The Amazon Black Friday Sale is one of the most anticipated online sales of the year. I ran a poll a few years back and found that over 50% of IGN's audience planned on doing most of their shopping at Amazon for Black Friday. So it's not a stretch to say that whatever deals Amazon chooses to offer for Black Friday will have a ripple effect across multiple retailers. Now that Amazon has officially announced the dates of its sale (and a sneak peek of some discounts), we can finally start speculating about what to expect during the 2025 Amazon Black Friday sale.

Amazon Black Friday Start Date

What Deals to Expect – Amazon Sneak Peek

Amazon released a sneak peek of what deals to expect during the Black Friday period. The press release doesn't go into much detail about any specific products, but we can make our own guesses about what to expect based on the information we do have.

Amazon Devices

Amazon's sneak peek mentions up to 50% off select Amazon devices. The actual list of items expected to be a part of that sale are: Echo Dot Max, Fire TV Stick Select, Fire TV 4-Series, Blink Mini camera, Blink outdoor camera, Echo Show 11, Fire HD Tablets, and Kindle e-readers. No prices are mentioned, but we can make some assumptions based on this available information.

Most notably, Amazon is suggesting a discount on its new budget Fire TV stick without mentioning discounts on any of the other models. That could mean that the full Fire TV lineup will actually be at a higher price than we saw during October Prime Day this year. The sneak peak also mentions discounts on its reading tablets, but leaves out models like the Colorsoft that got heavily discounted earlier this year. If I had to guess, I'd say this suggests the better Kindle deals will likely be a part of a bundle package rather than discounts on individual devices.

The 50% discounts will most likely be on Blink cameras and Fire HD tablets. Both of those devices have consistently had prices halved during sales this year and I'd expect the same thing during Black Friday. Ring doorbell cameras will also probably see similar price cuts, even though they aren't mentioned here.

Electronics

The sneak peek lumps all electronics into a single category, and the actual savings are as vague as it gets. The biggest discount mentioned is up to 50% off JBL and Canon, which could mean a lot of different things.

The discounts from JBL will most likely be on headphones and Bluetooth speakers. As an audio brand, it's already quite a bit cheaper than competitors like Sony and Bose, so the discounts will be significant but not that impressive. Bose audio products are also mentioned in this press release with up to 45% discounts, which likely refers to headphones and soundbars. As for Canon, Amazon is probably referring to printers and ink cartridges rather than cameras. Still, a 50% discount can be significant if you're looking for either of those.

For bigger ticket items, Amazon has noted up to 45% discounts on Acer and Asus PC hardware and 40% discounts from LG, TCL, and Hisense. Based on what we've seen discounted in the past, these discounts are most likely on gaming monitors, TVs, and soundbars. Amazon usually has at least one really good gaming PC deal, but it's the discounts on screens that are usually most worth checking out during its Black Friday sale. This also applies to Samsung TVs and monitors, which will be up to 35% off during this sale.

Toys

Black Friday is usually the best time to make toy purchases every year, but the sneak peek doesn't really reveal much about Amazon's plans for 2025. The first major offer featured here is up to 40% off Magna-Tiles, Melissa & Doug, Little Tykes, Play-Do, and Nerf. This could apply to a wide range of different puzzles and building toys within that for both toddlers and younger kids. The press release also mentioned 30% off Hasbro Gaming, which likely means that Black Friday will be a good time to buy board games as well as various toys Hasbro makes.

The main category that Amazon didn't mention here is LEGO. Black Friday is going to be the best time to buy LEGO sets all year and we expect Amazon to have some of the best deals available on various sets. While we don't know what LEGO sets will be going on sale this year, we can use Target's recent early LEGO sale and make an educated guess that we'll likely see up to 40% off both new and old sets from Star Wars, Harry Potter, and many of the other popular themes available.

Books

Amazon is still an online bookstore at heart and Black Friday remains one of the best times to buy books all year. According to the press release, Amazon is planning on offering up to 80% off Kindle books and up to 65% off print books during its Black Friday sale.

As for what books will actually get discounted, we can only look at past sales to make a guess. Amazon will likely have major discounts on some of the biggest bestsellers of 2025, like Onyx Storm and Sunrise on the Reaping, as well as popular classics. You can also likely expect big price cuts on Lord of the Rings books sets as well as the illustrated editions. Amazon has been known to include a lot of these discounts in some sort of "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" sale, so you'll want to keep an eye out for that type of promotion as well.

In terms of Amazon services, the Black Friday Kindle Unlimited deal will also be returning this year. This promotion only applies to new subscribers, but you'll get three months of Kindle Unlimited for only $0.99 before having to pay the full monthly price. I myself have this service and found it's great for reading LitRPG and popular romantasy without having to buy individual books.

More Upcoming Deals

Outside of the categories I've mentioned above, here are a few more sneak peek deals worth calling out from Amazon's press release:

• Up to 50% off beauty products
• Up to 50% off fashion
• Up to 50% off kitchen appliances
• Up to 35% off vacuums and furniture
• Up to 25% off fitness equipment
• Up to 50% off hotels and homes on Expedia
• 35% off voyage fare for Disney Cruise Lines

Do You Need an Amazon Prime Subscription for Black Friday?

Just ahead of the Black Friday and holiday season, Samsung has released its own line of MicroSD Express cards. The new Samsung P9 MicroSD Express cards come in both 256GB and 512GB capacities and are compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2. Amazon has already discounted the 512GB model with a $5 off coupon that drops the price from $99.99 to $94.99. This is one of the lesser expensive 512GB cards at the moment. Walmart does sell its house brand Onn 512GB MicroSD Express Card for a lower price of $84.77, but it has noticeably slower speeds according to our review.

The 256GB model retails for $54.99 which is $5 cheaper than the official Switch 2 memory card (which, curiously, is also made by Samsung). However, if you are planning to get this capacity, you should wait. Nintendo has already announced that the official Switch 2 256GB memory card will drop to $39.99 on Cyber Monday.

Samsung P9 512GB MicroSD Express Card for $94.99

Nintendo Switch 2 compatible

As the sun rises on the cobbled market street that ascends from bustling docks on the vibrant Mediterranean waters to the new forum high on the hill above, Anno 117: Pax Romana fills me with delight and civic pride. It took a long time, but I feel like I finally clicked with this series that I've had a little bit of a rocky relationship with, having come in a bit late and at an awkward time with 2205. Its complex economics can still seem to wobble spectacularly off their axis and leave you in a dire failure spiral, but resplendent mechanics for trade, naval warfare, and the blending of cultures offer chances to right the ship.

The basic routine in Anno 117 is familiar and effective if you've played other games in the series. You start out building modest residences to house hardworking liberti, or freed people – somewhat conspicuously sidestepping the institution of Roman slavery. When their needs are met, they can promote up the social ladder all the way to snobby patricians who demand all kinds of exotic delicacies from around the world.

Part of what influences these promotions is simply access to goods, which is a city-wide thing. But another component is living near high prestige buildings like theaters and shrines… and far away from unpleasant or polluting ones like a charcoal burner. I love the way this naturally creates clusters of higher-class housing on important market streets, tapering off into working class neighborhoods in more industrial areas. It adds to the feel of a real, living city. And since paved roads extend the range of those buildings, that's an upgrade that lets you immediately see its positive effects.

It's genuinely delightful to zoom in and watch my little toga-clad citizens going about their business. Every building from a stately villa to an idyllic lavender farm is studded with detail and character. Even the untouched green fields and peaceful blue waters full of marine life create a strong sense of place. The character models for leaders and advisors may be the one thing that didn't wow me. They're full of character, but especially in some of the campaign cutscenes, there were some significant lip sync issues that made it look like a much older game or a badly-dubbed movie.

The summery paradise of Latium isn't the only locale to explore and exploit. Eventually you unlock the ability to sail to foggy, rocky Albion – that is, Britain – with its own resources, aesthetic, and population. I was a bit worried Anno would lean too hard into othering stereotypes about "mystical Celts" here based on some of the marketing, but it's actually a pretty grounded and sensible depiction. The really interesting choice you have mechanically in this region is whether to stay true to Celtic traditions or fully Romanize your new subjects. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and you can eventually mix and match for some powerful synergies.

Anno 117 really comes alive with its detailed trade system, though. To truly meet the needs of demanding nobles in the two regions, you'll have to set up production chains for luxury goods that might pull resources from two or three different islands, then ship them across the world map from one region to another. Each delivery requires individual ships assigned to the trade routes, so I can see exactly where my next delivery of cheese is and even reroute it somewhere else.

This is all fairly easy to set up and tweak thanks to the well-organized interface, and naturally creates incentives to build smaller villages that do one specific thing as well as warehouses and waystations to speed things up. My cheese island is quite far away, so I noticed my trade ships spent half their time sailing across Albion. But if I set up a colony close to it that's basically just a cheese warehouse and some subsistence fisheries, I can constantly be moving cheese there with intra-region trade ships to be picked up at the edge of the map all at once. I adore this kind of logistics stuff.

Anno 117 is a pretty good RTS, too. I'm especially a fan of its naval combat, which I had to master quickly to protect my trade routes from increasingly vicious pirates. Maneuvering ships feels weighty and realistic, with differences in maneuverability based on whether they rely on sails, oars, or both, and I eventually got pretty good at maneuvers like trapping a sneaky little pirate ship in a cove where there would be no escape.

Ground combat is just fine. It does its job, with a small selection of melee, ranged, and siege units that can fulfill a handful of different roles. It's possible to succeed without ever getting into a land battle if you have a good navy, but in the few cases where I did, I found some interesting tactics to dig into. It feels like a real RTS at least, as opposed to a half-baked minigame, which I really appreciate.

Diplomacy is pretty basic stuff, with a single interesting wrinkle in that the Emperor works a bit differently. You can't really make treaties with him, but he will make demands of you, and succeeding, failing, or refusing affects your reputation with Rome. When he likes you, you get bonuses. When he doesn't, you get penalties. But both ends of the scale culminate in some very powerful rewards. Either you play nice and get appointed Consul, or you defy his authority so effectively that you grant yourself Proconsular authority, Caesar-style.

There is a decent story campaign, but it's really more of an extended tutorial. It took me less than 10 hours to finish and only really scratches the surface of the mechanics you can play with in endless mode. You can play as either Marcus or Marcia, with the latter being a sort of madcap "Weekend at Bernicus’" scenario where you are taking on the governor duties of your totally-not-dead husband. It's hardly Shakespeare, but there's some interesting intrigue going on and a cast of memorable characters. The Canaanite Ben-Baalion was a particularly endearing companion who presented me with an emotionally satisfying choice at the end.

While you can continue from the ending of the campaign as long as you want, most of my playtime was spent in the endless mode, which lets you start in either Albion or Latium and offers a wide range of difficulty options. You can even pick from a set of rival governors with different personalities and playstyles. I don't think they necessarily play by the same rules that you do as a player, however. Looking at some late game cities they built… I honestly don't know what's going on. But they can be compelling adversaries or valuable trade partners nonetheless.

There are still some classic Anno issues kicking around, like the fact that very large economies can become unwieldy and are prone to death spirals. If food is disrupted, population drops, which causes food buildings to become underemployed, leading to even less food and even more population drop. At one point I had to restart because I accidentally changed a large city's patron god, which made it instantly insolvent and nearly irrecoverable due to lost agricultural bonuses. But trade is kind of the hero here once again, since setting up buy orders for whatever you're out of can bail you out of a lot of tricky spots as long as you have cash. It's a little fiddly setting up a lot of different trades at a lot of different harbors the first time, but the interface is easy to work with, and once things were set, I didn't find I had to mess with them very often.

Nintendo has announced the first The Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer will arrive as part of a new Nintendo Direct later this week.

News of the next update on The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel arrived via the Nintendo Today! app, with Nintendo also confirming the news in a social media post on X/Twitter. The company confirmed no gaming content will be shown during the presentation, instead telling eager viewers to expect the premiere of the first The Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer when the Nintendo Direct premieres this Wednesday, November 12, at 6 a.m. PT / 9 a.m. ET.

Join us on Wednesday, Nov 12, at 6am PT for the Nintendo Direct featuring the world premiere of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie official trailer. Please note that no game information will be included in this presentation.

Watch here: https://t.co/KNSvfYk64l pic.twitter.com/PfTUJTyMQ3

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) November 10, 2025

It’s unclear how long the Direct will be or how much of its runtime will be taken up by the trailer. You’ll be able to see The Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer as it premieres via Nintendo Today! or YouTube.

This week’s surprise Direct will give Mario movie fans a closer look at how Nintendo and Illumination are bringing events and characters featured in Super Mario Galaxy to the big screen. The trailer follows a teaser video from a September Direct, which mostly served to debut new footage of Mario napping before a sweeping shot of the Mushroom Kingdom takes viewers up to the stars for a title reveal.

We know little about which Mario characters will show up for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, but leaks and various theories have fans expecting a jam-packed sequel. One recent Pillsbury leak features a first look at Yoshi, who was teased in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, as well as teasers for other characters, such as Bowser Jr. and Rosalina. Fans are also hoping The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will offer more information about Peach and Rosalina’s origins.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Direct premieres later this week. The movie itself has a release date of April 3, 2026. While we wait for updates, you can read about Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and his life away from the iconic video game plumber.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

V for Vendetta is reportedly getting an HBO series.

Variety reports today that Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame will write an adaptation of the comic series, with DC's James Gunn and Peter Safran, Poison Pen's Ben Stephenson, and Wall to Wall Media's Leanne Klein all executive producing. No other details are currently available on who is attached or how much of the comic the series would cover.

V for Vendetta is a graphic novel series by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd published in the 80s initially as part of the British comics anthology Warrior. The series follows V, a revolutionary hidden behind a Guy Fawkes mask, as he undertakes an ongoing mission to bring down a fascist state that has taken root in the series' dystopian British setting. He joins forces with Evey Hammond, a young woman he rescues from the secret police and who comes over time to adopt V's philosophies and, eventually, his goals.

The series has become even better known in recent years thanks to a 2005 film written and co-produced by Lana and Lilly Wachowski. The film featured a truncated version of the graphic novels' story and starred Hugo Weaving as V and Natalie Portman as Evey. Just days ago, it was announced that the film would return to theatres in 2026 in celebration of its 20th anniversary.

A V for Vendetta TV series has previously been suggested as a sequel to the series Pennyworth about Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred in 1960s London. The series was unfortunately canceled after its third season and never made a connection with V for Vendetta. It's a shame - we really liked the show.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Sometimes it’s impossible to beat those sugar cravings. The problem is, most sweets aren’t good for you — loaded with sugar, artificial flavors, and unnecessary ingredients. Beyond temporary joy, there are virtually no benefits from these treats, and the cycle continues, leading to more cravings and overeating.

Maybe you opt to go for that “healthy candy?” But the fake, alternative sugar almost always leaves an awful aftertaste and just can’t compete with the real McCoy. Enter Tandy Protein Nom Noms. These new bite-sized chocolate candies will satisfy your sweet tooth while using ingredients you know and adding a boost of protein for more health benefits.

AMD's best graphics card of 2025 has dropped to the lowest price of the year ahead of Black Friday. Walmart (via Newegg) currently has the ASRock Steel Legend Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB Graphics Card for just $619.99 shipped. The 9070 XT offers the best value for gamers looking to upgrade to a 4K monitor. It performs on par with Nvidia's popular GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and yet costs $100 less at retail price.

ASRock Steel Legend Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB GPU for $620

Every car absolutely needs a tire inflator as part of an emergency kit to be readily available at any time. If the only reason stopping you is the cost, then this deal should give you no more excuse. Ahead of Black Friday, Amazon is offering Prime members the Aneson cordless tire inflator and air compressor for just $14.99 after you apply $15 off coupon code "QVWFJ6XS" during checkout. Any brand of tire inflator you find on Amazon at around this price point was probably made from the one of few overseas factories. They might not have as many fancy features as other more expensive models, but they get the job done and that's what matters.

Aneson Cordless Tire Inflator and Air Compressor for $15

Ahead of Black Friday, the official LG Store just dropped the price on a current generation LG OLED TV. Right now you can order a massive 77" LG Evo C5 4K OLED Smart TV for $1,999.99 with free delivery, which also includes your choice of free stand setup or free wall mounting. LG is also offering a free LG S40T 2.1ch soundbar and TV wall mount when you add them to the same order. If you can't wait until Black Friday, this is a great deal on a 2025 OLED TV.

Purchase this TV (77" LG Evo C5) between November 6 and December 7, and you can receive an extra $200 virtual gift card (prepaid Mastercard) simply for writing a review. Details here.

77" LG Evo C5 4K OLED Smart TV for $1,999.99

Free LG S40T 2.1ch soundbar and wall mount (must add to the same order)

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 wasn’t long ago that getting a mini PC meant trading performance for size. Shrinking things down to a machine that you could easily carry in a backpack or hide behind your TV meant settling for sluggish or outdated processors, and gaming performance that topped out at emulating retro games – if you were lucky. There are still plenty of those PCs out there, but as Intel and AMD have released new processors, the performance potential of these tiny systems has left the glass ceiling in shards.

The GMKtec EVO-X2 is exactly such a system. Compact enough to hold in the palm of your hand, this system packs seriously powerful hardware, including the AMD Ryzen 9 AI Max+ 395 processor and 64GB to 128GB of memory. It was designed for AI, but with its integrated Radeon 8060S GPU, it’s also a capable little mini gaming PC.

GMKTec EVO-X2 - Design and Features

Measuring in at only 7.6 x 7.3 x 3.03 inches (2.75L), the EVO-X2 is designed to disappear on your desk. It can slide behind most monitors or, as I did, hide underneath a riser shelf. The tiny design is part and parcel of what the EVO-X2, and the majority of manufacturer GMKtec’s product line, is all about. It’s a PC for people that don’t want the footprint of a full tower or laptop, be those the space-constrained people looking for a media PC to tuck behind their TV or projector screen, or those looking to easily transport their main system between different locations.

But the EVO-X2 breaks the mold in a few different ways. First off, you’ll find that it is ever so slightly larger than many other systems in this category. But its extra height allows for improved ventilation, which is definitely necessary considering its specs.

It’s still boxy, but GMKtec also made good use of that added height with the more stylish design of its case. Its top half is smaller with one corner removed to make way for a dedicated fan mode button. The top is also removable to add an extra full-size M.2 SSD if you need it.

Note that the unit I was sent for testing came with a 1TB SSD and 64GB of memory. Any unit shipped to customers will have a minimum of 2TB and 64GB but can be configured all the way to 4TB and 128GB.

While most mini PCs have lower performance processors only suited for basic productivity tasks, the EVO-X2 is better specced than many pre-built laptops. It’s even designed for easy storage upgrades, which isn’t always possible with ultra-compact form factors. Due to the design of the motherboard with its Ryzen 9 AI Max+ chipset, memory is non-upgradeable, so be sure to think into the future when considering how much memory you’ll need.

The star of the show is its Ryzen 9 processor. AMD’s Ryzen 9 AI Max 395+ is one the highest performance AI mobile processors available to consumers today. It’s a 16-core, 32-thread multitasking beast able to hit a top speed of 5.1 GHz – a key factor in how well it’s able to run games and applications. It has a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) for accelerated AI tasks that’s able to reach 50 TOPS of performance on its own and brings the system to 126 TOPS overall.

More important for gaming is the integrated Radeon 8060S graphics that come with the AI Max 395+. For integrated graphics, it’s on the absolute cutting edge of performance. Built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, it’s one of the first integrated GPUs that’s actually able to compete with full gaming laptops with dedicated GPUs – albeit, just not the latest.

It’s important to remember that this is still an integrated graphics chip. When I reviewed the Asus ROG Flow Z13, also using the same chip, it delivered in-game frame rates roughly in line with an Nvidia RTX 4050 to 4060. While that might not seem that impressive from a gaming laptop perspective, there is no dedicated GPU in this system, the one processor is handling everything. That means less weight, less power draw, and that the EVO-X2 can act as a dedicated gaming PC if you’re willing to play at 4060-level settings.

And since it’s also built on AMD’s latest graphics standards, it’s able to take advantage of its latest performance enhancers, like FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) and frame generation. Together with the native performance on offer, there is more gaming and graphic potential in this system than we’ve ever tested in a mini gaming PC. That’s exciting. And while it’s not the only system of its kind to offer this chip now, it is still one of very few that you could actually use as a gaming PC.

Its port selection is also generous. On the front, you have two 10 Gbps USB Type-A ports and a USB 4 Type-C for much higher speed transfers and connection bandwidth (GMKTec doesn’t disclose whether it’s 20 Gbps or 40 Gbps). There’s also a headphone jack, a full-size SD card reader, a Performance Mode button that increases the available wattage to the CPU, and the power button. Just above the power button is the aforementioned fan mode switch and a large vent that also shows the fan’s RGB.

Around the back, there are three more USB Type-A ports (two USB 2.0 at 5 Gbps and the third USB 3.2 Gen2 10 Gbps), a second USB4, a second 3.5mm audio jack, and a 2.5G gigabit ethernet port. Video connectivity is also located on the back panel with full-size ports for HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4, and the USB 4 port can also support video input. The system’s power brick also connects back here.

The EVO-X2 comes ready to use out of the box. There’s a full Windows 11 installation activated for use and a lack of bloatware. It’s almost a completely stock Windows install except for GMKTec’s AI suite which provides direct access to several downloadable LLMs (large language models) and AI tools. You don’t need to use this, however, and system TDP is controlled with the Performance Mode button, the Windows Power presets, and whatever options you configure yourself through the BIOS or supporting software.

Performance

The EVO-X2 is the most powerful, high-performance mini-PC I’ve personally tested and, by virtue of there not being many that feature the same chip and GMKtec’s unique improvements, it’s one of the best available today. I used it for both work and gaming, swapping out my employer-provided laptop and my usual gaming laptop (until the release of Battlefield 6, anyway).

When it comes to productivity, the EVO-X2 is overkill. The hardware far exceeds most PCs designed for work and there isn’t much it can’t do. Its massive memory capacity and fast processor make everything from the Microsoft Office suite to running Chrome with a few dozen tabs open and the Microsoft Office suite completely reasonable.

Blending together my day job with writing, I often find myself needing to create short photo and video projects using tools like Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro, as well as online tools like Photoshop’s online version, Photopea, and Canva. Like many work provided PCs, the systems provided to me just can’t handle all of these tasks. While downloading on that system is out of the question anyway, even running the web version of Photoshop drags the system to a crawl. Multitasking is out of the question.

With the EVO-X2, I was able to render a 1440p video in the background while working on a long Google Doc, bouncing to a multi-tab Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, and barely noticed more than the fan ramping up. While it can get noisy, it's still quieter than your average gaming laptop capable of similar performance.

When it comes to gaming, the EVO-X2 is a mini-PC powerhouse. Performance still approximates an RTX 4060 laptop GPU and, while close to the Asus ROG Flow Z13 I reviewed with the same processor, did manage to stretch its legs a bit more.

In the chart above, you can see that even with everything running at max settings, all of the games tested were playable at 1080p. While I wouldn’t advise dropping the resolution below 1080p on anything but a small portable monitor with this system, you could easily dial back some settings to push every game in this line-up to near or above 60 FPS.

Because the system is using AMD’s latest graphics technologies, you’ll also be able to use frame generation to close the gap further. Developers have to support this, but an increasing number of games do. Between balancing frame-gen and adjusting settings, I was able to keep games like Borderlands 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 running smoothly above 60 FPS at high settings and looking great. Just be aware that enabling frame generation on games where you’re not already getting around 40 fps can lead to problems.

That doesn’t mean the system will run everything and, no, it definitely isn’t going to compete with much higher than an RTX 4060. Battlefield 6, for example, just wouldn’t run well without dropping everything to its lowest settings. This is still an integrated graphics chip, even if an impressively capable one.

The system is ostensibly designed for AI use and running local models, which isn’t something I generally do. That said, a couple of my favorite AI dictation applications, SuperWhisper and SpeechPulse, offer support for local models, so I took each for a spin. The challenge here is that it obfuscates what the LLM is actually doing and any true metrics on its processing speed behind each program’s UI. But, the processing time and reliability were both excellent with local models, so it clearly didn’t struggle with GPT 4.1 while I also researched and worked in the background.

Christopher Coke has been a regular contributor to IGN since 2019 and has been covering games and technology since 2013. He has covered tech ranging from gaming controllers to graphics cards, gaming chairs and gaming monitors, headphones, IEMs, and more for sites such as MMORPG.com, Tom’s Hardware, Popular Science, USA Today’s Reviewed, and Popular Mechanics. Find Chris on Twitter @gamebynight.

EA and Battlefield Studios have published update 1.1.1.5 patch notes for Battlefield 6 and REDSEC, delivering a variety of quality-of-life changes for weapons and vehicles and, at long last, a fix for the sledgehammer Recon drone glitch.

The team behind last month’s new Battlefield game detailed everything arriving in the new update in the patch notes posted to social media today. It comes with a full breakdown for tweaks related to weapon accuracy, vehicle countermeasures, and other bug fixes before update 1.1.1.5 rolls out for Battlefield 6 and REDSEC tomorrow, November 11, at 1 a.m. PT / 4 a.m. ET.

Topping the list of changes is a fix for one of the most notorious bugs to arrive since the launch of Battlefield 6: the drone glitch. For the uninitiated, players have figured out that standing on top of a friendly XFGM-6D Recon drone and smacking it with a sledgehammer causes the device to fly upward. It began as a goofy activity for those looking to add a dash of comedy to their matches and quickly evolved into an annoying exploit, as players eventually learned it could be used to reach otherwise inaccessible vantage points.

The Battlefield 6 sledgehammer drone glitch will finally be laid to rest tomorrow, but it’s far from the only change on the way. Update 1.1.1.5 will also introduce a few tweaks to how vehicles operate. Both ground and air vehicle users will be happy to know the glitch affecting the use of countermeasures like flares has been fixed, which should result in more reliable protection against lock-guided missiles. A bug tied to incorrect vehicle spawns in Breakthrough and Conquest will also be fixed with tomorrow’s update.

In addition to general fixes for battle royal match flow as well as progression, audio, and UI, infantry will notice less dispersion when aiming down sights after sprinting. It, as well as other fixes related to player movement and shooting, should have players feeling more accurate when they’re on the move.

Battlefield 6 launched October 10 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S. It’s since received a waterfall of updates as EA and BF Studios continue their attempts to keep up with fan feedback amid regular seasonal drops. Recent highlights include an overhaul for progression that reduced requirements for many of the tougher challenges, as well as toned down colors for one of Battlefield’s most controversial skins ever.

While we wait to see how the Battlefield 6 and REDSEC community will respond to update 1.1.1.5, you can read about how some dedicated fans measured nearly 15 years of multiplayer maps and why another group of players started creating their own Portal Conquest maps. You can also check out our 7/10 REDSEC review and our 8/10 Battlefield 6 multiplayer review.

You can see the full patch notes below.

Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.1.5 Patch Notes:

We’re rolling out a Quality of Life update on 11 November at 09:00 UTC, bringing refinements to vehicle countermeasure reliability, weapon accuracy, Battle Royale match flow, and overall gameplay stability.

Major Updates for 1.1.1.5:

• Fixed an exploit allowing players to ascend and access unintended areas when standing on a XFGM-6D Recon Drone by hitting it with the Sledgehammer.
• Fixed an issue where Lock-Guided Missiles did not get countered as expected when met with enemy countermeasures such as flares.
• Fixed an issue where vehicles did not spawn correctly in Breakthrough and Conquest.
• Fixed multiple Battle Royale issues affecting match flow, squad revives, and End of Round transitions.
• Addressed progression, audio, and UI issues, improving overall clarity, reliability, and immersion.

CHANGELOG

PLAYER:

• Fixed an issue where dispersion would be higher than intended when going from sprint to firing in ADS.
• Fixed an issue where dispersion would incorrectly scale with movement speed and always assume the player is moving at maximum movement speed for the stance.
• Tuned landing animation to reduce excessive camera and weapon movement when aiming down sights, improving visual stability during and after landing. This update also resolves instances where the ADS aim could be displaced when sliding.

VEHICLES:

• Fixed an issue where Lock-Guided Missiles did not get countered as expected when met with enemy countermeasures such as flares.

GADGETS:

• Fixed an exploit allowing players to ascend and access unintended areas when standing on the XFGM-6D Recon Drone by hitting it with the Sledgehammer.

MAPS & MODES:

• Fixed an issue where vehicles did not spawn correctly in Breakthrough and Conquest.
• Fixed an issue where matches sometimes would start with all sectors and objectives active at the same time.
• Fixed an issue in Strikepoint on Siege of Cairo where destruction did not reset at halftime.

UI & HUD:

• Fixed an issue in Vehicle Customisation locked Anti-Air Vehicle presets did not display their unlock criteria as intended.

PROGRESSION:

• Fixed an issue where the shotgun weapon challenge “Kill 5 Enemies With a Shotgun Without Reloading” did not complete properly.
• Fixed an issue where progress for the “Engineer Specialist 3” Assignment did not save correctly.

PORTAL:

• Fixed an issue where “SpawnLoot” would not spawn Ammo or Armor.
• Fixed an issue where players with community creations privileges set to Block could still access user-generated Community Experiences when the party leader hosted a match.

AUDIO:

• Fixed an issue where activating the BF PRO Radio Channel through the Commorose did not play any sound.

REDSEC

PLAYER:

• Fixed an issue where Battle Royale (Quads) matches did not end after the last team was eliminated.
• Fixed an issue where being killed immediately after a mobile respawn completed could result in the squad being eliminated instead of reviving remaining teammates.
• Fixed an issue where players could become stuck in a top-down view of the map after redeploying.
• Fixed an issue where players retained their Second Chance after redeploying and did not transition to the End of Round screen after their next elimination.

UI & HUD:

• Fixed an issue where all squad members displayed the same highlighted stat on the Squad Placement screen.

PROGRESSION:

• Fixed an issue where the “Battle Royal Master Challenge 4” did not track progress correctly.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

As part of its early Black Friday sale, Best Buy currently has the best deal on an RTX 5080 equipped prebuilt gaming PC. Starting today, the iBuypower Y40 Pro gaming PC equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X processor and RTX 5080 graphics card is on sale for $1,949.99 shipped. An RTX 5080 gaming PC priced at under $2,000 is a rare find, and this particular model is generously equipped with liquid cooling and plenty of memory and storage.

iBuypower Y40 Pro RTX 5080 Gaming PC for $1,949.99

Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping season is the best time of the year to find discounts on just about everything. Whether you're looking for big-budget items like TVs or gaming consoles, or want to pick up holiday gifts at lower prices, This is the time of year to make those purchases.

That being said, it can be a bit intimidating to make big purchases all at once. Shopping Black Friday deals can be a great way to save money, but if you aren't careful you can easily spend more than you want on things you probably don't need. So if you're looking for some general tips for shopping the rest of Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday 2025, don't sweat it; we've got you covered right here.

1. Set a Spending Budget

If you're still shopping or planning to shop for holiday gifts or just looking to buy a few items you've been needing, budgeting is perhaps the most important thing you can do. Online retailers like Amazon and Walmart set up their pages to ensure you spend as much money as possible, and if you aren't careful, your cart can quickly become a lot fuller than you originally planned. Deciding how much you can realistically spend during Cyber Monday and beyond is a great way to limit yourself.

2. Make a List of What You Want to Buy

One of the biggest dangers of deals shopping is that the deals tend to be quite tantalizing. One second you're browsing the Amazon Black Friday sale for a new TV or headphones and the next second you're buying a whole pile of discounted socks. This can quickly become really expensive if you aren't careful, so making a list of things you want to buy ahead of time is a great way to combat this. And if the things you want don't go on sale, you can decide whether or not you should still buy it at full price.

So for example, Nintendo has announced its Black Friday sale without any mention of Switch 2 discounts. So if that's at the top of your wish list this year, you'll need to budget it in at full price.

3. Keep Track of Sale Dates

The holiday sale events have started to get a bit out of control this year as many of the bigger retailers are splitting up their sales into different chunks. Most retailer sales, including Best Buy's Black Friday sale, kick off about a week before Black Friday. Keeping track of when the upcoming sales are happening is a good way to ensure you don't miss them, especially when things start selling out quickly.

4. Compare Sale Prices

One of the dangers of shopping Cyber Monday (and Black Friday) sales is that not every deal is necessarily a good deal. Just because something is currently discounted doesn't mean it isn't cheaper somewhere else or won't drop in price later on. You can usually compare prices on products across various retailers with a simple Google search. Most of the major retailers also price match if you can find it cheaper somewhere else. We try to do this research for you in our roundups of best deals by category!

5. Don't Hesitate on a Great Deal

Black Friday can be a fairly competitive time for consumers, which is resulting in a ton of early sales this year. Although there are some deals and sales that stay consistent throughout Black Friday season all the way through Cyber Monday, many of the biggest discounts can be snatched up quickly. If you see a really good deal on something, you should try to snatch it up before it's gone, especially on games and consoles. This is especially true for certain Black Friday video game deals that tend to go pretty quick. Target has even gone so far as to offer a price match on things you buy now if they end up going on sale at the store later in the month, so there's no need to wait if you see something good.

6. Do Your Own Research

If you have a general idea of what you want to buy on Black Friday but don't know specifically what brand or product to get, it's very important to take the time and do your own research. This can be done fairly with a few simple Google searches such as "best TV for gaming" or "best budget gaming laptop". From there you should be able to narrow down the brands and models that fit your needs best. You should apply this same thinking once you find a decent deal on a product by looking up professional reviews of those products. This will usually give you a better idea of what you're buying versus relying on Amazon reviews that are built into the shopping experience.

7. Follow a Trusted Source on Social Media

The creators of South Park have broken their silence on the show’s recent focus on mocking Donald Trump, revealing they were attracted to “new taboos” and a fear of speaking out against the administration.

South Park has enjoyed big ratings and sparked much debate ever since the Donald Trump-skewering Season 27 opener in July. While the Comedy Central show has featured a number of subplots in recent months, the overarching Season 27 and now Season 28 storyline revolves around Trump and Satan having a baby together. The Season 27 opener, which you can read the details of here, roasted Trump to such an extent that it sparked a rebuttal from the White House.

Now, in an interview with The New York Times, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker revealed they only decided to create the Trump plotline a few weeks before the season began, and that they thought the Trump character would be a one-off.

Those plans changed though when, according to Stone, the creators found a “vein of comedy” in the first episode. They said they sensed a fear of speaking out against the Trump administration and “new taboos,” and wanted to take it all head-on.

Stone said: “Trey and I are attracted to that like flies to honey. Oh, that’s where the taboo is? Over there? OK, then we’re over there.”

So, when will the Trump mocking end? Parker admitted the pair will eventually get “sick of” the Washington storyline, but for now it remains.

“You know, next year will be different,” he said. “If there’s one thing we know, it is that our show will be a lot longer than theirs. So, we just got to do this for now.”

Comedy Central had delayed the Season 27 ender just hours before it was due to air, with Parker and Stone insisting the blame lay at their door. “Apparently when you do everything at the last minute sometimes you don’t get it done,” the pair told Variety. “This one’s on us. We didn’t get it done in time. Thanks to Comedy Central and South Park fans for being so understanding. Tune in next week!”

Parker and Stone create each episode week-by-week, which makes for a chaotic production but topical shows. But they had switched to a biweekly schedule for Season 27, with the elongated production time allowing the pair more room to work on each episode, something Paramount was reportedly happy with.

It’s worth noting that during their San Diego Comic-Con 2025 panel, which took place the day after the Season 27 opener aired, Parker said the pair were unsure what the next episode would be, revealing the decision was “super stressful.”