Amazon Prime Day has become one of the biggest sales events that budget-minded shoppers can count on every year, offering literally thousands of deals across every category imaginable, from tech and gaming to toys, kitchenware, beauty, apparel, and more. Prime Day has grown exponentially since its launch in 2015, expanding to take place over multiple days and offering tens of thousands of deals for Prime members to shop, but it’s also forced competing retailers to hold their own anti-Prime Day sales to try to steal some of Amazon’s thunder. The summer sales bonanza is almost on par with Black Friday at this point, with all the biggest stores offering best-of-year prices on their hottest items.
As a result, there’s always a ton of interest leading up to the announcement of Amazon Prime Day, with Prime members and other shoppers anticipating when the sale will be, how long it’ll last, and what special offers it will bring. While the details on Amazon Prime Day 2021 are currently slim, here’s what you should know about Amazon Prime Day and what to expect from this year’s sale based on previous years.
What is Amazon Prime Day?
Amazon Prime Day is a blowout sale the retailer throws every summer to offer steep discounts on thousands of products, exclusively for Prime members. The sale offers a mix of deals that end at different times–some will run for the full 48 hours, while others will only be available for one day. The hottest offers tend to be the lightning deals that may last for a few hours but usually sell out much sooner (sometimes in a matter of minutes).
When is Amazon Prime Day 2021?
Amazon hasn’t announced the Prime Day 2021 dates yet, but we have an idea of when to expect the big sale. With the exception of last year, Prime Day is always in the summer, and it’s usually in mid-July. It always kicks off on a Monday at midnight, and since 2019, it has lasted for a full 48 hours, so it’s safe to assume it’ll span two days this year as well. Assuming Prime Day returns to a normal schedule this year, we can expect it to kick off sometime in July, but we won’t know for sure until Amazon confirms this year’s dates.
Last year, logistical issues stemming from the pandemic caused Amazon to push Prime Day back by several months, and it was held October 13 and 14. We saw competing sales from Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop, and other retailers as usual, and Prime Day basically functioned as the kickoff for early Black Friday sales.
What Prime Day 2021 deals can we expect?
There are certain products you can always expect to see on sale during Amazon Prime Day–namely, Amazon-branded tech and accessories. That includes Echo Shows, Kindles, Fire TVs, tablets, Ring security devices, and more. Of course, Amazon runs Deals of the Day on its own products all the time, but Prime Day really is the best time of year to find them on sale–and, of course, get some holiday shopping done early.
What’s more exciting are the thousands of gaming deals you’ll have to choose from as well. Prime Day 2021 will be the first major sale since the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of deals are available for next-gen games and even accessories like the new Xbox Wireless Controller and first-party PS5 accessories. We’re already starting to see PS5 and Series X games get discounts in weekly sales, so it’s a safe bet that you’ll be able to pick up next-gen games for great prices during Prime Day. Accessory deals seem likely as well, so if you’ve been needing to pick up a new PS5 headset or Xbox controller, you’ll probably find some solid options during Prime Day.
However, don’t expect to see any PS5 or Xbox Series X console deals. The most we can hope for is a restock of either console, similar to what stores like Target, Walmart, and GameStop did for Black Friday last year. But until console shortages stabilize, don’t count on any discounts.
Nintendo Switch deals, on the other hand, will likely be out in full force. We’ve been seeing Switch games at great prices much more often recently, including a handful of first-party titles that were at $39 each for weeks around Mario Day. If you’re a new Switch owner, Prime Day will be an excellent time to pick up games that are normally $60 for cheap. In terms of Switch console deals, you never really know what you’re going to get, but it’s doubtful we’ll see any significant outright discounts. What’s more likely are Switch bundles that get you the console with a game or Switch Online. We may also see restocks of limited editions like the new Mario Red & Blue Edition or the Fortnite bundle.
Usually, Prime Day brings nice discounts on online gaming memberships, and because these subscriptions stack, you can stock up on Switch Online, Game Pass Ultimate, or PS Plus for cheap.
Outside of gaming, you can expect numerous deals on TVs, laptops, SSDs, keyboards, and practically any piece of tech or peripheral you’ve been needing to stock up on. There will also be deals on Prime Video so you can rent or buy movies for cheap, and usually there are nice offers on memberships like Audible as well.
How to participate in Amazon Prime Day
In order to take advantage of Amazon Prime Day’s deals, you’ll need to sign up for Amazon’s 30-day free trial (unless you’re already subscribed, of course) ahead of the event. Once you’re subscribed, you’ll be able to shop Prime Day deals and take advantage of other Prime benefits like free one- or two-day shipping, Prime Video, free monthly PC games, and more. You can cancel your membership anytime to avoid being charged the full yearly price after the free trial ends. Amazon Prime costs $119 per year or $13 per month if you choose to pay monthly. There’s also a student membership that comes with a six-month free trial.
We’ll be covering Amazon Prime Day up until the big event itself, including the dates when they’re revealed, so stay tuned for more coverage and the very best deals and sales. You can also follow us on Twitter @GameSpotDeals, as it’s the best way to stay up to date with all the best Prime Day deals when the sale actually kicks off. For now, you can check out all the best deals at Amazon right now, including the latest daily offers.
