Gaming and computing is the category where Black Friday reputation and reality diverge most. Some parts of it genuinely bottom out this week. Others are cheaper in spring, and a few of the loudest discounts are on hardware built specifically to be discounted.
This page sorts which is which, and links to our individual guides.
What we do: we do not benchmark this hardware. We narrow the field and explain what to check before buying.
When the deals run
Black Friday falls on Friday, November 27, 2026 and Cyber Monday on Monday, November 30, 2026. Digital storefronts usually start earlier and run longer than physical retail, often through to the new year.
What actually bottoms out this week
Digital games fall hardest
Game storefronts run their largest sales of the year across this window. Discounts on older titles are steep and genuine, and there is no stock to run out.
Gift cards for those storefronts are discounted far less often, so treat a discounted card as a real saving rather than a rounding error.
Laptops are genuinely cheapest now, with a catch
This is the best window of the year for laptops. The catch is that many sale models are configurations built for the sale: the same model name with less memory, a smaller drive or a dimmer screen.
Check the exact specification rather than the model name. Two laptops with identical names can differ substantially.
Peripherals discount well and honestly
Controllers, wheels, keyboards, mice and headsets see real reductions with less specification trickery, because there are fewer specs to manipulate.
PC components are usually not cheapest now
Graphics cards and processors follow their own release cycles. Black Friday reductions on components are typically modest, and spring often brings better pricing after new launches push older parts down.
Cases, power supplies and cooling are the exception and do discount properly.
Projectors deserve their own warning
Projectors carry the largest gap between advertised specification and delivered performance of anything on this site.
Brightness figures quoted in unqualified “lumens” are not comparable between brands. Contrast ratios are frequently theoretical. A projector advertised as 4K may accept a 4K signal while displaying at a lower native resolution.
Judge on native resolution, a stated ANSI lumens figure if one is given, and throw distance for your room. Ignore the headline numbers.
Browse deals by type
Laptops, phones and accessories
- Best Acer Swift 3 Black Friday/Cyber Monday — thin-and-light laptop, a common sale configuration
- Best Sony Xperia Black Friday & Cyber Monday — phone range and where discounts land
- Incase Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals — cases and sleeves
- Panasonic Black Friday & Cyber Monday — consumer electronics across categories
Gaming hardware and titles
- Thrustmaster Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale — racing wheels and flight controls
- Best Yoshi’s Crafted World Black Friday/Cyber Monday — a first-party title, and how those discount
- Steam Gift Card Black Friday/Cyber Monday — storefront gift cards
- Best Arcade Games Black Friday and Cyber Monday — arcade cabinets and retro machines
PC building and streaming
- Best Lian Li Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale — cases and cooling
- Best Capture Card Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals — capture cards for streaming and recording
Home theatre
- Best Projectors Black Friday/Cyber Monday — projectors, and how to read the specifications
Hobby and collectables
- Best Gunpla Black Friday and Cyber Monday — model kits
- Best Nex Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals — range and pricing
Mistakes that cost money here
Buying a laptop on model name alone. Sale configurations routinely cut memory, storage or screen quality while keeping the name.
Buying a graphics card because everything else is on sale. Components follow release cycles, not the retail calendar.
Trusting projector brightness claims. Unqualified lumens figures are marketing numbers, not measurements.
Buying a console expecting a discount. Consoles rarely drop in price. The bundle is the discount.
Frequently asked questions
Is Black Friday the cheapest time to buy a laptop?
Generally yes, but check the exact specification. Many sale laptops are configurations built for the sale, with the same model name but less memory or storage than the regular version.
Do graphics cards get cheaper on Black Friday?
Usually only modestly. Components follow their own release cycles, and prices often fall further in spring after new launches push older parts down.
Are console discounts real?
Consoles themselves rarely drop. What changes is the bundle: the same hardware packaged with games or an extra controller at the standard price.
How should I judge a projector on sale?
Look at native resolution rather than supported resolution, an ANSI lumens figure if one is quoted, and the throw distance for your room. Unqualified brightness claims are not comparable between brands.
Do digital game sales end on Cyber Monday?
Storefront sales usually start before Black Friday and run past Cyber Monday, sometimes into the new year, so there is less urgency than with physical stock.