Best gaming deals: Xbox Series X bundles with MW3 and more

Even with the holiday season in full swing, Polygon is here to assist all of your last-minute shopping with some excellent gaming deals and other associated nerdery. This weekend might be your best opportunity to pick up an Xbox Series X, which is available for as low as $349.99, or bundled with a free game for $399.99. The Epic Games Store is offering a sitewide 33% discount on games, while you can find some top-tier literature on sale at Amazon.

As we do every weekend here at Polygon, we’ve rounded up a collection of our favorite deals from the worlds of gaming and entertainment, along with some of the best-selling products that have made a recent appearance on our site.

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The best gaming deals this week

This week, Microsoft announced that it would be officially discounting the Xbox Series X to just $399.99 during the holidays. However, you can currently find the standalone console on sale for just $349.99 at Walmart. We aren’t sure how long this discount will last, but it’s worth checking out if you’ve been shopping around for Microsoft’s console.

Microsoft’s discounted price for the Xbox Series X also extends to the Diablo 4 bundle, which is available from Xbox, and GameStop for $399.99. But, if Diablo 4 isn’t your style, a variety of bundles that include Modern Warfare 3, Forza Horizons 5, Forza Motorsport, Halo Infinite, or additional controllers are also available for $399.99 from Antononline.

Here is your weekly reminder that the Epic Games Store Holiday sale is live, and through Jan. 10, 2024, you can save 33% on thousands of games in the Epic Games catalog. While Epic typically offers a single-use coupon during its holiday sales, this year, it’s offering unlimited 33% coupons that can be applied to purchases of $14.99 or more.

We’ve highlighted a handful of new releases and personal favorites for you to check out. But, if you’re going to pick up just one game, we’d recommend Alan Wake 2, which comes bundled with a voucher for a free copy of Alan Wake Remastered if you purchase a copy during the Epic Holiday Sale.

Epic is also giving away 17 free games through Dec. 31, starting with the Destiny 2: Legacy Collection. The Legacy Collection will remain available through Dec. 20, after which it will return to its regular $59.99 price.

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The top-selling stuff on Polygon this week

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The best entertainment deals this week

The latest version of the Lego Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series X-Wing is also its largest, sporting a whopping 1,949 pieces. This iteration of the legendary starfighter is currently available from Walmart for $199.99 (was $239.99). In addition to its folding S-Foils, the model features a display stand, nameplate, and minifigs of both R2-D2 and Luke Skywalker.

Blanche: The Rise of Grimdark, the authorized biography of fantasy / sci-fi illustrator John Blanche, is on sale at Amazon for $43.46 ($50.39). Blanche is responsible for a myriad of wicked works, but is perhaps best known for his collaboration with Games Workshop and helping to establish the setting and flavor of Warhammer and Warhammer 40K.

If you’re planning to walk into Mordor, a map might help. The illustrated version of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are currently discounted to their lowest price ever on Amazon. Normally $74.99 each, The Lord of the Rings is on sale for around $27, while The Hobbit is available for around $39.

Each single-volume hardcover includes thirty color illustrations, maps, and sketches (all produced by the author) sprinkled throughout along with removable, fold-out maps of Frodo and Bilbo’s journeys through Middle-earth produced by Tolkien’s son, Christopher.

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 from Amazon for $16.79 (was $27.99).