Black Friday is officially here, with Walmart Black Friday deals kicking off officially at 3 PM ET November 22 and Amazon Black Friday deals trickling in basically since the start of the month. It’s pretty easy to pit Walmart versus Amazon Black Friday sales against one another, because both retailers are massive in their respective fields. Amazon is easily the biggest online retailer, and Walmart is far and away the largest retailer of them all.
Amazon and Walmart Black Friday Deals Comparison
Since Amazon and Walmart are gigantic, they can afford to discount tons of stuff for Black Friday, sometimes at rates competitors just can’t afford. For example, one of the best Black Friday TV deals was at Walmart for a full week before its Black Friday sale even started. Of course, that one is now unavailable, but Walmart also has huge TCL 4-series Black Friday deals happening right now. They’re definitely “door buster” deals, with prices so low it seems like there’s no way Walmart is making a profit on them.
The 65″ version of that TV, by the way, is also on sale for just $228, and we all know 65″ is the best TV size.
Amazon’s best Black Friday TV deals aren’t quite as obvious, at least not yet, and they don’t have anything near the Black Friday TV discounts we’re seeing at Walmart. However, there are higher-end TVs with some comfortable discounts, like this Black Friday Amazon TV deal on a Samsung 4K ‘The Frame’ TV. This is a pretty cool line of 4K TVs, when it’s not on it looks like a piece of art, one you can change and choose at your discretion.
Black Friday Video Game Deals Amazon vs. Walmart
When it comes to game deals, Amazon and Walmart are pretty much neck and neck, with one notable exception. The Nintendo Switch Black Friday bundle featuring a Nintendo Switch OLED model, full download of Super Smash Bros. and 3-months Switch Online has been available at Walmart (and Best Buy, and GameStop etc.) since November 19, but it’s nowhere to be found at Amazon.
Both retailers have the best PS5 Black Friday bundle deals, the PS5 Slim with either Spider-Man 2 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, each for $499.99.
However, Walmart wins again when it comes to the best Black Friday Xbox deals, including the Diablo IV bundle for $439.99 and the same bundle with a copy of Modern Warfare III for $489.99.
If you start drilling down, you might find a better deal on a certain game at Walmart, only to find another game is discounted at Amazon for the better price. Over all, though, when it comes to Black Friday video game deals, Walmart is probably the winner since it’s got the same PS5 bundles as Amazon for Black Friday, but the Switch and its own Xbox bundles, as well.
Walmart and Amazon Memberships
Amazon wants you to be a Prime member so badly, it dedicates two days a year each July to offer savings to members (and then again in October). Walmart worked to entice you to sign up for Walmart+, it’s own membership service, by giving members access to its deals three hours before non-members. When it comes to Black Friday, Amazon has some exclusive “Prime Member” deals, but once the early-access period ended, Walmart has no such requirement for its Black Friday shopping. A deal’s a deal.
But beyond the obvious, which membership is better, Amazon Prime or Walmart+? Both are extremely similar. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 a month, and gives you free 2-day shipping on most items, as well as access to Prime Video streaming’s free selections (free for members, that is).
Walmart+ is $12.95 a month and gets you free shipping, free home delivery where eligible, savings on gas at Walmart locations with gas stations, and access to Paramount+, among other benefits.
Both Amazon Prime and Walmart+ have free trials. The major difference is Amazon Prime’s free trial gets you access to Prime-only deals, even Black Friday Amazon deals, while the Walmart+ free trial doesn’t get you access to deals.
Other Black Friday Retailer Sales
While Amazon and Walmart Black Friday deals represent the Big Two, there are plenty of other competitors out there jockeying for a slice of your Black Friday spending-pie. Of all the smaller (relatively) retailers, Best Buy Black Friday sale is easily the most competitive. In fact, Best Buy has been the best place for Black Friday if you’re looking for games, with the best Black Friday Xbox controller deal going.
There are other places to find Black Friday deals, of course. Literally hundreds of them. But the most Black Friday deal activity is happening on Amazon and Walmart, and Walmart’s opening its stores on the actual Black Friday. Seems almost quaint at this point. For the best up to the minute deals, highly recommend following the IGNDeals Twitter account. The guy who runs it is hilarious and handsome.
Seth Macy is Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and just wants to be your friend. You can find him hosting the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast.