Gaming is one of the most fun and rewarding hobbies that you can pick up. I should know — I've basically had a controller in my hand since I was a small child.
But, gaming has a notoriously intimidating barrier to entry. Not only is there so much to catch up on if you're looking to experience some of the older, iconic games of the past in addition to the current zeitgeist, but getting into gaming also comes along with a potentially eye-popping price of admission considering all the gear you'll need to buy to get started. That's not even mentioning that you'll need to develop the skills to "get good," so that you can actually finish these games.
I don't have the ability to turn you into a skilled gamer right from the jump, but the least I can do is help you out with curbing that initial sticker shock. Especially during Prime Day, where you'll find a ton of gaming essentials on sale.
Based on my years of gaming expertise and extensive Prime Day experience, these are my top gaming-centric deals that you should be shopping during Amazon's massive shopping event if you're just starting out in the hobby.
If you're going to start out with any of the new-gen consoles, I'm going to recommend going for the Xbox Series S. While I'm usually a PlayStation die-hard, I can't deny that the bang for your buck is hard to beat with the pint-sized gaming box. I boot mine up constantly. Not only is it super budget-friendly, but it can also run all those fancy new games you'll want to start crossing off your backlog with ease, and you'll have the ability to take advantage of Xbox Game Pass. That's the true star of the show here — new gamers will get a lot out of Game Pass, as they'll have access to a gigantic library of games to play without having to buy each one individually. You can just go nuts and download everything in sight. How can you beat that?
During Prime Day, the best Xbox Series S deal is actually located at Best Buy (step your game up, Amazon). Pick up this bundle deal to get the 512GB version of the console with the addition of a 2TB Seagate expansion card, which will prove extremely useful as you start queueing up your new games for download. It's $529.98, which saves you $130.
If you have an Xbox, I think it's a necessity for you to pair it with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. I already mentioned it briefly above, but Game Pass is basically just a massive library of classic and current game titles that you can download and play at your leisure, rather than having to buy each one individually. That includes Xbox-exclusive games on release day at no extra charge. It's like Netflix, but for video games. I've been subscribed for years, and can't imagine myself leaving anytime soon.
You'll also be able to play online with friends (a must), make use of cloud gaming features, and get member-exclusive deals and discounts in the Microsoft storefront. It's not the wildest amount of savings, but we'll take it: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate one-month memberships are $2 off for Prime Day.
You'll already get a controller with your Xbox console when you buy one, but I find that it's always a good idea to have another one on hand. This serves a dual purpose: You can either use the second one for when you have a buddy over and want to play some local multiplayer, or just use it as a backup when your main controller dies and you don't want to wait for it to charge.
Now, you could go with another basic Xbox Core controller, but I say go bigger and snag an Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller. It's just better in every way. The build quality is more premium, it can store custom button map profiles, has a 40-hour battery life, and comes with the ability to customize your controller layout. That includes various detachable back paddles and D-pads, adjustable triggers, and more. Once I went Elite, I never went back. It's a splurge purchase for sure, but you'll be thankful you got one in the long run. During Prime Day, you can get one for a cool $30 off the original price.
Your gaming setup isn't complete without a great TV to play everything on. If you want a decently impressive 4K TV that won't break the bank and is easy to operate, you can't go wrong with a TCL Roku TV. I've had one in my living room for years, and just recently purchased a smaller one for my bedroom because I loved it so much. The 4K resolution and picture quality you get at this price is just wild, and with the addition of HDR and an intuitive UI, it's really a match made in heaven for any gaming console.
While you could probably go bigger, I think this 43-inch model is one of the best gaming TV deals you're going to find this Prime Day. Just $219.99 is an absolute steal.
Whether you're hanging out in multiplayer chat or trying to up the immersion factor in your favorite horror game, having a solid gaming headset is going to pay dividends along your gaming journey. My personal favorite model of headset is the Razer BlackShark line (I reviewed the V2 Pro model and loved it), and the budget-level V2 X model is on sale for just $34.99 during Prime Day. The Razer BlackShark headsets are some of the most comfortable headsets I've ever tried, but besides that, they also come packed with amazing audio features like passive noise-cancellation, 7.1 surround sound, and high-end 50mm drivers. You'll also get Razer's patented HyperClear cardioid mic, which sounds crystal clear. I can confidently say you'll never need or want another gaming headset (unless you want to upgrade to an even nicer BlackShark model in the future).
You can treat this one as a bonus option, but I think it's important for any serious gaming hobbyist to have some sort of handheld console, and it doesn't get much better than a Nintendo Switch. Trust me, the Nintendo FOMO can get real, so it's best to avoid that by having the company's premier gaming device at the ready. I take mine with me almost everywhere.
The Nintendo Switch OLED is undoubtedly the best Switch there is, and the Mario Red edition is a few dollars off the original price during Amazon's Prime Day sale ($8.93 to be exact). You'll get the best display, speakers, processing power, battery life, and storage space that the Switch lineage has to offer, so going for this model if you don't already have one is a no-brainer in my opinion. Now, go play Tears of the Kingdom.
