Today’s best deals: Sony WH-1000XM4, a huge indie games bundle, and more

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Today’s best deals: Sony WH-1000XM4, a huge indie games bundle, and more
Ars Technica

Welcome back to another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best tech deals from all over the web includes a new deal on Sony’s excellent (if confoundingly named) WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones, which are back down to $278 at several retailers. While we’ve seen these headphones fall as low as $248 over the holiday season and during events like Amazon Prime Day, this deal matches the best price we usually see outside of special occasions like those. Either way, the discount takes roughly $35 off the XM4’s usual street price and about $70 off Sony’s MSRP.

As for the headphones themselves, we’ve previously called the XM4 the best pair of noise-canceling headphones for most people. Though this pair has been out since August 2020, it still offers top-tier noise-canceling strength, a comfortable and well-padded design, 30+ hours of battery life, and a lively bass-forward sound that can be customized to your liking. Sony’s pair doesn’t sound as sharp as Apple’s competing AirPods Max out of the box, and they aren’t as light on the head as Bose’s QuietComfort 45. But they’re comfier and significantly less expensive than the former, and they last noticeably longer on a charge than the latter. We’ve seen this deal numerous times in the past, but if you’re in the market for a new pair of wireless headphones right now, the XM4 remains a top value at this discounted price.

Elsewhere, we also have a new charity bundle over at digital storefront itch.io that nets you several hundred video games—plus a few comics, e-books, and soundtracks, among other assets—for a minimum donation of $10. The “Bundle for Ukraine,” as it’s called, is hosted by developer Necrosoft Games and includes work from more than 700 creators, with all funds raised going to charities that provide medical assistance to Ukrainians affected by the ongoing conflict with Russia and psychosocial support for children impacted by war. The bundle went live on Monday and has already raised nearly $3 million as of this writing.

Given the causes, the actual quality of the bundle is arguably unimportant. But the package is notable for including several highly regarded indie games, including the 2D platformer Celeste (which was no less than our 2018 game of the year), the brain-teasing puzzler Baba Is You, the slow-mo strategy-shooter Superhot, the delightfully chill adventure game A Short Hike, the deeply charming puzzle-platformer Wandersong, and many more. Everything included in the bundle is DRM-free, but note that the selection doesn’t include any Steam keys, so you’ll have to download each item directly from itch.io. The bundle is scheduled to remain available through March 17.

Beyond that, our roundup also has deals on recommended gaming headsets and SSDs, a number of discounted Mario games, LG’s well-reviewed C1 OLED TV, AMD Ryzen chips, and more. You can take a look at our full curated list of deals below.

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Featured deals of the day

Sony's WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones.
Enlarge / Sony’s WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones.

Electronics deals

The HyperX Cloud Alpha is a comfortable and decent sounding gaming headset for less than $100, with a good detachable mic to boot.
Enlarge / The HyperX Cloud Alpha is a comfortable and decent sounding gaming headset for less than $100, with a good detachable mic to boot.

Laptop and desktop PC deals

Our review called Samsung's SSD 980 (middle) a "fine midgrade consumer drive."
Enlarge / Our review called Samsung’s SSD 980 (middle) a “fine midgrade consumer drive.”
Jim Salter
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury includes both the underrated Wii U platformer and a whole new game that pits Mario in a more open environment.” src=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/todays-best-deals-sony-wh-1000xm4-a-huge-indie-games-bundle-and-more-4.jpg” width=”640″ height=”360″ srcset=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/todays-best-deals-sony-wh-1000xm4-a-huge-indie-games-bundle-and-more-9.jpg 2x”>
Enlarge / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury includes both the underrated Wii U platformer and a whole new game that pits Mario in a more open environment.

Video game deals

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a visually stunning action-adventure game.” src=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/todays-best-deals-sony-wh-1000xm4-a-huge-indie-games-bundle-and-more.png” width=”640″ height=”360″ srcset=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/todays-best-deals-sony-wh-1000xm4-a-huge-indie-games-bundle-and-more-1.png 2x”>
Enlarge / Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a visually stunning action-adventure game.
The Fully Jarvis Standing Desk has a solid build and tons of accessory options.
Enlarge / The Fully Jarvis Standing Desk has a solid build and tons of accessory options.
Corey Gaskin

Accessories and miscellaneous deals

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