Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge
Not all M.2 SSDs are PS5-compatible. They need to be PCIe 4.0-ready and boast a 5,500MB/s read speed (though some slower drives may work, according to our testing), and Adata’s XPG Gammix S70 Blade meets those requirements. The reason why I’m telling you about this one, in particular, is that it’s selling for just $129.99 at Best Buy and Amazon, a $30 price cut. At that price, it’s one of the fastest yet most affordable ways to add storage to your PS5. Similar models from brands like Samsung often sell for about $50 more than this.
Whether you plan to use it inside of a PC that has a PCIe 4.0-ready motherboard (it’s backward compatible with PCIe 3.0, just a slower speeds) or a PS5, it’ll be ready to install the moment you open the box. Unlike some M.2 SSDs, this one includes a heatsink with purchase. Per Sony’s recommendations to keep it within safe operating temperatures in your PS5, you’ll need to secure it before installation. Though, some customer reviews for this SSD offer a warning that the quality of the included heatsink isn’t top-tier. So, you may want to offset some possible disappointment with an affordable alternative. Here’s this low-profile heatsink from Micro Connectors that’ll work, selling for just $10.99 at Amazon.
Photo by James Bareham / The Verge
If you’re ready to pull the trigger on a Nintendo Switch (I’m envious of all the great games you get to play for the first time), Woot is offering a $20 off perk for Amazon Prime subscribers. Head to this page, and when you add it to the cart, make sure to click the “Login with Amazon” in order to get in on this deal. It’s tough to beat getting a brand-new Switch for less than the usual cost; Nintendo’s console almost never sees any kind of discount.
While you’re at it, consider picking up a microSD card that’ll give you enough space to store several games (the Switch has 32GB of internal memory, which is enough for two to three games, depending on their file size). This SanDisk model with 256GB of storage for $27.14 at Amazon should suit most people.
HP’s 16.1-inch Omen gaming laptop is selling for a good deal at Best Buy. Normally $1,479.99, you can snag the configuration with AMD’s previous-generation Ryzen 7 5800H processor, AMD’s Radeon RX 6600M graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD for $1,149.99. It also features a 144Hz refresh rate 1080p display and other perks like a full-sized SD card reader, three USB-A ports, ethernet, USB-C, mini DisplayPort, and an HDMI port.
While we haven’t tested this particular model, its specs should deliver a good gaming experience for people who don’t need to run games on their highest graphical settings. In other laptops, this processor has been notable for its efficiency, and the RX 6600M graphics chip seems to be on par with Nvidia’s RTX 3060.
Other deals you may dig
One of Samsung’s flagship QLED TVs from 2021, the 55-inch Neo QLED QN90A, is selling for $1,297.99 at Amazon, its lowest price yet (normally $1,799.99). It features Mini LED backlighting for more accurate backlighting and supports gaming at up to 4K resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate via HDMI 2.1 ports.
New Oculus Quest 2 owners should consider upgrading the stock strap to the Elite Strap, which offers better support and comfort. Normally $49, it’s $39 at Amazon.