Black Friday sanity guide: the Switch 2, Mario Galaxy, earbuds and speakers worth your money

If you buy one thing this Black Friday, make it something you’ll actually use. From a surprising Super Mario Galaxy cartridge drop to record-low AirPods and a Sonos spatial speaker that’s finally cheaper, retailers-rather than manufacturers-are deciding who gets a real discount this year.

Holiday sales feel like a scavenger hunt: deep cuts on accessories and a handful of genuine markdowns, but slim pickings for freshly launched consoles. Nintendo’s Switch 2 still lists at $449, with the only meaningful savings usually appearing in bundles or on older titles rather than the hardware itself.

What’s genuinely worth buying right now

At the same time, specific gifts are standing out. The Super Mario Galaxy double pack for Switch, released in October at $69.99, briefly fell to $55.20 at Woot; Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 hit a record low of $220; and Sonos cut $100 off its Era 300 spatial speaker. Those price points matter: they change which household members you can realistically please without buyer’s remorse this holiday week.

Audio bargains that actually change daily life

If you want a pure-gift move, the Super Mario Galaxy double pack is the clearest steal. Nintendo released the cartridge reissue in October with enhanced visuals for Switch and Switch 2, and Woot’s app-only checkout dropped the price to $55.20 on launch-week deals-about 20 percent off the $69.99 list. For anyone who grew up with the Wii originals, the ports run on newer hardware at far higher effective resolutions-Digital Foundry estimates around 3,840 × 2,160 on Switch 2-so the purchase is about nostalgia with polish rather than a whole new game. Note: the Woot discount appears only in mobile app checkout.

Nintendo hardware itself remains stubbornly full price. The Switch 2 is $449 standalone or $499 with a Mario Kart bundle; there aren't a lot of true deals to be had on the console itself. If you need a new system, buy a bundle only when it includes $40-$60 of games you would buy anyway-otherwise you’re paying a Nintendo-grade premium for convenience.

How to shop without buyer’s remorse

Audio bargains that actually change daily life

Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 dropped to $220 (from $249), a meaningful savings if you value top-tier iPhone integration. Reviews praise improvements driven by the H2 chip-a longer single-charge runtime (about eight hours with ANC on, plus roughly 24 more from the case) and the addition of Live Translation-making these earbuds more useful for travel and calls than prior models. That price is now low enough to tip the scale for families who want a near-fussless gift for someone already in Apple’s ecosystem.

If your priority is home listening, Sonos’ Era 300 is the best mid-room spatial speaker you can buy on sale right now. It received strong reviews and Black Friday pricing trimmed about $100 off its $479 list to $379. The Era 300 delivers built-in spatial rendering for Atmos tracks, Trueplay room tuning via built-in mics, and support for Sonos Voice Control or Alexa. If your music library includes Atmos-compatible streaming from Apple Music or Amazon Music, the Era 300 becomes a single-speaker way to hear that content as intended.

How to shop without buyer’s remorse

• Nintendo Switch 2 Black Friday deals are live - Engadget, 2025-11-28

• AirPods Pro 3 are $30 off and down to a record low for Black Friday - Engadget, 2025-11-28

• Sonos Black Friday deals: Get the Era 300 speaker on sale for $100 off - Engadget, 2025-11-28