Oh, the glorious Steam sale. It pops up a few times a year to empty the wallets of anyone who plays PC games. It’s gotten so popular that competing digital services like Amazon and GreenManGaming run similar sales during the same time period in order to pull sales away from Steam. Even EA’s Origin gets into the mix, but I wouldn’t recommend using that service to my worst enemy. (Be sure to check the section on Steam’s Trading Cards below!)

If you are new to the process, here’s the skinny. Steam, Valve’s PC game distribution platform, cranks up a massive sale on nearly all items in the store. The current one just started (June 24) and will run through July 8th at 10 a.m. PT. The next massive sale will hit during the winter of 2021, so it’s best to jump on sales right now to get some amazing deals. The sale period usually lasts for about 10 days and discounts range from 10 percent to 90 percent depending on the type of sale.

1. The Standard: This discount starts on the first date of the sale and lasts the entire sale period. This is the only sale price requested by Valve from publishers when it comes to purchasing a single game. It can be between 10 to 90% off the normal price of the game.
2. The Bundle: If you are new to PC gaming, this is really where you can get the most bang for your buck. Valve either bundles games from the same publisher or the same genre all together and adds an additional discount on top of the standard discount. It’s a great way to purchase a ton of games at once, typically for $25 to $75 depending on the bundle.

Patience Doesn’t Matter Anymore

The key to getting the best value out of Steam sale purchases used to be patience. During the older format in early 2015, you could snag amazing discounts with daily and flash sales. However, these were phased out in favor of a single discount for the entire sale period.

It doesn’t really matter what day you make your purchases on now. The sale price will be the same on the first day as the last day.

In preparation for a sale, I usually make a list of games that I want to add to my collection. You can use the Wishlist feature within Steam after you register for an account or simply type it out in Excel or Notepad. I’ll also come up with a budget of what I want to spend for each game.

You can also add funds to your Steam account prior to starting in order to cut one step out of the purchase process, however that’s not a huge necessity anymore due to the lack of daily and flash sales.

The Right Tools for the Job

If you are using Google Chrome or Firefox, I recommend checking out the  Augmented Steam extension. It provides a plethora of added features like color coding games you already own to avoid duplicate purchases, identifying 3rd party DRM, showing DLC categories and providing a pricing history to see if you are really getting a great deal.

If you are stuck at work or on a PC that you can’t make purchases on, be sure to download the Steam app for iOS or Android phones. This will help you keep up to date on the latest deals and make purchases that you can download later on your gaming PC.

Advanced Tips

If you’re looking for information on a game and standard reviews just don’t cut it, pop over to r/gaming in Reddit and look for the thread on each day’s deals. There’s usually a solid discussion on both the quality of the deals as well as the quality of the games.

You should also be sure to check out r/steamdeals and r/patientgamers for alerts on newly listed Flash and Daily deals as well as tips on cheap prices on competing services. Amazon, for instance, competes heavily with Steam and will discount games even more aggressively sometimes. Those games can also be downloaded directly within Steam, assuming it’s a digital version with a Steam key.

If you have a little extra money to invest in heavily discounted Steam games, consider purchasing a popular game at a 50 to 75 percent discount and hanging onto it rather than installing it. Beyond trading with friends in the Steam community, r/SteamGameSwap allows you to trade game keys with others. When something comes out that you really want to play, someone may consider trading that game for a key or keys that you own. If you are creative with trades, you could come away with a new release for the discounted price that you paid during the last Steam sale. You can also trade away duplicate games from a Bundle pack as well.

Steam It Up!

Those are the basics to taking advantage of the big Steam sales. Go forth and hand over your paycheck to the Mighty Gabe during the next Steam sale. If you are interested in beefing up your gaming PC in preparation of the next major Steam sale, check out our Build-a-Gaming-PC guide here.

How to Score the Best Gaming Deals During This Steam Sale

Playing off the nostalgia of growing up in the late Eighties / early Nineties, Target is selling an exclusive electronic gizmo that puts an old, familiar game in the palm of your hand.

The handheld Oregon Trail game puts you back in that covered wagon making your away across America in search of a new life in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, circa 1848.

Sure, you could find any number of flash emulators to play this game for free on the Web. But this $25 device comes with ridiculous size buttons, the same found on those enormous keyboards from the decade of Sony Walkmans, Talking Alf and the Back to the Future franchise.

Similar to the 80’s version, you can name all the members of your party; ideal for the tombstones when they inevitably die of dysentery. You can also hunt for food using the directional pad and curse at the game when it only lets you bring back 25 pounds of the 1,000 pound bear you just shot. Speaking of hunting, this version of Oregon trail is more similar to the MS-DOS version than the Apple II, specifically because you can free walk around the hunting map.

The handheld Oregon Trail game is sold exclusively at Target for a price of $25. You can find it online as well as in-store (and likely eBay once the retailer sells out of the production run).

Shut Up And Take My Money: Handheld Oregon Trail Game

To say that 2020 has been a different year than other recent ones would, of course, be a colossal understatement. While adjusting to the new normal involved with living amid a pandemic, people have also coped with the sluggish release of new entertainment and content to digest in tough times … while simultaneously stocking up on activities and hobbies they can do from the comfort of their home.  This has resulted in, well, the videogame industry continues to thrive despite the complications, working through mild delays in software releases and still moving full steam ahead into the arrival of a new generation of consoles in November. Granted, there’s still one delayed title – Cyberpunk 2077 – that many people are still uncertain about whether it’ll get here before the holidays, but for the most part, it’s still been a solid year for new titles worth wrapping up and giving as gifts.

Below, we’ve bundled together over a dozen titles that have either stood out from the rest this year or are very, very likely to impress once they’ve come out in the near future. Be sure to hop over to Ben’s Bargains Hardware Gift Guide to figure out what machine you’ll want to play these games on — whether it’s the current cycle of game consoles or the upcoming ones that are inherently backwards compatible.

Gifts for the Horror Survivor

The best of gaming’s horror genre tends to hover around the concept of pandemics and the origins of those diseases, which may go in two directions this year: they may trouble those playing even more, or they may resonate more deeply amid the current world situation.  Both are absorbing experiences in their own right, and worth the intensity.

Gifts for The Sci-Fi Aficionado

Three of the most significant names in the realm of science-fiction video games cranked out games for 2020, some with engaging sandboxes to explore and others with familiar, yet different landscape to traverse.

Gifts for The Open-World Explorer

While there’s certainly plenty of pleasure to be had in knocking out shorter games, just to celebrate the completion of something, there’s also something particularly satisfying about exploring vast areas without an obligation to really accomplish anything. It eats up hours and distracts from what’s going on in the outside world, and the more immersive the realms being explored, the better. Being able to control a shark … ? Well, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Gifts That Are a Blast From the Past

Lately, video games have enjoyed something similar to movies and TV shows in the way old franchises have been revived with new content. The games in this section have a degree of “back in the day …” aspect to them, while also carrying their own modern spit polish and enjoyment.

Gifts for [E]verybody

Whether it’s the satisfying completion of everyday tasks on an island or the enthrallment of vaulting through a vivid forest landscape, the games below showcase that the games occupy the E for Everyone quadrant of the gaming world are just as versatile and engaging as ever.

… And Finally, A Gift For the Webheads

Many of the games listed above will be receiving updates to get themselves up to speed for the new console generation, and that’s part of the reason why the roster of launch titles and exclusives remained fairly low leading into the release of the PS5 and the Xbox Series units. There’s one, however, that understood the responsibility that comes with greater power, and it’ll be slinging into the picture at a point where it might leave an impression that’s to be felt for the rest of this generation.  

2020 Gift Guide: Best Video Games For the Holiday Season

After Microsoft released pricing on the upcoming Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S last week, Sony has responded today with the launch price of both the digital-only PlayStation 5 as well as the model with a disc drive. The base model without a disc drive will be released on November 12 for $399 and the disc model will sell on the same day for $499.

Sony has been tight-lipped on any other differences between the two models. Considering how inexpensive a disc drive is, it’s possible that the digital model comes with less storage space than the $499 model.

Sony announce that the new consoles will be available for preorder at select major retailers on September 17. In addition, Sony is attempting to keep some of the preorders in-house, offering one PS5 preorder per PSN ID on the PlayStation site.

Besides the consoles, Sony will be selling a DualSense charging station for the controllers, a HD camera, a Pluse 3D wireless headset and a media remote with buttons for direct access to popular streaming services like Netflix.

Last week, Microsoft announced two next generation models, the $299 Xbox Series S and the $499 Xbox Series X. Both of those consoles are expected to launch on November 10, 2020. In addition, Microsoft and major retailers will start taking preorders for both consoles on September 22.

Sony announces PS5 price & launch date and preorder date for the digital-only and disc model

If you have been interested in the standalone Oculus Quest headset, Oculus just announced a new model of the popular VR system which will be sold for $100 less than the previous model on the October 13 release date.

The 64GB Oculus Quest 2 is priced at $299 and the 256GB version is priced at $399. By comparison, the first generation headset was $399 for the 64GB model and the 128GB model was $499. Effectively, you can 4x your storage size at the same price of a 1st gen 64GB model.

Other upgrades include a jump from 4GB to 6GB of internal RAM and a faster Snapdragon processor. The Quest 2 comes with a higher resolution LCD display (1832 x 1920 per eye) versus the original OLED display (1600 x 1440 pixels per eye). The new screen is capable of a higher refresh rate (90Hz versus 72Hz), but the LCD may have less contrast / deep blacks than the previous OLED technology offers.

One downgrade is a shift from the manual IPD lens slider to a slider that only has 3 positions. Battery life hasn’t changed much, offering just 2 to 3 hours of play before having to recharge the headset. Battery life in the controllers has improved though. Oculus claims that the AA battery in each controller will last 4 times longer as the previous generation.

If you are upgrading from the original Quest, all your games and software will transfer over to the new VR headset. Keep in mind that a Facebook login is now required to use the Quest headsets, a new requirement that Oculus implemented this year.

In addition to the announcement of the Quest 2, Oculus also announced that the company will be discontinuing the PC-driven Rift lineup of VR headsets since the Quest 2 will be able to connect to a PC via USB-C cable to take advantage of higher resolution, complex games. Sales of the Rift S will be halted during Spring 2021 and consumers will have to look to HTC and Valve for PC-specific innovations in VR headsets.

Price Drop: Oculus Quest 2 debuts at $299, $100 cheaper than previous gen

With the Sony PlayStation 5 and the Microsoft Xbox Series X currently slated to hit shelves at the end of 2020, we’ve come up with a handful of tips to help you save money on the upcoming next generation consoles as well as the games / services that come with each platform.

Tip 1: Invest in cheap subscriptions to PlayStation Plus & Xbox Live Gold now before prices potentially go up.

As of late, sales on 1-year of PlayStation Plus has been hovering around the $30 price point (MSRP: $60). Those sales are extremely frequent, not specifically limited to big sales like Prime Day or Black Friday. Xbox Live Gold sales are less frequent, but usually around the $40 price point.

If you plan on investing in the next generation of consoles, you run the risk of a price increase on services like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold at some point in the product life cycle. It’s always a good idea to stock up on these 1-year subscriptions as you can stack multiple years. You can stack up to 4 years of PlayStation Plus and 3 years of Xbox Live Gold.

The same advice goes for game subscription services like PlayStation Now and Xbox Game Pass. Look for more aggressive deals on both of those services prior to the launch of the new consoles and avoid any potential price increase after the PS5 / Series X launches in North America.

Tip 2: When buying games this fall for your PS4 or Xbox One, look for a free next gen upgrade option.

Some publishers are announcing free, next gen versions of a game when you purchase the current gen version. The upcoming Avengers game from Square Enix is one such game. The developer is promising the ability to move your save files easily to next-gen consoles, transfer all player profiles / progression stats, and cross-platform play with PS5 / PS4 players.

They are also promising an upgraded gaming experience with faster load times (likely due to SSD drives in the PS4 and Series S), ray tracing, higher resolution textures and features like 60 frames per second at 4K resolution.

Other upcoming games that will get free upgrades on next gen are Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, Far Cry 6 and Watch Dogs Legion. Free upgrades will be a great way to see how the next gen consoles can scale up titles originally programmed for previous gen hardware.

It’s likely that these upgrades will be digital-only, thus you will have to prove ownership by popping in the disc if you purchased a physical copy of the game. Digital versions of the game (purchased on Ps4 / Xbox One) will likely just automatically unlock on the new consoles.

Tip 3: If you want to take advantage of 4K, October / November is the time to a new display on sale.

With Amazon pushing Prime Day into October this year (most likely) and November being the month of the best sales on electronics due to Black Friday, there will be no better time to make the jump to a dedicated 4K display for your gaming needs.

Both consoles will support 4K gaming at 120 Hz, both will support HDMI 2.1 for 48 Gbps data transfer rates. Be aware that if you purchases a 4K TV in the last few years, you may be stuck with a HDMI 2.0 port (which is limited to 18-Gbps bandwidth). Samsung’s QLED TVs are probably a good bet for the functionality you will need as well as LG’s OLED lineup of TVs. I wouldn’t invest in 8K until pricing drops considerably.

As for sale timing, watch throughout November for flash sales at Amazon, Best Buy, eBay and other retailers for great prices on your next set. The same advice goes for any other home theater electronics you want to upgrade to like speaker systems, high end cables and other gear.

Be aware that Sony is attempting to roll out a 3D audio format (Tempest Engine ) directed at headphones for the PS5. It may be more cost effective to spend money on a solid set of headphones rather than a full Dolby Atmos system for your audio needs. Microsoft is offering a similar 3D audio technology called Window Sonic (but it can be flipped off in favor of Dolby Atmos instead).

For those interested in HDR, Microsoft is attempting to include a HDR reconstruction technology in the Series X, specifically designed to improve graphics in older games. It’s likely the PS5 and Series X will support all available HDR display tech for both gaming and movie playback.

Tip 4: Look for bonus credit deals when trading in your old console.

This happens quite often when a new console is released. Companies like GameStop will offer bonus in-store credit when selling your old console. It’s possible that Amazon and Best Buy will copy that model when the PS5 / Series X release dates are finally announced.

In previous years, GameStop has added $50 to $100 on top of the normal trade-in price. That can be applied to your new console purchase or applied to any games / accessories you will need on day one.

Of course, the potential disadvantage to this is that your existing console needs to be in pristine working condition to receive the full store credit. This means you will have to include the original controller, all original cables, any included headset and other accessories that came in the original box. Personally, I hang onto my original box as well, just because it’s easier to keep all the accessories I’m not using in a single place.

If you want to avoid the trade-in process entirely, you could also save money by utilizing a PS4 or Xbox One as a dedicated multimedia hub rather than a gaming console. It can be installed at a secondary TV in your home and used as a 4K disc player, streaming media player, etc…

One final point, it’s possible that Microsoft or Sony could surprise everyone with a trade-in offer of their own. Watch the reaction when the prices of the consoles are announced and see if there’s push back from the community. A trade-in deal might be a response to a high price point of the next gen hardware.

Tip 5: Beware of the Bundle / Beware of Digital-Only Consoles

As with every console launch, there will inevitably be bundles offered by all kinds of retailers. Bundles are specifically designed to help the retailer make money on additional games and accessories (since the margins are razor-thin on the hardware).

Bundles aren’t inherently a bad deal; you can save some money IF you want everything in the bundle. But bundles typically are packaged with at least 1 game that’s reviewed poorly or simply not a popular option. Ideally, you should preorder early on sites like Amazon and choose the console only option.

The same advice goes for digital-only consoles. While you will be able to save money on a digital only console (usually $50 to $100 off the versions that plays discs), SSD storage space will be limited in the first generation version of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. In addition, you wouldn’t be able to trade-in or sell physical copies of games (if you like doing that to save money).

A digital version of the consoles will likely make more sense when 2TB options are available for a reasonable price. I can tell you that I already struggle with data management on a 1TB SSD drive on the PS4. I can’t imagine how worse data storage is going to get with larger resolution files.

Interestingly, the PS5 will be coming with a NVMe SSD Slot for storage expansion. The company hasn’t stated what the capacity of that storage slot will be though. NVMe SSD storage scales up to 4TB, but can get considerably pricey. Microsoft is going a proprietary route and selling 1TB expansion cards created by Seagate.

Bonus Tip: Become a Patient Gamer, just wait.

If you don’t mind waiting a couple years, you are really in the best financial position when it comes to next gen hardware. Within two years, both companies will likely have released new & improved versions of the PS5 & Series X for less than the first generation hardware will cost.

The cost of games will plummet, especially all the first party exclusives released for both consoles during the first two years. You could even pick up a steal on first-gen hardware as the impatient gamers rush to upgrade their existing hardware.

There’s even an entire Reddit sub dedicated to this gaming lifestyle.

5 Ways to Save on your upcoming PS5 / Xbox Series X purchase

On February 4th, Nvidia has pushed their cloud gaming service live to the public, exiting an extensive beta period. Called GeForce Now, it’s designed to allow gamers access to extremely high end gaming machines via streaming.

Basically, Nvidia connects to your existing gaming libraries, on services like Steam & Epic, and allows you to play cloud-based copies of those games via GeForce Now

This could be a particularly inexpensive solution for people that have an older PC or Macs, unable to push high-end graphic performance. The service also works on Nvidia Shield devices as well as Android devices (with 2GB with Android 5.0 (L) or later).

At launch, Nvidia is offering two tiers, a free-to-play option and a $5-a-month Founders edition. The 1st tier is limited to 1-hour sessions and you have to wait in a queue to connect. The Founders level offers a priority queue as well as sessions up to 6 hours as well as RTX (ray tracing) activated.

Of course, the quality of your stream is going to be highly dependent on the bandwidth you pay for. For instance, streaming at the highest bitrate at 1080p and 60 frames per second will require a 50 Mbps download speed. And if you have monthly data caps with your ISP, you could quickly hit your cap as that setting streams 15 GB of data per hour.

Of course, you can scale down data use with Nvidia’s preset data profiles. You also have the option of scaling up to 4K resolution and 120 frames per second. Be aware that anyone else on your network could potentially reduce the quality of your gaming stream if using other services like Netflix.

With high-end gaming PC’s potentially costing in the thousands (depending on how much you sink into your monitor / gaming cards), Geforce Now could be a bargain option for someone that simply can’t afford to upgrade for new, advanced games like CyberPunk 2077.

You can sign up for the free tier here. Just FYI, the Founders edition does come with a 90-day free trial. You can play for the first 90 days before being charged. Check out the video below to see GeForce Now on multiple platforms:

Shut Up and Take My Money: Geforce Now Cloud Gaming Service

Looking to stock up on some Switch titles for yourself or a friend? We’ve looked through all the Black Friday ads and broken down where you can get the cheapest Nintendo Switch games this year.

We’ve split this list into the lowest price for each games that you will get at any retailer. Price buckets include $40, $30, $25, $20 and $15. The price you see for a game is the absolute low at any retailer. We’ve included links to each game at said retailer site below as well.

For the most part, Walmart and Target are dominating the competition. Best Buy isn’t great at the AAA titles, but does have a few exclusive bargains. Expect to see Amazon aggressively price matching this list leading into Black Friday.

The Lowest Price for these Switch Games: $39.99

• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze: Best Buy – Target – Walmart
• Kirby Star Allies: Best Buy – Target – Walmart
• Octopath Traveler: Best Buy – Target – Walmart
• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus: Best Buy – Target – Walmart

The Lowest Price for these Switch Games: $29.99

• Mario Tennis Aces: Target – Walmart
• NBA 2K20: Target
• Resident Evil Origins Collection: Walmart
• Splatoon 2: Walmart
• Super Mario Odyssey: Target – Walmart
• Super Mario Party: Walmart
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Target – Walmart

The Lowest Price for these Switch Games: $24.99

• Dead by Daylight: Best Buy
• Diablo III: Eternal Collection: Best Buy – Walmart
• Final Fantasy X | X-2: Walmart
• Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age: Best Buy – Walmart
• Just Dance 2020: Target – Walmart
• Mortal Kombat 11: Walmart
• Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch: Best Buy
• Overwatch: Legendary Edition: Best Buy – Target – Walmart
• Spyro Reignited Trilogy: Best Buy – Target – Walmart
• Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD: Target
• Undertale: Best Buy
• Zombieland: Double Tap: Walmart

The Lowest Price for these Switch Games: $19.99

• American Ninja Warrior: Walmart
• Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night: Best Buy
• Collection of Mana: Best Buy
• Contra Rogue Corps: Best Buy
• Enter the Gungeon: Best Buy
• Friday the 13th: Best Buy – Walmart
• LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2: Best Buy
• LEGO The Incredibles: Best Buy
• Paw Patrol On a Roll: Walmart
• Poké Ball Plus: Best Buy – Target – Walmart
• Rocket League Ultimate Edition: Best Buy
• Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package: Best Buy
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Best Buy
• Team Sonic Racing: Best Buy – Walmart
• Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair: Best Buy

The Lowest Price for these Switch Games: $14.99

• Aladdin & The Lion King: Target
• Assassin’s Creed III: Best Buy – Walmart
• Carnival Games: Walmart
• Crash Bandicoot N’Sane Trilogy: Target
• Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled: Target
• Killer Queen Black.: Target
• LEGO DC Super-Villains: Walmart
• LEGO Harry Potter Collection: Walmart
• LEGO Jurassic World: Walmart
• Mario & Rabbids Kingdom Battle: Best Buy – Target
• Overcooked! 2: Target
• Rayman Legends Definitive Edition: Best Buy
• Scribblenauts Mega Pack: Best Buy
• The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame: Walmart
• Trials Rising: Walmart

Here’s the cheapest Nintendo Switch Games on Black Friday 2019

Shopping for a new Gaming Laptop this year?  We’ve looked through all the Black Friday ads and broken down where you can get the the cheapest Gaming Laptops. We’ve got 3 picks for you in the entry-level, mid-range and high-end categories as well as backup options if anything is OOS on Black Friday.

Best Deal on an Entry-Level Gaming Laptop: $449

Both Walmart and Best Buy have basically the same HP gaming laptop for sale, but Best Buy’s pricing is $50 cheaper due to a Ryzen 5 CPU versus a Core i5 in Walmart’s version. If having an Intel chip is important to you, go with Walmart’s model for $499.

Both models have a NVIDIA GTX 1050 card (3GB), 256 SSD drive, 8GB SDRAM, a 15.6-inch 1080p screen, a back-lit keyboard, Bang & Olufsen Audio speakers and a “Shadow Black, Green” finish.

• Best Buy: HP Pavilion 15.6″Gaming Laptop (Ryzen)
• Walmart: HP Pavilion 15.6″Gaming Laptop (Intel)

Best Deal on an Mid-Range Gaming Laptop: $799

Newegg has a compelling deal on a MSI-brand gaming laptop for $799 (after a $100 rebate). It offers an Intel Core i7-9750H, a NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti (6GB), 512GB SSD storage, 8GB of RAM (expands up to 64GB), back-lit keyboard and a 15.6″ 1080p screen.

Alternatively, Target is offering a fairly similar model for $899 (no rebate unfortunately). It’s a HP OMEN laptop with the Core i7-9750H, a NVIDIA GTX 1650, 512GB SSD storage, 8GB of RAM (capped), back-lit keyboard and a 15.6″ 1080p screen.

In addition, Best Buy has a great option for $899 if you want a larger 17-inch screen. They had an ASUS 17.3″ with an Intel i7-9750H, NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti (6GB), 512GB SSD storage, 16GB of RAM and a back-lit keyboard.

• Newegg: MSI Gaming Laptop
• Target: HP OMEN Gaming Laptop
• Best Buy: ASUS 17-inch Gaming Laptop

Best Deal on an High-End Gaming Laptop: $1,149

The standout option here is another MSI laptop discounted to $1,149 (after $100 rebate) by Newegg. This MSI laptop offers a Core i7-9750H, a NVIDIA RTX 2060 (6GB), 512GB SSD storage, 16GB of RAM, a back-lit keyboard, and a 1080p display with 144Hz refresh rate.

Alternatively, Best Buy has a solid deal on another MSI laptop discounted by $500 to $1,399. That MSI laptop offers the same processor / storage / video card, but ups the RAM to 32GB and the 1080p display has a 240Hz refresh rate instead of 144Hz. Thus you pay $250 more for a higher refresh rate and twice the RAM. Both laptops have MSI’s Cooler Boost tech for cooling the CPU & GPU with seven heat pipes, both have MSI’s thin bezel design.

• Newegg: MSI Gaming Laptop 16GB
• Best Buy: MSI Gaming Laptop 32GB

Here’s the cheapest Gaming Laptops on Black Friday 2019

Amazon and Nintendo have teamed up for a new promotion that’s ideal for Nintendo Switch owners. Available for all Twitch Prime members (which is free to join if you have an Amazon Prime account), you can get up to 12 months of Nintendo Switch Online service (a $20 value) for free.

Be aware, it’s split up into two separate actions. First, you activate the initial 3-months of the service and link it to your Nintendo Switch. Two months after that activation, you can go back to the promotion page to activate an additional 9-months of service. The service will convert to a paid membership after activated, so be sure to so into your settings and flip off the auto-renewal option if you don’t want to continue the service.

If you are unfamiliar with Nintendo Switch Online, it offers access to online multiplayer in games like Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. as well as access to the large library of old-school NES games. In addition, it provides access to a cloud service for storing your game saves and a smartphone app to enhance online multiplayer features in some games.

You can signup for the promotion here. A full list of the NES games included in the subscription is listed below:

• Metroid
• Mighty Bomb Jack
• TwinBee
• Soccer
• Tennis
• Donkey Kong
• Mario Bros.
• Super Mario Bros
• Balloon Fight
• Ice Climber
• Dr. Mario
• The Legend of Zelda
• Super Mario Bros 3
• Double Dragon
• River City Ransom
• Ghosts’n Goblin
• Tecmo Bowl
• Gradius
• Pro Wrestling
• Excitebike
• Yoshi
• Ice Hockey
• Baseball
• Solomon’s Key
• NES Open Tournament Golf
• Super Dodge Ball
• Wario’s Wood
• Ninja Gaiden
• ADVENTURES OF LOLO
• Blaster Master
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
• Super Mario Bro 2
• Kirby’s Adventure
• Kid Icarus
• StarTropic

New Amazon Prime Perk: 1-Year Nintendo Switch Online Membership