With the build-up to the next big Amazon Prime exclusive sale (Prime Big Deal Days, or October Prime Day, as it's better known) well underway, we're already starting to see some notable early discounts that you should absolutely consider snapping up ASAP.
That now includes a handful of new Nintendo Switch 2 games down to record low prices at Amazon, including Donkey Kong Bananza, down to $53.54 (previously $69.99). Other discounted games include Cyberpunk 2077, Mario Kart World, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Breath of the Wild, with the additional discount automatically applied during checkout.
So what's the catch? These are technically sold under Amazon Resale. Now hold your eye rolls, as we've seen deals like this before, and these discounts are some of the IGN Deals team's most anticipated offers going into the biggest sale period of the year.
Most of the games I'm recommending in the sale are classified as "Used - Like New," and sold directly by Amazon, so you're not losing anything, or buying a game that looks like it's been recently run over.
We've also already noted some PlayStation deals at Amazon Resale, with the PS Portal dropping to around $140 (but now sold out), and the DualSense Edge controller, also down to around $140 right now (also likely to sell out soon). In case you hadn't already realised, the main with kind of deals is stock tends to be extremely limited, so be fast to the trigger if you don't want the disappointment of missing out.
This is one of the best ways to buy into some of the most expensive new games available, and find rare discounts where you normally wouldn't (I'm looking at you, Nintendo). Plus, you still get the 30-day Amazon return policy, so it's still a much safer option than just buying a used game off some random on Facebook Marketplace.
Plus, if you're looking for more Switch 2 game deals, we also recently covered discounts on other games sold by Amazon this week (not resale either), including Split Fiction, Sonic x Shadow Generations, Madden NFL 26, and more.
Robert Anderson is Senior Commerce Editor and IGN's resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter/X or Bluesky.
Borderlands 4 developer Gearbox has said improving the performance of the game on PC is its “top priority,” with a patch due out today, September 18.
In a statement issued on social media, the developer said it was aware of the feedback from players on Borderlands 4 across PC and console, with patches coming to improve matters.
Meanwhile, Gearbox said a field of view (FOV) slider for consoles is in testing.
All eyes are on Gearbox right now to see how it deals with an internet backlash to the performance of Borderlands 4 — which has come despite huge player numbers on Steam. The studio released an update for the game on PC over the weekend — without patch notes — that didn’t seem to fix much of anything, so hopefully this new patch is meaningful.
Gearbox has posted a Borderlands 4 Nvidia Optimization guide on Steam, advising players how to optimize their graphics settings for “better performance and framerates” on PC with the Nvidia app, although users report mixed results.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Tencent has hit back at Sony's lawsuit that claimed upcoming game Light of Motiram was nothing more than a "slavish clone" of Horizon Zero Dawn — and highlighted concerns within the PlayStation maker that its own game was too similar to Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.
In a fresh response to Sony's legal action, Chinese tech giant Tencent branded the lawsuit as an "impermissible" attempt to claim ownership of "well-trodden" tropes — such as a red-headed heroine fighting robot dinosaurs — and a bid by Sony to gain a monopoly over an entire genre.
In addition, Tencent highlighted past comments made by Horizon Zero Dawn developer Jan-Bart Van Beek, where the art director admitted concerns within Guerrilla that its concept was too similar to Ninja Theory's 2013 game Enslaved: Odyssey to the West — another example of a red-headed heroine fighting robot beasts.
In a legal filing reported by The Game Post, Tencent described Sony's move as an overreach, and highlighted other game franchises with similar elements to Horizon Zero Dawn such as The Legend of Zelda and Far Cry. It was "startling," Tencent said, that Sony was now attempting to claim Horizon's concept was original, rather than an idea based on "ubiquitous genre ingredients."
"By suing over an unreleased project that merely employs the same time-honored tropes embraced by scores of other games released both before and after Horizon — like Enslaved, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Far Cry: Primal, Far Cry: New Dawn, Outer Wilds, Biomutant, and many more — Sony seeks an impermissible monopoly on genre conventions," Tencent wrote.
Sony's claim that Horizon was an original PlayStation concept was also "flatly contradicted" by remarks made in a behind-the-scenes documentary by Van Beek, Tencent stated, claiming that Guerrilla had briefly shelved work on Horizon Zero Dawn due to internal concerns it shared too many similarities with Enslaved.
"Long before this lawsuit was filed, the developers of Horizon Zero Dawn publicly acknowledged that the very same game elements that, today, Sony claims to own exclusively, were in fact borrowed from an earlier game," Tencent argued.
"Mr. Van Beek warned, 'I don’t think we should do this; it touches too much of these other points,' referring to prominent elements of Enslaved. Sony shelved the project — only to revive it later with full awareness that the idea was far from novel. When Horizon Zero Dawn finally launched in 2017, the gaming community noted its striking resemblance to Enslaved and other genre staples."
Tencent's rebuttal attempts to dismiss other elements of Sony's lawsuit, too, by stating that its work on Light of Motiram was unconnected to a failed pitch meeting with Sony for a Horizon spin-off. Tencent has also claimed that Sony's entire lawsuit is invalid because the company had named the wrong parts of Tencent in its initial complaint.
Still, while attempting to defend itself from Sony's legal action, it is notable that Tencent has also seemingly made adjustments to the work-in-progress Light of Motiram itself. A glance at the game's Steam page shows it has been scrubbed of screenshots and logos that depicted its redheaded star and those robot dinosaurs. The suggestion here is that Tencent plans to ultimately release Light of Motiram without the elements Sony has deemed most similar to Horizon. It'll be interesting to see how Sony responds to these apparent alterations when it issues its rebuttal.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Matt Reeves has explained his thinking behind which villain to go with for the hotly anticipated The Batman 2, teasing it’s “never really been done in a movie before.”
The Batman 2, which starts filming early next year, currently has a release date of October 1, 2027. If it makes that date, the sequel will arrive five-and-a-half years after The Batman. We know Robert Pattinson will reprise his role as the moody Caped Crusader, and Colin Farrell will once again play crime boss Penguin, although it sounds like it's a minor role.
But who will play the main villain this time around, and which character from Batman’s rogues' gallery has Reeves plucked from the comics to bring to live action?
In an interview with Josh Horowitz, Reeves kept his cards close to his chest, but did explain his thinking on the new villain, and issued a tease that has sparked all sorts of speculation among the fandom.
“I had a lot of ideas, and then Mattson Tomlin, who's my writing partner, we began the process of this by doing another deep dive into the comics, exploring the ideas that I had had,” Reeves began.
“He gave me some ideas that he had had. And we sat together and we watched a lot of movies, honestly, and not all movies that are from the realm of Gotham, just to explore where this story… because I knew that the way the movie ended it was leaving us on the precipice, and also the way events sort of happen within the show [The Penguin], that there is an exploration to be had. And one of the explorations for me was to do something that pushes even further into the character of Bruce Wayne, because the first story is so much about the Batman.
“Let’s say we get to make 3 — I have no idea — but if we get to make 3, I always wanted the movies to be focused on his character. Once you get past the origin tale, which we didn't quite do but we did something that referred to his origins, then you start telling the rogues' gallery story and that character's arc. And I never wanted to lose Rob at the center of these stories. And so that is really what we set our aim on.
“And so picking the right villain that digs into what that does, that goes into his past and his life, that was what drove that discussion. I won't tell you where we ended up, but we're super excited about it. And I will say it's never really been done in a movie before. So we're excited.”
Fans are coming up with all sorts of obscure Batman villains in response to Reeves’ comments, but it’s worth pointing out that he isn’t necessarily saying it’s a villain we’ve not seen in live-action form before, rather he may be making the point that we’ve never seen them realized in this way before. So, perhaps we’ll see a different take on Mr. Freeze, or Bane, or Poison Ivy, or Hugo Strange, or Scarecrow, or Two-Face. Will Barry Keoghan return as Joker in The Batman 2, after his cameo at the end of the first film? It really is hard to say at this stage.
Here’s what we do know: Cristin Milioti, who won an Emmy for her role as Sofia Falcone in The Penguin, is not in The Batman 2. “We were so far along in the story, it might upset the apple cart given where the story goes and what we’re exploring,” Reeves explained.
Reeves also spoke about where the HBO spinoff series The Penguin stands in terms of Season 2. “We’re in discussions. [Showrunner] Lauren [Lefranc] is thinking hard and we’re talking, so we’ll see,” he told Variety. “We love the show, and we think our cast is so incredible. The work that Lauren and the writers did was incredible. Our passion was in it, but never in our wildest dreams could we imagine it would have been received in the way that it was.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
A U.S. House committee has called on the CEOs of a number of online platforms to testify at Congress following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer asked the bosses of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit to testify at a hearing scheduled for October 8, citing the "radicalization of online forum users."
Kirk, an ally of President Trump, was fatally shot at a Utah university on Wednesday, September 10. His alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, 22, appeared to take responsibility for the shooting on Discord, a company spokesperson confirmed to the BBC.
According to the spokesperson, Robinson messaged friends in a chat on Discord hours before he was arrested last week in connection with Kirk's shooting. "It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this," reads a message from an account that allegedly belongs to Robinson, the BBC reported. Robinson has since appeared in court charged with aggravated murder.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said the hearing “will examine the radicalization of online forum users, including instances of open incitement to commit politically motivated acts.”
“The politically motivated assassination of Charlie Kirk claimed the life of a husband, father, and American patriot,” commented Chairman Comer.
“In the wake of this tragedy, and amid other acts of politically motivated violence, Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence. To prevent future radicalization and violence, the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit must appear before the Oversight Committee and explain what actions they will take to ensure their platforms are not exploited for nefarious purposes.”
Individual letters were sent to Humam Sakhnini, CEO of Discord, Gabe Newell, President of Steam owner Valve, Dan Clancy, CEO of Amazon-owned Twitch, and Steve Huffman, CEO of Reddit.
Newell and co will provide their written testimony at least two business days prior to the hearing, and will have the chance to provide a five-minute opening statement prior to answering questions posed by Members.
Discord told Reuters it welcomed the opportunity to testify. "We continuously engage with policymakers on these critical issues and look forward to continuing this important dialogue next month," it said. Reddit insisted it has not yet found evidence that Robinson was active on its platform, adding it "has strong policies against hateful content and content that incites, encourages, glorifies or calls for violence."
Warner alleged that Steam was home to tens of thousands of groups that “share and amplify antisemitic, Nazi, sexuality or gender-based hate, and white supremacist content,” and called on Valve “to bring its content moderation standards in line with industry standards and crack down on the rampant proliferation of hate-based content.”
Photo by Olly Curtis/Future Publishing via Getty Images.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Star Wars: Starfighter director Shawn Levy has shared a fresh production photo featuring the upcoming film's stars Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray, standing on some kind of sci-fi boat.
Gosling is pictured leaning against one set of controls, sporting tousled hair and a bruised cheek. He's dressed in a loose-fitting shirt that looks like it could have come from Harrison Ford's wardrobe, and thick gloves.
Gray's character sports a similar look, with scruffy clothes and gloves. The two certainly look the parts of uncle and nephew, though the finer details of who either actor is playing remain under wraps.
Of course, the image has already prompted plenty of speculation among fans. While several planets featuring plenty of water have featured in Star Wars to date, reddit user BlackTriangle31 has suggested this could be the aquatic world Maramere, from 2002 video game Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter.
While Maramere and its watery resident species, the Mere, have yet to be brought into Disney's Star Wars canon, they've made several appearances in Legends lore. Humanoid in appearance, the Mere have spiny arms and orange fur, and can breathe through both their nose and a set of gills.
Other fans have suggested this could be Kamino, the ocean world that was home to the saga's clone army, or even Naboo — hey, maybe Jar-Jar is just out of shot beneath the surface? But it seems unlikely Starfighter will bother itself with any of those backstories.
Some fans have likened Gosling's appearance to that of the smuggler and general Han Solo-like Dash Rendar, a figure mostly found in Legends stories but who has appeared in canon. Gosling looks a little young to be playing the character in the Disney sequels era, though.
"This is a standalone. It’s not a prequel, not a sequel," Levy said at Star Wars Celebration 2025 in April. "It’s a new adventure. It’s set in a period of time that we haven’t seen explored yet.” The film’s script was handled by The Adam Project’s Jonathan Tropper.
Starfighter filming is currently taking place off the sunny coast of Sardinia in the Mediterranean — alright for some — ahead of the film's release on 28 May, 2027. Doctor Who star Matt Smith is set to play the movie's villain, while Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Amy Adams, Jamael Westman, and The Inbetweeners legends Simon Bird will also star.
Put Jordan Peele’s name on the poster as a producer and you’re guaranteed butts in seats. However, Justin Tipping’s Him doesn’t have nearly the thematic ambition of the Peele-directedNope andGet Out. The sports-centric thriller occasionally verges on horror territory, but it never tips over into the eerie (let alone the terrifying) despite numerous attempts. While it has a few fun visual flourishes, it’s a barely-competent movie, held together only by its lead performers who function less like MVPs and more like an injured athlete’s sports tape.
The film is at its most intriguing in its opening prologue, when tethered to reality, as it introduces legendary quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) and his fictitious team, the San Antonio Saviors. During a high-stakes game, White suffers a horrific injury as a young Cam Cade watches eagerly on TV, surrounded by Saviors merchandise. The boy’s military father points to White’s dangling leg and tells his son: “That’s what a real man looks like.” This no-pain-no-gain philosophy carries over into Cade’s adulthood, when he’s played by Tyriq Withers, as he rises to the rank of college prodigy. White, in the meantime, has not only recovered, but has become one of the most revered sportsmen of all time, setting up an impending rivalry between the young graduate and his hero.
As the prospect of Cade being drafted to the big leagues looms — which is to say, the notoriously litigious NFL, which is never mentioned by name — the film introduces a handful of strange, phantasmagorical happenings, like a rattling goalpost and an infinitely spinning ball. Cade, distracted by these oddities, is attacked one evening by a mascot figure, leaving him with scalp staples that resemble a football’s stitches. In spite of his injury and concussion (not to mention infinite pressure from the media), he perseveres, to the point that White handpicks him to train at his isolated ranch for a week-long bootcamp, even as rumors of Cade replacing the legend swirl.
It's here that the movie starts to break down. Cade’s arrival at White’s museum to himself reveals, at worst, an idiosyncratic celebrity ego. About two eerie things happen throughout the runtime, between a Saw-like scenario where Cade’s failures on an indoor field lead to a teammate gladly accepting physical punishment, and a White super-fan sneaking in to berate Cade for potentially replacing her idol. Everything in between smacks of half-baked conception. The hallways of White’s sprawling bunker are awash in shadow, but lurking in the darkness is only ever the occasional vision of a paparazzo, a likely outcome of Cade’s brain trauma.
When the movie finally, mercifully reaches its climax some 90 minutes in (a runtime that feels like an eternity), it spouts off in a dozen different directions.
As viewers, we’re left at an arm’s distance from Cade, so his visions aren’t so much dangerous as they are amusing, as they force anticipation for something more effective. The movie is filled with disconnected symbols of Christian and pagan significance, but apart from gestures towards the cult-like nature of American football fans, these don’t amount to much beyond fleeting texture. What’s most disturbing about Him is the actual football, which Tipping shoots like a visceral and uncomfortable display of aggression, emphasizing contact with disturbing “crunches” as he occasionally cuts to imaginative X-ray footage of what each hit does to the body and brain. However, despite Wayans’ pseudo-religious sermonizing, these hits never amount to much by way of Cade’s own sacrifice to be deemed worthy of the coveted “GOAT” (or “Greatest of All Time”) label.
The dangers of blinkered masculinity hover in the backdrop, as Wayans delivers a powerful performance as a kindly mentor overcome by the thrill of violence, and Withers searches for sure footing amidst a confusing scenario, to say the least. However, the movie’s themes are seldom expressed through anything more lucid than stray words and background symbols. Some dialogue gestures towards a playfully alluring homoeroticism, but the images are too bland to feature any kind of flavor (let alone something subtextually queer). The movie’s highlight may very well be Australian comedian Jim Jeffries in a small but creepy part as White’s health specialist, who injects Withers with a mystery fuel, but his role also ends up more lightly symbolic than tangibly meaningful.
Some mysteries are dropped. Others are re-introduced, but never reach the point of reveal or catharsis. All the while, the movie’s haphazard camera coverage obscures even the simplest of dialogue scenes (let alone eventual moments of intoxicated combat) in terms of who’s looking or standing where. The low, blood-red lighting of White’s spas and gymnasiums create an occasionally imposing feel, but its deals-with-the-devil are never logistically or poetically interesting enough to match this color palette.
When the movie finally, mercifully reaches its climax some 90 minutes in (a runtime that feels like an eternity), it spouts off in a dozen different directions that all circle ideas about the way young athletes are bred for success against their best interests. However, the ensuing bloodshed holds no thematic or emotional weight, and plays like too little footage was shot to achieve Tipping’s ambitions. It is, in a few words, really bad, and not in a way that makes it interesting to watch.
Amazon is offering a great discount on one of the best budget headphones you can find. The JLab JBuds Lux Over-Ear Headphones drops to just $48.99 after a 40% off discount, but it offers a wealth of features that you'd typically find in a headphone that costs hundreds of dollars. Most importantly, sound quality is well above the standard for its price.
JLab JBuds Lux Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones for $49
SoundGuys recently reviewed the JLab JBuds Lux and gave these headphones a glowing review, mentioning that they were one of the best headphones under $100 that they had tested. SoundGuys considered them an excellent at their retail price of $79. At the current price of $49.99, it's hard to find a better bang for your buck.
The JLab JBuds Lux's laundry list of premium features include large 40mm drivers, Dolby Atmos compatible Spatial Audio, support for PlayStation Tempest 3D AudioTech and Windows Sonic, hybrid active noise cancellation, a "Be Aware" mode that lets you listen in on your environment, built-in microphone for hands-free calling, up to 70 hours of battery life on a single charge (40 hours with ANC enabled), USB Type-C charging, and Bluetooth Multipoint.
These headphones even look the part. The JLab JBuds Lux are thoughtfully designed for both comfort and performance, with cushy earcups that conform to your ear while also providing an effective seal for passive isolation, a padded headband for prolonged comfort, and a foldable design that makes them easy to tote around.
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.
If you're seeking the absolute best of the best in PC gaming performance, look no further. Alienware has just dropped the price of its flagship Alienware Area-51 prebuilt gaming PC equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card starting at $4,299.99 with free shipping. This is the lowest price I've seen for an Alienware 5090 gaming PC and is reasonably competitive compared to other boutique PC builders. The GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card is currently the most powerful GPU on the market, and by a wide margin.
Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 Gaming PC From $4,299.99
This least expensive Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 gaming PC configuration is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265K processor with 240mm liquid cooling, 32GB of DDR5-6400MHz RAM, and 1TB SSD. For an extra $400, you can upgrade to the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor, double the storage capacity, and a beefier 360mm all-in-one cooler. Both systems are powered by a 1,500W 80Plus Platinum power supply.
The RTX 5090 Is the Most Powerful Graphics Card Ever
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 has emerged as the most powerful consumer GPU on the market. Although Nvidia has prioritized software updates, AI features, and DLSS 4 technology to improve gameplay performance, the 5090 still boasts an impressive 25%-30% uplift over the RTX 4090 in terms of pure hardware-based raster performance. The 5090 also has more (32GB vs. 24GB) and faster (GDDR7 vs. GDDR6) VRAM compared to the 4090.
Check out more of the best Alienware deals
Check out our Best Alienware Deals article with all of Dell's currently ongoing deals on gaming laptops and desktop PCs. 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.
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 Ray-Ban Display features a heads-up-display embedded within the right-hand lens. The company teased them at the start of the presentation, seemingly livestreaming a video from Zuckerberg’s point of view as he walked to the event stage, with overlays showing things like his currently playing music and people sending text messages and images to him. Describing them later, he said they're the first smartglasses with a high-resolution display – they show images at 42 pixels per degree, a measure of pixel density in VR headsets – and that it's large enough to watch a video or read messages. Things like text messages will appear for a few seconds before disappearing, and you can look at pictures you've just taken with them. Naturally, they're AI-powered, so you can chat with Meta AI through them. They’re not full-on AR, so you won’t see the words on street signs morph or peoples’ names appear above their heads, Cyberpunk 2077-style, but they’re a step in that direction.
Outside of the display, Meta says the Display features a six-microphone array with open-ear speakers, a 12MP camera with 3X zoom, and "up to 6 hours of continuous mixed-use battery life," while the charging case is good for up to 30 hours of battery life. The Ray-Ban Display can be controlled with a new wristband device, called the Neural Band, that can interpret subtle movements from your hand. As part of that, Zuckerberg used his hand to mimic writing words out on a hard surface, generating text messages during a live demo. The company has been working on surface electromyography (sEMG) tech to pull off such a trick. The band's capability is similar to Apple Watch gestures like tapping your thumb and forefinger together to do basic things like answer calls. Time will tell how accurate it actually is in practice, but it looked impressive in an otherwise somewhat fraught demo that included Zuckerberg failing to answer a phone call.
Featuring that display is not without compromises. As seen in Meta’s demo of its Orion glasses last year, these new Ray-Bans need a lot more hardware to make a display work, and all that electronic junk has to go somewhere. That means very chunky frames that are 20 grams heavier than their screen-less predecessor, although Meta clearly did its best to move as much as it could to the temples. It’ll be key for the company to have balanced this right, as those sensitive to weight might not be able to stand them. They may not look out of place on your standard Jeff Goldblum head, but for the average person who isn’t used to calling that much attention to their face or bearing that much weight on their nose and ears, they’ll test just how adeptly life, uh, finds a way. The Ray-Ban Display will come in two colors – black and tan – and will be available in stores, with or without prescription lenses, on September 30th for $799.
Then there are the Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses. They look more utilitarian than the existing Oakley Meta HSTN, departing from the Ray-Ban-like frames and taking on a sportier, wraparound design with bright, reflective tint and a big camera embedded in the center. The idea here is that these would be better for folks like cyclists, who might want a centered camera for taking video of their workouts, and value blocking sunlight in their peripheral vision too.
The camera is the star of the show here. Like the other new Meta smartglasses, it's a 12MP camera, capable of capturing up to 3K resolution video. It also has a decently generous 122-degree field of view, handy for action videos. The speakers, according to Meta, adjust their output to deal with up to 30mph wind, although I'm skeptical how well they can do that as open-ear speakers. As for battery life, the Vanguard can last for "up to 9 hours of normal use," according to Meta's website.
Zuckerberg also showed off some features, like slow motion and hyperlapse modes and an autocapture feature that can start recording video when you hit certain speeds or distance intervals. Being fitness-centered, they're also IP67 rated, meaning they should be dust tight and able to withstand being submerged in water for brief periods. Also, the shield-style lenses are swappable, if you decide you're not into the color you buy or just want to switch things up. The Oakley Meta Vanguard is up for preorder now and will be available starting October 21st, for $499.
Zuckerberg also showed off new 2nd generation Ray-Ban Meta, which record video at 3K resolution using a 12MP ultrawide camera. They've got twice the battery life of the first-gen versions – the company says up to 8 hours on a charge, with a charging case that extends that by 48 hours. He also showcased new features such as Conversation Focus, which he said can amplify the voice of someone you’re talking with – in a busy restaurant, for example. The feature doesn’t work automatically; you have to pause your conversation and ask Meta AI to activate Conversation Focus. (Nothing awkward about that!)
He also talked about Live AI, which he said wearers can use for about an hour as its own conversation partner. In a demonstration, someone asked Meta AI to help him make a “Korean-inspired steak sauce,” then as it started telling him what to do, he interrupted it to ask what he should do first. The demo fell apart here, with Meta AI telling him he’d already combined some ingredients, and what to do next. (Zuckerberg and the demonstrator blamed the issue on bad Wi-Fi.) The 2nd-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses start at $379 and are available now.
Wes is a freelance writer (Freelance Wes, they call him) who has covered technology, gaming, and entertainment steadily since 2020 at Gizmodo, Tom's Hardware, Hardcore Gamer, and most recently, The Verge. Inside of him there are two wolves: one that thinks it wouldn't be so bad to start collecting game consoles again, and the other who also thinks this, but more strongly.
Fair warning: There is something deeply dangerous about opening up my deal pages with a full wallet and an empty weekend. Every time I tell myself I am just browsing, my cart ends up looking like a collector's backlog starter pack. Today's list is especially spicy, stacked with cult classics, fresh hits and a few games that gave me late night obsessions I still regret nothing about. End warning.
In retro news, I'm using a rolling Katamari that accidentally scooped up a campfire to light 16 candles on a cake for Katamari Forever, the PS3's wonderfully weird puzzler. At the time it felt like proof that video games didn't always need grit and guns to hook you in. Sometimes all you need is a booger sticky sphere and a bloody awesome soundtrack.
I remember firing this up and thinking it was basically a "best of" mixtape for the series, with old levels remixed, new cel-shaded flair, and the King of All Cosmos still being his gloriously unhinged self. The joy was still in the nonsense. One minute you're hoovering up erasers and pigeons, the next you're big enough to snatch skyscrapers. Timelessly entertaining stuff.
On Switch, the Ori games are the obvious standouts. Ori and the Blind Forest was created by a distributed dev team working remotely across the globe long before that became the norm, and the result is one of the most heartfelt metroidvanias ever made. Meanwhile, Persona 5 Tactica adds a cheeky tactics spin to the series that still drips with Shoji Meguro's signature music.
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (-12%) - A$79 Two classic 3D Mario adventures bundled for Switch. Still worth it for fans of Galaxy's inventive platforming and gravity-defying levels. Nintendo magic never ages.
Hades (-75%) - A$9.30 Superb roguelike dungeon crawler with addictive combat and Greek mythology flair. A steal at this price, especially if you enjoy replayable action games with style.
Persona 5 Tactica (-71%) - A$27.80 Turn-based tactics spin-off from Atlus' beloved series. Vibrant visuals and quirky Persona flavour make this a fun detour from the usual RPG grind.
BioShock: The Col. (-61%) - A$35 Three groundbreaking narrative shooters in one package. Explore Rapture and Columbia at their atmospheric best. A great way to experience the full saga.
Ori and the Blind Forest: Def. (-75%) - A$7.40 Stunning hand-painted visuals and tight platforming. Ori’s first outing is equal parts emotional and challenging. A beautiful must-play indie.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (-75%) - A$11.20 A refined sequel that builds on its predecessor with fluid movement and deeper combat. Gorgeous and heartfelt, one of the best metroidvanias around.
Series X has a monster set, but Hogwarts Legacy Del. remains impressive. Avalanche built it with such a love for the Wizarding World that even the toilet ghosts got in. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, meanwhile, is a chaotic D&D parody where Andy Samberg and Wanda Sykes improvise their way through tabletop insanity.
Hogwarts Legacy: Del. Ed. (-80%) - A$23.90 Open-world wizarding adventure packed with spells and secrets. The deluxe extras add flair, though the main draw is exploring Hogwarts and beyond.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (-43%) - A$57.20 A tough but rewarding platformer that respects the series' roots while innovating. Expect challenging levels and cheeky marsupial antics.
Doom Eternal (-27%) - A$39.90 Rip and tear through hordes of demons in id’s frenetic shooter. Fast-paced, heavy metal action that rewards aggression.
EA Sports FC 24 (-88%) - A$12.90 Rebranded FIFA entry with the same addictive football gameplay. Huge roster of clubs and modes, great value for soccer fans.
Xbox One
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (-53%) - A$27 Retro-inspired platformer bundle including all expansions. Polished controls and charming pixel art make this a modern classic.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (-65%) - A$24.50 Faithful remakes of the iconic skateboarding sims. Nostalgia meets slick new visuals and gameplay refinements.
Kingdom Hearts III (-79%) - A$20.60 Disney meets Final Fantasy in this flashy RPG conclusion. Big worlds, bigger keyblades, and plenty of heart.
PS5 owners should not sleep on Dead Space, the lovingly rebuilt survival horror classic where Visceral originally hid Isaac Clarke's girlfriend's name in the first letter of every chapter. Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin may be meme-worthy thanks to its Chaos obsession, but its combat system secretly outshines most modern action RPGs.
Star Wars Outlaws (-67%) - A$36 Open-world Star Wars adventure focusing on smugglers and scoundrels. A fresh angle on the galaxy far, far away.
Borderlands 4 (-17%) - A$99 Chaotic looter shooter returns with more mayhem, bigger guns, and over-the-top humour.
Dead Space (-78%) - A$24 Remake of the survival horror classic. Chilling atmosphere, grotesque necromorphs, and tense gameplay.
Stranger of Paradise FF Origin (-70%) - A$30.30 Dark, action-focused spin on Final Fantasy lore. A divisive oddity with brutal combat and meme-worthy dialogue.
One Piece Odyssey (-72%) - A$28 JRPG based on the legendary anime. Great for One Piece fans keen to explore a fresh island story with the Straw Hats.
PS4
Persona 5 Royal (-46%) - A$54.40 Expanded edition of the stylish JRPG. School life meets dungeon crawling with unmatched flair.
Red Dead Redemption (-53%) - A$34.90 Rockstar’s Western masterpiece finally on modern consoles. Slow-paced but immersive tale of loyalty and betrayal.
Far Cry 5 (-66%) - A$34.10 Open-world shooter set in rural America. Explosive action and cult takedowns in Ubisoft’s sandbox formula.
On PC, Hades is a masterclass in replayability from Supergiant, where every failed escape attempt is canonised into story. Civilization VI is the sort of game where you swear you will play just one more turn until the sun is rising and your empire still needs you.
Ni no Kuni: WotWW (-85%) - A$11.20 Charming JRPG with Studio Ghibli visuals. Heartfelt story and whimsical adventure.
Children of Morta (-85%) - A$5.30 Family-driven roguelike about legacy and sacrifice. Gorgeous pixel art and cooperative gameplay make it special.
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.
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