Category: Technologies

With classic icons like Mario Bros. and Zelda, the Nintendo Switch is still our absolute favorite handheld console on the market in 2023. It’s great for gaming at home or on the go and has tons of excellent exclusives like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomand Pokemon Sword & Shield. Whether you’re looking to snag one of these nifty handhelds or add some new games or accessories to your collection, there are tons of incredible Black Friday deals you can take advantage of right now.

Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart have already kicked off their Black Friday sales, and are offering some big savings on select Switch games, as well as accessories like headsets and controllers. While Nintendo won’t be offering any of its own hardware deals, it will be rolling out some new bundles this month that can help you score some savings. To help you make the most of these bargains, over a dozen of CNET’s shopping experts are spending hundreds of hours reviewing deals at these retailers to find you the best deals for your buck. We’re especially looking for deals that include products we’ve reviewed and that feature on our best-of lists.

We’ll keep looking for better deals and updating this list as they come along, so be sure to check back here regularly.

Our absolute favorite Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals

We’ve picked the best deals according to our deal experts’ opinions, in combination with CNET reviews, to make sure you get the most value for your money.

Best Black Friday Nintendo Switch console deals

• Nintendo Switch OLED Model: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate bundle: $350 (save $68)

• Nintendo Switch + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle: $299 (save $68)
• Nintendo Switch OLED: $350 ($75 Gift Card)

• Nintendo Switch Lite (coral) bundle with Minecraft Games and Accessories: $300 (save 430)
• Nintendo Switch OLED with MLB the Show 23 bundle: $450 (save $80)

Best Black Friday Nintendo Switch game deals

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: $44(save $18)
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: $60 (save $10)

• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: $52 (save $8)
• Just Dance 2024: $30 (save $10)
• Sonic Frontiers: $24 (save $36)
• Super Mario Odyssey: $40 (save $20)
• New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe: $50 (save $10)

• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD: $40 (save $20)

• Pokemon: Shining Pearl: $30 (save $30)
• Bramble: The Mountain King: $18 (save $12)
• Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection: $15 (save $25)
• Animal Crossing New Horizons: $49(save $11)
• Luigi’s Mansion 3: $40 (save $20)
• Sonic Mania and Team Sonic Racing: $25(save $15)
• Nintendo Switch Sports: $30 (save $20)
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: $30 (save $30)

Best Black Friday Nintendo Switch accessory deals

• PowerA Enhanced wireless controller: $42 (save $18)

• PowerA Hyrule Crest console shield: $7 (save $17)
• SteelSeries Arctis 1: $76 (save $24)
• SanDisk 128GB Switch microSD card: $14 (save $21)
• SanDisk 512GB Switch microSD card: $53 (save $77)

• Atrix Switch leather travel case: $5 (save $13)
• Insten docking station: $29 (save $13)

• Insten tempered glass screen protector (two-pack): $13 (save $11)

• Pokemon Charizard Switch protection case: $13 (save $7)

Is there a new Switch console on the way?

As of now, no; Nintendo has not confirmed that we’ll be seeing a new Switch 2 on shelves anytime soon. There are rumors, however, that a new console could be released as soon as late 2024. Considering that it’s been over 6 years since the original Switch was first released, this nifty handheld is certainly due for an update. You can read all about what we’d like to see in the next generation of Switch consoles in our full Nintendo Switch 2 breakdown.

Is Nintendo offering any direct discounts for Black Friday?

You won’t find any discounts on Switch consoles or accessories at Nintendo’s online store, but it has announced that it will be rolling out some new bundle deals at select partner retailers throughout November. Plus, you can find big savings on hundreds of digital games at Nintendo’s eShop.

Where will the best Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals be?

As noted above, Nintendo is partnering with various retailers to offer Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals. That includes Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and Target, among others. Right now we’re seeing some of the best accessory deals at GameStop.

Living in New York means sliding around in some pretty tight and crowded spaces, and a bulbous backpack can turn you into a subway villain fast. Ekster makes slick and ergonomic tech gear and travel accessories, and its new Grid backpack is perfect for carrying your tech and goods without inadvertently knocking into strangers whenever you turn or pivot.

I love this compact backpack, but it’s admittedly on the pricey side. Right now, the Grid is down to an all-time low of $156 — normally $195 — for Black Friday. That’s a heck of a good price for this quality bag with structure, smart design and all the right storage spots for essentials.

What’s so great about it? The Grid flaps open completely so you can pack and organize with maximum efficiency. There’s a quick-stash laptop compartment and another to protect a pair of fragile shades with an outdoor water bottle pocket. It’s made from recycled PET bottles and fully waterproof in case you get caught in a shower on your way to showing off your new backpack to friends. It’s also slimmer than your standard backpack, and it honestly just looks cooler than most.

The Ekster Black Friday sale spans far beyond the backpack. You can nab the brand’s excellent, spring-loaded card carriers, sleek wallets and power banks for as much as 50% off.

Shop the full sale here, which ends when Black Friday does.

The Pixel 7 might not be the latest and greatest phone Google has to offer these days, but it’s still a very capable handset, and it looks great in this black obsidian finish. It’s a phone that comes unlocked, and with 128GB of storage, and this Black Friday it can be yours with a massive $170 off.

That means this Woot deal will get you the unlocked Pixel 7 for just $430, and all without any discount codes or on-screen coupons for you to deal with. However, this being a Black Friday bargain means you have only a matter of days left before this price is gone for good.

The Google Pixel 7 comes with the fast, Google-designed Tensor G2 chip inside, which means you’ll be able to play games and open apps in no time at all. It’s compatible with all the major carriers, including Google Fi, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and others.

Out front, you’ll find a large, 6.3-inch display that promises vivid colors and sharp images, while the battery will run for at least 24 hours per charge. If you do need to get extra time out of that charge, you can use the special Extreme Battery Saver feature to turn that 24 hours into a full 72 hours.

This being a Pixel phone, you know you’re getting a strong camera game, with an 8x Super Res Zoom camera offering a Cinematic Blur feature to make your videos look even more impressive, whether you watch them on your phone or the big screen.

Remember that these deals aren’t going to stick around for long, and the best way to make sure you don’t miss out is to get your order in as soon as possible, before it’s too late.

Shutterfly has everything you need to add a special and personalized touch to all your holiday gifts and decor. Shutterfly is offering up to 50% off almost everything during its Black Friday sale. Plus, as a CNET reader, you can get an additional 10% off with code CNET. You can grab everything from customized coffee mugs to gorgeous holiday cards.

Looking for more discounts? CNET has the best deals from Shutterfly and many others, along with promo code offers — all updated and verified daily.

Welcome to CNET Coupons, the first stop before you shop, featuring a multitude of deals and discounts from top online retailers. Simply head over to our coupon page and type in your favorite store or brands to find all the deals available for the week.

Streaming is one of the biggest things to happen to music since the MP3, but it’s not always cheap or easy to get your music from your phone onto your stereo. The $49 Chromecast Audio was a godsend, amid a sea of $400 dongles, and it was a great shame when it was discontinued. The WiiM Pro picks up where the Google device left off, and it’s able to challenge those more expensive adapters at their own game. Along with the Pro Plus, you can now pick up a WiiM streamer at a great price for Black Friday.

The new WiiM Pro Plus has the best capabilities of the company’s three devices and it’s also seeing the deepest discount. It includes Wi-Fi, Ethernet, digital optical and digital coax. The streamer includes support for AirPlay 2, Alexa Casting, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz, Deezer, TuneIn, iHeartRadio and Chromecast built-in. While the Pro is Roon Ready, the company says that certification is coming soon for the Plus version.

The WiiM Pro Plus features a comprehensive control app for iOS and Android, and it also ships with a voice-capable remote. With a price that’s closer to the WiiM Pro on a normal day it’s my pick of the three.

• WiiM Pro Plus: $175 (save $44)

If you don’t need the upgraded DAC or input streaming, the WiiM Pro is an excellent device, with great sound and unprecedented streaming support. At $30 off, this CNET Editors’ Choice winner is at the best price we’ve seen. Read my full review of the WiiM Pro here. (Note when we reviewed it, it was $149 even though Amazon’s list price is $169.)

• WiiM Pro: $119 (save $30)

Lastly, The WiiM Mini offers a cut-down price but it’s also cut down in capabilities. It doesn’t have Chromecast or the RCA inputs. It looks OK, but there’s a whole bunch of competitive AirPlay dongles out there, even at the new sale price.

• WiiM Mini: $79 (save $30)

Anycubic has a history of making some of the best budget 3D printers on the market, and this Black Friday it’s going all out on the savings. We’ve pulled together some of the best deals, but you’ll need to hurry because some last only 48 hours before being swapped out for new offers.

Now that we are close to the actual day of Black Friday, keep a close eye on this article as prices and products may change.

The site also has several great deals already, and if you use the select coupons, you can knock those prices even lower. For example, if you use the code BFCM20 on orders over $200, you’ll get an added $20 off, on top of any other savings. Same with BFCM30 — on orders over $400 you’ll save $30.
All the different codes are:

• $30 off $400+ sitewide with code BFCM30
• $20 off $200+ sitewide with code BFCM20
  
• $10 off $70+ sitewide with code BFCM10
  
• $5 off $50+ sitewide with code BFCM5
  
• $3 off $30+ sitewide with code BFCM3
  

Top deals

Other Anycubic deals

• Kobra Plus: $259 (save $250 with BFCM20)

• Photon Mono M5 $319 (save $120 with BFCM20)
• Wash & Cure Plus $169 (save $100 with BFCM10)

• Photon Mono M5S $449 (save $130 with BFCM30)
• Photon M3 Max $869 (save $230 with BFCM30)

Though these seem to be the major deals available, make sure you browse the Anycubic Black Friday page, because there are other deals on resin and filament that you can take advantage of. And keep an eye on our 3D printer deals article for other brands and deals.

If you’re in the market for a new TV, Black Friday is certainly one of the best times of the year to buy one. But there are almost too many choices, and Black Friday TV deals are already cropping up everywhere. If you’re struggling with which one to go for, you’ll be happy to know our favorite TV on the market in 2023 is seeing huge savings at Amazon — making your decision much easier. Our TV experts have pegged the TCL QM8 as the best TV overall thanks to its excellent image quality, brightness and contrast. Bonus: Several sizes are eligible for hundreds in savings.

Amazon’s prices start at just $898, and while the product page doesn’t make the discount clear, this is the lowest this 65-inch TV has ever gone. Until the last couple of months, it rarely deviated from its $1,300 retail price. If you’d like a bigger screen, three larger variants are also discounted: the 75-inch for $1,398, the 85-inch for $2,000 and the 98-inch for $5,998. The 75-inch model is a particularly appealing deal, not just because it’s our favorite TV in this size class, but because it’s seeing the biggest savings at over $900 off.

The TCL QM8 implements mini-LED technology, which is similar to traditional LEDs, except it uses millions of tiny LEDs that can be controlled more granularly. That gives the panel a better overall brightness and contrast ratio while keeping costs down compared with an OLED panel. The image fidelity is also better thanks to the HDR tech the TCL QM8 supports, including HDR10, HDR10 Plus and HLG. If you’re unfamiliar with that last one, HLG is an HDR standard used by some broadcasters, especially in sports, so if you love keeping up with your favorite team, you’ll be able to see games in HDR — a nifty feature.

Another thing that makes the TCL QM8 an excellent TV for action-packed content is the 120Hz base refresh rate. More frames mean a smoother overall experience, and unlike motion-smoothing technology, a high base refresh rate doesn’t give a strange feel that puts off some viewers. The higher base refresh rate also makes this an excellent TV if you’re gaming on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or a high-end gaming PC.

As for the smart TV platform, the TCL QM8 uses Google TV, which is excellent if you’re in the Google ecosystem, although you can change that by grabbing a streaming device from another brand. And if you think the TCL QM8 is still a bit too pricey, there are some other, more budget-friendly Black Friday TV deals you can check out.

While VPNs, or virtual private networks, are great at protecting your privacy, there’s an unavoidable trade-off: slower internet speeds, often by 50% or more.

It’s the nature of how VPNs work, where your data has to bounce to another server to be encrypted, and there’s really no way around it. However, there are several things you can try if you want to achieve the fastest possible speeds from your VPN connection.

A VPN encrypts your online traffic and routes your internet connection through a secure server in a remote location of your choosing. Though this keeps your online activity private, it is this process that’s primarily responsible for the speed loss. It takes time to encrypt and decrypt your traffic and for your data to make the round trip to the VPN server and back to your device.

Other factors, such as the VPN protocol you’re using or how many people are using the same VPN server you’re connecting through, can also contribute to the overall speed loss.

The speed hit may be virtually imperceptible for normal internet use when you use a fast VPN, but you’ll want all the speeds you can get for data-heavy activities like gaming, streaming or video conferencing. A delay of even a few milliseconds can mean the difference between glory and failure in your online game. And slow VPN speeds can result in a ruined video streaming experience, spoiled by constant buffering and a heaping dose of pixelation. If you’re using a VPN while on a Zoom call, for example, you’ll want to do whatever you can to maximize your VPN speeds to ensure the call goes smoothly and doesn’t drop out.

If your VPN isn’t as fast as you need it to be, here’s what you can do to speed up your connection.

Read more: The Best VPNs, Tested and Rated

7 ways to improve your VPN speeds

Connect to a server closer to your physical location

Generally speaking, the closer the VPN server is to your physical location, the faster your connection speeds should be. Your traffic will have a shorter physical distance to cover when it’s routed through a VPN server that’s close by rather than one that’s halfway across the world. If you’re in Boston, your VPN connection should be a lot faster if you connect to a VPN server in New York City or Montreal than one in Sydney or Tokyo, for example.

This won’t always be practical if, say, you want to stream content from a specific country or access a gaming server from a particular location. But when you need a faster connection, try connecting to a few different VPN servers close to where you’re physically located and see which ones yield the fastest speeds. Some VPNs will have a speed test feature built into their apps, but you can always use a speed testing website like Ookla Speedtest to check the speed of your connection.

If you’re looking for a VPN with tons of server locations, try ExpressVPN, which offers servers in 160 locations across 94 countries — so you’re bound to find a few relatively close to where you are.

Connect to a server that isn’t overloaded

When too many people are using a single VPN server, the server can get overloaded and your connection speed can take a hit. Some VPN providers display the current server load on their servers either in the app itself or on the website. If you choose one with a lighter load, you’ll generally achieve faster speeds. If your VPN provider doesn’t display the current load on its servers, try connecting to a few different ones to see which gets you the fastest speeds. Sometimes, it just takes a little trial and error.

Try connecting via a different VPN protocol

A VPN protocol is a set of instructions between the VPN app on your device and the VPN server that determines how the secure connection is established. There are various VPN protocols and most providers give you the ability to choose between a few different options. Different protocols have different advantages and disadvantages in terms of speed and security, so if you connect via one VPN protocol rather than another, you can potentially boost the speed of your VPN.

Today, the gold standard VPN protocol is OpenVPN. It is the most battle-tested protocol, and it offers a nice combination of speed, stability and security — which is why many VPNs use OpenVPN as their default protocol. More VPN providers are now offering newer VPN protocols like IKEv2 and WireGuard that promise faster speeds alongside excellent security. And some have even developed proprietary VPN protocols like ExpressVPN’s Lightway and NordVPN’s NordLynx that claim to offer the best of both worlds.

Switching to one of these other protocols, if offered by your VPN provider, can yield you faster connection speeds through your VPN. Just be aware that — though their security appears to be solid — these protocols haven’t been as thoroughly tested in the wild as OpenVPN, so they shouldn’t be your first choice for critical VPN use.

If you prefer to use OpenVPN exclusively, use UDP rather than TCP to get the best speeds. While TCP is typically the more stable option, it tends to be slower than UDP because it needs to send data packets in the right order and will wait for confirmation of receipt from the recipient prior to sending the next packet. UDP isn’t concerned about the order in which it sends data packets or getting any acknowledgment that they were received, so it tends to be much faster and more efficient, but less stable.

Most VPN apps allow you to change the protocol you connect through in their settings section, so try playing around with the protocol settings to see which ones get you the fastest speeds.

Enable split tunneling if available

If your VPN provider offers a split-tunneling feature, then try enabling it to see if you can boost your VPN speeds. Split tunneling allows you to send only the traffic you want through your VPN connection, while sending the rest unencrypted through your regular internet connection.

For example, if you’re using your VPN for streaming, you can allocate just your streaming traffic to go through the VPN, which won’t slow down your online gaming. This can help optimize your VPN speeds for certain activities, because all the excess traffic you don’t need running through your VPN won’t burden your bandwidth.

Use a wired connection

Using a wired connection will typically be faster than using your Wi-Fi. Chances are you’ve got several devices connected to your home Wi-Fi network all at the same time — devices that are all sharing and competing for resources on the same wireless channel. This can result in an unstable internet connection and, therefore, slower speeds. If you have the proper equipment, try establishing a wired connection by hooking your computer up directly to your router via ethernet cable and then connect to your VPN.

Close unnecessary apps running in the background

If you have apps running in the background that you’re not using, they could be taking up resources on your machine and slowing your connection. Take a minute to check if anything’s running in the background that you’re not using and close those processes. By clearing up potential bottlenecks like this, you might notice a faster connection.

Restart your router and other devices

When was the last time you restarted your devices? Just like anything else, tech like your computer and router occasionally need a little R&R. When you reboot your computer, you’ll give it a needed refresh, free up some RAM and get it working optimally. So, as cliche as it sounds, try turning it off and back on again, then see how your VPN speeds improve as a result.

More VPN advice

• Fastest VPN
• If Your VPN Doesn’t Have These 3 Things, It’s Time to Upgrade
• Best Mac VPN
• Best VPN for Windows
• Beware, That VPN May Not Be What You Think It Is

Apple’s iPhones gained support for the new StandBy feature with the release of iOS 17 in September and it might just be my favorite addition in years. The feature turns your iPhone into an alarm clock or desktop smart hub, but you’ll need a charging stand to make it work properly. Thankfully it just happens to be the week of Black Friday and there are plenty to choose from.

While you can charge your iPhone using a cable and put it in any stand that holds it in landscape mode, you really do need MagSafe or a compatible magnetic charger to get the best out of it. That way you can slap your iPhone on it and be done without the need to deal with fiddly cables. And once your iPhone’s in place you can use it to quickly see the time, your calendar and more.

There are plenty of different charging options that will work just great with StandBy Mode with one of my favorites being the Anker 3-in-1 Cube. It not only charges your iPhone but can also charge your Apple Watch and AirPods, and all in a little box that can be packed away and taken with you when you travel, too. Normally this bundle of tricks would cost around $150 but Amazon is now selling it for $135 if you clip the on-page coupon.

While that’s a great option, there are plenty of others and most of them are considerably cheaper, too. I’m going to list some of the other notable deals below, but it’s also worth remembering that Apple’s own MagSafe charger is an option — so long as you find some way to prop it up. If you have a 3D printer that should be easy enough to figure out, but there are other options on Amazon if you’d rather just buy one. The Elago ones are among my favorites and they’re also available with 10% off, too.

Now, back to that list.

• Mophie Snap Plus Charge Stand and Pad: $52 (save $28)
• Spigen OneTap Pro: $38 (save $22)
• Belkin MagSafe 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand: $120 (save $30)

• ESR 3-in-1 Charger Stand for Magsafe: $56 (save $21)

• Belkin MagSafe 2-in-1 Wireless Charger: $78 (save $22)

• Lamicall Phone Stand for MagSafe Charger: $14 (save $6)

• UGREEN 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Station: $32 (save $14)