Here’s one for the post-apocalyptic crowd: Sony is releasing a new limited-edition The Last of Us-themed DualSense controller. The PS5 controller features an eye-catching black and white design, with trophy icons from The Last of Us Part I and Part II etched into it. It comes out April 10 with an MSRP of $84.99. Preorders are live now at various retailers (see it on Walmart). Read on for the details.
The controller was made “in close collaboration” with the Naughty Dog creative team. It features white-on-black icons of the Fireflies’ logo on the touchpad, with the moth and wolf on either side of the grips. A number of other icons also appear in glossy black on matte black. The bottom side of the controller has a The Last of Us logo in white on black. It looks very nice and classy overall, I’d say.
On the PlayStation Blog, Naughty Dog Head of Studio and Head of Creative Neil Druckmann and Graphic Designer Megan Mehran said:
“We were excited by the chance to memorialize The Last of Us franchise in a controller that fans and our own team would love. We wanted to ensure that both installments of The Last of Us are represented, via trophy icons printed in black gloss across the controller body. Among the trophies, three particular images will immediately stand out for TLOU fans: The firefly, moth, and wolf. Players will recognize the Fireflies’ iconic spray-painted logo that originated in Part I, while the moth and wolf represent the intertwining lives and duality between Ellie and Abby in Part II.“
This isn’t the first PS5 game-themed limited-edition controller to hit the market. Others based on games like Astro Bot, Helldivers 2, Spider-Man 2, and Fortnite have come out, among others, some of which are still available. And those are in addition to all the other PS5 controllers in various colors that are available.
This The Last of Us controller comes out right around a couple of related releases. The Last of Us Part II is coming to PC on April 3, while the second season of the HBO show premieres on April 13.
Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Bluesky @chrislreed.com.
Ted Lasso Season 4 is officially in the works, star and producer Jason Sudeikis has announced.
The Saturday Night Live alum revealed that the beloved Apple TV+ series will get at least one more season during a conversation with Jason and Travis Kelce on their New Heights sports podcast. A snippet from the show’s latest episode highlights a moment that saw the two NFL brothers pressing Sudeikis for an update on Ted Lasso Season 4 following the conclusion of Season 3 in summer 2023.
“That’s what we’re writing. We’re writing Season 4 now,” Sudeikis teased. “That’s the official word, yeah. Ted’s coaching a women’s team.”
Ted Lasso is BACK for Season 4 … and he’s got a new team
It’s the first concrete update on a continuation for the project in nearly two years and should offer relief for those who have hoped to see the feel-good soccer series push on. There’s no word on whether Ted Lasso Season 4 is its last or where in the world it might take place. Even Travis Kelce wasn’t able to get an answer out of Sudeikis when asking if the former football coach is coming back to the U.S.
“Yeah, that’s too many questions, and that’s only because I don’t know,” Sudeikis said with a laugh.
Apple TV+ is already on the move when it comes to reestablishing Ted Lasso in the public consciousness. Although no release date or plot details have been spilled quite yet, the show’s official X/Twitter account has reemerged with a tongue-in-cheek post poking fun at its unexpected hiatus.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
UPDATE MARCH 4, 2025: Bethesda may shadow drop the Oblivion remake in April, according to reliable leakers.
NatetheHate tweeted to say current plans are for the reveal and release of the unnanounced The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion remake to take place in April with a minimal gap between the two, and a shadow drop is "possible."
VGC's Andy Robinson rubber-stamped the claim in a tweet of his own.
Neither Bethesda nor parent company Microsoft has issued a comment.
ORIGINAL STORY MARCH 3, 2025: Bethesda is reportedly set to announce its The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion remake in the coming weeks and release it soon after.
NatetheHate, who accurately revealed the announcement date of the Nintendo Switch 2, tweeted to say the Oblivion remake will be revealed either this month or next month, which VGC corroborated.
The release window is slightly fuzzier. NatetheHate said likely before June, but VGC said it could come out as soon as April.
In January, Mp1st reported on apparently accidentally released Oblivion remake details by a former employee at video game support studio Virtuos. Microsoft declined to comment when contacted by IGN.
According to Mp1st, Virtuos has remade Bethesda’s much-loved open world role-playing game using Unreal Engine 5, which suggests a significant rework rather than a more straightforward remaster. Gameplay changes were also allegedly detailed, including tweaks to Stamina, Sneak, Blocking, Archery, Hit Reaction, and the heads-up display (HUD).
As reported by Mp1st, Blocking was changed with action games and Soulslikes in mind because the original system was too “boring” and “frustrating.” Sneak icons are now allegedly highlighted, with damage calculation revamped. The knockdown that comes from Stamina being depleted is reportedly harder to trigger. And the HUD was redesigned to make it easier to understand. Elsewhere, hit reactions were added to make response clearer, and Archery was reportedly modernized in both first and third-person perspectives.
Word of an Oblivion remaster emerged in 2023 when documents published as part of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) versus Microsoft trial over the buyout of Activision Blizzard revealed a number of unannounced Bethesda games set for release in the years ahead. The list, put together in July 2020 ahead of Microsoft’s March 2021 purchase of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media, included the following:
Financial year 2022:
Oblivion Remaster
Indiana Jones game
Financial year 2023
Doom Year Zero and DLC
Project Kestrel
Project Platinum
Financial year 2024
The Elder Scrolls 6
Project Kestrel: Expansion
Licensed IP Game
Fallout 3 Remaster
Ghostwire: Tokyo Sequel
Dishonored 3
DOOM Year Zero DLC
Obviously a number of these games were either delayed or outright canceled. Doom Year Zero is now Doom: The Dark Ages and set for launch in May. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle didn’t launch until December 2024. And The Elder Scrolls 6 got nowhere near financial year 2024.
That Oblivion remaster is what we’re concerned about now, though. And it’s worth noting it was called a remaster in the Microsoft document. Perhaps the scope of the project changed and Bethesda went big on a remake. We'll find out when the company finally unveils what has become one of the worst-kept secrets in all video games.
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.
Rockstar has given the go-ahead for an official conversion tool to help modders update their mods to work with the all-new Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced.
As custom assets used on FiveM and GTAV Legacy are not natively compatible with the recently released enhanced PC game, Cfx.re — the team behind the biggest Rockstar roleplay and creator communities FiveM and RedM and hired by Rockstar back in 2023 — announced it is working on a new tool to "assist the modding community in making their assets compatible with the new upgrade."
Rockstar rarely officially supports the modding communities behind its games, so the news is being welcomed by GTA 5 modders who are hoping it's a signal of better things to come for Grand Theft Auto 6.
The conversion tool will support the following formats:
Dictionaries of multiple drawables (*.ydd)
Generic models, geometry, optional embedded textures and lights (*.ydr)
Complex fragmented skeletons/models used for pedestrians, vehicles, destructible objects, etc. (*.yft)
Texture Dictionaries (also known as TXD) (*ytd.)
As yet, there's no concrete date on when the tool will be available, but the team stressed it is "currently focused on completing the final few tasks required to release the tool," so players should expect a "full announcement and comprehensive documentation" the day it releases.
GTA 5 Enhanced is a free upgrade for GTA 5 on PC that includes all the latest vehicles and performance upgrades available at Hao’s Special Works, animal encounters, access to purchase a GTA+ Membership, as well as improved graphics options and faster loading times. Before the Enhanced edition released, only players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S versions of GTA Online could access these new features.
However, Rockstar’s new and improved version of Grand Theft Auto 5isn’t going down well on Steam following its launch on March 4. It currently boasts a ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam, with 55% of the 21,956 user reviews flagged as positive. The original version of GTA 5 has been unlisted from Steam per Rockstar's instruction, but by comparison, that has a ‘very positive’ user review rating on Valve's platform.
As for GTA 6? That's still expected to launch in fall 2025, although currently, it's only slated to release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. The most recent news to come out of Rockstar, however, wasn't about the game but was instead about the film Marching Powder and its star, Danny Dyer. Could it be a sign that Kent Paul will return for GTA 6? Well, anything's possible.
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.
The total sales across the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series have topped 5 million copies worldwide, Square Enix has announced.
Taking to X/Twitter, Square Enix said Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster's success had pushed sales for the entire Final Fantasy series — that's all Final Fantasy games, not just the pixellated ones — up to a staggering 200 million copies.
Given Square Enix revealed Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster had reached three million copies sold in September 2023, that means the bundle has sold another two million copies in around 18 months.
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster bundles together the first six Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games as well as a 20-track soundtrack and 14 wallpapers. The bundle boasts universally updated 2D pixel graphics, a rearranged soundtrack, modernized UI, and all-new features, including a beastiary, illustration gallery, and music player. You can also switch between the original and rearranged soundtrack on the fly as you play.
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.
The classic Commandos series was all about cleverly commanding a squad to pull off some daring operations aimed at crippling the Nazi war machine and putting a real stick in the eye of the empire. But it's also a series that's been in relative dormancy for some time, leaving other games like Shadow Tactics and Desperados to pick up the torch and offer a similar blend of real-time strategy and stealth gameplay that's all about pulling off some slick, decisive strategies.
With the upcoming Commandos: Origins from developer Claymore Game Studios, the series finally gets its long overdue successor following the 2006 FPS spin-off, marking a return to the original's old-school perspective and brutal difficulty. I recently got to play the opening missions of Commandos: Origins and came away appreciating this revival of an open-ended tactical stealth-action game – even if it took me some time to come to grips with it.
As a return to the classic gameplay and storytelling of the early PC games in the series, Commandos: Origins appropriately focuses on the founding of the elite squad. As green beret Jack O'Hara, he's recruited by commando Sergeant Hancock with a mission to strike back against the growing Nazi empire. Following a daring escape through a North African allied base overrun by the Axis army, the duo soon expands their crew to engage in a larger campaign to destroy key targets across Europe and even the Arctic regions.
Origins taps into the style of pulpy, ensemble action films in the vein of The Guns of Navarone or The Dirty Dozen for its campaign.
Commandos: Origins works has both a modern update to the classic formula of the series, but also as a jumping on point for those who've never played the originals. Much like the previous games, Origins taps into the style of pulpy, ensemble action films in the vein of The Guns of Navarone or The Dirty Dozen for its campaign. The core gameplay is a blend of real-time strategy and a carefully paced tactics game, where you command a small squad to sneak through bases, take out targets, and make it out alive. Instead of moving turns like other tactics games, your squad and all enemies on the field will move and react in real-time, which pushes you to make your moves count – or else face the onslaught of enemies on the field.
Speaking to art director Thilo Gebhardt from Claymore Game Studios, he explained how the developer was specifically founded to help revive the Commandos series and how they approached modernizing it for Origins.
"The original owner of Kalypso Media, Simon Hellwig, who passed away, had the idea to bring back Commandos – he was a big fan of the original games," Gebhardt said. "He had the opportunity to acquire it, and once he decided to make the next game an in-house production, he founded Claymore Studios specifically to revisit the brand. [...] With other competitors in the genre recently they've shown that this type of game can still be updated to a more modern standard because it can be a hardcore experience. But we've also found ways to improve the interface and the pacing, and we hope to have made that experience more modern and less frustrating for new players."
With each mission giving you a list of objectives and a large map to explore, you're tasked with completing them efficiently and carefully. By taking advantage of blindspots in enemy line of sight and patrol patterns and using gadgets from the key members of each squad, you're given plenty of opportunities and a wide berth in how you clear a mission. In some ways, it felt like each stage was a puzzle box to solve – by way of a stealth-action tactics game, and I soon had to get comfortable with hiding guards after I had taken them out of commission.
The opening mission in North Africa served as a solid tutorial in showcasing just how versatile but still specialized the squad members were. For instance, Sergeant Hancock takes on the role of the combat sapper, a combat engineer who can cut through wire barricades and plant powerful explosives to blow up targets. I found a lot to appreciate with how each squad member can coordinate, particularly with pulling off O'Hara's advanced traversal skills and quick stealth attacks to help clear the way for his allies to break the objectives.
The stealth mechanics are impressive and really show a level of depth with the enemy AI and level design – particularly with how guards will remember which allies are in the area and how snowprints are visible in places that shouldn't be. While I mostly crawled through the stages to be on the safe side, I still appreciated the moments when I could get a solid jump on the enemy. One useful option is the command mode, which lets you plan out specific moves for multiple squad members to execute all at once. Following the opening mission, Commandos immediately put me to the test in the following mission, which chucked me into the deep end.
Simply put, the difficulty here is super challenging. If just one commando dies, it's a loss. I ended up failing – a lot – and that meant reloading saves to try again. Much like early entries, Commandos: Origins sticks with a retro style of progression in each mission – and that means you'll need to embrace the retro concept of manually saving often – as auto-saves are not present in missions. In one instance during the second operation, I reached an important section of the stage but was quickly gunned down by patrolling troops. Because I was so focused on maneuvering my crew, I had forgotten to save and lost close to 10 minutes of progress.
According to the developers, the classic approach to manual saving was intentional, as it sticks close to the experience of the original games and doesn't seek to give players too many safety nets.
"We thought a lot about the fans of the original games, and for them, the aspect of how saving works was something you simply shouldn't change, it really comes down to taking away the liberty to decide on your own how you want to save your progress and what risk you want to take," the art director Gebhardt said. "Personally, I will save a lot, and there are some more daring and more experienced players who deliberately do not save. And they approach it like a little bit of a puzzle with a more creative way. So really for Commandos, it's about creative freedom of selecting your own safe points for."
These repeated mission attempts, in some cases, turned out to be a blessing...
My losses regularly felt crushing, especially considering just how lengthy missions can be. I often felt the need to take a break, but I still rallied and came through. These repeats, in some cases, turned out to be a blessing, as they allowed me to go through the trial-and-error process and pick up new strategies, sometimes allowing me to satisfyingly make the best of a clumsy situation.
In one mission, I had to destroy a guarded comms tower. I originally took out all guards in the area and then destroyed the tower, but upon a redo of the area, I simply destroyed the tower and watched it crash down on two guards, with me walking away feeling like I was Agent 47 in Hitman. In one satisfying instance, I used my sniper commando to pull off a Saving Private Ryan-style series of quick sniper shots on alerted guards, giving my team some breathing room to rally.
The raw satisfaction that comes from tactics games is seeing a plan come together after taking a risk, and Commandos: Origins certainly offered up plenty of those moments – even after my crushing defeats. So far, Claymore Game Studios' revival of Commandos is offering a compelling case for its comeback, which can potentially put the series back on the map as an exciting and satisfying tactics game.
Silent Hill fis the first Silent Hill game to get an 18+ rating certification in Japan.
As displayed at the beginning of the Japanese-language reveal trailer, which debuted last night, Silent Hill f is rated Mature in the U.S., PEGI 18 in Europe, and CERO:Z in Japan.
As the game is still in active development, certification is subject to change, but as spotted by Automaton, Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, and Silent Hill: The Room all secured CERO:C — that's for people aged 15 and older — while the other games in the series developed outside of Japan were typically rated CERO:C or CERO:D (ages 17+).
Even Silent Hill 2 Remake — Bloober Team's rework of the 2001 classic — was CERO:C in Japan, despite getting a mature (17+) rating in most Western countries.
Last night, Konami finally updated us with a new Silent Hill Transmission, the publisher's Silent Hill-themed online presentation. This time, it was focused purely on Silent Hill f, the upcoming mainline entry in the celebrated horror franchise — the first for 13 years.
First announced in 2022, Silent Hill f takes us to 1960s Japan, where we'll follow Shimizu Hinako, a teenager struggling under the pressure of expectations from her friends, family, and society. The story was written by Ryukishi07, creator of the When They Cry visual novel series.
The reveal trailer shows Hinako in varying degrees of distress, covered in blood, wounds, and with her Japanese school uniform ripped and torn. While most of the action was contained to cutscenes rather than gameplay, we had an extended peek at Silent Hill f's setting and monster designs, as well as what may be an Otherworld populated not by rust and fans this time, but by blood-red flowers.
As yet, there's no release date for Silent Hill f, and there was no further information at all about No Code's Silent Hill game, Townfall.
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.
The price of the Nintendo Switch 2 is one of the hottest topics within the video game industry. Analysts have told IGN they expect Nintendo’s next-gen console to launch at $400, and a new Bloomberg report reaffirms that price range, based on Japan-focused analyst predictions.
A $400 price point would be significantly higher than the original Switch, and another analyst told Bloomberg they wouldn’t be surprised if Nintendo went even higher, potentially to $499. But the analysts expect Switch 2 to enjoy a massive launch, maybe even the biggest console launch of all time, “regardless of price.”
“They will sell boatloads of Switch 2 in the first months in particular, almost regardless of the price,” Tokyo analyst Serkan Toto told Bloomberg.
One of the reasons Switch 2 will be so popular during its launch period is because of huge demand for its launch line-up of games. Toto expects a new Mario Kart, as teased by Nintendo itself when it revealed the Switch 2, a new 3D Mario game, as well as the already announced Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4, all released during the Switch 2’s first year of life. Toto also expects third-party support to include Call of Duty from Activision.
It’s worth noting Activision has yet to announce its Switch 2 plans, and Nintendo hasn’t commented on the report.
When will Switch 2 release? June 2025 is increasingly coming up not just online, but in games media circles. One Japan-based analyst, Robin Zhu of Sanford C. Bernstein, told Bloomberg the Switch 2 is expected to release in June, with first-day inventory of 6-8 million units. If Nintendo burns through that stock the Switch 2 will have no problem selling faster than its predecessor and the PlayStation 4 and 5, breaking records along the way.
However, as Bloomberg noted, the Switch 2 will be assembled in Vietnam, a major U.S. trading partner, as well as China, with one analyst suggesting this diversified manufacturing footprint helps lower the risk for Nintendo.
There’s still a great deal we don’t know about the Switch 2, but Nintendo plans a Direct for April 2 during which it will reveal more on the console.
Last month, a Nintendo patent suggested Switch 2’s Joy-Con controllers could be attached upside down. It seems the Switch 2 operates with gyro mechanics in a similar way to how phones work without screen lock. Unlike the original Nintendo Switch, which had rails for the Joy-Cons to attach and lock into place, the new controllers feature magnets that presumably allow them to be attached on either side.
While this won't make much of a difference on the hardware front, it will allow players to essentially choose where they'd like certain buttons, the headphone port, and so on. If it makes it into the final product, the flipping ability may spark interesting gameplay mechanics, too.
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.
Obsidian has released Title Update 1.3.0 for Avowed, which has over 350 fixes and tweaks, and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s take a look at some of its improvements, shall we? Patch 1.3.0 will allow players players to receive an additional talent point at levels 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. Players with … Continue reading Avowed Patch 1.3.0 Released, Featuring Over 350 Fixes & Tweaks→
At first glance, you might mistake Atomfall for a Fallout-style game. Perhaps, even, an actual Fallout game set in a post-apocalyptic England rather than a post-apocalyptic America. Atomfall is first-person, it’s post-nuclear (it’s called Atomfall for a reason), and it has an alt-history design, as Fallout famously does.
Ryan Greene, art director at developer Rebellion, totally understands where the Fallout comparisons are coming from. Not only that, but the development team knew Atomfall would be compared to Fallout as soon as it was revealed.
“Once you play the game, you realize it's not Fallout, but yes, we knew,” Greene told IGN.
“And one of our owners, Jason Kingsley, he's a big Fallout fan, so inevitably there was going to be some parallels in that any kind of survival in the apocalypse, immediately Fallout's going to come up as a thing. And those guys are great at what they do. And that's cool.”
Indeed, Greene warned that the Fallout comparison is “misleading.”
“Once you play it for a bit, you're like, oh, this is its own thing for sure,” Greene said. And, Greene pointed out, Rebellion isn’t Microsoft-owned Bethesda. The independently owned British studio behind the Sniper Elite franchise has created an ambitious game, relative to its other games, but we’re not talking about an Elder Scrolls or Fallout-sized experience here.
“The reality is, here’s this very successful franchise and we're version 1.0,” Greene continued. “To be compared to those guys… thank you very much… Yes, we appreciate it because that’s a skillful team that's making that stuff.”
An average Atomfall playthrough, Greene said, is “probably 25-ish hours.” However, completionists can stretch that “a long way.”
To find out how the game plays, be sure to check out IGN’s most recent Atomfall hands-on preview, in which our Simon Cardy went off the deep end and killed everyone during his playthrough.
It turns out, you can go through the entire game killing everyone and it will cope with that. “You can kill anyone or everyone if you choose,” Greene confirmed. “That's fine. We have multiple finishes to the game, so some of those would shut down if you were supposed to work with them throughout, but you'll find multiple other routes to finish the game and achieve a result.”
Atomfall doesn’t have a main quest or a side quest in the traditional RPG sense. Rather, “it's a spider web of connected story,” Greene explained.
“So even if you sever one thread, you can usually find another thread that leads you back to the overall mystery.”
Conversely, you can play through Atomfall without killing anyone. At least, Greene is “fairly certain” you can. “I've made it about nine hours in, probably close to halfway running at a pretty fast dev play speed and killed no one,” he said. “I'm fairly certain you can do it and there's no gating of having to kill anyone ever.”
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 speedrunning community is trying to wrap its head around a technological phenomenon that is seemingly causing the SNES to run games faster as it ages.
Alarm bells rang in early February when Bluesky user Alan Cecil (@tas.bot) spread the word that the Nintendo's iconic console seemed to be running games slightly faster now than when it left production lines in the 1990s. It’s a theory that would mean the nearly 50 million SNES units sold may now feature improved performance with games like Super Mario World, Super Metroid, and Star Fox instead of wearing down as the years go on.
The idea of a video game console — or any kind of technology — working more efficiently simply thanks to the passage of time sounds ludicrous, but Cecil’s findings suggest a single component may be what’s setting the SNES apart from the rest.
The Fastest Thing Alive
As explained in an interview 404 Media conducted with Cecil, official Nintendo specs say the SNES’s audio processing unit (APU) SPC700 has a digital signal processing (DSP) rate of 32,000Hz dictated by a ceramic resonator that runs at 24.576MHz. Retro console fans have documented that these details aren’t quite accurate, with recordings from the last few decades showing slightly altered DSP rates depending on the physical conditions — such as temperature — the SNES is recorded in. It means the console is often processing audio and sending it to the CPU at a different rate than Nintendo has communicated, and as the DSP fluctuates, so too does the game’s speed even if it’s in small, unrecognizable ways.
That’s all fine and good, but where things get interesting is how that number has changed in the last 34 years. Cecil asked SNES owners to record data related to their SNES units after noticing slightly higher DSP rates that were even more out of the ordinary than previously documented. The more than 140 responses gathered so far show an undeniable trend in increased DSP rates in recent measurements.
Some previously recorded average DSP numbers for the SNES’s SPC700 hovered at 32,040Hz in 2007 — Cecil’s findings raise that average to 32,076Hz. Factors such as hot and cold environments do play a part in higher and lower stats, too, but not by enough to alter DSP in the way needed to yield these results. In other words, it looks like the SNES is processing audio faster as time goes on.
Therefore, temperature is less significant. Why? How does it affect games? We do not know. Yet.
“Based on 143 responses, the SNES DSP rate averages 32,076Hz, rising 8Hz from cold to warm,” Cecil explained in a follow-up Bluesky post fit with a layout of the data. “Warm DSP rates go from 31,965 to 32,182Hz, a 217Hz range. Therefore, temperature is less significant. Why? How does it affect games? We do not know. Yet.”
Any%
Cecil admits that, while fascinating, more research is needed to determine not only how much faster SNES units are processing game audio but what exactly the cause is. Data related to how consoles performed in their first decade on the market, for example, is limited. For now, at least on the surface, Nintendo’s second major home console appears to be aging quite gracefully as it nears its 35th birthday.
Regardless of what exactly might be behind these bizarre circumstances, the prospect of a popular gaming console gradually causing games to run faster has made waves in the speedrunning community. An SPC700 progressively processing audio to the CPU quicker than intended could, in theory, impact game performance by shortening load times in certain sections. Audio processing faster in 2025 than it did in an identical speedrun from 1990 could potentially send more than three decades of leaderboard rankings and records into question. Thankfully, how a wiser SNES might affect a Super Mario World speedrun isn’t so straightforward.
APU speeds aren’t a one-to-one translation to visual game speed. In reality, even the most extreme circumstances related to these new findings would likely only shave off less than one second of your average speedrun. How each game might benefit from altered audio processing is also up for debate, and there’s no indication of how significantly longer speedruns could be impacted at the time of this story’s publication. The speedrunning community's research is in its infancy, but even as further experimentation is conducted, the consensus for now is that players have little to fear.
While Cecil continues digging into what makes the SNES tick, Nintendo’s console is charging through its 30s and feeling better than ever. For more on the SNES, you can see where the device landed on the list of best-selling consoles of all time.
Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
To be fair, that's still a discount, and it's a very nice looking GPU, but it is still a competition prize that means you still have to then buy a new graphics card.
Team Ninja has released the March 14th Update for the PC version of Rise of the Ronin, and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this latest patch brings to the table. The March 14th Update, also known as Patch 1.09.0.1, adjusts the in-game graphics settings. Settings that heavily affect performance have been … Continue reading Rise of the Ronin March 14th Update Released, Full Patch Notes→
Navigating the world of live TV alternatives can be a daunting task as there are so many options to choose from. One of the best options available today is Hulu + Live TV, which features everything Hulu has to offer plus a robust library of channels that includes popular live sporting events and entertainment. Even better, Hulu + Live TV also bundles in Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost, giving you access to even more streaming options that include the very best of Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and more!
If you're interested in checking out Hulu + Live TV, you're in luck. Scroll down for information on the current free trial offer, as well as details about what's included in the service, pricing, and where it's available to stream.
Does Hulu + Live TV Have a Free Trial?
Yes, Hulu + Live TV offers a three-day free trial that allows you to take the live TV streaming service for a spin. You'll gain access to more than 95 live TV channels that include sporting events and the most popular entertainment channels. Hulu + Live TV also includes the Disney Bundle, which means you'll also be able to enjoy the entire Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ catalogs at no additional cost. It's the only streaming free trial offering a total of four services at once.
When you're ready to sign up, click the link below to sign up for the free trial. After your trial period ends, you'll be automatically charged for your subscription if it's not canceled.
What Is Hulu + Live TV?
Hulu + Live TV takes the base Hulu streaming service and slaps a live TV service on top of it, while adding in the entirety of Disney+ and ESPN+ for good measure. It features over 95 channels, unlimited DVR space, and a hassle-free monthly subscription fee that doesn't include any hidden fees.
Since Hulu + Live TV includes the base Hulu service, you'll have access to Hulu's rich library of TV shows and movies. This includes Hulu Originals such as Paradise and Only Murders in the Building as well as popular FX programs such as The Bear, Shōgun, and What We Do In The Shadows. Plus, you can watch thousands of additional TV shows and movies from Hulu's extended streaming library.
And, with the Disney Bundle included as part of your Hulu + Live TV subscription, you'll have access to the massive Disney catalog that includes popular Marvel movies and TV shows, Star Wars movies and TV shows, Pixar movies, and so much more. If you're looking for a great replacement for cable that ticks just about every box, well, Hulu + Live TV is one of the best options available.
With Hulu + Live TV, you can watch over 95 of your favorite channels live, or catch up on some of the best programming that you may have missed on demand. You can record as much live TV as you'd like with the included DVR service, as well, to ensure you don't miss the shows or movies you're currently watching. By default, you can watch Hulu + Live TV on two supported devices, but you can upgrade to have unlimited simultaneous screens if you'd like the whole family to have access.
How Much Does Hulu + Live TV Cost?
The price for Hulu + Live TV is $82.99 per month and also includes the base Hulu (with ads), Disney+ (with ads) and ESPN+ (with ads) streaming services as part of the overall price—a $16.99 bundle on its own. If you're looking for a mostly ad-free service (aside from commercials on live TV and portions of ESPN+), then you can upgrade to Hulu + Live TV that includes Hulu and Disney+ without ads for $95.99 per month.
In addition to the more than 95 channels includes, you can also add on Entertainment, Sports, and Spanish channel packages if you're missing some of your favorites. Hulu + Live TV also features popular premium channels such as Max, Paramount+ with Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz as optional add-ons if you want to expand your streaming library. Additionally, you can upgrade your subscription to include unlimited screens at home and up to three screens on the go so everyone can watch.
How to Watch Hulu + Live TV - Available Platforms
Similar to base Hulu, you can enjoy Hulu + Live TV on a variety of digital platforms including Apple TV (4th generation or newer), Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Sticks, select Roku models, Chromecast, select smart TVs from Samsung, LG, and Vizio, popular consoles such as PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Switch. You can also watch on mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad, and Android, as well as on Hulu's website.
For more live TV streaming guides, check out our overview of Sling TV and Fubo.
Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch
Thank your own personal deity—possibly Kratos—it’s Friday! Even though it’s Autumn for Aussies, it’s time to spring into ludicrous Spring Sale savings on Steam. If the picks of that litter don’t interest you, I’ve sniffed out console-based bargains on grand adventures, pulse-pounding action, or quirky indie gems; there’s a little something for everyone.
This Day in Gaming 🎂
In retro news, I'm (somehow) celebrating the 23rd birthday of the OG Xbox, a console that blew my mind at launch (even though I was happily married to a PS2). This was the chunky vehicle that brought Microsoft into the console gaming world. And while it didn't have the prettiest design or the greatest library of games, it gave us two important contributions to gaming: Halo and Xbox Live.
While some N64 enthusiasts may argue that GoldenEye paved the way for quality console first-person shooters, it was Halo that revolutionised the genre. Almost every FPS that came after Halo utilised its control scheme and a modified version of its health system. But where Halo truly succeeded was in providing console gamers with the first-of-its-kind 16-player LAN battles. This was the first shooter that made my PC gaming mates jealous, and I still own and adore my Limited Edition Crystal Xbox. Even though ants once tried to take it over and turn it into a very expensive vivarium.
On the Nintendo Switch, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is a jaw-dropping $7. That’s a pittance for one of the best action RPGs in ages, with its deep pawn system that lets AI companions learn from your tactics. Meanwhile, a 36 buck Octopath Traveler delivers an old-school JRPG experience with a modern HD-2D glow-up that Square Enix has since turned into a signature visual style.
PC gamers can grab Red Dead Redemption 2 for just 20 clams, and this sweeping Western epic comes with a staggering 500,000 lines of dialogue. For those who enjoy a bit of madness, Undertale ($2) will delight you with its fourth-wall-breaking humour and eerie meta twists.
Over on Xbox Series X, Destroy All Humans! 2 lets you embrace your inner chaos-loving alien, complete with ridiculous weapons and satirical 1960s pop culture jabs. And Dragon Age: Veilguard Deluxe Edition is a must for Bioware fans itching to dive back into rich RPG storytelling.
Finally, PlayStation 5 boasts Star Wars Outlaws at $49. It’s Ubisoft’s first open-world Star Wars game, where you can even gamble your life away in Sabacc. Lastly, a reduced God of War Ragnarök will deliver you a mythic Norse adventure that is one helluva great sequel.
Earlier this month Roblox announced that its The Hunt: Mega Edition Event would come with a $1 million grand prize for one super skilled gamer, and today the event officially started, revealing the 25 different Roblox experiences players will need to compete in to walk away a millionaire.
Roblox's last event, The Hunt: First Edition, attracted 34 million users without promising enough money to buy 1,428 PlayStation 5 Pros and still have money left over for a decent library of games, so expect The Hunt: Mega Edition to be the focus of the Roblox community until the event hits its live-streamed final in April. For that final the top ten The Hunt: Mega Edition competitors will be invited to Roblox HQ for their shot at the jackpot.
The full list of 25 different Roblox experiences that make up The Hunt: Mega Edition Event are:
A Dusty Trip
Arsenal
Basketball Legends
Bayside High School
Blade League
Clip It
Car Crushers 2
Chained [2 Player Obby]
Drive World
Eat the World
Fisch
Hell's Kitchen
Infection Gunfight
It Girl
Metro Life
Natural Disaster Survival
Pet Simulator 99
PRESSURE
Regretevator
RIVALS
SpongeBob Tower Defense
Tower Defense Simulator
Untitled Boxing Game
Untitled Tag Game
World Zero
That's quite the variety, meaning to get to the big prize players will need to show their skills in games like life sim Bayside High School, cook up a storm as Gordon Ramsay's next executive chef in Hell's Kitchen and survive zombie FPS Infection Gunfight.
The only catch is to win the money you need to be 13 years-old or over, but even if you out of the running for the cash there are still special ultra-rare digital items created exclusively for The Hunt: Mega Edition to win. For all the terms and conditions head on over to the official The Hunt: Mega Edition site.
Konami has revealed the official PC system requirements for its new SILENT HILL game, SILENT HILL f. Moreover, the publisher has shared a new in-engine trailer, which you can find below. SILENT HILL f promises to blend psychological horror with a haunting Japanese setting. In the game, players will assume the role of Hinako. Hinako … Continue reading SILENT HILL f gets official PC system requirements→
If you're in the process of building out a new gaming PC and you're looking for the best gaming processor, this is it. Right now, the recently released AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D AM5 desktop processor is back in stock on Amazon and Best Buy at its retail price of $479 shipped. This is the official launch price with zero markup, and it's not bundled with anything you don't want or need. The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the best gaming processor currently on the market (across both AMD and Intel) and a better choice for gamers than the more expensive Intel Core Ultra 9 285K.
Back in Stock: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Desktop Processor
AMD's X3D series processors are optimized for gaming. In that respect, they bench better than even the most expensive of AMD's standard lineup of CPUs thanks to AMD's 3D V-Cache technology. Although perfectly capable of handling multitasking, rendering, and creation, the limited number of cores means they aren't the ideal processors for those tasks. At its retail price of $479, the 9800X3D is $110 cheaper than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K ($589) and $170 cheaper than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, even though it outperforms both of them in gaming. Unless you're a staunch Intel fan, or you're still on AM4 and don't want to upgrade all of your components, the 9800X3D is the obvious choice for your next gaming rig.
AMD is on a hot streak with its new CPU and GPUs
If you decided to hold off on Nvidia's Blackwell GPUs to see if AMD's new offerings were up to snuff, then you made the right choice. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT graphics cards are the new mid-range champions of this generation. Both cards offer phenomenal performance while undercutting their Nvidia competition in price. The Radeon RX 9070 starts at $550 and the 9070 XT starts at $600 (although it turns out that manufacturers are hiking the price again). Chect out our Radeon RX 9070 GPU review and Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU review for our benchmarks.
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.
Not everyone is the DIY type. If you're in the market for a prebuilt gaming PC, Dell is one of the best brands we'd recommend. Alienware desktops and laptops feature solid build quality, top-of-the-line gaming performance, excellent cooling (further improved on the newer models), aggressive styling, and pricing that is very competitive with other pre-built options. Best of all, there are plenty of sales that happen throughout the year, so it's not difficult to grab one of these computers at considerably less than their retail price. This page includes all of the best deals that are currently available.
Dell and Alienware Coupons
Dell and Alienware Gaming PC Deals
Dell and Alienware Gaming Laptop Deals
Dell and Alienware Monitor Deals
You can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above. See below for our favorite picks.
Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 Gaming PC
Starting today, Dell is offering an Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC equipped with the new GeForce RTX 5080 GPU for just $2,399.99 shipped. This is one of the best prices you can get right now for an RTX 5080 equipped prebuilt, especially since most other brands seem to be jacking up prices steadily since the RTX 50 series launch in January. The only other prebuilt you can get at Dell with an RTX 5080 GPU costs over $4,000. Good luck trying to find a standalone GPU to build out your own DIY PC; you'll probably spend as much for the GPU as you would this entire system.
Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4090 Gaming PC
This Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F CPU, GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, 16GB of DDR5-5200MHz RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. The processor can also be upgraded up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. If you're getting system with a focus on gaming, then the upgrade is unnecessary. Gaming at higher resolutions is almost always GPU bound, and besides, the default Intel Core Ultra 7 265F is a solid processor with a max turbo frequency of 5.3GHz and a total of 20 cores. It's cooled by a robust 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler and the entire system is powered by an 1,000W 80PLUS Platinum power supply.
Dell Tower Plus RTX 4090 Gaming PC
The other option looks more unassuming, but it's what's inside that really matters. The Dell Tower Plus gaming PC is equipped with very similar specs - an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F CPU, GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, 16GB of DDR5-5200MHz RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. In this particular instance, I'd recommend upgrading the processor to the Intel Core Ultra 7 285K for $100. Not only is it a superior processor, but it automatically upgrades the CPU cooling from "standard air cooling" to "advanced air coling", which is a more robust tower heatsink fan that is rated for 125W TDP instead of 65W TDP. The entire system is powered by an 1,000W 80PLUS Platinum power supply.
Alienware Area-51 RTX 5080 Up for Preorder
New Price Drop
Dell dropped the price on a maxed out Alienware Area-51 system by a decent amount. This particular config has been upgraded with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor, 64GB of RAM, and a 4TB M.2 SSD for $4.649.99 after a $400 off instant discount. The CPU is cooled by a 360mm all-in-one liquid cooler and the entire system is powered by a massive 1,500W 80PLUS Platinum power supply. Dell estimates this system to arrive at doorin early April.
New for 2025: The Alienware Area-51 Chassis
Dell unveiled the new Alienware Area-51 gaming PC at CES 2025. The chassis looks similar to the 2024 R16 system with some minor aesthetic and cooling redesigns and updated components. The I/O panel is positioned at the top of the case instead of the front, and the tempered glass window now spans the entire side panel instead of just a smaller cutout. As a result, the side panel vents are gone, and instead air intakes are located at the bottom as well as the front of the case. Alienware is now pushing a positive airflow design (more intake than exhaust airflow), which usually means a less dusty interior. The internal components have also all been refreshed, with a new motherboard, faster RAM, and more powerful power supply to accommodate the new generation of CPUs and the RTX 50 series GPUs.
Alienware m16 Gaming Laptops
Dell is offering an Alienware m16 R2 RTX 4060 gaming laptop starting at $1,599.99 shipped (no discounts currently available). The m16 R2 is Alienware's most popular gaming laptop, which isn't surprising considering its excellent build quality, top-of-the-line gaming prowess, and reasonable price point. The "R2" is the second generation model that was released in 2024; it's 14% lighter and more compact than its predecessor without compromising on performance.
Alienware x16 R2 Gaming Laptops
The Alienware x16 gaming laptop is a slimmer and lighter redesign of the traditional m-series laptop. It's the thinnest 16" Alienware laptop ever and compares in build quality and performance to other high-end ultra-thin laptops like the Razer Blade. This Alienware x16 R2 laptop is built with premium materials, like a magnesium alloy chassis and palm rest, anodized aluminum lid, stainless steel keyboard tray, and Micro LED RGB accent lighting. It's only 0.73" thin and weighs in at 6 pounds. That's impressive considering the fact that this laptop can be equipped with the most power NVIDIA GPU.
Alienware m18 R2 RTX 4080 Gaming Laptop
The Alienware m18 is the biggest Alienware laptop you can buy with an imposing 18" 2560x1600 display and top-of-the-line components. Currently theres only one model on sale, which is equipped with an Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU, RTX 4080 GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD for $2,699.99 after a $400 instant discount.
Dell G-Series Gaming Laptops
Dell has dropped the prices on the G16 16" gaming laptops. Dells G-series laptops are great options for budget gamers. They offer excellent gaming performance equal to a comparably equipped Alienware laptop but at a much lower price point. They also have better build quality than Dell's Inspiron lineup, with nicer materials that include anodized aluminum, and an aggressive cooling design borrowed from Alienware laptops.
Not all laptop GPUs are the same, even if they share the same name.
There are two important tidbits that deserve mention concerning graphics cards found in laptops. First, mobile GPU variants are not as powerful as their desktop counterparts. For example, a mobile RTX 4060 doesn't perform as well as a desktop RTX 4060. The mobile versions are generally about one to two tiers lower in performance. Using the same example, the mobile RTX 4060 performs more similarly to a desktop RTX 4050.
Second, not all laptops feature the same performance out of the same GPU. For example, the RTX 4060 found in the Alienware m16 will be more powerful than the RTX 4060 found in the Alienware x14. In order to roughly tell how good a GPU will be, you can look at the TGP rating. That's basically the amount of power supplied to the GPU. A higher TGP rating means more power will be delivered, equating to stronger performance, however the wattage consumption and heat generated will be higher. Here are the maximum TGP rates for the RTX 40 series graphics cards:
Mobile RTX 4050: 115W
Mobile RTX 4060: 115W
Mobile RTX 4070: 115W
Mobile RTX 4080: 150W
Mobile RTX 4090: 150W
Dell just dropped the price of one of its best gaming monitors to the lowest price ever, better than even Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Right now you can pick up an Alienware AW3423DWF 34" QD-OLED gaming monitor for only $552.49 after 15% off coupon code "MONITORS15". This is one of Alienware's highest end monitors, with a gorgeous QD OLED panel, WQHD resolution, and a respectable 165Hz refresh rate.
Why Pick a Dell or Alienware Gaming PC?
If you're in the market for a prebuilt gaming PC, Dell is one of best gaming brands we'd recommend. The Alienware gaming desktops offer a staggering array of options, all built into a custom chassis. Alienware gaming laptops in recent years have been redesigned to be thinner and lighter while still offering the same immense power under the hood. Consistent build quality, available inventory, frequent sales, and solid customer service are the main reasons why Dell is at the top of our buying list for gaming laptops and PCs.
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.
Few sports feel more primed for the whole “being a video game” thing than professional wrestling, but it’s also kind of a weird pairing when you stop to think about it: While undoubtedly a feat of athleticism, the WWE is more akin to an elaborately choreographed fight sequence in a movie than it is an actual competition, whereas the goal of the games based on it is to fight to win. But inherent contradictions aside, I can confidently say — thanks to its much-improved Showcase and MyRise modes, several smart additions like intergender matches, “they’re always good” modes like WWE Universe and MyGM, and generally great game feel — that WWE 2K25 is pretty grand. There is a new guy on the undercard called The Island, and he sucks, which kinda drags the whole thing down a little — but not enough to get me to stop watching.
Even though I’ve been playing wrestling games since the N64 days, my first stop in an annualized series like this is usually the tutorial because, unless things have gone very wrong, something is always a little different (this year, for instance, sees the long-requested return of Chain Wrestling). WWE games have had a good introduction for a while now, especially compared to other sports game franchises. (Hi, Madden! Your skills trainer is great, but it needs to be about three times its current size!). WWE 2K25 has an incredibly detailed tutorial that will walk you through everything you need to be a champ in the ring, with in-depth explanations of what moves do and how to execute them. The Performance Center is a great teaching tool whether you need a quick refresher or you’re learning to do an Irish Whip for the first time. This may seem like an odd thing to spill ink over, but every version of a game is someone’s first – or maybe their first in a while – and I’m glad developer Visual Concepts seems to remember those people.
Once I’d refreshed my memory, I spent a while just looking around. WWE 2K25’s got an absolutely stacked roster, whether you’re here for classics like Bret “Hit Man” Hart, wrestlers-turned-movie-stars like Dave Bautista and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, megastars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, or weirdos like Doink the Clown. I also appreciate that there are several versions of the same dudes from across their history in the WWE. Why yes, WWE 2K25, I do need a handful of Triple Hs, each with their own different stats, thank you! Did you know that, compared to the modern version of The Rock, the 1997 version is kind of a bum? Me neither, but that’s what the stats say! Remember what Rhea Ripley’s visual style was in 2020? Or 2017? When was the last time you thought about “Ravishing” Rick Rude? This granularity is great, and what’s better is you can edit just about every aspect of these wrestlers, from how the crowd reacts to them to tweaking individual stats and changing out moves if you don’t like Visual Concepts’ take on them. The ability to tweak individual wrestlers is not new, but as this roster gets bigger, it’s good to be reminded of how impressive all of it is.
WWE 2K25 has got an absolutely stacked roster.
That goes for the in-ring action, too. WWE 2K25 doesn’t deviate much from WWE 2K24, which is one of those “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” deals, but it does include the welcome return of Chain Wrestling. This is a minigame that mostly takes place early in the match, where you advance through (or fight to get out of) a series of increasingly impressive holds and maneuvers before landing a signature move or finisher to wrap things up. The system can be confusing initially as you have to move the analog stick around a circle to find a sweet spot before your opponent does, but once you learn it, it’s a neat addition that replicates some very cool, complex moments in pro wrestling. If anything, the only bummer here is that it’s generally relegated to the beginning of a match and extremely situational at any other time.
I’ve also really enjoyed the new match types. Intergender matches aren’t functionally different than any other kind of match beyond “you may have a dude and a lady in the ring at the same time,” but it’s cool that you can do that now – and I, for one, enjoyed having Rhea Ripley fight Kevin Nash. I can say similar things for the Underground matches, which are more like a traditional fighting game (there are no ropes on the ring, and you win by either KOing someone or depleting all their health), and the more chaotic Bloodline Rules bouts. These additions are fun in and of themselves, and match/mode variety can make or break a game like this, so more is good.
Speaking of good, let’s talk about this year’s Showcase mode, which follows the Bloodline and the Anoa’i, Fatu, and Maivia families. Paul “The Wiseman” Heyman hosts the thing this year, and he’s clearly having a very good time chewing the scenery and providing the backstory that explains who the players are and why these matches are significant. There’s a lot of archival footage here, as in years past, though the problem of awkwardly blurring out some folks’ faces (maybe due to rights issues?) persists.
Regardless, Showcase feels better than last year’s version, partially because we’ve got full ring entrances and the mid-match commentary is really excellent for every fight. A fun twist this time around is that you’re sometimes asked to change the outcomes of matches that members of these families lost in the real WWE storyline or create new “what if?” matches entirely. There are also no longer any cuts to match footage that interrupt your gameplay – big moments are instead recreated in-game, which means they play out more organically, even if you’re not following the checklist (though there’s something to be said for showing what happened through archival footage). That said, it’s a net positive overall, and I had a blast doing things like beating the ever-loving snot out of Hulk Hogan with Yokozuna or pitting “High Chief” Peter Maivia against George “The Animal” Steele in a steel cage match.
Showcase feels better than last year’s version.
The optional in-match objectives, especially timed ones, can be irritating. Yeah, I get that in the real match, X wrestler might’ve done Y thing so many times in Z seconds, but recreating that in-game means hoping that the computer doesn’t pull a reversal or we don’t get caught in the “you hit me and then I hit you and then you hit me until one of us screws up” mini-game. At that point, you’re better off restarting the match. It’s still worth doing these optional objectives because of the rewards like new wrestlers and arenas, but man, some matches are easier than others in ways you’ll feel.
The other problem with this year’s Showcase is how much of it boils down to “the Bloodline is great because they win all the time, but if they didn’t win, we have to correct that injustice because of how great they are.” That’s fine, but it’s thematically inconsistent in a weird way. Great wrestlers lose all the time and that doesn’t make them less great. I don’t know what the answer to this is since nobody likes playing a game where you’re forced to lose, but I think I would have rather had more real matches with real outcomes.
The other standout mode is MyRise, where your customized character (WWE 2K25 still has one of the best character creators in the world) battles an infiltration by NXT Superstars who are trying to take over the WWE and be the last brand standing. In my run, my “bold and brash” technical wrestler teamed up with his “comedic and fun” ex-girlfriend to fight back against the invasion. The voice acting is… questionable in MyRise, but the scenarios are goofy fun that alternate between “this is a business that combines soap operas and combat sports and we’re going to approach it like that” and “this is serious business” with alarming frequency. But it’s fun to make decisions that change the flow of what happens and it’s cool that you can re-import your characters to start again fresh and make different choices.
The MyGM and Universe modes also return, and they’re largely unchanged from last year, but there’s a couple of nice additions: MyGM is online now, which is great for those who wanna compete against their friends to book the best shows, and Universe finally gets the long-awaited return of promos. I prefer to run with a single wrestler (I have already made Randy Orton the WWE Undisputed Champion, because RKOing people even more fun when you have a big belt that says “look at me, I’m great”), so Universe is more my bag, but if you’re looking to book matches across the WWE, you can’t really go wrong with either option.
MyFaction is also back, and… look, man, it’s a card game, okay? You’ve seen this a million times before. You collect wrestlers and do challenges or take your faction online and compete against other players so you can get new cards and watch the shiny pack-opening animations designed to make your brain produce dopamine and…. Jesus Christ, I’m tired just describing it, please end my misery. It’s Ultimate Team but wrestling, and it’s designed to separate you from your hard-earned cash. The challenges can be fun, and I imagine if you’re really into this kind of thing you’ll enjoy WWE 2K25’s version of it, but I’m not, and the more I play modes like these, the dirtier I feel.
But wait, it gets worse! When I say that MyFaction makes me feel sparkling clean compared to when I played The Island… yeah, that should tell you something. There’s a cool idea here somewhere — WWE God-King Roman Reigns invites you to come to an island and compete for a WWE contract by earning his favor, because apparently That’s a Thing That Happens — but the actual execution made me want to walk straight into the sea. This is really, really bad, folks. Like NBA 2K25’s The City, The Island is a big, open PvPvE space, but it’s mostly quiet, empty, and boring, filled with single-player challenges that are book-ended by static JPGs and text-boxes that get old fast. Meanwhile, the multiplayer in this mode exists to do one thing: Part people from their money, particularly whales who will spend inordinate amounts to make their customized wrestlers beasts off the bat. If you don’t do that, well… you’re gonna have a bad time. I didn’t want to spend long here, as it feels like it exists solely for 2K’s shareholders. It also makes me worry WWE 2K as a series might incorporate more of this in the future at the expense of everything else that makes these games great (hi, Ultimate Team!) as publishers continue to nakedly chase the almighty dollar.
But even The Island, as terrible and money-grubbing as it is, wasn't enough to ruin my fun with WWE 2K25 because everything else about it is great. Visual Concepts deserves their flowers for proving that an annual sports (sports entertainment?) game can feel excellent to play and look good year over year. The WWE series has always been a looker, but this iteration has managed to make things noticeably prettier than ever. Bruises, blood, and sweat are more realistic, and you can tell how long a match has been going, who is winning, and where the guys in the ring are taking the most punishment at a glance. It’s really impressive.
Konami's latest Silent Hill Transmission has arrived and it was focused completely on Silent Hill f, the upcoming entry in the beloved horror franchise that will take players to 1960s Japan.
Silent Hill f was was first announced in 2022 and was described as a game that looks to take place in a "beautiful, therefore terrifying” world. It was also confirmed Silent Hill f was being written by Ryukisshi07, the acclaimed Japanese visual novel writer behind the Higurashi and Umineko series.
After almost three years, we are finally learning a lot more about Silent Hill f, and you can read all about it below.
Silent Hill f Aims to 'Find the Beauty in Terror' and Present Players With a Beautiful Yet Terrifying Choice in 1960s Japan
Konami shared a brand-new trailer for Silent Hill f and a ton of new details, including that it will aim to "find the beauty in terror" and present players with a beautiful yet terrifying choice in 1960s Japan.
The team wasn't ready to spoil what the decision would be, but it did unveil a bit of the story, and we'll leave it to Konami to set the stage;
"Shimizu Hinkao was living her life as an ordinary teenager," the official description reads. "That is, until her town is suddenly shrouded in fog and begins to change in a horrific way. Now, she must explore a town she no longer recognizes while solving puzzles, fighting strange enemies, and doing everything she can to survive... in order to face the ultimate decision that she must make. This is a tale about a beautiful yet terrifying choice."
This new game will be an original story that will be a great place for new players to jump in, but there will be certain Easter Eggs waiting for series veterans. Konami also discussed a few more details on the game, including that it will take place in the fictional Japanese town of Ebisugaoka - which is based on a real place called Kanayama, Gero, in the Gifu Prefecture.
Next, creature & character designer kera presented a message that should excite fans, as it teases what horrors await them in Silent Hill f.
"I love the Silent Hill series, and it's been a big influence on me," Kera said. "In particular, I am constantly remembering Silent Hill 2, and the messages on the walls, the music, and the monster designs. So, when it came to Silent Hill f, and bringing the setting to Japan, we had to come up with something that felt just a little different, and I had to really think about how to get that feeling.
"The monster designs were the hardest. I had to consider everything that's come in Silent Hill before, and figure out how to take this game in a different direction, but still be Silent Hill. It might not be the exact same blood-smeared, rusting scenery, but I sincerely hope you'll enjoy our vision and the world we've created."
Music will also be a very important part of Silent Hill f, and the team is bringing together long-time Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka and Kensuke Inage (Dynasty Warriors series and more) to create music for both the Fog World and Otherworld, respectively.
"I have composed music for an unsettling yet beautiful world that uses imagery from shrines, blending ancient Japanese court music with ambient echoes," Inage said. "I wove in various techniques that will connect the player to the protragonist's agony, internal conflict, fear, and other emotions."
While we didn't get a release date, it was confirmed that Silent Hill f will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
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.
I don't post very many deals on LG's Gallery Series OLED TVs because they're usually obnoxiously expensive. Today's deal isn't exactly "cheap", but it's one of the best deals I've seen for one of the nicest TVs you can get. For a very limited time, Walmart and Amazon are offering the 83" LG Evo G3 Gallery Series 4K OLED Smart TV for under $2,700 with free delivery. To emphasize just how good of a deal this is, the 2024 83" LG G4 TV currently sells for a whopping $5,300. The Gallery Series TVs are LG's highest end OLED TVs and perhaps the best OLED TVs, period.
83" LG G3 Gallery Series 4K OLED Smart TV for $2,634.21
The G3 launched in 2023, so it's one generation behind the latest model (no "G5" TV has been released) yet) but it's still better than any other TV in LG's inventory - OLED or otherwise - with the sole exception of the 2024 G4 that succeeds it. The LG G-series OLED is better than the C-series. Although they both feature an "Evo" panel that's brighter than traditional W-OLED TVs, the G-series goes one step further by incorporating MLA (micro lens array) technology, which increases brightness. This significantly adds to the cost of the TV, but it brings image quality up to the same level as or even better than Samsung's quantum dot OLED TVs.
Generally speaking, OLED TVs are considered the best TVs you can buy right now. Compared to traditional LED LCD TVs, they offer better image quality, deeper blacks, better contrast ratio, wider color gamut, and super fast response times. Because of these advantages, the OLED TV are easily the best type of TV for viewing 4K HDR content in all of its intended glory. LG OLED TVs particular have been out for years and benefit from several generations of optimizations.
We picked the LG G-series TV as our favorite TV for gaming. It has all the features you'd want in a current generation gaming TV, including a native 120Hz panel and four HDMI 2.1 ports that can run games in 4K at 120Hz on a PS5 or Xbox Series X console. It supports variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM).
One note to keep in mind is that none of the LG G-series TVs include a stand. They are meant to be mounted on the wall like an art installation (hence the "Gallery" monikor). Instead, a flush mount wall bracket is included.
Looking for more options? Check out all of the best TVs of 2025.
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.
The best portable chargers are an effective way to extend the battery of your smartphone or other devices. Unfortunately, many of these bricks can get a bit clunky. A battery case provides a sleeker solution tailored to your phone, and you’ll get to skip the cable management that often comes with traditional power banks.
TL;DR – The Best Smartphone Battery Cases:
Battery cases must be able to add extra juice to your phone and provide damage protection. You’ll also want something that doesn’t interfere with your phone's features, like NFC or ports, nor add too much bulk. Wireless charging and quick charging make battery cases even more convenient. However, there are some duds out there that either make your phone a little too chunky or fail to deliver a reliable charge. To help you in this search, we've rounded up five battery cases for the top phones on the market.
1. Mophie Juice Pack Battery Case
Best iPhone 16 Pro Battery Case
The iPhone 16 Pro’s 3,582mAh battery shouldn’t have a problem lasting throughout the day with moderate usage but when taking pictures, doom scrolling, or gaming, its juice depletes much quicker. The Mophie Juice Pack Battery Case for iPhone 16 Pro will keep the phone lasting even longer thanks to the 2,800mAh battery it’s packing. The case simply slots onto the phone and into the USB-C port. An indicator light is on board to let you know the battery levels and stand-by mode will stop the battery from topping off your device.
Admittedly, the Juice Pack doesn’t offer as much extra battery life as some of our other picks. Still, the 50% battery boost to the iPhone 16 Pro makes a major difference while allowing the case to still be surprisingly compact, adding minimal bulk and weighing about 3.5oz. The phone with the case attached is still easy to handle and slips right into a back pocket or bag, making it one of the best iPhone accessories you can grab.
This case provides excellent protection for the iPhone too, as it’s rated for falls up to 6ft. Thus, you can avoid the minor heart attack that occurs every time the device slips from your grip. Raised edges also help prevent scratches and cracks to the screen and camera. Mophie includes an integrated passive magnet to attach the iPhone to various accessories, but it doesn’t support wireless charging.
2. ZeroLemon Battery Case
Best iPhone 16 Pro Max Battery Case
Given the absolute behemoth 4,685mAh battery, you might not think the iPhone 16 Pro Max needs extra juice. But there’s a case to be made if you want to go wild in Cinematic Mode or game in Apple Arcade without worrying about it conking out. ZeroLemon’s battery case gives you peace of mind thanks to its two 5,000mAh batteries that add about 1.5 extra charges to your phone. LED indicator lights on the case even let you know the charging status and battery levels.
ZeroLemon’s case is built tough, coming with military-grade protection and shockproofing to protect your phone from damage. Keeping your phone safe and the extra 10,000mAh of juice makes this option significantly bulkier than other cases, so it’s best for someone with larger hands. When you plug in your device to the case via USB-C, speedy 18W fast charging will get your phone from 0% to 100% in about two hours. Unfortunately, there isn’t support for data passing through or wired headsets via the USB-C when the case is attached.
3. Mophie Juice Pack Wireless
Best iPhone SE Battery Case
The iPhone SE (2022) is a mighty little budget smartphone, especially considering its stellar performance while running on the latest version of iOS for such a low price. However, its 2,018mAh battery will struggle to make it through an entire day if you plan to use the phone intensively. A solution? The Mophie Juice Pack Wireless delivers a full charge to your phone, keeping you away from power outlets for longer.
In addition to extending the daily usage of your phone, this Mophie case potentially expands its lifetime by wrapping it in a slim, protective shell that doesn’t add too much bulk. Short-circuit, over-charge, and temperature protection keep your device safe. And when you need to top the case back up, you can just set it on a wireless charger and your phone will get juiced up too. Passthrough technology also lets you connect a lightning cable or headphones, so you’ll never need to remove the case.
4. Newdery Battery Case
Best Samsung Galaxy S25 Case
The Samsung Galaxy S25 has a surprisingly high-capacity 4,000mAh battery for such a compact Android phone. But when you use it all day, the juice will deplete quicker than you think. That’s where the Newdery Battery Case steps in to be a potential gamechanger. You’ll get an extra 8,000mAh of juice –almost two full charges from this battery case – ensuring you never run out of battery when using the phone’s more taxing features, like the cameras or gaming capability, without adding too much extra bulk.
The Newdery Battery Case slides onto your Galaxy S25 and plugs into the USB-C port to deliver juice. Even with the case attached, the USB-C port still offers NFC and data transfer. If you’ve got a wireless charger, you can charge up the case and phone that way, but fast charging via the USB-C means you can get back to 100% quicker. Of course, beyond charging your phone, the TPU and PC materials used in this case add a healthy dose of protection against potential damage.
This case is also available in the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra models.
5. Mophie Juice Pack Connect
Best Battery Case for Any Phone
Having a battery case is great, but once you upgrade your phone, that case will likely be rendered useless. The Mophie Juice Pack Connect is a battery solution that works for your current phone and probably your next one as well. This battery option isn't exactly a case, as it doesn't cover your phone, but it does attach a battery to it.
With the Juice Pack Connect, you'll stick a small anchor point to your phone or phone case and then you can slip on the 5,000mAh battery pack whenever you need it. The battery itself uses Qi wireless charging, so it supports a variety of smartphones and can recharge wirelessly. It even comes with a stand to prop up your phone when watching clips or reviewing documents.
How to Choose the Best Battery Case
You might think picking the right battery case for your phone is just a matter of finding an option with the biggest capacity. That's a surefire way of buying something too big to fit in your pocket. Choosing an ideal charging case comes down to hitting the right balance between battery capacity, size, and price.
If you're looking for a battery case to just throw in your bag when you need it, you might as well grab a portable charger. There's no point in buying something molded to fit your phone if you're never going to use it with the charging case, which leaves space that otherwise could have been used for more energy cells. With that in mind, you need to find a battery case that'll actually fit into your pocket or bag without adding too much weight or bulk while adding protection to your phone.
Another problem with choosing the highest capacity battery is that it's often its only feature. Most of the highest capacity battery cases we've seen sacrifice quick charging and Qi charging capabilities for storing more energy. That latter feature is important if you like to keep the charging chase on your phone at all times. It’s also especially handy for wirelessly charging your phone and battery case simultaneously.
Battery Case FAQ
Are battery cases safe for your phone?
Yes, a battery case shouldn’t damage your phone’s battery, as long as it’s used properly. Your phone takes power directly from the battery case, and after the case is drained, it’ll start using the phone’s battery. Smartphones also come with the ability to monitor your battery as it charges, preventing overloading. The only major issue you could run into is overheating if the case doesn’t offer proper ventilation.
Should you drain your battery case before charging?
No, it isn’t necessary to drain the lithium-based batteries found in battery cases. If you let your battery fully drain completely, it may even damage it, reducing the capacity over time.
Mark Knapp is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything electronics and gaming hardware. He has over 10 years of experience in the tech industry with bylines at PCMag, Reviewed, CNET, and more. Find Mark on Twitter @Techn0Mark or BlueSky at @Techn0Mark.
Danielle is a Tech freelance writer based in Los Angeles who spends her free time creating videos and geeking out over music history.
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