I’ll be honest — as a regular player, I still get a little giddy walking into a store and seeing PS5s and Xbox Series X consoles just sitting there. No two-hour virtual queue, no scalper bots snatching everything in seconds. Long story short, the console shortage is dead and buried, and it’s about time. But here’s the kicker: in 2026, the real winners aren’t just the people who can finally buy a console; they’re the folks who know how to sniff out a good bundle.

Take the Target Xbox Series X promotion that stirred things up a while back. For $499.99, you didn’t just get the console — you got a free $70 game. If you ask me, that’s a no-brainer. A premium triple-A title thrown in is basically a price cut, because let’s face it, you’re going to buy at least one game with your new console anyway. The eligible list was no joke either: Madden NFL 24, Starfield, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Diablo 4 were all in the mix. At the time, Madden NFL 24 was less than a month old and the top-selling game in the US in August. There were four pages of eligible titles, so if football wasn’t your thing, you still had plenty of bang for your buck.

Meanwhile, PlayStation wasn’t exactly sitting on its hands. Sony rolled out something called the Upgrader Program. If you had a new PS5, you could claim one of 12 games, and most of those were console exclusives. The catch was that it wasn’t super clear how far back the offer applied. If you had recently picked up a PS5 at the time, it was worth checking your eligibility. That kind of thing is golden if you’ve been holding out, because free exclusives are rarely a bad deal.

Now, let’s fast-forward to 2026. The exact Target and PlayStation promos have changed — that’s just how retail works — but the lesson still holds. The console market is no longer a feeding frenzy, so retailers and platform holders have to compete for your hard-earned cash. That means bundles, free games, store credit, and Game Pass or PS Plus trials pop up pretty regularly. If you’re patient, you can usually find a deal that makes the sticker price much more palatable.

To give you an idea of what I keep an eye out for in 2026, here’s a quick cheat sheet:

Deal Type	Why It’s Worth It	My Take
Free game bundle	You get a $70 game without paying extra	Almost always a steal if you actually want the game
Store credit offer	You can put it toward accessories or another game	Great for padding your setup
Subscription trial	Game Pass or PS Plus included	Perfect for sample-platter style play
Discounted storage or headset	Often paired with console purchases	Don’t sleep on quality-of-life upgrades

Of course, not every bundle is created equal. Some will try to tempt you with a game you’d never play or throw in a bunch of filler. That’s when you have to keep your eyes peeled and compare prices. The early bird catches the worm, but the smart bird reads the fine print.

Oh, and if you were one of the lucky ones who already snagged a next-gen console during the darker days of shortages, maybe you weren’t in the market for another console at all. The Xbox Series X mini fridge made a surprisingly big splash as a novelty item. At one point it was back in stock at Walmart and even on sale for better than half price. I’m not saying you need a mini fridge that looks like an Xbox, but I’m also not saying you don’t. It’s a conversation starter, and honestly, who doesn’t want cold drinks in style?

At the end of the day, the best part about 2026 is that you don’t have to fight tooth and nail just to get a console. Whether you’re upgrading now, buying your first current-gen machine, or just window shopping for memes like the mini fridge, the power is finally back in your hands. If a deal looks good and the game list includes something you’d actually play, jump on it. Just don’t forget to factor in the cost of extra storage, a second controller, or that subscription you’ll inevitably cave and buy. In a nutshell: the shortage is over, the deals are out there, and your only job is to decide which one is worth your time.