Update (11/26/2018 12:20am ET): Well, this isn't too surprising, but Walmart appears to have run out of stock shortly after the bundle went live. We'll update this post if it returns as the day rolls on.
Original article: It's Cyber Monday, which means it's once again time for retailers to advertise hundreds of deals that may or may not provide actual value. We'll have a big roundup of the major tech deals shortly, but for now, we wanted to highlight one offer that is genuinely appealing: Walmart is selling a bundle that includes a PlayStation 4 Slim console, a copy of Red Dead Redemption II, and two PS4 controllers for $199.
As of this writing, Walmart's site says the bundle can be ordered online but that it's only available for in-store pickup. Still, the PS4 normally retails for $300 on its own, while a spare controller and a copy of Red Dead Redemption II each go for $60. That works out to an effective savings of $220 here, though it's worth noting that Sony has been selling controllers for $40 a pop over the past week.
For those who don't need a new console, Walmart is also offering a $10 Google Play gift card with a standalone copy of the game for the PS4. That's a much more modest deal by comparison, but we've yet to any major retailers offer a significant discount on the open-world Western since it released in late October.
We haven't seen any notable Cyber Monday deals announced for the Xbox One version of Red Dead Redemption II, and it's not clear if retailers beyond Walmart will offer the bundle above. It's also worth emphasizing that this is the standard version of the PS4, which can play HDR content but maxes out at a 1080p resolution, not the PS4 Pro, which can play select games in a sharper 4K resolution. Sony has bundled RDR II with the latter in recent weeks, but it hasn't disclosed any deals that will bring that beefed-up console below its usual $400 price on Monday.
This probably won't last long
Sony offered a similar deal last week that paired a PS4 and a copy of its Spider-Man game for the same $199 price. Despite that fact that Sony has already sold more than 85 million PS4 consoles over the device's five-year lifespan, that deal appears to have been extremely popular: the bundle sold out at several retailers in the lead-up to Black Friday and was only sporadically available on the corporate holiday itself.
This bundle may wind up being even more in-demand, though. The latest title from Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games, Red Dead Redemption IIhas easily been the most popular game on the market since it released in late October. The game—which follows the exploits of a gang of Wild West outlaws in late 1890s America—generated more than $725 million in global retail sales in its first three days of availability and sold more than 17 million copies in its first eight days, according to Rockstar and publisher Take-Two.
The game has garnered critical praise from the gaming press alongside those astronomical sales figures, though our review, while favorable on the whole, noted that its narrative and open-world design can sometimes feel at odds with each other. The game has also generated controversy behind the scenes: multiple Rockstar employees alleged that the company promotes an unhealthy work environment in the wake of Red Dead Redemption II's launch, sparking a wider conversation about the issue of "crunch" and excessive overtime in the video game industry.
But the game has been a hit regardless, and deals for it have been rare. If you're in need of a new PS4 and have any interest in Rockstar's latest, this is likely to be the best offer we'll see on Monday.
Note: Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.
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