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You Can't Invite Hotel Visitors to Move to Your Island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and We're All Bummed About It

16 janvier 2026 à 22:47

Animal Crossing: New Horizon's big 3.0 update is now live, and with it a bustling hotel where you can decorate rooms and attract villagers from the game's massive roster of over 400 animals for a visit. But while these visiting pals can wander your island, see the sights, and even participate in activities like Group Stretching, there's one thing they can't do: stay forever.

The reason this is coming up is because you can invite new animals onto your island in various other ways. If they visit through the Campsite, they can be persuaded to stay. If you encounter them during Island Excursions, you can similarly invite them to come back home and live next door. You can even steal villagers from friends if you visit their towns while that animal is already moving out. But for some reason, the hotel works differently. Animals staying for a vacation won't move to your island, even if you have a vacancy, no matter how much you beg.

A number of players (me included) are upset about this! The hotel is the best method yet of meeting a lot of different animal villagers, since there are eight total rooms and they can all be full at any given time, meaning eight potential chances to find the villager of your dreams. These little guys will also roam around the island and do most of the things normal residents do while they're there. They even have dialogue about how they wish they could stick around longer!

What's even more tragic is that former island residents can come visit you via this feature, and they'll have unique dialogue talking about how much they miss living on your island. But there's no way to get them to return permanently. They're just there for a little relaxation, and then gone again.

As much of a bummer as this is, the Hotel is still a pretty good way to get familiar with what villagers are even out there, so you know when they come around the campsite or when you stumble over them on an Island Expedition that you want to bully them into moving in. Besides, you've surely banked enough Nook Miles by now to go on hundreds of Expeditions until you find the friend you want, right? Right?

We're playing New Horizons again just like you, and checking out the big 3.0 update and all the fun new stuff that's been added. We've catalogued some of the surprising little changes, including the ability to strafe and jump, and we've got tips if you, like us, are returning to your island after a long hiatus.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

How to Watch Indiana Jones Movies in Chronological Order

16 janvier 2026 à 22:14

In the early 1980s, filmmaking legends George Lucas and Steven Speilberg created Hollywood’s seminal action-adventure franchise starring Harrison Ford as a thrill-seeking archeologist and college professor named Indiana Jones. The adventures of Indy have now spanned over four decades, culminating in the most recent film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Scroll down to find out how to watch the Indiana Jones films in order, by narrative chronologically or release date.

Jump to:

How Many Indiana Jones Movies Are There?

The Indiana Jones film saga includes five movies. The franchise’s canon also includes The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, a TV series that ran for two seasons (and four made-for-TV movies) in the ‘90s. If you're curious to know where you can stream all five of the films, we have a breakdown of where to stream every Indiana Jones movie online to point you in the right direction.

Dozens of other Indiana Jones stories have been told through novels, comics, and video games. However, for the sake of this list, we’ve only chronicled the films and TV series.

Indiana Jones Movies in Chronological Order

These blurbs contain mild spoilers, including characters, settings, and broad plot points.

0. The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992-1996)

Though nonessential to the Indiana Jones film saga, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is the story’s canonical starting point. It’s optional viewing, but we’ve included it on this list for those interested in the whole story.

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles stars four iterations of the intrepid adventurer: the child (played by Corey Carrier), the teen/young adult (Sean Patrick Flanery), the middle-aged man (played in a single episode by Harrison Ford), and the elder (George Hall).

The series primarily follows Flanery’s teenage/young adult Indy adventuring around the world, encountering and working with real-life historical figures, including former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt, writer Leo Tolstoy, artist Pablo Picasso, infamous gangster Al Capone, famed jazz musician Louis Armstrong, and neurologist Sigmund Freud, among others. The series also explores Indy’s background, notably his relationship with his father.

1. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Temple of Doom is the first Indiana Jones movie chronologically, despite being released after Raiders of the Lost Ark. Set a year before its predecessor, Temple of Doom kicks off with Indy surviving an assassination attempt in Shanghai before parachuting out of a cargo plane into northern India. There, alongside companions Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw) and Short Round (Ke Huy Quan), Indy agrees to help the locals locate their missing children and stolen sacred stone.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is considered the series’ “darkest” movie — the film’s dozens of deaths include a man’s heart being ripped from his chest, while a grotesque dinner scene features delicacies such as live snakes, giant beetles, eyeball soup, and monkey brains served fresh within their decapitated heads. Temple of Doom, alongside Gremlins, led to the creation of the MPAA’s PG-13 rating. (The rating system previously consisted of G, PG, M, and X.)

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Over 40 years ago, Raiders of the Lost Ark kicked off the Indiana Jones franchise. Set in 1936, Raiders of the Lost Ark takes Indy on a globetrotting adventure from South America and the U.S. to Africa and Asia. His first on-screen adventure pits Indy against Nazi forces, a recurring antagonist group in the series. The two parties race to retrieve the Ark of the Covenant, a gold-plated chest believed by Adolf Hitler to house divine power capable of aiding the Nazis in world domination.

3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Indy’s next global adventure featured another quest for an ancient artifact: the Holy Grail, a relic said to hold the power of immortality. Indy’s estranged father, Henry (Sean Connery), spent much of his life researching the Grail, eventually going missing in its pursuit. Guided by his father’s extensive notes, Indy sets off to find both his father and the relic, once again racing against the Nazis. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the last film before the time jump to newer films.

4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

After a nearly 20-year hiatus, Indiana Jones returned in 2008 with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The series’ fourth and most recent entry introduced Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams, the son of Indy and Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), who returns for the first time since Raiders of the Lost Ark. Cate Blanchett stars as the primary villain, a Soviet agent named Irina Spalko.

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull once again sees Indy and his companions racing against a nefarious entity (this time the Soviets) to obtain another artifact of great power: a telepathic crystal skull with which the Soviets plan to control the masses. In addition to the familiar globetrotting and double-crossing, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull introduces extraterrestrial elements into the series formula.

Read IGN’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull review.

5. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

The next and final Indiana Jones movie is Dial of Destiny – the first Indy movie since Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released 15 years ago. Alongside Harrison Ford and Mads Mikkelsen, Dial of Destiny stars Boyd Holbrook, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Indy’s goddaughter Helena. The story follows the latter's reunion with Indy, as the two of them work together to chase down an ancient artifact with incredible power.

James Mangold (Logan) directed the film, making Dial of Destiny the franchise’s first film not helmed by Steven Spielberg. (Spielberg told Deadline he was “peripherally involved” with the movie.) It's also the first Indiana Jones movie distributed by Disney, following its purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012.

Read IGN's review of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny or see where to watch Dial of Destiny.

Future Indiana Jones Stories

While Dial of Destiny is being called the conclusion to Indiana Jones's story, Disney and Lucasfilm were said to be "actively" pursuing a Disney+ TV series as of November 2022. Outgoing Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy has more recently stated that there are no plans for a new Indiana Jones movie, going so far as to claim "I don’t think anybody is interested right now in exploring it.” Could that mean there's a still a TV series out there? Possibly, but unlikely.

Outside of movies/television, Microsoft released Indiana Jones and the Great Circle back in 2024, an original story in the franchise set during "the height of" Indy's career. IGN awarded it a review score of 9, calling the action-adventure game "an irresistible and immersive global treasure hunt, and far and away the best Indy story this century."

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

Disney Pulls 14 Classic Games From PC Storefronts With No Explanation

16 janvier 2026 à 22:04

Disney has unceremoniously pulled 14 of its licensed games off of Steam with no explanation, leaving us unable to purchase games like Disney's Hercules Action Game and Finding Nemo.

This was spotted by HappyCatEW over Steamgifts and Wario64 on Twitter/X, and shared by Polygon. The games are largely older ones from the 90s and 00s, and while they can still be played if you already owned them, they are no longer available for purchase. The newest game in the group is Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell's Adventure (2014), while the oldest, Stunt Island, is from all the way back in 1992.

Most of these games had fairly mediocre reviews, but whether or not any of them were good is beside the point. For a number of games on this list, Steam was the only place to play them on modern platforms. It's worth noting that some of these games, like Afterlife and Stunt Island, were also available on GOG, and appear to have been removed simultaneously with the Steam removal, meaning they're just not on PC anymore at all if you didn't already own them. So unless you own physical copies for ancient consoles instead, many of these games will be inaccessible.

The games removed are as follows:

  • Afterlife
  • Armed and Dangerous
  • Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action
  • Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell's Adventure
  • Disney's Hercules Action Game
  • Disney Planes
  • Disney The Princess and the Frog
  • Disney Winnie the Pooh
  • Disney•Pixar Cars: Radiator Springs Adventures
  • Disney•Pixar Finding Nemo
  • Disney•Pixar Toy Story Mania!
  • Lucidity
  • Phineas and Ferb: New Inventions
  • Stunt Island

Why is Disney doing this? We have no idea. We've reached out to Disney for comment on the situation, and will update if we get a response.

Disney's commitment to having a games business has been wishy washy over the years. After a boom of licensed games in the 90s and 00s (including many of the games listed above), Disney eventually slowed its output in the 10s and seemingly vanished from games entirely for several years. It more recently reentered the space with its classic characters in games like Disney Dreamlight Valley and Disney Illusion Island. However, it seems like it may be slowing down once again, at least for properties that aren't Marvel and Star Wars (whose history in video games is a bit more complicated and robust). Its most recent non-Marvel/Star Wars games came out in 2023 (Tron: Identity, Gargoyles Remastered, Disney Speedstorm), and there don't seem to be any plans for more anytime soon.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Every PS5 DualSense Controller Color You Can Buy Right Now

16 janvier 2026 à 21:43

PlayStation is no stranger to releasing unique colors for its accessories throughout its over 30-year history. Since the PS5 launched in November 2020, PlayStation has expanded the DualSense controller line to include over a dozen additional standard colors, along with a swath of limited edition controllers featuring popular PlayStation characters and vibrant patterns. Whether you're looking to replace an existing controller, add to your collection, or just want to take a trip down memory lane, we've rounded up every PlayStation 5 DualSense controller color in order of release date.

If you're in the market for a DualSense alternative, our guide to the best PS5 controllers features a variety of different options we've reviewed.

All Dualsense Controller Colors by Release Date

White DualSense Controller

Release Date: November 12, 2020

Released alongside the PlayStation 5 in 2020, the white DualSense controller perfectly matches the PS5 console. You can check out our review of this controller when it was first released. Since that time, many of the PS5 exclusives have come to PC, making this a great mouse and keyboard alternative for PC gamers as well.

Midnight Black DualSense Controller

Release Date: June 11, 2021

For fans looking for that classic DualShock look, the Midnight Black DualSense is a great choice. It wasn't released for the console until a full seven months after the console, making it the first new color you could grab (alongside Cosmic Red).

Cosmic Red DualSense Controller

Release Date: June 11, 2021

Is it red? Or more berry-colored? It's neither! Cosmic Red is the first "unique" color released for the DualSense and for the PS5, and it would establish the space-themed naming convention for the controllers to come.

Starlight Blue DualSense Controller

Release Date: January 14, 2022

The Starlight Blue controller kicked off 2022 as part of a new space-themed trio of DualSense controller colors, offering some striking new colors not seen in the PlayStation lineup before.

Galactic Purple DualSense Controller

Release Date: January 14, 2022

Galactic Purple is the second controller included in the "Galaxy Collection" and features a deep purple hue with color-matched buttons.

Nova Pink DualSense Controller

Release Date: January 14, 2022

Nova Pink is a striking color that lets you live out your neon-fueled dreams while you game.

Grey Camouflage DualSense Controller

Release Date: October 14, 2022

PlayStation loves its camo-themed controllers, and the DualSense finally received its first (and only) patterned controller option in 2022.

Cobalt Blue DualSense Controller

Release Date: November 3, 2023

Deviating from the matte-finish options that preceded it, the Cobalt Blue DualSense is the first of three controllers featured in the "Deep Earth Collection."

Volcanic Red DualSense Controller

Release Date: November 3, 2023

Inspired by the rich metals of the earth, the Volcanic Red DualSense features a deep, red hue and metallic finish.

Sterling Silver DualSense Controller

Release Date: January 26, 2024

The final controller in the Deep Earth Collection released in early 2024 and added a metallic silver option to round out the lineup.

Chroma Pearl DualSense Controller

Release Date: November 7, 2024

The Chroma Pearl DualSense is part of the Chroma Collection, the latest trio of controllers to release featuring iridescent colors that shine at every angle.

Chroma Indigo DualSense Controller

Release Date: November 7, 2024

The Chroma Indigo DualSense beautifully shifts between rich blues and deep purples.

Chroma Teal DualSense Controller

Release Date: January 23, 2025

Featuring vibrant shifting shades of green, the Chroma Teal DualSense is a unique controller that will certainly shine in your collection.

Techno Red DualSense Controller

Release Date: March 12, 2026

The next set of controllers all form part of PlayStation's Hyperpop collection, which also includes PS5 console covers. Starting at the top, the Techno Red controller features, as you'd guess, a vibrant red fading into black.

Remix Green DualSense Controller

Release Date: March 12, 2026

Along similar lines, the Remix Green controller consists of what I would call chartreuse, but PlayStation is calling, well, green.

Rhythm Blue DualSense Controller

Release Date: March 12, 2026

Last but not least, of course we had to have some classic blue in here. The Rhythm Blue controller is a particularly light and bright hue, once again featuring the fading to black effect toward the bumpers.

Every DualSense Edge Color

White DualSense Edge

Release Date: January 26, 2023

At first glance, the DualSense Edge may look similar to the standard DualSense, but aside from some glossy highlights and black face buttons, it added a slew of customizable options to take your game to the next level.

Midnight Black DualSense Edge

Release Date: February 20, 2025

Released as part of the Midnight Black Collection, this all-black DualSense Edge is the only other color option available for this pro-style controller.

Special Edition DualSense Controllers

In addition to the standard DualSense controller colors, Sony has also released several limited edition controllers over the past few years. Arguably the most popular limited-time offering was to celebrate PlayStation's milestone anniversary in November 2024, when Sony launched an entire PlayStation 30th Anniversary collection that included a standard DualSense controller, PS5 Slim, PS5 Pro, PlayStation Portal, and DualSense Edge controller, each sporting the iconic grey color of the original PlayStation console.

While you may still be able to get your hands on some special edition controllers, they are often well above retail price as Sony only manufactures a limited amount. In addition to the 30th Anniversary collection, Sony has also released limited edition DualSense controllers celebrating the release of God of War: Ragnarok, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the ill-fated Concord, Astro Bot, The Last of Us, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and Ghost of Yotei. A new special edition God of War controller celebrating the series' 20th anniversary also launched last October.

When Do PS5 Controllers Go on Sale?

There are quite a few times throughout the year when you can find discounts on PS5 controllers. The most recent discounts we saw were during the PlayStation Days of Play sale back in June. The standard Dualsense controllers were $20 and Dualsense Edge got its biggest discount since it was first released. The next time you can probably expect prices to drop is during Black Friday. While it's certainly possible that tariffs on gaming accessories could raise prices before then (as we've already seen with PS5 consoles), there are still likely to be price cuts starting in November.

Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.

When It Comes to Star Wars, There's Just One Thing We Need From Lucasfilm's New Presidents

16 janvier 2026 à 21:49

In case you missed the news, there’s a seismic shift going on at Lucasfilm right now. Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down as President of Lucasfilm after 14 years. She’ll be replaced by two executives in Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan, both longtime Lucasfilm veterans.

This is certainly a huge deal for Star Wars fans. Kennedy has been steering the starship since Disney first acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, and she’s been in charge through a new era of films and the expansion into live-action streaming shows. What does it mean for the future of Star Wars? It’s a little early to say, but we know one thing that needs to change immediately - Lucasfilm needs to stop announcing new Star Wars movies and start committing to actually making them a reality. Star Wars needs to find a clear road map again after years of chaos and misdirection.

The Rise and Fall of Star Wars Under Kathleen Kennedy

There can be no denying that Kennedy’s tenure as President of Lucasfilm was marked by some major successes. She took the reins of a franchise whose biggest days many assumed were behind it, following the conclusion of George Lucas’ Prequel Trilogy. Instead, Kennedy helped pave the way for a completely new era of Star Wars movies that expanded the Skywalker Saga decades into the future.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was an unmitigated success, shattering box office records and appealing to a huge swath of moviegoers. The entire Sequel Trilogy remains one of the highest-grossing series of all time. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story showed the potential in projects that venture away from the Skywalker clan. And perhaps most notably, Kennedy’s Lucasfilm finally proved that Star Wars can work in a live-action TV format, something even Lucas was hard-pressed to accomplish. The Mandalorian spawned a whole new wave of live-action shows, including the critical darling that is Star Wars: Andor.

But for all those successes, Kennedy’s tenure became increasingly marred as time went on. The Sequel Trilogy may have been largely successful from a financial standpoint, but good luck finding a Star Wars fan who actually likes all three movies. The lack of a coherent, overarching direction for the trilogy and the diminishing returns at the box office speak for themselves. 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story underwhelmed critically and commercially, with even Kennedy herself labeling it as one of her regrets with the franchise. And as 2026 dawns, it’s now been over six years since a new Star Wars film has hit theaters (though that’ll finally change this year).

It hasn’t been entirely rosy on the streaming front either. The initial fervor over The Mandalorian has cooled in light of the more divisive Season 3, and Lucasfilm seems to be cutting back on new live-action streaming shows just as it’s become increasingly cautious on the theatrical front. The Acolyte has the dubious distinction of being the first Star Wars series to be canceled due to low ratings. Ten years ago, who would have imagined there wouldn’t be an automatic, built-in audience for a live-action Star Wars show?

It’s painfully clear that there’s been a waning of enthusiasm surrounding the Star Wars franchise in recent years. Certainly, not all of the blame can be laid at Kennedy’s feet. But perhaps the great, defining flaw of the Kennedy era is that Lucasfilm doesn’t seem to quite know how to respond to this lack of Star Wars enthusiasm.

It’s become a running joke over the years that Lucasfilm is very fond of announcing new Star Wars movies and then never getting around to actually making them.

It’s become a running joke over the years that Lucasfilm is very fond of announcing new Star Wars movies and then never getting around to actually making them. At various points, we were supposed to get a Rian Johnson-helmed trilogy, an Old Republic series from Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss, and even a movie from Marvel bigwig Kevin Feige. All of those projects are dead now. Then there are the many announced projects that have fallen into quiet limbo, like James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi, Taika Waititi’s movie, Donald Glover’s Lando movie, and the Rogue Squadron movie. And that doesn’t even get into the numerous times directors have been replaced on the films that actually move forward (Phil Lord and Chris Miller on Solo, Colin Trevorrow on The Rise of Skywalker, etc.).

It’s gotten to the point where it’s impossible to feel excited about a new Star Wars announcement because the inevitable first question is always, “What’s the likelihood this thing actually comes out?” As you can see, the odds aren’t great. Even with projects that seem to be in active development, like Dave Filoni's Mando-Verse/New Republic Movie, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's New Jedi Order Movie, and Simon Kinberg’s trilogy, it’s an open question as to whether those will see the light of day. Until the cameras start rolling and we have actual footage, it’s safer to assume the worst.

That sense of uncertainty and the constant pivoting have come to define Kathleen Kennedy’s Lucasfilm in recent years. And that’s exactly what needs to change as Filoni and Brennan take the helm.

It’s Time to Actually Make Star Wars Movies Again

At this point, we’re not particularly concerned about what direction Lucasfilm’s new masters take the Star Wars franchise. What matters is that they have a direction at all. Where is the future of this venerable but troubled franchise? Is it focusing on new movies set after the events of the Sequel Trilogy? Great. Is it fleshing out the Old Republic era in the Disney timeline? Fantastic. Is it more Mando-Verse/New Republic content? Fine.

Whatever Filoni and Brennan see as the future of the franchise, they need to develop a clear plan for Star Wars and commit to it. Fans have been subjected to too many false starts and announcements that don’t pan out. That’s where some of the waning enthusiasm around Star Wars is coming from. Again, it’s really hard to feel excited about any of these projects when we have no idea if they’re going to materialize.

As noted above, it’s been six years since we got a new Star Wars movie. And while there are currently two projects that have actually finished production and have release dates, if Lucasfilm doesn’t press forward, we may enter another multi-year lull without new films. That’s no way to energize a fanbase or convince anyone that the worst is behind us.

The best thing Filoni and Brennan can do to ring in this new era is make it clear that the days of indecision and waffling are over. Give fans status updates on the various movies and shows that have been announced. Make it clear which ones are being shelved and which are in active development. And maybe start being more conservative about which projects you formally announce. It’s no longer enough to hear that [insert writer here] is attached to a Star Wars movie. If it’s not in active development with a good sense of momentum, Star Wars fans really don’t want to hear about it.

If it’s not in active development with a good sense of momentum, Star Wars fans really don’t want to hear about it. 

The Filoni/Brennan news has obvious similarities to Warner Bros.’ decision to install James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-CEOs of DC Studios in 2023. Here, too, you have two executives sharing power. One is more focused on the creative side of things, while the other handles the business end. That approach certainly seems to have worked out well enough for DC Studios so far. And we can only hope that Filoni is as prolific on the writing/directing front as Gunn has been with Creature Commandos, Superman, Peacemaker, and Man of Tomorrow.

But the thing about Gunn and Safran’s DCU is that the two came out swinging with a clear plan in place from the beginning. When the DC Studios shake-up was announced, Gunn and Safran immediately revealed the “DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.” They made it clear from the start that they had a road map in place and an overarching story direction in mind. Yes, some of those originally announced projects have fallen by the wayside, but that’s inevitable in this business. (Indeed, Gunn has been quite open on social media and elsewhere about the status of such projects.) What matters is that Gunn has a clear idea of the larger story he’s trying to tell with the DCU, and every act has been geared toward furthering that storyline.

This is exactly what we’d love to see from Filoni and Brennan. Not every Star Wars project needs to be part of the same storyline. The timeline is vast enough that we can and should be seeing projects set in many different eras and with many different characters. But we need confirmation that the new Lucasfilm Presidents have a road map in mind for Star Wars. We need a lot more cases like Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter, which moved uncharacteristically quickly from announcement to casting to full production.

The days of announcing new movies and quietly shelving them need to come to an end. That’s the first step toward reinvigorating the franchise and recapturing the excitement that was so palpable in those early years of Kennedy’s tenure. Forget Spider-Man. Star Wars needs a Brand New Day.

What do you think about this massive Star Wars shake-up? Will having a clear road map in place help get you jazzed about Star Wars again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

And if you need help refreshing your memory on all the current Star Wars projects, here’s every Star Wars movie and show in development.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.

Today’s Top Deals: Save on Audible, Cyberpunk 2077, USB Docks, and More

16 janvier 2026 à 21:42

From dumbbells to gaming headsets, there are some great discounts you should take advantage of heading into the weekend. Many deals, including Best Buy’s Winter Sale will be wrapping up over the next few days, so be sure to take advantage of all the savings while you still can. Take a look at all the best deals for today below:

TL;DR: Best Deals Today

Audible Premium Plus for $0.99/mo for First 3 Months

There are only a few days left to score an Audible Premium Plus subscription for only $0.99 per month for the first three months. If you don’t have an active Audible membership, chances are good you’ll be eligible for this promotion. After the three months are over, you’ll be charged the usual subscription of $14.95/mo, but you can cancel at any time.

As an Audible Premium Plus member, you’ll enjoy access to 500,000 of the top audiobooks; Premium members only get 10,000 audiobooks to choose from. Additionally, you’ll receive 30% off other audiobooks you’d like to purchase, get one audiobook monthly that will remain in your library indefinitely (two for Prime members), plus access to other sales and promotions. Given that all of this is only $3 for three months, you don’t have much to lose.

The Belkin Connect USB-C 6-in-1 Core GaN Dock Is 50% Off

Woot has knocked 50% off the current Amazon price of the Belkin Connect USB-C 6-in-1 Core GaN Dock 130W. This compact little dock is perfect for those looking to take a workstation on the go or who are tight on space at an office. It’s packing up to 96W of power delivery via USB-C port to keep your device charged, be it a laptop, tablet, or even a handheld gaming PC, while five extra ports are available to connect all your peripherals. Two USB-A, a USB-C 3.2, an HDMI 2.0, and a Gigabit Ethernet port are all available to plug a mouse, keyboard, display, and more.

40% Off the Dreamegg Sunrise 1 Alarm Clock

If you’re like me and don’t want to drop $150+ on a Hatch Alarm just yet, the Dreamegg Sunrise 1 is an awesome alternative that costs less than $100. But what makes things even better is it’s 40% off on Walmart and Amazon (for Prime members), making it just $60. While it won’t have as many features as a Hatch, you do get a simulated sunrise coupled with the sounds of nature for a more gentle, natural wake-up. Beyond the sunrise feature, the clock offers several other adjustable colors. Additionally, the sound machine feature allows you to select from over 29 relaxing sounds, ranging from white noise to meditations.

Razer BlackShark V2 X Gaming Headset Back to Lowest Price

The Razer Black Shark V2 X Gaming Headsets are back down to their lowest prices on Amazon right now. Whether you’re after the PC, Xbox, or PlayStation version, all of them have gotten a nice markdown. Each headset easily connects to your console or PC via a 3.5mm jack, and once you’re connected, the 50MM drivers deliver some impactful, clear audio to put you in the center of the game’s action. With well-cushioned, breathable earcups and a relatively lightweight design, you’ll even be comfortable rocking this headset during longer gaming sessions. It’s a great budget gaming headset that’s well worth the current price tag.

Big Savings on PowerBlock Adjustable Dumbbells

Need dumbbells in a few different weights, but don’t want to break the bank to get them? While these might not be Bowflex’s adjustable dumbbells, Woot has a killer deal on PowerBlock’s adjustable dumbbells right now, so you can get them for only $239.99. That’s a fraction of what Bowflex sets will cost. With the EXP Adjustable Dumbbell Set Stage 1 starter set, you’ll get weight options between 5 and 50 pounds in adjustable increments of 2.5 to 5-pounds. All of which is easily adjustable by turning a dial. If you’d like to lift even heavier, two expansion kits are available for $119.99 each.

Save $500 on the Acer Nitro 60 GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC

Skip the headache of building your own rig and opt for an awesome value pre-built PC instead. The Acer Nitro 60 GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC is $500 off on Best Buy, making this awesome gaming PC just $1,800. It’s one of the best prices available for a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics equipped rig. Plus, given that this graphics card is likely at its end of life, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a standalone RTX 5070 Ti priced reasonably. Beyond graphics, an Intel Core i7-14700F processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 2TB PCIe SSD are packed in. It’s clear that this gaming PC is ready to tackle some high-fps gaming and a whole lot more.

Hisense 65" Class U6 Series MiniLED QLED UHD 4K Smart Fire TV (2025) Hits Lowest Price Ever

Looking for a great gaming TV that won’t break the bank? The Hisense 65" Class U6 MiniLED 4K TV is an awesome option. Best of all, it’s even cheaper than Black Friday, costing you just $530. That's the lowest price it has ever hit. Now, just because this TV is affordable doesn’t mean it's lacking. With a 4K 144Hz refresh rate and VRR support on two HDMI ports, this TV is ready to keep up with your PS5 and Xbox Series X. The mini LED panel with local dimming delivers solid contrast, while the overall picture quality is bright and vibrant. Anyone looking for a reliable budget TV should take advantage of this deal.

Save $11 on Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for Switch 2

Right now, the Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for Switch 2 is discounted by $11, which is one of the lowest prices we’ve seen. Sure, Nintendo’s handheld might not seem like the ideal console for playing this dark, moody, and graphically intense RPG. However, during our review of Cyberpunk 2077 for Switch 2, reviewer Tom Marks found the experience “impressive,” adding, “If you haven’t had the pleasure of exploring Night City before, this seems like a solid way to do so.”

3 for $33 4K UHD Movies

Great news! Amazon’s three for $33 4K Blu-ray sale is still live (it ends on 1/19). That means you can score an awesome deal on select 4K UHD titles. All that you need to do is add three movies to your cart, and when you go to check out, the price will drop to just $11 each. Whether you’re looking to add a few classics to your physical media collection, like The Shining or 2001: A Space Odyssey, or want some newer titles, like Jurassic Park: Rebirth or Sinners, there’s a huge selection to choose from. It’s a great time to buy.

Save $60 on the JBL Flip 6 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

The JBL Flip 6 is ridiculously cheap on Woot. This brand-new Bluetooth speaker is almost 50% off, now priced at just $70. It’s going for $60 more on Amazon, so that’s one heck of a deal that’s sure to sell out fast. Boasting a 12-hour battery life, IPX7 waterproofing, and a versatile design, it’s a portable option ready to go with you anywhere. Most importantly, the audio performance is impressive thanks to a 2-way speaker system ready to deliver loud and clear sound.

Best Buy Video Game Winter Sale

The New Year's Sale may be over, and now we’re on to the Best Buy Winter Sale. Luckily, the savings are similar, bringing solid discounts on tons of popular titles. From Borderlands 4 for Xbox Series X getting 40% knocked off its price tag, to NINJA GAIDEN 4 for PlayStation 5 seeing a $30 price drop, there are some pretty awesome deals worth checking out.

The Legend of Zelda Movie to Stream Exclusively on Netflix Following Theatrical Release

16 janvier 2026 à 21:09

Netflix has secured the exclusive streaming rights for The Legend of Zelda movie following its theatrical and home releases.

Scheduled to hit cinema screens on May 7, 2027, The Legend of Zelda is still shrouded in mystery, although we do have a few stills of Link actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason as Zelda. The long-awaited live-action adaptation was announced in November 2023, and is produced by Nintendo's legendary creative boss Shigeru Miyamoto alongside Avi Arad, former CEO of Marvel Studios. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' Wes Ball is directing, from a screenplay by Jurassic World writer Derek Connolly.

The news comes as part of a new deal brokered between the streaming service and Sony Pictures Entertainment in a “first of its kind” agreement that will see the production company’s upcoming slate of movies released on Netflix globally. A similar deal is currently in place for selected regions around the world, including the U.S., Germany, and Southeast Asia, but these new terms will now open it up completely.

“The new global Pay-1 arrangement will roll out gradually starting later this year as individual territory rights become available, with full global availability on Netflix in early 2029," Sony Pictures said. “As part of this deal, Netflix will also license rights to select SPE feature film and television library titles.”

Some of the movies in the deal include the final part of the animated Spider-Verse trilogy, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, Sam Mendes’ four Beatles biopics, and, of course, the live-action The Legend of Zelda movie.

Rest assured, though, fellow physical media fans. The Zelda movie will still be released on disc after its theatrical run, so if you really do crave that high fidelity transfer, you won’t be stuck on a streaming 4K bitrate if that isn’t quite good enough for you.

Which The Legend of Zelda game do you think the movie’s story will take inspiration from the most? The costuming certainly suggests Twilight Princess may be a touchpoint, but I can’t help but feel it will ride on the success of Breath of the Wild when it comes to plot and the look of Ganon. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Image credit: Nintendo.

Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.

Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday Teaser Strategy Is Clearly Working

16 janvier 2026 à 21:03

Marvel's four Avengers: Doomsday teasers have eclipsed one billion views online already, validating Disney and Marvel's unique approach to promoting the upcoming film that will star Robert Downey Jr. as Dr. Doom and see the return of Downey's fellow Avengers costars Chris Evans (as Steve Rogers), Chris Hemsworth (as Thor), and Shuri (Letitia Wright), along with OG live-action X-Men stars Patrick Stewart (as Professor Xavier), Ian McKellan (as Magneto), and James Marsden (as Cyclops), along with The Fantastic Four: First Steps's Ebon Moss-Bachrach (as The Thing).

The billion-view report for the Doomsday teasers comes from The Hollywood Reporter, who says that insiders have told them that the number is at 1.02 billion views. This of course doesn't include all of the eyeballs on these teasers when they each screened in front of Avatar: Fire and Ash for one week each in successive weeks.

The unique teasers aren't even teasers. Or trailers. So says the directors of Avengers: Doomsday, Joe and Anthony Russo. They're stories. They told fans to "pay attention," and one fan did, and that person's theory about what other narrative the trailers are building is gaining traction online.

If you missed any of the not-teasers-or-trailers, you can watch the most recent three below.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Upcoming New Star Wars Movies and TV Shows: 2026 Release Dates and Beyond

16 janvier 2026 à 20:30

There are a bunch of big Star Wars projects in the works, like the Jon Favreau-directed The Mandalorian & Grogu movie, the confirmation of Ahsoka: Season 2, and a new Star Wars movie starring Ryan Gosling called Starfighter which is being directed by Deadpool & Wolverine's Shawn Levy. And yet amid all that, Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, is stepping down from her duties, with long-time Star Wars creator Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan replacing her. Filoni will now serve as President and Chief Creative Officer while Brennan will be Co-President.

While Kennedy's departure has been rumored for some time, now that it's actully happening it's clear that the Star Wars franchise is at a critical juncture. Will Filoni and Brennan be able to revive excitement in fans and mainstream audiences about what has been seen as something of a lagging series in recent years?

So let's take a look at all of the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows that we know about. While some are locked, others on our list are just industry reports that haven't been confirmed by Disney yet. We've also kept some older projects on our list that have long since been snuffed out, like the Jedi themselves! Their fire has gone out of the universe...

Click right through the scruffy-looking slideshow below to see what's coming, and a couple of "maybes" too...

What Are the Next Star Wars Movies and TV Shows Coming Out? 2026 Release Dates

For those keeping track, here's the full lineup of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows:

Definitely Happening:

  • Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian & Grogu Movie (May 22, 2026)
  • Maul: Shadow Lord Series (2026)
  • Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi Series (2026)
  • Star Wars: Starfighter Movie (May 28, 2027)
  • Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2 (In Production)

In Development:

  • Dave Filoni's Mando-Verse/New Republic Movie
  • Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's New Jedi Order/Rey Movie
  • Simon Kinberg's Star Wars Trilogy

On Hold or Status Unknown:

  • The Hunt for Ben Solo Movie
  • Taika Waititi's Star Wars Movie
  • James Mangold's Dawn of the Jedi Movie
  • Star Wars: Lando Movie
  • Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Movie
  • The Mandalorian: Season 4 / The Book of Boba Fett: Season 2
  • Carlton & Nick Cuse's Star Wars Series

Canceled/Dead:

  • Star Wars: Rangers of the New Republic Series
  • Untitled J.D. Dillard/Matt Owens Movie
  • Rian Johnson's Star Wars Trilogy
  • Kevin Feige's Star Wars Movie
  • David Benioff & DB Weiss' Star Wars Movies

Here are the Star Wars projects that are closest to becoming a reality (or at least were in recent times)...

The Mandalorian & Grogu Movie (May 22, 2026)

Lucasfilm turned heads with the announcement of a Mandalorian spinoff movie separate from Filoni's Mando-Verse New Republic crossover film. Dubbed The Mandalorian & Grogu, this film will be helmed by The Mandalorian co-creator Jon Favreau. It's assumed the movie is taking the place of The Mandalorian: Season 4.

Filming wrapped at the end of 2024, meaning this will wind up being the first Star Wars project to hit the big screen since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker. The Mandalorian & Grogu has a May 22, 2026 release date.

Maul: Shadow Lord Series (2026)

The Star Wars franchise will remain in the post-Clone Wars, pre-A New Hope era for its next animated series, which focuses on the former Darth Maul as he seeks to rebuild his criminal empire in the age of the Empire. Lucasfilm teases the series will showcase Maul "plotting to rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire." Sam Witwer will reprise his role as Maul. Look for it to debut on Disney+ in 2026.

Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi Series (2026)

The animated anthology series Star Wars: Visions is getting a miniseries spinoff called Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi. As the title suggests, this series will be a continuation of Production I.G.’s “The Ninth Jedi” shorts from Visions Season 1 and 3. It’s a natural choice, as there’s clearly far more story left to tell in this bleak yet adventurous take on the Star Wars mythos.

Star Wars: Starfighter Movie (May 28, 2027)

The next Star Wars movie hitting theaters after The Mandalorian and Grogu is Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Deadpool & Wolverine's Shawn Levy and starring the Driver himself, Ryan Gosling. The film is set roughly five years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, putting it further down the Star Wars timeline than any movie or show to date.

There are few details on what the film would be about, but Levy has been developing the project with scripter Jonathan Tropper since 2022. Tropper previously worked with the director on This Is Where I Leave You and The Adam Project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the prospective movie would be unrelated to the Skywalker Saga and would be a standalone story.

Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2 (In Production)

When Ahsoka: Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, it was unclear whether those loose ends would be picked up in a second season or feed directly into Dave Filoni's Mando-verse movie. But production has now wrapped on Ahsoka: Season 2. There's no release window yet, though 2026 could be possible.

Dave Filoni's Mando-Verse/New Republic Movie (In Development)

Dave Filoni will make the jump from Star Wars shows to the big screen. Filoni is directing a movie set after the events of Return of the Jedi. The film is said to tie together shows like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka.

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's New Jedi Order Movie (In Development)

Ms. Marvel's Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is directing the first Star Wars film set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. Daisy Ridley will return to reprise the role of Rey Skywalker, with the film focusing on Rey's efforts to rebuild the Jedi after the final battle with Emperor Palpatine. It's expected that other actors from the Sequel Trilogy will also return.

At various points in its development, Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson, and then Steven Knight, were attached to write the film. However, all have since left the project. Reports previously indicated that Rey as a character was still a major priority at Disney, and in January, 2025, George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum) was the latest writer hired to script the film. But when Kathleen Kennedy announced her resignation from Lucasfilm in January, 2026, she did not mention the Rey project while discussing other films in development. Huh.

Simon Kinberg's Star Wars Trilogy (In Development)

In 2024 news broke that X-Men producer (and Star Wars Rebels co-creator) Simon Kinberg had been tapped to oversee a brand-new trilogy of Star Wars films. Kinberg will write the trilogy and produce. Sources gave conflicting reports as to what the trilogy will actually be about, though. It may be a direct continuation of the Skywalker Saga, effectively making Kinberg the architect of Episodes X through XII. However, others claimed the trilogy will focus on a new storyline. In January, 2026, Kathleen Kennedy revealed that Kinberg wrote something that was "very good, but not there. We’ve pretty much upended the story, and then spent a great deal of time on the treatment." From there she said Kinberg was expected to turn in "something" -- presumably a screenplay -- by March, 2026. All of which is to say it's still early days on this one.

The Hunt for Ben Solo Movie (On Hold or Status Unknown)

Fans got very excited when word came that Adam Driver and filmmaker Steven Soderbergh had pitched a Hunt for Ben Solo movie, even though the project was not given the go-ahead. A fan campaign since then has not led Disney or Lucasfilm to reverse their decision, but Kathleen Kennedy has said that “Steve Soderbergh and Adam Driver turned in a script written by Scott Burns ... It was just great. Anything’s a possibility if somebody’s willing to take a risk.” Time will tell if this one ever happens or not.

Taika Waititi's Star Wars Movie (On Hold or Status Unknown)

Thor: Ragnarok's Taika Waititi was tapped to direct a live-action Star Wars movie at one point, which he would co-write with 1917's Krysty Wilson-Cairns. Nothing else is known about the film yet, including when it's set in the Star Wars timeline... or if it will even happen. Kathleen Kennedy said in January, 2026, that she thinks the project is "still somewhat alive." Hope springs eternal!
The film dates back to at least 2021, when Waititi revealed he'd cracked the story for his movie, but the actual script was still in its early stages. In May, 2022, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said that this would be the next Star Wars film released, while in March, 2023, Variety reported that it could be the project that snaps up the then-empty December, 2025, release date on Lucasfilm's slate. In February, 2025, however, Kennedy confirmed that she still hasn't seen a finished script from Waititi, saying “if we ever do get a script from Taika, it’s going to be fantastic.”

James Mangold's Dawn of the Jedi Movie (On Hold or Status Unknown)

At Star Wars Celebration 2023, we learned that Logan director James Mangold was going to be directing a movie about the very first Jedi Knights. Little was known about the movie, other than that it would be set roughly 25,000 years before the other films and would be "biblical" in scope. Unfortunately, in January, 2026, Kathleen Kennedy said that the film is now on the "back burner."

Star Wars: Lando Movie (On Hold or Status Unknown)

While Lucasfilm seems to have no plans for a sequel to 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story, Donald Glover's Lando Calrissian was supposed to get his own live-action series at one point. The project was announced in December 2020, and was being developed by Dear White People's Justin Simien. However, Simien eventually departed the project, with Glover and his brother Stephen Glover taking over as writers. And in the fall of 2023 Stephen revealed that Lando was expected to take shape as a movie rather than a show. As of January, 2026, Kathleen Kennedy said that the project was "still somewhat alive." Great!

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (On Hold or Status Unknown)

Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins was given the reins of a Star Wars theatrical film, which was originally slated to hit theaters in Christmas of 2023. Kathleen Kennedy teased, "This story will introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill ride. The legend of Rogue Squadron has been long beloved by Star Wars fans, and will move us into a future era of the galaxy."

However, as of November 2021 the film was no longer on the production schedule while Jenkins reportedly focused on Wonder Woman 3 (which has since been cancelled). Industry insider Matthew Belloni reported the film was the latest in a long line of Star Wars projects hampered by "creative differences." And in March of 2023, Variety reported that a source has stated that the film is no longer in active development. In April of that year, Kennedy told IGN the following: "Rogue Squadron, that definitely is something that we still talk about. Whether it's a movie, or whether it ends up being in the series space, that's definitely something."

The Mandalorian: Season 4 / The Book of Boba Fett: Season 2 (On Hold or Status Unknown)

There's currently no word on a fourth season of The Mandalorian or a second season of The Book of Boba Fett. The announcement of The Mandalorian and Grogu may mean the former series has ended its small-screen run, and we're not holding our breath for more The Book of Boba Fett at this point.

Carlton & Nick Cuse's Star Wars Series (On Hold or Status Unknown)

Lost co-showrunner Carlton Cuse was developing a streaming Star Wars series with his son, Watchmen and The Leftovers writer Nick Cuse, at one point. That's virtually all we know about this mysterious project, as there's no word on the plot, timeline, characters, or other story details yet. And with Disney seemingly pulling back on greenlighting new Star Wars streaming shows now, it seems unlikely that this one will move forward any time soon.

Star Wars Movies and TV Shows Released in 2025

Note: This story was updated on 1/16/2026. It was originally posted on 7/29/2021.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

God of War TV Show Adds Teresa Palmer as Sif as Casting Ramps Up

16 janvier 2026 à 20:02

Amazon’s live-action Prime Video God of War TV show is charging forward, as Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies, A Discovery of Witches) has joined its cast as Phoebe/Sif.

Deadline reports that the actress has officially signed on to star alongside Ryan Hurst, who joined the PlayStation series adaptation as Kratos earlier this week. The Earth goddess plays a somewhat smaller role in the video games the new show is based on and is most known for appearing during segments from God of War Ragnarok that feature the Ghost of Sparta’s son, Atreus, who has yet to be cast.

Palmer is the second actor to join Amazon’s latest video game adaptation and is probably best known for her involvement in 2013’s zombie romance movie, Warm Bodies. Although her experience in other films, such as Lights Out, The Fall Guy, and The Grudge 2 see her filmography date back to the mid-2000s, viewers may have caught her on TV more recently. Highlights from her time in television include A Discovery of Witches, The Last Anniversary, and The Family Next Door.

Although Sif is largely seen as a side character in Ragnarok, there’s no telling how her part may be featured in the God of War TV show. At the least, her presence in the story suggests her husband, Thor, could be just around the corner. Palmer’s inclusion also likely has players expecting to see her children – Magni, Modi, and Thrud – show up in some capacity, too.

We know little about what direction the Prime Video video game series will take, so it’s possible all or none of these iconic names from Norse mythology will appear. Other characters who have not been confirmed for the show but play a part in both God of War (2018) and its 2022 Ragnarok sequel include Freya, Mimir, Sindri, Brok, Odin, and Baldur.

“In God of War, the live action series, his story will closely follow the path of the last two games as he deals with something new: his ten year old son Atreus,” an official description for the show says. “This father and son dynamic began a whole new chapter in the legendary series and will be the heartbeat of the new show.”

Hurst’s inclusion as Kratos made waves for a few reasons. While the announcement allowed audiences to finally put a live-action face to the iconic name, fans of the games were also happy to see the star join following his role as Thor in Ragnarok. It's unclear who may follow Palmer's casting as Sif, with the show's release date also still a mystery.

We will (hopefully) know more about how casting for the series will shake out in the months ahead. In the meantime, you can read about composer Bear McCreary and his thoughts on the live-action God of War show.

Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

The Best PC Speakers

16 janvier 2026 à 19:26

There are all kinds of immensely powerful gaming PC setups out there, carefully crafted and assembled with components hand-picked for the most optimal performance to drive your experience. Even the most meticulous of builds, however, aren’t complete without a great audio system to deliver the coveted, detailed sound that perfectly complements your system and delivers a major impact for your gaming and other computer-related endeavors.

Built-in monitor speakers, much like TV speakers, won’t cut it for most folks at the end of the day. Luckily, there is a vast amount of powered desktop speakers, soundbars, and other audio solutions that are itching for an opportunity to show what they’re capable of. Whether you want tons of bass, immersive surround sound, or speakers that put clarity at a premium, there’s an option out there that’s right for you.

TL;DR – These Are the Best PC Speakers for Gaming:

1. KEF LSX II

Best Speakers for PC

KEF’s LSX II expertly blends the best of both worlds into one high-end package. They’re equipped with a wide variety of inputs (including HDMI-ARC) that fall in line with the modern-day soundbar. But, instead of the sound being produced from a singular piece of equipment, the LSX II achieves the perfect stereo separation that has long been a custom characteristic of a great pair of speakers.

The LSX II have plenty of power to complement your gaming with excellent, room-filling sound, thanks to ultra-low noise amplifiers that are built specifically to maximize performance without the need for an external amp. They have built-in support for streaming up to 24bit/384kHz, and offer wireless connectivity with a wide variety of streaming services like Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer, and more.

The LSX II does come equipped with quite a hefty price tag compared to other selections on this list, though for what it’s worth, it does take that into account with the craftsmanship and quality materials that make up the speaker pair’s striking aesthetic. That being said, in this instance, you’re paying for the best sound quality you can find in speakers of this size and price range. If you’re after the best of the best to flank the left and right sides of your monitor, the LSX II will punch that ticket.

2. Creative Pebble V3

Best Ultra Cheap PC Speakers

Creative has updated its affordable compact computer speaker options with the Creative Pebble V3. These new stylish little speakers don’t cost much more than their V2 predecessors while bumping up the actual speaker size and bringing in support for Bluetooth audio.

The Creative Pebble V3 speakers still keep your desk setup simple by using a single USB-C cable for drawing power and connecting to an audio source. You can also connect them to an additional device with a 3.5mm cable if you have an analog audio source. And, with the addition of Bluetooth 5.0, you can connect them to a ton of additional devices while enjoying a stable signal across all of them. These speakers won’t blow away your neighbors, as each speaker has just 4W of output power, but they’ll easily outshine the ones built into your computer monitor. For just $40, that’s not a bad upgrade.

3. Razer Clio

Best Non-Traditional PC Speakers

The Clio is something of a pioneer in the computer speaker world, breaking the mold of traditional monitor speakers to offer a unique solution to gaming audio. The Clio straps to the top of your gaming chair and, with its stereo pair of full-range drivers, pumps detailed audio into your ears for an immersive experience that mimics headphones. This time, though, you’re getting great sound in an open-air environment, with no strings attached or headphone fatigue to speak of.

In what feels like a fitting pairing, the Clio is also equipped with THX Spatial Audio, which allows its drivers to widen your soundstage for a more encompassing, enjoyable experience while you are gaming, watching YouTube, or listening to music. To that end, the Clio offers EQ modes for all three (Gaming, Movie, Music) while sporting up to 14 hours of battery life. Admittedly, it is a bit of a hassle to pull the speaker off your chair to recharge each time you run out of battery, but it’s a small price to pay for a great combination of comfort and sound quality.

Finally, the Clio offers the ability to serve as surround sound speakers for an existing setup. If you already have a soundbar or other speakers connected to your computer, the Clio can be established as rears in that system, adding a theater-esque sound to your gaming or streaming. It’s not a perk that everyone will take advantage of, but it’s a great way to get surround sound without having to position speakers at the rear of your room.

4. Logitech Z906

Best Surround Sound PC Speakers

A common pipeline for hardcore home theater heads starts with a wired set of Logitech speakers, and for good reason. The brand knows how to make solid, accessible sound that you don’t have to tinker with to enjoy, a sentiment that holds especially true for the Z906. A complete setup with dedicated left, right, and rear speakers plus a center channel for improved dialogue and a hulking subwoofer, the Z906 is a plug-and-play solution that delivers a full range of sound. It’s bound to bring all sorts of gaming, from first-person shooters to story-driven selections and even high-octane sports, to life in a way that your standard desktop monitors simply cannot.

There are some considerations that have to be made for the Z906 to ensure that it’s set up for success. You will need appropriate spacing between the left, center, and right speakers to allow for a proper soundstage that delivers immersive sound. Plus, the whole system is wired. This means that your rear speakers and subwoofer will need to have cables following it wherever you decide to put them in your gaming space.

If you don’t have an appropriate room for running wires, or just don’t enjoy that aesthetic, you may need to look beyond the Z906. But if you can manage, it’s an excellent solution that pumps powerful surround sound audio into every game you play.

5. Razer Leviathan V2

Best PC Soundbar

If, like me, space on your computer desk is a precious commodity, you don’t have room for the kind of behemoth soundbars that sit under TVs. The alternative is the Razer Leviathan V2, a purpose-built computer soundbar system that slides beneath your monitor and cranks out consistently great sound. The bar itself has a pair of full-range drivers, two tweeters, and a set of passive radiators all dedicated to delivering big, dynamic sound from a small package. Add in the Leviathan’s included down-firing subwoofer, and suddenly you have a compelling audio setup geared towards improving every gaming experience.

And while the Levithan doesn’t offer the full surround sound package in the same way that something like the Logitech Z906 does, it’s aided by THX Spatial Audio, a technology that’s meant to virtually replicate a detailed 7.1 soundstage, mimicking the presence of speakers to your side and rear. It’s not a perfect substitute for real, physical speakers flanking your sides and sitting at the back of your room, but it’s a good option for anyone who doesn’t have the square footage for all those extra speakers.

To top things off, the Leviathan’s RGB lighting system has 18 different lighting zones that feature all kinds of patterns and lighting effects to enhance the games you play. It may take a back seat to the actual audio benefits of the Leviathan, but it’s still a nice addition to a well-rounded package.

How to Pick the Best Speakers for PC

Gaming laptops, monitors and headsets don’t have much space for substantially sized drivers. Without much size to work with, these miniscule speakers typically cannot produce a full range of audio frequencies, which in turn hampers the listening experience.

By contrast, desktop computer speakers break out of that mold thanks to the advantage they have when it comes to size, amplification and overall components. Most speakers offer a two-way design consisting of a woofer and a tweeter, which work together seamlessly to produce lower and higher frequencies, respectively.

The two-way speaker design does a good job of covering the frequency range of human hearing, generally acknowledged as 20Hz-20kHz, but doesn’t get quite down to the very low end. With music, you don’t need to worry too much about hitting the 20Hz lower threshold, but if you’re watching movies or playing games with a lot of bass, you might want to consider speakers that include a subwoofer, although it will take up extra space under your desk.

You’ll also want your speakers to be powered, meaning they have an amplifier built-in (usually found inside one of the speakers) and will need to be plugged in. The audio signal coming from your computer needs to be amplified before it's sent out through the speaker drivers to your ears.

There are a few more options to keep an eye on and they can make life a bit easier. Having a headphone jack on the front of the speaker can be very convenient when you want to quickly plug in your headphones and not deal with reassigning outputs in your OS. A front-mounted aux-in is an easy way to attach a music source like your phone. Bluetooth functionality is another way some speakers will allow you to attach additional sources.

Your selection process will be heavily influenced by the space you have available for gaming and the audio that comes with it. Is there space to the left and right of your monitor, but not much elsewhere? A stereo pair of speakers will greatly improve your audio quality. Don’t have room to the sides, but do have room to spare beneath your desktop? A compact computer soundbar should do the trick. Is your computer on display in a room that’s got all kinds of breathing room? Opt for a system that has an included subwoofer, or a full surround sound package where you can place speakers at the rear of your room for a completely immersive gaming environment.

Additionally, if you have unique spatial needs but still want a wide, immersive soundstage, you can explore options that feature virtual audio enhancements. Technologies like THX Spatial Audio are meant to virtually mimic the sound of full surround sound setups, sending audio signals that coax your ears into believing that sound is coming from the side or behind you. It’s not a perfect science, and it’s not without its pitfalls. But it is compelling for those who don’t have space to spare.

As with any kind of audio upgrade, there are lots of things to think about here, including connectivity options, budget, and additional features. Gamers might want RGB lighting, for example, or audiophiles might look for built-in controls, subwoofers, etc. When selecting the best computer speakers, if you feel completely lost, it’s a safe bet to look for reputable brands known for producing high-quality speakers. Don't forget to read reviews and testimonials from other users to get insights into the reliability and performance of the speakers you're interested in.

PC Speakers FAQs

Is it worth buying PC speakers in 2026?

Absolutely. While modern laptops and high-end monitors have made strides in audio quality, their size and lack of space for speakers still physically limits them. If you care about sound quality even slightly, dedicated PC speakers will almost always outperform built-in alternatives. Beyond just volume, quality speakers reveal the nuances in a game’s sound design, like the crunch of gravel or the direction of distant gunfire, that helps to create a level of immersion that laptops or monitors just can’t match.

Can any set of speakers work with a PC?

Generally, yes, as long as the connections align. In 2025, the most common way to connect is via a 3.5mm auxiliary jack, which is found on nearly every motherboard and laptop. However, many modern speakers now use USB-C, which allows them to act as their own high-quality sound card, or Bluetooth for a wireless, minimalist aesthetic.

What do numbers 2.0, 2.1,and 5.1 mean for speakers?

When shopping for speakers, you’ll encounter numerical labels that describe the system's layout. The first digit represents the number of standard speakers, while the second digit refers to the subwoofer, or the speaker responsible for bass. A 2.0 system is the most traditional setup, consisting of a simple left and right speaker pair. This is ideal for music and smaller desks where space is at a premium, as it provides a clean stereo image without the need for a bulky floor unit.

If you want more "thump" in your explosions or a richer kick in your music, a 2.1 system is the common upgrade. This keeps the two desk speakers but adds a dedicated subwoofer to handle low-frequency effects. Moving further into the "immersive" territory leads to 5.1 systems, which feature five speakers: a left, center, and right speaker up front, plus two in the rear and a dedicated subwoofer. This creates a true surround sound environment where audio literally circles around you, though it requires significantly more wiring and space.

Are soundbars better than traditional speaker systems?

One isn't necessarily better than the other. It’s a matter of choosing the right tool for your desk. Soundbars are slim, all-in-one units designed to sit directly under your monitor, making them the perfect choice for minimalist setups or small apartments. While modern soundbars use digital processing to mimic a wide soundstage, they often struggle to match the true stereo separation of a dedicated two-speaker system. A traditional speaker setup allows you to place the units farther apart, creating a more accurate sense of space and directionality to your sound. If your priority is desk space and ease of movement, go with a soundbar. If your priority is immersion and accuracy, a multi-speaker system is usually the winner.

Nick Woodward is a sportswriter-turned-tech journalist, with bylines at Digital Trends and the like. You can find Nick covering all things A/V tech as a freelance writer at IGN.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Is Back for Season 2 – Here's When You Can Stream New Episodes

16 janvier 2026 à 19:19

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has returned for a second season. The first season landed as IGN’s Best Anime of 2024, so expectations are (deservedly) quite high. Fortunately, Kambole Campbell's review of the premiere says that the new season “follows up the excitement and complex world-building of its magic exam arc with a simpler, more grounded story." I am personally preparing for more existential crises.

Though reports suggest the new season may be significantly shorter than the first, Frieren is one of the anime I was most looking forward to in 2026 and certainly a highlight of this winter anime season. If you’re planning to tune in, here’s everything you need to know.

Frieren Season 2 Episode Release Schedule

The new season of Frieren will be streaming on Crunchyroll in the U.S. and UK. The first episode arrived on Crunchyroll on January 16 at 7am PT (3pm GMT). Subsequent episodes will be released on the anime streaming service at the same time every Friday.

How many episodes will there be total?

Some reports are indicating Frieren’s second season will only have 10 episodes, a pretty significant reduction from the previous season’s 28. The reduction, if true, could be a response to the manga being on an indefinite hiatus, giving the animation studio more leeway for future seasons. There’s also the chance that it’s the result of demanding production timelines, but there’s been no official confirmation.

Where to Stream Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Frieren Season 2 is releasing new episodes exclusively on Crunchyroll in the U.S. and UK. However, you can also stream the first season on Hulu, Disney+, and Netflix. The first season landed on Netflix around 18 months after airing, so it’s likely the second season follows a similar (very long) timeline.

Frieren Voice Cast and Characters

Frieren Season 2 continues to be produced by studio Madhouse, with Tomoya Nagataki taking over Keiichiro Sato’s role as director. While the studio has not announced a new voice cast for the second season, here’s the main Japanese voice cast from the previous one:

  • Atsumi Tanezaki as Frieren
  • Kana Ichinose as Fern
  • Nobuhiko Okamoto as Himmel
  • Hiroki Tôchi as Heiter
  • Yôji Ueda as Eisen
  • Chiaki Kobayashi as Stark
  • Sayumi Suzushiro as Lawine
  • Jirô Saitô as Denken
  • Eiji Hanawa as Richter
  • Haruka Terui as Sense
  • Azumi Waki as Kanne

Armed Robbers Steal $100,000 of Pokémon Card Merchandise, Hold Customers at Gunpoint

16 janvier 2026 à 18:29

A Pokémon card store in Manhatten has become the latest target for thieves looking to steal merchandise featuring the lucrative pocket monsters — and this time, customers were held at gunpoint.

Speaking to ABC News, staff at the Poké Court outlet in the Meatpacking District have said that $100,000 worth of stock was stolen in just three minutes, as a team of three robbers burst into the newly-opened store during its first community evening event.

As one thief smashed glass cabinets to obtain expensive items, another held shoppers at gunpoint. A third, meanwhile, kept watch at the door. "It was a free event and then three armed men just came in and brandished guns in [customers'] faces," store owner Courtney Chin said. The shop has since employed a security guard.

ABC News reports that similar thefts have occured in Boston, Los Angeles and Seattle, as the latest in a long line of card shop robberies targeting Pokémon items.

"If you look at any local card shop around the country, there's a good chance they've gotten robbed," Chin added. "I've seen videos where the robbers will tunnel in through the walls, or through the ceiling.

In December, $100,000 worth of stock was also swiped from a store in Burbank — although that was overnight. At the time, Californian cops said they suspected the raid was linked to "half a dozen" similar thefts within the southern half of the state in recent weeks. Numerous other examples have also occured nationwide over the past 12 months.

"We can't let a few bad apples like this ruin the hobby for everyone else," Chin concluded. "We want to create a safe space for the community and it really sucks that like 50 people had to basically get held up and held hostage."

Image credit: ABC News.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.3.5 Patch Notes are Here Amid the Long Wait for Delayed Season 2

16 janvier 2026 à 18:27

Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.3.5 patch notes are here as EA and Battlefield Studios work to balance jet gameplay and melee combat amid the recently delayed Season 2.

A full breakdown of what is a smaller update for the troubled FPS installment was published on its official website today. BF Studios describes the update, which has a January 20 release date and serves as the first update Battlefield 6 has seen in a month and a half, as “a smaller set of focused improvements aimed at polish and consistency.”

Still, patch 1.1.3.5 delivers a set of improvements, gameplay tweaks, and balance changes fans have anticipated since launch arrived in October. Jet combat will feel quite different going into the extended Season 1, with cannon damage against other flying vehicles significantly reduced, requiring “approximately 40% more hits” to destroy targets. There’s currently no sign of the previously mentioned dedicated air radar, which was promised to arrive after Season 1 in December.

BF Studios has had a jet balance pass in its sights for some time, but the January 20 update for Battlefield 6 is also said to come with what sounds like a pretty wide-ranging update for melee combat. As players have complained of inconsistent knife and sledgehammer attacks, patch 1.1.3.5 aims to improve responsiveness, consistency, and sprint behavior for those who like to get up close and personal. Another set of smaller changes targets the Assault Ladder, which should behave, well, more like a ladder going forward.

Battlefield 6 Season 1 launched October 28 and was scheduled to bring its REDSEC offshoot, maps, weapons, modes, and more to the experience through early-to-mid January. As the three-part debut season came to an end, players were left wondering how Season 2 might reinvigorate an experience that was steadily falling out of favor with fans.

It wasn’t until January 13, much later than many expected, that BF Studios was finally ready to speak on Season 2, but the news update wasn’t exactly the one many were expecting. Instead of a roadmap, the team announced that Season 2 had been delayed to February 17, with its contents to be detailed at a later date. In its place, Season 1 will roll on, with smaller updates and bonuses to be delivered during the downtime.

Now, Battlefield 6 update 1.1.3.5 will keep the ball rolling, even if it’s just a slight nudge toward the next major content drop. In other news, it was announced this morning that The Division lead Julian Gerighty had left Ubisoft and to join BF Studios developer DICE.

Finally, you can read the full 1.1.3.5 patch notes below.

Battlefield 6 Season 1 Update 1.1.3.5 Patch Notes

With Update 1.1.3.5, we’re delivering a smaller set of focused improvements aimed at polish and consistency across Battlefield 6. This update enhances melee responsiveness, refines jet combat, improves ladder interactions, and resolves UI and HUD issues in Multiplayer and REDSEC, alongside fixes for Battle Royale and Gauntlet stability.

The update will be available on Tuesday, January 20, at 9 AM UTC (1 AM PDT, 4 AM EDT, 10 AM CET).

Major Updates for 1.1.3.5

  • Improved responsiveness, consistency, and sprint behavior for melee attacks, including knives and the sledgehammer.
  • Updated jet combat balance by reducing jet cannon effectiveness against other air vehicles.
  • Updated and refined the UI and HUD across Multiplayer and REDSEC, improving armor bar visibility, reticle presentation, and menu navigation.

CHANGELOG

VEHICLES:

  • Fixed an issue where vehicles could explode when a takedown was performed on an enemy soldier lying on top of them.
  • Reduced jet cannon damage against other jets and helicopters, requiring approximately 40% more hits to destroy enemy air targets.

WEAPONS:

  • Bipod attachments no longer display as always providing a hipfire accuracy bonus, as this bonus only applies while the bipod is deployed.
  • Fixed an issue where the GRIM 1.50x optic on the DB-12 cost fewer loadout points than intended (15 instead of 25).
  • Fixed an issue where the RPKM iron sights would shoot low when using the short barrel.
  • Fixed an issue where the TR-7 Light Barrel incorrectly improved muzzle velocity.
  • Fixed bipod mount input behaviour for Alternate, Lefty Alternate, Southpaw, and Legacy Southpaw presets so the bipod mount now follows the melee button.
  • Improved attack speed for knife melee attacks.
  • Improved buffering behaviour for knife and sledgehammer attacks.
  • Improved consistency of melee damage timing against enemies and the environment.
  • Improved consistency of recoil modifiers when using a controller across different weapons.
  • Improved how sprint is interrupted when performing melee attacks. Sprint is now only interrupted until the attack reaches its target, rather than for the full duration of the animation.
  • In the Firing Range, target dummies can now take damage while in the process of getting back up.
  • Shooting with a suppressor now emits a small muzzle flash when viewed from close range only.

GADGETS:

  • Fixed an issue where the GDPIS was not destroyed when targeted by the XFGM-6D Recon Drone, Defibrillators, or the Repair Tool.
  • Fixed an issue where the Sniper Decoy did not properly hide scope glints from nearby snipers.

Assault Ladder

  • Fixed an issue where ladders positioned above the player could not be entered.
  • Fixed an issue where soldiers could be launched unexpectedly when attempting to enter a ladder.
  • Improved the soldier animations while climbing ladders.

UI & HUD:

  • Added a new option allowing players to customize the reticle colour inside weapon and gadget scopes.
  • Fixed an issue where home screen focus navigation could become locked to the bulletin.
  • Fixed cases where weapon menus displayed incorrect Reload Time stats for LMGs.
  • Soldier lightning improvements to the front-end
  • Improved front-end lighting to enhance the visual quality of soldier characters.
  • The Reticle Colour option now correctly updates reticle colours for Thermal Scopes and other supported gadgets.

VFX & Video:

  • Adjusted explosion particle effects by lowering the shockwave force.

REDSEC

WEAPONS:

  • Fixed an issue where jump landing movement speed reduction behaved inconsistently in REDSEC compared to other multiplayer experiences.

MAP & MODES:

  • Fixed an edge case in Gauntlet mode “Data Extraction” where the drone could disappear permanently if drives were deposited at the exact moment it landed.

UI & HUD:

Battle Royale

  • Fixed an issue where the armor bar could disappear intermittently.
  • Fixed an issue where the Airburst Incendiary Launcher icon appeared as a grenade in the loot feed.

Gauntlet

  • Fixed an issue where the armor bar could disappear after quickly editing a loadout.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

'Awful' Nintendo DS Game Disney Cory in the House Now Selling for Hundreds of Dollars on eBay Amid Viral Metacritic Campaign

16 janvier 2026 à 17:43

Disney Cory in the House, an obscure Nintendo DS game at the center of a bizarre viral campaign, is now being sold for hundreds of dollars on eBay.

Earlier this week, we reported that Disney Cory in the House was now close to dethroning the beloved Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the highest-rated game on Metacritic by user ranking. Already, the game has surpassed the user ratings for masterpieces such as The Last of Us, The Witcher 3, and Resident Evil 4.

This 2008 Nintendo DS Disney tie-in has been the focal point of numerous viral campaigns over the years, which have seen the users of notorious internet imageboard 4chan propel the game to notoriety despite (or because of) the fact it is... not very good.

Now, seemingly, the game has achieved cult status to the point where copies are changing hands for hugely-inflated sums of money on eBay. A look at recently-sold listings on the auction site shows copies have been bought for as much as $399.97.

Auctions currently in progress have copies set to sell for as high as $700 at the time of writing. Meanwhile, half a dozen completed listings from earlier this week show copies that have sold for over $100. Last year, similar listings show the game selling for around $15.

Currently, Disney Cory in the House is still the joint-second best game listed on Metacritic by user ranking, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 not yet dethroned. Earlier this week, IGN contacted Metacritic to ask if it planned to intervene at some point to put an end to the mischief. As of yet, the company is yet to comment.

If you have a copy of Disney Cory in the House yourself — or you can source one from a local second-hand store — now might be a good time to try and turn a profit. Or, of course, you could hang on to the title — which IGN rated as an "awful" 3/10 when it released almost two decades ago.

"The game has some of the clunkiest controls we've seen, the presentation is insultingly stupid, the minigames are hardly games at all, and on top of everything it's really short," IGN wrote in our Disney Cory in the House review. $400 well spent, then.

Image credit: Disney.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Bethesda's Former Elder Scrolls Loremaster Reveals His Idea for The Elder Scrolls 6 Story — and How It Would Have Set Up Elder Scrolls 7

16 janvier 2026 à 17:14

Bethesda’s former Elder Scrolls loremaster has revealed his idea for The Elder Scrolls 6 story, and how it would have set up The Elder Scrolls 7.

In an interview with PC Gamer discussing his dissatisfaction with working at Bethesda and subsequent departure from the company following the release of Starfield, Kurt Kuhlmann said if he had got the chance to lead The Elder Scrolls 6 it would have been like the beloved Star Wars movie The Empire Strikes Back.

Kuhlmann, who left Bethesda in 2023 after more than 20 years at the studio, said that in his story the elven supremacists the Thalmor would not only have been the big bad of The Elder Scrolls 6, but they would have ended the game on the road to victory. This, he said, would have turned Elder Scrolls’ long-running ‘player is the chosen one’ who achieves a definitive victory at the end of the game plot on its head, saying that while you would have “preserved hope for the future” by the end of The Elder Scrolls 6, “overall it looks like the Thalmor are on the march.”

The problem, Kuhlmann said, is that he doubts Bethesda would go for an Elder Scrolls game with a “bad” ending such as this, and a cliffhanger is "completely unfeasible" because it takes so long for Bethesda to release new mainline games in the fantasy series. "That's not a good way to end a game and say, yeah, we'll see you in 10, 15 years,” he said.

Alas, Kuhlmann’s idea is just that: an idea, and it’s unlikely that the actual storyline of The Elder Scrolls 6 will turn out to be anything like it. As for when we’ll find out, it could be some time yet. Last year, amid increasing pressure from fans for some information on the game, Howard said The Elder Scrolls 6 wouldn’t be out for some time. In an interview with GQ magazine to celebrate the release of Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition, Howard said The Elder Scrolls 6 is “still a long way off,” adding: “I’m preaching patience. I don’t want fans to feel anxious.”

More recently, speaking to Game Informer, studio design director Emil Pagliarulo pointed to GTA 6’s high-profile delays as the “smartest thing they could do.”

“What do fans really want?” he asked. “Do they want a game that comes out before it should and doesn’t meet their expectations? Or do they want the turkey that is in the oven for long enough to be delicious when it finally comes out of the oven, you know? That’s what I think people are going to want. So, we’re going to take our time and as long as it needs to be great.”

Earlier this month, former veteran Bethesda developer Nate Purkeypile said Bethesda may get “hateful comments” even if The Elder Scrolls 6 ends up just being as good as Skyrim, which he considers to be one of the top 10 games of all time.

In January last year, The Elder Scrolls 6 announcement became as old as predecessor Skyrim was when The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced. Skyrim was released on November 11, 2011, and The Elder Scrolls 6 was revealed on June 10, 2018 — 2,403 days afterwards. It is now seven-and-a-half years since the announcement, and we’re no closer, it seems, to the release of the game.

When the six-year anniversary of The Elder Scrolls 6 announcement arrived in June 2024, even Bethesda chief Todd Howard paused to say, "oh wow, that has been a while." The Elder Scrolls 6 is at least in production, with Bethesda confirming it had entered "early development" in August 2023 and "early builds" were available in March 2024.

Purkeypile said he assumed Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls 6 so early because the studio was announcing Starfield at a time when it had already been so long since Skyrim came out, so “we needed to make sure people were not just pissed at us.” He continued: “it’s a very expensive way to do that, though. Those trailers are not cheap.”

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Chris Pratt’s Screenlife Thriller Mercy Puts AI on Trial

16 janvier 2026 à 17:00

Chris Pratt’s breakthrough film role was in director Timur Bekmambetov’s 2008 action romp Wanted. Now, nearly two decades later, Pratt reunites with Bekmambetov for the upcoming sci-fi thriller Mercy, where he plays Chris Raven, an LAPD homicide detective who finds himself in the literal hot seat when he’s accused of killing his wife.

In a near-future Los Angeles, justice is meted out by an artificial intelligence dubbed the Mercy Program, a system Raven himself championed until he wakes up strapped to an execution chair. Raven only has 90 minutes – played out in real time, making Mercy a literal ticking clock story – to prove his innocence to his AI judge (played by Rebecca Ferguson) or he will be executed.

Although he played (Andy Dwyer’s alter ego) FBI agent Burt Macklin for laughs on Parks and Recreation, “I've never played a serious detective before. And so this was a departure for me, something different for me to try,” Pratt told me when I moderated the panel for Mercy at New York Comic Con last October.

Chris Raven, Pratt explained, “is a part of this special new Mercy Program that they've designed, essentially using AI to modify their court system, to be more efficient and to face the rise in capital crime in this version of Los Angeles. They just want to get these murderers off the street and send a message. And so my character has put eight people in this chair, each of whom were found guilty and immediately executed. And I find myself now on the receiving end of justice.”

The hungover Raven has to not only serve as his own defense counsel but also the detective investigating his wife’s homicide and his own actions preceding the murder. His alcoholism, violent temper, and strained relationship with his wife all point to him being her killer – and the Mercy Program proving its lethal efficiency at dispensing justice. “You're really peeling back the onion of not only what happened that night, but who this person is,” Pratt said. “The deeper you go, the more you realize this is a man who may have committed this crime.”

Enjoy this exclusive scene from Mercy:

The Mercy Program’s AI grants defendants access to anything in its jurisdiction with a camera installed – from doorbells and traffic lights to cell phones and social media – to search for evidence to aid their defense. The court’s AI can also access any digital information a defendant has sent or received via text or email.

“All the evidence that's being presented to us [in court] is there at any moment, sometimes up to a thousand screens in front of me of my life, this character's digital life over the past 10 years, and that's being used as evidence against me,” Pratt said.

“So we had to shoot me in the chair, but we [also] had to shoot every bit of that stuff that would then be put in post-production and provided as me yelling at my wife on my daughter's Instagram, her secret Instagram page that I find out she had, or various FaceTime calls that were stored in the Cloud that is used as evidenced against me, all my friends, all my family, the things that they've said, security footage, all of the stuff that is the evidence being used to find me guilty. Or innocent.”

The Mercy Court chamber’s displays of visual information from multiple sources made the movie an ideal candidate for Bekmambetov’s Screenlife style, a film format he helped pioneer with Unfriended (2015), Searching 2018), and Profile (2021).

During the Mercy panel at NYCC, Bekmambetov reflected on how much of life people, including himself, spend in front of screens, speculating it’s as much as half of their time in the real world and the other half in a digital one.

“It means half of events, [the] most important events of my life happening, not in [the] physical world now, it's happening [virtually]. I'm saying, ‘I love you, sorry, you're fired,' whatever, it's all happening now in [the] digital world.”

For the director, Mercy then is not just about entertaining audiences as a Screenlife movie, but also, as he put it in the film’s production notes, exploring “how we behave and interact with technology.”

The many screens used in the Mercy Court ultimately make Mercy, which was filmed for IMAX and will play in 3D theaters, an Augmented Reality theatrical experience for audiences. “It'll be like an AR movie because it's not about three-dimensional faces,” Bekmambetov promised. “It's more about screens flying in the theater. Literally in the theater, you will see how the screens [are] surrounding you.”

Producer Charles Roven was also on hand at NYCC, where he recounted the “very complicated” task of shooting Mercy as a Screenlife movie experience.

“All of these screens are making a different point in terms of the trial. And I had never experienced anything like that. Watching it go from shooting each individual screen to bringing all those screens together in the courtroom and then having the screens come at you was complicated, very complicated. I had never done anything like it before. And even watching Timur's [other] Screenlife movies, he may have had one or two screens, but not 15 at this exact same time coming at you.”

Roven added, “That 3D experience will give you a kind of real-life sense of what Chris [Raven] is experiencing in the chair, because those screens will not just come at you in a 2D way. They'll almost look like they're coming at you out of the motion picture screen into the audience.”

Mercy opens in IMAX and 3D theaters on January 23.

Editor’s note: These interview quotes were edited for clarity.

The Vibrant PS5 Hyperpop Controllers Are Now Up for Preorder

16 janvier 2026 à 16:59

Thinking of giving your PS5 setup a bit of a color refresh for the new year? Sony is here to help. The company has dropped a brand new Hyperpop Collection of console covers and DualSense controllers that features three striking new color options: Rhythm Blue, Remix Green, and Techno Red. If the controllers have caught your attention, they're now available to preorder from both Amazon and PS Direct for $84.99 each.

You'll have to wait a couple of months to get your hands on them, though, as they're set to be released on March 12. Don't let that stop you from placing a preorder, though. It's worth securing your favorite controller now, as there's every possibility they could sell out.

Preorder PS5 Hyperpop Controllers

These are certainly an eye-catching addition for a PS5 setup. Leo Cardoso from the Color, Material, and Finish design team at Sony said in a PlayStation Blog post that, "We’re cranking the volume all the way up with a collection that doesn’t just stand out, it takes over the room. Inspired by the glow of the RGB lights of your impressive gaming setups, these new colors go LOUD in the best possible way."

They also feature quite a glossy finish, which Sae Kobayashi of the same design team says in the PlayStation Blog post "makes the colors POP more than ever." Alongside the controllers, Sony's also revealed console covers in the same colors. If you're curious to buy those as well for a matching setup, check out our breakdown of the full Hyperpop Collection.

Outside of these new releases, if you're on the hunt for some PS5 deals instead, it's worth checking out Best Buy's Winter Sale. This features some great offers at the moment on games, and even the PS5 Fortnite Flowering Chaos Bundle, so you can save on some new items for your PlayStation this year.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.

LEGO The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Final Battle Is Up for Preorder

16 janvier 2026 à 16:40

Looks like LEGO isn’t done with The Legend of Zelda franchise yet. A new previously teased (and leaked) set based on the Nintendo 64 classic Ocarina of Time is up for preorder. It costs a relatively reasonable (for LEGO) $129.99 and will release on March 1. Comprised of over 1,000 pieces, it depicts the game’s final battle against Ganondorf. You can preorder it now, exclusively at the LEGO Store.

LEGO The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - The Final Battle

The set features Ganon’s ruined castle, with flames and rubble strewn around, as well as various brick pieces and spires leaning at odd angles. It comes with minifigures for Link, Princess Zelda, and Ganondorf, plus a buildable transparent Navi. The set’s pièce de résistance is a hulking, towering buildable Ganon, who is clearly the focal point of the build. He has two swords, each of which are roughly twice the size of the minifigures.

LEGO sets based on pop culture almost always have hidden Easter eggs, and this set is no different. It has three Recovery Hearts and the Megaton Hammer hidden in the movable rubble. Pressing a button raises Ganondorf into the castle, just like in the game. You can also equip Link with the Master Sword and the Hylian Shield.

This set looks pretty great and will almost certainly earn a spot in our list of the best Nintendo LEGO sets on the market once it comes out. It’s not the first Zelda-themed set, either. In 2024, LEGO released an impressive re-creation of the Great Deku Tree that you can build in both its Breath of the Wild or Ocarina of Time versions. This Final Battle set looks to continue the tradition of high-quality Zelda LEGO builds aimed at adults.

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 Premiere Review

16 janvier 2026 à 16:30

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 debuts on January 16 on Crunchyroll.

Perhaps one of the best things about Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is how comfortable it is with low stakes even in a fantasy world full of potential excitement and turmoil. The Season 2 premiere luxuriates in daily rituals and understated reaffirmations of the bonds between its core trio: Frieren, a long-lived elven mage, her stern prodigal apprentice Fern, and the warrior Stark.

The show is set long after Frieren and her previous party of adventurers helped end the reign of a tyrannical demon king together, and became storied heroes with statues and tales told about them. The series began with the passing of her closest companion Himmel from old age. By comparison, Frieren, who is already hundreds of years old, still looks like a young woman, and will for centuries to come.

The melancholic tone of the series was set almost immediately in Season 1's (excellent) feature-length premiere, which quietly observed the passage of time for Frieren, who sees decades as though they were mere weeks. This is how the death of her longtime friend (and potential love interest) Himmel snuck up on her. The first episode of Season 2, with the invitational title "Shall We Go, Then?", marks 29 years since that time. It also marks the arrival of a new series director, Tomoya Kitagawa, an episode director on the previous season who takes over here from Keiichiro Saito (also known for the great and hilarious Bocchi the Rock).

Sinking back into the comforts which made the show stand out in the first place, the dramatic stakes remain relatively low in this premiere, which is simply focused on Frieren's current party continuing to travel, bicker and reflect on the state of the world together. It's not without adventure, as giant angry beasts pursue them through the wilderness, but the show treats this as just another day. Like in the first season, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End's simple pleasures come from both its beautiful animation production (courtesy of the artists at Madhouse) as well as in seeing people underestimate the depth of Frieren's knowledge. That may be in the context of demons quietly trying to take over a city, or as in this episode pulling out a magic nullifying rock buried decades prior – either way, the main character's coyness about her stature and power is a delight. The depiction of the changing world around her is equally pleasing to the eye and ear, with the lush soundtrack from Evan Call contributing greatly to the latter area.

"Shall We Go, Then" has a little bit of everything as it gets reacquainted with familiar faces from the back half of the first season and the relationship dynamics between the main three: Fern and Stark's will-they-won't-they, when-the-hell-will-they bickering, and Frieren's quiet amusement at this situation. It's not a particularly plot-forward episode but this is part of why Frieren is enjoyable. As ever, the style of dialogue is very reserved and clipped; they also talk about things which are rather mundane, like how that magic nullifying rock works. It's refreshing to get an anime series as capable at action design as Frieren which also has the patience to not overindulge in the bloodshed. There's actually room for the character work to breathe.

It's refreshing to get an anime series as capable at action design as Frieren which also has the patience to not overindulge in the bloodshed.

The episode is comprised of two rather simple tales, especially when compared to the previous arc of the show, which had Frieren and Fern undertaking a complicated magic exam. The Season 2 premiere focuses a little more on Stark and his feelings about the group and himself – first through the tale involving the aforementioned rocks, and then in a plot concerning a job offer.

This interest in exploring even just the geological curiosities of this fictional world ties in with Frieren's hunger for knowledge and how she uses her vast amount of time on the Earth to learn everything she can. Previously this knowledge had no direction, and though this first episode of Season 2 is deliberately sparse and slow-going, it still shows a world of difference simply in how Frieren is applying the fountain of knowledge at her command. Chiefly, that’s by sharing it with a younger generation, and watching what they do with it.

"Shall We Go, Then?" doesn't really give a strong indication of where the season is going other than the next destination on the map, which is actually a point in its favour: just as Frieren savours new experiences, the show thrives on finding stories in unexpected places.

'You Cannot Replace Han Solo, at Least Right Now' — Lucasfilm Boss Kathleen Kennedy Regrets Solo: A Star Wars Story Timing

16 janvier 2026 à 16:27

Solo: A Star Wars Story was made "too soon" after audiences had last seen the iconic Han Solo played by Harrison Ford, outgoing Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has suggested.

Asked by Deadline if she had any regrets from her tenure as chief of Disney's production company behind Star Wars, Kennedy said she had belatedly realized that "you cannot replace Han Solo, at least right now."

Solo: A Star Wars Story launched in 2018, just three years after Harrison Ford reprised his role as legendary scoundrel Han Solo in Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens. (Ford would then cameo in the role one final time in 2019's Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker.)

Despite positive reviews, Solo was a commercial flop, earning just $393 million back on a budget of at least $275 million. In comparison, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story earned $1.05 billion at the box office, against a budget of between $200-280 million.

Solo's status as a box office bomb immediately froze Lucasfilm's plans for more standalone Star Wars films — and other continuations in general. Indeed, this year's big screen Disney+ spin-off The Mandalorian and Grogu will be the first Star Wars movie to launch since the divisive Rise of Skywalker, following a gap of seven years.

"I don't really have any regrets," Kennedy said, reflecting on her time at the top of Lucasfilm. "Well, maybe a bit of regret about Solo: A Star Wars Story," she continued. "I brought [screenwriter] Larry Kasdan in on, and we were so excited about that idea. And then when you're into something and you realize fundamentally, conceptually, you cannot replace Han Solo, at least right now.

"As wonderful as Alden Ehrenreich was," Kennedy added, "and he really was good, and is a wonderful actor, we put him in an impossible situation. And once you're in it and once you're committed, you've got to carry on. I think I have a bit of regret about that, but not about the moviemaking and filmmaking. I don't have regrets about that. I just think that conceptually, we did it too soon."

As part of the same interview, Kennedy listed out a swathe of other upcoming Star Wars projects she had overseen during her tenure, though many have now been canned or placed on the back burner. One of these is the long-gestating Solo: A Star Wars Story spin-off centering on Donald Glover's incarnation of Lando — who clearly is believed to have had an easier time of things than Ehrenreich's attempt at Han Solo.

"I think the ones by Taika and Donald are still somewhat alive," Kennedy noted. "That's going to really be up to the new team to figure out." Glover's Lando project was originally discussed as far back as 2018, though little has been heard of it since. Kennedy will be replaced in her role by long-term Star Wars writer and director Dave Filoni and veteran Lucasfilm executive Lynwen Brennan, who will handle the company's creative and financial sides separately.

Image credit: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

A Week After Saying The Division 3 Was 'Shaping Up to Be a Monster,' Franchise Boss Julian Gerighty Leaves Ubisoft for Battlefield Developer DICE

16 janvier 2026 à 16:04

Julian Gerighty, boss of The Division franchise at Ubisoft, has left the company to join Battlefield developer DICE.

Gerighty confirmed his departure in a social media post just a week after appearing on a video game showcase livestream to promote The Division 3.

Speaking during the New Game+ Showcase 2026 earlier this month, Gerighty said: “So, The Division 3 is in production, right? This is not a secret. It's been announced. It's shaping up to be a monster. I can't really say anything more than that. But this is, within these walls in Massive, we are working extremely hard on something that I think will be as big an impact as Division 1 was.”

He then went on to enthuse about other The Division projects in the works at Massive Entertainment, which he has now left for fellow Swedish studio DICE.

“It's time for me to hang up my go bag (keeping the watch) as I go on another grand adventure,” Gerighty said. “The Division future burns bright, and I can't wait for you to discover what the teams have been working on. Long live The Division and Godspeed!”

Two months ago, Massive Entertainment introduced what it called a "voluntary career transition program," (the studio asked its staff to volunteer to be laid off) as part of a move to focus on The Division franchise and its Snowdrop game engine. It came as part of significant restructuring at Ubisoft that has seen multiple studio closures and rounds of layoffs. Massive Entertainment's Star Wars Outlaws, released in 2024, was a big sales disappointment for Ubisoft, despite significant development and marketing costs. Julian Gerighty was Outlaws' co-director.

Then, earlier this week, Ubisoft announced that it expected 55 jobs to be impacted by layoffs at Massive and fellow Swedish outfit Ubisoft Stockholm because its voluntary redundancy scheme did not achieve as many leavers as necessary for Ubisoft's plans to reduce headcount. Ubisoft announced The Division 3 over two years ago, and it has yet to show off the game.

In a social media post, Massive Entertainment told The Division fans not to worry about Gerighty's departure, saying the teams who built The Division with him remain.

Once an Agent, always an Agent. We’re thankful for everything you gave this universe. You’ll always be part of it. Good luck at @EA_DICE, @jgerighty 🧡 pic.twitter.com/QlzuV4XtVV

— Massive Entertainment - A Ubisoft Studio 🎮 (@UbiMassive) January 16, 2026

As for Battlefield, EA recently delayed Battlefield 6 Season 2 to tackle fan feedback.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

LG C5 Review

16 janvier 2026 à 16:00

LG's White-OLED technology (WOLED) has been improving for years, each iteration boosting output, efficiency, and color volume. And while 2025's C5 doesn't get LG's new Primary RGB Tandem tech from the flagship G5, it still boasts incremental improvements to peak and overall brightness. My measurements confirm: the C5’s separate RGB primaries generate excellent DCI-P3 coverage, real HDR content hits 1050 nits, and we get an impressive 290 nits fullscreen white. Otherwise the C5 looks a lot like last generation’s C4: same premium build quality, same inputs and full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 support, 144 Hz max refresh rate with G-Sync/FreeSync. All this to say that the C5 continues to deliver a fantastic gaming TV experience.

Incremental improvements are, of course, always welcome, but LG might be falling behind the QD-OLED competition. At the 65" size, the C5 and Samsung's S90F are now matched at $1400 (a great deal for each), and despite the C5 being a remarkable performer for gaming and movies, Samsung's S90F is just that little bit better.

LG C5 – Setup, Design, and First Impressions

Whether on a TV stand or a deep desk, I really like the look of the C5. I received the 55" version for review, and the brushed aluminum and faux marbling on the rear of the display works for me. And with the TV off, the glossy, purple-black screen looks like some sort of magical mirror. (More on that AR coating later.) LG keeps the outer, OLED portion of the display reasonably thick – 6 mm – so it doesn't feel as delicate as Samsung's S90F, which I thought would snap every time I touched it. The flimsy plastic cover plate and cable guide seem a bit out of place on the otherwise premium design. That plate also covers the permanently affixed power cable, an odd choice; other brands opt for a detachable cable.

Assembling the C5 on its stand, I hate to admit, was a bit of a struggle. In retrospect, I realize now that the backplate of the stand screws into the stand stand, which screws into the screen, but LG's manual is nigh inscrutable. Because the parts don't look anything like a traditional stand, we're tasked with assembling rectangles with other rectangles, flipping them over and screwing a thing into a thing that doesn't really seem like it belongs. Once in, though, I found hoisting and handling the 55" version substantially easier than any of the 65" televisions I've previously reviewed. The screen stays fairly stable with minimal wobble even with some aggressive keyboard typing, but if you’re going to move your stand/table with the C5 still on it, I’d suggest keeping a hand on the top of the screen.

For connectivity, all four HDMI 2.1 ports are full bandwidth, so 120/144 Hz is supported on every input. There's a cluster of three USB ports, ethernet, optical SPDIF, and RF antenna. Interestingly, there's no headphone jack, which is a feature I quite miss, although LG does support Bluetooth headphones.

Interacting with the TV: webOS and the Remote Control

Shortly before this review was released, my colleague Jaron Schneider reviewed LG’s flagship G5 model, one step up from the C5. In that review, he was miffed by LG’s backward “progress” with webOS and the G5’s remote. I, independently, echo that sentiment for the C5. It’s hard to say exactly whether LG’s webOS is more or less frustrating than Tizen (read my Samsung S90F review for details), but both have the blood-boiling sluggishness that screams low-end mobile phone. And yes, just like in Tizen, webOS throws up a loading throbber on the screen when accessing the picture menu, or going to the home screen, or doing just about anything.

Once in the Home menu, accessing apps like Netflix or Apple TV is straightforward. LG’s magic remote works with motion control, but I found myself constantly selecting the wrong option or mis-clicking because of the force needed to press in the scroll wheel. You can turn this off, but the menus don’t seem designed for standard D-pad control. For example, the app list, likely the thing you’ll be using most on the home screen, is just a long horizontal band of weirdly small tiles. It’s a really poor use of the screen’s space.

Jaron was also baffled, correctly I might add, by the decision to remove the input selection button from the remote. LG’s Home screen only shows one recent input, your latest, so it’s only good for getting back to where you were. Switching inputs proper now means pulling up the slow-loading Home Hub, selecting the input, waiting for the preview to show up (while white balance and other picture settings load in), and then clicking again to load. There’s no reason any of this should be difficult.

Hisense’s U8QG, using Google TV, is a pleasure to use in comparison: pared back, fluid, fast, and easy to navigate.

Sound

We still include a section on sound because it is important that manufacturers ship TVs with a usable audio solution; not everyone will have a surround sound setup or a soundbar, although that’s definitely our recommendation. TVs simply don’t have the form factor necessary for audio: forward facing drivers for stereo imaging and cabinet volume for deep bass. (There’s a reason our top pick, Samsung’s HW-Q990F, includes a subwoofer.) The C5 isn’t as thin as Samsung’s S90F, so LG does have some room in the chassis to play with, but the results aren’t amazing, even with our generally low expectations.

Music on the C5 sounds thin; it’s all mid-bass and treble. The down-firing stereo speakers do a good job, though, of keeping dialogue and voices intelligible – better than aiming the speakers at the rear wall, which has the opposite effect. At higher volumes, the sound doesn’t really improve, but at least there’s not any scratchiness, rattling, or obvious distortion coming from driver over-excursion.

Reflection Handling and Viewing Angles

Given that the C5 can't quite reach the fullscreen brightness of backlit LCDs, it's important that the screen coating is good. I really like LG's solution here: glossy for clarity, but with a very good AR coating which does an impressive job of attenuating reflections, giving them a deep purple hue. The shot below gives a good comparison: the C5 (on the left) against Hisense's U65QF, both against an overcast sky. Don't mind the white balance on the C5 (this was before calibration), but even with a roughly 2x brighter panel, reflections on the U65QF can completely obliterate the visibility of scenes, evidenced by this relatively bright hallway shot from Severance.

I don't want to pick on the U65QF too much since it's less than half the cost of the C5. So what about more similarly priced competition like Samsung's S90F or Hisense's U8QG?

The image above shows a comparison of how some of our tested TVs handle reflections. I take a shot, using the exact same exposure, of the reflection of a compact fluorescent bulb for each screen. Samsung's S90F is basically as good as it gets for reflections, followed closely by Hisense's U8QG. The C5 isn't quite on that level; reflections are still a bit too bright, and the purple halo is a little distracting.

I'd rank the C5 in a tie for third with Samsung’s QN90F, which is fully matte and tends to diffuse reflections over a larger area. I generally prefer glossy screens, but I think there's a large element of personal preference here.

Off-axis viewing of LG's WOLED panel is vastly better than VA LCD panels like the U8QG or TCL's QM8K. Emissive displays like OLEDs can generally maintain their brightness, contrast, and white balance at shockingly large angles off-axis, whereas VA panels tend to fall off in all those metrics starting around 20 degrees. This is important if you're sitting close to the screen, or if you want everyone on your couch to see the same picture. OLEDs also don't have the viewing-angle dependent gamma shift for dark colors, which is a major plus for close viewing or watching any dark content.

I have the 55" version of the C5 in for review, and I've found that it's actually a pretty decent desktop "monitor" if you have a deep enough desk. But sitting right in front of it, one thing immediately stuck out to me: the C5's picture has a fairly strong green push off axis.

The image above shows a wide-angle closeup of the LG, with the color temp calibrated and dialed in to a standard 6500K, roughly what I see sitting here at my desk. I've masked off the edges of the photo with the same color as the center of the screen, and it's apparent that the periphery goes quite green. I'll get into calibration soon, but each of LG's "accurate" picture modes (ISF, FILMMAKER, etc.) are too red out-of-box. This might have been an effort to balance the color across the panel for different viewers, who, if they were off to the side, would be getting a picture that's too green instead.

It's not the end of the world, but it's something to keep in mind if you intend to use the screen up close or as a PC monitor. Interestingly, Samsung's QD-OLED S90F doesn't have this problem at all.

Color, Calibration, and SDR

I'm not sure if LG's addition of a 4th, white, subpixel to goose OLED brightness made engineering the C5's color, white balance, and gamma performance 33% more difficult, but I don't envy the engineers who had that task. The white subpixel adds another spectral component, different from but also overlapping the standard RGB primaries.

The image above shows the difference; the spectrum at the top next to the mercury reference shows the C5's white output, which is quite different from the RGB primaries below. The wavelength and purity (or separation) of the RGB primaries is what gives the C5 excellent coverage of the DCI-P3 space, extending the points of its gamut triangle to nearly perfect alignment.

I'm a sucker for deep, vibrant colors, so I prefer displays that extend beyond P3 (like the Samsung S90F or U8QG, both using quantum dots), but I can't really complain about LG's accuracy here.

It's important that the quality of a TV's "Game" mode doesn't take a back seat to the movie modes. Without the need for heavy processing like motion smoothing, noise reduction, or super resolution, I expect game modes to have color and gamma performance at nearly the same level of their best film-style picture modes. In the C5's case, my first instinct was to test LG's "Game Optimizer" mode. Confusingly, LG opts to use "Game Optimizer" for two different purposes. The first is very important: access to gaming features like the display's max refresh rate of 144 Hz, VRR with G-SYNC or FreeSync, ALLM, etc. The second is the Game Optimizer Picture Mode, which enables access to wildly inaccurate profiles like RPG, RTS, and FPS, which have been standard fare in PC monitors for ages.

Happily, LG gives us the option to keep Game Optimizer on without using its picture mode. I found ISF Bright and FILMMAKER give the best, most accurate default settings. Both settings, though, have trouble tracking 2.2 gamma and are far too red, which I mentioned earlier. I had to dial red all the way down to -16 to reach 6500K. Dark Detail also needs to be increased, otherwise near-black is badly clipped. Dark detail being lost is a problem in HDR as well, which I’ll get to later.

In SDR, LG controls the ABL (Automatic Brightness Limiting) behavior of the C5 with the Contrast setting. Higher contrast will allow for higher SDR peak brightness on smaller windows, but the display will more aggressively dim the screen, especially when displaying PC-style content. At a setting of 100, I measured the C5 hitting 450 nits up to a 50% window, which is excellent, but fullscreen brightness fell to only 220 nits. Dropping contrast down to 70 levels off the display to a flat 290 nits – good for a consistent, ABL-free experience for PC use. LG’s default of 85 strikes a balance between these:

SDR brightness isn’t really a strong suite for the C5. Even with a good AR coating, LG can’t overcome a 2x or 3x brightness deficit to more potent FALD backlit LCDs. Most content is still SDR, so if you’re looking for a television for a bright room, something like Hisense’s U8QG is a much better choice.

HDR

HDR on an OLED, whether that's LG's WOLED C5 or Samsung's QD-OLED S90F, hits different than FALD backlit LCDs. I really liked the HDR experience on Hisense's U8QG, but with "only" 2048 zones, it simply can't compete at generating the extreme local contrast that 8.3 million individually controlled pixels can achieve.

I measured the C5 blasting around 1060 nits at a 10% window size in HDR. Not quite at the level of the S90F, but very good. In games that are mastered to take advantage of this, Cyberpunk 2077 being an excellent example, the experience is astonishing. Every neon light at Lizzy's is punchy, brilliant, and deeply colorful. In a dark room, the performance is hands-down superior to LCD.

But my dark room caveat is an important one due to LG's EOTF tracking in HDR, which is simply too dark. In both FILMMAKER and ISF picture modes, across the critical "dark" region for HDR target luminance, from a very dark 0.05 nits to about 10 nits (which is actually brighter than you'd expect), LG has missed the mark... by a lot, presenting a contrasty, but crushed and inaccurate image. My EOTF tracking measurements for both 2% and 10% window sizes show just how off the C5 is. And this is a log scale! My colorimeter wasn't even able to measure anything at the 0.05 and 0.1 nit levels.

Perhaps this was intentional – a way to differentiate LG's OLED offerings against LCD competition – but it causes real problems when gaming or watching movies. When watching The Gorge on Apple TV, at night with no room lights, I had trouble making out what was happening in almost every nighttime scene. I had a similar problem when rewatching Until Dawn on Netflix. It's clear that no one would master content this way. Hisense's U8QG does a much better job of accurate EOTF tracking; the scene above with Anya Taylor-Joy's character crouched in a sniper position is intentionally dark, mostly below 1 nit, but detail is visible on the Hisense. On the C5, the frame is basically a floating face in a sea of black. LG does offer a "Dark Detail" adjustment, but even at its max of +3, tracking is still too dark.

For both dark room and HDR performance in general, Samsung's S90F is a better display than the C5: brighter highlights and more accurate EOTF tracking.

Gaming on the LG C5

I was sent the 55" version of the C5 right in the middle of my playthrough of The Outer Worlds 2, so I played the latter half of the game on the C5. In HDR, the game looks incredible – tons of fine detail, bright highlights, and super colorful – and while performance on my aging 3060 Ti isn't the best in UE5 games, the C5 handles motion well even at lower framerates. The images I picked for this review show off some scenes from TOW2 and Cyberpunk 2077, where 1000 nit highlights really contrast against the dark remainder of the frame. On LCD, dark content can smear in motion, but OLED stays sample-and-hold perfect.

In fact, the C5 is right up there with the S90F for gaming: amazing performance throughout the VRR range, OLED near-instant response times, and LG's Game Optimizer mode has very low input lag at 144, 120, and 60 Hz.

Response times for the C5 are basically perfect, topping the RT chart along with another OLED: Samsung’s S90F. Averaged across 60 Hz, 120 Hz, and the C5’s max of 144 Hz, I measured gamma-corrected response times at about 0.4 ms, but that comes from a few stragglers; most responses are faster than 200 microseconds. This means that the display is nearly a perfect sample-and-hold limited device, so the only way to reduce motion blur further is to increase refresh rates. A max refresh rate of 144 Hz is good, but I'd still like to see this being pushed out more. 240 Hz at 4K is something that remains limited to the best gaming monitors, as even the more expensive TV models (LG G5 or Samsung S95F) from both brands top out at 165 Hz.

The group of VA panel LCDs is more than an order of magnitude slower, and those averages include many responses in the 30 ms range, which is why VA’s tend to have a hard time showing motion without smearing/trailing, especially in dark scenes.

Most of the C5’s transitions look like the graphs above: essentially a square wave response rising or falling. But the display does overshoot the target occasionally. For the black to RGB 223 transition, the C5 plateaus to RGB 234 in 165 microseconds before landing back at the target after one 144 Hz frame. Similarly, falling from white to RGB 95, the C5 drops a little too much. The sharp, periodic dips each frame aren’t visible, but the overshoot is, leading to a bit of “inverse ghosting.” That said, unless you go out of your way to look for it, it’s not a major problem.

I take pursuit shots of BlurBusters’ TestUFO at a very fast 1920 pixels per second; it's important, though, to use higher speeds to better differentiate the response time behavior of displays as their response times get quicker and quicker. But as mentioned before, there's nothing to be really concerned about here: no smearing, trailing, or excessive overshoot. Other than the differing subpixel layout, it’d be hard to tell the C5 from the S90F.

LG’s Game Optimizer mode (not the picture mode) reduces latency down to excellent levels for all refresh rates. At 144 Hz and 120 Hz, input lag was about 1.1 milliseconds, a fantastic result. 60 Hz latency is also the best of the bunch tested so far: only 4.5 ms. Without GO turned on, 144 Hz lag is still good, but it gets progressively worse as the refresh rate drops (~22 ms at 60 Hz), and you can definitely feel it when gaming with a mouse. Game Optimizer doesn’t lock you into any particular picture mode, so I’d suggest keeping it on.

I had an absolute blast gaming on the C5. For pure gaming performance, OLED is simply superior to VA LCDs. Yes, FALD LCDs can throw more brightness at you, but the instant response, the extreme local contrast of 8.3 million “zones,” and excellent viewing angles makes OLED the best choice for gamers. Cyberpunk’s HDR implementation is so good that I had to wrestle myself away from just playing the game in order to take photos.

VRR Flicker

All OLED panels are susceptible to VRR flicker, and the C5 is no exception. Large and erratic frame time swings can cause the screen to rapidly brighten and darken; the cause seems to be a slightly different near-black gamma response at different framerates. The shot below compares a scene from Cyberpunk 2077 at 30 and 144 fps. Unless the screen is actively flickering, it’s pretty hard to notice this shift in real content; I chose this scene because it was particularly illustrative of the difference.

Interestingly, the gamma shift doesn’t seem to happen with the white subpixel, e.g. measuring a pure grayscale test patch didn’t show much gamma difference at any framerate. That particular AC unit and the ceiling seem to have the right mix of red and green to excite the shift. I’ll need to investigate this more.

At 30 fps, RGB values below about 30 are quite a bit darker than they should be; the C5 already has trouble with crushed detail, but the lower framerate causes even more deviation from the 2.2 gamma target, giving the picture a very different look.

That said, I didn’t have much flickering in hours and hours of play time in Cyberpunk or The Outer Worlds 2; keeping a smooth-ish, consistent framerate is key. Most of the flickering was isolated to loading screens in TOW2.

One additional thing I noticed at lower framerates was that the C5’s picture has a visible stairstep pattern. This is absolutely not a problem if you’re sitting at normal couch distances, but I wanted to mention it for PC folks and as a comparison to Samsung’s QD-OLED S90F, where I didn’t notice any unusual pixel behavior.

The Competition

If you're willing to make the jump to OLED, but still have some budget constraints, I wouldn't consider anything other than LG's C5 or Samsung's S90F, both now matched at around $1400. Yes, the one-tier-down B5 and S85F exist at $1000, but their fullscreen brightness performance is decidedly last-gen, and very dim; at that price, you can get a FALD LCD that’s 5x brighter.

Performance-wise, both are top tier. For gaming in rooms where you can control the ambient light, both make excellent choices, but I think the winner here is the S90F: brighter HDR highlights, better HDR EOTF tracking (the C5 is too dark!), and it’s better off-axis. The S90F isn’t worlds better, but it is better. The S90F won our Best Gaming TV of 2025, and that still stands.

If you need major brightness, though, the Hisense U8QG is our pick for bright rooms. Pixel response times are slower than OLED, of course, and you lose the amazing viewing angles, but Hisense has done a remarkably good job of delivering superb brightness while controlling blooming/haloing.

Magic's Lorwyn Eclipsed Precon Decks Keep Selling Out, But Are They Actually Worth Chasing?

16 janvier 2026 à 16:00

After a few quiet months, Magic: The Gathering is bringing back Commander Decks with Lorwyn Eclipsed.

The first set of a packed 2026 schedule, we’re getting the first precons for the EDH format since Edge of Eternities (which, to their credit, were great).

With Wizards of the Coast revealing the full decklists for both, should you pick one up? Or both? Or skip them entirely in favor of the five-color Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles one arriving in March? Let’s dig in.

Dance of the Elements

We don’t tend to get a great number of five-color decks, but as I’ve just mentioned, we’re getting one in consecutive sets.

Despite that, our Commander, Ashling, the Limitless, is a red card that makes it easier to bring an Elemental into play, albeit to be sacrificed if you don’t cough up the required mana.

From a gameplay perspective, I can see it being fun, particularly with Mass of Mysteries giving your Elementals the Myriad keyword, but the reprint value is pretty solid, too - with some caveats.

Omnath, Locus of the Roil is currently going for $12 or so, while Endurance isn’t far behind. The big draw is likely to be Cream of the Crop, which, to my knowledge, hasn’t been reprinted in a long, long time (maybe ever).

It’s going for a decent chunk of change (around $24 and upwards), but therein lies the rub - as soon as these decks hit shelves, that price will plummet. So while you’re getting some value, it’ll be gone as quickly as you can say Timeless Lotus - another card which will likely see the same result.

Expect the deck to offer around $130 in value, but that’ll drop to around $100 within a fortnight it seems.

That’s not to say it won’t be fun to play, but as an investment, I’d only recommend buying it if you need specific cards or just want to play with it (imagine that!).

Blight Curse

From a rainbow of colors to the dreariness of -1/-1 counters, Blight Curse is a little bit spooky in truth.

Auntie Ool is all about Blighting creatures to trigger opponents to lose life or to give you card advantage, but the backup commander, The Reaper, King No More is a 3/3 scarecrow that turns your opponents’ cards into yours if you kill them with -1/-1 counters.

With that in mind, I’d be leaning into the sheer chaos of The Reaper, but one of the biggest draws here is the Necroskitter. It essentially mimics The Reaper’s ability, bringing creatures to your side of the board, and is worth around $30. Will that drop? Yes, for sure, from the moment this deck hits shelves.

Other decent reprints here include Tree of Perdition, Chimil, the Inner Sun, and Midnight Banshee.

Again, the reprint value is likely to be around $130 again, but you’re losing a chunk of that with Necroskitter. And yet, I still think this is the better deck of the two.

Which One Should You Pick?

First up, a caveat: I’ve put links on this page to pick these up, because, well, that’s my job, but if you give it a few weeks, I reckon the pricing will settle down as more decks are printed. You shouldn’t be paying too much over the odds for these decks. Keep an eye on TCGplayer as well, as the market price on these should come down comfortably post release.

With that said, I think each inhabits a unique design space for Magic: The Gathering. I’ve been buying precons to upgrade, take apart, or just play out of the box for a few years, and both of these are pretty unique.

I’m particularly excited about Blight Curse as a way to slowly grind an opponent’s game plan to a halt, potentially flipping cards to your side of the field, while Dance of the Elements, while exciting, is likely to lead to some wild plays.

The choice is yours, of course, but I really don’t think you can go wrong with either.

Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay.

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