News

With Xbox Series X officially available to the masses, it’s time for the accessory makers to start pumping out new add-ons for the latest console from Microsoft. Today, Thrustmaster has unveiled its new eSwapX Pro Controller. While there are plenty of gaming controllers out there, this model offers up a unique design that’s fully customizable and modular. While Microsoft’s Elite Controller has long offered up a level of customization, Thrustmaster is making it possible to quite literally move components out of its controller, bringing a new approach to the situation. Head below for more details, pricing, and availability on today’s announcement.

EA Play was first announced to be coming to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers back in September. But, today the service actually launched, right alongside Xbox Series X and S. Starting today, Xbox gamers can take advantage of EA Play as long as they have an active Game Pass Ultimate subscription. However, PC players will have to wait until December 15 before the service is available. Want to learn more about how to utilize EA Play with Game Pass, and what titles are available on both services? Keep reading to find out more.

After showcasing a series of new Star Wars gear straight out of The Mandalorian back at the end of October, we’re now getting a look at a new wave of collectibles for fans to bring home from a galaxy far, far away. Ranging from an authentic recreation of Mando’s iconic Beskar helmet to a new Funko Pop! version of Baby Yoda, you’ll want to head below for a closer look at the Black Series Mandalorian Helmet and all of the upcoming releases.

When working in an office building, printers are a piece of hardware that most take for granted. Thanks to 2020, at-home printing needs have arguably gone through the roof. This has made some need to revisit the printer shopping experience, something most of us head into with dread. For those of you that have been holding out, fresh HP printers are on the way and will debut alongside a new HP+ service. The company aims to deliver a seamless service that takes the hassle out of maintaining your printer. Continue reading to learn more.

Today, we are getting our first look at the horizontal Grovemade iPhone 12 MagSafe Dock. The brand has been on a roll over the last few months, slowly unleashing its 2020 lineup of desktop and Apple gear accessories, with premium hardwood construction, wool finishes, and best of all, launch day pricing. Head below for a closer look at the new iPhone 12 MagSafe Dock. 

Wyze is a fan-favorite brand around here when it comes to lower-cost smart home gear, like the brand-new Cam V3, Video Doorbell, Scale, and other budget-focused products. Well, the company is branching out and releasing a smart vacuum, though this will be Wyze’s most expensive product yet at $199. However, in typical fashion, you’ll get a wide array of high-end features that is poised to deliver a great experience for a fraction of what other smart vacuums would cost. What all can the Wyze Vacuum do? Keep reading to find out more.

Today, Plugable is launching its latest work-from-home upgrade in the form of a new 96W Thunderbolt 3 dock. Debuting as a 14-in-1 solution to turn your MacBook or laptop into a desktop workstation, the brand’s latest offering delivers 96W passthrough as well as a bevy of ports. Head below for all the details including pricing and availability, as well as how you can take advantage of a launch discount.

Today, Microsoft is giving shoppers an early look at what to expect in terms of all the discounts for the holiday season, detailing two weeks’ worth of price cuts. With deals on its lineup of Surface devices, Sonos speakers, coding kits, and Android smartphones, and more, you’ll be able to lock-in Black Friday discounts starting on November 16. Head below for a look at everything in this year’s Microsoft Black Friday ad.

Today, beloved camera company Leica has unveiled its latest creation, the Q2 Monochrom. This next-generation model arrives with a full-frame monochrome sensor that only shoots in black and white. It’s a departure from the brand’s other offerings but not a surprise in the least as Leica continues to offer up a wide range of cameras for various shooting needs. The understated design continues the trend of stellar visuals by Leica, not just in its photographs, but with the actual physical look of the camera. For the hardcore photographer, there’s a lot to be interested in here. Full details on today’s announcement can be found below.

Update 11/24 2021: It appears as though Amazon will have Xbox Series X in-stock today for Prime members only: “Amazon Prime customers will have priority access to the Xbox Series X until November 24, 2021.” Get ready to go! it should be live (if it goes live) right here.

Xbox Series X launch day is upon us. Many of us have been waiting years for this day, and it’s finally here. After the pre-order window came and went without as many gamers getting a chance to score a new Xbox Series X or Series S as we would have liked, today is the next chance to get one before the holidays. Many of the biggest retailers have already confirmed more stock of both consoles will be available today (if it isn’t already) and you’ll find all of the details on when and where to buy an Xbox Series X or Series S along with some handy links down below. 

AOC has just announced a brand-new USB-C portable 15.6-inch 1080p monitor that features 10-point touch sensitivity. This display requires nothing more than a USB-C port and DisplayPort Alt Mode, which is found in Apple’s latest iPad Air/Pro, MacBooks, and much more. Whether you’re trying to outfit your backpack with gear to help you work away from your desk or just want something that can be grabbed at a moment’s notice if you need more screen real estate, this is a great choice. What all is this monitor capable of? Well, keep reading to find out more.

With Black Friday and the rest of the holiday shopping season inching closer, LEGO is detailing all of its gift recommendations and highlights for 2020 in its latest catalog. Ranging from all of the must-have creations to pick up ahead of December as well as new festive creations and more, you’ll want to head below for a closer look at the LEGO 2020 Holiday Book.

The tiny house market is blowing up. Not only are there dedicated HGTV shows about it, but increasingly, more innovative models continue to pop up all over the place. Examples include Dark Horse, Minimaliste Ébène, the solar-powered Natura, Kabinka, and the list goes on. Most of these units are made by small builders, which can make some buyers feel uneasy about the process. However, an official IKEA tiny house arguably does lend a bunch of credibility to this very exciting, alternative way of living. Continue reading to learn more.

Under Armour just debuted its Holiday Gift Guide with hundreds of ideas for every athlete in your life. There are styles for everyone in your family and even stocking stuffers. Whether you’re looking for new shoes for a runner or apparel for their next gym session, Under Armour has options for you. Prices start at just $16, which means there is a gift for every budget. Hit the jump to find all of our top picks from Under Armour’s Holiday Gift Guide and be sure to check out our latest post on Backcountry’s Holiday Gift List.

Today, iPhone and Apple accessory maker CASETiFY is showcasing its latest collaboration with The Pokémon Company in the form of a new collection of iPhone 12/Pro cases. Ranging from some classic Kanto characters to new Pokémon from Sword and Shield, there’s more than just smartphone cases this time around, with everything from Apple Watch bands to skateboard decks and more. Head below for a closer look at the new series of limited-edition Pokémon gear and for all the details on how you can score it for yourself.

Just days away from the launch of PlayStation 5, a new PS5 Remote Play app has quietly popped up out of nowhere, according to reports. Not to be confused with the already available PS4 Remote Play app that allows gamers to run titles on “PC, Mac, Apple iOS, or Android devices,” this is the PS5 version. It seemingly allows gamers to use a PlayStation 4 console to control a PS5. Head below for more details and a closer look. 

With just over two weeks until Black Friday 2020, the ad leaks are starting to ramp up. Today has already unveiled GameStop and Nintendo but now we’re getting our first look at Lowe’s plans for Thanksgiving week. Lowe’s will be offering up two separate sales during the holiday season, one as a pre-Black Friday event, and another that goes from Thanksgiving week through Cyber Monday. Like many other retailers, we’re expecting this year’s event to be bigger than ever and have a heavy online presence as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic as a nation. Full details, store hours, and more can be found below.

After catching a glimpse of the upcoming GameStop sale this morning and the Mushroom Kingdom Holiday Gift Guide at the tail end of last week, we now have this year’s Nintendo Black Friday deals. As usual, Nintendo’s holiday offers don’t necessarily come in the form of a traditional ad, but rather a specialized page on its site highlighting some of the official price drops that will be available at select (most) retailers for the holidays. This year is no exception with special edition consoles, price drops on games, and more. 

Each year, the GameStop Black Friday ad garners a lot of attention. But with next-generation consoles set to release in a few days, there’s even more interest than usual. GameStop appears to be one of the few retailers that will be offering limited stock of the new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, while others are skipping that route going online-only instead. GameStop will also be offering up a Mario-focused Nintendo Switch bundle during the holidays, as well. We have full details on this year’s Black Friday ad, store hours, and more down below.

One of the most unique pairs of Bluetooth headphones just got an upgrade with the new Nuraphone Gaming Mic attachment. Nuraphone itself offers personalized audio for music, but it can now take that personal audio to the battlefield as a proper gaming headset with its new sleek microphone attachment. Head below to watch the video and hear how it sounds. 

Update: Both the Spring Lantern Festival and Story of Nian kits are now available for purchase.

Today, LEGO is giving us a first look at its annual Chinese New Year kits ahead of the launch in 2021. With three new creations centered around the holiday, there’s plenty of Chinese culture packed into the unique builds, not to mention new minifigures and more. Head below for a closer look at all of the upcoming LEGO Chinese New Year sets.

Many of the best holiday gift guides are now up, from Amazon and GameStop to Nordstrom and adidas, but for now, it’s time to take a look at Oprah’s Favorite Things list. In celebration and support of Black-owned small businesses, Amazon has now posted this year’s Oprah gift guide featuring everything from specialty grocery items and apparel to cosmetics, home goods, and more. Head below for a closer look. 

Coffeemakers from Nespresso, Keurig, and others have made it easier than ever to brew a cup of joe. Ease of use has allowed machines like this to become overwhelmingly popular. The success there has caused companies to consider what other types of food and drink could become as successful using a similar formula. LG SnowWhite serves as a notable example having made the rounds by taking the hassle out of ice cream making. Fast-forward to today and a somewhat-similar invention called Bartesian is ready to craft premium cocktails so you won’t have to worry about hailing a ride home. Continue reading to learn more.

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War comes out next week, but we’re already getting information about content that will be launched after the title goes live on November 13. While we’ve already gone hands-on with the multiplayer beta, over the past few days, we’ve accumulated some news for the upcoming launch that’s both good and bad, depending on which platform you play on. The Good? Well, Nuketown ’84 is a thing and coming to Black Ops Cold War before the end of the month. The bad? Some features will be locked to PlayStation, though not for quite as long as we were initially expecting.

The Backcountry Holiday Gift Guide is officially live, featuring hundreds of top brands. If you have a stylish adventurer on your list, then this gift guide will come in handy. Inside you’ll find Patagonia, The North Face, Sorel, SMITH, Mountain Hardwear, and many more. Plus, it features prices from just $15 and has an array of gift ideas for snow lovers and campers, as well as cozy finds. Plus, Backcountry offers free delivery on orders of $50 or more. Head below the jump to find all of our top picks from Backcountry’s Gift Guide, or you can shop for yourself here. You will also want to check out the adidas Holiday Gift Guide here in our latest post.

With a new season of The Mandalorian airing throughout the fall, LEGO’s most recent Star Wars kit has launched at the perfect time. Giving Star Wars fans a chance to build their own version of The Child out of over 1,700 pieces, today we’re taking a look at the newest brick-built character from a galaxy far, far away. Head below for a closer look at the new LEGO Baby Yoda set and for all of the details in our latest review.

Another major Black Friday domino has fallen this morning as Kohl’s has unveiled a sneak peek of its Black Friday ad for 2020. Kohl’s is starting an early Black Friday sale today through November 10 as part of this promotion before holding off until Thanksgiving week to start the deals in earnest. The best offers will be coming on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday proper, with a ton of notable discounts on the usual suspects at Kohl’s, including kitchenware, home goods, smart home tech, and more. We have full details down below on this year’s event and more.

Back in September, it was announced that Microsoft’s Game Pass Ultimate would be gaining additional value with the inclusion of EA Play with your monthly membership. No longer would you need to pay for two different subscriptions, which helps to bolster the value of Microsoft’s monthly service. Well, EA Play, and in turn, Game Pass Ultimate, just got a killer day-one launch title for Xbox Series S and Series X: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. That’s right, starting November 10, Jedi: Fallen Order will be available to all EA Play members, including those who join through Game Pass Ultimate. Want to learn how to download and take advantage? Keep reading.

With the debut of Xbox Series S/X just around the corner, now is a great time to stock up on all the accessories you might need. Thankfully, Razer has taken the wraps off Kaira and Kaira Pro. These new Xbox Series X headsets can boast connectivity options like AUX, Xbox Wireless, and Bluetooth 5.0. And that’s not all; Razer Book 13 has also been unveiled with the “world’s thinnest 13.4-inch display bezels,” a wide variety of I/O, all-day battery life, and the list goes on. Continue reading to learn more.

Le Creuset has released its Holiday Gift Guide with an array of ideas for any cook in your life. The Le Creuset Holiday Gift Guide features prices starting at just $12 and goes up to $400 to spoil the ones you love. They also have it broken down into sections, with ideas for the baker, coffee lover, entertainer, chef, wedding gifts, and more. Le Creuset also provides free delivery on orders of $99, and they’re currently giving gifts with every purchase. So give the gift of Le Creuset this holiday season and hit the jump to find all of our top picks from the gift guide. Also, be sure to check out the adidas Holiday Gift Guide here in our latest guide.

Update: LEGO’s new 2,300-piece Ghostbusters ECTO-1 set is now available for purchase for $199.99.

Today, LEGO is assembling one of the most iconic vehicles in all of science fiction history with an all-new kit. As the largest version of the Ghostbusters’ signature ride, the upcoming ECTO-1 stacks up to over 2,300 pieces and will look perfect on display at more than 18 inches long. Head below the fold for a closer look at the latest creation and all of the glorious deals on the new LEGO Ghostbusters ECTO-1.

After seeing lists from Amazon, GameStop, adidas, and many more, we now have the 2020 Nintendo Holiday Gift Guide. Super Mario, Link, Pikachu, and your favorite Animal Crossing personalities are front and center this year, with the 35th-anniversary gear on display, as well as Nintendo’s hard-to-get consoles, and more. Head below for a closer look. 

Today we are getting a look at the Big Lots Black Friday ad. After catching a glimpse of HP’s offerings earlier this morning, not to mention the rest of the big-time ads right here, it’s time to see what Big Lots will have in store. Ranging from kitchenware and home goods to furniture sets, toys, and more, head below for a closer at the retailer’s best upcoming offers, Black Friday store hours, and more. 

Sony has now dropped some new details for PlayStation 5 launch day sales. PS5 pre-orders were admittedly an unmitigated disaster back in September when the units were scheduled to go live. Very few units were available and subsequently, not many folks were able to secure one for the holidays. But as we previously reported, PlayStation 5 launch day sales are expected to go live next week and Sony has confirmed as much on its official blog today. It has also dropped some details on how to grab one come launch day, just don’t expect to find any in-store. More details below. 

If you’ve been wanting to make your desktop liquid-cooled but have been scared off by the complications of having to run your own tubing and doing leak testing, ARCTIC’s latest Liquid Freezer II 420 could be the solution for your problems. It offers a massive 420mm radiator and is designed to be an all-in-one solution, where you won’t have to worry about changing out the water, doing leak tests, or anything like that. Could this be the cooler for your next build? Well, keep reading to find out all the details and see if it will work for you.

From the purveyors of portable power, the new Anker Powerhouse II 400 provides plenty of options to support adventures and is ready for emergencies at home as well. A bigger brother to the Powerhouse 200 we looked at last year, the 400 has more capacity with 388Wh and packs some other neat features. Head below and watch the video for a closer look at all the ins and outs. 

Black Friday 2020 is inching ever closer but it’s shaping up to be unlike any we’ve ever seen before. A few years ago, shoppers were able to hit retailer websites and automatically score the best deals without much hassle. Now? Much of that has changed as nearly every retailer is offering up membership program – paid or free – that put some deals behind a paywall of sorts. So whether it’s Amazon Prime or Target RedCard, chances are shoppers will run into some barriers during Thanksgiving week while shopping for the best offers. Below you’ll find a step-by-step look at some of the major reward programs out there, if you need to sign-up, and how to do so before Black Friday.

Now that Halloween is officially over, the holiday gift guides from top brands are debuting with hundreds of ideas. One of the most notable gift guides that just launched is from adidas. From running shoes and casual sneakers to sweat-wicking t-shirts and breathable hats, adidas has gifts for almost any person on your gift list. Plus, there are budget-friendly ideas, too, with a section for items under $50. You will also want to sign up for a Creative Club Membership (free to join) to receive complimentary delivery on all orders. Head below the jump to find all of our top picks from the adidas Holiday Gift Guide.

NBA 2K developer Visual Concepts has taken to its official blog today to outline the new NBA 2K21 City hub world. Coming with the next-generation PlayStation 5 and Xbox One S/X versions of the game, the former “Neighborhood” hub will be transforming into a larger scale setup known as “The City.” Adding a series of new gameplay modes into what is essentially a sort of multiplayer open-world hub for the latest NBA 2K game, it will feature various factions to align with, driveway pick-up games, NPCs, and much more. Head below for more details and the “NBA 2K21: Welcome to The City” trailer. 

Today, Arcade1Up is launching the latest addition to its lineup of 3/4th-scale arcade cabinets in the form of its very first retro racing machine. With four iconic titles, the new Arcade1Up OutRun cabinet brings a new steering wheel-based design to your game room with plenty of old school visuals and utterly nostalgic artwork. Head below for more.

During the recent Brighton Digital Conference, Todd Howard, a Bethesda executive, gave us some insight into the future of Elder Scrolls 6, as well as the upcoming title Starfield.

Philips has taken the wraps off two new portable projectors. They will join the Philips PicoPix family and boast modern features like USB-C connectivity, built-in batteries, and more. While the Philips brand is well-known, it’s unclear how each of its new units will fare, especially given how competitive the portable projector market has become. It has to compete with the likes of Anker, Epson, BenQ, and many others. Continue reading to learn more.

With Black Friday 2020 on the horizon, it appears as though this year’s big holiday shopping event is shaping up to be unlike any we’ve ever seen before. The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on many areas of our daily lives, and that remains particularly true with how we shop in 2020. This year’s Black Friday event is going to have a different feel than ever before, with multiple retailers closed on Thanksgiving and the days following and instead moving doorbusters and other operations online. That means the traditional wait-in-line experience we’ve come to love is likely to go to the wayside across many regions. So what will this year’s event look like? I imagine how the next few weeks are going to shape up and offer a few shopping tips below.

L.L. Bean debuted a new collection partnered with Todd Snyder for an outdoor men’s fall apparel. The collection features 21 items including tops, sweaters, jackets, and vests. With prices ranging from $40 all the way up to $279, there’s a price-point for any budget. Plus, with the holidays right around the corner, this collection is full of great ideas. Head below the jump to find all of our top picks from the new L.L. Bean x Todd Snyder collection. Also, be sure to check out our guide to Nike’s Holiday Gifting List with the best sneakers, apparel, and accessories for winter.

Back in October, we first got word that LEGO would have yet another limited-edition kit up its sleeve for Star Wars fans to assemble, and now there’s a clearer picture on when the set will actually hit store shelves. After some uncertainty on when or where you’d be able to buy it, the upcoming Nebulon-B Frigate set from LEGO is now getting an official release on Amazon. Head below for all of the new information and details on scoring this rare build for yourself.