Independence Day is finally here, and 4th of July sales have begun across many retailers! One of the most popular 4th of July sales is at Amazon, which offers discounts on tech, workout equipment, kitchen appliances, and more. While this is a good time to save and score deals, prices will likely be even lower during Prime Day 2024 and we actually suggest you wait to buy a lot of big ticket items. Check out our picks for what to shop for during the 4th of July sale below!

What to Shop During the Amazon 4th of July Sale

There are all kinds of items available for the 4th of July sale, especially those with an outdoor focus. Many solar-powered generators will be on sale, which can provide power to a campout or serve as a backup in the case of a power outage. You can also save on games like cornhole or indoor golf. These are a great get while on sale, as they can provide fun for family and friends year-round. There are even entire sheds on sale, which you can use to store all of your backyard equipment! Additionally, select outdoor furniture and grilling supplies are on sale. You can save on all-weather chairs and tables, tri-burner grills, and meat thermometers.

As for workout equipment, the Amazon 4th of July sale has plenty available. You can save on workout clothing such as compression shirts and shorts, with discounts up to 35% available. If you're looking to add some workout equipment to your home gym, there are also deals on resistance bands, ab rollers, agility ladders, and more. These can be great to work a specific muscle group or get a quick workout in after a busy day.

Another major area you can save on is subscription services, specifically those with Amazon. As a leadup to Prime Day, Amazon is offering three months of Aubile Premium Plus and Kindle Unlimited for free, in addition to a five month Amazon Music Unlimited trial. Take advantage of these offers during the 4th of July sale before they're gone!

Should You Wait For the Prime Day Sale Instead?

While Amazon's 4th of July sale is sure to have good deals, the best deals for most products will begin on Prime Day. As a reminder, Prime Day 2024 is set to begin on July 16 and run through July 17. Items like video games, TVs, laptops, and Amazon devices will all likely see major discounts during the yearly sales event, so it is best to wait and pass over any deals for these during the 4th of July sale.

Even with the items on sale for the 4th of July, it is possible that we will see further discounts during Prime Day. If you're willing to wait, you can save more, as Amazon throws its biggest savings of the year here. Overall, any high value items that you might be eyeing will likely see bigger discounts on Prime Day, so it's best to wait until then for these.

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.

Prime Day is one the best days of the year to score huge discounts and make the most of your Amazon Prime membership. The annual summer sale discounts thousands of items, with lightning deals each hour that you won't want to miss. It's one of the biggest sales events outside of Black Friday deals, with many companies even outside of Amazon offering exclusive discounts you'll only find on Prime Day.

Jump to:

• Prime Day Date
• Prime Day Deals Predictions
• Alternative Retailer Sales
• Upcoming Sales

The giant sale is exclusive to Amazon, and we have found that most of the best deals will be found there. However, some retailers like Best Buy offer competing sales around the same time as Prime Day and we've found that those are sometimes even better. Below, we've compiled everything you need to know about Prime Day 2024. Whether you're searching for deal categories or competing sales, our years of experience covering Prime Day can help guide you to savings.

When Is Amazon Prime Day 2024?

Amazon Prime Day 2024 will be held on July 16-17. Based on previous years, we expected Prime Day 2024 to fall sometime during the second week of July. The two-day event was held from Tuesday, July 11 to Wednesday, July 12 last year, so we were guessing it would be July 9-10 or July 16-17. It has since been confirmed to be line up with our second guess, so Prime Day will run from 12:01 AM local time on July 16 to 11:59 PM on July 17. Walmart also recently announced that it will be offering a rival Prime Day sale on July 8-11.

Are There Any Early Prime Day Deals?

Although Prime Day isn't until later in the month, Amazon is already offering various early Prime Day discounts ahead of the event. Some of these deals are part of the Amazon 4th of July sale, which include good discounts on Fire TVs, Audible subscriptions, and various other Amazon devices. You can expect more early Amazon deals to arrive when the Walmart Prime Day sale drops next week.

What About Prime Day 2?

Amazon Prime Day 2 is also held later in the year before Black Friday. This second big deals event started in 2022 and continued last year in 2023. This year, we expect to see Prime Day 2 once again, most likely in October. Like July's Prime Day, this one will also likely take place during the second week of the month. While this October Prime Day isn't as good as Black Friday, it is still worth browsing if you're looking for deals.

What Prime Day Deals to Expect This Year?

There's no shortage of deals on Amazon Prime Day, as new products will be discounted each hour with various limited-time lighntning deals. We know for sure based on past experiences that Prime Day 2024 will offer some of the best deals you can find on TVs, kitchen appliances, Apple products, vacuums, and more. We've based our categories off of previous Prime Day sales, so expect these to be in line with 2024's event on July 16-17.

Video Games

There a quite a few great times to buy video games throughout the year, and Prime Day is absolutely one of them. Although you might not find discounts on major consoles during the sale, there are sure to be plenty of deals on popular games on the Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X. The Steam Summer sale will also likely be around this time, making it a good season for PC games going on sale as well. While Prime Day has not yet arrived, Amazon has already started offering free PC games for Prime members ahead of the event.

Subscriptions

Although Amazon is known for being the largest online retailer, they also have a wide variety of subscription services they own. Prime Day is usually a great time to find discounts on streaming services via Prime Video, or even just longer free trials of Audible and Kindle subscriptions. Amazon is already offering a few free subscriptions for Prime members to access before Prime Day even begins.

VR Headset Deals

Although you likely can't expect any sort of discount on the Meta Quest 3 or the Apple Vision Pro on Prime Day, you should be able to find a pretty good deal on a VR headset. The biggest price cuts have usually been Meta Quest 2 deals, and with the recent price drop of that product you can likely expect even lower prices this year.

TVs

Last year, Amazon discounted multiple quality OLED TVs for Prime Day. We expect to see similar deals this year, alongside great deals for anyone looking for a new gaming TV. You can expect to see TVs of all sizes on sale, from as small as 32 inches to as large as 85 inches. With Prime's free two day shipping, your brand-new discounted TV can arrive just days after the big event. All in all, it's one of the very best times to buy a TV outside of Black Friday and Super Bowl season.

Kitchen Applicances

Any appliances for the kitchen are always a safe bet for Prime Day sales. This includes mixers, air fryers, microwaves, and more. In prior years, Prime Day has also offered fantastic deals on coffee makers, with hundreds of dollars worth of savings at times. Overall, if you're in need of new kitchen equipment, Prime Day is one of the best days of the year to save some cash.

Apple Products

Apple products are always a safe guess for Prime Day. We expect to see AirPods Pro discounted, alongside AirPods Max and other Apple headphones. Additionally, it's likely Amazon will discount a few iPad models, which makes Prime Day a perfect time to pick up a new device before the Fall.

Vacuums

Vacuums are a hot item every Prime Day. This includes both stick vacuums and robot vacuums, which are great for any household. Big name brands like Dyson and iRobot tend to show out for Prime Day, so we expect to see some quality deals from notable brands this July.

Laptops

Since laptop manufacturers release new models each year, laptops are a staple in the Amazon Prime Day sales event each year. Some of the best gaming laptops and newest models can be bought on sale during Prime Day, which can save you hundreds of dollars. We expect to see popular brands like HP, Lenovo, Dell, and MSI offer laptops on sale. Prime Day is one of the best times to buy a laptop both seasonally and because of deals.

PC Accessories

Prime Day will also be a great time to buy PC accessories. You can pick up a new headset or one of the latest PC cases for your desktop PC at a steep discount. This also goes for Steam Deck accessories like docks, controllers, and chargers.

LEGO Sets

Amazon is one of the best places to buy Lego bricks online, and Prime Day is one of the best times to buy LEGO sets every year. There will most likely be some massive discounts on some of the most expensive LEGO sets on the market, and you can even expect some of the cheaper LEGO sets to get discounts during that time.

School Supplies

Considering it takes place during summer break, Prime Day is undoubtedly a great time to find discounts on back-to-school supplies. This includes things like clothing, writing utensils, and backpacks that will all receive discounts during this time. If you're hoping to find a cheap Pokémon backpack for your kids, this is the time to do it.

Gaming Consoles

Although the video game console deals don't tend to be as good as Black Friday, you can still expect to find some pretty decent discounts on gaming systems during Prime Day. It's one of the best times to buy a PS5, a Nintendo Switch, or an Xbox console and usually coincides with other summer sales from those publishers.

Gaming PCs

The summer is arguably one of the best times of the year to buy a gaming PC or build one yourself. Black Friday tends to have better prices on the PC components themeselves, but retailers like Amazon and Walmart will always have solid discounts on budget gaming PCs during the summer months. This is especially true during Prime Day when Amazon tends to discount brand slike CyberPower and Asus.

What Deals Not to Expect This Year

Prime Day does not discount everything, though. One of the biggest categories, new video games, tend to not be on sale during the big event. Unlike Black Friday, where all the new 2024 releases will be heavily discounted, Prime Day might have a few small discounts here and there on older games, but nothing susbtantial will likely go out for this sale.

Additionally, the same can be said can usually be said for consoles. The best PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S deals are usually saved for the holiday season, so don't expect to find record low prices on a PS5 Slim bundle or the PlayStation Portal. The same can be said for Nintendo Switch and other gaming PC handhelds like ROG Ally and Steam Deck.

What Other Retailers Have Prime Day Sales?

While Prime Day is exclusive to Amazon, other retailers have begun holding sales of their own in recent years. These sales are meant to be a counter to Prime Day, offering sweet discounts you won't find at any other time of the year except Black Friday.

Best Buy

Best Buy has held the 4th of July sale for the past few years to compete with Prime Day. This event has a focus on TVs, Apple products, laptops, and more. You might even find home theater systems at a discount, which can be a great addition to your living room or media room. This sale will take place right around July 4, so keep an eye out.

Walmart

Walmart has a similar 4th of July sale that lasts for the first week of July, but this year the company has decided to move it closer to Prime Day. Walmart recently announced its sale will be taking place on July 8-11 this year. You can find deals on TVs, outdoor furtniture, kitchen appliances, and even the latest headphones. The company also held the "Holiday Kickoff" sale to coincide with Prime Day 2 last year, which allowed customers to get a head start on holiday shopping.

Target

Target has also consistently offered a Prime Day counter sale during the same times as Amazon that has previously been called Target Deal Days. The sale is primarily for Target Circle members and includes a number of discounts on tech, toys, and groceries. You can check out last year's full ad for more details.

Are There Any Good Sales Before Prime Day 2024?

There are actually a few upcoming sales events happening before Prime Day this summer. The next major sale prior to Prime Day is 4th of July sales, which are actually happening right now. While some retailers use this holiday to offer competing Prime Day sales, this sales event has an outdoor focus with games like cornhole, indoor golf, and more available at a discounted price. You'll also be able to find TVs at discount, especially since July marks halfway through the year.

There's also the Steam Summer Sale, which starts on June 27 and runs through July 11. This is a great one to shop if you are specifically looking for discounts on PC games.

The best SD cards for Nintendo Switch ensure your handheld console is equipped to store more than just a few of the best Switch games. Since the Switch only comes with 32GB of internal storage - and part of that is reserved for system use - you won’t be able to install many games or save files without an SD card.

TL;DR - These are the Best SD Cards for Switch

1. SanDisk 512GB Extreme (Best Overall)
2. Samsung EVO Select 512GB (Budget Option)
3. SanDisk 1TB Ultra A1 (Highest Capacity)
4. SanDisk 256GB Extreme PRO (Fastest Option)
5. SanDisk 1TB - The Legend of Zelda (Best Design)

While SD cards come in varying storage capacities and speeds, we’ve picked out the best storage options that pair well with your Nintendo Switch. Installing an SD card is extremely simple, expanding your console’s storage in a matter of seconds. Whether you’re on a budget, or want the fastest SD card for Nintendo Switch available, we’ve got a great selection for you to choose from.

1. SanDisk 512GB Extreme microSDXC Card

Best SD Card for Nintendo Switch

SanDisk is a familiar brand name, so you can expect reliability and durability when you purchase the SanDisk 512GB Extreme microSDXC Card. With a range of storage options to choose from, you can max out your Nintendo Switch’s storage, allowing you to install plenty of games, save files, and screenshots, without the need to delete other games to free up some room. We think the 512GB option is incredible value for money, but if you want to splash out, there is a 1TB alternative too.

If you upgrade to a different SD card in the future, this SD card comes with an adapter, meaning you can use it across other devices so it doesn’t go to waste. But in the meantime, the SanDisk 512GB Extreme microSDXC Card boasts generous data transfer speeds of up to 190MB/s - just download the games you want and put them straight onto your SD card in a cinch.

This SD card’s durable design is shockproof, temperature-proof, waterproof, and x-ray-proof (who knew that was a thing?). So if you’re going on vacation and taking your Nintendo Switch with you, you’ll have the extra reassurance that your game files are somewhat safe.

2. Samsung EVO Select A2 512GB microSDXC Card

Best Budget SD Card for Nintendo Switch

This Samsung EVO Select A2 SD card is a perfect choice if you're looking for something on a budget. Although the write speeds aren't as strong as other options, the A2 rating allows for much faster optimizing for the card. By using Cache functionality, your files can be read in a much more timely manner than other cards.

Naturally, some features aren't available on a budget card like this. The biggest culprit here is the lower transfer speeds overall, which isn't too big of a deal unless you're downloading a lot of titles. At under $40, you can't go wrong with this SD card for your Nintendo Switch.

3. SanDisk 1TB Ultra A1 microSDXC Card

Best High Capacity SD Card for Nintendo Switch

With 1TB of storage, the SanDisk Ultra A1 SD card is an excellent choice for the Nintendo Switch. The SanDisk Ultra A1 has transfer speeds of up to 150MB/s, which is well above the range needed for fast downloads on the console. It's likely that you won't even come close to running out of storage, with room for well over 75 titles to be installed at once.

Most games on Nintendo Switch are well below 15GB, so this SD card should more than suit your needs. The biggest games range from anywhere between 30GB and 60GB, but there are less than ten that fall under that umbrella. Any extra space on this SD card is perfect for taking as many screenshots and video captures as you'd like!

4. SanDisk 256GB Extreme PRO microSDXC Card

Best High Speed SD Card for Nintendo Switch

If you're looking for the best high speed SD card for your Switch, look no further than this SanDisk Extreme PRO SD card. This card uses SanDisk QuickFlow Technology to quickly optimize files and give you the best performance possible. When it comes to launching or downloading games, this feature can come in extremely handy for load times.

With 256GB, you shouldn't run into any issues installing a healthy library of games to your system. Although the Switch does not have 4K support of any kind, this SD card is made for quick transfer of 4K content. So, your 1080p screenshots and videos will quickly transfer over to a laptop or PC with the blink of an eye.

5. SanDisk 1TB microSDXC Card - The Legend of Zelda

Best SD Card Design for Nintendo Switch

This Zelda SD card has arguably best design you can find for a compatible Switch SD card. At 1TB of storage, you should have no issues with running out of space for new games. Although the speeds are a bit lower than other options on this list, this is the only SD card officially licensed by Nintendo we feature here.

This card is made with the Nintendo Switch in mind, so you can expect a quality product overall. The design featured is the iconic triforce symbol from The Legend of Zelda series, which is a perfect way to showcase your love of the Nintendo franchise. Overall, there are better options, but this is a good choice if you prefer to snag a unique design.

How To Choose an SD Card for Nintendo Switch

Investing in an SD card for your Nintendo Switch is a game-changer. But knowing what to look for is important too. Sure, you can just buy a cheap SD card that’s got a decent amount of storage space, but there are other factors to consider.

Since we’ve already touched on it, storage capacity is going to be your first consideration. Depending on the types of games you play, a 128GB SD card might be sufficient. But games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom that takes up 16GB might need a larger SD card. Not to mention your save files and any screenshots you take will add to the overall file size.

If you’re looking for an SD card for Nintendo Switch, you’ll need to make sure you find one that’s compatible with the console. The Switch supports microSD cards - this includes microSD, microSDHC, and microSDXC. Be careful not to buy an SD or miniSD card as these will not work!

Once you’ve found a compatible SD card with the storage space you require, it’s worth taking a look at the transfer speed. The higher the transfer speed, the better your gameplay experience will be. Speed classes are graded in 2, 4, 6, or 10, denoting the card’s minimum baseline speed. So a grade 2 equates to 2MB/s, 4 is 4MB/s, and so on. If you find a microSD card with a UHS (Ultra High Speed) class like UHS-1, you’re good to go.

Nintendo Switch SD Card FAQs

Do you need an SD card for the Switch?

For the Nintendo Switch, a microSD card is an essential Switch accessory. Without it, you'll only have enough space to install a few games on the system. An SD card will allow you to install dozens of titles on Switch without any worry of deleting games to free up storage.

Generally, Nintendo tends to keep its games on the smaller side, but there is a sizeable amount of third party titles available that are well over 32GB. This is the onboard storage for standard Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite models, so you won't even be able to install that game without an SD card.

How much storage do you actually need?

Most likely any SD card with 256GB of storage or higher will be more than enough for your Nintendo Switch. Some of the largest Nintendo titles, like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Xenoblade Chronicles 3, only weigh in at 16GB and 14GB, respectively. If you plan to primarily play Nintendo-developed titles, you should be more than fine with a 256GB SD card.

However, if you would like to play big third party releases on the platform, like Mortal Kombat 1, you should aim for an SD Card with over 512GB of storage. The latest NBA 2K game takes up over 60GB on Switch, which adds up quickly if you don't have a substantial SD card. Overall, the size of SD card best for you depends on the games you play, but it is essential for any Nintendo Switch owner to have one slotted into their system.

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer for IGN, covering deals, shopping guides and more.

IGN's tech freelancer Danielle Abraham contributed to this buying guide.