LG’s $599.99 A2 OLED TV is the best July 4 deal

It’s the weekend again, but not just any weekend. In the U.S. it’s about to be Independence Day on July 4, so we’re taking this opportunity to pack a little more into this post than we typically do. Not only will we be catching you up on this week’s best gaming and entertainment deals (plus what products other Polygon readers are buying), we’re also going to weave in some great July 4 deals that won’t last long.

But don’t fret too much if you miss out, or choose not to splurge on something. After all, Amazon Prime Day 2023 is just around the corner, starting July 11 and lasting through July 12. We’ll be digging into the best deals, so stay tuned. If you’re off for the long weekend, have a relaxing and safe time away from the grind.

The best July 4 entertainment deals

Best Buy’s July 4 deal event has brought several nice price cuts to the surface, including a budget-friendly 4K OLED television, in case you’ve had one of those on your wishlist. The 48-inch LG A2 is just $599.99, matching the low price we saw last during Black Friday 2022. For context, this TV is usually priced closer to $800 (the 55-inch version at Amazon is $896.99).

It’s a good deal considering you’ll be getting a TV that’s tough to beat when it comes to delivering the best contrast and overall picture quality for movies, TV shows, and games. Come to think of it, only pricier OLEDs can beat it with more brightness and gaming-friendly features, like a faster refresh rate (this one is locked at 60 Hz) and HDMI 2.1 ports. But this one’s great for the price.

If you don’t have the budget for an OLED TV, I’d like to direct you to our page containing the best early Prime Day 2023 deals. There, you’ll be able to find a few TV deals that suit smaller budgets while not compromising too much on quality. If you’re in a hurry, I’ll just show you the one that I’m talking about. Prime members can request an invitation to buy this 43-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni 4K TV for just $99.99 on Prime Day. It’s normally $399.99, and you have nothing to lose by requesting an invite. Just make sure you’re signed in with your Prime account.

Image: Polygon | Source image: Barnes & Noble

Lastly for the entertainment section, you can save 50% on many Criterion Collection DVDs, 4K UHD Blu-rays, and box sets at Barnes & Noble through July 28. This is a fantastic opportunity to build your library of movies. Amazon appears to be matching the pricing, in case you’d prefer to shop there.

Image: Lucasfilm

This week’s big movie release is Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. If you’re a big fan of the series, and of Mickey Mouse, there’s now a $34.99 piece of merchandise that let’s you show your fandom for both. The Shop Disney store is selling the Indiana Jones Ear headband for adults, a tiny Indy fedora flanked by gigantic Mickey Mouse ears. The copy says it’s “a treasure that Indiana Jones would definitely be excited to find.” I’m not so sure about that.

This week’s most popular products on Polygon

• Super Mario RPG (pre-order) – $59.99
• The new Furby (purple) – $69.99
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 3-month membership – $41.66
• Pokémon GO Plus + (pre-order) – $54.99
• Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB SSD with heatsink – $69.99

The best July 4 gaming deals

Best Buy launched a new subscription program recently, featuring multiple tiers. Its free My Best Buy tier gets you free shipping with no minimum purchase, which is nice. If you pay $49.99 per year for My Best Buy Plus, you’ll get exclusive pricing and access on certain items, plus free 2-day shipping.

Pardon that preamble, which was necessary before I share how the My Best Buy Plus subscription can kind of pay for itself with this sweet buy two, get one free deal on Switch games (including some compelling pre-orders). This page will let you build a bundle of three games, and like other similar offers, you’ll get one of equal or lesser value for free. The bundle can feature games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario RPG, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and many others. Take a gander for yourself.

Image: Valve

Valve kicked off the Steam summer sale this week, which lasts until July 13. If you’ve been holding off on buying a Steam Deck handheld PC until it’s discounted, you’re in luck. Each configuration is 20% off, bringing the cost of the entry model unit with 64 GB of storage to $359.10. The Steam Deck Dock for connecting it to your TV or monitor is 20% off, too.

Check out our post here to see some Steam PC game discounts that we’re particularly fond of.

Steam Deck

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Valve’s handheld PC can play loads of games from Steam, including Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and many more.

Image: Polygon | Source images: Grid Studio

Grid Studio makes some awesome exploded art out of classic gadgets that no longer work, like the Game Boy Color, PS Vita, Wii Remote, and many more, and its collection is steeply discounted as part of a summer sale. The prices vary, but you can grab the framed art starting at $99, making these a big more accessible price-wise if you want to get them for yourself, or as a gift.