Avatar creator James Cameron has issued strong words on the potential for entire characters to be created with generative AI, saying it’s “horrifying to me.”
Speaking to CBS News, the Avatar: Fire and Ash director described the process of turning real-life actors into digital characters for the Avatar films, citing performance capture as a crucial component.
"For years, there was this sense that, 'Oh, they're doing something strange with computers and they're replacing actors,' when in fact, once you really drill down and you see what we're doing, it's a celebration of the actor-director moment," he said.
"Now, go to the other end of the spectrum, and you've got generative AI, where they can make up a character," he continued. "They can make up an actor. They can make up a performance from scratch with a text prompt. It's like, no. That's horrifying to me. That's the opposite. That's exactly what we're not doing."
Cameron’s comments come at a particularly relevant time for Hollywood, as filmmakers and studios grapple with the future of AI performances. Recently an AI-generated “actress” named Tilly Norwood was revealed at the Zurich Film Festival. Norwood was created by Eline Van der Velden, the Dutch founder of AI company Particle 6 Productions, and has since sparked the ire of SAG-AFTRA.
“I don't want an AI model to write my scripts,” Cameron told IGN in September. “Any good screenwriter has a particular lens on the world, a unique lived experience, and that's what they're there to express. That's what directors do. That's what actors do.
“I think gen AI does offer a lot of potentialities and a lot of threats to our creative purpose in life. I think a lot of things are going to change over the next few years. I don't think what's going to ultimately change for me is storytelling with actors.”
“We’ve managed to (make) these gorgeous Avatar movies with zero gen AI,” Cameron added. “(But) Avatar films are quite expensive. If we could use generative AI to bring costs down in VFX, then more films like Avatar (could be made). More fantastic films, science fiction films, films that use a lot of VFX, maybe even historical dramas that need VFX to create a different world than the one we live in right now.
“Right now everybody's kind of terrified to greenlight big expensive films, and a big part of that expense is visual effects. Is that a potential solution? I'm going to explore that. But what I will never do is replace what I think of as the Sacred Creative Act, which is writing, creating characters conceptually, working with actors to bring those characters to life, then working with artists to put them in a world. For me, that must never change.”
The special effects-heavy Avatar films cost a huge amount of money to produce, but they have historically made billions of dollars at the box office. Avatar: Fire and Ash, due out in December, is expected to follow suit — and the pressure is on it to deliver for Disney so director James Cameron can realize his vision and release Avatar 4 and 5 over the next six years.
Avatar 4 is down for release on December 21, 2029, with Avatar 5 due out December 19, 2031. Cameron, now 71, would be close to 80 years old by the time it all wraps up.
Avatar remains the highest-grossing movie of all time (not adjusted for inflation), and has earned a staggering $2.9 billion across several theatrical runs. (Avengers: Endgame overtook Avatar for a brief period, before Avatar then stole its crown back via a fresh re-release.) 2022 sequel Avatar: The Way of Water earned $2.3 billion, meanwhile, cementing it as the third-highest grossing film of all time — just ahead of Cameron's own Titanic, which floats on $2.2 billion.
Cyber Monday is your last chance to secure the best offers of the year before the holidays. If you're on the hunt for some last minute deals, we're actively rounding up the strongest Cyber Monday discounts, and you can all our top picks and price drops in IGN's comprehensive Cyber Monday hub.
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.
Predator: Badlands is now officially the highest-grossing Predator movie of all-time, including the Alien crossover films.
Dan Trachtenberg, who revitalized Predator with 2022’s back to basics Prey and this year’s well-received animated anthology Killer of Killer, continued his hot streak with the PG-13 Predator: Badlands, which has enjoyed strong reviews from critics. (IGN’s Predator: Badlands review returned an 8/10.)
Predator: Badlands has now grossed $173,740,607 worldwide after adding $7.2 million during its fourth weekend in theaters. That total figure is made up of $85 million domestic and $88.7 million international.
It now means Predator: Badlands is the highest grossing movie of the Predator franchise, including the AvP films, having overtaken 2018’s The Predator, which ended with $160,542,134 at the global box office.
It’s worth noting that Predator: Badlands’ box office total is being compared to figures for previous Predator movies that are not adjusted for inflation. But irrespective of Badlands' place on any franchise list, it is more important to ask if Predator: Badlands has done enough business at the box office to convince Disney to invest in the sequel it so clearly sets up?
After four weekends in theaters, and with its box office numbers declining after a strong start, Predator: Badlands is unlikely to cross the $200 million mark. Factoring in production and marketing costs, as well as the cut of revenue theaters take from ticket sales, a Badlands sequel feels like it's on a knife edge. Check out IGN’s Predator: Badlands Ending Explained to find out what’s next for the series, assuming Trachtenberg gets to continue making Predator movies.
Predator began with 1987’s much-loved Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Predator: Badlands is a very different film; less sci-fi horror, more mainstream sci-fi action. For the first time ever the Predator is the protagonist, with a Yautja called Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) out to prove himself to his father by killing a monster on a death planet. Along the way, he meets a Weyland-Yutani synth called Thia, played by Elle Fanning, in an Alien / Predator crossover.
It's a big swing for Predator and for Dan Trachtenberg, but he was uninterested in essentially remaking prior Predator movies for this new sequel. In a recent interview with IGN, Trachtenberg said he was inspired by Terminator 2 when it came to making Badlands. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day was like a movie my mom could watch," he said. "So that was a part of it for me, like how to make something that was bold and visceral but also emotional."
Cyber Monday is your last chance to secure the best offers of the year before the holidays. If you're on the hunt for some last minute deals, we're actively rounding up the strongest Cyber Monday discounts, and you can all our top picks and price drops in IGN's comprehensive Cyber Monday hub.
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.
Phantasmal Flames is arguably the best first expansion for a new era of Pokémon cards ever, and Mega Evolution was really good for a start. Mega Charizard X heading up this set is such a win, as Charizard is arguably the real mascot of Pokémon over Pikachu (I love them both, don't hurt me)
For Cyber Monday, Amazon has dropped the price on its Phantasmal Flames Booster Box from $279.99 to its lowest price yet, $254.99, which is also $15 cheaper than TCGPlayer's lowest listing right now. Bargain, catch it before it runs away.
Phantasmal Flames Booster Box
36 booster backs are inside, which is the best feeling in the world when you're ripping everything open in one go. Surprisingly, there seem to be quite a few Mega Charizard X ex SIRs and Hyper Gold Rares floating around.
I don't have numbers or anything to back this up, but there are a lot more posts in Pokémon TCG community groups finding these over previous sets. Maybe that's just due to more stock being available thanks to increased print runs starting to finally surface?
Who knows, but it's awesome for collectors and players alike.
There's more bangers to pull in this set too, such as Dawn - 129/094 for some Diamond and Pearl Nostalgia, Mega Sharpedo ex - 127/094 with some amazing comicbook color use, and even the Alt Ultra Rare Mega Charizard X ex looks amazing with that classy use of neon green and pink to make Mega Zard x stand out.
Just buy what you want then get 10% back as store credit. You can rack up to 16% cashback today just by signing up for the $8.99 TCGPlayer Subscription, which also get your free delivery and a flat 1% cashback on purchases year-round.
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.
The free-to-play NetEase-published Wuxia adventure, Where Winds Meet, has topped 9 million players in just two weeks.
The open-world action-RPG debuted on PC and PlayStation 5 on November 14, and hit a peak concurrent player count of 251,000 on Steam (Sony does not make player numbers public). Over 89% of the game's 70,000+ Steam reviews are positive, too.
A mobile version is due out on December 12. Offering full cross-play and shared progress, you'll be able to dip into the action wherever you are, with "a portable Jianghu in the palm of your hand." If that sounds good to you, you can pre-register for mobile (iOS or Android) right here.
IGN's Where Winds Meet review returned a 6/10. We said: "Where Winds Meet has a great understanding of what makes wuxia such a compelling genre, but its attempt to shove so many different things into one game only ensures that none of those elements reach their full potential."
Cyber Monday is your last chance to secure the best offers of the year before the holidays. If you're on the hunt for some last minute deals, we're actively rounding up the strongest Cyber Monday discounts, and you can all our top picks and price drops in IGN's comprehensive Cyber Monday hub.
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.
I don't very few deals on LG's Gallery Series OLED TVs throughout the year because they're obnoxiously expensive. However anything's possible on Cyber Monday, and this time around there's actually a deal worth mentioning. Electronic Express via eBay is offering some huge discounts on LG's G5 OLED TVs which stack with eBay's Cyber Monday coupon code "CYBERWEEK20". Electronic Express is an authorized LG reseller.
There's one problem. These deals keep going in and out of stock, but mostly out of stock. As of the latest update, they're back in stock. If you are a prospective OLED TV buyer committed to making a big G5 purchase on Cyber Monday, don't hesitate. LG is the best selling OLED TV globally for a simple reason. It's just that good, and especially the G5.
The more affordable (and still excellent) LG Evo C5 OLED TV is also on sale.
Cyber Monday LG G5 4K OLED TV Deals
The G5 is the current generation (2025) Gallery series model. LG's Gallery series TV is LG's highest end OLED TV and perhaps the best OLED TV, period. That means it's superior to the more mainstream LG C5. Although both TVs are equipped with a premium "Evo" panel that's already better than traditional W-OLED TVs, the G-series goes one step further by incorporating MLA (micro lens array) technology, which significantly improves brightness.
We picked the LG Gallery series as one of our favorite TVs for gaming. It has all the features you'd want in a current generation gaming TV, including a native 120Hz-165Hz panel and four HDMI 2.1 ports that can run games in 4K at 120Hz on a PS5 or Xbox Series X console. It supports variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM).
One note to keep in mind is that none of the LG G-series TVs include a stand. They are meant to be mounted on the wall like an art installation (hence the "Gallery" monikor). Instead, a flush mount wall bracket is included.
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.
Looking for a Black Friday and now Cyber Monday deal on a world-renowned VPN at a great value? Surfshark VPN might have just what you’re looking for. While each month would usually set you back $5, the company is offering a Black Friday deal that nets you two years of coverage at a fixed rate of $1.99 per month, as well as an extra 3 months. Surfshark's biggest deal of the year will end on December 2, after which the price for the 2-year subscription of Surfshark One will increase.
Surfshark's Black Friday Deal is now a Cyber Monday deal for one more day
Surfshark’s Cyber Monday Deal Is Better Than Half Price
Mathematicians among you will know this deal is netting you 27 months of an excellent VPN for $47.76, a huge drop from the standard price, and a great deal compared to rivals, too. Still, all of that means little if the product itself isn’t worth subscribing to, but Surfshark has become a favorite for many for its speed and geounblocking prowess.
VPNs will always lead to reduced download speeds, but Surfshark remains a consistent performer whether you’re connecting to Toronto or Tokyo. With more than 4,500 servers worldwide as of October 2025, it’s one of the most well-supported, too, with locations across over 100 countries. This also helps with getting around geoblocks. Want to see what Netflix is like in the UK, or check out a different Disney Plus library? Surfshark can help with that, and the faster speeds mean you can enjoy 4K streaming just about anywhere you want.
Naturally, security and privacy should also be front of mind when it comes to picking a VPN to use. Surfshark’s default VPN protocol is WireGuard, which has excellent compatibility across online services, and it’s open source so anyone can check for faults. Traffic is 256-bit AES encrypted, too, so your ISP doesn’t have access to your data. And, if your connection drops, a kill switch will cut traffic from your device entirely, and the company runs regular data leak monitoring sweeps to notify you if your email, payment card, or other personal data appear online in a data breach.
Add the fact you can connect unlimited (yes, unlimited) devices to your Surfshark account, there’s a lot to like - especially at just $1.99 per month.
Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay.
The caption of the tweet leads to the monolith above, alongside its real-world location in the Mojave Desert. As you’d expect, people tracked it down and uploaded footage to social media.
Amid all that, Windows Central reporter Jez Corden took to social media to say the tease related to an expansion for Blizzard’s action role-playing game, Diablo 4. Blizzard had said Diablo 4 was set to get an expansion in 2026 (alongside a new ranking system and leaderboards), so an appearance at The Game Awards later this month would make sense.
There’s no detail yet on what this expansion will contain, although earlier this year Diablo 4 fans suggested Blizzard had leaked the Paladin class, perhaps the most-requested by fans since Diablo 4’s June 2023 release. The Paladin is one of the most popular classes from Diablo 2, so its arrival in Diablo 4, should it happen, would be celebrated by the game's community. The game’s first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, added the Spiritborn class.
Corden’s “more” could relate to a Nintendo Switch 2 version of Diablo 4 — a shadowdrop perhaps? Or it could be to do with something else entirely.
With The Game Awards less than two weeks away, we’re starting to get an idea of what to expect. CD Projekt has ruled out more of The Witcher 4, but we do know that Exodus, the new sci-fi RPG in development at Archetype Entertainment, a studio founded by former BioWare developers James Ohlen, Chad Robertson, and Drew Karpyshyn, and published by Wizards of the Coast, will get a new trailer at the show.
Cyber Monday is your last chance to secure the best offers of the year before the holidays. If you're on the hunt for some last minute deals, we're actively rounding up the strongest Cyber Monday discounts, and you can all our top picks and price drops in IGN's comprehensive Cyber Monday hub.
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.
It's offically Cyber Monday now and one of the best LEGO deals just went live on cue. Amazon has lowered the price of the LEGO Spider-Man Daily Bugle 76178 to just $244.99 after a $105 instant discount. This matches the lowest price I ever saw for it, which coincidentally was Black Friday last year. And just like last year, I expect this set to sell out very quickly. The Daily Bugle is LEGO's third-largest Marvel set ever and includes 25 iconic mini-figures from the Spider-Man universe.
LEGO Marvel Spider-Man Daily Bugle 76178 Deal
The LEGO Spider-Man Daily Bugle 76178 is an impressively sized build measuring 32" tall, 10" wide, and 10" deep with a brick count of 3,789 pieces. This is a four-story rendition of the famous newspaper building, including the offices of demanding editor J. Jonah Jameson and budding photographer Peter Parker. The collection of mini-figures includes Doctor Octopus, Spider-Man, Venom, Miles Morales, Spider-Ham, Green Goblin, Peter Parker, Spider-Gwen, Mysterio, Sandman, Robbie Robertson, and even some characters unique to this set like Blade the vampire hunter, J. Jonah Jameson, Black Cat, Daredevil, and Punisher.
This more complex set is catered to ages 18+. Normally these types of builds are meant for display and feature very little room for personal creativity, but the Daily Bugle is different. Characters and building design elements can be moved around so that you can recreate your own mini-stories and customize the action in and around the Daily Bugle. It complements the LEGO Avengers Tower, which is very similar in scale, although currently it's far more expensive.
More LEGO Black Friday Deals
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Cyber Monday isn't all that different from Black Friday, but it is the last official day of most sales. Most major retailers are offering similar prices we found during Black Friday, however, there are actually some better deals going on today we've included here. The IGN Deals team is here to help you maximize your savings with only the best discounts available today.
With that in mind, this is still a massive sale and we're doing our best to keep track of everything live. Popular deals are constantly going in and out of stock at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and more, so we're working hard to find you the best possible price available anywhere.
Our Favorite Cyber Monday Deals Today
Our favorite deal overall isn't even technically a deal, it's just the Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart World bundle. The Switch 2 has been selling quickly and Cyber Monday is potentially your last chance to grab bundles in stock. You can browse the full carousel above for more of our favorites or jump straight to the categories you're most interested in below where our experts have curated the best deals.
Best Video Game Deals
If you're looking for Cyber Monday deals on games, our Senior Commerce Editor Robert Anderson has been curating all of the best discounts from Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox. A lot of the best deals on video games have already gone out of stock, so don't hesitate on any of these deals while they're still around
Nintendo Switch 2 Deals
The most notable discounts from Black Friday were the Mario Switch games, but unfortunately all of those deals are now gone. You can still get the Switch 2 bundle in stock, however, and there are quite a few games still left at Walmart.
PlayStation 5 Deals
PlayStation has really done the most this year with its Black Friday deals, and many of those discounts are still around for Cyber Monday. The PS5 accessory deals are especially good and you can still pick up a PlayStation Portal on sale from pretty much every major retailer. There are also plenty of DualSense controller discounts still available.
Xbox Deals
The Xbox deals are still holding strong for Cyber Monday. Almost all of the Xbox games that were on sale for Black Friday are still in stock and available at one retailer or the other. Some of the Xbox controller colors have sold out, but the discount remains.
PC Game Deals
If you're looking for PC games specifically, there are are number of places to go. Most notably, Steam launched its first Black Friday sale this year and that is still going on today, so that's definitely worth a look. You can check out our full list of the best Cyber Monday deals on PC games for more options.
PC Gaming Deals
If you're looking for PC gaming hardware deals, our Commerce Manager Eric Song has been actively finding the best prices and promo codes available anywhere. There are some great prices available for PCs and gaming laptops equipped with the latest GPUs as well as massive discounts on gaming monitors. A lot of prices have actually improved now that Cyber Monday has arrived.
Handheld Gaming PC Deals
There aren't a ton of deals on handheld gaming PCs going on right now, but there are some. Our top pick is the discount on the Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS included. You can also get the Steam Deck at a bit of a discount directly from Steam right now. The Xbox Ally did briefly go on sale at Best Buy on Sunday evening, but the deal was gone fast.
Gaming PC Deals
Some of the best discounts are on hardware direct from the Dell Alienware Cyber Monday sale. You can also find some surprisingly low prices at Walmart and Best Buy for iBuypower and CyberPowerPC gaming rigs.
Gaming Laptop Deals
Similar to gaming PCs, most of the top discounts for Cyber Monday here are direct from the manufacturers' own sales. The Dell sale has the Alienware 16 Aurora for under $1,000 and the HP sale has Omen laptop deals under that price point as well
Gaming Monitor Deals
There are quite a few really good Cyber Monday gaming monitor deals going on rigt now. The Dell sale has only gotten better since Black Friday, and LG Ultragear monitors are seeing some solid price reductions across various retailers. We've highlighted a nice mix of budget options and high-end monitors here, but all of these deals are good.
Our overall favorite headset is still on sale for Cyber Monday. We gave the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro an absolutely glowing review and this rare discount makes it worth picking up. There's also quite a few cheaper options currently available if you don't want to spend that much money. We've highlighted a mix of budget and high-end gaming headset options here.
Gaming Mice Deals
Our favorite Cyber Monday gaming mice deals are from various popular brands. Razer has some solid discounts here, but the best overall value comes from SteelSeries. Our review of the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro goes into detail about what makes this deal worth the premium price if you're looking for a bigger upgrade.
The Apple Cyber Monday sale is the same as it was for Black Friday, but that doesn't make the deals any less good. All of the latest AirPods models are at their lowest prices of the year, and you can also find big discounts on the latest iPads and MacBook Air.
TCG Deals
There's been loads of great TCG deals in the Black Friday sales so far and some of them are still in stock for Cyber Monday. What we've picked here are absolutely the favorites of our trading card game expert writers, Lloyd Coombes, and Christian Wait.
Avatar MTG Collector Booster Boxes are back in stock at Amazon, and discount for Black Friday, dropping to $399.99. They were over $550 just a week ago, so despite the high cost, this is a smashing deal. Standard play booster boxes are also discounted, and down to $149.99 for a box of 30.
LEGO Deals
Some of the best LEGO deals from Black Friday are still in stock. The LEGO Pac-Man set has been one of the most popular deals so far, but there are tons of great options from every major LEGO Themes. Whether you're looking for adult LEGO sets or some great options for kids, there are discounts for all ages here.
4K Blu-ray Deals
Amazon hands-down has the best sale on 4K Blu-rays for Cyber Monday. There are discounts on tons of popular movies in 4K as well as box sets for less than half their normal prices. You can even get a copy of the new Superman movie in 4K for only $12.99. That's a great deal.
Board Game Deals
Amazon has a wonderful collection of board game deals going on right now and some of them are also included in its 3 for 2 sale happening today. These types of sales are a great way to pick up a bunch of board games at once and save a ton.
TV Deals
The Cyber Monday TV deals are all just as good as what we saw during Black Friday. The main exception to that is the LG OLED deals that keep going in and out of stock at eBay. Those price drops might return, but they are not currently available now.
Headphone Deals
The overall best deals on earbuds right now are on the AirPods. If you need a pair of those, Cyber Monday deals are your last chance to save big. For over-ear options, we've also been finding great deals on the new Sony WH-1000XM6 at eBay.
Phone Deals
All of the Phone deals we saw on Black Friday remain and the best deals are still on unlocked phones. Both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Google Pixel 10 Pro have dropped to the lowest prices we've ever seen. You can also get some good deals via carriers if you're hoping to get the new iPhone 17.
When Do Cyber Monday Sales End
There are a lot of similarities between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but Cyber Monday is the conclusive end to the sale. Most major retailers will be ending the sale right at midnight on December 1. That means that a good portion of the deals live today won't be live tomorrow.
With that being said, there are a lot of online stores that choose to continue sales throughout the week. And we'll likely see additional upcoming holiday sales in the lead-up to Christmas this year.
Tips for Cyber Monday Shopping Online in 2025
Planning out your Cyber Monday shopping can help you save a lot of money when it comes time to actually start making purchases. Here are a few Black Friday tips that you should consider ahead of the event:
Set a Budget – Keeping track of how much money you can actually spend is important to avoid overspending. When everything is on sale, it can be easy to buy more than you really should just because things are at their lowest price of the year.
Create a Shopping List – Knowing exactly what you're trying to find discounts on is a great way to avoid making unnecessary purchases. It can also make it easier for you to compare prices between retailers or set price drop alerts ahead of time.
Compare Prices – Retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart make it really easy to do all of your shopping there. That being said, those retailers don't always have the best price on the items you're looking for. Make sure to compare prices across the web before you buy something for more than you have to.
Research Before You Buy – If you're making an expensive purchase, make sure you do at least some research before you buy it. This means looking for independent reviews or testimony from trusted sources about those products. You shouldn't necessarily trust Amazon reviews, for example.
Be Wary of Search Results and AI Summaries - Search platforms, such as Google, have a tendency to be flooded with sponsored links in the results as well as AI summaries that are potentially biased. Be careful to avoid clicking on a sponsored ad if you're looking for reviews or searching for specific products by price.
Why pay $220 for the new AirPods 3 when you can get the 2nd generation model for way, way cheaper? Ahead of Black Friday, Woot (which is owned by Amazon), is selling brand new, fully warrantied 2nd gen Apple AirPods Pro earbuds for just $134.99. Amazon Prime members get free shipping, otherwise there's a $5 delivery fee. This is the second generation model with USB Type-C and MagSafe charging case. And you read right, these include a 1 year Apple warranty.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) for $135
Includes full 1 year Apple warranty
The AirPods Pro is the best-sounding "truly wireless" earbuds for iPhone users thanks to its passively isolating in-ear design combined with excellent active noise cancelation, low-distortion driver and amp, and the Apple H2 chip. It also has useful features like Adaptive Transparency Mode, which lets you better hear your surroundings without removing your earbuds, and Conversation Mode, which automatically enhances the voices of people you're talking to. The second generation AirPods Pro replaces the Lightning port with a more universal USB Type-C port so you don't have to mix and match cables, and also includes a MagSafe charging case as standard.
The AirPods Pro 3 is better, but is worth twice the cost?
Currently there's a Black Friday deal that drops the price of the newer AirPods Pro 3 to $219.99. That's a welcome discount for sure, but it's still double the price of the 2nd gen AirPods Pro 2 deal here. The new AirPods Pro 3 are without a doubt an improvement over the 2nd gen AirPods pro, but it's your call as to whether or not those improvements are worth double the price. Here's a rundown of what's improved this time around:
TL;DR: AirPods Pro 3 improvements
Better audio quality
Better noise cancelation
Built-in heart rate sensing
Longer battery life (8hrs vs 6hrs)
More weatherproof (IP57 vs IP54)
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.
No matter how gorgeous of an image your new 4K TV might produce, it's going to feel incomplete without a room-filling speaker system to back it up. Sonos may have wrapped up its Black Friday Sale, but the new Sonos Cyber Monday Sale kicks off now. After perusing the deals, I would say this Cyber Monday sale is mostly a continuation of the Black Friday deals, except now you only have one final day to get in on the savings before it's all over. Sonos states on its site that this sale ends promptly on December 1, so don't expect these deals to be available afterwards.
The audio savvy knows that a single speaker isn't enough to reproduce an entire soundstage. Fortunately, Sonos offers pre-selected speaker bundles that are matched together to round out a complete home theater or entertainment system. Some of these bundles have an additional discount that stacks on top of Cyber Monday prices.
This set includes:
2 x Era 100 speakers ($338 for both, normally $438)
There is an extra $19 off set discount that drops the price even further to $319 with free delivery.
This set includes:
2 x Era 300 speakers ($758 for both, normally $958)
Sub 4 subwoofer ($719, normally $899)
This set includes:
Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar ($879, normally $999)
Sub 4 subwoofer ($719, normally $899)
This set includes:
Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar ($879, normally $999)
Sub 4 subwoofer ($719, normally $899)
2 x Era 100 speakers ($338 for both, normally $438)
This set includes:
Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar ($879, normally $999)
Sub 4 subwoofer ($719, normally $899)
2 x Era 300 speakers ($758 for both, normally $958)
Sonos Move 2 for $299
The Move 2 is Sonos' biggest and best portable speaker. Thinks of it as a portable Era 100. This is a standalone speaker with a self-contained battery and can be carried around from room to room. It's also made of more durable materials and is IP56 rated for weather resistance and A small dock is also included. The Move 2 pumps out great sound for its small footprint. Like the Era 100, the Move 2 has two tweeters, three class-D digital amplifiers, a mid-woofer. It also has a built-in microphone for voice control so it is Alexa and Google Assistant compatible.
Sonos Arc Ultra
The Arc Ultra is Sonos' best soundbar speaker, replacing last year's Arc model. It is a massive 46" soundbar that houses 14 total speakers, including five tweeters (plus two upward-firing speakers for Dolby Atmos supported height channels), six midwoofers, and a four-motor, dual-membrane Sound Motion woofer. The Arc Ultra uses AI enhancement technology to isolate and boost the clarity of dialogue and voices. It also has a built-in microphone so that it can be controlled using voice commands from the Sonos app or your favorite smart assistant. Check out our own Sonos Arc Ultra review.
Sonos Era 100
Why Sonos?
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. They're definitely pricier than budget options, but the sound quality is comparable to speakers that cost hundreds more or take up much more space.
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.
Are you the owner of a spankin' new Nintendo Switch 2 console? Have you been holding off on a memory card upgrade until prices have dropped? If you answered "yes" to both questions, then you, my fellow Nintendo gamer, are in luck.
Only for Cyber Monday, Best Buy is offering the mega-sized NEXT 1TB MicroSD Express card for $169.99 with free shipping. This is the best price I've seen to date for a 1TB Switch 2 memory card. NEXT, alongside Insignia and Rocketfish, is part of a larger brand sold only at Best Buy, making this a retailer-exclusive Cyber Monday deal.
The Best Cyber Monday 1TB Switch 2 Memory Card Deal
As you should already know, the Switch 2 console will only accept MicroSD Express cards. If you have a standard MicroSD card from your previous Switch, you sadly won't be able to use it to store games in the Switch 2. Although the two might look similar, MicroSD Express cards are much, much faster than their precedessors, with speeds of up to 800MB/s. Most MicroSD cards cap out at well under 200MB/s.
Smaller capacities are also on sale
Is the Nintendo Switch 2 console on sale for Black Friday?
Sadly, no (although we'd love to be proven wrong today). In fact, Nintendo recently raised prices on Switch 2 accessoriesand warned that the console itself might see a price hike in the near future. So, although there are no Switch 2 console deals live for Black Friday, if you don't yet own one and are looking into buying, now might be the right time to get one. It's now in stock everywhere, including on Amazon, and without any invitation required anymore. The only way to get a Switch 2 for a cheaper price would be buying an import model from AliExpress or used consoles from eBay or other marketplaces. If you're still unsure if Switch 2 is worth your investment this holiday season, check out our Nintendo Switch 2 review first for more insight before you buy.
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.
LEGO aficionados, don't miss this rare deal on a wondeful set. Amazon and Walmart are offering the LEGO Ideas Vespa 125 (10298) for just $69.99 after a 40% off discount. This set consists of 1,106 pieces in total, which averages out to a very reasonable 6 cents per brick! Any themed set under 10 cents per brick is a fair deal, but this is so much better for a number of reasons, from the cleanliness of the design and the scale of the finished build to the the rarity of the colors, cleverly thought-out finishing touches, and innovative build techniques.
Cyber Monday Deal: 40% Off LEGO Icons Vespa 125 (10298)
The LEGO Icons Vespa 125 is a collaboration between LEGO and Vespa to produce a replica of the real-life Vespa scooters popularized in the 1960s. The finished build measures an impressive 19" long, 11" tall, and 4 inches wide. The finished model is well proportioned and looks great from all angles. Details include a front wheel mounted on one side, a removable engine cover with a brick-built engine underneath, working steering and kickstand, classic 1960s Italian license plate, helmet, and a basket with a miniature flower bouquet.
A special mention should be given to the color scheme. Not only do the primary pastel blue and secondary royal blue bricks look amazing and are a refreshing change from the grays and browns that dominate modern-day LEGOs, they are also rare coveted colors that builders are sure to want in their collection.
The build is also clean compared to other vehicle builds because LEGO uses the "SNOT" (studs not on top) technique, so the little studs on the top of the LEGO bricks are not immediately visible across most of the scooter surfaces. It lends to a cleaner, more cohesive, and overall more realistic look.
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.
Amazon is kicked off its Black Friday sale with the best Kindle deals we've seen all year, and those same price cuts have continued on into its Cyber Monday sale. Pretty much every model is now at its lowest price of 2025, so if you've been hoping to pick up a good e-reader at a discount, Cyber Monday is your last chance to do so. I've had my Kindle Paperwhite for over a year now and it's one of the only devices I use every day. If you do a lot of reading, I highly recommend getting a Kindle for yourself and changing your life for the better. It's literally thousands of books in the palm of your hand.
There are four core models currently discounted in Amazon's Cyber Monday sale: The Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Colorsoft, Kindle Scriber, and the standard Kindle. Each comes with the option for a free trial of Kindle Unlimited if you don't already have a subscription.
The Best Kindle Deals at Amazon Today
The last time I saw Kindle prices drop this low was during Prime Day in July, and Amazon has matched or gone lower for each model for Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year. The Kindle Paperwhite is currently IGN's top pick for the best reading tablet, and it is currently matching its lowest price ever at $124.99. Perhaps the overall best discount here, however, is on the Kindle Colorsoft. Amazon's full color e-reader has dropped to a new low price of $169.99, which is a full $80 off its usual price. The standard Amazon Kindle has also dropped to its lowest price ever at just $79.99, which is getting into dangerously affordable territory.
Which Kindle should you buy?
With multiple models discounted, it's worth considering the advantages and disadvantages of each before you buy. If all you need is a regular e-ink reading tablet that can function as a replacement for physical books, then it mostly comes down to a choice between the Kindle Paperwhite and the standard Kindle. I've used both myself and the only real difference is in the size of the screen itself. The Kindle Paperwhite has a 7-inch screen while the regular Kindle is only 6-inches. I personally like the additional reading room, but since you can change the font size easily it isn't necessarily worth the extra $45 in this case. Both options also include the adjustable backlight, so reading at night is super easy either way.
The Kindle Colorsoft is what I'd recommend for anyone planning on reading digital comics and manga. The standard Kindles can load comics and graphic novels, but only in black and white. The Colorsoft will allow for full color, making it the best overall option for anything with pictures. An iPad is probably a better choice for comics, but it's a lot more expensive and doesn't feature the same soft e-ink display as a Kindle does.
Lastly, there's the Kindle Scribe, which is essentially an e-ink digital notebook. It can function as a normal Kindle, but with the added benefit of allowing you to write and take notes on it as well. It's great for anyone who is looking to quickly jump between reading a book and being productive in an instant, though it is the most expensive option here.
Kindle Unlimited Is Also on Sale
If you're a new subscriber, it's also worth noting that Amazon is running a promotion for Kindle Unlimited during Cyber Monday as well. During the sale period, you can get the service for just $0.99 per month for the first three months. I took advantage of this promotion last year and have been paying full price for it ever since. I'd only recommend trying out Kindle Unlimited if you're someone that reads a lot of books every month though. It works out great for me because I read a ton of LitRPG books and almost all of them are included with Unlimited, but if you're primarily reading new releases or a series that isn't included, then it's definitely not worth the price.
The Black Friday and Cyber Monday streaming deals have all officially arrived, but there's a significant shortage of sports streaming services participating in this year's discounts. The lack of deals comes after a rather tumultuous month for live sports streaming. Disney and Google got into a bit of a legal battle over ESPN channels, and YouTube TV subscribers had to deal with an outage for almost half of November before an agreement was reached.
Disney's ongoing battle for supremacy in the world of sports streaming isn't new, and it has only been further amplified since it launched ESPN Unlimited earlier this year. The new direct-to-consumer ESPN service has had a big draw so far, largely because the price is actually really good. Even months after launch, the Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited bundle price is still the best sports streaming deal around.
ESPN Unlimited Cyber Monday Deal
The new ESPN Unlimited bundle is only $29.99 per month and includes subscriptions to both Hulu and Disney+. This price is available for the first 12 months of your subscription and will increase to $35.99 per month after that time period is up. That price makes this one of the best streaming bundles available anywhere, and by far the cheapest way to watch sports. Live TV services like YouTube TV and DirecTV have starting costs around $80 or more, so this is a great option for anyone who wants to cut down their monthly streaming bill.
More Cyber Monday Streaming Deals
If you're looking for more Cyber Monday deals on streaming subscriptions, most of them are already live. The most notable discounts are actually on other Hulu bundles. You can pick up 12 months of the Disney+ and Hulu bundle for only $4.99 per month. It isn't quite as good of a deal as last year, but that's not too surprising after recent price hikes on these services.
All of these Cyber Monday streaming deals are set to end at midnight on December 1, so this is your last chance to take advantage of these discounts in 2025.
Dell (Alienware) offered the best price on a prebuilt RTX 5080 gaming PC for Black Friday. But guess what, it's actually lowerin price for Cyber Monday. That's right, Dell is currently offering an Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 gaming PC starting at just $1,750 (it was $1,815 on Friday). It's well equipped with a current generation Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU and a fair amount of RAM and storage, but since this is a customizable configuration, you can upgrade specs for an extra cost. Alienware normally commands a higher price point, but this Cyber Monday deal totally flips the script.
Cyber Monday Deal: Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 Gaming PC
This base configuration is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F CPU, GeForce RTX 5080 GPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. You can upgrade to 32GB of RAM for an extra $100. The processor is cooled by a 240mm all-in-one liquid cooling solution and the entire system is powered by a robust 1,000W 80+ Platinum rated power supply.
Alternatively, for an extra $500, you can upgrade to a more powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor and double the memory and storage. You might want to consider getting this config if you don't plan on doing any upgrades yourself in the future. The upgrade cost is reasonable considering the fact that DDR5 RAM has been surging in price recently.
The GeForce RTX 5080 GPU will run any game in 4K
Performance-wise, the RTX 5080 is no slouch. It's 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. The RTX 5080 supports DLSS 4 with multi-frame generation, which means you can push even more frames out of games that support the technology with minimal visual compromise. Recent games that support it include Doom: The Dark Ages, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Borderlands 4, Stellar Blade, and Battlefield 6. Check out our Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 FE review for our hands-on impressions.
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.
Spoilers follow for It: Welcome to Derry Episodes 1-6.
After two back-to-backblockbuster episodes, It: Welcome to Derry slows considerably with “In the Name of the Father,” taking time to check in with most of the major players left on the board as the fast-approaching Augery begins to take shape.
As the episode’s name would suggest, “In the Name of the Father” interrogates what lengths kids will go to for their parents’ love, and at what point it’s time to take a stand. For a series that hasn’t been consistently scary, “In the Name of the Father” kicks off with some of Welcome to Derry’s most potent terror yet. Leroy (Jovan Adepo) blames Will (Blake Cameron James) for Pauly’s death-by-friendly-fire in the sewers after telling him not to leave the base, and that fury spills out when Will moves to immediately disobey him again. Leroy snaps and hits Will, knocking him to the ground, giving way to Will’s heartbreaking cries that “It’s got to you, too.”
That’s probably not true for the simple reason that it’d be a lot easier for Leroy as a character if it were, and whether or to what degree Pennywise is exerting active control over Leroy isn’t the point: it’s that this act of violence has turned Leroy into a monster in Will’s eyes, and the move gives us our clearest look yet at the much-colder Leroy we meet briefly in IT: Chapter One. It’s heartwrenching stuff, performed with confidence by Adepo and especially James, who balances Will’s vulnerability, shock, fear, and defiance perfectly. Charlotte (Taylour Paige) can’t do much to intervene, but Paige carries the momentum of the encounter through the rest of the episode as Charlotte breaks from Leroy and refocuses on finding justice for Hank Grogan. “Humans are the real monsters” is by no means the only King truism that Welcome to Derry traffics in, but it’s dramatized to excellent effect in this scene.
Will’s railing against the idea that he not be allowed to leave his bedroom (much less the air base) hits especially hard because the kids’ close call with Pennywise has them closing ranks around Ronnie (Amanda Christine) and Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), whose emotional reunion at the Black Spot serves as a good counterpoint to how Leroy and Will part ways. Hank has a much better idea of how dire his situation is than the kids do, which gives his inquisitory “what’s your favorite movie?” litmus test of Will and his subsequent approval of the boy for answering “War of the Worlds” (seconded) added weight.
For all the big, scary emotions that It’s famous for, love often gets lost in the shuffle, and Marge and Rich's mutual crushing throughout “In the Name of the Father” adds a sense of sweetness Welcome to Derry hasn't really prioritized. Matilda Lawler has had her share of standout moments as Marge, so it was nice to see Rich Santos (Arian S. Cartaya) get some time in the spotlight as he starts to more freely demonstrate his feelings for her. Rich has been the least developed of the core group of kids, but both his genuine appreciation for Marge’s gross eye injury and his impromptu sit-in drum performance at the Black Spot underline his easy-going and brave nature, and with all that positive, happy energy he carries through the end of this episode, I shudder to think what the next two have in store for him. Happiness has a short half-life in Derry. Will, Ronnie, Rich, and Marge may all be united, but Lilly (Clara Stack) isn’t seeming quite herself after being in possession of the ceremonial dagger forged from Pennywise’s comet. She’s much quicker to aggression, and unwilling to let go of the blade… first, the blade worked like Sting from Lord of the Rings, lighting up around Pennywise, and now it’s driving people crazy like the One Ring itself!
But of everyone who ran into Pennywise down in the sewers, it’s Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk) who’s most affected, wandering back to the base and pounding spirits immediately to keep spirits from pounding him... as Hallorann tells Leroy, “They pissed It off.” Encumbered by encroaching ghosts, Dick’s quickly detaching from both his mission and his own conscience, refusing to get involved with concealing Hank at the Black Spot. Welcome to Derry repeats itself by having Leroy angrily confront Hallorann about holding back information, and Hallorann responding in kind by impressing upon him that he doesn’t understand the forces at play. It seems like Leroy and Hallorann’s relationship may have run its course, but there’s still room for calamity to shake something loose there.
As Welcome to Derry is coming into its final two episodes, setup for the Augery is feeling increasingly rushed. The series has done a pretty fantastic job of establishing the cosmological levers at play in the mass violence events that close out Pennywise cycles, but the roiling aggression that’s building among Derry’s citizens feels more driven at this point by the needs of the plot. We’ve heard competing ideas from characters like Clint Bowers, Charlotte Hanlon, and Hank Grogan about Derry’s stance on race relations, but the town pretty much instantly abandons all pretense about its dark heart the second reports hit that Hank has escaped custody.
Welcome to Derry has a pretty huge cast of characters to keep pushing forward, but less-central characters often serve as an observing Greek chorus to the ongoing calamities in King stories, and that perspective can go a long way to explaining why things start going to hell in a manner that still feels emotionally true - we’ve seen this bear out with how well Welcome to Derry has handled its Pennywise mythology through Rose and her tribe. But as Derry’s “good ol’ boys” assemble a lynch mob to hunt down Hank, it starts to feel in retrospect like we’ve been told too much about all this festering hate by more prominent characters secondhand, and had it shown directly too infrequently. Bowers walks into the town bar, in which the lynch mob’s making their plans, with news that he’s been fired (offscreen) by the town council for a lack of progress in stopping the crimes happening in Derry, which felt incongruous to his having actually arrested Hank, the prime suspect in those crimes. Welcome to Derry needs a match to light the fuse at this point, and Bowers is an obvious choice, but the rushed way the show moves him into that role doesn’t land.
So the pieces are all falling into place: there’s a group of kids banded together to fight Pennywise, there’s a ticking clock of a mass-casualty event on the horizon, there’s even a military cleanup plan being teased out… but “In the Name of the Father” has one more wild card to throw down, as Lilly discovers one more child vying for their parent’s love: Periwinkle. The episode is punctuated by flashbacks to Juniper Hill in 1935, as Ingrid Kersh (Madeline Stowe) is revealed not only to be the daughter of Bob Gray (think of him as the human proto-Pennywise), but a child-killer in her own right, tossing kids into the path of her dear old dad to lure him out in hopes of a reunion.
This is all a significant extrapolation on Mrs. Kersh’s tossed-off mention of being Bob Gray’s daughter in It: Chapter Two where, it’s important to remember, she’s an illusion created by Pennywise. Ingrid monologues a boilerplate “I’d do anything for daddy’s love” at Lilly before Lilly’s able to escape her house, which leaves us with a loose thread that will have to compete with both the Augery and Shaw’s cleanup plan over the next two episodes. Having a human antagonist not bound to the same rules of Pennywise does open interesting possibilities going forward, calling to mind how Pennywise ends up using Henry Bowers to similar ends, but Periwinkle has a lot of proving herself to do before she feels worthy of the family legacy. On that note, how bizarre was it to see Bill Skarsgård as the human Bob Gray with a voice that has its Pennywise dial turned up to 65%. There’s more Bob Gray to come, to be sure, and so more opportunity for Skarsgård to establish Gray as a sinister force all his own, but as it stands, there’s more work to be done for the Gray Family Circus to feel like an organic part of this story.
Connexion
PC Gamer
IGN
