Today’s best deals: Nintendo Switch bundle, microSD cards, and more – Ars Technica

Folks, it’s time for another Dealmaster. For today’s deal roundup, we’re spotlighting a new Nintendo Switch bundle from Walmart that packages the base version of the mega-popular game console with a 12-month subscription to Nintendo’s Switch Online service and an official carrying case at no extra cost. That comes out to roughly $40 in extras bundled into the Switch’s normal going rate of $299.

It’s true that the bigger, bolder display on the new Switch OLED has made the standard model look a bit dated by comparison—even if the two are equal in terms of performance—and Switch Online isn’t quite as essential to enjoying the Switch as similar services from Microsoft (Xbox Live Gold) and Sony (PlayStation Plus) are for their respective machines.

However, if you’re just jumping on the Switch bandwagon and don’t want to drop an extra $50 for the still-hard-to-find Switch OLED’s upgraded display, this is as good a deal as we can find for the console as of this writing. (Presuming you don’t want the handheld-only Switch Lite.) Switch Online isn’t necessary, but it’s still required to use the online modes of games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and it gives access to a handful of classic NES and SNES games worth rediscovering. (A collection of N64 and Sega Genesis games are available in a pricier “Expansion Pack” tier that’s not included in this deal, but those are something of a mess at the moment.) A carrying case is generally a must for traveling with the Switch, too. While we’d definitely like to see Nintendo offer more attractive deals for the nearly five-year-old console, there’s at least some value here for last-minute shoppers looking for a device that remains in high demand.

Today’s Dealmaster also has a number of deals on well-reviewed video games. In particular, PC gaming storefront Humble is running a sale that discounts a number of games we like, including near-lows on former Ars game-of-the-year winners Celeste and Control as well as the Ars-approved RPG Loop Hero. A few more acclaimed indies from this year, such as Death’s Door, Chicory, and The Forgotten City, are discounted as well. And if you don’t play on PC, we’re still seeing Black Friday prices on several other games of note from this year, including Monster Hunter Rise, It Takes Two, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

We also have the lowest prices we’ve tracked on the popular civilization-building board game 7 Wonders, a reliable Samsung microSD card, and noise-canceling headphones we like from Sony and Jabra. Our full list of handpicked deals is below.

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Featured deals of the day

Electronics deals

Video game deals

Gaming deals

Laptop and desktop PC deals

• Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop for $1,250 ($1,550) at Best Buy—Ryzen 9 5900HS, 14-inch 2560×1440 120 Hz, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, GeForce RTX 3060
• Razer Blade 14 gaming laptop for $2,001 ($2,200) at Microsoft—Ryzen 9 5900HX, 14-inch 2560×1440 165 Hz, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
• Razer Book 13 laptop for $1,000 ($1,200) at Razer, Walmart—Core i5-1135G7, 13.4-inch 1080p, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
• Apple Mac Mini (2020) desktop PC for $570 ($650) at Amazon, Costco—Apple M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
• Crucial P5 (1TB NVMe) PCIe Gen 3 SSD for $90 ($115) at Amazon
• Samsung SSD 980 (1TB NVMe) PCIe Gen 3 internal SSD for $100 ($120) at Amazon, Best Buy
• Samsung 980 Pro (1TB NVMe) PCIe Gen 4 internal SSD for $170 ($185) at Amazon, Best Buy
• Samsung T7 (1TB) portable SSD for $110 ($140) at Amazon, Best Buy

Smart home device deals

Accessories and miscellaneous deals