Black Friday is fast approaching, and Amazon is next to officially announce its sale dates. Amazon's "Black Friday Week" sale will kick off on November 21 at 12:01 am PST and runs through November 29 at 11:59 pm PST, with the retailer promising millions of discounts across a wide range of categories. Here's what you need to know about one of the year's biggest shopping events, alongside the best Black Friday deals that are already available at Amazon.
Amazon Black Friday Deals
Amazon is already showcasing some early discounts, and one of the big standout offers is the Fire TV Stick 4K, now at its lowest-ever price of $21.99 (according to camelcamelcamel), and beating its previous best of $25 during Prime Day.
For those looking for an upgrade, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is also at a record-low price of $32.99. Both are excellent deals, but we recommend acting fast before stock runs out. Reminder: If you've got an Xbox Game Pass subscription, you can now use a Fire TV Stick to stream Xbox games at no extra cost.
Amazon Prime members can also now take advantage of a 10% discount on gaming gift cards, including those for PlayStation and Xbox. The promotion includes significant savings, such as $25 off a $250 PlayStation gift card and $10 off a $100 card. These discounts are particularly valuable for those planning to purchase digital games, downloadable content, or subscriptions during the holiday sales period.
Think about it this way: There's a 100% certainty of more digital games sales over the Black Friday period, and these gift card discounts mean you can save even more. Or you could actually gift them, if you want? There are also discounts on Fortnite V-Bucks, Xbox Game Pass Core, and Roblox Digital Gift Cards if you're so inclined.
When Is Black Friday 2024?
The actual date of Black Friday in 2024 falls on November 29 this year, but the deals season will begin a lot sooner than that. Amazon’s Black Friday Week will extend well beyond the day itself, starting on November 21 and running through the end of Black Friday.
Whether you're shopping for tech, toys, or holiday gifts, Amazon’s Black Friday Week sale is promising plenty of opportunities to score discounts. Retailers will not reveal their biggest Black Friday deals until the big day, but most general deals will be available well in advance, such as the Fire TV Stick deal we mentioned.
What Black Friday Deals Can You Expect from Amazon?
The retailer hasn't revealed much, but so far these are what Amazon plans to feature deals across more than 35 categories, including:
- Electronics: Deals on popular brands like Sonos and Dyson
- Toys: Discounts on favorites like Hot Wheels
- Home and Kitchen: Products from brands like KitchenAid and Solo Stove
- Beauty and Fashion: Offers from Clinique, New Balance, and more.
What About Video Games?
This year has brought us some incredible video games, and Black Friday remains the best time to grab video games at a discount. Plus, many popular titles from last year, like Starfield, Baldur’s Gate 3, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, are also likely to see massive price drops.
If you’re catching up on older PS5 or Switch games, you can often find them for under $30, making it a great opportunity for those who don’t mind being a bit behind on the latest trends.
Should You Join Amazon Prime for Black Friday?
Amazon Prime members gain access to exclusive deals, fast free delivery, and other benefits. You can get a 30-day free trial, or membership costs $14.99 per month or $139 annually, with discounted options also available.
You won't need a Prime membership to access the Black Friday deals, like in Amazon Prime Day, but it might still be useful for fast delivery, and access to any surprise deals Amazon does decide to put behind its paywall (such as the 10% off gaming gift card deal that's already live).
- Young Adults (18–24) and College Students: Six-month free trial
- Government Assistance Recipients: $6.99 per month after a 30-day free trial
Tips for Shopping Amazon Black Friday Deals
With Black Friday getting closer, it's a good time to start planning your shopping in earnest. Here are a few Black Friday tips that you should be considering ahead of the event:
- Set a Budget – Keeping track of how much money you can actually spend is important to avoid overspending. When everything is on sale, it can be easy to buy more than you really should just because things are at their lowest price of the year.
- Create a Shopping List – Knowing exactly what you're trying to find discounts on is a great way to avoid making unnecessary purchases. It can also make it easier for you to compare prices between retailers or set price drop alerts ahead of time.
- Compare Prices – Although Amazon tends to automatically price match most things, it's still good to compare prices to other retailers before you buy. You can also use the website CamelCamelCamel to compare current prices against Amazon's historical pricing.
- Find Unbiased Reviews – Amazon reviews have gotten somewhat better in recent years, but you should still do research outside of the site before making a decision. Seek out unbiased reviews on expensive purchases before you buy. IGN's Tech reviews, for example, are a great place to look.
- Be Wary of Sponsored Products – Search results in Amazon include sponsored sales that may not be what you're looking for. Look for the little 'sponsored' tag before you click. You may want to scroll past those.
- Make Sure to Clip Coupons – One of the easiest ways to save money on Amazon that many folks seem to miss is the clipping of coupons. There are a ton of coupons available for Prime Members, and all you need to do is check a box on the product page for additional savings.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
