Pro. For a Switch 2, Nintendo now lists the console at $499.99, so a bundle that includes a game is often the better Black Friday value.
When is Black Friday 2026?
Black Friday 2026 is Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, which the US Office of Personnel Management lists as Thursday, November 26, 2026. Cyber Monday follows on November 30. Console offers have started earlier in past years, so watch from mid-November.
What were the PS5 Black Friday deals last year?
According to Sony's PlayStation Blog, Black Friday 2025 offers started November 21, 2025. The PS5 Digital Edition Fortnite Flowering Chaos Bundle had a recommended price of $399.99 and the PS5 Console 1TB bundle $449.99. Sony also listed $100 off PS5 Pro consoles and $20 off the DualSense controller.
Will the Nintendo Switch 2 be on sale for Black Friday?
Nintendo has not announced 2026 Black Friday pricing at the time of writing. Nintendo lists the Switch 2 at $499.99, the Mario Kart World Bundle at $549.99 and the Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Bundle at $529.99 from October 22, 2026. Bundles include a game and three months of Nintendo Switch Online, which Nintendo says saves money against buying separately.
Is Best Buy or Walmart better for PS5 Black Friday deals?
Neither wins every year, because Sony's console offers run at participating retailers. Compare the same bundle at Best Buy, Walmart and Target on the day. Walmart says its stores match the price of an identical item on Walmart.com, while Walmart.com aims to offer its best price every day rather than price matching.
Does Target price match PS5 deals?
Target's Price Match Guarantee covers its own prices: if you buy a qualifying item and then find the identical item for less at Target.com, in Target stores or through a Target Circle deal within 14 days, Target says it will match the price. Clearance, refurbished and some promotional purchases are excluded.
Has the PS5 gone up in price?
Yes. Sony raised US prices on all PS5 models by $50 in August 2025, and in April 2026 raised the PS5 Digital Edition by a further $50 and the PS5 Pro by $150, as summarized on Wikipedia's PlayStation 5 page. That makes official Black Friday offers more valuable than in earlier years.
How does ShopBack work for a Black Friday console order?
Open ShopBack, tap the store, then check out. ShopBack lowers the effective price of flights, hotels and online orders after you pay. What earns depends on each store's terms: at the time of writing, the Best Buy and Target pages on ShopBack US list gaming consoles as excluded, so check the store page before you buy.
Should I wait for Cyber Monday instead of Black Friday?
For consoles, waiting is usually a risk rather than a saving. In 2024 and 2025 Sony's official Black Friday offers started the week before Black Friday and ran for a limited time, so the bundle you want may sell out. If the price matches a past Black Friday low, buying earlier is reasonable.
Can I use my credit card rewards on a Black Friday console?
In many cases, yes. Your card's own rewards come from the card issuer and usually apply as normal at Best Buy, Walmart or Target. Some cards also extend warranties or offer purchase protection on electronics. Check your card's terms and the merchant's terms before you rely on both.
Key takeaways
- Black Friday 2026 is November 27; console offers have started around a week earlier in 2024 and 2025.
- Sony's 2025 Black Friday PS5 bundles were $399.99 (Digital) and $449.99 (1TB), with $100 off PS5 Pro.
- PS5 prices rose in August 2025 and April 2026, so official Black Friday offers matter more.
- Nintendo lists the Switch 2 at $499.99; bundles with a game are often the better value.
- Target matches its own lower price within 14 days; Walmart stores match Walmart.com.
- Open ShopBack, tap the store, then check out, and check each store's ShopBack page for what earns.
Related reads
Shop electronics through ShopBack US: Best Buy · Walmart · Target · Newegg
Disclaimer
The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Console prices, bundles, sale dates and retailer policies are set by Sony, Nintendo and each retailer and change often; past Black Friday offers do not guarantee future ones. Cash back rates, categories and exclusions on ShopBack vary by store and over time and are shown on each store's ShopBack page.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.
Related guides
Black Friday vs Prime Day vs Cyber Monday
Prime Day peaks on Amazon; Black Friday hits most categories; Cyber Monday leads on tech. When each event wins for US shoppers.
Can I Stack Cashback With Credit Card Rewards in the US? (2026)
Usually, yes. In the US you can earn ShopBack cashback and your credit card's rewards on the same online order, because cashback is tied to the store and card rewards are tied to the card. A flat-rate card like Citi Double Cash earns 2%, according to Citi at the time of writing. Go through ShopBack first, then pay with that card.
Cashback vs Coupon Codes in the US: Which Saves More in 2026?
Coupon codes give an instant discount at checkout. Cashback returns a percentage after the sale clears. In the US, coupons win on small one-off buys; cashback wins on large or recurring spend. Stack both when the code source is safe.
Save on Best Buy
Where the real Best Buy US savings come from: Deal of the Day, Top Deals, My Best Buy Plus and Total memberships, Open-Box inventory, and how to stack ShopBack cashback on top of any Best Buy promo or member price on electronics, appliances, and computing.
Walmart Discounts and Deals
Where the real Walmart US savings come from: Rollbacks and Clearance, Walmart Deals sale events, Walmart+ member perks, and how to stack ShopBack cashback on top of any Walmart coupon or Walmart+ discount at checkout for groceries, electronics, home, and apparel.
