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Aujourd’hui — 19 février 20253.3 🎲 Jeux English

Nintendo Discontinues Switch eShop Gold Points Scheme Ahead of Switch 2 Launch

19 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  14:10

Nintendo is discontinuing its Switch eShop Gold Points scheme ahead of the launch of the Switch 2.

From the end of next month, March 25, 2025, players will no longer earn Gold Points — Nintendo's points-based loyalty scheme that can be exchanged for discounts — on their purchases.

Nintendo did not expand on why it was removing the scheme, but said in a statement that players will continue to earn points on products purchased before March 24 — including physical Game Cards — and could be used up to 12 months from the date they were earned. Any game released after the deadline will not be eligible. (You can check original release date of a game on Nintendo eShop).

As spotted by Eurogamer, Nintendo has also confirmed Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers will not be redeemable against Switch 2 exclusive games in the future, either.

These changes come ahead of the launch of the Switch 2 itself, currently speculated for some point between June and September, and the Switch 2-focused Direct in April. Nintendo has already confirmed that Nintendo Switch Online accounts will carry forward to the next-gen console.

Earlier this month, we reported there was something goofy going on over on the PlayStation Store and the Nintendo eShop. Over the last few months, the two storefronts have been slowly filling up with what some users are referring to as “eslop," with more and more games tricking users into buying cheap, low-quality games that aren’t what they claim to be.

Buying games from the Japanese eShop as a foreigner without a Japanese bank account recently got a lot harder. Nintendo announced it would no longer accept “credit cards issued overseas” and “PayPal accounts opened overseas” from January 25, 2025 in a bid to curb “fraudulent use."

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

Activision's Costly Call of Duty Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossover Has Some Players Saying Black Ops 6 Should Just Go Free-to-Play at This Point

19 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  13:52

Call of Duty's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover looks set to cost up to $90's worth of COD Points in order to obtain all the items — and the community is now saying Activision should just make Black Ops 6 free-to-play at this point.

Activision unveiled the Black Ops 6 Season 02 Reloaded content coming to the shooter on February 20, and detailed the mid-season Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover in the process.

Each of the four turtles (Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael) has their own premium bundle. Based on previous collaborations, these bundles are expected to cost 2,400 COD Points, or $19.99, each. So, if you want all four turtles you face the prospect of handing over $80’s worth of COD Points.

But that’s not all. As it did with the controversial Squid Game crossover, Activision has created a premium event pass for the Turtles crossover, which costs 1,100 COD Points / $10. This includes a number of eye-catching cosmetics, chief among them Splinter. Again, there is no other way of getting Splinter than paying the $10 for the premium track of the event pass. The free track includes two Foot Clan soldier skins, among other cosmetics.

As many have pointed out, the Turtles crossover is heavy on the cosmetics but does not feature gameplay affecting items. No-one has to buy any or all of it to compete in Black Ops 6 multiplayer. And there are many within the community saying it's easy to ignore Call of Duty crossovers like the Turtles one and leave those willing to spend more to it.

But that hasn’t stopped some players within the community from criticizing Activision once again for the high cost of these cosmetics, and are saying this second ever Call of Duty premium event pass suggests Black Ops 6 is now being monetized as if it were a free-to-play game like Fortnite.

“Activision casually glossing over the fact that they want you to pay $80+ if you want the 4 Turtles, plus another $10+ if you want the TMNT event pass rewards,” redditor II_JangoFett_II said. “Call of Duty's Gross greed strikes again... DESPICABLE!”

“Guess we can expect an event pass sold every season now,” Hipapitapotamus suggested. “Remember when events were good and got you cool universal camos for free.”

"The Turtles don’t use guns," APensiveMonkey declared. "Their fingers wouldn’t even... I hate this..."

It’s worth going into more detail on how Activision monetizes Black Ops 6. Each season brings with it a new battle pass, the base version of which costs 1,100 COD Points / $9.99. There’s an extra premium version of the battle pass, called BlackCell, which costs $29.99 (you can’t buy this one with COD Points). Then there is a constant stream of cosmetics available to buy from the store. The Turtles crossover, with its premium event pass, is on top of all this.

“So they expect the playerbase to buy the game itself, buy the battle pass/black cell and now this? Na that's too much,” PunisherR35 added. “If this is gonna be the norm moving forward, CoD needs to move to a FTP model (campaign, MP).”

In truth, Activision’s aggressive monetization of Call of Duty is nothing new. It’s just that the new premium event pass, which made its debut with Black Ops 6’s Squid Game crossover, has pushed some fans over the edge. And as has been pointed out many times before, the standardized monetization across the $70 Black Ops 6 and the free-to-play battle royale Warzone does Black Ops 6 no favors. What might be acceptable for Warzone given it’s free-to-play isn’t necessarily acceptable for Black Ops 6, given it costs $70 just to be able to play Multiplayer.

And that’s where the calls for Black Ops 6 Multiplayer to go free-to-play come from. With each new microtransaction Call of Duty Multiplayer feels more and more like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Marvel Rivals, and of course Warzone.

Activision and parent company Microsoft will of course stick to its guns, given Call of Duty’s incredible popularity. Black Ops 6 was the biggest Call of Duty launch ever, and set a new single day Game Pass subscription record. Sales on PlayStation and Steam jumped 60% compared to 2023's Modern Warfare 3. Clearly, Call of Duty is doing the business for Activision and new owner Microsoft, which the financial officers will no doubt be delighted with given the Xbox maker paid an eye-watering $69 billion for the company.

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

Team Fortress 2 Modders Rejoice as Valve Releases Full Client and Server Game Code

19 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  13:10

Surprise! Valve's just released a massive update to the Source SDK, adding "all" the Team Fortress 2 client and server game code.

Valve said the update lets players build entirely new games from its source code, and unlike Steam Workshop or local content mods, it gives modders access to change, extend, and even rewrite Team Fortress in pretty much any way imaginable.

You won't be able to sell anything you make with it — which means any mods or spin-off content will have to be released for free on a non-commercial basis — but creations can be published on the Steam Store, "appearing as new games in the Steam game list."

"Players have a lot of investment in their TF2 inventories, and Steam Workshop contributors have created a lot of that content," Valve explained via a blog post. "The majority of items in the game now are thanks to the hard work of the TF2 community.

"To respect that, we're asking TF2 mod makers continue to respect that connection, and to not make mods that have the purpose of trying to profit off Workshop contributors' efforts. We're hoping that many mods will continue to allow players access their TF2 inventory, if this makes sense for the mod."

Valve also added that it was making "a big update" to all its multiplayer back-catalog Source engine titles, too, adding 64-bit binary support, scalable HUD/UI, prediction fixes, and "a lot of other improvements" to not only TF2, but also DoD:S, HL2:DM, CS:S, and HLDM:S.

Back in December, after seven long years, The Team Fortress 2 comic released its seventh and final update. The comics have not only been a great place for fans to uncover new information about their favorite characters and stories, but they're also a testament to Valve's own continuing interest in one of its oldest series.

Image credit: Valve.

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

Information-Starved The Elder Scrolls 6 Fans Use Official Create-a-Character Competition to Come Up With a Release Date

19 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  12:27

The Elder Scrolls 6 fans are, a bit like Grand Theft Auto 6 fans, starved of information. And so perhaps it comes as no surprise to see the community go into release date speculation mode with only an official create a character competition to go on.

This week, Bethesda announced its next Make-A-Wish project: you can bid on a chance to work with Bethesda Game Studios to create a character to appear as an NPC in The Elder Scrolls 6.

“For the last several years, we have been lucky enough to work with Make-A-Wish to grant wishes, support some of their local events, and provide items and experiences, all to benefit children who are fighting life-threatening illnesses,” Bethesda said.

“This year, for their Silent Auction we are giving one winner the opportunity to work with Bethesda Game Studios to create a character to appear as an NPC in The Elder Scrolls 6. All of the money made from the auction goes directly to Make-A-Wish.”

It’s a wonderful cause and a great initiative from Bethesda, but for The Elder Scrolls 6 fans it could mean a whole lot more. And that’s because the community is comparing this Make-A-Wish project to the one Bethesda ran for Starfield, and have determined the point in development The Elder Scrolls 6 may be in currently, and thus its potential release date.

I know, the community has gone off the deep end here. But let’s run with it… for science.

The appropriately named redditor ‘FartingSlowly’ pointed out that Bethesda’s equivalent 'chance to make a Starfield character' post was published two-and-a-half years before Starfield came out in September 2023. Ergo, The Elder Scrolls 6’s release date is set for September 2027. More specifically, September 27, 2027.

“This is not a good indicator or metric for release by any standards,” FartingSlowly admitted. “Do not take this too seriously. But. It is finally something. It isn't just a piece of junk speculation based on nothing, it's based on something from Bethesda themselves. Yeah, it's not something to actually care about but it is a refreshing change in the world of speculation.”

As you’d expect, many within the community have cast similar doubt on the release date suggested by FartingSlowly. Some have pointed out that Starfield’s Make-A-Wish competition was announced when the game was due out November 11, 2022. Does that mean Bethesda is looking at releasing The Elder Scrolls 6 in November 2026?

It’s been a long, long time since Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls 6. In January, The Elder Scrolls 6’s June 10, 2018 announcement became as old as predecessor Skyrim was when The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced.

The studio confirmed The Elder Scrolls 6 had entered "early development" in August 2023, and "early builds" were available in March 2024. The six year anniversary of the announcement arrived in June last year and even Bethesda development chief Todd Howard paused to say, "oh wow, that has been a while."

The Elder Scrolls 6 was thought to be set for 2028 at the earliest, presumably on the next-generation of consoles as well as PC. If it does launch then, it’ll do so an incredible 17 years after Skyrim. While we wait to find out, check out Everything we know about The Elder Scrolls 6.

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

PokĂŠmon Go Developer Niantic Reportedly in Talks to Sell Video Game Business to Saudi-Owned Company Behind Stumble Guys

19 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  12:09

PokĂŠmon Go developer Niantic is reportedly in talks to sell its video game division to Saudi-owned Scopely for $3.5 billion.

As first reported by Bloomberg, the sale would likely include PokĂŠmon Go, the hit augmented-reality mobile game that sends players out into the real world to collect PokĂŠmon.

A source talking to Bloomberg under the promise of anonymity said that while the deal was by no means complete, if approved, it could be confirmed in a matter of weeks.

Neither Niantic, Scopely, nor its owner Savvy Games Group were prepared to comment publicly on the reported acquisition.

Savvy Games Group acquired Scopely back in April 2023 in a deal worth $4.9 billion that came after the Saudi Arabia government said it wanted to buy "a leading games publisher." Scopely publishes a range of hit mobile titles, most notably The Walking Dead: Road to Survival, Stumble Guys, Marvel Strike Force, and Monopoly Go.

Savvy Gaming Group also purchased two of the world's biggest esports companies, ESL and FACEIT, for a total of $1.5 billion in 2022.

“Savvy Games Group is one part of our ambitious strategy aiming to make Saudi Arabia the ultimate global hub for the games and esports sector by 2030,” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz said at the time.

“We are harnessing the untapped potential across the esports and games sector to diversify our economy, drive innovation in the sector, and further scale the entertainment and esports competition offerings across the Kingdom.”

Vikki Blake. Reporter. Critic. Columnist. Consultant. Guardian. Spartan. Silent Hillian. Legend. High Chaos.

Magic the Gathering: Full Release Schedule for 2025

19 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  12:00

Magic: The Gathering is bringing the heat in 2025 with an exciting lineup of sets, each offering something for everyone. Are you an old-school planeswalker, a returning player curious about what you’ve missed, or a newcomer ready to shuffle up? From gothic horror to space exploration, this year’s lineup promises wild themes, iconic characters, and game-changing mechanics.

Here’s your set-by-set guide to what’s dropping in 2025, including the highlights and reasons you might want to crack some packs. We're talking remasters, new licenses from Final Fantasy VII, Marvel's Spider-Man and much more.

Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy Preorders (Releases June 13)

The crossover you didn't know you needed, Magic teams up with Final Fantasy for a Universes Beyond set that spans all sixteen mainline games. Iconic characters like Cloud, Sephiroth, and Noctis step onto the battlefield, bringing new Summon Spells, legendary creatures, and equipment that pay homage to the series.

From Chocobos to Materia, the mechanics reflect Final Fantasy's charm and complexity. The set introduces innovative gameplay elements inspired by Final Fantasy's RPG roots while ensuring the cards feel at home in Magic. And yes, it's Standard-legal, so you can toss these cards into your decks without worrying about restrictions.

Magic: The Gathering 2025 Release Schedule

Whilst preorders aren't live for these sets just yet, we've got it on good authority from Wizards of the Coast that they're coming. Here's each upcoming MTG set in date order alongside what players can expect from the set:

Tarkir: Dragonstorm: April 11, 2025

We're returning to Tarkir; it's all about dragons this time. Massive magical storms are waking up ancient dragons, and the clans of Tarkir are fighting for dominance amidst the chaos. Legendary dragons like Ugin's Spiritstorm and Atarka, World-Eater, make a fiery comeback alongside new clan leaders and mechanics tailored to their strategies.

Muscle-specific abilities are joined by returning mechanics like Morph and Dash, offering fresh ways to build around your favorite factions. And if you're a collector, the Ghostflame Treatment on select cards gives this set a mystical vibe.

Edge of Eternities: August 1, 2025

Space fantasy hits Magic with Edge of Eternities. Set in the Sothera system, this expansion introduces alien species, futuristic tech, and celestial powers that push Magic into uncharted territory. Planets with unique mechanics and interstellar drama offer a fresh take on the multiverse.

New mechanics draw from space exploration themes, and Spaceship Artifacts play a central role. Cosmic spells inspired by black holes and supernovas bring an epic scale to gameplay. At the same time, legendary creatures reflect the diversity of the galaxy.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Late 2025

The Spider-Verse swings into Magic with another Universes Beyond expansion, bringing Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and their rogues' gallery to the game. Legendary creatures like Green Goblin and equipment cards representing iconic gadgets like Web-Shooters give players a taste of superhero action.

Mechanics inspired by Spider-Man's agility and heroism promise fresh gameplay twists. Plus, narrative-driven Enchantment Sagas lets players relive iconic moments from Spidey's history. It's a must-have for fans of Magic and Marvel alike.

Released Sets of 2025

Innistrad Remastered: January 24, 2025

If you're into creepy castles, werewolves under a blood-red moon, and graveyard shenanigans, Innistrad Remastered is the throwback you didn't know you needed. This set pulls together the best bits of Magic's gothic horror plane, combining fan-favorite cards like Liliana of the Veil and Snapcaster Mage with the chilling ambiance of the original Innistrad. It's perfect for nostalgic drafting or just building your ultimate spooky deck.

Mechanics like Transform, Flashback, and Morbid return to haunt your games. Double-faced cards add an extra layer of strategy—who doesn't love flipping a harmless villager into a ravenous werewolf? And with rebalanced draft archetypes, you can relive (or discover) the joy of Innistrad's eerie gameplay without digging through your old binders.

Aetherdrift: February 14, 2025

Aetherdrift cranks the action up to 11 with a multiversal race across planes like Kaladesh and Amonkhet. Imagine Mad Max meets Magic as players build around Legendary Vehicles and new Race Mechanics, making every turn feel like you're gunning for the finish line.

Returning mechanics like Crew and Exert mix seamlessly with new high-octane abilities, keeping games fast and unpredictable. Highlights include souped-up vehicles that play as legendary creatures and spells that simulate the chaos of a multiversal race. Whether you're here for the mechanics or the chaos, Aetherdrift will surely deliver thrills.

Released Sets of 2024: A Mini Review

Jump to:

Magic: The Gathering Foundations – November 15, 2024

Magic: The Gathering Foundations is the final set for 2024, and it's set to be perfect for beginners! Designed to teach fans how to play, it offers a cool mix of classic reprints and fresh, easy-to-understand cards. While details are currently scarce, we do know it shares some DNA with Jumpstart, featuring packs that help newbies grasp the basics of deckbuilding. And mark your calendars – it drops on November 15, 2024, with preorders now live.

Duskmourn: House of Horror – October, 2024

Rounding out the year from the end of September going into October, Duskmourn: House of Horror plunges players into a spine-chilling, haunted mansion. This set draws inspiration from modern horror media, promising a thrilling and terrifying experience. Unlike typical MTG sets that explore vast worlds, Duskmourn focuses on the confined, eerie atmosphere of a single haunted house.

With its jump scares and nightmarish art, this set will surely deliver an unforgettable, albeit unsettling, Magic experience. Preorder between June 28 and July 31 to receive a code to unlock a special digital Duskmourn: House of Horror sleeve in Magic: The Gathering Arena.

Bloomburrow – August 2, 2024

Bloomburrow takes us to a whimsical new plane populated by anthropomorphic animals. This set introduces a world without humans, focusing on cute, mission-driven creatures like frogs, rats, rabbits, and squirrels. Lead designer Mark Rosewater describes it as one of the most charming worlds ever created for MTG. Preorders are available now, with a few handy discounts live at Amazon right now as well.

Secret Lair: Monty Python and the Holy Grail – July 29, 2024

Exclusively revealed on IGN, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the next addition to the Universes Beyond MTG sets. Split across two Secret Lair drops, the latest Universes Beyond tie-in had eight reprints and one token reskinned with references and jokes from the classic 1975 film. One drop hadhave five cards total, one of which was double-faced so you can choose if it’s either an African or European swallow, while the other had three cards and a token.

MTG Assassin's Creed – July 5, 2024

On July 5, MTG crosses into Assassin's Creed with a unique Universes Beyond release. This set brings the stealth and intrigue of the Assassin's Creed franchise to Magic, featuring characters from across the series, including historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Cleopatra. The cards will be sold in Beyond Boosters, designed to provide a thematic journey rather than draftable. These cards will be Modern-legal, adding a historical flavor to your decks.

Modern Horizons 3 – June 14, 2024

One of the year's most anticipated releases, Modern Horizons 3, hit shelves on June 14. This set is tailored for Modern format players, introducing a mix of powerful new cards and some highly sought-after reprints. The set also includes:

  • Dual-faced planeswalkers.
  • Harking back to the Magic Origins set.
  • A return of the Energy mechanic.

Players can expect a rich draft environment and nostalgic callbacks with familiar planes like Zendikar and Theros making appearances.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction – April 19, 2024

April 19 introduced players to Outlaws of Thunder Junction, Magic's take on the Western genre. This set is brimming with frontier towns, train robberies, and haunted mines, all portrayed through stunning art and flavorful mechanics like Spree, Plot, and Crimes. Featuring some of Magic's most notorious villains in cowboy hats, this high-powered set has quickly become a favorite for its innovative design and engaging theme.

Universes Beyond MTG Fallout – March 8, 2024

March 8 saw the release of Universes Beyond MTG Fallout, bringing the post-apocalyptic world of Fallout to Magic. This crossover features four Commander decks, each themed around iconic elements of the Fallout universe. From super mutants to power armor, the decks offer a rich blend of flavor and mechanics. The unique approach to deck-building and including popular Fallout characters have made this a standout release in the Universes Beyond series.

Murders at Karlov Manor – February 9, 2024

Released on February 9, Murders at Karlov Manor brought a unique murder mystery theme to Ravnica. This set stands out with its detective mechanics and hidden identities, providing a fresh, engaging gameplay experience. Including Clue tokens and flavorfully named keywords like Disguise, Suspect, and Collect Evidence added depth to the narrative. The crossover with the classic board game Clue was a delightful bonus for fans.

Ravnica Remastered – January 12, 2024

Kicking off the year, Ravnica Remastered was released on January 12. This set revisits the beloved metropolitan plane of Ravnica, featuring reprints from all three Ravnica blocks. The set is a nostalgic trip for long-time players, highlighting iconic guilds and including retro-style frames for some cards. The reprints, including coveted shock lands, have been well-received, making it a favorite among collectors and players.

MTG Cube Tournament to Put $65k Worth of Cards on the Line

Magic: The Gathering is gearing up for an exciting high-stakes tournament with $65k worth of rare and powerful cards on the line. This event is a collaboration between Magic: The Gathering Online developer Daybreak and TCG accessory maker Ultimate Guard.

The tournament, called “Magic Online Vintage Cube LIVE: Powered by Ultimate Guard,” will feature the iconic Vintage Cube format. Online qualifiers begin this week, leading up to MagicCon: Las Vegas in October. The top eight players will participate in a live draft, where they get to keep all the rare cards they pick, including an actual Black Lotus.

MTGO Creative Director Ryan Spain and Ultimate Guard’s Martin Jůza, who is also a Magic Hall of Famer, wanted to create a "dream come true" event for the community.

Christian Wait is a UK-based freelancer for IGN, you can follow him @ChrisReggieWait on Twitter/X.

Marvel Rivals Director and Entire Seattle Design Team Laid Off, NetEase Tells Fans Not to Worry About the Game

19 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  11:03

Marvel Rivals developer NetEase has confirmed cuts to its Seattle-based design team for “organizational reasons.”

Overnight, Marvel Rivals game director Thaddeus Sasser took to LinkedIn to announce that he and his team were laid off.

“This is such a weird industry,” Sasser began. “My stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games...

“...and were just laid off!

“Oh well! Times are tough all over - Let's find these incredible people new jobs, because we all need to eat, right? :D”

The video game development community reacted with a mix of shock and anger to the cuts, given Marvel Rivals’ explosive success. The free-to-play hero shooter has seen over 20 million downloads since launch in December, and huge peak concurrent player numbers on Steam.

According to Sasser’s LinkedIn profile, his team focused on game and level design work for Marvel Rivals, “offering guidance, strategy, and design direction over the last couple of years.”

NetEase issued IGN a statement confirming the layoffs, but failed to specify how many people were cut.

“We recently made the difficult decision to adjust Marvel Rivals’ development team structure for organizational reasons and to optimize development efficiency for the game," NetEase said.

"This resulted in a reduction of a design team based in Seattle that is part of a larger global design function in support of Marvel Rivals. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of those affected and will be treating them confidentially and respectfully with recognition for their individual contributions.”

But NetEase was keen to stress that the layoffs won’t impact ongoing support for Marvel Rivals, whose primary development team is based in China.

“We want to reassure our fanbase that the core development team for Marvel Rivals, which continues to be led by Lead Producer Weicong Wu and Game Creative Director Guangyun Chen in Guangzhou, China, remains fully committed to delivering an exceptional experience,” NetEase continued.

“We are investing more, not less, into the evolution and growth of this game. We’re excited to deliver new super hero characters, maps, features, and content to ensure an engaging live service experience for our worldwide player base.”

This is the latest round of layoffs at NetEase, which has pulled back from a number of overseas investments and closed studios in the U.S. and Japan, including Visions of Mana developer Ouka Studios. In November, Worlds Untold, headed by Mass Effect alumni Mac Walters, announced a pause of operations after a split with publisher NetEase. And in January it cut Jar of Sparks, founded by Halo and Destiny 2 veteran Jerry Hook in 2022.

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

Win or Lose Episodes 1-5 Review

19 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  09:01

Many of Disney’s attempts to spin television shows out of its marquee theatrical brands have been hampered by a refusal to think in TV terms – it’s hard to watch the indistinct, truncated episodes of something like Obi-Wan Kenobi or Hawkeye without thinking of the better movies that could’ve told these stories. In some ways, Pixar’s Win or Lose could be accused of a similar waffling between television and film. The animation studio’s first original TV series (that is, not a series of streaming shorts starring pre-established characters) follows a week leading up to a middle-school softball championship from multiple perspectives, both child and adult, each episode dedicated to a single character. As such, its episodes are distinct from one another, but also quite short – sometimes under 20 minutes when you subtract the protracted credits – and often lacking even temporary resolution. Presumably this is all building to an extended big-game finale, but with only five of eight episodes provided for advance review, it’s hard to say whether it will wind up feeling more like a clever use of its chosen medium, or simply a Rashomon-style feature film sliced neatly into pieces.

But what’s great about Win or Lose, setting it apart from other high-profile Disney+ shows, is that the episodes are too entertaining for this question to matter. After the intermittently inspired retread of Inside Out 2, here is a Pixar project more in tune with the original Inside Out, as well as 2022’s Turning Red: a show that’s attentive to the lives of tweenage kids and their various caregivers, and expresses its characters’ feelings with the stylized freedom of great animation.

Win or Lose’s episodes repeatedly start from firm emotional grounding before using animation to bring its characters’ conflicts to more whimsical life. The first episode introduces the Pickles, the co-ed softball team coached by Dan (Will Forte), and then turns to the struggles of Dan’s daughter Laurie (Rosie Foss), who is not naturally athletic but wants desperately to prove herself on the field as a way of asserting her worth. (Clearly her parents’ divorce and its attendant wounds remain fresh.) Her anxiety manifests as a cutely gross blob called Sweaty (Jo Firestone) who sits on her back, growing bigger and weightier with every moment of self-doubt – but doesn’t come to literal life in the reality of the show. Other characters can’t see Sweaty; as with other metaphors in the series – an suit of armor on a secretly sensitive teacher and umpire; a shapeshifting girlboss persona for a stressed-out overachiever – it’s a flight of fancy that’s not “real” but not precisely depicted as fantasy, either. The show simply doesn’t belabor its transitions between subjective and objective experience, and in doing so, Pixar finds a beautifully fluid approach to the old saw of seeing scenes repeatedly play out from multiple perspectives.

Some of these running metaphors can feel a little too orderly, like the attempts to chart, categorize, and bureaucratize the roiling emotions of the Inside Out movies. But as with those films, especially the first one, there’s also a teachable utility for the show’s all-ages audience. Without getting preachy – in fact, often while being hilarious – Win or Lose visualizes how both children and adults process their emotional challenges, and how those dimensions are often initially hidden from casual view. It’s especially sad, then, that one feeling – fear – prompted Disney to cut a storyline for the transgender character Kai (Chanel Stewart), a middle-schooler only glimpsed in the first five episodes (and now implicitly retconned into being a straight, cisgender character). The given rationale was that “many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline,” a watery truism that somehow wasn’t applied to the show’s treatment of similarly delicate real-life topics like divorce, economic struggle, social ostracism, or lost love. Were “many parents” eager for a family show with an entire episode about an adult man navigating dating apps?

In a perverse way, knowledge of the interference faced by Win or Lose makes the show itself all the more impressive; it could have easily wound up feeling as focus-grouped and over-engineered as any number of more muddled Disney projects. Instead, it hits that sweet spot where kids, especially those close to the ages of the characters, can lock into it, and adults can marvel at its cleverness and honesty. The show proves that Pixar is more than capable of continuing to innovate in family-friendly animation – when their parent company lets them.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Just Got New 4K Texture Packs

19 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  09:05

Modder ‘CHECKER90’ has released a must-have 4K Texture Pack for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 that overhauls its environments. With this pack, you will get better textures for vegetation, rocks, mud and most terrain surfaces. As such, I highly recommend getting it. Going into more details, this pack focuses on improving textures and materials across various … Continue reading Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Just Got New 4K Texture Packs →

The post Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Just Got New 4K Texture Packs appeared first on DSOGaming.

AU Deals: Super Reductions on Storage, High Percentages off Headsets, Cut Price Controllers, and More!

19 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  01:34

Welcome to a hump day of high percentage discount opportunities. Cases in point include a hellishly good Hades price and a slam dunk on NBA 2K25. My antiquated self is also all about 80% off Oblivion GOTY and the rather timeless Batman Arkham Collection. Failing all those, go score a cheap FFXVI, GTA V, or some other acronym that will befuddle any non-gamers who have stumbled into this article by mistake…

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 16th birthday of House of the Dead: Overkill which (at 189 f-bombs dropped) is one of the sweariest video games ever made. Hilariously, it was released first on the more family-friendly Nintendo Wii console and eventually morphed into a kick arse edutainment game that taught you typing... via profanity. Bravo, Sega.

Aussie bdays for notable games

- Ristar (MD) 1995. Get

- Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2) 2004. Remaster

- House of the Dead: Overkill (Wii) 2009. eBay

- Dragon Quest V (DS) 2009. eBay

- Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (PS3) 2009.

- Strider (PS3/4) 2014. Get

Contents

Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

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Purchase Cheap for PC

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Exciting Bargains for Xbox

Xbox One

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Xbox One

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

PS4

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PS4

PS+ Monthly Freebies
Yours to keep from Feb 4 with this subscription

  • Payday 3 [PS5]
  • High on Life [PS4/5]
  • Pac-Man World Re-Pac [PS4/5]

Or purchase a PS Store Card.

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Legit LEGO Deals

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Superb Snacks Deals

Because you need fuel. Delicious and discounted.

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Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

Lemokey's L5 HE 8K Magnetic Keyboard is a Refreshing Take on Performance and Build Quality

19 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  01:26

Have you ever picked up a keyboard and felt like it could do some serious damage? The Lemokey L5 HE 8K, built with a fully metal frame, is probably the most dangerous keyboard I’ve ever wielded. That’s part of the design philosophy behind Keychron’s gaming-centric line of PC peripherals. Like much of its catalog, it’s laser-targeted at enthusiasts focusing on build quality and pure performance, even if that means shaving off some of the quality-of-life features you tend to see on the best gaming keyboards in its price range. Still, there’s a nice level of customization found here, so if you’re a tinkerer who doesn’t necessarily like flashy keyboards, Lemokey’s L5 HE 8K is a tenkeyless option worth paying attention to, especially if you’re looking to upgrade to Hall Effect magnetic switches.

Lemokey L5 HE 8K – Design and Features

The first thing that jumped out at me was just how hefty this thing is – coming in at about 4.2 pounds (1,900g), it’s the heaviest keyboard I’ve used thus far. It’s built like a tank with fully metal chassis and several layers that make up its strong and durable frame. This is a large part of its personality because it otherwise sports a very straightforward design – no gaudy branding or extraneous parts sticking out (which can be cool sometimes, like the Nuphy Field75).

Its clean aesthetic is complemented by small but noticeable accents on a rather reserved 75% tenkeyless design. I received the cream/off-white color scheme that comes with gold trimming around the volume knob and a few gold keycaps, and minimalist approach definitely grew on me. The loudest part is the sharp metallic prism that makes up part of the bottom of the frame. It’s lined with an RGB strip that wraps around, but it doesn’t stand out in an uncharacteristic way. While there is RGB backlighting for the keys, it’s fairly understated given the color scheme and the solid keycaps, barely shining between the spaces between. This isn’t so much a problem as it is just me wishing it could express itself a bit more vividly.

The protruding the volume knob works on a notched dial and has a firm down-press to mute, providing a nice tactility. There’s a toggle along the top edge of the board to change profiles that you can program in the Lemokey software. And the bottom of the board has two rubberized strips to keep it in place and protect desk surfaces, which is necessary given how heavy this thing is. Otherwise, there aren’t any additional buttons or physical features, and most of the utility comes from its customizability software-side.

What you’re paying top-dollar for are those magnetic switches, and the Lemokey Lime Magnetic switches stand among the best you can find. It has a fairly light starting actuation force of 25gf and bottoms out with 48gf, but of course this will vary based on the actuation point you set for these switches. Customizing the actuation point is one of the major advantages of magnetic switches, and the Lemokey Limes can be set anywhere between 0.01mm and 3.35mm. On top of that, these switches have a smooth and clean feel which I’ve come to expect from the magnetic switch’s linear design.

Looking for the best mouse for competitive gaming?

Be sure to check out our roundup of the best gaming mice!

If you keep tabs on the keyboard space, you’ll notice that more and more enthusiast-level options boast a 8000Hz polling rate (hence, the 8K moniker in the L5 HE’s name). This means it sends registered inputs to your PC at 8000Hz (or every 0.125ms), which is extremely fast – but note that there are many other factors along the input pipeline that you’re not likely to actually experience that advantage unless you’re a pro-level gamer with state-of-the-art gear across the board. The 32K Hz scan rate (how fast the keyboard itself will recognize inputs) helps ensure that the input pipeline remains fast. If anything, it’s nice knowing that you’re getting the best possible performance from your keyboard.

One really neat thing about the L5 HE 8K package is that you get the tools to customize how the inner plate is mounted (either gasket or top mounted). You get Phillips and Hex screwdrivers, a keycap puller, and the extra gaskets to change the mounting. It's a bit tough to find the screws necessary to remove the frame (which are behind the spacebar, F2, F6, F10, right arrow, and left ctrl keys). The mounting type affects the overall sound and softness of keystrokes, and it comes down to preference more than anything else – but it’s nice to see these choices packed in whereas others often require aftermarket toolkits.

Advanced features such as last-key priority (LKP) – or Snap Click as Lemokey calls it – and analog input are also built into this keyboard to give it even more versatility. While this kind of tech can be really cool in theory, their limited application leaves more as gimmicks than practical features. LKP / Snap Click allows for simultaneous opposing cardinal directional (SOCD) input, letting you quick-strafe in FPS games faster than what’s humanly possible otherwise. It’s a contentious feature and it will get you kicked out of Counter-Strike 2 matches, for example. It’s just not worth the risk, especially when it’s easily detectable, so don’t go in thinking you’ll be taking advantage of this feature.

Lemokey makes its priorities clear in the L5 HE 8K with fantastic performance and seamless customization.

Lemokey L5 HE 8K – Software Customization

One of my favorite aspects of the L5 HE 8K is that it follows the boutique keyboard trend of having an online configurator as opposed to a downloadable software suite. At this point, I’m tired of juggling multiple apps on my PC for every brand of peripheral, some of which are genuinely robust but often bloated. With Lemokey’s online configurator, you have a snappy and easy to navigate suite that puts you in clear control of all the keyboard’s customization options without downloading or installing a program.

Upon going to the Lemokey online launcher, you select your device, and then you’re immediately brought to the software menu. Here, you can set actuation distance on a per-key basis, set rapid trigger to shorten the travel required to register repeated inputs, remap keys, set macros, assign polling rate to each profile, tinker with the RGB backlighting, and a whole lot more. This is where you can set the LMK / Snap Action feature as well, but as I mentioned above, be wary of using it.

I didn’t necessarily get much out of it, but the one-key-multi-command (OKMC) feature is one of the more interesting things you can tinker with – this lets you map up to four different inputs to a single key depending on far it is along its travel distance and if it’s going up or down. This also coincides with the magnetic switch’s ability to mimic analog input. If you want a key to act like a gamepad’s joystick or triggers, it’s easy to configure. For example, this is useful for those who play racing games on a keyboard and can feather / throttle the gas and brake inputs or turn with more nuance. The use-cases are minimal, but it speaks to the more advanced capabilities of Hall Effect keyboards and how Lemokey takes advantage of that.

Looking at the macro key assignment section seems intimidating, but it's quite intuitive once you mess around with it and see how mapping macros works. It speaks to how straightforward and efficient the Lemokey software is and I hope more high-end peripheral makers follow suit.

Lemokey L5 HE 8K – Performance

Having used the L5 HE 8K for a better part of a week in both gaming, typing for work, and general everyday tasks, I’ve come away satisfied with the overall experience. It’s a testament to the Lemokey Lime magnetic switches that bring an effortlessly smooth keystroke and performance that’s on par with any of the great Hall Effect keyboards out there. Its creamy, deep “thock” makes it a joy to use, and the plate’s default mounting style gives the keys a solid bounce.

Although it's hardly a game that requires high-performance gear, I worked my way through Avowed on PC using the L5 HE 8K and had no real qualms with the keyboard. Over time, I got used to the single angle of the keyboard, but I still wish it had adjustable feet or just some native way to create a steeper angle as I find that more comfortable. In a more competitive environment, the L5 HE 8K is as good as any keyboard in its class. I was confident in the rounds of Valorant I played, and setting the actuation point to a short 1.0mm made me feel light on my (virtual) feet, letting me briskly quick-strafe (without using Snap Click) and stay nimble dashing around the map as my favorite agent Neon. In Final Fantasy XIV, running through my attack rotation felt right with each action mapped to my keyboard. Each keystroke was firm as I set a deeper actuation point, requiring a bit more force and helping avoid errant inputs that would mess up my rotation.

The confluence of easy customization to get the most of the keyboard and the high-quality parts used (whether it be the magnetic switches or the construction of the board itself), the L5 HE 8K is a top-tier performer. At this point, it's hard to argue against choosing traditional mechanical keyboards over the increasing rosting of Hall Effect magnetic options, considering the practicality that comes with their custoimzation. The 8K Hz polling rate and 32K Hz scan rate are nice to have even if those features aren’t quite as important as having keys that you’re comfortable with and perform reliably, but the L5 HE 8K brings all of it.

You don’t get fancy things like an OLED control panel, additional macro keys, or intuitive on-the-fly adjustments, which are things you'll see on other high-end keyboards like the SteelSeries Apex Pro and Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro. And being a wired keyboard does make the $200 price tag a little hard to swallow, so it won't have the versatility of a wireless keyboard that can do 2.4GHz and Bluetooth. While you may think of those things as extraneous when it comes to the keyboard niche, those are the kinds of features you can find at this price range. However, I do think that the L5 HE 8K makes its statement by focusing on the basics and the advantages that come with Hall Effect magnetic switches.

Save $1,000 Off the Lenovo Legion 7 Intel Core i9 RTX 4080 Super Gaming PC

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  23:50

Lenovo has dropped the price of its powerful Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 RTX 4080 Super gaming PC to only $2,160.99 after coupon codes: "EXTRAFIVE" and "BUYMORELENOVO". In our recent Legion Tower 7 review (the sample we received wasn't as powerful as this one), Jacqueline Thomas wrote that "The Legion Tower 7i is an incredibly powerful gaming PC, especially for the money you’re likely going to be paying for it. If all you want is a powerful, upgradeable machine without having to go through the trouble of building it yourself, it’s hard to find many gaming PCs better than this one."

Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 RTX 4080 Super Gaming PC

The Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 is equipped with an Intel Core i9-14900KF CPU, GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER GPU, 32GB of DDR5-4000MHz RAM, and a 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD. The unlocked 14th gen Intel Core i9-14900KF Raptor Lake "Refresh" CPU boasts a max Turbo clock of 6GHz with 24 cores, 32 threads, and a 36MB cache. It's still one of the most powerful Intel CPUs available (in many cases it even beats out the new Intel Core Ultra 9 285K). It's cooled by a robust 360mm all-in-one liquid cooling system that rivals many enthusiast setups.

The RTX 4080 Super is Nvidia's second most powerful RTX 40 series card. You'll be able to handle any game in 4K at high frame rates, even with ray tracing enabled. It's 5-10% faster in performance than the RTX 4080 thanks to its higher base clock speed, higher CUDA core count, and higher memory bandwidth. It trades blows with AMD's most powerful GPU, the Radeon RX 7900 XTX, but the RTX 4080 Super pulls ahead in ray tracing performance and where DLSS 3.0 is supported. It's nearly identical in performance to the new RTX 5080 GPU and also has the same amount of VRAM.

Why Choose Lenovo?

Lenovo Legion gaming PCs and laptops generally feature better and more rugged build quality than what you'd find from most other prebuilt PCs. For desktop PCs in particular, people like the fact that Lenovo does not use many proprietary components in their rigs, so the PCs are much easier to upgrade with easiy obtainable, off-the-shelf parts. For laptops, Lenovo generally does not throttle the GPU on most of their Legion laptops, so you should expect maximum performance from a given GPU. Lenovo generally includes a solid 1 year warranty with the option to extend.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

The Best Wireless Chargers for Phones, Headphones, and All Your Other Accessories

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  23:21

Skip a tangled mess of cables and opt for a wireless charger instead. They’re the easiest way to top off the batteries of your phone, earbuds, smartwatch, and other wireless-supported accessories. By simply plopping your devices on a mat or stand, charging will begin. You aren’t limited to relying on a wall outlet for wireless charging either, as some portable battery packs also offer this handy feature, which is perfect for those prone to forgetting a charging cable when on the go.

TL;DR – These Are the Best Wireless Chargers:

Wireless charging speeds still haven’t hit the level of some traditional high-powered wall chargers, but many are inching closer to those rates, especially chargers with Qi2 certification – the newest version of the most common wireless charging standard. The latest MagSafe Charger from Apple can even hit speeds up to 25W with the top iPhones.

We know wireless chargers aren’t the most exciting thing to shop for when it comes to tech accessories, but they're such a no-brainer to have these days. Below are eight reliable and great value options worth checking out.

Contributions by Kevin Lee

1. Anker 313 Wireless Charger

Best Wireless Charger

There’s nothing wrong with simple when it comes to a wireless charger. You just want to plop your device on it and be done with it. The Qi wireless charging standard makes that easy by ensuring a decent amount of compatibility between devices, and the Anker 313 Wireless Charger provides a handy way to take advantage of that standard at a fantastic price. For $15, you get the charging pad and USB cord, so once it’s plugged in with the right adapter, you just place your compatible phone or wireless earbuds in the center, ditching your device's cords forever. You don’t need to worry about removing your phone's case either, as the pad charges through cases up to 5mm thick.

The Anker 313 Wireless Charger provides fast charging speeds up to 10W on compatible devices. Most Samsung phones with wireless charging let you hit those 10W speeds, and iPhones should support 7.5W. For everything else, you should see 5W. Anker also includes indicator lights on this wireless charger to signal when a device is charging.

2. Samsung 15W Wireless Charger

Fastest Wireless Charger

Wireless charging often lags behind its wired counterparts where speed is concerned, but the Samsung 15W Wireless Charger changes that, juicing up your device at a rate that beats many wired charging bricks. Samsung even included a cooling system complete with a fan inside the compact charger to prevent any potential overheating from the boosted charging speed.

The Samsung 15W Wireless Charger isn’t Qi certified, but it does support USB PD and Adaptive Fast Charging travel adapters. It also comes with a 25W power adapter, so you won’t need to worry about purchasing one separately. To round out this charger are handy LEDs onboard to indicate when your device is done fueling up.

3. Belkin BoostCharge

Best Wireless Charging Stand

If you like to be able to use your phone a little bit while it's wirelessly charging, then you'll want a stand rather than a pad. Belkin's BoostCharge wireless charging stand is a strong option that can deliver a fast rate of charge while giving you some flexibility for how you use it.

The BoostCharge stand can deliver a maximum charging rate of up to 15W on Qi-compatible devices. And, to help ensure you get the max charging speeds, Belkin includes a 24W Quick Charge 3.0 power supply in the box. The wireless charging stand can hold your phone in the vertical orientation to charge, or if you want to throw it in landscape so you can watch TV or a movie, the stand will support wireless charging in that orientation as well.

4. Anker MagGo Power Bank

Best Wireless Charger Power Bank

The top power banks are handy little sidekicks that make sure your phone nevers run out of juice. But half the time when you manage to remember the battery pack, the stupid cable to run between the devices gets forgotten. The Anker MagGo Power Bank makes this a non-issue thanks to its support for wireless charging. MagSafe compatibility is on board for an ultra-strong, reliable connection when juicing up the best iPhones and AirPods, and the Qi2 certification means it’s good to charge just about any other device that supports Qi wireless. However, this portable charger will add some bulk to phones.

With 10,000mAh of extra juice packed in the Anker MagGo, it’s ready to deliver at least another full charge or more to most phones. Wireless charging is relatively fast too, hitting up to 15W speeds on certain devices. Even if some of your devices don’t support wireless, this power bank has a USB-C port too.

Like many of its newer bricks, Anker makes this power bank more unique by adding a tiny screen displaying handy info like charging times, and battery percentages. There’s even a little kickstand to prop up your phone when charging, and it comes in a range of colors to suit your preferences.

5. iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2

Best Wireless Charger For Your Car

A basic wireless charger is great for home use, but when you’re on the road, you’ll want something a little more specialized. The iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2 is the charger to get for your car whether you’re planning to charge up an iPhone at 7.5W or an Android at 10W. iOttie also includes a power adapter that plugs into your car’s auxiliary power outlet and offers a cable to power the charger as well as an extra USB for other devices.

This wireless charging cradle will hold your phone in place while you’re driving so that it sits in proper alignment with the Qi wireless charging coil. A button automatically shuts the cradle once your phone is mounted, and the cradle comes on an adjustable, telescopic arm, so you can angle your screen just right. It sticks to your dashboard or suctions to your windshield for lots of placement flexibility.

6. Nomad Base Station

Best Wireless Charger for Multiple Devices

If you've got a lot of devices to charge and want to get them all simultaneously juiced up, then the Nomad Base Station is for you. It has a specially designed array of three charging coils inside where any device anywhere on the pad can charge at up to a 7.5W rate. This model is especially well suited for Apple Watch users, as it includes an integrated mount for the watch’s charging cable.

The Nomad Base Station is Qi certified, so you can charge almost any device that supports wireless charging. You also aren’t limited to juicing up wirelessly, as you get a USB-C and USB-A port to charge a total of five devices at once. Nomad's design is pretty sleek too, with a thin, sturdy aluminum base, padded leather surface, and no-slip feet.

7. Apple MagSafe Charger

Best MagSafe Charger

Apple created MagSafe for a secure connection when wirelessly charging Apple devices by using a special ring of magnets. This technology is found in models from the iPhone 12 and up, as well as a few AirPod models. For the easiest time charging these devices, we recommend grabbing the Apple MagSafe Charger. It’s hard not to fall for the slim and compact puck design, while its unique magnets are strong enough to keep wirelessly charging an iPhone even when it’s in use.

With the newest MagSafe Charger from Apple, certain iPhones can juice up wirelessly at speeds up to 25W – as long as you’ve got it hooked up to a 30W USB-C power adapter. (An adapter doesn’t come with the charger, so be sure to check out the best USB-C chargers for options.) Adding more value to this charger is the Qi2 support, meaning this can be used to wirelessly charge non-MagSafe devices too.

8. Belkin MagSafe 3-in-1 Charging Stand

Best MagSafe Wireless Charging Stand

Do you have multiple Apple devices capable of wirelessly charging? Then the compact Belkin MagSafe 3-in-1 Charging Stand is for you. It features MagSafe technology, which will hold Apple products in place as they juice up, and you can charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods at once.

This Belkin stand is compatible with many of the best iPhones, allowing the phone to magnetically attach to the stand in either a portrait or landscape orientation, delivering up to 15W of power. Next to the iPhone stand is an Apple Watch mount with a magnetic puck capable of fast charging the Apple Watch 7 or newer. The final MagSafe charging point is at the base, which is ready to charge devices at a rate of up to 5W. Belkin even throws in a 40W power adapter to ensure your electronics juice up at top speeds.

What to Look for in a Wireless Charger

Technically, Qi isn’t the only wireless charging standard on the market, but with other standards like PMA and A4WP dwindling in influence, your phone most likely supports Qi charging, so that’s what we've focused on in this guide.

In addition, it’s important to mention that wireless charging is hardly the fastest way to recharge your phone. It's awfully convenient to plop your phone down on a pad at the end of the day, but wireless charging is just plain slower than the wired fast charging options.

Some folks also have problems with needing to find the right “sweet spot” for their phone on the mat (hence lots of Amazon reviews claiming a given charger is unreliable). I personally love wireless charging, but you may find the speed and reliability of wired charging preferable to the convenience of wireless – it’s all about personal preference.

Wireless Charger FAQ

How does inductive charging work?

Inductive charging, also known as wireless charging, uses an electromagnetic field to create a current and charge up devices. A charging unit like a wireless charger or power bank will have a transmitter coil that produces a current, while a device, like a phone, earbud case, or smartwatch, integrates a receiver coil. When a current goes through the charging unit coil, it creates an electromagnetic field. Then, if the receiver coil on a device gets placed close enough to the electromagnetic field, a current gets induced, which charges the device’s battery.

What is MagSafe charging?

Apple developed MagSafe to make wirelessly charging an iPhone easier. This technology was first introduced with the iPhone 12 and has been packed into every iPhone since then. Wireless chargers that support MagSafe charging have unique magnets around the transmitter coil. When they interact with an iPhone (or an iPhone in a MagSafe case), a stronger, perfectly-aligned, and secure magnetic connection occurs. That allows for more efficient charging, hitting speeds up to 25W (only on certain Qi2 wireless chargers) with the iPhone 16 and 15W for older models. Without MagSafe support, wireless charging is limited to 7.5W.

Will a wireless charger work with any phone?

Wireless chargers only support phones that have wireless charging technology packed in. Older phones and budget options may not have the proper coil to charge it without plugging in. However, if your phone supports wireless charging, chances are good that it’ll work with almost any wireless charger. What makes things even easier is the widely adopted Qi standard. Just be sure to check your phone and charger both support Qi before purchasing.

Apple’s MagSafe technology may only be available on certain Apple devices. Luckily, even MagSafe chargers offer the same Qi standard, so you can use just about any Qi-supported device with them.

Panda Plan Review

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  22:51

Panda Problem is now available to watch on VOD and Blu-Ray.

Jackie Chan is one of the world’s greatest filmmakers, movie stars, and stunt performers. And thanks to all of the entertaining, exciting, and electrifying things he’s done onscreen over the years, there are still flashes of greatness to be found in a lesser Chan work like the halfhearted family action-comedy Panda Plan. But the rest is just reminders of past glories: As I watched him foil the abduction of a rare panda, my mind drifted to more pleasurable experiences with Chan. Panda Plan invites these comparisons: Chan plays a version of himself, bumbling enemies frequently say things like “this is just like your movies” to him, and there’s even a tepid, meta reflection on his wide-ranging career. Alas, Panda Plan never comes close to meeting the high bar set by Drunken Master and Police Story. It can’t even rise above being slightly amusing in short bursts. A distracting CGI panda further undercuts the physicality lent to the film by the committed 70-year-old Chan (who reportedly lost consciousness in one headlock scene).

It all kicks off with a self-aware scene Chan takes on a small army of armed goons – even before we hear a director yell “cut” the lackluster effects and abundant squibs clue us in that this is an intentionally bad action sequence. Consulting his schedule between takes, nothing catches the star’s attention – until he’s offered the chance to adopt a panda. We’re then whisked away to a remote zoo that feels like a discount Jurassic Park set, minus any charm or texture.

A rushed montage establishes the general layout of the place, but it also plays like a slick, empty advertisement. Chan digs into some Dairy Queen ice cream, meets the caring zoo assistant Su Xiaozhu (Shi Ce), and appears to be having the time of his life. Of course, there will be no time to unwind with a sweet treat or play around with his new panda pal: A group of cartoonish mercenaries soon arrive in order to steal the panda and deliver it to their vaguely sketched stereotype of a Middle Eastern benefactor.

The panda effects are the stuff of nightmares; they make the cat from the even more atrocious Argylle look like a CGI masterpiece. All the cute sounds that it makes can’t hide the seams of performances arranged around a cuddly co-star who isn’t actually there. There are obvious logical and ethical hurdles to throwing around a real live panda cub on set, but any sort of practical creation would be preferable to this. Watching Chan struggle to play off the effect is painful and, considering how Panda Plan’s entire premise hinges on how cute the animal is supposed to be, it makes it hard to get at all emotionally invested in the experience. It’s as cheap-looking as it is creepy, and you can’t really blame director Luan Zhang for taking any opportunity – like when the cub gets stuck in a box – to keep it out of sight.

As for the action, Chan’s gusto deserves some credit. He’s really going for it and doing all that he can to give this otherwise lifeless film some energy. He’s not as spry as he once was, but he’s still an incredibly expressive actor – his face alone sells Panda Plan’s ample slapstick. But he’s fighting a losing battle against the way the action scenes are staged and shot. Where Chan’s best films allow for wide-angle shots with minimal edits, this one keeps cutting away from the action for lackluster gags and shenanigans that took me completely out of the scene. No matter how many times the mohawked mercenary ringleader keeps popping up to glower and occasionally fight, Panda Plan never becomes an exciting action film.

By the time we get to the supposed climax where Chan has to take on the man behind this whole mess, Panda Plan completely falls apart. Not only is this final battle anticlimactic, which is truly saying something considering everything that comes before it, but it leads to one last bizarre twist. The mawkish reveal of the panda heist’s true motivation turns the already shaky story into a parody of itself – something meant to be taken seriously without Panda Plan doing anything to remotely earn it. Chan, through almost sheer force of will, makes parts of the film almost watchable, but not even he can save this ending. It’s the cherry on top of the unbearable sundae – I was left feeling like I’d have rather watched the fake movie from the opening scene. Better yet, I could’ve watched one of the many better movies Chan has made before. Panda Plan, for all the ways it’s enamored with its star’s past achievements, is stuck in their shadow.

The Best LEGO Star Wars Sets to Build in 2025

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  20:02

For over two decades, the LEGO and Star Wars partnership has endured and thrived. It is nothing if not consistent; the sets are geared toward every skill level, from beginner to advanced, and all of the sets – even the most rudimentary – are reliably high-quality. The massive ship and droid replicas get the most press. But even the more idiosyncratic sets – like the movie dioramas, for example – still capture the look, feel, and whimsy of their inspirations.

TL;DR: These Are the Best Star Wars LEGO Sets

LEGO is a costly hobby – one that requires a selective eye, so that only la crème de la crème makes it on your shopping list. Here are the Best LEGO Star Wars sets that you can buy in 2025. You can also check out our broader list of LEGO space sets for more science-focused options.

Grogu with Hover Pram

This depiction of The Mandalorian's Grogu is not an exact duplicate of the show's depiction; rather, it's been exaggerated for maximum cuteness and presentability. The arms and head move, and the arms rotate via dials on the figure's back. The Hover Pram, Grogu's high-tech space bassinet, is mounted on a square black stand and completes the overall package.

This set was part of the most recent round of new Star Wars LEGO sets to arrive in 2025, and we had the chance to actually build it ourselves.

Droideka

The Droideka are notoriously tough. In The Phantom Menace, two of these droids were able to hold off Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi by themselves and force the two Jedi to retreat. This replica has the droid's classic battle pose, and like in the movie, it can also roll into a ball for additional mobility.

TIE Bomber

The TIE Bomber is a sturdy little build with a good price for its piece count. It has two play mechanics – first, stud shooters in its front that allow you to shoot "lasers," and second, a hatch underneath the vehicle, which that allows you to drop a payload for four torpedoes onto unsuspecting rebel scum.

Emperor's Throne Room Diorama

Released in honor of Return of the Jedi's 40th anniversary, this diorama depicts the ending, climactic scene, where Luke and Vader do battle while the Emperor looks on, cackling evilly. The various Star Wars dioramas are all pretty detailed, but this one stands out due to its iconic symmetry. Other notable dioramas include the Endor Speeder Chase and the Mos Espa Podrace.

AT-TE Walker

The new AT-TE Walker (from Revenge of the Sith) looks exactly like what it is: a heavy artillery unit with a massive cannon. The model has room to seat seven Clone Troopers as they take on the Separatist droid army. Its sturdy, bottom-heavy design makes it excellent for play or display.

Millennium Falcon

Don't get us wrong. If you're a die-hard Star Wars fans with $800 to spare, then the massive 7541-piece Collector's Edition Millennium Falcon (Set #7541) is the one for you. But for the average person, the 1353-piece Falcon is more than wonderful, and it contains most of the bigger version's detail on a smaller scale. You still get a gun turret, a dejarik table, and a trap door, and you'll still have some money to buy a second set.

Check out our list of the best LEGO sets for adults for more options like this.

Chewbacca

Bigger and cuter than you'd think, this massive Chewbacca build is appropriately imposing, and it comes with a signature bowcaster. We built this set back when it launched, and we were impressed by how it used alternatingly colored bricks to create the illusion of musculature and fur.

TIE Interceptor

A complementing, proportionally sized companion to the X-Wing Starfighter (#75355), this TIE Interceptor featured in Return of the Jedi as a defender of the second Death Star. We built this set at its launch, and it is currently available exclusively through the LEGO Store.

R2-D2

I previewed and photographed the LEGO R2-D2 set. It was one of the most challenging build experiences I've had since I started this hobby. The end result, however, is worth the effort. Just keep track of the front and the back of the model, and you'll be fine. R2-D2 has a retractable third leg, a fully rotatable helmet, and a flexible structure that allows it to jiggle back and forth, Kenny Baker-style.

X-Wing Starfighter

We built the X-Wing in celebration of Star Wars Day (2023). It is – by a considerable stretch – the most detailed, intensive model of an X-Wing ever built. It is for display only; make sure you have at least two feet of shelf space to do it justice. It was the most fun we'd had building a set in months, and it comes highly recommended.

Mos Eisley Cantina

A "wretched hive of scum and villainy" indeed. This recreation of an iconic movie scene – a testament to the power of practical special effects, costuming, and makeup – is wonderful and comes up a whopping 21 mini-figures, including three members of the Cantina band, Greedo, Ponda Baba, the iconic bar patrons, and a massive Dewback that's hunting for two droids.

Jabba's Sail Barge

Jabba the Hutt is the slimiest, greediest gangster in the Dune Sea, and this Sailing Barge, which transports him and his cronies, is appropriately massive. It includes a full kitchen, an armory, and a prison cell for any disobedient servants. The set also comes with a Princess Leia minifigure in her slave costume, so you can recreate the iconic death scene from Return of the Jedi.

Millennium Falcon (Collector's Edition)

LEGO sets usually have a short production lifespan; the old sets get retired to make way for new ones. But the massive Millennium Falcon, which weighs in at 7541 pieces and launched in 2017, is still going strong. It's constantly on backorder, and for good reason; it's a modern classic amongst the LEGO faithful. It comes with two crews – the original crew, with Han, Luke, and Leia, and the sequel crew, with old Han Solo, Rey, and Finn. And it's got fully realized interiors in addition to its articulable exterior. In 2017, back when this set launched, adult sets were the exception and not the rule. This was a groundbreaking testament to what LEGO could be. Today, with so many other sets that reach its level of complexity, it's a fulfilled example of what LEGO has become and one of the most expensive LEGO sets you can buy.

AT-AT Walker

And lastly, here's the best of the prohibitively expensive sets: a massive, 2 foot tall LEGO AT-AT Walker. The main compartment has room for 40 minifigures – a platoon big enough to take down the Rebel base. A cockpit and gun turret reside in the head. The entire model is articulable, but the LEGO AT-AT is definitely an adult build for posing rather than play. It is extremely imposing in person, sure to dominate any dwelling space it occupies.

How Many Star Wars LEGO Sets Are There?

There have been a lot of Star Wars LEGO sets over the years and more and more new options arrive every year. As of Januay 2025, 78 LEGO Star Wars sets are available at the LEGO store, with options from pretty much every movie and show in the series.

Why Star Wars and LEGO is a Perfect Fit

Lots of times, when LEGO creates a set, it is an uncanny approximation of something real. The artistry is in making these bricks, rods, pins, and gears fit together and do something that perhaps, they weren't originally meant to do. But when it comes to Star Wars LEGO sets – especially the more massive ones – the vehicles and droids look unusually "native" – as if LEGO itself was conceived with Star Wars in mind. It's why the 4784-piece Imperial Star Destroyer looks more like a genuine Star Destroyer rather than a "LEGO" Star Destroyer.

This is part auspiciousness; the Star Wars universe is very angular, with clean lines that lend themselves to the LEGO aesthetic, And this also part effort; the designers put an outsized amount of time into "greebling" – the attention to micro surface detail that makes a monochromatic surface look layered, technically functional and interesting.

LEGO Star Wars sets, in other words, are in a class of their own.

Looking for more LEGO builds? Check out our roundup of the best LEGO Disney sets and the best LEGO Batman sets.

Kevin Wong is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in LEGO. He's also been published in Complex, Engadget, Gamespot, Kotaku, and more. Follow him on Twitter at @kevinjameswong.

Hier — 18 février 20253.3 🎲 Jeux English

Mickey 17 Review

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  22:27

Mickey 17 opens in theaters Friday, March 7. This review is based on a screening at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival.

The uniquely bleak Mickey 17 has chosen its cultural moment with precision (and a little bit of serendipity). After numerous delays – it was originally set to open in March 2024 – Bong Joon-ho’s follow-up to Parasite debuts as the first proper Trump Era 2.0 movie. It's a jet-black, mean-as-hell sci-fi comedy about a near future in which life itself has been corporatized and reduced in value by a foppish upper class that hides its totalitarian aims behind supposed religious values. (And to really underline the parallels to real life circa 2025, the followers of this movement don some distinctive, scarlet headwear branded with political slogans.) To escape his debts on Earth, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) has signed up to be an “Expendable” on a lengthy space mission, meaning he could be endlessly given risky, potentially fatal jobs and even experimented upon with viruses and radiation, dying multiple painful deaths that he remembers each and every time he’s “reborn” from a jittery 3D bioprinter. Pattinson stars as several different versions of the infinitely replicable worker drone, a premise that, though it eventually takes a bit of a backseat, sets the stage for a wild-eyed, farcical adaptation of Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel, Mickey7.

While its philosophical musings on immortality and self are discarded, most of the book’s plot basics remain, including its acerbic opening scene in which we meet our point-of-view Mickey as he tumbles down an icy crevasse filled with extra-terrestrial worm-creatures on the alien colony Niflheim. His best friend and co-explorer, the hotshot pilot Timo (Steven Yeun), gladly leaves him to die since there’ll be a whole new Mickey spat out tomorrow. How we got here is something the movie covers in extended flashbacks, though Bong’s rhythmic approach to montage results in a worldbuilding speedrun. Nothing – no individual piece of backstory or information – really seems to matter, but this is part of the movie’s ugly, nihilistic charm, from which a few embers of humanity eventually spark (though you’ll have to wait two hours and change for this; the movie makes you work for it). When Mickey 17 is presumed dead after his plummet, his superiors at the colony are quick to replace him with an 18th copy, only for Mickey 17 to escape his icy fate and return to base. For reasons both pragmatic and religious, two copies of the same person existing simultaneously is a major no-go, leading to complications between Mickeys 17 and 18, as they try to figure out how to survive together in secret.

While they remain under constant threat of “permanent deletion,” solutions to their conundrum present themselves with astounding ease, but all this means is that Mickey 17 takes its expected turns early on before swerving in surprising directions. The primary danger to their lives is the colony’s leader, a fanatical politician with exaggerated veneers named Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo) who, along with his gourmet-obsessed wife Ylfa (Toni Collette), towers over his underlings with promises of future greatness as they colonize Niflheim. Marshall’s methods come wrapped in thinly veiled white supremacy and compulsory, patriarchal heterosexuality. Every so often, he chooses one constituent at a time to wine and dine with steak (in lieu of their daily protein slop) to make them feel special, while convincing them – with shudder-inducing frankness – that their genetic purity is vital to populating the colony by way of “breeding.” What’s more, he carries out his methods courtesy of an organization that’s part ruthless conglomerate and part zealous church, a concentrated look at who holds the most power and influence in the modern United States.

This political element originates in Bong’s screenplay. So do the signature red hats worn by Marshall’s supporters, a purposefully Trumpian metaphor accompanied by several accidental ones that could not possibly have been planned – like a failed assassination attempt in which a bullet grazes Marshall’s cheek. That the film arrives amid the wreckage caused by the second Trump administration and the wannabe space-colonizer serving as its loudest cheerleader/biggest battering ram makes it all the more poignant, and all the more disheartening. Its villains exhibit stupidity and destructive evil in equal measure, resulting in a tale in which the very notion of checks and balances is the ultimate rebellion. That something so bare-minimum arises as heroic is both aspirational and punishingly depressing, in a political moment where the United States and its institutions feel like they’re being stripped for parts.

That this symbolism comes at the cost of a more character-driven story is occasionally irksome, but the time spent with each cast member is nothing if not enjoyable. Pattinson’s conception of Mickey 17 is strange and nasal, a gremlin-like wuss who can barely stand up straight. He’s the ultimate pushover – and he kind of sucks as a person, too. An early reveal about the planet’s native inhabitants depends on our easy interpretation of signs he refuses to see, given how much his self-loathing feeds his lack of empathy.

Mickey 18 is even worse. It turns out that expendable clones can vary greatly in personality; this results in 17 being usurped and outsmarted by a more violent, more cartoonishly cunning iteration of himself, with the question of his (and humanity’s) redemption looming over the story. The more time we spend even with the film’s ostensible heroes – like the narcissistic Timo, or Mickey’s delightfully unhinged security guard girlfriend Nasha (Naomi Ackie) – the more it seems like living under the thumb of economic oppression, and being made physically disposable in service of productivity, has driven each of these people entirely mad.

Mickey 17 is a deeply depressing comedic experience.

It's a film in which chaotic gesticulation, cacophonous argument, and slapstick flailing often stand in for rigorous drama – for better or worse – leading to some of the most ludicrously feel-bad comedy this side of the recent U.S. election. Rather than presenting mealy-mouthed pablum about “resistance,” Mickey 17 is confrontational by virtue of its pessimism, transforming a mostly straightforward novel into a stark reflection of how the current political moment came to be – albeit without letting anyone (least of all, those of us at the mercy of these larger forces) off the hook for our own transgressions. If humanity is what’s at stake, then being robbed of it and shedding it willingly are two sides to the same dangerous coin, separated by a margin as razor-thin as the difference between 17 and 18.

The Best Deals Today: Preorder the Final Fantasy Magic the Gathering Sets, The Witcher Gwent Card Game

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  22:20

Check out the best deals for Tuesday, February 18. The big news today is the Final Fantasy x Magic the Gathering collab. The commander decks, starter decks, and booster packs are up for preorder today. On a related note, The Witcher Gwent card game is also up for preorder at the IGN Store. In other deal news, the Asus ROG Ally is down to the lowest price ever, save $300 off an LG OLED TV, a whopping $1,500 off a zero gravity massage chair, and more below.

MTG: Final Fantasy Cards up for Preorder

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Magic the Gathering's new Final Fantasy Commander series cards are now up for preorder at Amazon and Best Buy. They'll ship out starting June 13, and you won't be charged until they do. Given that there are so many Final Fantasy fans out there, these have been garnering tons of interest and will undoubtedly introduce a lot more people to the world of Magic.

Preorder The Witcher: Gwent Card Game

If you're a fan of the fantastic Gwent card game from the Witcher games, here's your chance to pick up an authentic comprehensive set at a great price. The IGN Store is offering The Witcher Gwent The Legendary Card Game Set, which includes over 400 cards faithfully reproducing the iconic designs from The Witcher 3 and a playmat for only $40. This is a preorder that will ship out sometime in August.

Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme Gaming Handheld for $449.99

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Starting this week, Best Buy is taking $200 off the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme gaming handheld, now only $449.99. That's the lowest price I've seen for a brand-new unit, even during Black Friday. In addition, you get a free official ROG Ally travel case, one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and two months of a Crunchyroll Mega Fan subscription. The ROG Ally This is one of the best gaming handhelds currently available, especially if you don't want to be tied to Steam's ecosystem.

65" LG Evo C3 4K OLED Smart TV for $1197

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You don't have to wait for the new 2025 LG TVs to drop to score a great deal on an older generation model. Right now as part of Amazon's Presidents' Day Sale, you can pick up a 2023 65" LG Evo C3 4K OLED TV for just $1,196.99 with free shipping on Amazon. This is a better deal than what I saw during Black Friday. The LG Evo C-series of TVs have consistently been our favorite high-end 4K TVs, especially for 4K HDR movies and gaming.

Today Only: $1,500 Off Insignia Zero Gravity Massage Chair

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If you're been in the market for a massage chair, Best Buy's deal of the day is not one you should pass on. For today only, its Insignia 2D Zero Gravity Full Body Massage Chair is on sale for just $999.99, a hefty $1,500 discount from its original $2,500 list price. This is Best Buy's most popular massage chair and this deal comes around only a few times per year. It has all the features you'd want including full body massaging, infrared heat therapy, and zero gravity reclining.

30% Off Panther Vision Hand Warmers and Lighted Beanies

If you're looking for a practical Valentine's Day gift idea, Panther Vision is offering a big 30% coupon code that works sitewide. If you suffer from cold appendages, the Panther Vision 602R rechargeable hand warmer is small enough to fit in your jacket pocket. It offers three different heat settings depending on how numb your fingers are, boasts an IP67 waterproof rating, and can even double up as a 5,000mAh USB Type-C power bank for emergencies.

Pair it with the Panther Vision lighted beanie, which will keep your noggin warm while lighting up the way with a built-in LED headlamp rated for up to 150 lumens at max output. If you prioritize longevity over intensity, the 15-lumen setting will last up to 10 hours on a single charge. There are plenty of other useful gadgets on the site, including portable lamps and flashlights, so you might want to stock up to reach the $60 free shipping threshold.

12 Months of PlayStation Plus Premium for $99

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Starting today, Sony is offering 12 months of PlayStation Plus Premium for only $99 per year for anyone who isn't currently a Plus member. That averages out to just $8.25 per month. This is the same price as the lower tier PS Plus Extra subscription plan. Since Premium includes everything in Extra plus classic games, game trials, and cloud streaming, on paper there’s no obvious reason to choose Extra over Premium.

Secretlab Presidents' Day Sale

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Secretlab's Presidents' Day Sale is still live for a little while longer. Save up to $139 off Secretlab's popular Titan line of gaming chairs, Magnus gaming desks (including the Magnus Pro electric standing desk model), and accessories like the Secretlab Skins upholstery covers, desk mats, cable management, and more. Unfortunately, new releases like the Titan Evo Nanogen chair and the recliner add-on are exempt from this sale.

28% Off Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Sport Headphones

As part of its Presidents' Day Sale, Woot! is offering the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Open-Ear Wireless Sport Headphones for only $129.99, a savings of 28% off the $180 list price. The OpenRun Pro is the best non-earbuds headphones for running. The 2nd generation model offers cleaner bass and replaces the proprietary connector with a universal USB Type-C charging port. Instead of the traditional method of sending sound vibrations to your eardrums, the OpenRun Pro uses bone conduction technology to send vibrations through your cheekbones directly to your inner ear.

Preorder Elden Ring: Nightreign at Best Buy, Get $10 Gift Card

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Elden Ring Nightreign is set to release for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on May 30. A new standalone game set in the world of Elden Ring, Nightreign lets you team up with two other players to slice your way through an oppressive fantasy world. It’s kind of like a faster-paced remix of the original game. It’s available for preorder in a number of editions, so read on for the details about what comes in each one.

Preorder the HP Omen 45L RTX 5090 Prebuilt Gaming PC

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HP just added the option to add the GeForce RTX 5090 GPU as an upgrade to one of its flagship HP Omen 45L prebuilt gaming PCs and, fortunately, it is very reasonably priced for a prebuilt RTX 5090 desktop relative to what we've seen from other brands. Put your order in sooner than later because, unless HP has readily available 5090 GPUs in its inventory (unlikely), these prebuilts will probably have a bit of a lead time before they ship out.

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.

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League Release Date Announced

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  22:07

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League – Warner Bros. Japan’s sequel to their 2018 anime movie Batman Ninja – arrives on Digital on March 18 and on 4K UHD and Blu-ray on April 15, the studio announced Tuesday.

The film will be available in both Japanese and English-language versions. Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League will also be available as a two-film Digital collection on March 18 paired with the original Batman Ninja.

Here’s the official synopsis to shed more light on what happens in the film:

“The Batman Family has returned to present-day Gotham City after traveling back to the warring states period and saving history from being altered in the previous film, Batman Ninja. The next day, they witness a startling event – the Japanese island has disappeared, and a giant island called ‘Hinomoto’ appears in the sky over Gotham City. Soon, countless Yakuza descend from the sky and attack the people of Gotham City. And, the Justice League has disappeared.

Detecting a strange energy reaction in the sky, Batman heads for Hinomoto to find its underlying cause. There, the Dark Knight finds a world where the Yakuza war with each other, and brutality reigns without honor or humanity. At the top of the world is the Yakuza League, a group of superpowered individuals, who look suspiciously like the Justice League. The Yakuza League is invading Gotham and, to save the city, Batman and his allies are in for the fight of their lives!”

No word yet on the film's voice cast. Warner Bros. Japan teased a first look at the film at last July's Anime Expo.

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League is directed by Jumpei Mizusaki and Shinji Takagi. Kazuki Nakashima wrote the screenplay, character design is by Takashi Okazaki and the music is composed by Yugo Kanno. The film’s animation is by Kamikaze Douga.

The physical and digital releases will include the special features “Bringing Justice to Japan” and “Anime Action: Choreographing the Fights”. (Please note that the digital version is not available in Canada.)

The movie runs 89 minutes and is rated PG-13 for some violence and language.

In our rave Batman Ninja review, critic David Griffin said the 2018 film "takes everything great about the masked vigilante and twists it in a way we’ve never seen, creating a visual marvel unlike any other Batman animated movie before it. DC tried something new by bringing in visionary Japanese animators to offer a refreshing take on one of the company’s most beloved characters, and the finished product not only built upon the great adaptations that have come before, but surpassed them."

How to Play the Borderlands Games (and Spin-Offs) in Timeline Order

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  22:02

Quickly earning a reputation as the face of the looter shooter genre in the years since its release, Borderlands really has become one of gaming's most recognisable franchises. From its cel-shaded art style to its masked psycho poster child, the foul-mouthed, tongue-in-cheek sci-fi universe is now a staple of modern video game culture. It's not stopping there though, with the series quickly morphing into a multimedia sensation in its own right, spinning off into comics, novels and even a tabletop game.

This month, that journey reaches its biggest milestone yet, with Borderlands finally making its long-awaited jump to the big screen courtesy of Hostel and Thanksgiving director, Eli Roth. Reimagining Pandora and its vault-obsessed locals for a brand new audience. And while the film did not review particularly well, it's still a major step for any franchise.

With Borderlands 4 confirmed for release later this year, there's likely to be a lot of new and returning fans looking to dive back into the games and reacquaint themselves with where it all started. So, we decided to put together a quick timeline of the series to get you caught up on how it all fits together.

Jump to:

How Many Borderlands Games Are There?

In total, there are currently seven Borderlands games and spin-offs that are canon to the series, and two smaller, non-canon titles: Borderlands: Vault Hunter Pinball and Borderlands Legends.

Where's The Best Place to Start?

While it's the simplest answer, the best place to start is arguably Borderlands 1, although if you don't care about the story, any of the three mainline games are a good introduction.

All three entries in the trilogy are relatively similar in style, scope and gameplay, and better yet, they're all available on modern consoles and PC. That being said, there is a great overarching story that runs through the Borderlands saga, and if you've just come off the movie and want to follow it as intended, starting from the beginning is the best way to play.

Every Canon Borderlands Game in Chronological Order

These blurbs contain mild spoilers for each game, including characters, settings, and story beats.

1. Borderlands (2009)

The game that kickstarted it all. The very first Borderlands launched in 2009, telling the story of Lilith, Brick, Roland and Mordecai: a group of four "Vault Hunters" that venture out on the treasure hunt of a lifetime. Arriving on the volatile planet of Pandora, they seek out a legendary bunker known as The Vault, which is said to house unimaginable treasures.

As expected, their expedition quickly turns into a chaotic maelstrom of carnage, with the group facing off against a militia known as the Crimson Lance, contending with the planet's savage wildlife and taking down hordes of bloodthirsty bandits. From the moment Borderlands hit shelves, it was a huge hit, launching the looter shooter genre into the stratosphere through its compelling gameplay loop of killing masses of enemies, discovering a near-limitless supply of guns and building your chosen character.

The game was also supported heavily after release, getting a further four expansions that took the game from zombie-themed islands to a tongue-in-cheek riff on Mad Max's Thunderdome.

2. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (2014)

Developed by 2K Australia with the assistance of Gearbox Software, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel may have launched after Borderlands 2, but it fills in the gap between the first two Borderlands games. The story follows a group of new Vault Hunters, Athena, Wilhelm, Nisha and Claptrap, as they head out on a mission to find a Vault on the moon of Elpis.

The Pre-Sequel was, in a lot of ways, a bunch more of the Borderlands fans knew and loved. Set in a new locale with fresh classes to master and learn, it offered more guns, boss fights, quests and enemy encounters to plough through while the world waited for an inevitable Borderlands 3. However, its main selling point was further fleshing out the story of Borderlands 2, with the game featuring the second game's main antagonist, Handsome Jack, in a leading role.

Alongside featuring many of the second game's main bosses and characters years before their roles in the sequel's story, it also offered a full view of Jack's descent into madness, establishing the iconic foe's origins. Much like the other games, 2K Australia added several expansions after the game launched, including the Holodome Onslaught and Claptastic Voyage maps, as well as two playable characters: the Doppelganger and the Baroness.

3. Borderlands 2 (2012)

The official sequel to Borderlands, Borderlands 2 launched in 2012, bringing players back to Pandora with a new squad of ambitious Vault Hunters in tow. The tale begins with our heroes, Maya, Axton, Salvador and Zer0, heading to Pandora to search for a new Vault. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the planet's overlord, the sadistic Handsome Jack, doesn't take kindly to brave adventurers seeking fame and fortune by uncovering the latest fabled Vault on Pandora. While riding a train across the untamed planet, Jack attempts to have them killed, leaving them stranded in an icy wasteland.

Left for dead, the team set out on an adventure to discover the truth behind Handsome Jack's schemes, attempting to stop to him and find the Vault in the process. Borderlands 2 was essentially a bigger, more expansive take on the original game, offering plenty of quests, new classes to master, a charismatic main villain to take down and, somehow, even more guns to find and collect.

It's still regarded by many as the best Borderlands to date, offering a fun story, memorable combat encounters and a healthy dose of the series' trademark sense of humour. Much like the first game, it also came with a bunch of post-release support, including four additional campaigns, two bonus playable characters, and several Headhunter missions.

4. Tales From The Borderlands (2014 - 2015)

The first full spin-off of the series, Tales From The Borderlands was Walking Dead developer Telltale's take on the Borderlands universe, offering an episodic, story-focused adventure set on the surface of Pandora. Unlike the mainline entries, Tales doesn't centre on a team of super-powered, gun-obsessed Vault Hunters. Instead, it follows a crook and a corporate lackey who unwittingly stumble into a grand adventure.

Set after the events of Borderlands 2, we follow Rhys, a Hyperion employee lobbying for a higher position in the company, and Fiona, a con artist working with her sister, Sasha. After Rhys attempts to one-up a colleague by intercepting a deal to acquire a vault key, he learns the key was a fake in a con set-up by Fiona, entangling the two together and setting off a chain reaction of events that put them on the trail of a brand new Vault.

As with all of Telltale's games, Tales From The Borderlands focuses primarily on a branching, cinematic story with moral choices that can change the direction of the narrative. In the years following its release, Tales From The Borderlands has been acknowledged as a key piece of the Borderlands canon, with original characters from the game even popping up in Borderlands 3.

5. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (2022)

Gearbox Software's most recent entry in the Borderlands franchise, from the outside, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands doesn't look like a Borderlands game. Subbing out futuristic desert wastelands for a sprawling fantasy kingdom, while Wonderlands may have plenty of dragons, goblins and unicorns, it's very much still a Borderlands game in everything but the setting.

Acting as a fully-fledged version of the beloved Borderlands 2 DLC, Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands once again has you entering the world of Bunkers and Badasses; the Borderlands equivalent of Dungeons and Dragons. With Tina as your very enthusiastic dungeon master, you'll battle against a range of fantasy monsters, embark on some heroic quests and battle your way to the monstrous Dragon Lord.

As with all Borderlands games, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands boasts a metric ton of guns to find, classes to master and enemies to kill, while also incorporating new ideas to complement the shift in setting, such as an overworld area you traverse between missions and the ability to use spells. It also has its own helping of expansions to dig into, with four separate DLCs featuring new dungeons, bosses and gear.

6. Borderlands 3 (2019)

Seven years after the release of Borderlands 2, Gearbox Software returned for an official third entry, launching Borderlands 3 in 2019. As always, the threequel brings a fresh new cast of Vault Hunters into the fray, introducing players to Amara, FL4K, Zane and Moze, and sending them out on a chaotic new adventure.

This time around, players are tasked with stopping a pair of murderous siren twins named Troy and Tyreen, who are venturing across the galaxy and harnessing the power inside the vaults for a mysterious cause. In a franchise first, players are tasked with travelling to multiple planets to take them down, teaming with an array of familiar faces such as Lilith, Rhys, Maya, Brick, Zer0 and, of course, Claptrap.

As always, you can expect plenty of looter shooter chaos to ensue, with a heap of guns to find, enemies to eviscerate and new character classes to master. There's also plenty of DLC content to jump into when you're done, with Borderlands 3's additional content offering four new campaigns, takedown missions and even designer and director cuts that resurrect a bunch of content left on the cutting room floor.

7. New Tales From The Borderlands (2022)

Gearbox Software's official follow-up to Tales From The Borderlands, New Tales From The Borderlands is currently the last game on the chronological timeline. Bringing in a slate of fresh characters instead of opting for a continuation of the original Tales game, New Tales has three protagonists: Anu, Octavio and Fran.

The story follows the group's adventures after stumbling into a vault and finding a precious artefact, which inadvertently puts them in the line of fire of the Tediore corporation and its ruthless CEO, Susan Coldwell. With the relic now in their possession, the trio begins to uncover its true powers, all the while attempting to evade Coldwell as she hunts them down.

Much like the previous game, New Tales From The Borderlands is focused almost entirely on weaving a branching story that adapts and warps based on your choices. You can expect plenty of dialogue options, QTE fight sequences and tough decisions that will impact the outcome of the adventure.

Every Borderlands Game in Release Order

  1. Borderlands (2009)
  2. Borderlands Legends (2012)
  3. Borderlands 2 (2012)
  4. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (2014)
  5. Tales From The Borderlands (2014 - 2015)
  6. Borderlands 3 (2019)
  7. Tiny Tina's Wonderland (2022)
  8. New Tales From The Borderlands (2022)
  9. Borderlands: Vault Hunter Pinball (2023)
  10. Borderlands 4 (2025)

What's Next For Borderlands?

In terms of games, Borderlands 4 is the next major release on the horizon, set for release on September 23, 2025. Gearbox Software revealed the sequel after the studio announced it was being acquired by Take-Two, with Gearbox head Randy Pitchford telling us in an interview that "It's the greatest thing [the studio has] ever done."

Although that's all we have to go on for now, It seems as though projects in the Borderlands universe could be more frequent going forward. We learned recently that the franchise will be a big focus for Take-Two following the acquisition, with Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick noting in a investor's call that the company sees a lot of "potential growth opportunities" for the IP. We'll have to wait to see exactly what Zelnick means by that, but it appears we could be trekking to Pandora a lot more in the coming years.

Callum Williams is an IGN freelancer covering features and guides. When he's away from his desk, you can usually find him obsessing over the lore of the latest obscure indie horror game or bashing his head against a boss in the newest soulslike. You can catch him over on Twitter at @CaIIumWilliams.

Where to Watch Every Batman Movie Online in 2025

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  21:24

Batman has flown beyond the pages of his comic book beginnings to become one of film's most recognizable heroes. The DC character has starred in over a dozen feature-lengthed movies over the past 60 years, his cape and cowl having changed hands from one A-list actor-director team to the next. The Caped Crusader currently resides with director Matt Reeves and actor Robert Pattinson, who are preparing a sequel to their excellent 2022 crime thriller, The Batman.

For those looking to watch or rewatch the films as we await The Batman Part II, we've created this guide for where you can watch all the Batman movies online right now.

Where to Watch Batman Movies Online

All of the 13 Batman movies included on this list (every theatrical release in which Batman serves as a main character) are available to stream on Max. Several movies can also be streamed on Prime Video, and all of the Batman movies are available to rent or buy from various digital storefronts.

Check out your streaming options for each Batman movie online in 2025 below:

Batman Movie Sets

If you'd prefer to have physical copies of your favorite Batman movies, we've gathered some of the best ones below.

What's the Best Order to Watch the Batman Movies?

Watching the Batman movies in order is straightforward, though it can seem daunting given the number of directors, actors, and disributors the movies have moved through over the past 60 years. If you want to be sure you're viewing the movies in the best order for you, check out our Batman movies in order explainer (or click through the gallery below). You can also dive into our list of the best Batman comics if you'd prefer to start there.

When Are New Batman Movies Coming Out?

The Batman – Part II (2026)

The next Batman movie is The Batman – Part II, a sequel to 2022’s The Batman. The movie will once again star Robert Pattinson and be directed by Matt Reeves. There’s no word on plot details yet, though we know the film is slated to hit theaters on October 2, 2026.

The Brave and the Bold (TBD)

The Brave and the Bold will begin a separate line of live-action Batman movies. Directed by Andy Muschietti (The Flash) as part of James Gunn's new DCU, The Brave and the Bold will introduce a new Batman and draw heavily from Grant Morrison's Batman comic book run. The story follows Damian Wayne, the 10-year-old son of Batman raised in secret to be an assassin.

For more on the Caped Crusader, check out IGN's Batman movie reviews:

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.

Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy Cards Are Up for Preorder at Amazon

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  20:45

Update 2/19/25: This has been an enormously popular MTG expansion. Some of the more sought-after packs have sold out, but many are still available. We've gone through the listings at both Amazon and Best Buy and updated the stock status below.

Here’s one for fans of either Final Fantasy or Wizards of the Coast. The latest Magic: The Gathering crossover finds characters from Final Fantasy making their way to the most famous collectible card game on the market. We’re talking characters like Cloud, Terra, Tidus, and many more, pulled from Final Fantasy 6, 7, 10, and 14 – and that's just the Commander Decks. Basically, the gang’s all here. These cards are set to release on June 13, but you can preorder them right now (see them at Amazon and Best Buy).

Where to Buy Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy Cards

Scroll to the left to see quick buy links for each MTG: FF configuration. Read on for details about what comes in the many bundles that are available. And for more info about the crossover, check out our Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Commander Deck reveal feature.

Starter Kit

The Starter Kit contains 2 ready-to-play 60-card decks, 2 deck boxes to store them in, 1 Magic play guide booklet, 4 double-sided tokens (2 with each deck), 2 double-sided reference cards to aid you as you play (Turn Order/Attacking & Blocking), and two Magic: The Gathering Arena code cards to unlock both decks for two people to play online. Account registration required. Code expires September 1, 2030. This product does not contain a serialized card (available in English-language Collector Boosters only).

Commander Decks

Each Commander Deck includes 1 deck of 100 Magic cards (98 nonfoil cards and 2 Traditional Foil Legendary cards), a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack (contains 2 alt-border cards, with at least 1 Traditional Foil), 10 double-sided token cards, 1 deck box (can hold 100 sleeved cards), 1 strategy insert, and 1 reference card. This product does not contain a serialized card (available in English-language Collector Boosters only).

Play Booster Box (30 Packs)

Each of the 30 Play Boosters in this box contain 14 Magic: The Gathering cards and 1 Token/Ad card or Art card. (A regular Art card can be found in 30% of packs and a foil-stamped Signature Art card can be found in 5% of packs.) Every pack Includes 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher and 3–6 Uncommon, 6–9 Common, and 1 Land cards. One card of any rarity is Traditional Foil. The Land card is also Traditional Foil in 20% of boosters. This product does not contain a serialized card (available in English-language Collector Boosters only).

Gift Bundle

This bundle contains 1 Collector Booster, 9 Play Boosters, 2 Traditional Foil Extended-Art cards, 16 Traditional Foil and 16 nonfoil Full-Art Basic Land cards, 1 oversized Spindown life counter, 1 special foil Final Fantasy card storage box, and 2 reference cards. A serialized card may be found in <0.1% of English-language Collector Boosters only.

Bundle

This Bundle includes 9 Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy Play Boosters (each containing 14 cards), 2 Traditional Foil Extended-Art cards, 16 Traditional Foil and 16 nonfoil Full-Art Basic Land cards, 1 oversized Spindown life counter, 1 Final Fantasy card storage box, and 2 reference cards. This product does not contain a serialized card (available in English-language Collector Boosters only).

Commander Deck Bundles - (SOLD OUT)

Both commander deck bundles are currently sold out. Each Commander Deck includes 1 deck of 100 Magic cards (98 nonfoil cards and 2 Traditional Foil Legendary cards), a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack (contains 2 alt-border cards, with at least 1 Traditional Foil), 10 double-sided token cards, 1 deck box (can hold 100 sleeved cards), 1 strategy insert, and 1 reference card. This product does not contain a serialized card (available in English-language Collector Boosters only).

Collector Booster Box (12 Packs) - (SOLD OUT)

Each of the 12 Collector Boosters in this box contain 15 Magic: The Gathering cards and 1 Traditional Foil double-sided token, including 5–6 cards of rarity Rare or higher and 3–6 Uncommon, 3–5 Common, and 1 Full-Art Land cards, with a total of 8–12 Traditional Foil cards and 0–3 cards with a special foil treatment. Serialized card in <0.1% of English-language Collector Boosters only.

Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Bluesky @chrislreed.com.

Where to Stream Every Indiana Jones Movie Online in 2025

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  20:21

Indiana Jones has remained a staple of American pop culture ever since movie-making legends George Lucas and Steven Spielberg introduced the character in 1981. At 80 years old, Harrison Ford suited up once again for a fifth turn as the adventurous archaeologist in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

With every Indiana Jones movie now on streaming, we've put together this quick guide on how you can watch all of the Indy movies online in 2025.

Where to Watch the Indiana Jones Movies Online

All five Indiana Jones movies are available on Disney+ and Paramount+. If you don't have either of those subscription services, each movie can also be rented or purchased through Prime Video or YouTube.

Here's our full breakdown of how to watch Indiana Jones online in 2025 with links to where you can stream each movie:

Indiana Jones Movies on Blu-ray

Prefer in-home viewing? All of the Indiana Jones movies have gotten physical releases, including collected box sets.

What's the Best Order to Watch the Indiana Jones Movies?

The Indiana Jones chronology does not follow its release order, leaving viewers with a choice on how to watch the saga. If you want to be sure about where to begin, whether that be by in-universe chronology or real-world release dates, our how to watch the Indiana Jones movies in order explainer can help.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.

Today Only, Best Buy Has a $2,500 Zero Gravity Massage Chair for Just $999

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  20:20

If you're been in the market for a massage chair, Best Buy's deal of the day is not one you should pass on. For today only, its Insignia 2D Zero Gravity Full Body Massage Chair is on sale for just $999.99, a hefty $1,500 discount from its original $2,500 list price. This is Best Buy's most popular massage chair and this deal comes around only a few times per year. It has all the features you'd want, including full body massaging, infrared heat therapy, and zero gravity reclining.

Today Only: $1,500 Off Insignia Zero Gravity Massage Chair

The Insignia brand of massage chairs (Best Buy's house brand) are popular because they're much more affordable than other brands while offering solid build quality and no lack of creature comforts. This particular model has nearly 1,600 reviews with an average 4.5-star rating. This is a full body style massager that uses a combination of rollers and air pressure to deliver five types of massaging styles: kneading, tapping, knocking, shiatsu, and a kneading and tapping combination. There are six preset programs for ease of use, and even an upper body scanner that adjusts to your body shape for a more personalized experience.

The chair has three preset reclining settings including a "zero gravity" completely horizontal position, so make sure you put it in a spot with plenty of space behind you. Other features include infrared heat therapy mode for sore muscles and PU leather upholstery that's durable and easy to clean. The chair comes with a one-year warranty.

For more deals, check out the Best Buy Presidents' Day Sale, which is still running.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

The Best Wi-Fi Extenders to Rid Your Space of Internet Dead Zones in 2025

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  20:00

No matter what you’re doing online, a strong, reliable Wi-Fi signal is nice to have, but when you're gaming, it's imperative. Not only does a solid internet connection bring faster download speeds, but it also leads to low latency and lag for smoother action and faster reactions, giving you a leg up on opponents. It’s equally important for streaming, delivering fewer buffering interruptions or drops in image quality.

Even the best wireless routers sometimes struggle to send a strong signal to certain areas of your home, whether you’ve got a gaming setup in the basement or just some ridiculously thick walls. Rather than investing in a whole new Wi-Fi system, a great range extender could be a quick and easy fix, eliminating those annoying Wi-Fi dead zones by rebroadcasting the signal for further reach around every corner of your space.

Wi-Fi extenders aren’t exclusively for wireless devices, either. Many have an Ethernet port for a wired connection to certain devices. Gaming systems, PCs, and TVs could benefit from reduced lag and less signal interference from wiring up to a range extender. Many also work seamlessly with mesh routers as an alternative to their traditional nodes. From a Wi-Fi 7 range extender for a future-proof setup to a simpler, inexpensive alternative, we’ve found something sure to increase the Wi-Fi coverage in your space.

TL;DR – These Are the Best Wi-Fi Extenders:

1. Netgear Nighthawk AX6000 Dual-Band WiFi 6 Mesh Extender (EAX80)

Best Wi-Fi Extender

If you live in a large home, or have multiple people connecting to your router, you’ll want the Netgear Nighthawk AX6000 Dual-Band WiFi 6 Mesh Extender (EAX80). It extends your Wi-Fi up to 2,500 square feet and up to 30+ devices, so you can connect your smart TV, smartphone, smart home devices, consoles, gaming PC, and everything else you can think of without suffering slow speeds.

The Netgear Nighthawk AX6000 Dual-Band WiFi 6 Mesh Extender (EAX80) is quite a bulky piece of equipment, but if you have room for it, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by its excellent performance. It features WEP, WPA/WPA2 protocols, is incredibly easy to set up, and works with any wireless router or cable modem. You can even use the Nighthawk app to customize your wireless network and get an overview of which devices are connected to it.

2. TP-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Extender (RE315)

Best Budget Wi-Fi Extender

At under $30, the TP-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Extender (RE315) is one of the cheapest Wi-Fi extenders around. It comes with one Ethernet port, can cover up to 2,500 square feet, and supports up to 30 devices. While you’re not going to get super-fast speeds with this Wi-Fi extender, it is great for those who have slower internet speeds that need to simply extend the range of their wireless connection.

Smaller homes, or even home offices would benefit from the TP-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Extender (RE315). And if you have additional devices like smartphones, security cameras, or smart home devices that need a little bit more wireless reach, you won’t be throwing away lots of money thanks to how affordable this extender is.

3. TP-Link AXE5400 Wi-Fi 6E Extender (RE815XE)

Best Wi-Fi 6E Extender

With four external antennas, the TP-Link AXE5400 can reach hard-to-cover areas, like basements and back corner rooms, ensuring your wireless network reaches every inch of your home. To make your life easier, it comes with a signal indicator, giving you insight into the optimal placement of the device in your home. The TP-Link Tether app walks you through the entire installation process and lets you easily manage the network afterward.

Given TP-Link AXE5400 is a Wi-Fi 6E extender, it’s full of features designed to enhance your Wi-Fi experience. Its tri-band support includes a 6GHz band that can be used with the latest devices or for backhaul, thanks to OneMesh support. That helps eliminate congestion and interference problems from legacy gadgets connected to the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. MU-MIMO and Access Point are also on this extender, allowing for better extended network performance.

4. TP-Link BE11000 Wi-Fi 7 Extender (RE655BE)

Best Wi-Fi 7 Extender

Wi-Fi 7 is here. Sure, the selection of Wi-Fi extenders offering the latest standard is limited and so are the devices that support it, but the TP-Link BE11000 Wi-Fi 7 Range Extender is excellent. Plus, it’s backward compatible, allowing you to use this extender with Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, and Wi-Fi 6E routers for a future-proof setup if you haven’t upgraded to Wi-Fi 7 just yet.

Wi-Fi 7 delivers fast speeds, low latency, and better handling of congestion – all of which can be extremely beneficial to gamers or households with tons of connected devices. The TP-Link BE11000 is ready to take advantage of it all with tri-band frequency offering a wild 10.8Gbps of speed, including a 6GHz band for less congestion that can hit 5764 Mbps. There’s even a 2.5G Ethernet port for more reliable handling of bandwidth demands. Of course, it also comes with all the latest Wi-Fi 7 features, like 4K-QAM, MLO, and Multi-RU, for optimal signals and distribution throughout your home.

Setting up the TP-Link BE11000 is fairly straightforward, as it plugs right into a wall outlet and the TP-Links’ Tether app assists in the initial install. The unit is a bit bulky, and its two-prong design makes it more susceptible to falling out of the wall. At least the larger build allows room for four exposed high-gain directional antennas with Beamforming technology to deliver a stronger signal, reaching more nooks and crannies in your home. Turning this extender essentially into a node for your mesh network is also simple thanks to EasyMesh certification.

5. TP-Link AV2000 Powerline Adapter

Best Wi-Fi Extender Powerline Adapter

If you’re considering a more wired alternative, there’s always a powerline adapter range extender. Such a range extender piggybacks on your space’s electrical current, allowing it to theoretically move data anywhere where there’s an AC outlet. For that, the TP-Link TL-PA9020P is a terrific option, boasting a range that’s longer than most powerline extenders out there (up to 1,000 feet over existing electrical wiring), as well as extras like AC passthrough so you don’t lose an outlet. It also features a pair of Ethernet ports so you can hard-wire up to two devices.

Don’t let the term “powerline adapter” intimidate you. This feature-rich powerline extender is so easy to set up, even the least tech-savvy folks can do it. In fact, it’s really just mostly plug and play, with virtually no configuration or special surge protector required.

6. Asus ROG Rapture GT6

Best Mesh System

If you need more than a Wi-Fi extender, it might be time to invest in a mesh Wi-Fi system like the Asus ROG Rapture GT6. Using tri-band technology, the GT6 offers insanely fast speeds, strong signal, and an array of ports you can use. It’s a beast, there’s no denying that, and it’s expensive, but you might save in the long-run instead of purchasing Wi-Fi extenders or powerline adapters that just aren’t going to do the trick.

Dedicated gaming routers are of course designed for online gaming, but this whole-home mesh system ticks that box and more. If you’re looking for strong throughput, a wealth of features, and want to enhance your online gaming experience, the investment is totally worth it.

How to Pick the Best Wi-Fi Extender

Picking the best Wi-Fi extender can make a significant difference in improving your home network's coverage and performance. But, before making any final decisions, you’ll first need to assess your current Wi-Fi situation. Take note of the areas in your home where the Wi-Fi signal is weak or non-existent. Understanding these dead zones will help you determine the type and range of extender you need.

If you’re going to invest in a Wi-Fi extender, you might as well get one that supports the latest Wi-Fi standards, such as Wi-Fi 6E or even Wi-Fi 7, for faster speeds and better connectivity. Pay attention to the extender's frequency bands; dual-band or tri-band extenders can offer more flexibility by operating on multiple frequencies simultaneously, reducing interference and congestion.

The clue is in the name, but if you’re in the market of buying a Wi-Fi extender, then range is important. You’ll need to pick a device that can cover the areas where you need improved Wi-Fi coverage.

Depending on your technical knowhow, you might want to look for a Wi-Fi extender that’s easy to set up and manage. Look for models that offer simple, user-friendly setup processes and intuitive management interfaces. Some extenders come with mobile apps that allow you to easily monitor and control your network settings from your smartphone or tablet.

By considering these factors and doing some research on available options, you'll be able to pick the best Wi-Fi extender that suits your needs and helps you enjoy seamless, reliable connectivity throughout your home.

Wi-Fi Extender FAQs

Do Wi-Fi extenders really work?

Yes, Wi-Fi extenders can increase the range of your wireless network. Their speeds and effectiveness, however, can be impacted by a variety of factors, like the distance from your router, how many people are connected to your network, and so on.

Where is the best place to put a Wi-Fi extender?

You should put your Wi-Fi extender in a place that receives a strong network signal from your router.

How fast should my Wi-Fi be for gaming and streaming?

For gaming and streaming, a bandwidth between 25–100Mbps should suffice for most users. Faster speeds make for quicker content downloads and updates. The only time you may want to seek out more bandwidth is if you have a bunch of devices using Wi-Fi at the same time, or you’re looking to do tons of 4K streaming. What really matters, especially for gaming, is consistent low latency (or ping).

Jenna Ortega, George R.R. Martin, Stephen King, and More to Headline IGN Fan Fest 2025

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  20:00

IGN Fan Fest 2025 is less than a week away and stars from your favorite movies, series, games, and comics have teamed up for what will be our biggest Fan Fest ever.

Starting Monday, February 24, be sure to tune into IGN for tons of exclusive reveals, trailers, clips, gameplay, and spoiler-filled interviews from all the biggest upcoming titles in the world of games and entertainment.

  • Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd will be on hand to delve into their upcoming A24 movie, Death of a Unicorn.

  • Osgood Perkins, Stephen King, and James Wan stop by for an in-depth interview on how they brought their creepy new movie, The Monkey to life.

  • Director Bong Joon-ho will introduce a brand-new exclusive look at his upcoming film, Mickey 17.

  • Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio along with the creators of Daredevil: Born Again will break down their new Disney+ series.

  • The team behind Monster Hunter Wilds including producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Yuya Tokuda give us an exclusive look at their massive new game.

  • The cast of The White Lotus including Walton Goggins, Parker Posey, Carrie Coon, Leslie Bibb, Michelle Monaghan, Aimee Lou Wood, Sarah Catherine Hook, Sam Nivola, Jason Isaacs, and Patrick Schwarzenegger answer all our questions about what we’ve seen in Season 3 so far.

  • Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, and Jacob Batalan preview their upcoming film, Novocaine.

  • George R.R. Martin sits down with us to talk about the new movie In The Lost Lands, based on his short story. Plus Mila Jovovich and Paul. W. S. Anderson will be on hand to premiere an exclusive clip from the film.

  • Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan will preview the upcoming season of The Walking Dead: Dead City along with Executive Producer Scott Gimple.

  • Jeff Probst stops by with an exclusive look at Survivor Season 48 and chats about the future of the long-running franchise.
  • Alexandra Daddario gives us a preview of the season finale of Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches.

  • Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger tell us all about their upcoming documentary The Arch Project.

  • Mythic Quest shows up big with Rob McElhenney, Megan Ganz, David Hornsby, Charlotte Nicdao, Danny Pudi, Imani Hakim, and Jessie Ennis on hand to talk about Season 4 and give us a sneak peek at an upcoming episode. Plus Katie McElhenney, Genevieve Jones, Megan Ganz, and Ashly Burch debut a trailer for their upcoming spin-off Side Quest.

  • Johnny Yong Bosch and Adi Shankar give us a sneak peek at their upcoming Netflix series Devil May Cry, based on the popular video game.

  • Julian McMahon gives us a look at his new movie, The Surfer, also starring Nicholas Cage.

  • Brandon Lee shows us a never-before-seen preview of the upcoming Crunchyroll anime The Beginning After the End.

  • J-pop megastar Ado pops by with a special surprise for fans.

  • The team from CRKD comes by to show off a new controller.
  • Doctor Who: Fifteenth Doctor writers Dan Watters and Kelsey Ramsay answer all of our burning questions about the comic series.

  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows director Charles Benoit will give us a preview of the game set to release this March.

  • Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus creators Kianna Shore and Mellow Brown go deep on their comic series and show off exclusive behind-the-scenes visuals from artist Mariano Taibo.

  • Todd McFarlane and Brand Creative Director Brian Walters unveil some incredible new collaborations from McFarlane Toys.

  • Jason Aaron and Caleb Goellner will give us updates on what’s next for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the world of comics and debut some never-before-seen looks at multiple TMNT series.

  • Xin CHANG, creative Director and producer at Bad Guitar Studio, stops by to give us a look at the upcoming tactical FPS Frag Punk.

And that’s just a taste of what’s on deck for IGN Fan Fest 2025. Tune in all next week for livestreams focusing on what's next from ID@Xbox along with horror, anime, games, and entertainment showcases.

Be sure to check back later this week for the full Fan Fest schedule along with information on how you can tune in and not miss a moment.

Here are 15 minutes of new gameplay from Crimson Desert

18 fĂŠvrier 2025 Ă  22:33

YouTube’s ‘That’s Gaming’ has shared a video, showcasing 15 minutes of new gameplay footage from Crimson Desert. This video shows off a fight with Staglord and packs a few minutes of pure world exploration. Crimson Desert will be using Pearl Abyss’ own engine, the BlackSpace Engine. And overall, the game looks great. From what I … Continue reading Here are 15 minutes of new gameplay from Crimson Desert →

The post Here are 15 minutes of new gameplay from Crimson Desert appeared first on DSOGaming.

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