The financial year is almost done, and Australian retailers are gearing up for one of the biggest sales periods on the local gaming calendar. EOFY 2026 deals are already trickling out at some stores, with the full wave expected to run from now through to the end of July. That's a long window, and there's real money to be saved, though not necessarily where you might hope.
Why this year's console deals will disappoint
Here's the thing: 2026 has been a genuinely rough year for budget-conscious gamers. A combination of price hikes and an ongoing RAM and SSD component shortage has pushed hardware costs higher than they've been at any point this console generation.
The PS5 disc model launched back in 2020 at around $470 USD equivalent. Today, the cheapest model sits at roughly $580 USD equivalent. The Nintendo Switch 2 launched last year and already has a price hike scheduled for September, pushing its RRP up further. These aren't small bumps.
Sony's PlayStation Days of Play event typically runs from late May through mid-June and historically lines up with EOFY sales, so PS5 discounts are likely. The key here is managing expectations: even with a discount, you won't see prices anywhere near what was possible in 2025, when a PS5 disc edition bundled with Astro Bot was available for the equivalent of roughly $440 USD. That deal looks like ancient history right now.
Console discounts during EOFY 2026 are expected to be shallower than previous years due to ongoing hardware component shortages affecting pricing across the board.
Where the real bargains are hiding
Physical game media is a different story. It isn't directly caught up in the RAM and SSD supply crunch, which means retailers have more room to discount. If you've been sitting on a backlog of games you've been waiting to buy cheaper, EOFY is genuinely your moment.
Retailers like Amazon Australia, JB Hi-Fi, Mighty Ape, and eBay are all expected to run competing promotions, with eBay in particular often stacking coupon codes on top of existing sale prices. PC gaming storefronts like Fanatical and Green Man Gaming typically run their own mid-year sales on Steam keys and digital titles around the same period.
Peripherals are also worth watching. Headsets, gaming mice, keyboards, and controllers tend to see solid discounts during EOFY, and they're not caught in the same hardware shortage squeeze as consoles. If your headset is dying or your mouse is on its last legs, this is a reasonable time to upgrade.
When the deals actually land
EOFY sales don't follow a strict calendar. Some retailers started running promotions as early as May, and the window typically stretches all the way to late July. Amazon Australia usually runs a dedicated Mid-Year Sale event in June that functions as its EOFY equivalent, though no official announcement has been made for 2026 yet.
What most players miss is that the best deals don't all drop at once. Retailers stagger their promotions, and prices can shift significantly within a single week. Checking regularly across multiple stores pays off more than waiting for one big day.
PC gaming deals tend to be more consistent across the period, with digital storefronts running longer sale windows compared to physical retailers who are clearing shelf stock.
The platforms worth watching
Here's a quick breakdown of what to realistically expect across platforms during the EOFY window:
Xbox hardware has historically seen some movement during mid-year sales, and with Xbox Game Pass bundles often included in promotions, the platform tends to offer decent overall value even when the console itself isn't dramatically discounted.
For anyone researching specific games before the sales hit, checking game reviews ahead of time is worth doing so you're not impulse-buying something you'll regret at a discount price.
The broader picture here is that EOFY 2026 is a deals season shaped by constraints. Hardware is expensive and likely to stay that way. But software and peripherals still have room to move, and for gamers who play smart, there's genuine value to be found across the next two months. Our gaming guides can help you figure out what's actually worth picking up before you commit.
