The weekend’s best deals: Kindle Paperwhite, Nintendo Switch, and more

It’s the weekend, which means it’s time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best deals from around the web includes a nice price on Amazon’s newest Kindle Paperwhite, as the e-reader is currently down to $110 at various retailers. That’s $30 off Amazon’s MSRP and the second-lowest price we’ve tracked. The only time we’ve seen the device fall lower was around Black Friday, when it was available for $5 less. Amazon includes three months of its Kindle Unlimited ebook service as part of the deal, but be aware that this will be set to auto-renew by default.

We gave the latest Kindle Paperwhite a rave review when it released last year. Compared to its predecessor, it adds a more spacious display (now at 6.8 inches, up from six), a USB-C port, a better frontlight, more consistently responsive performance, and improved battery life (which Amazon rates at roughly 10 weeks per charge). Like the last model, it’s waterproof (with an IPX8 rating) and it can connect to Bluetooth headphones and speakers for playing audiobooks. And like all Kindles, it still has access to an enormous library of things to read. It’s a bit bigger than the last model, and if you just don’t want to lock yourself into Amazon’s ecosystem, Kobo’s Clara HD is a decent alternative (albeit one without waterproofing and Bluetooth) that’s also on sale as of this writing. But for most people, the Paperwhite is the e-reader with the best combination of features and value.

That said, it’s worth noting that the Kids version of the Kindle Paperwhite is also on sale for $10 more. Though this variant is marketed towards children, it has all the same features as the standard Paperwhite, plus a case, a longer warranty (two years instead of one), and, most notably, no ads on its lock screen or homepage by default. (The latter is a feature that costs an extra $20 on the standard, ad-supported model.) If you’re buying for a young kid specifically, the standard Kindle Kids e-reader is likely a better value, but older readers willing to pay a little extra might want to consider this model instead.

Amazon also sells a Signature Edition of the Paperwhite that adds Qi wireless charging, 32GB of storage space (up from the standard model’s 8GB), and an auto-adjusting backlight. This model is down to a new low of $145, but for most, its improvements are more “nice to have” than “essential.”

Besides Kindles, our deals roundup also includes a couple of deals on the Nintendo Switch. Amazon Prime members can take $20 off the console at Amazon subsidiary Woot, while Nintendo itself has the bundle we saw on Black Friday, which includes a copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and three months of the company’s Switch Online service with the console at no extra cost.

These are not particularly huge discounts, and they only apply to the standard version of the console, not the newer Switch OLED. The latter has been more difficult to find in stock, but it adds a larger and more vivid display, double the internal storage space, an improved hinge, and other upgrades for $350. Still, any sort of deal on the console has been rare as of late, so if you’re looking to buy your first Switch and don’t want to spare the extra cash for the OLED model, these offers are worth noting.

Elsewhere, we have deals on other recommended gadgets and gear, including Google’s Chromecast, Apple’s AirPods Pro, Amazon’s Fire HD 8 tablets, and much more. You can check out our full curated list below.

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Featured deals of the day

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (8GB) 6.8-inch e-reader + 3-month Kindle Unlimited membership (auto-renew) for $110 ($140) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids (8GB, no ads) 6.8-inch e-reader for $120 ($155) at Amazon, Best Buy
• Nintendo Switch for $280 ($300) at Woot (Prime members only, discount in cart)
• Nintendo Switch + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) + Nintendo Switch Online 3-month membership for $300 ($360) at Nintendo
• Google Chromecast with Google TV 4K media streamer for $40 ($50) at Target, Best Buy, Walmart
• Apple AirPods Pro true wireless ANC earphones for $175 ($190) at Amazon, Walmart, Sam’s Club
• Apple Leather Case with MagSafe (Midnight) for iPhone 13 for $40 ($50) at Amazon, Walmart
• Amazon Fire HD 8 (32GB) 8-inch tablet for $45 ($75) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
• Inside (Switch) for $2 ($15) at Nintendo eShop
• Buy 2, get 1 free sale on various video games at Amazon, Target

Electronics deals

• Amazon Fire HD 8 (32GB) 8-inch tablet for $45 ($75) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids (32GB) 8-inch tablet for $70 ($120) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
• Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (32GB) 8-inch tablet for $55 ($90) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (8GB) 6.8-inch e-reader + 3-month Kindle Unlimited membership (auto-renew) for $110 ($140) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids (8GB, no ads) 6.8-inch e-reader for $120 ($155) at Amazon, Best Buy
• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (32GB, no ads) 6.8-inch e-reader + 3-month Kindle Unlimited membership (auto-renew) for $145 ($190) at Amazon, Best Buy
• Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd gen) 8-inch smart display for $90 ($115) at Amazon, Best Buy

• Apple AirPods Pro true wireless ANC earphones for $175 ($190) at Amazon, Walmart, Sam’s Club
• Apple AirPods (2nd gen) true wireless earbuds for $99 ($115) at Amazon, Walmart, Target
• Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm) smartwatch for $349 ($375) at Amazon, Target, Walmart
• Apple iPad Air (64GB) 10.9-inch tablet for $500 ($565) at Target, Best Buy, Amazon
• Apple iPad Air (256GB) 10.9-inch tablet for $650 ($720) at Target, Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon
• Google Chromecast with Google TV 4K media streamer for $40 ($50) at Target, Best Buy, Walmart
• Roku Streaming Stick 4K media streamer for $30 ($40) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy

• Nintendo Switch for $280 ($300) at Woot (Prime members only, discount in cart)
• Nintendo Switch + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) + Nintendo Switch Online 3-month membership for $300 ($360) at Nintendo
• SteelSeries Arctis 1 wireless gaming headset for $69 ($80) at Amazon, Walmart
• SteelSeries Apex Pro mechanical gaming keyboard for $150 ($175) at Amazon, SteelSeries
• Hisense U7G (2021) 55-inch 4K TV for $600 ($650) at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart
• Samsung QN90A (2021) 55-inch 4K TV for $1,298 ($1,490) at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart
• Roku Streambar Pro 2.0-channel soundbar + 4K HDR media streamer for $150 ($165) at Amazon, Kohl’s
• Sonos Beam (Gen 1, refurb) smart soundbar for $259 ($319) at Sonos

Video game deals

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.”>

Enlarge / Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

Nintendo

• Alan Wake Remastered (PS5, PS4, Xbox) for $20 ($28) at Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop
• Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4) for $20 ($25) at Walmart, GameStop, Amazon
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5, PS4) for $30 ($40) at Target, Best Buy, PSN
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5, PS4, PC) for $28 ($35) at PSN
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience (PS4) for $5 ($15) at PSN
• Hotline Miami Collection (PS4) for $4 ($15) at PSN
• Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (PC) for $16 ($25) at Steam
• Assault Android Cactus+ (PC) for $5 ($15) at Steam
• Buy 2, get 1 free sale on various video games at Amazon, Target

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Enlarge / Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

Accessories and miscellaneous deals