Photo by James Bareham / The Verge
If you own Apple’s ninth Gen iPad, or the previous-gen iPad Air (pre-USB-C days), this Smart Keyboard is compatible — and selling for just about its lowest price yet at Woot. Normally $150 or so at most other retailers, you can snag this snap-on keyboard that covers your iPad’s screen when it’s not in use for just $104.99. This accessory also works with the seventh- and eighth-gen iPads, as well as the 10.5-inch iPad Pro from 2017.
This is a good price, and it comes with a one-year warranty through Apple. Though, it’s possible that you might want a keyboard for your iPad that offers a trackpad, too. Don’t worry, those exist, and buying one won’t cost you much more than this Smart Keyboard. Brydge’s $129.99 10.2 Max Plus keyboard case delivers a solid typing experience, along with protection for every side of your iPad.
If you’re looking for a powerful, port-filled USB-C hub, Anker’s 555 model is $67.99 right now, down 15 percent from its usual price. This model delivers eight ports, including an HDMI port (up to 4K at 60Hz refresh rate), USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 port (supporting 10Gbps speeds), USB-C PD for passthrough charging, two USB-A ports, 1Gbps ethernet jack, and microSD and SD card readers. Notably, this USB-C hub can accept 100W of power, passing 85W of it to your laptop while reserving the rest of the power for any accessories you might want to plug into the Anker 555.
This deal has been popular with new and existing Oculus Quest 2 headset owners: the Elite strap that makes wearing the headset more comfortable is $10 off, selling for $39 at Amazon. We saw this deal first pop up right after Christmas, and it’s worth going for if you want a strap that offers more support for your VR marathons (or even just for your quick burst workouts, if that’s your thing). While you’re at it, you may want this Oculus Quest 2 hard zip-up case to keep your headset protected while it’s not in use.
When it comes to gaming accessories, opting for a higher-performance piece of kit can make the difference in giving you that slight competitive edge — or it can just make you feel good. Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Series 2 controller perfectly encapsulates that. Maybe most of us are not talented enough to really need a pro-level controller, but tinkering with its swappable sticks, directional pads, optional rear paddles, and fine-tuning is just fun. This premium controller feels great, looks great, and you can tailor it to what fits your proclivities. It’s currently on sale for $139.99 at Walmart, matching its all-time low price that knocks $40 off MSRP. Read our review.
Extra deals for extra credit
Luigi’s Mansion 3 for the Nintendo Switch is down to $39.99 ($20 off) at Amazon. That is close to the historical low price for a very good first-party Nintendo game starring everyone’s favorite Italian plumber’s brother (aside from me: Antonio). Read our review.
The Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas 4 flight stick for PS5, PS4, and PC is $49.99 ($40 off) at Best Buy. This is a very affordable way to get into trying out flight sticks without jumping into more elaborate, expensive setups. While it’s built for PlayStation, you can install PC drivers that’ll make it compatible with the likes of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator.
If you shoot Fuji’s mirrorless X system, you can pick up the X-T30 on closeout sale at Adorama for $799 ($100 off). This camera is a little long in the tooth now, but it’s still a very capable model if you don’t need the newer X-T30 II that’s launching later this month. Read our review.