5 Prime Day tech deals I’d buy (if I wasn’t having a baby)

Meta Quest 3S, Surface Pro 12-inch, and Xbox Series S in a push chair

My new pushchair will soon be filled with a different bundle of joy. (Image credit: Future / Microsoft / Meta)

This week felt like Christmas due to all the boxes filling my home. Deliveries arrived every day, causing my dog to bark each time someone knocked on the door to drop off a parcel.

But my living room was not packed with a gaming console, a new computer, or a VR headset. Instead, I spent my free time putting together a push chair, learning how to attach a car seat, and trying on my new baby carrier.

My wife and I are expecting our first child in a couple of months. We're tremendously excited and have been getting our home ready since we found out. During our nesting period, we've repainted several rooms, prepped the nursery, test-driven strollers, and gotten new carpet.

What we haven't done is spend money on non-baby tech. Adulting has made Amazon Prime Day a bit ironic, since I'm spending every day finding deals on tech I'd usually want to buy but won't purchase this year.

But hey, maybe you don't have a baby on the way. Or perhaps you have a different budget — enough for both a rocking chair and a gaming chair. Here are the best Prime Day deals I'd buy if I weren't having a baby.

My top 5 Prime Day deals

Xbox Series S: was ~~$379.99~~ now $314.99 at Best Buy
Surface Pro 12-inch: was ~~$799~~ now $684.99 at Best Buy
Meta Quest 3S: was ~~$299.99~~ now $249 at Amazon
Legion Go S: was ~~$729.99~~ now $499.99 at Best Buy
Xbox Wireless Controller + Fire TV Stick 4K + Game Pass Ultimate (1 month): was ~~$134.97~~ now $77.99 at Amazon

Xbox Series S

College Football 26 came out this week, and I'm jealous of my friends who get to play it. Last year's installment was a triumphant return for the franchise, and College Football 26 is an upgrade in just about every way.

Of course, I wouldn't buy a console for just one game. With Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Game Pass, it's easy to continue my experience from another device onto the Xbox Series S.

"For more casual players, the Series S remains a good console, though the recent price increase does complicate its appeal as an entry-level option. Despite its rising cost, the Xbox Series S remains my preferred console of this generation, proving that powerful, fun gaming can come in small packages." — Jennifer Young

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

✅Perfect for: Playing the latest console games without spending a ton of money. The Xbox Series X is more powerful, but it's also much more expensive.

❌Avoid if: You want to play games in 4K and at a higher frame rate.

👉See at: Walmart

Surface Pro 12-inch

The Surface Pro 12-inch is the closest Microsoft has ever come to making a Windows "iPad." The tablet is smaller than its siblings and houses a stylus in a way that's better suited for tablet use. But when you need to get work done with a keyboard, you can still attach one to create a laptop-like experience.

"Slightly smaller and more affordable, the Surface Pro 12-inch retains Microsoft's premium design. While the battery life ranges from decent to just good enough, it's compensated for by the excellent performance of Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus chip, making it 300% faster than the Surface Go 4 and a pleasure to use." — Daniel Rubino

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

✅Perfect for: Enjoying media, everyday computing, and browsing the web.

❌Don't buy if: You need a more powerful device or prefer a clamshell laptop over a 2-in-1 tablet.

👉See at: Best Buy

Meta Quest 3S

I've covered virtual reality since the days of the GearVR and watched closely as Meta / Oculus released several headsets over the years. The Meta Quest 3S is an excellent bargain at retail price and an even better deal during Prime Day.

The headset features a new chipset, comes with next-gen controllers, and supports a large library of games. It can also be used to stream games to a giant virtual display through Xbox Cloud Gaming.

"The Meta Quest 3S is a triumph in every regard. It's an unbelievable bargain at $299, yet it still exhibits the best mixed reality and virtual reality gaming available today. The only real compromises are the lenses and display, which are worse than the Quest 3 but not detrimentally so. — Nicholas Sutrich

Android Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

✅Perfect for: Those who want to play VR games without breaking the bank.

❌Avoid if: You'd like play VR games with sharper image quality or want the unique design and extras included in the Xbox Edition.

👉See at: Amazon

🔎Price check: $249 at Best Buy (Payment options, no game items)

🤔Alternate deal: Amazon ($329, 256GB, Batman: Arkham Shadow)

Lenovo Legion Go

I may actually buy this one even with a baby on the way. The Legion Go S is a gaming handheld that's easy to enjoy when sitting on a sofa or lying in bed. I've been told by dozens of friends and family members that fatherhood will greatly change my schedule, so I assume portable gaming that I can put down at the drop of a hat will be better than having to go to my desk to play PC games.

"The Lenovo Legion Go S highlights Lenovo's commitment to this growing category of devices, and it's absolutely a more refined, elegant gaming handheld than the Legion Go that came before it."

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: Playing PC games on the go or while relaxing around your home.

❌Avoid if: You prefer SteamOS or don't want to deal with Windows on a gaming handheld.

Display: 8 inches, 1920x1200, 120Hz, LCD, IPS, touch, 500 nits. CPU: AMD Ryzen Z2 Go. GPU: AMD Radeon. RAM: 32GB. Storage: 1TB SSD. OS: Windows 11.

👉 See at: BestBuy.com

Xbox Wireless Controller + Fire TV Stick 4K + Game Pass Ultimate (1 month)

This bundle only costs a bit more than the regular price of a Fire TV Stick 4K. I have a smart TV, but for certain content I prefer the experience provided by the Fire TV Stick 4K. It's also handy to be able to take a stick when I go on vacation and have all my apps ready to go with my various accounts.

This bundle includes an Xbox Wireless Controller, a Fire TV Stick 4K and a month of Game Pass Ultimate. That's everything you need to turn your TV or monitor into a cloud gaming setup. The Fire TV Stick 4K and controller alone would normally add up to almost $115.

👀See at: Amazon

✅Perfect for: Relaxed Xbox gameplay. It's also an excellent way to bring Xbox games to a second TV in your home or to play games when staying in a hotel.

❌Avoid if: You play fast-paced games that would not be enjoyable with the latency present in cloud gaming.

💰Price check: $89.97 at Best Buy

🤔Why Amazon? Unsurprisingly, Amazon has the best deal on the bundle. It makes sense, considering it manufactures the Fire Stick range. If you're already an Amazon Prime member, you'll get the fastest delivery, but a free month's trial will still get you the deal.

Shop all Prime Day deals at Amazon

To be entirely honest, I don't expect to miss any of the gadgets above. I've had a blast this week practicing unfolding our push chair and realizing it has a slot for a cup holder. Seeing scans of the baby and sharing them with friends and family has also been special. This is the fun part — all the excitement and none of the sleepless nights.

But I'd be remiss if I didn't share the best Prime Day deals for those looking for the best bargains on computers and gaming gadgets.

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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 930, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.

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