Best gaming deals: save on Game Pass, Switch games, and more

Closing out another exciting week of gaming, we got to see what Nintendo has planned for the rest of 2023 (a lot!) during its June Nintendo Direct, Final Fantasy 16 has finally arrived, and Xbox is raising the prices of its Game Pass subscription service starting July 6.

We’re back for another weekend post to tell you about all of the deals, promos, and more you should know about. We’ve rounded up the best entertainment and gaming deals from the past week, in addition to showcasing a handful of the most popular products on Polygon this week.

The best gaming deals this week

It’s no secret that Game Pass is one of the best deals in gaming, granting you access to a rotating library of AAA titles to play on your PC or Xbox, in addition to day one access to new releases like Starfield. Well, it’s going to cost a bit more for the service starting July 6, so you might want to stock up on your subscription while you can. The monthly price for Game Pass Ultimate will be increasing by $2, resulting in a $16.99 monthly cost, and the standard Game Pass sub will be $1 more, costing $10.99 per month.

Currently, there are some retailers offering one-month and three-month-long Game Pass subscriptions for less than the retail cost, allowing you to extend your current subscription well through 2023 and beyond if needed. However, the best deal currently available for Game Pass Ultimate is at a site called Eneba, which will net you a three-month subscription for around $27, which knocks about 40% off the current price. Also consider that, once July 6 rolls around, this will be almost 50% off the new price for three months of service.

Some other benefits associated with Game Pass include exclusive deals and discounts on games that you want to make a permanent part of your collection. You’ll also get the ability to stream games from the cloud directly to your phone, tablet, desktop, or console.

Here’s a last-minute reminder that the Nintendo eShop’s big sale on Switch games will end in the coming days. Besides discounting several first-party titles like Metroid Dread and Super Mario Party, there are also many indies and other essential Switch titles on sale. Here’s a short list of some of the games we’d recommend checking out:

The SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini is one of our favorite gaming keyboards, and it’s currently selling on Amazon for $150.99 instead of its usual $179.99. The Apex Pro Mini is a 60-percent keyboard that features analog switches which allow you to adjust the actuation point and assign multiple functions to the same key. The Apex Pro Mini also comes equipped with PBT keycaps which tend to be more resistant to wear and tear.

While perhaps not as impressive as more expensive analog keyboards like the Wooting 60 HE, the Apex Pro Mini is an excellent alternative for anyone looking to step up their game.

Hero Quest is the best game ever made, and anyone else who says otherwise is wrong — at least, it is according to BardicBroadcasts. Currently, the base Hero Quest Game System and several of its associated expansions are discounted at Amazon. Besides discounting the base game to $104.99 (normally $134.99), the Kellar’s Keep and Return of the Witch Lord Quest Packs have been discounted to $14.98 each (normally $33.99), while the more substantial Frozen Horror Quest Pack is on sale for $41.96 (normally $44.99).

The top-selling stuff on Polygon this week

The best entertainment deals this week

It may not include his newest film, Asteroid City, but The Wes Anderson Collection by Matt Zoller Seitz is still an essential text for any fan of the contemporary director. Usually $50, you can currently pick up the 336-page, hardcover tome for $27.99 at Amazon. The Wes Anderson Collection is a compilation of stills, concepts, and commentaries on the films of the titular director starting with Bottle Rocket, all the way up to Moonrise Kingdom.

Since its initial publication in 2017, The Wes Anderson Collection has been expanded with additional entries for The French Dispatch, Isle of Dogs, and The Grand Budapest Hotel, all of which are currently discounted.

Right now, a pair of less conventional Lego sets are available for a discounted price on the Lego online storefront. The Lego Mosaic Maker is normally $99.99, but is available for $59.99 with a Lego VIP membership (which is free by the way). You can also find the Pride flag-inspired Everyone is Awesome Lego set for $24.49 (normally $34.99).

The Lego Mosaic Maker is effectively a DIY portrait kit that comes packaged with 4,702 single-stud Lego bricks to apply to the 48 x 48 piece baseplate. While you’re free to produce your own personal work of art, Lego also has a handy online tool for making an easy-to-follow template out of an existing picture.

Video Game of the Year by author Jordan Minor doesn’t just highlight the best games of the past 40 years, it’s a crash course on the cultural impact of gaming and its history. The 296-page chronicle is currently available to pre-order from Amazon and Barnes & Noble for $27.99. It launches on July 11.

Image: Wren McDonald / Abrams Image

More than just the author’s own commentary on the gaming industry, Video Game of the Year includes input from over two dozen influential voices of tech and games criticism, and even features contributions from Polygon’s own Samit Sarkar, and me, Alice Newcome-Beill.