Is this the best time in the year to upgrade your gaming gear?

India’s Independence Day sales are offering major discounts on gaming gear, including consoles, phones, PCs, and accessories. With deals across platforms, gamers have the perfect chance to upgrade their setups—but should buy responsibly amid tempting offers

The last couple of years have seen the emergence of a new fixture in our calendars when it comes to yearly purchases – the many discount sales surrounding India’s Independence Day.

E-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and now JioMart have synchronised their timelines for sales promotions, as phrases like “Freedom Sale,” “Great Freedom Festival,” and “Grand Independence Sale” pop up at the end of July and take over our lives just as our salaries hit our bank accounts.

While some of us might wonder why one needs discounts to commemorate a national holiday, the timing and commercial value of these promotional activities is undeniable – with academic years for students just beginning and most families in the country preparing for the festive season that kicks off at the end of August.

You’ll find discounts on almost everything during these sales, from clothing to electronics, and from subscriptions to e-services. So, without further ado, let’s dive into some of the best picks you can consider if you’re looking to give your gaming activities a boost.

For the console gamers:

The sales have become a great time to purchase new consoles if you haven’t bought one already. Amazon has discounted the PS5 Slim with the optical disc by Rs 2,000, and you can get the digital edition for just under Rs 48,000. If you already have a console and are looking for an additional controller or an entirely new one, there are a few unique shades of the DualSense controller available at discounted prices.

On the Xbox side of things, there are no discounts on Series X and S consoles, but there are deals to be found on games and controllers on both e-commerce platforms and some retail stores.

Lastly, if you’re in the market for more storage, now’s a good time – there are ample discounts on SSDs compatible with the PS5 (just make sure to get one with a heatsink, like the Samsung 990 Pro) and on the Seagate Game Drive, which is compatible with Xbox. Even if you’re not planning a major upgrade, I’d still recommend investing in an SSD expansion. It’s practically essential these days, given how game install sizes continue to grow.

For mobile gaming:

The sales seem to be a great time to purchase new devices, as most 2025 phones are available at lower-than-usual prices. If you’re looking for top-of-the-line gaming, there are discounts on the OnePlus 13, which comes with Snapdragon’s 8 Elite chip. Also on discount are the OnePlus 13S, Xiaomi 15, iQOO 13, and last year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra. In the mid-range segment, you’ll find deals on the Pixel 9a and the Nord 4, while in the budget tier, phones from the Poco line-up are worth considering.

You could also take advantage of the deals to pick up a faster-charging power bank or a GaN-compatible charger that supports fast charging.

For PC gaming:

Now also seems like the perfect time to build a new PC or just upgrade a few internals because you can find deals on everything from motherboards, RAM chips, and SSDs to CPUs and graphics cards. From flagship CPUs like the Ryzen 9 9950X 3D to GPUs like the RTX 5070 Ti, and from RAM chips by Crucial and Corsair to cabinets from Lian Li, there are plenty of deals to explore and money to save.

It’s also a great time to pick up new gaming peripherals or replace ageing ones, as everything from keyboards, mice, and joysticks to chairs and RGB setups can be upgraded or swapped out at discounted prices.

Apart from standard gaming equipment, gamers can also find deals on Wi-Fi routers, new screens or televisions, connecting hubs and docks, or even sound systems and headphones. With so much on offer, the bigger challenge is for us not to overspend and give in to temptation. Modern society does tend to celebrate important events by getting us to buy new things, but it is important to question if we really do need the shiny new things on offer. My advice is to exercise caution and buy responsibly.