Every retailer I can think of is offering some sort of summer sale right now, and the result is a borderline overwhelming amount of gaming deals. We have Amazon Prime Day providing the goods on physical games and accessories, with Target and Walmart doing their own sales to compete. To make things even more fun, Steam and Nintendo are both in the midst of massive digital sales.
As someone who prefers the ‘get a lot of cheap things’ over the ‘one expensive thing’ approach, I’ve been sifting through pages and pages of deals to track down the greatest hits that won’t break the bank. In other words? Here are 25 genuinely worthwhile gaming deals I’ve found from across these sales for under $20.
Switch and Switch 2 Deals Under $20
Unfortunately it is wayyyy too soon to see any first-party Switch 2 games drop below $20. For the most part, the cheapest Switch 2 games right now are just OG Switch games using the new console’s backward compatibility. With that in mind, the best Switch deals include a mix of physical games and accessories through Amazon as well digital discounts through the Nintendo eShop.
What you can find good deals on for the Switch 2 is accessories. It’s a better time than ever to pick up a screen protector, carrying case, or some storage for your physical games. For the original Switch, you can grab a solid third-party gamepad from 8BitDo for just under $20.
PS5 and Xbox Deals Under $20
I’m sorry for slamming these together, I really am, but the reality is that Xbox and PS5 versions of games are getting the same discounts. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, for example, is one of many SEGA games that’s getting a big price drop on both consoles.
The two exceptions to that ‘equal discount’ are both only available for PS5: the Silent Hill 2 remake, which I’d highly recommend, and Lost Soul Aside, which has a particularly crazy discount at 83% off. For reference, that one’s still over $40 in Steam’s Summer Sale.
The list of budget-friendly but high-quality accessories is a little shorter for these two, but I found a PS5 controller charging stand that has some Astro Bot vibes and great reviews. As someone who uses an Xbox controller on my PC, I can personally ecommend PowerA’s Play and Charge Kit, which includes two 1100 mAh rechargeable batteries that are usable while you’re still actively using your Xbox controller. No breaks needed, and only $12.99 for Prime members.
PC Games Under $20
You don’t need a console or a Prime membership to enjoy Steam’s Summer Sale. This particular sale runs until July 9, so you also have tons of time. And that’s probably for the best, because there’s literally hundreds if not thousands of games under that $20 mark. To get you started, I’ve listed out some personal recommendations as well as some of today’s deepest discounts.
There’s not really any accessories or PC parts I’d trust under that $20 price point, but you could always grab something like this massive desk pad for $8.
Blythe (she/her) is an Audience Development Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.
