The Backbone Pro's larger, more ergonomic grips are more comfortable for longer sessions, but make the device significantly bulkier than the Backbone One, which makes it a bit less portable. Part of what makes the Backbone One such a great device for casual play is its small size, easy to toss in a bag or store in your pocket until you're ready to go.

Both devices connect to mobile phones via the attached USB-C connector, which provides zero lag thanks to its direct connection. There is also a Lightning-enabled edition of the Backbone One designed for iPhone 14 and earlier that use the Apple Lightning connector.

The Backbone Pro added built-in Bluetooth connectivity that allows it to connect to more than just your phone. You can use the Backbone Pro as a standalone controller for a variety of devices including PCs, tablets, Meta Quest headsets, and even select smart TVs that support game streaming. This added functionality makes it a more compelling option if you play more than just mobile games.

Because of the native Bluetooth connection and its wireless capabilities, the Backbone Pro features a built-in rechargeable battery. While its 40 hours of battery life should be more than enough for a handful of mobile gaming sessions, you will have to remember to keep it charged, something that you don't have to worry about with the Backbone One controller.

The latest model of the Amazon Fire HD 10 came out in late 2023, offering some notable upgrades over its predecessor. Performance is boosted by about 25%, thanks to an octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM, making for a smoother experience loading and using apps. It still runs on Fire OS, which is a fork of Android that focuses on the Amazon ecosystem. While app selection may be more limited than the Google Play Store, all the basics are available. The 32GB of base storage is plenty of space for those apps, but if you’re looking to download lots of videos and books for offline use, a microSD slot allows for a simple storage boost.

With a 13-hour battery life and a surprisingly light yet durable build, the Fire HD 10 is an ideal tablet to take on the go. Content is easy to view on the sharp 10.1-inch Full HD display, and it even offers stylus support for note-taking and sketching. This tablet may not be a multitasking maven or gaming powerhouse like some of its Android and iPad brethren, but the Amazon Fire HD 10 is a great value for casual users, especially given it's only $69.99.

Additional Fire Tablet Deals

Want a different Amazon Fire Tablet? The Fire HD 10 isn’t the only Amazon tablet discounted ahead of Prime Day. The more compact Fire HD 8's price has been slashed by $45, while the larger and more powerful Fire Max 11 is almost 40% off. However, the Fire HD 10 is still the best deal we’ve seen from Amazon’s tablet lineup.

More Ways to Save on New Amazon Devices

Amazon offers a unique trade-in deal, which allows you to score an additional 20% off a range of Amazon devices, including the Fire HD 10. You don’t even need to trade in an Amazon product or even a tablet for that matter, as a range of items made by Apple, Microsoft, Google, Bose, Sony, Netgear, and more can qualify you to score additional savings. Find out more about Amazon’s trade-in deal here.

Should You Wait for Prime Day?

Chances are good that there won’t be a better deal on the Amazon Fire HD 10 than the one right now. Still, you can expect plenty of savings on a range of products during Amazon’s biggest sale of the year, which expanded to four days this year.

Amazon even revealed a sneak peek of Prime Day deals, and while it didn’t spill too many juicy details, we’ll likely see LEGO sets, TVs, kitchen appliances, Apple products, school supplies, and more discounted. If you’re looking to stock up on books, including some ebooks for your new Fire HD 10, Amazon already has surprisingly good early Prime Day book deals.

Danielle is a Tech freelance writer based in Los Angeles who spends her free time creating videos and geeking out over music history.

OnePlus has long been a contender on the side of the mainstream Android market. It delivered interesting devices that did some of what the competitors did, but it often cut a few corners to deliver its products at a lower price. Occasionally, its would price creep up so it could bring even more to the table, but often it would fail to match the quality of its rivals. With the OnePlus 13, the company has found a winning formula.

The phone is elegantly designed, offering visual intrigue without ostentation. You can find a bold white design, a unique combination of silver frame and bold blue vegan leather, or a sultry black color scheme that sees wood grain etched into the back glass. OnePlus protects the inside of the phone from dust and water to a high degree, even blocking out hot water jets.

The display on the OnePlus 13 is top-notch. It’s a big, bright, and fast OLED display that looks gorgeous whether you’re gaming, watching movies, or just scrolling away on the internet. Whatever you’re doing on the phone, it’ll do it fast. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip inside is a performance monster. It zips through basic operations, and is ripping fast in benchmarks, even giving the iPhone 16 Pro Max a thrashing in 3DMark. While the OnePlus 13 doesn’t quite keep up with gaming phones for sustained performance, it holds its own quite well for an everyday device. Plus, it’s 6,000mAh battery helps it go for the long haul.

OnePlus’s cameras are also making the grade. The OnePlus 13 may fall just a little behind the Pixel 9 Pro and Galaxy S25 Ultra where zoom is concerned, since it offers just a 3x optical zoom compared to the 5x of those other phones. But the look and feel of its photos is competitive, and even though it doesn’t capture fine detail at a distance well, it manages to provide something that still looks good.

OnePlus’s operating system is a clean, customizable version of Android that offers a good amount of flexibility without leaning into overload. It may not be as much of a Swiss Army Knife as Samsung’s flagships, but it’s also not as constrained as a Pixel. And while the OnePlus 13 may not get the seven years of OS updates Samsung and Google are promising, it will see four years of OS updates and six years of security patches, which should help stretch its lifespan out.

With so much on deck, the OnePlus 13 is really set up for success. But when you consider that you’re getting all of that for $899 (plus 256GB of base storage), the OnePlus 13 lands as a smash hit, providing excellence and value in equal measure.

Large and in charge, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 we reviewed is a beast of a phone with dual natures. Folded up, it offers a tall but thin 6.2-inch display. Flipped open, it provides a 7.6-inch screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, so you can go from smartphone to tablet in a flash. Both displays use AMOLED panels, so they look simply gorgeous with vibrant colors and deep contrast.

With the kind of productivity you can tackle on the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung didn’t hold back on performance. This phone packs the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, offering a big step up in performance over its predecessor (as much as 22% in our testing). Whether you’re trying to multitask with a split-screen setup, run the phone like a desktop using DeX, or want to enjoy the latest games like Wuthering Waves or Zenless Zone Zero, the Z Fold 6 has the performance to keep up.

The Z Fold 6 is no slouch in the camera department either. It offers a 50MP main shooter, an ultra-wide sensor, and a zoom lens with a 5x optical magnification and the ability to go up to a 30x digital zoom. Like the S24 Ultra, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 can also tap into Samsung’s AI tools to edit photos. And if you grab an S Pen, you can get similarly fine editing capabilities on the Z Fold 6’s internal display.

The range of things you can do with the Z Fold 6 makes it a shoe-in for the best folding Android phone. Though don’t forget: Samsung also has a smaller option in the Z Flip 6 we also reviewed, which may make some trade-offs on camera and multitasking abilities for a cuter design and compact footprint.

You can also check out our list of the best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 cases if you opt for this Android phone.

Poco is no stranger to budget smartphones, and it’s always a surprise to see just how much the company manages to pack into its devices while keeping the price down. The Poco X5 5G I personally reviewed was a killer bargain when it launched in 2023 for about $220, and it’s still a surprisingly good value at the price.

The star of the show on the Poco X5 5G is undeniably its display. While other brands might have you settle for basic LCD displays on their budget phones, Poco fitted the X5 5G with a 6.67-inch AMOLED display offering a crisp 1080x2400 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. What this means in practice is you get excellent contrast and color for all sorts of content and smooth visuals for games all on a reasonably big screen.

Inside, a Snapdragon 695G SoC beats away, driving the performance of the X5 5G. While the chip isn’t the fastest, falling behind even the Tensor G2 found in the Pixel 7a, it’s a worthy performer for a phone at this price. It could even run Genshin Impact at medium settings rather smoothly. Its large 5000mAh battery also helps it keep chugging along for hours on end. Even with the screen brightness maxed out, it was ready to stream Netflix for nearly 20 hours.

The Poco X5 5G also comes with a few features you don’t often see on phones in the US. On the top edge of the phone, there’s an IR blaster that lets the X5 5G fill in for a universal remote control. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack!

Naturally, there are some downsides to budget devices. The Poco X5 5G is unlikely to get long-term software support. It launched with Android 12 and has since been updated to Android 14, but there's no saying how many years it'll continue to get updates. The phone also has lackluster cameras. But if you just need a device that’s got a good screen and sufficient performance for you to enjoy content, navigate the web, and keep in touch with friends and family, the Poco X5 5G delivers.

There are plenty of phones that are better rounded, but in my review, I found that the RedMagic 10 Pro really sets itself apart for superb gaming performance. For one thing, this phone has the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip inside it, and the thing is a beast. Then there’s the fact that RedMagic is actively cooling that chip to give it better sustain than you’ll see elsewhere. Almost every phone (except a select few gaming phones like this) rely on passive cooling, and sometimes that just can’t remove heat fast enough. By contrast, the RedMagic 10 Pro’s cooling is on another level. Over long gaming sessions, this means more stable frame rates even at max settings. You can pretty much ignore those warnings mobile games give you that the settings are too high.

The RedMagic 10 Pro also provides a great piece of hardware to game on. Its 6.85-inch display is large and looks great. It uses a bright AMOLED panel that’s sharp and fast at 144Hz, and the selfie camera is completely hidden away underneath the screen, allowing for an uninterrupted view of your games. The phone includes two capacitive shoulder buttons as well, letting you gain more control over your games by setting them up to handle in-game actions. In an FPS, that means moving, aiming, and shooting all at the same time, which can be a huge advantage. Plus the touchscreen has an enhanced polling rate, so it’ll register inputs promptly.

The RedMagic 10 Pro doesn’t have as dazzling cameras as some of its competitors here, and it doesn’t get as many promised software updates as Samsung, Google, or even OnePlus for that matter. But it’s bringing a truly powerful package at an impressive price, starting at just $649. With the amount you’ll save on the phone, you can invest in a quality mobile phone controller and give even the Steam Deck a run for its money.

We know the Pixel 8 isn’t the latest of the bunch; I even reviewed the Pixel 9 myself. But here’s the thing: It’s still a great phone, and the fact that it’s a year older means it’s easy to snag at a much lower price than it started with. There’s little reason to consider the Pixel 8a, for instance, when you can jump up to the real McCoy for just $100 more.

Google brought some great upgrades with the Pixel 8, including the new Tensor G3 SoC, which ran faster and (critically) cooler than its predecessor. Google also shrunk down the phone slightly, making it a bit more friendly for folks who appreciate a more pocketable device for easy one-handed use. It’s a great little phone.

The 6.2-inch display means business. Small though it may be, it offers a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and boasts a 2,000-nit peak brightness. Games, movies, and just about anything else look great on the display, and it’s matched by a decent set of stereo speakers.

Perhaps the key thing making the Pixel 8 an exceptional value is that it comes with seven years of updates to the operating system, security patches, and features. It may not get every new feature that Google launches in the future, but it will at least not be left with the security vulnerabilities that can plague outdated devices.

A key highlight of the Pixel 8 is its camera system. It offers an excellent main sensor that can tackle dark environments and make the most of quality lighting by providing sharp, richly colored photos. The ultra-wide isn’t quite as impressive, but had a very wide field-of-view, letting you capture a lot in one shot. Getting any great cameras on a phone for $500 is a pretty good deal, so getting one backed by a modest ultrawide doesn’t hurt.

Samsung makes some of the best smartphones, and while I can’t deny that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a great phone, it’s also just a little too boring this year to stand out, especially when it sells at such a premium price. Between that and OnePlus truly hitting its stride this year, the OnePlus 13 lands a huge victory in 2025. It delivers on design, performance, and value for a trifecta that helps it stand above the crowd.

On the face of the OnePlus 13, you’ll find a display that’s ready to rival the best around. The 6.82-inch OLED display offers everything you’d expect from a high-end phone: a sharp resolution, a fast and variable refresh rate, and a staggering peak brightness, which OnePlus claims hits 4,500 nits. While I couldn’t verify the exact degree of brightness, I can confirm it’s a gorgeous and dazzling display that doesn’t struggle with visibility.

Inside, the OnePlus 13 makes the most of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. This comes with a powerful CPU and GPU combo that rivals the best iPhones and runs circles around them in 3DMarks’ graphics benchmarks. Whether it’s everyday performance or gaming brawn, the OnePlus 13 has it in heaps. Plus, the phone comes with 256GB of storage as a baseline, providing plenty of room for games and apps, and the 6,000mAh battery helps the phone run longer.

Circle around back, and you’ll find a triple-camera array. Each sensor offers a 50MP resolution for clear details. The sensors work together wonderfully, offering great colors, tons of flexibility, and even powerful video capture. The OnePlus 13 may not be quite as adept at zooming in, since it relies on a 3x telephoto sensor instead of the 5x you’d find in the iPhone 16 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro, or Galaxy S25 Ultra. But in just about every other aspect of photography, the OnePlus 13 is competitive with these other flagship phones.

All of this quality is packed into a phone that looks and feels great. OnePlus offers a few different styles, going beyond just changing colors and actually swapping out materials and textures. The exterior protects the guts of the phone with robust ingress protection that can keep out water when submerged or hit with pressurized jets.

Getting all of this in a phone is what you should expect from the best phone any given year. But OnePlus 13 really pulls a fast one by delivering it all for $899. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is the next closet phone that can compete reasonably, and that still costs $1,099 and has just half the storage. The iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra cost even more. It’s this lower price that really juices the value of the OnePlus 13 to push it to the top.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro is a brilliant phone when it comes to photography. It offers a triple-camera system on the rear that provides a ton of flexibility, and each sensor in the stack snaps quality photos, whether you want to punch in on a distant subject or zoom way out to capture a landscape. Even the selfie camera snaps vibrant, sharp photos.

The phone itself is no less pretty than the photos it takes. Google has refined the design of its Pixel line again, and the Pixel 9 Pro benefits greatly. It’s still somewhat tame with aluminum and glass, not opting for the titanium of Apple’s and Samsung’s flagships. But it comes together elegantly.

Thin bezels wrap around a modest 6.3" display, which is a bit of a star. It’s reasonably sized without making the Pixel 9 Pro an unwieldy behemoth like the iPhone 16 Pro Max or Galaxy S24 Ultra, though you can go that route by upgrading to the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The display is also excellent, with a super-bright OLED panel, smooth refresh rate, and poppy color.

The Pixel 9 Pro may not be the fastest phone on the market, as its Tensor G4 chip lags well behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Apple’s A18 Pro, but it’s plenty peppy for everyday use and works quickly with AI applications. And it still runs games reasonably well too. Google is also backing the phone up with longer-term software support than you’ll find on a lot of Android devices.

Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro is a well-rounded powerhouse starting off at $999. It has a staggering amount of overlap with the Google Pixel 9 Pro, right down to its display size, camera count, price, and weight. While I found the cameras more reliable on the Pixel 9 Pro, I won’t discount the excellent quality the iPhone 16 Pro is capable of with some tweaks (particularly for the ultra-wide and selfie sensors).

This year, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max get the same camera systems, so you can really think of them as the same phone at two different sizes. That’s good news if you’ve got smaller hands and want all the best capabilities but in a smaller phone, as I found the Pro Max hard to manage with one hand despite being a large person. Despite its smaller dimensions, the iPhone 16 Pro still gets a 6.3" display thanks to extra slim bezels. The Pro Max bumps that up to a beefy 6.9" display.

Performance is excellent on the iPhone 16 Pro. Its new A18 Pro chip easily keeps up with everyday operation and can smoothly run demanding games like Wuthering Waves without breaking a sweat. And with a 120Hz OLED display, gaming performance can come in handy.

It would be nice to see more storage in the base model, as 128GB is a little slim when it comes time to load up games and take advantage of the high-resolution photos and videos that iPhone 16 Pro can capture. On the bright side, the iPhone 16 Pro uses a USB 3.0 Type-C port that can help you back up your files more quickly to your computer in order to free up space.

The Pixel 8 might not be the best of the best or a new model in 2025, but it’s still got a lot to offer. The Tensor G3 chip inside improved on the G2 not only with increased performance but, critically, with better thermals. Since heat is the enemy of most phone components, being able to avoid it will help the longevity of the device.

The other big get for the Pixel 8 is that Google promised seven years of OS, security, and feature updates when it launched. That means it still has a long life ahead of it. Thanks to its age, the price of the phone has dropped considerably though. So you can snag the Pixel 8 for a mid-range price of $500. While many people may think the Pixel 8a is the smart mid-range option, the full-fat Pixel 8 at just $100 more is a smart pick thanks to the superior design, which includes Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back, improved water resistance, and better cameras.

On the note of cameras, the Pixel 8 boasts an excellent 50MP main camera that snaps great shots in light or dark settings. The ultra-wide sensor is solid in daylight, but struggles in the dark. And the selfie camera is nice and sharp with a wide field of view. The Pixel 8 may not offer the best cameras out here, but it’s great for the price.

If your budget is tight, you can still get a surprisingly good phone with the Poco X5 5G. While it launched in 2023, it’s still offering a lot for just $220. It’s even received updates to Android 14 since its launch. That kind of support isn't always a given on a budget device. That said, there’s no saying how many more updates it might get going forward.

The Poco X5 5G immediately sets itself apart from other budget phones with its display. You’ll get a large, 6.67" display on the front, and it’s not really compromising on quality. That screen offers a sharp 1080x2400 resolution good for 395ppi. Better still, it’s an AMOLED panel running at 120Hz, making for smooth and punchy visuals. It may not be as bright an AMOLED panel as some flagship phones out there, but it’s great for the money.

The Poco X5 5G also runs a competent SoC in the Snapdragon 695 5G. It’s not winning any speed awards, but when I tested the phone, it kept up with everyday operation and even some gaming in Call of Duty Mobile. It also had enough memory to tackle some multitasking. With insufficient memory being one of the quick ways to end up with a device that doesn’t stand the test of time, it’s good to see Poco opted for a 6GB base.

Unfortunately, some corners had to be cut, and the cameras on the Poco X5 5G are simply not the best. The main sensor does OK in bright conditions, but the ultra-wide is seriously lacking. At least the selfie camera is half decent.

While most of the phones on this list have respectable gaming performance, the RedMagic 10 Pro goes above and beyond as I found in my review. It not only made the jump to the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which provided a considerable performance boost, but it also makes the most of that chip with its cooling performance. Since the RedMagic 10 Pro has an active cooling fan, effectively pulling air through a duct across that Snapdragon chip, it can let the processor run at extreme speeds for longer without running into as much thermal throttling as the competitors.

In my benchmarking, the RedMagic 10 Pro had some of the absolute fastest results of any phone I’ve tested, especially where gaming is concerned. And even if it was occasionally beaten in a single benchmark run, the RedMagic 10 Pro’s ability to sustain its performance ultimately makes it better suited to gaming. Factor in the stunning 7,050mAh battery, and this phone is geared up for gaming like very few others.

The 6.85-inch display on the RedMagic 10 Pro is also brilliant. It’s large, high-resolution, fast at 144Hz, and completely uninterrupted from corner to corner. That is to say, there’s no visible selfie camera cut out to interfere with your view of your games. The selfie camera is cleverly hidden underneath the display, and while that does reduce its quality, everything is secondary to gaming on this phone.

As a proper gaming phone, the RedMagic 10 Pro also has some enhancements for the experience. It features boosted touch responsiveness on the display so inputs are detected faster. It includes two remappable, capacitive shoulder buttons that are incredibly convenient to have while gaming, so you can move and aim with your thumbs and handle skills with your index fingers. For select games, the phone also supports upscaling and frame interpolation, effectively letting your game look sharper and smoother even if the game itself doesn’t natively run at higher resolutions and frame rates.

All of this comes packed into rather respectable hardware. The phone’s build and design are sturdy and elegant, not too gaudy for a gaming phone. You get quality stereo speakers and even a headphone jack. And RedMagic packs in a case with the phone. You don’t get the best cameras in the world, and network support won’t be a match for mainstream phones like the iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy S lineup, but if gaming is your focus, RedMagic stands apart. It’s all the more mind-blowing that the RedMagic 10 Pro costs just $649.

If you want the best foldable smartphone on the market – and one that unfolds into something resembling a tablet – the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is probably your best bet. When the phone is folded up, you get an admittedly narrow 968x2376 AMOLED display, but open it up, and you get a gigantic 7.6" 2160x1856 AMOLED display. These are both absolutely gorgeous, with bright colors and deep blacks, thanks to the OLED panels.

Luckily, it's also powered by the extremely capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which is easily able to keep up with any mobile game, including heavyweights like Zenless Zone Zero and Wuthering Waves. And while it may not be the fastest smartphone with the Snapdaragon 8 Gen 3, it's definitely faster than the previous model, by as much as 22% in my testing.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 also a fantastic camera, snapping incredibly detailed photos, even from far away, thanks to its 30x digital zoom and 50MP main sensor. The front-facing selfie cameras aren't quite as good, but you should still be able to get some snazzy selfies out of it.

The only thing that really holds the Galaxy Z Fold 6 back from greatness is weird aspect ratios. Thanks to its unique form factor, the Z Fold 6 has a 4:3 display when unfolded, which can make content look a little weird. For instance, if you're playing a game, it'll either crop the output down to the right aspect ratio, or will have massive blank spaces, like watching a widescreen movie on an old CRT TV.

Apple has made finding the ideal iPad for most people quite easy over the years with its base-tier iPad generally being quite affordable while offering excellent performance and build quality. Even against competition from the Android side of the market, which has generally struggled with decent low-cost tablets, the base iPad stands out. And with the most recent 11th generation, Apple keeps the simplicity of choice going.

This new model is a very minor iteration on the 10th Gen iPad we had recommended previously. It makes very simple changes, like the shift from a 10.9-inch display to an 11-inch one, though the resolution remains unchanged. The display also continues to be a 60Hz one with a 500-nit peak brightness. Fortunately, none of this makes it a bad display. It even supports the Apple Pencil, albeit the same first-generation Apple pencil that the earlier model supported.

The internal upgrades are better. For one, the 11th Gen iPad finally does away with 64GB of base storage. It now starts with 128GB, providing a huge boost to the space you’ll have for apps, games, media, and digital creations. The chip inside also gets a bump from the dated A14 Bionic to the more recent A16 (though Apple is currently on the A18).

In all, the 11th Gen iPad brings a bigger screen, more storage, and a more recent CPU all packed into a tablet that hasn’t changed its physical footprint. Better still, it hasn’t changed price either. This updated model comes at the same $349 price of its predecessor and is still available in the same fun colors. I’ve even seen it going for $299 on sale already.

See our guide to the best iPad models for more options.

I’m not convinced there’s any Android tablet worth spending $1,000 on – sorry, Samsung, but at that price you can get a competent 2-in-1 Windows machine that will have clearer longevity (like the Asus ProArt PZ13). And many of the cheaper options out raise a lot of concerns. But the OnePlus Pad 2 is neither a shoddy budget Android tablet nor an unreasonably expensive one, and it brings a ton to the tablet. It pulls on its flagship-killer roots to provide a tablet that won’t leave you wanting for much more.

First, it comes packing a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which was the flagship chipset from Qualcomm for mobile devices until very recently and has yet to be supplanted in tablets. This gives the OnePlus Pad 2 excellent performance. 12GB of memory also helps it better keep up with the multitasking you’re liable to get up to on a tablet, which has a bigger screen better up to the task.

Speaking of screens, the OnePlus Pad 2 packs in a sizable 12.1" display with a 2120x3000 resolution. It may only be an IPS panel, but it offers a 900 nit peak brightness and 144Hz refresh rate. That makes for easier visibility and smoother motion across the board. That 144Hz refresh rate can also help in the inking experience, as the OnePlus Pad 2 works with a stylus (that also charges while magnetically attached to the tablet – take a note, Apple).

The OnePlus Pad 2 even gets decent treatment where software is concerned. OnePlus launched on Android 14 and promised three years of OS and four years of security updates. In a market of tablets launching on outdated operating systems with next to no promise of updates, it’s refreshing to see an option that’s not destined to be outdated right out of the gate.

While the OnePlus Pad 2 launched at $550 and still proved a good value at the price, it has more often been running for $450 from OnePlus lately, and can include a free accessory, like the keyboard case.

When I first opened the iPad Pro, I wasn't sure what to make of it. Apple was branding it as a permanent workstation replacement, but it still wasn't running Finder or the desktop applications I would want in that kind of device. However, after a month of using the iPad Pro, it's become one of my go-to daily devices. The Tandem OLED display alone is enough to get most people hooked, even if the price tag makes you wince a bit.

The iPad Pro with an M4 is quite simply the most powerful tablet on the market right now. The M4 that powers the thing is packed with an 8-core CPU clocked at 3.49GHz, which is accompanied by a 10-core GPU that will make easy work of any game you throw at it. Just keep in mind, however, that the amount of RAM you get depends on the storage configuration you go with. As long as you get a 1TB model, you're getting a respectable 16GB of RAM, but the 512GB and 256GB models will have to make do with half the memory. If you're not planning to use the iPad Pro for heavy creative workloads, this is going to be a non-issue. After all, iPadOS isn't exactly known for being super memory-intensive. If you're doing a lot of work in Photoshop or Premiere, you're going to feel it, though.

Artists will also want to pair this tablet with the Apple Pencil Pro, or one of the myriad Apple Pencil alternatives out there. With a stylus in hand, the iPad Pro becomes an incredible creative powerhouse, even with the limits that come with working with what's essentially a souped-up version of iOS.

Apple put together a wonderful little package with the 2024 iPad Air. It upgraded from its predecessors with a thinner design, a selfie camera upgrade, and a newer chip under the hood. You can snag the iPad Air with either an 11" or 13" display, and beyond a corresponding adjustment to resolution, most of the specs of the two tablets otherwise remain the same. Either option gets you an Apple M2 chip backed by 8GB of memory. In our testing, we found this provided ample performance for everyday uses, like streaming movies and browsing, and it even held up for extended gaming sessions in Zenless Zone Zero. The thin design of the tablet can result in some heat build-up though, so be mindful of that if you’re looking to do serious gaming.

The new design of the iPad Air trims its depth down to just 6.1mm, which is even thinner than an iPhone 16. Between that and the tablet weighing just a hair over 1lb, it’s exceptionally portable, which you should want from your tablet. It’s also boasting a quality build with an aluminum frame and back – not that I’d expect any less from Apple.

The display on the iPad Air isn’t as bright as some of its competition, hitting 500 nits, but it offers a wide color gamut that looks great for TV and movies. It also works well with the Apple Pencil Pro, providing smooth inking for drawing and note taking. And, for those looking to incorporate the tablet into a broader device ecosystem, you’ll get the benefit of a USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 port on the bottom of the tablet, supporting faster data transfers and DisplayPort output.

New models of the iPad Air offering an M3 chip are releasing on March 12th.

Apple may have moved onto better things, but the 9th Gen iPad is still floating about in the market. Its A13 Bionic processor isn’t the hot new thing and its 64GB of storage may be limiting for some. It also has an older style that’s not liable to excite techies who chase the latest devices. But it’s still a serviceable little machine that can run the latest version of iPadOS.

If your needs from the tablet are light, it might fit the bill. It should still be more than up to the task of browsing the web, reading comic books, watching videos, and having FaceTime calls with friends and family where people’s heads aren’t the size of your fingertip. But here’s the catch: Apple is driving a really strong bargain on the 11th Gen iPad, which comes with a bunch of upgrades and costs just $349. This model exists in a gray area for the units still available on the market, and there’s no firm price to work with. If you see this 9th Gen iPad going for $250 — which it occasionally does — then consider it a worthy budget alternative. But if it’s anywhere over $300, go for the 11th Gen iPad instead.

The Sonos Era 100 is a direct successor to the Sonos One. Sound quality is equivalent to a Sonos Move, which isn't surprising considering they have similar internal components: two tweeters, a mid-woofer, and three class-D digital amps. The Era 100 also supports Dolby Atmos when it is paired with an Arc or Beam soundbar. It has a built-in microphone and can be voice controlled; it can also be used as a smart speaker for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Thanks to its diminutive 22" length, the Sonos Ray soundbar fits just about anywhere with just about any size TV. Despite its compact size, it still pumps out room-filling audio with its two tweeters and two woofers. The Sonos Ray has built-in WiFi so it can double up as a home audio speaker through the Sonos app, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and more. Note that the Sonos Ray does not have built-in smart functionality.

The Arc is Sonos' flagship product. This is a premium soundbar and it shows. This 45" soundbar houses eleven precisely engineered internal speakers, including two dedicated height channels. It's Dolby Atmos ready, and there's enough power here that you can probably get away without a subwoofer. However, the Sonos Arc can be wirelessly paired up with other Sonos speakers and subs to add even more sound distribution. The Arc has a built-in mic so it can accept voice commands and is Amazon Alexa compatible. The Arc SL is the same speaker but with no microphone, so it doesn't accept voice commands and isn't smart assistant apable.

The Sonos Beam is a smaller 26" soundbar that houses four elliptical midwoofers, one central tweeter and three passive bass radiators. It's also Dolby Atmos ready. Unlike the Arc SL, the Beam is equipped with microphones, so it can function as a smart speaker that supports both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

If you want to add ground-shaking bass to your Sonos setup, there's still nothing better than a separate standalone subwoofer. The Sub 3 boasts plenty of power in the form of two 5"x8" woofers and a ported design that allows for a louder and deeper low-end. It simply can't be emulated by a standard bookshelf speaker or soundbar alone.

Why is Sonos so popular?

If you're looking for an easy solution to add great sound to your home, then you've probably already heard of Sonos. Sonos speakers are very easy to set up, don't take a large amount of space, and most importantly, offer distortion-free room-filling audio. We picked Sonos as our best soundbar of 2024.

Sound quality vs size

Despite the fact that Sonos products are compact and don't take up much space in your house, they offer surprisingly loud and distortion-free audio. They're definitely pricier than budget options, but the sound quality is more akin to audio products that cost hundreds more or take up much more space.

Easy setup

Sonos devices are usually simple plug and play. All you have to do is plug in a power cable (if even that's necessary) and one connection to your TV (if even that's necessary), download the Sonos app, and you're done. Generally a receiver isn't required; the soundbars are designed to plug right into your TV and the speakers are designed to work wirelessly. For something like a 5.1ch home theater setup, you don't have to deal with a mess of cables. Individual Sonos speakers can pair with your soundbar and be used as rear satellites, and the subwoofer is also wireless so it can be positioned virtually anywhere in your room.

Communication between devices

Practically all Sonos speakers can communicate with each other. That means you can pair different Sonos speakers in different rooms for multi-room capability. Or you can pair two speakers for stereo output. Or you can pair speakers to your soundbar to be used as a 5.1ch setup. It's all seamlessly done through the app.

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.

If you want proof that OLED is the new mainstream for the best gaming monitors, just take a look at my thorough review of the Gigabyte FO32U2 Pro. This is a gorgeous 32-inch 4K gaming monitor with an extremely thin panel and one of the brightest displays I've ever had the pleasure of using. And while it is a bit on the pricey side, the best is never the cheapest option, and you'll be well rewarded for the money you invest in this gorgeous piece of kit.

This gaming monitor is extremely forward-facing, too. While most of the best graphics cards aren't really able to drive a 4K gaming monitor at 240Hz, the Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2 supports that high refresh rate anyways. That means even after upgrading your PC a few times over the next few years, you won't really need to buy an all-new gaming monitor for a very long time. Hell, this monitor supports DisplayPort 2.1 technology, which isn't even in most current-generation gaming PCs right now.

But even in the current day, the gorgeous OLED panel is extremely color accurate. Supporting up to 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, you'd be hard pressed to find any screen with better color representation, at least without forking over the cash for a display meant for creative professionals. Combine that with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits and a contrast ratio of 1.5M:1 and this will make any game, movie, or even your desktop seem like it's popping off of your screen.

Of course, because it's a flagship gaming monitor, it also comes with quality-of-life features like picture-in-picture and an automatic black equalizer that'll help you tune how your monitor looks. You can even download the Gigabyte Control Center, plug the monitor into an open USB port (in addition to your standard HDMI/DP port, obviously), and control image settings on your desktop rather than fiddling with an OSD.

This is a dream gaming monitor, and while it's a bit expensive, you're genuinely getting what you pay for.

The AOC Q27G3XMN Gaming Monitor offers true HDR gaming at a fraction of the usual price. That's because it uses a mini-LED backlight to offer localized brightness and contrast all the way up to 1,000 nits. That means that you can enjoy gaming in HDR knowing that you're receiving a full-fledged experience and not the typical "HDR 400" or "HDR compatible" experience found elsewhere.

This monitor uses a VA panel for improved contrast even when you turn local dimming off. You could be forgiven for leaving it on, however, as it's the gateway to more vivid colors and deeper blacks, no matter what you happen to be doing. With 336 local dimming zones, it's able to pinpoint shadows and blacks far better than a traditional edge-lit gaming monitor. In fact, this is the reason why the technology has largely cost two, three, or even four times as much as this monitor.

Even without the mini-LED backlight, however, this would be a great monitor to choose for anyone on a limited budget. Its 27-inch frame is perfectly matched to its 1440p resolution, allowing it to offer crisp visuals and smooth, responsive gameplay. It's lacking some amenities like built-in speakers or a USB hub, but that can be forgiven for its generously priced panel and gaming experience.

With all of that in mind, AOC did make a sacrifice on local dimming zones to get the price so low. While 336 sounds like a lot on paper, flagship mini-LED monitors usually feature over 1,100. Its reduced zone count leads to noticeable blooming (glowing around bright objects on dark backgrounds). While this isn't always an issue, especially when you're playing games, it's also not something you can ignore when it's there. You'll notice it every time, though many people do get used to it and find it doesn't bother them over time.

Even with some blooming to contend with, the AOC Q27G3XMN mini-LED gaming monitor is still a great pick that offers some truly impressive visuals its biggest competitors simply can't compete with.

The Acer Predator X34 OLED is my top pick for an ultrawide gaming monitor in 2025. On top of its spacious 34-inch 21:9 display, it checks every box you would hope for from a flagship gaming monitor. It's bright, fast, immersive, and an absolute feast for the eyes.

This isn't the first Predator X34 that Acer has released, but it's in a class of its own thanks to its deeply curved OLED display. You may have gamed on a curved monitor before, but the X34 takes it to the next level with a deeper, 800R curvature. Most gaming monitors are 1800R or 1500R – gentle curves that really don't amount to much. The lower the number, the deeper the curve, and this panel is designed to wrap straight into your peripheral vision for a deeply immersive gaming experience. Just be aware that, while great for gaming, such a deep curve can lead to slight text warping that takes some time to get used to and may not be the best for productivity.

Like other OLED monitors, it's incredibly responsive with a 0.03ms response time. IPS, VA, and even TN panels simply cannot compete with that level of speed. At its full refresh rate of 240Hz, input latency is virtually non-existant so your muscle memory can really take over in clutch moments.

It's a common refrain at this point that OLED monitors tend to look amazing, and that's absolutely the case here. It still manages to set itself apart, however, with a peak brightness that's higher than most other gaming monitors, even those that purport to offer brighter viewing experiences thanks to quantum dots.

It's rated for 1,300 nits of peak brightness, so prepare for lifelike highlights and infinite blacks.

Its biggest drawback, and a genuinely puzzling omission, is that it lacks an sRGB mode for content creation. Given its wide color gamut and quality factory calibration, that's strange. It does feature a DCI-P3 mode, however, so content creators and digital artists still have a reference preset that they can rely on.

The Dell Alienware AW2725Q is a top-tier pick for stunning visuals and performance at 4K. This display is an update to our last pick for a best 4K monitor, which also happened to be an Alienware 27 inch. Unlike that monitor, this display uses an upgraded QD-OLED panel and a faster 240Hz refresh rate. It also features a refreshed design from the brand, which is slightly more minimal, but still appealingly contoured with a sci-fi inspired design. The short version is that it should fit in with more gaming setups than ever before and provide an upgraded gaming experience compared to the majority of monitors below its price point and even some above.

At 27 inches, this monitor offers a high pixel density of 166PPI. It balances its generous screen real estate with high resolution so every detail looks crisp and well-defined. Thanks to its OLED panel, you can also count on outstanding colors so the picture is as engaging as it is clear. It also offers VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification and Dolby Vision HDR for fantastic image quality in games and movies that support high dynamic range.

When I tested the Alienware AW2725Q for my review, I was immediately impressed by its great picture quality. There are lots of different preset modes to choose from, both in SDR and HDR, and includes three-axis RGB controls and six-axis saturation controls to calibrate it to your taste. If you're a content creator, you'll also appreciate that it comes well factory calibrated straight out of the box.

Since it's an OLED, its SDR brightness isn't great. If you're using it indoors away from direct sunlight, you'll be able to enjoy it perfectly well, and in HDR the brightness is able to reach a full 1,000 nits for highlights. While SDR might be a drawback that it shares with other OLED gaming monitors, it also shares the same incredible response time of 0.03ms. Paired with its 240Hz refresh rate, it's the perfect pick for when motion clarity matters most, such as esports and competitive shooters.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this monitor only supports DisplayPort 1.4, not the newer DP 2.1 standard. That means that there's no way to run it at its full resolution and refresh rate without Display Stream Compression. It's visually lossless, however, so this really only matters if you're using multiple displays or want to avoid a few-second black screen when alt-tabbing from a full-screen game.

The Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDP is the best 1440p monitor for esports and everything else. Priced below than many of its competitors, this monitor has something for everyone. It has great HDR performance thanks to the exceptional peak brightness and infinite contrast of its WOLED panel and impressive out-of-the-box color accuracy, one of the best I've tested and reviewed so far.

What really sets it apart is its incredibly fast refresh rate. The monitor is able to hit a top speed of 480Hz, putting it a hair's distance away from the fastest gaming monitors you can buy today (which currently peak at 500Hz). It's so close, in fact, that even pros would be hard pressed to tell the difference. And for the paltry 20Hz it lacks in comparison, it offers a much better picture. Unlike the 4K variant which has a 480Hz "mode," you don't sacrifice image quality just to achieve that high frame rate.

The screen is seriously gorgeous. You don't need to be a display expert to appreciate its rich colors and impeccable contrast. Playing games on it is a joy thanks to its stunning picture, but so is watching movies, and even pretty much anything with photo or video content. During my review, I just couldn't get enough and boxing it back up to return was a sad day indeed.

Its fast refresh rate and the incredible 0.03ms responsiveness all but eliminate motion blur. You can perform quick flips and snaps without the usual smearing. It's a noticeable improvement even over 240Hz monitors, which themselves are better than the 120Hz to 180Hz monitors widely available today.

The PG27AQDP also features the widest array of OLED protections I've encountered. It features the usual pixel shifting and pixel refresh cycles, but it's also able to detect and dim static elements like your task bar. There's even a mode to dynamically dim different parts of your screen in real time based on what's being displayed to ward off image retention. Internally, a high performance cooling system is at play to draw heat away, also reducing the risk of burn-in. And if you do happen to get unlucky and face issues, Asus offers a three-year warranty with burn-in coverage.

There's no KVM or USB video input, which is a bit disappointing, but when considered with everything you're getting here, this is a monitor that's tough to beat.

The Arctis Pro was the highest-end gaming headset in SteelSeries' repertoire until its successor, the Arctis Nova Pro, was released. It boasts some great features you don't see in other gaming headsets, like a separate standalone base station with volume knob and OLED display, simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4GHz WiFi pairing, and probably the best one: the hot-swappable battery system. This way, you get wireless freedom with no waiting to recharge. SteelSeries includes two batteries: one that's in use in your headset and the other that's charging in the base station.

The Arctis Pro features as good of a build quality you'll find in a SteelSeries headset. The headband is made of a lightweight steel and aluminum alloy construction and the suspension headstrap is very comfortable for marathon gaming sessions. The ear cushions are made of an AirWeave performance fabric similar to the ones found on the new Arctis Nova Pro. The ClearCast boom microphone can be retracted when not in use. Audio quality is great thanks to the premium 40mm speaker drivers with high-density neodymium magnets that reproduce hi-res audio up to 40,000Hz.

The Arctis Pro was replaced by the Arctis Nova Pro in 2022. The current best price for a brand new pair of Nova Pros is $270 on Amazon. Although it's an excellent headset that we reviewed favorably and features significant upgrades like active noise cancellation and USB Type-C charging, it most certainly isn't worth nearly double the cost of the Arctis Pro.

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 E7 Pro is the creme de la creme of Flexispot's standing desks. It's recent released so it isn't nearly as heavily discounted as the other models. Currently it costs $399.99 (normally $599.99) for the base only and desktop surfaces start at $80. The E7 Pro features the best build quality of the three listed here, and it certainly shows with a weight capacity of a whopping 440lbs. Flexispot claims the motor for the E7 Pro is superior to the standard dual motor setup you'll find in the E5 and E7 and other brands, offering smoother and faster movement. You also get more cable management options included than even the E7. The Flexispot E7 Pro comes with an extended 15-year warranty on all metal, mechanical, and electrical parts and components, including the motor.

The Flexispot E5 desk is, in my opinion, the best value electric standing desk while still offering all the premium features you'd want. Right now it costs $199.99 (normally $379.99) for the base only and desktop surfaces start at $80. The Flexispot E5 is the least expensive model featuring dual motors, which are preferred over a single motor because they can support more weight (in this case 287lbs max) and they last longer because the stress is evenly distributed. The desktop is supported by a double crossbeam structure so that your surface is evenly supported to prevent any sagging. Most standing desks in this price range only have legs with a two-stage column, but this one features a three-stage column, which supports a greater vertical range (in this case 23.6" to 49.2"). An anti-collision feature, a must-have in all desks, will stop the desk when it detects obstruction of the motor. Finally, the keypad controls offer three memory presets and a timer to remind you when to swap sit/stand positions. The E5 comes with a 10-year warranty.

The E7 currently costs $299.99 (normally $499.99) for the base only and desktop surfaces start at $80. For an extra $140, the Flexispot E7 offers better build quality, a higher weight threshold, more included accessories, and a longer warranty. The lifting capacity has been upgraded from 287lbs to 355lbs. Aesthetically, the legs look more professional, with laser-welded seams, powder-coated finish, and no visible holes. The advanced keyboard has been upgraded with an LCD display, more memory presets, a built-in USB charger, and a child-lock function that's a necessity for those of us with inquisitive toddlers. The E7 also comes with a built-in cable tray under the desk to stow away all of your messy wiring. The Flexispot E7 comes with a 15 year warranty like the E7 Pro.

An L-shaped desk is the best way to take advantage of room corners that are otherwise hard to utilize efficiently. Fortunately, Flexispot makes an L-shaped variant of its E7 desk, with the frame starting at $449.99. You'll only need to add $80 to get a 63"x47"x24" chipboard desktop surface included. The desk boasts a triple motor system (one for each leg) with a maximum weight capacity is 330 pounds and a height range of 25" to 50.7". The keyboard features a digital display, four memory presets, a built-in USB charger, and a child-lock function. Like the E7, the E7L includes a 15 year warranty.

The Flexispot C7 offers a ton of features that are typically reserved for much more expensive chairs. This includes an automatically adjusting lumbar system, adjustable seat depth, adjustable armrests, adjustable seat tilt, adjustable headrest, 128 degrees of recline, and more. There's also a C7 Max Ergonomic Chair available starting at $450 which features a thicker seat cushion, greater recline adjustability, and 5D armrests, and the option to add a built-in footrest.

You've probably heard of Thuma, a pricey manufacturer of bed frames that use traditional Japanese joinery instead of screws. Flexispot has a very similar product that employs the same joinery techniques, is made of the same solid rubberwood material, and nearly the same weight capacity (1,200lbs vs 1,500 lbs), but costs only a third of the price. The Flexispot Kana Bed Frame starts at $349.99 for the full size with queen and king sizes also available. You can opt to add in a solid rubberwood headboard for an additional $270 or a washable linen pillowboard for $280.

Continuing down the bedroom lineup, Flexispot also carries a "premier hybrid mattress" that borrows its name from the more well known Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress. However, while Nectar's queen-sized mattress starts at $1,100, Flexispot sells its version for only $399.99. The construction is remarkably similar as well, which includes 5 total inches of foam (2" of gel foam, 2" of gel memory foam, and 1" PU foam), as well as 8 inches of individually wrapped pocket coils.

Flexispot now sells sectionals, sofas, and recliners at affordable prices. The Lotus Smart Rocker is a pretty sweet addition to your gaming den, especially if you opt for the electric version starting at $519.99. It's available in both fabric and PU leather upholstery and features full electric reclinability. It can also swivel up to 270 degrees and has a smooth rocking function. There are USB ports for charging your phone, tablet, or gaming handheld, and even a handy storage cubby.

Consider getting a desk frame here and the desktop surface elsewhere

I have three standing desks. One of the standing desks included a desktop, however for the other two desks I sourced on my own. For one of them I purchased a massive 74"x26" maple veneered countertop from Ikea for $199. For the other one I purchased a 48"x25" solid wood countertop from Home Depot and finished it myself. There are more options available where you could save money, opt for a better quality material, or both. Just remember to abide by the weight limitations.

How does Flexispot compare to other brands?

I can only speak from personal experience. I own a Jarvis Fully, a Vari Ergo, and a Flexispot E5. All three are excellent desks that have caused me no problems whatsoever in the 3+ years of owning them, and that's the point. The Flexispot E5 is considerably less expensive than the other two options, and yet I don't really see where much of that cost is going. For a similar price of a barebones $600 Jarvis standing desk (which is now owned by MillerKnoll), you could get the top end Flexispot E7 Pro and still come out with a few hundred dollars left over.

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 faithful recreation of what made the PS2-era classics so memorable, to its modern quality of life improvements, excellent soundtrack, and overall love letter to the series early days, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is very much something that should be on your radar if you’re a fan of skateboarding, enjoy action sports games, or just want to play something that's simple and fun. It might be the easiest kickflip you’ll land this year."

Pro Skater 3+4 is up for preorder right now, and costs just $49.99 on Switch 2.

Donkey Kong Bananza: July 17, 2025

Donkey Kong Bananza finally swings onto Switch 2 on July 17, marking the first all-new 3D Donkey Kong game since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64.

Nintendo has now confirmed it’s developed by the Super Mario Odyssey team, and that polish shows in everything from the destructible environments to the game’s momentum-driven platforming.

This time around, DK and Pauline team up to run, climb, roll, and, most importantly, dig through a world that’s practically begging to be smashed apart.

The new digging mechanic lets Donkey Kong burrow into the ground or tunnel through cliff faces, uncovering hidden treasure like Banandium Gems and gold, or surf on chunks of debris.

It’s chaotic, tactile, and packed with secrets. For more on how it plays, check out our final Donkey Kong Bananza hands-on preview before release.

Nintendo is also releasing a new Donkey Kong and Pauline amiibo on the same day. Scanning it in-game unlocks Pauline’s Diva Dress early and boosts your chances of finding discs, collectibles that let you replay individual tracks in the game’s music player.

Shadow Labyrinth: July 18, 2025

In case you've got a hankering for some kind of twisted Pan-Man Metroidvania, Shadow Labyrinth could be great option to play on the go on the Switch 2, starting on July 18. It'll run at 4K 60 FPS with a free Switch 2 Edition download from day one of release.

IGN's Andrew McMahon recently got to play Shadow Labyrinth at PAX East, and had this to say: "Whether it is the fluidity of Puck’s grappling hook and wall traversal combined with Swordsman No."

"8’s raw power and durability, or the fact that Pac-Man can turn into a mech that shoots lasers out of its mouth, everything about this Metroidvania is absurdly fun. The game features something for everyone here, as the platforming, combat, and puzzles each stand out on their own as enjoyable experiences."

"I implore you to suspend your disbelief about how this bizarre concept can even work, and at least give Shadow Labyrinth a try when it is released, as this insane creative bet by Bandai looks like it might actually pay off."

Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV: July 24, 2025

Super Mario Party Jamboree – Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV drops exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on July 24. This expanded version includes everything from the original Super Mario Party Jamboree on Switch, plus the brand-new Jamboree TV expansion, a flashy game show mode hosted by Toad that leans even harder into chaotic party-game energy.

This is also another example of Nintendo’s new pricing strategy for Switch 2. While most first-party games on the original Switch launched at $59.99, Switch 2 titles are climbing higher.

Super Mario Party Jamboree - Switch 2 Edition will retail for $79.99, matching the price of Mario Kart World and Tears of the Kingdom - Switch 2 Edition, though not every game is hitting that ceiling.

This version includes the original game, an HD upgrade with smoother performance, and the new expansion content. If you already own Jamboree on the original Switch, you can skip the full re-buy and grab the Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack separately for $19.99 via the Nintendo eShop or participating retailers.

No Sleep for Kaname Date - From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES: July 25, 2025

Step into the mind of Kaname Date, a special agent with an AI partner living in his cybernetic left eye, as you race to uncover the truth behind a missing internet idol.

No Sleep for Kaname Date throws you into a surreal mystery where Iris, a popular streamer, has been trapped inside a bizarre, high-stakes escape game, and the only way to find her is to interrogate suspects, dive into dreams, and decode the secrets buried deep in the subconscious.

Expect psychological twists, dream logic puzzles, and plenty of stylish weirdness when the game launches for Nintendo Switch 2 on July 25.

Wild Hearts S: July 25, 2025

Wild Hearts S is back with a vengeance on Switch 2, bringing its beast-slaying action to a new generation. Set in a fantasy world inspired by feudal Japan, this enhanced edition lets players wield ancient tech to track and take down colossal nature-infused monsters.

Hunt solo or team up with up to three friends in seamless co-op as you craft weapons, build your own hunting grounds, and face off against towering threats in a world where nature fights back—hard. It’s fast, frantic, and completely untamed.

Plenty More New Switch 2 Games Are on the Way

That's all for July on Nintendo Switch 2. Next up, we can look forward to Madden NFL 25, Drag x Drive, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar in August, alongside even more big releases later in the year like Borderlands 4 in September, Pokemon Legends: Z-A in October, and hopefully a confirmed release date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond sooner rather than later.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Senior Commerce Editor, for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter/X or Bluesky.

Even if you change your mind and don't want to subscribe and save, you can still get this great deal on Coke Zero when you purchase. It's Coke with zero sugar, and there's 12 cans that you can drink out of and recycle (thumbs up).

This Dreamegg portable white noise machine is down to $16.15 with the on-site 15% coupon, shaving nearly a quarter off the list price. It’s small enough to fit in your palm but loud enough to drown out hotel noise, snoring, or busy office chatter. With 16 nature sounds, a beefed-up 1000mAh battery, and USB-C charging, it’s a smart little travel buddy. The nubbed button makes it easy to use in the dark, and the memory function keeps your settings locked in. For sleep, focus or baby naps, it punches way above its size.

The FrSara neck fan is down to $26.99 and it’s built for real heat relief. It’s bladeless, quiet, and pushes air from both sides with a 360° flow that cools you fast. The 5200mAh battery lasts up to 16 hours, so it won’t quit halfway through your day. It’s comfortable, won’t tug your hair, and the three speed settings give you full control.

Prismatic Evolutions Super-Premium Collection is going for $195 right now, beating Amazon by 6%. You’re getting a full-art foil Eevee ex promo card, a plushy-soft Eevee deck box, and a matching playmat with all the Evolutions. 15 Prismatic Evolutions booster packs and 65 themed card sleeves round out the box.

This is the core of Sapkowski’s epic—Blood of Elves, The Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of Swallows, and Lady of the Lake—finally bundled in one set. If you’ve only seen the show or played the games, this is where the real magic lives. The writing is sharp, the world-building deep, and Geralt’s story hits harder on-page.

The full A Song of Ice and Fire box set (Don't blame me for the listing name) brings together George R. R. Martin’s five epic novels in one heavyweight bundle. Game of Thrones, Clash of Kings, Storm of Swords, Feast for Crows and Dance with Dragons form a world of brutal politics, ancient threats and unforgettable characters. If you've only watched the show, you're missing huge layers of intrigue and detail the books lay bare.

Humble Choice is bringing the heat this month with a killer lineup for just $14.99. You’ll snag Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, Daemon X Machina, Cat Quest III, Death’s Door, and more including a free month of IGN Plus. That’s over $200 in games ready to drop into your library. Every month you stay subbed, you get exclusive discounts and new indie gems in the Vault. Oh, and 5% of your sub supports charity too.

his one’s a real collector’s gem. Symphonic Journeys: Pokémon Red & Blue is getting the orchestral treatment, and the exclusive IGN variant presses it to Fire Red vinyl. It ships September 2025, but you can lock in your pre-order now for $34.99. Nolan Markey leads the score with full performance by Budapest Scoring, reimagining everything from Pallet Town to the Champion Battle.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows finally delivers the long-awaited leap into feudal Japan, and it doesn’t waste the opportunity. This Amazon-exclusive Limited Edition includes the full game plus the Sekiryu Character Pack, and it's now down to $49.99—29% off the original $69.99 price. You’ll switch between Naoe, a nimble shinobi, and Yasuke, a powerhouse samurai, across a moody and expansive Sengoku-era Japan. We praised the game’s dynamic environments, more focused pacing, and demanding combat. It doesn’t reinvent the series, but it smartly trims the bloat while offering rich stealth and action-driven storytelling. At this price, it’s a sharp buy for any AC fan.

M3GAN 2.0 dials up the chaos and trades in some of the original’s horror flair for a louder sci-fi action vibe. The Limited Edition Steelbook packs in 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital formats for $37.99, with a pre-order guarantee that locks in the best price. While we noted the sequel stumbles trying to balance satire and spectacle, M3GAN still steals the spotlight with her savage wit and unpredictable presence. It may not reinvent the killer robot genre, but if you’re in for stylish carnage and sharp-edged commentary, this edition delivers plenty of polished personality for the price.

For $15.99, this 32-piece WOWBOX drawer organizer set is an easy win for cutting clutter across any room. You get four sizes of clear black bins, perfect for separating everything from office supplies to cosmetics and kitchen tools. The plastic is sturdy enough to handle daily use without cracking, and the stackable design lets you double your storage without taking up more space.

It's a fan that you don't have to hold because it sits comfortably around your neck. This is such a cool and handy product for under $15, especially if you're like me and get warm at the thought of some sunshine.

I can't describe how much I need this work of art. This edition of the Silmarillion arrives in a deluxe stamped clothbound hardcover edition housed in a custom slipcase and lavishly illustrated with over 50 color pieces by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. This collector's version presents the complete text in two-color print and includes exclusive extras like two fold-out maps of Beleriand, a booklet on the making of The Silmarillion by Christopher Tolkien, and a collectible art card. From the crafting of the Silmarils and Morgoth’s theft, to the fall of Númenor and the forging of the Rings of Power, this volume captures the vast mythological backdrop of The Lord of the Rings. Beautifully quarterbound with foil-stamped black cloth boards, silver-edged pages, and a ribbon marker, it’s a definitive edition for Tolkien devotees.

We're all over Prime Days 2025, and some deals are going live now. For more information about the event and an inside scoop on hot deals and top tips, check out our Prime Day hub.

This one is a no-brainer. If your 18-24, snap up this 6-months free deal for Amazon Prime. It includes the free and fast delivery Amazon is known for alongside unlimited streaming, free delivery on GrubHub+, free Prime games every month and loads more.

Audible’s doing that 99c a month deal again for Premium Plus, and it’s a steal. Amazon Prime Members get three months free, so make sure to check for an active subscription before looking for this deal. You get three audiobooks to keep, full access to the big library, and it works even if you’ve had a sub before as long as it’s not active now. I just logged in, saw the banner, and grabbed it. Sunrise on the Reaping is already in my library, and I’m eyeing that massive new Sanderson one next. Less than three bucks for all that? Easy win.

I’ve never really stuck with audiobooks before, but this Kindle Unlimited deal finally got me into them properly. Right now you can get three months free if you’ve got Prime, and it works on your phone or tablet, not just a Kindle. I gave it a go, downloaded a couple of books, and now I’ve actually started finishing them while I’m out walking or doing stuff around the house. It’s made getting through my backlog way easier and I didn’t have to pay a thing to try it. If you’ve been on the fence, this is a solid excuse to dive in.

If you’re sensitive to light while sleeping, this 3D contoured eye mask from WAOAW might be worth trying. It’s designed with deeper eye cavities so there’s no pressure on your lids, and the wide, adjustable strap helps it stay put without pulling at your hair. The material is soft and breathable, and it comes with earplugs and a travel pouch, which makes it a handy option for travel or quick naps.

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.

That said, Amazon isn’t your only option. TCGPlayer currently has it valued at around $197.31 on the secondary market, which isn’t a massive difference but still saves you ten bucks or more, and at this price point, every dollar helps. That's a -56.74% drop in value over the past few months, and -6.28% in the past 30 days.

If you're primarily interested in the booster packs, it's worth noting that the Prismatic Evolutions Super Premium Collection offers a compelling value at the moment.

While the Booster Bundles (listed below) provide more packs if buying multiple at a time ($68.50 a pop), they lack the exclusive promos and collector's items included in the SPC, such as the full-art foil promo card featuring Eevee ex, a deck box, a playmat, and 65 card sleeves. Therefore, the SPC stands out as a cost-effective choice for collectors seeking both quantity and quality.

Alternatively, you could skip the sealed product altogether. Singles from this set are trending down, and if there’s a specific chase card you’ve been eyeing, now might be the time. Sylveon ex SIR, for example, has dropped from $562 in May to around $400 for a near-mint copy.

Pulling one from a premium box is a long shot, especially with Prismatic’s tough pull rates and reverse holos soaking up the rare slots, so buying outright may be the smarter move.

Or skip the gamble altogether. With Prismatic Evolutions singles trending downward, this might be the perfect moment to snag specific cards you want without rolling the dice.

Prismatic Evolutions Single Cards: What to Buy?

While a few top-tier pulls like Roaring Moon ex SIR and Vaporeon ex SIR are holding steady, or even creeping upward, a bunch of Prismatic Evolutions heavy-hitters are absolutely tanking in value right now. And that’s your opportunity.

Yes, suggesting that Pokémon cards priced over $200 are a deal might sound unhinged. But here’s the thing: pulling a Special Illustration Rare from this set is brutal. Thanks to those Pokéball and Masterball reverse holos clogging the rare slots, your odds are garbage. Booster packs are running over $10 a pop, and most people will burn through a mountain of them with nothing to show for it.

Take Sylveon ex SIR: easily one of the most striking cards in the set. It’s dropped 28% in just a couple weeks, from $562.60 in early May to around $400 for a near-mint copy right now. If you’ve been eyeing it, this might be the sweet spot before prices rebound, and you’re definitely not pulling it from a single $260 Super Premium Collection box.

Stock Alert: Amazon vs. Market Price

It’s still wild to see Pokémon sets climbing past $200 just months after launch, but if you’re looking for value, comparing Amazon and TCGPlayer is worth your time. In some cases, Amazon's price isn’t far off market value, but in others, like Cynthia’s Garchomp ex Premium Collection, TCGPlayer is nearly 50% cheaper vs Amazon.

We’ve rounded up the best live prices in the carousel above, but don’t forget to check eBay too, sometimes the real deals are hiding just off the main drag.

Looking for more TCG discussion and market watch? Check out the full Pokemon TCG release schedule for 2025, the most expensive 151 cards going right now for Pokemon trainers, and last week's MTG price movers and shakers, alongside all the big price changes for Pokemon cards this week.

Should You Wait For Amazon Prime Day?

Yes and no. It's unlikely Amazon will drop the price of the Prismatic Evolutions SPC any further for Prime members, but that doesn't mean we won't see any Pokémon card deals or restocks over the four day shopping event.

It's also worth noting that Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are also running discount sales through July 4th and beyond to compete with Amazon, so keep an eye on those as well for more top deals.

But, if you're 24 and under, Amazon is the top choice right now for freebies, as you can currently get six months of Prime, three months of Audible, and three months of Kindle Unlimited, all for zero cost.

To be fair, the final two are for everyone, but getting six months of Prime for free is worth the biggest call out, so take note Gen Z readers.

When it comes to actually shopping the big sales though, Amazon Prime Day still wins on variety, but Walmart often matches prices on big-ticket items like AirPods, iPads, and consoles.

Where Walmart stands out is with its exclusive brands, think Vizio TVs or budget gear you won’t find on Amazon. It’s also been stronger recently for Nintendo Switch deals, which Amazon rarely stocks directly anymore.

The smart move? Compare both during the sale. Prices often match, but not always, and Walmart+ members get early access to some of the best deals (but a membership also isn't required to shop). Target’s Circle Week sale is also running, but most shoppers will find the biggest wins at either Amazon or Walmart in 2025.

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.

We rank the Crucial T500 SSD among our picks for the best PS5 SSDs, so you know it's worth investing in. What's even better is scoring it at a discount, and Amazon has the 2TB SSD marked down to $124.99. Boasting sequential read/write speeds of up to 7,400/7,000MB/s, alongside a heatsink, it's ready to bring speedy performance to your PS5.

Lexar 2TB NM790 SSD for $124.99

While this SSD doesn't have a heatsink, it still boasts 7,400MB/s read speeds and 6,500MB/s write speeds for powerful performance in your PS5. It's currently on sale at Amazon for $124.99, which is 22% off its list price of $159.99. If you've been looking to buy an SSD or upgrade from one you already have, this is an option worth picking up, even if it doesn't come with a heatsink. Just remember to add one before you install it.

SK Hynix P41 Platinum 2TB M.2 SSD for $129.99

This is another SSD that doesn't come with a heatsink, but it's still one that's worth investing in, especially at its discounted price. The SK hynix Platinum P41 2TB SSD boasts read speeds up to 7,000MB/s and up to 6,500MB/s write speeds, and it's currently on sale for just $129.99 at Amazon.

Samsung 990 Pro 2TB PS5 SSD for $149.99

If you've been on the lookout for a speedy upgrade for your PS5, Samsung's 990 Pro is currently on sale at Amazon for $149.99 as well. It offers sequential speeds of 7,450MB/s read and 6,900MB/s write and random speeds of 1400K/1550K IOPS, so your PS5 can get a boost at a discount.

Samsung 990 Evo Plus 2TB PS5 SSD for $139.99

Another one of our favorite discounts at the moment is on the SAMSUNG 990 EVO Plus 2TB SSD, which has dropped its price down to $139.99. Boasting sequential read/write speeds of up to 7,250/6,300MB/s, this SSD is a powerful pickup.

Corsair MP600 PRO LPX 2TB SSD with Heatsink for $169.99

If you're on the lookout for a heatsink with your SSD, this deal can bring you the whole package. Corsair's MP600 PRO LPX 2TB SSD with heatsink is discounted to $169.99 at Amazon, 15% off its list price of $199.99. It boasts 7,100MB/s sequential read and 6,800MB/s sequential write speeds. We even rank it as the best PS5 SSD to buy in 2025.

Samsung 9100 Pro 2TB M.2 SSD for $239.99

With incredible sequential read and write speeds of up to 14,800/13,400 MB/s, this SSD is quite the performance powerhouse. It's currently enjoying a 20% discount at Amazon right now, which has dropped its price from $299.99 to $239.99.

What if the SSD Doesn't Include a Heatsink?

Sony recommends you install an SSD that has an attached heatsink. If the SSD you purchase doesn't include one, it's simple enough to buy one for $10 on Amazon and add it yourself. Most of these heatsinks are just attached using an adhesive like thermal tape.

Budget to Best: PS5 SSDs

There may be other SSD deals out there, but these are the PS5 SSDs we've tried ourselves and highly recommend. They also double up as outstanding boot drives for your gaming PC, so they're useful for more than just those who need additional storage for their PS5 console.

How To Install a New PS5 SSD

It's extremely easy! Removing the case cover is completely toolless. In fact, the only screw you have to remove is the one that keeps the cover for the SSD bay in place. Sony has a quick and easy YouTube video guide.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

Original article by Eric Song.