Sideshow is hosting its biggest sale of the year for Black Friday! In case you're not familiar with Sideshow, it's one of the top brands out there for collectibles, with six scale figures, dioramas, art prints and other impressive items across some of the biggest franchises. Because Sideshow is a high-end action figure manufacturer, the prices of its incredibly detailed statues and figures are also typically steep, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars each. However, with Black Friday and gifting season in mind, Sideshow is offering a special BOGO sale right now for serious collectors to take advantage of.
That's not all, either. Sideshow is also running a 40% off sale on several in-stock items. So if you don't have the budget to throw down hundreds on a new collector's item right now, there's plenty of other officially-licensed and high quality toys, books, and smaller statues to choose from and satisfy your collector's itch. Keep scrolling to find out everything you need to know about the BOGO sale, and to see some of my favorite items found within the wider (up to 40% off) sale.
Editor's Note: This article is brought to you by Sideshow.
Sideshow's Black Friday BOGO-Type Offer
To help fans build their top-tier collection for 2026, Sideshow is currently offering a BOGO deal on select items from its Free Figure Offer from Nov 24 through Dec 7. What does this deal mean, exactly? When browsing the eligible in-stock orders of $300 or more, you can claim a free Sixth Scale Figure from one of two options with purchase. And, on eligible in-stock orders of $450 or more, you can claim a free Sixth Scale Figure from one of four options with purchase. I'm talking Spider-Man figures, cool anime statues, horror toys, exclusive DC and Marvel collectibles, coffee table art books, and so much more.
How do you get this deal?
If your order qualifies for one of the two bonus tiers outlined below, the option to claim a free figure will appear in your cart automatically. For example, when I added the Witcher 3 Eredin statue to my cart, (which happens to be on sale for $374.50, usually priced at $535) this is what appeared in my cart for my free gift options:
Hot Toys and Sideshow collaborated on this special Stan Lee® collectible figure, based on his memorable cameo appearance in Thor: Ragnarok. The details and artistry here are insane!
See below for additional terms and conditions so you can take advantage of this big Free Figure promotion from Sideshow.
From November 10 through December 28, 2025*, Sideshow is excited to offer a special promotion on qualifying purchases** to help fans build their collection. On eligible in-stock orders of $300 or more, customers can claim a free Sixth Scale Figure from one of two options with their purchase. On eligible in-stock orders of $450 or more, customers can claim a free Sixth Scale Figure from one of four options with their purchase. The free figures on offer are subject to availability, and options will change weekly.
From November 24 through December 7, 2025*, customers can claim a free item from one of three options with their purchase. On eligible in-stock orders of $450 or more, customers can claim a free item from one of five options with their purchase. The free items on offer are subject to availability, and options will change weekly. Only one offer can be claimed per purchase, but you can place multiple qualifying transactions throughout the promotion period.
*While supplies last.
**Some exclusions apply.
Lindsey (she/her) is IGN's Director of Audience Development and Commerce. She's been at IGN since 2021 and has a background in SEO, especially in the gaming, entertainment, and tech media spaces.
The holidays tend to be the busiest time of year for most folks, from shopping and parties to baking and wrapping, there’s a lot to get done. ECOVACS Robotics lets you check off a few items on the seemingly endless to-do list. Right now, a bunch of the brand's top cleaning robots are on sale via Amazon for Black Friday, and are the biggest deals we’ve seen all year. One robot is even discounted by over 60%. However, these killer savings won’t last forever as the sale ends on Cyber Monday, December 1st.
Editor's Note: This article is brought to you buy ECOVACS
Enjoy Big Savings on ECOVACS Robotics for Black Friday
ECOVACS Robotics delivers some highly capable robot vacuums. No matter which model you choose, whether it’s budget or high-end, just know that each vacuum's smart navigation, powerful suction, and easy maintenance all but ensure cleaner floors. ECOVACS doesn’t only offer vacuums; it also has robot window cleaners and lawn mowers for tackling even more chores.
I even had a chance to test several of ECOVACS’ robots, and can attest to the quality products produced by this innovative brand.
ECOVACS Lineup
The ECOVACS Robotics lineup is extensive and features numerous models discounted for Black Friday. If you’re looking to upgrade an older robot vacuum or have a larger, busier home, the top-of-the-line X11 OMNICYCLONE is the perfect choice. It’s a vacuum and mop combo that’s fully automated with a premium base station for a totally hands-off cleaning experience. With a unique fast-charging system, the robot even cleans massive floor plans without requiring long charging breaks. For Black Friday, $500 has been knocked off its price, so it’s just $999.
The X11 OMNICYCLONE may be overkill for smaller households or different lifestyles, so finding a mid-tier or budget model could be a better, more economical option. The DEEBOT X9 PRO OMNI offers almost everything the X11 OMNICYCLONE has, albeit in a more toned-down way. But, at nearly 50% off, costing just $699.99, it’s an absolute steal.
For something even more affordable, ECOVACS has DEEBOT N20e Plus for $299. You lose out on mopping, but it still delivers powerful suction and features a self-emptying base. It’s the ideal option for first-time robot vacuum users or those with smaller spaces.
Now, those are just a sampling of the many deeply discounted robot vacuums from ECOVACS for Black Friday. But the floors aren’t the only part of your home that may need a little extra attention; your windows might require some TLC, too. The WINBOT MINI attaches to your window and methodically cleans to get all that extra grime off the glass, and you can get it for over 20% off right now. For heavy-duty window cleaning, upgrading to the WINBOT W2 PRO OMNI is the way to go. It cleans large, hard-to-reach glass and features a multifunctional base station. Best of all, it’s an even better deal at nearly 50% off.
No matter what robot you end up with, ECOVACS Robotics makes your life easier and your home cleaner. It has a device to cater to nearly everyone’s needs. If you’ve been considering a robot vacuum, ECOVACS is a reputable brand worth checking out right now during Black Friday.
Danielle is a Tech freelance writer based in Los Angeles who spends her free time creating videos and geeking out over music history.
Amazon has almost every Ultra Pro Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy playmat on sale during its early Black Friday sale. A small number of popular mats, like fan-favorite Vivi, Stray Black Mage are sold out, but there are many other mats with incredible art to pick from at new discounted prices.
Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Playmats On Sale
If you're new to TCGs, people use playmats as a way to show off their favorite art or accomplishments, and also for practical reasons: have you tried picking up cards off of a kitchen table? I assure you, it gets annoying fast.
With the Final Fantasy crossover set that launched this past June, TCG accessory maker Ultra Pro released tons of playmats featuring some of the most iconic characters and moments from throughout the game series' long history, including Y'shtola from Final Fantasy XIV and Lightning from XIII. Mats for Final Fantasy VII characters Cloud and Tifa feature the new art from their cards, and some mats, like those for Clive or Sephiroth, are double-sided to represent mechanics of the cards they're based on.
Whichever Final Fantasy character speaks to you the most, odds are there's a playmat for you to bring to your game night or local game store for some cardboard slinging. These also make great mousepads if you're in the market to spruce up your home office or gaming setup.
If you've been on the lookout for MTG Final Fantasy cards, Amazon has the Revival Trance Commander deck featuring Terra on sale for 53% off, and Final Fantasy play booster boxes (30 packs) are at their lowest price ever for Black Friday, down to $162.57 (22% off).
More Magic: The Gathering Gifts
Be sure to check out our detailed Magic: The Gathering gift guide for inspiration while shopping for that special Planeswalker in your life. Everything from recommended deck boxes and dice packs, to card binders and even apparel, this guide covers everthing they'll need to protect their collection and give it some flare.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X has been out for over a month now, and while it is an expensive device, you probably won’t see any real discounts for Black Friday. This is thanks in large part to Asus needing to ramp up production to meet demand, because even its high price wasn’t enough to stop people from buying it, apparently.
But while you won’t be able to save a bunch of cash on the system itself, that doesn’t mean it’s not a good time to get the Xbox Ally X or load up on accessories if you already have one
How Much Does It Cost?
Unlike something like the Nintendo Switch 2, neither Asus or Microsoft offer any kind of bundle deal. Instead, you’ll be paying $999 for the Xbox Ally X or $599 for the Xbox Ally, which has a weaker chip and a white colorway, and it’s not likely either will get a Black Friday deal.
Black Friday itself isn’t here yet, of course, but at the time of writing, the only deal I can find on either system is the basic Xbox Ally for $580, $19 off of list price – but that’s only if you buy 5 units, for a total of $2,850. Not exactly what I’d call a great deal.
There is a chance that some retailer cuts the price on the Xbox Ally X, but it’s incredibly likely that you’re going to have to pay full price. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any savings to be had.
There's Always Accessories
When you take the Xbox Ally X out of its box, you get the console itself and a charger. That is basically all you need to play games to your heart’s content, but it leaves a little to be desired if you’re going to like, take it anywhere.
One of the first things I’d recommend anyone to get with the Xbox Ally X is a case, and it just so happens that my favorite case is on sale for Black Friday. DBrand’s Killswitch Case for the Xbox Ally X is down to $59 for the basic case, but if you travel, I’d recommend getting the travel kit for $79, which comes with a little travel cover that’ll stop buttons from being pushed in your backpack. This is the case I use on the Xbox Ally X every day, and I’d recommend it to anyone.
If that case is still a little too pricey for you, the excellent JSAux Carrying Case for the Xbox Ally X is also on sale for just $22. That’s more of a carry case rather than something that’s always on the system when you’re playing it, but it’s a great pick if you need something for traveling. It even has slots for MicroSD cards if you really want to carry your entire library with you.
Save On Some Games
While the Xbox Ally X doesn’t work with physical games like the Nintendo Switch 2, that doesn’t mean you can’t save some cash on games right now. After all, because this is a Windows handheld, every storefront works, so you can take advantage of seasonal sales to pack your PC gaming library.
For instance, Steam is throwing its first ‘Black Friday’ sale ever, even if it is just a reskinned Autumn sale. Some of my favorite games to play on a handheld are included in this sale, like Risk of Rain 2, which is just $8.24 right now. Dark Souls Remastered, which runs like a dream on the Ally X, is down to just $19.99 as well. This isn’t quite at the same scale as Steam’s annual Winter Sale, but there are a ton of cheap games right now.
It would be nice if the admittedly expensive Xbox Ally X would go on sale for Black Friday, and while it’s unfortunate, that’s probably not going to happen. But, hey, at least you can save some money on all the extra stuff that goes with it – which is good news for everyone that already bought the handheld, too.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra
A quality chair is arguably one of the most important parts of any gaming setup. They get expensive quickly, but there is relief, thankfully, in the form of Black Friday deals on great chairs like Secretlab's Titan Evo, which has consistently been IGN's top recommendation for most gamers. This is one of the best times of the year to upgrade your setup is here, so don't miss out on a chance to save on a new gaming chair.
Below we've highlighted some of the top gaming chairs we've found on sale right now that we'd actually recommend you buy.
The Best Gaming Chair Deals for Black Friday 2025
Secretlab Titan Evo has numerous features that make it our top recommendation, including a cold-cure foam mix that provides a perfect balance of support and comfort, a Pebble Seat Base designed to provide ergonomic support that slopes inwards, and more. But it's not the only good chair on sale; we found great deals on others from AndaSeat, Razer, and Logitech.
Take the AndaSeat Kaiser 3, which comes with built-in adjustable lumbar support, swappable magnetic armrest pads and a magnetically attached memory foam head pillow. The chair, available in synthetic leather or linen fabric, features a subdued design that's not far from our favorite office chairs and won't stick out if you happen to hop on a virtual meeting.
One of the cheapest gaming chairs on sale is the TC100 Relaxed from Corsair, a solid budget option that's just over $200. It features both neck and lumbar pillows, as well as adjustible-height, rotating armrests. Our top budget gaming chair pick overall, however, is the Razer Iskur V2 X we reviewed earlier this year. At only $249 during Amazon's Black Friday sale, it has the overall best value for the price tag.
Themed Gaming Chairs on Sale at Secretlab
If you're looking for a themed gaming chair instead something neutral, Secretlab has a ton of excellent options on sale as part of its Black Friday sale. You can score discounts on chairs themed after Star Wars, Final Fantasy XIV, Cyberpunk 2077, and more. Check out our favorite picks below.
Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.
If you’ve been itching to switch your wireless service provider but don’t want to deal with the hassle, T-Mobile makes changing your carrier shockingly simple. You won’t have to jump through hoops, wasting half a day figuring things out online or worse, in a store. Instead, you should have a new line with T-Mobile in 15 minutes or less. And T-Mobile is the carrier to switch to, as it offers great value while delivering the best mobile network in the US, according to Ookla of Speedtest Intelligence® data.
Unlike other carriers, T-Mobile places a heavy focus on the customer experience, and that starts the moment you begin to make the switch. The easy-to-navigate T-Life app delivers personalized recommendations for plans, so you don’t need to spend hours figuring out what you need. After that, it guides you through the entire setup process. It’s so simple that you can do it between meetings at work or while chilling at a coffee shop. If you don’t have the app, it’s just as easy to change providers on the T-Mobile website, or you can always head into one of T-Mobile’s thousands of store locations.
When you use T-Mobile’s “Easy Switch” tools to get connected online in under 15 minutes, you’ll probably be wondering about getting a new phone. Well, for a limited time, you can enjoy an incredible deal on a new smartphone without the hassle of trading in your old device. Same-day delivery may even be available.
Editorial Note: This article is brought to you by T-Mobile.
Get Up to Four Free iPhone 17's When You Switch to T-Mobile
You can score the iPhone 17 for free when you switch your number from a competing service (Verizon, AT&T, Spectrum, etc.) and opt for T-Mobile’s Essentials Plan, and no trade-in is required. With each line you add to the plan (up to three additional lines total), you can get a new iPhone 17 for free. That’s a pretty awesome deal for four iPhones, especially given the top-tier smartphone has a starting price of $799. You can turn switching to T-Mobile into an awesome gift for the whole family. Just note that a one-time $35 connection charge per phone applies, and the phone discount will be paid via a bill credit over a 24-month period.
Apple Bundle Trade-In Deal: Get a New iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch (Up to $1,899 in Value) for Free
T-Mobile has another epic Apple deal available for Black Friday until Cyber Monday on December 1st. With this offer, you can get an iPhone 17 Pro, iPad A16, and Apple Watch SE3 all on T-Mobile. To receive the new iPhone 17 Pro, you must trade in an old phone in any condition on the Experience Beyond plan. The free iPad A16 and Watch SE3 are available when adding a qualifying tablet and watch line to your plan. After all is said and done, you could be saving up $1,899—an epic offer from a reliable, constantly improving network. However, the $35 connection charge per device and monthly bill credits apply to this deal, just like the iPhone 17.
T-Mobile's Unlimited Plans
The Essentials Plan required for the iPhone 17 deal is $60 per month for one line and $25 for each additional line; it’s one of T-Mobile’s most affordable plans. With it, you receive unlimited talk and text plus 50GB of premium data. And if you don’t want an iPhone 17, you can score up to an $830 phone credit instead when switching carriers.
If you’re looking for a little bit more, T-Mobile’s Experience More Plan offers unlimited talk, text, and premium data at $85 per month for one line. There are even a few bonus perks, including Netflix and Apple TV+ subscriptions, a 60GB hotspot, a 5-year price guarantee, and more. The top-of-the-line plan, Experience Beyond, which is how you get that iPhone 17 Pro free with trade-in, offers even more for $100 per month.
Danielle is a Tech freelance writer based in Los Angeles who spends her free time creating videos and geeking out over music history.
Full spoilers follow for Pluribus Episode 5, “Got Milk,” which is available now on Apple TV.
Man, the whole planet is pissed off at Carol this week, that’s for sure.
That includes her fellow un-infected, Laxmi (Menik Gooneratne), who calls her from across the world to rip Rhea Seehorn’s Carol a new one for making her son cry. I mean, she made the entire human race cry, save 13 people, but Laxmi is mostly upset about her son.
It’s fun that Laxmi and Carol can’t find common ground no matter what, despite the dramatic shift in human history that took place eight days ago. But what’s most interesting in this episode is how the Joined are all giving Carol the cold shoulder. Like I said last week, it’s hard not to feel bad for what Carol did to Zosia (Karolina Wydra), sending her into cardiac arrest after drugging her and all. And even though we’re talking, again, about an incredible alien-influenced event that has dramatically changed humankind, it’s hard not to see where the Joined are coming from on this one. They just don’t feel like they can be around Carol anymore.
Which means that Pluribus Episode 5 puts Carol in a very The Last Woman on Earth place. We may have seen how Manousos (Carlos-Manuel Vesga) was living his best The Omega Man life last week (or actually his worst life, eating garbage and whatnot), but now Carol is truly getting a chance to have an entire city (and its surrounding area) to herself. It’s maybe not as great as she thought it might be? The mass purge event of Albuquerque, with a church-like choir playing on the soundtrack as everyone loads up in cars, buses, etc. to leave the city, certainly sells the “group” in group-think aspect of the Joined. Hey, they just need a little space!
Seehorn continues to keep the laughs coming – albeit the darkly fatalistic laughs – as Carol tries to navigate this new iteration of the post-Joined world. Her video message to the other 12 non-infected is great as she does her best to convince them that they need to band together not just for their sake, but also for all of humanity. Amusingly, she can’t help but lecture them all, no matter how cheery and optimistic she tries to be, and the stilted sign off of “Good luck and godspeed!”, followed by an awkward clearing of her throat, is just perfect. (It’s a little less fun/more sad later when she deletes the video with her scientific, I guess, finds, as the loneliness and desperation of her current situation really start to kick in.)
Of course, the big question coming out of “Got Milk” is what’s really up with the milk of the title?
“Got Milk” has other moments of humor, like the drone – first glimpsed in the initial and puzzling teaser trailer for the show this past fall – that can’t quite handle the weight of all that garbage, and winds up as the neighborhood’s newest ornament wrapped around a street lamp pole. But it’s also pretty intense at times, particularly when those wolves start staking out Carol’s house. It actually makes sense that they would, since the Joined seem pretty organized and surely would have cleared the area of most of the garbage and food stuffs that the wolves would be attracted to. That means Carol is the only game in town, but it also means that Helen’s fresh grave is open game.
It’s pretty intense when Carol sees the wolves digging at the grave, and when that one wolf snarls at her it’s suddenly driven home how alone Carol is at this point. But Charlton Heston would be proud of her response. Sure, she couldn’t figure out how to get the shotgun out of its holder (turns out you press a button), but her quick wits prevented a potentially horrific (and messy) situation. Seehorn sells it too after she’s smashed through the fence with her cop car and sits parked over the gravesite, just panting before eventually falling asleep during her all-night vigil.
Of course, the big question coming out of “Got Milk” is what’s really up with the milk of the title, the stuff that definitely isn’t milk and which the Joined are so into? Carol may not be great at science, but she’s done a pretty good job on the sleuthing front in terms of following the trail of the milk’s production pipeline – and all without Google Maps apparently! Her gasp which ends the episode, delayed for a beat as she takes in the scope of whatever it is she found under that tarp, is extremely effective.
What did she find!? Tune in next week…
Questions and Notes From Kepler-22b
So they’ve got kids working jobs too, like that one who’s pushing a cart around in the hospital? I guess that clocks. They don’t need to go to school anymore, after all. (Even better: It’s a medication cart he’s pushing around. Because there’s no worry that he might accidentally or intentionally take drugs that aren’t meant for him.)
The constant back and forth with the Joined’s voicemail system might seem kind of familiar to anyone who has tried to make a doctors appointment or deal with customer service one way or another these days, though the Joined are at least way more efficient.
I wonder if the Joined were worried about Carol during the whole wolves incident. Actually, are they still watching her with satellites?
Even though Apple provided press screeners for the first seven episodes, I’ve been watching them one at a time so I don’t get too far ahead for these reviews. So I have no idea what’s under that tarp, but my gut tells me it’s gonna be a Soylent Green is people situation, eh? If so, then Charlton Heston’s legacy really is all over this show!
I’ve read the Harry Potter books at least half a dozen times throughout my life, but it’s been a long time since my last run-through. It’s a lot easier to just turn the movies on in the background at any given time instead of actually sitting down to read the actual books. Since I’d been meaning to crack open The Sorcerer’s Stone again one of these days but just never got around to it, I was all too happy to give the new full-cast audiobook a try.
I was genuinely surprised just how much I liked the story in audiobook form. The narrator is excellent, the voice cast is stacked, and the background noises are absolutely on point for every situation. All of these things together created a depth that stirred up a similar feeling I had the first time I actually read Harry Potter cover to cover. It’s that feeling of being so fully immersed in a book that you feel like you’re actually there.
The convenience of being able to listen to a movie-like version of the book while doing chores was pretty awesome.
Don’t get me wrong, I still think reading the book is the best way to enjoy the story. But these audiobooks are a more theatrical experience, and one you can have while doing other things. The full-cast edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone took more than eight hours to listen to, but I could easily turn it on while doing the dishes or walking my dog (and totally did just that). The convenience of being able to listen to a movie-like version of the book while doing chores was pretty awesome.
I didn't fully realize what I loved about the audiobook until I got all the way through. It wasn't just that it drummed up that same nostalgia I felt when I was a kid, it's because it solved the main complaint I had when the first movie came out. If you haven't read the books in a while, you might have forgotten just how much is left out of the movies. It's impossible to fit all of the little in-between moments into a film, but I remember feeling slightly disappointed after watching The Sorcerer's Stone for the first time in theaters. Where were all of the little things I remembered from the book? The audiobook does a great job of bridging that gap, even if its only in the form of sound.
Is It Worth Getting an Audible Subscription For?
Audible launched the first full-cast Harry Potter audiobook at the beginning of November around the same time it launched its Black Friday Audible deal. This obviously isn't a coincidence, but if you are interested in listening to this I think it's absolutely worth it—especially if you've never subscribed to Audible before. While the deal lasts you can get three months of Audible for only $0.99 cents as well as a $20 bonus credit. You get one book credit per month you can use, so signing up will basically get you The Sorcerer's Stone for only $0.99 cents.
The only down side is that Amazon sets you up to auto-renew your subscription once those three months are up and will start charging you the full $14.95 per month. But as long as you cancel before then, you're fine.
As for whether or not an Audible subscription is worth it in the long run really just depends on how often you listen to audiobooks. I've had a subscription off and on over the years to listen to various things, but ultimately decided I just wasn't listening often enough to justify the cost. So deals like this one are a great way to try it out for cheap before you fully commit.
Jacob Kienlen is a Senior SEO Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor's degree in communication and over 8 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different topics -- from TV series to indie games and popular book series.
Full spoilers follow for Stranger Things: Season 5, Vol. 1, which consists of four of Season 5's eight episodes. Vol. 1 premieres November 26 on Netflix, with the next three episodes debuting on December 25 and the series finale debuting December 31.
There’s been a lot of grousing from critics and audiences alike that it’s taken Matt and Ross Duffer nine years to bring Stranger Things, their ode to ‘80s nostalgia and sci-fi storytelling, to a close. But the thing about Stranger Things as a series is that as soon as fresh chapters drop, you remember exactly why it’s worth waiting three years and four months for new episodes. Pound for pound, the Duffers, their collaborators and their stellar cast use their time away to deliver impactful character moments, surprising mythology twists, and emotional stakes on a level that few blockbuster movies can even hope to achieve.
This is the final season of the series, which means the expectations are arguably the highest they’ve ever been for the Duffers to pay off what is essentially a battle to determine a sovereign reality: the Rightside Up (ours) or the Upside Down (Vecna’s). Aside from a clunky first episode that’s saddled with disseminating the exposition needed to get the audience up to speed, the first block of episodes does an increasingly thrilling job of laying out the stakes for our heroes and setting up the major threats, both militarily and Vecna-wise. And it culminates in a Chapter 4 climax that rivals anything the show has ever pulled off before in scale and cinematic ambition.
But to start, the Hawkins, Indiana, we return to is much changed from when it was first introduced in 1983 as an idyllic example of middle-class suburbia. In the 584 days since the events of the Season 4 finale, when Max’s (Sadie Sink) brief death tore open Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) gates to the Upside Down and his realm bled into Hawkins, the town has sort of been cosplaying what it once was. It’s now a militarized zone, quarantined from the rest of the state by barbed-wire fences and checkpoints, and filled with soldiers who monitor the breaches and the residents who didn’t flee.
Amongst those stubborn Midwestern remainers are Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and her kids, the Wheelers, the Sinclairs, the Hendersons, Robin (Maya Hawke), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Hopper (David Harbour). Our familiar players have a shared secret purpose, operating under the radar of their fellow citizens and the military while trying to figure out what’s become of Vecna, who has essentially disappeared since Max went into her coma. Under the powerful transmission tower of the WSQK radio station, Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Steve (Joe Keery), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and Robin work to use the site’s equipment and remote location to plan covert Vecna scouting missions for Hopper into the Upside Down. All the while, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Will (Noah Schnapp) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) continue to go to school, but assist as lookouts and field support during operations.
The Hawkins, Indiana, we return to is much changed from when it was first introduced in 1983 as an idyllic example of middle-class suburbia.
In general, the united allies are as purposeful and organized as they’ve ever been, with the exception of Dustin, who hasn’t been the same since the death of his buddy Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn). In the aftermath, he’s become bitter, angry and defensive of Eddie, who is still vilified by their community for his perceived demonic pursuits through the Hellfire Club. Dustin’s surly ‘tude is a welcome and realistic turn for the typically sunny character, and it forces the rest of his circle — especially Will — to take up the creative and mental slack as they try to anticipate Vecna’s quiet machinations. Matarazzo remains a cast MVP and his performance ensures that Eddie’s death matters, as his character wrestles with the pain he can’t quite process healthily. His is a standout characterization this season, along with Hawke’s energetic and witty Robin and Schnapp’s more assertive take on Will, who bristles against Joyce’s overprotectiveness and moves away from being the victim of the group.
At this point in the series, there’s also an abundance of Hawkins support characters to weave into the narrative because the town was built out to be a fully realized community. Which means the welcome returns of Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono), loud Murray (Brett Gelman) and Lucas’ salty sister Erica (Priah Ferguson). There’s also a new playable version of a more grown Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) and even her bully classmate, Derek Turnbow (Jake Connelly), who together bring back the kid vibes that have always made Stranger Things special. In general, few shows have created an ensemble net as successfully as the Duffers have in Hawkins, which means they can draw on even minor players to create unexpected jeopardy, or touchback on the show’s own mythology and history with purpose. And they do.
Aside from the threat of Vecna, Season 5 continues the secret-lab throughlines that originated with Dr. Martin Brenner’s work as revealed in the first season. There’s been a sinister baton-passing to Linda Hamilton’s Dr. Kay, and while her overall motives are unclear, it can’t be good that she’s figured out how to run a lab in the Upside Down where she hoards an abundance of nasty critters (a la Bishop in Aliens) to dissect. She’s also protecting a secret room which El and Hopper, who spend the majority of these episodes together in the Upside Down, will eventually infiltrate. Hamilton is always a positive in any cast but she’s just simmering so far.
Assessing the four episodes as a mini-season, "Chapter One: The Crawl" (written and directed by the Duffers) is the least graceful of the pack as it stuffs its 71-minute runtime with an overwhelming amount of information. There’s a lot of servicing the plot first at the expense of smaller character moments. For example, the new radio station initially functions as a way for Robin to give the audience an exposition dump, which leaves it feeling like the least organic set piece of the whole series. Let’s just say, it’s no Hawkins Lab or Starcourt Mall. Another sin of the episode is several one-note character scenarios that feel below the caliber of the cast. Steve and Jonathan’s basic bitch rivalry over Nancy’s attentions is kind of dumb, and reducing El to just an obsessed training machine, which again triggers Hopper’s worst protectionist instincts, feels like a regression of their dynamic.
However, the Duffers get their mojo back by “Chapter Two: The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler," which returns the series to its horror roots. It opens with a terrifying Demogorgon attack that evokes one of the most memorable scenes in Poltergeist and immediately puts three long-time characters in mortal jeopardy. The episode also signifies a more natural return to the show’s multiple plot structure where the Duffers are able to balance their large ensemble by clustering characters together on their own missions. One of the freshest pairings is having Will and Robin together. As he’s exploring his reactivated connection to Vecna, Robin’s independence and confidence gives him not only someone to look up to but also the only person he can talk to about his burgeoning same-sex feelings.
The legendary Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Mist) directs "Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap,” which lets him rip with period-piece elements, Commando-style action sequences in the Upside Down featuring El and Hopper, and the establishing of Holly as the unexpected focus of Vecna’s attentions. He gets to showcase the quiet menace of Bower’s Henry persona and show his prowess in working with kids. He’s also gifted with framing an excellent reveal at the end of the episode that puts wind into the sails of the whole show heading into the climactic last episode, "Chapter Four: Sorcerer.”
The Vol. 1 finale, written and directed again by the Duffers, is equal parts love letter to Madeleine L'Engle’s teen sci-fi classic A Wrinkle in Time and to ’80s action films. Sink’s Max returns to the story changed yet even more admirable in her role as protector of Holly and relentless fighter against Vecna. And then the episode shifts into action mode, with the climax especially featuring some of the brothers’ finest work on the series, rivaling prior season finales for its sheer scale and consequential reveals. It also exceeds what’s come before in Stranger Things’ depiction of graphic violence, so be warned if you’re watching with younger viewers.
There’s a lot to admire here about how the Duffers blend their converging storylines into a propulsive The Great Escape-meets-Children of Men mashup sequence. Using oners and exceptional pacing in the edit, this is an audacious closing battle that dares to cross-cut between an Upside Down jailbreak of children with a Demogorgon orgy of violence. It leaves things on a breathless note, but sets the viewer up for the last four episodes with a clearer understanding of Vecna’s plans, an unexpected realignment of how Will’s simmering connection might flip the power dynamic, and provides a path for Max’s return to the fold. There’s also a fantastic callback to Season 2 that might rectify one of the show’s more controversial story arcs. Fans will be feeling the high of the cliffhanger, while knowing there’s only a month before the story gifts audiences with a final resolution.
Looking to keep your next PC upgrade under $1,000? This might very well be the most powerful gaming PC without breaking that threshold. For Black Friday, Walmart is offering an iBuypower Slate RTX 5070 gaming PC for just $999 with free delivery. This is a $100 price drop compared to the previous historical low price I saw during October Prime Day and possibly the first time I've seen any RTX 5070 equipped prebuilt priced under $1,000. The RTX 5070 is an excellent choice for gaming at 1080p or 1440p, especially in games that support DLSS 4.
iBuypower Slate RTX 5070 Gaming PC for $999
The iBuypower Slate gaming PC is equipped with an Intel Core i5-14400F processor, GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card, 16GB of DDR5-5200MHz RAM, and a 1TB M.2 SSD. The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 14th gen Raptor Lake Refresh CPU with a max turbo frequency of 4.7GHz and 10 cores. This is a solid processor for both gaming and productivity work. It doesn't run as hot as a Core i7 or i9 chip, so the 120mm tower heatsink and fan provides more than adequate cooling.
The GeForce RTX 5070 GPU is an excellent choice for 1080p or 1440p gaming
Compared to the previous generation GPUs, the RTX 5070 offers a slight performance improvement over the RTX 4070 Super, which was and still is an excellent GPU. The fps gain is much greater in games that support DLSS 4 with multi-frame generation. At this price point, a prebuilt gaming PC is more likely to be equipped with an RTX 5060 or RTX 5060 Ti GPU, and the RTX 5070 is considerably more powerful than either. This is the best GPU for 1080p or 1440 gaming without overspending. It is fully capable of running non-demanding games at 4K resolution as well. The next card up - the RTX 5070 Ti - is significantly more expensive and really for gamers who want high fps 1440p or high-demand 4K gaming. Check out our GeForce RTX 5070 review for our hands-on impression and benchmarks.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
We have yet to see any Nintendo Switch 2 deals so far during Black Friday sales, but that was pretty much expected. Nintendo announced the entirety of its sale plans earlier this year and consoles weren't mentioned at all. Unfortunately, the same goes for Nintendo Switch 2 accessories. If you're looking for a discount on the new Switch 2 Pro controller, you're mostly out of luck.
I say mostly because it is actually possible to save a little bit if you don't mind buying used or going with an import model. These methods will only help you shave off a few dollars, but with how expensive the controller already is, everything helps.
Nintendo Switch 2 Controller Deals for Black Friday
Buy Used From Amazon
The first method that can get a slight price reduction is by buying used from Amazon. This does mean that you'll be buying an item that has likely been opened, so there are risks there, but a discount is a discount. It is worth noting, though, that Amazon's Resale store doesn't have any of these controllers available so you'd be buying through third-party sellers. If you don't want to risk it, you can always just buy it for full price directly from Amazon.
Get an Import Model at AliExpress
Your other option for a discount is to go with the AliExpress route and purchasing an import model. You'll need to use the coupon code AEUS12 at checkout to get the full discount, but that's easy to do. As an import model, you'll be getting a regular Switch 2 Pro controller, but in a Chinese box. AliExpress ships its products from a U.S. based warehouse, so you don't need to worry about shipping delays or tariffs jacking up the price. Since it is an import model, however, it's not the same as a straight up discount from a major retailer like Amazon, Walmart, or Best Buy.
Is a Switch 2 Pro Controller Worth It?
You don't necessarily need a Switch 2 Pro controller, but it is nice to have. I still haven't purchased one myself as I've been able to rely on the standard Joy-Cons and my older Switch Pro controller so far. With that being said, the Switch 2 Pro controller is and upgrade. Our gaming accessories expert Michael Higham did a thorough review of the controller and called it a, "premium product at a premium price." Stating that, "if you mostly play your Nintendo Switch 2 docked, getting the new Pro Controller is a layup – you’ll definitely want something better than using the new Joy-Con with the grip attachment that’s included with the console, and the C button and back buttons give folks who already have a go-to Switch controller a reason to upgrade."
The RedMagic Astra follows on the heels of RedMagic’s earlier Nova gaming tablet, seeming to change little except upgrading to the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. That’s an exciting change, though, as it’s an extremely powerful chip that has made recent Android gaming phones all the more impressive. With a quality display, promising performance, and a $549 price tag, the RedMagic Astra could very well be a worthy alternative to gaming handhelds if you like the Android games available to you and don’t mind dipping your toes into cloud gaming or emulation from time to time.
RedMagic Astra – Design and Features
The RedMagic Astra doesn’t sport the same snazzy looks of RedMagic’s phones, but it’s still a slick and clean design with a hint of style in the form of a clear panel on the back. This shows through to where some of the componentry is ostensibly laid out and gives a peak at the fan in the sealed cooling system, which also has a splash of RGB lighting. The rest of the system is thoroughly blacked out.
Most of the tablet is wrapped in aluminum, providing a clean seam between the back and frame of the tablet. The front sports a 9.06-inch display that has tight and even bezels around it, allowing the device to avoid being much larger than it needs to be. At just 6.9mm thick and 370 grams, the Astra ends up impressively compact and portable. That weight is also great for handheld use. Bigger and heavier tablets become unwieldy to try holding for extended gaming, whereas the Astra is more manageable.
That screen is also a great one. It has a 2400x1504 resolution, which is fantastically sharp at this size, and it’s a smooth 165Hz OLED panel that can deliver 1,600-nit highlights and perfect black pixels side by side, making for vivid visuals. Games and movies alike look great. When viewing the display at extreme off angles (beyond about 45 degrees), black pixels start to look a bit gray, but if you’re looking at the display from more optimal angles, it looks appropriately black.
The tablet packs in a pair of speakers that produce plenty of volume – more than most phones and more than is needed for gaming with the tablet in your hands. They’re over-the-top and a bit grating at full volume, but sound decent when dialed back a bit.
To my surprise, RedMagic has rated the Astra up to IP54 certification for protection against dust and some water. It shouldn’t be dunked underwater, but it won’t be the end of the world if there’s a spill or you get caught out in the rain.
Part of that certification is probably coming from the Astra not using an active air cooling system like the RedMagic 11 Pro. Instead, it keeps all of its cooling elements inside. These include multiple vapor chambers and liquid metal to move heat away from the chipset. The fan inside actually moves air through an internal duct, though how much that actually contributes to the cooling when it can’t directly expel heated air is unclear. On the bright side, what has been a shrill fan on air cooled systems is silent on the Astra.
The Astra has a fingerprint reader built into its power button, though it also supports facial recognition. The former is quick and reliable, but the same can’t be said of the latter. In addition to the power and volume buttons, there’s a red switch I’ve seen on several RedMagic phones now. This launches the phone’s special GameSpace, essentially a custom launcher for games with shortcuts to various settings and tools useful while gaming.
On the bottom of the tablet (or side if held in landscape), there’s a USB-C port positioned off to the right of center. This avoids having the tablet running right into your hand if you’re charging and using it at the same time. The USB-C port also supports DisplayPort output up to 4K/144Hz and has 10Gbps transfer speeds – both exciting to see.
RedMagic Astra – Software
The Astra comes with Android 15 and has RedMagic OS 10.5 running on top of that. It’s not too outlandish an Android skin and doesn’t even seem overly gamer-targeted until you hit the GameSpace switch and encounter RedMagic’s digital assistant Mora – a scantily-clad anime girl that does little, makes a lot of noise, and doesn't even leverage all the AI capabilities of the hardware to hold a virtual conversation. She’ll happily float around on your screen and present notifications though.
The software does have some helpful features, though. The tablet includes controller mapping software that was largely useful, but not quite perfect. It helped me get a controller working in place of in-game touch controls, but some settings simply didn’t behave properly. For instance, it wouldn’t register joystick nuance, so all of my aim adjustments were jerky going from 0 to 100% acceleration instantly.
RedMagic doesn’t plainly state how many software updates or years of Android security patches the Astra tablet will get, but a representative has told me that the tablet will receive five years of OS support and security patches in Europe and three years of each in other markets, including the US. What is still unclear is whether those three years will include three Android version updates.
RedMagic Astra – Gaming and Performance
The Astra offers excellent gaming performance, though not quite to the level I would have expected. Before this, the RedMagic 10 Pro smartphone set the stage for how much performance we could expect out of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, and that had me very excited to see what a tablet could do with it. After all, a tablet doesn’t have the tight confines of a phone and ought to have room for more robust cooling systems as well as more surface area for heat transfer.
To my surprise, the Astra simply didn’t squeeze as much out of the Snapdragon 8 Elite as other devices have. It consistently performed in between the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Across Geekbench 6 and 3DMark benchmarks, the Astra tended to lag between 10 and 20 percent behind the RedMagic 10 Pro and even the OnePlus 13. This is still strong performance, but not what I would have expected. It seemed to make no difference whether the tablet had different performance modes enabled in the GameSpace either.
With that said, the Astra was at least consistent. It may not be trying to drive itself as hard as it could get away with, but it holds up well under load. Even running the 3DMark Steel Nomad Light stress test – a series of 20 benchmarks in a row – the Astra maintained a 94.5% consistency with scores running from 2095 points to 1979 points.
While the tablet certainly generates heat, it doesn’t put a lot of that where you’ll feel it. After a session playing Delta Force over a half-hour, the tablet was only slightly warm to the touch.
This level of performance is also more than enough to handle everyday use with extremely smooth operation. The Astra never once felt slow.
The tablet runs on a sizable 8200mAh battery, though that doesn’t feel quite as impressive when considering the RedMagic 10 Pro phone has a 7,000mAh battery packed inside its much smaller frame. The battery is still enough to handle hours of gaming, even with fairly demanding usage. And since there’s no cellular modem, the system sips power while idling, so you’re unlikely to find it dead if you leave it alone for a few days.
RedMagic Astra – Cameras
The RedMagic Astra has cameras, but like many other tablets, they’re mostly there because they need to be. In anything less than bright sunlight, the 13MP rear camera takes such blurry, noisy photos that it shouldn’t be relied on for much.
The 9MP selfie camera actually fairs a little bit better but still has a lot of noise and not a terribly sharp image. Even in very bright conditions, they struggle to produce great photos. If you just want to have a video call or pop up in a game stream, it'll do, but neither are quality cameras.
Lenovo's most powerful 16" gaming laptop has just dropped to the lowest price ever for Black Friday. Right now you can pick up a Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 RTX 5090 gaming laptop for just $2,855.05 after you stack two coupon codes "BFEMAILDEAL" and "EXTRAFIVE". You must create a (free) Lenovo account and be logged in to see this price. That's over $1,700 in combined savings and beats the previous historical lowest price by over $200. This is the first time I've seen a Legion RTX 5090 gaming laptop priced under $3,000.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7 RTX 5090 Gaming Laptop for $2,855
Note that you must be logged into your Lenovo account (free to sign up) to see this price.
The Legion Pro 7 is Lenovo's highest end 16" gaming laptop, featuring a full metal chassis (both lid and body), gorgeous OLED display with 2.5K 189ppi resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, HDR 1000 True Black certification, and 100% DCI-P3 color range, and better cooling than the Legion 5 series of laptops. This particular configuration is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, GeForce RTX 5090 graphics, 64GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD.
The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a top performing CPU
The Legion Pro 7 is equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX Arrow Lake-HX processor, which boasts a max turbo frequency of 5.4GHz with a whopping 24 cores and 40MB total L2 cache. According to Passmark, this is second most powerful Intel mobile CPU available right now and goes head to head with AMD's Ryzen 9 9955HX.
The GeForce RTX 5090 is without doubt the fastest mobile GPU you can get
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is the most powerful mobile graphics card on the market, performing about 15% better than the RTX 5080. It also has considerably more VRAM (24GB vs 16GB), which can come in handy when playing games at higher resolutions (like on an attached 4K monitor) or if you're planning to use this as a mobile creator or AI workstation.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
It’s been two whole weeks since the Steam Machine was revealed to the world, and we still have no idea how much it’ll cost. I still don’t know when Valve is going to announce the price, but in the meantime, you can build a PC that’s pretty close to what the Steam Machine is going to be – albeit you won’t get exactly there. After all, as we’ve written aboutrepeatedly at this point, Valve has said that the Steam Machine will cost roughly the same as a PC with equivalent hardware – so we wanted to see how much that equivalent hardware actually costs.
But it gets complicated, because the Steam Machine is largely going to be using mobile-class hardware, like you’d find in one of the best gaming laptops, rather than the PC components that go into building a gaming PC. So, even though I picked out the Radeon 7600, where the Steam Machine is going to be using the equivalent of a 7600M, the desktop version is going to be measurably more powerful.
The same is true of most of the components here. Just keep in mind that this isn’t going to be an exact one-to-one recreation of the Steam Machine, but it is a good way to estimate how much an “equivalent gaming PC” might cost.
Unfortunately, due to recent jumps in RAM pricing, building out this PC is significantly more expensive than it would have been even a few weeks ago. Let’s just hope that Valve got its hands on memory before the current NAND shortage started.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600
Just like the Steam Machine’s semi-custom processor, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 4 processor. However, unlike the Steam Machine, this desktop processor has a TDP of 65W, compared to the 30W of Valve’s little PC. With twice the power, you get higher clock speeds and more headroom to boost during demanding workloads. Unfortunately to get the kind of power limit that Valve is working with, you either have to go for mobile parts or for CPUs that would be significantly weaker.
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9x65 chromax.Black
When you’re building a mini gaming PC like this, you want to get a CPU cooler that will keep things cool, but not take up a ton of space. The Noctua NH-L9x65 chromax.Black will be more than enough to keep up with the Ryzen 5 7600, and can even keep up with some more power-hungry chips if you choose to upgrade. Plus, this chromax.Black model has a beautiful black colorway that’ll look great in the Cooler Master MasterBox N200.
If you don’t care about having something small, though, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Pro has always been the budget CPU cooler that I recommend, and it’ll be even better at keeping the Ryzen 7600 cool.
GPU: Powercolor Fighter Radeon RX 7600
Just like the processor, Valve is going with a slightly stripped back mobile version of the Radeon RX 7600. The Steam Machine is using an RDNA 3 GPU with 28 Compute Units and a 110W TDP. That lines up pretty neatly with the mobile version of the Radeon 7600, but the desktop version is a little bit more powerful. This graphics card is also an RDNA 3 GPU, but has 32 CUs and a 165W TDP. It’s not going to be a night-and-day difference or anything, but the desktop card is going to be more powerful.
RAM: Kingston Fury Beast DDR5 5600, 16GB
If these were normal times, this kit of RAM would be the most affordable part of this mini PC build. These aren’t normal times, though, and this kit of RAM costs nearly as much as the graphics card. This 16GB kit of Kingston Fury Beast DDR5 will get the job done, but it’s not the fastest out there, and has far from the lowest latency on the market. But it’s still $177 at the time of writing, as opposed to $60-$80 during normal times. Right now, if you’re looking to do a build like this, my recommendation is to try and scrounge up some memory from somewhere else if you have the chance. It’s simply not a good time to buy RAM right now.
Storage: Samsung 990 Evo Plus
The Samsung 990 Evo Plus is still one of my favorite SSDs on the market right now. It strikes a great balance between speed and affordability, and has capacities of up to 4TB if you’re feeling extra wild. And, yeah, I know the Steam Machine starts with 512 GB of storage, but let’s be honest: you don’t want to limit yourself to that unless you’re really trying to save some cash. Honestly, my recommendation here would be to grab a 1TB drive, just to save some extra cash for RAM, even though the Steam Machine comes with either a 512GB or a 2TB drive.
Motherboard: MSI MPG B650I Edge Wifi
This cute little motherboard might not look like much, but the MSI MPG B650I Edge Wi-Fi is really everything you need for a mini PC like this. It’s not packed with the same high-end features that a beefier X670 board would have, but unless you’re going to try and overclock, you don’t really need them. You just need a board that will let you plug everything in, and still fit in a tiny PC case. And, well, this MSI board does that in style. That said, one thing you won’t get by building your own is the custom wireless solution Valve has built into the Steam Machine, which lets you wirelessly connect up to four Steam Controllers without an additional dongle.
Mini-ITX boards do tend to be more expensive than standard ATX boards, though, so if you’re fine with a traditional tower, something like the ASRock B650 PG Lightning will be much more affordable.
Power Supply: Cooler Master V750 SFX Gold
When picking a power supply for this build, I went for something that would fit in a small chassis, but still be affordable without cutting too many corners on reliability. The Cooler Master V750 SFX Gold has a power limit of 750W, which means you won’t be anywhere near its upper limits, which is excellent for power efficiency. And with its 80+ Gold rating, you can be extra sure that this power supply is going to stay reliable for years.
If you don’t care about matching the Steam Machine’s small size and just want something basic to get the job done, the Cooler Master MWE Gold 750 is $50 cheaper and has the same power capacity and efficiency rating.
Case: Cooler Master MasterBox N200
Due to the size of desktop components, it’d be nearly impossible to build a gaming PC that’s the same size as the 6-inch-on-all-sides Steam Machine. Instead, I just went with my go-to mini-ITX case, the Cooler Master MasterBox N200. It’s cheap, and it’s not a complete pain in the ass to build in. And, even though it is bigger than the Steam Machine, it’s still small enough that you’ll be able to fit it into your living room setup without it standing out too much.
Larger cases will usually cost extra unlike most other components. But if you got the larger parts I suggested, you’re probably going to want to get something like the Darkrock EC2 Black. It’s not nearly as nice as this Cooler Master case, but it’s also about the same price.
Is It Worth It?
It’s so hard to recommend anyone go out and buy a bunch of PC components right now, thanks in large part to RAM prices. I’ve seen RAM get expensive in the past, but not to the point where a basic 16GB kit costs almost as much as a graphics card. My advice would be to wait until Valve reveals the pricing for the Steam Machine and then make a judgement call. Because if Valve’s console comes in under $700-800, then it’s going to be a much better deal than building a PC with these specs right now.
All of these parts together, assuming you’re going to be installing SteamOS or Bazzite, will come to $1,156 total at the time of writing. You can save a bit by going for a standard ATX build, but thanks in large part to the high RAM prices right now, you’re still looking at a total build cost of $959.
Almost all of the official Black Friday sales are already live. In fact, a lot of them actually went live last weekend. Black Friday as a sales event has continued to extend further and further every year, and it can be difficult to figure out exactly when the right time to shop is. Do you need to jump on the deals available now before they're gone? Or should you wait for a better discount to drop after Thanksgiving?
Unfortunately, there is no cut and dry answer to this question. Some of the deals live right now will probably be gone before actual Black Friday, and some will be better on the actual day. If you don't want to spend an entire week shopping for savings this year, I can help you cut through the noise.
The Friday After Thanksgiving Will Still Have the Best Deals
Lets just get this out of the way to start. Despite retailers stating that their full Black Friday sales are live, that isn't really true. Every major online retailer has released their partial Black Friday sale, with more coming later this week. That isn't to say that the current deal prices aren't worth checking out, but that, traditionally, the best deals drop on actual Black Friday because that's when most people will do the bulk of their shopping. Some retailers have already released ads that prove more deals are on their way.
Target released its Black Friday ad recently
Perhaps the most obvious indicator that better deals are scheduled for November 28 is that Target has flat out said so. In its latest Black Friday sales ad, Target has stated that more discounts will be arriving on Friday and hours earlier for Target Circle 360 members. While it hasn't given that many specifics about what will be on sale, we know that LEGO sets will be 40% off and a ton of clothing and outerwear will be 40% off as well. This announcement came alongside Target launching its official Black Friday sale on sale over the weekend.
Costco released a Black Friday ad almost a month ago
The Costco Black Friday sale has been happening pretty much all month long, but we've known for a while that the best discounts at Costco would come on Thanksgiving. That's because Costco released its full Black Friday schedule and holiday ad back in October. Outside of its regularly scheduled sale, it'll offer online-only discounts on November 27 that will then be available in stores on Black Friday. You can check out the full ad scan for those sale dates below to see what's coming tomorrow.
Best Buy has been offering discounts since Halloween, but its official sale didn't kick off until November 20 this year. Every Friday since that first sale went live, Best Buy has been dropping new "Doorbuster" deals on tech that haven't regularly been a part of its sale. You can expect the retailer to do this same thing again on Black Friday this year, but with a lot more gusto. So while there are already some good deals in the Best Buy sale, the best ones are still probably arriving this Friday.
The LEGO Black Friday Sale Starts on Friday
Despite most sales already going live, the LEGO Store Black Friday sale doesn't launch until actual Black Friday. The plastic brick company did offer its usual Insider's Weekend sale just a few days ago, but the official sale that will be available to all will be taking place on November 28. Alongside these discount, LEGO has confirmed that it will be launching its annual Black Friday set, which is the U.S.S Enterprise from Star Trek this year.
Amazon and Walmart Will Price Match New Deals
Of all of the Black Friday sales every year, Walmart and Amazon tend to have the biggest overall offerings. The simple explanation for this is that they have the largest stock of everything and can price match deals across the web. Amazon launched its Black Friday sale on November 20 this year and has been copying whatever new deals arrive whenever they do. As an example, Target launched a "3 for 2" sale on November 23 and Amazon pretty quickly launched its own 3 for 2 sale at the same time. And yesterday, Walmart dropped some great Apple deals that Amazon quickly copied. There are some exceptions to this, but generally speaking, if we know other retailers are lauching better deals on Friday, then so will Amazon and Walmart.
What Deals Should You Shop Right Now?
It's true that bigger and better discounts will arrive starting tomorrow, but some deals you'll want to snap up now while stock lasts, like Black Friday video game deals. These discounts are mostly regulated by the actual gaming companies and have been going pretty fast. The PlayStation Black Friday deals launched on November 21 and the Nintendo Black Friday deals started on November 23. Because stock is limited on things like physical games and the deals are incredibly popular, we're already seeing stuff sell out at Amazon and other retailers.
Nintendo Switch Deals Are Going Fast
All of the Nintendo discounts are live and we're already seeing stuff sell out at Amazon. Most notably both Super Mario Odyssey and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door are now only available at Walmart and will likely be gone before Black Friday proper. There's also the Nintendo Switch 2 bundles, which aren't on sale at all, but are still incredibly popular ahead of the holidays. If you're planning on picking up the new console, you'll want to do it as soon as possible.
PlayStation Deals Are Also Selling Quickly
The PlayStation deals this year haven't been as popular as Nintendo, but the discounts are currently as good as they're going to get. Most of the items available aren't at that high a risk of selling out, although some discounted PS5 games are no longer available at Amazon. And among DualSense controller deals going on right now, the limited-edition ones that will probably go out of stock before Cyber Monday or earlier. Limited-edition console bundles also tend to sell out faster at these lower prices than a standard PS5.
Xbox Deals Are Limited
This year's round of Xbox Black Friday deals has been fairly disappointing so far. There are some game discounts available, but only a few of the Xbox controllers are on sale. And there are absolutely no Xbox console deals this year to speak of. That's a bummer considering Xbox raised its prices multiple times in 2025, but it is what it is.
Some of the best Xbox controller deals have come and gone (including the recent Xbox Elite Series 2 deal), so if you are looking for a discount there you'll want to act quickly. Most of the Xbox video game discounts have stuck around, however, so you should be find to pick those up any time over the weekend.
Streaming has gotten pricey, and that includes Paramount+, which is home to a lengthy list of Paramount movies as well as cartoons like South Park and SpongeBob. Thankfully, until December 1, you can get two months of any Paramount+ plan, including the ad-free Premium subscription, for $2.99 each month.
Get 2 Months of Paramount+ Without Ads for $6
It's a nice deal for the ad-supported Essential plan, normally priced at $7.99, but an even better one for the ad-free Premium plan, which normally costs $12.99 each month. It's one of the only Black Friday streaming deals that applies to an ad-free subscription, even if it only lasts for a couple of months.
The other benefit of going with the Premium plan is you’ll get access to the Showtime library. I see no reason not to go with the Premium plan, as long as you remember that your plan will auto-renew at $12.99 each month after the deal ends.
What’s on Paramount+?
The new season(s) of South Park are streaming exclusively on Paramount+, so you can catch up on all of the drama happening there without scrolling through Twitter (sorry, X). It’s also the streaming home for Nickelodeon, where classic cartoons like SpongeBob, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and The Fairly OddParents live.
On the movie side, Paramount+ is home to big franchises like Mission Impossible, Transformers, and Star Trek, and also includes some recent additions include Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Smile 2, and Gladiator 2. With the Paramount+ Premium plan, also get access to the Showtime library, which includes otherwise hard-to-find series like Yellowjackets and Dexter: Resurrection.
Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who, when she isn't following streaming news, spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.
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