You're probably staring at a screen right now, wondering if this is actually the year Nintendo finally slashes prices on the Switch. It’s a reasonable thought. Most tech follows a predictable curve where old hardware gets dirt cheap. But Nintendo is weird. They don't play by the same rules as Sony or Microsoft. If you're hunting for Nintendo Cyber Monday deals, you have to understand that "deal" is a relative term in the House of Mario.
Honestly, the biggest mistake people make is waiting for a massive price drop on the console itself. It won't happen. Not in the way you want. Instead of a $100 discount, you’ll get a bundle. You’ve seen it every year—the standard Switch paired with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and maybe a few months of Switch Online. It’s fine. It’s a solid value if you’re a first-time buyer, but for the rest of us? The real gold is hidden in the physical game bins at places like Target or Walmart.
The Strategy Behind Scoring Real Nintendo Cyber Monday Deals
Forget the eShop for a second. Yes, the digital store has "Cyber Deals," but the discounts often peak at 33% for first-party titles. If you want The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom or Super Mario Odyssey for under $40, you have to go physical. Retailers use these games as "loss leaders." They lose money on the game to get you into the store (or onto their site) so you'll buy a $70 Pro Controller or a $50 carrying case.
Look at the history. Last year, we saw Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze hit that magical $30 to $35 price point at major retailers. That’s the sweet spot. If you see a first-party Nintendo game for $30, buy it immediately. Don't "add to cart" and keep browsing. It will sell out. These aren't infinite digital licenses; they are physical stock units that retailers want off their books before the January inventory tax.
There's also the "Swoof" factor. That's not an industry term, just something I call the sudden price drop on third-party gems. Games like Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope or anything published by Ubisoft and Square Enix tend to crater during Nintendo Cyber Monday deals. We’re talking $15 or $20 for games that launched at $60. If you’re budget-conscious, these are your best friends. They offer 40+ hours of gameplay for the price of a decent burrito.
The Hardware Reality Check
Is the Switch OLED going to be $200? No. Absolutely not.
👉 See also: Nancy Drew Games for Mac: Why Everyone Thinks They're Broken (and How to Fix It)
Nintendo protects their hardware margins with a ferocity that would make a dragon look careless with its gold. With the "Switch 2" rumors swirling constantly, many expected a fire sale on the current model. Instead, Nintendo has doubled down on the "value add" approach. You might find a retailer-specific gift card (like a $25 or $50 credit) bundled with an OLED model at Amazon or Best Buy. That’s essentially your discount. It’s "store credit" rather than "cash off," but if you were going to buy a memory card or a second set of Joy-Cons anyway, it's effectively the same thing.
Storage is the One Thing You Can't Ignore
Every single person who buys a Switch forgets about the MicroSD card until they try to download their third game and get the "insufficient space" error. It’s annoying. But here is some good news: Nintendo Cyber Monday deals are arguably the best time of the entire year to buy storage.
SanDisk and Samsung go into a pricing war every November. You can usually snag a 256GB or even a 512GB card for a fraction of their MSRP. Don't be fooled by the "Official Nintendo Licensed" cards with the little mushrooms or stars on them. They are literally the exact same tech as the standard SanDisk Ultra cards but cost 20% more because of the branding. Just buy the regular gray or red ones. Your Switch doesn't care what the plastic looks like once it’s shoved inside the slot behind the kickstand.
Controller Drifting and the Price of Peace
Joy-Cons are expensive. Too expensive. $80 for a pair of controllers that might start "drifting" in six months feels like a personal insult. Cyber Monday is the only time I ever recommend people buy a backup pair. You can usually find them for $60 if you're lucky.
However, the real pro move is the Pro Controller. It is arguably one of the best controllers ever made, and it rarely goes on sale. During the Nintendo Cyber Monday deals window, keep an eye on Woot (which is owned by Amazon). They often get "bulk" or "international version" Pro Controllers and sell them for around $50. It’s the same hardware, maybe just a different box. It’s a massive upgrade over the Joy-Cons for anything that requires precision, like Splatoon 3 or Smash Bros.
✨ Don't miss: Magic Thread: What Most People Get Wrong in Fisch
Hidden Gems in the Indie Scene
While everyone is fighting over a $20 discount on Pokémon, the eShop's indie section is where the real "90% off" tags live. Games like Hollow Knight, Celeste, and Stardew Valley are already cheap, but they often drop to the price of a cup of coffee during Cyber Monday.
- Check your "Wishlist" on the Switch home screen.
- Sort by "Price Dropped."
- Look for "Deals" in the sidebar.
There’s a lot of "shovelware" (bad, cheap games) to sift through, so stick to names you recognize or check reviews on sites like Nintendo Life or IGN before pulling the trigger on a 99-cent game.
The "Refurbished" Secret
If you really want a cheap Switch and don't care about a shiny new box, Nintendo’s own online store sells refurbished units. These are often in better condition than "used" units from GameStop because Nintendo actually replaces the outer shell and the battery. During the Nintendo Cyber Monday deals season, their refurbished stock often gets replenished. It's the most reliable way to save $50 without risking a scratched screen from a random eBay seller.
What to Avoid
Don't buy those "20-in-1" accessory kits. You know the ones—they come with a plastic steering wheel, a tennis racket, a cheap carrying case, and some screen protectors that are impossible to apply without bubbles. They are almost universally junk. The plastic is brittle, and the "grips" actually make the controllers harder to use.
Focus your money on:
🔗 Read more: Is the PlayStation 5 Slim Console Digital Edition Actually Worth It?
- High-capacity MicroSD cards (SanDisk/Samsung).
- First-party games you’ll never see cheaper than $35.
- A legitimate Pro Controller.
- A glass screen protector (specifically tempered glass, not the plastic film).
Actionable Steps for your Cyber Monday Haul
Stop refreshing the main page of Amazon and hoping for a miracle. Start by creating a DekuDeals account. It is the single best tool for tracking Nintendo Cyber Monday deals. You can input your wishlist, and it will send you an email the second a price hits an all-time low at any major retailer, including the eShop. It tracks historical data, so you can see if that "sale" price is actually a good deal or just a fake discount.
Check the brick-and-mortar stock trackers. Sites like BrickSeek can sometimes tell you if a local Walmart has marked down those "bundle" consoles early. Sometimes the employees put them out on the floor Sunday night to get a head start on the rush.
If you’re hunting for a specific physical game, check the "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" sales that Target often runs around this time. Even if Nintendo games are excluded from the direct 50% off sales, they are almost always included in the B2G1 promotions. If you and two friends all want a copy of Zelda, you can split the cost and effectively get 33% off each. That’s often better than any individual price drop you'll find elsewhere.
Finally, keep your expectations in check. You are looking for value, not a steal. Nintendo knows their products stay relevant for a decade. They aren't in a hurry to devalue them. Grab the storage, snag the one or two big games you've been eyeing, and ignore the rest of the noise. The best deal is the one on a game you're actually going to play for 100 hours, not the $5 game that sits in your library forever.
Be ready to move fast on the morning of Cyber Monday. The digital sales last a week, but the physical stock at $30 disappears in minutes. Use the saved payment info on your favorite retailer's app. Checking out as a "guest" is the fastest way to see an "Out of Stock" message right as you hit the final button. Stay disciplined, avoid the junk bundles, and prioritize the hardware that actually makes the experience better.