↩ Accueil

Vue lecture

Poker Face Season 2 Ending Explained: Does It Set Up Season 3?

This article contains spoilers for the Poker Face Season 2 finale, “End Of The Road.”

With this week’s finale of Poker Face, Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) has uttered her final “bullshit” – at least for the time being. The Season 2 finale “End of the Road” was a wild episode of the Peacock series that revealed the Moriarty to Charlie’s Sherlock Holmes, included a bonkers cliffhanger that immediately resolved itself, and then changed everything for the series going into a potential Season 3.

There’s a lot to unpack here, including the twists topped on twists topped on twists that go back to not just last week’s episode, “Day of the Iguana,” but have been teased in the background since Charlie hit up New York in Episode 9, “A New Lease on Death.”

You ready? Here’s the big shocker: Alex (Patti Harrison), isn’t a regular lady who made friends with Charlie and is starting an oyster shucking business called Yippee Kay Yay Oystershucker… She’s the world’s greatest assassin, The Iguana. And she’s been lying to Charlie this whole time.

Poker Face Season 2 Ending Explained

To lay this all out in order, Alex – or rather, The Iguana – was hired to kill a CEO who was hidden in a panic room 300 feet under the Alaskan tundra. And when she did, she realized that it was too easy, and she was bored. The Iguana was ready to give up entirely until her agent offered her the job killing mob boss Beatrix Hasp (Rhea Perlman), who was at the time in protective custody after making a deal with Charlie in Episode 3, “Whack-a-Mole.” And what intrigued The Iguana was that it’s impossible to lie to Charlie.

“When I realized my kryptonite might exist, I couldn’t wait to meet you,” the Iguana explains. That leads us to the moment where she gave the wrong coffee order to Charlie in Episode 9 – and thanks to superhuman control of her sweat glands, adrenaline, voice, body, etc… She was able to successfully lie to Charlie. And then kept lying to her throughout the subsequent episodes… Which she loved, because it was a “herculean effort” every time.

Knowing that Charlie is a compulsive do-gooder, she discovered that Beatrix’s son (played by Haley Joel Osment) was getting married. She hired the world’s second greatest assassin to kill a teacher invited to the wedding, then the son, and frame her (meaning The Iguana). Slightly complicating things, the second greatest assassin is a master of disguise, so Justin Theroux played both the teacher and the assassin. Anyway, The Iguana killed Assassin #2 and dumped him in the water, knowing that if Charlie saw “Alex” with the body of the dead son, she would try to help clear her name and take her right to Beatrix Hasp – which is exactly what happened.

There are some other twists and turns along the way, but the short version is that with all this out in the open and some quick thinking from Charlie, the FBI closes in on the duo, who end up going over a cliff Thelma & Louise-style to their deaths in Charlie’s vintage Barracuda. OR DO THEY?? No, they don’t. Despite a “To Be Continued” title card, the cliffhanger is resolved immediately. Charlie throws herself out of the car at the last second… And when the FBI checks the fiery remains of the vehicle at the bottom of a cliff, there’s no body. So The Iguana lives to plague Charlie another day, too.

The whole thing is extremely Sherlock and Moriarty to the point that the Iguana says that out loud. But it’s also a riff on the classic fight between the detective and villain duo at the Reichenbach Falls in “The Final Problem.” In that case, Holmes and Moriarty seemingly died; in “End of the Road,” Charlie is definitely alive, and the Iguana seems likely to have survived, as well.

That brings us to the end of the episode. Luca Clark (Simon Helberg), Charlie’s friend and FBI contact, rescues her from falling over the cliff, only to provide a punch in the gut: Charlie has to go back on the run.

“You just aided and abetted a serial killer, you got a federal witness killed, you revealed the location of a WITSEC safe house, if I keep listing the federal crimes you committed they’ll be here,” Clark explains. “You’ve officially wanted by the FBI.”

He gives her a head start, but not before the sobbing Charlie gets a coat from him to keep her warm until she gets to a service road on the highway.

“Next time, Charlie, I will arrest you,” Clark says. “I mean I have to at this point.”

The final scene, to the tune of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” by Bob Dylan, finds Charlie trying to hitchhike on the highway, while a stray dog (credited as “the scamp” and played by a dog named Rootbeer) tags along. She ultimately is picked up by a big rig driver (played by Steve Earle) – who confusingly is not Steve Buscemi, the truck driver she’s been communicating with via CB radio all season long.

“So, where ya headed?” the driver asks.

“Oh, well, I guess that’s a deceptively profound question,” Charlie shoots back. He’s heading to Wichita, and so Charlie and the stray tag along.

To take a step back here, Season 1 of Poker Face found Charlie on the run from the mob, a plotline that was somewhat surprisingly resolved back in Episode 3 of Season 2. Most of the rest of this season has been spent with her trying to figure out what’s next, still moving from town to town but trying to find a new home… Only to instead be presented with the worst of humanity each time. The low point came in Episode 7, “One Last Job,” which presented Charlie with a sweet romance with Bill Jackson (Corey Hawkins), only to find him murdered by his best friend and have his body propped up as a display Santa in a big box store.

When Charlie cries at the end of the episode, it isn’t just about losing her freedom once again, it’s that after the death of Bill, “Alex” was her salvation – or at least something steady and normal in the middle of murders-of-the-week. As the Iguana explains it, she was playing Watson to Charlie’s Holmes, when really she was Moriarty the whole time. Now, after thinking she’s finally figured it all out, Charlie’s on the road again without a friend, without her car, without anything except the clothes on her back and a mangy mutt.

Will There Be A Poker Face Season 3?

As of this writing, Poker Face hasn’t been picked up for Season 3, but don’t panic! Season 2 was announced about a month after Season 1 premiered. And while more time has passed since Season 2 premiered on May 8, we’re also in a very different streaming world in terms of renewals and cancellations. The second season debuted strongly on Nielsen’s Top 10 for streaming originals, so there’s every reason to think that Peacock would like to stay in business with both Natasha Lyonne and producer Rian Johnson. Will it get renewed, though? We’ll have to wait and see.

How Does The Finale Set Up Season 3?

So assuming there is a Poker Face Season 3, there are a couple of things we know would likely happen. First there’s the dynamic flip that the FBI is now after Charlie, versus the mob. That puts her in the interesting situation of not having Luca there to help her, as he previously has. And it also puts her on the wrong side of the law when it comes to solving mysteries.

To be clear, there’s zero chance the show will ditch its done-in-one mystery format. But with Season 2 having a clearer emotional arc for Charlie, offering her a life before snatching it away, Season 3 could potentially play with whether she wants a life at all. Does she delve more into The Iguana’s world and try to ignore mysteries? Or cause crime, rather than solving it? Charlie is still a good person, so likely not. But it could be an interesting thread for co-showrunners Nora and Lily Zuckerman to play with.

the show has killed off a lot of the cast.

As for returning characters, the show has killed off a lot of the cast. But it’s likely Luca would return as a recurring, reluctant antagonist. And we could definitely get Patti Harrison back as The Iguana, as well. On that note, the show introduced some wildly weird spy/sci-fi elements in these last two episodes, thanks to Assassin #2 melting a dude down to goop and then dressing up as him, as well as everything with The Iguana. Would Poker Face go full Bond in Season 3? Maybe, though it excels by focusing on the normal folks around the edges of society, so that might be a step in the wrong direction.

There’s also the question of transportation… Charlie’s car is gone, and they could certainly just get her a new Barracuda. But given she bonded with Steve Buscemi’s mysterious trucker, and Season 2 ended with a trucker taking her to Wichita, could we see more of a big rig driving theme? And finally meet Buscemi’s Good Buddy? And perhaps most importantly of all, is Rootbeer the dog now a permanent part of the cast? He seems pretty cute, and the idea of Natasha Lyonne hanging out with a mutt for 10 episodes is a delightful one. Whatever happens, fingers crossed the show does get picked up for Season 3 because cancelling this fantastic, critically acclaimed series would be – to quote Charlie Cale – bullshit.

  •  

Some of the Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time Are In Amazon's Epic Buy 2, Get 1 Free 4K Blu-ray Sale

Sci-fi feels more popular than ever, with major blockbuster films continuing to release annually and dominate the market. 2025 saw the release of Jurassic World Rebirth and Mickey 17, and we still have Tron: Ares and Avatar: Fire and Ash to go. If you're a physical collector, you know that 4K Blu-rays are the best way to watch your movies at home. However, in recent years, these Blu-rays have gotten more expensive than ever. During Prime Day, you can score three 4K Blu-rays for the price of 2. That's one 4K Blu-ray completely free of charge! If you've been looking to build your sci-fi movie collection, this is the perfect time. There are plenty of 4K Blu-ray discounts outside of this promotion, but if you're a fan of sci-fi, this sale has it all.

Get 3 Sci-Fi Blu-rays for the Price of 2

Our favorite 4K Blu-rays included in this deal include Blade Runner: The Final Cut, which is still today one of the most influential sci-fi movies ever made. Starring Harrison Ford, this classic movie directed by Ridley Scott is still a must-see for any fan of the genre.

Another incredible movie included in this collection is Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy. Not only do you get the first Back to the Future film, but both Part II and Part III are also included in this trilogy set. Even today, I still think this is one of the best film trilogies ever created, and Prime Day is a great time to add this one to your collection.

Finally, I also recommend Alien: Romulus, which was a big surprise for me in 2024. The visuals are excellent, the cast is great, and the suspense is everything you'd want from a horror film. There are many more sci-fi films available as part of this collection, so be sure to check out the full sale for more.

More Blu-ray Deals for Prime Day

If you're looking for more Blu-ray deals, be sure to check out all the anime Blu-rays on sale. You can save on Frieren, Cowboy Bebop, Bleach, and much more.

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.

  •  

Amazon Is Slashing Prices on LEGO Disney Sets for Adults This Prime Day

We're pretty deep into Prime Day now and some of the best LEGO deals we've seen so far are already gone. If you're in the market for a LEGO Disney set, however, Amazon still has some rather incredible discounts going on right now. Disney and LEGO have been working on producing more sets targeted specifically at adults in recent years, and a few recent additions are now at their lowest ever prices for Prime Day.

I've gathered together all of the noteworthy LEGO Disney deals going on right now below. There are three sets here that I think would be great for my own desk, but I'm still holding out for a discount on the new Pixar Lamp set.

LEGO Disney Sets Drop to New Low Prices

There are three major discounts on what I would consider to be adult LEGO sets. These are the sets that are meant to be displayed somewhere, rather than played with over time. So for example, the Heihei set says 9+ as an age rating, but it's still more of a display model than a toy. Whereas something like the Ultimate Adventure Castle is clearly more targeted at younger kids. All of these discounts are absolutely worth your time, depending on where you love of Disney lies.

The most notable price cut on this list is the LEGO Simba set. Not to be confused for the smaller set that can be morphed into a Millenium Falcon, this version of Simba is a whopping 1,445 pieces. It normally retails for around $130, but it's down to $64 during Prime Day. That's the lowest price we've ever seen and one of the best deals I've found in a while. Then there's the Walt Disney Tribute Camera, which has also just recently dropped to it's lowest price. The discount isn't as steep as the Simba set, but it's still a great price.

The Heihei set I've listed here doesn't look as steep, but it is the lowest price it's ever been. It was originally released back when Moana 2 came out and hasn't really dropped in price since. It's definitely worth picking up if you enjoy those movies, and you can even imagin Alan Tudyk is voicing the LEGO version as well if you want.

More Prime Day LEGO Deals

If you're looking for more LEGO deals this Prime Day, there are fortunately still a lot left. Some of the more popular deals available are on Star Wars sets, but there are plenty of other options available as well.

  •  

Save $848 Off a 55" Samsung The Frame Series TV and Get a Teak Bezel ($150 Value) for Prime Day

If you're looking for a TV that can serve double duty as an art installation or digital picture frame, then Samsung's "The Frame" series TV is what you're looking for. For Prime Day, Amazon is offering 55" Samsung The Frame 4K QLED Smart TV - which includes a Teak bezel - for just $797.99 with free delivery. The TV is the 2024 LS03D model and the bezel is a frame accessory that would normally cost an extra $150 by itself.

55" Samsung "The Frame" TV with Bezel for $798

Samsung's "The Frame" sets itself apart from other TVs with its seamless aesthetics. It features an Art Mode that showcases your choice of fine art, similar to a screensaver on your computer. You can choose art purchased from the Samsung Art Store or your own personal collection of NFTs, personal photos, wallpapers, or whatever else you want displayed. The screen turns itself off via a motion sensor, so you're not wasting electricity either.

To go along with the art theme, the TV bezel is thin and looks just like the framing on a painting. Furthermore, the bezel is customizable. This deal includes a teak bezel, but you can also purchase additional bezels on Samsung's website if you want an even more unique look. On a related note, no TV stand is included because "The Frame" is supposed to look more like a painting than a TV set. Instead, you get a slim wall mount. The TV itself sits flush to the wall, so even when viewed from the side, the TV looks more like an art frame than a TV cabinet.

Of course "The Frame" is also an excellent TV. It uses a quantum dot LED LCD panel with full array LED backlighting with local dimming and wide color gamut. There is an HDMI 2.1 port, and combined with the native 120Hz panel, is capable of displaying 4K @ 120Hz when connected to a PS5 or Xbox Series X gaming console. Needless to say, you won't be losing out on the TV's image quality even if aesthetics are of paramount importance.

Check out the other Prime Day TV deals from Amazon

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.

  •  

Ghost of Yotei State of Play July 2025: Everything Revealed

Sony and Sucker Punch Productions just wrapped up their July 2025 Ghost of Yōtei State of Play, showcasing a better look at its world, combat, and new modes ahead of its release date this fall.

The 20-minute gameplay presentation, hosted by creative directors Jason Connell and Nate Fox, arrived today to help showcase how Atsu’s journey will be both familiar and new for players who enjoyed 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima. Any way you cut it, the Ghost of Yōtei State of Play is the closest look at one of the PlayStation 5’s biggest games of the year that we’ve seen yet.

For those who missed out on the State of Play, IGN took the time to gather all of the highlights for you right here. You can check out everything revealed during the presentation below while we wait for more updates ahead of Ghost of Yōtei’s October 2, 2025, release date.

The Sights and Sounds of Ezo

Ghost of Yōtei focuses on Atsu as she seeks revenge against the Yōtei Six at any cost. It's a bloody journey that has led Atsu's enemies to fear her, with many worried that she is a legendary Onyro spirit come to life. Ghost of Yōtei fuels its journey of vengeance in a completely new way, allowing players to flash back to its protagonist's younger years with the simple press of a button.

Traveling throughout Ezo means encountering a land far different from the war-torn island of Tsushima. Beautiful in its own right, Ghost of Yōtei's new map encourages players to experience Atsu's journey how they please, with Sucker Punch going as far as to say the adventure "focuses on player freedom more than any game" it has ever made. One example of this newfound player freedom can be found in the Clue System, which can lead the player in new directions. While some information gained during an interrogation may see Atsu travel to snowy mountaintops that hide hidden attackers, another may take her to a village ravaged by fire and an army of samurai.

Sucker Punch wants players to choose to focus on combat, exploration, story, or whatever it is that satisfies their quest. However, one recommended way to see all Ezo has to offer involves simply using a spyglass and walking toward whatever catches your eye.

Exploring a 1603 Japan means finding familiar points of interest, such as new Bamboo Strike challenges and even more Hot Springs to relax in, but players can also look forward to taking out difficult fights as a bounty hunter, too. There are also Altars of Reflection, which unlock new abilities for Atsu that will no doubt aid her on her journey.

Ghost of Yōtei Combat Get an Upgrade

With a hefty price on Atsu's head, players will need to utilize an arsenal of new tools and weapons. While it looks like fans will have plenty of opportunities for standard sword encounters, some new blades will help spice things up. Highlights include the weapons like the katana and spear as well as the more unconvential kusarigama chain blade, the lengthy odachi, and even dual swords. Each offers specific advantages in battle depending on the circumstances, with all weapons featuring upgrades to utilize, too.

Ranged combat, meanwhile, will see Atsu primarily using two tools: a bow and a gun. The Ghost of Yōtei gameplay showed off a glimpse at how the latter can be used to quickly take out a distant enemy at the cost of stealth. In other words, Atsu comes with a few more tools than Ghost of Tsushima's Jin did, and she's got no reservations when it comes to using them to take out the Yōtei Six.

In between combat encounters and brushes with death, players can allow Atsu to rest under the stars. Here, you can cook food, play music, and even meet up with allies while taking in all Ezo's skies have to offer. With these changes also comes a replacement for the standard journal that is known as Atsu's Wolf Pack. Sucker Punch calls the menu system a "more character-driven way of managing allies and vendors" met during Atsu's journey. It's a straightforward way to see who might have something to offer, and it's wrapped up with art for each face you meet.

Where Ghost of Tsushima approached its connection to nature in one way, Ghost of Yōtei appears like it may depend the connection players have with the world around them. One way it will do this involves a new wolf companion who, as shown during the State of Play, can tear out an enemy's throat during combat. Traveling through a field of flowers, meanwhile, can give your character a boost while riding on your horse. Sucker Punch also showed off a first look at what appears to be a dense customization system for Atsu's armor as well as the ability to disarm enemies with enough well-timed attacks.

Kurosawa Mode Returns Alongside New Immersive Options

Kurosawa Mode, a black-and-white omage to legenadary director Akira Kurosawa, makes its return after fans fell in love with it in Ghost of Tsushima. It's a sign not only that Sucker Punch is happy with the response it received the first time around but that the team remains influenced by some of the prominent artists in the genre.

This influence can also be felt in two additional modes: Miike Mode and Watanabe Mode. As some movie fans might have guessed, the former takes after 13 Assassins director Takashi Miike, moving the camera in closer with more blood and more mud. The latter, meanwhile, brings in the work of Samurai Champloo anime director Shinichirō Watanabe by featuring original lo-fi beats that back moments of exploration and combat.

Other highlights from the Ghost of Yōtei State of Play include a first look at photo mode as well as options for Standard English audio, Subtitled English audio, and Samurai Cinema, which features fully voice acted Japanese dialogue with English subtitles.

Ghost of Yōtei launches October 2, 2025, for PS5. As a last-minute surprise, Sucker Punch promised that special edition Ghost of Yōtei PS5 consoles and unique DualSense controllers will also be available at launch. For more details while we wait to see more, you can check out everything else we know about Ghost of Yōtei here.

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).

  •  

Superman Ending and Post-Credits Explained: Why It’s Not About What’s Next for the DCU

Let's make this simple: You want to know if there are any post- or mid-credits scenes in Superman. The answer is yes. The mid-credit “scene” is really more of a quiet moment of reflection, before a humorous post-credit scene concludes things.

Full spoilers for the movie follow!

Superman has finally hit theaters, acting as the official live-action launch of the new DCU, following the smaller-scale animated series Creature Commandos coming first in terms of release dates. There’s a lot at stake here, with Superman being tasked with laying the groundwork for this new DCU and providing a clean slate for the franchise after the previous DCEU ended in 2023 with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

The film involves Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) releasing information Superman (David Cornenswet) himself never knew about his Kryptonian parents (who intended him to “rule without mercy” on Earth) in order to turn the public against Superman and move forward with his own nefarious plans. So where does the movie leave off as far as setting up what’s to come? And why is its more broad approach to universe-building probably a wise call compared to some of the more blatant sequel-bait we’ve grown accustomed to in comic book movies? Let’s break it all down.

Superman Ending Explained: Luthor Unhinged

Luthor, who has successfully presented himself as someone standing up against Superman’s ominous plans, is able to press forward with his partnership with the president of the country of Boravia to invade Boravia’s neighbor, Jarhanpur – something Superman had put a stop to the first time Boravia tried it.

The third act of Superman involves two crises unfolding in two separate parts of the world. First, Boravia’s next attack is beginning, with the intention of absolutely decimating the people of Jarhanpur. Boravia and Luthor (who has been supplying Boravia with their weapons) intend to split the land between them after they conquer and kill anyone who gets in their way.

But Superman’s attempt help Jarhanpur is curtailed when he’s told by Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) that the world itself is now in danger because of a pocket universe Luthor had created to use as his own private prison (in which he imprisoned Superman himself for a time during the film) that is now causing a physical rift in Metropolis, literally ripping the city apart. And while Metropolis has been evacuated, the rift will continue to grow far beyond the city, endangering countless lives. Obsessed with killing Superman, Luthor ignores the warnings of his own men about what is occurring, sending his agents Ultraman and the Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) to fight Superman and Mister Terrific.

In the ensuing fight, Superman is nearly killed by the Engineer, but when he manages to turn the tables on his foes, the mysterious, silent Ultaman is finally unmasked and revealed to be a clone of Superman created by Lex.

Superman and Ultraman have a vicious fight, while both attempt to avoid the black hole the rift has opened up, but ultimately Ultraman is pulled into it, ending his threat. Superman then confronts Luthor in his office, stopping him from escaping, while Mister Terrific is able to use Luthor’s equipment to shut down the rift, sending the split portions of Metropolis back together - albeit inelegantly, since it’s still obvious where things once had been torn in half. With the truth about Lex’s entire plot revealed publicly by the Daily Planet – thanks to Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio) sending info to Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) – Lex is arrested and sent to Belle Reve Prison, while Superman’s reputation is restored. Superman and his beloved Lois Lane (Rachel Bronahan), meanwhile, are reunited and share a mid-air kiss.

As for Jarhanpur, just when all hope seems lost for its people, they are saved by the arrival of Mister Terrific’s Justice Gang teammates, Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), along with Superman’s new ally, Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) - all of whom answered Superman’s offscreen request for help. As his army is defeated, the corrupt, genocidal president of Boravia then finds out the hard way that Hawkgirl does not follow Superman’s vow to never kill when she takes him high up in the air and drops him to his death.

The Girl of Steel Arrives… and She’s Plastered!

In the film’s final scene, Superman returns to the Fortress of Solitude, where his Superman Robot assistants, trashed during the earlier break-in by the Engineer and Ultraman, have been rebuilt. They are interrupted by a large crashing sound that turns out to be none other than Superman’s cousin - Supergirl (Milly Alcock)!

It’s not the intro some might expect from a high profile superhero, as Supergirl comes stumbling into the Fortress, asking in a slurred voice “Why did you move the door?” before asking “Where is my dog?” - as we learn the superpowered dog, Krypto, who’s been accompanying Superman for much of the film, is actually Supergirl’s pet. This lines up with dialogue from earlier, when Superman said Krypto wasn’t actually his pet and their dynamic was more of a foster situation.

After allowing Krypto to play with her in an amusingly roughhouse manner -- which is to say, he stomps on her with his super strength, smashing the ground beneath her as she laughs hysterically – Supergirl and Krypto depart, with her exclaiming to her cousin, “Thanks for watching him, bitch!”

They are interrupted by a large crashing sound that turns out to be none other than Superman’s cousin - Supergirl (Milly Alcock)! 

Superman then explains to his robots that Supergirl “likes to go and party on other planets. Planets with red suns. Because of our metabolism, we can’t get drunk on a planet with a yellow sun.”

For those who have read the 2021 miniseries Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, this will all sound very familiar. That comic first introduces a drunken and foul-mouthed Supergirl sitting at a bar on an alien planet, accompanied by Krypto, having traveled there specifically so she can actually get drunk on her 21st birthday. And this reference in Superman makes sense, because next year’s Supergirl movie is specifically based on Woman of Tomorrow (and until recently was actually titled Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow). Supergirl’s onscreen outfit in this scene – her usual Supergirl uniform, red skirt included, but with a brown jacket over it rather than any visible cape – also mirrors how she looks when we first meet her in that comic.

So for those expecting or hoping the first movie in the DCU to explicitly set up other DCU movies, it very much does with this Supergirl tease… but is there anything beyond that, specifically for Superman himself?

Does Superman Have a Mid- or Post-Credit Scene?

It has one of both… though calling what happens at the mid-credits a “scene” is wildly overstating things. The initial closing credits play, using the same style and font as Richard Donner’s iconic 1978 Superman film, and backed by the song “Punkrocker” by Teddybears, featuring Iggy Pop - a nod to a scene in the film where Lois and Clark banter about how “punk” someone as seemingly square as Clark could have been growing up, with Clark arguing that maybe his kindhearted approach to life is itself what’s punk these days.

When these main credits conclude, we then cut to a shot of Superman sitting with Krypto. Superman is only seen from behind, as he and his dog – sorry, foster dog – peacefully sit and look at the Earth from the vantage point of the moon, with the two lovingly embracing each other.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve seen a variation on this image from the film for quite awhile, since it first released as a photo last fall before then serving as the focal point of the IMAX poster for Superman. The moment, in turn, is a big comic book homage, since it’s based upon a page from the 2005 comic All-Star Superman, one of Gunn’s main inspirations for the movie.

It’s a sweet little touch to add to the mid-credits of the film, though it lasts mere seconds and isn’t really a scene as much as a moving snapshot.

The post-credits, though, feature an additional bit of interaction between Superman and Mister Terrific. In the scene, we see the two heroes standing next to each other, looking at one of the many Metropolis buildings that was torn apart by Luthor’s pocket dimension rift, and then brought back together by Terrific when he fixed things.

Superman, however, is clearly bothered by the imperfect nature of the building’s reconfiguration, and when he tells Terrific “It’s just a little off,” Terrific is pissed, replying, “What do you want me to do!? Do you want me to take it apart and put it back together!?” When Superman stammers no, “it’s just…” Terrific replies, “Just what!?” and storms off in frustration.

Superman yells after him, “Hey man, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bum you out! I shouldn’t have brought it up!” But when Mister Terrific continues to walk away, Superman says to himself, “Darn it, I can be such a jerk sometimes…”

It’s an amusing little moment between the two heroes, albeit not an hysterically funny one, but clearly there more as a bit of a slice of life for our clean-cut hero and one of his superpals than anything else. Though, yeah, it will likely lead to some “That’s it!?” reactions from some, who feel if they sat through the credits hoping for an extra scene, it also better be for SOME REALLY COOL THING.

But honestly, that’s asking for something that not only has been done many times but has often proven to be a precarious path, as James Gunn is well aware.

Why It’s OK Superman Functions as a Standalone Story

The lack of an “important” mid or post-credit scene underlines the feel of Superman as a film that is introducing a big new cinematic universe, yes, but also is telling its own self-contained story that’s making a statement in and of itself. Gunn does a deft job of layering in plenty of elements that can be used later in other projects without ever lingering on them or gratuitously highlighting that you should pay attention to this guy or to some doohickey because it’s going to be important in another show or film.

Yes, this film includes characters like Rick Flag Sr., with Frank Grillo reprising the role he originated in Creature Commandos and will continue in Peacemaker Season 2. But for those who aren’t aware of any of that, he’s just a Washington DC power player. Nathan Fillion will reprise his role as Guy Gardner in the Lanterns TV show, but the movie doesn’t go out of its way to name-drop Hal Jordan or John Stewart or belabor that Guy isn’t the only Lantern, it just presents him as the superpowered, arrogant a-hole he is.

This is a Superman film focused on this particular story, and Clark rightfully remains at the center of the movie from start to finish, despite the other superpowered characters in his orbit. It doesn’t repeat the mistakes of some messier superhero films, which often feel preoccupied with various plot threads and characters aiming towards something down the line.

Gunn’s “let this story stand on its own” approach extends to the credits and connects to his overall philosophy on how to craft a superhero universe now that he’s the guy calling the shots. As he recently explained to EW, he doesn’t love the idea of using a post-credit scene to tease a brand new character or storyline without a locked-in specific plan for them down the line. Gunn uses his own tease of Adam Warlock’s arrival in the credits of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as an example, noting that by the time he was actually writing Guardians Vol. 3, Warlock wasn’t an easy fit in the story he was telling, yet now he felt beholden to include him.

Gunn has also stressed repeatedly that no movie will be fully greenlit and produced by DC Studios without a complete script in place, and you can see some crossover with this mandate and why he didn't want to, say, put a scene in the middle of the credits of Superman where we meet Brainiac or General Zod. He’s acknowledged their plans to do more with this version of Superman, of course, but without a specific follow-up already 100% in place (script included), Gunn likely doesn’t want to bind himself to anything that might not actually make the most sense later on. Which is why the movie’s one actual blatant tease, for Supergirl, is the one that he would feel comfortable with - because that movie’s actually been filmed and is a done deal!

The most important goal for Superman, more than declaring “here is the new DCU,” was making sure this was a great Superman movie.

The most important goal for Superman, more than declaring “here is the new DCU,” was making sure this was a great Superman movie, and Gunn has excelled in that regard, delivering what is easily the best film for the character since Richard Donner’s beloved version in 1978. The Lois and Clark dynamic is excellent (fueled by the wonderful chemistry between Corenswet and Brosnahan), while the juxtaposition between Clark’s Superman HQ at the Fortress of Solitude and the loving home Martha and Jonathan Kent have given him is expertly defined. Martha and Clark feel like just the sort of salt of the Earth, loving, caring people you can believe raised a man as good as Clark.

This version of Superman is exactly the sort of sweet, kind and perhaps sometimes endearingly naive hero he should be, without feeling like he’s too old-fashioned or out of touch to invest in. The way this Superman goes out of his way to try and save every single life he can, whether it be innocent people targeted by villains, dogs and squirrels (!) in the line of fire, or even a giant kaiju he’s fighting, makes him stand out as someone who truly feels like a person everyone should, yet few do, pattern themselves after. But at the same time, when he needs to go all out in a fight, rest assured, he does so, and it’s awesome - just while making sure to also keep an eye out for anyone in danger as a result of the fight.

The movie is a joy to watch, exuding pure comic book-derived joy in a way we haven’t really seen in live-action since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, which is insane considering how many comic book movies have opened since then. When the credits began to roll on Gunn’s film, I knew I’d happily welcome more of this version of Superman, but most of all, I wanted to rewatch this movie as soon as possible (which is probably why I’ve already seen it twice, with a third viewing already planned).

So yeah, Gunn could have moved the Superigirl cameo so that it was the post-credits scene, to leave off on a bigger “here’s what’s next” hype move, but that just wasn’t necessary. Because even if Gunn had removed the Supergirl scene entirely, Superman would still be a joyous, exciting, feel-good movie that doesn’t require any baton passing to feel satisfying.

As Clark himself might say, that’s the darn truth.

For more on Superman, check out IGN's ranking of all the live-action Superman movies and our ranking of every Superman actor.

  •  

Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection Drops to Just $19.99 for Amazon Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day ends tomorrow, but there are plenty of amazing deals still in stock. We've seen price cuts on hundreds of popular movies, books, toys, and of course, games. The Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection for the Nintendo Switch is certainly a standout here. Right now, you can pick it up for $19.99, a nice 60% off the original price of $49.99.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection Is 60% Off for Prime Day

The Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days collection just released this past February. It's a compilation of 14 retro games based on the globally popular trading card game. Here are the games you get in the bundle, many of which are available in the West for the first time with this release:

  • Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (GameBoy, 1998)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters II: Dark Duel Stories (GameBoy, GBC, 1999)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! Monster Capsule (GameBoy, GBC, 2000)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories (GBC, 2000)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 4: Battle of the Great Duelist (GBC, 2000)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters (GBA, 2001)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! The Eternal Duelist Soul (GBA, 2001)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 6 Expert 2 (GBA, 2001)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sacred Cards (GBA, 2002)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! Reshef of Destruction (GBA 2003)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel (GBA, 2003)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship Tournament 2004 (GBA, 2004)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! Destiny Board Traveler (GBA, 2004)
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! 7 Trials to Glory: World Championship Tournament 2005 (GBA, 2004)

Did you know there were this many Yu-Gi-Oh! games? Me neither. The Sacred Cards on the GameBoy Advance is the only one I've played, and it's actually a pretty fun digital version of the popular card game that has you playthrough the early days (well would you look at that) of the anime.

Aside from this great collection of classic handheld games, you have the chance to get one of two exclusive pack-in bonus cards. The Quarter Century Secret Rare versions of Harpie's Feather Duster with alternate arts are classic cards longtime fans will be familiar with.

More Nintendo Switch Games on Sale During Prime Day

There are tons of other physical Nintendo Switch games available with new Prime Day deal prices. The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster I-VI Collection was extremely hard to attain when it first released, and I would absolutely be picking one up if I hadn't already imported a Japanese copy.

Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.

  •  

This Lord of the Rings 4K Movie Collection Is the Ultimate Prime Day Gift to Buy Yourself

Prime Day's movie selection is top-tier this year. You can browse dozens of great 4K Blu-rays, box sets, collections, and everything until the sale ends tomorrow. Many of them are included in the buy 2, get 1 free promotion on physical media, like the standalone Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies. But if you're looking to one-stop shop on all of these films, the Middle-Earth 6-Film Collection is significantly discounted for Prime Day; pick it up for $89.49, a nice $120.50 off the retail price of $209.99. This is the best deal we've ever seen on this collection since it was first released.

Save Big on the Middle-Earth 6-Film Collection

This massive box set features both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies remastered in crisp 4K. For giant nerds (like me), this collection also includes both the theatrical and extended versions of all of the movies, so you're in for a real treat if you decide to pick this up during Prime Day. It spreads the content across 30 discs and comes with filmmaker commentaries for all six films. It's an incredible Lord of the Rings gift for any fan of the movies.

The box art sports an awesome zoomed-in image of the One Ring with Mt. Doom in the background, with the title and logo towards the bottom. When you want to display this with the rest of your movie collection, the six individual Blu-ray-sized cases line up well and are color-coded to find the right movie you're looking for.

More Movies on Sale During Prime Day

The buy 2, get 1 free promotion offers some of the best movies ever made, so I'd highly recommend checking them out if you've been curious about some older masterpieces for a while. Films like Reservoir Dogs, Warfare, and Kill Bill are discounted. Just add three qualifying movies to your cart, and Amazon will automatically make the cheapest free when you check out. And the part of this promotion is you don't need to have a Prime membership to take advantage of it!

Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.

  •  

Amazon Has Tons of Nintendo Switch Games on Sale for Prime Day

The Nintendo Switch may have seen its successor arrive this year, but whichever hybrid system you have, there are a solid number of games on sale as part of Amazon’s Prime Day offers. From big hits like Balatro to collections of classic games and even a pair of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles titles, there’s something for just about everyone. Here’s the full list:

Save on Nintendo Switch Games for Prime Day

Before we get started, it’s worth mentioning that everything on this list is playable on the Switch 2 thanks to backward compatibility. Though none have received free upgrades like some of Nintendo’s first-party games, there may be performance bumps just by virtue of the increased power.

In any case, the big bargain here is likely to be the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1, which is reduced by more than half of its MSRP down to just $16.99. Considering that includes classics like the first three Metal Gear Solid titles, you’re paying just a few dollars per game. We reckon that’s a deal Big Boss would approve of.

Sticking with other collections and remasters, the legendary Suikoden and Suikoden II’s HD remasters are available for just $29.99, with a discount of 40%, while Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is down to $34.99 after a 42% price cut. The Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection, which includes a whopping 12 games, is down to just $19.99.

More JRPGs? Sure thing. You can snag a 40% discount on the Final Fantasy Collection Anniversary Edition, which includes Final Fantasy 1 - 6, with updated 2D pixel graphics, a rearranged soundtrack, modernized UI, and more. It also includes a sticker sheet, neat!

Absolutely everyone should play indie darling Balatro, and its physical version is now $19.99. This roguelite deckbuilder with poker elements is fiendishly moreish, and the Switch (and Switch 2) make for ideal places to play it whenever you find some time.

It wouldn’t be a list of Switch games without some coziness, and you can find Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life down to just $19.99 and Hello Kitty Island Adventure - Deluxe Edition at $43.99, with discounts of 33% and 27% respectively.

Finally, there are two TMNT games included. Mutants Unleashed sees a price cut of 55%, bringing it down to $17.99, while Shredder’s Revenge is $22.99 after a 34% discount. Cowa-bargain!

More Switch Games on Sale at Best Buy

Best Buy is offering $20 off of the likes of Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 3, and much more, with some of them getting that all-important Switch 2 upgrade for free.

Super Mario Odyssey earned a 10/10 from us back in 2017, and it’s lost none of its charm. In fact, this superlative 3D platformer has only improved on Nintendo’s latest hardware with a higher resolution and better frame rate, which make it a game you're likely to keep coming back to (seriously, if you've not played it, now is the time).

The Nintendo eShop Summer Sale Ends Tonight

If you're not pressed about having a physical copy of your games, it's definitely worth checking out ongoing deals on the Nintendo eShop. Nintendo has been running a Summer Sale that coincided with the start of Prime Day, but ends tonight (July 9) at 11:59pm PT. These deals are your best chance at grabbing a first-party Nintendo game on sale, given the ongoing tensions between Amazon and Nintendo.

More Prime Day Deals

Be sure to check out more of our Prime Day coverage, including the best deals overall, microSD cards for your Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch, and the PlayStation Portal for just $124.

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

  •  

Amazon Prime Day 2025, Day 3: We Found the Best Deals in the Sale So Far

Amazon Prime Day 2025 - the biggest sale event of the year outside of Black Friday - is now on it's third day. New for this year, Amazon has elected to extend the sale to 4 days, running from July 8 to July 11. The majority of the deals are expected to go live on the first two days (July 8 and July 9), however I wouldn't be surprised if Amazon has a few surprises up its sleeve to keep the sale chugging along for the last two days. From past experience, I expect the vast majority of deals to expire promptly at midnight on July 11, so don't hesitate.

Outside of Black Friday, this is easily the best time of year to score the best deals on TVs, gaming PCs and laptops, Apple AirPods and iPads, headphones, toys, and more. Keep in mind that many of these deals are reserved exclusively for Amazon Prime members.

If you're not a current member, you may be eligible for a 30-day free trial. If you don't want to commit to a full year of membership, Amazon offers a one-month plan for $14.99. I've picked out the best deals I'd buy for myself, and I'll keep updating this article as new and better deals roll in.

The 10 Best Prime Day Deals Right Now:

Prime Day Freebies

This is a rare opportunity for Prime members to sign up for extended trials to Audible, Kindle, Amazon Music, and more without paying a penny. If you're not a Prime member, here's a little tip: sign up for a single month of Prime for $14.99 and then opt into these offers. "As long as you were a Prime member when signing up for the Audible (or other) offer, your Prime trial will continue until the 3 (or however many) months are over." That's taken straight from an Amazon rep.

Prime Day Consoles and Gaming Hardware

Past experience has taught me that Prime Day deals on gaming hardware are few and far between. In terms of deal quantity, it isn't anything like Black Friday. However, what deals that are available are usually quite good. For 2025, the Meta Quest 3S VR headset looks to be the hot ticket, with $50-$70 discounts depending on which model you get. Handheld gaming PCs are getting more popular as well, especially with gaming PC prices skyrocketing, so now is a good time to pick up a sweet deal on a brand new Lenovo Legion Go for your gaming needs - also in the Best Buy Black Friday in July sale.

Prime Day Apple Deals

Without question Apple products are the hottest selling electronics year in and year out for Prime Day. This year should be no different, because several products have dropped to the lowest prices ever. That includes big markdowns on the Apple AirPods Pro 2, the current Apple Watch Series 10, and the latest Apple iPads that were released earlier this year. These discounts are so deep that I don't expect they'll go significantly lower, if at all, for Black Friday.

Prime Day SSD Deals

The SSD landscape has changed drastically over the past year. PCIe 5 SSDs have broken onto the scene in a big way in 2025, and there are massively faster drives you can get that will no longer cost you an arm and a leg. For example, Samsung is offering a killer deal on its new 9100 Pro PCIe 5 model, which boasts blazing speeds of up to 14,000MB/s; for the first time, you can pick up a 4TB stick for under $400. Of course this also pushes down prices on the older PCIe 4 SSDs, which are in no way obsolete and are still the best expansion options for your PlayStation 5 console or gaming PC.

30% Off Amazon Resale Items

Amazon Prime Day is under way and although there are plenty of good deals to be found, without question the best deals I've seen so far is from Amazon's Resale section. This is Amazon's official account for used goods. Typically you'll already find deep discounts in this section, but for Prime Day there's an extra 30% off coupon that stacks with all existing discounts and is automatically applied during checkout. Eligible items include the PlayStation Portal and Nintendo Switch console, video games, Google Pixel phones and watches, PC components including graphics cards and CPUs, and more. Some of the absolute best PlayStation deals are in this sale for Prime Day.

Prime Day Video Game Deals

Summer is generally the slowest time of year for game releases. On the flip side, that means summer is also a perfect opportunity to pick up some classics you've been eyeing, especially with so many sales going on like Amazon Prime Day, the Steam Summer Sale, and the PlayStation Days of Play event. This way you'll get to enjoy catching up on worthy games until the next big releases that will come along during the holiday season.

Although Prime Day might not be a mecca for gaming hardware, there are plenty of deals to be found on video game software. We've rounded up some of the best game deals for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox, but if you need help deciding, you can check out all of the games we've reviewed in the past year and start from there.

Buy 2 4K UHD Blu-rays, Get 1 Free for Prime Day

Amazon is kicking off a new offer on a wide selection of 4K Blu-ray movies: the 3 for 2 sale is live right now and will probably run through the entirety of the Prime Day sale event. Pick up brand-new releases like Warfare in 4K, the Jaws 50th Anniversary Edition, and exclusive steelbooks for recent standouts like Longlegs.

Outside of this promotion, there are also a ton of really good Prime Day 4K Blu-ray deals worth checking out.

Buy 2 Books, Get 1 Free for Prime Day

Amazon's 4K Blu-ray sale might be great, but you don't want to sleep on the equally strong buy two, get one free book sale either. The huge list of eligible books include popular titles, box sets, and even some popular graphic novels. If you've been looking forward to Prime Day to stock your bookshelf with some awesome reads, now is the perfect time to do so. If you prefer to read on the on go, this year's Prime Day features some of the best Kindle deals we've seen.

Prime Day Gaming Monitor Deals

If you're looking to upgrade your gaming monitor, there's nothing better these days than a montior that's equipped with an OLED panel. They offer stunning HDR image quality with inky blanks and zero ghosting that can't be replicated on any other type of monitor. These OLED monitors normally command a hefty price premium so it's best to wait for a deal to come along.

For Prime Day, Amazon has marked down several of the most popuar models from the biggest brands: Samsung, LG, and Alienware. Like any other monitor, OLED monitors come in all sizes, resolutions, and refresh rates, but there's something here for just about every type of gamer.

Prime Day TV Deals

Black Friday is the best time of year to find a great deal on a new TV, but it's certainly not the only time of year. Summer isn't usually the hottest season for watching major sporting events, but there's a plethora of content in new TV series, movies, and shows to watch every day with so many inexpensive streaming services to choose from, and it would be nice to enjoy all of it on a quality TV set. If you've got the budget, you can splurge on a fancy LG OLED TV with the best image quality money can buy. If you don't, the Roku Plus offers 80% of the experience for 30% of the cost. There are quite a few Samsung TVs in the sale as well.

Prime Day Prebuilt Gaming PC Deals

Prices on prebuilt gaming PCs have been dropping recently thanks to a better supply of incoming Nvidia GPUs. You'll still have to pay way above retail price to get a standalone graphics card for a DIY build, however it seems like system builders are getting them in more regularly. Not only are the prices lower than earlier this year, but ship dates are now only a few days to a few weeks out instead of months. If you've been looking for an opportunity to upgrade to a new gaming PC that can run games comfortably at 4K resolution, Prime Day certainly has no shortage of deals on powerful prebuilts.

Prime Day Gaming Laptop Deals

It has taken months, but the new 2025 laptops equipped with Nvidia's latest Blackwell GPUs are finally coming down to a reasonable price point. For Prime Day, Amazon has dropped the prices on several powerful laptops featuring the new RTX 5060, 5070, and 5080 GPUs. Depending on what you get, these gaming laptops are actually powerful enough to compete with desktop gaming PC builds. Gaming at high resolutions like QHD or 4K - even with ray tracing - is a possibility.

Prime Day Headphone Deals

Don't shortchange yourself with any old can. For Prime Day, treat yourself to a quality pair of headphones that offer genuinely practical features like active noise cancellation, comfortable ergonomics, or, if you prefer earbuds, something with truly wireless connectivity. There are plenty of brands on sale for the next four days, including the best headphones and earbuds from Bose, Apple, Sony, and Beats. And yes, although there are options that can cost north of $300, there are also several great audio solutions for well under $100.

Board Game Deals

Amazon has slashed prices on tons of popular board games, including family favorites like Azul and Splendor, cooperative nail-biters like Pandemic, gaming themed like Mass Effect and Cayberpunk, or just time-tested classics like Ticket to Ride, Catan and Carcassonne. We'll add more deals as we find them.

Prime Day Manscaped Shaver Deals

Manscaped is a well-known boutique retailer of men's haircare products, with a great name to boot. Right now, most Manscaped men's shavers are 30% off. Although general purpose foil shavers like the Chairman Pro and Chairman Plus can serve all of your needs, Manscaped sells several different types of shaver, trimmer, or groomer to cater to specific needs.

Prime Day Puzzle Deals

If you're a fan of jigsaw puzzles, Amazon currently has a ton of deals from a lot of popular brands. Of the Prime Day puzzle deals we've found, the theory11 1,000-piece options have been some of the most sought after.

Prime Day LEGO Deals

Prime Day has been generally very good for LEGO fans so far. Some of the best LEGO deals so far have been at Amazon, including a ton of awesome Star Wars sets. However, there are also plenty of other competing sales to check out. The LEGO Store is also offering a sale right now that's worth checking out to.

More Random Prime Day Finds

Amazon Prime Day FAQs

Do You Need to Be a Prime Member to Shop Amazon Prime Day Deals?

The short answer is yes, you need an Amazon Prime Membership to take full advantage of Amazon's Prime Day deals. If you're a new subscriber, you can try the service free for 30 days and cancel your membership as soon as you're done. If you aren't a Prime Member, there will still be deals on Amazon available to you as not every deal on the site will be connected to the Prime Day event. You will also be able to shop various sales going on outside of Amazon.

How Do You Know If a Prime Day Deal Is Actually Good?

There are a lot of deals happening during Prime Day and not all of them are necessarily good. If you're wondering if a discount is actually a good price, you can check specific products and urls via the free Amazon price tracker CamelCamelCamel. This website tracks historic pricing information for every product on Amazon and you can quickly check if the current price is low enough to be considered an overall good deal. It's one of those expert Prime Day tips that can help you feel good about making a purchase.

Are There Any Good Sales After Prime Day 2025?

There are actually a few upcoming sales events happening after Prime Day ends. The next major sale you can expect to find great discounts on is Labor Day sales, which will start cropping up near the end of August and into actual Labor Day, which lands on September 1. Following that sale, you can expect Amazon to continue the tradition of its Fall Prime Day, which usually takes place sometime in the middle of October. Other retailers will offer competing Fall sales before Black Friday season starts in November.

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.

  •  

The Alienware Aurora 16 5060 Laptop for $1,100 Is the Best Budget Gaming Laptop Deal for Prime Day

As part of its Black Friday in July Sale, Dell has dropped the price of the new 2025 Alienware Aurora 16 gaming laptop equipped with an GeForce RTX 5060 mobile GPU for just $1,099.99 with free delivery. That is a big $400 discount from its official launch price and currently the best deal I can find on an RTX 5060 equipped laptop from any brand and any retailer. If you're specifically looking for a gaming laptop at the $1,100 or below price point, you'd be hard pressed to find a better deal on a "budget" gaming laptop during Amazon Prime Day.

Alienware Aurora 16 RTX 5060 Gaming Laptop for $1,099.99

The Alienware Aurora 16 is equipped with a 16" 2560x1600 120Hz IPS display, Intel Core 7 (Series 2) 240H processor, GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, 32GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM, and a 1TB M.2 SSD. The Intel Core 7 Series 2 240H is an energy efficient CPU with a max turbo frequency of 5.2GHz with 10 cores. It's paired with an RTX 5060 GPU. The RTX 5060 is about 15%-20% more powerful than the RTX 4060 that replaces, making it a perfectly capable GPU for most games at up to 1600p. It approaches the performance of the RTX 4070 and overtakes it in games that support DLSS 4 with multi-frame generation. At a sticker price of $1,100, you'd bet won't find another laptop with a better GPU.

Compared to other Alienware laptops, the Aurora 16 is designed to look less like a gamer's laptop. It boasts a sleek, understated design with the absence of extraneous visual-only embellishments or unnecessary RGB lighting outside of the keyboard's white-only illumination. It's also priced more affordably than the higher powered Alienware 16X and Alienware 16 Area-51 laptops. Those laptops are more powerful, but they're also bigger and heavier.

Check out more Alienware Black Friday in July deals

Alienware is a brand I would recommend for anyone looking for a quality gaming laptop. Alienware laptops feature solid build quality, top-of-the-line gaming performance, and excellent cooling (further improved on the newer models). Best of all, there are plenty of sales that happen throughout the year, so it's not difficult to find a good deal.

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

  •  

The Meta Quest 3S VR Gaming Headset Drops to the Lowest Price Ever for Amazon Prime Day

For Prime Day, Amazon has dropped the prices on both variants of the popular Meta Quest 3S VR gaming headset. You can choose either the 128GB model for $249 after a $50 off discount, or you can upgrade to the 256GB model for $329.99 after a $70 off instant discount. The 256GB model will also get you a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow VR game.

The Meta Quest 3S is still widely considered the best value in VR gaming. Not only is it priced hundreds less than most other competitors (including Meta's own Quest 3), it's also an untethered gaming system that doesn't require a PC.

Meta Quest 3S VR Headset Deals for Prime Day

The Quest 3S was released shortly after the Quest 3 and is a perfect gateway for newcomers to the world of VR gaming. For one, it's $200 cheaper than the Quest 3 even before any discounts. Despite the 40% price drop, it retains most of the Quest 3's features. For example, it's equipped with the same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, which means games should run equally well on either headset. The Quest 3S also comes with the same Touch Plus controllers, which are lightweight and offer excellent inside-out tracking accuracy even without any base stations. Finally, the Quest 3S continues its support for AR passthrough thanks to six cameras positioned in two clusters on the front of the headset.

So what do you lose by shedding $200? The only compromise you make is with the optics. The Quest 3S has a smaller native resolution and lower FOV than the Quest 3. It also uses the Fresnel lens like the one found in the previous Quest 2 as opposed to the Meta Quest 3, which uses a newly designed pancake lens with a much wider sweet spot for focusing. For VR veterans, I would recommend the Quest 3 over anything else because of the improved visual clarity at a reasonable cost. However, for casual VR gamers, the Meta Quest 3S is more than good enough in all respects.

Of course what really makes the Meta Quest 3S so attractive is that it can be played completely untethered. That means you can play games like Beat Saber or Pistol Whip without having to own a powerful gaming PC or a PlayStation 5 console. In IGN's 9/10 Quest 3S review, Gabriel Moss wrote that "raw processing power, full-color passthrough, and snappy Touch Plus controllers make the Quest 3S a fantastic standalone VR headset that also brings entry-level mixed-reality gaming to the masses for – arguably – the very first time.

More Random Prime Day Finds

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.

  •  

Save 20% Off the LEGO Super Mario Mighty Bowser for Prime Day (The Biggest LEGO x Nintendo Set)

Both LEGO aficionados and Nintendo fans should check out this new deal that just popped up at Walmart. The imposing LEGO Super Mario The Mighty Bowser 71411 set is currently on sale for $219. As of this moment, this deal is exclusive to Walmart and doesn't seem to be an official part of Prime Day (it's still $270 on Amazon). The Mighty Bowser has been in production since October of 2022, so this set is expected to be retired within the next year.

20% Off the LEGO Super Mario The Mighty Bowser 71411

The Mighty Bowswer is still the largest LEGO x Nintendo collaboration with a total of 2,807 brick pieces. The finished build measures 16 inches wide and 12.5 inches tall. Kevin Wong built this actual set and loved it. It's both scary and adorable at the same time. It treats adult LEGO builders to a challenging build with advanced techniques and yet it is also durable enough to be interacted with, without fear of limbs falling apart. It brings out the best of both LEGO and Nintendo. Kevin wrote that "It is as perfect a merging as one could have hoped for. Ideally, this would be the first in a series of 'third path' sets that will recreate the gameplay and characters from our childhoods. And not just for Mario either. What about Zelda? Or Metroid? Or Pokemon? The possibilities are endless."

More LEGO Sets on Sale for Prime Day

Mighty Bowser isn't the only set currently on sale for Amazon Prime Day. Check out these other adult-themed sets from Walmart, Amazon, and even the LEGO Shop, including the Milk Way Galaxy, the LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR Motorcycle or the LEGO Icons Land Rover Classic Defender 90, which is expected to be retired later this year.

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.

  •  

Subnautica 2 Publisher Krafton Blames Leads for Delay in Statement, Saying They 'Abandoned Responsibilities'

The ongoing drama around Subnautica 2's delay and its team's upheaval continues, with the company Krafton issuing a lengthy public statement today accusing the studio's leaders of having "abandoned responsibilities" on the game, alleging they focused on personal projects rather than fulfilling their contracted roles and suggesting the game's delay is their fault.

In the published statement sent to press, which we've reprinted in full below, Krafton claims it made "multiple requests" to Unknown Worlds founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire to resume their responsibilities as game director and technical director respectively, but claims they both declined. "In particular, following the failure of Moonbreaker, KRAFTON asked Charlie to devote himself to the development of Subnautica 2. However, instead of participating in the game development, he chose to focus on a personal film project," the statement reads. "KRAFTON believes that the absence of core leadership has resulted in repeated confusion in direction and significant delays in the overall project schedule."

Krafton also makes reference to a reported $250 million bonus that was promised to the development team, which would have paid out just a few months from now if it hit revenue targets. Per Krafton, 90% of this bonus was intended to go directly to Cleveland, McGuire, and former CEO Ted Gill prior to their removal from the project.

The statement concludes with Krafton promising "fair and equitable compensation for all remaining Unknown Worlds employees...and we reaffirm our commitment to provide the rewards they were promised."

The full content of the statement is as follows:

To Our 12 Million Fellow Subnauts,
Inevitable Leadership Change Driven by Project Abandonment–Despite Holding 90% of Earnout for Themselves
First and foremost, we sincerely thank you for your continued support, passion, and unwavering dedication to Subnautica. We wish to provide clarity on the recent leadership changes at Unknown Worlds, a creative studio under KRAFTON.
Background of Leadership Change
KRAFTON deeply values Subnautica’s unique creativity and immersive world-building. To provide fans with even better gaming experiences, we acquired Unknown Worlds, fully committed to supporting Subnautica’s future success. We collaborated closely with the studio’s leadership, who were central to the creation of the original Subnautica, to foster the optimal environment for a successful Subnautica 2.
Specifically, in addition to the initial $500 million purchase price, we allocated approximately 90% of the up to $250 million earn-out compensation to the three former executives, with the expectation that they would demonstrate leadership and active involvement in the development of Subnautica 2.
However, regrettably, the former leadership abandoned the responsibilities entrusted to them. Subnautica 2 was originally planned for an Early Access launch in early 2024, but the timeline has since been significantly delayed. KRAFTON made multiple requests to Charlie and Max to resume their roles as Game Director and Technical Director, respectively, but both declined to do so. In particular, following the failure of Moonbreaker, KRAFTON asked Charlie to devote himself to the development of Subnautica 2. However, instead of participating in the game development, he chose to focus on a personal film project.
KRAFTON believes that the absence of core leadership has resulted in repeated confusion in direction and significant delays in the overall project schedule.
The current Early Access version also falls short in terms of content volume.
We are deeply disappointed by the former leadership’s conduct, and above all, we feel a profound sense of betrayal by their failure to honor the trust placed in them by our fans.
KRAFTON’s Full Support for the Dedicated Development Team
To uphold our commitment to provide you with the best possible gaming experience, we made the difficult yet necessary decision to change the executive leadership. Subnautica 2 has been and continues to be actively developed by a dedicated core team who share genuine passion, accountability, and commitment to the game. We deeply respect their expertise and creativity and will continue to provide full and unwavering support, enabling them to focus solely on delivering the exceptional game you deserve.
KRAFTON’s Commitment to its Promises in Rewarding Employees
Additionally, KRAFTON has committed to fair and equitable compensation for all remaining Unknown Worlds employees who have continuously and tirelessly contributed to Subnautica 2’s development. We believe that the dedication and effort of this team are at the very heart of Subnautica’s ongoing evolution, and we reaffirm our commitment to provide the rewards they were promised.
Fans will always remain at the center of every decision we make at KRAFTON. Moving forward, we promise transparent communication and continued efforts to sustainably develop and expand the beloved Subnautica universe.
Honoring your trust and expectations is a core tenet at KRAFTON. We are committed to repaying your patience with an even more refined and exceptional gaming experience.

Subnautica 2's entire leadership team was replaced last week with former Striking Distance CEO Steve Papoutsis by owner Krafton, and the game was delayed to 2026. The replacement came as a "shock" to Cleveland, who claimed in a Reddit post shortly after his removal that Subnautica 2 was "ready for early release", that the decision was "in Krafton's hands," and saying the decision to remove him and the other leaders "stings."

This was followed by a Bloomberg report that alleged this decision was made just before the $250 million bonus was scheduled to be paid out to the team, with staff expecting bonuses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to seven figures that they were now concerned they would not see. In a statement to IGN at the time, Krafton claimed the delay was a response to playtester feedback, and had nothing to do with "any contractual or financial considerations." In response to the removal of the three members of leadership and concerns about the denial of promised bonuses to staff, fans have begun organizing boycotts of the game on social media.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

  •  

The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Edition Drops to a New Low Price, Thanks to a Prime Day Coupon

For avid fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, there isn’t a shortage of ways to enjoy the epic story. But for many, reading the original books tops the list. And right now, you can get the Tolkien Illustrated Special Edition at its lowest price ever, thanks to the 59% discount and clickable coupon at Amazon for Prime Day. This combo brings the massive tome down under $100 for the first time ever. To use the coupon, before adding it to your cart, check the box next to the orange coupon banner. You can find this to the right of the images of the book and below the price on mobile.

The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Edition on Sale

*price after coupon is applied

This premium hardcover release features the full text printed in red and black, 30 full-color illustrations, two removable fold-out maps drawn by Tolkien’s son, Christopher, pages from the Book of Mazarbul, and sketches and maps from Tolkien himself. These special sketches were done as he was composing the original book. All of this is bound in a striking cover that showcases the Eye of Sauron and features a vivid red spine with foil accents. This is a book that looks striking on any bookshelf, coffee table, or really anywhere that it sits.

It’s hard to underestimate the impact that Tolkien and his works set in the land of Middle-earth have had on not only the writing world but on pop culture in general. It’s hard to imagine that we would have games like Dungeons & Dragons if we never heard about how Frodo and the other Hobbits met Strider at the Prancing Pony in (the original release of Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 used the term “hobbit” but had to be changed to the “halfling” we all know and love now after the Tolkien estate raised issues), or many of the epic fantasy novels of modern day, like Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere, if it hadn’t been for The Lord of the Rings. And of course, we wouldn’t have Peter Jackson’s movies.

There has never been a better time to grab this massive 1,248-page tome. If you're in the mood to splurge, be sure to check out all the Prime Day deals Amazon has currently available for films and other illustrated Tolkien offerings. Just be careful you don’t stare too intensely at the foiling on the cover, you may just start thinking of it as your precious…

More Prime Day Deals

The Tolkien volume isn't technically a Prime Day deal, because you don't need Prime to take advantage of it. But if you do have Prime, you can pick up these killer deals as well.

Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.

  •  

There's Only 2 Days Left to Score These Great Apple AirPods Deals for Prime Day

Amazon has discounted the entire Apple lineup of wireless earbuds as part of its Prime Day Sale that kicks off today. The Apple AirPods Pro 2nd generation noise canceling earbuds is down to $149, which is a phenomenal price and the lowest I've seen. However, the Apple AirPods 4 with noise cancelation just dropped to an even better price of just $119. As a comparison, last year's Black Friday price was $150. Both earbuds offer active noise cancelation and seamless synching with your iPhone, but they wear, feel, and sound very differently.

Amazon Prime Day AirPods Deals

The Apple AirPods 4 is an open air earbud design

The Apple AirPods 4 was released on September, 2024 in two variants: one with noise canceling and one without. This is an open air earbud design that doesn't sit inside and seal your ear canal. It is rare for an open air earbud to offer effective active noise cancelation, but somehow Apple did it. The AirPods 4 features several other updates over the AirPods 3 which brings it in-line with modern day standards. These improvements include the new Apple H2 chip, Bluetooth 5.3 support, IP54 resistance rating which now protects against dust intrusion, USB Type-C charging, and an optical in-ear sensor.

The AirPods Pro 2 is a traditional in-ear design

The AirPods Pro is the best-sounding "truly wireless" earbuds for iPhone users thanks to its passively isolating in-ear design combined with excellent active noise cancelation, low-distortion driver and amp, and the Apple H2 chip. It also has useful features like Adaptive Transparency Mode, which lets you better hear your surroundings without removing your earbuds, and Conversation Mode, which automatically enhances the voices of people you're talking to. The second generation AirPods Pro replaces the Lightning port with a more universal USB Type-C port so you don't have to mix and match cables, and also includes a MagSafe charging case as standard.

Should you get the AirPods 4 with ANC or the AirPods Pro?

The AirPods 4 with active noise cancelation is quite different from the more expensive AirPods Pro 2 because of the way it is worn: the AirPods 4 is an open-ear earbud with non-adjustable tips that sits just outside your ear canal, whereas the AirPods Pro is an in-ear earbud that sits inside and seals your ear canal with adjustable tips. If you were to base this decision on the current price of the two earbuds, the AirPods 4 would certainly be the way to go. A $30 price difference is pretty significant. But it's just not about the price. You also have to consider what you prioritize more: comfort or performance. In-ear earbuds will provide better noise cancelation and audio quality by nature of its passive isolation, but open-ear earbuds are less intrusive and thus many people find them more comfortable to wear. Still can't decide? Then heck out our recommendations for the best AirPods models to buy.

More Random Prime Day Finds

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.

  •  

Walmart Just Dropped the Best 4K-Ready Gaming PC Deal for Prime Day

Walmart just released the best price I've seen on a 4K-ready gaming PC and it beats out anything I'ves seen so far for Prime Day. Right now you can get the iBuypower Element Pro prebuilt gaming PC equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X CPU and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU for only $1499.99 with free delivery. The Radeon RX 9070 XT is an outstanding graphics card that can stand toe-to-toe with the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 4080. If you are keeping your budget to $1,500 or less, you won't find a more powerful gaming PC.

iBuypower Element Pro Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming PC fo $1499

The iBuypower gaming PC is generously equipped across the board. It features an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X CPU, Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and 2TB M.2 SSD. The Ryzen 9 7900X processor has a max boost clock of 5.6GHz with 12 cores and 24 threads. This is an excellent CPU for both gaming and multi-tasking and you won't need to upgrade from it for a long time. It's cooled by a very robust 360mm all-in-one liquid cooling system and run off an 850W power supply.

The Radeon RX 9070 XT Received a 10/10 at IGN

We rated the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT a "perfect" 10/10. Even though it costs $150 less than the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, the 9070 XT beats it out in several of the games we tested. In a few benchmarks, the results aren't even close. The 9070 XT is also comparable in performance to the older $1,000 RX 7900 XTX but with better ray tracing and upscaling performance than its predecessor. It does lose out on VRAM (16GB vs 24GB), but that isn't really an issue for gaming. By "4K ready" I mean that this gaming PC can run pretty much any game at 4K resolution and at framerates of 60fps or higher. Any video card that's weaker and you'll have to compromise in order to get playable framerates.

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.

  •  

Batman: The Complete Animated Series on Blu-ray Is $50 Off at Amazon Today

For many '90s kids, the Batman: The Animated Series was their first exposure to the Caped Crusader. The series debuted in 1992, and at least for me, Kevin Conroy – the voice of Bruce Wayne and Batman – will always be my Batman.

This year for Prime Day, Amazon has the complete series on Blu-ray on sale for $29.99, down from its usual $79.99 price. That's as low as the price ever gets. This set features all 109 episodes, coming out to 35 hours of Batman-goodness, plus both animated films, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero. This deal is among many of the best Blu-ray deals going on for Prime Day right now.

Batman: The Complete Animated Series (Blu-ray)

When it first aired, little did we know that this series would give fans such memorable takes on the characters, like Mark Hamill’s Joker, the introduction of Harley Quinn, plus stellar episodes like “Beware the Gray Ghost” that brought in fellow Batman, Adam West. That's to say nothing of kicking off the nearly three decades of Conroy as Batman.

Batman: The Animated Series marked the beginning of what would become the DC Animated Universe, later expanding to include Superman: The Animated Series, the futuristic Batman Beyond, a multitude of Justice League series, and more. The touch of this series can still be felt all these years later, whether it is from impressive LEGO sets, stunning action figures, or every episode of HBO’s Harley Quinn series. The imagery of the WB logo fading into a blimp shining its lights is forever ingrained in my memory, and so closely tied to my childhood, and I doubt I’m the only one.

In a time where physical media feels like it’s fading into the shadows, being able to get your own physical copy of such a memorable series is a relief. Don’t wait on this deal; make sure to own a copy of this award-winning series so you can enjoy it for years to come.

More Prime Day 4K and Blu-ray Deals

Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.

  •  

The LEGO Shop Has Its Own Exclusive LEGO Deals for Amazon Prime Day, Including One of My Favorites

LEGO Shop has just kicked off its very own LEGO Insiders Days event, which runs from July 8 to July 17, coinciding with Amazon Prime Day. What's great about this sale is that the deals I'm seeing are not replicated at any of the big box retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart. You'll need to be a LEGO Insiders member to be eligible, but fortunately signing up is free, and you get rewards for each purchase. There are some big savings (up to 25% off) on several adult-themed LEGO sets that have, thus far, never been discounted, including one of my all-time favorite builds. You also get bonuses, like a free LEGO African Savanna Dioarama set with purchases of $150 or more.

20% Off LEGO Milky Way Galaxy 31212

The LEGO Milky Way Galaxy set #31212 is currently $199.99 elsewhere (even during Prime Day), but Insiders members can get it for $159.99, or 20% off the retail price. This massive 3,091-brick set was released last year; I've built it myself and I can say that it is one of my favorite builds of all-time. What's unique about this representation of our Milky Way galaxy is that the set employs the "greebling" technique. What that basically means is that random LEGO parts that you wouldn't expect to belong in a galaxy are used. The Milky Way build makes use of a colorful palette of bricks, something that's sorely missing in recent LEGO builds, and the layering makes the finished art piece look like a mesmerizing 3D display. I bought it at the full retail price and have no regrets.

20% Off LEGO Marvel Spider-Man Daily Bugle 76178

The LEGO Spider-Man Daily Bugle 76178 is an impressively sized build measuring 32" tall, 10" wide, and 10" deep with a brick count of 3,789 pieces. This four-story rendition of the famous newspaper building is LEGO's third-largest Marvel set ever and comes with 25 iconic mini-figures from the Spider-Man universe, including Doctor Octopus, Spider-Man, Venom, Miles Morales, Spider-Ham, Green Goblin, Peter Parker, Spider-Gwen, Mysterio, Sandman, Robbie Robertson, and even some characters unique to this set like Blade the vampire hunter, J. Jonah Jameson, Black Cat, Daredevil, and Punisher.

25% Off LEGO Motorized Lighthouse 21335

This build is certainly stands out as being the only set in this sale with an include battery box and working motor piece. The lighthouse build stands 21.5" tall and has a working rotating light and custom-designed Fresnel lens elements. As a nice added touch, the lights inside the cottage at the base of the lighthouse also turn on and off. If you factor in all the working elements as well as the motor and battery box, a per-brick price of 10.8 cents is actually a solid value.

30% Off LEGO Apollo Lunar Landing Vehicle 42182

Update: It's now cheaper on Amazon.

If you're a collector LEGO NASA builds, then this one is definitely for you. The landing vehicle is comprised of 1,913 pieces and measures 15" long, 10" wide, and about 5.5" tall. This is a Technic set, so it would look especially good when paired with the LEGO NASA Mars Rover Perserverence. The rover features working steering and suspension, faux battery pack, heating and cooling elements, comms, and a bevy of scientific tools.

More LEGO Shop Deals for Prime Day

More Prime Day LEGO Sets From Other Retailers

Respect to any hardcore LEGO enthusiast who purchases this LEGO Technic set with the intent on building it. Technic construction vehicles are some of the most complicated sets that LEGO produces, and they're definitely not for the faint of heart. This particular model consists of "only" 2,883 pieces, which seems low for the whopping $700 retail price. That's mainly because this is a motorized LEGO set and includes two smart hubs and six large motors to power the articulated functions via an app on your smartphone. This is also one of the tallest LEGO sets, measuring 38" high from top to bottom. This set goes on sale rarely and only during special events like Black Friday or Prime Day.

17% Off LEGO Icons Land Rover Classic Defender 90 10317

I absolutely love LEGO's Icons and Creator Expert vehicles, even more so than the Technic builds. Besides looking more realistic, I think they exude a lot more personality. For example, the LEGO Icons Land Rover Classic Defender has the usual features you'd expect in a detailed LEGO vehicle build, like the functional steering, opening doors, and working suspension. But it also has unique customization options you won't find in the cookie-cutter Technic builds, including optional attachable off-road accessories like a roll cage, fire extinguisher, jerry cans, tool box, working winch, mudguards, and traction plates. You can even decide whether you want your car to be a left-hand or right-hand drive vehicle, whether it runs off diesel or petrol, and three different hood options.

For other deals, check out our Prime Day megapost with deals on books, movies, and more.

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.

  •  

Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1 Drops to Just $7 for Prime Day 2025 – Its Lowest Price Yet

Patient Spidey fans, your moment has arrived. Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1: Married with Children by Jonathan Hickman is now just $7.13 on Amazon for Prime Day 2025. That’s down over 60% from the $19.99 list price and marks its lowest price ever.

This volume collects issues #1–6 of the new 2024 Ultimate Spider-Man run, and it’s not just a standout—it’s a top-tier Marvel release that’s worth grabbing even if you’ve been burned out on reboots. Hickman and Marco Checchetto have absolutely nailed it here.

Volume 2, titled The Paper, is also now available and currently sitting at $17.99. It continues the story with issues #7–12 and, more importantly, qualifies for Amazon’s 3-for-2 Prime Day promotion.

That means if you pick up three eligible items across books, comics, or even vinyl, the cheapest one is free. It’s a perfect excuse to also grab Ultimate Invasion ($19.39) or Ultimate X-Men Vol. 1 ($17.01)—both of which are included in the same deal.

The 3-for-2 promo is stacked with must-haves, including All-Star Superman, ready for James Gunn's Superman to hit theatres this weekend.

You’ll also find The Lord of the Rings Illustrated Editions, Sunrise on the Reaping, and plenty more chart-toppers in the mix, making it one of the best ways to bulk out your shelf or queue up your next reading spree.

And while you’re browsing, it’s worth noting that Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 3 is now up for preorder at Amazon for $17.99. You won’t be charged until it ships in September, so it’s a solid lock-in if you’re already hooked on the series.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Senior Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter/X or Bluesky.

  •  

Prime Day Has Apple Watches at New Low Prices, but the Sale Ends Tomorrow

If you're the owner of an iPhone, the Apple Watch is a device that can make your life infinitely better. The ability to quickly be notified of an email or text with a vibration on your wrist and respond to it without ever pulling out your phone. With Amazon Prime Day raging on for one more day, now is a great time to score an Apple Watch on sale. Both Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are on sale, so take a look at these deals below before they're gone!

Apple Watch Deals for Prime Day 2025

The cheapest Apple Watch deal available is the 42mm GPS Series 10 for $279. Released last Fall, Series 10 brought a ton of great features and updates to the standard line of Apple Watch. This is the thinnest Apple Watch out there, with support for health features like sleep apnea notifications, sensors for water temperature, and much more. If you want a bigger display, the 46mm Series 10 model is also on sale, but you'll need to cough up an extra $40. In my opinion, this is well worth it, as even though it might not sound like a big jump, those extra 4mm of screen are quite noticeable.

Finally, Apple Watch Ultra 2 is on sale for $649 for Prime Day. The Ultra 2 is one of the best smart watches you can buy, as it packs in so many great features. The Ultra line is all made of titanium, making it much more durable than the aluminium-based Series 10. You've also got almost double the battery life of Series 10, depending on how much you use your watch. I personally wear an Apple Watch Ultra 2 every single day, and I can't even begin to express how much of a jump it is from the standard Apple Watch model. All Ultra 2 models include support for Cellular services, so you can access your texts, take a call, and listen to music while away from your iPhone if needed.

More Apple Prime Day Deals

If you're looking for more iOS devices on sale, there are a lot of really great Prime Day deals on Apple products currently available. Amazon has huge savings on iPads, including the 2025 Apple iPad Air (7th Generation) that packs in an M3 processor.

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.

  •  

Amazon Has Some of the Best 4K Blu-ray Deals I've Ever Seen for Prime Day This Year

We're heading toward the end of Amazon's four-day Prime Day sale. Some of the most popular deals we've seen at IGN so far are the discounts on physical movies, and for good reason. Price drops are up to 70% off pretty much any movie you can think of, including collections like The Dark Knight trilogy and new releases like Nosferatu.

Some of these movies are also included in Amazon's buy 2, get 1 free promotion, which also applies to hundreds of books, records, and comics. If you're a cinephile who prefers physical media like me, this is the perfect time to add some of your favorite movies to your shelf.

The Best 4K UHD Movies to Grab During Prime Day

The deals I've highlighted don't nearly cover everything that's available, but they're some of the best films made in recent memory (and some of my personal favorites). Being a Prime member is required to get in on the savings, but signing up isn't too painful. You can even get a 30-day free trial, grab the movies you've been eyeing, and cancel the subscription within the 30-day window to not get charged the monthly fee.

The Dune 2-film collection is a great way to kill an entire day and get caught up before Dune: Part 3 (which I can't believe they're not calling Dune: Messiah). The Middle Earth 6-film collection is also fantastic. It comes with both the theatrical and extended cuts of The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies.

Nosferatu came out on DVD pretty recently, making this the biggest discount the Eggers' movie has gotten soon so far. Then there's the Alien 40th Anniversary Edition which sports some of the sickest box art I've seen on a movie in a while. You can bundle also this one in Amazon's concurrent buy 2, get 1 free sale.

I highlight a lot of Christopher Nolan's best works, like Oppenheimer, the Dark Knight Trilogy, and Interstellar, because his films were made to be viewed at home in 4K. If you somehow haven't already, why not get familiar with his style before The Odyssey is out.

The Prime Day deals aren't limited to movies, either. You can grab full box sets of your favorite shows, including sitcoms, cartoons, and prestige dramas. The sale also features tons of anime, including a special edition of Cowboy Bebop. These series typically stick to Blu-ray, but they do come packed with bonus features.

Check Out More Prime Day Deals

Pretty much anything you can think of is on sale for Prime Day. You can save on Kindles, Apple products, video games, comics, and so, so much more.

Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.

  •  

These Are the Weirdest Prime Day Deals People Are Actually Buying on Amazon

We are about halfway through Prime Day, as Amazon extends its July sales event from two days to four days of deals this year. While our commerce editors are busy finding the best tech, toys, and gaming deals this week, like the Apple AirPods Pro for $149 and LEGO deals, I'm here to keep you entertained with the weirdest items on the market. I'm not here to yuck anyone's yum, so don't get it twisted. Instead, I've compiled 19 of the most random (but still cool, funny or interesting) items I could find for Prime Day right now. The below items all have 4+ star ratings, so yes, people are actually buying and seemingly enjoying these things!

19 Weird but Cool Prime Day Deals

"Ugly" iPhone Case

Doctor Pepper Candle

POSSUM IN A PEANUT

Inflatable Goat Swim Ring

Axolotl Night Light

2 Slot Hot Dog and Bun Toaster

The Clearly Impossible Puzzle

Hot Wheels Lollipop Rings (18 Pack)

LED Bucket Hat

Burrito Tortilla Blanket

Depointer Life Led Mask with Gesture Sensing

Car Air Freshener Vent Clips

Keyboard Fidget Toy/Clicker Keychain

Chicken Nugget Blanket

Mac and Cheese Socks

80s Futuristic Cyclops Sunglasses

The Office Sunshade Car Protector -28" x 58"

TastySounds Audio Lollipop

The Paris Hilton Mini Fridge

See more random Prime Day deals (but not nearly as random as the above)

In addition to the AirPods Pro deal mentioned, some of the most popular deals we've found in gaming and tech include the PlayStation Portal (Used) $124.12, the PS5 DualSense Edge Controller (Used) for $142.61, the Meta Quest 3S 128GB VR Headset for $249.99, the Apple Watch Series 10 for $279.99 and the newest iPad for $279.99.

As a reminder, Prime Day lasts through Friday, July 11 at 11:59pm PT, so there's still time to shop and add things to your cart while these discounts last. I for one haven't hit the checkout button yet, but plan to take advantage of discounts on practical things I need like moisturizer, a garlic press, socks, and peanut butter in bulk (for me and for my dog), so my cart is getting pretty full. You just never know what you may find.

Lindsey (she/her) is IGN's Director of Audience Development and Commerce. She's been at IGN since 2021 and has a background in SEO, especially in the gaming, entertainment, and tech media spaces. Find her on Twitter at @LindseySalzer.

  •  

Superman and Why the Battle for Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow Is Never-Ending

There is a Superman for all seasons. When we need him, when the hour grows dark and hope grows dim, he appears, imagined by artists and writers and filmmakers, reborn again and again in the crucible of chaos to deliver us a single gift: hope. The character has been an arbiter for that hope for nearly 90 years, offering a balm to readers and viewers alike who need a reminder that there is inherent good in this world.

Through the span of a little under a century, the Man of Steel has shown us time and time again that the battle for a better tomorrow is never-ending.

Champion of the Oppressed

In the opening to “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow,” legendary author Alan Moore calls Superman “A perfect man who came from the sky and did only good.” Kal-El is a modern-day champion of unconventional wisdom, respecting kindness, compassion, and even humility as true strength in the face of evil. He sees the world through the lens of what is possible just outside of the horizon, that he and human beings can all become better and better through generosity, understanding, decency, and perhaps most importantly, by saving one another.

Economic strife birthed Superman. His creators conceived him at a moment of cultural and fiscal uncertainty unimaginable to most now living in the U.S. In the 1930s, American society was unraveling at the seams, critically wounded by the unchecked greed and corruption that fed the Great Depression. Peaceful protesters in Washington were ridden down by the army. Homeless campers in California were beaten by local mobs. Hunger, debt, and suicide were everywhere, a pattern that worsened year after year until President Roosevelt began reforms that slowly reversed the decline. Many of these helpful laws and acts were blocked by the judicial opposition, resulting in over a decade of concentrated economic disruption. And across the sea, the rising tide of Nazi fascism and Soviet expansionism threatened all the world’s people with the shadow of a global war.

Discord was the womb in which Superman incubated. We needed a hero.

This discord was the womb in which Superman incubated. We needed a hero, and near-revolution conceived that hero in the minds of two creators. He was born into a threatening, brutal, and violent historical America that kids reading comics at the time knew and understood. The dystopian reality forged by powerful men was far more terrifying than any monologuing metahuman. When the Man of Steel first appeared, his four relatively tame superhuman abilities (strength, durability, leaping, and speed) still placed him among the most powerful fictional characters in comics to that date. But for quite some time, Superman rarely used these incredible gifts against monstrous beasts, petty criminals, or superhuman foes. Instead, Superman’s early adventures pit him against threats inspired by the real world: corrupt politicians, arms manufacturers, greedy business owners, and establishment landlords. Most of the folks he takes down in those early years are rich old men too powerful to be held to account by the law.

The earliest appearance of Superman introduces him with brilliant conciseness: “Superman! Champion of the oppressed.” Into an unexpecting world comes Clark Kent, reporter, and Superman, a blunt instrument of rough-and-tumble problem-solving. While not brutal, he is not at all sheepish about breaking and entering, destruction of property, or roughing up a spousal abuser. His first act of heroism? Fighting his way into a state governor’s mansion to prevent an unjust execution.

He wrecks fetid slums owned by corrupt landlords so that Roosevelt can build decent housing in their place. He threatens mining magnates to secure decent working conditions for the miners. When confronted with the problem of a regional war fermenting overseas, the earliest Superman goes to the source: corrupt American arms manufacturers using US government connections to fuel the conflict. Superman’s solution? Kidnap a millionaire weapons dealer, then haul him into the trenches of a war zone. Superman then strips off his own costume, dons an army uniform, and leads the robber baron on a trip through the horrors of armed conflict. The owner repents, and Superman goes on to forcefully negotiate an end to the campaign.

Bad things happen, Superman moves to correct them, and consequences be damned. That’s the core of the character, an almost biblical commitment to ethical action. Thus began Superman’s never-ending battle, certainly for truth and justice. But for the American way? At that time, not so much. For a better tomorrow? Most certainly.

You Will Believe a Man Can Fly

Superman stories have changed to keep pace with the world. Sometimes those changes are not great, like the postwar Silver Age silliness where Superman divided his time between battling Lex Luthor and antagonizing Lois Lane and Lana Lang. And we’ve seen a few more sinister examples: he’s drowned ships full of men, posed for racist WWII propaganda, and snapped a Kryptonian neck or two. Pink Kryptonite once “made” him gay.

But more often, Superman story changes have been updated to positively address a new age, and to continually allow Superman to represent a good example and a heroic reminder that in dark hours, hope for the future lights the way forward. In the ’40s, Superman fought fifth column spies on the homefront and served as a correspondent, informing the public. In Vietnam, he became a combat medic. Outside of a few stories, he rarely interfered with war directly, mostly because the DC authors realized that he could end any conflict in a day. So instead, they told Superman tales that a kid living in America during a war could relate to. They are mostly stories nudging you to do your best from where you are at any moment, tackling problems in your community fearlessly and ethically. Gradually, a lot of this got lost under the Comics Code, resulting in fewer stories about doing good and more stories about stopping bank robbers and robots. (The Comics Code enforced regulations that discouraged Superman’s previously-nuanced storytelling, demanding that authority figures usually be treated as benevolent and severely limiting what was permissible on a page.)

By the late 1970s, America was in a colossal funk. Crime, prices, and unemployment were on the rise. American power and prestige was failing. The President of the United States had just resigned in disgrace for massive corruption. Many of his key lieutenants were in prison. The failure of the Vietnam War had drained the life from much of American society, and a massive fuel crisis damaged an economy utterly dependent on auto and truck transport.

It was in the midst of this chaos that Superman: The Movie landed in theaters like a red, blue, and yellow blaze of optimism. A tall, unknown actor named Chrostopher Reeve played the Man of Steel as if inhabited by the spirit of every great comic story that came before. His Clark Kent embodied the awkward humility of The Daily Planet’s second-best reporter, and his Superman exuded a collected kindness masking almost limitless physical power.

Superman: The Movie (often now referred to as simply Superman) was far and away the most impressive Hollywood foray into superheroics, with special effects that seemed impossible at the time and the very capable director Richard Donner at the helm. Viewed today, the film seems almost quaint in its optimistic tone and saturated colors... and that’s exactly what it meant to evoke in the ’70s as well.

Clark Kent, with his awkward politeness and unfailing kindness, stepped straight out of another era, evoking the best of America’s collective past. And Clark’s alter ego, Superman, pointed us constantly to the possibility of a better tomorrow. He took on the problems of his day and age: lost hope, a sense of powerlessness, the corruption wrought by the emerging culture of economic disparity in America, and showed us that we could work together to find a way out. It was an extraordinary return to form for the character created during an age of national malaise.

What super-menace did the Man of Steel face in Superman: The Movie? Not Brainiac or Ultraman or Darkseid, but rather Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor, a madcap real-estate speculator. Superman’s most famous foe was reborn as an evil property investor with nuclear weapons at his command, a motif that soon made its way into the comics with Lex’s transformation into an evil businessman... the original Golden Age Superman archetypal foe.

In uncertain times, Superman reminded us that the world is what we make it together, that 'we’re all on the same team.'

Superman: The Movie lived up to its tagline: “You’ll believe a man can fly.” In uncertain times, Superman reminded us that the world is what we make it together, that as he reminds one character “we’re all on the same team.” He respected everyone around him, told the truth, rescued the needy, and used the trustworthy platform of The Daily Planet to provide tremendous transparency to his mission.

John Williams’ theme blazing in the background, this new Superman was really nothing but a return to form for the original character concept, an outsider that chooses to walk among us doing good, no matter what, and inspiring all he comes in contact with. The inspiration proves vital to the story: When Lex has Superman dead to rights with green kryptonite, reluctant villain Eve Teschmacher changes sides to free the Man of Steel and save his life.

And for a time, this movie Superman became the core of comic Superman again, until the cynical, grimy debacle of Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen confused the issue for a bit.

A New Century Needs an Old Hero

Superman is a spiritual presence throughout DC’s 9-11 Vol. 2, an artist and writer's tribute to the tragedy of September 11, 2001. As 9/11 was a deeply traumatizing and irreversible event, DC avoided involving Superman in any acts of prevention. Rather, the non-canonical tributes serve as an outlet for expressing the still-fresh wounds of comic creators living in a city under attack.

The most poignant is a short, stunning tale. We encounter Superman and the Justice League just after their successful evacuation of the World Trade Center. Though both towers are destroyed, the people inside are rescued. The League begins to quickly rebuild the towers, taller and more beautiful than before.

As we continue reading, the art distorts, unraveling into the scribbles of a child’s handwriting. We learn that this is all the fantasy of a child watching 9/11 on TV. As roads and trains are shut down, his father is walking out of New York City on the day of the attacks, and the boy is scrambling to finish writing his comic before his father gets home so he can share it with him.

This minute comic story exemplifies the spirit of Superman. Like Superman, it speaks quite literally not to what is, but what could be. A better world. A better tomorrow.

A Better Tomorrow

But what about this new movie, this new Superman, and the here and now?

These are quite simply the darkest days for America since the near-apocalypse of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when humanity stood at the edge of self-made extinction. The end of the world was just barely averted by clear heads in the U.S. and Russia. Now again we face a day when the world seems on fire and much seems hopeless: war spreading, tyrants dismantling human rights across the planet, unspeakable violence in Gaza. Falsehood and injustice reign. And once again, in our hour of need, Superman appears, representing not lies and lawlessness, but truth and justice, and the hope of a better tomorrow.

Once again Superman appears, representing not lies and lawlessness, but truth and justice, and the hope of a better tomorrow. 

The slogan hasn’t been truth, justice, and the American way for some time. Four years ago DC combined The Man of Tomorrow’s signature slogan with his nickname, declaring that he fights for “truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.” That’s hardly the first time Superman’s slogan has changed... he’s actually had quite a few. Truth, justice, and the American Way mostly sticks in our minds through its appearances in George Reeves’ Superman TV series and Christopher Reeve’s charming line delivery in Superman: The Movie. But he’s had plenty of mottos and nicknames... he’s been “The Man of Tomorrow” since 1939!

But recently, we’re being told to “look up.” We’ve seen Superman in the trailers saving people from disaster, and we’ve in turn seen him rescued by ordinary people lifting him with outreached hands. We’ve seen him vulnerable, bleeding, wheezing. We’ve seen him plead for understanding that preventing the loss of life outweighs any system of authority. We’ve seen him imprisoned by the government, locked in a cage, and we’ve seen him somehow escape. He is walking alongside us, fighting alongside us, carrying our burdens as the world spirals into chaos.

Critics have mostly been very pleased with the new Superman film. IGN’s Tom Jorgensen thought it was great. But across certain media ecosystems, it’s been heavily attacked, mostly by people who haven’t seen it yet. The animus mostly seems to be fueled by the film’s heavily-advertised focus on human kindness and decency, as well as the fact that Clark Kent is, as always, presented as an "illegal" alien.

You don’t need a lot of Superman history to dispel these attacks. Kal-El has, over the years, fought the Klan and battled Nazi sympathizers while at the same time championing equity, friendship, decency, and self-identifying as an American. Yet the very fact that such an expression of disdain toward the Man of Steel could build so quickly is a testimony that Superman’s work, that our work for a better tomorrow, is very far from over.

When you consider the earliest roots of the character and place him in our day and age, well, he’s the man for our hour.

If you’ll indulge a personal revelation, I’m a Quaker, part of a quirky little corner of Christianity. One of the core beliefs of my religion is that people are capable of inherent good, that there’s no curse or force holding us back from decency except our own shortsightedness. I think Superman believes the same thing, that his life story is of one very powerful, very lonely man trying to show us again and again that a better tomorrow is in our reach, if we would merely outstretch our hands and grasp it. If we did, we’d discover something amazing.

Tomorrow is already here.

Jared Petty is a mild-mannered video game reporter for a great Metropolitan newspaper. You can find him at Bluesky as pettycommajared and at Threads as https://www.threads.com/@pettycommajared.

  •  

LEGO Announces a New Transformers Soundwave Set, Which Joins Optimus Prime and Bumblebee

LEGO has announced a retro-themed Transformers Soundwave set, which you can transform into a cassette player without disassembling it. You also get his two cronies, Ravage and Laserbeak, which transform into cassette tapes that are insertable into Soundwave's cassette bay. The listing is live on the LEGO Store, but it's not available to preorder. Soundwave will retail for $189.99 and will be available exclusively at the LEGO Store on August 4.

This is the third transformable Transformers build of its kind. A LEGO Optimus Prime debuted in 2022, and a LEGO Bumblebee debuted in 2024. But this is the first time that a villainous Decepticon has gotten the full-scale LEGO treatment, and it is the first time that a LEGO Transformer came with companions that interacted with the base model.

It is also the first time that LEGO has given a Transformer the ability to speak. When you press the 'play' button on the LEGO sound brick, Soundwave will recite one of his catchphrases or sound effects.

The build measures 13 inches tall, which places it heightwise between Optimus Prime build (14 inches) and the Bumblebee build (10 inches). In addition to Ravage and Laserbeak, you also get rocket pod, laser blaster and dart accessories, as well as a placard for display.

Like the prior two Transformers builds, this set is targeted at adults – or more specifically, at Gen-Xers who came of age during the mid to late-80's, or Millennials who watched Michael Bay's Transformers films in theaters. You may remember Soundwave from when he first appeared on the big screen in Revenge of the Fallen back in 2009.

Check out our photo gallery above for a closer look. To see more from LEGO, check out our roundup of the 10 Best LEGO Sets. And check back in; we'll be building, photographing, and reviewing Soundwave for its launch in the weeks ahead.

LEGO Deals for Prime Day

Also, Prime Day is happening now, and you can save a ton of cash with Prime Day LEGO deals. All sorts of sets are on sale, so check them out if you feel like picking one up while it's on sale.

Kevin Wong is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in LEGO. He's also been published in Complex, Engadget, Gamespot, Kotaku, and more. Follow him on Twitter at @kevinjameswong.

  •  

Best GPU 2025: Pick the Best Graphics Card for Your Gaming PC

When you’re setting out to build or upgrade your gaming PC, the best graphics cards are often the first thing that comes to mind. There’s a simple reason for that: When it comes to PC games, GPUs are the most impactful component in determining your rig's raw frame rates. Quite simply, most of the time, a better graphics card directly results in better performance – at least up to a point.

TL;DR: These Are the Best Graphics Cards

These days, GPUs have legitimately become a luxury good. With graphics cards like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 costing upwards of $1,999, you can expect to pay top dollar for top performance. Prices are still way higher than they were when the GTX 970 blew my mind in 2014 – even when adjusted for inflation. However, if you temper your expectations, you can still get a solid gaming experience for a fraction of that price, especially if you're okay with gaming at 1440p or 1080p.

I’ve been reviewing graphics cards for the last four generations, and I’ve personally benchmarked, built with, and played games using every GPU on this list. However, if none of these strike your fancy, feel free to comment below what kind of gaming experience you’re looking for, and I’d be happy to help you find the perfect card for your build.

What to Look for in a Graphics Card

While it would be easy to just tell you to get the most powerful graphics card on the market for the best gaming experience, the truth is that picking a GPU is something you need to put a bit more thought into. Not all graphics cards are created equal, and everyone is going to need something a little different out of their PCI-E brick.

Decide on your resolution first. This is because a graphics card that's great at 4K isn't exactly going to translate to an amazing 1080p graphics card. Just take a look at the Nvidia RTX 5090. While the new flagship flies at 4K, it can actually be slower than much cheaper graphics cards at 1080p, due to CPU bottlenecking. Instead, if you're playing at 1080p, something like the Intel Arc B580 is going to be a much better fit. You're still going to get solid gaming performance, but at a much lower price, which you can use to, well, buy more games.

Set your budget. Price is also a huge concern, and graphics cards are only getting more expensive these days. It would be awesome if everyone could afford an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, but that's just not the world we live in. These days, the floor sits around $200-$250. For that price you can get a solid 1080p graphics card, without having to go back to a previous generation. If you have a bit more cash, something like the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT will unlock most of gaming's bells and whistles.

If you really want to go all-out, you can get an amazing graphics card for around $1,000. Both the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 will provide an awesome 4K gaming experience, and the one you choose should ultimately depend on how much you care about ray tracing. For most people that just want raw gaming performance, the Radeon RX 9070 XT is a better option, as it's a more affordable card that can still handle 4K, and it even comes with FSR 4, which is the first time AMD can really go toe-to-toe with Nvidia's DLSS.

Luckily, it looks like this generation of graphics cards is going to make 4K gaming much more accessible. When I reviewed the Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti, I found that it had no problem breaking 60fps in even demanding games like Black Myth Wukong. However, more expensive and powerful cards like the RTX 5080 and 5090 are going to give you more breathing room for future PC games.

With more expensive graphics cards, however, power is going to be a big concern. You're going to want to make sure you check which power supply you have against the power requirements for the graphics card you're looking at. Something like the Intel Arc B580 can get away with a 450W PSU, but you're going to want to make sure you have something much more powerful for the Radeon RX 7800 XT, for instance. You don't need to go overboard and fork over the cash for a power supply that offers twice the recommended power – just make sure you have enough juice to keep your GPU going.

1. AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT

The Best Graphics Card for Most People

For the last few years, high-end graphics cards have been getting more expensive than ever before. In just a few generations, the top-end Nvidia graphics card went from being $699 for the GTX 1080 Ti to $1,999 for the RTX 5090, far outpacing inflation. And while the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT isn't quite the most powerful graphics card on the market right now, it still provides an excellent 4K gaming experience at a much lower price than the RTX 5070 Ti it directly competes with.

In my testing, I found that the $599 RX 9070 XT often beats the $749 RTX 5070 Ti, sometimes by double digits. Even in games like Cyberpunk 2077, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT has no problem maintaining 71 fps at 4K with the Ray Tracing Ultra preset, only trailing the RTX 5070 Ti by 4 fps. That's a marginal difference and only goes to show that while AMD graphics cards still trail behind Nvidia GPUs in ray tracing, they've come a long way since the RX 6000 generation introduced RT to Team Red a few years ago.

This new generation of AMD GPUs also brings an improvement I've been begging AMD for – AI upscaling via FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 4. This new upscaler doesn't necessarily provide better performance than FSR 3, which is based on a traditional temporal upscaler, but it does provide much better image quality, especially in scenes with fine detail that can get muddied up by less elegant upscaling solutions.

The only downside is that because AMD isn't its own version of this graphics card, the market is completely made up of third-party cards that could see much more volatile pricing. However, if you can get a Radeon RX 9070 XT at or around its MSRP, it's easily the best graphics card out there for most people.

2. Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

The Best Mainstream Graphics Card If You Want to Spend a Bit More

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is a lesson in pricing. At its suggested price of $749, it is one of the best bang-for-your-buck graphics cards of this entire generation. However, with the graphics card just having launched recently, it remains to be seen how available it will be at that suggested price. It is distinctly possible that the only RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards that are available will cost much more than the suggested price, which will make it much harder to recommend.

If you can find the RTX 5070 Ti at $749, or even up to $800, it is one of the best 4K graphics cards for most people. When I reviewed the 5070 Ti, I found that it stayed within reaching distance of the RTX 5080, consistently sitting just 13-15% behind it, while having a 33% lower asking price. It's not hard to see why it's the best value high-end graphics card of this generation, so far at least.

The elephant in the room, however, is Blackwell's tepid generation-on-generation improvement over the RTX 4000 graphics cards. The Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti has the best generational gain out of any of the RTX 5000 cards, and its still limited to being just 11% faster than the RTX 4070 Super and 21% faster than the original RTX 4070. That's not a huge jump, but its still a bigger improvement than the RTX 5080, which is just 15% faster than the RTX 4080 in the same test suite.

3. Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090

The Best Nvidia Graphics Card

There's no way around it, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is the most powerful graphics card on the market right now. Full stop. While it doesn't mark the same kind of generational growth that the RTX 4090 or even the RTX 3090 did, there's no getting around the fact that it provides the best gaming performance you can get right now – especially when you take DLSS multi-frame generation into account.

Not only is the RTX 5090 bigger than the 4090, now coming with 21,760 CUDA cores and 32GB of GDDR7 memory, but it also has a much higher power budget. When I reviewed the RTX 5090, I found the next-gen graphics flagship would peak at a staggering 578W, a huge increase from the 448W of the RTX 4090. With all that extra power, Nvidia needed to find a better way to dissipate heat, and introduced a new cooler for its Founders Edition. Instead of doubling down on the triple-fan design of the last couple of generations, Team Green actually found a way to slim the design back down to a dual slot cooler, something I haven't seen in a flagship Nvidia graphics card since the RTX 2080 Ti.

The company was able to do this by shrinking down the circuit board where the GPU is located, placing it at the center of the card. Each side of that PCB is bookended by pass-through heatsinks, where fans pull cool air through the bottom of the card, and shoot it straight through to the top of your PC case. The thermal engineering of it all is a bit more complicated than that, but even with all that extra power, I only ever saw the RTX 5090 reach up to 87°C. That's a high temperature, but its still low enough to game at full blast.

On average, I found the RTX 5090 to be about 26% faster than the RTX 4090, when looking at 4K games and synthetic 3DMark benchmarks. That number does diminish at lower resolutions, of course, and you really shouldn't be forking over the $1,999 (or more!) for this GPU if you're not going to play at 4K. Even at 4K, there were certain games that simply didn't have much of a performance uplift due to the limitations of the CPU – and I used the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. For better or worse, then, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 shines in the exact kind of workload it's designed for. No holds barred, everything maxed out at 4K, and with minimal upscaling. Gone are the days where DLSS on 'Performance' mode is necessary at 4K – at least for this beastly GPU.

4. AMD Radeon RX 9070

The Best AMD Graphics Card

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 launched in a weird place. At $549, it's theoretically just $50 cheaper than the excellent 9070 XT at $599. And while the performance lines up pretty perfectly with that price difference, it can be hard to justify opting for the 9070 when you can just spend $50 more and get one of the best GPUs in years. However, get past that, and the RX 9070 makes a lot of sense if you play games at 1440p.

When i reviewed the AMD Radeon RX 9070, I found that it outperformed the Nvidia RTX 5070 – another $549 GPU – in almost every test by an average of 12%. Considering both are current-generation cards that launched just a day apart, that's a huge difference at the same price point. There are some games where AMD's lead is less pronounced, of course, particularly in ray tracing-heavy games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth Wukong, but the RX 9070 still pulls ahead in those games, too.

The AMD Radeon RX 9070, like its XT sibling, also introduces FSR 4, bringing AI upscaling to AMD graphics cards for the first time. Just like with the 9070 XT, this upscaling solution isn't necessarily faster than the temporal upscaling of FSR 3, but it is much more accurate, producing cleaner images with less ghosting and artifacting.

5. AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT

The Best GPU for 1080p

However much I love using a 4K monitor, the simple fact is that 1080p displays are still the most popular way to play PC games. You do not need an expensive RTX 5090 to power one – but the Radeon RX 9060 XT is the perfect GPU for the job.

In a perfect world, the Radeon RX 9060 XT is a $349 graphics card that can tackle pretty much any game at 1080p, even with ray tracing – something AMD cards have historically struggled with. For some reason, AMD decided to launch both the 16GB model that I reviewed along with a 8GB model for $50 less. The only fundamental difference between these cards is the video memory, but it's a pretty substantial change, and one that you shouldn't consider.

When I reviewed the 16GB model, I found that it had no problem keeping up with some of the most demanding games in my suite, including averaging 80fps in Cyberpunk 2077, putting it neck-and-neck with the more expensive RTX 5060 Ti. There are a few games where the GPU struggled, namely Black Myth: Wukong and Assassin's Creed Shadows, but even those games will run better once you start tweaking with quality settings. (I test everything at maximum settings, after all.)

Being part of the same generation as the Radeon RX 9070 XT that tops this list, the Radeon RX 9060 XT also gets access to FSR 4. This new version of AMD's upscaling tech adds AI upscaling to AMD cards for the first time, and gets close to DLSS in image quality. There are only a few games that support this new AMD tech so far, but that number will surely grow over the last few years.

These GPUs Didn't Make the Cut

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 The RTX 5060 is a 1080p graphics card, which is of course fine, but the problem is that it's competing with better options from both AMD and Intel. For less money, you can get the Arc B580 with slightly less performance but more VRAM, or you can spend a little more and get a Radeon RX 9060 XT with 16GB of VRAM. There are plenty of games out there that won't require more than 8GB of video memory, but for more demanding modern games like Assassin's Creed Shadows, you'll certainly feel the lack of frame buffer – I certainly did when I reviewed it.

Upcoming GPUs

The new generation of graphics cards is now fully here, and a lot sooner than in previous generations. In just a few short months, Nvidia has released everything from the RTX 5090 to the RTX 5060 – which used to take an entire year. AMD has done things a little differently this time around, eschewing the high-end by leading its lineup with the mid-range RX 9070 XT. Either way, the full spectrum of current-gen graphics cards is here.

As for when new GPUs will come out, it's anyone's guess right now. We're likely going to see mid-generation refreshes announced at CES 2026, where Nvidia may announce something like a 5080 Super. Beyond that, we probably won't see a new generation of graphics cards until at least 2027. After all, this current run of graphics cards was the first in a long time to take more than two years to hit the market. After the RTX 4090 launched in October of 2022, Nvidia didn't announce the 5090 until January 2025. We're probably going to be waiting a while.

Best Graphics Cards FAQ

AMD or Nvidia? Or Intel?

When it comes to which brand of graphics card you should get, it ultimately comes down to your personal preference – even if each brand has its own unique advantages. Intel graphics cards are the most affordable option on the market right now, but its graphics cards aren’t exactly the fastest in the land. On the other hand, Nvidia makes the most powerful GPUs around, but you’re going to have to pay out the nose for that performance.

AMD graphics cards strike a pretty good balance between the two, but while the company loves to use open-source graphics APIs, it means you don’t get access to some of the exclusive features that Nvidia owners enjoy, like DLSS (and the new DLSS 4). AMD has alternatives for literally every Nvidia software feature, but some of them simply aren’t as good. See our guide to AMD vs. Nvidia GPUs for more info.

What power supply should I get?

Graphics cards, especially high-end ones, are sucking up more electricity with every passing year. If you’re looking to build a new gaming PC, or even upgrade from an older graphics card, you should really consider upgrading to one of the best power supplies.

Some of the graphics cards out there right now can take upwards of 450W of power by themselves, so you may want to consider a 1,000W power supply.

GTX vs. RTX

Nvidia has both an RTX, or Ray Tracing Texel eXtreme, and GTX, Giga Texel Shader eXtreme graphics cards series, with the RTX offerings being newer, more powerful, and more expensive.

That boosted performance is thanks to the architecture of RTX cards, which offer both Tensor and RT cores alongside CUDA cores for better graphics and rendering. Tensor cores enable AI and high-performance computing tasks bringing support for DLSS tech to help with upscaling and sharpening. RT cores are dedicated to ray tracing, allowing for more realistic lighting and shadows in scenes. Nvidia’s GTX graphics cards have a much simpler architecture and don’t offer Tensor or RT cores. Though they still work for budget builds, GTX cards will soon be obsolete.

Jacqueline Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN. When she's not helping her friends and family buy computers, you can usually find her tinkering with her own PC.

  •  

The 65" LG Evo C4 4K OLED Smart TV Drops to Under $1,200 With This Amazon Prime Day Deal

We are now into day 2 of Prime Day, and the most popular OLED TV on the market is currently on sale at Amazon. You can pick up the 65" LG Evo C4 4K OLED TV for just $1,196.99 or, if you have the space, the 77" LG Evo C4 4K OLED TV for $1,799.99 $1,696.99. Both TVs include free delivery. The LG Evo OLED TV has been our favorite TV for PlayStation for three years running thanks to its outstanding image quality, low input lag, and high refresh rate. Although the C4 is last year's model, it's still our top pick over the newer 2025 C5, mainly because the C5 costs $500 to $1,000 more without any major improvement to justify the price difference.

Update: Prices have dropped again. The 77" model is now down to $1,697.

Amazon Prime Day Deals on LG OLED TVs

The C4 is the 2024 model in LG's mid-range C-series OLED lineup. Compared to non-OLED TVs, an OLED TV offers superior image quality, near-infinite blacks, near-infinite contrast ratio, and near-instantaneous response times. Because of these advantages, the Evo OLED TV excels at displaying 4K HDR content in all of its intended glory. The C4 uses LG's proprietary Evo panel, which offers higher brightness level and contrast ratio compared to traditional W-OLED TVs (similar to QD OLED panels on Samsung TVs). The LG brand is especially popular because LG OLED TVs have been out for years and benefit from several generations of updates and optimizations.

The LG C4 has all the features you'd want in a gaming TV as well. It has a native 120Hz panel that can be pushed to as high as 144Hz and all four HDMI ports are 2.1 spec for running games in 4K at up to 120fps on a PS5 or Xbox Series X without any tearing. The C4 also supports variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM). The C4 is also easier to install than its predecessors; the rear cabinet housing is made of a composite fiber that weighs 36 pounds.

How does the 2024 C4 compare to the 2025 C5?

LG recently launched its new C5 OLED TV for 2025. It improves upon the C4 with an updated Alpha a9 Gen8 processor and a higher peak brightness level, the latter of which is the more significant upgrade. Higher peak brightness means the C5 is able to deliver slightly better contrast ratio, slightly wider color gamut, better glare and reflection handling, and greater usability in very bright sunlit rooms. However, these improvements are not worth the current price difference.

Looking for more options? Check out all of the best TVs of 2025.

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.

  •  

Don't Fold on This Prime Day Deal for Balatro on Nintendo Switch

Fun fact – the term “balatro” comes from ancient Rome and refers to a professional jester or buffoon. Considering you are reading this on IGN right now, there’s a strong chance that hearing “Balatro” instead fills you with images of poker hands and Ben Starr dressed in clown make-up as Jimbo, the star of last year's breakout title that has taken the gaming world by storm (and was nominated for IGN's Game of the Year 2024).

Whether you have spent hours in the game or are just interested in jumping in and seeing what the hype is all about, the Nintendo Switch version of Balatro is currently $19.99 – down from $29.99 – as a part of Amazon’s Prime Day sale.

Balatro Special Edition (Switch)

In Balatro, you earn points by playing various Poker hands in an effort to score high enough to complete a string of levels. The better you do, the more money you have to spend on upgrades. These upgrades can improve the bonuses you get from different kinds of hands, like two-of-a-kind or straights, augmenting your playing cards with special properties.

The game's most notorious feature is special Joker cards that impart unique multipliers depending on what cards you play. It sounds more complicated than it is, and by the time you complete a run or two, you will get why this game is so popular.

Made by a single developer, LocalThunk, Balatro has taken home numerous awards since it first released on Steam in February of last year, and one of the biggest indie game hits in recent memory. In our review, Simon Cardy said, “Remarkably approachable with complex systems waiting for those willing to lose themselves to it, Balatro successfully assembles the infinitely fun gameplay loop that every great roguelike sets out to create.”

Whether you're a Balatro pro looking for a new platform to play the game on or just looking for a new game on your Switch, I can't recommend this deal enough!

More Prime Day Deals

This year's Prime Day sale features tons of discounts on physical games. We've rounded up our top picks for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox. For more, you can check out our list of the overall best deals we’ve found for Prime Day so far.

You can save on a bunch of other Switch games for Prime Day as well, plus nearly every category of item at Amazon, as well as Walmart and Best Buy in their own competing sales.

Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.

  •  

Amazon's Comic Book and Graphic Novel Deals Are Dangerously Good for Prime Day

It's day three of Prime Day (Prime week?), and we've been collecting all the best deals for you to take advantage of. The ongoing buy 2, get 1 free sale on books and comics is one of the best we've seen in a while, and some complete graphic novel collections are steeply discounted aside from the bundle deal. Dozens of other mainstream superhero comics from Marvel and DC are included, as well as some indie heavy-hitters like the Walking Dead.

If physical media isn't quite your thing, I'd highly recommend the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, which is one of the best ways to read high quality digital comics. It's $100 off for Prime Day.

The Best Comic Deals for Prime Day Today

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin and the Complete Calvin and Hobbes collection are some of the best deals we found when it comes to comics. This new hardcover printing of The Last Ronin at this price is the best way to experience its iconic story for the first time. You can also pick up a few indie comics omnibuses and compendiums, like Hellboy, Invincible, and the Walking Dead.

The Hellboy Omnibus boxed set is included in the buy 2, get 1 free deal, and I highly recommend picking it up at this price if you've been curious about Mike Mignola's iconic series. Then there's the Cyberpunk 2077 Library Edition Volume 1, which collects three of the Cyberpunk 2077 graphic novels.

Marvel Comics Graphic Novel Deals for Prime Day

You can also pick up some of the best Marvel graphic novels on sale. Jonathan Hickman is easily one of the most prolific comics writers of our time, and his runs on Fantastic Four and the Avengers are direct inspirations for the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps and Avengers: Doomsday MCU films. His stint on Ultimate Spider-Man is just as iconic, and you can enjoy a hefty 64% off during Prime Day for the first volume in trade paperback, costing you a measly $7.13.

Frank Miller's Daredevil: The Man Without Fear is required reading. Not just for fans of Matt Murdock or comics readers; everybody should read this at least once in their lives, similar to Alan Moore's Watchmen. And Cullen Bunn's Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe is a fun, violent romp across the Marvel Multiverse.

DC Comics Graphic Novel Deals for Prime Day

Now this is what I'm talking about. DC is more my bread and butter than Marvel, Batman specifically, and there are so many great picks included in the buy 2, get 1 free promotion. Of course you have Mark Waid's Kingdom Come with timeless art by Alex Ross, and Marv Wolfman's legendary event Crisis on Infinite Earths is a great way to experience all your favorite DC heroes and villains. Anything Tom King touches turns to gold, and his run on Wonder Woman is one of the best since Gail Simone's time with the character.

The amount of Batman graphic novels included in the buy 2, get 1 sale is staggering, but I'll sing the praises of Batman: Hush and the Long Halloween until I'm physically incapable of typing anymore. Do yourself a favor and pick these up.

Finally, I'd highly recommend picking up Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman, especially with James Gunn's DCU-kickoff film Superman opening in theaters tomorrow.

Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.

  •  

The Best 4K Gaming PC Deal for Prime Day: Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 Gaming PC Drops to $1,999

Alienware's Black Friday in July Sale has officially kicked off, and one of the best deals I've seen so far is this Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 gaming PC for just $1,999.99 shipped. Despite the fact that the Alienware brand usually commands a higher price premium, you won't find a cheaper RTX 5080 prebuilt for Prime Day. The Alienware Aurora R16 is a well-engineered and compact gaming rig with 240mm AIO water cooling, sensible airflow design, and a generous 1,000W 80Plus Platinum rated power supply. In the current market, buying a prebuilt gaming PC is the only way to score an RTX 5080 GPU without paying an exorbitant markup. If you were to try to find a 5080 GPU for your do-it-yourself PC build, you'll probably spend $1,400 for the graphics card alone.

Alienware Aurora RTX 5080 Gaming PC From $1,999.99

This system is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F processor, GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card, 16GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM, and a 1TB M.2 SSD. Note that this is a customizable configuration so you can upgrade the CPU and GPU or increase your memory or storage capacity. It's pre-configured with a 240mm all-in-one liquid cooling solution.

The Core Ultra 7 265F is part of Intel's newest Arrow Lake-S lineup released earlier this year and boasts a max turbo frequency of 5.3GHz with 20 cores and a 36MB L2 cache. This is a good all-around CPU for gaming, multi-tasking, and general workstation performance. For gaming, you won't see any improvement upgrading to a Core Ultra 9.

If you want an RTX 5080 gaming PC with all of the bells and whistles, there's another config on sale right now for $2,675. It is upgraded with a top-end Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor, a whopping 64GB of memory, and double the storage.

The GeForce RTX 5080 GPU will run any game in 4K

The RTX 5080 is the second best Blackwell graphics card, surpassed only by the $2,000 RTX 5090. It's about 5%-10% faster than the previous generation RTX 4080 Super, which is discontinued and no longer available. In games that support the new DLSS 4 with multi-frame generation exclusive to Blackwell cards, the gap widens. This is an outstanding card for playing even the latest games at 4K resolution with high settings and ray tracing enabled.

Check out more Alienware Black Friday in July deals

Not everyone is the DIY type. If you're in the market for a prebuilt gaming PC, Dell is one of the best brands we'd recommend. Nowadays, the best Alienware deals are competitive compared to the cost of building your own PC with equivalent specs. Alienware desktops and laptops feature solid build quality, top-of-the-line gaming performance, and excellent cooling (further improved on the newer models). Best of all, there are plenty of sales that happen throughout the year, so it's not difficult to grab one of these computers at considerably less than their retail price.

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.

  •  

Prime Day Knocked Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Down to $35, and Sales Soared 2,000% Overnight at Amazon

Predating Square’s original Final Fantasy by nearly a year and a half, Enix’s Dragon Quest series exploded in popularity and became a cultural phenomenon. That passion continues even now with Dragon Quest’s latest release, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, which was released last year.

Thanks to Prime Day, you can snag yourself a physical copy for $34.99 on PS5 and Switch. Even with some modern design updates and quality-of-life feature additions, this game still manages to provide that classic turn-based RPG goodness that fans look for.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Drops to $34.99

Whereas the first two Dragon Quest titles (which are getting their own HD-2D remasters later this year) were more restrictive when it came to party composition, Dragon Quest III offers different classes to pick from to fill your team out with. With spell-slinging Mages, mighty Warriors, wacky Gadabouts, and even the brand-new Monster Wrangler, DQIII gives you flexibility in how you want to play.

Here at IGN, we adored this game when we reviewed it last year: “Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is the best-case scenario for a faithful remake of a classic role-playing game, and a shining example for developers to follow when setting out to revisit old, beloved adventures.

It spruces up the 36-year-old original with great quality-of-life improvements that enhance the journey without unrecognizably transforming it, along with a beautiful new coat of paint that proves Dragon Quest and the HD-2D art style are a perfect match.”

Thanks to this deal, there is no better time to pick up this fantastic game to make sure you are ready to go when Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake releases later this year on October 30, completing the Erdrick Trilogy.

More Prime Day Deals

Prime Day has been a treat for gamers, with tons of deals on physical games (see our top picks for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox) as well as accessories, monitors, and even consoles. Here are some more random finds from the sale:

Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.

  •  

Toei Animation Partners with IGN for Signature After Party as Part of Its ONE PIECE Celebration at San Diego Comic-Con 2025

IGN is teaming up with Toei Animation for an epic ONE PIECE-themed After Party at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, and fans will have the chance to win tickets!

Taking place on Friday, July 25 at the iconic San Diego Hard Rock Hotel, the “IGN San Diego Comic-Con 2025 After Party Presented by ONE PIECE” will include a trading card giveaway, photo ops, mascots, live DJ, and a special appearance by Colleen Clinkenbeard, voice of Monkey D. Luffy from the series’ popular English dub.

This is an exclusive event for invited industry guests as well as a select number of ticket holders. These tickets are not available for purchase and will only be available in the lead up to Comic-Con through a special giveaway via entry online with IGN or in-person at Toei Animation’s ONE PIECE booth (#3635). Stay tuned to IGN and Toei Animation’s social media for complete details. Note: Since alcohol will be served, party tickets are limited only to people 21 or older.

The Friday night After Party spotlights Toei Animation’s five-day long ONE PIECE showcase at this year’s Comic-Con. Starting with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 23 and throughout the rest of the convention, fans can visit a dedicated ONE PIECE booth (#3635) that features a special Tony Tony Chopper pin giveaway as well as a pop-up store offering a collection of ONE PIECE Card Game merchandise.

And ahead of the After Party, on Thursday, July 24 in Ballroom 20, Toei Animation will co-host a ONE PIECE Egghead Arc Part-2 Dub World Premiere event. Together with Colleen Clinkenbeard, guests at the screening will be among the first fans anywhere to watch the new English dub of episodes 1123 and 1124 from ONE PIECE Egghead Arc Part 2, which will also include a souvenir Dr. Vegapunk crown for all attendees.

Here’s a complete schedule of all the Toei Animation activities happening at San Diego Comic-Con 2025:

Wednesday, July 23

ONE PIECE Booth (6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.)

Location: San Diego Convention Center, Booth #3635

  • Open to all San Diego Comic-Con badge holders
  • Visit the Toei Animation exhibit booth showcasing ONE PIECE, including:
    • Special Tony Tony Chopper pin giveaway
    • ONE PIECE Card Game merchandise collection

Thursday, July 24

ONE PIECE Booth (9:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.)

Location: San Diego Convention Center, Booth #3635

  • See details above

ONE PIECE: Egghead Arc Part-2 Dub World Premiere Episodes 1123 & 1124 (12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.)

Location: San Diego Convention Center, Ballroom 20

  • Open to all San Diego Comic-Con badge holders
  • Join special guest Colleen Clinkenbeard (voice of Monkey D. Luffy) for the English dub world premiere of Egghead Arc Part 2 Episodes 1123 & 1124. Be among the first to experience the high-tech thrills, shocking twists, and emotional moments that push the Straw Hats closer to a world-shaking future.
  • Special Dr Vegapunk crown giveaway

Friday, July 25

ONE PIECE Booth (9:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.)

Location: San Diego Convention Center, Booth #3635

  • See details above

IGN San Diego Comic-Con 2025 After Party Presented by ONE PIECE (7:30 p.m.–11:00 p.m.)

Location: San Diego Hard Rock Hotel (Rooftop)

Address: 207 Fifth Ave., San Diego, CA 92101

  • Open to invited guests and ticket holders
  • Join IGN and Toei Animation for an epic party celebrating ONE PIECE, featuring:
    • Trading Card Giveaway
    • Photo Ops
    • Live DJ

Saturday, July 26

ONE PIECE Booth (9:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.)

Location: San Diego Convention Center, Booth #3635

  • See details above

Sunday, July 27

ONE PIECE Booth (9:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.)

Location: San Diego Convention Center, Booth #3635

  • See details above

  •  

Here Are the Top 5 OLED Gaming Monitor Deals for Amazon Prime Day

If you're looking to upgrade your gaming monitor, there's nothing better these days than a montior that's equipped with an OLED panel. They offer stunning HDR image quality with inky blanks and zero ghosting that can't be replicated on any other type of monitor. These OLED monitors normally command a hefty price premium so it's best to wait for a deal to come along. For Prime Day, Amazon has marked down several of the most popuar models from the biggest brands: Samsung, LG, and Alienware. Like any other monitor, OLED monitors come in all sizes, resolutions, and refresh rates, but there's something here for just about every type of gamer.

34" Alienware AW3423DWF QD OLED Gaming Monitor

If you don't require super high framerates, then this Aienware deal will offer the best bang for your buck. The AW3423DWF is a 34" monitor with a 3440x1440 (110ppi) resolution, 1800R curve, and a still-respectable 165Hz refresh rate. It uses a Samsung quantum dot OLED panel for higher brightness levels and better color gamut. Aside from being the only monitor in this roundup for under $600, Alienware OLED monitors include a 3 year warranty that covers burn-in.

49" Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 Gaming Monitor

The G95SC was released back in July 2023 and was subsequently replaced by the G95SD. For an extra $400, the G95SD will get you a matte screen coating, built-in speakers, and a built-in microphone for voice control. However, the image quality - what really matters - is largely identical. This is a super ultra-wide 5120x1440 monitor with a 109ppi, 1800R curve, and a 240Hz refresh rate. Since this is pretty close to Samsung's highest end monitor, it uses a quantum dot OLED panel, which is brighter and has a wider color range than traditional OLED monitors.

Special Mention: 57" Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 Dual 4K Monitor

No it's not OLED, but it's still one of the best monitors around

Buydig (via its eBay seller account) is offering the massive 57" Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 Dual 4K UHD gaming monitor for just $1,279.99 with free shipping. This is far and away the best deal I've seen for this massive monitor outside of enrolling in an edu or epp program from Samsung directly. The 57" Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is the first and possibly only 57" dual 4K UHD monitor on the market, boasting an eye-watering 7680x2160 resolution, or the equivalent of two 4K UHD monitors stacked next to each other. Despite the display being so large, you're treated to a pixel density of 140ppi. To put that into perspective, it's as sharp as a 32" 4K monitor.

The Odyssey Neo G9 is equipped with a quantum dot mini LED panel. Like its namesake suggests, mini-LED panels have smaller LEDs than traditional LED LCD monitors, so you can squeeze in more lighting zones. Mini-LED monitors are also much brighter than OLED monitors, which is important because larger monitors are usually dimmer.

32" Alienware AW3225QF 4K QD OLED Gaming Monitor

The AW3225QF is Alienware's flagship monitor. It is one of the few out there that marries an OLED panel with a native 4K resolution display. It also boasts a respectable 240Hz refresh rate, is G-Sync certified, and uses Samsung's premium quantum dot OLED technology. Like Dell's other OLED monitors, it includes a three-year warranty with burn-in protection. Something to keep in mind is that 4K monitors require a pretty powerful GPU. 4K resolution has 2.25 times more pixels than QHD; if you want to play games in 4K, especially at frame rates of up to 240fps, you'll want a gaming PC equipped with an GeForce RTX 4070 at the minimum.

27" LG UltraGear GX780A 480Hz OLED Gaming Monitor

The GX780A is part of the next generation of OLED monitors with higher refresh rates than ever before. This monitor was released at the tail end of 2024 and is LG's first ever OLED monitor with an incredible 480Hz refresh rate. This is a 27" monitor with a 2560x1440 resolution (which averages out to 109ppi pixel density), no curve, and G-Sync compatibility. It uses LG's latest generation W-OLED panel. Because the GX790 boasts a super high refresh rate, it excels at games that require fast and twitch input, most notably first person shooters like Counter-Strike.

More Prime Day OLED Monitor Deals

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.

  •  

eBay Beats Out Amazon's Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise Canceling Headphone Deal for Prime Day

For Prime Day, Amazon is advertising the venerable Sony WH-1000XM5 noise canceling wireless headphones for $298. However, eBay absolutely crushes this deal with a far better offer. Right now you can pick one up for just $238.40 after you apply the 20% off code "JULYFINDS". Mind you this is for a brand new item and Buydig is an authorized Sony reseller so you get the full manufacturer's warranty. The Sony XM5 is one of the best noise canceling headphones you can get for under $400 and it consistently ranks at the top of the heap in our buying guide. There's a new XM6 model that came out for 2025, but you'll have to pay $200 more to get it, and I doubt it's worth the price diffference.

Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise Cancelling Headphones for $238

The prior generation Sony XM4 was already an outstanding headphone, but the XM5 features key improvements in noise cancellation and comfort. The XM5 has been fitted with a second processor and double the microphone count dedicated to filtering out ambient noise. The earcups have also been redesigned so that they fit more snugly on the ear, thus creating a better seal and as a result, more effective passive noise isolation. The noise cancelling is noticeably better than the XM4 and pretty much any other noise cancelling headset in its price range.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 has also been updated with a noticeably sleeker redesign with a different style of headband adjustment. The band is wider than before for better weight distribution and the earcup padding is now made of a luxurious synthetic leather material that's softer and more comfortable. You can easily wear these headphones for hours. One small drawback, however, is that the XM5 can no longer be folded inward, only swivelled, so it's less compact.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 retains the XM4's excellent battery life at over 30 hours on a single charge even with ANC activated. The XM5 also supports fast charging over USB Type-C.

eBay is on a hot streak with another excellent headphone deal

If you're looking for the best price on a pair of Bose's flagship noise canceling headphones, once again it won't be an Amazon Prime Day deal. Right now, Bose via eBay is offering the certified refurbished Bose QuietComfort Ultra Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones for just $263.20 after you apply a 20% off coupon code "JULYFINDS" in your shopping cart. As a comparison, a brand new pair would run you $429. You'd be saving 40% off the retail price and you even get an extended 2 year All-State warranty. The Ultra is Bose's latest and greatest noise cancelling headphone and goes toe-to-toe with Sony's equally expensive Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones.

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

  •  

Here Are All of the Best SSD Deals for Day 3 of Amazon Prime Day, Including Samsung and WD

There's no question that two brands represent the gold standard of SSDs: WD (Western Digital) and Samsung. These drives are reliable, they're fast, and perhaps most importantly, they're not hard to find at a reasonable price point. Day 1 of the Amazon Prime Day sale saw some excellent deals on Samsung's current generation 2280 M.2 solid state drives, including its new 9100 Pro series of PCIe Gen 5 SSDs. Now that we are into day 3, WD has thrown its hat into the ring. Prices have dropped on its two newest models, including what is considered by many to be the fastest SSD ever.

Amazon Prime Day Deals on WD SSDs

If there is any other SSD brand that garners the same reputation as Samsung, it's Western Digital. The WD Black SN7100 and Black SN8100 are the two latest models from Western Digital. The WD Black SN7100 is a direct competitor to the Samsung 990 Evo Plus. This is a DRAM-less PCI-e Gen 4 SSD with sequential transfer speeds of up to 7,250MB/s read and 6,900MB/s write and an equally low Prime Day price tag to boot. The WD Black SN8100 is likewise a direct competitor to the Samsung SN9100 Pro. In fact, several reviewers including The SSD Review, StorageReview, and Tom's Hardware describe this SSD as "the fastest ever tested," "the pinnacle of SSD design," and "the most well-rounded Gen5 drive". This is a PCI-e Gen 5 SSD with blistering sequential speeds of up to 14,900MB/s read and 14,000MB/s write.

Amazon Prime Day Deals on Samsung SSDs

The Samsung 990 Evo Plus is an excellent drive for both your gaming PC and your PlayStation 5 console. It exceeds Sony's minimim speed recommendation for the PS5, boasting sequential speeds of up to 7,250 read and 6,300MB/s write. This is a much faster drive than the 990 Evo non-Pro but not quite as fast as the 990 Pro. The main difference between this drive and the more expensive 990 Pro is that this is a DRAM-less drive. For PS5 performance, it makes no difference. For gaming PCs, the 990 Evo Plus supports HMB (host memory buffer), which makes up for the lack of DRAM by using an inconsequential amount of RAM from your system memory. Gamers will not notice any difference between the two.

Samsung 990 Pro SSD Deals for Prime Day

Among PCIe 4 solid state drives, the Samsung 990 Pro is widely considered the fastest SSD on the market. It boasts blazing sequential speeds of 7,450MB/s read and 6,900MB/s write and random speeds of 1400K/1550K IOPS. Unlike most other SSDs, the components are manufactured in-house. The 990 Pro utilizes the new Samsung Pascal controller and 7th gen TLC NAND flash chips. Unlike the 990 Evo Plus, the 990 Pro has a built-in DRAM cache, so it doesn't need to rely on HMB or system memory for buffering. As mentioned above, PS5 gamers and most PC users won't actually notice any performance difference upgrading to this drive. However, the 990 Pro is legitimately faster, and for people who need maximum bandwidth from a PCIe 4 drive, there's nothing out there that's better.

Samsung 9100 Pro SSD Deals for Prime Day

Welcome to the new era of SSDs. The Samsung 9100 Pro is a PCIe 5 drive with legitimate PCIe 5 speeds. This SSD is capable of blistering sequential speeds of up to 14,800MB/s and random speeds of up to 2,600 IOPS. That's literally twice as fast as the Samsung 990 Pro. I rarely see a 4TB PCIe 5 SSD with these kinds of speeds drop below the $400 price point. On the other hand, unless you know what you're doing, I'd venture that you'd be wasting your money going with one of these drives instead of the 990 Pro or 990 Evo Plus. This kind of performance isn't utilized very often in regular day-to-day scenarios for most users, including heavy gamers, and getting this would really just be a flex. Don't even think about adding it to your PS5 console either unless you like throwing away your money.

Are these SSDs a good fit for the PlayStation 5?

Either the Samsung 990 Evo Plus or 990 Pro would make excellent storage expansion options for your PS5 console. They exceed Sony's minimim speed recommendation for the PS5 and are the proper (2280) size. Performance-wise you won't notice any difference going with either, so budget conscious users should opt for the Evo Plus. However, the Evo Plus does not include a pre-attached heatsink, so you'll have to pick one up for under $10 and install it yourself for peace of mind. The 990 Pro is a bit pricier, but at least it has a pre-attached heatsink so it is drop-in ready.

More Prime Day Deals on PS5 SSDs

Looking for more options? Check out our favorite PS5 SSDs for the PS5 console.

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.

  •  

This Prime Day Bluetooth Record Player Deal Is the Perfect Start to Your Vinyl Collection

Our favorite all-in-one Bluetooth record player is now available at a steep discount during Amazon’s Prime Day sale. The 1 by ONE Bluetooth Turntable HiFi System is down to its lowest price in years, as the normally $269.95 turntable is just $199.99 until July 11. That’s 26% savings on a pretty epic package, which includes a sleek turntable with two matching bookshelf speakers. If you’ve been looking to dip your toes into the world of vinyl, this Bluetooth record player is a great start on your analog journey. But just like most of the Prime Day deals, it’s exclusively for Prime members.

1 by ONE Bluetooth Turntable HiFi System

The 1 by ONE Bluetooth Turntable HiFi System is one of the best Bluetooth record players you can buy, thanks to its ease of use, stunning design, and high-quality sound performance. I may be a bit biased because I actually own this system myself and love it. Jumping into the world of turntables completely green, it made the process an absolute breeze. While the setup is a little more complicated than those basic suitcase players you often see from Crosley and Victrola, the small amount of effort in the beginning is worth the pay out.

Built with CNC‑machined wood, a heavy iron platter, a metal tonearm, and an Audio-Technica AT-3600L cartridge, the 1 by ONE Bluetooth Turntable is shockingly sturdy for the price and will become the centerpiece of any space. Paired with its two 18W passive bookshelf speakers, the system can pump out a punchy bass and crisp highs, although it’s not on the level of audiophiles. If you’d rather plug in your own powered speakers or even pair with Bluetooth speakers, it’s a painless process. You can also connect your phone via Bluetooth and play music from there.

Now, this turntable isn’t fully automatic, so you’ll need to move the tonearm yourself; I personally love the ritual. At least, this belt-driven system can automatically adjust speed with the touch of a button, and volume and Bluetooth controls are in the same location. With everything on offer, the 1 by ONE Bluetooth Turntable is a steal.

Other Bluetooth Record Player Deals for Prime Day

While I love the 1 by ONE Bluetooth Turntable HiFi System, there are plenty of other great Bluetooth record player deals to check out for Prime Day. All of these picks feature an all-in-one design like the 1 by ONE, but none have those classic bookshelf speakers.

Buy 2, Get 1 Free Vinyl

After you’ve invested in a Bluetooth record player, you’ll want to start building up your vinyl collection immediately. Amazon is running an awesome three-for-two vinyl promotion for Prime Day. If you buy two albums, the third will be free. Tons of vinyl are discounted, and I’ve listed a few of my favorite records that are part of the deal. Just be sure to check out the full sale for more options.

  •  

One of Anker’s Best Power Banks for Switch 2 & Steam Deck Hits Record-Low Price for Prime Day

Day three into 2025’s Amazon Prime Day, we’ve seen plenty of deals, but the gamer-friendly Anker 737 Power Bank being on sale for only $76.99 is among the best we’ve seen on the US side.

Normally at $109.99, the 30% price drop on this 24,000 mAh power bank puts it at the lowest it’s ever been – only ever hitting $79.99 at the most, according to the price-tracker site CamelCamelCamel.

Anker 373 Power Bank Hits Lowest Ever Price

With its massive battery size, the Anker 737 is a perfect portable charger for Switch 2 owners, since it packs enough juice to refuel Nintendo’s new handheld almost five times over. As for other current handhelds, this portable battery can recharge a Steam Deck OLED around 3.7 times and the Asus ROG Ally approximately 4.6 times.

Using Power Delivery 3.1 Fast Charging technology, the 737 boasts not only up to 140W speedy charging, but that for up to three devices at the same time. So, on a hectic day at the office before commuting home or on a long flight, you could recharge your iPhone, Switch 2, and laptop simultaneously.

If you’re worried topping up your batteries might take too long before you have to head off, Anker’s handy charge-monitoring tech makes it so the 737 Power Bank tells you via digital display the estimated recharge times for each devices – taking out most of the annoying guesswork.

While Anker is known for being among the top-tier of power bank brands, the 737 also comes with a 24-month warranty on the off-chance anything goes wrong.

In the meantime, you’re all set for long handheld sessions of Mario Kart World, Tears of the Kingdom, and the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza without worrying you’ll eventually need to get up and dock your Switch 2 for a charge.

More Random Prime Day Finds

  •  

iPads and Kindles Are at Record Low Prices for Prime Day, but Which Should You Buy?

We're over halfway through Prime Day, and some of the best deals available this year seem to be on tablets. When considering what tablet to buy, iPad and Kindle are the two big brands that most people find themselves choosing between. While both are great, it's important to pick a tablet with features you actually need. In other words, each brand targets different audiences.

Regardless of your choice, Amazon Prime Day is the time to buy, as we're looking at new all-time low prices across the board.

Kindles Are Best for Reading

If you're just looking for the best tablet to read with, there is nothing better than a Kindle. This year, Amazon has slashed Kindle prices to record lows, which makes now the perfect time to jump in and start reading digitally. Each of these models on sale are the latest in their respective lines, so you'll receive a new 2024 unit that's equipped with all the latest Kindle technology.

The best deal available right now is the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite for $124.99, a price that is even lower than what we saw during Black Friday 2024. The Paperwhite features a bigger screen and adjustable light, allowing you to fine tune your reading experience. You can also score the base Amazon Kindle for only $84.99, which is a really solid price for those looking to purchase an e-reader for the first time.

iPad Is Your Best Bet for Gaming, Streaming, and Everything Else

An iPad is best if you plan to game, stream, or do pretty much anything other than reading on your tablet. iPadOS allows you to download almost anything to your device, and the ability to sync it with your iCloud can be a game changer for iPhone users. Plus, you can always read on an iPad, too. The big difference, of course, is the price point.

Thankfully, Prime Day has brought many great iPad deals, especially for iPad Air. You can score an 11-inch iPad Air with an M3 for only $479 today, and that's this year's model! If you want something bigger, the 13-inch M3 Air is also on sale for $679. Both of these prices are the lowest we've seen either iPad thus far, and it's likely that we won't see a better deal until Black Friday.

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.

  •  

Assassin's Creed Shadows Drops to Lowest Price Since Release in Prime Day Deals

Set in 1579, during the Azuchi-Momoyama period of Japan, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been a long time coming. Less than six months after its release, Ubisoft's latest addition to the long-standing stealth series has snuck its way into Amazon's Prime Day deals.

The Limited Editions of both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions of Assassin's Creed Shadows are currently going for $47.49, over 30% off the list price of $69.99 and the lowest price we've seen so far.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows - Limited Edition (PS5)

Assassin's Creed Shadows features dual protagonists, the shinobi Assassin Naoe and the historical samurai, Yasuke, which the player can swap between. Both have their own unique styles of gameplay, so you can tackle many of the game’s challenges as you see fit.

This Amazon-exclusive limited edition comes with the Sekiryu Character pack, which gifts you Naoe’s and Yasuke’s Sekiryu Gear Sets, Naoe’s Eye of the Dragon Katana, Yasuke’s Claw of the Dragon Long Katana, the Dragon Tooth Trinket, and Sekiryu Beast mount.

Even with all these bonuses, this is the lowest price the console edition of Assassin's Creed Shadows has been since its release, which is also a lower price than the game has hit on Steam.

When we reviewed Assassin's Creed Shadows, we had a really great time with it. Our reviewer Jarrett Green says “Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes a flashing blade to the series’ established norms, trimming them to a more precise form in lieu of chopping them down outright…for those of us with lots of hours logged in the Animus, the sum of Shadows’ parts provide a refreshing realignment of the series that you should not skip.”

With this kind of discount, there's no better time to jump back into the Animus and see what the Brotherhood is getting up to in feudal Japan.

More Prime Day Deals

This year's Prime Day sale features tons of discounts on physical games. We've rounded up our top picks for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox. For more, you can check out our list of the overall best deals we’ve found for Prime Day so far.

Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.

  •  

Amazon's Massive Jigsaw Puzzle Sale Is My Prime Day Kryptonite

I have always loved jigsaw puzzles. They are the perfect combination of relaxation and challenge that just seems to fire off all the right neurons for me. But it wasn't until fairly recently that I got really into collecting puzzles. Because of this job, I spend a surprising amount of time browsing Amazon deals and have found that puzzles are discounted almost every month. So naturally, every time there's a big sale I end up buying at least one.

It's no surprise that Amazon is having a huge puzzle sale once again for Prime Day. This is the biggest collection of jigsaw puzzle deals I have seen all year and the discounts are very tempting. I'm doing my best to limit my spending this year, but this sale might just break me. If you're interested in picking up some cheap puzzles yourself, I've gathered some of the best options below. You can also check out all of the Prime Day puzzle sales by clicking the first link I've featured below.

The Best Puzzle Deals at Amazon Today

Amazon has had a lot of different types of puzzle sales and this one is sort of mish-mash of all of them. That means that some of the options I've featured here are lightning deals, some have coupons, and some are just straight up discounts (like the theory11 puzzles). The last sale like this I covered included some complicated stacking coupons, but thankfully none of that is necessary this time around.

Some of the best puzzle brands are included here, including popular Ravensburger puzzles. You can usually judge the quality of the puzzle by both the brand and the price, so some of the cheaper options I've listed here might not be as nice as the puzzles that cost $15 or more. The extra amount you pay is really just for the extra thickness of the cardboard used so you don't get any really flimsy pieces.

What's the best piece count for jigsaw puzzles?

If you're new to the puzzle game, you may be wondering what size puzzle you should get. Most jigsaw puzzles that are targeted at adults or teens can range anywhere between 300 and 5,000 pieces. There are some much larger puzzles that go way beyond that, but unless you're looking for a massive challenge, I'd suggest you stick in the 300 to 1,000 piece range. One of the most common piece counts for adults is 1,000 pieces, but a 500-piece puzzle can be just as fun to put together with half the pieces. Deciding which puzzle size is right for you is more about how much time and space you have to actually put it together.

Consider a Puzzle Table or Board

If you're serious about puzzling like me, I'd suggest also looking into picking up a decent puzzle table or board. Having a dedicated space to put your puzzles together will save you a lot of stress. I have a dedicated puzzle area in my home office right now and I'm able to leave it and come back to it easily without worrying about pieces disappearing or taking up the entire dining room table for weeks at a time. Jigsaw puzzling should not be a stressful activity and being able to dedicate a space or pack it up when you aren't actively puzzling can help maintain that level of leisure.

Prime Day has a lot of deals on puzzle tables, boards, and storage accessories right now. If you're interested in picking something up for yourself, here are some of my top recommendations. All of these make for great gifts for any puzzler in your life as well.

Jacob Kienlen is a Senior SEO Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor's degree in communication and over 8 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different topics -- from TV series to indie games and popular book series.

  •  

The Paper Set to Deliver The Office Spinoff With September Release Date

Peacock’s The Office spinoff, The Paper, has a streaming release date of September 4, 2025.

The upcoming Ohio-set series, which takes place in the same universe as the Steve Carell-led business comedy, is scheduled to publish four episodes on Peacock upon its release date this September. Peacock adds that two new episodes will follow each week on Thursdays through September 25.

The Paper puts a lens up to a dying Midwestern newspaper called the Toledo Truth Teller. Viewers will learn its story through the eyes of the same documentary crew that made The Office’s Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch so popular. Although it seems fan-favorite names like Michael Scott (Carell), Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), Jim Halpert (John Krasinski), and Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) won’t be back for the new show, The Paper has some talent that will have fans eager to tune in.

These include stars like Domhnall Gleeson (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens), Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus), Chelsea Frei (The Moodys), and more. Although we have yet to learn who many of The Paper’s characters are or their role at the Toledo Truth Teller, we do know that Oscar Nuñez, who played Oscar Martinez in The Office, is back, too.

Another The Office veteran returning for the Peacock spinoff series is Greg Daniels, who serves as creator, executive producer, and writer under his Deedle-Dee Productions banner alongside Nathan For You’s Michael Koman. Daniels is also attached as a director, as are Ken Kwapis, Yana Gorskaya, Paul Lieberstein, Tazbah Chavez, Jason Woliner, Jennifer Celotta, Matt Sohn, Dave Rogers, and Jeff Blitz.

The Paper prints its first four episodes on Peacock September 4. While we wait for an official trailer, you can read up on Carell’s thoughts on The Office spinoff and why he has no plans to be directly involved.

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).

  •  

Stock Up on Funko Pop! Figures With These Prime Day Deals

According to one source, as of 2023, there were 15,654 Funko Pop figures. Around two years later, putting that number at the 17k mark isn’t an outlandish possibility. Collectors can’t get enough of these things, and Amazon is indulging with a bunch of figures featured in this year's Prime Day sale.

Below are some of our picks of favorite ones with big discounts, but you can also see Amazon’s full offerings here on the Funko Prime Day page.

Our Funko Pop! Picks

It is pretty incredible just the wide variety of characters, people, and pop-culture icons who have been shrunk down and given beady black eyes and giant heads as Funko Pops. Fancy yourself a fan of comic books, then maybe the various Spider-Man options – both Miles and Peter – speak to you, or perhaps Wolverine from the Age of Apocalypse storyline is more your style.

Pretty much whatever you're into, you can find a Funko Pop for you. Pokémon, Avatar, Voltron, Saturday Night Live, Star Wars, Peanuts, Bleach, Naruto, White Lotus, The Breakfast Club – the list just doesn’t end. If you threw a dart at a board full of names of anything remotely popular, the odds are probably pretty good that the one you hit will have a figure.

The very first Funko Pop figures, a preview line of characters from DC Comics, were released at San Diego Comic-Con in 2010, with the main line launching in 2011 at the New York Toy Fair. It’s wild to see how this line of collectible figures has expanded and grown in the span of 15 years, and thanks to sales like Prime Day and no shortage of new series or properties to pull from, its very possible we will continue to see these little chibi-fied versions of our favorite characters for another 15 years.

More Prime Day Deals

This year's Prime Day sale features discounts on just about everything. We've rounded up our top game deals for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox. For more, you can check out our list of the overall best deals we’ve found for Prime Day so far.

Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.

  •  

James Carter Cathcart, the Voice of Pokémon's James, Meowth, Professor Oak, and More, Has Died

Actor James Carter Cathcart, the voice of numerous beloved Pokémon anime series characters such as James, Meowth, Professor Oak, Gary Oak, and more, has died at the age of 71.

First reported by TMZ, Cathcart died on Tuesday following a battle with throat cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2023. Cathcart retired from acting that same year.

Cathcart is best-known for his work on Pokémon, which began with Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back, where he played Fergus. He was also the voice of Snubbull in the accompanying short, Pikachu's Vacation. Cathcart continued to pick up more Pokémon roles over the years, voicing Todd Snap in Pokémon Snap and eventually joining the cast of the anime more regularly in the 2000s, picking up the roles of James, Meowth, Professor Oak, and Gary Oak from their original actors until his retirement.

In addition to his work on Pokémon, Cathcart provided the English voice of Weevil Underwood in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, and has appeared in other shows such as Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, One Piece, and Sonic X. He was also credited on the video game Shadow the Hedgehog. Cathcart did commercial work for a number of well-known brands, and was a long-time musician and vocalist.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

  •  

Here’s What Gamers Are Really Buying on Prime Day 2025, According to Amazon’s Latest "Movers & Shakers" Update

In any normal year, Prime Day would be done and dusted by now. I’d be brooding over a spreadsheet, wondering where it all went wrong, and resisting the urge to buy a third-hand copy of Rogue Galaxy out of retail therapy.

But no, Prime Day 2025 soldiers on, and so do I. Still contemplating life, still trying not to spend too much money at Amazon, and still fighting the good fight despite IGN's best efforts to tempt me.

TL;DR - These Are the Best Gaming Deals at Amazon

According to my own extensive research (read: clicking around Amazon while muttering under my breath), physical video games are doing pretty well this year. And honestly? It's nice to see.

Digital has been chiseling away at physical media for years, but 2025 is seeing a bit of a resurgence, and I’m all the more for it. With publishers ready to shut down games at a moment’s notice, I'm increasingly inclined to own the things I buy, even if it means getting off the couch to swap discs like it's 2008.

Amazon’s latest “Movers & Shakers” data shows some big swings too, with titles like Split Fiction, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake all climbing the sales ranks.

So, being the very serious journalist I am, I’ve combed through the numbers to figure out what people are actually buying during Prime Day 2025 and its absolutely normal and reasonable four-day runtime (four days, really, Amazon?).

Nintendo Switch 2

Well, there's no surprise here. Amazon's finally pulled its finger out and started listing first-party Nintendo products again, and the general public loves the Switch 2! Invites are now open for the Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle at Amazon, so we're expecting a big ol' warehouse clear out of the new console incredibly soon.

But, those who already own the mighty hybrid console are having their say as well.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller finally got its own Amazon listing, alongside the Samsung 256GB microSD Express Card finally being back in stock and at a reasonable MSRP. Both of these have seen gigantic 20,000% plus sale spikes in the past 24 hours. That's HUGE.

Snap both of these up while they're still in stock. Quite ironic the biggest items of the week aren't on sale, but we'll soon remedy that with the next item of discussion.

Plus, I've thrown in a few extra third-party accessory deals here that are also featured in the charts right now, just so I don't have to repeat myself.

PS5 + CoD: Black Ops 6 Bundle

Well, that's a bit disapointing. It's not even a Prime Day deal, Rob! Well it's just been listed this week and sales are up 4,681% - that's a big deal!

You know what else is a big deal? Its price: $399.99. Say what you want about Call of Duty, but getting a game and a current-gen console for cheaper than a Switch 2 is a bargain.

Down from it's typical list price of $499, we've somehow come full circle and PlayStation is seriously undercutting Xbox's prices for consoles again (for now, at least).

Quite typically, it sold out at Amazon while I was typing this up, but it's still in stock at PlayStation Direct at the same discounted price.

Fingers crossed we keep seeing big discounts like this for PS5, but if you want my advice (as someone who has been writing about this stuff for over six years), if you don't own a PS5, buy one ASAP, especially at these prices.

Plus, there's a bunch of PS5 games on sale this Prime Day as well, so there's more than enough to get your grubby little gamer hands into right now, and it's cheap! Well, cheaper...

Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition

Big stonks on this one lads, up 3,450% in the sales ranks this week thanks to its Prime Day deal - finally a Prime exclusive offering! That's more like it.

Down to $42.74 for Prime Members, this is one of the best sellers of the whole sale so far. It's discounted for PS4 (compatible with PS5), and Nintendo Switch (also compatible with PS5, no wait... Switch 2).

Unfortuntely the Switch version is out of stock, with just the PS4 version remaining at the time of writing. Womp womp. I had a quick look to see if it's discounted elsewhere in the rival sales, but not even Best Buy has had the guts to price match the deal on OG Switch.

Official Atari 7800+ Console & Wireless Controller

Now we’re getting into the cool stuff. There’s over half off the official Atari 7800+ console in the Prime Day sales, down to just $59.99 from its original $129.99 price tag. That’s not just a deal, that’s the kind of price drop that makes you stop mid-scroll and question whether you’re about to impulse buy a console from 1986. (You are.)

But honestly, this one’s hard to pass up. The 7800+ leans all the way into that timeless ‘80s design, think shoulder pads, crop tops, and aviator sunglasses, except it plays Frogger. It’s a proper love letter to retro gaming, and it doesn’t just look the part either.

It plays both Atari 2600 and 7800 cartridges, supports HDMI, and even comes with a brand-new game: Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest. That’s right, a sequel to Crystal Castles, starring a surprisingly cute bear, power-ups, hidden paths, and more enemies than you remember being in your childhood bedroom at 2 a.m.

It’s also part of the Atari+ platform, meaning it plays nicely with a whole bunch of old and new accessories and games, forward and backward compatibility, just like the old days, only now with HDMI. Just a heads-up, though: it comes with a USB-C power cable but no wall adapter, so you’ll need to dig one out of your drawer or add a 1A USB plug to your cart. You’ve probably got five at home, right?

Nintendo Switch Games

Okay, okay, we're back talking about the Switch again. But the prices are good, and the Switch 2 is new and shiny! People are looking for more stuff to play, and Amazon's sale just so happens to feature some genuinely great deals on OG Switch games.

That includes TMNT Mutants Unleashed, down to just $17.99 and spiking 2,293% in sales this week, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, down to $34.99 and up 2,047%, and $20 off Suikoden I & II HD Remastered, also up just over 2,000% in the movers and shakers charts.

Split Fiction

While I bundled most Switch games into one section, we're dedicating some space to just talk about one best games of 2025 so far: Split Fiction. Down to $34.99 on PS5 and Xbox, this is a deal worth talking about, and I'm not surprised it's spiked 1,795% this past week.

This is one of my personal favorites of the year so far, and it’s absolutely packed with memorable moments from start to finish. And, thanks to the Friend Pass, you only need one copy to be able to play the entire thing with a buddy. You could even split the cost and pay just $17.50 each. Now that's a bargain for a GOTY contender.

There's plenty of other PS5 games we could mention here as well. Remember Suikoden I & II HD Remastered? Well it's also big on PS5 as well as Switch, and up 1,661% now that it's just $29.99.

There's also Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade for PS5, just $29.99, alongside Rebirth for $39.99, Star Wars Outlaws for $28.49, Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 for $34.99, and more.

Big spikes on all these during Prime Day, and all on sale for the time being.

More Random Prime Day Finds

Prime Day runs July 8 through July 11 this year. It's the longest Prime Day Amazon has ever had, and there's already a slew of freebies you can grab if you're a Prime member right now.

In addition to the Amazon sale, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy all have competing events in July that are ongoing alongside Prime Day.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Senior Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter/X or Bluesky.

  •  

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Picked Up by HBO, Stars Alternate-Universe Versions of The Big Bang Theory Characters

HBO Max is making a Big Bang Theory spinoff series, so get ready for more nerds in a sitcom setting. The streamer ordered a season of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, which will be executive produced by the Big Bang creators.

According to the show’s official synopsis, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will center on comic book store owner Stuart Bloom, who “is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon.

"Stuart is aided in this quest by his girlfriend Denise, geologist friend Bert, and quantum physicist/all-around pain in the ass Barry Kripke. Along the way, they meet alternate-universe versions of characters we’ve come to know and love from The Big Bang Theory. As the title implies, things don’t go well.”

Creator Chuck Lorre explained in a statement that he really wanted to flex his creative muscle with this project.

“I wanted to do something radical that would take me out of my comfort zone. Something the characters on The Big Bang Theory, would have loved, hated, and argued about,” he said. Co-creator Zak Penn also noted in his own statement that they wanted to make “a show that the characters from Big Bang Theory would watch.”

HBO itself sounds just as pumped up. “We’re excited to be continuing the legacy of The Big Bang Theory,” HBO Max boss Casey Bloys said in a statement. “Much like the original series, this new chapter wouldn’t be possible without the vision and storytelling brilliance of Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, as well as Zak Penn, who has brought fresh insight and a distinctive voice to an already exceptional creative team.”

Lorre also previous revealed that the show would be effects-heavy and feature a lot of CGI, so it'll be interesting to see what comes of those tactics, especially considering the sci-fi lean of the series.

No word just yet on casting or when to expect the show to premiere, but 2026 is probably as good a guess as any at this point.

Lex Briscuso is film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

  •  

The Best Alternative Prime Day Sales for Those Who Want to Avoid Amazon

Amazon Prime Day has expanded from two days to four this year, giving Prime members a couple of extra days to shop. But if you aren't currently a Prime member, there are actually plenty of other places you can find sales right now. Although Amazon tends to have the best prices on most things during this time period, pretty much every other major retailer is joining in on the July sales promotions in 2025.

Whatever your reason for avoiding Amazon, we've gathered some of the best Prime Day alternatives to shop right now. Each of these sales are offering some of the best discounts for 2025, so right now is your best chance to score some savings before Black Friday in November.

The Best Prime Day Alternatives for 2025

While there are a lot of competing Prime Day sales this year, it's worth noting that none of them will have as much depth to their discounts as Amazon. The closest overall sale to Prime Day this year would likely be the Walmart Deals sale. Walmart has been matching prices on some of the most popular items, like iPads and AirPods, while offering exclusive deals on LEGO sets that Amazon hasn't been able to compete with. One such example is the Mighty Bowser LEGO set, which has only been discounted at Walmart so far.

As for what to look for in some of the other sales, I'd point out the exclusives. Amazon has great deals on Prime Day, but they rarely have discounts as good as the actual manufacturer. So if you're looking for a Dell gaming laptop specifically, then shopping Dell's sale directly is still the best way to go. The same goes for LEGO, which is currently offering an Insider's sale on sets that other retailers don't have discounts on at all. The Best Buy sale also has some discounts on things like gaming handhelds that you won't find anywhere else. If you do a little bit of shopping around, you should be able to find better discounts than the ones that are at Amazon for a lot of things.

What's the best Prime Day alternative?

Like I mentioned above, the best overall competing sale is the Walmart Deals sale. Walmart has pretty much all of the same discounts on Apple products as well as few exclusive discounts on toys that Amazon doesn't have at all. If you're looking for a single place to shop that doesn't directly contribute to Amazon sales numbers, Walmart would be the place to go.

If you're looking specifically for tech, however, I'd recommend checking out the Best Buy Black Friday in July sale. It has matched most of the discounts that Amazon has on popular brands while offering some unique price cuts that have been overlooked elsewhere. You won't be able to pick up a bunch of beauty products for cheap, but it's great if all you're looking for is new tech.

Finally, Target Circle Week is the best competing sale for things like home decor and groceries. Some of the bigger ticket items have been price matched in this sale to compete with Amazon, but it's the Target-owned brands that are worth looking at. There are many sale items here that you won't be able to find anywhere else, and if they match your particular style, the savings are just a bonus.

When Do Prime Day Sales End in 2025?

Amazon has officially extended its sale to four full days, and the end date for those discounts is on July 11. That being said, there are a few other retailers that are keeping their sales going beyond Amazon's limits. Best Buy, Walmart, and Target all have sales that last into the weekend. And if you're looking for clothing or pet products, those sales extend all the way through Monday. So if you're planning on shopping outside of Amazon anyway, you will just have to get your shopping done before the end of Saturday, July 12 to make the most of the sales.

Should you wait for Black Friday instead?

There aren't that many other upcoming sales events between now and Black Friday, so if you're wondering if it's worth shopping right now, my answer would be yes. Normally Prime Day deals aren't as good as Black Friday deals, but 2025 is built different. With tariffs on a lot of goods and companies starting to raise prices, it's a safer bet to buy something now at a discount than wait for November in hopes it will be cheaper. It's certainly possible things will get cheaper later this year, but it's not a guarantee.

  •  

Konami's Iconic Turn-Based JRPG Suikoden I & II HD Remastered Drops to Just $30 for Amazon Prime Day

Konami may be known for Castlevania and Metal Gear, but the studio's beloved RPG series Suikoden is starting to make a comeback. The release of Suikoden I & II HD Remastered earlier this year brought the first two games to a whole new generation of players. Amazon has now given the collection a solid 40% discount as part of this year's Prime Day sales, bringing the price down to $30.

Suikoden I & II HD Remastered Drops to $30

Originally released on the OG PlayStation, Suikoden I & II set in place a number of mechanics and systems that became series staples, including the 108 characters that you can recruit, base building and management, a mix of more traditional turn-based encounters, and large-scale army skirmishes. IGN's review of the original Suikoden doesn't hold back on praise, calling it "one of the best RPGs ever made."

Suikoden I follows the young son of the famed General Teo as he seeks out the 108 Stars of Destiny to bring about peace. Its follow-up takes place three years later, putting you in the shoes of the adopted son of the hero Genkaku as you once again have to recruit 108 more Stars of Destiny to stand against the invading Highland Kingdom.

These HD remasters include upgraded backgrounds, effects, and handy QOL features like auto-saves and fast forwarding in battles, both of which really make a difference. The 40% discount applies across the Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series versions.

The original Suikoden and Suikoden II are notoriously expensive, so it's such a joy that we got this remaster after years of begging and pleading for it. For fans of turn-based RPGs who want to experience the classics, this deal makes it an easy recommendation.

More Prime Day Deals

This year's Prime Day sale features tons of discounts on physical games. We've rounded up our top picks for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox. For more, you can check out our list of the overall best deals we’ve found for Prime Day so far.

Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.

  •  

Save $200 Off with This Lenovo Legion Go Prime Day Deal, Our Favorite Windows Handheld Gaming PC

For Day 3 of the Prime Day Sale, Amazon is offering the lowest price I've ever seen on one of the best Windows-based gaming handhelds. Right now you can pick up a Lenovo Legion Go with an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage for just $499.99 shipped after a 30% off instant discount. The Legion Go boasts a larger and sharper display, detachable controllers, and a larger battery compared to the Asus ROG Ally. And now that Valve has made SteamOS widely available, you can install it and turn this device basically into a super-powered Steam Deck.

Prime Day Deal: 30% Off Lenovo Legion Go

The Lenovo Legion Go is a Windows-based gaming handheld that's powered by an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU with Radeon graphics and 16GB RAM, which is the same configuration as the one found in the $700 Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme or ROG Ally X. The Legion Go also boasts a a bigger and sharper 8.8" 2560x1600 144Hz IPS touchscreen display and detachable controllers like the Nintendo Switch. Since the Legion Go operates off Windows 11, it works with most PC game clients, including Steam, Origin, Ubisoft, Epic Games, Genshin Impact, Battle.net, and more.

In Jacqueline Thomas' Lenovo Legion Go review, she wrote that "it is easily the best handheld gaming PC on the market right now as measured by screen size, horsepower, and USB-C port placement, but there are some caveats. It's absolutely massive, and the 1600p display is more than even this powerhouse chip can handle. That means you're going to have to spend some time tinkering with – and specifically lowering – quality settings to get your games running properly. Even then the battery life isn’t great, and naturally you’re paying a premium over the Steam Deck OLED for the bigger display, a full Windows 11 license, and extra oomph. But if you love the idea of the Switch, where you can remove the controllers, prop the screen up on a beefy kickstand, and sit back and enjoy? This is the one for you."

After the article was written, the Asus ROG Ally X was released and competes with the Legion Go for the title of "best gaming handheld". However, the Ally X is much more expensive: right now it sits at $899.99 on Best Buy, or $400 more than the Legion Go. The Legion Go is definitely a much better value for the price.

If you end up getting this deal, we'd recommend picking up a portable power bank for extended travels and a Micro SD card. We've compared the Steam Deck to the ROG Ally and although the Legion Go isn't mentioned, the article gives you a good idea of the major differences between a Steam-based and Windows-based gaming handheld.

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.

  •