It's impossible to recommend this Black Friday Xbox Series X deal when the PS5 is so cheap

Sony is winning the Black Friday war this year, and it's not even a close fight

(Credit: The Shortcut)

• 😥 Xbox Series X console deals are slim pickings this year

• 🤷‍♂️ However, the most tempting one is still hard to recommend

• 💰 And that’s because the PS5 deals are far superior this year

• 🥇 The best deal long term is the PS5 Slim Disc version for $424

The best Black Friday Xbox deals include Microsoft’s new white all-digital console for $398 at Walmart, which is a saving of over $50. However, it’s impossible to recommend the Xbox Series X Digital Edition when Sony’s disc-less console is just $374.

A $20 difference might not seem like that big of a deal, but there’s more to it than that. First, the PS5 Slim Digital Edition comes with Astro’s Playroom pre-installed, one of the best PS5 games out there. You can also opt for a Fortnite Cobalt Star bundle for the same $374 price, which includes some free goodies for Epic’s popular online shooter.

But the real kicker is that, unlike with the Xbox Series X Digital Edition, you can choose to add a PS5 Disc Drive onto the console at a later date – if you can find one in stock.

That’s an enormous benefit over Microsoft’s white digital console as, despite the draw of Xbox Game Pass, physical games are still cheaper than their digital counterparts most of the time. The best Black Friday PS5 deals and best Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals only highlight the disparity.

Alternatively, you could ignore the PS5 Slim Digital Edition altogether and pick up the standard PS5 Slim for just $424, which includes the disc drive. That’s the best deal, as you’ll wind up spending $453 if you buy the Digital Edition PlayStation and a PS5 Disc Drive add-on.

It’s strange that Microsoft hasn’t offered the same deals on the Xbox Series X as we saw last year. You could get Microsoft’s flagship console with a copy of Diablo 4 for just $399, which was a steal. Sadly, Xbox console deals are in short supply this Black Friday, and it’s hard to recommend it over Sony’s PS5. In fact, I’d buy a Nintendo Switch this Black Friday instead.

• Up next: PS5 30th Anniversary Black Friday restock: where it could happen this weekend

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.