This Xbox Series X anti-Prime Day deal is a better choice than the Series S. Here's why.
The Xbox Series X is $50 off at Best Buy, making it the best way to get Microsoft's higher-end console despite Amazon Prime Day.
If you're finally in the market for a new console, there's good news. Amazon is holding Big Deal Days (which is really just yet another Prime Day, let's be honest right now) which means that various retailers are slashing prices and discounting hot items in order to be competitive. Ironically, it means some of the best deals are found outside of Amazon.
That's the case with this particular discount. Right now, you can grab an Xbox Series X for $450 at Best Buy, meaning it's $50 off the normal price (and Best Buy throws in a $25 to sweeten the deal.) This isn't the best discount I've ever seen on an Xbox Series X, but it's the best deal available right now if you take advantage of a $120 trade-in, so act fast. There's no way to know how long this'll be available!
Xbox Series X | was $499.99 now $449.99 at Best Buy ($329.99 with eligible trade-in)
This isn't the best price we've ever seen an Xbox Series X at, but it's still a worthy offering for any that has yet to upgrade from last generation. With big current generation-exclusive games like Fable and Monster Hunter Wilds on the way, it's a great time to jump in.
👀See at: Best Buy
✅Perfect for: Someone that wants to play new Xbox games in the highest quality
❌Avoid if: You want to save money and get an Xbox Series S instead
🔎Our experience: Xbox Series X review
💰Price check: $560 at Amazon (includes Diablo 4!) | $500 at Walmart
🤔Why Best Buy? If you trade in a "similar device," like an older console, you can get up to $120 off, AND Best Buy throws in a $25 store gift card. That brings the console value to $329.99 post-trade-in, and the gift card can reduce the price of a second controller or a new game!
🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃
- 💾Seagate Xbox Expansion Card (1TB) | $129.99 at Best Buy (Save $70!)
- 📺Amazon Fire TV Stick | $24.99 at Amazon (Save $25!)
- 🎮ASUS ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme) | $499.99 at Best Buy (Save $150!)
- 💻Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (Ryzen 5) | $329.99 at Best Buy (Save $250!)
- 💽AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU (8-core) | $164 at Amazon (Save $285!)
- 📺LG C4 OLED 4K TV (42-inches) | $899.99 at Best Buy (Save $500!)
- 💻Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge (X Elite) | $799.99 at Best Buy (Save $550!)
- 💻Dell XPS 13 (X Elite) | $999.99 at Best Buy (Save $500!)
- 🎧Sony ANC Wireless Headphones | $228 at Walmart (Save $122!)
- 💻HP Envy 2-in-1 14 (Ryzen 7) | $649.99 at Best Buy (Save $400!)
Here's why you should get an Xbox Series X
The Xbox Series X is the higher-end option from Microsoft's two current-generation consoles, complementing the lower-end Xbox Series S.
Either console grants you access to an ever-growing library of first and third-party games, but I recommend going with the Xbox Series X. The Xbox Series X and Series S have mostly identical internals, but the Xbox Series X packs far more powerful graphics, with 12 TFLOPS vs. the 4 TFLOPS found in the Series S. On average, this means a game running at 4K on the Xbox Series X will be 1440p or 1080p on the Xbox Series S.
Yes, even with this discount you'll be paying more, but you'll also be getting the best versions of Xbox games. That means better visual fidelity and higher framerates, including sometimes getting 120 FPS modes. $450 isn't the best price I've ever seen for an Xbox Series X, but at that price, unless you're on a strict budget, you're objectively better off grabbing this console than the Xbox Series S. Consoles simply haven't gone on sale this generation the way they did in prior generations, so if you haven't upgraded yet, this is the right time.
This is important if you're playing a lot of games, and there are certainly a lot on the way. Across the Xbox first-party lineup, titles from Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks currently slated for 2025 include Playground Games' Fable and id Software's DOOM: The Dark Ages. The lineup gets even more packed with third-party games like the Capcom's widely-anticipated Monster Hunter Wilds and Rockstar Games' juggernaut, Grand Theft Auto 6.
With that many big games on the way, you'll want to see them all at their best. When it comes to Xbox first-party games, you can also save money by subscribing to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes the standard edition of every Xbox game at launch.
What is a My Best Buy membership?
If you're going to be doing a lot of shopping at Best Buy during big seasonal sales like Amazon Prime Day, it's worth signing up for a My Best Buy membership. This membership grants tons of rewards, including access to special sales that normal buyers can't take advantage of.
More Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals
We at Windows Central are scouring the internet for the best Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals, but there are plenty more discounts going on now. Here's where to find more savings:
- Xbox controller deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
- Xbox SSD storage deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
- Gaming headset deals: Walmart | Dell | Target | Best Buy | Amazon
- MicroSD storage deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
- Gaming handheld deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
- Laptop deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
- Copilot+ AI laptop deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
- Monitor deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
- Mini PC deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
- Gaming keyboard deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Amazon | Dell | Newegg
- Gaming mice deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Amazon | Dell | Newegg
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Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter @SamuelTolbert.