Right off the starter grid, I must admit I was sceptical during the unboxing process of this Moza racing setup. You see, I was first drawn to the R12 Wheel Base, the CRP Pedals, and the GS V2P GT Wheel for three reasons—Moza's sterling reputation, the fact that it was a GT3/F1 configuration not offered by my current wheel, and because I’m a fiend for greater force feedback. The latter didn’t seem probable here, despite Moza's superior FF numbers.

I’m very much a simmer who feels the need to feel the speed. My current workhorse, a Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel, is no slouch in the FF department with its not-unimpressive 11Nm of torque. That said, the R12’s direct drive servo system goes harder at 12Nm.

The Spinal Tap leap from eleven to a dozen sure amped me up, but I recoiled when spotting the footprint differences of these similarly priced wheel bases. As I was grease monkeying everything off my sim rig, it was impossible not to notice the dashboard-like Logi Pro wheel base (30.5 x 29 x 20cm) dwarfing Moza's ultra-compact R12 base (22.5 x 15.6 x 12.3cm).

I caught myself wondering: Is it even possible to get more power out of such a svelte package? In short order, the answer came back as a resounding, wrist-rattling yes.

We'll delve into the details of that in a sec, but for now, let’s get some best price options for anybody who clicked in here with their mind made up already. Everybody else can skip all that window shopping by clicking here to continue to my hands on impressions.

The Moza Racing Test Setup

Moza R12 Wheel Base

Long story short, the R12 Wheel Base is a solidly built nerve-centre that will serve as your HUB for Moza’s highly interchangeable racing ecosystem. Boasting an aviation-grade aluminum alloy housing with sexy laser-etched accents, it certainly looks the goods after I bolt it onto the business plate of my trusty Playseat Alcantara sim seat.

From here, it’s a wiring noodlefest as you connect the base to a (considerably sized) power brick, and then to a wall socket. The next extra step I had was linking the base to my (optional) Moza Sequential Shifter. It’s also worth noting that there are dedicated ports available for hi-definition Digital Dash readouts, Handbrakes for the hairpin heroes, and an E-stop switch.

The last step of the great connect-a-thon is threading from base to pedals, which require their own mini daisy-chain connection process with short wires running between the accelerator, brake, and clutch pedals before a single, dedicated cable can be snaked out to the base unit. This sounds like a pain, but it’s actually a one-off hassle, and the no-nonsense labelling of all ports makes for a painless process.

Last but not least, you’ll need to slot on a wheel style of your choice onto the base. As mentioned before, I went for the GS V2P GT (GT3/F1) setup, and it effortlessly snaps onto the base via an automotive-grade conductive slip ring system that provides limitless max wheel rotation. And, for the record: Moza’s other wheel styles include an ES (ideal for street/drifting), a CS (what I’d use for rallying), and there’s even a very self-explanatory TSW Truck Wheel. As a wheelman who enjoys all the meats of the sim racing stew, I'm looking forward to testing those variants in the future.

Moza GS V2P GT Wheel

While the R12 wheel base is sexy-looking but also unassumingly box-like, it’s difficult to not be wowed by the busy aesthetics of the GS V2P wheel once freed from its box + totebag prison. Authentically-sized and wonderfully weighty-feeling at first touch, this bad boy is positively bristling with bells and whistles. It's absolutely stuccoed with more dials and switches than your average gamer would know what to do with.

Thanks to exceptional design, I found I had easy thumb access to this cacophony of buttons and doodads. Beyond the main dials that rest at the centre of the unit, it feels like every other input has been perfectly placed around my fingertips. Likewise, the build quality of everything feels befitting of the considerable price one is paying.

Noise-wise, the functions that rest on the back of the wheel will be very intent on letting you know they’re back there. The aftward clutch pedals are generously sized and non-cacophonous, though they’re certainly clicky. The individual gear up/down shifters are the main culprits, as they're definitely noisier than they need to be—just beefy, metal-on-metal clanks aplenty. Though it’s a minor pain in an already lengthy setup process, you should 100% take the time to apply the (optional) rubber dampening pads that come with this unit.

Powering up the wheel results in a cheerful disco of lights as the RPM strip and ten face buttons run through their initialization checks. Speaking of chroma, I love that this V2P version of the wheel has upgraded to individual LEDS instead of the old sequential LED RPM setup. Looks better. Works better.

I also dig how stocky and durable this wheel feels, thanks to a stronger reinforced backplate. It’s also mighty comfortable in the mitts with its perforated microfiber leather grips (an epidermis-friendly finish that’s also found on Moza's more premium FSR wheel). Lastly, at 300mm across, I appreciate that this unit is slightly wider than quite a few competing F1-style wheels out there. Call me shallow, but I’m always of the opinion that bigger is better with wheels—it just sells the illusion that much more.

The excellent build quality extends to the inputs themselves. Those ten backlit push buttons dominating the radial reach range of your thumbs all feel nice to the press and have a surety that reduces the likelihood of accidental pressings. This lack of finickiness is invaluable when you’re racing as I do, ensconced in a VR headset with no option for a quick downward glance at the wheel.

Note: if you do exist at the other end of the spectrum and like the occasional glance at your wheel, I love that there’s a quick button combo that allows the individual cycle changing of LED colours for every push button. For example, you might want to slap a big “no no” red on your pit-limiter function to prevent accidentally crapping out your transmission along the main straight of Monza.

Likewise, the rotary encoders that sit at the centre of the unit have just the right amount of resistance to them. When blind as a bat in VR, I found that I could still intuitively reach out, find what I needed, and then twist to the correct number of units required. I'm quite happy that there's a degree of further customisation with these too—Moza’s software suite allows you to easily change these from rotary encoders to simpler, individual switches. Every creature comfort has been thought of.

Moza CRP Pedals

When it comes to putting actual pedals to the metal, Moza’s CRP set is a high-quality offering. They require the most construction of the peripherals in this article, but also the most latitude to tweak things into one's absolute ideal setup. You’ll cobble everything together, from the metal base plate and heel-stop strip, to slotting in the three pedals into a surprisingly large array of spacing slots on offer.

I never thought I’d say this about something designed to be relentlessly trodden on, but these CNC machined aluminum alloy pedals look...beautiful. Weirdly, they never failed to catch the eyes of even my non-gaming mates and draw positive comments. I was also pretty impressed by the genrously sized toolkit that came with this—a veritable Mechano box of adjuster tools, spring swaps, and rubber dampeners.

Once I bolted everything to where it needed to go, I was struck by how large the face area is for these single-spring pedals. I’m used to the Logitech approach where you’re all toes and the ball of the foot–Moza’s determined to let your whole sole get involved. These pedals also leverage rear-mounted load cell sensors and magnetic Hall Effect Sensors, which are much preferred for their durability over many, many hours of stomping.

Overall, I loved the sensation of these very linear feeling pedals, and there’s plenty of travel provided to cater to a wide variety of sim setups and disciplines. With minimal monkeywrenching, you can fairly quickly transition from short 'n' snappy F1 responsiveness to the deeper pedal pushes one might want for heel-and-toe shift driffting or a big mutha-trucker rig racer.

All Together Now

When everything finally came together for game-time, the Moza ecosystem performed brilliantly. Obviously, with the F1 nature of the GS V2P GT, I veered harder towards open-wheeler experiences with a dash of GT3 thrown in here and there. Furthermore, as a Force-feedback junkie, I made a beeline for the titles on Moza’s official FF compatibility list, such as:

• Both Assetto Corsas
• Both Dirt Rallys (and 4)
• F1s 2018 through 2023
• All Project CARS
• iRacing
• rFactor2
• Forza Horizon 4 and 5
• WRC 9/10/Generations
• Wreckfest
• BeamNG.Drive
• Mudrunner

In a general sense, the GS V2P wheel feels responsive and weighty. I'm also happy to say that when it comes to the quick release nature of the wheel and its stem, stability hasn't been sacrificed for quick-swap convenience—I detected only a tiny degree of lateral flex going on. That's great news if you’re one of those wheel stranglers who tends to twist your wrists a little during especially hairy turns.

For the most part, the unaltered default settings for the wheel felt perfectly adequate for most things I played, though I loved the degree of tinkering offered in Moza’s Pit House software suite. It’s an incredibly intuitive platform that allows you to scroll through the aforementioned list of sims and configure for them individually. No more diving into the guts of your game install directories to punch gobbledygook .ini files into shape.

In the interest of time, I downloaded a bunch of premade JSON profiles as a base to fine tune the experiences of my favourite F1 23 go-tos—mostly hot laps in iffy weather conditions around Interlagos, Bahrain, Silverstone, and Red Bull Ring. I found that being able to rein in maximum steering angle and overall FF intensity to be an absolute cinch via the Pit House android /iphone app as well.

Feasibly, with said app and the quick-swap nature of the changeable wheels, you can radically overhaul what your R12 is capable of at the speed of a pit crew on red cordial. Obviously, Pit House goes a heck of a lot more granular than what I’m describing today, but to detail it all here would require a small Wiki—an especially particular petrolhead could spend hours in this tweaktown.

Initially, all my smooth brain wanted was to "embiggen" the force feedback the sensation of attacking those hair-raising corners and chicanes of my old beloved, Nürburgring Nordschleife. Pretty soon, however, I fell down a rabbit hole into one of Moza’s newest settings called Base Force Feedback Curve. In layman’s terms, it provides a parabolic, visual means to assess and mess with the dynamic range of the grunt coming through the wheels and into your hands.

Massaging the curve ensures that you can inch up more linear effects, like road textures, fender kisses and rumble strips to have increased FF relevance while making those more overbearing signals—like spearing into a wall or t-boning a rival—less dominating.

Honestly, I found the results to be sublime, as so much more was being communicated to me. Experimenting with this non-linear range at the 12nm max output is such an extra dimension. I found it to be almost as much fun as tinkering with the parts of an in-game car.

Basically, though the R12 is technically only "one notch" beyond the force feedback I'm used to feeling, the nuance provided by Moza's impressive hardware / software marriage is a game-changer that opens up a wide range of possibilities.

Most you will be quickly impressed with the exceptional craftsmanship and auto-config experience of the R12 Moza setup, but I can already see the true joy of it will be spent chasing my dream settings and then, of course, those perfect laps that elude and drive us all.

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LG has kicked off its 4th of July Sale with some pretty incredible savings on their TVs, gaming monitors, ultraportable laptops, and more. In addition to the instant discounts, there's a stackable coupon code "HECA14701" that works on almost everything listed and takes off an additional 10%-20% off. This is one of the best 4th of July sales we've seen so far this year and certainly the best we've seen from LG direct. Everything gets free shipping, although tax still applies.

LG 4th of July Deals on OLED TVs

It's rare to see a manufacturer offer better pricing than a 3rd party merchant like Amazon or Best Buy, but it's happening now. As part of its 4th of July Savings Event, LG is offering some incredible prices on LG Evo C3 and C4 4K OLED Smart TVs. Save up to $1200 off in instant discounts and then an extra 10% off coupon code "HECA14701". What's especially great about this code is that it takes 10% off the original MSRP, not the discounted price. I don't know how long this code will last for, but I'd be surprised if it's still live on July 4.

Update: This deal now includes a free TV wall mount with purchase. Even better.

LG Evo C3 4K OLED Smart TV Deals

LG Evo C4 4K OLED Smart TV Deals

LG B3 4K OLED Smart TV Deals

LG 4th of July Deals on Gaming Monitors

LG UltraGear 27GR950QE 27" OLED Gaming Monitor for $509.99

The LG UltraGear 27GR95QE 27" 240Hz OLED gaming monitor normally retails for $999.99, but right now you can get it for $509.99 after a $400 instant discount and $90 off coupon code "HECA14701". The LG UltraGear GR950QE is a second generation 27" 2560x1440 (1440p) OLED monitor with a very fast 240Hz refresh rate. A 2 year warranty is included.

LG (direct) is offering a phenomenal deal on their biggest and best dedicated OLED gaming monitor. Right now you can get the LG UltraGear 45GR95QE 45" 240Hz OLED gaming monitor for only $849.99 after a $700 instant discount and $150 off coupon code "HECA14701". The 45GR95QE is one of the best ultra-widescreen gaming monitors on the market. This is a true OLED display with an ultra-wide 3440x1440 resolution and a blazing fast 240Hz refresh rate.

LG UltraGear 45GR95QE 45" OLED Gaming Monitor for $849.99

LG (direct) is offering a phenomenal deal on their biggest and best dedicated OLED gaming monitor. Right now you can get the LG UltraGear 45GR95QE 45" 240Hz OLED gaming monitor for only $849.99 after a $700 instant discount and $150 off coupon code "HECA14701". The 45GR95QE is one of the best ultra-widescreen gaming monitors on the market. This is a true OLED display with an ultra-wide 3440x1440 resolution and a blazing fast 240Hz refresh rate.A 2 year warranty is included.

The 32" LG 32GS95UE-B is LG's first gaming monitor under 40" that has both an OLED display and a 4K native resolution. It was released on April 15 with a retail price of $1399.99. Right now you can get an extra $210 off with coupon code "HECA14701", dropping the price to $1189.99. If you're looking for one of the best gaming monitors for 2024, this should definitely be on your short list.

LG UltraGear 32" 32GS95UE-B 4K OLED Gaming Monitor for $1190

The 32" LG 32GS95UE-B is LG's first gaming monitor under 40" that features both an OLED panel and a 4K native resolution. It was released on April 15 with a retail price of $1399.99. Right now you can get an extra $210 off with coupon code "HECA14701", dropping the price to $1189.99. If you're looking for one of the best gaming monitors for 2024, this should definitely be on your short list.

LG 4th of July Deals on Ultraportable Laptops

LG Gram Pro 16" OLED Laptop (2.6lbs) for Only $1359.99

Update: Get a free LG PF610P 1080p Portable LED Projector ($650 MSRP) with purchase. You must scroll down on the product page and add it manually to your cart.

LG (direct) is offering its super lightweight LG Gram Pro 16" Intel Evo Edition Laptop for only $1359.99 after a $500 instant discount and $240 off coupon code "HECA14701". This is one of the lightest 16" laptops on the market, weighing in at a mere 2.6 pounds. It's very well equipped for all of your general purpose multi-tasking needs with an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, Intel ARC onboard GPU, a gorgeous OLED display, and a long battery life.

Check out more 4th of July sales we've found so far at other retailers.

Are you tired of stressing about keeping up with the latest board games, the hottest new expansions, or being on the outside looking in when wanting to start a new hobby? We’ve all been there. The barrier to entry for many tabletop, card, and board games can sometimes be high, with some games’ starter kits starting well over $100. It can be intimidating to get into certain board games due to budget, and that’s a shame.

Whether you’re getting that special gamer in your life a birthday gift or hosting a casual game night with close friends, plenty of budget options exist that are sure to scratch that itch. And we’ve compiled some of our favorites right here!

TL;DR: These Are the Best Cheap Board Games

• Qwirkle
• Boss Monster 10th Anniversary
• The Chameleon
• Decrypto
• Targi
• Hand Games 21
• Betrayal: Deck of Lost Souls
• You’re Getting Old
• Coup
• Say Anything
• Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
• Poop
• Couch Skeletons

Board Games Under $30

Qwirkle

Qwirkle is one of a tiny handful of games that have won the biggest trophy in the scene, the Spiel des Jahres, and gone on to become a mainstream hit in its own right. And what’s more, you can now pick up a copy for under $30. Its success is down to a combination of intuitive gameplay and addictive tactical smarts. The game pieces are tiles with differently coloured shapes on them, and on your turn you can play any number that share a colour or shape, into a line or column that shares the same colour or shape. You then score a point for each tile in the sequence, plus a bonus if you complete a set of six shapes or colours. The result combines the familiar spatial strategies of Scrabble with all sorts of head-spinning opportunities to set up future plays or block opponents.

Boss Monster

A personal favorite of mine, Boss Monster is a love-letter to a bygone era of early pixel art RPG video games, filled to the brim with heroes, dungeons, spells, and of course, boss monsters. In it, you are the boss monster, building your dungeon and setting various traps to kill the heroes before they slay you first. Each Boss card has unique abilities that will inform your dungeon-building strategy, and you can even disrupt your opponents’ dungeons by buffing heroes adventuring through them. Boss Monster is designed for 2-4 players, and the 10th Anniversary edition of this replayable classic also comes with 15 brand new cards.

The Chameleon

The Chameleon is an easy to pick up, quick-to-play social deduction game. At the beginning of the round, players are dealt face down cards, one of them being the Chameleon. Players not dealt this card are then issued a secret code word, unbeknownst to the Chameleon, and must use tricky wordplay and conversation to oust the Chameleon, all while that player tries their best to blend in. This is great for quick rounds, parties, or the local brewery.

Decrypto

Decrypto is another clever wordplay game -- make sure you have plenty of extra paper and pencils ready to go just in case. Each round consists of two teams, with one player from either team working to decipher a secret code and pass it onto their team. The other team has the opportunity to steal if you fail to pass along the code. Set up is quick and easy, and the secret code pieces are plentiful enough that you won’t have much overlap for multiple games. Highly team-oriented and fast-paced rounds make Decrypto a must-play for larger gaming groups.

Board Games Under $20

Targi

Sometimes cheap games are fairly light affairs, great for family time, but less so for long-term investments that grow on you over time. Targi is a rare exception, a two-player only title that comes in at around 20 dollars, but which can last a lifetime of exploration. Play involves a grid of randomly placed cards around which you place pieces against a row or column, locking that position up from your opponent, and you’ll eventually gain the cards at the intersections where your placements meet. Some give you resources, while the point-scoring cards you’ll need to win cost them, but there are severe limits on how much of either you can collect. Combining tense tactical placement with head-scratching hand and resource management, this is a gem you can pick up for a bargain price.

Hand Games 21

Games don’t come much cheaper than those you can play with your hands alone, like Rock, Paper, Scissors. And for the modest entry fee of fifteen bucks, you can add 21 new hand games to your repertoire, all of which are much better and more creative than that hoary old chestnut. Your hands will be transformed into those of a wizard, hurling spells at your opponents, or those of a banker, grabbing and counting wads of cash at lightning speed. If you want something a little less action-oriented, there are puzzle games involving hidden fingers and social deduction games that eschew the traditional cards and dice. It’s an impressive feat of design chops, and it doesn’t involve your feet at all. And of course, once someone’s invested the price of the book, you can spread the games to your friends for free.

Betrayal: Deck of Lost Souls

A Tarot card-inspired horror-themed board game, Betrayal: Deck of Lost Souls is a cooperative strategy game in which players must work together to defeat the numerous monsters and horrors they’ll face. The catch: one player is secretly a traitor, trying to bring about the one true Curse. Highly stylized and macabre art makes this a great gift for horror fans. This standalone card game consists of over 90 Item, Curse, Character, and Omen cards, creating endless potential for a fresh and exciting experience each time you play. Also check out our Betrayal at House on the Hill buyer's guide.

You're Getting Old

Best enjoyed by skinny-jean-wearing, avocado-toast-eating, will-never-be-able-to-afford-a-house Millennials, You’re Getting Old is a classic “never have I ever” style card game that tells you that yes, you are in fact getting old. To start the round, each player draws a card with prompts that make them old and ones that redeem them. If you can answer what “deadass” means, you’re redeemed and move down a space using your avocado token. The player who gets to the highest space first by being old ends the game, and whoever has the lowest position wins. Quick and easy set up, and great for making fun of your friends.

Coup

Looking to test out your lying abilities? Coup is the game for you. In it, players fight over gaining or losing influence as they struggle to be the last one standing. Take actions to steal currency from another player, or counteractions to block foreign aid or stealing. Subterfuge is at the forefront here, as you’ll often have the opportunity to use character card abilities you may not actually control, but be warned: other players can challenge you, and if you’re caught, you lose influence. When you lose your two influence cards, you’re out of the game and the next round begins until one player is left.

Board Games Under $10

Say Anything

If you want to thrill a big group of players with a brilliant party game you can pick up on the cheap, you won’t do better than Say Anything. Players take turns drawing a question card and picking one to ask: everyone else then writes and reveals their answer. Once they’re all public, everyone secretly bets on which answer the question-asker will like the best before the big reveal, when you’ll find out who’s hit the jackpot and who’s going empty-handed into the next round. Like all the best party games, it’s a very simple formula that’s likely to inspire some big laughs and some spicy table chat, and at this price it’s entirely worth adding to your after dinner party repertoire.

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

A quick, easy, and insanely addictive card game, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is perfect for families and will put your reflexes to the test. The goal is to get rid of all the cards in your hand, and doing so requires focus and concentration. Players take turns in a clockwise order, and you say aloud either taco, cat, goat, cheese, or pizza in that order while playing your card. If the word you say and the face-up card match, players must slap the card and the last player to do so adds the face-up pile to their deck. This makes for great laughs and all-around competitive silliness that is well worth its price.

Poop

Similar to Uno, Poop the Game is a numbers-based strategy card game where the goal is to dump (no pun intended) your hand to win. Each round has players take turns pooping but be wary not to clog the toilet: if you play the card that makes the poop pile exceed the number on the toilet card, you take all of those cards, and the round starts over. There are also special cards that reverse turn order and color-based strategies to “flush” the toilet. Thankfully, Poop the Game has no scratch and sniff components.

Couch Skeletons

Super quick and easy set up and short play time makes Couch Skeletons a great pick for a small gift or travel game. You and another player take turns placing numbered skeletons on one of five couches, with the card you play being either one number higher or lower than the skeletons in play. If you have no cards to play, you then discard your hand, and the next round starts by drawing three cards. The goal is to get rid of all your cards from both your hands and empty the draw decks, and you win when you’ve played all your cards and aren’t able to draw.

Be sure to also check out our recommendations for the best party games and the best 2-player board games.

Myles Obenza is a freelance commerce writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @Myles Obenza.

The Nintendo Switch has entered what is likely its final year in the console market, and it appears to be going out in a blaze of glory with some exciting games to make way for its successor, the Nintendo Switch 2. Whether they’re exclusively developed for the Switch or ported over from other platforms, these upcoming Switch games will make the hybrid console’s final year one of its most memorable.

A bunch of new games that were announced during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct are coming, including the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4. Here are all the new Switch games we can look forward to in 2024 and beyond.

Take a look at our guide to all upcoming video games for release dates on every platform.

All Upcoming Switch Games with Release Dates

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Deluxe Edition (July 11, 2024)

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Deluxe Edition is an enhanced version of the original game developed exclusively for Nintendo Switch. The game follows fighter pilot Trigger, who gets assigned to a penal squadron after being accused of murder during a war between Osea and Erusea. The Switch-exclusive deluxe version will come with six DLC packs and bonus content not seen in the original game.

Darkest Dungeon 2 (July 15, 2024)

Darkest Dungeon 2 is a turn-based roguelite horror game where you ride a stagecoach with your friends up the mountain to escape the impending apocalypse. You can play as one of 12 characters, customize your difficulty, discover 10 companion pets, and explore the progession hub called The Altar of Hope. And if you pre-order the Oblivion Edition, you'll get The Binding Blade DLC, which comes with two new characters, a special storyline, a wandering boss, and more.

Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus (July 18, 2024)

Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is a hand-drawn 2.5D action platformer inspired by Japanese folklore developed by Squid Shock Studios in partnership with Humble Games and funded on Kickstarter. You play as Bo, the celestial blossom (fox tentaihana) descended from the heavens to embark on a journey through the mystical land to take part in a mysterious ancient ritual. The bo staff helps you bounce and glide seamlessly from place to place throughout the dreamlike realm, and you’ll get to meet yokai and monsters of various types, shapes, and sizes.

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (July 18, 2024)

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is a compilation of 13 classic NES games – including Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Ice Climber, Kid Icarus, Kirby's Adventure, Donkey Kong, and Excitebike – that are packed with mini-games based on the challenges that were played at the real-life Nintendo World Championships there were held in 1990, 2015, and 2017. There's three modes of gameplay: Speedrun Mode, where you runthrough sections of games as fast as possible to set a new personal record; World Championship Mode, where you can compete with other players and rise up the global online leaderboard; and Party Mode, where you play locally with up to eight players.

The New Denpa Men (July 22, 2024)

The New Denpa Men is a free-to-play RPG that will have you scouring radio waves to find other Denpa Men and team up to discover dungeons and fight monsters. You can also customize your Denpa Men, design your radio wave island Animal Crossing style, and participate in local four-player co-op to fish for even more Denpa Men.

Ace Attorney: Investigations Collection (September 6, 2024)

Ace Attorney: Investigations Collection will have you playing as Miles Edgeworth in his adventures beyond the courtroom in remasters of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Gambit, the latter of which is making its debut outside of Japan. You can swap between the revamped anime art style or the original pixelated art style, play in additional languages, and discover more bonus content.

Funko Fusion (September 13, 2024)

In Funko Fusion, you'll play as 60 different characters modelled after the Funko Pop figures you collect from 20 different pop culture franchises, including Jurassic Park, Five Nights at Freddy's, Invincible, Back to the Future, M3GAN, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and The Walking Dead. It's a crossover adventure of extremely cute proportions!

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (September 24, 2024)

Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a faithful remake of the original Wii title courtesy of Purple Lamp Studios. The plot remains the same, with Mickey teaming up with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to restore Wasteland to its former glory with the very tools he used to mess up Yen Sid's creation in his workshop — paint and thinner. The game will run on Unreal Engine 5, which enhanced the graphics and dimmed the lighting to match the game's dark environment.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (September 26, 2024)

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom features Zelda as the protagonist for the first time in the franchise's history. The princess is tasked with rescuing Link and other people in Hyrule after strange rifts popped up all over the kingdom and took them. She'll work with a fairy named Tri and use the Tri Rod to create echoes of objects found in her environment to overcome obstacles and solve puzzles. She'll create echoes of enemies she fights and forcibly recruit them to her team as well. This will be the eighth Legend of Zelda game on Nintendo Switch since its launch.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (October 10, 2024)

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is the long-awaited sequel to the original RPG-style life-sim game that released on Nintendo 3DS in 2014. In addition to working any job you want – from woodcutter, blacksmith, paladin, cook, and more – each with its own set of quests, you’ll get to build your own city on an abandoned island, travel through time, and meet new characters with some mysteries of their own.

Super Mario Party Jamboree (October 17, 2024)

Super Mario Party Jamboree is the third Mario Party game to come to the Switch following Mario Party Superstars and Super Mario Party. You'll be taken to a large island resort to play over 110 minigames between five new game boards with different environmental hazards, including Rainbow Galleria and Goomba Lagoon, and compete in Koopathlon mode with up to 20 players. Plus, it will bring back Mario's Rainbow Castle and Western Land from Mario Party and Mario Party 2, respectively.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven -Remake- (October 24, 2024)

After 31 years of Japanese exclusivity, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is getting a full-blown remake treatment in the West, English voice acting, enhanced graphics and all. You play as an emperor or empress of Avalon, building the kingdom and protecting as you fight the seven heroes who have returned as villains hellbent on revenge on those who have forgotten their sacrifices.

Farmagia (November 1, 2024)

From the creator of Fairy Tale and Rave Master comes Farmigia, a game about monster combat and farming. In the realm of Felicidad, you play as Ten and help him grow monsters in a garden and raise them as an army to fight against a despotic king of the underworld.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership (November 7, 2024)

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is the first entry in the Mario & Luigi series to make the jump to the Switch with 3D graphics and a unique animation style. This game will see the Super Mario Bros. go island-hopping across Concordia on a part ship, part island called Shipshape Island, visiting rainforests, cities, and running into other characters from the Mushroom Kingdom, including Princess Peach and Bowser.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D (November 14, 2024)

Announced in 2021, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake has finally been confirmed for the Switch to the delight of Dragon Quest fans. Developed with the gameplay styles of Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D takes you back to where the franchise began as you save the world from the evil Baramos. Chronologically speaking, this is the first game of the Erdrick Trilogy, with Dragon Quest 1-2 HD 2D Remake coming out in 2025.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (January 16, 2025)

Donkey Kong Country Returns gets the HD treatment for Switch, and it will have new features that will make you go bananas. You'll play through 80 levels from the original Wii game, additional levels from the 3DS version, and play in two-player local co-op as you fight the Taki Tak Tribe to win back Donkey Kong's previous banana pile.

Upcoming Switch Games With Unknown Release Dates

Over the last year, we’ve been hearing rumors about the Nintendo Switch 2 regarding its appearance, release date, and name. Though the Switch 2 should have been released by now per the 7-year console release rule, Nintendo has reportedly delayed its release to March 2025 in an effort to curb scalping and garner enough stock to satisfy demand. There are also rumors that the Switch 2, if that’s its final name, has the same hybrid functionality as the original, but with a bigger screen.

Meanwhile, there are other upcoming Nintendo games coming out this year and the next that don’t have a solid release date yet, but will update them as soon as we hear them. Here are the games without release dates.

• Dragon Quest 1-2 HD-2D ç 2025
• Epic Mickey: Rebrushed √ TBA
• Fantasian – Holiday 2024
• Fairy Tail 2 – Winter 2024
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure – 2025
• The Hundred-Line -Last Defense Academy- – Early 2025
• Hollow Knight: Silksong – TBA
• Just Dance 2025 Edition – October 2024
• LEGO Horizon Adventures – Holiday 2024
• Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports – Fall 2024
• Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics – 2024
• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – 2025
• MIO: Memories in Orbit – 2025
• Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero – 2025
• Professor Layton and the New World of Steam – 2025
• Pokemon Legends: Z-A – 2025
• Stray – Holiday 2024
• Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game – Holiday 2025

Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. She has contributed her work to various publications, including Digital Trends, TheGamer, Twinfinite, Mega Visions, and The Escapist. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.

The weekend has officially kicked off, and we've rounded up some of the best deals you can find this weekend. Whether you're searching for a new gaming headset or a new game to pick up on sale, there are plenty of options this weekend. The best deals for Saturday, June 29, include the HyperX CloudX Headset, Street Fighter 6, Danganronpa Decadence, and more.

HyperX CloudX Headset for $29.99

Street Fighter 6 for $29.99

Danganronpa Decadence for $29.99

Samba de Amigo for $14.99

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD for $9.99

Pick Up the Dead Space Remake for $29.99

Dead Space launched last January, and this is a great time to pick up the game if you haven't already. This remake features an impressive use of technology and a completely modernized combat system. Special attention has been put on the audio, with 3D Audio technology utilized for an immersive experience. You can expect loads of thrills and horror as you look to escape the stranded ship. The USG Ishimura has never looked better or been scarier.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- Sweep the Board! for $39.99

In April 1908, Newcastle upon Tyne man Gladstone Adams was driving his Darracq-Charron motorcar back from the FA Cup final between Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Newcastle had lost and, to make matters worse, Adams’ journey home was being delayed by snow. That is, it kept covering his windscreen and he had to repeatedly stop and get out of the car to clear it.

Some kind of innovation was needed. There had to be something that would help people see where they were going.

As it turned out, there was; a few years later Adams invented his own windscreen wiper. He patented the design and became one of several people from around the beginning of the 1900s credited with conceiving of similar devices, although his version of the windscreen wiper never made it into production.

Nearly a century down the track, Newcastle upon Tyne developer Reflections had found itself riding high on a purple patch of PlayStation success, propelled by the popular Destruction Derby series it had developed for legendary British publisher Psygnosis. 3D driving games had quickly become Reflections’ specialty, but the team knew you couldn’t tread water in a genre long famous for being on the cutting edge of video game technology. Some kind of innovation was needed. Something that would help people see where the future of driving games was going.

As it turned out, Reflections founder Martin Edmondson had just such an idea – and, unlike their fellow Novocastrian’s windscreen wipers, Edmondson’s idea did make it into production.

And it completely redefined what a driving game could be, forever.

Founded in 1984, Reflections spent the bulk of its first decade building action games for early home computers like the BBC Micro and Amiga, but by the mid ’90s it would become a house of horsepower. Reflections established its panel-punishing prowess on PlayStation very early; indeed, the original Destruction Derby was released in October 1995. At this stage, it had barely been a month since the original PlayStation had officially launched in the West.

A highly praised sequel arrived just over a year later, with a raft of technical improvements, and in 1997 Reflections released the competent but unremarkable Monster Trucks (otherwise known as Thunder Truck Rally in North America). However, while the Destruction Derby series would continue, the partnership between Reflections and publisher Psygnosis would not.

Unshackled from its publisher commitments, Reflections pivoted to something else. That something else was Driver, and it was going to be something special. GT Interactive certainly thought so. By December 1998, it was so impressed the publisher literally bought Reflections entirely.

Warning: Full spoilers follow for A Quiet Place: Day One.

In John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place, we’re dropped head-first into an ongoing apocalypse, like starting The Walking Dead in Season 4. In his sequel, A Quiet Place Part II, we follow existing characters further into the future without doubling back to starting lines. Krasinski was always moving forward, but people love a good origin story. Enter breakout writer and director Michael Sarnoski (Pig) and his idea for A Quiet Place: Day One, a spin-off prequel detailing the first touchdown of Krasinski’s silent-but-deady aliens (now known as Death Angels) in loud-as-heck New York City.

As a prequel, Sarnoski’s entry would presumably answer all our questions about why, when, and how Earth fell to sound-seeking monsters, staying in line with Krasinski’s traditional horror foundation about perpetual silence and ferocious extraterrestrials.

Well, you’ve all heard the saying about why you should never assume things, right?

A Quiet Place: Day One fits into Krasinski’s hushed world of survival by muteness, but it’s hardly the same brand of horror-thriller. In fact, it’s hardly a monster movie in comparison — most of Sarnoski’s prequel is simply the story of two souls who find each other when all else seems lost. Sure, Day One is crawling with the vicious invaders who plummeted from above and overtook the five boroughs like Santa Con on steroids — but they’re not as prevalent as you’d think. Sarnoski barely inflates pre-existing mythos about these crosses between Starship Troopers footsoldier bugs and Demogorgons. It’s a prequel that manages to avoid explaining the monsters and their invasion beyond Cloverfield logic because sometimes otherworldly beasties drop from the sky and we just have to cope.

That sounds frustrating, right? It’s not. Sarnoski defies convention by investing in human experiences within the microcosm of an iconic American cityscape. Monster movies like Cloverfield (after locating Beth) or Godzilla are about civilians dashing toward evacuation points while dodging imminent threats, whereas A Quiet Place: Day One heads away from promised safety. The narrative isn’t about escape, nor is Sarnoski beholden to typical blueprints that follow large-scale doomsday tropes. As hordes of New Yorkers shuffle their way towards South Street Seaport, where government announcements promise safe passage, the camera follows two souls on a personal side quest. It’s a shockingly beautiful approach.

The subversion starts early by introducing Lupita Nyong'o’s lead character, Sam, as a hospice patient with little time left on the clock. In horror movies, we typically follow characters who are desperate to live — but Sam is ready to die. She’s long accepted her fate, channeling angst through journaled poetry. Sam’s not bothered by instructions over radio frequencies with coordinates or warnings. Sam only ventured into New York City in the first place to taste traditional NYC pizza one last time before she passes away. That’s still her goal when Death Angels start crashing into asphalt and tearing people apart. Sam wants a slice of Patsy’s pizza in East Harlem, and then she can finally rest (eternally). She’s accepted her fate, and impending doom doesn’t curb her cravings.

With this set-up, Sarnoski scripts a soulfully wholesome drama within the confines of a ruthless “When Monsters Attack” bubble. Nyong'o is sublime as Sam, selling her condition's frailty and willful determination to exit on her own terms with such affirming agency. People are being pro-wrestling speared by Death Angels left and right while she’s laying low, traveling from Chinatown to Harlem to recreate one of the last happy memories that she’s retained through her medical battles. We learn how Sam’s father was a talented jazz musician who entertained at a club next door, and Patsy’s was their tradition, developing a bittersweet sympathy behind Sam’s otherwise ridiculous-at-first-glance quest. Sarnoski isn’t afraid to ditch attack scenes in favor of Sam’s achingly sincere last wish because the pizza isn’t just pizza; it’s her gateway to peacefully saying goodbye.

Enter Joseph Quinn as a law student named Eric who emerges from a flooded subway station with an alarming expression plastered on his face, only to see a pretty kitty staring back at him. Sam’s black-and-white pet cat named Frodo, to be specific. (Yes, there’s a feline companion along for the ride and they’re one of the movie's highlights, nimbly exploring a crumbling New York City while Sam hides from murderous monsters.) Frodo leads Eric to Sam, and the terrified man in business casual attire pleads to follow Sam because he’s petrified. So begins their beautiful union — two strangers who find companionship under the worst possible circumstances.

Sarnoski chooses to explore a desolate New York City where everyone has fled towards the water, drawing Death Angel attention. Sam, Eric, and Frodo traverse this eerily romanticized version of New York City that’s completely silent, devoid of honking taxies, blaring sirens, and construction clatter. It’s also incredibly unsettling to anyone who’s visited or lived in New York City, because if the Big Apple is finally asleep, that means something awful has happened. Sam sneaks Eric into her apartment for medication refills, where the duo briefly screams their lungs out (hidden by thunderclaps), their agonizing howls the only sounds in what should be a rented-full complex. Later, Eric encounters an alien feeding ground, but a few visuals are left to our interpretation, and we’re not any wiser about alien behaviors afterward. The New York City we know is gone, and in the grand scheme of sustainable dread, it doesn’t matter what’s taken over.

That might sound like a cheat code, but Sarnoski’s greatest accomplishment is making us care more about these forlorn characters than mysterious Death Angel lore. A Quiet Place: Day One is a stealth relationship drama that swells with emotional resonance, deceptively avoiding the pitfalls of repetitive monster attack films. Characters unlock comfort in togetherness, building a connection that’s lovingly nurtured into a creatively sweet and empowering story about mortal perseverance. So often we follow characters who are afraid to die, then get devoured by a kaiju, or beheaded by an animalistic berzerker. Here, Sarnoski helps Sam and Eric not fear the end, and instead choose to spend whatever time they have left sharing a smile or two before the Grim Reaper pays one or both a visit. Death as motivation, but not from a place of scarring terrors.

If we’re praising Sarnoski, we must also applaud Nyong'o and Quinn. For Sarnoski’s minimalized storytelling risks to pay off, we must genuinely care about what happens to Sam and Eric. There has to be a reason why we’re not thinking about where the baddies have gone, and why there’s no more violence-spiked tension on our screens. Nyong'o and Quinn’s collaborative performances exhibit thick-as-thieves chemistry, warming our insides when they’re sipping whiskey in an abandoned bar like long-lost besties, or causing tense anxiety when their lives are in danger. Sam and Eric are characters written on paper; Nyong'o and Quinn bring them to life. The result is so much more than typical chewed-and-spit-out body counts.

Sarnoski’s fixation on food as salvation — specifically on (superior) New York City slices — might seem random in the context of A Quiet Place, but that’s precisely why it works. It’s a culinary carryover mentality from Pig, which works wonders even under horror-warped duress. There’s something to be said about Sam’s pursuit of happiness, and why the tangy tomato sauce, or bubbly mozzarella mixture is more rewarding than a vessel to possible safe-havens. Joe doesn’t have to be with her either, but chooses to thrive together versus possibly die alone. These are real people making emotionally charged decisions that aren’t “rational,” but that’s what’s so profoundly affecting about A Quiet Place: Day One. It’s that defiance to operate unlike monster movies in general that makes Sarnoski's unexpected origin a worthy franchise complement. There’s no bait-and-switch; it’s a secret menu item, an awards-worthy tale of companionship and humanity smuggled inside a grotesque alien skinsuit.

I’ve always joked that a 28 Years Later sequel should be a romantic comedy after the rage virus has been cured, and that’s kinda-sorta the trick A Quiet Place: Day One pulls. You’ll still hold your breath as Sam is almost trampled by herds of pedestrians fleeing from the sonically seduced creatures, but once the dust settles, the only sounds are plucked heartstrings. It should be an infuriating result — a horror movie that doesn’t really care to act like one. In actuality, Sarnoski achieves the unthinkable and wins all my attention with probably the most relatable apocalypse story I’ve ever watched?

“The world’s ending, and I demand a taste of my favorite pizza before it’s over.” I get it.

Since the concept of digital streaming services was introduced as an alternative to cable, companies like Disney, Warner Bros, Netflix, and Amazon have been brainstorming new ways to revolutionize monthly subscriptions and bring us right back to where we started. As the streaming service war wages on with constant changes, mergers, and acquisitions, "bundles" are becoming more common and more creative by their inclusion of digital and physical services. It was even recently announced that a new bundle that would combine Disney+, Hulu, and Max will become available this summer, bringing direct competitors together for the first time.

While this undoubtedly makes the price rise of streaming services inevitable, the ability to combine multiple networks and major streaming platforms into one easy subscription is becoming simpler than ever. Depending on your needs as a subscriber and your interests as a streamer and/or online shopper, the options available to you are becoming more vast than ever before.

Check out our picks below for the best streaming bundles to consider subscribing to in 2024:

Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ Bundle - $14.99/month

Before the aforementioned mega-bundle releases this summer, the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle is well worth a look and one of the best overall options.

With access to Disney+, viewers can stream all the Disney classics as well as new Disney properties and releases such as Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Loki, and Bluey, subscribers also retain exclusive access to brand-new releases from Marvel, Pixar, and the Star Wars universe.

This bundle will also include Hulu, which is home to award-winning original series (Shogun, The Bear, Letterkenny) and documentaries (Minding the Gap, Flee, Enemies of the State).

The full bundle also includes ESPN+, granting viewers premium access to live events from almost all sports; including golf, football, hockey, and UFC fights.

For those who are not interested in keeping up with sports through ESPN+, there is also an option to bundle just Disney+ and Hulu for a vast streaming catalog of hit shows and movies with new, exciting releases every month for just $9.99/month (ad-supported)

Amazon Prime Membership - $14.99/month

One of the pioneers of the streaming industry alongside Netflix and Hulu, Amazon Prime Video has become a premium staple of the streaming world.

With access to an Amazon Prime Video subscription, viewers have exclusive access to critically acclaimed blockbuster films (Oppenheimer, Fast X, Creed III), and award-winning original series (The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Fallout, Fleabag). On top of that, there is a multitude of add-on options (Paramount+, STARZ, Max, AMC+, MGM+, BritBox, SHUDDER, Crunchyroll) that will vary the pricing of your subscription based on the pricing of each add-on.

For the mentioned price of the $14.99 bundle, subscribers automatically gain access to Amazon Prime shopping services that include free two-day shipping on select items, free same-day delivery in eligible zip codes, and free no-rush shipping that will earn rewards for future purchases. You will also get access to exclusive discounts during Amazon Prime Day and other sales events.

For subscribers who are not interested in including Amazon Prime in their Amazon bundle, they can exclude it and only subscribe to Prime Video for $8.99/month.

Walmart+ with Paramount+ - $12.95/month

One of the newer, more resourceful subscription bundles, a subscription to Walmart+ automatically grants the customer free access to the Paramount+ digital streaming library.

Similar to Amazon Prime Video, Walmart+ has bundled a digital streaming service with a shopping option that mixes digital and physical in a creative way. With a standard Walmart+ membership, users have access to multiple shopping benefits such as: free delivery on almost all items, no order minimums, fuel savings, auto care, exclusive early access to Black Friday deals, and free item returns from home. If you're looking for a decent alternative to an Amazon Prime membership, this is your best bet.

For users that are interested in further streaming add-ons through Walmart+, for an additional $6.49/month they will have access to the SHOWTIME streaming library as well.

DirecTV Stream - $79.99/month

You will undoubtedly notice one major difference between the previous choices and this one: the jump in price when looking at DirecTV Stream.

While this may intimidate some shoppers, the price to reward ratio is well-balanced. For the mentioned price above, users will have access to the Entertainment Bundle: which includes top-viewed channels (Fox News, ESPN, Univision, MSNBC, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, and 90+ other channels), 60,000+ movies/shows on demand, local channels, and free access to 3 months of premium streaming service channels (Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, and MGM+).

3 alternative, more expensive bundles include unlimited access to live sports, additional channels to stream, and an increased amount of on demand movies/shows. For any of these packages, you can get access to the DirecTV free trial, which allows you to try out the service for 5 days.

Xfinity Streamsaver - $35/month

For those that are already Xfinity internet and/or Xfinity TV subscribers, Xfinity StreamSaver is a fantastic way to make the most of your internet and TV bill with an exclusive bundle option.

For the price of $35/month, subscribers gain access to premium streaming platforms including Apple TV+ (home to Ted Lasso, Masters of the Air, Napoleon, Killers of the Flower Moon), Netflix Standard with ads (home to Stranger Things, The Witcher, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, The Gentlemen), and Peacock Premium with ads (home to The Continental, Twisted Metal, Bupkis).

Other bundle options that range in higher prices offer access to live sports, live TV channels, and DVR options accessible through multiple devices at once.

Streaming Bundle FAQs

What's the best streaming bundle for live sports?

While multiple options mentioned above have a choice to bundle sports into your plan, the streaming package with the best sports options is DirecTV Stream. The base price for a DirecTV Stream plan is $79.99/month, but the incredible streaming options for a sports package inclusion starts at $98.99/month for the 'Choice' bundle, and $109.99/month for the 'Ultimate' bundle, all include regional sports networks and on demand streaming options for sports.

What streaming services have free trials?

If you want to test out any of the streaming services on this list before comitting to a bundle, there are a few streaming service free trials you can take advantage of. Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and DirecTV Stream all offer some sort of free trial for new subscribers.

Back in the day, SNK was one of gaming’s biggest names. King of Fighters and Fatal Fury were hugely popular beat-’em-ups in the 1980s and ’90s, while Metal Slug helped define the side-scrolling action game genre, and the company’s high-spec console, handheld and arcade hardware were the envy of many.

After two tumultuous decades in the 2000s, SNK received investment from Saudi Arabia’s Electronic Gaming Development Company in 2020 and was fully acquired in 2022. The investment has come under scrutiny due to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, which includes allegations of unfair treatment of women and the LGBTQ community. In the aftermath of the acquisition, an SNK lead insisted that the studio's new ownership "doesn't affect us in any way."

Shortly after the opening of a new development studio in Singapore in April, IGN spoke with SNK President and CEO Kenji Matsubara about the company’s vision, which includes becoming a Top 10 global publisher.

The HP 4th of July Sale starts now with some great deals on OMEN gaming PCs and laptops. HP has different models that cater to different budgets. On the laptop side, you can go all out with the premium HP OMEN Transcend, which is slimmer, lighter, and made out of aluminum. The OMEN is their mainstream laptop with the most powerful gaming components. And if you're on a budget, the Victus offers solid gaming specs at a much lower price point. The desktop side of things is even more varied. HP's top of the line OMEN 45L is a full-sized tower chassis with a 240mm all-in-one liquid cooling solution. The OMEN 40L, the OMEN 25L, and the Victus offer solid performance in a more compact chassis with air cooling, again at a lower price.

The Best HP 4th of July Deals

HP OMEN 45L GeForce RTX 4090 PC for $3099.99

HP is offering its biggest and best HP OMEN 45L gaming PC equipped with the 13th gen Intel Core i9-13900K Raptor Lake CPU and GeForce RTX 4090 GPU for $3099.99 after $300 in instant savings. The OMEN 45L is HP's flagship gaming PC. It's one of the best prebuilt gaming PCs of 2024. This is HP's roomiest chassis with plenty of cooling in the form of three 120mm fans for system airflow and a 240mm all-in-one liquid cooling solution for the CPU. The GeForce RTX 4090 is far and away the most powerful video card you can get right now, leaving competitors like AMD's latest Radeon RX 7900 XTX in the dust. It's easily the best consumer solution for ray-traced 4K gaming at 100+ fps as well as AI generation apps thanks to its 24GB of VRAM. Check out our RTX 4090 review.

HP OMEN 45L GeForce RTX 4060 Ti PC for $1499.99

If the RTX 4090 is way overkill for you, then consider this HP OMEN 45L gaming PC for less than half the price. It's equipped with an Intel Core i7-13700K processor and RTX 4060 Ti GPU for only $1499.99. This config is housed in the same HP OMEN 45L chassis with plenty of airflow and a 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler for the CPU. The I7-13700K is equally as good as the i9-13900K when it comes to gaming performance. The RTX 4060 Ti 8GB video card is the perfect GPU for 1080p gaming, although it's also capable of handling 1440p gaming. It's about 5%-10% faster than the RTX 3060 Ti at 1080p and the gap widens for games that support DLSS 3.0. It's about 20%-25% faster than the RTX 4060 at 1080p.

HP OMEN Transcend 16 RTX 4070 Laptop for $1349.99

The particular OMEN Transcend 16 config starts out with a GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, but the better deal is to upgrade it with an RTX 4070 GPU. It brings the price up to $1350, but totally worth it for its gaming capabilities. The OMEN Transcend is the newest gaming laptop from HP. It's thinner and lighter than the original OMEN laptops (0.78" vs 0.91" and 4.6lbs vs 5.1lbs) but the RTX 4070 GPU is still rated at 130W TGP, which means gaming performance isn't compromised. The mobile RTX 4070 GPU performs on par with the previous generation's mobile RTX 3080. It's certainly powerful enough to handle any game on the laptop's native 1920x1200 display, and even on the 2560x1600 display if you choose to upgrade for $70.

HP OMEN 16 RTX 4060 Gaming Laptop for $999.99

Looking for an RTX 4060 laptop for under $1000? Right now HP has the HP OMEN 16 Intel Core i7 GeForce RTX 4060 gaming laptop for only $999.99 after a $600 instant discount. This is a great price for an HP OMEN laptop, which is a premium model over it's more budget-minded Victus. The RTX 4060 sits between the RTX 3070 and the RTX 3070 Ti so it's definitely no slouch in terms of gaming performance. This is a capable, current generation GPU that can easily run games on the native 1080p display even at high or maximum settings. If you have the budget, I'd recommend upgrading to the 2560x1600 display for only $40.

HP OMEN 17 RTX 4060 Gaming Laptop for $1049.99

If you're looking for a budget gaming laptop with a bigger screen, there aren't as many options to choose from. Fortunately, HP has an HP OMEN 17 laptop equipped with an RTX 4060 GPU for only $1049.99. This config starts out with an RTX 4050 GPU, but I recommend you choose the $150 upgrade to the RTX 4060.

Check out more 4th of July sales we've found so far at other retailers.

The first thing you should know about Blue Lock: Episode Nagi is that it’s halfway between a recap movie and a side story. We've come a long way from the dozens of standalone, non-canon features based on popular anime like Dragon Ball and Naruto, but Episode Nagi isn't an essential next chapter in an ongoing series like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train or Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle. Instead, it's set before and during the events of the first season of Blue Lock, the popular, ludicrous, and thrilling soccer anime about a Squid Game-like competition/training program intended to create the world's best forward striker.

The focus is on the titular Seishiro Nagi, a standout character from Season 1, and his best friend, Reo Mikage. This means that Episode Nagi repeats a lot of the structure, and even plenty of scenes, from Season 1. But make no mistake: This is no mere recap or compilation film. It’s not even another Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training situation, providing a sneak peek at upcoming episodes following a whole lot of recap. Instead, it primarily consists of new material showing Nagi and Reo's first meeting and blossoming friendship in the lead-up to them joining the Blue Lock program, and their experience with the first couple of rounds of eliminations. What Tom Stoppard’s dark comedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is to Hamlet, Episode Nagi is to Blue Lock, as we explore some of the events of Season 1 reframed from Nagi and Reo’s point of view – which reveals their own trials and tribulations.

Much like the recent Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, the emotional crux of Episode Nagi is the protagonist's complete indifference toward sports, and the question of whether he'll be able to learn to love them. When we first meet Nagi, he only cares about video games. His life revolves around making the least amount of effort because otherwise everything is a hassle to him – like eating, which leads to brushing his teeth, which is a waste of time. The attitude could become rather annoying rather quickly, but voice actor Nobunaga Shimazaki gives Nagi enough of an innocent charm to make him funny and never irritating. Indeed, it's easy to root for Nagi – to relate when he tries to leave Blue Lock the moment they tell him he can't use his phone, or when he learns he'll spend all his time in the program training (and only training).

It’s also easy to root for him as he slowly opens up to Reo, who starts out as a rich kid pushing Nagi to be his soccer teammate and becomes a true friend. What was a mostly one-note character on the show now gets as much depth as the first season's main character, Yoichi Isagi. That alone makes Episode Nagi an essential addition to the overall Blue Lock experience.

Though there are times when the first season's wonky CGI rears its ugly head – particularly during previously seen scenes like the match between Team V and Team Z – Episode Nagi takes advantage of its bigger budget to deliver some thrilling 2D animation. The matches are fast-paced, detailed, and exhilarating, with a good blend of actual soccer skills and over-the-top superpowers. Particularly great is the visualization of the characters' auras as their egos awakens alongside their talent: Isagi's spatial awareness appearing as puzzle pieces falling into place, or Nagi's ability to kill a ball's momentum with one touch represented by a grim reaper.

Unfortunately, the feature-length format leads to some bizarre choices, like cramming all translations into two subtitle lines – meaning every time there’s text on screen, it’s translated alongside dialogue, which goes by so fast that it's easy to miss out on a lot of information. And despite devoting most of its runtime to new material , the last 10 of Episode Nagi nearly ruin what comes before. While a natural and effective climax arrives when Nagi teams up with Isagi, the film keeps going, condensing the remaining 12 episodes of Season 1 into a single montage that comes across as forced and clunky. It rushes past a face-off between Reo and Nagi, which runs counter to everything Episode Nagi has shown us up to that point. My advice: Leave the theater when the montage starts and rewatch the show on your own.

Few directorial debuts have arrived as fully-formed as Annie Baker's Janet Planet. Set in rural Massachusetts in the early '90s, the gentle coming-of-age drama traces the relationship between an awkward 11-year-old who can't seem to find her place in the world, and her wayward hippie mom, a free-spirited woman with a similar conundrum. A distinct sense of time, place, and mood permeates every scene, filling the frame with bittersweet nostalgia as its drama slowly unravels, revealing moments that veer between sharply funny and deeply heartrending.

In the dead of night, the young, withdrawn Lacy (Zoe Ziegler) concocts a plan to leave her summer camp, where she feels alone. This introduction is both emotionally charged and wryly funny: over a curt phone call to her mother Janet (Julianne Nicholson), Lacy threatens to kill herself if she isn't picked up the following day. Janet obliges, but brings her distant, short-tempered older boyfriend, Wayne (Will Patton), of whom Lacy is none too fond. This kicks off the first of several chapters within Janet Planet – this one simply titled "Wayne" – during which its plotless meandering is deeply purposeful. The story is set over Lacy's lengthy summer vacation, the kind of escape during which time passes slowly. While she doesn't seem eager to be back at school, she doesn't really want to be at home either, in her mother's forest cabin. In fact, she doesn't want to be anywhere.

Janet Planet is pulsing with dry, acerbic wit, but there's a purity to it. A goodness, even it at its most macabre, like when Lacy builds a morbid shrine of glass figurines to play with, or winds up a toy that chimes Mozart's Lacrimosa, which she doesn't seem to realize is a funeral march. She's imaginative, but doesn't yet grasp the full extent of her imagination; the film's humor is occasionally ironic, but never insincere. Though Lacy claims to be friendless and suicidally depressed, she likely doesn't know the meaning of the words, and even harbors the suspicion that she'll grow out of it. When she clings to her mother, their swift, back-and-forth dialogue has specific intonations. It's never quite over-pronounced, but enough to create an amusing rhythm, albeit one that's eventually interrupted when Janet begins relying on Lacy for emotional support in ways that force the young adolescent to grow up far too quickly.

Janet feels just as adrift as her daughter, but in quieter and more concerning ways. Janet Planet is structured around the arrival and departure of major characters in her life, starting with Wayne and culminating with another man she falls for, but this creates a listless sense of impermanence, and she can't help but blame herself for it too. Janet, though she hides most of her problems from Lacy, comes off as bothered and burdened, courtesy of Nicholson's wildly alluring tightrope act. She plays the kind of mother you'd expect to eventually snap, but never does, if only out of resigned acceptance.

But the secret weapon is newcomer Ziegler, who crafts a singular performance through her curious and observant gaze. Lacy tries to understand the adult world around her, and she often does, but knows better than to get involved. It's hard not to wonder if she feels Janet's sense of impermanence too, especially given the way the title cards are written. Wayne's "chapter" begins with his name, but when he eventually leaves, it ends with its own title too ("End Wayne"), and a new act doesn't fully begin until someone else – a new lover, or an old friend – waltzes into Janet and Lacy's lives. This leaves a gap in which both mother and daughter seem to wait for something to happen, for some spark that may never come.

These transitional moments especially allow Ziegler to create a wholly unique and lived-in performance that feels wise beyond her years. Through her awkward, stiff posture, and from behind her way-too-large, tomboyish T-shirt and her enormous eyeglasses, she absorbs sorrow like a sponge – though she has plenty of her own of which to speak. Well before the topic is explicitly broached, there's a specific queerness to her isolation, expressed in her body language s – especially when she seems to make a new friend in a euphoric moment that sends the camera charging through a shopping mall – and the way she wraps herself in a protective cocoon. It's hard not to consider Janet Planet a bold entry in the canon of performance-driven queer kid cinema, alongside Andrew Ahn's Driveways and Koreeda Hirokazu's Monster.

Baker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, has long woven eccentric character dynamics into tales of loneliness and yearning. These themes simmer just beneath the surface in her most recent play, Infinite Life, which opened off Broadway last year, around the same time as Janet Planet premiered at Telluride. They make for interesting companion pieces. Baker's most recent work seems to reckon with the implications of aging: Infinite Life follows characters dealing with chronic pain; Janet Planet, meanwhile, reads like its spiritual equivalent. (Janet herself is an acupuncturist, treating clients in a second, smaller cabin that shares its name with the film.) Physical pain can be located, but the kind of ethereal sorrow that permeates Janet and Lacy's lives is harder to recognize and name. Janet and her old friend Regina (Sophie Okonedo), a former cult member, certainly try to pin it down when they catch up after several years apart, but this subplot opens up entirely new concerns about how lost, melancholic souls become vulnerable to cults in the first place.

With Janet Planet, Baker also takes complete advantage of the new cinematic tools at her disposal to create a vibrant sense of time and place. The film has a photographic quality, between its 16mm film grain and slightly blown-out highlights that create a sun-lit radiance. The image is ever-so-slightly faded, like a memory not long enough in the past to be forgotten, but just long enough – in this case, 1991 – to need the assistance of old film and photographs to be completely remembered.

You can pinpoint the geography, time of day, and even the season and temperature of a given scene thanks to Maria von Hausswolf 's precise cinematography and Paul Hsu's meticulous sound design – there are traces of blowing wind and trilling insects to be heard in the latter. There's hardly a moment in Janet Planet that doesn't evoke specific memories, which Baker imbues with equally specific moods through her off-kilter framing. Sometimes, Lacy or Janet will be partially out of frame, but in ways that enhance their relationship to the space, to the ongoing drama, or to each other. The camera is a stage over which Baker has complete control, and she takes full advantage of this, and turns in a transformative visual work that gets to the heart of how people feel in between the vital chapters of their lives – and more importantly, why they feel. Most of all, Baker knows the power of a good close-up; she uses them sparingly and to create meaningful emotional impact, aided entirely by her impeccable performers.

If Alice: Madness Returns was dead on arrival, that would at least be aesthetically consistent.

The 2011 sequel to American McGee's Alice went even deeper into Alice in Wonderland's red guts than the first game, pulling out the most nightmarish aspects of the Victorian children's story and tying their shadows into a neat action-adventure. But it suffered from abysmal launch sales, with reviewers and fans both being disappointed by what they felt were rough controls and level design.

Still, game designer American McGee wasn't giving up.

McGee, who created the series after being fired by id Software, hoped to gather enough community support for a follow-up, and the most diehard Alice believers gave it to him in spades. But after a decade of this cutting fan pressure, publisher EA finally made a decision in 2023: there would be no more Alice games. They blamed the "analysis of the IP" and market conditions.

Was it all over? Would Alice have to lie facedown in the graveyard once and for all? Not exactly. Alice: Madness Returns doesn't just live, it thrives.

"Even though EA was going to let Alice die," says 33-year-old Twitch streamer Foxfire47, who has been a fan of the series since the first game released in 2000, "the fans were absolutely not."

She credits Madness Returns’ lively online fanbase to McGee himself. He began working on a proposal for a potential follow-up, Alice: Asylum, in 2017, and encouraged fans to contact EA directly to show their support. His now retired Patreon contains all the other ways he incentivized fans to deepen their obsession, like referring to the fandom as "Insane Children" and eventually posting an Alice: Asylum design bible bursting with art.

His otherworldly design is at least one reason why fans could never truly abandon Madness Returns, or the Alice series in general. They are a gorgeous testament to the fact that anyone can survive the worst thing that's ever happened to them.

Friendships and bonds

Foxfire47 discovered Madness Returns' online fan base through McGee's Patreon in 2018. She remembers feeling McGee’s excitement for Asylum bleeding into her preexisting enthusiasm for the series, and it did the same for everyone she met over Patreon and Discord.

"Friendships and bonds were made through Alice: Asylum," Foxfire47 says.

When EA ultimately passed on the project, they were also rejecting an entire community that had put years and money into materializing a shared dream. But McGee had trained his fans to become personally invested, and an IP issue seemed small in the face of their dedication.

"After [EA rejected Asylum]," Foxfire47 says, "I feel that, as fans for Alice, we wanted to keep the spirit of the games alive. With the camaraderie of this community, we are always going to show our love for these games."

The community now sustains Madness Returns through YouTube videos with millions of views, pouty TikTok fancams with hundreds of thousands of likes, detailed cosplay, tattoos, and other tangible methods of worship. All of this online word-of-mouth has helped Alice fans succeed in an unprecedented goal. They are actively collecting new fans for an abandoned, 24-year-old franchise telling the strange horror story of an orphan teenager, Alice, who retreats into an hallucinated Wonderland.

"I bought Alice: Madness Returns, and I’m playing the first one for the first time because of your cosplay!" one commenter recently told popular TikTok cosplayer Jessilyn Cupcake. In recent years, she's made and shared several Alice cosplays with her eager followers, including Alice's ultramarine tea dress and the yowling Hobby Horse hammer from Madness Returns. She first found Madness Returns in 2011, telling IGN that she "fell in love immediately.”

"It still feels modern and a fresh take despite being 15 years old," Jessilyn says. "I think [its] hack-and-slash-style gameplay with multiple weapons, costumes, and abilities is one of the best examples in a game, ever."

The game is an intoxicating blend of deadly and delicate, much like its most famous weapon, the lace-patterned Vorpal Blade – a chef's knife for short-range combat. In Madness Returns, traumatized 19-year-old Alice must take on the child sex trafficker and psychiatrist Dr. Bumby, who tries to trick her into madness in order to commodify her body. But Alice learns to wield her fragile power against any abomination.

Alice's ability to work through her pain and tackle any problem, from baby dolls that vomit to dangerous men, is part of her underdog appeal. And McGee accessorizes Alice's hypnotic visions with touches like the creamy, white bow behind her bloodspattered apron, and the crystal-blue butterflies in the misty, tree-covered Vale of Tears.

Each Friday, we round up the new, hot, and leaving items at IGN Store. This week, new items from the Fallout, Hunt: Showdown, and Spider-Man series are all available, with pre-orders open now. As for the hottest items, the biggest items of the week come from the IGN Store Summer Sale, The Legend of Zelda, and Metal Gear Solid. Lastly, items from Final Fantasy, Sonic, and Fallout are set to leave IGN Store very soon. Explore this week's offerings below and see what's new at IGN Store!

What's New: Fallout, Hunt: Showdown, and Spider-Man

First up, pre-orders for the Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Pinfinity Box Set are now live. This item is exclusive to the IGN Store, so you won't find it anywhere else. With seven pins and an exclusive serialized Vault Baby Pin, this is one collectible you do not want to miss out on! Only 1000 units of this set are available globally, with a 5% chance to get a set that contains a Glitter Vault Baby Variant! Right now, you can even save $10 on this box set through the end of the weekend.
Next, the Hunt: Showdown - Shadows Calling - Original Series Soundtrack 2LP Vinyl went up for pre-order today. This release is the second vinyl offering from Port Sulphur Band, with a total of 27 original songs pressed on two translucent red/black marbled LPs. Additionally, this item is exclusive to the IGN Store for one week, so get your pre-order in now before this vinyl releases in late August.

Finally, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Spider-Man 2, the film's original score will be available on vinyl for the first time ever! Recorded by the 100+ person Hollywood Studio Symphony orchestra, Danny Elfman's score comes to life like never before. This release includes a soft-touch jacket with UV spot-glass webbing and a 12x12 credit insert, which features photos from the film!

What's Hot: IGN Store Summer Sale, The Legend of Zelda and Metal Gear Solid

The IGN Store Summer Sale is set to end Monday, and there are hundreds of items available with a huge discount right now! All tees are 25% off, select accessories are 50% off, and select collectibles are 60% off. Some of the most popular deals at this sale include 50% off Dark Horse collectibles from franchises like My Hero Academia, Crash Bandicoot, The Legend of Zelda, and more. Additionally, don't miss savings of 50% off this Sonic Adventure figure. Sonic strikes a signature pose with the logo underneath him! Finally, grab a pair of Stark Industries sunglasses from Gunnar for just $59.99 and walk around with style.

Next, this incredible The Legend of Zelda Master Sword Proplica is now available to pre-order at IGN Store! This item is back and stock, and it won't last long. Stock goes extremely fast, so get your order in while you can. This replica has so many incredible features, including custom sounds from mainline games across the entire series. Also included is the legendary sheath, making this the ultimate item for any Zelda collection.

Additionally, the Metal Gear Solid 6LP Vinyl Box Set is once again one of the hottest items at IGN Store this week. The box set includes a total of 53 different tracks from the Metal Gear Solid series, including arrangements that were made for the 20th and 25th anniversary Metal Gear Music Collection releases. Each of the sleeves even features original series art by Yoji Shinkawa.

What's Leaving: Final Fantasy, Sonic, and Fallout

Last but not least, a handful of items are leaving IGN Store soon. First, two new Final Fantasy figures from Square Enix's Adorable Arts line are still available to pre-order at IGN Store. Both Sephiroth and Noctis would make an excellent addition to your collection, so lock in your order today before these figures are gone!

Next, a new Sonic the Hedgehog 2 statue based on the Mountain Chase scene from the movie is also leaving IGN Store soon! This Definitive Edition statue features Sonic snowboarding down an icy mountain with two robots chasing quickly behind him.

Finally, three YouTooz figures of Lucy, Maximus, and The Ghoul from the Prime Video Fallout TV Series are closing pre-orders soon. If you were a fan of the Fallout series, these figures will make a great addition to your collection!

About IGN Store

IGN Store sells high-quality merch, collectibles and shirts for everything you're into. It's a shop built with fans in mind; for all the geek culture and fandom you love most. So, whether you're into comics, movies, anime, games, retro gaming or just want some cute plushies (who doesn't?); this store is for you!

The Lenovo 4th of July Sale has now started and runs until Thursday, July 4. This is a great time to take advantage of some excellent deals on gaming laptops and desktop PCs. Several configs have big instant discounts combined with one or two stackable coupon codes to bring prices down to the lowest we've seen in 2024. The build quality on a Legion laptop or desktop is generally higher quality than what you'd find from most other prebuilt PCs, and they offer robust cooling options. People like the fact that Lenovo does not use proprietary components in their rigs, so they're much easier to upgrade with easiy obtainable, off-the-shelf components compared to some other popular prebuilt PC brands.

Lenovo 4th of July Gaming Laptop Deals

Lenovo Slim 5 Gen 9 16" RTX 4070 Laptop for $1187.60

Lenovo is offering this Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 9 16" Ryzen Edition RTX 4070 Gaming Laptop for only $1187.60 shipped after coupon code "LENOVOSUMMERSALE". This is a very competitive price for a Lenovo branded RTX 4070 gaming laptop, especially since this particular model is more compact than your typical gaming laptop, and yet the GPU has a max 130W TGP.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16" RTX 4090 Laptop for $2504

Lenovo has dropped the price on this extremely powerful Lenovo Legion Pro 7 Gen 8 RTX 4090 gaming laptop for only $2504 shipped after coupon code "LENOVOSUMMERSALE". The RTX 4090 is still the most powerful mobile GPU on the market, and by a very substantial margin. It's roughly equivalent to a desktop RTX 3090 GPU. It will run games comfortably on the 2560x1600 240Hz display.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16" RTX 4080 Laptop for $2122.69

If the RTX 4090 is too pricey or too powerful for your needs, here's a laptop that will also run circles around most games but for nearly $400 cheaper. This Lenovo Legion Pro 7 Gen 8 config is equipped with an RTX 4080 GPU for $2122.69 shipped after coupon code "LENOVOSUMMERSALE". The RTX 4080 mobile GPU performs about 20%-35% faster than the previous generation RTX 3080 Ti mobile. Compared to desktop variants, the mobile RTX 4080 approaches a performance level similar to the desktop RTX 3070 Ti. The RTX 4080 is actually a huge upgrade from the RTX 4070 so if you're a gamer that wants to use this as your primary rig, then the RTX 4080 is still a very good choice.

Lenovo 4th of July Gaming PC Deals

Lenovo Legion 5 RTX 4070 SUPER PC for $1337.49

Lenovo is offering an Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 8 gaming PC equipped with a GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER graphics card for only $1337.49 after two stackable coupon codes: LENOVOSUMMERSALE and EXTRAFIVE are applied. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 CPU boasts a max boost clock of 5.3GHz with 8 cores, 16 threads, and a 32MB L3 cache. It's cooled by a robust 120mm tower heatsink fan. The RTX 4070 SUPER video card is a significant improvement in performance over the 4070. It's the perfect card for 1440p gaming, where it's about 10%-15% faster than the RTX 4070 or RTX 3080.

Lenovo Legion 5 RTX 4070 Ti SUPER PC for $1698.99

If you want to step up in power, Lenovo also has the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 8 gaming PC equipped with a GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER graphics card for only $1698.99 after two stackable coupon codes: LENOVOSUMMERSALE and EXTRAFIVE are applied. The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is about 10% more powerful than the RTX 4070 Ti and 15%-25% faster than the RTX 4070 SUPER. This is an outstanding card for 1440p gaming, but it's powerful enough to handle 4K gaming as well. In fact, this is the least expensive GPU I'd recommend for comfortable 4K gaming, at least from the NVIDIA camp. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER also increases the GDDR6X RAM count to 16GB compared the the RTX 4070 Ti's 12GB, which means it's a great card for VR hungry apps such as Stable Diffusion.

Lenovo Legion 7 Gen 8 RTX 4080 SUPER PC for $2168

This Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 config is one of the most powerful gaming PCs that Lenovo carries on its site currently. It's on sale for RTX 4080 SUPER gaming PC to only $2167.99 after coupon code "LENOVOSUMMERSALE". The unlocked 14th gen Intel Core i9-14900KF Raptor Lake "Refresh" CPU boasts a max turbo clock of 6GHz with 24 cores, 32 threads, and a 36MB cache. This is one of the most powerful consumer CPUs on the market right now. It's cooled by a 360mm all-in-one liquid cooler that's better than most DIY enthusiast setups. The GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the second most powerful GPU on the market and can easily handle any game at 4K resolution, even at 100+ fps and ray tracing enabled. It's 5%-10% faster in performance than the RTX 4080 thanks to its higher base clock speed, higher CUDA core count, and higher memory bandwidth.

Lenovo 4th of July GPU Deals

MSI Suprim Liquid X RTX 4090 GPU for $1622.49

Lenovo is offering the highest end MSI RTX 4090 GPU at a price that can't be beat by anyone else right now. You can pick up the liquid-cooled MSI Suprim Liquid X GeForce RTX 4090 24GB video card for only $1622.49 coupon codes: LENOVOSUMMERSALE and EXTRAFIVE are applied. If it's compatible with your case, this is one of the best 4090 variants you can get.

The GeForce RTX 4090 is one of our top GPU picks of 2024. It is far and away the most powerful video card you can get right now. No other GPU, either from NVIDIA or from AMD, comes close. As a reference, the RTX 4090 is about 110% faster at 4K gaming than the already impressive RTX 3080. It's about 60% faster than the previous king, the RTX 3090 Ti. That could very well be the single biggest performance upgrade within a single generational gap for the GeForce line of cards. Check out our RTX 4090 review.

Check out more 4th of July sales we've found so far at other retailers.

The AndaSeat Kaiser 4 is the newest entry in AndaSeat's popular gaming chair lineup. Though it's a breeze to assemble and certainly offers some excellent features, such as 4-way pop-out lumbar support and a super comfy head pillow, it misses the mark in other equally important areas that may make you think twice about splurging on it.

AndaSeat Kaiser 4 – Design and Features

Visually, the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 is a fairly standard but attractive gaming chair that comes in either linen fabric or PVC leather versions. While the fabric version only comes in black or gray, the PVC leather offers an array of colorways ranging from basic black or white to vibrant options like pink, purple, orange, and more.

AndaSeat sent me the gray linen version of the chair, and I found the material to be pleasant to the touch. It's no doubt much more breathable compared to what you'd expect from PVC leather, and it's also stitched very well, which bodes well for its long-term durability.

Beyond its admittedly good looks, there are a few things about the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 that feel at odds with its $650 price point. Perhaps most notable is its bizarre 5D armrests which, in addition to the usual 4D-style up/down and in-out adjustability, allow you to fold them at an upward angle. It sounds interesting (if unnecessary) at a glance, but AndaSeat has sacrificed a lot to make it happen.

Not only do the buttons to adjust the angle feel mushy and difficult to press, but the split down the middle of the armrest causes the entire structure to look cheap and janky. This two-piece design isn't just ugly, though – the armrests as a whole are extremely wobbly and unstable. And they're inherently uncomfortable as well because they bend up slightly on the very back for some reason, which puts pressure on the elbow at an undesirable angle.

The armrests are some of the worst I've seen on a premium gaming chair, but the AndaSeat Kaiser 4's seat cushion isn't exactly a knock out of the park either. That's not to say it's utterly terrible, but it's firm enough that I couldn't spend more than an hour or two in it without a bit of pain and discomfort. I suspect it may break in over a long enough timeline, but I don't see myself wanting to see that through.

The AndaSeat Kaiser 4 comes out swinging with killer lumbar support, however. Like many recent gaming chairs in the premium space, it features a 4-way pop-out backrest design that moves with your body as you adjust to different postures. You simply adjust precisely where you want your lumbar support and how intense you want it to be, then the backrest ensures that support follows you as you change positions left and right – though it obviously won't do a great job at following you into a major slouch.

In addition to top-tier lumbar support, I adore the AndaSeat Kaiser 4's ultra soft but supportive head pillow, which connects to the top of the chair magnetically and is a cinch to adjust. It's virtually identical to the one on the AndaSeat Kaiser 3, which I've been daily driving for nearly a year, and it's among my favorite head pillows of all time. I'm happy to see the company stick with what's working in that department – I just wish they'd done the same with the armrests.

AndaSeat Kaiser 4 – Gaming

A gaming chair can be used in an office setting, of course, but most folks will grab one for the typically wide seat pans and armrest adjustability that really benefits gaming sessions. In that regard, the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 just doesn't really do it for me.

As I touched on before, the armrests provided here are pretty lousy. Their one new trick – the ability to fold the front part up – is too niche of a feature to warrant the tacky two-piece design required to make it happen. And if you don't like your elbow hurting, you'll want to avoid resting it anywhere near the back of the armrest, as it's likely to impinge a nerve after a while.

Elsewhere, the ability to recline up to 135 degrees is a step down from the Kaiser 3's 165 degrees, and the few times I've fully reclined, it somehow never felt quite as stable, either. During multiple testing periods, I didn't experience anything that led me to believe it will actually topple, but there's a feeling at maximum recline that just makes me a bit uneasy compared to many chairs I've used.

I'm very happy with my Kaiser 3 for both work and gaming with its comfortable seat, straightforward 4D armrests, and stable 165 degree reclining, so I can't see myself moving to AndaSeat's newest model. You can still snag Kaiser 3 for $499 ($150 less than the Kaiser 4) on the AndaSeat website, and that'd be my recommendation for most gamers interested in one of the company's chairs.

AndaSeat Kaiser 4 – Assembly

The unboxing experience of the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 is fantastic, with everything sealed in plastic and foam and easily removed from the box. The included instructions are very clear and concise as well, and there are only a handful of screws required to get the job done.

I particularly like that the Kaiser 4 sticks with its predecessor's bracket-based backrest assembly, which allows you to slide the backrest on the seat pan to hold it in place while you attach it with screws. This takes a lot of guesswork out of the affair, and for those who don't put together a ton of chairs like I do, I imagine smart design like that is even more of a godsend.

I also appreciate the magnetic side covers that pop on with no effort whatsoever, as well as the magnetic head pillow that can be moved around at any time. It's all of these efficient little aspects of the assembly that make it a quick and easy experience that the average person should be able to complete solo in about 20 or so minutes.

At this point, I’ve now played The First Descendant in three or four different beta iterations, and each time I’ve felt no more or less certain whether this would be something my friends and I would want to play, or just another sci-fi shooter in a sea of similar games vying for our attention. After more than 45 hours sunk into a pre-launch preview build over the past week, I’m only slightly closer to answering that question – but I’m certainly not having a bad time. I’ve got a whole lot left to play, including the all-important endgame, for instance, so as of now I’m still not sure if The First Descendant will be my next looter-shooter fixation, or yet another one that misses the mark.

Nexon’s free-to-play third-person multiplayer game plays in the same space as Genshin Impact, complete with cool-looking characters to unlock and countless currencies and materials to grind, all of which can be bypassed by those simply willing to cough up their hard-earned cash. And, like some of its polished contemporaries, there’s a pretty decent game here in spite of a UI that requires a PhD in RPG hogwash to decipher and an irritating monetization model that does crazy things like make you pay real money to increase your inventory capacity or get RNG consumable dye packets just to change the color of your gear. Running around with friends while shooting enemies and unleashing interesting supernatural abilities upon alien armies is an undeniably good time (as it is in Destiny, Warframe, and Outriders, to name a few) and the deep RPG mechanics and loot systems are a spreadsheet-loving nerd’s dream. It’s also a fairly pretty game that feels a lot more premium than one might expect from the free-to-play space, despite the occasional framerate dip or crash (at least in its pre-release state). That said, the free-to-play model is every bit as eyebrow raising as it might sound, the story and dialogue is laughably bad, and much of the campaign is packed with filler that can be a real snooze.

I’ve split my dozens of hours dashing around small hub areas completing repetitive chores in between much more substantial missions and boss battles against robotic kaiju called colossuses. Those self-contained missions and boss fights are exactly the kind of thing I hope for in an action-packed cooperative game: Some seriously awesome combat that rivals its peers, interesting enemies to take down, and a loot system that had me regularly trying out the latest shiny weapon I pulled from some shmuck’s corpse. If The First Descendant would just let me mainline that part, we’d be onto something and my mind would be made up.

Unfortunately, so much of it is kept locked behind sections where you complete a series of really dull errands, like defending a piece of tech from waves of enemy assaults, gathering items from fallen baddies to deposit into a collection robot, or just killing stuff until a miniboss spawns for you to take out. Not even dope combat can stave off boredom when it has you hanging around for a few minutes while you wait for small groups of enemies to spawn until you’re told that you succeeded, then being directed to the next spot on the map to do it again. These sections account for a pretty big chunk of what you do during the main story, too, seemingly to pad out the adventure so you don’t burn through the more interesting activities too quickly. Worst of all, there are only a few flavors of these kinds of quests, so you’ll find yourself being asked to repeat them multiple times in between every boss battle or more meaty story mission.

While I’ve only played through half of the campaign, so far it’s really not looking great, fam. Absolutely brimming with nonsensical sci-fi babble like “dimensional walls,” “inverted data codes,” and “unleashing Arche,” it’s one of the sillier stories I’ve seen in a while. Most of the dialogue is absolutely atrocious: At one point I burst out laughing when a bad guy menacingly declared, “Qliphoth will engulf Ingris. The roars of the Vulgus will fill this land with fear!” In another section I shook my head as an antagonistic character named Jeremy (a grown man with the voice of a whiney, spoiled teenage brat), showed up to be the most annoying person in the world and was mean to me for no reason while I ran quests for him. It’s truly heinous stuff, but some of it is so bad it’s pretty amusing – I eventually found myself looking forward to cutscenes, eager for the next hit of sci-fi gibberish and butchered voice performances. (On top of the absurdity, the English voices rarely come close to matching the lips of the characters speaking. That’s fine if you enjoy watching anime dubs, but I find it pretty distracting.)

Thankfully, the most interesting characters are those you can unlock and play as, like the unflappable electric speedster Bunny (my personal favorite), or the sarcastic and smarmy grenade-chucking soldier Lepic. Some of the cast do still seem a bit shallow, largely because you get only a little backstory and character development for most of them, but hearing them cheer as you blast monsters to bits and seeing their charming animations – which clearly had much more effort put into them than those of the NPCs – is quite nice. Only one of these playable characters has an actual questline associated with them (with more planned for the future), but the bits of that story I played were some of the better content available in The First Descendant at launch, so here’s hoping they at least deliver on that front.

Actually learning to play as them is great too, although I still have plenty more characters to unlock before I’m able to take them all for a spin. One character might control the battlefield with explosive AoE attacks, while another covers enemies in devastating ice-based debuffs. Bunny does insane DPS by running around as much as possible to generate electrical energy, then unleashes it in powerful blasts. Since each of the characters has their own style of play, switching between them offers a markedly different experience, like how Ajax, a heavy tank with protective abilities is all about standing your ground instead. Most games with playable characters as its main chase live or die by how compelling those unlockable avatars are, and so far The First Descendent seems like it’s loaded with distinctive options that are absolutely worth going through the trouble to obtain.

Similarly, the weapons, equipment, and upgrades you earn while shotgunning your way through levels are awesome. Loot drops constantly, most weapons feel distinct and satisfying to play with, and watching the numbers go up as you modify and upgrade every new toy in your arsenal makes The First Descendant hard to put down… until it forces you into about 15 separate menus to juggle dozens of materials and so many different systems that you might want to keep your inhaler at the ready. This kind of thing is pretty typical for looter-shooters, granted, but even by the already gag-inducing standards of the genre, this one’s especially obnoxious to learn – especially since the tutorial robot who shows you the ropes in the social area explains things to you in a series of texts that pass by quickly enough to challenge your speed-reading skills.

Even after spending dozens of hours with this pre-launch preview build, I’ve got plenty more to play and an endgame to dive into once it launches properly next week. Check back in the coming weeks for my final, scored review.

WondLa is now available to stream on Apple TV+.

Take a kid-friendly version of Prime Video’s Fallout adaptation, combine it with Max’s spectacular Scavengers Reign, subtract a lot of the violence, and you’ve got WondLa. Alas, if only the results were as fun as that sounds. Within the animated Apple TV+ series, there are some elements that have carried over from Tony DiTerlizzi’s The Search for WondLa, a complex yet still accessible children’s sci-fi novel about life after the end of the world. But for every aspect that hints at how it might thoughtfully build upon the deeper ideas and surprising darkness of the source material, there are many new attempts at expanding the story that go nowhere. Though showrunner Bobs Gannaway is an animation veteran with a résumé full of Disney films and TV shows, WondLa lacks anything approaching the charm and creativity of those projects. Instead, it proves to be a superficial adaptation that merely goes through the motions.

Right from the jump, the way that WondLa looks immediately feels off. The design of the underground “sanctuary” where young protagonist Eva (Jeanine Mason) has been raised is devoid of any of the details present in the book, and the character models often feel stiff. This is most felt with Eva's robotic caregiver, Muthr (Teri Hatcher), who looks like a knockoff Mii with limited expressions and none of the vibrancy that was present in the illustrations from the novel. Changes are inevitable in even the best page-to-screen translations, but already there’s a sense that this version of WondLa is content to play most things down the middle and avoid taking any risks.

The world outside is slightly better, with brighter colors that pop off the screen, but the designs of the animated landscapes still can’t hold a candle to DiTerlizzi’s striking descriptions. It’s this setting that Eva is thrust into on the night of her 16th birthday, after the sanctuary is attacked by the massive Besteel (Chiké Okonkwo). Guided only by a torn scrap of paper bearing the word “WondLa,” she and Muthr encounter mysterious creatures like the lanky alien Rovender (Gary Anthony Williams) and the telepathic water bear Otto (Brad Garrett) on their journey to find a new home.

WondLa is the second major project from Skydance Animation – following 2022’s lackluster Luck – and it provides a further glimpse of what to expect from the studio under the guidance of disgraced former Pixar and Disney Animation head John Lasseter. Though this series has a stronger foundation than Luck, it also runs into many of the same problems in terms of how it’s put together. (A cutesy reference to Luck doesn’t do it any favors, either.) Both create obstacles that feel like they’re there due to a lack of confidence in and patience with their world-building. A random fetch quest early on in WondLa bogs down the proceedings; you wouldn’t think a seven-episode season where the episodes clock in at under 30 minutes would need padding, but here we are. But the strangest allusion to WondLa’s creative lineage arrives when a character says they’re not flying, but gliding. It’s impossible not to hear this as a rip-off of the iconic falling-with-style scene from Lasseter’s original Toy Story – only without the emotional payoff Buzz and Woody earned.

That lack of feeling is WondLa’s biggest disappointment. Kids are capable of appreciating stories with thoughtful and complicated character dynamics – the popularity of The Search for WondLa proves this. But WondLa misses out on the opportunity to lay out more thoughtful journeys for its motley crew by reducing most of them to broad archetypes: Muthr the nagging matriarch, Eva the petulant teen, and Rovender the ornery loner. Rather than authentically grow and change, they just bicker for the purposes of mostly grating, hit-or-miss comedy. Season 1 ends with a tease for more WondLa on the horizon, which could be promising: DiTerlizzi has two additional books that Gannaway and team might do a better job with. But the way they rush through – and even contradict – many of the key closing notes of The Search for WondLa doesn’t exactly instill confidence.

The 32" LG 32GS95UE-B is LG's first gaming monitor under 40" that has both an OLED display and a 4K native resolution. It was released on April 15 with a retail price of $1399.99. Right now you can get an extra $210 off with coupon code "HECA14701", dropping the price to $1189.99. If you're looking for one of the best gaming monitors for 2024, this should definitely be on your short list.

32" LG 32GS95UE-B 4K OLED Gaming Monitor for $1190

The LG 32GS95UE-B is a 32" monitor with a native 4K (3840x2160) resolution and an anti-reflective matte finish. This is a true OLED panel with a near instantaneous response time and near infinite contrast ratio (which means perfect black levels). It is VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400 certified with a 98.5% DCI-P3 color gamut and 275nits of brightness. It's one of the few OLED 240Hz gaming monitors and it's a certified G-SYNC compatible gaming monitor. Connectivity wise, the AW3225QF has two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 port. There are also a couple of USB 3.2 Type-A and Type-B ports.

The LG 32GS95UE-B has some interesting tricks up its sleeve. One new feature is called "Dual Mode": you can switch been 4K @ 240Hz or 1080p @ 480Hz. The 480Hz mode might be useful for gamers who need the highest possible frames for fast moving FPS, MOBA, and racing games. Whichever mode you choose, you'll need a powerful graphics card to make full use of this monitor's capabilities, something like a GeForce RTX 4070/3080 at the minimum. If you've got a top-of-the-line GPU like a GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER or 4090 or a Radeon RX 7900 XTX, then there's no better complement than a 4K monitor.

Another new feature is "Pixel Sound". The speakers on this monitor are placed behind the screen pointed directly towards you. LG claims that these front-facing speakers produce a better three dimensional soundscape than the traditional down-firing speakers found in most other monitors.

LG also includes a 2 year warranty that includes burn-in protection. Burn-in is probably the biggest fear that prospective buyers have when looking at a new OLED purchase. Burn-in warranties are uncommon and a two year burn-in warranty is only reserved for LG's gaming monitors, NOT for their OLED TVs.

Check out our picks for the best gaming monitors of 2024.

This review is based on a screening at the 2024 Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

We may never get to see Coyote vs. Acme, which was shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery last year due, in part, to studio leadership’s belief that modern audiences don’t care about Wile E. Coyote and his animated associates. But there’s another feature-length showcase for the Looney Tunes waiting in the wings, and it serves as a loud rebuttal to baffling executive bias against some of the biggest, most beloved and influential figures in the history of pop culture: The uproarious Daffy Duck-Porky Pig team-up The Day the Earth Blew Up. A casualty of the Warner chopping block itself – it was originally set to stream on Max, but premiered at Annecy earlier this month in search of a new distributor – The Day the Earth Blew Up isn’t just a smart homage to the classic gags, animation style, and storytelling of Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes shorts. It’s also a hilarious introduction to the chaotic, yet surprisingly heartfelt energy that made these characters stars in the first place.

The Day the Earth Blew Up is directed by Looney Tunes Cartoons’ Peter Browngardt, and like much of that excellent streaming series, this is all about the dynamic between Daffy and Porky (both voiced by Eric Bauza): the straight man (with temper issues) and the nutjob with a desire to smash everything in sight with a wooden mallet. Beginning the movie as babies (well, a duckling and piglet), the duo are adopted by a human named Farmer Jim (Fred Tatasciore) – an instant breakout character and one of the best things to come out of Looney Tunes in decades. This origin story is the funniest section of The Day the Earth Blew Up, with Browngardt and his team of 11 writers (in a rare, pleasantly surprising move, the storyboard artists are given writing credit) showcasing an idyllic childhood that gives way to present-day woes. Now adults, Daffy and Porky are forced to find employment in order to save the home bequeathed to them by Farmer Jim.

An extended montage showing all the amusing ways the two best friends and roommates manage to screw up their new jobs plays out like a vintage Looney Tunes short – the disregard for physics, the inventive perspective echoing the work of Golden Age animators like Rod Scribner. And like those cartoons, much of The Day the Earth Blew Up consists of homages to and parodies of other screen classics, like The Thing and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. When Daffy and Porky finally get a job at a gum factory, they inadvertently uncover an alien-invasion plot, which leads to several funny and clever twists.

This is truly a gem, no matter your familiarity with the characters. On the one hand, Daffy and Porky get to be their classic selves, spared from the character assassination of Space Jam and its overripe sequel. Daffy is disorderly and daft, but has some pathos to him. Porky's straight-man routine hides a vulnerability and resentment toward his brother; he’s also dealing with his feelings for the lovely lab rat Petunia Pig (Candi Milo). Their relationship is the heart and soul of The Day the Earth Blew Up, and also the core of many jokes, with Bauza pulling double duty and making it seem effortless.

Despite the '50s sci-fi plot, it all feels quite modern. The (gorgeous) animation is slick and fluid, and the pacing relentless – the jokes-per-minute ratio is astounding. The influence of 21st century cartoons like The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and Chowder is apparent; there’s a randomness to the humor that echoes absurdities like the running Nosferatu gag on SpongeBob SquarePants. At the very least, The Day the Earth Blew Up proves that these characters are more than capable of carrying their own movie (and without Bugs Bunny!) and make it a laugh-out-loud riot. Hopefully, the lack of a "That's all Folks!" tag at the end means this is not the last we’ll see of the Looney Tunes on the big screen.

Warner Bros. has added an untitled Denis Villeneuve film and the next MonsterVerse project to its calendar of upcoming movies.

The Dune director’s next event film with Legendary Pictures is now slotted to arrive December 18, 2026. No official details about what the project will be have been shared. However, Deadline reports that Warner Bros. and Legendary are holding the slot with the expectation that it will eventually be filled by Villeneuve’s Dune 3. The site adds that the director is still penning its script and locking down a cast.

gamescom latam has arrived and promises a weekend celebrating all the best games from Latin America and the rest of the world. The event is currently underway in São Paulo, Brazil, and will run through June 30.

There are a lot of exciting reveals planned for gamescom latam and we're here to gather all the biggest ones for you in one place, including the new look at Dragon Ball Sparking Zero that took place during the show's opening night.

Be sure to check back throughout the weekend as we will be updating this roundup as the biggest moments happen live from gamescom latam!

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero - Official Sword vs Fist Trailer

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is the latest game in the Budokai Tenkaichi series and, ahead of its October 11 release date, gamescom latam provided fans with a brand new trailer that showcases various characters coming to the fighting game, like Super Vegito, Jiren, Future Trunks, Roasie, Ribrianne, Yajirobe, Spopovich, Dabura, Mr. Satan, Anilaza, Goku (Super) Ultra Instinct - Sign-, and Goku Black Super Saiyan Rose.

Cyberpunk 2077: Character and Narrative Design Explained

CD Projekt RED Associate Narrative Director, Pawel Sasko, stopped by gamescom latam to break down everything that went into creating the story for Cyberpunk 2077, including how the Phantom Liberty expansion is "the best story (the studio has) ever told," and how "characters are your most powerful weapon" when designing games.

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