Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive is "currently exploring a wide range of future improvements."

In a social media post shared on the game's channels, the team said these improvements — "from accessibility features to new content and all sorts of bits and bobs we're actively assessing" — will also include expanded localization options (thanks, Eurogamer).

"While we don't have specific timelines or confirmed languages to share just yet," the team added, "we wanted to let you know that it's very much on our radar. Wheee!"

Suggestions from fans on what these improvements could be include a request for photo mode, loadouts, quicksave, and, ahem, "more swimsuit options for Gustave."

In IGN's 9/10 review of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, we described it as a "modern RPG classic," adding: "In so many ways, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 reminded me of numerous classic and contemporary RPGs I love, but developer Sandfall truly understood why those games are special and made the pieces it borrowed its own." If that's convinced you to give it a go, be sure to check out our tips for the important things to know before going into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

The cast of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 stopped by IGN Live this month to not only discuss the beloved new game, but also to exclusively premiere an over 10-minute look at the game's making-of documentary. It comes after the team was congratulated for their success by the French President Emmanuel Macron himself.

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.

Nintendo Switch 2 users have reported having the vibration effect of their controllers turned off, should the console detect you making "prolonged use" of their rumble feature.

Reports of warnings for excessive rumble use have filtered in since the Switch 2's launch earlier this month, as users see a message from Nintendo pop up on screen — "Rumble has been turned off due to prolonged use" — before the ability to make the Joy-Con vibrate further is temporarily disabled.

"I was getting this message originally after about an hour and a half of handheld playtime," one user wrote on reddit. "Now it shows within the first 20 min. Anyone else having this issue?"

Switch 2 owners say they've experienced issues with Joy-Con rumble while enjoying a number of games, including vibration-heavy moments in Cyberpunk 2077 (firing the minigun is reported to be particularly energetic), and during cutscenes within The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker on Nintendo GameCube.

But a reddit thread of users tracking the issue lists other titles, too. "Got it during the final boss of Sonic Generations," wrote one disappointed fan. "Been getting it a few times playing Fast Fusion," noted another.

Nintendo is yet to address the warning, though fans believe it is a feature designed primarily to limit the Joy-Con's battery consumption. After all, vibration requires extra power, and while disabling the feature entirely is somewhat heavy-handed, the move will ensure your Joy-Con don't too quickly run out of juice.

"This keeps popping up for me, too, even when I've only played for a few minutes," wrote one concerned fan in another reddit thread on the issue. "Worried I have a defective Joy-Con."

For now, fans impacted by repeated warnings say that fully disabling controller rumble in the Switch's settings menu is their only option to avoid the pop-up continually recurring. Others say that the warning was, for them, only temporary — with the ability to recover their buzz in a matter of minutes.

IGN has contacted Nintendo for more.

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

All the major studios and publishers have now revealed their biggest announcements through the numerous summer showcases. But IGN’s Summer of Gaming continues! We’ve already run down the biggest and best trailers of the season, but now we move on to bigger issues. Which games have us the most excited and counting down the days until they’re eventually released?

That’s why we’re here today to highlight our most anticipated games… and decide which one we’re hyped for the most. Our top pick has been chosen from a pool that includes every reveal from across the various shows we’ve seen, as well as the games that we’ve been able to go hands-ons with. We’ve also considered the enthusiasm that you, our readers and viewers, have shown for the many newly-announced titles – and so we’ve weighed up comments and trailer viewcounts along with our own personal excitement.

But before we get to our top pick, let’s take a bit of time to reflect on some of the other amazing games we’ve seen and played over the past couple of weeks. Here are some of our other favourites:

5. Ninja Gaiden 4

Soulslikes may have dominated the last decade of action-RPGs but the hack-and-slash renaissance is in full swing thanks to games like Ninja Gaiden 4. Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, two of the best character action developers in Japan, are teaming up for this direct sequel to 2012’s Ninja Gaiden 3.

The high-speed actioner jumped onto the scene in style thanks to a stylish new trailer, but our 25-minute hands-on with the game left us wanting to play much, much more. Super-fast and hyper-bloody, it will make you feel like the ultimate killing machine, provided you have the dexterity to juggle your enemies and pull off the right combos, of course. Luckily, we won’t have to wait too long, as Ninja Gaiden 4 will be out on all platforms on October 21, 2025.

4. Silent Hill Remake

It may have been just a logo and a little bit of nostalgic music at the end of Konami’s Press Start livestream, but the announcement that the Silent Hill 2 remake’s developer Bloober Team will be tackling the original Silent Hill as its next collaboration with Konami was enough to send all of our heads spinning.

The first Silent Hill kicked off one of the most horrifying and beloved video game franchises in history, but while it was ahead of its time in many respects when it came out in 1998, it certainly hasn’t kept up with the times. A remake crafted with the same care and consideration Bloober gave to its sequel is certainly an exciting prospect.

3. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls

Move aside Marvel vs. Capcom, there’s a new superhero fighting game in town. The big surprise of PlayStation’s latest State of Play was Arc System Works’ Marvel Tokon, a 4v4 tag team fighting game featuring Marvel heroes like Iron Man and Captain America reimagined through a Japanese lens. Arc System Works is already lauded for their visually striking and deeply competitive fighting games like Guilty Gear and Dragon Ball FighterZ, but Marvel Tokon could take this beloved-but-niche developer to new heights thanks to the power of Disney. The detail and depth of mechanics showcased in the lengthy reveal means Marvel Tokon just inches past our excitement for another superheroic fighting game announced over the Summer of Gaming - Invincible VS. Plus, Fighting Souls is 4v4 rather than 3v3, so that extra couple of heroes only helps push our anticipation up further.

2. 007 First Light

IO Interactive finally unveiled its long-awaited 007 game and – surprise! – it looks fun as hell. While the developer’s usual suited assassin, Agent 47, might be an emotionless killing machine, young James Bond here in 007 First Light looks to be having the time of his life as he sets out on the path to become one of the most famous secret agents in the world (a mission that, admittedly, seems something of a contradiction).

The trailer has everything a good James Bond game should have: exotic locales, sports cars, laser wrist watches, a little light flirting, and plenty of explosions. Pair that with the knowledge that IOI has said we should expect the same level of freedom as available in the Hitman: World of Assassination trilogy, and 007 First Light is one game we just can’t wait for (plus, with a 2026 release window, this is likely going to be our first big Bond outing since Daniel Craig bowed out). Perhaps the only reason it’s not our overall most anticipated game of the event is that we sadly haven’t had a chance to play it yet, and therefore can’t definitively speak to its quality. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for gamescom 2025…

So, that’s four reveals of varying sizes that have us hyped for future games. But the big one – our most anticipated game – is something coming pretty soon, and something we’ve already been able to play. And, based on how much we love its predecessors, we’re hoping it continues the series’ legacy and offers up one of the finest survival horror experiences of the generation. Our most anticipated game from the Summer of Gaming is…

1. Resident Evil Requiem

Capcom delivered an epic bait-and-switch during Summer Game Fest 2025, suggesting that there would be no official Resident Evil 9 announcement as part of the show, only to formally reveal Resident Evil Requiem a few minutes later. I guess delayed jump scares are part of the Resi recipe, after all.

The next mainline entry in the popular survival horror franchise is set to star a new hero, Grace Ashcroft, who has a close relationship to a character from a forgotten Resident Evil game. More excitingly, though, Capcom revealed that Resident Evil Requiem will be playable in both first- and third-person at launch, combining the best of both worlds when it comes to modern Resident Evil games. We got a chance to play a short preview build of Resident Evil Requiem and came away impressed with how first-person focuses on pure horror, while playing in third-person delivers some added action thrills.

Grace seems like a compelling new character, too, given her background as an FBI analyst who’s more comfortable behind a computer than with a gun. This’ll make her (and us) even more afraid when we come face to face with Requiem’s new stalker monster, a hulking figure whose grotesque frame fills up entire hallways.

All this, plus Capcom’s ongoing winning streak of great games, means we’re incredibly excited to play the next mainline Resi game when Resident Evil Requiem is released on consoles and PC on February 27, 2026.

Resident Evil Requiem is our most anticipated game from the Summer of Gaming, but what’s yours? You can let us know in the comments below, or join us tomorrow when we’ll be ranking the biggest announcements in an IGN community tier list.

Earlier this year, Pokémon Go maker Niantic announced it was selling its portfolio of mobile games to Monopoly Go owner Scopely for $3.5bn, in a move that was both celebrated and scorned by parts of the game's devoted playerbase.

For some fans, new ownership finally meant freedom from previous owner Niantic's focus on pushing largely unwanted augmented reality features into the game. (Post-sale, Niantic has essentially rebranded under a fresh title, Niantic Spatial, and made pursuing AR technology its sole goal.) Scopely, by comparison, is entirely gaming-focused.

But for other fans, particularly those who have played other Scopely titles, the change sparked concerns around the potential for increased monetisation, and of any involvement by Scopely's parent company Savvy Games, which is a product of Saudi Arabia's controversial Public Investment Fund.

As part of his first round of interviews since the $3.5bn acquisition was finalised earlier this month, I sat down with Pokémon Go director Michael Steranka to discuss the impact of the game changing hands, and what being owned by Scopely would really mean for fans of the hit smartphone game going forwards.

"We physically moved basically one block over so, you know, it wasn't too much of a change," Steranka begins, as we sit on Pokémon Go-branded deck chairs at the game's big Go Fest 2025 live event in Paris last weekend. "It was actually one of our overflow offices that we had anyways, so a really familiar space.

"I would say the most remarkable thing about this transition so far is how uninterrupted it's been," he adds. "It's very much been business as usual."

For Pokémon Go, business as usual means a continually busy schedule of in-game events and additional Pokémon releases, as well as physical events such as Go Fest 2025 and the upcoming debut of a mysterious mobile event series, Pokémon Go Road Trip 2025, set to begin in the UK later this month and wrap up in Cologne in August. Throughout this, and through its acquisition period, Steranka says Pokémon Go has continued as normal — though it is, as he acknowledges, still early days.

"Granted, [the acquisition] fully closed during Osaka Go Fest, the team has been quite busy, and so it's probably intentionally not disruptive around this moment in time," he notes. "But the sense that I've been getting through all the conversations I've had with folks at Scopely is the way they operate is to be quite unintrusive with individual game teams.

"As you know, our full development team moved over with us, and in terms of the day to day, who we interact with, we all still ladder up to Ed Woo, our team's leader within Niantic, who still is within Scopely as well."

So, what will change? Let's start with a positive for most Pokémon Go fans — the likely reduction in focus of AR-focused gameplay going forward.

"The key thing that's maybe a little bit less of a priority is the augmented reality focus," Steranka acknowledges. "It's no secret a lot of players have not been super excited about some of the AR systems that have been added to the game over the years. Moving forward, if we add any AR functionality to Pokémon Go, it'll be because we as a team really believe it's going to be a fun and exciting thing to add."

Unlike Niantic, Scopely is a company entirely dedicated to video games — something Steranka perhaps tellingly describes as a "breath of fresh air" for his own team.

"Philosophically it's great, or I'm expecting it to be great, to be at a company that's fully dedicated to games, because that's where I feel like we did struggle a little bit over on the Niantic side," he says. "It's just when it comes to overall company priorities, and where do we want to invest, and what sort of company initiatives we're pushing forward at Scopely, it'll be very much focused on what's best for this game. And I think that'll be a nice breath of fresh air for everybody."

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach creator, Hideo Kojima, reportedly changed the game halfway through because playtesting results were "too good," and he doesn't want his work to be "mainstream."

The revelation comes from Yoann "Woodkid" Lemoine, who worked closely with Kojima on the upcoming game's soundtrack. Talking to Rolling Stone, Lemoine talked about his process — both with Kojima and without — and the challenges of writing music for a medium that's changing in real-time as players progress through the game.

Interestingly, he also reflected on Kojima opening up about the "problem" of having players "like [Death Stranding 2] too much." "That means something is wrong," Kojima told him. "We have to change something."

"There’s a key moment where we had a discussion, probably halfway [through] when we were doing the game, where he came to me and he said, 'We have a problem,'" Woodkid explained.

"Then he said, 'I’m going to be very honest, we have been testing the game with players and the results are too good. They like it too much. That means something is wrong; we have to change something.' And he changed stuff in the script and the way some crucial stuff [happens] in the game because he thought his work was not polarizing and not triggering enough emotions."

According to Kojima, "If everyone likes [your work], it means it’s mainstream. It means it’s conventional. It means it’s already pre-digested for people to like it."

"I don’t want that," Kojima reportedly told Lemoine. "I want people to end up liking things they didn’t like when they first encountered it, because that’s where you really end up loving something."

Woodkid added "that was really a lesson for [him]," convincing him "not doing stuff to please people, but to make them shift a little bit and move them."

Not long to go now — Death Stranding 2 is out on June 26, 2025. Hideo Kojima is also working on a live-action Death Stranding film with A24, and we recently learned that a Death Stranding anime is in the works, too. He's also working on a PlayStation exclusive action espionage project called Physint, and called the upcoming Xbox-published OD "a game I have always wanted to make."

Earlier this month, the U.S. Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) suggested Death Stranding 2 players will be able to bash stuff to death with a guitar.

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.

As the wait continues for news of Ubisoft's long-delayed Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake, the publisher has reassured fans it is still persevering with the project, and instead recommended something else to play while you wait.

Ubisoft first announced a remake of the beloved Prince of Persia: Sands of Time back in 2020, and said it was set to launch the following year. The project has had a rocky development, with multiple delays and a full reboot as work was restarted back at Ubisoft's Montreal mothership, having originally begun at Ubisoft Pune and Mumbai.

Now, with no sign of the game during any of this month's various announcement shows — Sony's PlayStation State of Play, Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase, or Summer Game Fest — Ubisoft has spoken out to confirm its Sands of Time remake is now "deep" in development, as the game's current vague 2026 launch window edges ever closer.

"Yep, we're still deep in the game — exploring, building, and ensuring the sands move with purpose," Ubisoft wrote on the official Prince of Persia social media account.

"This game is being crafted by a team that truly cares, and they're pouring their hearts (and a lot of coffee) into every step. Thank you for sticking with us."

Yep, we’re still deep in the game — exploring, building, and ensuring the sands move with purpose. 🗡️⏳

This game is being crafted by a team that truly cares, and they're pouring their hearts (and a lot of coffee) into every step.

Thank you for sticking with us. 💖 pic.twitter.com/9bKjZHjmur

— Prince of Persia™ (@princeofpersia) June 16, 2025

While there's still a long wait ahead for Prince of Persia fans, Ubisoft noted that there was another entry in the series that's well worth a try: The Rogue Prince of Persia, developed by Dead Cells studio Evil Empire, which is currently set to leave early access in August.

"While development continues behind the scenes, there's another adventure waiting for you right now: The Rogue Prince of Persia — fast, stylish, and built with the same dedication," the publisher added.

While Ubisoft didn't mention it, Prince of Persia fans should also spare a thought for The Lost Crown, the series' 2024 Metroidvania-style entry. Despite a positive critical reception, the game failed to generate sales. Ubisoft subsequently disbanded its development team into other departments, scrubbing hopes of a sequel.

Ubisoft is currently in something of a quiet patch for new game launches, following the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows back in March this year. The game's first expansion, Claws of Awaji, is due before the end of 2025, but new games in the publisher's other big franchises are further off.

As the company restructures itself with the help of €1.16 billion investment from Chinese giant Tencent, it has also delayed a number of its upcoming big budget releases in order to afford them extra development time — likely meaning a longer wait for the return of Far Cry.

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

The mods looking after the SnyderCut subreddit have deleted a post calling on fans to review bomb the upcoming Superman movie and issued a statement to their community members.

On Monday, DC Universe steward James Gunn responded to the post, which had issued a call to arms to “stand up and fight for SnyderVerse on July 11.”

The user called on fans to “post spoilers everywhere,” “leave bad ratings on review sites,” and “reserve tickets online but don’t complete the purchase.”

“Gunn fired the first shot and killed the Snyderverse and here is our chance to take the fight back to him,” the post ended.

After a Threads user brought the post to Gunn’s attention, he replied to dismiss its impact on Superman’s potential success.

“Lol I think we'll survive,” he said. “I'm not sure the eight people that listen to that guy (I'm going to go out on a limb and guess it's a guy) are going to impact the course of events.”

Now, the r/SnyderCut mods have explained that they removed the post about two hours after it was posted, and that it had little engagement at that time. Of course, a screenshot of the post was already doing the rounds on social media by that point, and was on its way to Gunn on Threads.

The mods then distanced themselves from the original post and its content in the locked thread:

“Our staff never approved that post and does not endorse what it said. This is a public sub, where posts do not have to be pre-approved. The mere appearance of a post on our sub does not represent any endorsement by us. Our moderators delete posts after they are made if they violate any of our policies or Reddit's policies. There was never any question that this post violated our policies, both explicitly and in spirit, and needed to be immediately removed.

“The post wasn't so much controversial as it was universally disapproved of. We support everyone's right to vote with their wallets by choosing to not see a movie. But we do not support any dishonesty or manipulation aimed at stopping someone else from choosing to see a movie.”

This isn’t the first time the infamous Zack Snyder fandom has hit the headlines. Snyderverse fans played a part in Warner Bros.' 2021 release of the Snyder Cut of Justice League, and, last year, Suicide Squad 2016 director David Ayer was forced to respond to an online backlash against his support for Gunn’s Superman and its debut trailer.

Ayer, whose widely panned Suicide Squad movie formed a part of Snyder's now defunct DCEU, had initially taken to X/Twitter to ask fans not to launch the latest ‘Ayer Cut’ campaign at the same time as the Superman trailer release date. Ayer, clearly exacerbated by what he'd witnessed on social media as a result, announced he was taking a “step back” from the discourse.

Gunn touched briefly on the subject of some within the Snyderverse fandom rooting for Superman and his new DCU to fail, in a recent interview with Rolling Stone.

“I don’t mind it,” he said. “I think it’s good. I think you don’t wanna have everybody root for you. And I have an actor who reads everything online. I won’t say who it is, but he’ll read this article, and he’ll know who it is. It’s one of the top five in Superman. And this actor gets so upset over things that people say. I said, ‘First of all, you realize that the trailer came out and [reaction] was 97, 98% positive. These people help us, because you don’t want everything to seem 100% positive.'

“It’s all right to have an opposing force every once in a while. Some of the things get ridiculous — I just know that every time something comes out, it doesn’t matter how positively received, there’s gonna be something that is of great controversy. It was great controversy that the sun caused Superman pain.”

In the same interview with Rolling Stone, Gunn explained why he ditched the subtitles for this July's Superman and next summer's Supergirl.

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

As Stellar Blade tops 3 million sales worldwide, director Hyung-tae Kim has revealed the sequel, which has already been confirmed, will have a "serious" story.

In an interview with This Is Game, via Genki, Kim admitted that the team had developed a deeper story for Eve and co., but the cost of cutscenes became too high, resulting in them having to skip a lot of the cinematics — and therefore the story itself — to get the game over the finish line. That's why we're left with so many questions about Eve's world, including an official explanation as to why she requires a costume change so often.

While it seems Shift Up considered retrospectively adding in cutscenes to better explain the story, Kim was concerned that may "clash" with what players know and understand of the game thus far. Consequently, it looks like we can expect a "sufficiently rich narrative" when it comes to the sequel.

We probably shouldn't expect a follow-up anytime soon, however; right now, the whole team is reportedly dedicated to the PC port. Kim did say Shift Up would "do our best" to get it out by 2027, though.

The PC version of Stellar Blade only launched on June 11, but it's already Sony's biggest single-player Steam launch ever. Right now, the concurrent player peak is over 192,000. By comparison, Ghost of Tsushima topped out at 77,154 players, God of War peaked at 73,529, and Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered sports a peak of 66,436 players. In fact, the only Sony-published game to have a higher concurrent record than Stellar Blade is Helldivers 2, which is, of course, a multiplayer game.

IGN's Stellar Blade review returned a 7/10. We said: "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."

PC-specific features include AI upscaling via Nvidia DLSS 4 and AMD FSR 3, an unlocked framerate, Japanese and Chinese voiceover, ultrawide display support, higher resolution environment textures, and DualSense support for haptic feedback and trigger effects.

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.

A wave of Nintendo Switch 2 users have reported suddenly being banned from accessing the console's online services, and believe their use of the MIG Switch cartridge is the cause.

The MIG Switch is a flash cartridge that stores and plays copied Nintendo Switch 1 games — something Nintendo itself takes a dim view on, even as many users of the device claim they're just playing backups of their own legally-bought software.

But regardless of its purpose, the outcome for inserting a MIG Switch into your Switch 2 looks to be the same. Impacted users say they've begun receiving online bans on their Switch 2 consoles, blocking them from online play, the console's eShop and access to other Nintendo services. And now, they are hurriedly warning others of the consequences.

"My Switch 2 test has been banned, after using the MIG Switch with perfectly legal dumps of my own cartridges, so it would seem that Nintendo can detect something," one user wrote on social media, linking to a string of similar reports online.

"Similar reports on reddit are starting to come in. I strongly recommend that you do not use the MIG Switch, it was already very risky to use but it is even more so on Switch 2."

My Switch 2 test has been banned, after using the mig switch with perfectly legal dumps of my own cartridges, so it would seem that Nintendo can detect something
Similar reports on reddit are starting to come in.https://t.co/nbPMlRWSaPhttps://t.co/3eq6dkbFMi
I strongly… pic.twitter.com/btzjQYJzE4

— SwitchTools (@SwitchTools) June 16, 2025

On reddit, another user claimed they had only tried a MIG Switch in their Switch 2 console once, to play a legitimately backed up game they owned, before receiving Nintendo's online ban.

"I tried my MIG Switch in my NS2 once," the user wrote. "It didn't work. It just showed the game title and refused to load. It tried to download a title update for it and that was it. Maybe it downloaded a flag for the console to be banned? This was over a week ago this happened though. I've been playing with a legitimate cartridge ever since though."

Users with an online ban now see the following warning message pop up when trying to use any Switch 2 feature that requires internet connectivity: "Error Code: 2124-4508 The use of online services on this console is currently restricted by Nintendo."

On YouTube, gaming emulation channel Scattered Brain has posted a video showing their now-banned Switch 2 console, and said that simply signing in to another Nintendo account on the device did not lift the ban, which seems to be applied at a console level.

This video shows banned Switch 2 consoles can still be played offline, so Nintendo has not chosen to completely disable, or 'brick', these consoles — for now at least.

Back in May, ahead of Switch 2's launch, Nintendo updated its Nintendo Account Agreement to make clear that any attempt to use "hardware or software that would cause the Nintendo Account Services to operate other than in accordance with its documentation and intended use" risked "the Nintendo Account Services and/or the applicable Nintendo device [becoming] permanently unusable in whole or in part."

In other words, this new ban wave does not come without warning — even if it is coming as a shock to some.

"My Nintendo Switch 2 has been console banned and I have absolutely no idea why!" one user wrote on reddit last night. When asked if they had used a MIG Switch, they replied: "I haven't been able to use the MIG Switch on my NS2, I just tried it out of curiosity."

IGN has contacted Nintendo for more.

Image credit: Scattered Brain.

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

Dune: Awakening developer Funcom has said it's "working on" issues that are bugging players when they head out into the Deep Desert, including respawn times.

Though Funcom has already confirmed there's a fix coming for players sick of getting squished by helicopters in PvP — which is still cited as a huge problem — chief creative officer, Joel Bylos, popped up in the Reddit comments of one post to assure fans the team was addressing the issue.

"We are working on a bunch of changes/fixes to these things. Please bear with us," Bylos wrote.

Bylos was responding to a post by redditor rustypipe7889, who had outlined their issues with Dune: Awakening's PvP and the Deep Desert. Chief among them is the instant respawn timer in the PvP areas ("even when you win a long winded battle the losing team will just re-spawn instantly in the local area").

Meanwhile, other players have reported different issues with Dune: Awakening's endgame, although Bylos is yet to directly respond to those complaints. "End game is a total mess," lamented redditor Darqsat.

"There's nothing else in [Deep Desert] to attract PvE players, so DD usually empty and consists only crazy PvP tryhards. Officially, PvE ends in T5 with Duraluminium. And either they try different builds, or base-building, or they just leave the game. Nothing motivates them to go deep into desert. No legendary storyline quests, no certain PvE items like vehicle parts, or base parts, nothing."

The complaints about Dune: Awakening's endgame come as the survival MMO hit a new high over the weekend of 189,333 players.

Dune: Awakening has enjoyed a superb launch, with a 'very positive' user review rating on Steam. Within hours of going live on June 10, Funcom's survival MMO had clocked up over 142,000 concurrent players on Valve's platform. You can also see what we make of it so far in our Dune: Awakening review in progress.

If you're just getting started, check out all the Dune: Awakening classes you can choose from, and keep an eye on our in-progress Dune: Awakening walkthrough for a step-by-step guide to the story. To help you survive on Arrakis, we've got Dune: Awakening resource guides that'll help you find iron, steel, aluminium, and more.

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.

Elden Ring Nightreign has some pretty sick gear drops. And sometimes, you might even want to let other people try out that gear, even though you want to also use them. Well, a gear duplication glitch makes it easy to share the loot, for as long as it's around.

I first saw this thanks to the folks at PC Gamer, who put together a quick guide on just how to tackle the duplication. It's actually fairly simple to execute; if two players try to pick up the same weapon, at the same time, they both pick it up. So now you have the original, and a duplicate. (Don't ask which is which, it'll freak everyone out.)

Not only is this fairly simple, it's easy to repeat and there isn't really a downside to "failing" it. If the pick-up gets messed up, you can just try again. In fact, the only danger is that you're basically stopping in one place and coordinating this drop-and-pick-up strategy, and in Nightreign, standing still is rarely advisable. The brief respite between days, or the alabaster alcove before the big Nightlord showdown, is probably the best time to do this.

As PC Gamer noted though, they're not the first to stumble onto this trick. Various YouTubers and Reddit users have posted about the easy duplication, too. The proverbial lid is off on this particular exploit.

Whether FromSoftware will take any aim at changing it is anyone's guess. It is somewhat niche-use. There's no voice chat or anything to coordinate with random players online, so it's not exactly feasible to start dropping your best equipment and hope everyone's on the same page.

Even for teamed-up players using Discord or some other method to chat, you'd still want to have equipment that other characters would want. Not only is Elden Ring Nightreign fairly generous in drops, at least in my experience, but each character tends to have their own wants and needs for weaponry. Unless you're rolling three Ironeyes, I suppose.

The duplication glitch is nice for characters who want to double-up on specific weapons, like the Executor, but it's not some instant-win trick. For some fun and maybe sharing the wealth around if someone didn't manage to get any solid weapons by the final day, though, it might not be the worst trick to keep in your back pocket.

We’ve got plenty of Nightreign tips and tricks to help you take down all the eight Nightlord Bosses, and if you’re wondering how to unlock the two locked Nightfarer Classes, check out How to Unlock the Revenant and How to Unlock the Duchess, plus How to Change Characters.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Nintendo has included an infamous recurring Easter egg in Nintendo Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World, fans have discovered.

Totaka's Song, a recurring tune that has secretly appeared in countless Nintendo games, has once again been found — and you can hear it on Mario Kart World's character selection screen.

Simply scroll over to Yoshi on your character roster and leave the green dinosaur dancing for a little while. Eventually, he will start humming a familiar tune — yes, this is Yoshi singing Totaka's Song.

"I was idling on the Character Select screen when I noticed Mario began humming after enough time passed," wrote reddit user charizardtelephone. "I thought, 'Huh, they could totally hide hidden tunes like that.' Wait. Hidden music? In a Nintendo game? With Yoshi? It was too good to be true."

You can take a listen to Yoshi humming Totaka's Song below:

Legendary Japanese video game composer Kazumi Totaka has included versions of the melody in various games he has contributed to, both as composer and as the voice/noises of Yoshi himself. From Super Smash Bros. to Wii Sports, Animal Crossing to Pikmin, Totaka's Song is somewhere inside them all.

"After a few seconds, lo and behold, Yoshi begins humming Totaka's Song like the idle Yoshis do in Mario Kart 8," charizardtelephone continued, detailing the song's discovery in Mario Kart World. "Very cool Easter egg. Not sure if anyone else has noticed it yet."

In Japan, Mario Kart World is currently beating the physical sales of Switch 1 launch title The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild earned back at Nintendo's last console launch. The game, which is included in a bundle option with the Switch, is Nintendo's first big hit for its new console. Next up to launch is Donkey Kong Bananza, which will be further detailed in a Nintendo Direct broadcast later this week.

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

Amazon has officially announced that Prime Day 2025 will run from 8 to 11 July, making it the longest Prime Day event since it began a decade ago. What originally started as a 24-hour sale eventually expanded to 48 hours in recent years, and now stretches to a full four days.

Prime Day remains one of the biggest annual online shopping events, typically second only to Black Friday in terms of scale and consumer interest. The four-day format gives Prime members additional time to browse discounts across a wide range of products.

As in previous years, the offers will be available exclusively to Amazon Prime subscribers, with many deals unlikely to return until the Black Friday sales in November.

In the US, anyone can join Prime for $14.99 per month or $139 per year, with a zero-cost 30-day trial also available for eligible new users.

But, the better deal is entirely for the young crowd through the "Amazon Prime for Young Adults" scheme, which offers the same benefits, including fast delivery and access to Prime Video, with a few additional features like 5% cashback every day on tech, or 10% during Prime Day, and zero food delivery fees on Grubhub.

This version comes with a six-month free trial, followed by a 50% discount on the standard membership price, reducing the cost to $7.49 per month or $69 per year until the customer turns 25 (or your knees start to ache when you bend down).

These Prime Day 2025 Deals Are Already Live

Nintendo Switch 2 consoles are currently sold out at every major retailer. While launch day stock was solid, helping the console shift over 3.5 million units in just four days worldwide, it's been tough to come by ever since. But, there's hope yet with Amazon now almost certainly set to stock the console in the coming weeks.

One possibility is that Amazon could restrict Switch 2 availability to Prime members during the sale, a move that would align with the event's exclusivity model, and give subscribers early access to one of the year’s most in-demand consoles.

Should You Shop Prime Day or July 4th Sales?

To celebrate the release of Nintendo Switch 2 – and the 19(!) different Zelda games that are now playable on the system – the IGN Guides team has made a few upgrades to ensure you'll have a helping hand when you most need it. Not everyone needs a walkthrough to get to the end, but we hope these new features and upgrades can inspire even the most seasoned Zelda player to return and discover something they may have missed or skipped on a previous playthrough.

Speaking of smooth sailing, we hope you’re as excited as we are to revisit one of GameCube’s best games, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker in its original form. Yes, that means the slow-sailing and long Triforce Chart/Shard quest found in the OG version are back – and you may want to use our guide to make sure you don’t head in the wrong direction. Our Wind Waker guide was originally written in 2002, but we’ve worked on some big upgrades to make it nice and new for Switch 2! Here’s what you can expect:

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker Guide and Map

We have overhauled our guide and walkthrough with new high-resolution screenshots, added in-page tracking, checklists, new videos, and radically upgraded our interactive map. Instead of just showing you a desktop or mobile version of the in-game map, we have redone it from the ground up and you can now zoom in all the way and see every island, enemy platform, and submarine up close. Track which Pieces of Heart, charts, and items you’ve collected and start chasing all 135 Nintendo Gallery images to finally get that 100% completion. If you prefer video, you can even track every Treasure Chart via in-video checklists (or jump to the exact spot in the video from the guide). The guide and videos of course also address the Wii U HD vs GameCube/Switch 2 version differences so that it all works for both versions.

Clear some digital shelf space and maybe cancel a social plan or two, because there's a fresh drop of discounted gaming goodness covering everything from cosy indies to console-pushing blockbusters. Whether you're after a snazzy new controller, a cathartic shooter or a co-op crowd-pleaser, this Tuesday's roundup has something worth grabbing. And if you’re starting to feel the call of the codec, stick around. I'm about to reminisce about a jungle once favoured by a certain bandana-wearing legend.

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm using this Naked Snake stogy to light a 15-candle cake for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, a PSP must-own. Set ten years after the events of MGS3, Peace Walker tells the story of a decidedly jaded Big Boss and his new mercenary group, Militaires Sans Frontières. Once again, Kojima and co. shook up the standard MGS formula by introducing mission-based gameplay, a style that would set the tone for future games in the series.

Missions and “Extra Ops” worked together to allow Snake to recruit members to his team, customise your personal stronghold, Mother Base, and even pair up with a friend for co-op takedowns of the game’s tougher enemies. I remember this as a triumph in portable gaming and for its freakin' awesome Monster Hunter bonus mission where I fought Rathalos, Tigrex, and Gear REX.

• Pokémon Legends: Z-A (-13%) – A$78
• FC 25 (-43%) – A$34
• Bluey: The Video Game (-44%) – A$39
• Moving Out (-80%) – A$7.50
• Outer Wilds (-40%) – A$22.10
• Batman: Arkham Trilogy (-67%) – A$29.60

Expiring Recent Deals

• Persona 5 Royal (-33%) - A$66.60
• Bravely Default II (-21%) - A$63.10
• Sonic Frontiers (-53%) - A$47
• Sonic x Shadow Generations (-35%) - A$49
• NBA 2K25 (-79%) - A$19
• Metal Gear Col. (-50%) - A$45

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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Sony's newest flagship wireless noise cancelling headphones - the Sony WH-1000XM6 - was released on May 15 and today I am seeing the first deal for it. Amazon is currently offering a bonus $30 Amazon gift card when you purchase this headphone in Black, Midnight Blue, or Platinum Silver for $448 with free shipping. The WH-1000XM6 builds upon our previous favorite headphone with better sound, but noise cancelation, and better ergonomics.

Buy Sony WH-1000XM6 Headphones, Get $30 Amazon Gift Card

The seasonal Audible deal has returned. Starting now and running through July 31 (including Amazon Prime Day), you can sign up for three months of Audible Premium Plus for just $0.99 per month. Premium Plus is Audible's highest tier plan and normally costs $14.95/mo. As a additional subscription perk, you get a free audiobook of your choice for each of those three months and you get to keep them indefinitely.

Both new and currently expired Audible customers are eligible

Anyone who doesn't currently have an active Audible membership should be eligible. That includes new subscribers as well as existing members whose subscriptions have since expired. There's always a small your-mileage-may-vary disclaimer with these types of promotions, but fortunately it's easy to check if you qualify: log into your account, and if you see the $0.99/mo banner right on Amazon's Audible page then you're eligible for this promotion.

3 Months of Audible Premium Plus for $0.99 per Month

The price of Borderlands 4 was officially confirmed this morning as preorder listings for the upcoming game went live for the Standard, Deluxe Edition, and Super Deluxe Edition. The initial wave of preorders only included digital versions of the game, but Amazon has jumped in late in the day with the first round of physical copies.

These new Amazon listings are currently only for the PS5 and Xbox versions of the game and only two editions are currently up for preorder: Standard and Super Deluxe. You can check out the preorder pages at the links below. The current release date is set for September 12, 2025 for the console and PC versions of the game. We do not yet have a release date for the Switch 2 version, but it is coming sometime in 2025.

Preorder Borderlands 4 - Physical Copies

Standard Edition - $69.99

Samsung's fastest PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD is on sale today. Right now you can pick up a Samsung 990 Pro 2TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe solid state drive (SSD) for just $149.99 on Amazon with free delivery. The Samsung 990 Pro is widely considered one of the best PCIe 4.0 SSDs on the market. It makes for an outstanding drop-in storage expansion for your PlayStation 5 console (although I recommend you add a heatsink) or as a boot drive for your gaming rig.

Samsung 990 Pro 2TB PS5 SSD for $149.99

One of the biggest problems in fighting games is preservation. It doesn’t matter how good the game is, or how influential it was, or whether it’s a beloved classic or a flash in the pan or anything in-between. It’s just hard to play old fighting games on modern hardware. If you want to play any Tekken earlier than 7, you’d better have an old console hooked up. SoulCalibur? I hope you have a Switch 2 and/or the delisted re-releases or physical discs. The best version of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike? Still trapped on the Xbox 360 and PS3. And on and on and on it goes. Some have done better than others (Capcom, SNK, Arc System Works), but the reality is that a lot of the best, most important fighting games of yesteryear are lost to time or trapped on old hardware or saddled with bad ports that make them essentially unplayable at worst and deeply flawed at best. And that’s the best-case scenario. The ones that burned out or faded away? You probably can’t legally play them at all. Rest in peace, Masters of Teras Kasi fans.

That’s the situation Digital Eclipse is stepping into with Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection, a compilation of Mortal Kombat’s glory days from the early days. If Digital Eclipse seems like the right studio for this type of thing, it’s probably because they have a lot of history doing it, having made Tetris Forever, Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection, and, my personal favorite, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, among many, many others. They know what they’re doing here; the only question will be execution.

The most important things, of course, are the games themselves. The classics are all here: Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat 4. But it’s not just the arcade games. The console and handheld versions are here, too. If you prefer the sweaty SNES release of the original Mortal Kombat, it’s there for you. If you’re more into the gory Genesis game, that’s here, too. Me, I’m an arcade purist, but it’s nice that there are options here for people who aren’t, or who’d just like to see the different versions of each one.

But we’re not limited to the klassic (sorry) versions that everybody and their mama played. The weird stuff is here, too. That means the Game Boy Advance version of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is included, plus things like the 32X version of Mortal Kombat II and the Game Boy and Game Gear versions of the original Mortal Kombat. I didn’t even know they made a Game Boy version of the original Mortal Kombat, but it’s here for you if you want it.

In addition, every game in the Legacy Kollection will support online multiplayer with rollback netcode powered by GGPO, one of the best rollback solutions in the business. This release will mark the first time most of the games in this collection have online play. That’s meant a lot of extra work for Digital Eclipse (adding online play to fighting games that don’t already have it is a notoriously difficult undertaking), but if they can get it right, it’ll be an enormous accomplishment.

Online play isn’t the only new deal in this package, though. Digital Eclipse is letting you unlock every secret with the touch of a button. That means characters, game settings, hidden developer menus, the whole enchilada. If you’d rather do things like unlock Reptile normally (seriously, go look up the process for that in the original MK just to remember how wild some of MK’s arcade secrets were), you can do that. But if you don’t want the hassle, every secret is at your fingertips.

What I’m most looking forward to, however, is Digital Eclipse’s propensity for archival work, which will appear in the Legacy Kollection. That means interviews with the likes of Ed Boon, John Tobias, Dan Forden, John Vogel, and many, many more – but also archival stuff, like footage of the actors that was scanned into the game and the Mortal Kombat prequel comic book, written and illustrated by Tobias himself, that you could send away for by mail and is, like all collectors items, now prohibitively expensive to acquire. Throw in a timeline of the series that traces each character’s history and the story of MK’s various realms, and it sounds like the Legacy Kollection will have everything an oldhead MK fan (and young guns looking to learn the series history) could want. And as someone who grew up in the arcade with those games, I’m glad that they’ll be available for everyone. I’ll see you online in UMK3.

When the Lenovo Legion Go S first launched earlier this year, the only version available was powered by an AMD Z2 Go chip, and ran Windows 11 – and it was not great. However, it came with a promise that a version natively running SteamOS was on the way, and now it’s finally here. And, well, it’s better in every way, proving once and for all that a great operating system can go a long way.

Lenovo sent us the Legion Go S with the Z1 Extreme this time around, the same chipset that powers the handheld gaming PC heavyweights like the Asus ROG Ally X and the original Legion Go. And while this version of the Legion Go S still has comparable performance to these devices, SteamOS elevates this handheld to another level entirely. What’s more, the Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS should light a fire under Microsoft to make sure the Xbox Ally X is a success – because I could totally see other manufacturers partnering with Valve in the future.

Design and Features

Just like the Windows-based Legion Go S I looked at back in February, this SteamOS-powered version is an all-in-one design, as opposed to the original Legion Go with its removable controllers. The only difference between this and the Windows version, at least before you turn it on, is the colorway – the SteamOS version has a nice ‘Nebula Nocturne’ purple color. It looks awesome.

You still get the same back paddles that are nice and clicky, if you’re into that kind of thing, along with the adjustable triggers that could do with an extra level of control. On the top of the device is the power button and two volume buttons. You’ll also find two USB-C ports right next to each other for charging the device or connecting accessories.

The face buttons are also largely the same as the original Legion Go S, but with one slight difference. The Legion button on the top left corner of the display is now a Steam Button, which will bring up the Steam Menu, just like it does on the Steam Deck. This automatically makes this button much more useful, as it gives you the immediate ability to close your game, or get to chat without having to jump through a bunch of hoops.

Also like the Steam Deck, the quick settings button – located above the start button next to the top-right corner of the display – brings up the same settings panel as on the Steam Deck. This will let you adjust things like brightness, power and notifications in an easy-to-parse display. Most Windows-based handhelds also offer a quick settings panel like this one, but they have a tendency to shove as many different options as possible into the panel, making it a little harder to navigate than the simple menus on the Legion Go S.

Beyond the chipset running the thing, though, the biggest difference between this and the Steam Deck is probably going to be the display. While Valve has released a version of the Steam Deck with a lovely OLED display, it’s still locked at a 1,280 x 800 resolution, compared to the 8-inch 1200p display on the Legion Go S. And while Lenovo’s option is just a lowly LCD panel, it’s still gorgeous, with excellent color accuracy. Plus, it’s fast at 120Hz with Freesync Premium support.

It can be argued that the 800p display on the Steam Deck is a better fit for these low-power mobile chips, but the extra resolution really does help make the larger Legion Go S display an absolute beauty. You just might want to turn down the resolution in some newer games, but more on that later.

With the Legion Go S’s larger screen, though, comes a larger chassis. While the two handhelds have a similar thickness, the Legion Go S is nearly half an inch taller than the Steam Deck and 0.2 lb heavier. Now, 0.2lbs doesn’t sound like a lot, but let me tell you, after holding both for long periods of time, it’s noticeable.

The comedically small touchpad also returns, and while it was a major bugbear with the Windows version of the Go S, I didn’t feel the need to use it once in the two weeks I’ve spent with this handheld. How much this impacts you will largely depend on how much you care about having a usable trackpad. I personally never really used the haptic trackpads in the Steam Deck for anything other than navigating menus and typing on the on-screen keyboard, so the tiny trackpad here doesn’t bother me much. But if you play a lot of games that need that extra level of control, it could definitely be a problem.

SteamOS Changes Everything

The Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS is the first handheld not made by Valve that natively runs SteamOS. And while you can install SteamOS on the ROG Ally X or the original Lenovo Legion Go, having something that comes with the operating system running out of the box is a huge deal for anyone that doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of re-imaging their handheld.

SteamOS was built from the ground up to be usable with a controller, and it really shows. Just as with the Steam Deck itself, it launches straight into a version of Steam Big Picture Mode. You log into your Steam account and you’re good to go. Compare that to the setup process on the Windows version of the Go S where, once you get the system up and running, it’ll open to the Legion Space app where you can choose to download Steam and any other game stores.

However, you’re going to have to go through touch screen hell to actually set up those stores, signing in and even navigating their UIs to install the games you want to play. Once you have games installed you can launch them from the Legion Space app, but you still have to deal with Windows in a huge way. That’s fine with me, to be sure, I’ve been reviewing gaming PCs and laptops for more than a decade, and I have more than enough experience dealing with Windows on a fiddly touch screen. For a lot of people, though, it was a huge turn-off.

The ease of use of SteamOS does have its downsides, though. While you can get some other launchers running on the Linux-based OS, it takes enough effort that a lot of people are going to feel confined to Steam’s library. That’s a huge library, to be fair, but you won’t be able to use things like PC Game Pass unless you’re willing to do some tweaking.

Luckily, you can either just install Windows 11 on this thing if you want to, or just buy the Windows version instead, which Lenovo is thankfully now selling with the same Z1 Extreme APU as the model I reviewed here.

Performance

There are two versions of the Lenovo Legion Go S, one powered by the Z2 Go and one by the Z1 Extreme. And despite what the numbers in those names may suggest, the Z1 Extreme is both more powerful and based on newer silicon. This chip has a CPU based on AMD Zen 4 and a GPU based on RDNA 3, compared to Zen 3 and RDNA 2 for the Z2 Go.

Lenovo sent me the Go S with the Z1 Extreme, which is significantly more powerful than the Steam Deck, despite running the same operating system. The Go S also has double the memory as the Steam Deck with 32GB of LPDDR5X clocked at 6,400MHz. By default, the Go S has 10GB of this system memory reserved for the GPU, compared to just 6GB for the Steam Deck. That makes more demanding games like Monster Hunter Wilds a no-go for the Deck, but much more feasible on the Legion Go S.

So, while Valve waits for hardware good enough to justify making a Steam Deck 2, this little handheld might as well be the Steam Deck 1.5, especially when you look at the performance numbers.

I started with 3DMark, even if it meant going through the slog of installing Windows 11 on the device. In Time Spy, the Lenovo Legion Go S was nearly twice as fast as the Steam Deck, with a score of 3,433, compared to 1,715 from Valve’s handheld. Then, in Fire Strike, the Go S gets another huge lead with 7,865 points to Valve’s 4,322.

These performance leads carry over to actual games, too. For instance, in Cyberpunk 2077, the Legion Go S got 61 fps at 800p on the High Preset with FSR set to performance, compared to 28 fps from the Steam Deck with the same settings. That’s more than double the performance. The Steam Deck held up a little better in Monster Hunter Wilds, scoring 19 fps to 31 fps from the Legion Go S at the same resolution and settings. But that’s just average frame rate – the Steam Deck had moments where its performance dropped down to the single digits, especially when there were a lot of effects on the display.

At its full 1200p resolution, some cracks start to show, especially in Monster Hunter Wilds. While it’s still capable of delivering an average frame rate of 27 fps, the frame drops become extremely obvious, especially in complicated scenes. This is still a handheld after all, and 800p is going to be the resolution you want to stay at if you’re playing more demanding games. However, Hollow Knight gets 120 fps at 1200p, just saying.

None of this should be too surprising. After all, the Z1 Extreme is not only using newer silicon, but it has a much bigger GPU, with 12 graphics cores, compared to just 8 in the Steam Deck. Plus, the Steam Deck has a much more conservative 15W power budget, in the interest of maximising battery life, whereas the Lenovo Legion Go S will pump double that into its SoC. As with any gaming PC, more power means better performance, but it does come with a hit to battery life.

Battery Life

Even in handheld form, battery life for mobile PC gaming is always going to be a challenge. And while handhelds like the ROG Ally X are getting better, you’re still only going to get a couple hours of gaming out of a handheld when you’re really pushing the system.

The Legion Go S is no different. While it lasts 6 hours and 25 minutes in the PCMark10 battery test, it’s a different story when playing games. I booted up Baldur’s Gate 3 and set a timer with the chip going at full power, and the system died after about an hour and a half of playtime. Keep in mind, though, that this was at 1200p with the full 30W TDP. You can get much better battery life by lowering the resolution or limiting the power going to the Z1 Extreme.

The Steam Deck did last longer in PCMark, but that’s to be expected. After all, the ‘custom AMD processor’ is only using half the power, but that only got the Steam Deck an extra 2 hours of battery life.

It really is a game of setting your expectations, then. The lower-power chip in the Steam Deck will get you better battery life most of the time, but you’re getting way better performance from the Z1 Extreme.

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra

A new PlayStation Portal has never been discounted, even during the PlayStation Days of Play Sale that recently happened, but at least you can save on a used one. Amazon Resale just dropped the price of the Used: Like New PS Portal to below $150. Right now you can pick one up for only $148.81 with free shipping. It retails for $200 new, so that's 26% in savings. A Sony warranty may or may not be included, but Amazon Resale items still get a 30-day return policy.

PlayStation Portal (Used: Like New) for $148.81

Make sure to select the "Save with Used - Like New" option

Note: You'll see the price of a new PS Portal on the product page ($199). Scroll down a bit to see the Like New price.

The PS Portal, Sony's handheld gaming accessory for the PS5 console, looks very much like an extended split-pad DualSense controller with an 8-inch 1080p LCD screen in the middle of it. It turns your PS5 into a gaming handheld by letting you stream games from your console at up to 60fps. The controller mirrors the same features found on the DualSense, including haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and a touchscreen interface that replaces the Dualsense's touchpad. The Portal can stream your games even when you're outside of your home, with the caveat that you have access to very stable, very fast internet connection. Keep in mind that the PS Portal is not a standalone device. This is strictly a remote player for the PlayStation 5, so you will need a PS5 to use it.

You no longer need a PS5 to play games on the PS Portal. Now, rather than being limited to simply streaming games from a $500 console to a $200 handheld, Sony has introduced a feature that lets owners stream games directly from its PlayStation Now cloud streaming service. No PS5 required. Portal owners can either connect the Portal to their PS5 or directly to Sony’s cloud servers (with some new quality of life beta updates that launched in April). Choose the latter and suddenly you have access to a library of more than 120 games, including Ghost of Tsushima, Resident Evil 3 Remake, The Last of Us Part 1 Remastered, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. It’s worth noting you must be a subscriber to the highest tier of PlayStation Plus, but $18 a month is much more attractive than paying for every new game.

It should be said that the PlayStation Portal isn’t the only way to stream your PS5 games over Wi-Fi within your home. You can mimic its functionality by downloading the PS Remote Play app on a mobile device, including other gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck. That said, it's more complicated to set up and you'll lose out on some of the Dualsense's features.

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.

OLED TVs are generally considered the best TVs money can buy, and fortunately prices are dropping precipitously for 2025. Case in point, Best Buy is currently offering a 65" LG B4 4K OLED TV for just $799.97 with free delivery. This is the lowest price I've seen this year for a 65" OLED TV. Besides boasting true OLED technology, the LG B4 also has a native 120Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 ports so it can play PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X games in 4K at up to 120fps.

Update: Looks like this extremely popular deal is now expired.

65" LG B4 4K OLED Smart TV for $799.97

Walmart just brought back its best soundbar deal that I saw during last year's Black Fridy sale. The Bose Smart Soundbar 550, which normally retails for $500, is on sale right now for only $199 with free shipping. It's also sold and shipped by Walmart, not a marketplace vendor. This is easily one of the best soundbars you can get at this price, especially if you're looking for a compact, low-profile speaker with Dolby Atmos support.

Alternatively, you can get a certified refurbished model from Woot for an even lower price of $169.99. Amazon Prime members get free shipping, the rest of us pay $6 delivery. It includes the same 1 year Bose warranty as buying new. Woot is owned by Amazon and is an authorized Bose reseller.

Bose Smart Soundbar 550 for $199 (Normally $499)

Whatever your budget may be, there's an AirPods for you. Apple's newest AirPods are all on sale including our favorite earbuds for iPhone, the AirPods Pro. The second generation model with USB Type-C charging has dropped to $169 from $249 after a 33% off instant discount. The next step down, the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC (active noise cancelation) is down to $148 (normally $179). Finally, the value-packed AirPods 4 without ANC drops to $99.99 (normally $129).

Apple AirPods Pro for $169

If you've been keen on getting into VR games or upgrading your set-up, this new deal with up to £40 off the Meta Quest 3S at Amazon UK is the ideal time.

A new promotion that Meta seems to be running slashes £30 off the Quest 3S’ 128GB model and £40 off the 256GB, now only £259.99 and £339.99 respectively. These listings, including just the headset, also come bundled with three months of Meta Horizon+, Meta's catalogue of over 30 VR games to play.

Since Meta Quest games are digital-only, I’d recommend the 256GB version since that more-limited 128GB can fill up rather quickly, depending on how many games you're playing.

However, if you're only playing one VR game at a time, like the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Shadow, the 128GB should do you fine.

As well as other amazing VR games like Beat Saber and Among US 3D, you can also watch videos, films, and shows via streaming services like YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video.

If you fancied having a cinematic 1832x1920 resolution experience in your living room, this is it.

The Meta Quest 3S savings also extend to bundles including certain accessories like the carrying case bundle . These also include a 16ft Meta-official USB-C link cable, costing £349.98 for the 128GB version at £30 off, and £428.99 for the 256GB version at £40.99 off.

Amazon UK also has a selection of around-£20 third-party alternatives you can buy, instead of spending an extra £90 for the bundle, like those listed below, but it's still a good deal if you only bring armed with the official accessories.

Whichever way, you'll still be able to connect the Meta Quest 3S to your PC wirelessly using the Air Link feature. Connecting via the link cable provides slightly less latency, but you'll still be fine playing wirelessly, depending on your preferences.

While the listings on Amazon don't show an expiry deal on these lower prices, similar listings on the Meta website which are said to end on June 16 at 09:00 PT / 17:00 BST. There's no confirmation that Amazon UK’s offer will run out at the same time, but if your determined to grab a Meta Quest 3S, you better grab one now just in case.

Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.

In the last Crashers and Climbers, I was focused on Destined Rivals, thanks to it just launching. I was going to look into older sets this week, but the volatility of this set right now forced me to revisit some of the market values on this set.

It's also a good time to be savvy on the secondary card market right now and pay attention to pricing trends and market values across the whole of Pokémon TCG.

After prices plummeted as predicted following the launch weekend, most cards are once again trending up if they haven't already.

It doesn't help that there's a rise in sellers on TCGPlayer charging way above market value for their stock. It sticks out like a sore thumb and could be a collective push to artificially inflate market values.

Pokémon Card Crashers

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is now officially called Supergirl after DC Universe chief James Gunn confirmed the change.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Gunn explained the decision, which follows a similar move for this July’s Superman: Legacy to be renamed Superman. He revealed that the creative group behind his films do what’s called a “premorterm,” where they try to pre-empt issues that might cause a film to flop before it starts shooting. The name Superman: Legacy was mentioned at that point.

“I’m always cutting,” he said. “Legacy was really — we do something called a premortem. A premortem is you get together with your group that’s doing the project. It’s usually about a couple months before shooting, and you go, hypothetically, ‘If it’s an epic disaster, what are the things that we’re doing today that are going to cause it to be an epic disaster? Everyone here can speak freely.’ The things you find on other productions are the things that people are whispering. ‘Oh, God, I don’t know why they cast that actor — he doesn’t fit the role.’ Or, ‘The production designer’s never on time.’

“One of the things I brought up was, it was called Superman: Legacy. Even though I was the one that gave it that title, I just wasn’t sure. First of all, I’m sick of the superhero title, colon, other-name thing. And then also it seemed to be looking back when we’re looking forward, even though it does have to do with legacy in the movie itself. And everybody was like, ‘Oh, yeah, no, change it.’”

Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillesipe and written by Ana Nogueira, stars Milly Alcock in the title role. We know next to nothing about it (Alcock has remained quiet in recent interviews), but A Minecraft Movie star Jason Momoa has been loose-lipped, teasing his highly anticipated Lobo costume in the forthcoming film. Gunn subsequently had a laugh about the whole thing.

Supergirl — not Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow — is due out on June 26, 2026.

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

Alongside exciting new details, Disney has announced that EPCOT's Test Track presented by General Motors at Walt Disney World Resort will reopen on July 22, 2025.

As detailed by Disney Parks Blog, this attraction update has added an all-new musical score and "new scenes that highlight technology making our cars smarter and our lives more fun."

One of the new scenes showcases "how vehicles can use advanced cameras and sensors to 'see' the world they drive through." It's a representation of how self-driving cars can navigate without a driver and how LiDAR technology is used to keep everyone safe.

Speaking of the real world, Disney also shared that, while past iterations of Test Track were set in a "conceptual world," this new take is "rooted in reality." To accomplish that, part of Test Track will feel as though guests are driving though the Pacific Northwest.

"In our reimagined Test Track, we're really celebrating the pleasure of driving and going on a scenic drive with your friends and family," Walt Disney Imagineering's Nathaniel Gearhart said. "It's about taking these trips that are memory makers."

To bring that to life, they narrowed in on four species of trees - Cedar, Spruce, Maple, and Oak - that would be included to represent that region and make it feel authentic, complete with a ton of overhead foliage to act as the canopy of these trees.

Test Track 1.0 officially opened in 1999, Test Track 2.0 opened in 2012, and Test Track 3.0 will finally make its debut in 2025 after closing for these upgrades on June 17, 2024.

This is just one of the many things guests have to look forward to at Walt Disney World this summer, and it's part of our 14 reasons this season is a great time to visit the Disney World thanks to Cool Kid Summer.

For more, check out the latest details on Magic Kingdom's Cars-themed Piston Peak National Park.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.

PC gaming mod hub Nexus Mods is under new ownership for the first time in 24 years as creator Robin “Dark0ne” Scott hands off the baton for the sake of his mental health.

The figurehead of one of the biggest gaming sites on the internet posted about its next chapter in a message published today. It comes with confirmation that Scott has already officially stepped away from Nexus Mods, “following months of meetings, face-to-face talks, and a whole lot of soul searching.”

The message keeps many of the behind-the-scenes details under wraps but says two new individuals — one named Victor (a.k.a. Foledinho) and another named Marinus (a.k.a. Rapsak) — have adopted the leadership role, with both of their profiles now bearing the “Site Owner” title. The leadership change signals the beginning of a new era for Nexus Mods, and for Scott, a much-needed break.

“The strain of being responsible for the behemoth I created has taken its toll,” Scott explained. “The stress of the job has been a regular source of anxiety and stress-related health issues. I realised that I have been burning out and this started to have an impact on my staff and Nexus Mods as a whole. So, I firmly believe that the best thing for the future of Nexus Mods is for me to step aside and bring in new leadership to steer the business forward with renewed energy to make Nexus Mods the modding community we all truly deserve.”

The small project born in Scott’s bedroom for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind eventually ballooned into a massive entity in the gaming space. The Nexus Mods About Us page notes that this beating heart of the PC gaming community is made up of 63.4 million users and 16.8 billion file downloads, positioning it as one of the most highly trafficked UK-based websites on the planet.

As Nexus Mods has grown, so too has its impact on Scott, who has spent “every single day” for more than 20 years “on call.” Losing his direct input in the day-to-day operations of Nexus Mods will surely result in some changes, but Scott assured modders and gamers alike that the shift should not be cause for concern.

“Behind the scenes, I’ve already been stepping back bit by bit,” Scott clarifies. “Over the past few years, the team has taken on more of the weight and the site’s been doing better than ever. What’s changing now is simply the formality of it, making sure the right people are in place to guide Nexus Mods into the next era.”

Scott says his stepping down from Nexus Mods, as well as a few small structural changes, are moves made to ensure “long-term stability” and won’t impact how the site has been operating recently. He goes as far as to say, “Nexus Mods is community-first and mod-author focused, that’s not up for negotiation.”

As Scott steps away from his direct leadership position, the modding creator says he’ll still engage with the Nexus Mods community on its Mod Author Discord, forums, and more. He’ll also help guide the site’s 40-person team as the page is turned, relieving his duties as its face and figurehead.

“So yes, the ownership of Nexus Mods has changed hands, but I want to be clear, this isn’t some corporate ‘exit’ or a backroom deal,” Scott adds. “This is me doing something I probably should’ve done years ago: taking care of myself. Reclaiming some headspace. And finally letting go of the idea that I have to do everything and be responsible for everything myself.”

Nexus Mods has housed thousands of fan-made creations for games like franchises like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Stardew Valley, Baldur’s Gate, Cyberpunk 2077, and many, many more for decades. In fact, just moments after The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion shadow-dropped earlier this year, dozens of minor mods had already been published on the site. It’s the go-to place for PC gamers to modify their games to their liking, and with its first change in leadership in 24 years comes a fair amount of uncertainty for its future.

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

Borderlands 4 will be arriving in September 2025 and preorders have already started going live. After some initial controversy around the cost of the game, the price has officially been confirmed by 2K Games. At $70 for the standard edition, the newest Borderlands game in the series is going to be the most expensive so far.

Borderlands is set to release on September 12, but there is another related preorder that won't come out until later that same month. The Art of Borderlands 4 oversized coffee table book that features art and commentary from the game's development will be released on September 30. At $55, it is priced closer to what the previous standard edition video games were at launch.

Preorder The Art of Borderlands 4 Book

There’s a new Jurassic World Rebirth trailer out in the wild, and this one probably deserves a spoiler warning.

So that’s what I’m going to do. Here’s the spoiler warning!

Jurassic World Rebirth, starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali, sees an extraction team race to the most dangerous place on Earth, an island research facility for the original Jurassic Park inhabited by the worst of the worst that were left behind. It’s directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) from a script by original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp.

This latest trailer shows the new winged Mutadons, which Koepp has described as “a combination of a pterosaur and a Raptor.” The scene shown in the trailer gives us a good look at the horror elements in Jurassic World Rebirth, and rekindles memories of Jurassic Park’s iconic Raptor kitchen scene. There’s even a nod to that scene in this trailer, where we see the clawed Mutadon foot up close as a young girl cowers inside a freezer.

That clip veers on the edge of spoiler territory, but the trailer may end up crossing the line with its next section, which shows off a good chunk of a battle against swimming Spinosaurs, complete with webbed feet.

At one point, we see a man called Bobby look very much like he’s being killed by a Spinosaurus. The dino is dragging them off the boat Scarlett Johansson and co are on, and as Bobby clings on for dear life, there’s a look of resignation on their face. Let’s put it this way, if poor Bobby somehow walks away from this, I’ll be very shocked indeed.

Here’s the official blurb:

Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.Academy Award nominee Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure the genetic material. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on a forbidden island that had once housed an undisclosed research facility for Jurassic Park. There, in a terrain populated by dinosaurs of vastly different species, they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that has been hidden from the world for decades.

Jurassic World Rebirth hits theaters July 2. For more, check out everything we know about Jurassic World Rebirth, and our biggest burning questions.

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

Pokémon's iconic anime theme tune talks about wanting to be the very best — but what if there was a premium in-game item that could, over time, give your Pokémon a helping hand?

Well, as in the main series of Pokémon games, hit smartphone spin-off Pokémon Go is set to offer Gold Bottle Caps — rare items that will let you boost a creature's stats until it becomes a perfect 100%, or in Pokémon fan language, a 'hundo.' But these items won't be cheap — and seemingly won't be available very often.

Pokémon Go has recently allowed users to engage with more of the game's activities remotely, and begun selling items that bestow the stat-boosting Lucky Friend status on players when trading creatures. Now, the introduction of Bottle Caps marks another new frontier for the game, as something that will inarguably offer a gameplay advantage — better, stronger stats for the Pokémon of your choice — in exchange for your money.

The first Gold Bottle Cap, singular, will be offered as part of a new $19.99 event pass, GO Pass Deluxe: Ancients Recovered, which is set to be made available from Monday, June 23 until Sunday, June 29. Previous passes have cost either $7.99 or $14.99, making this offering the most expensive pass yet. It will also be the first time players will have overlapping event passes, as the monthly June pass will still be ongoing.

While a free version of the Ancients Recovered pass will also be available, Pokémon Go's first Gold Bottle Cap will only be offered in the pass' Deluxe version, which is a paid upgrade. The free pass will include an encounter with a Legendary Pokémon (one of the Regi family), three Pikachu wearing "dapper" costumes, plus Stardust, XP and other items. The paid upgrade adds Zacian and Zamazenta masks for your in-game avatar, plus premium in-game items such as Incense, an Incubator and Lure Modules, as well as that Gold Bottle Cap.

If you buy the premium upgrade via your browser on the Pokémon Go Web Store — outside of the game, and therefore outside of Apple and Google's pesky platform fees — you will additionally receive 10 Max Revives, 10 Max Potions, five Premium Battle Passes, five Max Particle Packs, a Max Mushroom, and an Incubator. And then there's the even more premium GO Pass: Deluxe: Ancients Recovered + 10 Ranks bundle, which unlocks the first 10 event pass tiers immediately and comes with even more Incubators when acquired via a Web Store purchase.

More than six years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters, Marvel Comics has finally completed its adaptation of the final Skywalker Saga movie. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Adaptation may be late to the party (the series was originally solicited in 2020 and canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic), but it does seek to bring something new to the table. The series includes scenes and dialogue not included in the film itself, and that includes a key change fans have been begging for.

Read on to learn what key moment plays out differently in the final issue, and why this change raises a few awkward questions in its wake.

The Rise of Skywalker Adaptation's Biggest Change

Like The Rise of Skywalker novelization before it, Marvel's adaptation aims not just to rehash the plot of the film, but add new scenes and lines of dialogue that expand on the plot. Issue #5 alone features several key changes. We actually get to see the message Lando transmits to the galaxy as he rallies an armada to fight the Sith Eternal fleet. We also see Rey and Ben Solo psychically talk to each other through the Force as their Force dyad bond strengthens.

But the biggest change comes during the pivotal scene where a battered but defiant Rey confronts her rejuvenated grandfather Palpatine in his Sith temple on Exegol. In the movie, Rey is strengthened when she hears the voices of the many dead Jedi who came before her, from fellow Skywalkers Anakin and Luke to Clone Wars-era giants like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luminara Unduli, and Mace Windu to the likes of Ahsoka Tano and Kanan Jarrus.

While that scene proudly celebrates the enduring legacy of the Jedi, many fans have been critical of the fact that these cameos were merely voiceovers. We don't actually see these dead Jedi manifest, despite a shot of Rey that clearly has room for an army of Force Ghosts in the background. This is where the comic seeks to address that sense of disappointment. This time, Rey is physically joined by the Force Ghosts on Exegol:

If you're in the market for a new Switch (not Switch 2) console, here's a deal worth consideration. Woot!, which is owned by Amazon, is currently offering a Nintendo Switch OLED console for just $249.99. Amazon Prime members get free shipping, the rest of us pay $5.99 for delivery. It comes with a 90-day Woot warranty.

This is a brand new, genuine Nintendo Switch console, but keep in mind that it is an "international version". That means it's an imported model and the manufacturer's warranty it comes with will most not likely be valid in the United States (however you do get the Woot warranty). The packaging and materials might also be written in another language. Functionally, however, every Switch console is region unlocked so you'll be able to play it in the US without any problems. You'll be able to select English as your default language just like any console you buy here.

Nintendo Switch OLED for $249.99

International model

In my opinion, the Amazon Kindle is one of the best electronic devices ever. Maybe the only piece of tech I use more than my Kindle is my phone, but even then, I have the Kindle app if I decide I just want to stick some knowledge into my craw. If you're on the hunt for a good deal on Kindle devices, there are a few discounted bundle deals available at the moment that are worth a look.

Our favorite deal right now is on the Kindle Essentials Bundle, which has dropped to $146.97 from its $161.97 list price and sets you up with a Kindle, fabric cover, and power adapter. With this deal, you're saving $15, which is worth taking advantage of while it's available. You can see that deal and a few more good ones below.

The Best Kindle Deals Right Now

Kindle is one of the devices you're most likely to find on sale during Amazon events like Amazon Prime Day (which is coming up soon in July) and Black Friday. The available Kindle lineup has expanded quite a lot over the years, too. Amazon will oftentimes sneak Kindle deals into its Deal of the Day or offer a bonus deal like free Kindle Unlimited or other Amazon services as well.

Kindle Unlimited

If you own a Kindle, it's absolutely worth investing in Kindle Unlimited. Right now, when you sign up, you can take advantage of a 30-day free trial before its $11.99/month price kicks in.

But you may be wondering: what is Kindle Unlimited, and is it really worth it? The answer is... absolutely, dear reader. With this, you'll get unlimited access to millions of digital titles, audiobooks, and magazine subscriptions. That way you can read all of the latest bestsellers, classics, biggest hits, and more in the realm of books and comics. What better way to get started on your Kindle adventure?

Current Kindle Bestsellers

Wondering where to start once you pick up your new Kindle? Have no fear, we're here to help with that, too. Below, we've listed out the current Kindle bestsellers so you can start up an exciting new book right away. Some of these titles can be read for free if you're a Prime member or as part of Kindle Unlimited, or they can be purchased if you'd like to own them.

• Death Row by Freida McFadden - $0.99 to purchase
• The Tenant by Freida McFadden - Free with Kindle Unlimited, $4.99 to purchase
• Rewind It Back by Liz Tomforde - Free with Kindle Unlimited, $4.99 to purchase
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - Free with Kindle Unlimited, $14.99 to purchase
• The Wedding People by Alison Espach - $2.99 to purchase
• Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn - Free with Kindle Unlimited, $5.99 to purchase
• Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry - Free with Kindle Unlimited, $14.99 to purchase
• Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros - Free with Kindle Unlimited, $14.99 to purchase
• The Housemaid by Freida McFadden - Free with Kindle Unlimited, $3.99 to purchase
• Abscond: A Short Story by Abraham Verghese - Preorder for $1.99

Best Kindle Book Deals

If you want to see the latest and greatest Kindle book deals available, there's an excellent variety to pick through. Whether you're looking for new comics to dig into or just want to sink into a thrilling novel, there's always great book deals available for Kindle users. We've listed just a few of our favorites below, but if you want to see the full list of available deals, head to Amazon's Kindle deals page here.

• All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries - $11.99 (usually $17.99)
• Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson - $2.99 (usually $11.99)
• Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin - $2.99 (usually $9.99)
• The Betrayal (Fear Street Saga Book 1) by R.L. Stine - $1.99 (usually $8.99)
• Iron Man Epic Collection: Doom (Iron Man (1968-1996)) - $6.99 (usually $44.99)

Why a Kindle Is Worth the Investment

I've been rocking the Kindle since the earliest model was available, and not only do I prefer it to any other method of reading, I've found myself reading more than I would have with traditional paper books. Not that there's anything wrong with reading from a traditional book, I just personally appreciate the ease of use and form factor afforded me by the Kindle.

Since the Kindles use e-ink instead of traditional screens like your phone or iPad, they can be read in just about any lighting. In fact, the pages look like actual paper pages, so any artificial light or even bright sunlight are no factor when using the Kindle. It only uses energy when you turn the page, use the backlight or leave Wi-Fi turned on, so if you go into Airplane mode you can go weeks, even months, between charging your Kindle. Generally I go long enough to completely forget where I put my charging cable.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

With contributions from Seth Macy.

In Japan, Nintendo has been working with online marketplaces to restrict scalper-fueled resales of the in-demand Switch 2 console. However, the video game giant may have another ace up its sleeve when it comes to dissuading people from buying the Switch 2 second-hand.

Home electronics and appliances usually come with a physical warranty card. However, social media users in Japan have been noticing that the Switch 2 does not. Instead, owners of Nintendo’s latest console are required to have proof of purchase if they need to request repairs under warranty from Nintendo Japan’s official repair service. As a result, many Switch 2 resellers on online marketplaces in Japan have been including the receipt, with savvy would-be buyers asking for it in the comments. However, receipts have been added to the prohibited items list on Mercari Japan, one of the major online marketplaces where people have been buying and reselling the hot new console (in addition to making prank Switch 2 listings of cardboard light switches, but that’s another story...).

User TeamSubRockman drew attention to the matter among Japanese-speaking users of X, observing that Switch 2s are being listed with receipts included on Mercari but noted: “This clearly violates Mercari’s Terms of Service. It’s gone from a gray area to outright prohibited. Nintendo is setting so many traps, it’s impressive.”

The original Switch had the warranty card printed on the box in Japan. To request the repair of a Switch 1 console under warranty in Japan, you only need to send in the warranty card section (either the original, a photocopy, or a photo). However, this is not the case for the Switch 2. According to the information about warranties on Nintendo Japan’s website, people must include their original receipt along with the console when sending in their Switch 2 for repairs under warranty. This means that buyers of second-hand Switch 2s in Japan could find themselves locked out of free official repair services should something go wrong with their console.

Interestingly, it seems that not being the original purchaser voids your Switch 2 warranty outside Japan too. In the EU, the Switch 2 warranty covers the console for 24 months post-purchase, however “this warranty does not cover the Product if it has been resold, or used for rental or commercial purposes.” (Source: Nintendo Switch 2 Hardware Warranty).

In the Nintendo of America version of the warranty, “The original purchaser is entitled to this warranty only if the consumer can demonstrate, to Nintendo's satisfaction, that the product was purchased within the last 12 months.”

It seems that Switch 2 repairs outside Japan also require proof of purchase for them to be covered by the warranty. The Nintendo UK Terms of Service for repairs, for example, state that “if you are unable to provide proof of purchase with the Product you send to us, the Product will be considered to be outside of your Nintendo Warranty and a service fee will apply for any repair work undertaken.”

However, this requirement is hardly a unique move by Nintendo. Sony also requires valid proof of purchase for console repairs to be covered under warranty. Indeed, this has been true for every Sony console up to the PS5 and PS5 Pro.

Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.

The BBC has broadcast an eyebrow-raising parody of its own recent Doctor Who series, which skewers the show as "lazily-written mawkishness" and mocks lead actor Ncuti Gatwa's recent regeneration into Billie Piper as having been planned to generate "clicks."

The skit, aired as part of BBC Radio 4 comedy series Dead Ringers (thanks, Screen Rant), critiques the broadcaster's flagship sci-fi show in a scene in which Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor defeats a CGI monster via the power of "unearned sentimentality."

Overall, it's a startling take on the recent episodes — despite their mixed reaction from fans — considering it comes from the BBC itself, and at a time when Doctor Who's own future feels far from certain.

"It's time for the last in the series of Doctor Who," the skit begins, as a continuity announcer introduces the next episode. "It's still going! Yes, I was suprised too." Ouch.

Currently, the BBC has not commented on when new episodes of Doctor Who will resume production, something which seemingly rests on whether Disney will continue its co-funding deal for the series. But as time passes since the most recent season finale, and a recent animated spin-off looks set to be made without Disney's involvement, fans suspect the Disney deal will not be renewed, leaving the BBC in need of a replacement.

As the skit continues, Ncuti Gatwa's incarnation of the Doctor, here portrayed by impressionist Jon Culshaw, describes himself as "woke, touchy-feely," and the show's current roster of diverse side-characters are also highlighted.

"Do you think lazily-written mawkishness is going to scare me?" says the villain, which is simply referred to as a CGI Monster. In response, the Doctor asks his companion to complement him, causing the enemy to die "of cringe."

"I can't take the Hallmark card triteness of your empty platitudes!" the monster says.

"It's working!" notes the Doctor's companion. "The power of unearned sentimentality in the script is poison to it!"

Finally, the parody's version of Ncuti Gatwa departs, in a line which ridicules the shock appearance of former Doctor Who star Billie Piper in a yet-to-be confirmed new role.

"Laters, I'm off to regenerate into Billie Piper for clicks," the parody Doctor says.

CRIKEY! Dead Ringers went after, REALLY went after, Doctor Who! "It worked! It died of cringe." 😬 #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/sr6DMXgydP

— Cameron Yarde Jnr (@CameronYardeJnr) June 14, 2025

Online response to the skit is mixed, with many calling it unfunny, and suggesting that criticism of the show's inclusivity is unecessary — though complaints around its writing were valid.

"A shame that this is not particularly funny but a pretty blatant breakdown of what has happened in at least the last two finales," wrote one fan.

"The bit that should give RTD nightmares is that about 40% was genuine dialogue," another fan wrote, referring to the skit's use of actual lines written by current Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.

Many fans expressed surprise the BBC had broadcast a parody of its own show, and doubted whether highlighting the series' perceived flaws in this manner had been good idea.

"Might be the only time I've heard something satirical be unfunny because it's so accurate," one fan wrote. "There weren't any jokes, it was just describing what happened in Boomer language."

"This just seems lazy," said another. "Shame cause, even as a Doctor Who fan, I think the show kinda deserves to be laughed at atm."

"Piss poor comedy takedown of a now piss poor Doctor Who," another fan concluded. "At least the BBC are consistent."

Doctor Who's most recent season finale was reportedly affected by extensive reshoots, an actor's social media account has now confirmed, allegedly due to Ncuti Gatwa's decision to leave the series.

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

The Tomtoc FancyCase-G05 is a sturdy and protective case for the Nintendo Switch 2, and one of the top Switch 2 accessories we recommend during the console’s early days. Its relatively low profile and slim design make it great for long-distance traveling or tossing in your backpack when you're running out the door, and it’s not going to break the bank, either.

I'm not one for flashy cases or overly-designed products, and despite the name “FancyCase,” this is anything but that. It's compact and almost the same dimensions as the Nintendo Switch 2, leaving little room for anything besides the compartment that holds 12 Switch cartridges. Despite not loving my previous case, which was the bulky and ugly case that came in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild Collector's Edition, I stuck with it throughout the console's life cycle because frankly, I'm a bit cheap, and if something works well enough I tend to stick with it.

Going into the Nintendo Switch 2, I was more determined to find a better solution to my carrying case needs and after talking to some friends, I decided to go with the Tomtoc FancyCase-G05 that I have here since it looked simple and was affordable. After using it for a bit, and even traveling through the airport with it, I can confidently say that this case is going to stick with me for the long haul.

Its slightly hard outer shell provides enough protection for the console and I never felt worried about taking it out of my bag in a rush, or what would happen if I accidentally dropped it. The zipper works smoothly and doesn't get caught or stuck on the inside layer, making it a breeze to get the console in and out of the case. The inside layer is smooth and soft to prevent screen scratches, and It does exactly what a good case should do – which is it lets you forget it exists. I never found myself thinking "I hope my Switch is ok in that case," and I never found myself even thinking about it. I knew everything was protected, and that's the best you can ask for.

I even did the unthinkable for you, the reader. I dropped my Switch 2 while it was inside the case to test how it would absorb the shock. After unzipping it and removing my Nintendo Switch 2 from inside, there wasn't a single mark on it. The console booted up fine, and no damage was done to it. Don't let its unassuming slim profile fool you, the Tomtoc FancyCase-G05 can take a hit. The notches built into the case mold around the joysticks and d-pads to give them a little extra room so they aren't smashed up against a flat surface when inside the case. This gives them ample room without too much headspace to jostle around. A small shock-absorbing cushion rests on the top edge of the console when inside the case, which guards the L and R buttons, and ensures the console isn't wiggling around in the small bit of extra space inside.

I was a bit worried about taking it through the airport for the first time on my way home from Summer Game Fest though – my first big trip with the Switch 2 and this carrying case could be a make or break moment. Would the zipper get stuck and make me look like a fool to the people sitting next to me? Would it get banged up going through TSA? Luckily, all of these concerns were quelled almost immediately as everyone of my made up scenarios never happened. The zipper works, the case is built tough, and my Switch 2 was protected.

Looking for a portable charger for your Switch 2?

Check out our roundup of the best Switch 2 accessories.

The Tomtoc comes in several different colorways for whatever vibe you’re feeling. If you're looking for something unassuming, the black with the colorful logo goes with just about everything. I got the all white case and my biggest problem is that after only a week, it's already starting to get dirty. From just rumbling around my backpack, the outer edges and joystick notches are starting to get dirt around them. I'm worried that after even more time the dirt will continue to accumulate, making the case look more worn than it actually is. The soft outside of the case can be cleaned with a wet paper towel as the case itself is water-resistant. Still, having to clean your case every week is a bit more maintenance than the other color options available, so take that into consideration when making your purchase.

Jesse Vitelli is a freelancer and contributor for IGN who usually takes on guides and features, making a big splash with his Monster Hunter Wilds coverage.

There’s only so much you can do to improve on a tried-and-true design of a controller, and making changes for the sake of it might just open it up to new flaws along the way. Such is the case with the new Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, which sticks to what works and doesn’t veer far off the beaten path. That begs the question: why not just keep using the original Pro Controller if you have one? Well, you can, and you wouldn’t miss out on too much, if you’re not swayed by some of the Switch 2’s new features. I still have my gripes with Nintendo’s official gamepad, including the jump in price, but the Switch 2 Pro Controller remains a well-built gamepad that does some things better than most. And for those who play docked, it’s an essential Switch 2 accessory as it’s miles ahead of even the new Switch 2 Joy-Con in terms of performance and comfort.

Switch 2 Pro Controller – Fundamentals

There isn’t much to the package; you get the controller and a five-foot USB-A to USB-C cable. I do wish it came with a longer cable to make it easier to both charge and use the controller at the same time in home theater setups, and so I’ve relied on a cheap 10-foot USB cable for my own setup. The Switch 2 Pro Controller pairs like any other – you just go to the “Pair New Controller” option in the Home menu, hold the pairing button on top of the gamepad, wait for the LED to start blinking, and hit the bumpers when prompted. Or just plug it into the Switch 2 with the USB cable.

Looking at the controller itself, you’ll notice some physical changes from the previous Pro Controller, like the light gray accents of the analog stick mounds and the topside parts where the USB-C port, pairing button, triggers, and bumpers are located. The body of the controller is made with a grippy matte black texture that feels good in the hands, avoiding the cheap plastic feel of some less expensive controllers that might creak or get slimy from usage. I do miss the rubberized material on the old one, but this isn’t a bad alternative at all. It’s a dense and durable controller that makes for a premium feel.

One thing I’m not a fan of, as was the case with the original Switch Pro Controller, is that the actual handles you grip to hold the controller are still quite small. Compared to the DualSense, Xbox controller, or most full-sized third-party options, the Switch 2 Pro Controller doesn’t fill the palm of my hands. These thinner handles help the controller keep a slimmer profile, but it’s at the expense of proper ergonomics and long-term comfort, especially for those with bigger hands.

All the other fundamentals of the Switch 2 Pro Controller are fantastic. The B, A, Y, and X face buttons are large and balanced, feeling soft to the touch and responsive enough for rapid inputs. Perhaps my favorite aspect is the smooth analog sticks that have a consistent resistance along their full range of motion that I’d begrudgingly describe as “creamy” (Though my one gripe is the RS and LS stick-click inputs are a tad too stiff, taking a bit too much effort to press downward). I found the directional pad to be a slight improvement – although it feels very similar to its predecessor, I’ve anecdotally experienced fewer errant inputs since it’s better at distinguishing the directions I was pressing, which is important for many of the 2D action-platformers that thrive on Switch.

The bumpers and triggers are light to the touch with easy-going tactile feedback, as you would expect from the Pro Controller. However, it’s disappointing that Nintendo still hasn’t adopted analog triggers, which limits its versatility (especially if you want to use this as a PC controller, too). Granted, the hair-trigger feeling of ZL and ZR is super responsive and works really well for most games that frequently rely on them, but anything that has some kind of acceleration or pressure-based input mechanic is going to need some sort of game-side workaround.

Switch 2 Pro Controller – New Features

The Switch 2 Pro Controller brings programmable back buttons – a hallmark of many high-end gamepads – to a first-party Nintendo controller for the first time. Marked as GL and GR, these back buttons allow you to mirror the input of any other button, giving you the ability to use face button actions, for example, without having to take your thumb off the right thumbstick. Although you can't map them through the controller itself, you can do so swiftly through the Switch 2 system menus. You simply hold the Home button and change the button assignments there by pressing GL or GR, then the button you want assigned. These assignments are also recorded on a per game basis for added convenience. Many third-party Switch gamepads have some form of back button inputs, but it’s nice to see Nintendo seamlessly incorporate them into its own controller this time.

Something as basic as a 3.5mm audio jack built into the controller seems like common sense, but only now do we have a Switch Pro Controller with one. I’m not here to praise Nintendo finally catching up to the crowd, but it does make using wired earbuds or headphones so much easier than having to use something with a cable long enough to reach your Switch when playing docked.

There’s one more new button on this updated Pro Controller: the C button on the bottom center accesses an exclusive Switch 2 function: Nintendo’s new GameChat. This button jumps you straight into the system's GameChat app, giving you quick access to setup a chat room or configure its options. Those who plan to be more social in multiplayer settings with their Switch 2 will find this button much more convenient than flipping through menus to set up or fiddle with GameChat, which you’d have to do if you’re using a previous-generation controller.

Another reason to upgrade – and I am going to give Nintendo grief for this – is that you can’t wake up your Switch 2 with the previous-gen controllers. It’s a minor inconvenience, but just annoying enough to ever so slightly push us to buy the new controller.

Switch 2 Pro Controller – Performance

The Switch 2 Pro Controller does some things exceptionally well and somewhat misses the mark in other respects, but when it comes to the actual gameplay experience, it’s as great as you’d expect from a flagship first-party gamepad. More importantly, it’s a massive improvement over using the tiny and unergonomic Joy-Con 2 with their packaged grip attachment.

The GL and GR back buttons come in clutch in several games with complex control schemes, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Setting sprint to GR and weapon select to GL helps keep my thumbs on the sticks at all times, and in intense combat scenarios, the controls felt a lot less clunky. The same principle applies to any game with important actions set to the face buttons that also require right-stick camera controls, and once you get used to relying on back paddles in this way, it’s hard to go back. As someone who has reviewed plenty of aftermarket controllers in the past, I’ve found that manufacturers often struggle to get the actuation right. That’s not the case here – Nintendo nailed the feel. They’re easy enough to hit in the heat of the moment and I didn’t hit them by accident at any point, either; they sit flush with the controller’s handles so they don’t protrude or get in the way of a natural grip. I just press my middle finger inward slightly and get a nice tactile response.

I can’t stress enough how buttery-smooth the motion of the analog sticks feels whether I’m whipping my kart around corners when drifting in Mario Kart World or taking aim with a bow in Tears of the Kingdom before relying on gyroscope motion controls to fine-tune my shot. I’d go as far to say that I prefer Nintendo’s design of the analog sticks over the Xbox controller and DualSense. And comparing the Joy-Con to the Pro Controller is night and day when it comes to shooters, going from nearly unplayable to almost ideal as far as gamepads go – so if you’re playing Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2, for example, the new Pro Controller will serve you well.

The big question that won’t be answered by a week’s worth of usage is how well (or if at all) Nintendo has addressed the threat of stick drift. Given that this new Pro Controller uses the same mechanisms as the previous one and hasn’t adopted the increasingly common Hall Effect magnetic design (which has shown to be less faulty), it may be susceptible to the same type of wear and malfunctions over time. Out of the box, though, these are some of the best sticks I’ve used on a controller, Nintendo or otherwise.

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