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We’ve got advice on how to get the best discounts in 2022’s Prime Day gaming deals
Now that Amazon’s sales event is on the horizon, we’re summoning our bargain-hunting team to give us the lowdown on 2022’s Prime Day gaming deals. What can we expect, and what should we look out for?
With years of experience under their belts, our writers have more than a few pointers that can prepare you for Prime Day gaming deals. As an example, they’ve rounded up price comparisons from last year to estimate 2022’s biggest discounts. They’ve also got advice on how to make the most of price cuts for everything from laptops to tabletop games.
In other words, you’re in the right place if you want to get the jump on 2022 Prime Day gaming deals. Let’s get started, shall we?
All the same, it’s worth taking this with a pinch of salt. 2021’s Prime Day gaming deals took place on June 21-22, and even though this was a one-off, it’s worth being prepared for an earlier start just in case.
Yes, you will need a Prime membership to get the best Prime Day gaming deals. As this name would suggest, the best offers are normally set aside for Prime subscribers. That means you’ll need to sign up ahead of the big day if you want to save the max amount of cash.
The competition always offer savings of their own
However, you aren’t sunk if you don’t have a membership. There are some price-cuts for non-members throughout the sales event, and it’s worth pointing out that the competition always offer savings of their own. Best Buy, Walmart, and the rest commonly run discounts on their sites at the same time, and for the most part, they’re actually good.
Amazon Prime | 30-day free trial
Want to access the best Prime Day gaming deals? You’ll need a Prime membership. We’d suggest grabbing the free trial listed here. You can then cancel before the rolling monthly $12.99 / £7.99 fee starts.
2022’s big names should enjoy a fair reduction too. Last year’s price cuts on early 2021 games like Returnal (which dropped by almost 30%) indicate that we can expect at least $20 off tentpole releases including Elden Ring, Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, and Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
Nintendo Switch games could also join the party via Prime Day Nintendo Switch deals, but because the company is notoriously reluctant to discount new games, we wouldn’t count on it. Judging by 2021, we suspect console bundles will get the lion’s share of attention instead.
It’s certainly plausible that a console drop will occur this July
On a similar note, we expect that the best gaming headsets (and other accessories ranging from keyboards to mice) will get major price cuts as well. For instance, 2021 saw the SteelSeries Arctis 5 RGB Wired headset drop from $99 to $66 during Amazon’s Prime Day PS5 deals. Because Razer always comes out strong with Prime Day gaming deals on its latest headsets, we’d expect its entry-level Razer BlackShark V2 X to revisit its Black Friday low of $34.99.
Equally, console storage got a boon of offers – including a 22% drop for the WD My Passport external HDD – in 2021’s Prime Day Xbox Series X deals. That means you should keep an eye out for savings on top picks from the best PS5 accessories and the best Xbox Series X accessories this time around, with a particular focus on SSDs now that the PS5 can use them. Namely, the Seagate Firecuda 530 has been steadily dropping in cost all year so could return to or better its lowest ever price of $189.99 for 2022’s Prime Day gaming deals.
Will you be able to take advantage of a PS5 restock or an Xbox Series X restock, though? It’s certainly possible. Despite the difficulty of getting either machine since launch, the Xbox is becoming easier to find and PlayStation’s latest upgrade seems to be enjoying more regular drops these days. With that in mind, it’s certainly plausible that a console drop will occur this July.
We’re more certain of savings for Prime Day board games. Everything from party distractions to the best board games of yesteryear were slashed in price during 2021, including the famously expensive Twilight Imperium (it tumbled to $85). As such, keep a close eye on usually-expensive hobby games; these get the most worthwhile reductions.
Returnal (PS5) |
With an impressive saving of nearly 30%, Returnal stood out as one of the best Prime Day gaming deals in 2021. Seeing as it launched in April of that year, we hope the likes of Elden Ring and Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (which landed at a similar time in 2022) will get the same discount.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (Xbox Series X) | $59.99 $22.99 at Amazon
Want a good example of how much you can save with Prime Day gaming deals? Here you are. One of the previous year’s biggest games got an enormous reduction during 2021, so expect Deathloop et al to get a similar price cut in 2022.
Twilight Imperium | $150 $85 at Amazon
While it’s still fairly expensive, Twilight Imperium’s drop in the 2021 Prime Day gaming deals is a great case in point for why you should watch hobby board games like a hawk during this sales event. Keep an eye on the similarly pricey Gloomhaven, Scythe, Descent: Legends of the Dark, and Mansions of Madness for cuts this time around.
LG OLED 55-inch C1PUB 4K TV | $1,799 $1,496 at Amazon
It wasn’t the cheapest offer from Prime Day gaming deals 2021, but this ended up being one of the most eye-catching reductions nonetheless. Seeing as shoppers were able to save $300 on a cutting-edge a 2021 OLED flagship, imagine how much these screens will be reduced in 2022.
Acer Chromebook Spin 311 | $499 $225 at Amazon
Customers were able to shave over $270 on this 2-in-1 Chromebook during last year’s Prime Day sale, so if you want something that can hit light work as well as mobile games, be on the lookout for these devices in 2022. Features: Intel Celeron N4020, Intel Integrated Graphics, 4GB RAM, 32GB HDD, 11.6-inch Full HD screen
Intel Core i7-10700K | $387 $259.99 at Amazon
This 2020 processor was already getting great discounts in previous Prime Day gaming deals, so we expect it to drop even lower for 2022. Because it’s one of the best chipsets you can buy right now, seeing it fall to or below its previous lowest-ever-price of $259.99 would be a major win. Features: 8-core (16 threads); 3.8GHz base clock speed (overclockable to 5.1GHz); 125w
Searching for present inspiration ahead of the sale? Don’t miss our guide to the best gifts for gamers. And if you’re on the lookout for something you can enjoy with family and friends, these board games for adults and board games for 2 players should hit the spot.
As the site’s Tabletop & Merch Editor, you’ll find my grubby paws on everything from board game reviews to Lego buying guides. I have been writing about games in one form or another since 2012 and can normally be found cackling over some evil plan I’ve cooked up for my group’s next Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
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