Considering what it offers, Disney Plus is one of the best streaming services on the block. From classic Disney animated films to the latest Marvel shows and Star Wars movies, excellent kids' programming like Bluey, and so much more, Disney Plus puts an incredible range of high-quality viewing options at your fingertips. And with so much to check out, including season 2 of Andor (you can read our Andor season 2 spoiler-free review here), you'll want to find a plan that best suits you. We're here to help.

At the moment, one of the best Disney Plus bundle deals available is the massive Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle. This starts at $16.99/month to get you all three streaming services with ads. It's one of the best bundles available at the moment, but we've included more Disney Plus bundle deals worth exploring below. If you're looking for more streaming deals from other services, check out the best Hulu deals and bundles and the best Max deals.

How to Get the Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max Streaming Bundle

The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle can be purchased through any of the three streaming services and starts at $16.99/month for the ad-supported tier or $29.99/month for ad-free access across the three platforms.

If you currently own all three and want to cut down on costs, this is a great way to bundle them together and save big on what you'd pay for them separately per month – 43% on the ad-supported plan and 42% on the ad-free plan.

What Is the New Paid Sharing Plan on Disney Plus?

In an effort to crack down on password sharing, Disney has unveiled a paid sharing plan for individuals outside of your household. Basically, anyone using your account that's not within your household will have to be added as an "Extra Member" to your account. This costs an additional $6.99/month for the ad-supported Basic subscription and $9.99/month for the Premium ad-free plan, and only one Extra Member slot is available per account. You can learn more from Disney's paid sharing explainer here.

What Are the Different Disney+ Subscription Tiers?

Disney+ is available in a couple of different tiers. You can get the least expensive option (called Disney+ Basic) for $9.99/month, which gives you access to everything except the ability to download select shows to watch on the go. This tier is ad supported. If you want to get rid of ads and be able to download certain shows, you can spring for the $15.99/month or $159.99/year Disney+ Premium package.

What Are the Different Disney+ Bundles?

Want a way to save on your Disney+ membership? Bundles are a great, affordable way to go. As far as bundles go, there are two ad-supported bundles and two ad-free bundles. Here's the breakdown:

• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic is $10.99/month and comes with subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu. This plan lets you stream on multiple devices at once and comes with ad-supported versions of both services.
• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Premium is $19.99/month and comes with Hulu and Disney+ with no ads. It also includes Disney+ Premium features like the ability to download shows to watch on the go.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Basic adds ESPN+ (With Ads) to the mix alongside Disney+ (With Ads) and Hulu (With Ads), bumping up the price to $16.99/month. You can also download and watch select content on ESPN+ at this level.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Premium is $26.99/month and comes with ESPN+ (With Ads) and ad-free versions of Disney+ and Hulu. You can also download select content across all three streaming services.

Disney+ Gift Cards

If you want to help someone out and give them a gift that will keep on giving, gifting a one-year Disney+ card is a great way to go. It provides all the great things Disney+ offers and it costs a fraction of what it would take to buy even a small sampling of those movies physically.

What Can You Watch on Disney+?

There is a bonkers array of shows and movies you can watch on Disney+. Let's start at the top and simply talk about the verticals on offer here with the base subscription.

Here's what you get:

• Disney
• Pixar
• Marvel
• Star Wars
• National Geographic

Disney on Disney+

On the Disney front, you have awesome classic movies like The Sword In The Stone, Robin Hood, 101 Dalmations, Hercules, and Sleeping Beauty, modern classics like The Princess & The Frog, Tangled, and Frozen, and a wide range of animated shows, including Phineas & Ferb.

You also gain access to a ton of vintage content like Escape to Witch Mountain, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, The Love Bug, and a whole lot more. The Disney Junior section is home to absolutely top tier animated shows like Bluey (which, for my money, is worth the price of admission on its own).

There's way more on offer, too, including a ton of Muppet movies, new live-action films and adaptions, nature programs, documentaries, Pirates of the Caribbean, and musical programs featuring Taylor Swift (like her wildly popular The Eras Tour), Elton John, Ed Sheeran, and more.

Pixar on Disney+

When it comes to computer generated films, Pixar stands alone. Kicking off the revolution with Toy Story, Pixar has consistently put out fantastic films, and they are all here. From the Toy Story series to Finding Nemo, Cars, and more recent hits like Inside Out 2, there is a ton to love.

Beyond even that, there are incredible shorts like Bao and Party Central, as well as a wide range of originals and series based on major films, such as Dory's Reef Cam, Forky Asks A Question, Cars On The Road, and more.

Marvel on Disney+

The MCU has become a true juggernaut, and there are many viewers who subscribe to Disney+ purely for access to nearly the entire MCU lineup of films and shows.

Whether you are a fan of the blockbuster action films, you are an appreciator of the classic 90s runs of "Saturday morning" cartoons like X-Men, or you are currently vibing to the funky theme of the 1981 Spider-Man series, there is a ton of Marvel to enjoy on Disney+. And with new movies and shows being added to the MCU all the time, including most recently Deadpool & Wolverine and Your Friendly Neigborhood Spider-Man, there is always more coming.

Star Wars on Disney+

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a film that changed everything. The original Star Wars is a seminal sci-fi fantasy work that inspired generations of creators, but there is still nothing quite like that far away galaxy. Disney+ grants access to all things Star Wars, including the remastered versions of the original trilogy (hopefully some day they'll add the theatrical cuts, too), as well as the prequels and sequels.

You can also stay up-to-date on all the latest shows, including The Mandalorian and the critically-lauded Andor, which some viewers say is "the best Star Wars has ever been." There are also fantastic short series like Star Wars Visions, and longer-form series like The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, Young Jedi Adventures, and a whole lot more.

Take a look at our list of Disney+ alernatives for additional streaming services. To play while you watch, see our roundup of the best LEGO Disney sets. For more deals, dive into our Daily Deals page.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
Original story from Brian Barnett.

Octavia Butler is undoubtedly one of the greatest science fiction authors of all time, and it should come as no surprise that her work continues to be adapted in other media. Abrams ComicArts is following up its graphic novel adaptations of Parable of the Sower and Kindred with Parable of the Talents.

With Parable of the Talents in stores now, IGN can exclusively debut a new preview of this graphic novel. Check it out in the slideshow gallery below:

Parable of the Talents is adapted by writer Damian Duffy and artists John Jennings and David Brame, the same creative team behind the previous Kindred and Parable of the Sower adaptations. Here's Abrams' official description of the book:

Octavia E. Butler’s 1993 dystopian novel Parable of the Sower painted an alarmingly poignant picture of the year 2024, introducing readers to a world shaped by environmental disasters, economic instability, and social unrest. Following Lauren Olamina, a preacher’s daughter who develops a new religion, Earthseed, while travelling the dangerous and dystopian country, Duffy and Jennings bring the sci-fi classic to life with a beautifully drawn graphic novel adaptation. Now they are taking on the sequel to Butler’s stunning novel, The Parable of the Talents, which follows Lauren’s daughter, Asha Vere.

The Parable of the Talents continues Butler’s masterful story set against a background of a war-torn continent under the control of a Christian fundamentalist fascist state. Asha searches for answers about her own past while struggling to reconcile with her mother’s legacy—who was caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to lead humankind into a better future among the stars.

"Octavia E. Butler wrote Parable of the Talents as a warning for the future,” said Duffy in a statement. “Adapting Parable of the Talents from within the future she warned of has been a surreal and humbling journey. Fortunately, David Brame and John Jennings brought their significant artistic talents to bear, drawing images to help us move past dystopia, and down the path to hard won hope.”

Parable of the Talents is available in bookstores and comic shops now. You can order a copy on Amazon.

In other comic book news, Mike Mignola is returning to the Hellboy universe this summer, and we chatted with the creative team behind Spider-Man & Wolverine.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.

Days Gone Remastered is not far off now, and today Sony's Bend Studio detailed some of the accessibility features in store for the updated version of the game, including the option to slow down Game Speed when things get tense.

In a new PlayStation Blog, Bend Studio's Creative & Product Lead Kevin McAllister walked through the different accessibility features included in Days Gone Remastered. When it comes to Game Speed, Bend has an option for letting players change the actual speed of gameplay, from 100% down to 75%, 50%, and 25%. The aim, as McAllister said, is to make it easier for players who struggle in high-pressure situations.

"Game Speed is ideal for players who might feel overwhelmed in certain situations or have difficulty with various inputs in high pressure moments, specifically fighting off hordes of Freakers," said McAllister. "Hordes are a pillar in Days Gone gameplay and with our new Horde Assault mode arriving in the remaster, we wanted to make this unique combat experience more accessible to our players."

Other parts of the accessibility options for Days Gone Remastered include subtitle colors, a customizable High Contrast Mode, UI Narration, and Collectible Audio Cues. The auto-complete QTE option, previously only allowed in Easy difficulty, is also getting enabled on any difficulty from Easy to Survival II.

While these options are all going to arrive in Days Gone Remastered, Bend Studios also confirmed most of the new accessibility features will be coming to Days Gone on PC as well. Some, like the feedback and customization control options, will require a compatible controller.

Days Gone Remastered was officially announced in February, with some extra bells and whistles like an enhanced photo mode, permadeath and speedrun options, and the aforementioned accessibility features. The remaster of the 2019 biker-centric, post-apocalyptic zombie action-adventure isn't far off, either.

Days Gone Remastered will go live on April 25, 2025. Those who already have a PS4 version of Days Gone will be able to upgrade to the PS5 remastered version for $10.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

For most PC gamers, buying a prebuilt gaming rig is far more attractive than it used to be. Years ago it was inarguably cheaper to build your own gaming PC than to buy a boutique gaming rig. That's not the case anymore. It's not uncommon for major brands like Alienware, HP, and Lenovo to offer quality pre-built PCs for cheaper than the cost of building your own PC with the exact same specs.

We've compiled a list of the best current gaming PC deals, both from the manufacturers themselves like Dell (Alienware), HP, and Lenovo, as well as from reliable 3rd party retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. This includes an incredible deal on an Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 gaming PC (with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD) for $2,499.99. These PCs are significantly discounted from their normal retail price and are going to be less expensive than comparable models from other brands.

Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 Prebuilt Gaming PCs Are Available

You probably never thought you’d see Shazam! and Shazam: Fury of the Gods director David F. Sandberg helm another IP film or franchise ever again — and honestly, he didn’t either. But now that his new film Until Dawn is about to arrive in theaters, he’s reflecting on the “very, very crazy” backlash surrounding his previous DC Cinematic Universe flops and what made him agree to return to the world of IP.

"What I loved about the script [is] that it wasn't trying to recreate the game," Sandberg told GamesRadar+ about the beloved horror game turned film. "Trying to condense 10 hours into two, or something like that. But it is scary still, even though we're doing a new thing.” He also noted that, even in this instance where he’s working on a game property, IP fans are really particular about how they want their favorite story to be realized on screen.

"I mean, to be honest, fans can get very, very crazy and very angry with you. You can get, like, death threats and everything so after Shazam 2, I was like, 'I never wanna do another IP-based movie because it's just not worth it,'" the filmmaker added of the DCU experience and its aftermath.

However, he was intrigued by the potential of the story Until Dawn presents. "But then I was sent this script, and I was like, 'Ah, this would be so much fun to do, to do all these kinds of horrors? I kind of have to do it, and hope that the people see what we're trying to do and like it,’” Sandberg said. “I really thought it was brilliant of the writers to come up with this time loop idea where the night starts over because then you do kind of get that feel of the game, when you're replaying it and making different choices. I think it's very much in the spirit of the game."

The filmmaker is intimately aware of the idea that you can’t please every fan when you’re adapting an IP property, but his approach seems to be the best way to capture the hearts of the Until Dawn fans. "I think we would've gotten a lot of critique if we had tried to [recreate the game], because people would've been like, 'It's not as good. It's not the same actors, because, you know, they're older now,'" the Shazam director explained. "You wouldn't be able to better the game, so you'd just be in a losing situation."

Until Dawn was written by Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman, who is perhaps best known as the writer of It: Chapter Two, and stars Ella Rubin. The film arrives in theaters on April 25, 2025.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

Bethesda has finally revealed the worst-kept secret in video games: The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered.

In a gameplay video published online, Bethesda showed the new visuals and features for the remaster of its much-loved open-world fantasy role-playing game, which is developed by remake specialist Virtuos using Unreal Engine 5.

Bethesda chief Todd Howard discussed the evolution of Bethesda games, and the visual upgrades the near 20-year-old game has now received. Oblivion Remastered runs at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, as you'd expect, but other changes are more meaningful. Everything from the leveling systems to character creation, and combat animations to in-game menus have been improved. Meanwhile, there's lots of new dialogue, a proper third-person view, and new lip sync technology.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion launched in 2006 as a follow-up to fan-favorite Morrowind on PC and Xbox 360, with a PlayStation 3 release following in 2007. It’s set in the fictional province of Cyrodiil, and revolves around the player character's bid to defeat a fanatical cult that wants to open portal games to the demonic realm known as Oblivion.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered launches today, April 22, priced $49.99 in a shadowdrop across PC, Xbox Series X and S, and PlayStation 5, as well as on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It weighs in at 119.2 GB. There's a more expensive Deluxe Edition, detailed below, and yes, it includes new horse armor DLC. Bethesda definitely knew what it was doing there.

We've got a comprehensive guide to everything you'll find in Oblivion Remastered, including an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and much more.

Here's the official blurb, per Bethesda:

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered modernizes the 2006 Game of the Year with all new stunning visuals and refined gameplay. Explore the vast landscape of Cyrodiil like never before and stop the forces of Oblivion from overtaking the land in one of the greatest RPGs ever from the award-winning Bethesda Game Studios.

Rediscover Cyrodiil

Journey through the rich world of Tamriel and battle across the planes of Oblivion where handcrafted details have been meticulously recreated to ensure each moment of exploration is awe-inspiring.

Navigate Your Own Story

From the noble warrior to the sinister assassin, wizened sorcerer, or scrappy blacksmith, forge your path and play the way you want.

Experience an Epic Adventure

Step inside a universe bursting with captivating stories and encounter an unforgettable cast of characters. Master swordcraft and wield powerful magic as you fight to save Tamriel from the Daedric invasion.

The Complete Story

Experience everything Oblivion has to offer with previously released story expansions Shivering Isles, Knights of the Nine, and additional downloadable content included in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered Standard Edition includes:

• Digital base game
• Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine story expansions
• Additional downloadable content: Fighter’s Stronghold expansion, Spell Tome Treasures, Vile Lair, Mehrune’s Razor, The Thieves Den, Wizard’s Tower, Orrery, and Horse Pack Armor

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered Deluxe Edition includes:

• Digital base game
• Unique digital Akatosh and Mehrunes Dagon Armors, Weapons, and Horse Armor Sets
• Digital Artbook and Soundtrack App
• Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine story expansions
• Additional downloadable content: Fighter’s Stronghold expansion, Spell Tome Treasures, Vile Lair, Mehrune’s Razor, The Thieves Den, Wizard’s Tower, Orrery, and Horse Pack Armor

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

In Japan, renting a PS5 console has suddenly surged in popularity in recent months. Why are people opting to rent rather than buy Sony’s current gen hardware? The answer is complex, involving console price hikes, a super popular game series, and a particular Japanese retailer’s successful and well-timed new service.

In February, Japan’s GEO Corporation — a chain of around 1,000 stores that rent and sell movies, music and games, began giving customers the chance to rent PS5 consoles. Prices start from an affordable 980 yen (approx. $7) for a week, and 1780 yen (approx. $12.50) for two weeks. This has been a huge success for GEO, with between 80% to 100% of its PS5 consoles rented out at the 400 stores offering the service.

Speaking to ITMedia, GEO’s Yusuke Sakai, the manager in charge of the chain’s rental products, explained that the idea of renting out PS5 consoles came back in summer 2024, when GEO’s DVD and CD rentals were continuing to decline due to the rising popularity of streaming services.

At the time, although PS5s were no longer suffering from supply shortages, there were rumors that PS5 prices would be increased in Japan due to weak exchange rates. On September 2, 2024, Sony did just that, raising the price of the Digital Edition from 59,980 yen (approx. $427) to 72,980 yen (approx. $520), and the disc drive version from 66,980 yen ($477) to 79,980 yen ($569). This domestic price hike was met with much dissatisfaction, with many Japanese users responding to Sony’s official X announcement with complaints that almost 80,000 yen was too expensive for the then four-year-old console.

“At this point, we began to consider whether we could rent out PS5 consoles using our existing rental system,” said GEO’s Sakai. As a chain of stores that has been selling, repairing and renting consoles, DVDs, CDs and other electronics to consumers in Japan since the late 1980s, GEO already had both in-store and online rental systems in place. Due to buying and selling second-hand consoles, it also had staff who were able to repair and factory reset PS5s. This existing expertise reduced costs, enabling the company to offer its PS5 rental service at far lower prices than its competitors (prior to this, other Japanese companies offered PS5 console rental services, but in the region of 4500 to 8900 yen a month). It seems likely that GEO’s low prices have made it easier for anyone who is even slightly curious about trying out a PS5 to pick one up for a week or two, something that has likely contributed to the sudden spike in PS5 rentals.

GEO’s PS5 rental service began on February 28, perfectly coinciding with the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds. Capcom’s Monster Hunter series has enjoyed strong sales and popularity in Japan, however Monster Hunter Wilds’ limited platform availability left many Japanese players concerned as to how they would play the latest installment. Xbox’s comparative lack of popularity in Japan, plus Monster Hunter Wilds’ high PC specs, meant that PS5 seemed like the better option for many players — if not for the console’s hefty price tag.

“We knew that Monster Hunter Wilds was going to be one of the biggest titles of the year, so we made it our top priority to get the service set up in time for that,” explained Sakai.

Sakai added that GEO’s PS5 service ties into the company’s long-held philosophy of enabling customers to try out expensive products for a far lower price, reflecting on how back in the 1980s, a single movie videotape or laserdisc cost around 15,000~20,000 yen to purchase, with GEO making it affordable to rent a movie for around 1,000 yen a night. Nowadays at almost 80,000 yen, a PS5 console is a hefty purchase for most parents to buy for their kids, or for a student to save up for, which could make renting the console a more attractive option for many.

However, renting a PS5 might not be as cheap as it first appears, when you factor in the additional costs, such as renting or buying a game and the need to subscribe to PSN for online play. Also, GEO currently only offers one week and two week plans, charging 500 yen per day if you want to extend your rental period.

Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

If you’ve been eyeing the Scarlet & Violet: 151 set — one of the most nostalgia-fueled Pokémon TCG releases in years — chances are you’ve come across the 151 Booster Bundle on Amazon. At $66.65 for just six packs, it might seem like a harmless splurge. But that price? It's more than double the MSRP.

A standard six-pack bundle should cost around $29.99 to $34.99, making Amazon’s markup not just steep, but straight-up bad value. Despite the flashy marketing and glowing reviews, there's no guarantee you’ll pull anything even close to worth that price. You’re basically paying premium for the privilege of disappointment.

Pokémon TCG 151 Booster Bundle

Cloudheim, an upcoming action-adventure RPG from developer Noodle Cat Games that we exclusively announced earlier this year, is now showing off its crafting system and shop system in a new gameplay trailer. You can watch it above and take a look at crafting and shop system screenshots in the new gallery below.

Noodle Cat explains that while they hope players will enjoy crafting in Cloudheim, it can be as much or as little as you prefer: "Crafting in Cloudheim doesn’t force players to deeply engage if they don’t want to - you can spend time finding specific materials, or just throw all your loot into stations and see what happens." Furthermore, there's also smelting and forging, alchemy, and cooking.

Shopkeeping is also a "go as deep as you want" gameplay element – but if you're going to do it, you'd better do it right. "Correctly displaying items (e.g., swords on weapon racks) increases profits," Noodle Cat explained. "Decorative items and banners improve shop appeal, influencing shopper behavior. Cleanliness and layout also impact success."

You can wishlist Cloudheim on Steam if you're interested.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

The IGN World Guide for FX's Alien: Earth launched today, Earth Day 2025, and it provides fans of the acclaimed sci-fi horror franchise an exclusive look at the FX-Hulu series coming this summer.

As part of this launch, we’ve partnered with FX on a tongue-in-cheek Earth Day public service announcement, which can be viewed via the player below.

We’re also rolling out a series of short videos across our social media channels this week chronicling the gestation of a creature in what appeared to be a controlled lab setting … although if the Alien franchise has taught us anything, it’s that creatures in that world can’t be controlled.

From creator Noah Hawley, FX's Alien: Earth follows a young woman (played by Sydney Chandler) and a band of tactical soldiers who make a fateful discovery after a spaceship crash-lands on Earth.

The series is set in 2120 when, according to its official plot synopsis, “five corporations - Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold - wield the power of nations, and proprietary advancements in technology provide the promise of a new tomorrow.”

In addition to Sydney Chandler, the cast includes Alex Lawther, Timothy Olyphant, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, David Rysdahl, Adrian Edmondson, Adarsh Gourav, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diem Camille and Moe Bar-El.

For more on the Alien franchise, check out the IGN community’s ranking of the Alien movies and find out how to watch the Alien movies in chronological order.

A group of ex-Skylanders developers have announced Voidling Bound, a new monster-taming action game for PC that's due out next year. Watch the announcement trailer above and check out the first screenshots in the gallery below.

Hatchery Games promises plenty of third-person action, branching paths that let you customize your Voidling's appearance, playstyle, abilities, and elemental alignment. You can level them up, breed them, collect them, and craft them. The developers set up their sci-fi world as such: "Defenseless against a devastating parasite threatening all life forms, humanity must team up with recently discovered Voidlings to unlock their full potential through the neural bond. Become bound as one, as the last line of defense in our fight for survival."

We'll have more on Voidling Bound as development progresses. You can wishlist it on Steam if you're interested.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

There’s someone other than Tom Holland to thank for his role as Spider-Man, at least according to our Punisher, Jon Bernthal. The Daredevil: Born Again actor recently revealed that he worked with Holland on his Marvel audition tape years back, and takes a little credit for helping Holland land the role.

"We did [Pilgrimage] about seven or eight years ago," Bernthal explained about working with Holland on the 2017 film — which debuted the same year as Spider-Man: Homecoming — during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live last weekend. "That was where both Tom did his audition for Spider-Man and I did my audition for Punisher. We actually made each other’s audition tapes on that film."

Bernthal also noted that he tossed some ideas for the tape Tom’s way and the former Broadway star let it rip, no Bernthal career pun intended. "I gave him the note, 'Tom, maybe you should run up that wall and do a double backflip and then start the scene,' " the The Bear star added.

"And he was like, 'Yeah, you think I should do that? That’s not too much?' I was like, 'I don’t think any of these other fools are able to do that,' and he in fact did that. It’s not that I take responsibility for him, but you know, like a little something."

The cheeky story really sets the scene for a moment in history back in 2015 when Pilgrimage was being filmed. At the time, Holland seemed to be auditioning for his cameo role in Captain America: Civil War, while Bernthal was seemingly attempting to land the role of Frank Castle in Season 2 of Netflix’s Daredevil.

Bernthal can currently be seen punishing in the new Disney+ spin-off series Daredevil: Born Again, while Holland’s next appearance as the webslinger we all know and love is coming in 2026 with Spider-Man: Brand New Day
.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

Andrew Garfield has discussed what a potential return as Spider-Man would have to look like, and pointed to the “creative freedom” of the Spider-Verse movies as a reference point.

Garfield famously reprised his role as the much-loved Marvel superhero for 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, where he appeared alongside Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire in a multiverse-fueled mash-up of Spider-Man actors past and present.

Is Andrew Garfield in 2026’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day? He’s denied it before and will no-doubt deny it again, while acknowledging his penchant for lying to the internet about his upcoming roles.

But, speaking at Middle East Film & Comic Con, Garfield opened up about what a return to Spider-Man would have to look like for him to jump on board, saying it would need to be “very weird.”

“I really love playing Spider-Man,” Garfield said.

“I would love to play the character again in some capacity, but I think it would have to be very weird. I think I would want to do something very strange. I would want to do something very unique, and offbeat, and surprising, kind of like the creative freedom that they have with the animated Spider-Verse movies. I think they’re so great and you can honor the character in so many different ways through the multiverse.”

Does that make a role reprisal more or less likely? It’s hard to tell. But if the Spider-Verse movies are a jumping off point, perhaps Garfield would be tempted back by a similarly mind-bending superhero get-together… like in Avengers: Doomsday?

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to star Tom Holland once again as Spider-Man, and there’s no suggestion Garfield will be a part of it. Interestingly, neither Holland, Garfield, nor Maguire were among the many names listed in Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal, which surprised some. Marvel has indicated more cast news is coming for the movie, so perhaps there’s still hope for Spider-Man, whether that’s Garfield, Holland, or someone else.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

This interview contains spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2 and the game the series is adapting.

It seems as if for as long as The Last of Us’ Abby has existed, there has been controversy surrounding her character. The Last of Us Part II received polarized reactions from fans, with some adoring its complexities and others despising the game and character so much that original Abby voice actress Laura Bailey (Critical Role, The Legend of Vox Machina) received death threats against her and her son. The news that Kaitlyn Dever had been cast in the role for HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation sparked a whole new kind of drama, with some frustrated by Dever’s stature. In the game, Abby has two defining characteristics: her rage and her muscles. According to The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann, the muscles weren’t important for the adaptation. And, according to Kaitlyn Dever, her version of Abby is “so much more” than her rage.

In an interview with IGN, co-creators Druckmann, Craig Mazin, and Kaitlyn Dever broke down the changes to Abby Anderson as her journey shifts slightly from the source material.

“Once we cast someone, you can't help but see them like they become part of the DNA of this character,” says Druckmann. “Kaitlyn Dever is different from Laura Bailey, who played Abby in the video game. And that informs a lot of how we think about the character.”

Outside of her physical appearance, we haven’t seen a lot of changes to Abby just yet. Though the story did shift the order of events, offering up the reason for Abby’s revenge immediately rather than revealing her motives gradually throughout the story, her traits remain largely the same. However, that may not always be the case.

“A lot of the fundamentals of her are the same, but just like the moment to moment [...] the medium that creates certain changes that, sometimes, have a butterfly effect and the changes become greater over time,” Druckmann notes.

For Mazin, it was about highlighting the cut-scene moments from the game that he felt warranted more time. “How do you fill that space? What pops out?” he wonders. “In general, what I think we do is try to deepen the complexities and the parts of these characters.” In that same vein it was “really important” to both Mazin and Druckmann that they “deepen the complexities and the parts of these characters” so the audience can really feel what the character was feeling and live in the moment with them.

As far as Dever is concerned, it’s those complexities that give the show the opportunity to really shine. “We are given that space to explore her emotion,” she says. “She's so much more than her rage and anger. And I think that what's different about the show is that we are given a little bit more context to Abby when we first meet her.”

As we see in the opening sequence of “Through the Valley,” The Last of Us Season 2’s second episode, Dever’s Abby is deeply and profoundly sad. In her dream, her present self tries to stop the five-years-earlier version from entering the room where she will find her father’s corpse. Her past self does not listen and enters the room anyway, resulting in tears streaming down present Abby’s face as she stands helplessly by, unable to stop the moment from happening and unable to free herself from the pain it caused.

It’s that grief that will play a pivotal role in the adaptation’s Abby, Dever confirms adding that “the show talks a lot about grief in so many different ways and in different forms and I think that that's what is at the core of a lot of these people's storylines and emotions is that exactly.”

Nintendo has officially unveiled the Switch 2 in a 60-minute Nintendo Direct. While preorders were originally set to open in early April in the US, tariff-related uncertainty caused Nintendo to delay the preorder date to April 24. During the delay, Nintendo kept the price of the Switch 2 console and games the same, but raised prices on most Switch 2 accessories.

However, Nintendo said the tariffs won't affect the Switch 2's launch date, which is still scheduled for June 5, 2025. The upcoming console will cost $449.99 alone, or $499.99 bundled with Mario Kart World (a game that will retail for $79.99 if bought separately).

If you’re hoping to secure a Switch 2 on day one, you’ll have a few options (assuming you're ready when they go live and there's enough stock to go around). Nintendo is offering a registration system through My Nintendo Store, where invites to purchase will be sent out on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority will go to Nintendo Switch Online members with at least 12 months of paid membership and 50+ gameplay hours as of April 2, 2025.

All major retailers are also expected to open up preorders on April 24, 2025, as well. With demand expected to be high, here are some key tips from the IGN commerce team to improve your chances of getting a Switch 2 at launch.

1. Know When You Can Preorder Nintendo Switch 2

Nintendo has announced that US customers can preorder a Nintendo Switch 2 on April 24. All the usual retailers (with the possible exception of Amazon) will have preorders. Here's when preorders for Switch 2 go live at the various retailers.

• Walmart - 12 a.m. ET April 24
• Target - 12 a.m. ET April 24
• Best Buy - 12 a.m. ET April 24
• GameStop - 11 a.m. ET April 24

2. Follow IGN Deals

• ✅ Follow IGN Deals on X
• ✅ Follow IGN Deals on Bluesky
• ✅ Subscribe to our IGN Deals Email Newsletter
• ✅ Opt into push notifications
• ✅ Bookmark our live pre-order guide

Even though we know Switch 2 preorders are supposed to go live on April 24, that doesn't mean they'll go live everywhere simulatneously. While Target has announced preorders begin at 12am ET, other retailers could push preorders live at any time on the 24th.

Plus, when a major piece of gaming hardware goes up for preorder at a retailer, there’s no telling how long it will be available. We’ve seen sought-after hardware sell out in seconds. The best and most reliable way to know when a listing goes live is to follow IGN Deals on X or Bluesky and keep an eye on those accounts in real time. (Wario64 and CAG are also reliable sources of real-time information).

From now through the launch on June 5, 2025 and beyond, we’ll keep followers posted on any preorder news. And when preorders do go live, we'll post links the moment they become available.

3. Log Into Your Retailer Accounts

There’s no point in clicking a live preorder link early if you’re not logged in. The precious seconds it takes to enter your login name and password could make the difference between you getting a Nintendo Switch 2 at launch and not. The retailers below are all likely to have Switch 2 preorders, so create an account if you have to, and make sure you’re logged in and ready before Switch 2 preorders go live.

• Walmart
• Target
• GameStop
• Best Buy
• Amazon

Note: It doesn't look like Amazon will get the Switch 2 in stock at all. For whatever reason, Nintendo and Amazon have been on the outs for the past couple of years, with Amazon not getting any first-party Nintendo hardware or software in for preorder. We'll update this if that changes for Switch 2.

4. Have Your Credit Card Saved in Your Account

With poorly lit metal halls, flickering neon lights, a larger than life mechanical sprawl, and a cyborg ninja protagonist, Steel Seed has a lot on the surface that piqued my interest, as I can be easily lured into B-tier sci-fi stories if things look weird enough. Unfortunately, this one is weird in all the wrong ways. Its stealth action and energetic platforming are its best traits, but they are uneven across the roughly 12-hour campaign. Some really cool moments and creatures end up lost amongst miles of dreary and uninspired spaces, overshadowed by frustrating combat and a flimsy story that sap whatever shuddering signs of life this machine had in it.

The problems with Steel Seed start with its hero’s generic presentation. Zoe, awkwardly plucky and earnest daughter of the creator of the dystopia she woke up into, feels completely out of sync with the post-apocalyptic sci-fi world she is in. She’s well-voiced, but not well-written, relying heavily on some vapid self-reflection about a past she can’t fully remember and superhero movie-style banter with her robot pa. Ma’am, you’re the last living human on a planet overrun by killer robots and the only chance to bring humanity back from extinction. I need you to stop quipping and lock in.

Steel Seed is dense with lore about how some major corporation was humanity's last hope until the CEO (who is also Zoe’s father) got double crossed by whoever and whatever, but its plot is light on interesting happenings or compelling reasons to continue to the next objective outside of “because it’s telling me to.” There’s a part that technically satisfies the literary definition of a plot twist, but you see it coming so far in advance that it might as well be a naked man covered in gold.

You’ll spend a great deal of your time navigating this post-human settlement by hopping on platforms and scurrying up walls. It’s all very reminiscent of the Uncharted games, where shimmying across a ledge could be filled with enough mishaps and jump scares to make the process a tense one. Steel Seed even goes a step further, making its high stakes sequences of sliding through collapsing structures or outrunning gunfire feel way more precarious as it's pretty easy to fail some of the more intense sections.

Light puzzle mechanics can add some small speed bumps to your progress, often in the form of commanding your R2D2-coded companion, KOBY, to shoot unreachable buttons while your hands and feet are busy keeping you firmly attached to a wall. These were just dynamic enough to stay engaging, which is all I can ask for for a game that has platforming but isn’t entirely focused on that kind of gameplay, a la Astrobot. Things do get more clever in certain chase encounters, where your perspective changes from 3D to 2D in order to outrun enemy fire from the background – but these moments are scarce, and Steel Seed does nothing that clever anywhere else.

The vast environments you’ll be doing all this poking around in are very hit and miss, visually speaking. There are quite a few stretches of pretty generic techno-hallways or oft-troped rust-chic junk yards that don't really inspire awe if you've seen any science fiction ever. But occasionally those halls will be filled with weird little robot bugs, or a X-story tall mech that rivals the scale of some of God of War’s largest creatures will rise to greet you, and you can’t help but think, “they cooked with this one, at least.” Generally, though, there’s very little about the world Zoe is tasked with saving even worth remembering, something me and the amnesiac protagonist have in common.

There are a lot of enemies in all of these spaces looking to stop you from saving the day, and you can take care of them with stealthy wit or brute force. The stages where you find most enemies are rife with nooks and crannies to hide in and precariously placed obstacles to use as distractions, or to cause killing blows themselves. At first stealth is pretty simple thanks to the very slim variety of different bad guys that patrol around, as well your limited starting skills. I was happy to see that blossom into something more robust as time went on, though. Even though you don’t really see more than five different enemy types in any given encounter throughout Steel Seed, each one is so different and they are mixed together well enough to create checkpoints that can be a real challenge to navigate safely.

Sections get larger and more dense with lookouts that have overlapping patrols and vision vectors, and while some of the mid-game scenarios hit the “just right” mix of enemies and area size, the late-game stealth sections drag on way too long. The fairly strict checkpoints also mean you need to start from the beginning of the section if you fail during it, sometimes throwing 15-20 minutes of patient stabbing and enemy hacking directly into the recycling bin when you slip up. You also run out of new ways to take down foes pretty early on, and I found myself setting a lot of the same traps throughout. So while the hunt started tense, it became stale sooner than I’d hoped.

Zoe and KOBY gain more tricks as they progress, but you sort of have to earn the ability to buy them with the points you find by breaking containers or enemy robots, completing what can often feel like busy work first. Kill five enemies without being seen and you’ll earn the privilege of buying the extremely useful glitch mine skill, which goes a long way towards killing bots without being seen. A lot of the skills have requirements that can come naturally through play, like scanning a number of enemies individually in order to unlock a version of the scan that hits everything of interest in a small zone – ,but others were more tedious tasks, such as searching the mostly bland locations for hidden pick-ups or completing more challenging skill tests like killing a certain amount of enemies a specific way in a small window of time, which were things I happily avoided.

I less than happily avoided outright combat like a computer virus, though. From the buggy lock-on that lets you focus on an enemy but will still pull you towards other nearby foes, to the mashy attack strings with mushy responsiveness, to the dry attack animations from both Zoe and all of her victims, confronting your foes directly is generally a mess. None of the skills you unlock make combat feel any better, despite giving you some admittedly strong options for late-game encounters that can spin out of control with the number of potential participants in any given melee, attacking from off screen with reckless abandon. By the end of the campaign, if I got caught during a stealth section, I'd more often just reload at the last checkpoint than clean up the foes that caught me because it was simply less boring that way. Zones where you have no choice but to fight in open combat were consistently my least favorite parts of the Steel Seed, but mercifully, they are few and far between.

Enola Holmes 3 is now in production, Netflix has announced, with Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, and more stars of the detective movies set to return.

In a blog post, Netflix confirmed the Enola Holmes 3 cast, which includes Millie Bobby Brown as the titular detective and Henry Cavill as her older brother, Sherlock Holmes. Enola Holmes 3 is set in Malta, with Holmes tasked with solving another mystery. There’s no release date yet.

Portable chargers are more or less essential already for gaming on the go, but the Nintendo Switch 2's shorter battery life makes offers like 50% off the Anker 537 power bank a must-buy at $34.99.

Normally $69.99, a portable charger of this size holds enough extra power to recharge many phones, laptops, and most importantly, game consoles, numerous times. It's, without a doubt, the best power bank deal going right now.

Retro handheld console manufacturer Anbernic has suspended all U.S. orders.

As spotted by The Verge, the company blamed "changes in U.S. tariff policies," and recommended players "prioritize products shipped from our U.S. warehouse, which are currently not affected by import duties and can be purchased with confidence." Orders that require shipping from China will not be processed.

Anbernic is perhaps best known for its cheap Chinese Game Boy clones, which it typically dropships from China to customers as they're released, then stockpiles additional units in U.S. warehouses.

Anbernic's website lets customers choose whether to ship from the U.S. or China, but not all products are available from the U.S., which means some items, such as the Anbernic RG CubeXX or the RG 406H, will no longer be available to American players.

The Trump administration has implemented tariffs of up to 145% on imports from China, and warned tariffs on some imports, like electric vehicles, could reach up to 245% when added to existing levies. While it's possible for some companies in the supply chain to absorb these costs, more often than not, they're passed onto consumers. Unfortunately for gamers, rising prices are already impacting tech and gaming goods, such as Nintendo Switch 2 accessories and gaming laptops.

Anbernic said is it "working to find a suitable solution" for any customers hit with custom fees "during this transitional period."

Nintendo officially unveiled the Switch 2 in a 60-minute Nintendo Direct earlier this month. While pre-orders were originally set to open in early April in the U.S., tariff-related uncertainty both in the U.S. and Canada caused Nintendo to delay the pre-order date to April 24. During the delay, Nintendo kept the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 console and games the same, but raised prices on most Switch 2 accessories.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

We've seen all manner of unusual pop culture crossovers involving the Transformers franchise over the years, including Transformers x Ghostbusters and Transformers x Top Gun. But Hasbro's latest collaboration might just be its coolest one yet. This time, the Robots in Disguise are getting an NFL-themed makeover.

IGN can exclusively debut the first images of the Transformers x NFL Helmet line, featuring several toys that transform from robots to fully detailed and licensed football helmets. Get a closer look in the slideshow gallery below:

The Transformers x NFL helmet series will consist of four figures initially - Dallas Cowboys Starblitz, Pittsburgh Steelers Steelsmash, Green Bay Packers Tundra Prime, and Kansas City Chiefs KC-59. Each figure measures 5.5 inches tall and transforms from robot mode to helmet mode in 23 steps. Each also includes accessories like a miniature football and a football helmet.

The Transformers x NFL Helmet series was first revealed on the Games With Names podcast, with host and New England Patriots’ Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman getting early hands-on time with the new toys.

“Teaming Transformers up with the NFL is an extremely exciting milestone as we explore strategic and innovative ways to grow the franchise,” said Tamara Grindrod, Global Play Leader, Action Brands at Hasbro in a statement. “Transformers continues to deliver a ...MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE experience for fans through epic storytelling, toys and more. This latest collaboration is a great example of how we’re connecting new and passionate fanbases with our iconic characters.”

“I’m honored to be teaming up with Hasbro once again to support an iconic collaboration between the Transformers franchise and the NFL,” said Edelman. “It is a dream to see two of my passions come together for this unique collaborative product line. I can’t wait for Transformers and football fans to get their hands on one of these premium collectibles and see their epic conversions. Tune in to my latest 'Games with Names' podcast episode where I chat more about this awesome project!”

If your favorite team isn't represented here, don't worry. Hasbro already has plans for more Transformers x NFL Helmet releases. IGN can exclusively reveal that the second wave will include a Buffalo Bills figure.

If you're interested in purchasing any of these figures, you can preorder the series on Amazon's Transformers store.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has seen a significant boost in player numbers on Steam following the release of the hotly anticipated Patch 8, and this has set developer Larian up nicely to focus on its next big game.

The enormous, game-changing Patch 8 launched last week and with it added 12 new subclasses to Baldur's Gate 3. Its release sparked a player surge as fans flocked to test out the new subclasses as well as the brand new photo mode.

On Steam, Baldur’s Gate 3 hit a player concurrent peak of 169,267 over the weekend — an incredible feat for a single-player focused role-playing game in its second year. Sony and Microsoft do not make PlayStation nor Xbox player numbers publicly available.

Reflecting on the release of Patch 8, Larian chief Swen Vincke tweeted to say he expects Baldur’s Gate 3 to “continue to do well for quite some time,” not just because of the Patch 8 player boost, but because of “thriving” mod support.

This in turn gives Larian “room to focus on making our next big thing as good as we can,” Vincke continued. “We’ve got big shoes to fill.”

"Feeling good today about where we are with BG3," Vincke said. "Patch 8 got a lot of people playing again. It took a lot of development effort but I'm happy we did it.

"With mod support thriving, I think the game will now continue to do well for quite some time. It gives us room to focus on making our next big thing as good as we can and that focus is more than welcome. We've got big shoes to fill."

Patch 8, as Larian has signalled, is the final major update for the game and draws a line under what has been a remarkable time for the developer. Baldur’s Gate 3 launched to critical acclaim and enormous commercial success back in 2023, and has continued to sell strongly throughout 2024 and into 2025.

Larian shocked the gaming world by confirming its intention to leave Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons behind to work on a brand new game, which it teased at various points before announcing a media blackout to focus on the new mystery project.

D&D owner Hasbro, however, has teased plans to continue with the series. Speaking to IGN at the Game Developers Conference, SVP of digital games at Hasbro, Dan Ayoub, let on that with Larian moving on, Hasbro has "a lot of people very interested in Baldur's Gate."

"We're kind of working out our plans for the future and what we're going to be doing with that," Ayoub said. "And actually, in pretty short order, we're going to have some stuff to talk about around that."

Ayoub didn't offer any further information about whether this "stuff" would be a full-blown new Baldur's Gate in the works, or some sort of crossover like the characters had with Magic: The Gathering previously. However, he did acknowledge that he eventually wants a Baldur's Gate 4, but that making one will likely take a while.

"It's somewhat of an unenviable position," he said. "I mean, we're not in a hurry. Right? That's the thing, we're going to take a very measured approach... We've got a lot of plans, a lot of different ways to go about it. We're starting to think about, okay, yeah, we're ready to start dipping toes a little bit and talking about a few things. And I think, in really short order, like I said, again, not to over-tease that point, we're going to have some other things to talk about around that."

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

I went into today’s deals lineup expecting the usual mix of tech discounts and maybe a random microSD card. Instead, I got a full-blown Samsung monitor showdown, a Destiny 2 vinyl I didn’t know I needed, and a Pokémon bundle that made me double-check the price out of sheer disbelief.

If you’ve been waiting to splurge on your gaming setup or just want to avoid getting ripped off on some nostalgia-fueled trading cards, today’s got a little something for both sides of your brain.

TL;DR: Best Deals Today

Pokémon TCG 151 Booster Bundle

3 Godzilla 4K Blu-rays for $33

Starting today, you can purchase three of the most recent Godzilla movies in 4K for only $33. Now is the time to add three films involving the legendary beast to your Blu-ray collection.

This sale is part of Amazon's larger three for $33 4K movie promotion that just started. There are quite a few other great films in there if you'd prefer to shop the full sale yourself.

49" Odyssey QD-OLED G9

Destiny 2 - Vol 1 OST Vinyl

57" Odyssey Neo G9 Curved Gaming Monitor

Supreme Unreal & Unity Game Dev Bundle

Samsung T9 4TB Portable SSD

Samsung T5 4TB Portable SSD

Journey Together Booster Bundle

Journey Together Sleeved Booster

Resident Evil Mother Miranda Statue

Journey Together Elite Trainer Box

The Ultimate Cosplay Library

Terapagos ex Ultra-Premium Collection

Pokémon TCG Stacking Tin

Paldean Fates Booster Bundle

Iono’s Bellibolt ex Premium Collection

Shrouded Fable Elite Trainer Box

Poké Ball, Premier Ball, Moon Ball Tin Bundle.

Poké Ball, Great Ball and Ultra Ball Tin Bundle.

Surging Sparks Booster Bundle

Paradox Clash Tin

Azure Legends Tin

It'll take almost half the time to fully charge your Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller compared to the OG model.

As spotted by Nintendo Life, Nintendo recently unveiled the tech specs of the new and improved $84.99 Switch 2 Pro Controller, confirming that it'll take around three-and-a half hours to charge (providing you're using the Nintendo Switch 2 AC adapter or the USB-C charging cable). That's almost half the six hours it takes to fully charge the original Pro controller.

Best of all, that faster charge doesn't come at the expense of the Pro Controller's fantastic 40-hour battery life — the Pro Controller 2 will also run for about 40 hours between charges. And it boasts the new C button, has two additional GL/GR buttons on the underside, and is slightly lighter and smaller than the original version.

If you're not quite ready to part with your OG controller, don't forget Nintendo recently confirmed that the original controller will be compatible with the new console system.

Nintendo officially unveiled the Switch 2 in a 60-minute Nintendo Direct earlier this month. While pre-orders were originally set to open in early April in the U.S., tariff-related uncertainty caused Nintendo to delay the pre-order date to April 24. During the delay, Nintendo confirmed it was keeping the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 console and games the same, but raised prices on most Switch 2 accessories (the Switch 2 Pro Controller jumped from $80 to $85).

Here's a super handy Nintendo Switch 2 vs Nintendo Switch comparison chart and if you're tempted, find out how to increase your chances of getting a new Nintendo Switch 2 console on day one.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Sebastian Stan has revealed his career struggles before landing the crucial Marvel Cinematic Universe role of the Winter Solder.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, Stan said he was “saved” by a $65,000 residuals payment from Hot Tub Time Machine before he played James "Bucky" Barnes in the original Captain America movie. Stan was antagonist Blaine in the 2010 American science fiction comedy, then went on to star alongside Captain America actor Chris Evans in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger.

“I was actually struggling with work,” Stan said. “I had just gotten off the phone with my business manager, who told me I was saved by $65,000 that came in residuals from Hot Tub Time Machine.”

MCU chief Kevin Feige told Vanity Fair that Marvel Studios was keen on Stan for the Winter Soldier role despite being a relative unknown at the time.

“You could see that he has so much inside him and so much behind his eyes. I’ll never forget that,” Feige said. “I said to Stephen Broussard, who was one of the producers on Captain America, ‘He’s going to be a good Bucky, but he’s going to be a great Winter Soldier.’ ”

Stan went on to reprise his role for 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, the Avengers movies, this year’s Captain America: Brave New World, and is set to play the superhero once again in next month’s Thunderbolts. Stan’s name was among those to appear in Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal, so we can expect Bucky to stick around the MCU for some time yet.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Following the announcement that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will finally be giving out an Oscar for Stunt Design, actor Tom Hardy has questioned whether just one award category is enough.

Speaking to IGN ahead of the release of his new film, Havoc, Hardy told us: “One Oscar, it's a bit too little too late in some aspects. It's good, it's great and cup half full territory, but I think perhaps more is asked for”.

“It's not enough just stunt design because there are so many elements that go into stunts as a department”, the Venom and Mad Max: Fury Road actor continues. “The design element is like an umbrella for a diaspora of different groups within that world that all need to be illuminated, and understood, quite how hard they work, and, what the stunt department, along with effects, deliver for people that want to go to cinema or sit down and watch anything remotely with any action or anything beyond just the written word or the spoken word. Whether it's people on horseback, cars, people jumping off buildings, people being on fire, fights, people getting run over, underwater, skydiving, whatever it is.

“That entire universe of people is unsung, and they put a lot on the line for that physically, and they're largely unspoken, but they do really put the thrill into film and TV. I've got a lot of friends in that world, so yeah, I'd like to see some subcategories in there as well. ”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Havoc’s director, Gareth Evans, whose previous work helming The Raid films delivered some of the most exciting action and stunt work ever seen in movies.

“Subcategories would be nice”, Evans states. “I don't think awards drive the craft. I think that's the wrong reason to do it. I think it's all about expressing yourself within the parameters of what the film is that you're making. I think it's about time that it got rewarded, about time that it had some recognition, and hard to understand why it wasn't from the get-go go really.”

Instead, it will have taken 100 years for the Oscars to introduce an award category dedicated to the craft of stunt design when it arrives at the 2028 Academy Awards. You won’t have to wait quite as long to watch Havoc, though, which arrives on Netflix this Friday, April 25th, if you fancy watching Tom Hardy murder dozens of people.

Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.

Surprise! Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones has just been added to the Nintendo Switch Online library.

Although originally released on Game Boy Advance way back in 2004, The Sacred Stones didn't come to the West until 2005. It tells the standalone tale of twin heirs to the throne of Renais, Eirika and Ephraim, who fight to free their kingdom and uncover the secret behind their former ally's treachery.

For some, this may be the first opportunity to play The Sacred Stones — not only did it release a full 20 years ago, but at the time it was only the second Fire Emblem game to release outside Japan, and the final to be developed for GBA.

We thought Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones was great, awarding it 8.5/10 way back in 2005, saying: "Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is to the original Fire Emblem just as Advance Wars 2 was to the original Advance Wars. It's only a letdown in the sense that all this game really offers is an entirely different storyline on top of the pre-existing gameplay built for the GBA Fire Emblem released in 2003."

Nintendo Switch Online is a subscription-based online gaming service for the Nintendo Switch gaming platform. Memberships include online functionality, allowing you to compete or cooperate with friends, as well as a collection of classic Nintendo games spanning four decades, including titles from the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, and (with the upcoming launch of the Nintendo Switch 2) the new GameCube libraries. A free seven-day trial is also available.

Talking of Nintendo's highly anticipated new console: Nintendo Switch 2 was supposed to arrive on June 5, 2025, with prices starting at $449.99, but the Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order date was delayed in the United States after import tariffs enacted by President Trump sent financial markets spiraling. Consequently, Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders will now go live later this week on April 24, with the price still fixed at $449.99.

You can currently register your interest with Nintendo to be notified about pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 and accessories from My Nintendo Store. Invitations to purchase will be sent via email on a first-come, first-served basis, although they will prioritize users with a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online membership and at least 50 gameplay hours as of April 2, 2025.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Cult classic 1990 monster movie Tremors could be set for an unlikely sequel after the team behind the movie reclaimed the rights.

In a blog post, the founders of Stampede Entertainment said they had obtained the rights from Universal and now plan to expand the franchise.

“We are discussing a return-to-Perfection sequel,” Stampede said in a nod to the desert town in which Tremors is set, “and one or two more outlandish ideas featuring graboids in new settings.”

Tremors, directed by Ron Underwood and starring Kevin Bacon, revolves around giant monsters who emerge from the ground. The 1990 original bombed at the box office but has become a cult classic. Five direct-to-video sequels and even a prequel followed, with a 2003 TV show squeezed in for good measure. Tremors: Shrieker Island, which came out in 2020, was the last Tremors film to release.

The big question of course is whether Kevin Bacon will return to Tremors. He’s said he’d be up for a sequel, and Stampede clearly knows what fans want, saying: “We are considering ideas that feature the return of Kevin Bacon as Val, but no promises!”

“Whatever we decide to pitch to Hollywood, it will not be a remake [of] the first movie with a new cast,” Stampede clarified. “Nor will it be a version of our original script for Tremors 5.”

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

If you’re among the many who have ventured into a cinema recently to watch A Minecraft Movie, you’ll remember Jack Black’s short but sweet song celebrating the lava chicken moment around halfway through the film.

Black, who plays Steve, sings a song called Lava Chicken as Jason Momoa and co watch a chicken cook from falling lava. It’s just 34 seconds long, but that hasn’t stopped it from going viral across social media.

And now, Steve’s Lava Chicken has debuted at No. 21 on the UK’s official chart, becoming the shortest song ever to chart. "Streaming + virality are reshaping hits,” ERA, the UK’s digital entertainment and retail association, said.

Black is no stranger to viral video game songs. Bowser's 95-second long romantic ode to Princess Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, aptly named "Peaches" (sung and co-written by Jack Black), made the Billboard Hot 100. It was the first song in Black's solo career to land on the list. He previously debuted at No. 78 with the 2006 song "The Pick of Destiny" as a member of Tenacious D.

Other short songs to chart include 2007 Simpsons Movie song Spider Pig (64 seconds) and Liam Lynch’s 2002 punk hit United States of Whatever (86 seconds).

Lava Chicken isn’t the only thing from A Minecraft Movie to go viral. Clips of overly enthusiastic cinemagoers spread like wildfire across the likes of TikTok, with some bringing in live chickens to screenings of the film.

We’ve got plenty more on A Minecraft Movie, including how the Minecraft movie team had a private server they played on. A Minecraft Movie has officially surpassed $700 million at the worldwide box office, and is on course to be the highest-grossing video game movie of all time.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Sega’s arcade racing game OutRun is set for a surprise movie adaptation, with Michael Bay and Sydney Sweeney attached.

The Hollywood Reporter said that Universal Pictures has Transformers director Bay lined up to direct and produce the OutRun movie, with Sweeney also signed on as a producer. Jayson Rothwell will write the screenplay, although there are no plot details yet. Nor is there a release date.

On the Sega side, Toru Nakahara, who worked on the Sonic movies, is a producer, and Sega America and Europe CEO Shuji Utsumi will oversee the film.

OutRun began life in 1986 as a graphically impressive arcade driving game designed by Sega developer legend Yu Suzuki. It’s seen numerous versions and ports over the years, with a proper sequel released in 2003, but has been somewhat dormant in recent times. The most recent release came in 2009 with Sumo Digital's OutRun Online Arcade.

Sega, however, has dipped into its back catalogue for inspiration, with new Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, Virtua Fighter, and Shinobi games all in the works.

Sega has also pushed adaptations of its coveted IP. The Sonic movies are of course hugely popular, and an adaptation of Like a Dragon: Yakuza launched last year on Amazon. Hollywood is keen for more video game films, with The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the recently released A Minecraft Movie breaking records.

As for what sort of film OutRun will be, perhaps Bay and Sweeney invisage a Fast & Furious-style driving and action flick.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The following article contains major spoilers for both The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2 and the video game The Last of Us Part 2.

The Last of Us' latest episode had a very special voice cameo from Ellie's original voice actor, Ashley Johnson, and it even has a connection to The Last of Us Part 2.

As reported by EW, there is a certain song that plays after Abby kills Joel and his body is being brought back to Jackson, and it's actually a rendition of Shawn James' 'Through the Valley' that is sung by Johnson. Fans may recall that Johnson recorded a version of this song for the PSX 2016 reveal trailer for The Last of Us Part 2, and it turns out the song that appeared in this episode is a mix between that and a "slightly updated version" she recorded not too long ago.

EW spoke to The Last of Us co-showrunner, Craig Mazin, and he shared the process of bringing this song back for one of the most important and tragic episodes of the entire series.

"I always loved the song," Mazin said. "I remember that release trailer and what it did to my brain and my heart. We also not only have a connection to Ashley because she created Ellie in the game, but [because] she plays Ellie's mom. It is an interesting thing in a moment like this, when your only parent is taken from you [and] the parent you've never met, the one you don't even know about, is there watching."

Yes, this isn't the first time Johnson has appeared in The Last of US on HBO as she played Ellie's mother in the finale of Season 1.

Moving back to the song, Mazin continued to share that there is an even deeper meaning to the song choice.

"I can make an argument that for every single line of that song, as it is contrasted against what you're seeing, it's not true," Mazin shared. "Almost every single thing is this desire to be true, but none of it's true."

For those unfamiliar, the lyrcs to 'Through the Valley' begin, "I walk through the valley of the shadow of death / And I fear no evil because I'm blind to it all / And my mind and my gun they comfort me / Because I know I'll kill my enemies when they come."

"Your gun's not going to save you," Mazin says of of The Last of Us. "You won't kill all your enemies when they come, and you will fear what's around you."

The next batch of lyrics goes like this, "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life / And I will dwell on this earth forevermore / Said, I walk beside the still waters and they restore my soul / But I can't walk on the path of the right because I'm wrong."

"The still waters will not keep you alive, forevermore. It's like this hopeless prayer that we dashed to pieces," Mazin says.

Thankfully, this is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel that is this song as 'Through the Valley' ends with, "But I know when I die my soul is damned."

"Well, maybe that's not true either," Mazin said.

For more, check out our review of this monumental episode, Pedro Pascal's reaction to Joel's death on screen, why we thought Season 2's changes to Abby weakened this moment, and our comparison of the TV show to the game.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

Your wallet will be breathing a sigh of relief today as a treasure trove of gaming steals crash down on every platform under the sun. Whether you’re questing through Hyrule or organising zoo habitats, these slashed prices prove that epic adventures don’t have to cost an arm and a leg. From slice‑and‑dice shooters to heart‑warming Japanese RPGs, there’s a gem waiting to level up your collection.

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 20th birthday of the needlessly verbose Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict. A solo/multi and 1st/3rd-person hybrid, UC2 was an important series milestone that added melee combat, fatality moves, and a character class system of Light, Medium, or Heavy. My overriding memory of it was the Great Scott moment of unlocking a playable Raiden from Mortal Kombat and then using him as the conduit to dispense 1.21 gigawatts of pain at my mates.

• Switch Lite Hyrule Ed. (-12%) - A$299
• Persona 4 Golden (-60%) - A$11
• God Eater 3 (-37%) - A$53
• Joy-Cons Green/Pink (-26%) - A$89
• MySims: Cozy Bundle (-35%) - A$39
• NBA 2K25 (-78%) - A$20
• Suikoden I&II HD (-14%) - A$69

Expiring Recent Deals

• EA Sports FC 25 (-70%) - A$26
• Sonic Frontiers (-53%) - A$47
• Crash Team Racing NF (-65%) - A$24
• Burnout Paradise Remastered (-84%) - A$6
• Cities: Skylines (-90%) - A$6

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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The Google Streamer 4K is on sale for the first time ever. Right now you can pick one up for just $79.99 on Amazon as well as other retailers. The Google Streamer is one of the best Android-based 4K streaming devices out there right now. It's also much more affordable than other similar options like the Apple TV, Roku Ultra, and Nvidia Shield TV Pro while offering up-to-date features like smart hub functionality and Thread compatibitility.

20% Off the Google Streamer 4K (2024)

Big spoilers follow for The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2, "Through the Valley," as well as the games on which the show is based.

Well, pretty much ever since the TV show adaptation of The Last of Us was first announced, fans have been wondering if and when Joel would suffer the same fate in live-action that he did in The Last of Us Part 2. And now we have our answer: In Season 2's second episode, Pedro Pascal's Joel was brutally killed by Kaitlyn Dever's Abby, all while Bella Ramsey's Ellie looked on in horror.

And now Pascal is speaking out about the ultimately inevitable death of Joel in both the "Making of The Last of Us" segment that followed the episode on HBO and Max, as well as in an interview with EW.

The actor, who will soon be starring in Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps, says that he always knew Joel was doomed. In other words, the plan was never to deviate from the source material on that story point.

"It was just a matter of how and when," he says in the EW report.

"It's not like they said, 'Hey, we kill you at the beginning of Season 2,' but it was always an understanding that it would stay true to the source material in a specific way and that the, let's say, practical and exclusive obligation would be for Season 1," adds Pascal.

As fans of the game series know, Dever's Abby has been on a mission of vengeance against Joel because he killed her father while rescuing Ellie from the Fireflies (as seen in the Season 1 finale). When she accidentally runs into Joel (and is rescued by him) during a siege of the infected in the latest episode, her thirst for blood is not diminished and she beats him with a golf club before delivering the final death blow in front of Ellie.

"I knew that Joel was going to die right from Season 1," says Ramsey in the "Making of" segment. "But reading it in the script, I knew that it was coming as I was reading the episode, and I was dreading getting to that bit. And I cried, actually sobbed my little heart out. It was the first time I've ever cried from reading a piece of writing."

Pascal says that he doesn't think about what's happened to Joel all that much because it makes him sad.

"I'm in active denial,” Pascal says. “I realize this more and more as I get older, I find myself slipping into denial that anything is over. I know that I'm forever bonded to so many members of the experience and just have to see them under different circumstances, but never will under the circumstances of playing Joel on The Last of Us."

Prosthetics designer Barrie Gower recalls that early in production meetings for the episode, co-creator Craig Mazin told him Joel's beaten and battered make-up was "the most important" of the season. "Don't screw it up," Mazin said.

And according to Pascal, the effect of Joel's bloodied look was clear on the cast and crew when he walked onto the set to shoot the character's final living moments.

"Walking around like the visual representation of your last breaths, it was really interesting to step into a room and see the reaction in people's faces," says the actor. "And it wasn't one of revulsion; it was heartbreak."

But as EW confirms, Pascal will return in flashbacks this season. (Trailers have already given this impression.) How often he'll return remains to be seen of course, but no matter what, Joel is now dead and the show's characters -- and actors -- must move on from this point.

"If we've done our jobs right, you'll feel Joel there a lot," Mazin tells EW.

Persona is quickly becoming one of the biggest RPG series out there, with fan demand and support only growing with each passing year. The series is best known for its deep narratives, excellent turn-based combat, and beloved characters. However, it's hard not to argue that the Persona franchise has grown as much as it has thanks to its music.

When it comes to purchasing video game soundtracks, what better way to enjoy them than on vinyl? Many of the Persona soundtracks were quite hard to obtain on vinyl previously, whether due to high prices or limited availability. Now, however, iam8bit and Atlus have teamed up once more to create brand-new, moderately priced releases that you can now pre-order at IGN Store.

Check Out The Persona Vinyl Collection at IGN Store!

First up, you can pre-order the entire Persona 3 Reload soundtrack on Vinyl with the 4xLP release, featuring Holographic Broken Glass Vinyl. Additionally, the entire Persona Q - Shadow of the Labyrinth soundtrack can be pre-ordered as a 4xLP as well.

Next, three brand-new vinyl releases are available to pre-order. iam8bit unveiled Megamix versions of Persona 3 Reload, Persona 4, and Persona 5. These new releases pack in the very best tracks from each of these games into one 1xLP vinyl for only $29.99.

Finally, you can pre-order the 3xLP release for Persona 4 Arena and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. As the fighting game spin-off of Persona 4, you can expect a much heavier and fun spin on iconic tracks like Reach Out To The Truth.

Each of these Persona vinyl are quickly selling at IGN Store, so be sure to secure your treasure while you still can!

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.

Carlton Cuse, a former co-showrunner on Lost, is developing a new Star Wars streaming series with his son, Watchmen and The Leftovers screenwriter Nick Cuse.

“There are practically no other details available about the show, such as which characters it will include, when it will take place in the Star Wars timeline or which actors will be cast,” according to Variety (via The InSneider).

Cuse’s fellow Lost co-showrunner Damon Lindelof also had a Star Wars project in development at one point but that fell apart.

Our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is hard to avoid these days, with a ton of great games, movies, shows, and even LEGO sets to enjoy. But if you're wanting to get into the nitty gritty of the iconic Marvel hero's lore, look no further than where the famed webslinger got his start — the comics. In the digital age, reading comics online is a breeze, and there are a few great options to suit your needs.

Marvel is still running a ton of great ongoing Spider-Man comics, from mainline series like the Amazing Spider-Man to spin-offs like All-New Venom and all of them are available online via various services. Many of these services also offer access to classic runs as well.

Read Spider-Man Comics for Free on Hoopla

Godzilla is one of the biggest names in entertainment, with over 70 years of history since Ishiro Honda's 1954 film. Over the years, there have been numerous interpretations of the legendary beast, from World War II-inspired movies to clashes with other beasts in the Monsterverse. There's a lot to love about every film, especially if you're a fan of action. Starting today, you can purchase three of the most recent Godzilla movies in 4K for only $33. Now is the time to add three films involving the legendary beast to your Blu-ray collection.

This sale is part of Amazon's larger three for $33 4K movie promotion that just started. There are quite a few other great films in there if you'd prefer to shop the full sale yourself.

Take Home Three Godzilla 4K Blu-rays for $33

While both Godzilla and Godzilla: King of the Monsters are enjoyable films, Godzilla Minus One is in a league of its own. Not only is the Takashi Yamazaki-directed film an excellent Godzilla movie, but it's one of the best films of the last five years. For the very first time, the Godzilla franchise won an Oscar with Godzilla Minus One in Best Visual Effects, despite having only 35 VFX artists.

The film follows a kamikaze pilot named Koichi Shikishima, showcasing his journey from the final months of World War II after encountering Godzilla, then jumping forward a few years to 1947. Following nuclear tests from the United States, the beast has powered up like never before, and Shikishima is tasked with assisting a crew in stopping the monster from approaching Japan.

In our 8/10 review of the film, we wrote, "A rousing, spectacle-filled blockbuster, Godzilla: Minus One takes the king of the monsters back to his roots in post-WWII Japan. The story is character-driven, but the monster scenes are exciting and effective."

More monster movies in this sale

If you're looking for even more 4K monster movies, Amazon has also included King Kong, Pacific Rim, and even classics like Creature From the Black Lagoon in this sale.

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.

While My Hero Academia’s eighth and final season arrives later this year, we're not saying goodbye to Class 1-A or the world of Quirks. New movies and spin-offs from studio Bones and Toho Animation will hopefully continue to fill the void. The fourth original movie based on the shonen franchise, My Hero Academia: You’re Next arrived in theaters soon after author Kōhei Horikoshi published the manga’s final chapter. It quickly became the franchise’s highest-grossing movie and currently holds a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

It may have taken a bit longer than most recent theatrical releases, but My Hero Academia: You’re Next has finally arrived on both Crunchyroll and Netflix. To celebrate, Crunchyroll is also offering limited time deals on all things My Hero Academia, from manga to figurines.

Where to Stream My Hero Academia: You’re Next

The Nvidia GeForce 5060 Ti graphics card made its debut on April 16 as the least expensive Blackwell GPU on the market. Unfortunately, it turned out to be another "paper" launch with actual retail units nowhere to be found, at least without a serious markup. Fortunately, if you're hunting for a complete prebuilt gaming PC equipped with this new GPU, then your prospects are much brighter. Not only are there plenty of prebuilt gaming PCs currently available, they're actually reasonably priced as well. The two least expensive models we've seen so far are both on Skytech models at Amazon. They start at $1,249.99, which is a solid price for a current-generation 1080p/1440p gaming rig.

Skytech GeForce RTX 5060 Ti Gaming PCs From $1,249.99

Books are great, obviously. They're also bulky space eaters – just ask the piles of books sitting around my apartment that don't fit on my already overstuffed bookshelf. If you have space for a real home library, how lucky for you! If not, do yourself a favor and get a reading tablet. You'll miss out on the tactile joy of reading, but they make building out a personal library so much more accessible – including books you can read for free without leaving home – and far less messy. We found a few of the best tablets to make reading anywhere a bit easier.

TL;DR - These Are the Best Tablets to Read on:

Reading tablets come with varying capabilities. E-readers, like our top pick, the Kindle Paperwhite, are geared towards book formats, often featuring screens that attempt to mimic pages. These devices are more limited in what they can do – don’t expect to be scrolling socials or streaming shows when taking a break from reading. On the other hand, your more typical tablets, like the iPad Mini, can do a lot more, but the displays may strain your eyes and batteries deplete quicker. Notetaking functionality, like the Kobo Libra Colour offers, is also handy for students or people who like to write freely in book margins. Deciding which is best for your needs is a personal preference.

1. Kindle Paperwhite

The Best Kindle and Best Reading Tablet

2. iPad Mini (7th Gen)

Best iPad for Reading

3. Apple iPad Pro (2024, M4)

Best Tablet for Reading Comics and Manga

4. OnePlus Pad 2

Best Android Tablet for Reading

5. Kobo Libra Colour

Best Reading and Writing Tablet

How to Choose the Best Reading Tablet

Choosing the best reading tablet requires careful consideration of several factors to ensure that the device meets your specific needs. Whether you're an avid reader of fiction, a student reviewing textbooks, or a professional keeping up with all the PDFs your boss keeps sending, selecting the right tablet can significantly impact your reading experience.

One of the main things you have to look into is the display's quality. The screen is where your eyes will spend most of their time, making display quality paramount. Eye comfort is also crucial, especially for extended reading sessions. Tablets with blue light reduction features or e-ink technology, which mimics the appearance of paper, can help reduce eye strain. E-Ink screens are easier on the eyes, but LCDs are more versatile if you want to use the same tablet for multiple purposes.

Long battery life is essential for uninterrupted reading, especially when on the move. Looking into tablets with a solid battery life will ensure that you can enjoy your books, magazines, or documents without constantly worrying about finding the next power outlet.

Lastly, size and weight affect how comfortably you can hold the tablet for long periods. While larger screens provide more immersive reading experiences, they should not compromise the device's portability. A lightweight, slim design makes it easier to carry your tablet in a bag or even hold it with one hand.

Best Tablets for Reading FAQ

What is the best tablet for reading according to Reddit?

If you're hoping to look to Reddit for advice on which tablet is best for reading, users on the r/androidtablets subreddit have point out a few clear winners. The top commenter points out that the Aldocube 50 Mini and Mini Pro are great options for reading due to being lightweight with good screens at a decent size for reading. Other commenters recommended Barnes & Noble's Nook because the e-paper technology offers more of a similar reading experience you'd get from an actual book.

Are tablets good for reading books?

Sure they are, but you’re going to find that regular LCD screens will tire your eyes much faster than an e-ink model. Battery life is also something you’ll want to keep in mind because most standard tablets don’t last as long as a Kindle, for instance, since their hardware is more demanding.

What is the best tablet for reading outside?

If you're looking to read your tablet on the beach or sitting at the park, the Kindle Paperwhite is what you want. Unlike many tablets, this e-reader features an e-ink display, which acts and looks similar to printed paper. That means battling severe glare, brightness, eye strain, and battery life will be far less of an issue compared to LCD screens. The Kindle Paperwhite is also IPX8 water-resistant, unlike many tablets, so getting splashed poolside or caught in the rain won’t slow the device down.