A post on the official Japanese Twitter / X account for the upcoming game Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy received a reply from none other than veteran developer Akitoshi Kawazu, who surprised users by revealing new information about the inspiration behind a Final Fantasy II character.
Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy is Square Enix’s upcoming free-to-play mobile game, slated for a 2026 release. Featuring cel-shaded graphics, Dissidia Duellum takes beloved Final Fantasy characters from throughout the RPG series’ history and transports them to modern Tokyo, where they take on monsters in 3vs3 battles. Two teams of Final Fantasy characters will race to fight their way through roaming monsters to beat the boss faster than the opposing team. The game will also feature voiced story segments.
Dissidia Duellum will not only let you put protagonists like Cloud, Squall, and Lightning in your party, but a whole host of other characters are also making a return, some in the form of special abilities. The official X account recently revealed that Minwu, a character from 1988’s Final Fantasy II, will be lending power to your party with his teleport ability.
Veteran dev Akitoshi Kawazu, battle designer for Final Fantasy I and II as well as the key creator of the SaGa series, responded to this post with some insight into Minwu’s original inspiration. In his post, Kawazu revealed that Minwu was modelled on Wu Qi, a real life military general and philosopher from China's Warring States period. He explained that when Minwu’s name is written in kanji characters, it contains the same character for Wu as Wu Qi (rendered as 呉 in Japanese, and 吳 in traditional Chinese). For the Japanese release of Final Fantasy II, Minwu’s name was written phonetically in katakana (a script used for foreign loan words) just like the rest of the game’s cast of characters, so the reference to Wu Qi was not apparent to players.
In Final Fantasy II, Minwu is a white wizard from Mysidia who temporarily joins your party. He serves the Flynn royal family in exile as an advisor when the Palemecian Empire’s attack forces them to flee. He plays a key role in organizing rebel forces and the quest for the Ultima Tome.
Another reason Minwu’s inspiration is not readily apparent is his physical appearance. With his turban and dark skin, he does not visually resemble Wu Qi. However, his strategic role as an advisor plus his loyalty to the Flynn royal family and Princess Hilda does bear some resemblance to Wu Qi’s appointment as the head of Chu State and his fealty to King Dao. Sadly, both meet tragic ends.
Kawazu’s comment attracted many appreciative responses from other users. “It makes me extremely happy to receive new information about FFII in this day and age. Thank you,” said one commenter. Others were eager for more insight into the 37-year-old game: “I wonder if there are any behind-the-scenes revelations or inspirations for other Final Fantasy II characters?”
Dissidia Duellum is scheduled to launch on iOS and Android in 2026. Those in Canada and the U.S. can sign up for the closed beta in November to get a sneak peak at the game.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
Silent Hill series producer Motoi Okamoto has insisted "AI would never be able to make" Silent Hill f, responding to comments made by former Konami developer Hideo Kojima that "remakes and sequels will be made by AI" in years to come.
In a new interview, Hideo Kojima cautioned against the industry's preoccupation with remaking or expanding existing franchises, suggesting it was creatively "dangerous" not to explore new things, and suggesting "in the future, remakes and sequels will be made by AI." And it's kicked up quite the discussion on social media.
Okamoto disagreed with Kojima's claims, however, saying that while AI could perhaps "put together" a sequel inspired by the Silent Hill universe, Konami's creative "bold choices" — such as to switch the setting to Japan, or employ Ryukishi07 as writer — were made by human developers.
In response to a Twitter / X post about Kojima's comments, Okamoto said: "It would be quite difficult for AI to replace works that take a significant departure from the original path of the series, like Silent Hill f.
"AI may be able to put together a project for a sequel that takes place in the Silent Hill universe, but things like changing the story’s setting to Japan or getting Ryukishi07 on board as a writer are the kind of bold choices AI would never be able to make,” he added (thanks, Automaton).
Silent Hill f is indeed a departure for the series as we know it, taking us not to the titular town but instead to 1960s Japan, where we follow Hinako Shimizu, a teenager struggling under the pressure of expectations from her friends, family, and society. It's out now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S and has sold 1 million copies since its debut at the end of September. Our Silent Hill f review returned a 7/10. We said: "Silent Hill f presents a fresh new setting to explore and a fascinatingly dark story to unravel, but its melee-focussed combat takes a big swing that doesn’t quite land."
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
While Battlefield 6 Support, Assault, and Recon classes work together to win matches, some Engineer fans have been caught using their time becoming in-game artists instead of capturing objectives.
The days following the launch of EA and Battlefield Studios’ long-awaited sixth numbered entry in the franchise have seen players coming together to share cinematic action movie-like moments they’ve experienced. As jets soar overhead and tanks roll through buildings, it’s the Engineer class that has found perhaps the most creative use of their gadgets.
The repair tool has been used to leave drawings for friendly and enemy squads for years, but Battlefield 6 has presented an opportunity for players to revisit the time-honored tradition. The Engineer gadget, which is supposed to be used to repair — or even damage — tanks, helicopters, and other armored vehicles, leaves behind burn marks wherever it’s pointed. In the hands of the right Engineer, the gadget makes for a handy pen for drawing, and Battlefield 6 players aren’t letting that go to waste.
Those on the way to capture or hold an objective may notice drawings from those who have found a more artistic way to enjoy Battlefield 6. These range from simple illustrations, such as the iconic “Cool S” or a smiley face, to time-consuming recreations of characters like digital pop star Hatsune Miku and Dragon Ball Z’s Vegeta.
"Meanwhile on the Battlefield," one player jokes, "Where are the engineers?" "Cut to a flaming tank," another adds.
Are detailed pictures easy to draw? No. Do time-consuming drawings keep Engineers from helping out their team? Probably, but that doesn’t mean others can’t enjoy them, too. Some players are even using the Engineer repair tool’s drawing ability to find new ways to play Battlefield 6 — including striking up a match of tic-tac-toe.
An Engineer focused on completing their Dragon Ball drawing is an easy target depending on where they choose to leave their work. Funnily enough, though, the artist behind the Vegeta drawing says not every Battlefield 6 player is looking for an easy kill.
"What was really cool is that an enemy saw me drawing and decided to let me be," they say, leaving a heart emoticon. "I'm going to go back in today and try something else. I don't know how many marks I get before they start disappearing so that's why I stopped drawing more of the hair but I'll try to go further."
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).
Luigi's Mansion is finally coming to the Nintendo Switch Online library. Debuting on October 30, the GameCube classic arrives just in time for Halloween, and means the entire trilogy, along with Luigi's Mansion 2 and Luigi's Mansion 3, is now playable on Nintendo Switch 2.
Luigi's Mansion released way back in 2001 and sees Luigi win a creepy old mansion. It's all very exciting right up until his brother Mario mysteriously disappears, leaving Luigi to rid the mansion of Boos and ghouls in order to find the missing Mario.
Luigi’s won a mansion! The bad news is that it’s crawling with ghosts… 😱
As yet there's no word on how the classic game will make use of Nintendo Switch 2's most hyped features, including its new mouse controls, but we do know it'll be playable for Switch 2 owners who subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
Nintendo Switch Online is a subscription-based online gaming service for the Nintendo Switch gaming platform. Memberships include online functionality, allowing you to compete or cooperate with friends, as well as a collection of classic Nintendo games spanning four decades, including titles from the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, and, most recently, the new GameCube library. A free seven-day trial is also available.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
James Gunn has officially ruled out his fledgling DC Universe building towards Darkseid as the “big bad.”
In a joint interview with a number of YouTube channels that focus on Easter egg breakdowns of superhero franchises, Gunn said that because director Zack Snyder had intended — and even briefly featured — Darkseid as the DCEU’s overarching enemy, and because of the character’s similarity to Marvel’s Thanos, the DCU was looking elsewhere.
The suggestion that Darkseid might have been the DCU’s “big bad” emerged after the ending of Peacemaker Season 2.
Warning! Spoilers for the end of Peacemaker Season 2 follow:
Season 2 ends with Peacemaker trapped on Salvation, a planet in another dimension that acts as a prison for metahumans. In the DC comics, Planet Salvation has acted as a Parademon training ground, watched over by Darkseid himself. But this isn’t what Gunn is going for here. In fact, Darkseid isn’t the enemy Gunn’s DCU is building towards either. And there are various reasons for this, he said, including the fact Darkseid made an appearance in Zack Snyder’s DCEU, and also the character’s similarity to Marvel’s Thanos, who was the main villain up to Avengers: Endgame.
“First of all, there's Kirby's whole world which he created which is totally fascinating,” Gunn began when asked what he thought of Darkseid as a character. “So, that's a huge part of it. It's the New Gods in general that is to me so interesting, which we're dealing with with Mister Miracle. And I have the screenplay that I haven't read yet on my shelf right now. So there's that aspect of it.
“And then there are aspects of Darkseid in Thanos, who are obviously very similar. They look very similar. And because of that — to give you probably more of an answer than you expected — using Darkseid as the big bad right now is not necessarily the thing. For a lot of reasons, because Zack did it so cool in his way, and because of Thanos in Marvel.”
So, we can rule out Planet Salvation heading towards Darkseid and the Final Crisis storyline from the comics. That prompts another question: if Darkseid isn't the DCU's "big bad," who is?
It'll probably be some time before we find out. But it does look like Man of Tomorrow, the 2027 follow-up to Gunn’s Superman, will see Brainiac enter the fray. Indeed, Superman and bitter rival Lex Luthor look set to put their differences aside (temporarily) to fend Brainiac off.
That reference to Mister Miracle, by the way, is the adult animated series based on DC’s 12-issue comic book series from Tom King and Mitch Gerads. It’s the second adult animated series from Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios following Creature Commandos Season 1. Season 2 is currently in production for HBO Max. Other recent series greenlights from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation include Starfire!, My Adventures with Green Lantern, and DC Super Powers.
Earlier this month, during a roundtable Q&A with press ahead of the Peacemaker Season 2 finale, Gunn was asked if he was planning a Peacemaker Season 3. The answer was loud and clear.
“No, this is about the wider DCU and other stories in which this [the ending of Season 2] will play out right now,” Gunn replied. “So that doesn't mean that there won't be. I don't want to… never say never. But right now, no. This is about the future of the DCU.”
So if there’s no Peacemaker Season 3, what’s Gunn’s plan for Peacemaker himself? Gunn revealed that the conclusion of Season 2 sets up Peacemaker, played by John Cena, to take on a broader role in the DCU moving forward.
“He's really important to me,” Gunn said of the character. “Peacemaker is an important character. And I said from the beginning when we took on this job, it's about really propping up and maintaining and repositioning the big diamond properties that DC has, the Batmans and Wonder Womans and Supermans, and then creating diamond properties out of the smaller characters like Peacemaker.”
Will Peacemaker himself appear in 2026 DCU film Supergirl or 2027’s Man of Tomorrow? “Well we’ll have to see,” Gunn teased. “That's a secret!”
The DCU is set to continue in 2026 with the aforementioned Supergirl and a Clayface movie, alongside a Lanterns TV show. 2027 will see Man of Tomorrow. Matt Reeves’ The Batman 2, which is part of the separate 'Batman Epic Crime Saga,' is due out October 1, 2027.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Apparently, it’s becoming tradition for Gen V to wrap up each season with a gory massacre on the campus of Godolkin University. This time around, we’re seeing the seeds of Thomas Godolkin’s (Ethan Slater) pledge to “cull the herd” bear fruit, as Marie (Jaz Sinclair) and the gang make one last, desperate stand against the bloodthirsty dean. If the scope of the finale isn’t quite as huge as it could have been, the episode nonetheless serves as a fitting capper to an overall enjoyable sophomore season. It even works as a solid series finale, should it come to that (but we’ll get there).
Assuming you didn’t figure out the big Cipher/Godolkin twist ahead of time, you’re probably still reeling from the reveal that Hamish Linklater’s character was nothing more than a puppet for the true villain of the season. That was certainly a great way to ramp up the tension in Episode 7, and that twist helps give the finale an early momentum it doesn’t squander.
Again, the scope of this episode turns out to be a bit smaller than expected. Given how Episode 7 ended, I half-expected this chapter to open with Godolkin continuing to lay psychic waste to the students he so clearly despises. Instead, Godolkin’s murder spree is confined to the handful of students attending his seminar later in the episode. It’s almost as if there was a fear of letting the pot boil over too much and then having to explain why Antony Starr’s Homelander isn’t showing up to intervene.
Ultimately, the quieter, more intimate approach works to the show’s benefit. The early focus on Godolkin and Susan Heyward’s Sister Sage helps paint a vivid psychological portrait of a man who can’t help but become his own worst enemy. Early on in this episode, Godolkin has truly won; he got exactly what he wanted by tricking Marie into healing him. He’s free to be with Sage and reclaim his place in the upper echelons of Vought International. He has everything, yet he can’t stop himself from being tripped up by this foolish obsession with separating the wheat from the chaff. Godolkin is arrogant enough to believe that he knows better than the smartest person in the world, and we see where that gets him in the end.
Half the fun of “Guardians of Godolkin” is in seeing Slater really sink his teeth into a role that had been Hamish Linklater’s up to this point. Slater succeeds in making this feel like the same character without simply echoing Linklater’s performance; the sardonic wit and cold menace are there in full effect, but tinged by a certain degree of manic abandon. Again, this is what happens when Cipher gets a taste of what he craves and loses the plot. Even Sinclair gets a fun scene where she gets to play Marie possessed by Godolkin.
Thankfully, Linklater isn’t totally relegated to the background, even if he’s effectively now playing a completely different role as Doug. Linklater gets two great scenes – one which gives us a taste of just how awful it is to live as Godolkin’s meat puppet, and the other that provides an added bit of closure for the late Chance Perdomo’s Andre. I wish Doug were given more to do beyond those two scenes; given everything he’s endured, it feels like the character deserved better than to be abruptly killed off by Black Noir.
As for Sage, the series continues to make inspired use of the character in her recurring guest role. We get to see a very different side of Sage here, where she’s in love and clearly out of her depth because of it. There’s a great vulnerability to Sage during her bedside chat with Godolkin, followed by a wounded sense of grief when she visits Sean Patrick Thomas’ Polarity and realizes that her boyfriend has squandered everything they worked for. As much as Godolkin is his own worst enemy in this episode, he probably still would have won the day if not for his all-seeing lover.
The final showdown between our heroes and Godolkin doesn’t disappoint. If Godolkin’s killing spree proves surprisingly contained, there’s still a macabre glee in watching him lay waste to his class and then promptly force them to dance for his amusement. It’s equally satisfying to see how integral God U’s weakest and lamest students are in toppling the almighty dean, proving Sage’s point that the most dangerous enemies are the ones with nothing to lose. And Godolkin’s final death scene is every bit as gory and disgusting as fans of the series have come to expect – a fitting end for a guy who got way too high on his own supply by the end.
With that, it’s worth digging into the final scene a bit, and the question of whether there’s still a future for Gen V. I certainly wasn’t expecting Season 2 to close out by so directly laying the foundation for The Boys Season 5, but that’s what happens, as Erin Moriarty’s Starlight and Jesse T. Usher’s A-Train both stop by to formally invite Marie and her friends to join “the resistance.” It’s a great way of capping off Season 2 and acknowledging that these characters are ready to join the big leagues now; plus, a good NiN needle drop never hurts.
But should we take this to mean that there’s not going to be a Gen V Season 3? Are we effectively watching the series finale here? Possibly. It’s really a question of what state this universe is going to be in by the end of The Boys Season 5. Will there still be a Vought, much less a Vought-sponsored superhuman college? How many of these characters will still be alive by then? As much as I’d love to see more Gen V, this isn’t a bad way to cap off the show…if that’s indeed the goal. This finale closes out one era and opens the door to an exciting crossover; if nothing else, fans are certainly going to be rewarded for having watched this spinoff when The Boys finally makes its return.
“I think if we don’t embrace it, I think we’re selling ourselves short,” said Juinio, who recently vacated her role as director of product development at Santa Monica Studio after 10 years and two hugely successful God of War games. “AI is a tool, and something that will augment us. At least for right now, that’s how I see it. It’s going to evolve whether you’re onboard with it or not, so I want to be at the forefront of helping to guide how that goes and how we use it.”
Juinio went on to compare the use of generative AI to the procedurally-generated content that's been a part of games development for decades now, pointing to SpeedTree – a tool for generating trees in real time – which was used as early as 2002 for the foliage in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. She also recalled a time when animators were pushing back against motion capture and the use of procedural generation to blend animation frames rather than key them by hand. Both procedurally generated assets and animations have long become standard practices in games development, and Juinio seems just as confident that generative AI will also find its place.
“Personally, I’m super positive,” said Juinio. “Like [Glen Schofield said in his keynote address], this is the next big technological advancement that’s coming. In fact it’s here already, and I think as leaders in the video game industry it is on us to figure out not just can we do it with AI, but should we? And it’s a case-by-case type of decision making process and what's true for game X might not be true next year for game Y.”
When asked if she thought the increasing adoption of generative AI might help mitigate the swelling costs of AAA-games development, Juinio was clear that the use of AI in games development is unlikely to be the be-all end-all solution to the post-pandemic pattern of regular studio closures and the bursting of the blockbuster game bubble.
“I wouldn’t necessarily put it into an either/or kind of scenario in that way, because to me the size and scale and beauty of the game isn’t the main thing,” said Juinio. “At its heart, the game [needs] to be fun. [Ideally] at its heart the story is fantastic, it’s human, players connect to it, and it’s fun to play.”
“And yes it looks beautiful, and yes the music is immersive. But the music could be really immersive and the gameplay could be not good, or the story [might] not be engaging, and I don't think it would resonate with players as much. And so at least for right now, I don't see AI replacing the fun gameplay that is at the heart of a game like God of War.”
Although Juinio seems adament that generative AI in games development is here to stay, she also remains confident that it will never be able to rival the heart and soul that can only come from a human touch, and that the adoptance of AI will only be a positive if there's an equal amount of investment made into developers to help them get the best results out of it.
“At the end of the day you still need game developers to come up with the ideas,” said Juinio. “The story of God of War is very much a human story that is based on human experiences.”
“At least as of today, I don’t see that going away.”
Earlier this month the makers of Battlefield 6 stated that there was currently no way to implement the use of generative AI into the daily work of its development team, despite regarding the burgeoning technology as “very seducing”.
The LEGO Disney line is one of the most popular themes you'll find in 2025. There's currently a broad range of sets available based on animated classics and Pixar movies that appeal to both kids and Disney adults, but they are anything but cheap. So when a popular LEGO Disney set gets a big discount, it's usually worth mentioning.
Target is currently having a 20% off LEGO sale on a bunch of sets, but hidden within that is this Up House set that is actually almost 50% off its retail price. This is one of biggest discounts we've ever seen on this build and Amazon has already sold out its stock at the same price. If you're looking for an affordable Disney gift to grab ahead of Black Friday season, this one's worth a look.
LEGO Up House Sale at Target
Our LEGO expert Kevin Wong had the chance to build this set back when it was first released for Disney's 100th anniversary, and generally enjoyed putting it together. The one complaint he had is that the build itself lacked the amount of detail we've come to expect from a commemorative Disney set that is meant to be displayed. The front of the house looks like you'd expect the house from Up to look, but it's actually open in the back and doesn't include all of the Easter eggs you'd expect to find within its interior like you'd see from something like the LEGO Beauty and the Beast Castle set. At 598 pieces, it's something you can easily put together in an afternoon. And at its current price, many of the minor flaws can be easily ignored.
In addition to the house itself, you get three minifigures: Carl, Russel, and of course Dug the dog. With an age rating of 9+, this Disney LEGO set is a worthy pick for a wider variety of Pixar fans. While not quite a true adult LEGO set, it looks cool enough to earn a place on your shelf or desk. And thanks to the open back and collectible minifigures it can also work as fun playset for kids.
Should you wait for Black Friday to buy?
With Black Friday sales coming up soon, it can be hard to decide when the right time to buy actually is. While it's true that November is overall the best time to buy LEGO sets, it isn't necessarily the right time to buy every set. With that in mind I think this set is worth picking up at this price. It's certainly possible we could see a steeper discount during Black Friday, but LEGO deals are often determined by how much stock retailers hold at any given time and Amazon has already sold out.
Woot! (which is owned by Amazon) is offering rare deals on the latest Nvidia RTX 50 series graphics cards. Currently there are several Factory Reconditioned MSI GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards on sale at below MSRP. These all come with a 6-month MSI warranty. Amazon Prime members get free shipping, the rest of us pay just $5 for the delivery fee. From past experience, these listings have very limited inventory, so the deals will probably sell out quickly. If you've been waiting for a discount on one of these GPUs, this is a good opportunity to pick one up at no markup.
Factory Reconditioned MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPUs
The RTX 5070 Ti offers the best bang for your buck if you're looking to run the latest games in 4K resolution at high frame rates. It performs neck-and-neck with the RTX 4080 Super but with the advantage of DLSS 4 with multi-frame generation and newer, faster GDDR7X VRAM. Check out our Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070 Ti GPU review.
Factory Reconditioned MSI GeForce RTX 5080 GPUs
The GeForce RTX 5080 is one of the fastest cards on the market, bested only by the $2,000 RTX 5090 and the discontinued $1,600 RTX 4090. This is a phenomenal card for playing the latest, most demanding games in 4K resolution at high settings and ray tracing enabled. Check out our Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU review.
Factory Reconditioned MSI GeForce RTX 5070 GPUs
Compared to the previous generation GPUs, the RTX 5070 performs comparably with the RTX 4070 Super. Although the generational performance uplift isn't as great as we'd like, the RTX 5070 is still an excellent card for 1080p and 1440p gaming, especially if DLSS 4 is supported. Check out our Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPU review.
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.
Choosing a tablet is tough, we know. Apple’s side alone has a variety of options, and it’s not always clear what’s so different between them. Unless you’re versed in all the jargon, the difference between a "Liquid Retina display" and a "Ultra Retina Tandem OLED with Pro Motion" isn't exactly obvious. There are also major differences under the hood, with Apple currently offering devices featuring an older A16 chip at the low end and an exceedingly fast M5 chip at the high end.
Android tablets only widen the field, of course. Where Apple tends to trim off the older tablets in its stable, the Android tablet market will still readily show you devices you shouldn’t have bought when they were new, let alone years later. And just like Apple’s devices, there’s a considerable range of hardware options that go from severely underpowered to total overkill – at which point a Windows tablet could make more sense. What makes Android tablet shopping even more complicated is the software support. Apple keeps its tablets running on the latest operating systems for a long time, but how long any given Android tablet will stay up to date is a much harder question to answer.
After looking at the market, considering all the tablets we’ve tested, and weighing what actually makes sense when purchasing a tablet, we’ve narrowed down a handful of the best options that strike the right balance.
TL;DR – These Are the Best Tablets:
1. iPad (11th Generation)
Best Tablet
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 60Hz with a 500-nit peak brightness. Fortunately, none of this makes it a bad display. It even supports the Apple Pencil, albeit the same 1st-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 A19). 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.
Over the years, Lenovo has shown it knows how to make a solid more affordable tablet. You won’t have to settle for a terrible display or laggard performance here. The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro puts effort in all the right places.
For $279, you’re still getting a tablet with a metal frame and back, and a sharp, large display. The 12.7-inch display offers a 2944x1840 resolution, keeping the pixel density high. The screen is a basic LCD panel – sorry, no OLED – but provides a decent 400-nit brightness and runs at a smooth 144Hz. It also supports stylus input, and Lenovo includes said stylus in the box so you’re ready to doodle and annotate right away.
You won’t be getting flagship-tier performance, but the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 inside the Idea Tab Pro isn’t bad. It’ll keep up with everyday browsing, run streaming apps, and run light games just fine, though you won’t be firing up Genshin Impact at max settings. Perhaps more critically, the tablet supports Wi-Fi 6, so you can tap into fast networks and enjoy quality streaming. With the tablet’s large battery, you can also count on it to keep you online for long stretches.
Another big get for a low-cost tablet is software support. The Idea Tab Pro comes with Android 14 out of the box and will get updates to Android 16, and it will receive four years of security patches. That’s not mind-blowing, but getting any support like this on cheaper tablets isn’t always a given.
3. Redmagic Astra
Best Tablet for Gaming
Gaming calls for a slightly different tablet than other tasks. While some of the bigger tablets can surely still handle games, actually holding them in your hands for lengthy sessions will emphasize one of their biggest shortcomings: their weight. The Redmagic Astra is tailor-made for gaming, sitting at a more tidy 370g, less than two average smartphones. In that footprint, it manages a 9-inch OLED display that’s excellent for gaming. The panel is sharp at 1504x2400 with a 165Hz refresh rate. The color and contrast rips along smoothly in everyday operation and games alike.
To make the most of a display like that, you need powerful internals, and that’s another key aspect of the Astra. It fits the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset I’ve seen working wonders in 2025’s top Android devices. While the Astra sadly doesn’t push the Snapdragon 8 Elite as hard as it could, it still offers excellent performance that’s a solid step above the earlier Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Better still, it delivers consistent performance. In 3DMark’s Steel Nomad Light Stress Test, the Astra offered some of the most consistent performance I’ve seen. This is a demanding test that sees a lot of heat build up in even the best devices, and many of those will see their performance drop by anywhere from 30-50% in running it. The Astra, meanwhile, only saw its performance dip by 5.5% thanks to its capable internal cooling system.
That exceptional speed means fast-running games with their settings maxed out and no descent to slow frame rates after a half hour of gaming. I think it will be some time before Android games can bring this device to its knees, and even then, it’ll only be the most demanding new games. Now we can just hope that the PC emulation software Redmagic is working on eventually finds its way onto the Astra and Redmagic’s gaming phones.
4. OnePlus Pad 2
Best Android Tablet
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). On the other hand, many of the cheaper options raise a lot of concerns. 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, and 12GB of memory helps it keep up with the multitasking you’re liable to get up to on a tablet.
The OnePlus Pad 2 packs in a sizable 12.1-inch 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 since the OnePlus Pad 2 works with a stylus that also charges while magnetically attached to the tablet.
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 usually includes a free accessory, like the folio keyboard case.
5. iPad Pro (M4, 2024)
Best Tablet for Creative Work
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. Not long after, however, it became one of my go-to daily devices. The Tandem OLED display alone is enough to get most people hooked, even if the price tag might make you wince.
Though the chip's power has been usurped by the iPad Pro with the M5 (which we'll get to testing soon), the iPad Pro with an M4 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 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.
6. Onyx Boox Go 7
Best for Reading
There are all kinds of great reading tablets that can do a lot more beyond turning pages on ebooks, but if you’re looking to really focus on text, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better e-reader than the Onyx Boox Go 7.
The compact and lightweight design of the Boox Go 7 is a great match for reading, being a much better stand-in for a physical book than the large and weighty tablets that try to suggest they’ll work just as well for reading. At just 6.9oz, the Boox Go 7 is lighter than plenty of smartphones, making it a viable option for extended one-handed use. Physical buttons for turning pages on one side of the tablet (which also provides a handy grip) also make flipping through books more convenient – no covering up the screen with your thumb – and it can flip orientations.
Of course, the big advantage of the Boox Go 7 is its e-ink display, packing a sharp e-ink Carta 1300 that provides a 300ppi pixel density for crisp text. As nice as it can be to have some color added to e-ink displays, it comes with a big hit to the black-and-white contrast and overall brightness, which can make it harder to read. If you prefer a bit of color and don’t mind the trade-off, Onyx also offers a color version of this tablet. Either way, you’ll also get the advantage of a very low power draw while you’re reading, making it likely you’ll be able to get through a whole book before needing to recharge (or numerous books depending on how fast you read).
Where the Onyx Boox Go 7 sets itself apart from competitors like Amazon and Kobo is in its use of Android as its operating system. It comes with a specially tuned version of Android to work better with the e-ink display, and you still get access to the Play Store and the wide range of apps available to Android. You won’t be installing all the latest games or streaming your favorite movies on this tablet, but you can read your favorite websites in the browser, do some studying with Duolingo or Anki, and load up just about any ebook library you want, including the Kindle or Libby app. Onyx’s native e-reader app also supports a ton of formats, letting you load your own collection of ebooks onto the tablet’s built-in storage. Boox devices also have a superior default sleep screen to both Kindles and Kobos; instead of rotating ads for the latest romantasy slop or affiliate companies, Boox's tablets rest on sketched designs.
7. Boox Tab X C
Best E-Ink Tablet
If you’re looking for an e-ink tablet, the Onyx Boox Tab X C that we reviewed is simply the best you can get right now. This is no casual e-reader with a plain black-and-white display, ultra-low refresh rate, and processing speed just fast enough to turn the pages of a digital book. The Boox Tab X C sports a large 13.3-inch E-Ink Kaleido 3 display. This includes a 3200x2400 black-and-white layer and a 1600x1200 color overlay, giving you the crisp low-power e-ink for reading and a splash of color on top to make the tablet far more versatile than typical e-ink tablets. Whether you’re browsing websites, reading comics, or annotating ebooks, that extra color comes in handy. The Boox Tab X C also has a fast enough refresh rate to feel smooth in most uses, though you probably still won’t want to game or watch videos on it.
Another big plus for the Boox Tab X C is that it runs on Android and not some proprietary e-reader OS. This means you can load up just about any app you want. Your favorite note-taking apps, your favorite ebook or comic library apps, and your favorite browsers should be right there in the Play Store ready to go.
With the big screen it provides, the Boox Tab X C can work as a great productivity aid. You can pair with a keyboard to write up documents and enjoy the extra long battery life it offers, or you can load up PDFs to both read and mark up with a stylus without needing to deal with scaling.
All of this capability comes built onto solid hardware. The tablet runs on a potent Snapdragon 855 chip, which is far more mighty than you’ll find in most e-ink devices. It’s also tucked into a classy, aluminum design.
8. iPad Air (2024)
Best Thin and Light Tablet
Apple put together a wonderful little package with the 2024 iPad Air. It upgraded from its predecessors with a thinner design, an improved selfie camera, and a newer chip under the hood. You can snag the iPad Air with either an 11- or 13-inch 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, 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 17 and barely a half millimeter wider than the supremely slim iPhone Air. Between that and the tablet weighing just a hair over 1lb, it’s exceptionally portable. 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.
While there’s a newer model with an M3 chip, the M2 model is still going to be plenty for most and can occasionally be found at a discount. (The iPad Pro will still be the more sensible option for anyone who really needs top-level specs.) Of course, if you find the M3 iPad Air at the same price or better than the M2 model, you shouldn’t hesitate to choose it instead.
How to Choose the Right Tablet for You
Budget
Figure out how much you can stomach to spend on a tablet. Looking to just stream shows and scroll socials? A cheap slate should suffice. However, you'll need to up your spending if you’re after a productivity tool that performs similarly to a laptop. You can even slap a keyboard onto some tablets, essentially turning them into detachable laptops, albeit with the limits of their hardware and operating system.
Design and Display
You'll want an option that’s lightweight but still durable for on-the-go use. A sizable, crisp, and responsive display ensures the best user experience, while OLED panels are a more premium option with deep blacks and richer colors over their LCD counterparts. Maybe you'd like none of the above and prefer something easier on the eyes like e-ink.
Internals
You don’t want a sluggish device that leads to you reaching for your smartphone or laptop instead. To prevent that from happening, a solid processor and at least 4GB of RAM is a must. For gaming or creative work, upgrading those specs can make a world of difference. Beyond that, you’ll want to ensure your software is up to date. Android OS is in its 16th generation, while iPadOS 26 is Apple’s latest.
Other features
Things like long battery life, great-sounding speakers, crisp cameras, and stylus support can help improve your experience on a tablet. You may even want to consider getting a 5G tablet that can connect to your cellular network when you’re not on Wi-Fi.
Tablets FAQ
Are iPads better than Android tablets?
No; they're not worse either. Both types of tablets have plenty of solid models to choose from. It’s more a matter of personal preference. If you already have an iPhone and/or MacBook, it makes sense to grab an iPad for seamless integration into your Apple ecosystem, including the ability to double as a second screen for a MacBook. iPads are known for their smooth user experience along with their wealth of apps and games, but the pricing is more restrictive.
Tablets running on Android OS come from various manufacturers using a wide variety of components and different versions of the Android operating system, meaning performance and the experience is all over the place. But there’s a wider selection of slates, from ultra-cheap to high-end. It’s just important to do your research, as there are some duds. The selection of apps optimized for an Android tablet is also more limited. Still, almost all Android apps should function fine, just not as well as on your phone.
Should you buy a tablet with cellular network support?
Most will find that a tablet with cellular network support is unnecessary unless you’re constantly on the go with no way to connect via Wi-Fi. Adding that extra line to your cellular plan can be expensive, and your smartphone can usually work as a Wi-Fi hotspot for your tablet when you’re in a pinch. However, should you decide you’d like cellular network support, many of our picks come in 5G versions; just know you have to make that decision up front.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra.
Mark Knapp is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything electronics and gaming hardware. He has over 10 years of experience in the tech industry with bylines at PCMag, Reviewed, CNET, and more. Find Mark on Twitter @Techn0Mark or BlueSky at @Techn0Mark.
Audible's holiday promotion for 2025 is now live. Through December 16, new and returning Audible subscribers can sign up for three months of Audible Premium Plus for just $0.99 per month. You will need to be logged into your Amazon Prime membershp to see this promotion. After the three months is up, your subscription will convert to the standard $14.95/mo, so make sure to cancel beforehand if you don't want to continue with the service. You also get a free audiobook of your choice for each of those three months that you get to keep indefinitely even after your subscription expires.
3 Free Months of Audible Premium Plus
Audible is a subscription service that gives you access to hundreds of thousands of the best audiobooks without ever having to purchase them. There are two paid membership plans: the lower tier Audible Plus ($7.95/mo) and the higher tier Audible Premium Plus ($14.95/mo). The biggest difference between the two is the size of the audiobook library. Whereas Audible Plus only lets you listen to a selection of about 10,000 audiobooks, the Audible Premium Plus plan gives you access to a whopping 500,000 audiobooks.
Premium Plus includes other perks as well. Every month Premium Plus members get to pick one audiobook to keep in their library indefinitely, even after the membership expires. Also, Premium Plus members can get 30% off any additional audiobooks they wish to purchase in addition to exclusive limited-time discounts.
If you were already planning to purchase a couple of audiobooks, then it makes more sense to pay less than $3 to get three audiobooks you get to keep indefinitely and enjoy all the benefits of Audible Premium Plus for three months. This deal only pops up a few times per year, so don't waste your "first-time subscriber" eligibility status on a short 30-day trial.
Catch up the the latest novel releases, audiobook style
Several best-selling new and recent releases are available in an audiobook format and part of Audible's Premium Plus subscription plan. Sunrise on the Reaping, the latest Hunger Games novel, is narrated by Jefferson White, who you may already know from Yellowstone where he played Jimmy Hudstrom. The audiobook has a listening time of about 12 hours and 48 minutes. Stephen King released his Never Flinch crime novel in May 27 and it's also available as a nearly 15-hour long audiobook narrated by veteran Jessie Mueller. If you're a fan of Brandon Sanderson, check out Wind and Truth, book five of the popular The Stormlight Archive series. It was released in December of 2024 and runs an epic 63 hours long.
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.
After cutting cable, one of the first things you'll likely be searching for is a way to watch live sports. For NBA fans, there are plenty of options to catch games without a traditional cable plan, though you may need to get creative. NBA streaming rights are always changing hands, but currently, there are three main channels you'll need to access: ABC, ESPN, and NBC. However, starting this year through the 2035-36 season, the landscape will change once again, as NBC and Prime Video will exclusively air select games.
In the meantime, we've rounded up the best streaming services for you below to ensure you don't miss a single NBA game this season and the next. With the official NBA season kicking off today, you'll likely want to catch a few games at home as soon as possible.
DirecTV Stream
Best overall for NBA games
As of right now, DirecTV Stream is the most comprehensive option for NBA fans who want to cut the cord. While each of their signature packages features the trio of channels needed to watch all major NBA games (ABC, ESPN, and TNT), the best value is the DirecTV Choice package as it also includes access to NBA TV. With this package, you'll have access to over 125 channels including every major nationwide game and a great selection of regional sporting events based on your location.
If you're a diehard sports fan, DirecTV now offers standalone Genre Packs, including the MySports pack, which is priced at $69.99 per month—cheaper than each of the standard bundles. This pack includes over 20 sports-focused channels, such as ESPN, TNT, FS1, NBA TV, and NFL Network, plus an ESPN Unlimited subscription for even more sports content.
ESPN Unlimited
Best for ESPN and ABC Games
Earlier this year, ESPN launched a new service called ESPN Unlimited. The main difference between this service and its predecessor, ESPN+, is that it actually grants you access to all of the ESPN channels without the need for a live TV service. Since it is owned by Disney, that means you'll also get access to any of the games that play on ABC as well. That means you'll get access to all of the games except the ones on TNT.
You can currently get a standalone subscription to ESPN Unlimited for $29.99 or bundle it with Disney+ and Hulu for the same price (for a limited time). With the most recent Disney+ price hike now in effect, this is the only bundle that didn't get a price increase for 2025. You can also choose to add NFL+ premium to that bundle, making this one of the best new services for NFL games as well.
Hulu + Live TV
Best Streaming Bundle With NBA Games
Hulu + Live TV is a great option for sports fans who also want to indulge in great TV series and movies as it features over 95 channels plus the Disney Bundle as part of its monthly subscription price. It checks all the boxes for NBA fans with ABC and ESPN included (they are Disney-owned, of course), plus the remaining games on TNT.
In addition to having access to everything in the Disney+ and Hulu libraries, Hulu + Live TV also grants you access to ESPN Unlimited which unlocks additional exclusive sporting events (like UFC and college sports), original programming, and more. There is also a three-day free trial of Hulu + Live TV available for new subscribers if you want to test out the service at no cost.
Sling TV
Best Value
If being able to catch every major NBA game for the lowest possible price is your only priority, then Sling TV is your answer. Sling TV's Orange plan will get you access to most nationally televised NBA games as it features ESPN and TNT as part of its 35-channel lineup. However, the primary reason Sling TV is a less expensive option is that it excludes local channels, such as ABC. Instead, Sling recommends you pair your subscription with a TV antenna (sold separately) to receive your local channels.
If you'd rather not worry about an external antenna, Sling TV's Blue plan does include local channels like ABC, NBC, and FOX in select markets. You'll need to enter your zip code on Sling's website to verify which (if any) local channels are available to you with this plan. If you do happen get ABC in your area, you can bundle Sling TV's Orange and Blue plans together for $60.99 per month to enjoy every NBA game. There's also the company's free service, Sling Freestream, which lets you watch some older games at no cost.
NBA League Pass
Best For Out of Market Games
NBA League Pass is a fantastic option for NBA fans...of out of market teams. The NBA's flagship service features live coverage of every game (excluding nationally broadcast and your local market games) through the NBA app or NBA.com. Nationally broadcast games (like those on ABC, ESPN, or TNT) are available to stream on-demand three hours after they air, while locally televised games are available three days later.
Additionally, NBA League Pass features condensed recaps of every game, access to NBA TV's 24/7 live stream, full game archives dating back to the 2012-13 NBA season, and much more. NBA League Pass is available as a monthly subscription or you can choose to prepay for the entire season.
NBA Streaming FAQs
Can You Watch Live NBA Games For Free?
Sort of. If you have a TV antenna installed, you can watch games airing on ABC over the air. All other NBA games require either a cable subscription or a mix of select streaming services.
Which NBA Streaming Services Have Free Trials?
Currently, you can score a five-day free trial of DirecTV Stream and a three-day free trial of Hulu + Live TV if you want to catch some upcoming NBA games. As of this writing, Sling TV and ESPN Unlimited don't offer free trials, but both have limited time offers to save on monthly subscriptions. NBA League Pass doesn't have a direct free trial, but if you add it through an existing Prime Video subscription, you'll get seven days free.
Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
Pocketpair Publishing boss John Buckley says we're already starting to see a flood of 'really low-quality, AI-made games' on Steam and other storefronts.
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