The Xbox Series S is $50 off with an extra controller thrown in for free

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This excellent deal leads the pack of Target’s competing sales event with Amazon. Plus, there are more great sales on the Kindle Paperwhite, Sony WF-X1000XM4 earbuds, Echo Buds, and more.

The white and black Xbox Series S console standing vertically on a white table in front of a black background.

The Xbox Series S is adorably compact but still a capable machine.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

We’re five days away from Amazon’s Prime Early Access sale, and arguably the best part about it is that other retailers are getting into the mix with competing sales events of their own. The first notable one is Target’s Deal Days, and its best sale is on the Xbox Series S.

Here’s the deal: you can get the Xbox Series S console via in-store pickup order at your local Target for $249.99 (regularly $299.99), and when you add a standard Xbox controller to your cart it gets thrown in for free. This includes the slightly pricier red, blue, and electric volt controllers, and the whole deal saves you up to $105 until it ends Saturday. You, of course, still get the usual white controller included with the console.

The Xbox Series S is the digital-only entry-level option in Microsoft’s gaming stable. It may lack a disc drive and not have the roomiest internal SSD at 512GB, but it’s a very capable machine that plays all the latest games at 2560 x 1440 resolution with HDR and supports the handy Quick Resume feature for near-instantly jumping back into your game. Also, it’s a seriously tiny boy that fits about anywhere and doesn’t look like as much of an eyesore as the awkward black obelisk Xbox Series X or garishly PlayStation 5. Read our review.

The Xbox Series S is much smaller than the 4K-capable Xbox Series X, but it can still tackle the same digital games — albeit at 2560 x 1440 QHD resolution.

Amazon may be about to unleash a flurry of deals upon us next week (or, you know, it could just be ok), but it’s already got some good ones running right now — with most available to everyone and some exclusive to Prime members. Last year’s Kindle Paperwhite e-reader is on sale for $99.99 ($40 off) in its ad-supported base model or without ads for $119.99 (also $40 off). Both of these have the standard 8GB of storage, but that’s more than enough for the average reader. Most importantly, the Kindle Paperwhite offers an excellent E Ink screen that can shift to a warm tone backlight for easier nighttime reading, and it’s got a handy USB-C charging port instead of the Micro USB from its predecessor. Read our review.

Amazon’s new Kindle Paperwhite has a 6.8-inch E Ink display with adjustable color temperature for nighttime reading. It also boasts a faster processor, additional battery life, IPX8 waterproofing, and — finally — a USB-C port.

And the Kindle deals don’t stop there. If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, you can get the Kindle Paperwhite in an Essentials Bundle with a fabric cover in one of three colors (black, blue, or lavender) and a USB-C charging plug for $137.97 ($72 off the bundled price). It’s not a very fast charger, as it only outputs 9W, but thankfully the Paperwhite’s battery lasts for weeks.

Also, both this bundle deal and the standalone Paperwhite deal above allow you to trade in an older device from a list of qualifying options to get an extra 20 percent off from Amazon.

Amazon’s latest 6.8-inch Kindle Paperwhite with adjustable color temperature and IPX8 waterproofing in a bundle with a fabric cover and USB-C charger.

Another notable deal going on right now on Amazon hardware is the latest Echo Buds selling for as low as $69.99 (regularly $119.99) at Amazon and Best Buy. This is the base model with a wired charging case, though if you prefer the convenience of a wireless charging case that’s also $50 off and marked down to $89.99 at Amazon and Best Buy. Be sure to check Amazon’s trade-in list of devices if you are shopping there and have some old earbuds or other qualifying items to hand over, as that gets another 25 percent off.

These are Amazon’s latest model of wireless earbuds, with improved comfort over its first iteration and noise cancellation with a passthrough mode — which you don’t always see at these prices. They also feature Amazon Alexa voice assistant support. Read our review.

Amazon’s second-gen Echo Buds improve upon the originals with a more comfortable design, improved ANC, and a more natural ambient sound mode. They support hands-free Alexa commands as well.

If you don’t have an affinity for Amazon products or just prefer something a little nicer, the Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds are on sale at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy right now for $248 to $249.99. That’s about $30 off the regular price of $279.99 for these buds that are still one of the very best pairs around. They have excellent noise cancellation, great battery life, a wireless charging case, and I know the design of an earbud may not matter to some folks, but come on, they look pretty slick.

This is the usual discounted price we see for these Sony buds. While it’s possible we may see a better price on these next week, as they did dip down to $198 on a lightning deal during July’s Prime Day, just be sure to know the price match policy of the retailer of your choice if you decide to spring for them now. Read our review.

Sony’s WF-1000XM4 have the best noise cancellation of any true wireless earbuds, and the sound quality is second to none. The earbuds can also now be charged wirelessly and have a new design that’s smaller and rated IPX4. Amazon Prime members can get an additional $20 off on an imported international model with a 90-day warranty by buying through the Woot app on August 20th.

Thursday? More like Thursdeals, am I right?

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