The best high-end prebuilt PCs command premium prices, but that doesn't mean you can't find great deals that will still save you a lot of money. In many cases, you can get a prebuilt for less than the cost of building a comparable DIY system. As part of its Early Black Friday Sale, Dell is offering an Alienware Aurora R16 GeForce RTX 4090 gaming PC for $2999.99 after a $700 instant discount. A standalone RTX 4090 GPU will run you $1,800 by itself, which means building your own DIY PC could easily run you the same price or more. Although building your own PC certainly has its merits, a prebuilt gaming PC is ready to go out of the box and can give you peace of mind with an all-inclusive warranty.
Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4090 Gaming PC Deals
This Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC is equipped with an Intel Core i9-14900KF CPU, GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, 32GB of DDR5-5200MHz RAM, and a 2TB NVMe SSD. The 14th gen Intel Core i9-14900KF is the most powerful consumer Intel CPU you can get right now. The chip is known to run pretty hot, but fortunately it's cooled by a robust 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler. The entire system is powered by an energy efficient 1000W 80PLUS Platinum power supply.
The RTX 4090 is likewise the most powerful GPU on the market. No other video card, either from NVIDIA or from AMD, comes close. In his RTX 4090 review, Chris Coke writes "The RTX 4090 may be huge and expensive, but holy smokes if it doesn’t blow the competition out of the water... Until the rest of the pack can catch up, between its impressive hardware specs and its DLSS 3 AI wizardry, even the $1,599 price doesn’t seem unreasonable for the unrivaled frame rates that this card can crank out." You'll be able to run any game in 4K with ultra settings and ray tracing enabled and still pump out high framerates, even the newest, most demanding titles like Black Myth: Wukong or Warhammer Space Marine 2.The 4090 is also the consumer card of choice for AI thanks to its 24GB of GDDR6X VRAM.
A note on Alienware's newest "R16" desktop chassis
The R16 is Alienware's current 2024 desktop PC design. It's 40% smaller in volume compared to previous iterations. It features a simple yet proven airflow pattern; air is drawn in through the side intake vents over the GPU area and a 120mm fan at the front of the case, and exhausts by way of a 120mm rear fan and two 120mm top fans. A 240mm radiator for the all-in-one liquid cooling system is mounted to these top fans. Some configurations don't actually include the liquid cooling system, but we rarely include them in this roundup. That's because Alienware's liquid cooling solution is far superior to their stock air cooling and is easily worth the price premium.
More Alienware Gaming PC Deals
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Walmart just added yet another reason to sign up for the Walmart+ membership. Moving forward, Walmart+ members can enjoy 25% off any Burger King digital order every day. In addition, members can receive a free flame-grilled Whopper sandwich with any purchase every 3 months via the BK app or bk.com. For those looking for a convenient, delicious, and quality snack or meal, the Burger King dining benefit is just one extra perk added to the laundry list of benefits you’ll enjoy from a Walmart+ membership.
Walmart+ Membership Perks
Walmart+ is Walmart’s membership program with two pricing plans: Choose either $12.95 per month or $98 per year. The membership combines digital and in-store benefits like free shipping with no minimum order, video streaming with Paramount+ (which normally costs $8/month by itself), returns from home, mobile scan & go checkout at retail locations, gas and travel discounts, and more. Walmart+ also hosts limited time offers that rotate frequently throughout the year (scroll down on the sign up page to see what's currently available). If you haven't joined before, you're eligible for a 30-day free trial. If you decide to stay on, we’d recommend going with the annual membership, which will save you nearly 40% off the monthly rate.
The original Secretlab Titan Evo has been our longstanding overall pick for the best gaming chair, but now that the Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen Edition has officially arrived, that’s about to change. With a brand-new, softer, and more durable leatherette fabric, and a new NanoFoam Composite cushion, the best has gotten even better.
Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen Edition – Design and Features
From afar, the Nanogen Edition is a ringer for the 2022 version. Its bucket-style seat is exactly the same, as is the bolstered backrest and the design of the seat, so if you’ve seen a Secretlab, you already know what to expect about its shape, size, and general features. But take a closer look – or reach out and touch it – and you’ll immediately notice the difference.
If you haven’t heard about it (and how have you not at this point if you’ve ever been in the market for a gaming chair), the Secretlab’s Titan Evo line is the classic racing style gaming chair, evolved. The Nanogen Edition is the latest version and pushes comfort to the next level. It has the same general stylings as the 2022 Evo, which was built upon the original Titan in 2020. It features the same aesthetic bolsters (wings) on either side of the seat and backrest, but the sitting area is wider so those wings don’t hug you into place. The chair itself has the same measurements as its predecessor (52.8 tall with a diameter of 27 inches), so it has a slightly larger footprint than many gaming chairs – but not by much. The Nanogen Edition comes in either Regular (recommended for up to 6’2” and 220lbs) and XL (5’11 or taller and up to 395lbs) sizes, just like the original, but note that there’s no Small at launch.
The foam is thick and hides its steel frame well enough that you should never feel it. Like its predecessor, the Nanogen Edition uses custom-developed cold-cure foam that’s made to hold its firmness and support over at least five years of heavy use – my 2019 Omega uses the same material and has held up well under daily use. The firmness of Secretlab’s foam has been one of the most common complaints dating back to the company’s earliest chairs, nearly a decade ago. Secretlab will tell you that it settled on this density to provide proper support for those long gaming sessions, but the complaint about the previous versions has merit: the Titan Evo, and Omega before it, both require a lengthy break-in period and still remain firmer than many other gaming chairs even after months of daily use.
But with the Titan Evo Nanogen Edition, Secretlab has addressed that criticism head-on. This new model is by far its most comfortable right out of the box, and hits the sweet spot between softness and support. It accomplishes this with brand-new, in-house-developed Nanogen hybrid leatherette and a fresh nanofoam composite seat cushion.
Secretlab makes big claims about its new multi-layered leatherette. It’s supposed to be 14 times more abrasion-resistant than normal polyurethane leather, more stain-resistant, and the white version (white and black are available at launch) is UV resistant to avoid yellowing over time. The company described the intensive testing process in preview materials and it is, indeed, impressive – the abrasion test in particular. I’ll spare you too many specifics (see this video for the actual test that was performed), but essentially, the fabric was strapped to a machine and run against an abrasive surface with triple the recommended weight pressing it into the material. Under these conditions, it was able to run for 10 kilometers (just shy of four miles) before developing a hole. No human butt is going to approach that level of violence and intensity.
I don’t have a microscope or a firm grasp on the cutting edge of upholstery science, but if Secretlab’s claims on its long-term durability hold true, the leatherette really is something special. Unfortunately, those aren’t the kind of qualities that can be tested in a launch review, so be sure to check back over time for updates on long-term wear and tear.
What I cansay now is that the leatherette is exceptionally soft and pleasant to touch. It’s the softest, most comfortable leatherette I’ve felt on a gaming chair and bears a strong resemblance to Brisa – an “ultrafabric” frequently found on high-end task chairs and as a premium leather replacement on a wide array of (usually very expensive) luxury products.
The new upholstery feels immediately softer to the touch, but it’s when you sit in the chair that it all comes together. The nanofoam composite seat renders the old complaints about firmness a thing of the past. That said, Secretlab hasn’t done away with its medium-firm cold-cure foam entirely. Instead, the traditional foam is just underneath the nanofoam layer, making the latter a bit of a seat topper, while the two are bonded with a special adhesive. This allows the seat to feel soft and cushiony but still offer proper support when your full weight is applied to it. Cleverly, the pad is thickest at the front and tapers off toward the back, so your legs to your bottom experience the most plush feel.
These two additions, but particularly the new Nanogen hybrid leatherette, highlight one of Secretlabs’ strengths. Though the overall shape and “bucket seat” style of its chairs is similar to countless others, it is one of the few gaming chair companies able to invest heavily in materials science and R&D to develop its own fabric and foam technologies. It’s also able to produce its own products and doesn’t need to rely on shared factory lines like many others (hence why so many look so similar). This allows Secretlabs to innovate and produce chairs that share design characteristics but that look and feel distinctly higher quality in person. With the Nanogen Edition, that perception is even more profound.
Fabric and padding aside, this is still a Titan Evo underneath, and it carries through all of the major features of the excellent 2022 original. It has a four-way lumbar support that’s adjustable with knobs on the backrest for height and depth. It still reclines to a full laying position and can lock its angle. It still makes use of magnets to hold the headrest and armrest cushions in place, making for a modular, easy-to-swap system. And those armrests are 4D adjustable for depth, width, height, and angle.
While you can change the armrest pads, you probably won’t want to. The Nanogen Edition comes stock with Secretlabs’ PlushCell foam armrests, which are soft and comfortable but keep your arms well supported. Trimmed in black or gray velour, depending on whether you choose the black or white version of the chair, they’re perfectly matched to the chair in both look and feel.
Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen Edition – Assembly
Assembling the Nanogen Edition is straightforward if you’ve ever built a gaming chair before – and exactly the same as the original Titan Evo 2022. If you haven’t had the pleasure, Secretlab provides detailed instructions and all of the tools you’ll need right in the box. They even included a large foam square to protect your floor and the finish on your wheelbase and casters during the process.
You’ll begin by attaching the backrest to the seat base. The armrests are already attached, so you won’t need to worry about fastening those. You do need to put the PlushCell foam tops on, but since they’re attached by magnets it’s tool-free and quick. From there you fasten the tilt base, then put the piston, its shroud, and the casters onto the aluminum wheel base, and insert the other end of the piston into place on the bottom of the chair. Flip it upright, slap on the magnetic covers for the arm brackets and the magnetic pillow, and you’re done. The whole setup took around X minutes.
Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen Edition – Performance
While it might seem like a small update to simply change the fabric and add more padding to the seat, the Nanogen Edition turns out to be a major upgrade over the standard Titan Evo. I’ve been able to test a huge range of gaming chairs over the years, and the only bucket-style seat that even comes close in softness and comfort is the LFGaming Stealth, which retails for an eye-watering $1,695 and uses memory foam and Brisa upholstery to achieve its comfort. Meanwhile, the Titan Evo Nanogen is even more comfortable, while retailing for less than half as much.
I was skeptical at first, but the new Nanogen leatherette was a pleasant surprise. There’s a slight pattern difference compared to Secretlab’s normal Neo leatherette, but nothing stood out to me upon seeing the material for the first time as I opened the box. Taking it out of the bags, I knew in just one touch how much better it was going to be. It doesn’t feel exactly like leather anymore; The tactility and texturing of it is close enough that you can tell it is a leatherette, but it’s removed from the stiffer variety usually found on gaming chairs. Almost like leather and silk had a baby: soft, breathable, pliable, but still in the leather family.
The new seat cushion is also very nice. This is the first time I’ve sat in a Secretlab chair and felt like the seat was actually cushy. Still, the cold-cure foam base prevents you from sinking in. It’s a balance – just soft enough to be relaxing, just firm enough to keep your spine well-supported and your worries of the chair becoming too soft over time at bay.
I’m a pretty average-sized guy, 5’9” and around 170 pounds, and after my initial test-sitting I found myself crawling under the chair to move the armrests in from their wide-set default position. While there is a width adjustment built into the 4D armrests, you can also loosen several screws on the bottom of the chair and adjust the depth of each entire arm. They come fully extended and even with all of the adjustments pushed to their limits, I wasn’t able to get them exactly where I wanted them without breaking out a screwdriver.
Taking this extra step was a bit of a pain. There are long slots where each arm connects to the chair, but crawling beneath your chair is never fun. Ultimately, though, it was worth it. Properly positioned, I was able to adjust them for everything from typing to supporting my elbows while I played on mouse and keyboard or kicking back with a controller.
The PlushCell foam armrest tops are amazing, as is the magnetic neck pillow. The tops match the look of the chair well, but also help it stand out from the Titan Evo 2022 which came with standard PU tops. But really, it’s their softness that impressed me. You can press your elbow into these all day long without a hint of soreness, and the velour feels downright pillowy against the skin. The neck pillow is similar and comes with matching velour trim. The magnets gave it enough range to be able to adjust its height from behind my head to behind my neck. Like the armrests and Nanogen fabric, it felt nice against my skin. Other chairs with cheap strap-on pillows forced my head forward, and eventually forced themselves right into the closet. Not here. It’s what a neck pillow should be: comfortable and alluring for the relaxation it can provide.
As was the case with the Titan Evo 2022, the lumbar system is excellent. Using knobs on either side of the backrest, you can adjust the curve in or out and up or down to perfectly match your body. It took me some adjustment to find the exact right position, but once it was in place the full comfort of the chair unlocked.
And good news if you were planning on picking up the Ergonomic Recliner add-on. It’s fully compatible, installs just the same, and really ties the whole experience together. The softness of the Titan Evo Nanogen Edition, combined with the comfort of the recliner, pushed this chair well above any other gaming seat I’ve tested since 2013 (when I first began reviewing them professionally). With this optional enhancement installed, this is the only bucket-style gaming seat that really does feel like a recliner and is easy to take a power nap in. More than once I’ve reclined back, put my hands behind my head, put my feet up, and slipped away.
Throughout my testing, I did everything from short, 30-minute sessions (both napping and awake) to six-plus-hour marathons. There simply was nothing the Evo couldn’t handle. It’s the perfect blend of softness and support, at least for me. While I won't be trading in my $1,500 Steelcase Gesture anytime soon, I might very well have made a different decision if the Titan Evo Nanogen had been available when I was buying my personal gaming chair. Unless you're prepared to spend multiple times as much, it doesn’t get much better than this.
A Star Wars artist revealed a last-minute change George Lucas made to The Phantom Menace that would have pretty significant implications for the Obi-Wan Kenobi we know today.
Concept and storyboard artist Iain McCaig gave a wide-ranging interview to StarWars.com in honor of The Phantom Menace's 25th anniversary and in it, he revealed that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan originally had their names swapped — but there's a reason for it. He explains:
“For a time, the older Jedi was named Obi-Wan and the younger Jedi was named Qui-Gon. It was very poignant that at the end, as Obi-Wan dies and Qui-Gon defeats Darth Maul and stays with his Master as he passes away, he not only takes on his Master’s quest, but he takes on his name. Qui-Gon becomes Obi-Wan. That’s why when you see Alec Guinness in A New Hope, he puts his hood down and goes, ‘Obi-Wan? Now that’s a name I’ve not heard….’ Because he’s not Obi-Wan, he’s Qui-Gon. And right at the end, George changed it.”
That tidbit is mostly interesting for how I'll view that Alec Guinness scene in A New Hope a little differently now, but it's also fun to think about what that would've meant for Obi-Wan's character for the entirety of the series. Qui-Gon's death at the hands of Darth Maul was already a massive character-shaping moment for Obi-Wan, but having the impact of that event even extend to how Obi-Wan identifies himself? Ouch.
The rest of the interview is packed with other little interesting details, also touching on the creation of Darth Maul and Lucas' somewhat hilariously casual way of introducing him to McCaig. “George just came up and said, ‘Darth Maul, he’s our new Sith Lord,’ and he walked away,” he recalled. “I didn’t know if Maul was male or female, an alien, anything. It freaked me out at the beginning that I didn’t get much direction." Luckily, he eventually figured it out.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Today's daily deals include Anker's highest-capacity power bank, the Logitech G29 racing wheel, and inexpensive air purifier for your gaming desktop, Corsair's most affordable gaming chair, a massive 85" TV that's tailormade for PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles while still being very, very affordable, an Xbox wireless controller, and more.
Featured in this article
You can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above. For more information on each product and why they are worth your consideration, read through below.
Anker Prime 27,650mAh 250W USB Power Bank
Woot! (owned by Amazon) has just dropped the price on its highest capacity power bank: The Anker Prime 27,650mAh 250W Power Bank is down to $99.99 (originally $180). Amazon Prime members get free shipping, otherwise it's an extra $6. This is the best price we've seen by a fair amount; the previous historic low was $120 during Prime Day. It also happens to be the best Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally X charger you can get. Very few power banks can match its 250W output.
Walmart+ Membership Includes a Paramount+ Subscription
If you're a regular Walmart shopper, you might want to consider signing up for a Walmart+ annual membership. Walmart+ gives you a whole host of benefits that extends beyond free expedited shipping, including a Paramount+ Essential subscription*, which normally costs $7.99/month for the essential plan itself, as well as limited time offers (scroll down to see what's currently available) and more.
*Paramount+ Essential Plan only. By selecting "Get Paramount+", you agree that we'll share your Walmart+ membership status with Paramount+ to validate benefit access. You'll be redirected to paramountplus.com to create a new Paramount+ account. Restrictions apply.
Woot! (owned by Amazon) has the lowest price we've seen for a Logitech G29 Driving Force Racing Wheel and Pedal Set for PS5, PS4, and PC. Right now, you can get it for $159.99 after you apply an additional $5 off coupon code "LOGITECHFIVE" (retail price is $299.99). Amazon Prime members get free shipping, everyone else pays $6. Note that you'll get a new but open box unit that comes with a 90-day Woot warranty.
GoveeLife Mini HEPA Smart Air Purifier
Amazon is offering a great deal on a small desktop-sized air purifier. Right now, there's a Lightning Deal that drops the GoveeLife Mini Air Purifier to only $29.99 after you clip a 40% off coupon. This little purifier is meant to be placed on a desktop or bedside table and cleans the air in its immediate vicinity. However, it serves yet another very practical purpose for PC gamers: It minimizes the dust going into your gaming PC and reduces the frequency that you need to clean it out.
Corsair TC100 Relaxed Gaming Chair
Corsair is kicking off its Halloween Sale with an excellent deal on our favorite budget gaming chair. Right now, you can pick up a Corsair TC100 Relaxed chair in Black Leatherette upholstery for only $175.99 after an extra 20% off coupon code "US-FURNITURE20" that you can apply during checkout (it stacks with the $30 instant discount). Plus, shipping is free. Even at its retail price of $250, we thought that this chair offered a lot of value at this price point. It's a steal.
85" Hisense QD7 4K 144Hz QLED Smart TV
Amazon and Best Buy have dropped the price on the new-for-2024 85" Hisense QD7 4K Smart TV. Right now, you can get it for just $799.99 after a $400 instant discount. This is an excellent deal for a huge TV that can run games in 4K at up to 144Hz on your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X console. It costs hundreds of dollars less than every TV in our roundup of the best TVs for PlayStation 5. For those of you who plan on picking up a PS5 Pro when it becomes available on November 7, perhaps this will help alleviate the sting of spending, at minumum, $700 on a console.
Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System
Amazon is offering a big 50% off discount on the Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System. This is a super popular blender/processor bundle with over 40,000 reviews on Amazon and a pretty stellar 4.7/5 star rating. If you like to supplement your active lifestyle and workouts with healthy smoothies or protein shakes, this will probably be one of the best countertop appliances you can add to your kitchen.
Wingspan is a deceptively simple and yet endlessly replayable game, and you'll find yourself developing and honing new strategies with every subsequent playthough. In our IGN 8/10 rated Wingspan review, Matt Thrower writes, "As you might have gathered, Wingspan is a moderately complex game, certainly moreso than most of its peers who’ve made the jump into wider popularity. But it’s clear from the success of the game that its delightful components and appealing theme are more than enough to get many players to take the plunge. And, once there, they’re won over by the absorbing and addictive strategies on offer."
Xbox Wireless Controller
Xbox and PC gamers don't need to wait until Black Friday to score a great deal on a quality controller. Right now, Lenovo is offering the official Xbox wireless controller for the Xbox Series S|X and PC for only $39.99 shipped after you apply coupon code "FALLXBOX". You better hurry though because only the Carbon Black color is left. Although at this point we'd generally recommend waiting for Black Friday to buy something, this one is a safe bet.
Free 2TB 990 Pro SSD with Select Samsung Gaming Monitors
Samsung has kicked off its Early Black Friday Sale with some interesting deals on a few of its highest-end gaming monitors. Not only are these gaming monitors discounted by up to $600 off – thus matching the prices at retailers like Amazon or Best Buy – they're bundled with a free 2TB Samsung 990 Pro SSD. The SSD promotion is only available through Samsung direct, and since it currently sells for $169.99 everywhere, you don't want to miss out on this potential freebie.
SK Hynix Platinum P41 2TB PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD
There will undoubtedly be a decent selection of SSDs on sale during Black Friday, but if you need one right now, there's one great deal that is already available. Amazon is offering a 2TB SK Hynix P41 Platinum PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVME solid state drive (SSD) for only $134.99 shipped. The SK Hynix P41 Platinum is one of the fastest PCI-E 4.0 SSDs available and is considerably less expensive than other comparable SSDs, like the Samsung 990 Pro ($169.99) and the WD SN850X ($149.49). This also happens to be an excellent candidate for your PlayStation 5 console or gaming PC.
32" Alienware AW3225QF 4K OLED Gaming Monitor
Dell's Early Black Friday Sale kicks off today. Since it's still early, most of the deals right now are lukewarm at best, but there is one fantastic deal you shouldn't sleep on. Right now, the Alienware AW3225QF 32" 4K QD OLED gaming monitor is down to $1,019.99 after a 15% off coupon code "MONITORS15". Although we've seen this monitor discounted as low as $999.99, Dell is also throwing in a bonus $250 promotional e-gift card this time.
Lenovo Legion Go 512GB
Lenovo is teasing Black Friday with this excellent deal on one of the best gaming handhelds on the market. Both Amazon and Lenovo are currently offering the Lenovo Legion Go 512GB gaming handheld for only $499. That's an instant $200 off discount and the lowest price we've seen all year. In fact, it's $50 cheaper than the best deal we saw during Amazon's October Prime Day sale. It's currently less expensive than the 512GB models of its two closest competitors, the Steam Deck OLED and the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme, even though it normally commands a higher retail price.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gaming Headset
For a limited time, Best Buy is heavily discounting the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 FaZe Clan Limited Edition wireless gaming headset for PlayStation 5 and PC. Normally it's priced at $189.99, but today it's down to $99.99 shipped. That's an outrageously good price for the best wireless PS5 gaming headset of 2024 and if you're in the market for a SteelSeries headset, you shouldn't miss out on this deal.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
This article contains spoilers for the Agatha All Along finale.
Well witches, we’ve finally hit the end of the road. Was there closure? No. Was there a jaw-dropping finale reveal? Kinda! Did we have fun along the way? Mostly, yeah.
So, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) is dead, Billy Maximoff (Joe Locke) has realized he has mommy’s proclivity for creating realities but evidently doesn’t need earth-shattering emotional distress to do so, and Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata) is the only member of the coven who gets to fly off into the sunrise. It’s a pretty cut and dried ending to Agatha’s portion of the story, but there’s still plenty of Billy in our future. Let’s take a look at what’s to come for the witches of the MCU.
Will There Be an Agatha All Along Season 2?
We don’t have confirmation one way or the other, but the immediate answer is a strong “probably not.” Agatha’s story is, for all intents and purposes, mostly wrapped up until she manages to find closure and one day musters the will to face her son in the afterlife. In the meantime, ghost effects ain’t cheap. Expect to see Marvel’s own wicked witch pop up now and again in future stories, but it’s unlikely she’ll get another season of television devoted solely to her escapades.
Where Is Tommy?
Usually, we’d turn to the comics origins to get answers here. But, given that the MCU has basically turned Billy and Tommy Maximoff’s stories on their heads, the comics aren’t a lot of help. Still, it feels worth mentioning that in those origins he ends up a government test subject. In the MCU — at least for now — he just seems to be having a really, really bad time at the pool.
As Tommy’s new body takes its final breaths, Billy is able to will his brother’s soul to take over. Now, all the boys have to do is find each other. Given that Auntie Agatha seems to have made it her mission to help the two reunite, we’ll likely be catching up with the twins sooner than we think.
Why Is Agatha Helping Billy?
Agatha Harkness is a fickle yet complicated witch. All she does is slaughter covens and steal power. Still, Billy’s belief in the witch mirrors that of the audience who has actually grown to care for her despite her indiscretions. Agatha’s helping Billy for the same reason she’s been helping him all along — he reminds her of her son, Nicky.
Early in the season, I found her protectiveness of Billy to be from out of left field. She killed the boy’s dog not four years ago! But as things progressed we started to see her softness toward the Maximoff boy grow. Point of fact, he’s the only witch we see her stealing power from that she does not kill. So, wittle Billy and Auntie Agatha’s adventures it is!
How Did Jennifer Kale Survive the Witches Road if It Was Fake?
As mentioned, Jennifer Kale is the only one who manages to survive Billy’s road illusion. Immediately after her disappearance, Agatha says it’s because “she got what she wanted from the road,” which, to Billy’s mind (which was creating the illusion from the start) was true. As for getting what she wanted, it was a mere happenstance that she came to the realization that Agatha was the one who had bound her all those years ago. Jen is then able to free herself from the spell she was trapped in for a century before Agatha has the chance to kill her.
Why Does Death Cry When Agatha Sacrifices Herself?
Because Wile E. Coyote isn’t meant to catch the Road Runner, that’s why. And, not for nothing, but those two witches are in love love. They hate each other because fate has dealt each of them a complicated hand. Death took away what Agatha loved most because keeping the balance between the living and the dead is the sole purpose of her existence. Agatha evades Death at every turn because she can’t bear to face the son she failed or that the woman she loved took what she cared about most from her.
Why Does Death Let Billy Go?
The second verse is the same as the first. Death made a deal with Agatha. Billy Maximoff is an abomination to the very balance that Rio is meant to protect. But also she made a promise to her ex-girlfriend and she’s gonna keep it. She’s probably gonna be big mad about Tommy but, just like Billy, she can’t force him to come with her. If either boy dies, they’ll simply reincarnate again.
Who Is Nicholas Scratch’s Father?
Canonically, he doesn’t have one! Maybe Agatha pulled a Wanda and created him herself. Maybe she and Death made him together. Maybe Agatha grew him in her belly the same way she grew the dandelion in the morgue on the “road’s” last trial. Who can say.
Is All of This Leading to the Young Avengers?
All signs point to yes, at least eventually. Billy and Tommy are both members of the team, and we know Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) has been running around recruiting snarky archers (Hawkeye, Kate Bishop edition). But Marvel has been public about its plans to start slowing down on television production to really focus in and tighten up the MCU brand after several misfires from both its film and television offerings. And we also know that Billy has to find Tommy before their misadventures can spread over onto the Young Avengers team.
Basically, we’ll get there eventually should the team-up actually come to fruition with all of the MCU shakeups of late, but Billy’s got some unfinished business first.
Are the Citizens of Westview, Like… OK?
Yeah, no. Definitely not. They should probably move.
The House of the Dead will be the latest video game to head to the big screen, and it's got a seasoned adaptation director at the helm.
Per a Deadline report on Thursday, Paul W.S. Anderson will write and direct the big-screen version of The House of the Dead, the Sega horror shooter series. He'll also be producing alongside his longtime creative partner Jeremy Bolt.
And it seems Anderson just can't stay away from this genre, with The House of the Dead marking his fourth adaptation of a video game property. Previously, Anderson directed Mortal Kombat (1995), Resident Evil (2002), and most recently Monster Hunter (2020).
Anderson also gave an interview to Deadline where he gave a quick glimpse as to how he'll be approaching this adaptation, revealing that he'll be basing it on the story of The House of the Dead 3. "If you know the mythology, that is all about family conflict, amidst the action and scares," he told the outlet.
"It’s about a woman, Lisa Rogan, who’s attempting to rescue her father," he explained. "And it’s also about Daniel Curien, who’s the son of the man who caused this mutant outbreak in the first place and who has to deal with the sins of the father."
Anderson added he's been a fan of The House of the Dead games since the '90s, which is when the Sega series kicked off. It became known not only for its use of the light gun, but for its different take on the zombie genre, featuring fast-moving creatures.
"This is a full-on terror ride. It’s different than what we did with Resident Evil, where there were lots of traps and puzzles."
“My approach will be to reflect what this hyper-immersive, kinetic video game is, which is why Zack Snyder took these creatures and made them fast moving (in 2004's Dawn of the Dead),” Anderson said. “This is a full-on terror ride. It’s different than what we did with Resident Evil, where there were lots of traps and puzzles and things to be figured out. House of the Dead is at heart a light rail shooter game, so it drags you straight into the middle of the action. I’m going to make a movie that mirrors that approach and plays out in real time, dragging the audience straight into the action."
It's only the latest big-screen take on a Sega game, with the Sonic the Hedgehog movies continuing to move along with Paramount Pictures. And just earlier this month, Sega announced a film adaptation of its Shinobi movies at Universal.
Interestingly, the Deadline report notes that Sega has been protective of The House of the Dead IP. However, Toru Nakahara, Sega's Head of Production for Movies/TV, tells the outlet that the Sonic films "changed the dynamic toward our transmedia policies and since then we’ve been actively developing a lot of productions, looking at it as an initiative to expand the whole Sega brand."
Further details, including a cast or release window, are still pending. For more on the series, check out our review of the 2022 House of the Dead remake, where we said it "can be an enjoyable return to the classic arcade rail shooter, but performance hiccups and frustrating controls are scarier enemies than the zombies themselves."
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
A trio of new Lego movies is in development, although these ones might look a little different than what you're expecting.
Deadline reports on Thursday that Universal is developing three live-action Lego movies, and it's already tapped three buzzy directors for the job. Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman), Jake Kasdan (Jumanji), and Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) are attached to direct one movie each.
Plot details are being kept under wraps, but Deadline's report does reveal the writers of each film. Jenkins' was written by herself and former DC Entertainment President Geoff Johns; Kasdan's was written by Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul based on an original idea and previous draft by Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows; and Cornish is rewriting a draft by Heather Anne Campbell (Rick & Morty, One Punch Man) based on a treatment by Simon Rich.
It's quite the turn for the Lego film franchise, which has found success in animation. The series kicked off in 2014 with The Lego Movie, which was a big enough hit to spawn three follow-ups: The Lego Batman Movie, The Lego Ninjago Movie, and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.
Those movies all came out through Warner Bros., but Universal bought five-year rights to make separate films in 2020 with the goal "to develop, produce and distribute theatrical releases based on its intellectual property and original ideas." Still, there's been little news about Universal's plans with Lego since that initial announcement, and the franchise has been basically on hold since The Lego Movie 2 in 2019.
No release dates or production windows have been revealed for any of the three movies. For more in the meantime, check out our 7.5/10 review of The Lego Movie 2, where we called it "a vibrant, likable sequel that's just a little too ambitious for its own good."
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
EA and Respawn Entertainment are making a change to Apex Legends that will no longer allow players to access the game via Linux OS, including Steam Deck using Linux.
The developers announced the shift away from Linux support in a post on its website. Although it’s a move that will no doubt surprise those affected, EA says dropping support for the OS option is part of the company’s wider initiative to maintain “competitive integrity” and fight off cheaters.
“In our efforts to combat cheating in Apex, we've identified Linux OS as being a path for a variety of impactful exploits and cheats,” the post says. “As a result, we've decided to block Linux OS access to the game. While this will impact a small number of Apex players, we believe the decision will meaningfully reduce instances of cheating in our game.”
EA calls Linux an “attractive” OS for those looking to cheat for a variety of reasons. The thought process behind the decision involved weighing the number of legitimate Linux players against the impact the growing number of cheaters has had on the average Apex Legend fan. While it’s unclear exactly how many players utilize Linux when playing Apex Legends, EA and Respawn say it’s a tradeoff they are willing to make.
This means that Apex Legends will be unplayable immediately for those running this operating system.
The reason the team says it’ll be ending support for Steam Deck, which uses Linux by default, is that there is “currently no reliable way for us to differentiate a legitimate Steam Deck from a malicious cheat claiming to be a Steam Deck (via Linux).” However, if handheld users manage to install and use Windows on Steam Deck instead, they’ll be able to continue playing on the device. So, while the developers continue to crack down on cheaters plaguing the long-running battle royale game, all Linux users will no longer be able to enjoy the experience at all.
“To eliminate this cheat vector, we have made the decision to prevent access to the game for Linux users,” EA continues. “This means that Apex Legends will be unplayable immediately for those running this operating system.”
Apex Legends brought the Titanfall universe into the free-to-play battle royale world in 2019. We gave it a 9/10 in our review, saying that the experience’s “mix of exciting characters, excellent gunplay, and unmatched FPS movement keep it a consistently fresh thrill.” Although fans took the first-person shooter’s gameplay upon launch, it’s not been without its struggles. Respawn announced that it would make alterations to its Battle Pass model in July of this year but quickly reverted many changes after widespread outcry from fans.
Apex Legends Season 22, titled Shockwave, is currently wrapping up, with Season 23 set to soon continue a long run of seasonal updates. As for the far-off future, EA has recently confirmed that it has no interest in making Apex Legends 2.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
As we gear up for Season 2 of Squid Game, the highly anticipated follow-up to Netflix's 2021 breakout smash, we've just gotten our latest trailer — and it looks like there's a couple twists to the games in store.
The trailer shows Lee Jung-jae reprising his role as Seong Gi-hun, as we find him in the deadly Squid Game once again after winning Season 1's competition. There's a look at the familiar — namely, the iconic Red Light Green Light game from Season 1 — but this latest trailer also presents an interestingly new rule: after each game, the contestants will place a vote. If the majority agrees, the games will end and the surviving contestants can take the money they've accumulated and leave. Barring that, however, the games will continue.
Unsurprisingly, that voting mechanic sets up some new drama, with Gi-hun urging the other contestants to do whatever they can to get out of there. It doesn't seem like that's going well, though, as the others ignore his pleas and push to continue.
In addition to Gi-hun, we get a look at another familiar face as well: there's a brief glimpse of Lee Byung-hun, who's returning as the mysterious Front Man. Wi Ha-jun is returning too as Hwang Jun-ho, a detective on his own relentless mission.
Netflix also unveiled some new key art and images, which you can see below.
South Korean thriller Squid Game quickly became a massive international hit after its 2021 release, garnering rave reviews and word-of-mouth with its dark story of a secret contest that saw 456 players risking their lives for a massive cash prize. A second season was confirmed the following year, and it'll end with a third season in 2025.
Squid Game Season 2 will premiere on December 26. In the meantime, check out our 9/10 review of Season 1, where we called it a "candy-coated battle royale that thrives on making its players — and audience — squirm."
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
A reboot of 1993 action-thriller Cliffhanger has officially been confirmed, but it'll be missing a key star.
Production company Rocket Science announced on Thurday that it's in production on a reboot of Cliffhanger, and that this version will star Lily James and Bond actor Pierce Brosnan. However, Variety reports that original star Sylvester Stallone, who was part of the reboot's initial package, has dropped out amid a "creative overhaul."
Rocket Science has also unveiled a first look image and a behind-the-scenes photo, both of which you can see below.
Also part of that creative overhaul, the reboot has a new director. It was originally meant to be directed by Ric Roman Waugh from a script by Mark Bianculli, but Jaume Collet-Serra (Jungle Cruise, Black Adam, The Shallows) will now take the helm, directing from a script based on a story by Ana Lily Amirpour. The Variety report notes that the reboot is being described as a "father-daughter take on Die Hard."
You can read the official synopsis from the production company below:
In this reboot of Cliffhanger, seasoned mountaineer Ray Cooper (Pierce Brosnan) and his daughter Sydney run a mountain chalet in the Dolomites. During a weekend trip with a billionaire's son, they are targeted by a gang of kidnappers. Ray's older daughter Naomi (Lily James), still haunted by a past climbing accident, witnesses the attack and escapes. To save her family, she must confront her fears and fight for survival in the Italian Dolomites.
In addition to James and Brosnan, the new Cliffhanger will also star Nell Tiger Free, Franz Rogowski, Shubham Saraf, Assaad Bouab, Suzy Bemba, and Bruno Gouery. A release window has not yet been announced, but filming is currently underway in Austria.
The original Cliffhanger starred Stallone as a mountain climber who encounters a group of violent criminals after they lose their heist loot in a plane crash in the Rocky Mountains. It was a hit at the time, becoming one of the highest-grossing movies of the year with $255 million at the box office.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
The Dell Early Black Friday Sale has commenced and Dell has once again come out in front with some pretty outstanding deals on Alienware Aurora R16 gaming desktops and Alienware m-series and x-series gaming laptops. Check out all of the deals below, and we'll keep adding to the list as we find more.
Early Black Friday Dell Gaming PC Deals
Early Black Friday Dell Gaming Laptop Deals
You can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above. See below for our favorite picks.
The 2024 Alienware "R16" desktop chassis is a major improvement.
The R16 is Alienware's current 2024 desktop PC design. It's 40% smaller in volume compared to previous iterations. It features a simple yet proven airflow pattern; air is drawn in through the side intake vents over the GPU area and a 120mm fan at the front of the case, and exhausts by way of a 120mm rear fan and two 120mm top fans. A 240mm radiator for the all-in-one liquid cooling system is mounted to these top fans. Some configurations don't actually include the liquid cooling system, but we rarely include them in this roundup. That's because Alienware's liquid cooling solution is far superior to their stock air cooling and is easily worth the price premium.
Alienware Aurora R16 i9 RTX 4090 Gaming PC
The Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4090 Super gaming PC drops to $2,999.99 after a $700 instant discount. The RTX 4090 is the most powerful GPU on the market. In his RTX 4090 review, Chris Coke writes, "The RTX 4090 may be huge and expensive, but holy smokes if it doesn’t blow the competition out of the water... Until the rest of the pack can catch up, between its impressive hardware specs and its DLSS 3 AI wizardry, even the $1,599 price doesn’t seem unreasonable for the unrivaled frame rates that this card can crank out." The 4090 is also great for AI thanks to its 24GB of VRAM.
Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4080 Super Gaming PC
The Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4080 Super gaming PC drops to as low as $1,999.99 after an $800 instant discount. The 4080 Super is a second generation card that supersedes the RTX 4080. It's Nvidia's second most powerful card and a superior GPU to AMD's Radeon RX 7900 RTX if you factor in DLSS and ray tracing performance. In our RTX 4080 Super review, Jacqueline Thomas writes, "If you're in the market for a 4K graphics card around $1,000, it's hard to think of any GPU that's a better purchase right now. This is the RTX 4080 that should have launched in 2022."
Alienware Aurora R16 i7 RTX 4070 Super Gaming PC
Dell has dropped the price on this Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4070 Super gaming PC to $1,499.99 after a $400 instant discount. Alternatively, you can save $100 and get the RTX 4070 (non-Super) model instead. The performance difference between the two is about 15%. This is the best value for gamers who want a PC that can run any game currently available, but don't want to spend to overspend. The RTX 4070 Super is the best graphics card for most people; it's not exorbitantly priced, and it's powerful enough to run games at up to 4K resolution (although 1440p is its sweet spot).
Alienware Aurora R16 i7 RTX 4060 Ti Gaming PC
The Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC features a Intel Core i7-14700F CPU and RTX 4060 Ti GPU for only $1,199.99 after a $400 instant discount. The RTX 4060 Ti video card is a very good option for 1080p gaming at high frame rates. It's also the minimum NVIDIA GPU we'd recommend for 1440p gaming, although you'll see noticeable gains by jumping to an RTX 4070.
Alienware Aurora R16 i9 RTX 4070 Ti Super Gaming PC
This Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC boasts a multitasking-friendly Intel Core i9-14900F CPU and RTX 4070 Ti Super GPU for $1,799.99 after a $600 instant discount. The RTX 4070 Ti Super is a second gen RTX 40 series GPU; it's about 10% more powerful than the RTX 4070 Ti and 15-25% faster than the RTX 4070 Super. This is a great card for both 1440p and 4K gaming. The VRAM count is upped to 16GB compared the the RTX 4070 Ti's 12GB, which means it has the same amount of VRAM as the RTX 4080 Super.
Not all laptop GPUs are the same, even if they share the same name.
There are two important tidbits that deserve mention concerning graphics cards found in laptops. First, mobile GPU variants are not as powerful as their desktop counterparts. For example, a mobile RTX 4060 doesn't perform as well as a desktop RTX 4060. The mobile versions are generally about one to two tiers lower in performance. For example the mobile RTX 4060 performs more similarly to a desktop RTX 4050.
Second, not all laptops feature the same performance out of the same GPU. For example, the RTX 4060 found in the Alienware m16 will be more powerful than the RTX 4060 found in the Alienware x14. In order to roughly tell how good a GPU will be, you can look at the TGP rating. That's basically the amount of power supplied to the GPU. A higher TGP rating means more power will be delivered, equating to stronger performance, however the wattage consumption and heat generated will be higher. Here are the maximum TGP rates for the RTX 40 series graphics cards:
Mobile RTX 4050: 115W
Mobile RTX 4060: 115W
Mobile RTX 4070: 115W
Mobile RTX 4080: 150W
Mobile RTX 4090: 150W
Alienware m16 R2 16" RTX 4060/4070 Gaming Laptops
Dell is offering an Alienware m16 R2 16" RTX 4060 gaming laptop for $1,199.99 after a $300 instant discount. You'll need a decent amount of GPU power to be able to run games smoothly on the display's bumped-up QHD+ resolution. The RTX 4060 sits between the RTX 3070 and the RTX 3070 Ti, so it's definitely no slouch in terms of gaming performance. Alternatively, you can upgrade to an RTX 4070 for only $300 more. The RTX 4070 mobile is on par with the RTX 3080 but with newer features like DLSS 3.0.
Alienware m18 R2 18" i9 RTX 4070 Gaming Laptop
The Alienware m18 is the biggest Alienware laptop you can buy with an imposing 18" 2560x1600 display and top-of-the-line components. There are two models that are on sale today. The higher end model includes an Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU and RTX 4090 GPU for $2899.99. The RTX 4090 is still the most powerful mobile GPU on the market, and by a very substantial margin. It's roughly equivalent to a desktop RTX 3090 GPU. If that's beyond your budget, there's also a model equipped with an Intel Core i7-14700HX CPU and RTX 4070 GPU for $1,899.99.
The Alienware x16 gaming laptop is a slimmer and lighter redesign of the traditional m-series laptop. It's the thinnest 16" Alienware laptop ever and compares in build quality and performance to other high-end ultra-thin laptops like the Razer Blade. This Alienware x16 R2 laptop is built with premium materials, like a magnesium alloy chassis and palm rest, anodized aluminum lid, stainless steel keyboard tray, and Micro LED RGB accent lighting. It's only 0.73" thin and weighs in at 6lbs. That's impressive considering the fact that this laptop can be equipped with the most power Nvidia GPU.
Dell G15 15" AMD Ryzen 7 RTX 4060 Gaming Laptop
Dell has dropped the prices on both this Dell G15 RTX 4060 gaming laptop to an incredibly low price of $799.99. Dells G-series laptops are great options for budget gamers. They offer excellent gaming performance equal to a comparably equipped Alienware laptop but at a much lower price point. They also have better build quality than Dell's consumer-oriented Inspiron lineup, with nicer materials that include anodized aluminum, and an aggressive cooling design borrowed from Alienware laptops.
15% Off 32" Alienware AW3225QF 4K OLED Monitor
And bonus $250 Dell promotional gift card with purchase
Right now, the Alienware AW3225QF 32" 4K QD OLED gaming monitor is down to $1,019.99 after a 15% off coupon code "MONITORS15". Although we've seen this monitor discounted as low as $999.99, Dell is also throwing in a bonus $250 promotional e-gift card this time. There are some T&Cs to take note of: You'll receive the gift card within a few weeks after the monitor ships, and you'll have 90 days to use it. It's good on pretty much anything at Dell (excluding gift cards). If you're looking for the best 4K gaming monitor, this should definitely be on your short list. This is the monitor I personally use and I absolutely recommend it.
Why pick a Dell or Alienware gaming PC?
If you're in the market for a prebuilt gaming PC, Dell is one of best gaming brands we'd recommend. The Alienware gaming desktops offer a staggering array of options, all built into a custom chassis. Alienware gaming laptops in recent years have been redesigned to be thinner and lighter while still offering the same immense power under the hood. Consistent build quality, available inventory, frequent sales, and solid customer service are the main reasons why Dell is at the top of our buying list for gaming laptops and PCs.
Should you wait for Black Friday?
In most cases, we would say that Black Friday has the best deals of the year. Dell, however, is quite the opposite. Historically, Black Friday hasn't always been the best time to buy an Alienware computer. Aside from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the best times of year to score Dell deals are actually Memorial Day and right before Black Friday from September to early November. Either way, the deals that are going on right now are quite good.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
It's still October and Amazon just wrapped up its fall Prime Day sale earlier this month, but it's never too early to start looking at Black Friday deals. Amazon offers one of the largest Black Friday sales out of any online retailer every year, and we expect 2024 to follow this same pattern. The Amazon Black Friday sale will be the best time of the year to buy pretty much anything, but when exactly will it start?
We've been covering Black Friday deals for years, and using this expertise, we should be able to pretty accurately predict when Amazon's sale will actually begin in 2024. We've gathered our prediction below, as well as what deals you can likely expect as the sale kicks off this November. There are already quite a few deals worth taking a look at right now if you're impatient to start shopping.
Best Early Deals on Amazon Today
When Will Amazon Black Friday Start in 2024?
The actual date for Black Friday this year lands on November 29, but we expect the deals to arrive much earlier than Thanksgiving week. The Amazon Black Friday sale officially kicked off about seven days before actual Black Friday last year. We expect the retailer to follow this same pattern this year, which would mean Amazon Black Friday 2024 will likely start on Friday, November 22 this year.
What About Amazon Cyber Monday?
Although Black Friday tends to get the most attention, Amazon's Cyber Monday sale is usually just as good if not better. The official date for Cyber Monday in 2024 is December 2, but you can expect Amazon to kick off its own sale the Sunday before. Last year, the Amazon Cyber Monday sale actually ended on Monday, but it's possible deals will continue on throughout the following week as "Cyber Week" deals.
Will Amazon Have Early Black Friday Deals This Year?
We don't expect the official Amazon Black Friday sale to start until later in November, but that doesn't mean there won't be an early Black Friday sale. Amazon will likely start offering early Black Friday deals at the beginning of November to Prime members only, depending on when competitors begin their sale. Last year, Best Buy started offering early Black Friday deals before Halloween, which meant Amazon started matching some of those prices. You can expect early deals on Amazon devices and subscriptions services at the very least.
What Deals Should You Expect?
Although we don't know everything that will be on sale during Amazon's Black Friday sale this year, we know enough from previous sales to put together an idea of what you can expect in 2024. We've highlighted some of the key categories we expect to see significant discounts this year below, as well as insights into what deals you likely won't see.
Amazon Devices
The most obvious discounts we expect to see from the Amazon Black Friday sale are on Amazon's own devices. It has discounted these during all of the Prime Day sales and Black Friday should offer the same, if not better, price reductions. This includes all of the Fire TV devices, which will likely be bundled with Xbox Game Pass again now that you can play Xbox games with a Fire TV Stick. Echo speakers and displays will also see significant discounts alongside Blink and Ring security cameras. We also expect to see some of the best Kindle deals of the year, since we didn't really get those during Prime Day this year.
Video Games
Throughout 2024, we've reviewed some really great video games. Unfortunately, we don't expect a lot of the newer games to actually be discounted during Black Friday. That being said, Black Friday is the very best time to buy video games and most popular games from last year will go on sale. This includes games like Starfield, Baldur's Gate 3, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to name a few. You will likely be able to nab older PS5 and Switch games for less than $30 in most cases if you are a few years behind the latest game trends.
Apple Products
While it's true that Apple has a Black Friday sale of its own every year, the best Apple Black Friday deals are usually at Amazon. If you're hoping to buy the new AirPods or any of the latest iPads at a discount, you will most likely find these deals at Amazon. The online retailer has been offering discounts on Apple devices throughout all of 2024, but Black Friday is still the best time to buy an iPad, Apple Watch, or pair of AirPods at a significant price reduction. The only deals you likely won't see on Amazon are discounts on the new iPhone 16 models, but you can certainly expect discounts on the best iPhone accessories at the very least.
Video Game Consoles and VR
Black Friday is the best time every year to buy a new console. With the new PS5 Pro still available to preorder and Nintendo Switch Black Friday bundles already announced, we have a decent idea of what to expect. Xbox consoles will likely see the biggest direct discounts, with the Xbox Series S being the overall best deal. There will also most likely be good PS5 Slim bundles available thanks to the release of the PS5 Pro. In terms of VR headsets, we already know that we are going to see some discounts on the Meta Quest 3, because those deals already started earlier this year with the release of the new Quest 3S.
TVs and Monitors
The best time to buy a TV every year is Black Friday. This has been true since before online shopping was even a thing and will be true long after in-store shopping fades away. Since it isn't really hard to find a good TV for cheap these days, Black Friday is more like the best time to buy an expensive TV at a discount. Some of the best gaming TVs like the LG C4 or the Sony Bravia 7 that just recently came out will likely get some of their biggest discounts on Amazon during this time.
There are a few times a year where we see really good laptop deals and Black Friday/Cyber Monday is one of them. Some of the better laptop deals will be direct from brands like Dell and Lenovo, but Amazon always has some great discounts on Asus, Acer, and Samsung laptops during Black Friday. It also tends to have the best overall deals on the popular gaming laptop brands MSI and Razer. Additionally, you can usually find a pretty good price on a new MacBook from Amazon that you won't find from Apple directly.
Gaming PCs
Black Friday is arguably the best time to buy a new gaming PC every year. Whether you're looking to buy a prebuilt gaming rig or build one yourself, Amazon always has some great deals that make it worthwhile. The main brands we expect to see on sale at Amazon are CyberPower and iBuyPower, which usually come packing some of the latest Nvidia GPUs. You most likely won't find big discounts from major brands like Dell on Amazon, but these other brands will often come in at much lower prices during this time of year.
LEGO Sets and Toys
Due to its proximity to the holidays, Black Friday is always an amazing time to find discounts on popular toy brands. For example, some of the most expensive LEGO sets in existence tend to only really drop in price during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. This makes these sales a great time to find discounts on LEGO sets, but also other popular brands like Hasbro, Hot Wheels, Fisher Price, Bandai Namco, and Nerf. If you're hoping to pick up gifts for the kids, or even a Nerf Gun for yourself, Amazon is one of the best places to do so.
Books and Comics
Amazon is one of the best places to buy booksand one of the best places to buy manga online. This means it's also one of the only places you can consistently find deals on physical copies of popular books and comics. During both Amazon Prime Days this year, we saw some of the lowest prices of the year on book sets, illustrated editions, and collectible hardcovers. You can expect similar discounts during Black Friday to start early with a buy two, get one free sale that Amazon usually offers the week before.
Streaming Services
With Amazon's Prime Video service wrapped up into it's subscription, the retail giant tends to offer some of the best deals on streaming services every year. You can choose to add services like Paramount+, Apple TV+, and more to your Amazon subscription via add-ons, and every year these end up getting discounts for Black Friday. You can check out our guide to Black Friday streaming deals for more details about what to expect in 2024.
Tips for Shopping Amazon Black Friday Deals
With Black Friday still a month away, it's a good time to start planning your shopping in earnest. Here are a few Black Friday tips that you should be considering ahead of the event:
Set a Budget – Keeping track of how much money you can actually spend is important to avoid overspending. When everything is on sale, it can be easy to buy more than you really should just because things are at their lowest price of the year.
Create a Shopping List – Knowing exactly what you're trying to find discounts on is a great way to avoid making unnecessary purchases. It can also make it easier for you to compare prices between retailers or set price drop alerts ahead of time.
Compare Prices – Although Amazon tends to automatically price match most things, it's still good to compare prices to other retailers before you buy. You can also use the website CamelCamelCamel to compare current prices against Amazon's historical pricing.
Find Unbiased Reviews – Amazon reviews have gotten somewhat better in recent years, but you should still do research outside of the site before making a decision. Seek out unbiased reviews on expensive purchases before you buy. IGN's Tech reviews, for example, are a great place to look.
Be Wary of Sponsored Products – Search results in Amazon include sponsored sales that may not be what you're looking for. Look for the little 'sponsored' tag before you click. You may want to scroll past those.
Make Sure to Clip Coupons – One of the easiest ways to save money on Amazon that many folks seem to miss is the clipping of coupons. There are a ton of coupons available for Prime Members, and all you need to do is check a box on the product page for additional savings.
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