Alienware's new mainstream gaming laptop for 2025 is dubbed the "Alienware Aurora" and it replaces the previous generation's x16 and m16 series of laptops. It comes in two models: the 16 and 16X. Of the two, the 16X Aurora is the model I would recommend. It has a higher price tag, but the upgrades - like a fully aluminum body, higher quality display, and more powerful CPU and GPU - are worth it. It also costs hundreds less than the Alienware 16 Area-51 laptop.
Alienware 16X Aurora Gaming Laptops
Gamers should go with the Alienware 16X Aurora model
The Alienware 16X Aurora is the model that serious gamers should consider over the 16 Aurora and that's pretty obvious when you compare the specs. Just look at the all of the upgrades:
Better display (2560x1600 240Hz G-Sync vs 2560x1600 120Hz)
More powerful CPU (Intel Core Ultra HX series vs Intel Core H-series)
Higher GPU TGP rating and thus better performance
More premium materials (metal alloy lid and chassis vs lid only)
RGB keyboard vs white-only backlighting
Thunderbolt 4.0 port
Compared to other Alienware laptops, the 16X Aurora is designed to look less like a gamer's laptop. It boasts a sleek, understated design with the absence of extraneous visual-only embellishments or unnecessary RGB lighting outside of the keyboard illumination. This is a solidly built machine with a metal (magnesium alloy) chassis and anodized aluminum lid and bottom shell. Under the hood, the 16X Aurora packs a punch with powerful components and Cryo Chamber cooling.
Both RTX 5070 and 5060 mobile GPUs are great options
The mobile RTX 5060 is about 15%-20% more powerful than the RTX 4060 that replaces, making it a perfectly capable GPU for most games at up to 1600p. It performs even better in games that support DLSS 4 with multi-frame generation. If you're playing older or less demanding games, then the RTX 5060 is more than capable of handling your needs.
The mobile RTX 5070 performs about 5%-10% better than the RTX 4070. If you want to play the latest games with more demanding requirements, then the RTX 5070 is a worthy upgrade to maintain a consistently frame rates on the display's enhanced 2560x1600 resolution. You'll also have a more future-proof system for unreleased games down the road.
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.
Harman direct just dropped the price on one of its highest end portable speakers. Add the Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 to your shopping cart and the price ends up being just $159.99 shipped after a massive 60% off instant discount.
Harman Kardon Go + Play 3 Portable Speaker for $159.99
You must add it to your cart to see the price
The Go + Play 3 is a substantially sized portable speaker with an 8 hour battery life and a well-rounded 3-way stereio soundstage thanks to its combination of tweeters, mid-range drivers, and even a built-in 5" subwoofer. It boasts premium materials, like a tempered glass-top touch panel, fabric grills, and a sturdy aluminum handle to help manage its 10 pound heft. It pairs to up to two devices simultaneously over Bluetooth and has a USB charging port so you can keep your mobile device charged up even while its streaming your playlist. It also has dual microphones for Bluetooth speaker functionality.
The Go + Play 3 normally retails for $390 and the next best price is $200 from Best Buy, so without a doubt Harman direct is the best place to purchase this speaker. If you're looking for something smaller that you can bring outside, with a more durable and waterproof housing, then the Sonos Roam is a better fit. However, if you're looking for a portable speaker that can offer sound quality on par with a small home theater setup, then the Go + Play 3 will be one of your best options.
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.
For one week only, Best Buy has brought back one of the best high-end gaming headset deals of the year. Right now you can pick up the SteelSeries Arctis Pro for PlayStation and PC for just $149.99, which is nearly 50% off its retail price of $280. Best Buy is the only retailer selling it at this price. The Arctis Pro was SteelSeries' highest-end gaming headset before the Nova Pro was released and is one of the only wireless gaming headsets on the market with hot-swappable batteries. Note that although the packaging doesn't explicitly mention it, Steelseries confirms that it's PS5 compatible.
SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Gaming Headset for $149.99
The Arctis Pro is a very high-end gaming headset and as such, it boasts features you don't see in other gaming headsets. These include a separate, external control hub with OLED display, simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4GHz WiFi pairing, and its signature perk: the hot-swappable battery system. SteelSeries includes two batteries: one that's in use in your headset and the other that's charging in the base station. This way, you get wireless freedom with no waiting to recharge.
Audio quality is also excellent thanks to big 40mm speaker drivers that deliver plenty of volume with little distortion and plenty of EQ presets via the Steelseries GG app, as well as the option to create your own. The ClearCast boom microphone features background noise cancelation and can be retracted when not in use. The Arctis Pro features as good a build quality as you'll find in a SteelSeries headset. It's mostly made of a combination of steel and aluminum alloy, and the headband has a durable steel core while still being elastic for adjustability.
The ear cushions are made of a breathable AirWeave performance fabric that's found on the Actis Nova 7 headsets. I actually prefer these to the earcups on the newer Arctis Nova Pro headset. The Arctis Nova Pro features noise canceling, but the unfortunate side effect is that it uses a less breathable faux leather material to create a tighter seal on the ears. That also your ears get sweatier during long gaming sessions.
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.
Dell is kicking off this week with some huge savings on one of its highest-end Alienware laptops. Right now you can save $800 off the Alienware 18 Area-51 18" RTX 5080 gaming laptop, now down to $2,749.99 with free delivery. The RTX 5080 is the second most powerful mobile GPU and even surpasses the previous generation's top performer, the RTX 4090.
Alienware 18 Area-51 RTX 5080 Gaming Laptop for $2,750
The Area-51: new color, curvy design, metal construction, and upgraded cooling
The Alienware Area-51 is a considerable upgrade compared to the previous generation's Alienware m16. For starters, it's clad in anodized aluminum for both the lid and bottom chassis and features a unique iridescent finish that sparkles in direct lighting. The frame is made of a durable and lightweight magnesium alloy. Cooling has been upgraded with generous amounts of copper and a new thermal interface. Dell claims that it can handle up to 240W TDP without raising acoustics.
Design-wise, the Area 51 has a sleeker, more contoured shape compared to previous models, with rounded edges and soft corners replacing the traditional squared off design. The hinges are internally positioned so that they're near invisible. There's a transparent window on the undercarriage to show off the internal components. There's also plenty of RGB illumination, although most of it can be turned off if you don't like that sort of thing.
The GeForce RTX 5080 mobile GPU is better than the RTX 4090 mobile
The Alienware Area-51's aggressive cooling allows it to accomodate the RTX 5080 mobile GPU without throttling it. The RTX 5080 is roughly 15%-20% more powerful than the RTX 4080 that it replaces. In fact, it's even more powerful than the RTX 4090, which was the previous generation's flagship card. You'll be able to play any game at frame rates of 60fps or higher on the 1600p display. You could even enable ray tracing in most games, something that was unheard of in laptops just a few years ago. The general consensus is that upgrading from an RTX 5080 (mobile) to RTX 5090 won't yield significant performance gains relative to the huge price difference.
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.
You’ve probably had this moment: you’re deep into a match, perfectly lined up for the headshot, when suddenly your character rubber-bands across the map and you’re ready to push your mouse through your monitor. We tend to blame “the internet” when these things happen. Here’s the reality: sometimes the real culprit isn’t your plan, it’s your in-home setup.
With internet providers starting to offer nbn’s accelerated speeds, delivering up to five times faster wholesale download speeds on eligible HFC and FTTP plans, now’s the perfect time to ask a simple question: is your Wi-Fi holding you back? Here are five signs it might be time to optimise your setup and save your gear from lag-induced rage.
Your Wi-Fi Router Lives in Witness Protection
Why are you so ashamed of your router? If your Wi-Fi router is shoved in a cupboard, hidden behind the TV, or gathering dust under your desk, you’re sabotaging your own connection. Wi-Fi works best with a clear line of sight, and every obstacle between your device and the router is another wall your signal has to punch through.
The fix is simple: Wi-Fi routers belong out in the open in an uncluttered area, ideally in a central spot where the signal can spread evenly. Elevating it onto a shelf or table at waist height makes a noticeable difference, while tucking it near interference-heavy electronics like microwaves, cordless phones, or even a giant fish tank is a recipe for signal chaos.
That Wi-Fi Router Is Older Than Your Steam Account
Routers aren’t immortal. If yours has been around longer than, say, you’ve been waiting for Half-Life 3, it may not be keeping up with your current internet demands. A good rule of thumb: if it’s more than five years old, you may want to consider whether it’s still suitable for your needs.
Older routers typically don’t support newer Wi-Fi standards, which can handle higher speeds. They might suffer under the pressure of multiple devices, deliver slower speeds and offer patchy coverage. Modern Wi-Fi routers offer the latest Wi-Fi standards and are better suited to supporting more demanding internet use across dozens of devices.
Pair that with the accelerated speeds nbn made available on its FTTP and HFC networks in September 2025, and a very old router - is like plugging a 4K-capable console into a CRT TV. It still works, but you might not be getting the full experience.
Your Dead Zones Are Actually Black Holes
We all have that one room where Wi-Fi mysteriously disappears. Maybe it’s the back bedroom where your streams constantly buffer, or the upstairs study where your games love to disconnect mid-match. These dead zones aren’t just annoying, they’re proof that your coverage isn’t cutting it.
Larger or multi-storey homes, or homes built with thick brick, concrete and even certain types of glass, make it harder for a single Wi-Fi router to cover every corner. If you’re constantly moving around to find “the good room” to play in, that’s a sign your setup might need some help.
That’s where mesh Wi-Fi systems come in. By creating multiple access points around your house, mesh setups help eliminate weak spots and give you stable speeds everywhere.
Every Device in the House Is Competing for Bandwidth
You’re gaming online while someone else is streaming 4K Netflix, another person is on a work video call, and your console is quietly downloading a 50GB update in the background. Sound familiar? That can be a classic case of too many devices competing for the same slice of bandwidth.
Older Wi-Fi routers in particular may struggle with this kind of load, which is why your ping spikes the second someone hits “play” on a movie. Upgrading to a modern router designed for multiple connections and making sure it’s placed correctly gives every device a fair chance.
You’ve Never Actually Checked Your Setup
Look, honestly most of us don’t think about our Wi-Fi router until something goes pear-shaped. We upgrade our consoles, swap out our GPUs and chase higher frame rates, but rarely ask if our Wi-Fi setup is keeping pace.
If you’ve never stopped to check where your Wi-Fi router is, how old it is, or whether your home needs a mesh system, you might already be limiting what your connection can do.
In other words, don’t wait until the next time you’re rage-quitting over lag. A few quick checks now can save you endless frustration later.
nbn’s accelerated speeds upgrade isn’t just a technical milestone for eligible premises, it’s an opportunity for gamers to finally leave lag and sluggish downloads behind. However, the upgrade doesn’t solve problems caused by poor placement, ageing hardware, or patchy coverage inside your home.
By recognising the signs – a hidden Wi-Fi router, an outdated router model, weak spots or dead zones around the house, overloaded connections, or a setup you’ve never even thought about – you can take simple steps to optimise your Wi-Fi and unlock the performance you’ve been missing. No gamer should lose a round to their own internet connection.
When was the last time you looked into the speeds you could be getting? Check your address to see what’s available to you.
OLED TVs are considered the best TVs for gaming, but they can also be very expensive. Fortunately, LG has a B-series OLED lineup that's hundreds of dollars cheaper than its other OLED TVs while still offering incredible image quality and gaming performance. Even better, LG has already discounted one particular TV to "Black Friday pricing". Right now you can pick up the 65" LG B5 4K OLED Smart TV for just $999.99 with free delivery. LG is even offering a free TV wall mount when you add it to the same order. The B5 is a current generation 2025 TV that can play PS5 games to their fullest potential.
Note that Amazon has price matched the TV, however you do not get the wall mount.
65" LG B5 4K OLED Smart TV for $999.99
Free wall mount (must add to the same order)
The LG B5 is equipped with a W-OLED panel that boasts superior image quality compared to non-OLED TVs thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio, near-instantaneous response times, and ability to produce true blacks. Compared to the LG C-series TVs, it lacks the Evo technology which means it isn't as bright as an more expensive C5 model, however, it's very similar to the previous generation's C4 because of the generational performance improvement.
The LG B4 is an excellent gaming TV for the PlayStation 5 console because it has a native 120Hz panel and four HDMI 2.1 ports. That means it will properly display games running in 4K resolution at up to 120fps. The LG B5 also supports variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM).
Is the LG B5 OLED TV a good TV for the Nintendo Switch 2?
Despite being a current generation console, the Nintendo Switch 2 has lax TV requirements compared to the PS5 or Xbox Series X. When the Switch is connected to its dock and a television, it is only capable of outputting a 4K resolution signal at up to 60 frames per second. Oddly, it doesn’t even get VRR when docked – that’s reserved for handheld mode only. All that aside, the Switch 2 will still benefit from an OLED TV's overall image quality, just like how the Switch OLED looks better than the original Switch, despite the fact that the screens share similar specs.
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.
It’s nearly time, friends. Time to set out the Christmas decorations. If you’re tired of dusty old wreathes and stockings, it’s time to refresh your holiday decor. Grab some of these (mostly) new 2025 Christmas-themed LEGO sets and go to town with them. For one, they’re fun to build. For another, they look great on your shelf, desk, dresser, or anywhere else you want to spread the holiday cheer. Here are all the best LEGO Christmas decorations for 2025.
Featured in this article
If you're not into perusing blurbs, you can see all the sets below in one handy catalog above. Otherwise, keep on reading.
LEGO Star Wars: Gingerbread AT-AT Walker
Why make a house out of gingerbread when you can make a giant walking death machine out of the same materials? That’s the question the designers of this incredible set were brave enough to ask. And the answer is one of my favorite LEGO sets ever made. I built this set and found it to be utterly delightful from start to finish. By the way, if you want a standard gingerbread house set, keep on reading.
LEGO Botanicals Poinsettia
Want a fun little build that doubles as a tasteful Christmas decoration? Grab this buildable poinsettia. It looks like the seasonal flower and comes in its own buildable pot. But you don’t have to water it, and it lasts forever. Build it once, and you can set it out every year when the holidays roll around.
LEGO Holiday Express Train
This festive set is a Christmas train and 16 pieces of circular track. The idea is build it and display it around the base of your Christmas tree, which is pretty clever. The train is fully decked out in holiday cheer, with wreathes and holly pinned to it, plus a whole train car wrapped in a bow and a giant polar teddy bear. It’s not motorized, but as you push the train around the track, the smokestack and bear move. As an added bonus, this set includes the first-ever 3D-printed LEGO piece, a miniature train engine.
LEGO Advent Calendars 2025
Every year, LEGO releases advent calendars that give you or the kids a miniature set to build each day in December during the lead-up to Christmas. Pick your favorite theme, and you or your loved ones can open a fun little buildable surprise 24 days in a row. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving.
LEGO Up-Scaled Santa Minifigure
LEGO has had a whole bunch of Christmas sets over the years, many of them featuring an adorable little Santa minifigure. This set celebrates that most generous and cheerful minifig, with a scaled-up buildable version of it that’s nearly a foot tall.
LEGO Gremlins: Gizmo
Gremlins is set at Christmas, which in my book makes it a Christmas movie. It even has a Scrooge-like character in the form of the greedy real estate maven, Mrs. Deagle. The only difference is, she doesn’t exactly have a change of heart in the end. What she does have is one of the most memorable deaths in the movie, which is really saying something. Anyway, here’s a nostalgic Gizmo build that would make an excellent Christmas decoration.
LEGO Family Christmas Tree
For a serious holiday LEGO build, this family Christmas tree is just the ticket. It’s over a foot and a half tall and over a foot wide and deep. Plus, this tree contains all sorts of holiday secrets within. It also comes with a sleigh, reindeer and snowman, plus elves, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and more. There’s even Cataclaws, which is a brick-built tuxedo cat with holiday accessories.
LEGO Ideas Home Alone House
If there's one movie I make sure to watch every holiday season, it's Home Alone. It's my favorite Christmas movie of all time, and only partially because the climax is 20 minutes of Kevin McCallister delivering cartoonish amounts of pain on the burglars who've been stalking him all movie. It's also a fantasically efficient script, and the end never fails to bring a tear to the eye. This set, which we built when it came out, has you recreate the McCallister mansion, complete with tons of scenes and Easter eggs from the movie.
LEGO Festive Gingerbread House
If the giant AT-AT Imperial death machine from Star Wars doesn’t appeal to you as a Christmas decoration, maybe this standard gingerbread house will do the trick. It’s a colorful, snowy wonder, complete with candy stripes and polka dots on the outside and spacious rooms on the inside. It comes with a Santa minifig with a gift bag accessory.
LEGO Snowman Ornaments
For a modest $12.99, you can pick up this pair of snowman Christmas ornaments. They’re cute little guys wrapped up in winter gear, complete with rosy cheeks and carrot noses. They also have hoops on the tops of their heads so you can actually hang them on your tree.
That's it for Christmas stuff, but we have plenty of other LEGO coverage for you to enjoy. Check out the LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight sets based on the upcoming video game. There's also an awesome LEGO Goonies set coming in early November.
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
Lenovo's most powerful Legion gaming PC just dropped to a new price low. The Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 gaming PC equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor and RTX 5090 graphics card is marked down to $3,799.99 after coupon code "EXTRAFIVE". That's $1,400 off in combined savings and Lenovo guarantees that "the price on this item won't go lower through Nov 29th, 2025." That might not be entirely true because there may be hidden coupon codes that could bring the price a bit lower, although probably not by a significant amount. In any case, this is currently one of the only RTX 5090 prebuilts I can find for under $4,000, especially from a reputable brand.
Lenovo Legion Tower 7 RTX 5090 Gaming PC for $3,799.99
The Legion Tower 7 is Lenovo's top-end desktop computer, boasting a well-ventilated chassis with a mesh front panel housing six total 120mm fans (including three fans for the 360mm liquid cooling system) to keep your components nice and cool. The system is powered by a generously oversized 1,200W power supply. We reviewed last year's Legion Tower 7i desktop, which uses the same chassis, and came away impressed.
This particular configuration features an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor, GeForce RTX 5090 32GB graphics card, a whopping 64GB of DDR5-5600MHz of RAM, and a 2TB PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSD. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor has a max turbo frequency of 5.7GHz with 24 cores and a 40MB L2 cache. According to Passmark, this is Intel's best gaming CPU and really the Intel chip that can compete with AMD's X3D processors. It's paired with 64GB of DDR5 memory.
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 with this generation 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 hardware-based raster performance. If you want the absolute best performance for your gaming PC, there is literally no other option from any other brand.
Why Choose Lenovo?
Lenovo Legion gaming PCs and laptops generally feature better build quality than what you'd find from other prebuilt PCs. For desktop PCs in particular, people like the fact that Lenovo does not use proprietary components in its computer systems, so they're easier to upgrade with off-the-shelf parts. Although we haven't yet reviewed the new 2025 models, we have reviewed last year's Legion 7 desktop and really liked its build quality and performance.
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.
Maintaining a tidy desk area doesn't have to be labor intensive or expensive. Compressed air canisters used to be the standard but nowadays there is a more versatile and cost effective solution. Amazon is offering the JVSCAM Cordless Rechargeable Electric Air Duster (Air Blower) for just $19.99 after you apply coupon code "U6C8Z5P7". This has become the best selling air duster on IGN because it's so cheap. Most electric air dusters under $50 on Amazon are pretty much identical, so I'd recommend just getting whichever one is least expensive.
JVSCAM Cordless Electric Air Duster for PC for $19.99
The JVSCAM cordless rechargeable electric air duster is a fairly straightforward device. An internal fan spins at up to 130,000RPM to move an appreciable amount of air. A nozzle funnels the air into a tight, high-velocity stream that's more than strong enough to kick up layers of dust that's been sitting on top of your computer components. It has three speed settings, although I would recommend keeping it at the max speed for optimal results. You also get four different sized nozzles, including a narrow funnel for tight spaces like the crevices in your keyboard and a wider nozzle for AoE damage.
The best thing about an electronic duster as opposed to a compressed air canister is that it can be re-used. The dual 2,500mAh batteries lasts up to 240 minutes on a full charge (on the lowest speed setting). It can be recharged with a USB Type-C cable, which is included. I have a similar variant of this air duster that I use for all manner of cleaning, not just my PC (cleaning my coffee grinder and blow drying my dog are two examples). If possible, do your dusting outside.
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.
Ahead of the holiday season, the official LG Store just dropped the price on a current generation LG OLED TV. Right now you can order a massive 77" LG Evo C5 4K OLED Smart TV for $1,999.99 with free delivery, which also includes your choice of free stand setup or free wall mounting. LG is also offering a free LG S40T 2.1ch soundbar and TV wall mount when you add them to the same order. If you can't wait until Black Friday, this is a great deal on a 2025 OLED TV.
Note that Amazon has price matched the TV, however you do not get the soundbar or wall mount.
77" LG Evo C5 4K OLED Smart TV for $1,999.99
Free LG S40T 2.1ch soundbar and wall mount (must add to the same order)
LG's OLED TVs have been our favorite TVs for console gaming for three years running thanks to their outstanding image quality, low input lag, and high refresh rate. The 2025 C5 uses LG's proprietary Evo panel, which is significantly brighter and offers a wider color gamut than traditional W-OLED TVs. Aside from higher production costs, there's no downside to this technology; the C5 boasts the near-infinite black levels, near-infinite contrast ratio, and near-instantaneous response times you'd expect from any OLED TV This is easily the best TV for streaming 4K HDR content in its intended glory.
The LG C5 has the necessary gaming features as well, including a native 120Hz panel that can be pushed to as high as 144Hz, HDMI 2.1 inputs for running PS5 games in 4K at up to 120fps, variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM). The C5 is also lightweight for its size because the rear cabinet housing is made of a composite fiber; for example, this 65" model weighs only 36 pounds without the stand, making it much easier to wall mount.
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.
Walmart officially announced its Black Friday schedule in a press release on Sunday. The retailer will be splitting up its deals into three different events with early discounts starting on November 14 this year. Unlike previous years, the Walmart Cyber Monday sale looks like it will be a one-day only event this year rather than an entire week of deals. Of the three events, Walmart has only offered a sneak peek of its early deals event, but here's the full rundown of sale dates for the entire Walmart Black Friday schedule this year.
Due to Walmart having separate online and in-store discounts in some cases, these sales are a little bit more complicated than the above image would suggest. Walmart+ members will also get early access to each of these sales.
Walmart Early Black Friday Deals Preview
Alongside the Black Friday start dates Walmart has announced, the retailer also offered up a preview of some of the discounts you can expect in its early sale, which won't actually start until mid-November. That's in stark contrast with Best Buy and Costco early sales that kick off on Halloween, but Walmart has promised "thousands of deals" during its three-day event and early access for Walmart+ members.
Here are some of the highlights from the sneak-peek deals from the press release:
98” TCL QLED 4K Google TV – Was $1,798.00, Event Price $998.00
Cricut Explore 3 Bundle – Was $410.00, Event Price $197.99
Dreo 1500W Portable Space Heater – Was $99.99, Event Price $38.99
My Texas House Glitter Trees (set of 3) – Was $159.66, Event Price $78.00
Philips Norelco 7200 Electric Razor – Was $99.96, Event Price $79.96
Sportspower Bounce Pro 14' Round Trampoline with Safety Enclosure – Was $229.00, Event Price $149.00
Is a Walmart+ membership worth it?
Walmart's subscription service usually gets pushed during sales events like Black Friday as a way to get early access to sales, but it's the other benefits of the subscription that are worth noting. A Walmart+ membership will automatically get you access to either a Paramount+or a Peacock premium streaming subscription. This is in addition to the free shipping and delivery on pretty much anything, including groceries. The early access to sales is great if you're looking to get first dibs on popular hard-to-find products, but for events like Black Friday it's mostly unnecessary. Walmart will most likely offer some sort of deal on its subscription that will make the other benefits worthwhile at a lower price, so keep an eye out for that if you are interested in becoming a member.
It's the apocalypse, but the unead need to drink away their sorrows too! Ghoul's Saloon is an over-the-top PvE co-op-enabled first-person shooter where you run the titular Ghoul Saloon in the Old West – collecting resources, serving ghoul customers, cleaning your bar, crafting items, fortifying your saloon, and defending it from waves of aggressive enemies. It's in development for PC.
According to developer Demolish Games and publisher Quest Craft, Ghoul's Saloon will feature management elements ("Serve, craft, price, clean, and expand a ghoul-friendly saloon with a fully connected economy), base defense, factions that react to you ("What you do during the day, shapes who prowls at night and what tactics they bring"), and solo or co-op play as you try to protect the bar from contamination (see: the ghoul vomit in the trailer above), fire, and enemy invasion.
Wishlist Ghoul's Saloon on Steam if you're interested.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
Hallmark's 2025 Christmas ornament line-up has truly been one for the ages, especially for us gamers.
Both the new Halo 3 and Zelda Master Sword sets have been immensely popular since I covered them, but another couple of notable gaming-themed ornaments are also now available, and it'll be music to the ears of any Pokémon fans over the holidays.
The Singing Jigglypuff does actually sing. Just pop in a couple of the batteries included, press the button, and away you go. Costing $27.99, it comes in at approximately 3in height, 2.25in width, and 2.25in depth.
Kanto starters, Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur, come as a package deal and cost $34.99. Each is fairly dinky, at 1in height, 1in width, and 1in depth. But what they lack in size, they more than make up for in adorability.
These aren't only Nintendo-themed ornament going this year either, with the dedicated Hallmark Nintendo collection expanded earlier this year. That included a handful of great new additions like Link, Elephant Mario from Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and more Pokémon like Venusaur, Pikachu, and an adorable Winter-themed Rowlet. These don't light up or make sound like Jigglypuff, so the prices can be that bit more kind.
Like I mentioned, there's also a handful of other great Christmas ornaments going right now as well, including the Xbox 360 Console, also with Sound, and it even lights up and plays the Halo theme. No way! I got to admit, even at the price, that's pretty cool.
There's also plenty more Zelda-themed ornaments to check out right now as well, ranging in price from $12 to $32, so purchasing one of these won't break the bank and will last for holidays to come.
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.
It’s been almost six years since Crimson Desert was first revealed to the world. Across that period, developer Pearl Abyss has shown off a huge array of ideas, mechanics, and boss battles. It’s frequently been cited as something of an “everything game” – an open world adventure with sky islands, mechanical dragons, wrestling moves, interdimensional gateways, interacting elemental effects, and even a Spider-Man web swing. But the more that’s been revealed, the more there’s been the sense that Crimson Desert may be a lot of pieces in need of a whole. Finding that whole was my main objective when I visited Pearl Abyss’ studio in Seoul for this month’s IGN First. And while I can’t say I’ve found it yet, multiple hours of hands-on playtime has revealed a game that’s maybe not as strange as you’d expect. In fact, Crimson Desert feels pretty straightforward.
Pearl Abyss has crafted a reasonably traditional open world adventure, made up of multiple regions peppered with towns, outposts, and castles. There’s the usual collection of main and optional quests, plus classic distractions like fishing. You’d be forgiven for not realising this, though – Pearl Abyss has put almost all its promotional efforts into showcasing boss fights. Not only that, but Crimson Desert’s blend of traditional medieval fantasy with sci-fi and steampunk elements does make it seem like it’s being pulled in several directions at once.
When you’re on the ground and seeing how all these elements interact, though, it doesn’t feel quite so alien. The continent of Pywel is perhaps less like a typical Tolkien-esque fantasy world and more akin to Dungeons & Dragons – a setting that, in recent years, was host to a Mad Max-like vehicular chase through Hell. Pearl Abyss’ design team explained that they wanted Pywel to reflect the variety of our reality, in which some countries feel much more futuristic than others, and note that some of the Pywel’s leaders may be more resistant to the advancement of technology than others – a conflict that’ll be explored through various faction quests. All this means the variety doesn’t feel artificial or there simply for the sake of being wild, even when you’re at the controls of a flying battle robot (which was, of course, designed by dwarven engineers.)
The inclusion of these mechanised and steampunk elements grant Pearl Abyss the creative license to build quests that are a significant departure from anything we’d see in something like Skyrim. A major part of my hands-on time involved completing a quest for Marni, a scientific genius who cloned his own consciousness to create the AI-like entity, H.A.L.L. Naturally the results of such an experiment have gone very wrong, and Marni’s evil digital-magic twin has taken command of a flying fortress that’s terrorizing Pywel’s skies. Defeating H.A.L.L requires the use of a power core, which Marni reveals is hidden inside a “weapon” called Golden Star. And by “weapon”, he means a giant mechanical dragon. While they presumably have ballistic missiles in Pywel, what with the advanced engineering and all, of course the fantasy version of a nuke is flying Mechagodzilla. All that stands between me and this winged menace is… a fortress filled with angry battle robots.
It appears that fortress assaults will be a significant recurring objective in Crimson Desert, considering that my hands-on time involved no fewer than three of them. I can see why Pearl Abyss was keen to show them off, as they are a showcase for some of the project’s strongest achievements. There’s a great sense of atmosphere, with a legion of men from either side battering the living hell out of each other, and you’re caught in the middle of it all. Fun mechanical wrinkles add texture; during one attack I was able to fire signalling arrows that were quickly followed by a bombardment of artillery, decimating enemy soldiers and reducing buildings to splinters. In another, I was able to circumnavigate the brutal melee entirely, sneaking into the castle through a crumbling wall and using the prison as a shortcut to the boss. And in my fight through the robot fortress, a backpack-mounted EMP device allowed me to fry the circuits of both the lumbering ground threats and the airborne bug-bots in one giant blast. There’s always something new to try, something to experiment with.
The variety of ideas doesn’t feel artificial or there simply for the sake of being wild, even when you’re at the controls of a flying battle robot.
But as much as these fortress assaults are a demonstration of Crimson Desert’s highs, they simultaneously reveal what could turn out to be some of its biggest blemishes. Battling masses of enemies is surprisingly tedious, feeling messy and repetitive rather than an engaging chain of frontline fights. An awkward lock-on feature pushed me away from one-on-one duels and into a more freeform playstyle, but that came with the baggage of imprecise strikes and occasionally kicking the air instead of faces. Absolutely none of these issues hamper the boss battles, which was my only experience of Crimson Desert prior to this demonstration, and I was quite surprised at how different combat can feel in alternative scenarios, even when using the same moveset.
It’s in these smaller, less refined details where Crimson Desert threatens to lose itself. There are occasions where you need to pick up and manipulate objects, such as planting a banner to inspire your allies. Doing so requires standing still, turning to face the object, activating a focus mode, rapidly tapping a button to lift your target, and then finally manually carry it. All of this is a slightly baffling annoyance when erecting flags, but it turns into a genuine frustration in the middle of a boss battle, when you’re desperately trying to swing a fallen masonry column during the precious few seconds in which the boss is stunned.
Thankfully, no such awkward Ultrahand juggling is required to extract the power core from Golden Star. As we explored earlier this month in our making-of feature, this is a boss battle with a unique mechanic that must be discovered in the (quite literal) heat of battle. The dragon’s flaming breath activates an array of pylons dotted around the fortress’ battle arena, which then dispense EMP bombs that you can fire from an arm-mounted cannon. The system creates a repeating phase loop; Golden Star circles above, belching the flames that produce the EMP bombs that will eventually bring him crashing to the ground, where you can unleash a barrage of strikes until he reboots and begins the cycle anew. Pearl Abyss are keen to point out you don’t have to do this – you could, for instance, use lightning-wreathed arrows to apply a stun, or simply chip away at his health bar with ranged attacks – but I feel that the real enjoyment in all of Crimson Desert’s boss fights has been finding the unique mechanic built into the arena or even the enemy itself.
With the power core obtained, I take to the skies on the back of my own (completely organic) dragon to attack H.A.L.L’s flying fortress. The initial assault is pretty simple – I have my mount spit fireballs at a number of weak spots in the structure’s shields to break down the defences and allow me to land. But getting inside the fortress itself is more complicated; a navigation puzzle that’s just the right side of obtuse. My journey takes me up elevator shafts and along a precarious route perched on the fortress’ exterior. At one point I have to activate a machine by rotating a wooden pillar that has no crank, achieved by using the thrust attack to bury my blade in the timber to create my own handle. There’s no prompt for this, and I appreciate that the solution is to think about your ability set in a non-conventional manner.
Such an approach continues inside, where defeating H.A.L.L is more of a puzzle than a traditional challenge of brawn. I like that Crimson Desert’s AI spirit character doesn’t just become another boss brawl – another indicator that the world’s weird steampunk and sci-fi elements actually make some kind of in-universe sense. This time, though, the solution really is obtuse, and someone from Pearl Abyss had to spell it out to me. Hopefully the hours prior to this quest will have equipped you with the knowledge of how to approach this particular foe.
I am a little apprehensive that at least some of Crimson Desert’s offerings will be “stuff to do” rather than meaningful, interlinked opportunities.
H.A.L.L’s flying fortress isn’t the only airborne destination I visited. Suspended high above Pywel are a scattering of Abyss Islands, accessed through portals that are unlocked with mysterious Abyss Artefacts. These islands appear to come in multiple guises; last year we saw that one of them is home to an alchemist called Alustin and his Library of Providence, and my hands-on session included one that was more akin to Zelda’s puzzle shrines. Its checkerboard floor was essentially a room-size circuit board in need of a total rewiring, and finding the correct path through the grid of rotating flagstones unlocks the island’s treasure trove. This is, of course, the sort of puzzle you’ve solved in everything from Watch Dogs to BioShock, but I enjoyed how your equipment is integral to completing it – your lantern illuminates the correct pathway, and your grapple hook is used to spin each tile. So while this challenge is not particularly taxing, I hope its solid foundations are the basis for more interesting puzzles that await among the clouds.
When you’ve uncovered an Abyss Island’s secrets, you can leap off the side and float down to earth, where plenty more traditional open-world fare awaits. There are towns to visit, in which you’ll find shop keepers to trade with and bounties to take on. Out in the wilderness there are camps to clear out and roaming barbarians to slaughter. And then there’s the factions. From what I glimpsed in the menus, there are dozens and dozens of them, although some will be more important than others, I’m told. A few have their own questline, such as House Wells, a family of nobles led by a Duke who’s lost his castle to rebel forces – a situation that’s the catalyst for one of those aforementioned fortress assaults.
Pearl Abyss was quick to clarify that these groups are not like Fallout’s factions, and allegiances with them won’t change the course of the story or impact Crimson Desert’s ending (which is set in stone.) And so I’m left wondering what are the faction quests in aid of? When asked, Pearl Abyss’ design team explained that they were there to ensure the factions felt like significant actors in the plot, and that they offered more content for players to complete. That considered, I am a little apprehensive that at least some of Crimson Desert’s offerings will be “stuff to do” rather than meaningful, interlinked opportunities.
That brings us back to my very first question. What is Crimson Desert as a whole? I know it’s a vast open world with deep, fighting-game inspired combat that works better against bosses than it does against fodder. It’s got spectacle-laden quests that take you from in-the-mud castle assaults all the way up to aerial strikes on a steampunk Death Star. And it’s littered with good time distractions, from fishing to taming bears and buckling up in a battle mech. But I’m still waiting to discover the glue between all this that elevates an open world to new heights.
Shadow of Mordor has the Nemesis system, which chains its enemies together into a foe-conquering big picture. Red Dead Redemption 2’s systems are united by a pursuit of realism and authenticity that makes its campaign feel like a life lived rather than a game played. And this year’s Ghost of Yotei links every activity on its map to a new unlock on your skill tree, ensuring even little diversions are a growth opportunity. That’s the stuff that’s so far been missing from Crimson Desert’s demonstrations, and the thing I hope will eventually be revealed when I get to play multiple consecutive hours, rather than a collection of isolated quests and bosses. Without it, I still think Crimson Desert stands a solid chance of being an overall good time. But with it, it could become something much more special.
Matt Purslow is IGN's Executive Editor of Features.
The discovery of the unrealized The Hunt For Ben Solo film has really shaken up Star Wars fans over the last week — and recently, Steven Soderbergh, the brains behind the project, revealed that the decision not to greenlight the completed Lucasfilm script for the film was a first for Disney.
“In the aftermath of the HFBS situation, I asked Kathy Kennedy if [Lucasfilm Ltd] had ever turned in a finished movie script for greenlight to Disney and had it rejected,” Soderbergh recently wrote on his BlueSky account. “She said no, this was a first.”
Days prior, the filmmaker posted on the platform to note that he was not happy about having to keep the project under wraps for so long, even though it didn’t come to pass anyway. “For the record, I did not enjoy lying about the existence of ‘THE HUNT FOR BEN SOLO,’ but it really did need to remain a secret…until now!” he wrote.
This isn’t the first time Soderbergh has opened up on his feelings about the film and its dissolution. “I really enjoyed making the movie in my head,” he told Associated Press in a statement just one week ago. “I’m just sorry the fans won’t get to see it.”
Fans are dying to see the project, even though it is considered dead by Lucasfilm Ltd, the company who develops and produces Star Wars media. In fact, a group of fans chartered a plane on Friday, October 24 and had it fly over Disney Studios in Burbank with a tail banner that read, “Save ‘The Hunt For Ben Solo.’” The anger from fans over this move has sparked an outcry in the form of a Change.org petition as well, which has over 3,700 signatures at the time of writing.
The project would have taken place following The Rise of Skywalker and centered on Adam Driver’s character Kylo Ren, who is actually Ben Solo, and his quest for redemption. Driver recently told AP that The Hunt For Ben Solo was “one of the coolest f—king scripts I had ever been a part of.”
Driver played Ben Solo / Kylo Ren in each of the three films in Lucasfilm’s Sequel Trilogy, with his final appearance in 2019’s divisive The Rise of Skywalker. “I always was interested in doing another Star Wars,” Driver said. He revealed he had been in talks about another Star Wars movie since 2021, and that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy had “reached out.”
“I always said: with a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second,” Driver commented. “I loved that character and loved playing him."
Driver said Lucasfilm “loved the idea” and “totally understood our angle and why we were doing it.” However, Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney co-chairman Alan Bergman said no. "They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that,” he said. Soderbergh told AP: “I really enjoyed making the movie in my head. I’m just sorry the fans won’t get to see it.” Disney and Lucasfilm declined to comment to the AP.
Driver was described as feeling mystified by the decision, insisting the plan was to “be judicial about how to spend money and be economical with it, and do it for less than most but in the same spirit of what those movies are, which is handmade and character-driven.” He pointed to the much-loved Empire Strikes Back as being “the standard of what those movies were.”
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
The long-leaked Battlefield 6 battle royale experience will seemingly shadow-drop across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S soon, with a full gameplay reveal for Battlefield REDSEC now set to premiere tomorrow morning.
EA and Battlefield Studios (finally) confirmed plans to pull back the curtain on its new free-to-play Battlefield mode via social media today. A Battlefield REDSEC official gameplay trailer is now scheduled for premiere at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET tomorrow, October 28, with its description teasing a surprise launch. The news follows months of rumors and leaks, suggesting that Battlefield 6 battle royale was nearly here.
Eyes up. Plates on.#REDSEC arrives tomorrow at 8:00 PT / 15:00 UTC 🔴
Those who have enjoyed Battlefield 6 since it first landed for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S October 10 expected to hear news of a proper, complimentary battle royale experience when Season 1 was properly unveiled last week. As first details of EA and BF Studios’ latest came and went, however, there was no sign of what many had expected to be a substantial new game mode to drop into.
It was strange, especially as hints of a Battlefield 6 battle royale game mode began to leak as early as July 2025. The popular, last-squad-standing experience is nothing new for the franchise and remains popular among shooter fans, so with Battlefield promising a return to its roots with destructible environments and gritty gameplay, another stab at battle royale felt like a no-brainer at the time. Community manager Kevin Johnson then confirmed BF Studios had indeed begun work on such a mode in August, adding that only those involved in the Battlefield 6 closed test program, Battlefield Labs, would get to play at first.
Official updates have been quiet since, but that didn’t stop Labs testers from drumming up hype. Battlefield battle royale gameplay snuck its way online in September, confirming that things like swimming, combat, and destruction had been translated over to this new experience. Just as quickly as EA stamped out leaks, more soon popped up on social media.
Even with so little in terms of official word from the developers, a Battlefield 6 battle royale shadow-drop seems all but confirmed for tomorrow morning. Labs leaks date back months ago, so there’s no telling what content made it into the Battlefield REDSEC launch build.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer 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).
Black Friday deals season is fast approaching. It's the biggest shopping holiday of the year and overall the best time to find discounts on just about everything. If you're hoping to save some money on gifts and essentials in 2025, this upcoming sales event is your best bet.
With that in mind, Black Friday has evolved well beyond a single day of deals. While plenty of shoppers still tend to do the bulk of their actual shopping over Thanksgiving weekend, you will definitely be able to find deals well before then.
When Do Black Friday Sales Actually Start?
Black Friday is November 28 this year, but we expect most sales to drop much earlier than that. Based on last year, we expect all of the major online retailers to start offering "early" Black Friday disounts at the beginning of November or on Halloween and continue through the week before Thanksgiving. Right after that, the "official" Black Friday sales start going live.
Best Buy was the first retailer to reveal its sale dates for 2025, and it looks like its Black Friday sales will start on Thursday, November 20 this year. Amazon was one of the first retailers to kick off the sale last year on the Thursday before Thanksgiving weekend, and it would seem that trend has caught on for 2025. Amazon will almost certainly match Best Buy's sale start time. Costco has also announced that part of its sale will begin on November 17 this year with more deals arriving online on Thanksgiving.
You'll be able to do most of your online Black Friday shopping the weekend before Thanksgiving.
Best Buy, Costco, and Walmart have made an announcement about sale dates just yet, but it's probably safe to say that you'll be able to do most of your online Black Friday shopping the weekend before Thanksgiving in 2025. For many brick-and-mortar stores, you may be able to expect the full discounts even earlier. Some sales will still only take place on actual Black Friday, like at the LEGO Store, but for the most part the discounts will start ahead of then.
What Deals to Expect From Major Retailers
With the ongoing tariffs and recent price increases in the U.S., it's difficult to predict exactly what discounts we'll see during the 2025 Black Friday season. Tthe IGN Deals team has been covering shopping events all year and we have a decent idea of what you can expect, even if the prices will be higher than what we saw last year.
Amazon Black Friday
Amazon has one of the biggest Black Friday sales every year and tends to have discounts on just about everything. Based on previous Amazon sales like Prime Day and Prime Big Deal Days, you can expect the same discounts on Amazon devices we saw earlier this year. The lowest prices will most likely be on Kindles and Fire TV sticks, as well as Echo speaker bundles. Amazon has also been pushing a pretty steep discount on the Luna controller and subsequent bundles during every major sale this year. These particular discounts will most likely be exclusive to Prime members.
Outside of Amazon devices, the online retailer will also automatically match prices on popular products that are offered at other retailers. That means you can expect discounts on things like Apple devices, LEGO sets, laptops, TVs, and just about every other brand not exclusively owned by another major retailer. Amazon's Black Friday sale will usually be offering the same low price (or lower) as any of its competitors for these types of items.
After Amazon, the next biggest Black Friday sale you can expect is at Walmart. These discounts will be both in store and online, but the online savings should start a bit earlier. Walmart usually has some of the best deals on Apple devices like iPad and AirPods. You'll usually also find some of the lowest prices of the year on Walmart-exclusive products like Onn electronics, select Vizio TVs, some gaming PC configurations (see: the recent GeForce sale), and certain home appliances.
In the past, Walmart has also had some great Nintendo Switch deals that Amazon wasn't able to offer. We'd expect to see this again this year, most likely on newer Switch 2 games or Pokémon cards. Expect some of these discounts to be available early for Walmart+ members, which has been the case for other major sales this year.
In addition to popular tech and games, Walmart also tends to have deals on groceries, clothing, and toys. Walmart has been especially known to offer particularly good LEGO discounts, but stock tends to be fairly limited.
The Best Buy Black Friday sale is usually the best collection of tech deals during the holiday season. Many of these discounts will be price-matched by Amazon and Walmart, but it will still likely have all of the same Apple devices, TVs, and video games on sale as everywhere else. You can also likely expect some sort of video game console deal on the PS5/PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X. With the continued price increases, this could just mean getting a free Best Buy gift card with your purchase, but it will still be a better deal than paying full price with no additional benefits.
In addition to consoles, video games, and video game accessories, Best Buy also tends to be one of the best places to buy handheld gaming PCs and laptops. With the recent release of the ROG Xbox Ally X, Best Buy has been the only retailer to keep stock. You can likely expect price cuts on the previous generation ROG Ally devices at Best Buy this year, as well as other popular handhelds. We also expect competitive pricing around newer laptops with the latest 50-series GPUs.
For more information on what to expect, check out the Best Buy Black Friday ad from last year. Best Buy has stated that it will have new doorbuster deals dropping every friday starting on Halloween this year, so expect the deals to arrive early.
Target Black Friday
The Target Black Friday sale is usually pretty similar to Walmart's Black Friday sale every year. Expect similar discounts on video games, toys, Apple products, and appliances that you'll find everywhere else. Where Target tends to differentiate from competitors in its exclusives. The retailer has partnered with a bunch of different home brands and is usually the only place you'll be able to buy those items at a discount during Black Friday shopping season. This makes it a great place to do your shopping if you're planning on buying any decor upgrades for your home.
Target has also been consistently offering some unique discounts on select toys that Amazon hasn't been able to price match. The most recent example is a LEGO sale on new 2025 sets. Amazon did match prices on a few of the sets, but not all of them. We'd expect this to happen on Black Friday too, so you'll need to check prices between retailers on the more popular toy items.
For more information on what to expect this year, check out the Target Black Friday ad from last year.
Costco Black Friday
Costco is a bit of a wildcard during the Black Friday season as it offers deals on pretty much everthing. For 2025, the full Costco Black Friday schedule has already been revealed and you can already see what deals to expect. Included in the holiday booklet there steep discounts on furniture, jewelry, and electronics. The same discounts you find at Amazon for select TVs and video games will likely also be available at Costco even if they aren't featured in the ad. You can also expect steeper warehouse discounts, like on the Kirkland Signature jewelry or various furniture items that are only featured for a limited time.
In addition to things like toys, gifts, and household items, Costco usually has some pretty decent grocery deals during the holiday season. You can usually find these ahead of Thanksgiving on things like turkey, snacks, and various other items. You will still need to buy in bulk, but the stacked savings on top of that are usually worth it.
For more information on what to expect this year, check out the expansive Costco Black Friday ad for 2025.
Black Friday is the best time to buy pretty much everything, but that doesn't mean everything will go on sale. There are some products that won't see any discounts at all simply because they are too new or demand is just too high. This is particularly true when it comes to things like tech and popular toys. For example Nintendo just launched the Switch 2 this year and there's very little chance we'll see any Black Friday deals on the new console outside of bundles that already exist. The same thing goes for the recently released Xbox Ally X, which has very little chance of receiving a discount so soon after launch.
When it comes to toys, don't expect discount on anything that has come out in the last few months. This is especially true for new LEGO releases as we usually don't see discounts on those until six months or more after the initial release date.
Tips for Black Friday Shopping Online
It may seem silly to start planning your Black Friday shopping right now, but doing so can help you save a lot of money when it comes time to actually start making purchases. Here are a few Black Friday tips that you should consider ahead of the event:
Set a Budget – Keeping track of how much money you can actually spend is important to avoid overspending. When everything is on sale, it can be easy to buy more than you really should just because things are at their lowest price of the year.
Create a Shopping List – Knowing exactly what you're trying to find discounts on is a great way to avoid making unnecessary purchases. It can also make it easier for you to compare prices between retailers or set price drop alerts ahead of time.
Compare Prices – Retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart make it really easy to do all of your shopping there. That being said, those retailers don't always have the best price on the items you're looking for. Make sure to compare prices across the web before you buy something for more than you have to.
Research Before You Buy – If you're making an expensive purchase, make sure you do at least some research before you buy it. This means looking for independent reviews or testimony from trusted sources about those products. You shouldn't necessarily trust Amazon reviews, for example.
Be Wary of Search Results and AI Summaries - Search platforms, such as Google, have a tendency to be flooded with sponsored links in the results as well as AI summaries that are potentially biased. Be careful to avoid clicking on a sponsored ad if you're looking for reviews or searching for specific products by price.
Disney Lorcana closes out the year with another set, Whispers in the Well, which has an early release on November 7 at your local games stores followed by a wide release on November 14. This new set will be the tenth for the popular Disney card game in a little over two years since it initially premiered. Alongside the full set release, Lorcana will again have accompanying starter decks: a Sapphire/Steel deck featuring characters from Robin Hood and Zootopia, and an Amber/Emerald deck featuring characters from the Lion King and Hercules. With every set, a new mechanic gets revealed, but we also get some pleasant surprises from the deep Disney library, like A Goofy Movie from the previous expansion. This time around I was ecstatic to see Gargoyles from the ‘90s animated TV series make an appearance. With new characters introduced into the card game and alongside a new mechanic, these new starter decks give a good sneak peek into what the new meta could be.
Right out of the box, both starter decks have a good mix of cards that dictate each deck’s playstyle, but one deck seems to have better synergy than its counterpart after playing some matches with both. The Sapphire/Steel deck is by far the most consistent of the two, which may also just be a product of the colors of the deck. With that said, the Detective classification of cards in that deck really puts in the work as well. Outside of Sapphire’s tendency to ramp ink or mana quickly, or the ability to filter through a deck, there are a handful of similar bonuses from just having Detective cards in your deck. For instance, there’s a Judy Hopps card that allows the player to look at the top three cards of their deck and reveal a Detective character to then put in their hand. That’s amazing for a card game that normally lets you draw only one card at the beginning of a turn. If Judy Hopps can stay on the field, that’s great value. Another Detective card is Basil, who gives himself Resist when another Detective is played. Resist is an attribute often seen in the Steel color, so it’s interesting seeing the Detective synergy work in that regard too. Overall, the toughness of the cards in this Detective deck alongside the ramping and filtering makes this deck the standout of the two. If players want a budget deck for the next set, this Sapphire/Steel deck might be a good foundation that could use just a bit of tweaking.
On the other side, we have the Amber/Emerald deck, which appears to be focused on the new boost mechanic the most. Boost is the new set mechanic that allows a player to put a card from the top of their deck under a character to give them powerful passive abilities. Whether it’s giving a character permanent buffs to health and attack or an ability that triggers when you do certain actions, the effects seem to be very strong. For instance, when the new Simba card boosts, the player reveals the top card of the deck. If it’s a character, the player can play the card for free no matter the cost, so it’s a big gamble. Cards like Blessed Bagpipes can assist these cards with Boost abilities by triggering their abilities again. So much of the deck features cards that can boost or benefit from cards being facedown under them. As a base starter deck, it’s a bit lacking in comparison to the Sapphire/Steel deck, but I can see a version of this deck being character heavy so that new Simba never misses his Boost ability trigger. It has some interesting ideas, but it felt slower to play.
New mechanics aside, the introduction of Gargoyles into Lorcana is an exciting sight to behold. I haven’t personally thought about them, well…since the ‘90s, it feels like. There is one Gargoyle related card in Sapphire/Steel deck in the form of David Xanatos, an antagonist from the animated series. When he’s played, the player may discard a card to deal 2 damage to a chosen character. Looking at other cards from the Gargoyle series, like Demona and Goliath, they appear to focus on hand manipulation. Goliath, for instance, forces both players to discard their hand until they have two cards left. If they have fewer than two, players draw up to two. He also has a secondary ability that doesn’t let him ready if the owner has three cards or more, but that shouldn’t be a problem because of his initial passive. Hand manipulation is an interesting layer for any card game meta because it forces players to make tough decisions. It also serves as another form of removal that may circumvent any protections like Ward. Both the Gargoyles characters and added hand manipulation effects are refreshing to see in this new set.
Both starter decks did what they set out to do in my first experience with them: introduce an easy entry point into the game while emphasizing the set’s new Boost mechanic. A nice touch was having the new Zootopia cards synergize with the Detective characteristic. It wasn’t relevant before, but now a Detective deck seems more viable going into the upcoming set and the new meta. And of course, it’ll be interesting to see how the new Gargoyles cards fare. For more on Disney Lorcana, check out our interview with one of the game designers on how the card game came to be.
Pokémon TCG is becoming an expensive hobby thanks to scalping and big box retailers selling products for over MSRP. Unless you've secured a preorder, expect to be paying well over shelf price in 2025. It's a good job I'm all over the Pokémon TCG market, and I've found some great deals on sealed product to make sure you have more Pokédollars in your backpack.
There's some crazy hype behind Mega Evolution right now, and for good reason. Gold rare Mega Lucario and Mega Gardevoir exs are fetching around $400 at the time of writing, and the artwork on the Secret Illustration Rares and Illustration Rares is phenominal (Looking at you Mega Lucario ex SIR). All of these deals are at market value or below, and in some cases knocking big box retailers like Amazon out of the Poképark.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
Black Friday discounts are yet to officially start for Amazon, but that hasn't stopped the retailer from already cutting prices on big new releases like Borderlands 4, which only launched a little over a month ago.
“Borderlands 4 gives the series the massive kick in the pants it has needed, with a fantastic open world and greatly improved combat, even if bugs and invisible walls can sometimes throw off that groove.”
Probably... yeah? I mean what are you expecting me to say? It's $15 off, which is pretty good! Do I think the game will drop further in the coming weeks? Kinda, yeah as well.
I think you've got to look at early Black Friday sales like this, less about min max savings, and more about securing a discount that suits you, for the stuff you actually want to buy.
If you want Borderlands 4, and you want to play it now, then you can pay yourself back with the gift of time, rather than sitting around waiting for another $5 off between now and December.
Still, if you're serious about saving as much as possible, I can for sure see Borderlands 4 dropping to sub $50 by November 28. If you've got the patience, stick it out. Otherwise, over 20% off a new game is still a pretty great offering.
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.
This article includes contributions from Lloyd Coombes.
A new report has revealed details on Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console, which is allegedly a console / PC hybrid that will play PlayStation games released on PC via Steam.
That means the likes of Sony Santa Monica’s God of War, Insomniac’s Spider-Man, and Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima and pretty much all other PC games will all be playable on the next-gen Xbox in an industry first.
Windows Central said that while users of the next-gen Xbox can remain inside the Xbox ecosystem if they want, they can exit to Windows, where the console acts like a traditional Windows PC. That means having access to PlayStation games on Steam, and mouse and keyboard games from Blizzard's launcher, Battle.net (World of Warcraft), and Riot's launcher (League of Legends).
Essentially, it sounds like the next-gen Xbox will be as much a PC as it is a console. Perhaps it’s more of a PC than a console.
In truth, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Xbox president Sarah Bond has called out the recently released — and pricy — ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X handhelds as pointing in the direction Microsoft is taking with its upcoming console. In an interview with Mashable, Bond talked in vague terms about what Microsoft is going for, but did strongly suggest it will be an expensive device.
"The next-gen console is going to be a very premium, very high-end curated experience," Bond said. "You're starting to see some of the thinking we have in this handheld [ROG Xbox Ally], but I don't want to give it all away."
The company has confirmed — as recently as earlier this month — that it still plans to follow the Xbox Series X and S with a next-gen console, and has announced an agreement with AMD to make it happen.
Microsoft has promised “next-level performance, cutting-edge graphics, breakthrough gameplay, and unmatched compatibility,” and said everything it’s working on will be “fully compatible” with users’ existing Xbox game library.
Prior comments from Bond have backed the console / PC hybrid suggestion up. "This is all about building you a gaming platform that's always with you, so you can play the games you want across devices anywhere you want, delivering you an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device," Bond said.
"That's why we're working closely with the Windows team, to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming."
Xbox is set to go up against PlayStation once again, with both Microsoft and Sony reportedly set to release their next-gen consoles in 2027. The next-gen Xbox is taking a different route this time, but the expectation is the PS6 will be a more traditional console, offering genuinely exclusive games — as the PS5 does now.
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.
Developer Lost Lighthouse has announced is first game, the first-person horror title The Day I Will Die, for PC. It takes place in Little Red Valley, a quaint mountain town where pop culture, urban legends, and horror stories of a certain age will come to life. No release date or window has been announced as of yet.
As Lost Lighthouse describes The Day I Will Die: "In this remote mountain valley, cut off from the world and swallowed by endless mist, time loops without end. In the hidden corners, you recognize places from your childhood — forest trails, stone bridges. They awaken memories: old dreams, past fears, unfulfilled ambitions. Yet with them stirs something darker — beings born from pop culture, urban legends, and horror stories of the late ’70s and early ’80s, now standing before you as real threats."
Be sure to wishlist The Day I Will Die on Steam to follow its progress.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
We might’ve spoken too soon. Despite what seemed like it could be a change of heart, Netflix has confirmed it has no plans to shift its release strategy when it comes to theatrical exhibition.
“There’s no change in the strategy," CEO Ted Sarandos explained of the company’s view on theatrical distribution of their on-platform titles at a recent earnings conference. "Our strategy is to give our members exclusive first-run movies on Netflix.”
In fact, Sarandos went on to assert that Netflix's latest major hit, KPop Demon Hunters, which played theatrically for a weekend in August using the film’s “singalong” edition, only became a sensation “because it was released on Netflix first.”
According to the streaming exec, "superfans" of KPop Demon Hunters quickly latched onto the film and “drove the recommendation engine." In his eyes, this is the key to the company’s stance on theatrical distribution. "If anything, this actually reinforces our strategy, because being on Netflix actually allowed the film to build momentum,” he told audiences at the conference.
That tracks in some capacity, as KPop Demon Hunters was not an initial hit. Social media and word of mouth ended up catapulting it to Netflix’s most watched movie ever with an incredible 400 million views. Shortly after the craze became apparent, the singalong version went to theaters for a special weekend engagement and ended up grossing an impressive $19 million globally over just two days.
This all said, it’s clear Netflix isn’t entirely abandoning the theatrical exhibition strategy. Forexample, Guillermo del Toro’s latest, Frankenstein, is currently enjoying a short theatrical run nationwide ahead of its November 7 premiere date on the platform, and Rian Johnson’s next project, Wake Up Dead Man, will also see a short theatrical release window — which will kick off for the Thanksgiving holiday — before it arrives on Netflix on December 12. Plus, Kpop Demon Hunters will be back in theaters again for Halloween weekend, and even the final episode of Stranger Things will drop in theaters simultaneously with its Netflix premiere.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
Now, a number of screenshots reportedly taken from the canceled project have been published by MP1st, hinting that the game may have be set in Greece once again and feature a range of diverse backdrops, including caverns and temples.
Two screenshots, purportedly of Hades' Armory, apparently show the same area in different states, one 'normal' and the other seemingly infected by a curse or otherworld state with rust-colored stains.
Hades was introduced in 2005's God of War and appeared in God of War II, but it wasn't until God of War III that he became a major antagonist before his brutal death at the end of the third instalment. Quite how Bluepoint planned to explain his return in this game we may never know, but it does show the Sony-owned studio was moving beyond the rebooted series' hitherto Norse setting, although there are some Norse-like touches in the screenshots, too, suggesting Bluepoint was either intending to mix it up or still experimenting.
Sony has yet to announce a new God of War game, although given the success of both 2018's God of War and 2022's God of War Ragnarök it seems inevitable that fans will get more from the franchise. The question is, in what form and in which setting will God of War take on next?
Speaking at MCM London Comic Con last week, Kratos actor Christopher Judge said he hoped God of War would cover the Egyptian pantheon. “Because I became best known as Teal’c from Stargate, to go to Egypt would be a completion of my circle," he teased. "But whatever is decided — wait... if there is another game, I have no doubt that no matter what pantheon it is, it will be great.”
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
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