Xbox Black Friday sale kicks off with savings on games and controllers

Microsoft’s Black Friday and holiday deals have gone live with savings on Xbox Game Pass, digital titles and select controllers.

Due to COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the shopping world, a lot of retailers are holding virtual Black Friday sales. And rather than waiting until the Friday after Thanksgiving, they are kicking off their sales early. Microsoft has set its holiday deals live today, offering gamers discounts on Xbox Game Pass, digital titles and peripherals.

Unfortunately, the Xbox Series X or S consoles are not included in this year’s holiday deals, so let’s get that out of the way. What you can save on, however, is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a monthly subscription service that provides access to a catalog of over 100 Xbox titles.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – 40% off

From November 22 – November 30, you’ll be able to save up to 40 percent when you buy three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. New subscribers can actually get the first month for just $1. A normal month’s cost for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is $14.99, so you’ll be getting three months for around $27 if you buy during the Black Friday sale at a participating retailer (which is probably most major retailers like Amazon and GameStop).

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes access to over 100 games that you can play across Xbox consoles, PC and Android devices. New games are added regularly and Xbox Game Studio titles are available the same day as release so you don’t have to pay $60-$70 for a new release. You also get a Gold membership included as well as select games from The Play List on EA Play, a Disney+ membership, discounts and deals, and more.

Discounted Console and PC titles

These savings have actually been live since November 20, but you can save up to 55 percent on select digital titles through Xbox.com and Microsoft Store. I’m sure other retailers will have sales as well, but through Microsoft, you can save on games like Far Cry 5, Forza Horizon 4, Marvel’s Avengers, Watch Dogs: Legion and more. The full list of discounted games can be seen here.

I know I said Microsoft isn’t offering any Xbox Series X|S console discounts, but the cool thing about the Xbox platform is a lot of these games are playable on Microsoft’s next-gen console via its backward compatibility functionality. Not only are a lot of Xbox One games playable on the Xbox Series X, but in some cases, their performance actually improves thanks to the upgraded tech. Additionally, Microsoft’s Smart Delivery program ensures that supported titles “deliver the best version when you’re ready to upgrade your console, at no additional cost.”

So basically, buy the games no at a discount for Xbox One — even if you don’t have an Xbox Series X|S yet — and you’ll get the upgraded next-gen version for free when you do make the switch. Or, if you have an Xbox Series X|S already, you can get some of these Xbox One games and still enjoy them on your new console. This is especially good since the Xbox Series X launch lineup is pretty weak.

Related Story. Microsoft: Working to replenish Xbox Series X|S stock quickly. light

You can also save up to 60 percent on select PC titles such as Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Forza Horizon 4 Standard Edition and Gears 5.

Controllers and Peripherals

Again, don’t expect any Xbox Series X-specific discounts; however, you can get up to $20 off select Xbox controllers, including the new Carbon Black, Robot White, and Shock Blue, which start at $39.99. Another cool thing about the next-gen transition is that Microsoft’s Xbox One controller is compatible with the Series X|S consoles.

Interestingly, Microsoft makes no mention of discounts on the Xbox One. I guess the company figures at this point everyone is all-in on the Xbox Series X|S and those who don’t already own an Xbox One probably have no interest at this point. For Microsoft’s Xbox holiday deals, check out its Black Friday page.

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