This review contains spoilers for Fallout Season 2’s premiere episode, “The Innovator”, which is available to stream now on Prime Video. For a spoiler-free look at what's to come, check out our Fallout Season 2 Episodes 1-6 review.
We may have only known them for just under eight hours in total, but it feels really good to be back in the company of Lucy MacLean and The Ghoul. Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins have breathed exceptional life into this odd couple pairing, and their first season triumphs are effortlessly picked up in this second season premiere – Purnell never less than completely charming, even when guzzling flea soup, and Goggins always ready with a sharp blade or sharper word. The strength of this duo is emblematic of Fallout’s strength as a whole – a project that completely understands the often contradictory tone required of this eccentric world, where the goofy walks side-by-side with the terrifying. That deep understanding is vital for this season’s new challenge: the gargantuan task of working within the lore of Fallout: New Vegas, one of the most beloved RPGs of all time. And while the most interesting and iconic stuff is still beyond the horizon of this episode, the authenticity of the show is still plain to see, and it helps this enjoyable premiere rise above a few noticeable blemishes.
While Fallout’s Season 2 premiere never fails to be entertaining, the first half is too preoccupied with reminding you what Fallout is and who all of its characters are to truly get this season’s storyline going with earnestness. The sequence at the Dino Dee-lite Motel, one of Fallout: New Vegas’ most famous landmarks, is an enjoyably silly showcase of just how much The Ghoul takes pleasure in turning humans into bits of pie-filling, and how Lucy will always look for the non-lethal way out of sticky situations. But the entire event is a reiteration of character traits we already know, and so is essentially homework for those arriving late to the party. It’s a revision exercise that feels slightly unnecessary following almost six minutes of “previously on Fallout” montage, and one we’ll likely have to go through again soon considering the show’s third lead, Maximus (Aaron Moten), has yet to show his face.
While Lucy and Ghoul’s journey does eventually stumble into more interesting territory (more on that later), it’s by visiting the past that this premiere episode is able to establish more compelling stories for the show’s future. The pre-war flashbacks return, picking up just seconds after The Ghoul’s former self, Hollywood actor Cooper Howard, eavesdropped on Vault-Tec’s diabolical plans in the Season 1 finale. I’m pleased to see that Sarita Choudhury’s Moldaver is back as part of all this, and that her first task is pressuring Howard into becoming a cold-blooded killer. While it seems like she’ll be no more than a shadowy figure on the sidelines, at least she gets to be the person that kickstarts Cooper’s descent into becoming a frequent creator of bloody messes.
Cooper’s involvement with Moldaver, Vault-Tec, and attempting to prevent armageddon puts him in the fascinating position of being on the frontlines of what has previously only ever been Fallout’s distant backstory. Season 1 used Cooper as a lens through which to truly live the kind of pre-apocalypse existence that the games have only hinted at through shattered retrofuturistic kitchens and rusted robot butlers, but we’re going somewhere very different now: right into the middle of the events that caused Fallout. It’s sacred territory, the stuff I’d usually say should be kept perpetually beyond our reach, only ever learned about through notes and audio logs hidden behind a hacking puzzle. But I can’t deny that I’m excited to see where this more hands-on approach takes both Cooper and Fallout as a whole.
Cooper’s attempt to prevent armageddon puts him in the fascinating position of being on the frontlines of Fallout’s distant backstory.
Much of that excitement is generated by Moldaver and Howard’s target: Justin Theroux’s Robert House. Or, as the episode’s ominous intertitle credits him as, “The Man Who Knew.” A cold opening provides an impressive look at Theroux’s take on New Vegas’ most important character, who combines immaculate grooming, unbreakable confidence, and a trademark breathy “hw” sound at the start of his “when”, “where”, and “why”s to create a delightfully insufferable upper-class intellectual. His deal with the striking construction worker is a neat demonstration of how he’s able to use that intellect to orchestrate scenarios to optimum outcomes; he uses money to lure the man into becoming his test subject, and then a mind control chip to take total control. He’s a master manipulator who’ll do anything to bend you to his will. If last season’s finale didn’t make it abundantly clear, billionaires are the problem.
The splattery back-alley experiment is a fantastic introduction to House, but one minorly stained by the show’s attempt to create an in-universe explanation for the character’s re-casting. Rafi Silver, who played House for a single scene last season, returns in a retconned role that appears to be the industrialist’s “public face.” In the strikers’ local bar, workers decry the sight of Silver’s face on the TV, but have absolutely no idea who Justin Theroux is. Perhaps this is supposed to be some kind of twist in the making – “Surprise, this guy was House all the long!” But if that’s the case, perhaps they shouldn’t have given Theroux the exact same hair, make-up, and smoking habit that Silver has. The whole sequence had me confused as to if the person who looked like House was actually House, rather than genuinely hoodwinked by a red herring. While the character does admittedly need to sport his iconic moustache, that could always have been added in a later reveal. And, more importantly, if Amazon was shooting for a twist, they shouldn’t have confirmed Theroux was playing House in both trailers and interviews that landed months ahead of this episode.
Despite this rough edge, I’m excited about House’s position in the show and can’t wait to see him butt heads with Cooper. I’m less enthusiastic about the ongoing tale of interconnected vaults 31, 32, and 33, which so far still needs to prove it was worth continuing into this second season. I’ll admit that I was unoptimistic about this storyline in the first season and was eventually proved wrong by the finale, but what we seem to have this time is multiple vault dweller storylines, rather than just the one spearheaded by Moisés Arias’s Norm. His journey is thankfully off to a reasonably strong start that instantly builds on his discovery of the now-thawing 200-year-old battalion of frozen Vault-Tec managers, and I expect things will heat up as soon as they’ve wiped the frost from their eyes next week. But the other vault-based plots already threaten to be inconsequential, such as the broken water chip (which reared its head last season for little more than a single line of dialogue), Steph’s ascent to overseer, and especially the in-breeding social club started by a very bored Reg. While it’s true that these jumpsuited idiots do provide a few good laughs, I think gags are better delivered within the main narrative and not as comedy sideshows. There may be three vaults, but I don’t think there needs to be three stories… although, like with last season, a good final twist may justify the time spent with these vault boys and girls.
Some of the vault-based plots already threaten to be inconsequential.
When you can see the exciting sparks of disparate plot threads being welded together, though, it really does feel like the best of Fallout is back. The first season eventually wrought many of its ideas into one satisfying, coherent whole, and it feels like this second season is getting started with that process even earlier. Stories from across both the timeline and breadth of the wasteland are stitched together in this episode’s more propulsive second half, as Lucy and The Ghoul discover the abandoned vault that was once used to trial the mind-control chips we saw Robert House testing in the opening sequence. The “turn Americans into communists” theme of the vault’s experiment is a good laugh – not sharp enough to be genuine satire, but enough to colourfully evoke the idea of a mad Vault-Tec scientist creating “monsters,” Clockwork Orange-style. It further enriches Fallout’s shadowy corners, demonstrates that aforementioned understanding of the games’ tone, and hopefully points towards even more messed up experiments in the future. Anyone up for a trip to the “Gary” vault?
Meanwhile, in the metal bowels of yet another underground bunker, we’re treated to a precious few minutes with Kyle MacLachlan to round the episode out on a high. Hank MacLean initially appears to be a dedicated Vault-Tec company man, getting ready to complete his employer’s plans in a fantastically upbeat sequence set to Roy Orbison’s “Working for the Man,” which is only made better by the involvement of a hot cup of coffee and a damn good smile. But that final radio call really threw me for a loop. Hank may be working for the man, but that man certainly ain’t Vault-Tec. Fallout veterans will recognise that all signs point to Robert House, but how are these men connected? What does Hank’s promotion entail? And is House even still alive? There well may be nobody listening to Hank’s report, after all. Whatever the answers, there’s now a clearly defined web of intrigue that links Hank, Lucy, The Ghoul, Cooper Howard, and Robert House all together. And there’s our central throughline established. While this premiere certainly has its struggles, it gets to exactly where it needs to be before everything fades to black.
Sonos is hosting a last-minute Christmas sale across its entire site, but one of its best deals can be found in its certified refurbished section. For a limited time, the certified refurbished Sonos Era 100 smart speaker drops to just $134. Shipping is free, but there's also a Best Buy in-store pickup option for even faster retrieval.
A brand new Sonos Era 100 is also on sale right now for $169, but in my opinion there's no reason to spend the extra $35, especially since the warranty is exactly the same. Sonos refurbished products come like new, in pristine packaging with all the original accessories and a one year Sonos warranty.
Sonos Era 100 Smart Speaker for $134
Certified refurbished with 1 year Sonos warranty
The Sonos Era 100 retails for $219 new, but you can pick up a certified refurbished model for just $134. This is Sonos' most popular and most versatile speaker. Despite its compact size, the Era 100 houses two tweeters, a mid-woofer, and three class-D digital amplifiers to produce precise, distortion-free audio even at high volumes. It has a built-in microphone for smart functionality. Because of its flexibility, it's often paired with a sound bar or a second Era speaker.
You can also get a discounted price on a new unit
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.
In this week’s deals haul, I fell down the familiar rabbit hole of "just checking prices" and somehow emerged with a shortlist of games I have already sunk irresponsible hours into. Some of these are comfort food, some are long overdue, and a few are perfect excuses to cancel weekend plans. No regrets.
In retro news, I’m using a precision railgun shot to simultaneously light 26 candles on a cake baked for Quake III Arena. I have extremely fond memories of my older, vastly more employed brother building his first PC to play this at launch as I watched on in awe. It was an absolute batcomputer of a rig packing a Pentium II 266 MHz, 64MB RAM, and a beastly 4MB video card. The latter was very much needed because, unlike most other games released at the time, the idTech3 engine demanded an OpenGL-compliant graphics accelerator to run.
From the first FMV frames of a stogie-chewin’ Sarge making his last stand, I was hooked. The Quake series wasn’t really known for its narrative depth, so pinging around a meticulously crafted Thunderdome with 15 other bots/players was a clever pare back of all the puzzle solvin’ and key findin ‘for pure, unadulterated killin’ at a greased lightning pace. Never shall I forget those all-nighter LANs, the arsey rocket jumps, and railgun duelling across The Longest Yard.
On Switch, this lot covers chaos, catharsis, and comfort food. Whether you want couch rivalries, moody JRPG soul searching, or a magical school fantasy that absolutely knows its audience, these are all easy recommends at these prices.
Mario Kart 8 Del. (-26%) A$59 Still the best party racer ever made. I have played hundreds of races and still get shell shock every time I hit second place.
Shin Megami Tensei V (-60%) A$40.30 Brutal, stylish, and absolutely uninterested in holding your hand. Pokemon for people who enjoy consequences and philosophy homework.
Pokemon Violet (-25%) A$60 Rough edges aside, the open world formula works. I accidentally lost an entire weekend chasing shinies and felt zero shame.
Everybody's Golf Hot Shots (-33%) A$47 Golf that remembers games should be fun. Perfect for zoning out while still pretending you are good at sports.
Hogwarts Legacy (-51%) A$44 A wizard fantasy that absolutely nails atmosphere. I spent far too long ignoring quests just to explore corridors.
On Series X, this batch swings hard. Big open worlds, tight competitive fighters, and some old school FPS energy that refuses to die quietly.
Assassin's Creed Shadows (-55%) A$49.90 Stealth finally feels cool again. I actually planned assassinations instead of sprinting and hoping for the best.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Heart of Chornobyl (-40%) A$53.90 Hostile, moody, and deeply stressful. Exactly how fans wanted it. Do not expect mercy or tutorials.
Painkiller (-42%) A$34.90 Dumb, loud, and gloriously fast. Sometimes you just want demons, metal, and zero narrative responsibility.
Far Cry 6 (-80%) A$19.90 A gorgeous mess with moments of brilliance. At this price, the chaos is more than worth it.
Street Fighter 6 (-50%) A$31.40 The best Street Fighter has felt in decades. Accessible, deep, and dangerously good for your ego.
Xbox One
Dying Light 2 Stay Human (-52%) A$47.90 Parkour still slaps and the nights are still terrifying. Play with friends or accept your fear alone.
Monster Hunter Rise (-80%) A$11.30 One of the best action RPGs ever made at a laughable price. Say goodbye to your free time.
Yoku's Island Express (-85%) A$4 A pinball platformer that should not work but absolutely does. Pure joy from start to finish.
Just like I did last holiday season, I'm getting festive with the LEGO section. In Mathew Manor, my sons and I are again racing this year's batch of LEGO Advent Calendars. Basically, we open the City, Harry Potter, Minecraft, and Star Wars on the daily and compare the mini-prizes for "Awesomeness" and "Actual Xmas-ness". 2024's winner was the Lego Marvel one, but, weirdly, there's no 2025 equivalent. So it's anybody's race this year.
Here are the cheapest prices for the four calendars we're using. Score them yourself or just live vicariously through our unboxings.
Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube.
LEGO hasn't been just for kids for a while now. There are countless "adults welcome" LEGO sets that are perfect for offices, game rooms, or to mount on your walls. Sure, most of these sets are nerd-adjacent, from Star Wars display models to an enormous Lord of the Rings Rivendell set, but they are a testament to just how much the toy brand has changed over the years. Some of the biggest upcoming LEGO sets are 18+ builds specifically targeted at adult collectors this year. And If you're both an avid reader and huge LEGO fan like me, the three new themed book nooks now available are absolutely worth checking out. These book nooks are an entirely new type of LEGO set made to fit perfectly on your shelf and live amongst your book collection. If you're on the hunt for a perfect gift for the reader in your life, look no further.
With this new type of set available now, LEGO joins a wide range of brands offering book nook kits for adults in 2025. Below we've featured all of the options currently available, including a pair of bookends as well.
Every LEGO Book Nook Available Now
All three of the LEGO book nooks came out earlier this summer alongside the rest of June LEGO lineup, and the one pair of bookends here were just released at the beginning of September. They're all riddled with detail and Easter eggs from their respective series and are modular; there's the folded in book nook style and the "unfolded" view. The unfolded mode offers a great display of famous scenes like the Harry and Ron finding Platform 9 3/4 or Gandalf facing off against the Balrog. The modularity makes these sets not only serve their purpose as book nooks well but also as standalone LEGO display pieces for your shelves or coffee tables.
The set of Wicked bookends function a little bit differently by replacing the idea of a simple nook with more of a functional aspect. This is the only bookends set we've seen so far.
LEGO Lord of the Rings Book Nook
I built the Lord of the Rings LEGO Book Nook myself and found it to be delightful. It includes a super detailed Gandalf minifigure with his sword and staff and a buildable, fully posable Balrog figure. It recreates the iconic scene on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm in the Fellowship of the Ring, with a plaque stating "you shall not pass!" front and center. It's 1,201 pieces and is sure to be a fun build, especially if you have the movie playing in the background!
The LEGO Sherlock Holmes Book Nook is the biggest of the trio, coming it at 1,359 pieces, and definitely has the most Easter eggs — fitting for our favorite detective. When folded in nook form, the outer cover has the iconic silhouette of Sherlock and his magnifying glass from the actual Arthur Conan Doyle books. This set also comes with five detailed minifigures: Sherlock, Dr. Watson, Moriarty, Irene Adler, and seemingly a member of the Baker Street Irregulars. When unfolded, it's a detailed recreation of 221B Baker Street in London where Sherlock lives. You can check out the video below to get a closer look.
LEGO Hogwarts Express Book Nook
The LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Express Book Nook should be familiar to longtime LEGO fans, since the iconic red train has seen many iterations over the years. Of the three, I'd prefer to have this unfolded as it seemlessly splits the scene between King's Cross station in London and the magical Platfrom 9 3/4. It looks a bit silly folded in book nook mode in my opinion, but it still works. At 832 pieces, it's the smallest of the three, but included are Harry Potter and Ron Weasley minifigures along with their trolleys, Hedwig, and Scabbers. If you're looking for a set of bookends for your Harry Potter book collection, this is a great gift idea for any Harry Potter fan.
LEGO Wicked: Glinda & Elphaba Bookends
We had the chance to build the LEGO Wicked bookends and found them to be a great alternative to the more traditional book nooks. This is essentially two sets in one and you build both bookends separately before placing them on your shelf. The insdie of each book houses a little scene that allow them to double as a book nook if you turn them on their side.
Are There Any Upcoming LEGO Book Nooks?
As of December 2025, there are no known plans for any more LEGO Book Nooks. That being said, the first three sets that released in June and the new Wicked bookends have been extremely popular so far. The success of these initial book nooks would indicated that LEGO will almost certainly be releasing more in the near future. We can only speculate as to which franchises will get the book nook treatment next, but since LEGO hasn't strayed beyond collaborations that are directly tied to book series', there's only so many potential next steps.
The first and most obvious next book nook would be an expansion of Dune. There has only been one LEGO Dune set so far and it was overall very popular thaks to the new movies and fans of the original book series. Something like a giant sand worm book nook would be a great choice. It's possible Disney could also join the fray with a Winnie the Pooh set or something similar. There are already a ton of LEGO Disney sets and this seems like a prime opportunity to put out a really interest Disney gift set for readers.
Several retailers have dropped the price on one of Sony's best wireless noise canceling headphones. The Sony WH-1000XM5 is currently $249.99 after a $150 off instant discount. However, Amazon is doing one better than everyone else by also throwing in a free pair of Sony WF-C700N true wireless noise canceling earbuds. This bundle is estimated to be delivered before Christmas. Despite being a generation older, the Sony XM5 is one of the best noise canceling headphones you can get for under $400 and it consistently ranks at the top of the heap in our buying guide.
Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise Cancelling Headphones for $248
Free Sony WF-C700N earbuds with purchase ($120 value)
Despite being released back in 2022, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is still considered one of the best noise canceling headphones. It excels in all three key categories: sound quality, noise canceling performance, and ergonomics. The battery life is respectable at 30 plus hours, and the XM5 has been updated with USB Type-C charging.
The Sony WF-C700N you get as a freebie is a true wireless earbud with active noise canceling. This is an in-ear style earbud that also does a good job of creating a passive seal. It features an IPX4 water resistant rating, so it's great for workouts when your over-ear headphone is too cumbersome to wear. Sony is probably trying to clear out inventory to make room for its successor, the WF-C710N, which was released earlier this year.
Looking for the latest and greatest?
The best Black Friday deal on Sony's newest flagship wireless noise cancelling headphones has returned. eBay (via either Buydig or Electronic Express) is offering a brand new pair of Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones for just $318.40 after you apply off coupon code "HOLIDAYRUSH". That's a 30% discount off the $450 list price and matches the best deal I saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. eBay estimates free delivery before Christmas. Both retailers are authorized Sony resellers, so you get the full manufacturer's warranty.
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.
Missed out on the budget gaming PC deals during Black Friday? Don't fret because here's an even better opportunity. Walmart is currently offering the iBuypower Element SE RTX 5060 Ti gaming PC for just $899 with free delivery. This is the lowest price I've seen for any RTX 5060 Ti equipped gaming PC, and beats the previous Black Friday deal by $100. It's even estimated to be delivered before Christmas (depending on your zip code) in case you need to pack this off as a gift.
iBuypower RTX 5060 Ti Gaming PC for $899
The iBuypower Element SE is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 8700F CPU, GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. The AMD Ryzen 7 8700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor with a max boost clock of 5GHz. It's a solid general-purpose CPU that complements the RTX 5060 Ti GPU well, especially since it's paired with a generous 32GB of RAM. The system is powered by a 600W 80Plus Gold power supply.
The RTX 5060 Ti (8GB) is a great GPU for 1080p gaming. It outperforms the RTX 4060 Ti by about 20%, but the gap widens in games that support DLSS 4 technology with multi-frame generation. It's also obviously better than the RTX 5060. Note that because this graphics card has 8GB of VRAM, it's not the ideal card for high resolution (1440p or 4K) gaming. However, if you're intending to play at strictly 1080p, then it should handle any game out there.
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.
From its epic scale and unmatched sense of adventure to its beloved characters and the unforgettable relationships between them, Lord of the Rings remains the all-time best series of fantasy films. Now, LotR is back in the zeitgeist thanks to Amazon’s Middle-earth TV series, The Rings of Power, as well as a return to theaters in January 2026.
Watching the Lord of the Rings movies in order is a fairly straightforward endeavor, and we’ve put together this article to make sure newcomers can properly navigate both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. With series newcomers in mind, the brief plot synopses below will be spoiler-free beyond broad plot points and character introductions.
At the bottom of the article, you'll find a second list that orders the films by their actual release dates, if you’d prefer to watch them in that order instead (as I do).
Where Does Rings of Power Fit in the Lord of the Rings Timeline?
Amazon’s Rings of Power series is set during the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which are set in the Third Age. This is the period in Middle-earth during which we’ll see "the forging of the rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the epic tale of Númenor, and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men," according to showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay.
The Lord of the Rings Movies in Chronological Order
1. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
2024's animated feature film, The War of the Rohirrim, is set 183 years before The Lord of the Rings trilogy — and therefore 123 years before The Hobbit. Like the live-action trilogies, The War of the Rohirrim is set during Middle-earth's Third Age.
The War of the Rohirrim follows the ninth King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand (voiced by Brian Cox), and his family. The story focuses primarily on Helm's daughter, Hèra, and her role in the conflict between Rohan and the Dunlendings.
The Hobbit trilogy is set 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, despite being released a decade later.
Chronologically, the story kicks off with 2012’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which sees Martin Freeman take on the role of a younger Bilbo Baggins (played by Ian Holm in the LotR trilogy). Gandalf – one of several characters whose stories run through both trilogies — recruits Bilbo to join Thorin (Richard Armitage) and Company to help reclaim the Dwarven kingdom beneath Erebor, aka The Lonely Mountain, that had been sacked by the dragon Smaug. Along the way, Bilbo encounters Gollum for the first time and comes into possession of the One Ring.
Thorin and Company continue their journey toward The Lonely Mountain, fending off giant spiders and orcs along the way. Orlando Bloom’s Legolas (another LotR staple) joins the fray alongside newcomer Tauriel (played by Ant-Man’s Evangeline Lilly). While the company reaches Esgaroth, a lake-town south of Erebor, Bilbo descends into the mountain, where he encounters Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). Smaug ultimately leaves his lair and departs for Esgaroth, setting up the conclusion of The Hobbit trilogy.
4. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
The conflict with Smaug is resolved and the film’s titular battle ensues involving the armies of men, dwarves, elves, and two tribes of orcs. We’re being extra vague here as The Battle of the Five Armies is ripe with resolution (and therefore spoilers), but prepare for an action-heavy film that ultimately leaves off where The Lord of the Rings trilogy begins: back at the Shire, 60 years later, as Gandalf visits Bilbo on his 111th birthday.
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The first Middle-earth film by release date is 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring. The perspective shifts from Bilbo to his much-younger cousin Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). Following some exposition that sets up the current state of affairs in Middle-earth, we return to Bilbo’s 111th birthday celebration in the Shire.
Bilbo departs on one last adventure, leaving the One Ring with Frodo; Gandalf warns Frodo he must leave the Shire, as Sauron (the Lord of the Rings) and his evil cronies — specifically the Nazgûl, a host of nine horse-mounted wraiths — will be coming for the ring. Frodo departs the Shire with his best friend, Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), along with fellow hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippen (Billy Boyd).
After some perilous travel and character introductions, including Aragorn (Mortensen), Legolas (Bloom), and Saruman (Christopher Lee), a plan is devised to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mordor's Mount Doom, where the Rings of Power were forged. The plan is to be carried out by a ragtag group dubbed the Fellowship of the Ring: the wizard Gandalf; the hobbits Frodo, Samwise, Merry, and Pippen; the elf Legolas; the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies); and humans Aragorn and Boromir (Sean Bean).
A treacherous journey leads them to Lothlórien, an Elven realm ruled by Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel, who also appears throughout The Hobbit trilogy and is one of the main protagonists of the new Amazon series (this younger version of Galadriel is played by Morfydd Clark). Galadriel advises Frodo, and he decides to continue his journey to Mordor without the others, bringing only his most trusted confidant, Sam.
Frodo and Sam take on a third, reluctant travel companion in Gollum (voiced by Andy Serkis), a hobbit long ago corrupted by the power of the One Ring. The trio makes it to the outskirts of Mordor, though are stalled by an unforeseen intervention. The other members of the Fellowship embark on a rescue mission; Gandalf takes a new form; and the trilogy’s first epic battle occurs in the gorge of Helm’s Deep.
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
As with The Battle of the Five Armies, The Return of the King’s plot is essentially all spoilers, so we’ll again highlight only the broadest story beats. Gollum, exploiting the influence of the Ring, pits Frodo against Sam and leads the former into the lair of a deadly foe. The other members of the Fellowship, meanwhile, partake in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields — a massive, final fight against the dark forces of Sauron.
Frodo and Sam ultimately enter Mordor in disguise and, with help from the other members of the Fellowship, see the original plan through. With the journey concluded, we enter the Fourth Age of Middle-Earth and are treated to a bittersweet finale.
How to Watch The Lord of the Rings Movies By Release Date
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Rings of Power TV Series (2022-Present)
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (2027)
The Future of Lord of the Rings
The franchise's next big-screen entry will be a live-action movie called The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Directed by and starring Andy Serkis, The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to hit theaters on December 17, 2027. Peter Jackson is also involved, serving as an executive producer, while Ian Holm has already confirmed his return as Gandalf. Fortunately, it seems this next movie has absolutely no connection to the (rather bad) Gollum video game.
The Rings of Power: Season 2 aired its finale in October 2024. Fans of the show will be pleased to know Season 3 ihas already wrapped up filming, though a premiere date has not been announced. Based on the timing between when season 2 was announced and when it was actually released, this means we can potentially expect season 3 to arrive somewhere near February 2027.
In case you missed Sideshow's Black Friday sale, you'll be glad to know Sideshow is still offering its special Free Figure offer for toy collectors to take advantage of. If you spend $300 on Sideshow, you can choose a free collectible at checkout, with two gift options to choose from. Alternatively, if you spend $450, you can choose one free gift from one of four gift options.
If you don't have the budget to throw down hundreds on a new collector's item right now, there's plenty more officially-licensed toys, books, board games and affordable collectibles to choose from on Sideshow that make great, geeky gift ideas. Keep scrolling to find out everything you need to know about the Free Figure offer, and to see some of my favorite gift ideas from Sideshow right now.
Top Sideshow Collectible Gift Ideas Under $100
Note: Act fast to get things shipped ASAP. Some items are ready to ship as soon as next day.
In case you're not familiar with Sideshow, it's one of the top brands out there for collectibles, with six-scale figures, dioramas, art prints and other impressive items across some of the biggest franchises out there.
Because Sideshow is a high-end action figure manufacturer, the prices of its incredibly detailed statues and figures are also typically steep, each ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars (like this Iron Man life size replica standing at 6' 10" tall)even when on sale. However, with gifting season in mind, this is a decent offer for the hardcore collectors in your life that care about high-quality, detailed collectibles.
My Favorite Items on Sideshow Right Now:
Shop Sideshow's Free Figure Offer: Spend $300 and Get Free Item
To help fans build their top-tier collection for 2026, Sideshow is offering a BOGO-type deal on select items from its Free Figure Offer. When browsing the eligible in-stock orders of $300 or more, you can claim a free Sixth Scale Figure from one of two options with purchase. And, on eligible in-stock orders of $450 or more, you can claim a free Sixth Scale Figure from one of four options with purchase. I'm talking Spider-Man figures, cool anime statues, horror toys, exclusive DC and Marvel collectibles, Poké Ball replicas, fantasy board games, and so much more.
If your order qualifies for one of these two bonus tiers, the option to claim a free figure will appear in your cart automatically.
Hot Toys and Sideshow collaborated on this special Stan Lee® collectible figure, based on his memorable cameo appearance in Thor: Ragnarok. The details and artistry here are insane!
From November 10 through December 28, 2025*, Sideshow is excited to offer a special promotion on qualifying purchases** to help fans build their collection. On eligible in-stock orders of $300 or more, customers can claim a free Sixth Scale Figure from one of two options with their purchase. On eligible in-stock orders of $450 or more, customers can claim a free Sixth Scale Figure from one of four options with their purchase. The free figures on offer are subject to availability, and options will change weekly.
From November 24 through December 7, 2025*, customers can claim a free item from one of three options with their purchase. On eligible in-stock orders of $450 or more, customers can claim a free item from one of five options with their purchase. The free items on offer are subject to availability, and options will change weekly. Only one offer can be claimed per purchase, but you can place multiple qualifying transactions throughout the promotion period.
*While supplies last.
**Some exclusions apply.
Lindsey (she/her) is IGN's Director of Audience Development and Commerce. She's been at IGN since 2021 and has a background in SEO, especially in the gaming, entertainment, and tech media spaces.
LG Electronics has announced that at CES in Las Vegas next month, it will be unveiling a new Micro RGB TV, the Micro RGB Evo. It's not announcing pricing yet, but LG says the TV will come in 100-inch, 86-inch, and 75-inch sizes. Hopefully they'll be more affordable than Samsung's 115-inch Micro RGB behemoth, or Hisense's 116-inch RGB MiniLED TV, each of which goes for about $30,000.
Micro RGB is the latest in TV tech being presented as a high-contrast, higher-brightness alternative to OLED TVs. It's not MicroLED, a similar-sounding TV panel tech that is a bit like OLED but with pixels made up of individually lit RGB LEDs. Instead, this tech uses clustered RGB LEDs to backlight a normal LCD panel – it still achieves dimming like a MiniLED would, but with a wider potential color gamut. LG says the new Micro RGB Evo can hit 100 percent coverage in BT.2020, DCI-P3, and Adobe RGB, and that it offers over 1,000 dimming zones, which is about on par with many MiniLEDs.
Because it's LED-lit, rather than OLED, the Micro RGB Evo should be less prone to burn-in and therefore capable of getting much brighter overall. Combined with the wider range of colors, that means better HDR without giving up nearly as much of the deep contrast of OLED as you might with a traditional LCD TV. For most of us, though, it probably won't be worth the cost quite yet – there's no way these TVs will dip into the range of affordability that LG's OLEDs sit in. But I'm sure it'll be very nice to look at. If you buy one, invite me over to watch a movie.
Apart from the dazzling new display tech, LG says this TV will use the charmingly-named Dual AI Engine-based Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen 3, "which features Dual Super Upscaling to simultaneously process two types of AI upscaling." It'll run WebOS, of course, and will come with a number of AI features like a chatbot and AI-based search, and so on. Look for more info about the LG Micro RGB Evo early next month, during CES 2026, which starts on January 6.
Wes is a freelance writer (Freelance Wes, they call him) who has covered technology, gaming, and entertainment steadily since 2020 at Gizmodo, Tom's Hardware, Hardcore Gamer, and most recently, The Verge. Inside of him there are two wolves: one that thinks it wouldn't be so bad to start collecting game consoles again, and the other who also thinks this, but more strongly.
If you're looking for a high-capacity, high-output power bank with a slim footprint, then check out this deal from Baseus. Amazon is currently offering the Baseus Blade 20,000mAh 100W power bank for $39.99 shipped after you apply coupon code "CAXWUTQ9". Normally this deal is reserved for Amazon Prime members, but we've tested this coupon on a non-Prime account and we still get $39.99 as the final price. Unlike most high-capacity power banks that are shaped like a chunky bar, the Baseus Blade is slimmer. It's powerful enough to charge any gaming handheld PC at its fastest rate.
Baseus Blade 20,000mAh 100W Slim Power Bank for $39.99
The Baseus Blade measures only 0.7 inches thick. Most high-capacity power banks are well over 1" in thickness. The Iniu gets away with a thinner body by instead going with a wide body design, which means it's more square shaped andsquare 5" x 5". The form factor allows it to fit perfectly in a laptop bag or backpack sleeve. It still weighs in at about one pound which is comparable to other power banks, so no give or take there.
The wide body allows it to squeeze in four ports: two USB Type-C ports each with 100W of Power Delivery and two USB Type-A ports each with 30W output. Note that the maximum charging output is 100W. That means although all three ports add up to a total of 160W, only a maximum of 100W will be delivered across all three ports if they are used simultaneously.
The 20,000mAh capacity can fully recharge all of your gaming handhelds
This Baseus Blade boasts a generous 20,000mAh, or 74Whr battery capacity. If you factor in 80% power efficiency, here are the approximate number of times you can fully recharge each gaming handheld or iPhone model:
Nintendo Switch 2 (18Whr) about 3.3 times
Nintendo Switch (16Whr) about 3.7 times
Steam Deck (40Whr) about 1.5 times
Asus ROG Ally (40Whr) about 1.5 times
Asus ROG Ally X (80Whr) about 0.7 times
Lenovo Legion Go (50Whr) about 1.2 times
Lenovo Legion Go S (55Whr) about 1 time
Apple iPhone 16 (14Whr) about 4.2 times
Apple iPhone 16 Plus (18Whr) about 3.3 times
The 100W output can fast charge nearly all phones and gaming handhelds
The Baseus Blade has USB Type-C ports that provides up to 100W of power output It will automatically throttle down to whatever maximum rate the plugged-in device accepts. The Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 can only accept a maximum of 18W-30W of power output. The Steam Deck can accept up to 39W. The Asus ROG Ally accepts up to 65W. The Asus ROG Ally X (and the upcoming Xbox Ally X) and Lenovo Legion Go S can actually achieve charging rates up to 100W.
This power bank can be brought onto airplanes
You don't need to worry about being stopped at airports. The 20,000mAh 74Whr capacity is well below TSA's 27,000mAh/100Whr carry-on limit, so you are safely in the clear.
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.
The Commodore 64 Ultimate is the most astonishing retro product I have ever reviewed. I was expecting it to be a straightforward, modern take on the all-time best-selling personal computer. I imagined it would be a newer version of the C64 Mini or C64 "Maxi," with a selection of games and software built in and accessible through a bespoke menu system. Seriously, I would have been totally fine with a modern C64 that hooks to modern 4K displays and televisions and let me experience the C64 ecosystem on the big screen. And it does that, extremely well.
But it also does so much more, more than I could have ever imagined it would. Better still, it does all those things amazingly well. From the spot-on design of the packaging down to the perfection of the keyboard in every way, the Commodore 64 Ultimate is the kind of modern take on retro hardware that all future endeavors in the space should aspire to. They won't. But they should.
What's In the Box
The Commodore 64 Ultimate packaging looks the part of its predecessor, although dimensionally they differ. The original C64 box is a little taller and a little less wide, but otherwise the modern take evokes the exact same feeling as the original right from the packaging. It's an excellent combination of both old and new, listing the modern capabilities of the device while using old-school images of people using the original on CRT displays.
The Commodore 64 Ultimate is what all future retro endeavors in should aspire to.
Right on the copy printed on the box, the Commodore 64 Ultimate positions itself as an antidote to the modern computing experience, which I'm completely into. As someone who's been using the Internet since before Netscape was even a thing, I often think back wistfully to how much simpler it was when a computer was a tool you used to create things, not a device that serves you ads. The tagline on the back says "Classic Form. Ultimate Function. Distraction Free."
For those of you who weren’t born before 1980, the original Commodore 64 was not only the most successful 8-bit computer of the 1980s, it's the best-selling personal computer of all time. So many Gen-Xers grew up with a Commodore 64 as their first home computer, and if they didn't have one (like me), they knew someone who did. It debuted at $595 in 1982, but within a year, competition had cut the price in half. In the 1984 Sears Holiday Wishbook catalog it's listed at $229.99, while the Coleco Adam just a few pages later is $700.
The C64 was affordable, well supported, handled business and productivity applications while also having a huge library of games. You could load software from 5.25" floppies, cassette tapes, or cartridges. It was versatile, compact, extremely affordable and available everywhere. It also had a custom sound chip that let the C64 sing, literally, giving it a huge edge. The C64 produced an iconic sound modern chiptune artists like 8-bit Weapon still use.
Inside the box is the Commodore 64 Ultimate itself, which is actually available in three different versions. There's the classic beige, a fully transparent and LED-lit model, and a special edition gold translucent version only available for those who backed the device early on. I'm going to get into the design later, but as soon as I opened the box I was struck by just how perfect this is in terms of replicating the look of the original.
There's also not one, but two, small, double-sided sheets of Commodore-branded vinyl stickers. The stickers are great. They're high-quality, not garbage paper ones like I would have expected, and it's just another delightful part of the experience. There are a few for the logo, one for the classic "READY" prompt, a tiny tape drive and floppy drive sticker, and more. It's great. I'm going to stick these things everywhere (except for the C64 Ultimate itself, of course).
There's a transparent plastic AC adapter with different interchangeable plug styles for your region, and a generous 2.5 meter HDMI cable in a Commodore branded bag. The cable itself is not branded, however, which is maybe the only thing I can point to with the C64 Ultimate and say "I wish this were different." The cable itself supports Ethernet over HDMI, for reasons I don't understand, as well as 4K resolution.
Underneath it all, nestled in a protective cocoon of bubble wrap, is probably my favorite addition to the C64 Ultimate box: an honest-to-goodness spiral-bound instruction manual just like the original. And it's an ACTUAL instruction manual, too. It's not just a 4-page quick start guide translated into 16 different languages to pad it out. This is an almost 250-page tome of goodness we just don't see anymore. It's more than just a passing resemblance between the new and the old. Yes, there's a quick start guide, but beyond that, the manual teaches you how to use the Commodore 64 Ultimate in the same way the original manual taught you to use the C64. There's a section on BASIC, the computer programming language so many oldheads like me first learned, as well as Advanced BASIC.
The C64 Ultimate comes with an honest-to-goodness spiral-bound instruction manual.
This is probably my favorite thing about the C64 Ultimate: the fact it's a modern version of the old hardware on which I love writing BASIC programs. If you're not familiar with the language, its primary purpose was to make computer programming easier for beginners. In fact, the name BASIC is an acronym for "Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code." No one uses it anymore, not for anything serious. Ask anyone now and they'll tell you to start with Python.
Well I'm here to say those people are wrong, and BASIC is the perfect place to start. One of the greatest things about having a hardware-indentical version of the original Commodore 64 is all those old magazines and books with page upon page of BASIC code will still work exactly as they were intended. You've probably seen engagement-farming social media accounts talking about how "back in the day" people would copy programs from magazines, by hand, into their computers line by line. Can confirm, we really did. And with the C64 Ultimate we can use those same programs, or just copy and paste them and load them in via USB. I think that's cheating but I'm also not above it.
I haven't delved deeply into the world of programming the C64 Ultimate, at least not yet, so I can't speak authoritatively on whether or not there's some string of code somewhere that won't work on the Ultimate. Knowing what little I know about FPGA, I don't think that will ever be a problem I'll come across. The beauty of FPGA versus software emulation is the hardware works exactly like the original. Sure, someone out there writing in assembly might find some peculiarity with the system that wasn't present in the original, but for me? Hell nah, let's get some BASIC code going baby!
Back in the day people would copy programs from magazines, by hand.
The fact you're taught BASIC in the manual, and then taught advanced BASIC, as well as sprite and sound manipulation, makes the manual even more of a valuable resource. This is exactly the kind of thing I love, and exactly the way computers used to be. You didn't just buy a computer to passively entertain yourself, you bought one to do rudimentary spreadsheets, play some games, and create your own experiences. I love it. The best thing about learning any computer language is the fundamentals are all pretty much the same. Once you understand if-then statements, or "for" loops in BASIC, you'll understand them in JavaScript, or C#, or pretty much any other language.
Peripherals, Modern and Classic
What was maybe the most surprising revelation to me about the Commodore 64 Ultimate was its support for the original Commodore peripherals. Things like the cassette deck and iconic 1501 floppy disc drive will work with the C64. I don't have the cassette deck, unfortunately, and while I have the floppy drive I don't actually have any floppies with which to test it. The big batch of floppies I picked up earlier this year were all unreadable, so sadly I can't speak to that, at least until I luck my way into another cache, one that hopefully works.
What I can say is the C64 Ultimate will work with a classic CRT monitor, and that just makes me all kinds of delighted. Is it more convenient to use it on a modern display? Yes, a thousand percent. Is it more fun? Not even close. Thankfully I have several CRT monitors compatible with the Commodore, including an original Commodore CM-141 monitor I drove two hours into the wilderness of Maine's coast to acquire. Weirdly, the default settings were in PAL and so I had to go in to change them, but once I did, I was absolutely delighted by the CRT-goodness. I don't have the correct cable to use the CM-141, but I do have one that let me hook it to an old Magnavox monitor that has a setting to output in a faux phosphor-green. Can't complain about that!
I wish more retro-revival hardware had the option for analog video. I'm sure the people who want such a thing make up a very tiny percentage of the population, but for something as specialized as the Commodore 64 Ultimate, it is a perfect fit. The modern Commodore company sells the proper cables on its website, so I'm probably going to buy some just so I can plink away at my next BASIC program in front of the warm glow of a humming, 13" color CRT TV.
Another odd peripheral I have is a Commodore 1670 modem, though the Commodore 64 Ultimate lacks the User Port from the original where it hooks up. Instead, the Ultimate has modern connectivity like Wi-Fi and an Ethernet jack. It’s probably for the best anyway – I've messed around with slow, retro modems on old hardware before and it's fun, but 1200 baud makes even BBSes slow to use. And besides, if I do want that old-school experience, there's modem emulation built into the system anyway.
While having Wi-Fi rules, at first I couldn't get the Wi-Fi to work. I entered in my Wi-Fi password and waited for a while, tried it again, rebooted and tried one more time and it never showed the "Link Up" message on the Wi-Fi configuration page. It wasn't until after I hooked it to a wired connection that it decided to come to life, after which I was able to disconnect from the Ethernet cable and have it maintain its wireless connection. Not sure if that was just a coincidence or a weird bug, but it gave me a brief jolt of disappointment.
I'm also sadly lacking in C64 game cartridges, which is a bummer since the Commodore 64 Ultimate can play those, natively, through the expansion port in the back of the computer. But since it can run those carts, it can easily run ROM files, ones that you of course own legally or are provided from reputable, legal sources.
Spot-On Design
The Commodore 64 Ultimate is indistinguishable from the original at first glance. Everything about it looks and feels exactly the same as the original. The beige case and brown keyboard is fantastically reproduced from the original, for better or for worse. It's not until you take a closer look do you start to notice the differences, with the modern ports, a transparent window on the side and a much smaller port for the AC adapter.
The Commodore 64 logo badge on the top? Perfect. The red LED power light? Flawless. The keyboard? OK, like I said before, absolute perfection – for better or for worse. Let me explain myself.
Typing on the Commodore 64 Ultimate gives you the exact same tactile feel of the original. The key travel is perfect, the "clunk" of the switches, even the subtle texture of the plastic feels exactly like the original. It's just fantastic. I think my love of modern mechanical keyboards can be directly traced back to this era of computing, and the feel is wonderful.
Keeping with the original in every possible way, however, is going to require you to unlearn some of the modern keyboard placements you've been using since things settled down to a standard layout. This isn't a fault with the design, it's unfortunately a byproduct of keeping things so perfectly retro. I find myself struggling with some of the key placement, like where the double-quotes are (they're over the 2-key, by the way).
If the C64 is the computer you grew up on, your muscle memory might come back to you easily. But otherwise, there's a little more hunting-and-pecking here than I've done in years. It's not a fault of the design at all, and it can't be avoided, but it's just something that you'll definitely experience when you shift from the modern keyboard layout burned into your brain. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
One major, positive design change is the power supply. The original C64 power supply was a brick almost literally, and pretty much every original C64 power supply is waiting to someday blast the original hardware with an overvoltage that will run it. The new one is cased in transparent plastic and doesn't take up half your desk like the original monster.
It plugs in right next to the multifunction button, a rocker-style switch that turns the Commodore 64 Ultimate on and off and lets you switch to the special configuration menu. It took a little more effort than I was expecting, and it's just a touch too small for my large hands. Turning off the Commodore 64 Ultimate requires you to push down and hold for 4 seconds, and I don't like that. More than once, I thought I'd activated the button, but was instead standing there like an idiot with the button 90% pressed for 10 seconds. Given the change of configuration of slots and peripherals, I would have liked a two-position switch for power and a momentary switch to go between C64 and configuration modes.
Software
In keeping with the retro-modernity of the Commodore 64 Ultimate, there's a USB stick in the shape of a cassette tape, complete with cassette case, included in each box. You plug it into a very modern USB port in the back and then access it via the configuration menu in a very old school, hierarchical file system type of way.
The software on the drive is generous, to say the least. There is so much here, it's overwhelming. Rather than go through every single included piece of software (which I wouldn't mind doing, honestly), I'm going to touch on some of the more notable programs.
But before I do that, I'm going to shout out a feature they didn't need to include, but they did anyway: when you start up a program from the file browser, the Commodore 64 Ultimate starts whirring and clicking, with the occasional buzz for good measure. It's making the sounds you would expect from a program loading from a floppy disc and it's absolutely wonderful. When I was a kid using computers, I loved the feedback of those mechanical drives. I always felt like I was listening to the computer "think." This little feature adds so much to the experience, in a way I didn't expect at all.
Back to the software, there are dozens of demos on the USB drive, and not the ones we're all used to. The demo scene, while still around, is a pale reflection of its former self. Basically, programmers and hackers would flex their skills by creating demonstrations of their programming prowess. They would push machines to do things that didn't seem possible with custom animations and music, and you can see some of them here. One of the most notable and well-known demos is Bad Apple, presented here as Bad Apple 64. The Commodore 64 Christmas Demo is also on the USB, which is delightful. I'm nothing if not full of holiday cheer.
There's also a huge selection of games on the USB, but maybe my favorite addition here is GEOS, a graphical user interface designed specifically for the Commodore 64. While I don't see myself switching from macOS to GEOS any time soon, it's so cool to see this rudimentary GUI running on original hardware. Unfortunately I can't locate my compatible Commodore 64 mouse, but there are still dedicated hobbyists out there making them in our modern times, and Commodore sells compatible devices on its own site.
It's so cool to see a rudimentary GUI running on original hardware.
I'm a little surprised you can't use a modern USB mouse, which would have been much easier for the end-user. I don't think it would have taken anything away from the experience, either. In fact I'd argue it would enhance it, given most people own at least one USB mouse but very few people own compatible Commodore mice. I dug through the various menus and didn't find any options, but if there's a way, please let me know.
I'm mildly obsessed with different GUIs, and will take any opportunity to try them out, so I'll probably scour eBay for a mouse, especially because it also has a whole suite of GEOS software. If I really wanted to (and I do), I have the option to hook up a Commodore printer and print off my own beautiful GEOSPaint creations, or I can use the Virtual Printer and save generated files to the USB as .pngs. From there I can just open it on a modern computer and print it from there. And friends, best believe I'm going to be doing that once I get a compatible mouse.
Terminator: Survivors will no longer include multiplayer co-op, with developer Nacon announcing an indefinite delay that will now see its video game spinoff ditching early access for an eventual full launch.
Nacon Studio Milan creative director Marco Ponte updated fans on the release date for the open-world offshoot with a post on its Steam page. It comes with the news that Terminator: Survivors, as many may have guessed, will no longer make its previously announced plan to launch before 2026, but the delay isn’t the only bad news for fans.
Multiplayer co-op, which was said to allow players to survive a post-Judgment Day Earth with up to three friends, has been completely cut from the experience. Ponte stops short of explaining exactly why co-op will no longer be included but says the decision follows “months” of testing.
“After months of internal testing, discussions with players and fans of the license, we came to the conclusion that to give you an authentic ‘Terminator’ experience with the best possible shooting and exploration gameplay, we would have to put aside the cooperative multiplayer,” Ponte says. “We know this may come as a disappointment, but we believe it is the right creative direction for an uncompromising vision of the world after Judgment Day.”
Nacon announced Terminator: Survivors in July 2022 as a survival experience set in the classic sci-fi universe, eventually going on to reveal a release date of October 24, 2024. Of course, that plan never came to fruition, with a delay in August 2024 pushing launch to an unspecified date in 2025.
Now, with not so much as a launch window on the calendar, Nacon says it’s shifting its focus away from early access, too. Ponte says Nacon wants players to step into a “complete and polished experience” when the release date eventually arrives. The studio directs players to sign up for closed playtests while development continues.
“We know expectations are high, and we can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on,” Ponte adds. “For now, I can only thank you for sticking with us as we do our absolute best to create a game worthy of the Terminator legacy. We’ll be back with more news as soon as we can.”
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).
The Nintendo Switch 2 is here! If you grabbed one, ended up being one of the lucky early holdouts who managed to catch a Switch 2 at its first-ever discount, or are the recipient of one from a very kind gift-giver, keep in mind that it only has 256GB of storage built-in. If you want to load up on games without having to deal with uninstalling and reinstalling over and over, you’re going to want to expand that storage. Unlike the original Nintendo Switch, the new console requires a MicroSD Express card – which are faster, but more expensive than other UHS-based SD cards.
The Best MicroSD Express Cards for Switch 2 Right Now
MicroSD Express cards have been around for a while, but there are only a few on the market as creative professionals haven’t really found much of a use for them. However, with the Switch 2 launch, there's been a deluge of Express cards to fill that gap.
My colleagues and I are in the process of testing these cards – including that super cheap Walmart-brand one, which is fine – but if we were to recommend any based on experience, these are the MicroSD Express cards (an essential Switch 2 accessory!) we'd say to buy right now. These come from reputable manufacturers that have a track record of making excellent storage expansion cards. We'll be updating this as we play around with the Switch 2 and SD cards.
Why MicroSD Express?
Unlike many devices, the Nintendo Switch 2 is mandating a MicroSD Express card for storage expansion. Nintendo hasn’t really explained its reasoning behind the decision, but it’s not hard to see why it might want to require faster storage.
For one, the flash storage built into the system is the same kind of UFS flash that powers most smartphones. This storage is much faster than the eMMC drive in the original Switch, and it’s likely Nintendo wanted its developers to be able to count on that kind of storage speed, no matter if the game is being stored internally or on an expansion card.
The only thing you can use a regular old MicroSD card for is loading screenshots and videos you took on your first-gen Switch. That means unlike something like the PS5, which allows you to store last-generation games on slower external drives, Nintendo isn’t allowing for any wiggle room here. If you want to expand the Nintendo Switch 2 storage, you’re going to need a MicroSD Express card.
1. Lexar Play Pro
The Best MicroSD Express Card
The Lexar Play Pro is the fastest and most capacious card available. Supporting read times up to 900MB/s and storage space up to 1TB, this is handily the best MicroSD Express card out there right now. After a few months of wobbly stock issues, you can now more reliably find this card out in the wild at the typical retailers. Unfortunately, it is quite expensive. But if you do want the best SD card for your Switch 2, it’s worth investing in the Lexar Play Pro for a fast card that won't degrade quickly.
2. Samsung P9 MicroSD Express
Best Budget MicroSD Express Card
MicroSD Express cards have been out long enough now that we're starting to see more affordable cards from some of the biggest brands. While it's not quite as cheap as the Onn MicroSD Express card you can buy from Walmart, this Samsung card is extremely affordable for what it is. At the time of writing, you can get a 256GB version of the card for $32, while the 512GB version is a bit more expensive, at $99.
There are some caveats to this one, of course. While we found in our testing that the Samsung P9 MicroSD Express card has solid sequential read and write times, it lacks a bit when it comes to random read and write speeds. What that means is that you can copy your games over to this SD card super fast, but it's not going to have the fastest load times. That doesn't mean the load times aren't fast, though; we were able to load up Donkey Kong Bananza in 21 seconds and Tears of the Kingdom in 9 seconds. So while there are faster cards out there, you're only really losing out on a second here and there.
But for most people who just want reliable expansion storage for their Switch 2 that's not going to break the bank, you can't really go wrong with the Samsung P9. It's not the absolute cheapest on the market, but you can bet it'll last a lot longer than that Onn card.
3. SanDisk MicroSD Express
Best 256GB MicroSD Express Card
I have so many SanDisk SD cards lying around, and that shouldn’t be super surprising. Over the years, SanDisk has become one of the most prolific SD card manufacturers, and now it has a MicroSD Express card. Unlike the Lexar version, SanDisk doesn’t have a fancy name for its card. Though this card does come in a 512GB-capacity version now, 256GB would mirror the internal storage of the Nintendo Switch 2.
Still, doubling your storage isn’t a bad deal, especially if you can find this card at a lower price. It’s also not quite as fast as the Lexar Play Pro, coming in with a read speed of up to 880MB/s. That’s a minor enough disparity that you’re not going to notice any difference when you’re loading up Mario Kart World, but 20MB/s is still 20MB/s.
4. Samsung MicroSD Express for Switch 2
The Best (and Only) Official MicroSD Express Card
Samsung’s MicroSD Express card is the one that’s being sold directly by Nintendo, which definitely gives it some weight. Since it came out back in May, Samsung has released its actual speeds and feeds. This MicroSD card gets 800MB/s of read speeds, which doesn't make it the fastest SD card here, but it'll still load games plenty fast. Plus, it has Mario on the retail packaging, so that's a bonus, right?
The card does come with a three-year warranty, but Samsung only offers it in a 256GB size. That basically doubles the initial storage of the Switch 2, but it would still be nice to see a 512GB or 1TB option for true game archival – especially as it's the official option.
At the end of the day, it being the "official" MicroSD Express card for the Switch 2 doesn't mean much. It might have received Nintendo's seal of approval, but this MicroSD card isn't going to be much different than any other card on this list, at least beyond the red paint job.
5. Onn MicroSD Express Card
Best Cheap MicroSD Express Card
While it would be nice to be able to say something like "a MicroSD Express card is a MicroSD Express card," they're not all created equal. More premium cards will be able to transmit data more efficiently, while cheaper cards are obviously going to slow down a bit. But when we're talking about a 512GB SD card that is 40% cheaper than the same size option from Lexar, a slower speed might just be worth it.
Onn is Walmart's budget tech brand, and that should set some expectations right out of the gate. In fact, when we reviewed the Onn 512GB MicroSD Express card, we found that while the Nintendo Switch 2 worked with no issues, it had data transfer speeds that were a bit slower than the console's native storage. That sounds bad, and it's not great, but at the end of the day that's only going to result in another second or so added to transfer times here and there. Definitely not the end of the world.
But what was surprising about this Onn card was that it was reliable, which is where I typically expect budget storage devices to fall flat. Throughout our testing process, performance stayed steady rather than running into the same issues that the PNY 128GB MicroSD Express card ran into. Of course, like any SD card, it'll likely degrade over time, but as long as you're not looking for long-term game archival, it'll get the job done.
MicroSD Express FAQ
How fast is MicroSD Express?
SD Express is theoretically much faster than older SD cards, and that largely comes down to how it interfaces with the device. Rather than connecting to a bespoke SD card interface, SD Express uses PCI Express 3.1, which is what SSDs use on PC.
Don’t go expecting a MicroSD Express card to be as fast as the NVMe SSDs in handheld gaming PCs, though. While the full-sized SD Express cards can come close, with read speeds up to 3,940MB/s, the MicroSD Express cards can only hit a maximum of 985MB/s. Still, that’s much faster than the older MicroSD cards used by the original Nintendo Switch.
How long will a MicroSD Express card last?
Just like any SD card, MicroSD Express cards aren’t meant to be used for long-term data storage, and so they have a shelf life. How long they’ll last depends largely on the environment it's being used in and whether or not you’re dropping it. I wouldn’t expect a MicroSD Express card to last more than 5-10 years before it needs to be replaced, so be sure to keep anything important backed up.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra
Black Friday is back! Well, not officially, but the best deals on Meta Quest headphones are. By using code “HOLIDAYRUSH” on the relevant eBay listings, you can get another chance to snap up these mad deals. Sony's best-in-class headphones are part of this discount code offer too, knocking down a new set of WH-1000XM6 down to $318.40 from $449.99. Bargain!
Deals for Today
There’s plenty of deals knocking around for the full-fat Meta Quest 3 experience and the budget-focused Meta Quest 3S, too. Want to get more reading done than gaming this holiday? Well, Amazon is currently running a buy one, get one sale on some cracking books from this year and beyond. Or if you just want a monitor upgrade, Alienware has got a full 34 inches of OLED glory with the brand tax knocked off. Let’s get into it:
eBay "Holiday Rush" Sale
The best Black Friday deal on Sony's newest flagship wireless noise cancelling headphones has returned. eBay (via either Buydig or Electronic Express) is offering a brand new pair of Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones for just $318.40 after you apply off coupon code "HOLIDAYRUSH". That's a 30% discount off the $450 list price and matches the best deal I saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. eBay estimates free delivery before Christmas. Both retailers are authorized Sony resellers, so you get the full manufacturer's warranty.
Meta Quest 3 / 3S Deals
Deals aside, should you get a Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S? Here's a specifications comparison table so you can make up your own mind:
This is a perfect 1440p gaming monitor with all the bells and whistles. You'll get bold yet accurate color representation with the OLED panel, which is also 165Hz for all the frames you'll need for competitive play. It's rocking a response time of 0.03ms, which is ridiculously fast with next to no input lag, certainly not noticeable.
Once you've made an Alienware account and logged in, simply go to “My Account,” which is under your account name at the top right. Then click “Dell Rewards” inside the far-left panel to grab your unique 10% off Alienware monitors code. You're welcome!
Amazon Buy 1 Get 1 50% off Book Sale
So the quarter-bound The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion Tolkien Illustrated Editions are must-buys in this sale for me, and they are 44% and 46% off, respectively, before the buy one, get one deal comes into play. So that's a total of $191.29 down from $243.63. Bear in mind, at MSRP, both of these books come to $445. That's an insane deal on its own. Other highlights for me are The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia and A Game of Thrones hardback box set.
Sonos Refurb Sale
When it comes to big-brand gear, I'd always go for a solid refurbished or open-box deal over brand-new products. If it's a brand or retailer worth its salt, these products are pretty much new anyway but can't be sold as such, as they're a customer return or something similar.
With Sonos refurbs, you're getting the same one-year warranty you would with a brand-new alternative, plus they get delivered as new with all the leads and gubbins you'd usually get. It's literally a no-brainer when you're getting over 55% off a Sonos Arc soundbar, for example.
Pokémon TCG Single Card Price Crash
Pokémon TCG stock levels are getting better and better across the board, which means there's more chance of buying off store shelves and a much bigger chance of scalpers losing out. It's a win-win, especially for Pokémon card collectors, as single cards are finding a new floor when it comes to market values.
It's the best time this year to snap up some of those grails you've been eyeing up, so I've found the top 5 chase cards in every Pokémon TCG expansion and base set from the previous Scarlet and Violet era, as well as Mega Evolution, the current era of Pokémon cards. There's some serious bargains to be had here, and I reckon we'll see prices tick back up when Ascended Heroes launches early next year, so don't wait around.
Best Pokémon TCG Sealed Deals
The best deal here for me is the Mega Charizard X ex Ultra Premium Collection that's currently at market value on Amazon and close to MSRP.
4 x Phantasmal Flames
4 x Mega Evolution
4 x Destined Rivals
4 x Journey Together
2 x Surging Sparks
The main pull of this UPC is the Mega Charizard X ex Mega Attack Rare and Oricorio ex SIR promo cards, which, frankly, are the best couple of promo cards we've had in a big box collection for a while. It also contains Mega Charizard X-themed card sleeves, deck box, damage counter dice, playmat, and a metal coin.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A and More Deals
Need to get Pokémon Legends: Z-A sorted for Christmas? Here's the cheapest way: the Nintendo Switch 1 version of Pokémon Legends: Z-A for $44.99 on Woot, then upgrade it to the Switch 2 version for $9.99 via the Amazon digital code service. You're saving $15 compared to buying the usual Switch 2 copy of Legends: Z-A.
Woot also has more discounts on top Pokémon Switch games, such as Legends: Arceus alongside Scarlet and Violet. It's a great time to build up your library if you've got a few Pokémon-sized gaps on your shelf.
Pokémon Squishmallow Deals
Nothing beats cuddling a Squishmallow, and I'll admit that to anyone. Well, getting a $69.99 massive 20-inch Sprigatito Squishmallow for $37.99 definitely beats that feeling, but there's some great deals on the best Pokémon plushies right now (in my opinion, which is correct).
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
Connexion
