Nintendo Switch Online is a subscription-based online gaming service for the Nintendo Switch gaming platform. Memberships include online functionality, allowing you to compete or cooperate with friends, as well as a collection of classic Nintendo games spanning four decades, including titles from the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, and, most recently, the new GameCube library. A free seven-day trial is also available.
We thought Chibi-Robo! was great when it released way back in 2006, awarding it an IGN's Editor's Choice award and scoring it a healthy 8.2/10, imploring you to: "Give [it] a chance."
"I expect that too many people will glance at this game and conclude that it's not for them, simply because it's either too weird or too cute," we wrote in IGN's Chibi-Robo! review. "Truthfully, it's both, but it's also a very enjoyable, fun, and rewarding puzzle-platformer."
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
The future of Disney's Daredevil revival is up in the air, after a curious comment from series star Charlie Cox.
Speaking at GalaxyCon, Cox referred to the upcoming second season of Daredevil: Born Again — due to air on Disney+ in 2026 — as the show's "final season", suggesting that, despite years of wait for a Daredevil revival, two seasons might be all fans get.
But things may not be so decisive. Coming in, as ever, to steal Daredevil's thunder, Kingpin actor Vincent D'Onofrio has suggested there is still hope for the show to live on — even if nothing, as yet, seems assured.
Discussing his latest Daredevil suit during a stage appearance at GalaxyCon (which the event filmed and then uploaded to TikTok), Cox refers to Born Again Season 2 as the show's last run.
"There's something we do in this final season that doesn't exist in the comics, so it's unique to our show," Cox says.
Seeking further clarification, fans then shared the comment with Wilson Fisk himself, Vincent D'Onofrio, who this morning offered the following comment via X: "Good chance there will be a third."
Daredevil: Born Again had been one of the most-anticipated Marvel shows to land on Disney+, and Charlie Cox's portrayal of Daredevil one of Marvel's most popular characters among hardcore fans. But it's unclear how well the show's first season has performed among wider audiences.
Like Matt Murdock himself, the show has struggled with its identity, and emerged as something of a hybrid between Marvel's initial plans for an all-new introduction of the character with elements added later to the first season to make it more of a continuation from the original Netflix Daredevil series.
The upcoming second season — now potentially its final run — will be the first to have been written from the off with its Netflix backstory firmly in mind (including the reappearance of Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones). At the very least, D'Onofrio's comment suggests there's still hope for more — though it may depend on how next year's new episodes land.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Pearl Abyss announced during its Q2 2025 earnings conference call that Crimson Desert will not come out in 2025. Instead, the team now targets to release the game sometime in Q1 2026. As Pearl Abyss stated: “The launch of Crimson Desert, our first large-scale AAA console game, has been unavoidably delayed by one quarter, from … Continue reading Crimson Desert has been delayed until Q1 2026→
GSC GameWorld has announced its 2025 plans for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl. The team is currently working on upgrading the game to Unreal Engine 5.5.4 to improve its stability and overall performance. As we’ve reported, STALKER 2 suffers from traversal stutters. So, this engine upgrade will hopefully reduce them. At the same time, we … Continue reading STALKER 2 Will Be Upgraded to Unreal Engine 5.5.4 to Improve Stability and Performance→
Some sales are good, and some are the kind I instantly DM my dudes about to become The Voice of Unsolicited FOMO. Today’s spread falls firmly into the latter, with discounts on games that blend brilliant design with genuine replay value. There are big-name blockbusters, genre-defining indies, and a few hidden gems that deserve the spotlight.
This Day in Gaming 🎂
In retro news, I’m using a rusty shiv to cut a 21-candle cake baked for The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, a mouthful of a stealth shooter that proved movie tie-ins didn’t have to be shovelware. Back in 2004, equipping the goggles and gravel voicebox of Vin Diesel's Furyan felt like nothing else. Unfortunately, the hype surrounding the launch of Halo 2 overshadowed this absolute sleeper hit.
Launch day me was mighty surprised to find that its brand of FPSing was smoother than a drag of KOOL menthols. The eye-shine-assisted stalking was addictive, the melee was raw and responsive, and the world of Butcher Bay oozed menace. This was the kind of slick, confident package that hinted at the brilliance its developers (many of whom would go on to form MachineGames) would later bring to a Wolfenstein reboot. Two decades later, it still stands tall as one of the most atmospheric and inventive licenced games ever made.
On Nintendo Switch, Super Mario RPG remains a comfort-food classic. The original was an unlikely collab between Square and Nintendo that fused turn-based battles with Mario’s charm, and this version keeps that quirky magic alive. Persona 5 Tactica, meanwhile, proves the Phantom Thieves work just as well in grid-based strategy, and the chibi art style is way more endearing in motion than screenshots suggest.
Super Mario RPG (-25%) – A$59.90 Square Enix’s charming SNES-era remake with revamped visuals and quality-of-life tweaks. A whimsical turn-based adventure with quirky humour and heartfelt storytelling. Solid deal for both newcomers and nostalgic fans.
Catherine: Full Body (-25%) – A$59.80 Atlus’ surreal puzzle-platformer-meets-romance-drama. Navigate tricky block climbs while juggling a love triangle with moral choices. Unique and stylish, it’s a cult classic worth experiencing on Switch.
Sonic Frontiers (-40%) – A$59.70 Sega’s open-zone reinvention of the blue blur. Mixes speedy platforming with exploration, combat and surprisingly emotional beats. A generous discount on a bold new era for Sonic.
Super Mario Party Jamboree NS2 (-20%) – A$88 The ultimate Switch party game returns with new boards, mini-games and online modes. Perfect for family nights or competitive couch chaos. Rarely discounted this soon after launch.
Persona 5 Tactica (-46%) – A$51.70 Atlus’ stylish turn-based tactics spin-off set in the Persona 5 universe. Colourful strategy, sharp writing, and Phantom Thieves flair make this a great grab at under half price.
Donkey Kong Bananza (-11%) – A$98 Barrel into jungle platforming fun with DK and friends. Fresh challenges, vibrant worlds, and multiplayer chaos keep the party swinging. A modest saving, but appealing for collectors.
Over on Xbox Series X, Resident Evil Village takes the Gothic horror of Resident Evil 4 and turns the dial up to eleven with Lady Dimitrescu’s towering presence. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is Capcom’s latest masterclass in emergent open-world chaos, where pawn companions can surprise you with genuinely clever tactics.
Battlefield 6 (-19%) – A$89 Massive-scale FPS battles with vehicles, destruction, and team tactics. This recent entry refines the chaos with tighter gunplay and better pacing. Looking great so far.
Resident Evil Village (-75%) – A$14.20 A gothic horror rollercoaster blending tense survival, action set pieces, and unforgettable villains. This is an absurdly low price for one of the best modern Resident Evil games.
Split Fiction (-16%) – A$59 Narrative-driven mystery with shifting perspectives and puzzle elements. Stylish presentation and clever writing make it a good pick for players who value story above all.
Resident Evil 4 (-50%) – A$29.90 Capcom’s masterful remake of its survival-horror classic. Gorgeous visuals, updated controls, and atmospheric design cement its status as one of gaming’s all-time greats.
Dragon's Dogma 2 (-55%) – A$48.50 A sprawling, high-fantasy RPG with dynamic combat and emergent encounters. Deep character builds and pawn systems make every playthrough unique. Rarely this cheap so soon after release.
Xbox One
Resident Evil Remake Trilog. (-55%) – A$58.40 Three acclaimed survival-horror remakes bundled together. Tight gunplay, haunting atmospheres, and modern visuals make this a must-have.
Alien: Isolation (-80%) – A$11.90 A masterclass in tension. Survive against a relentless Xenomorph in this slow-burn horror classic that nails the atmosphere of the original film.
Okami HD (-50%) – A$12.40 Gorgeous cel-shaded adventure steeped in Japanese mythology. Creative combat and painting mechanics make this a timeless, Zelda-esque cult hit for me.
DuckTales: Rem. (-75%) – A$3.70 Disney’s NES platformer reimagined with hand-drawn art and nostalgic charm. Great for a quick nostalgia hit at pocket-change pricing. Bit of an arse-kicker, though.
On PS5, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered gives Aloy’s debut a visual boost that makes its robot dinosaurs more imposing than ever. Lost Judgment delivers a satisfying blend of Yakuza-style chaos and courtroom drama, with side cases that rival the main story for entertainment.
Horizon Zero Dawn Rem. (-20%) – A$59.90 Guerrilla Games’ open-world epic about hunting (non-transforming) dinobots in a lush post-apocalypse. Remastered visuals shine on PS5.
Battlefield 6 (-19%) – A$89 Large-scale FPS action with vehicles, dynamic destruction, and squad-based objectives. My brand of chaos and strategy. I'm in already.
Hogwarts Legacy (-55%) – A$44.30 Immersive wizarding-world RPG with spell combat, exploration, and school life. I'm not even a Potterverse dude and I loved it.
Lost Judgment (-80%) – A$19.90 Sega’s crime-thriller spin-off of the Yakuza series. Blends investigation, brawling, and emotional storytelling.
Star Wars Outlaws (-64%) – A$40 Ubisoft’s open-world Star Wars adventure where you play as a charming rogue. Criminally under-played IMO.
PS4
Shin Megami Tensei III HD (-55%) – A$31.70 Dark, turn-based JRPG with demon fusion and post-apocalyptic themes.
Ace Attorney Investigations Col. (-47%) – A$32 Quirky visual novel puzzler starring prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. He's almost as cool as Phoenix.
Red Dead Redemption 2 (-68%) – A$29 Rockstar’s sprawling western masterpiece with unmatched detail. Still mindblowing and the open-world game to beat. For now...
Burnout Paradise Rem. (-75%) – A$6.20 High-speed open-world racing with glorious crashes. Fender benders and NOS-assisted jumps all age like a fine wine.
Lastly, on PC, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is the ultimate “just one more turn” timesink, with expansions adding absurd levels of replayability. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is still one of the most charming JRPGs ever made, featuring Studio Ghibli’s unmistakable visual touch.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilog. (-71%) – A$13 Witty courtroom dramedy combining visual novel storytelling with logic puzzles. A darling of my DS era that I still adore.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th (-60%) – A$39.90 Hyper-detailed aviation sim with global photorealism and authentic aircraft. Niche, but I for one think it's pretty fly.
Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube.
Alien: Earth premieres with two episodes on Tuesday, August 12, and drops one episode per week after that.
FX dropped the first two episodes of Noah Hawley’s Alien: Earth, and it’s clear from the beginning what this series is trying to do. It all at once pays homage to the original Alien film while also carving its own niche into the lore of a decades-old franchise which is not an easy trick to pull off. And so, episodes 1 and 2 of the series are all about merging the new and the old. Sometimes it’s in the way a cross dissolve subtly connects two images, but other times it’s literally a spaceship crash-landing into a densely populated futuristic city. The fact that both approaches work so well in Alien: Earth is a testament to everything we have to look forward to in this series.
To begin with, the broad strokes of this review are simple. This is a very good show. It’s well-crafted, well-written, well-acted and just fun to be around. But seemingly determined to skip straight to the part where his new show bursts out of the franchise’s chest, Hawley and his team immediately merge those new and old influences in episode 1’s very first scenes. The crew wakes up, lights a cigarette before they’re out of the cryopod, have a laugh over breakfast in the mess as the camera floats down the familiar hallways of a Weyland-Yutani owned interstellar cruiser. It’s not just Noah Hawley proving he’s a fan who’s seen the movie before, though. It serves two really important functions.
Number 1, okay, yeah, it proves the behind-the-camera team has seen the movie before and that they like it as much as we always have. But Number 2, it’s the setting. Wordlessly and without any other connectivity, we as viewers are put back into the place and time around the original film. It’s a signal, along with the mustache on one of the crewmembers and the logos on their uniforms and the '70s-era “old-monitor” based tech in the production design, that this takes place alongside 1979’s film.
So it starts as a more or less shot for shot re-imagining of Ridley Scott’s original film, until they start to chop it up a little bit. The edit includes several visual asides, bouncing around in time, hinting that there’s more story to this crew and these surroundings than simply “oh that looks just like the Nostromo that Ripley was on!”
That’s the savviest thing about these premiere episodes and the truly exciting thing about Alien: Earth. A lot of ink has been spilled about how this fits in with the franchise and which parts of the canon are being accounted for. But this opening sequence is crafted in such a way that Hawley and his team are saying “yes” to all of it. There is a familiar setting, in a familiar timeline, but they’re doing some new things within that structure.
Hawley and his team are saying 'yes' to all of it.
One of those new things is the Peter Pan allegory at the center of this season’s story. Samuel Blenkin’s Boy Kavalier, Earth’s youngest trillionaire and chief creep of the premiere episodes, is taking the final steps in a quest for a type of immortality. Sydney Chandler’s Marcy, meanwhile, the first terminally ill child to transition into a synthetic body, takes on the name Wendy, Peter Pan’s friend that’s destined to grow up, unlike the lost boys. It’s a fitting metaphor for a franchise built on a creature whose defining trait is that it evolves into something else, and a show within that franchise about children’s consciousnesses evolving into something else as well.
But there’s one scene in particular where the form and function of the story line up in a very cool way. After Marcy becomes Wendy, there’s a lovely little TV on the Radio needle drop, and a peaceful scene where Wendy looks truly happy, looking out over the sea with not a worry in the world. A far cry from the Marcy tethered to an IV stand in the previous scene. But it’s just one achingly slow cross dissolve away from a truly eerie shot of Wendy tromping through the jungle, happy as a clam. It’s unnatural in slow motion, there’s something clearly off about it, and the coolest part about that juxtaposition is that the show doesn’t let you linger in any sort of celebration for long. Every time there’s some light of discovery, Alien: Earth hits you with a bit of darkness as a reminder that none of what’s happening is all good.
The other real win for the premiere episodes is the scope of this show.
Meanwhile, Morrow, the security officer aboard the Maginot played incredibly by Babou Ceesay, is set up to be the most fascinating character in the show. He’s a cyborg, just a regular dude who chose to be augmented. Morrow is, as we’ve seen with synthetic characters like Ash and David from elsewhere in the franchise, a company man through and through. He had the agency to become this way, which paints his decision making in a whole new light. He’s not a complete synthetic created and programmed to carry out company protocol, but he does serve that function we’re all familiar with from the Alien films. He’s cold and calculating and just as terrifying as any artificial person has ever been in the franchise.
The other real win for the premiere episodes is the scope of this show. In terms of episode 1s (or in this case episode 1s and 2s), it does an incredible job of communicating the type of scale we can expect from the series. A god damn spaceship crashes into the middle of a city and it looks like a war zone. But wouldn’t you know it, Hawley isn’t just employing that scale for the sake of it. The search and rescue team making their way through the wreckage go back and forth between the old familiar Nostromo-style ship, and the new environment here on Earth. In episode 2, we get some incredible haunted house style sequences that echo the original, with the xenomorph stalking our main characters. The highlight for me though, is the xenomorph interrupting some kind of Elizabethan Bacchanal where a bunch of obliviously entitled rich folks refuse to evacuate the building. It doesn’t end well for any of them.
The xenomorph itself, though, is another example of the classic iconography of this franchise meeting a new menagerie of beasties. The old reliable xeno gets its chance to shine in a typically monstrous way, metal teeth bared and stabby tail at the ready. There’s nothing new about him or the way Hawley is deploying his KY covered carapace. The xenomorph is playing the hits, as it were. But this very purposefully leaves room for the new aliens, however; an inventive bunch of creepy crawlies including an eyeball octopus that, I’m calling it now, is going to be the standout of the show when the dust settles.
Credit Roll Needle Drop Check In
One of my favorite little details about the series is the hard rock tracks Hawley uses over the credits. I wrote in my full season review about the loose connections the tracks make lyrically to the action on screen. I, quite frankly, adore the fact that they’ve pointedly decided to choose heavy metal tracks to communicate a vibe, so I can’t help but write a quick note about these songs in each of my weekly reviews.
Episode 1 ends with “The Mob Rules” by Black Sabbath. From 1981, the track comes from the Ronnie James Dio era of Sabbath, and features just a hint of ‘80s glam along with it’s speedier flavor of metal. As episode 1 ends with the Lost Boys on their way to the crash site and Wendy determined to save her brother's life, the first riffs from “The Mob Rules” highlights our hybrid protagonist’s edge and an attitude that’s lurking under the surface. But the lyrics that open the song are a metal warning of what’s to come.
Close the city and tell the people that something’s coming to call.
Death and darkness are rushing forward to take a bite from the wall.
Depending on how you want to take these lyrics, they could be referring to the xenomorph or the dystopian future of a corporate controlled team of hybrid children, emotionally ported into nearly impervious supercomputer bodies. Which, if my math is correct, is awesome.
Episode 2 meanwhile wraps up with the feedback build up of Tool’s “Stinkfist.” From 1996’s Aenima, the track features the band’s signature Drop-D tuned brand of heavy darkness. However, they edit around the opening verse of the song that is, ostensibly, about anal fisting, and jump straight to the more metaphorical chorus.
It’s not enough, I need more, Nothing seems to satisfy.
I don’t want it, I just need it, to breathe, to feel, to know I’m alive.
In this moment Wendy, who’s participated in more than one conversation about whether or not she’s still human to this point in the show, has found her brother and had him whisked away again. There’s a determination in her not seen in the other Lost Boys, and this mid-90s heavy metal classic features these lyrics that underline this part of her character, while being a compositionally spooky piece of music to play while a half-robot child is left tending a bunch of xenomorph eggs in a crashed spaceship.
Anyway, over-thinking these song choices is going to be a feature of these reviews, so… you know… get used to it.
eBay is offering a great deal on a well equipped RTX 5070 Ti gaming laptop. Antonline (via eBay) has listed the Asus ROG Strix G16 RTX 5070 Ti gaming laptop for $1,999.99 with free shipping. In addition to the powerful graphics card, this laptop features the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX processor, which is one of the most powerful AMD mobile CPU available right now.
Antonline is an authorized Asus reseller, so you'll be getting the same 1 year warranty as buying from Asus direct. Their official eBay store has over 300,000 reviews with a 98.9% positive feedback rating. This laptop is currently in stock and will be delivered to you within 2-4 days. Antonline also offers free returns within 30 days.
Asus ROG Strix G16 RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Laptop for $1,999.99
The Asus ROG Strix G16 gaming laptop features a 16" 2.5K 240Hz IPS display, AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX processor, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. It measures 0.9" thin and weighs about 5.5 pounds. It's not the lightest laptop on the block, but that's because the Strix models put more emphasis on maximum performance and cooling. This is a pretty high-end model from Asus, sitting just under the Scar lineup and side by side with the Zephyrus lineup. The top lid boasts solid aluminum construction, but the base is made of plastic to keep the weight down and reduce heat transfer to the keyboard and palm area so that your hands don't get toasty while gaming.
The Strix G16 is equipped with a current generation AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX processor, which has a max turbo frequency of 5.4GHz with 16 cores, 32 threads, and 64MB total L3 cache. According to Passmark, this is the third most powerful AMD mobile CPU available right now and beats out Intel's Core Ultra 295HX. In fact, the only AMD processors that have a higher rating are the new X3D models which are very difficult to find in all but the highest end laptops.
The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti mobile GPU is better than the RTX 4080 mobile
The Asus ROG Strix G16 laptop offers a more substantial cooling design than thinner models like Asus' own ROG Zephyrus and is able to accomodate more powerful GPUs like the RTX 5070 Ti without any power throttling. That's important if you want to be able to play games comfortably on the display's enhanced 2560x1600 resolution. The RTX 5070 Ti mobile GPU is a substantial upgrade over the 4070 Ti. In fact, it offers gaming performance on par with the RTX 4080 and takes the lead in any games that support DLSS 4 with multi-frame generation. It's considerably more powerful than the RTX 5070 and the GPU I would recommend at the minimum for gaming at 2.5K resolution.
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.
Here's a great deal on a 3-in-1 power bank that you don't see every day. Amazon is currently offering an Iniu 10,000mAh 30W Power Bank with foldable plug and USB cable for just $16.79 after you apply 40% off coupon code "8LGHJN3V". It's available in six different colors, although the black one will get you the cheapest price by about $1. This power bank will more than double the total battery life for your Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Apple iPhone, or Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
Iniu 10,000mAh 45W Power Bank for $12.39
Normally you would need to take along at least three items with you to keep your Switch 2 charged up on the road: a power bank when there's no outlet available, a wall charger when there is one available (and also to charge the power bank), and a cable to link everything together. Instead, why not just bring along one device that carries out all three tasks?
The Iniu is first and foremost a power bank with a 10,000mAh (37Whr) battery capacity. It has three output ports: one built-in USB Type-C cable, one USB Type-C port, and one USB Type-A port. The 30W of Power Delivery is enough to fast charge the Nintendo Switch or Switch 2, which has a maximum charging rate of 18W-20W, and the Apple iPhone 16, which has a maximum charging rate of 30W even for the Pro Max model.
The Iniu power bank doesn't need a wall charger because it basically has one internally. It comes equipped with a built-in 2-prong plug that you can insert directly into any available two or three prong outlet. It also handily folds out of the way when not in use to minimize the chance of breakage while traveling.
Finally, the Iniup power bank includes a built-in USB Type-C cable so that you no longer need to bring along your own. It loops back and clips into itself when not in use so that you can use it as a handy lanyard.
Of course the best "feature" is the price. To get all three items would generally cost you over $20, even if you get everything on sale. At under $17, this 3-in-1 is a versatile bargain.
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.
I must admit, Magic: The Gathering’s new Edge of Eternities surprised me. I felt it was going to be a relatively soft follow-up to the game’s most popular set ever, Universes Beyond: Final Fantasy, and yet it feels like another home run.
A great new setting, unique designs, and some big chase cards have seen stock selling out fast, particularly when it comes to Collector Boosters. As a result, you can still find them, but you’ll need to brave the secondary market - and pay over the odds, sadly.
Where To Find Magic’s Edge of Eternities Collector Boosters
Because they contain a higher chance of opening chase cards worth hundreds (and maybe even thousands), Collector Boosters cost more than Play Boosters and are also unlikely to be reprinted. Once they’re gone, there’s a good chance they’re gone for good.
Thankfully, Play Boosters are looking much more likely to be found closer to MSRP for months. The set is standard legal for a long time yet, meaning you can reasonably expect Play Boosters (and the set’s pair of Commander Decks) to be reprinted pretty regularly.
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.
Last weekend, a number of gaming fans traveled to Tampa, Florida to attend the National Gaming Expo. The convention, in its first year, promised encounters with actors such as the casts of Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Mortal Kombat, as well as the former voices behind Nintendo's Peach and Bowser, Donkey Kong composer Grant Kirkhope, and a lot more.
Instead, convention attendees were treated to empty halls, missing talent, a no-show photographer, and...camels?
The National Gaming Expo took place from August 8 through 10 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. The official website claims it expected around 30,000 people in attendance, and promised talent signings, photograph opportunities, vendors, and a cosplay contest. On social media, accounts such as Celebrity Talent Booking and voice actors like Ned Luke (GTA V) and Rob Wiethoff (Red Dead Redemption) promoted their appearances at the convention. Wiethoff, who plays John Marston, whipped up a particular fervor with some initial teasing of "exciting news" that got fans excited for some kind of franchise news - but it turned out he was just talking about a reunion of the Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2 casts at the expo.
However, that reunion was...disorganized, to say the least. The entire convention was disorganized. Despite the National Gaming Expo's lofty promises, fans paid $40 for a single-day ticket, $90 for the weekend, and showed up to a pretty barren event, as revealed in various photos and videos on social media:
So this was my first con and didn’t what to expect but this was definitely not it. Don’t support Mike wittenberg, because I was at the national gaming expo and it was so awkward and unorganized 😬 pic.twitter.com/vgi2D7DWvD
The National Gaming Expo was a disaster. The con floor was empty, maybe 10 vendors. The only panel that even happened was such a mess, Ned Luke took the MCs job cause he was doing such a bad job. They screwed over the celebs. And now they’re deleting their social media. @ngeshowpic.twitter.com/3KjP8tBzci
Accounts on social media lament the dismal number and assortment of vendors and booths, as well as a lack of security. One Reddit comment complained there were health insurance and T-Mobile vendors and barely any to do with gaming. "It was the equivalent of walking into a Best Buy searching for a game, seeing the shelves filled with broccoli, dish soap, and various car parts. Then somewhere in the back of the store there’s an open box VCR for $600," said another commenter.
Inexplicably, one attraction that was present at the expo was...a petting zoo, featuring a camel and a few other farm animals:
The National gaming expo has gotta be the worst convention ever produced all they got is a camel and no games pic.twitter.com/WhOExks6Ha
The convention didn't just look barren. Apparently, a lot of talent that was supposed to be there either didn't show up at all, or showed up late or sporadically in a way that made it challenging for fans to encounter the actors they wanted to see. Several attendees who claim they went to the show on Friday said that the Red Dead Redemption cast wasn't there at all, and were told there was some mistake made with their agency. Others did report that they got to meet the Red Dead Redemption crew later, but complained that paid photo opportunities with them and other talent were canceled due to the one photographer allegedly hired by the convention not showing up.
As a result, attendees have been making their feelings known to the National Gaming Expo organizers in whatever way they can. The convention's official Instagram page has been deleted and its Facebook event page has been locked, but the Facebook comments on the Florida State Fairgrounds' post for the event are filled with upset attendees. Many posters are issuing warnings about the event's organizer: CEO of NGE Event Production Michael Wittenberg.
Wittenberg, who formerly ran the National Vape Expo before it was shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, started the National Gaming Expo this year just months after returning from a year-and-a-half-long stint in a Dominican Republic prison. He was arrested there in 2023 for international narcotics trafficking during a networking event at a resort, after signing to accept a "700-pound pallet filled with promotional items, but Dominican officials sniffed out pills, gummies, and cartridges containing THC, the active ingredient in marijuana," according to CBS News. Wittenberg says the items in it were all federally legal in the United States. "Did I know for sure that stuff was in the pallet? No. But i thought it was a possibility. Was I stupid or ignorant? Yeah. I wasn't guilty. There is a difference," Wittenberg said at the time. "I've done major conventions with these products for 10 years in major convention centers across the country."
The warnings shared by convention-goers, however, are less about the THC and more about Wittenberg's history with conventions. According to commenters, Wittenberg has run threadbare, scammy events before, with some people even popping in to allege he's failed to pay workers in the past. While it's difficult to find a useful record online of his past events, these claims are somewhat supported by at least one review of the National Vape Expo still floating around the internet. "During the weekend I had to come up with ways of passing the time such as counting the number of steps between stands and taking regular coffee breaks," reads the review from a staff reporter at Vapouround from 2017. "Never in my life have I made a large flat white latte last so long. Normally I am an espresso kind of guy but the five seconds they take to drink would not just cut it when I am running down the clock at such a vaping non-event as this."
A handful of involved parties have already publicly commented on the situation at National Gaming Expo. In a statement to IGN, GTA 5's Michael De Santa actor Ned Luke said simply, "It was a scam, the guy who ran it was a con artist. He put the con in comic-con."
Venture Authentics, which had advertised "send-ins" at the expo (letting people send in collectibles to be autographed by talent) has apologized and said it will issue refunds to customers, due to "James Burnes, Michael Antonakos, Grant Kirkhope, and others" not attending. In a Facebook comment, the company clarified: "this one is not the guests fault, it’s 100% on the convention. I’d rather not elaborate publicly, but do not blame the guests. They seem to be just as shocked."
Roger Clark, the voice of Arthur Morgan, similarly acknowledged his absence:
It is with my deepest apologies that I say I wasn’t able to attend the last day of National Gaming Expo today as was announced. My absence was due to circumstances outside of my control. Crazy shit man. Sorry.
A number of individuals on social media who say they attended the convention are now trying to get refunds. Some are reporting success disputing the card charges for the tickets or getting refunds through Eventbrite, while others say they are unsure how to get a refund at all on photo opportunities that never happened.
IGN has reached out to Celebrity Talent Booking (which seems to have coordinated many of the actors), Michael Wittenberg, the National Gaming Expo, the Florida State Fairgrounds, Kenny James, Michael Antonakos, Grant Kirkhope, James Burnes, Take-Two and Rockstar (for good measure), and the agencies representing Roger Clark, Rob Wiethoff, and Samantha Kelly for comment.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Adorama is clearing out its inventory of older MacBook Pro laptops and offering some huge discounts on brand new, fully warrantied units. Right now you can pick up a Apple MacBook Pro 14.2" M3 Pro laptop for just $1,499 after $700 off in instant savings. This is an excellent deal on a powerful MacBook that can handle heavy duty workstation tasks and it's equipped with a healthy dose of memory and storage to power through all of your back to school needs.
MacBook Pro 14.2" M3 Pro (18GB/1TB) for $1499
This late-2023 MacBook Pro features a 14.2" Liquid Retina XDR display, Apple M3 Pro chip with 11-core CPU and 14-core GPU, 18GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The Apple M3 is one generation behind the current M4 model, however the M3 Pro is technically a superior processor to the M4. The M4 has a slightly higher clock speed so it's faster in single-core performance, but the M3 Pro has considerably more CPU and GPU cores, so it is better at multi-tasking performance and in apps that can take advantage of multi-core processing. If you're a creative professional who intends to use this laptop as a primary work rig, then the Pro chip is definitely the way to go.
The MacBook Pro boasts a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display.
The 14" MacBook Pro model weighs in at 3.5 pounds and 0.6" thin, which makes it a great portable machine for everyday toting. It's very slightly heavier and thicker than the MacBook Air, but the extra space allows for more powerful components and more aggressive cooling. The MacBook Pro features a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display, which is a Mini-LED panel with a 3,024x1965 resolution, Pro Motion (120Hz refresh rate), PS3 Wide Color and True Tone, and up to 1,000nits of peak brightness. It's a big step up from the MacBook Air, which can't achieve the same brightness levels and lacks the Mini-LED panel and Pro Motion refresh rate.
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.
Blizzard's Story and Franchise Development team (SFD) has voted in favor of unionization with the Communications Workers of America, according to a press release shared today.
SFD consists of Blizzard workers producing in-house cinematics, animation, trailers, promotional videos, in-game cutscenes, and other narrative content across Blizzard franchises, in addition to archival workers and historians.
“After more than a decade working at Blizzard, I’ve seen all the highs and lows," said organizing committee member and principal editor Bucky Fisk. "For years, Blizzard has been a place where people could build their careers and stay for decades, but that stability’s been fading. With a union, we’re able to preserve what makes this place special, secure real transparency in how decisions are made, and make sure policies are applied fairly to everyone.”
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
A great wireless gaming mouse allows you to enjoy an untethered experience from your gaming PC. Many of them also feature wired connections, so you can continue to game while the mouse is charging. Wireless mice, however, are far more versatile – gone are the days of wireless lag, so you can continue to experience reliable, accurate clicks and consistent tracking without the wires.
TL;DR – These Are the Best Wireless Gaming Mice
Like many of the best gaming accessories, investing in a wireless gaming mouse doesn’t have to be expensive. Of course, there are premium options out there with high polling rates, high DPIs, RGB lighting, programmable keys, and so on. But, there are also some seriously good contenders if you’re looking for a budget gaming mouse too.
The Razer Deathadder V4 Pro is basically the perfect wireless competitive mouse, with long battery life to boot. As I found in my review, it's a blazing-fast gaming juggernaut: Razer's new Gen-2 HyperSpeed Wireless tracks every nudge of your mouse exactly and immediately. It's designed with pro players in mind and you can bump the polling rate all the way up to 8K – although you probably won't notice a difference. For most players, 4K or even 2K is more than enough.
Its weighty hemispheric USB dongle is brilliant: While it does make this a less portable mouse, it has three indicator lights that show you information at a glance, such as your battery status, current polling rate, and connection status. You can customize them to show, for example, your chosen DPI if you prefer. It looks sleek on your desk, and the grippy underside means it won't move from wherever you set it down. Most importantly, it connects instantly whenever you turn the mouse on, and it never dropped connection in all my testing.
It's admittedly pricey at $169.99, but you're paying for the best.
2. SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless
Best Budget Wireless Gaming Mouse
You don’t need to spend a lot to get a quality wireless option. There are plenty of budget gaming mice that can keep up with the action, and the flashy SteelSeries Aerox 3 is our top pick. The triangular cutouts at the palm and the bright RGB may seem over the top, but in actual use, its effects are quite nice (which you can customize through SteelSeries’ software). And if you’re worried about damaging the internals, they’re guarded so it's not actually exposed. None of that would matter if the Aerox 3 wasn’t fit for gaming, and thankfully it’s one of my favorite wireless mice you can get on sale for around $50 to $60. That makes it a great value for an all-rounder.
In our Aerox 3 gaming mouse review, it earned a 9 for holding its own in competitive shooters with SteelSeries’ TrueMove Air optical sensor (topping out at 18,000 DPI) while not having to eat up too much battery – although battery life has evolved in brand new wireless mice, the Aerox 3 still isn’t a slouch and charges fast, if anything. It’s a bit tough to find a flashy, high-performance wireless mouse at this price range, making the Aerox 3 my current recommendation for a budget wireless mouse.
3. Logitech G903
Best Ambidextrous Wireless Gaming Mouse
The Logitech G903 is a killer mouse ready to make you the victor, and it continues to be great with each new version’s release. The ambidextrous design is great – more comfortable than most, with the ability to add or remove thumb buttons from either side. You can also choose between having a clicky or free-spinning scroll wheel by hitting the button behind it. The aggressive-looking design is more comfortable than it appears, and it’s pretty light for a wireless mouse. But, if you want a heavier mouse, you can snap in the included 10g weight.
The latest model of the Logitech G903 has made a few upgrades, including a better sensor and longer battery life. You now get a 25K HERO optical sensor with a 25,600 max DPI for wildly precise gameplay, if you want it. The rechargeable battery lasts an impressive 140 hours with the flashy RGB lights on and 180 hours when the lights are off. You also have the option to purchase the PowerPlay mouse pad, an expensive but brilliant accessory. It recharges the wireless mouse as it moves around or rests on the mouse pad. With it, you’ll never have to worry about plugging in your G903 again.
4. Logitech G502 X Lightspeed
Best Ergonomic Wireless Gaming Mouse
The Logitech G502 series is a beloved line of gaming mice, and the latest versions, the X Plus and the X Lightspeed, improve on their predecessors in basically every way. They look more refined and their curvy shape fits your hand no matter what grip you prefer.
This is a mouse built for comfort and utility. It has three programmable thumb buttons, two extra buttons next to the left click, and a scroll wheel that switches between free-spinning and incremental whenever you want. But, as I found in my upcoming review, it's also ideal for competitive gaming: Logitech's wireless tech and sensors have been fantastic for years, and give you low-latency clicks and accurate tracking. And on top of all that, you can pop the small USB dongle into a hatch in the base of the mouse, which makes it a surprisingly portable wireless mouse.
We recommend the Lightspeed over the X Plus because it's slightly cheaper, has a slightly better battery – an impressive 140 hours – and it's slightly lighter at 102g, dropping weight while still feeling solid in your hand. The X Plus has RGB, if that's important to you.
If you need an alternative, the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro that we reviewed is a brilliant wireless mouse that's just as comfortable, but it's edged out of this list by the cheaper Lightspeed.
5. Corsair Ironclaw RGB Wireless
Best Large Wireless Gaming Mouse
There are a lot of great mice out there, but if you have bigger hands, sometimes even the best mouse can start to feel a little cramped. When it comes to an enjoyable gaming session, especially a longer one, comfort is essential, and that applies to your mouse too. If you want a wireless mouse that's going to be a great fit for your bigger hands, the Corsair Ironclaw RGB Wireless is it. It has a large profile, letting you spread your fingers out a bit, and the thumb grip is nice and spacious. Its 130g of heft give it a substantial feel.
You won't miss out on the capable experience of other mice with the Ironclaw RGB Wireless. It has a highly accurate PixArt sensor and connects to your PC over Corsair's latency-free Slipstream wireless or over Bluetooth when you don't need maximum performance. You'll get 10 programmable buttons for tons of control at short notice in games. It features three RGB lighting zones if you want a bit of flair, though you can also opt for longer battery life by turning the lights off.
6. SteelSeries Prime Mini Edition
Best Small Wireless Gaming Mouse
Smaller gaming mice often mean a loss of features and sacrificing build quality, but that's not the case for the SteelSeries Prime Mini Edition. You’re getting a solidly built, lightweight mouse that glides with ease. And, if you’re worried about its “mini” size fitting your grip, you should be fine unless you’ve got extra-large hands. Once you’ve found a comfortable hold, you can get into your game’s action quickly, as it will easily connect to your computer via a USB receiver. There is also a wired version available for a lower cost.
Performance-wise, the SteelSeries Prime Mini Edition can stand up against the best of them. Its optical magnetic switches provide faster and more consistent clicks and should hold up better than their mechanical counterparts. Plus, with the TruMove Air sensor, you’ll have accurate movements, even if you lift the mouse up in the air during a heated moment in your game. And, the software it comes with allows you to make most of the setting customizations you could want. If you decide to go small, this is the mouse for you.
7. Logitech G Pro Wireless
Best Wireless Gaming Mouse for Esports
The Logitech G Pro is a great wireless mouse from Logitech designed for esports, or people who just want a mouse with great battery life and swappable side buttons. Like the G903 you add magnetic side buttons to whichever side you like.
It uses the company's newest sensor, the Hero 25K, so it's got plenty of range to fit anyone's needs, and you can also drop the USB transceiver into the bottom of the mouse too, so you won't lose it when you travel. The best part is it's also compatible with the company's wireless charging system, but it's an optional add-on.
8. Logitech G604 Lightspeed
Best Wireless MMO/MOBA Gaming Mouse
Whether you want all the buttons you could need readily available at your fingertips to conquer in MMOs and MOBAs or you just want one of the best gaming mice you can get your hands on, the Logitech G604 Lightspeed is well worth your time. It offers a dazzlingly long battery life even in its high-performance mode, but can last months at a time if you're using it in Bluetooth mode.
In addition to six thumb buttons that are super easy to use, the mouse has two extra buttons by the edge of the primary mouse button, as well as a clickable scroll wheel that can also click to either side. It may not have any fancy RGB lighting like many other mice on this list, but that brings the price so much lower. Better still, its price didn't prevent the G604 Lightspeed from getting the HERO sensor, which is a performance champ.
Wireless gaming mice vs. Wired gaming mice
Can’t decide between a wired and wireless gaming mouse? Below, we discuss their differences:
Lag and latency are major factors that make people stray from wireless options. Though wired mice aren’t always perfect, they often deliver a speedy, reliable connection without worry of signal interference. With that said, most modern wireless mice come with a 2.4GHz dongle or other technology, which helps greatly limit lag, latency, and signal interference. Most users won’t even notice a difference when comparing it to a wired mouse.
The cord is the most noticeable difference between the two mice types. With wired options, your movements will be slightly more limited, and there’s slight resistance and the potential for the cable to catch on equipment when anchored to your gaming PC. Wireless mice deliver much more freedom in your movements, as there’s no wire to drag you down. That does mean you need to worry about battery life, but with many options offering 70+ hours on a single charge and 100+ hours with AA or AAA batteries, it should not be an issue.
The biggest advantage wired mice have over their wireless counterparts is price. You’ll find wired options are cheaper than wireless even when offering almost all the same features because wireless technology is more expensive than a simple cable.
Wireless Gaming Mouse FAQ
What are the disadvantages of wireless mice?
Though the freedom of movement that a wireless mouse brings is great, there are a few disadvantages. The most obvious is the reliance on a battery. Whether it's rechargeable or runs on a AA or AAA battery, at some point, it will run out of juice. So, staying on top of charging or replacements ensures that doesn’t happen at the worst possible moment. Wireless connectivity also introduces latency and signal interference, especially when connected via Bluetooth. Luckily, the 2.4GHz dongle many gaming mice include is excellent at combating those issues but is still not as reliable as a wired connection. Finally, due to the extra technology baked into wireless mice, they’re pricier than their comparable wired counterparts.
Should you buy a PC controller instead?
It’s a matter of personal preference more than anything else as to whether you stick with the classic gaming keyboard and mouse setup or go for a PC controller.
A controller is perfect when you want to kick back, keeping things casual and comfortable while you game. Controllers are especially great when lounging on a couch and using the big screen of the best TVs for gaming as your display; all the inputs are directly in your hand, with analog sticks offering smoother control over movements.
With a keyboard and mouse pairing, you get an excess of inputs spread throughout the two peripherals. They’re often more precise and reliable, but are better for playing at a gaming desk. A lap desk can bring a keyboard and mouse to your living room, though most won’t find it as relaxing as the controller experience.
FromSoftware has just released Title Update 1.02.1 for Elden Ring: Nightreign and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table. Patch 1.02.1 comes with some balance tweaks. To be more precise, it increases the performance of the skill “Storm Ruler”. It reduces the time to charge the … Continue reading Elden Ring Nightreign Patch 1.02.1 Released – Full Patch Notes→
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