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Here’s what’s happened to the 12VHPWR power cable of our NVIDIA RTX 4090 after two years of continuous work

So, after some stories that surfaced online about the melting issues of the 12VHPWR power cables for the RTX 5090 and the RTX 4090, I’ve decided to check the one we’ve been using these two years for the RTX 4090. So, what has happened to that power cable? Has it melted? Let’s find out. Before … Continue reading Here’s what’s happened to the 12VHPWR power cable of our NVIDIA RTX 4090 after two years of continuous work

The post Here’s what’s happened to the 12VHPWR power cable of our NVIDIA RTX 4090 after two years of continuous work appeared first on DSOGaming.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Mod allows you to save everywhere

Modder ‘EddieShoe’ has released a new mod for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 that allows you to save everywhere, at any time. This will be a must-have mod for all KCD2 fans out there. For those unaware, the game does not feature any traditional save system. Instead, players have to create potions or sleep in beds … Continue reading Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Mod allows you to save everywhere

The post Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Mod allows you to save everywhere appeared first on DSOGaming.

Resident Evil 7, Devil May Cry 5, and More Included in Fanatical’s Build Your Own Capcom Bundle

Fanatical's BundleFest 2025 has just dropped an exciting new collection for PC players to jump on. For a limited time, you can build your own Capcom bundle from a fantastic collection of games including Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, Ace Attorney, Resident Evil, Mega Man and quite a few more. This bundle starts from two games for $12.99 (which comes to $6.50 per game), and you can keep building up your bundle from there.

Head to the link below to start building your Capcom bundle today. We've also included a list of all the games included with this deal so you can have a better idea of what's available right away.

Build Your Own Capcom Bundle at Fanatical

Games Included in Fanatical’s Build Your Own Capcom Bundle

  • The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
  • Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
  • Onimusha: Warlords / 鬼武者
  • Devil May Cry 5 + Vergil
  • Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite - Digital Deluxe
  • RESIDENT EVIL 2 / BIOHAZARD RE:2
  • Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection
  • RESIDENT EVIL 3
  • Mega Man X Legacy Collection
  • Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2
  • Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle
  • Mega Man 11
  • Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition
  • RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard
  • Dead Rising 4 - Frank's Big Package
  • Resident Evil & Resident Evil 0 Double Pack
  • Resident Evil 4 (2005) & Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition Double Pack
  • DmC: Devil May Cry
  • Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection
  • Street Fighter V: Champion Edition

This bundle just scratches the surface of what's out there right now in terms of gaming deals. To see the latest discounts for each platform, have a look at our individual roundups of the best PlayStation deals, the best Xbox deals, and the best Nintendo Switch deals. Our overall roundup of the best video game deals is another great place to look that gathers up the highlights from each console alongside even more PC gaming deals.

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

The Witcher’s Doug Cockle on Becoming Netflix’s Latest Geralt

While Henry Cavill may be the most famous actor to have played Geralt of Rivia, he’s not the first name many will think of when discussing The Witcher. Certainly amongst the gaming community, Doug Cockle — the voice of Geralt in CD Projekt Red’s series of critically acclaimed RPGs — is considered the original and ultimate white wolf. But the paths of Cavill and Cockle’s Geralts have now merged, with Cockle bringing his unmistakable voice to Netflix’s interpretation of the character in the new animated movie, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep.

While he’s not playing the same version of Geralt who appears in the games, Cockle was not asked to alter his performance to sound more like or include the mannerisms of Henry Cavill or Liam Hemsworth, who replaces Cavill as Geralt in the next season of the live-action show. This creative decision meant Cockle was able to draw upon the same method and approach that created the unmistakably gravelly tones of his Geralt of Rivia. And so you’ll still hear the same voice you’ve known and loved for nearly 20 years.

Cockle formulated that voice back in 2005 when recording dialogue for the first Witcher video game. “The thing I found most challenging about recording Witcher 1 was actually the voice itself,” Cockle recalls. “When I first started recording the game, (Geralt’s) voice was very, very far down in my register. It was something I had to push towards.”

At the time there was little guidance as to how long voice actors should spend recording in a single session, and so Cockle was spending eight or nine hours per day delivering that gravelly voice. “I was going back to my hotel just going, ‘Wow, my throat is ripped’,” he recalls. The struggle continued into the recording of The Witcher 2 a few years later, but Cockle’s vocal chords eventually strengthened and began attuned to what was required of them — a process he sheepishly likens to an athlete's muscles getting into shape.

As soon as The Last Wish came out in English, I tore through it.

Cockle’s vocal chords adapting to better support Geralt’s voice wasn’t the only major change that happened during the development of the second game, though. “The books started to come out in English while I was recording Witcher 2,” he explains. “Before that, it was the developers from CD Projekt Red who taught me everything I needed to know about Geralt. So as soon as The Last Wish came out in English, I was down at the bookstore buying it, and I tore through it. And I understood things about Geralt just from reading just that one book that I didn't understand at all before.

“The developers kept saying, ‘He's emotionless’,” Cockle says. “And I was like, ‘Okay, I get it, I get it, but I'm an actor. I want to play with emotions.’ But I better understood [when reading] the book why they were pushing for as flat as possible of an emotional life for him.”

Cockle immediately fell in love with the books, noting that author Andrzej Sapkowski “is such a wonderful writer.” Having grown up on Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Cockle quickly forged a connection with this new fantasy universe. Of all Sapkowski’s novels, he most fondly remembers Season of Storms. It’s a story he’d love to be a part of, should Netflix ever need a voice for Geralt again.

“It's one of those stories that when I read it, I was like, ‘Oh, this is horrible. This is awful.’ [But] it's thrilling at the same time,” he says. “There's some really graphic fight scenes that Sapkowski gives to us, and I think that would be a really fun story to turn into an anime or a TV episode.”

I enjoy the gravitas of Geralt when he's all serious and mopey and whatever, but I do also like those moments when he's trying to be light.

Maybe we’ll see that story in the future, but right now Doug’s Geralt can be seen and heard in Sirens of the Deep, Netflix’s latest animated Witcher adventure. Based on the short story A Little Sacrifice from the Sword of Destiny collection, it’s a dark and twisted interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. After a mermaid and a human prince fall in love, Geralt finds himself caught up in a conflict between two very different kingdoms. But while there’s plenty of blood-splattering action and serious political drama, it’s the story’s lighter moments that interest Cockle the most. He notes a humorous conversation between Geralt and Jaskier, where both are sitting around a campfire after a long day, as a good example of that lightness. The scene demonstrates Geralt’s softer side, which is often overlooked as an important part of the monster hunter’s personality.

“Part of liking acting is liking all those different aspects of a character's personality and the different choices that could be made and how they might approach those choices,” Cockle explains. “I enjoy the gravitas of Geralt when he's all serious and mopey and whatever, but I do also like those moments when he's trying to be light. When he's trying to crack a joke and it just doesn't go very well for him most of the time because he's just not funny.”

While much of Cockle’s work on Sirens of the Deep simply required him to use a voice that’s become second nature, the anime did pose a unique challenge: learning how to speak mermaid. Yes, for the first time in his career, Cockle had to perform in a fictional language.

“I found doing this really difficult,” he confesses. “I got phonetic spellings of the words and things so I could get familiar with it and hopefully be okay on the day. And then I got in front of the mic and… it wasn't like performance anxiety or anything like that, it's just that it was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.”

Things should be much easier when Cockle returns to the world of video games in The Witcher 4, which was revealed with an exciting trailer at The Game Awards last year. Returning to his original version of Geralt should be like putting on an old pair of favourite slippers. Even easier, actually, because he won’t have to record anywhere near the amount of dialogue that he did for the previous three games. This time around Geralt is set to be a supporting character in a story that puts Ciri, his adoptive daughter, in the protagonist role.

Naturally, Cockle has little to say about The Witcher 4. He claims to only know as much about it as we do. But he’s eager to see what happens in CDPR’s next chapter of The Witcher story, and thinks it's already headed in the right direction.

“I think it's a really good move,” he says of switching the story’s perspective from Geralt to Ciri. “I mean, I always thought that continuing the saga, but shifting to Ciri would be a really, really interesting move for all kinds of reasons, but mostly because of things that happen in the books, which I don't want to give away because people, I want people to go read. So yeah, I think it's really exciting. I can't wait. I can't wait to see what they've done.”

To learn more about what CD Projekt Red is planning, take a look at our in-depth interview with the creators of The Witcher 4. And to see more of Doug Cockle, be sure to watch The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep on Netflix, or find him on Instagram, Cameo, and X.

Matt Purslow is IGN's Senior Features Editor.

Stellar Blade Dev Shift Up Posts Record Year, Sales of PC Version Still Expected to Outsell PS5

Stellar Blade developer Shift Up has posted a record breaking year financially as Stellar Blade brought in $43 million in royalties, and the PC version is expected to outsell the original PlayStation 5 game.

As reported by Game World Observer, Shift Up released its 2024 financial report which revealed it recorded $151.4 million in revenue, an increase of 30.4% year over year. This includes $43.2 million from Stellar Blade royalties alone.

There are seemingly no signs of it slowing down either, as Shift Up reiterated that it expects PC sales to be "better than that of the console version, especially in the Asian game market." It also plans to reveal its new game, Project Witches, in the first half of 2025, though this doesn't appear to be the highly requested Stellar Blade sequel.

Project Witches was revealed in 2024, not long after Stellar Blade was released on PS5, and therefore before momentum for a sequel was built. Shift Up has said it's considering making another game in the franchise though.

Stellar Blade sees players take on the role of Eve as she battles against unknown invaders to reclaim Earth in fast paced action role-playing game combat. It earned a 7/10 in IGN's review and proved popular otherwise, quickly selling a million copies.

"Stellar Blade is great in all of the most important ways for an action game, but dull characters, a lackluster story, and several frustrating elements of its RPG mechanics prevent it from soaring along with the best of the genre," we said.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Sony Turned Down The Order: 1886 Sequel Due to Critical Reception, Dev Says

Sony allegedly turned down a sequel to PlayStation 4 game The Order: 1886 due to its poor critical reception, the co-founder of developer Ready at Dawn has said.

Andrea Pessino told MinnMax that Ready at Dawn pitched an "incredible" sequel and would've "signed [its] life away" to make it purely for the sake of players. The Order: 1886 arrived in 2015 as an action game about werewolves in Victorian London but, despite being among the best looking games of the generation, it received middling reviews from critics.

"It would have been an incredible sequel, I can tell you that for a fact," Pessino said, though admitted he couldn't say much because he doesn't own the franchise rights. "We pitched the sequel to Sony regardless of [the critical reception] and, in a way, it's better that they passed because if we thought we were going to be screwed before, man, with the sequel, we would have signed our life away."

Pessino said Ready at Dawn had a difficult relationship with Sony while making the original game and ultimately had to cut myriad elements in order to hit deadlines and eventually released The Order: 1886 before it was ready.

The graphical fidelity of the game's initial pitches and reveal led Sony to expect the same quality of builds to be submitted at certain milestones in its development, Pessino said, but payments were withheld when Ready at Dawn had to prioritize other things and temporarily couldn't hit the same graphical standards.

While Pessino said this is industry standard for third party publishers, it led to a frustrating relationship between Ready at Dawn and Sony. The team was ready to sign up for a worse situation to make a The Order: 1886 sequel regardless.

"We were going to do it just because we wanted to deliver it to the players but we would have been... Terrible budget, budget would be small, we would have been completely at the mercy of any decisions and things because we had no leverage whatsoever," Pessino said.

"We were not in a position to negotiate a reasonable contract; they could have done whatever. But we would've taken it because we wanted a chance to redeem the franchise. All of the groundwork was really, really good, I can tell you that for a fact. There was so much there that just needed to be built on."

The Order: 1866 was also left on a blatant cliffhanger so fans were desperate for a sequel to come. Ten years on and those hopes are dashed, of course, with Ready at Dawn being shut down by owner Meta in 2024.

In our 6/10 review, IGN said: "Though a stylish adventure, The Order: 1886 emphasizes its cinematic polish at the crippling cost of gameplay freedom."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Captain America: Brave New World Is the Start of Avengers 2.0

It has been almost six years since the Avengers broke up following the defeat of Thanos and the death of Tony Stark. But it was only a matter of time until the world needed its mightiest heroes once again. With new Avengers movies coming in 2026 and 2027, the MCU needs to reassemble the team pretty quickly. Thankfully, the first step in recruiting the next version of the Avengers begins in Captain America: Brave New World.

“We know people miss the Avengers and we miss the Avengers,” says Nate Moore, a veteran producer at Marvel Studios and one of the guiding hands behind the fourth Captain America film. “But we knew if we jumped right back into the Avengers after Endgame, we wouldn't give people a chance to miss it.”

Moore notes that the very best Avengers teams across the history of Marvel comics have had Captain America at the centre. And so after Steve Rogers handed his shield over to Sam Wilson at the end of Avengers: Endgame, the MCU had to spend time building Wilson up into the kind of leader he needed to be. That takes time, in part because Wilson did not take to the role of Captain America easily. The six-part Disney+ show, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, explored his struggles with that transition. Thankfully, by the events of Brave New World, Wilson wears the red, white and blue with pride. But just as he has overcome the challenge of becoming Captain America, he’s presented with a whole new, more daunting task: to become the leader of a new Avengers team.

As revealed in a pre-release marketing clip, Brave New World’s opening act sees President Ross (played by Harrison Ford, who takes over from the late William Hurt) ask Wilson to restart the Avengers project. Long-term fans may understandably be a little confused by this. Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross is the man who established the Sokovia Accords, the superhero registration act that caused a civil war. So why would the man infamous for splitting up the Avengers want to see them reassembled?

“He was a guy who had this real legacy that could maybe be defined by his anger,” agrees Brave New World’s director, Julius Onah. “But the man that we're meeting now is a man who is an elder statesman, who's a diplomat, who's turning a new leaf, who sees and understands the errors of his past and wants to do better. [He wants to initiate] the Avengers because they could be a benefit to the world.”

Ross is a general, so certainly he understands what a tactical advantage is.

Of course, President Ross doesn’t plan to recreate the Avengers exactly as they once were. As we saw in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Captain America is now an official United States government role. And in the opening of Brave New World, Wilson is working directly with the President. All this means that a Captain America-led Avengers team would also effectively be a branch of the US defence department.

“Ross is the man who passed the Sokovia Accords,” says Moore. “He certainly realized that the Avengers left unchecked may not be the best idea for anyone. And so I certainly think he understands that power is more beneficial to him if it's under his command, and he figures why not do it first before somebody beats me to the punch.”

But President Ross presumably isn’t interested in reassembling the Avengers because he knows they’re needed for a couple of films in the future. The more likely explanation for Ross’ sudden interest in a superhero team is the discovery of a world-changing substance. Remember the Celestial that was turned to stone at the end of Eternals? Well, as revealed at San Diego Comic Con 2024, the MCU’s scientists have discovered it’s a source of Adamantium, Marvel’s best-known super metal and a precious alternative to Wakanda’s heavily-defended Vibranium. With this miracle metal just sitting out there in the ocean, it’s open season for every nation on earth. So if there’s about to be an Adamantium arms race, it makes sense to have a few superheroes on your side.

“I think certainly any nation that has a group of Avengers has a leg up over anyone else,” says Moore. “And Ross is a general, so certainly he understands what a tactical advantage is!”

If there is an underlying motive to this new Avengers team, it means that the working relationship between President Ross and Sam Wilson’s Captain America isn’t likely to be smooth sailing. Not that this was going to be an easy partnership to begin with, of course. Steve Rogers was resolutely anti-government control, and Wilson has spent his entire superhero career trying to live up to his predecessor’s values.

“I really focused on the emotional journey that Sam was taking,” says Onah. “It was really cool to then put him opposite somebody who had divided the Avengers in the past. Because of that history, Sam was put into prison. The Sokovia Accords, all the stuff that Ross pushed forward as Secretary of State [came into play]. These are things that when these two men walk into a room, that tension between them is palpable.”

Perhaps it will be Walker and his morally-flexible companions who actually become the President’s Avengers. Ross’ nickname is Thunderbolt, after all.

All that considered, it’s very possible that Sam Wilson is not the man President Ross is looking for. And so who will run this government-owned and operated Avengers team if not Captain America? The answer may lie in 2025’s second MCU project, Thunderbolts, which arrives just a few months after Brave New World. Thunderbolts features a rag-tag team of anti-heroes including John Walker, the man who took up the mantle of Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier only to violently disgrace the legacy Steve Rogers left behind. Perhaps it will be Walker and his morally-flexible companions who actually become the President’s Avengers, then. Ross’ nickname is Thunderbolt, after all.

If that’s how things play out, Wilson would be free to set up his own, independent team of superheroes, just in time for the imminent arrival of Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday. But regardless of the details, Brave New World acts as the next step on the road that Wilson began the moment he took up the shield: the inevitable path to becoming the leader of the Avengers. Knowing that this would be the first movie to deal with the assembly of the next Avengers team, Onah was excited to get Wilson ready for what lies ahead.

“Historically the Avengers have been led by a Captain America, and Sam Wilson is very much so a worthy one,” Onah says. “But part of telling this story is also reinforcing, illustrating, and dramatizing for an audience: why [is he worthy]?”

That worthiness comes from Wilson’s empathy, which Onah describes as the character’s superpower. As any MCU fan knows, Wilson is simply just a man with a shield and a pair of mechanical wings. And sure, he can punch and kick pretty well. But it's his ability to understand the perspective of his allies and enemies that allows him to wield the shield – specifically, the values that disc of Vibranium represents – with effectiveness. “I think that's what makes him a Captain America of this moment,” Onah says.

“I don't think Sam would be prepared to lead the Avengers until he truly believed that he was Captain America,” Moore adds. “And our goal as filmmakers was to take him on a journey of questioning whether or not he made the right decision. Hopefully by the end, [we’ll have] him and the audience go ‘There certainly could be no one else’. He is Captain America, and hopefully he takes the tools from this movie to be able to lead the Avengers.”

Wilson will need to get a move on. After Brave New World, only two movies stand between us and Avengers: Doomsday. And so it seems likely that Captain America will make appearances in both Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four: First Steps as he attempts to recruit his team ahead of 2026’s big event. It’s certainly a much shorter road than the five films that led into 2012’s The Avengers, but hopefully the likes of Spider-Man, Thor, and Bruce Banner are just waiting for the call, anyway. Whatever the case, the assembly of Avengers 2.0 begins here.

Matt Purslow is IGN's Senior Features Editor.

Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines RTX Remaster looks insane in these new screenshots

Modder ‘Safemilk‘ has released some new comparison screenshots between the vanilla and the RTX Remaster Mod for Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines. These screenshots will give you a glimpse at this highly anticipated mod’s current state. So, let’s take a look at them. In these screenshots, the modder focuses on the diner environments. Right now, Safemilk … Continue reading Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines RTX Remaster looks insane in these new screenshots

The post Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines RTX Remaster looks insane in these new screenshots appeared first on DSOGaming.

Civilization 7 Patch 1.0.1 Addresses Some of the Negative Feedback From Advanced Access

Civilization 7 developer Firaxis has released patch 1.0.1 just in time for the strategy game’s full launch following an advanced access period that was met with a ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam.

Firaxis is working on addressing various community complaints, most of which revolve around the user interface, a lack of map variety, and a feeling that the game has launched without a number of key features fans have come to expect.

In an interview with IGN ahead of the release of its third quarter financial results, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged that Civilization 7 had received some negative reviews from press and players, but insisted that the “legacy Civ audience” will come around the more they play, and called Civilization 7’s early performance “very encouraging.”

Now Civilization 7 is available to all and not just those willing to pay more for advanced access, Firaxis has released Patch 2, which is only for PC/Mac/Linux/Steam Deck. In a post on Steam, Firaxis said it is “the first in a series of upcoming patches” intended to address feedback from advanced access. The patch notes in full are below.

It's worth noting that Firaxis has temporarily disabled crossplay multiplayer "to expedite" updates to the PC version. This means the developer will sometimes deploy patches to PC at a different "cadence" than on consoles, and indeed that includes patch 1.0.1. This will have no impact on console players attempting cross-platform play with other console players, nor on PC-to-PC multiplayer, Firaxis clarified.

Looking for tips to help you take over the world? Check out our guide to completing every Civ 7 victory, our run down of the biggest Civ 7 changes for Civ 6 players, and the 14 crucial Civ 7 mistakes to avoid. We’ve also got explanations on all the Civ 7 map types and difficulty settings so you know what you’re getting into.

Civilization 7 1.0.1 Patch 2 - February 10, 2025
Gameplay
Windows PC/Mac/Linux/Steam Deck

  • Fixed an issue causing Ages in Epic and Marathon speed games to be shorter than intended.
  • City States will now turn into Friendly Independent Powers on Age Transition instead of disappearing completely. They will also now start with more units in Exploration and Modern Ages.
  • Fixed inconsistencies with Naval Combat.
  • Naval Units will use the correct Combat Strength values when attacking another Naval Unit in all instances.
  • Naval Units will properly take reciprocal damage after attacking another Naval Unit.
  • Naval Units will more consistently move into the attacked tile after defeating another Naval Unit.
  • Completing the final milestone of a Legacy Path no longer adds Age Progress in the Modern Age to ensure you have more time to complete a Victory.
  • Towns will now switch their focus back to Growing town automatically if they are no longer eligible for their chosen Focus (for example, if their population decreases) until they are eligible again.
  • Future Civic is now repeatable in all Ages. The cost of Future Tech and Future Civic will now increase more when repeated.
  • Fixed an issue after too many bonuses to Growth where Food needed for the next growth event became negative.
  • Improvements to Rail Networks aimed at increasing the reliability of Settlements connecting to the Rail Network over water by building Ports. This should apply as long as the Capital either has a Port or is connected by rail to a settlement with a Port.
  • Made improvements to the Loyalty Crisis in the Antiquity Age, including giving the ability to purchase Villas in towns during this crisis, giving another way to manage the happiness of your settlements.
  • A note about cross-play multiplayer: To expedite updates to the PC experience, we will sometimes deploy patches to PC at a different cadence than we do on consoles - including today's Patch 1.0.1. As a result, cross-play between PC players and console players is temporarily disabled. This will have no impact on console players attempting cross-platform play with other console players, nor on PC-to-PC multiplayer.

AI
Windows PC/Mac/Linux/Steam Deck

  • AI will now offer high-value Cities less often during Peace Deals.
  • In Modern, AI will now declare war less often at the start of the age.
  • In Modern, AI will now consider Ideology more before Declaring War or offering Peace.
  • Other Leaders now have a decreased desire for war if neither party has an Ideology.
  • Other Leaders now have an increased desire for war with players of Opposing ideologies.
  • Other Leaders now have a decreased desire for Peace with players of opposing Ideologies.

Camera
Windows PC/Mac/Linux/Steam Deck

  • Fixed an issue on native-resolutions where the camera would focus on the lower end of the map when clicking on the minimap.

UI
Windows PC/Mac/Linux/Steam Deck

  • Replaced the Simplified Chinese font with the font used in Civilization VI while we work on additional improvements for future patches.
  • Fixed an issue where the Settlement menu fails to open when clicking on a non-player's Settlement Banner in gameplay.
  • Fixed an issue where yield icons fail to populate on the now available buildings when converting a town to city.
  • Fixed an issue where some text was cut off on the Global Yields Breakdown screen.
  • Added a notification for completed Espionage actions, so that you can more easily check the results of their Espionage actions.
  • City projects no longer appear to be purchasable.
  • Your current religion is now displayed first in the belief picker tabs.
  • Fixed an issue where a District’s health bar would remain on-screen after being fully healed.
  • Fixed an issue where Leaders fail to have a portrait when the relationship has changed during gameplay.
  • Improved the alignment of leader names and portraits on the Age Summary, when viewing the Overview screen of the Victories Rankings.
  • Fixed an issue where the background color remains the default color when the user changes it in the Player Customize tab.
  • Improved the spacing between Civ descriptions, unique units and building icons on loading screen.

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

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep Review

The biggest draw for The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is its lead performance: Game Geralt Doug Cockle moves from one rendition of Andrzej Sapkowski’s ongoing fantasy saga to another to give a gravelly, sardonic turn as the famed Butcher of Blaviken in this Netflix movie. Unfortunately, the biggest draw here is also the only draw. A follow-up to 2021's Nightmare of the Wolf, Sirens of the Deep is unimaginative and dramatically sterile. Its bland, pastel anime approach turns Geralt of Rivia into a spinning action figure well enough, at the expense of the artistic curiosity that makes Sapkowski’s Witcher world such a fascinating one to get lost in.

Cockle's distinct vocal delivery is a stabilizing presence in Sirens of the Deep, lending it a brooding quality that comfortably hearkens back to the heights of CDPR's Witcher RPGs. His performance has a sly richness that’s regrettably absent in other adaptations. As the film around him veers into predictable fantasy cliches and compulsory hack-and-slash havoc, the once and future (?) Geralt holds steady, waiting for a smarter story that never materializes.

Another bright spot is his banter with Joey Batey, once more picking up the lute of live-action Witcher breakout Jaskier. This cross-franchise pairing makes a snug fit, and when Geralt and Jaskier are free to pal around, Sirens of the Deep becomes halfway enjoyable. The actors’ confidence in their roles is easily the most appealing aspect of the movie, and they’re far more of a delight to listen to than the host of appalling “Bri'ish” accents surrounding them.

And goodness, some of the cast really fail the new characters. It's especially difficult to appreciate Essi (Christina Wren) and Prince Agloval (Camrus Johnson), not only due to Wren and Johnson’s unconvincing, occasionally dire acting, but also because of the passive way they’re written. From a storytelling perspective, Essi is particularly unremarkable: a passionate, nautically savvy figure from Jaskier's past who naturally captures Geralt's affection, she’s more a stock love interest for our libidinous hero than a proper romantic foil. Agloval is just as one-dimensional, the sullen prince entangled in a politically charged melodrama between the kingdoms of merpeople and humans. His infatuation with the mermaid Sh'eenaz (Emily Carey) serves as a prelude to war, but if there’s any passion worth risking a kingdom for between these two characters, it was left out of the script.

Geralt and Jaskier find themselves in the coastal realm of Bremervoord, suffering empty stomachs and, thanks to the violet-eyed Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra, in flashbacks), hurt feelings that dictate where the Witcher takes his contracts and whether he'll slay a beast to earn some coin. (He insists he has a “moral code” – though that insistence is Sirens of the Deep’s only evidence of the code’s existence.) Their desperation pulls them into a conflict between Bremervoord and the merman kingdom of Ys, and despite his initial, feeble reservations, Geralt can't resist getting involved, especially when the dubious contract to cull an entire monster race comes from wealthy King Usveldt (Simon Templeman) – "Codes for none, coin for all," as famished Jaskier puts it. It isn't long before Geralt's medallion begins to shimmy and shake.

The plot is boilerplate, even by Witcher standards. Usveldt bids Geralt rout a school of vodnik – fish-men who serve Ys – plaguing pearl divers off the coast of Bremervoord, but naturally, there’s more at play than a simple dispute over aquatic territory. As the movie goes on, the courtly intrigues on land and sea paint a dull picture of racist motives from a power-hungry few who'd like nothing better than to have their kingdoms go to war simply for spite (and perhaps a little profit). And war is inevitable unless Geralt, Jaskier, and Essi get to the bottom of this conspiracy, a story that unfolds like a crappy rehash of The Little Mermaid (a parallel underlined during one crummy musical sequence) and often looks like a more uninspired version of the DC Animated Movie Universe’s spotty Throne of Atlantis. The action is rudimentary, and Sapkowski’s murky morality loses some of its nuances in lines like "Humans have a knack for seeking short-term profits and retelling the story so it wasn't their fault." As an enchanting under-the-sea adventure that also wants to be social commentary, it’s out of its depth.

Sirens of the Deep is unimaginative and dramatically sterile.

This is no reinvigoration of a franchise that’s struggling to find its footing in the wake of Henry Cavill’s departure from its flagship series. If Sirens of the Deep is the best Netflix has to offer under such circumstances, it might be time for the streamer to reconsider its investment in the Witcher universe. Perhaps it's time to finally let Geralt sail to friendlier shores.

Experience Morrowind in Skyrim With These Three DLC Mods

Last month, modder ‘pancake’ released a new update for the amazing Morrowind-inspired DLC Mod for Skyrim, Journey to Baan Malur. And a couple of days ago, modder ‘Caenraes’ released a new add-on for it, called Silgrad. Let’s start with Journey to Baan Malur. This fan expansion allows all Skyrim players to explore the north-west of … Continue reading Experience Morrowind in Skyrim With These Three DLC Mods

The post Experience Morrowind in Skyrim With These Three DLC Mods appeared first on DSOGaming.

Why Are the Thunderbolts* Called That, and Did Marvel Just Explain the Asterisk in the Title?

The asterisk in the title of Marvel’s upcoming Thunderbolts* has had fans puzzled since it was first revealed as part of the film’s marketing. What is the asterisk hinting at? Is Thunderbolts not really the name of this team? Are they the new Avengers? (Or the New Avengers, to be more comics accurate?) Even the trailers have had fun with the moniker of the super-team, with David Harbour’s Red Guardian declaring “We are the Thunderbolts!” – even while his teammates seem to hate the idea.

But timed to the recent Super Bowl trailer came a tweet from Marvel Studios Japan featuring an international Thunderbolts* poster which seems to give away the meaning of the asterisk:

“*The Avengers are not available” it reads.

This also ties into Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character’s line at the start of the trailer: “Let’s talk facts,” she says, seemingly in front of some kind of Congressional hearing. “The Avengers are not coming. Who will keep the American people safe?” If the Avengers are not available, it sounds like it’s time for the Thunderbolts and their asterisk.

Assuming that poster has spilled the beans on the Big Asterisk Mystery, this solution pretty much makes sense. Marvel is clearly positioning its marketing of the movie so that the Thunderbolts* are seen as a more humorous variation on a superhero team (nevermind that they’re mostly made up of former assassins and killers), and so the gimmick of the asterisk is just one aspect of that approach.

*The Avengers are not available

That said, there has been reason to think maybe there would be more to the name than just playing it for laughs. Thunderbolts* is the film that is next up after Captain America: Brave New World, where Harrison Ford takes on the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (formerly played by the late William Hurt). The former nemesis of the Hulk is now a Red Hulk himself according to the Brave New World trailers, and the comics version of the character has served as a member of the Thunderbolts in the past (there have been a bunch of rosters and variations on the team over the years).

So one theory among fans has been that Ross will die in Brave New World, and that for some reason the team, which also includes Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and “Bob”/the Sentry (Lewis Pullman), would take the former general/president’s name. But when you think about it, that notion doesn’t seem to really fit with the tone of the movie Marvel is selling, does it?

As for how the name came about in the comics, it was fairly random there too. Team member Citizen V (who was actually Baron Zemo in disguise, and who disappointingly does not appear to be in the movie) said they got the name from a line by 17th century poet Thomas Randolph: “Justice, like lightning, ever should appear to few men’s ruin, but to all men’s fear.” Adds Zemo: “Our hope is that we can be that lightning -- that justice.” (Of course this is all a ruse, since the original Thunderbolts were actually the bad guys known as the Masters of Evil, but you can read more about that in our Thunderbolts explainer.) Interestingly, apparently Randolph was erroneously credited with that line in the comic, and it’s a bit of a mystery where it actually originated.

So maybe the asterisk doesn’t mean all that much beyond being part of a cute joke. And if it does just boil down to the Avengers not being available, well then, that actually makes total sense in the context of the MCU. After all, we haven’t seen Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in quite some time…

AU Deals: Leg Dropped WWE 2K25 Prices, Crazy Capcom BYO Bundles, Kingdom Come Delivered Lower, and More!

If you hunger to hoard cheaply bought games, I’ve found something for every platform, genre, and thumb type. For Switch fans, I’ve found the perfect time to dive into a demon-infested, turn-based masterpiece. PC folk can curate a dream lineup of Capcom modern classics. And the PS-faithful can spend minimal Gil on a Final Fantasy whose price has been slashed by some bloody big Zweihänder.

Today in Can’t Believe It Took ‘Em This Long To Rerelease That news, I’m celebrating the 25th bday of The Sims. Not going to lie to you, friend—when this launched, I thought, “Well, this is barely a game right here.” It seemed more like a virtual fish tank that was only fun if I kept concocting new (and worryingly sociopathic) ways to torment the virtual peoples in my employ. (But it seems I wasn’t the only one into making pools with disappearing ladders.) Though this game and genre didn’t flick my switch, personally, the lights clicked on and stayed burning bright for the masses—after 15 years this original sold a whopping 11.24M copies. It deserves a big place in the PC gaming pantheon.

This Day in Gaming 🎂

Aussie birthdays for notable games.

- The Sims (PC) 2000. Get

- Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (GC) 2004. eBay

- Shadow of Rome (PS2) 2005. eBay

- MAG (PS3) 2010.

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Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

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Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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Purchase Cheap for PC

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Exciting Bargains for Xbox

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Or just invest in an Xbox Card.

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

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

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

Or purchase a PS Store Card.

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Legit LEGO Deals

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

The Best Deals Today: AirPods, Gaming Chairs, Witcher Gwent Deck, Power Bank, and More

Check out the best deals for Monday, February 10. You can save $10 off Anker's new and improved high-capacity power bank, or treat yourself to a premium gaming chair on sale during Secretlab's Presidents' Day Sale. If you're a fan of Witcher's famous card game series, the IGN Store has a tabletop Gwent deck up for preorder. Check out more of today's deals down below.

Apple AirPods Pro for $169

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Amazon is offering the 2nd generation Apple AirPods Pro wireless noise-canceling earbuds for only $169 shipped, a savings of 32% off and the best price so far this year. Although the new AirPods 4 earbuds are also discounted (the noise-canceling model is currently priced at $148.99), between the two, the AirPods Pro are still the best earbuds because of superior sound quality and noise cancelation.

New Release: Anker 25,000mAh 165W Power Bank

Anker quietly released a new high-capacity power bank earlier this year that sits alongside the Anker 737 and Prime series of power banks. This particular model boasts a massive 25,000mAh battery capacity, 165W of total charging output, and two built-in USB Type-C cables in case you forget to bring your own. It's also attractively priced at under $100, and there's even a deal today that drops the price by another $10 to $89.99. This is a great complement to your power-hungry gaming handheld PC like the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, or Lenovo Legion Go.

Secretlab Presidents' Day Sale

Secretlab has already kicked off its Presidents' Day Sale, which starts now and runs until February 17. Save up to $139 off Secretlab's popular Titan line of gaming chairs, Magnus gaming desks (including the Magnus Pro electric standing desk model), and accessories like the Secretlab Skins upholstery covers, desk mats, cable management, and more. Unfortunately, new releases like the Titan Evo Nanogen chair and the recliner add-on are exempt from this sale.

Preorder the Gwent Card Game at the IGN Store

Here's your chance to preorder the tabletop version of Witcher's addictive card game. This is an officially licensed and CD Projekt Red backed edition consisting of over 400 playing cards faithfully reproducing the iconic designs from The Witcher 3. Preorders ship out sometime in August.

Lenovo Presidents' Day Sale

Lenovo has kicked off its Presidents' Day sale early with big price drops on two of its most popular Legion prebuilt gaming desktop computers. You will have to apply two stackable coupon codes: "EXTRAFIVE" and "BUYMORELENOVO", although the second one might automatically be added to your cart. If you're waiting for RTX 50-series GPUs to come back in stock, don't. The RTX 40-series GPUs easily meet current gaming needs at a more affordable price point, and they're readily in stock.

In our recent Legion Tower 7 review, Jacqueline Thomas wrote that "the Legion Tower 7i is an incredibly powerful gaming PC, especially for the money you’re likely going to be paying for it. If all you want is a powerful, upgradeable machine without having to go through the trouble of building it yourself, it’s hard to find many gaming PCs better than this one."

Seagate Expansion 20TB Desktop Hard Drive

If you're shopping for a huge amount of local storage, here's a deal that beats pretty much anything I saw during Black Friday. For a limited time, Best Buy is offering this massive Seagate Expansion 20TB USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive for only $229.99 shipped. That averages out to a mere $11.50 per TB of storage.

Buy One Get One 50% Off SteelSeries Gaming Peripherals

SteelSeries has kicked off an impressive Valentine's Day Sale with a rare promotion: buy one gaming headset, mouse, keyboard, or other gaming accessory and get a second item for 50% off with coupon "VALENTINE50". The second item will be of equal or lesser value and does not stack with instant discounts. All orders over $49 ship free. The Nova Pro is our favorite gaming headset, and we also recently picked the Apex Pro Gen 3 as the best gaming keyboard.

Note that in all of my examples, I added two of the same item to cart to activate the discount. However, you don't need to buy the same item. For instance, you could add the Arctis Nova Pro wireless headset and the Apex Pro keyboard and get 50% off the keyboard (since it's the lower priced item).

Apple AirPods 4 for Only $99.99

Amazon has discounted the newest generation Apple AirPods 4 earbuds by up to 25% off. The base model is currently down to $99.99 (originally $129). This is the first time we've seen the AirPods 4 earbuds drop below $100. In fact, that's a better deal than what we saw during Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

30% Off Panther Vision Hand Warmers and Lighted Beanies

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

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

PDP Riffmaster Wireless Guitar Controller for $104

The Riffmaster wireless guitar controller sold out quickly when it first launched in 2024, but it's back and discounted today. This is one of very few widely available guitar controller peripherals that works with Rock Band 4 and Fortnite Festival.

Apple iPad 10.9" 10th Gen for $279

Ahead of Valentine's Day, Amazon has just dropped the price of the latest model 10th gen Apple iPad to $279 shipped. Currently all colors including Blue, Silver, Pink, and Yellow are discounted. Although this price is about $20 higher than what we saw during Black Friday, This is the best price we've seen so far this year for the 10th gen iPad.

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

Amazon Is Having a Buy Two, Get One 50% Off Sale on the Fourth Wing Books Today

The Empyrean series has had at least one book in Amazon's bestsellers list for years now. Just last year, Onyx Storm was the second best-selling book of the entire year and it didn't even come out until January of this year. And when it did come out, it became the fastest-selling novel for adults of the past 20 years. Now, you can pick up all three books in the series – Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm – in Amazon's buy two get one 50% off promotion.

The Empyrean Series Is Discounted at Amazon Today

The discounts and promotion only include the hardcover editions of each of these books, rather than the paperback or Kindle versions. It's also worth noting that the deluxe edition of Onyx Storm, which was actually hard to find when the book was first released back in January, is included in this sale.

To take advantage of Amazon's buy two, get one 50% off sale on these books, you just need to add them all to your cart at the same time. The discount will automatically be applied to the least expensive item, which in this case would be Fourth Wing. That means you can get all three hard cover books in the series for $45.75. All in all, this is a great price if you're trying to add the physical copies to your book collection or simply read them for the first time.

See more books in this sale

What Is the Empyrean Series About?

If you've never read Fourth Wing or any of the other books in the Empyrean series, you may be wondering why the Rebecca Yarros novels are currently experiencing a Hunger Games-level of popularity. In short, there are elements familiar to the Harry Potter books, romance similar to the Twilight series, and dragons similar to the Inheritance Cycle. Reading these books feels familiar, and yet somehow very new. Here's a quick synopsis of the series below:

The story follows Violet Sorrengail, a seemingly fragile young girl who has been forced by her powerful mother to enter into the very dangerous academy of dragon riders. As she finds ways to overcome her weaknesses and survive, Violet must also battle her own complex emotions about her mother, her old friend, and a boy she thinks wants nothing more than to see her dead. All the while, there's more going on with the dragons and her world than meets the eye, and she finds herself at the center of it all while in the heat of an epic romance.

Looking for more Presidents' Day sales like this? Amazon is also currently offering the first Kindle Paperwhite deal of the year.

Anker's Newest High-Capacity Power Bank Now Includes Two Built-In USB Type-C Cables

Anker quietly released a new high-capacity power bank earlier this year that sits alongside their Anker 737 and Prime series of power banks. This particular model boasts a massive 25,000mAh battery capacity, 165W of total charging output, and two built-in USB Type-C cables in case you forget to bring your own. It's also attractively priced at under $100, and there's even a deal today that drops the price by another $10 to $89.99. This is a great complement to your power-hungry gaming handheld PC like the Steam Deck, Asus Rog Ally, or Lenovo Legion Go.

New Release: Anker 25,000mAh 165W Power Bank

The new Anker power bank features a 25,000mAh battery capacity, which is the second largest capacity we've seen from Anker in a compact form factor. So how much juice will that offer to today's gaming handheld PCs? A 25,000mAh battery equates to a 95Whr capacity. An 80% power efficiency rating (which is standard for power banks) means you get about 76Whr of usable charge. That means this power bank will charge a Steam Deck or ROG Ally (40Whr) from empty to completely full 2 times, an Asus ROG Ally X (80Whr) 1 time, and a Nintendo Switch (16Whr) about 4.75 times.

The Anker power bank has one USB Type-C port and one USB Type-A port. In addition, there are two built-in USB Type-C cables. One is a retractable cable that can extend up to 2.3 feet. The other is a fixed 1-foot cable that doubles up as a lanyard when not in use. Each USB Type-C port is capable of up to 100W of Power Delivery with a total 165W maximum output. That means all three USB outputs are capable of charging any gaming handheld PC at its fastest rate, including the Asus ROG Ally X, which supports up to 100W of fast charging.

Another feature common to Anker's other premium power banks is the digital LCD readout. It displays a wealth of information like remaining battery capacity, current charging rate, input/output wattage, battery temperature, battery health, charge cycle count, and more.

TSA-Approved

TSA states that power banks must be under 100Whr in capacity for carry-on (check-in is not allowed under any circumstances). This Anker power bank is rated at 95Whr. You might get checked simply because this is a relatively hefty power bank, but you shouldn't have any problems getting it cleared.

See more power banks we've recommended

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

The Secretlab Presidents' Day Sale Starts Now: Save on the Best Gaming Chairs of 2025

Secretlab has already kicked off its Presidents' Day Sale, which starts now and runs until February 17. Save up to $139 off Secretlab's popular Titan line of gaming chairs, Magnus gaming desks (including the Magnus Pro electric standing desk model), and accessories like the Secretlab Skins upholstery covers, desk mats, cable management, and more. Unfortunately, newer releases like the Titan Evo Nanogen chair and the recliner add-on are exempt from this sale.

It's no secret that we love our Secretlab gaming chairs. Two of the six chairs in our best gaming chair roundup are Secretlab models. Of all the gaming chairs we covered in our "Budget to Best" roundup video earlier this year, my colleague Akeem Lawanson considered the Secretlab Titan Evo to be the most comfortable. No good chair comes cheap and Secretlab chairs definitely cost a premium, but we think the craftsmanship, materials, and customizability are worth it.

TL;DR - The 7 Best Secretlab Deals

You can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above. For more information on each product and why they are worth your consideration, read through below.

Secretlab Titan Evo

The Titan Evo starts at $519 during the sale. This is Secretlab's flagship chair and it's available in small, medium, and large sizes. Upholstery options include Neo Hybrid leatherette, SoftWeave Plus fabric, or premium Napa leather. The chair features cold-cure foam upholstery for the seat, a supportive four-way lumbar system, full length backrest with 165 degrees of recline, full metal 4D armrests with magnetically attached PU cushions, and a memory foam headrest pillow.

Aside from the build quality, the Titan Evo also stands out thanks to the sheer number of officially licensed designs from popular video games, TV shows, and more. Some of the more popular examples include The Witcher, Overwatch, Attack on Titan, League of Legends, World of Warcraft, and Game of Thrones. They generally cost more than the standard colors, but they're worth it if you're looking for that extra personal touch.

In our Secretlab Titan Evo review, Chris Coke wrote that "after two years of daily use, the Secretlab Titan Evo has proven that it can stand the test of time and still be one of the best gaming chairs you can buy. Meaningful ergonomics paired with Secretlab’s wide selection of designs, it remains a fantastic option, especially for fans of bright colors or designs."

Secretlab Titan 2020

The prior model Titan 2020 gaming chair is available for $474, which is $45 less than the base model Titan Evo. The Titan 2020 is still an excellent chair and not much different than the current Evo model. In fact, outside of an upholstery change (the PU leather has been updated with Neo Hybrid Leatherette), the changes are mostly cosmetic. You are limited to fewer design options, so if you want to build out something that's truly unique, you might want to splurge a bit extra for the current generation Titan Evo model.

Secretlab Titan Evo Lite

Among the Titan chairs, the Evo Lite is definitely the best value with its starting price tag of $419, or a full $100 less than the base model Titan Evo. It's built upon the same frame as the Titan Evo and has the same core features like the cold-cure foam cushioning, lumbar, 165 degrees of recline, and 4D armrests. What it compromises on is customization, with "only" two upholstery options, two sizes, and five colors, a non-adjustable lumbar system, simpler arm rests, and no included head rest. If none of these tradeoffs bother you, then you'll be saving quite a bit of money.

Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen Edition

Although the Titan Evo Nanogen Edition isn't on sale, it deserves mention simply because this is our top pick for the best gaming chair. In our Titan Evo Nanogen Edition review, Chris Coke wrote that "the Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen Edition deserves every bit of the overwhelming praise I’ve given. Granted, at $799 it’s significantly more expensive than the original and not far off from an entry-level Herman-Miller. But the return it offers in comfortable, supportive gaming is well worth the extra cost thanks to dramatically improved materials in both the fabric and multi-layered padding. The Titan Evo Nanogen Edition is class-leading, and is hands-down the most comfortable gaming chair I’ve ever used."

Secretlab Titan Recliner Add-On

Secretlab also announced a new recliner add-on to anyone who already owns the Titan Evo chair. It's so new that not only will this recliner ship out sometime next year, it's not even available for preorder yet. We have received a unit for testing, however, and it has turned out to be a very practical addition.

In our recliner add-on review, Chris Coke wrote that "while both comfort and value are subjective things, the recliner is able to take the Titan Evo and transform it from one of the best racing style gaming chairs to standing head and shoulders above the competition at its price point. It’s novel enough that I wouldn’t be surprised to see other brands following suit in the near future. If you don’t mind paying for it, it’s an absolutely killer upgrade for your gaming chair."

Secretlab Magnus and Magnus Pro

The Magnus and Magnus Pro are also on sale during Cyber Monday. The Magnus is a traditional fixed-frame gaming desk while the Magnus Pro ups the ante with a custom designed electric standing desk frame for an additional $250. Both desks feature an all-metal desktop surface, solid steel legs and cleverly thought out areas for cable management, but the Magnus Pro has some really unique features including a power cable that runs internally inside one of the telescoping legs and an in-line control panel that you won't bump into.

In our Secretlab Magnus Pro review. Mark Knapp writes that "the Secretlab Magnus Pro is a fantastic desk, bringing the brilliant cable management solutions of the original Magnus to a fast, quiet, and wide-ranging motorized standing desk. The desk is built well and proves an excellent platform for work and play alike. It’s an expensive desk though, and for the money, it would have been nice to see a smarter safety mechanism for the motors and the desk mat included. Still, the overall quality you get is a big step up from cheaper standing desks, and the optional accessories truly enhance the experience. Anyone who’s not committed to a standing desk should save their money and go for the standard Magnus if everything else about this model sounds good, but for gamers who love a tidy desk and want the flexibility of a standing desk, the Magnus Pro should be the first they consider."

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

Which Amazon Fire TV Stick Should You Buy in 2025?

If you have an older TV and aren't necessarily looking to upgrade to something smarter, you might be in the market for a Fire TV stick to round out your streaming setup. Since its inception, Amazon’s Fire TV range has grown to suit a variety of different needs, resulting in a series of sticks to pick between depending on your use case. Whether you’re looking for a 4K streaming device to watch cutting-edge dramas like House of the Dragon or a budget dongle to rewatch iconic shows like The Sopranos, we can help you find the best Fire TV device for your needs.

What Fire TV Device Is the Best for Most People?

As we mentioned, there are plenty of Fire TV sticks to choose from, depending on your needs. Of all the options on our list, the best match for most people is the Fire TV Stick 4K (2023). At $49.99, it has all the modern streaming features, like HDR and Dolby Atmos sound support, within its approachable price. Plus, if you’re interested in playing Xbox games but don’t want to take the financial leap on a console, the Fire TV Stick 4K is compatible with the Xbox app. So you’ll only need a Game Pass Ultimate membership and a controller to jump into Xbox’s vast catalog of games.

Every Fire TV Streaming Device Available in 2025

Fire TV Stick 4K Max - Best Overall

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max offers a superior streaming experience without making a heavy budget compromise. Under the hood, the 4K Max has a Quadcore processor and 16GB of storage, so you can download all the apps you desire without needing to sacrifice performance. The 4K Max’s Wifi 6E support also helps to deliver lower latency and higher speeds for content streaming. Though, you’ll need to make sure that your router is compatible to make the most of that feature.

One of the biggest benefits of the Fire Stick TV 4K Max is that, like the Fire Stick TV 4K, you can play Xbox games through the Xbox Cloud Gaming service. With a Game Pass Ultimate membership and a trusty Bluetooth controller, you can take on the vast expanse of outer space in Starfield without investing in a static console.

Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) - Best for Streaming

If you’re looking for an approachable yet powerful Amazon streaming device, the Fire TV Stick 4K is the one for you. At only $20 more than the Fire TV Stick Lite, this pocket-sized wonder can control your smart home and all your content with the help of its built-in voice assistant, Alexa. Alongside streamlining your TV and soundbar remote into a single package, you’ll also find quick access buttons to key apps that make navigating the Olympic-sized pool of streaming services much more straightforward.

If rolling credits on the Fallout TV show has you hankering to spend some time in the wasteland, you can pick up a subscription and access the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate library on your Fire Stick TV 4K. Like streaming services that offer copious films and TV shows, you’ll have access to hundreds of games through this service, including Fallout 76 and Fallout 4, which you can play using an external controller paired to the device.

The Fire Stick TV 4K streams at up to 60fps and supports most HDR platforms, including HDR 10, HDR 10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision. The 8GB storage size can fill up fast, though if you’re mainly interested in sticking with the standard streaming apps, it should provide more than enough gigs to get by.

Fire TV Stick Lite - Best Budget Option

At $29.99, the Fire TV Stick Lite opens the door to Amazon’s streaming OS, delivering the bare essentials you need for a solid streaming experience. Ideal for a dorm room TV or secondary screen with a lower resolution, the Fire TV Stick Lite streams in 1080p and comes with a wide array of HDR compatibility.

Finding the right show among a cavalcade of content is straightforward, courtesy of the Fire Stick TV Lite’s controller, which has Alexa voice search built in. While the lite version of the controller doesn't have the functionality to adjust the TV itself, you can get to apps like Netflix or Prime Video using quick-access buttons.

Amazon Fire TV Cube - Best For Smart Home

Not only does the Fire TV Cube look like a spaceship, but it’s also flush with all the doodads and whatnots you’d likely find in one. Its Octa-Core processor and Alexa Voice Remote allow for smooth and snappy navigation across Amazon’s native Fire OS. You’ll also have a choice of connectivity on the Fire TV Cube, picking between Wi-Fi 6 or an Ethernet port for a more stable connection.

If you’re already in the Amazon home ecosystem, the Fire TV Cube can serve as a slick organizational hub where you can view your Ring Camera, set a snack timer, or ask Alexa to turn down the lights. And, once you’ve locked down your home and are ready to kick back, the Fire Cube TV’s broad HDR support and extensive audio compatibility mean high-intensity blockbusters like Furiosa can be enjoyed in all of their cinematic glory. This is overall an excellent option for any one looking to create more of a home theater system rather than just upgrade their TV with streaming apps.

Amazon Fire TV Stick (3rd Gen) - Best Last-Gen Option

Amazon's previous generation Fire TV stick is still available for purchase, but we generally don't reccommend picking one up now that newer generations are available. It doesn't include 4K streaming and doesn't offer the benefit of Game Pass compatibility that the newer models do, like the 4K version for just $10 more. If the more affordable price is what is drawing you to the last-gen Fire TV stick, you may want to just consider picking up the Fire TV Stick Lite instead.

Fire TV Stick FAQs

Do you need a Fire TV stick if you have a Fire TV?

If you have an Amazon Fire TV or a fairly new smart TV, then there isn't really a need for a Fire TV stick. A Fire TV device, like any of the best streaming devices, is really just a way to access streaming apps on your TV. The only real exception to this is if you want to take advantage of the Xbox Game Pass streaming app that is now accessible via the latest Fire TV sticks.

What Fire TV devices are compatible with the Xbox app?

It was only recently that Amazon and Xbox partnered up to allow users to stream Xbox Game Pass games on Fire TV devices. Because of this, only the Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max are compatible with the app. If you have an older generation Fire Stick or the Fire TV Cube, you will not be able to use the app.

When do Fire TV devices go on sale?

Amazon Fire TV devices go on sale fairly regularly, to the point that you should never really be paying full price. Some of the best times of the year to find discounts are on Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday. However, holiday weekends like Presidents' Day, Labor Day, and Memorial Day are also usually good times to find deals. You can take a look at our guide to upcoming sales events for an idea of when to shop.

Sarah Thwaites is a freelance tech and gaming writer at IGN, with bylines at GameInformer, TrustedReviews, NME and more.

Amazon Has the First Discount of the Year on the Kindle Paperwhite for Its Presidents' Day Sale

As someone who reads a new book almost every week, one of the greatest purchases I've ever made was my Kindle Paperwhite. While I love reading an actual physical book when I can, it is way more convenient to just move on to the next book in a series at the click of a button. And because I do the bulk of my reading at night, having the built-in backlight is a total game changer.

That being said, a Kindle is a fairly expensive purchase. Amazon doesn't have deals on Kindle devices very often, but when it does, it's usually a good time to pick one up for a little bit less. Right now, Amazon is dropping the price of the Kindle Paperwhite as part of its Presidents' Day and Valentine's Day sales.

The Best Kindle Deal at Amazon Today

Amazon is currently only discounting the black version of the Kindle Paperwhite, which means both the jade and raspberry models are still full price. This shouldn't matter much, however, as you can customize the Kindle with a variety of different cases and covers. And while the 16% discount on this Kindle may not seem like much, it's enough to essentially cover the cost of a case.

I'd personally recommend getting a case to go with your Kindle. All you have to do is close the front flap and it will automatically go into sleep mode.

Is this a good deal?

The Kindle Papwerwhite doesn't go on sale very often, so any discount is usually a pretty good deal. That said, this isn't the lowest-ever price for this device. The biggest discount we've seen on this particular model of e-reader was back during Black Friday and Cyber Monday when Amazon dropped it down to $129.99. Overall, this is the first discount we've seen in 2025 and we recommend buying one if you've been waiting for a sale.

Should You Buy the Regular Kindle Instead?

In general, we recommend the Paperwhite as the overall best Kindle you can buy, but the 2024 version of the standard Kindle is still quite good and has many of the same features. I happen to own both the latest Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle and have found the biggest difference to be the size and price. The standard Kindle comes with a 6-inch screen compared to the larger 7-inch screen of the Paperwhite. Both models include a built-in backlight and a dark mode, so if you'd prefer a more compact model, the regular Kindle is a great option. It is also quite a bit cheaper, even without a discount.

Do You Have to Pay for Kindle Unlimited?

If you purchase a Kindle, you do not have to have a Kindle Unlimited subscription to read books on it. The Kindle store sometimes has free books and you can make purchases directly through your device as well. You can also download free books from other sources like Libby and read them on your Kindle if you want to avoid paying anything.

Amazon does give you the option to pair Kindle Unlimited with your purchase of the device, which will give you three free months of the service. As someone who has a Kindle Unlimited subscription, I'd definitely recommend it if you plan on reading a lot of books. It's especially good for some of the older best-selling books and genres like LitRPG that have 10+ titles in the series.

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