Attention Everyone: Animal Crossing: New Horizons has a jump button now!
You can also walk backwards, and sideways!!!
Why am I freaking out over this? Look. This is almost as exciting as when we all learned New Horizons would give us the ability to sit down on the ground.
This comes as a part of Animal Crossing: New Horizon's 3.0 update, which dropped a day early today, giving access to a new Hotel area, loads of new decorative items, some quality of life features like bulk crafting, and Dream Islands you can build alongside friends. But as players have discovered since, it's also added a subtle new feature to aid in construction and placement: essentially, a controlled way to step in the cardinal directions in very precise ways.
This feature is now tutorialed as part of obtaining the Construction App, though it's possible it may be available prior to that, and it's very easy to activate. You can use it any time by pressing the L button. Pressing it once will snap your character into place with a tiny little hop. Holding it down and moving the stick in a direction will let you take exactly one step in that direction, effectively the size of one "square" of space. This is ideal for activities such as precise furniture placement, or lining yourself up perfectly to hit rocks or even catch bugs.
So, sure, it's not actually a huge deal - just a fun quality of life feature. It's not like a REAL jump (and you can already jump small gaps automatically anyway). But Animal Crossing's audience has historically gotten very excited about little touches like this, such as the wave of excitement when sitting on the ground was confirmed to be in the game, or the love for any number of other tiny details players have found over the years.
Anyway, if they ever add jump attacks it's over for you people.
We've got a comprehensive guide to the 3.0 update, including how to unlock everything and what's included, as a part of our Animal Crossing: New Horizons Wiki guide. If you're just getting back to New Horizons today after a long hiatus, we also have a number of tips for people getting back into the swing of things.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Umamusume: Pretty Derby's anime film spinoff, Beginning of a New Era, released in theaters in Japan way back in May 2024. And now, it's coming to the U.S. for a one-night-only theatrical release on February 27, 2026.
As shared by Crunchyroll, the film will hit select, to-be-announced theaters in the U.S. for a one-night screening next month, and shared an English-language trailer and poster alongside the news. Tickets will be available at a later date via the official English website, though it's unclear how broad a release this film will actually get.
If you're not familiar with Umamusume: Pretty Derby, it's an exceedingly popular franchise from Cygames centered around a mobile game that launched in 2021. It features the Umamusume, or women with some of the features (such as ears and tails) and abilities of horses who participate in races styled after real-world historical horse races. In the game this takes the form of a sports simulation game where players train Umamusume to compete in various raises and meet certain, character-specific goals.
Across the mobile game, a multi-season anime, a manga, and various other spinoffs, Umamusume has covered the stories of multiple characters based on real-world race horses from the '90s, '00s, and '10s. The film, Beginning of a New Era, released in Japan on May 24, 2024 and follows Jungle Pocket, based on the real-world horse of the same name, and her rivalries with Agnes Tachyon, Manhattan Cafe, and Dantsu Flame. In the film, Jungle Pocket trains with veteran trainer Tanabe in an effort to win the Triple Crown, a series of three races that can only be competed in once in a lifetime.
Umamusume: Pretty Derby launched in the U.S. in July of last year and only increased its popularity from what it already enjoyed in Japan. So much so that fans are now paying attention to the real-life horses that inspired their fictional counterparts, cheering them on, and even mourning the death of one last year.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Disney+ pricing has been a bit all over the place recently. The service raised prices across all of its streaming plans (including Hulu) last October, before offering a pretty solid Cyber Monday deal in November. Over the holidays, the streamer returned to its aforementioned increased pricing.
Fortunately for anyone trying to cut down on subscription costs this year, Disney+ has already unveiled its first streaming discount for 2026.
Get 1 Month of Hulu and Disney+ for $9.99
New and eligible returning subscribers can get one month of ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu for $9.99, a solid $3 off the standard pricing of $12.99. A whole cup of coffee, I know. Eligible returning subscribers, in this case, means anyone not already subscribed to Disney+ or any of its many bundle options. And, yes, unfortunately the deal is only available for the version of the bundle with ads.
While not exactly an eye-watering discount, the couple bucks could certainly be worth it if you’re looking to test out the waters of a new streaming service or catch up on a particular streaming release. The discount lowers the bundle price to $2 less than standalone Disney+ or Hulu, so if anything draws you to either of those two services, it’s worth it to pick up both.
According to the Disney+ website, the discount lasts until February 17, giving you a little over a month to think about what you could do with an extra $3.
What's on Disney+ and Hulu?
As a taster, new additions to Disney+ this month include new episodes from the Phineas & Ferb reboot, the continued release of Percy Jackson & the Olympians Season 2, and the long-awaited MCU series Wonder Man. Speaking of MCU, it’s a better time than ever to catch up on some homework ahead of Avengers: Doomsday. Of course, you’ll also get the full slate of Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic, and all things Disney.
Hulu, on the other hand, has streaming exclusives like The Handmaid’s Tale, Shogun, and Only Murders in the Building. It’s also the streaming home for the Predator franchise, with exclusive releases like Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers. It’s a little all over the place, but there’s some value to that when you're trying to find new things to watch.
Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who, when she isn't following streaming news, spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.
After more than 10 years in development, Hytale early access is here! If you’re just getting started, we’re writing a variety of early-game guides on smelting, setting up servers for friends, and plenty more.
I preferred to go in blind. Hytale is quite obviously heavily Minecraft coded, but developer Hypixel is also doing its own thing in ways big and small, too. Below are seven things in Hytale's early game that surprised me, coming at it specifically from a Minecraft’s player’s perspective. Anything I missed? Have some early-game observations of your own? Leave a comment!
1. Punching down a single tree knocks down the entire thing at once, giving you a pile of wood, sticks, and sap along with it. No floating tree trunks here!
Hytale is very clearly heavily Minecraft-inspired, but one area in which it does feel quite different is in that time-honored opening crafting survival game moment of punching down your first few trees. In Hytale, like Terreria and plenty of other survival games, the whole tree collapses and explodes like a little piñata of wood and resources once you disconnect it from the ground. You'll need all that sap, trust me.
2. Early overworld mobs are tankier than expected
Within my first few minutes in Hytale I had come across squirrels, rabbits, sheep, and even a fox. And although none of them were hard to kill at all (sorry little guys, but I need your pelts for early-game crafting recipes), I was a little surprised at how much HP they seem to have, and how many hits from my first crude sword it took to take them down. I had to chase one rabbit halfway across the plains - they're quite speedy when making their getaway.
3. Ores glint faintly in underground caves
This is truly a tiny detail, but still one I thought was neat. When spelunking in Hytale, if you look carefully, an otherwise pitch-black cave wall or crevasse will glint off distant light sources like your torch if there are any valuable ores present. Helpful!
4. Gear Progression Is a bit more complicated
In my first cave I explored I found plenty of copper ore for Tier 1 armor, but I also found a stack or so of iron ore, for Tier 2 gear. I was initially a little bit disappointed, thinking maybe I could just leapfrog past tier 1 entirely. But crafting weapons and armor in Hytale actually requires a few different raw materials, which I appreciated. Copper armor requires only copper and plant fiber. But Iron requires iron, light leather, and linen scraps. So it looks like I have more mob grinding in my near future.
5. There are more decorative options
Hytale’s crafting system in early access is still very basic (and a little buggy), but coming from Minecraft, I still appreciated some small crafting details like being able to turn raw wood and stone into slanted, tiled roof blocks and half-block-thick walls when building out my starter hut. You can also place shelves on our walls and stick a few decoratives like candles and books on them. By the way - huge fan of how Hytale's crafting benches can see and make use of resources stored in nearby chests.
6. There are promising secrets and surprises
Hytale is what I would describe as an “aggressively” early access game. Most of the time when you come across something interesting in the world like what looks like a dungeon entrance, or a hand-built ruin, you’ll be stopped from entering and shown a literal under construction “work in progress” sign. There is one exception though, which illustrates some of the promise of what is hopefully to come.
Early on I spotted a nearby icon on my map labeled “Forgotten Temple Gateway.” Without spoiling the details, investigating said gateway led to a fight against a unique mob and a portal to a beautiful and entirely unique, hand-crafted location, filled with its own NPCs and points of interest. Hytale for now looks to be very thin on hand-crafted Adventure content, but this tiny taste was an encouraging place to start.
7 Farming Is a Bit More Complex
Although I didn’t get a chance to dive into the feature in detail because I had to go back to (grumble grumble) work, I did get a chance to poke around Hytale’s farming system a bit. So far it looks like, similar to most of Hytale’s other systems, it’s a bit more complex than Minecraft’s. You can craft animal caretaking buildings including chicken coops and beehives, as well as a farming aids like a watering can. Tree saplings and new crop seeds don’t come from harvesting, but instead must be created by spending “Essence of Life,” which seems a bit like a currency you receive when harvesting mature crops.
For now, as a Minecraft veteran - I’ve been playing off and on since there were Secret Friday Updates! - Hytale’s opening few hours are familiar enough and yet still different enough to keep me interested and coming back for more. Be sure to check out our Hytale Review-in-Progress for a far more in-depth look at the game.
Considering what it offers, Disney+ is one of the best streaming services on the block. From classic Disney animated films to the latest Marvel shows, Star Wars movies, and so much more, Disney+ puts an incredible range of high-quality viewing options at your fingertips. There's tons to watch, but after another round of price hikes, you might want to revisit your streaming subscriptions. We're here to help.
At the moment, one of the best Disney Plus bundle deals available is the massive Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max streaming bundle. This starts at $19.99/month (after a recent price hike) to get you all three streaming services with ads. Bundles are definitely worth considering, especially following the news of Hulu eventually fully integrating into the Disney+ app.
Limited-Time Deal: One Month of Disney+ and Hulu With Ads for $9.99
We're only two weeks into January, but Disney+ has already announced a new bundle discount. Until February 17, you can get one month of Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) for $9.99, $2 less than standalone subscriptions to either service. Sure, it's not a door-stopping discount, but it's a decent way to test out the Disney waters or catch up on a particular series.
How to Get the Disney Plus, Hulu, and HBO Max Streaming Bundle
Want a way to save on your Disney+ membership sooner rather than later? Bundles are a great, affordable way to go. Our top recommendation is the Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max streaming bundle can be purchased through any of the three streaming services and starts at $19.99/month for the ad-supported tier or $32.99/month for ad-free access across the three platforms. If you currently own all three and want to cut down on costs, this is a great way to bundle them together and save big on what you'd pay for them separately per month – 42% on the ad-supported plan and 43% on the ad-free plan.
Every Other Disney+ Bundle Option
Beyond HBO Max, you can also choose to bundle Disney+ with just Hulu or the all-new ESPN Unlimited service. Here's the breakdown of all your bundle options:
Disney+, Hulu Bundle is $12.99/month and comes with subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu. This plan lets you stream on multiple devices at once and comes with ad-supported versions of both services.
Disney+, Hulu Bundle Premium is $19.99/month and comes with Hulu and Disney+ with no ads. It also includes Disney+ Premium features like the ability to download shows to watch on the go.
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle adds ESPN Select (With Ads) to the mix alongside Disney+ (With Ads) and Hulu (With Ads), bumping up the price to $19.99/month. You can also download and watch select content on ESPN Select at this level.
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium is $29.99/month and comes with ESPN Select (With Ads) and ad-free versions of Disney+ and Hulu. You can also download select content across all three streaming services.
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle is $35.99/month and includes the new ESPN Unlimited service with live ESPN coverage as well as Hulu and Disney+ (With Ads).
Disney+ is available in a couple of different tiers. You can get the least expensive option (simply called Disney+) for $11.99/month, which gives you access to everything except the ability to download select shows to watch on the go. This tier is ad supported. If you want to get rid of ads and be able to download certain shows, you can spring for the $18.99/month or $189.99/year Disney+ Premium package.
What Is the Paid Sharing Plan on Disney Plus?
In an effort to crack down on password sharing, Disney has added a paid sharing plan for individuals outside of your household. Basically, anyone using your account that's not within your household will have to be added as an "Extra Member" to your account. This costs an additional $6.99/month for the ad-supported subscription and $9.99/month for the Premium ad-free plan, and only one Extra Member slot is available per account. You can learn more from Disney's paid sharing explainer here.
Disney+ Gift Cards
If you want to help someone out and give them a gift that will keep on giving, gifting a one-year Disney+ card is a great option. It provides all the great things Disney+ offers and it costs a fraction of what it would take to buy even a small sampling of those movies physically.
What Can You Watch on Disney+?
There is a bonkers array of shows and movies you can watch on Disney+. Highlights coming to Disney+ in January include new episodes of Phineas & Ferb, Percy Jackson Season 2, and all of the Indiana Jones movies. For new and potential subscribers, here's a deeper dive into what's available on the service:
Disney
On the Disney front, you have awesome classic movies like The Sword In The Stone, Robin Hood, 101 Dalmations, Hercules, and Sleeping Beauty, modern classics like The Princess & The Frog, Tangled, and Frozen, and a wide range of animated shows, including Phineas & Ferb.
You also gain access to a ton of vintage content like Escape to Witch Mountain, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, The Love Bug, and a whole lot more. The Disney Junior section is home to absolutely top tier animated shows like Bluey (which, for my money, is worth the price of admission on its own).
There's way more on offer, too, including a ton of Muppet movies, new live-action films and adaptions (including the new Snow White), nature programs, documentaries, Pirates of the Caribbean, and musical programs featuring Taylor Swift (like her wildly popular The Eras Tour), Elton John, Ed Sheeran, and more.
Pixar
When it comes to computer generated films, Pixar stands alone. Kicking off the revolution with Toy Story, Pixar has consistently put out fantastic films, and they are all here. From the Toy Story series to Finding Nemo, Cars, and more recent hits like Inside Out 2, there is a ton to love.
Beyond even that, there are incredible shorts like Bao and Party Central, as well as a wide range of originals and series based on major films, such as Dory's Reef Cam, Forky Asks A Question, Cars On The Road, and more.
Marvel
The MCU has become a true juggernaut, and there are many viewers who subscribe to Disney+ purely for access to nearly the entire MCU lineup of films and shows.
Whether you are a fan of the blockbuster action films, you are an appreciator of the classic 90s runs of "Saturday morning" cartoons like X-Men, or you are currently vibing to the funky theme of the 1981 Spider-Man series, there is a ton of Marvel to enjoy on Disney+. And with new movies and shows being added to the MCU all the time, including most recently Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World, there is always more coming.
Star Wars
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a film that changed everything. The original Star Wars is a seminal sci-fi fantasy work that inspired generations of creators, but there is still nothing quite like that far away galaxy. Disney+ grants access to all things Star Wars, including the remastered versions of the original trilogy (hopefully some day they'll add the theatrical cuts, too), as well as the prequels and sequels.
Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television have announced their upcoming Prime Video God of War show has cast God of War Ragnarok veteran Ryan Hurst to play Kratos.
Amazon MGM Studios ended its search for a star for the latest live-action video game adaptation today, kick-starting the casting process with one of the biggest (and angriest) names in the history of PlayStation. Many details about the God of War TV series’ plot remain under wraps, though it is said to fall in line with the 2018 game reboot, which follows Kratos and his son, Atreus, as they travel in hopes of spreading their loved one’s ashes.
“Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god,” an official description says, “while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.”
Amazon’s decision to go with Hurst to play Kratos makes sense for a few reasons. For starters, it’s not too hard to picture the star with ash-white skin, a menacing red tattoo, and maybe even the Blades of Charos or Leviathan Axe. The real draw, though, is that Hurst already has a firm place in the God of War universe, as he played the crucial role of Thor in 2022’s God of War Ragnarok.
Those unfamiliar with the star’s work may have also spotted him on TV as Opie in Sons of Anarchy or Beta in The Walking Dead. He’s got experience in the movie world, too, having shown up in the 2000’s for Remember the Titans, We Were Soldiers, and The Ladykillers. With names like Christopher Judge, Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista, and more previously thrown around by fans, Hurst may not be the face many expected to see play Kratos in the God of War show, but the side-by-side image provided by Amazon (above) suggests the company is confident in its choice.
The Greek-god-killer-turned-Norse-legend will make his true live-action debut when the God of War show eventually premieres. Pre-production is currently underway in Vancouver, with a two-season order setting Hurst and showrunner Ronald D. Moore up for a long – and probably bloody – story.
Word of a live-action God of War adaptation first arrived in early 2022 before Amazon moved to officially announce the project later that same year. After troubled development saw the exit of previous showrunner Rafe Judkins as Amazon hit the reset button, the show eventually found a new creative direction to cut into. Moore took over as showrunner in late 2024, with Shogun and The Boys veteran Frederick E.O. Toye then tapped to direct its first two episodes just last month.
PlayStation Productions and Tall Ship Productions are co-producing the new God of War series alongside Sony and Amazon. Also on board as executive producers are longtime God of War writer and director Cory Barlog and Sony Intreractive Entertainment's Hermen Hulst, with Maril Davis, Naren Shankar, Matthew Graham, Asad Qizilbash, Jeff Ketcham, Roy Lee, and Brad Van Arragon also attached. Co-executive producers include Joe Menosky, Marc Bernardin, Tania Lotia, and Ben McGinnis.
Amazon and Sony have not announced a release date for the God of War show. For more while we wait, you can check out our interview with God of War game composer Bear McCreary, where he told us about why he may be interested in joining the TV series.
Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.
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).
With Best Buy's Winter Sale in full swing, we're seeing some solid discounts on tons of video games, electronics, and accessories. One particularly nice deal to check out today is on Sony’s DualSense Controller, which is only available on sale occasionally. If you’re looking for a budget TV that can keep up with your PS5 or Xbox Series X, the Hisense 65” U6 MiniLED is also seeing a nice price drop during the Winter Sale, and Amazon is price-matching at the moment.
Those aren’t the only deals worth checking out. A 100W charger from Anker is at its lowest price ever; it’s perfect for topping up the discounted Asus ROG Xbox Ally. There are even a few remasters of classic video games on sale that will be nice additions to your gaming library, while collectors will want to jump on these cheap Star Wars figures. Below are all the top deals I found today:
TL;DR: Best Deals Today
Save $13 on Sony’s DualSense Controller
If you didn’t get to snag Sony’s DualSense Wireless Controller during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, you’re in luck. The Midnight Black colorway of the PlayStation gamepad is only $59.99 on Best Buy today. You’ll only catch this controller discounted a few times a year, and chances are good the price won’t drop this low again for a couple of months, so be sure to grab it while you can. During hands-on testing of the DualSense, reviewer Mike Epstein was impressed by the “incredible tactile feedback and a refined shape.” In fact, the DualSense has been our favorite PS5 controller since its release, thanks to its feature-rich design and affordable pricing.
The Anker Nano Charger 100W is 33% Off
Power-hungry devices, like the top handheld gaming PCs and laptops, require a bit more power to charge quickly. The Anker Nano Charger is a great charging block ready to top those devices up fast, thanks to up to 100W PD. Even with impressive 100W charging, it manages to remain lightweight and compact with a foldable prong. Right now, you can score the Anker Nano Charger at its lowest price ever: $29.99 for 33% savings. It even comes with a 6-foot USB-C charging cable in the box for added value.
Save 40% on Raidou: Remastered - The Mystery of the Soulless Army Launch Edition
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army came out 20 years ago in 2006 on PlayStation 2. In mid-2025, the remaster of this classic action RPG from Atlus, Raidou: Remastered - The Mystery of the Soulless Army, launched. With it comes updates to visuals, UI, voice acting, battle systems, and more, but all the while it stays true to the original as you summon demons. Right now, you can purchase the game for 40% off on all consoles. Xbox Series X, PS5, and Switch 2 are all enjoying the same savings.
Hisense 65" Class U6 Series MiniLED QLED UHD 4K Smart Fire TV (2025) Hits Lowest Price Ever
Looking for a great gaming TV that won’t break the bank? The Hisense 65" Class U6 MiniLED 4K TV is an awesome option. Best of all, it’s even cheaper than Black Friday, costing you just $530. That's the lowest price it has ever hit. Now, just because this TV is affordable doesn’t mean it's lacking. With a 4K 144Hz refresh rate and VRR support on two HDMI ports, this TV is ready to keep up with your PS5 and Xbox Series X. The mini LED panel with local dimming delivers solid contrast, while the overall picture quality is bright and vibrant. Anyone looking for a reliable budget TV should take advantage of this deal.
Star Wars Action Figures Drop to Lowest Price Ever
Action figures have played a massive role in the Star Wars fandom from the get-go, and if you’re just joining the party or looking to add a few more to your collection, a few figures have gotten their prices seriously slashed. From Hasbro’s The Black Series Collection, this Prince Xizor 6-inch figure from the Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire 1996 video game is over $12 off. Otherwise, Star Wars: The Mandalorian fans will want to grab this Imperial Armored Commando 3.75-inch figure from the Vintage Collection. It’s currently 31% off. For more information on Star Wars action figures, check out this guide.
20% Off Coupon Deal for The Lord of The Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth
Looking for a fun two-player board game to get you through those long winter nights? The Lord of The Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth might just be for you, and it’s only $26.87 when you clip the coupon. That’s one of the lowest prices we’ve ever seen. This card game adds a Lord of The Rings spin on 7 Wonders Duel, where it's the Fellowship versus the forces of Sauron, attempting to complete specific goals. In our review of The Lord of The Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth, Matt Thrower found that it “offers an exciting and varied new take on the original game, while still being accessible for newcomers.”
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake for PS5 Is Nearly Half Off
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is down to $31.69 on Amazon. That’s one of the best deals we’ve seen on this RPG epic for PS5. If you’ve been waiting to buy the iconic title, now might be the time. It’s even cheaper than Black Friday. This remake of Erdrick's adventure, released in late 2024, utilizes Square Enix's HD-2D art style and does so brilliantly. In our review of the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, Logan Plant said it “is a shining example of how to remake a classic RPG and a brilliant reminder of why the original is an essential work.”
Turtle Beach Rematch Wired Gaming Controller for Switch 2 Is Lowest Price Ever
The Nintendo Switch 2 is a brilliant handheld gaming console, but when you’ve got it docked, the Joy-Con 2 solutions just aren't the most comfortable to play with. Enter the Turtle Beach Rematch Wired Gaming Controller. It’s officially licensed by Nintendo and is far more comfortable to grip. The Hall-Effect sticks, C-Button, and mappable quick-action buttons are also nice additions. Oh, and it happens to be ridiculously cheap on Amazon right now. You can score the controller for under $21, making it a great option for when you occasionally want to play the Nintendo Switch 2 connected to your TV or monitor. The only downside? It's wired.
tomtoc Slim Carrying Case for Nintendo Switch 2 Is Down to Lowest Price
The Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t cheap, so you need to do everything in your power to keep it safe. One of the first steps to ensuring protection is grabbing a great case, and the tomtoc Slim Carrying Case is one of our favorite accessories for the Switch 2. An IGN expert even had a chance to conduct some hands-on testing of the case, giving it high praise with a 9/10 review rating. Best of all, you can grab the tomtoc Slim Carrying Case for the lowest price ever right now on Amazon.
While simple, it features a precision fit to hug every joystick, button, and control perfectly, keeping things ultra-slim and compact for ultimate portability. With a soft inner layer and durable outer shell, the console can withstand its fair share of drops. There’s even a handy little carrying strap along with a dozen slots for storing game cards.
$50 Off the AOC Q27G40XMN Mini-LED Gaming Monitor
You don’t need to break the bank to get a great gaming monitor. In fact, our favorite budget option has had $50 slashed from its price tag during Best Buy’s Winter Sale. You can grab the AOC Q27G40XMN Mini-LED for only $250. This QHD 27-inch monitor delivers a remarkably great HDR gaming experience with impressive contrast, color performance, and brightness. 1,152 local dimming zones also minimize blooming. All of that’s coupled with an impressive 180Hz refresh rate and VRR support for a monitor that punches far above its price class.
3 for $33 4K UHD Movies
Great news! Amazon’s three for $33 4K Blu-ray sale is still live (it ends on 1/19). That means you can score an awesome deal on select 4K UHD titles. All that you need to do is add three movies to your cart, and when you go to check out, the price will drop to just $11 each. Whether you’re looking to add a few classics to your physical media collection, like The Shining or 2001: A Space Odyssey, or want some newer titles, like Jurassic Park: Rebirth or Wicked, there’s a huge selection to choose from. It’s a great time to buy.
Best Buy Video Game Winter Sale
The New Year's Sale may be over, and now we’re on to the Best Buy Winter Sale. Luckily, the savings are similar, bringing solid discounts on tons of popular titles. From Borderlands 4 for Xbox Series X getting 40% knocked off its price tag, to NINJA GAIDEN 4 for PlayStation 5 seeing a $30 price drop, there are some pretty awesome deals worth checking out.
Danielle is a Tech freelance writer based in Los Angeles who spends her free time creating videos and geeking out over music history.
After about 10 hours in Hytale, the new survival crafter from some former Minecraft modders, there really isn't a better way I could describe it other than to say it's basically Minecraft 2. From the block-by-block breaking and building, to the stylized environments and enemies, to the procedural world generation, this feels like the, "What would we change if we had the chance to start over again?" version of the now legendary 2009 classic. Many games have been influenced by Mojang's trendsetter, but this is more of a cover song than a subgenre from what I’ve seen so far (though I’ve got plenty more to play before my final review). And while developer Hypixel Studios’ lawyers might not love hearing me say that, I honestly don't think it's a bad thing. Even in Early Access, it's a good cover!
All of the gameplay will be pretty familiar if you've put any time at all into Minecraft, but with some streamlining here and there. You no longer have to begin your journey punching trees, for instance, since basic tools are made with sticks and rubble that can be collected easily with your bare hands. Also, breaking the trunk of a tree will cause everything above it to collapse and drop its resources, which was almost enough to win me over on its own. I still to this day hate having to chop upwards to hollow out a tree in Minecraft!
Movement is also a lot more modern and fluid. You can jump up to three blocks high and pull yourself up, which feels like such a huge quality-of-life improvement over the one-block jump limit in Minecraft. It's even possible to take a running leap at a ledge, hit the side, and pull yourself up. We've got proper parkour now, and I don't know that I would ever want to give it up.
It also just runs better than Minecraft on my Ryzen 7 3700X, 32GB RAM, and RTX 4070 Ti-powered system. Even with the draw distance cranked up, my framerates sit comfortably above 60. We'll see how long that lasts when I start building elaborate megastructures, but for now it's like butter.
Combat is fine. There are a handful of different weapon types, from swift-slashing double daggers to a classic sword and shield setup with more defensive options, and every one has its own unique charge attack and a special meter that can be filled up to release a devastating finisher. I'm impressed with the enemy variety so far, with everything from goblin bomb-throwers to really terrifying lava toads that can catch you with their tongues and pull you in for a very painful bite attack.
It's almost like someone's wishlist of things Minecraft can't or will never do.
Building can be a little bit fiddly. We have more pieces to pick from, like proper roofs that make Minecraft's classic stair tricks redundant. But sometimes I had to do silly stuff like building a dirt "mold" to make sure all the pieces were facing the right way. Still, once I got the hang of its quirks, I was able to start making some pretty neat-looking stuff.
There's very little direction in this Early Access version of Hytale, currently. The main hub area, the Forgotten Temple, is a rotunda of literal Under Construction signs. I even stumbled into some dungeons out in the world where I'd be excited to throw the doors open only to find one of these disappointing barriers. It's not clear what the larger, overarching goal is supposed to be, although I'm happy enough to build cool stuff and seek out new ores for higher-level tools at the moment. But I'm not sure if there will eventually be a story or bigger bosses to find or anything like that. I haven't run into them yet if they exist already.
Overall, I'm quite enjoying my time with Hytale so far, though. Even if it is just Minecraft again, it's an enjoyable rendition with some thoughtful tweaks and additions. It's almost like someone's wishlist of things Mojang will never do, or can't do with its legacy tech. I plan to put in at least a few dozen more hours before I give it a final evaluation, but check back for more updates on my progress in the coming week.
The first Paramount+ price increase since 2024 is set to go live on Thursday, January 15. The basic and premium subscriptions will both be receiving a $1 bump while the annual plans will see a much larger increase. In addition to the price increases, the Paramount+ free trial for new subscribers is also coming to an end. All of these changes are coming to the service just ahead of the first UFC fight being streamed on the service on January 24, 2026.
Paramount announced the increased prices back in November 2025 during its Q3 2025 earnings report. The timing of the price increase definitely makes it seem they likely due to the addition of UFC fights coming to the platform, starting with UFC 324 on January 24. Previously, all major UFC fights were following a PPV model and were only available through an ESPN+ subscription. Now that ESPN+ no longer exists (it's ESPN Unlimited now), new fights will be shown live on Paramount+. You can check out the full schedule of upcoming fights directly from the Paramount+ website.
Last Chance to Avoid the Price Hike for UFC Fights
With the price increases going into effect tomorrow, today is your last chance to avoid the price hikes altogether. If you're planning on watching UFC fights throughout next year, I'd suggest the annual subscription for maximum savings. Both annual plans are getting a substantial price increase, so locking in your subscription before the price hike can save you the most money overall.
An annual basic subscription currently costs $60 while a premium subscription is $120. Both tiers will get you access to live UFC fights in 2026 as well as on-demand coverage once the fights have ended.
You can still get Paramount+ via a Walmart+ Subscription
Although the Paramount+ free trial is officially ending, you can still get free access to the service via a Walmart+ subscription. The Walmart+ free trial offer 30 days of the service for no cost for new subscribers and includes access to a Paramount+ Essentials subscription. This is one of the best streaming bundles currently available and overall the best way to try out the streaming service for free. Plus you get a bunch of other benefits from Walmart on top of that.
Outside of Walmart, you can also still get a free trial of Paramount+ via the Prime Video add-on. Amazon's streaming service offers 7-day free trials for most add-ons, with the monthly cost being rolled into your total Amazon Prime bill after the free trial ends.
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