Nintendo discounts popular Switch games for Mario Day, plus the rest of the week’s best tech deals
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For the past few years, Nintendo has celebrated March 10 as Mario Day, a celebration of the company’s beloved hero, plumber, kart racer, boxing ref, doctor and lead mascot. (Mar10 = Mario, you see.) This is mostly just a clever marketing campaign, but for those looking to pad their Switch libraries, Nintendo is using the “event” to discount several games starring the little mustachioed man, with hits like Super Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on sale for $40. We have a full breakdown of the sale below. And beyond Mario matters, our latest deals roundup includes Amazon’s Fire TV 4K Max on sale for an all-time low of $35, the Apple Pencil down to $89, a $50 discount on Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II and more. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Mario Day Nintendo Switch game sale
As part of its annual Mario Day celebration, Nintendo has dropped a number of Switch games starring (or at least tangentially related to) its most famous mascot down to $40. The deals are available at multiple retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, GameStop, Best Buy and Nintendo’s own online store. With most of the games on sale, these deals don’t represent an all-time low, but steeper discounts on first-party Switch games are still relatively rare.
Here’s a list of the games included in the sale:
Beyond those, the tactical strategy game Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is down to $30, while the AR-based racer Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is about $30 off at $60.
Nintendo says these deals will be available at retailers until March 11. If you can only grab a couple of games, Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, 3D World and Tropical Freeze are likely the best of the bunch, though each game in the sale can offer a good time depending on what you’re looking for.
Mario Day Nintendo Switch console bundle
Nintendo has also introduced a new Switch bundle for Mario Day. Starting Friday, you can grab the $300 base version of the console with a download code for either Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey or New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. Each of those games typically retails around $50 outside of sales like the one happening this week, so that’s what you’re saving here. As of this writing, the bundle is available at Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Nintendo’s online store.
It’s hard to call this a great deal: The Switch is almost certainly in its twilight years, and the newer Switch OLED is a pretty firm upgrade for only $50 more. Still, there’s no power difference between the two models, and if you just want to save a few bucks, this is a chance to grab a good starter game for no extra cost.
Xbox Series X
The Xbox Series X is down to $450 at Verizon. That’s just a $50 discount, but deals of any kind for the Microsoft’s most powerful Xbox have been exceedingly rare since the console arrived in late 2020. The Series X itself is still lacking in must-play exclusives, but its hardware handles 4K gaming with ease, and Xbox Game Pass remains a superb value for those who like to sample lots of new releases. We gave the console a review score of 87 back at launch.
For a cheaper route into the Xbox ecosystem, Microsoft has the Xbox Series S available for $240. That’s technically $60 off the device’s list price, though this is a deal we’ve seen several times in recent months. The Series S lacks a disc drive and isn’t designed for 4K resolutions like the Series X, but it can still play all the same games as its bigger sibling, its SSD is still quick for loading, and its diminutive design is easier to squeeze on a desk or TV stand. Our review gave that one a score of 85.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is back down to $35, which matches its all-time low and comes in roughly $10 below the device’s average street price in recent months. Though we think Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K and Google’s Chromecast are better for most in need of an affordable 4K media streamer, the Fire TV Stick 4K still runs quick, supports all the major apps and HDR formats, and features integrated voice controls through the Alexa assistant. The caveat, as with most Amazon devices, is that it tends to advertise the company’s own content and services above everything else, so you’ll get the most out of it if you already subscribe to Amazon Prime and often use Prime Video.
Amazon Fire HD 8
Amazon’s Fire HD 8 is on sale for $60, which is about $25 off the tablet’s usual street price and only $5 more than its all-time low. This 8-inch slate can’t touch a good iPad in terms of speed or build quality, and it’ll saddle you with lock screen ads unless you pay extra, but it’s durable, its display is decently bright, and it lasts a good 10 or so hours per charge. If you just need a bigger screen for light reading, streaming and web browsing, it should be enough. Just don’t expect much more, and remember that all Amazon tablets lack access to the Google Play Store and official Google apps by default.
Anker 622 Wireless Magnetic Battery
Anker’s 622 Magnetic Battery is back on sale for $45, which is about $12 off its typical going rate on Amazon. Though we’ve seen this discount a number of times before, it’s still only $5 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked. We’ve previously recommended the 622 as a worthwhile buy for those who want a wireless power bank that supports MagSafe charging with iPhones. Like all wireless chargers, it won’t refill your phone as quickly as a good wired option, and its 5,000mAh capacity is only enough to charge an iPhone 14 to about 80 percent. Still, it’s compact, and being able to recharge without any extra cables is convenient on the go. The 622 also has a built-in kickstand, which you can use to prop up your phone while you’re at your desk. If you need more juice, Anker’s 633 Magnetic Battery is a more powerful alternative, though it’s neither as cheap nor as easily pocketable.
Apple Pencil (2nd Gen)
The second-gen Apple Pencil is on sale for $89, which is a discount we’ve seen before but still matches the iPad stylus’ all-time low. Typically, the device has averaged closer to $110 in recent months. A recommendation from our guide to the best iPad accessories, the second-gen Pencil is a consistently responsive and accurate tool for digital artists and heavy note-takers. Unlike third-party alternatives, it offers pressure sensitivity across iPadOS, and unlike the first-gen Pencil, it can attach and charge against the edge of a tablet magnetically. Just make sure your iPad is compatible if you decide to buy.
Crucial MX500 SSD
The 2TB model of Crucial’s MX500 SSD is down to a new low of $103, which is about $35 below its typical street price. If you need more space, the 4TB variant is available for a low of $228. You shouldn’t buy a SATA SSD like this to improve storage performance on a modern PC (get an NVMe drive instead), but for older desktops or laptops with sluggish HDDs, it can still provide a noticeable speed boost on the cheap. The MX500 itself is the top SATA pick in our guide to the best SSDs.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are once again down to $249, which is $20 more than their all-time low but still $50 below Bose’s list price. This is the “best noise cancellation” pick in our guide to the best wireless earbuds, and indeed, no other pair we’ve tested is more adept at muting the outside world. The slightly bass-boosted sound should work for most people as well, and the design, while somewhat bulky, should provide a comfortable fit. The five- to six-hour battery life is just okay, however, and there’s no multipoint connectivity or wireless charging support. Still, if ANC is your top priority, the is the true wireless pair to get. We gave the earbuds a review score of 87 last September.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go 2 is down to $600 for a configuration with a Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. This is another deal we’ve seen before, but it still matches the lowest price we’ve tracked and represents a roughly $70 discount off this model’s usual street price. We gave this 12.4-inch notebook a review score of 86 last June, and we highlight it in our guide to the best cheap Windows laptops. You can get better performance, more ports and a sharper display for the money, but the Surface Laptop Go 2’s lightweight design has a more premium feel than most options in this price range, and its performance and battery life should be enough for casual use. The lack of keyboard backlighting is a pain, however.
