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Give a gamer in your life the gift of immersive VR. Starting this week, Target has discounted the popular Meta Quest 3S 128GB VR headset down to $249.99 after $50 in instant savings. But that's not all. You also get a bonus $50 Target gift card that's automatically added to your cart. This ties the best deal I saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Thanks to Target's impressive network of warehouses and retail stores, you're very likely to get your order delivered by Christmas.
Update: The official Meta eBay Store has it for $212.49 with no gift card.
The Meta Quest 3S is the best standalone consumer-oriented VR headset under $300. It retails for 40% less than the Quest 3 and yet retains most of its hardware and functionality, including the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, Touch Plus controllers with inside-out tracking, and mixed reality passthrough. However, whereas the Quest 3 has been updated with a new pancake lens design, the Quest 3S retains the Fresnel optics of the Quest 2. Although obviously not as good as the Quest 3, the Quest 3S still very much offers an immersive visual experience that is sure to impress. I myself logged in hundreds of hours on the Quest 2 before I moved on to the Quest 3. For newcomers who want to try out VR gaming without investing tons of money, of for people who want to give this as a gift to someone who's never tried VR, I would recommend the Quest 3S over the Quest, especially at this price.
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Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
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Amazon has brought back its "Buy 2, Save 50% on 1" sale on books with just a little more than a week left before Christmas. If you haven't already picked up gifts for everyone on your list, this promotion is a great opportunity to do just that. It's that time of year where shipping times start to get wonky, so if you don't order things soon, you might not get everything delivered in time.
As for how the sale works, Amazon has this huge list of books that are included in the promotion. All you need to do is put two of the items in your cart and the cheapest one will automatically get the 50% discount at checkout. I'd recommend just checking out the full list for yourself and utilizing the search feature, but I've also pulled out some of the most popular inclusions if you'd prefer a more curated list.
The most popular book in these sales every time I've covered them is Project Hail Mary. Andy Weir is the same author who wrote The Martian, but I think Project Hail Mary is his best work. It's also currently being made into a movie starring Ryan Gosling, so right now is a great time to give it a read if you want to get ahead of the film release.
The other popular book I'd recommend is Sunrise on the Reaping. Susanne Collins' latest Hunger Games prequel has been at the top of the best-selling charts since it was first released back in March and it's quite good. The plot goes back in time to when Haymitch was taking part in the games himself. The story was actually approved for a film adaptation well before the book was released. You can expect to see the movie in theaters starting on November 20, 2026.
If you're looking for great gift ideas for readers, I'd suggest checking out the deluxe illustrated Lord of the Rings book. It's an absolutely massive tome that includes illustrations from fantasy legend J.R.R himself. It's arguably the ultimate Lord of the Rings gift, and you can pair it with the deluxe illustrated version of The Silmarillion to take advantage of that 50% discount. Similarly, the Harry Potter interactive illustrated editions are also included in this sale, which I've actually purchased as a Harry Potter gift before.
I'd also recommend checking out some of the box sets included here. These are arguably the best deal in this type of sale because you're getting discounts on a full set rather than a single book. There's a ton of box sets included here, but I've pulled out a few of the more popular options. I'd suggest the leather-bound Game of Thrones books set for any fan of George R.R. Martins iconic series. It has all five of the books in a neat little set, which will only be outdated if Winds of Winter ever gets released. For younger kids, I'd suggest picking the Percy Jackson books I've listed here. Season 2 of the Disney+ series is currently running and the books are just flat out better.
Jacob Kienlen is a Senior Audience Development Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor's degree in communication and over 8 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different pop culture topics -- from TV series to indie games and books.
If you've ever told yourself you were absolutely done buying games for the month, only to immediately ignore that promise, welcome. I have been there; hell, I'm right there now. Today's batch of bargains hits a rare sweet spot where nostalgia, sheer value, and genuinely excellent modern design all collide. Good luck resisting.
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In retro news, I'm whisking some Yoshi eggs to make a 32nd birthday cake for Super Mario All-Stars. Back in the day, if you owned this cartridge and a SNES, you were livin' large and envied by all. Remakes of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3 awaited within, and they all had improved music, better game physics, and fancy parallax scrolling. That said, the most blessed feature of all was the simple option to save. No more leaving the console on for a week and getting yelled at by your electricity-conscious father for you!
Aussie birthdays for notable games.
- Super Mario All-Stars (SNES) 1993. eBay
- Earthworm Jim (SNES) 1994. eBay
- Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger (Mac,PC) 1994. Get
- Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares (PC) 1996. Get
- Robotech: Battlecry (PS2,XB) 2002. eBay
- Real Racing 2 (iOS) 2010. Sequel
Switch deals doing that dangerous thing where you accidentally build a backlog. Again. There is real depth here hiding behind silly prices.
Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.
This is the section where atmosphere merchants thrive. Dark tunnels, emotional gut punches, and Batman brooding in corners.
Xbox One
Or just invest in an Xbox Card.
Premium vibes here, but with enough of a discount to justify the indulgence.
PS4
Or purchase a PS Store Card.
A mix of modern reinvention and forever games that just do not age.
Or just get a Steam Wallet Card
Just like I did last holiday season, I'm getting festive with the LEGO section. In Mathew Manor, my sons and I are again racing this year's batch of LEGO Advent Calendars. Basically, we open the City, Harry Potter, Minecraft, and Star Wars on the daily and compare the mini-prizes for "Awesomeness" and "Actual Xmas-ness". 2024's winner was the Lego Marvel one, but, weirdly, there's no 2025 equivalent. So it's anybody's race this year.
Here are the cheapest prices for the four calendars we're using. Score them yourself or just live vicariously through our unboxings.
Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube.
Video games and cooking go together more than you might think. Tons of RPGs and simulation games have some form of cooking mechanic or, at the very least, delicious-looking food. From the cozy familiarity of meals from Stardew Valley to fantastical feasts in The Witcher, I can personally say I've encountered tons of animated food I wish was real. Well, turns out it can be.
Gaming cookbooks offer an opportunity to learn unique recipes while immersing yourself in the lore of a world you love. Getting the materials you need might not be as fun as in-game adventuring or farming, but the end result is more than worth it. Whether you're passionate about a specific game, are looking for gift ideas for the gamer in your life, or just love some themed recipes, here's our list of the best gaming cookbooks in 2025.
One of our top picks for gaming cookbooks is The Official Stardew Valley cookbook, which features 50 recipes written in the voice of various characters as well as some adorable art. The recipes are naturally based on the meals you can make in-game, including Pink Cake, Strange Buns, and even a full Autumn's Bounty to help you power through the mines.
A great gift to inspire young chefs (especially those who particularly enjoyed A Minecraft Movie), the Minecraft cookbook includes 40+ recipes inspired by the game's various mobs and biomes. The same goes for The Pokémon Cookbook, which focuses more on cute snacks and quick meals.
Outside of crafting-based games, themed cookbooks are also a great way to immerse yourself in fantasy worlds. The official Witcher cookbook takes inspiration from the games as well as The Witcher books, with 80 recipes covering everything from a refreshing drink to an exquisite banquet. The Elder Scrolls cookbook hones in on the world of Skyrim (as opposed to the rest of the Elder Scrolls games) while the Fallout cookbook is great for anyone who's particularly curious about the taste of Nuka-Cola ahead of Fallout season 2 episodes.
On the tabletop side of gaming, the Heroes' Feast Dungeons & Dragons cookbook is the crème de la crème for anyone trying to impress their party. Across the board, these cookbooks feature great recipes as well as interesting new bits of lore and art for dedicated fans.
The trend of gaming cookbooks isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Some of the newest gaming cookbooks of include one inspired by Pac-Man, which, to be completely honest, is a mystery to me, as well as Borderlands, presumably part of the promotions for Borderlands 4. As someone who's long been curious about Sojiro's curry from Persona 5, I'm particularly excited about the cookbook inspired by the Persona games.
Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.
With the so many different reasons to celebrate Star Wars sprinkled throughout the year, there's never a wrong time to shop for Star Wars merch. If you're a fan of the franchise or know someone else that is, we’re here to make your Star Wars gift shopping a lot easier in 2025.
We’ve assembled a list of some of the best Star Wars gifts we’ve found online, from books and Blu-rays to video games, shirts, and LEGO gift sets. So, without further ado, here are some of the best ways to bring a galaxy far, far away into your home.
When it comes to buying a Star Wars LEGO set, you’re absolutely spoiled for choice, with this last year alone bringing us incredibly popular builds like Jabba’s Barge and the TIE Interceptor. However, if you’re looking for a fun set to pick up without breaking into the much pricier line of UCS builds that LEGO dropped last year a great option is the Imperial Star Destroyer play set. Retailing at $159.99, it offers a full star destroyer with a buildable interior, as well as the very first official Cal Kestis mini-figure, making it a great choice for young and veteran LEGO fans alike.
The brick-built Star Wars Logo set looks great on shelves and home office setups, while the Grogu and Hover Pram set is positvely adorable. LEGO has plans to release new Star Wars sets in January 2026, but until then these are all great options. You can also check out our LEGO gift guide for 2025 for more great options.
There’s an absolute ton of great Star Wars video games available right now on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC, whether that’s Star Wars Jedi Survivor or LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. But if you’re looking to get a friend or family member the most recent major Star Wars game on the market, you’ll want to look into Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws. Offering a sprawling open-world adventure with hours of content, It’s a gift that’s sure to give any Star Wars fan plenty to do over the holiday break. There are also quite a few great Star Wars games for the Nintendo Switch if you're looking to play there.
When it comes to Star Wars novels, there are plenty of great choices out there, both from the current canon continuity and the non-canon Star Wars Legends books timeline. If you’re buying for a current fan wanting to keep up with the latest Star Wars lore though, there’s no better place to look than the High Republic series, which has been a key focus for Disney as they establish the latest new notch on the franchise’s timeline. If you’re gifting for a reader who’s new to the High Republic era, check out the High Republic: Light of the Jedi trilogy boxed set, which contains all three novels from the first phase of the series. If you don't mind placing a preorder, there's also a Revenge of the Sith deluxe edition that came out in October that's worth checking out as well as Star Wars: The Last Order which explores a post-Rise of the Skywalker universe.
Classic recommendations for Star Wars comics include the following (as found in our best Star Wars comics shopping list).
Want to grab the cinephiles in your life a shiny new Star Wars collection? There are a lot of good options out there, with the most premium of the bunch being the Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Complete Collection. This absolute unit of a boxset comes with all nine movies in Blu-ray format as well as 26 hours of bonus content and special features. In short, it's the collection to end all collections, and a great pick-up for any diehard fans of the Star Wars movies.
You can also pick up more recent seasons of the live-action Star Wars TV shows in 4K and Blu-ray. With Andor season 2 now available on Disney+ right now, picking up the first season in 4K is an excellent option.
For those on the hunt for a fun Star Wars board game, you can’t go wrong with Star Wars: Outer Rim. Casting you and three other players as intergalactic outlaws, your mission is to venture across the galaxy and strategically build your reputation by smuggling cargo, hunting bounties and meeting various iconic Star Wars characters. If you reckon your friends or family would jump at the chance to become a legendary scoundrel, Outer Rim is a safe bet. But it’s far from the only option on offer, with other great board games like Star Wars Rebellion and Star Wars Imperial Assault sure to bring hours of intergalactic entertainment.
If you or someone you know just so happens to be a chronic puzzler on top of being a Star Wars fan, there are quite a few options. Our overall top pick for the best Star Wars puzzle for adults is this 2,000-piece jigsaw we've featured above. It depicts numerous different characters from episodes 1-6 along with a variety of machines, ships, and the Death Star looming in the background. It is a pretty big puzzle, however, so you may want to be sure whoever you're giving it to has a decent puzzle table or board that can hold it.
Alongside this puzzle, there are quite a few other options. There are even model kits that act as 3D puzzles you can check out,
If you’re looking for clothing-related gifts, Star Wars has a nigh-on endless range of wearable merch that make for great presents. Whether you’re searching for Star-Wars-inspired Hawaiian shirts, tees sporting iconic poster graphics or a funny festive jumper that will stand out from the crowd, here are some of our favorites.
Much like with shirts, Star Wars has plenty of novelty homeware that make for great gifts. Whether you’re on the hunt for a Darth Vader Waffle Maker or an R2-D2 lava lamp, we’ve assembled some fun kitchenware, lights, mugs, and other homeware that are sure to put a smile on any Star Wars fan’s face.
There are a lot of different Star Wars toys you can buy. There are lightsaber replicas, plushies, and even Nerf blasters. But if you're a collector of Star Wars toys, then you're probably most interested in Star Wars action figures. Our overall top pick is from the Black Series line of toys, but there are quite a few other great options from other brands to check out as well. There are even new Jedi: Survivor figures that were just recently announced for fans of the video game series.
Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.
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