Yahoo News I’m a gaming writer, here’s what I’m going to shop this Amazon Prime Day
As a gaming writer, it’s part of my job to cover industry developments but also to review games to help people make an informed purchase. Naturally, this means I end up playing a lot of videogames both for work and in my spare time too.
It’s also an incredibly rewarding industry to follow as a writer. Videogames are where culture, technology and now, even sport intersect. It’s fast-paced and it can be a challenge to find the stories that matter most on a daily basis.
And there is a lot of ground to cover. The UK gaming industry was worth £7.16 billion last year alone and if you’ve been trying to get your hands on either a PS5 or an Xbox series X, you will know that it’s easier said than done.
But even then, the sheer volume of games that are released every year means that some inevitably fall off my radar, simply from being part of an overcrowded release schedule. With the latest generation of Playstation 5 and Xbox series X/S games, they’ve also become more expensive and that means a good old fashioned bargain hunt is sometimes the only way I might get to play something I may have previously missed. Like other gamers, the dreaded “backlog” of new games to play is a Sisyphean undertaking that builds up quicker than I can get through.
Which is why sales like Amazon Prime Day are a good opportunity to pick up some deals I may have missed, upgrade my existing set up and hunt something down that’s been on my wishlist for a while. If you want to find out what I’ll be looking out for this Prime Day then keep reading the rest of the article below.
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‘Returnal’: £59.99, Amazon.co.uk
The US arguably had a better selection of titles on their side of the Atlantic on Prime Day last year. Big PS5 exclusives such as Returnal and Demon’s Souls received very generous discounts and we hope to receive the same treatment this year. Returnal in particular is a title that’s worth picking up if you missed it the first time.
There’s a lot of reasons to be rooting for Returnal in the upcoming sales. It recently swept up at the gaming Baftas, it’s regularly been discounted on Amazon and it’s received plenty of post-launch content, including a new co-operative mode. It’s this mix of critical praise, price elasticity and developer support that makes it a worthy addition to any gamer’s library even over a year after it first came out.
It also helps that the game is going to be making its way over to the new PS Plus service, making it the perfect time to own a copy of the game outright at a decent price when it becomes available to subscribers at a monthly cost.
We would hope to see this title in particular enjoy a decent discount this Prime Day as well as other big Playstation exclusives that launched last year, which include games like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (£39.89, Amazon.co.uk) and Deathloop (£49.99, Amazon.co.uk). Those games quite often see a good discount but as console exclusives, they’re well worth picking up to experience the best games the PS5 currently has to offer.
Nintendo Switch lite: £185, Amazon.co.uk
The Nintendo Switch has been nothing short of a runaway hit since it launched in 2017. With must play titles such as Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, it’s been an essential console for anyone who is serious about playing some of the best games ever made.
Needless to say, I’m a big fan of Nintendo’s quirky little handheld/home console hybrid. But even then I sometimes wish my original Switch could be more on the “handheld” side. Enter the Switch lite.
A cheaper alternative that forgoes its TV docking and removable controllers, the Switch lite is an exclusively handheld experience. Yes, it has a smaller screen but it sits comfortably in the hand without ever feeling cumbersome. It’s noticeably lighter and can still play the same games as the other Switch models (provided they don’t require motion controls or a TV).
Like previous years, the Nintendo Switch lite has been a reliable entry for anyone looking for a Prime Day bargain and often comes included as part of a wider bundle with games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (£47.94, Amazon.co.uk). As someone who already owns a Nintendo Switch, the lite version is a perfect companion and with cloud saving available through Nintendo Switch Online, games can easily be transferred between machines. You’ll have to be quick if you want to land a Nintendo Switch lite deal on Prime Day, though, as Switch deals always sell out on the day.
‘Rainbow Six: Extraction’: £24.99, Amazon.co.uk
Released in January 2022, Rainbow Six Extraction is still a fairly new title that’s worth exploring. As a spin-off of the popular competitive shooter Rainbow Six Siege, it takes players into a new sci-fi setting. We saw plenty of Ubisoft titles such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs Legion and Immortals: Fenyx Rising discounted last year, and based on the time window this game was released in relation to Prime Day, we have a strong feeling it could be given the discount treatment.
In our review, we said: “By scaling back to focus on a co-operative experience, Extraction has done well to retain the look and, more importantly, the feel of its competitive counterpart while carving out its own niche.”
Meta Quest 2 advanced all-in-one virtual reality headset (128GB): £299.99, Amazon.co.uk
For those looking to step into the world of virtual reality, we also saw a decent discount on the Oculus Quest 2 (now rebranded to Meta) advanced all-in-one virtual reality headset (£338.99, Amazon.co.uk) last year. It topped our pick for the best virtual reality headset you can buy and was reduced from £448 to £399 at the time.
Meta has indicated that they intend to release up to four new virtual reality headset in the next few years, so it would make sense to see their current lineup receive some kind of discount. Even if the standalone headset doesn’t go on sale, we’re also likely to see bundles with carry cases or streaming bundles pop up as well.
Razer blackshark V2 pro wireless headset: £119.99, Amazon.co.uk
Our pick for the best wireless gaming headsets saw a significant discount last year and it’s fairly likely that this offering from Razer will see some similar discounts this Prime Day.
Our reviewer said: “Aimed at esports players, the headset offers superb directional audio and a superbly clear microphone ensuring your team communication is completely unimpeded.”
Xbox elite controller series 2: £137, Amazon.co.uk
When shopping new controllers, it’s generally better to keep an eye out for the first-party offerings. In other words, ones that are made by Playstation/Microsoft/Nintendo themselves. There are exceptions to this rule, as some third-party controllers can give you more input options than the first-party counterparts will allow, but generally it’s always quite good to stay within the console’s ecosystem.
We wouldn’t be surprised to see the Xbox elite controller series 2 (£137, Amazon.co.uk) go on sale, with the elite controller series 3 rumoured to be announced some time within the next year. The series 2 is also one of our top picks for best controllers for PC gaming, making it a worth addition to your peripheral collection.
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