News

It’s that time of year again. The current Call of Duty is a few months old, and it’s now time to set our eyes on what’s to come at the end of the year. Truth be told, Call of Duty Vanguard hasn’t been a well-loved title by the community. In fact, in Activision’s fourth quarter earnings report, they started that both console and PC sales have declined year-over-year, showing lower “premium” sales of Vanguard verses Black Ops Cold War, which launched the year prior. Also, lower engagement in Warzone needs to be addressed. To combat this, Activision, which is being purchased by Microsoft, has once again turned to the Infinity Ward team to see if they can turn things around for the next Call of Duty installment.

KontrolFreek – makers of those popular controller thumbsticks and other gaming accessories – is reintroducing its CQC (close quarters combat) model with some modern enhancements today. The KontrolFreek thumb grip attachments are essentially risers for your gamepad that provide extra grip on the thumb-controlled joysticks for better grip and a more conformable experience overall. Today, the brand is bringing back its “OG” model to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the CQC Performance Thumbsticks release. Head below for a closer look. 

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Official Apple Watch bands see rare up to 54% discounts: Modern Buckle, Loop, more from $42
• Samsung’s all-new Galaxy S21 FE sees first cash discount to $600 (Save $100)
• Anker ends the week by discounting MagSafe battery packs, HomeKit cams, more from $16

The next Grand Theft Auto game is on the way! GTA 6 is now confirmed to be in development. Anytime developer Rockstar makes a move it is an important one, but there’s nothing quite like the excitement behind the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series. Speculation has been running wild for more than a while now on where Rockstar would take the series next, and while things are still under wraps, the storied developer has just confirmed GTA 6 (or whatever it will be called) is indeed in the works. More details below. 

After taking a year off of the Technic supercar theme, the LEGO Group looks to be ready to bring back the popular lineup for 2022. Taking to its official Twitter account today, we’re getting a first look at the upcoming LEGO Technic McLaren F1 set. Head below for everything we know so far.

HORI releases some of the more popular third-party Switch accessories on the market, and today the brand is making one of its fan favorites even more compelling. Expanding the ergonomic gaming experience from handheld mode to the couch, the new HORI Split Pad Pro Attachment lets you use its controllers on the big screen. Now available for pre-order, you can head below for all of the details.

Targus just unveiled its new iPad stylus. The brand is known for everything from laptop cases and bags to low-tech stylus solutions and other accessories but is now offering a more premium writing and drawing solution for iPad users. The touch-activated digital writing utensil is now available purchase with the brand’s antimicrobial tech in place alongside a few other handy features at a price well under the Apple Pencil. Head below for a closer look. 

Amazon Prime, the company’s two-day delivery service, is officially raising its price. Having been the same rate for the past several years, the subscription will now be jumping up from its annual $119 price tag. Head below for everything you need to know about the Amazon Prime price increase.

After a delayed launch at the beginning of the year, we’re officially wrapping up our look at the LEGO Star Wars January wave by checking out the new Ahsoka Tano BrickHeadz. First introduced in The Clone Wars before making the jump to live-action in The Mandalorian, the latest brick-built character arrives as the 150th installment in the BrickHeadz series following a fan vote. But is that fanfare worthy of the final product? Head below for more.

Samsung refreshed its lineup of memory cards in the latter portion of last year with its new PRO Plus and EVO Plus microSD solutions alongside some full-size SD cards. Designed for content creators and getting extra storage in that Android handset, they’ll even help store some console games on-the-go within the usual thumbnail-sized form factor. While not the fastest options on the market, they can be affordable on a per-GB basis with respectful transfer speeds, a solid 10-year warranty, and Samsung’s 6-proof protection ratings. Head below for a closer look at the new PRO Plus and EVO Plus microSD solutions in the latest Tested with 9to5Toys review. 

Horizon Forbidden West launches on February 18, and we just got a closer look at the upcoming game in an all-new trailer. The accompanying blog post gives us a “sneak peek at the massive variety of amazing things to do” in the Forbidden West, which includes gear, upgrades, activities, and “much more.” After watching the trailer a few times, I’ve gotta say, it has plenty of Skyrim vibes with a robotic twist, and I’m not even more excited for the Forbidden West launch.

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Today only, save $69 on Apple’s recently-refreshed AirPods Pro with MagSafe case
• Official Apple Watch Space Black and Silver Link Bracelets see rare discounts from $315 ($70 off)
• Enjoy a 7.6-inch folding screen with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G at $253 off

After launching its new MagSafe models back in December and landing in our best iPhone 13 cases of the year roundup, Totallee has now unveiled its new Sierra Blue iPhone 13 case. The brand has long since been among our favorite case makers in the minimalist, barely-there category, and it has now added a new Sierra Blue colorway to its super-thin matte collection. Designed to match the Sierra Blue iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max models from Apple, it is now available at the usual $39, and you can get a closer look down below. 

Today, ESR is launching the latest addition to its HaloLock stable of iPhone 13 accessories, debuting its very first 7.5W MagSafe power bank. Arriving with a streamlined design, there’s still a 10,000mAh internal battery alongside ability to refuel a second device with its USB-C port. Now available for purchase, you can also score a launch discount by getting the full scope down below.

Sales reports put the Switch as the best-selling Nintendo console ever. While it seems as though, mostly due to COVID-19 and subsequent shipping shortages industry-wide, that console sales would be much lower than normal – and to some degree they are, but the Switch has surpassed Nintendo’s juggernaut Wii sales numbers according to the latest numbers. After Xbox Series S had a strong holiday season last year and Sony looking to put another million PS4 consoles out in the wild this year to make up for a lack of its latest machines, the latest Switch sales numbers clock in at 103.54 million since its launch back in 2017, making it the best-selling Nintendo console ever. More details below. 

For the past few Wednesdays, Boba Fett has been hogging the Star Wars spotlight with new installments of the Disney+ series. While fans are waiting on the new version of the bounty hunter’s stronghold to release, we’re looking back in time at the first version of the Tatooine dwelling. The original LEGO Jabba’s Palace is now coming up on 20 years old, and our first LEGOCY with 9to5Toys review is taking a look at just how well this classic Star Wars creation has aged.

We are now cuddling up for a look at the official Jazwares Pokémon Legends Arceus plushy characters. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is now out in the wild with mostly solid reviews and a bold new take on the classic formula. We caught a glimpse of the new themed HORI gear for the game, including the Split Pad Pro and some Switch carrying vessels, but now it’s time for a look at the new starter Pokémon in plushy form from Jazwares. Head below for more. 

Today, Western Digital announced its all-new WD_BLACK SN770 NVMe Solid-State Drive designed for gaming and content creation PCs. Designed as an update to its SN700-series lineup of mid-range storage drives, the SN770 packs some solid upgrades across the board from the previous-generation SN750 and SN750 SE models. With a starting price of $59, the WD_BLACK SN770 will be perfect for all budgets. Sound like it could be a good fit for your desktop? Keep reading to find out more.

Portable projectors are a great way to add some functionality to your entertainment setup. They work great at home plugged in for movie night, but the uses go much further than that. Taking a camping trip and want to watch a movie under the stars? Want to have your friends over for a movie but don’t want to be indoors? With built-in batteries, portable projectors open up a new world of possibilities. We’ve taken a look at our fair share of portable projectors on 9to5Toys, and the AAXA M7 projector offers an impressive feature list for the price. Be sure to hit the video below to see all the details.

After being announced throughout this week, the all-new LEGO Star Wars buildable helmets are now available for pre-order. Delivering the most recent brick-built recreations of iconic characters from a galaxy far, far away, both old and new, there are three kits that can be locked-in ahead of launching on March 1. Including the coveted LEGO Mandalorian helmet, as well as X-Wing Pilot and Dark Trooper sets, you can get all of the pre-order details down below.

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Save $100 on all five AirPods Max styles and finally try out Apple’s flagship ANC Headphones
• Sony’s 4K OLED Xperia PRO 5G Android smartphone sees first discount at $500 off
• Twelve South discounts popular chargers and leather cases in annual Valentine’s Day sale

As the LEGO Star Wars March 2022 lineup becomes even clearer, today we’re getting yet another first look at an all-new set. Just after the appearance in the new Dark Trooper Attack set, fans will be able to assemble a buildable helmet version of the Imperial droids come next month. Stacking up to nearly 700 pieces, the new Dark Trooper marks the third LEGO helmet set of the year. Head below for all of the details.

Today, CORSAIR is launchings its latest PCIe Gen 4 solid-state drive, and like many other recent releases from the competition, it’s targeting the PS5. Debuting with all of the flagship specs you’d expect to meet Sony’s requirements to use as internal storage, you’re looking at up to 7,100MB/s transfer speeds, a built-in heatsink, and more on the new CORSAIR PS5-ready MP600 PRO LPX SSDs.

The RTX 3060 was released just over a year ago as the company’s then most budget-friendly GPU on the market. This card was touted as a replacement for the incumbent GTX 1060 and 1660, both of which are powerhouse GPUs that dominate the Steam user analytics page year after year. So, after being out for a year, does the RTX 3060 live up to the hype? Head below for our hands-on review with NVIDIA’s best “bang for the buck” graphics card from PNY, alongside other PC upgrades to make your desktop a solid gaming system, and see if the RTX 3060 is still worth it a year later.

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• Apple’s latest 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pros now $100 off at Amazon
• Philips Hue refurb sale offers rare discounts on HomeKit lights, accessories, more from $16
• Bose QuietComfort 45 ANC Headphones go on sale for only the second time at $279 (Save $50)

KFC is introducing its biggest sandwich yet. After seeing the most delicious holiday fire log with 11 herbs and spices drop to its best price yet, KFC is introducing its biggest sandwich to date, but this one isn’t edible. The new snuggler is the limited-edition, larger-than-life KFC Chicken Sandwich stuffed pillow plushie of your dreams. It is now up for pre-order via Pillow Pets, and you can get a closer look down below. 

After last year’s Infintity Gauntlet, the LEGO Group is back today with yet another iconic relic from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This time around, builders will be able to assemble a life-size version of Thor’s iconic hammer, Mjölnir. With nearly 1,000 included pieces, you can get a first look at the set ahead of going up for pre-order down below.

After a string of other LEGO Star Wars set unveils earlier this weekend, we’re now getting a first look at the upcoming Dark Trooper Attack set. Marking one of the first sets from Mandalorian season two, the new creation comes packed with Dark Troopers as well as Luke Skywalker. Head below for a closer look at LEGO set 75324 and all of the details.

This past week, the latest and arguably most defining chapter of the Pokémon franchise was released with Legends: Arceus. Taking a bold new direction for the series, the latest installment arrives with an open-world focus, loads of unique mechanics, and an entire new region to explore. If you’re still deciding whether Pokémon Legends: Arceus is worth adding to your collection, check out our insights from a weekend spent exploring the world of Hisui.

While we saw the latest Apex Legends season, Defiance, teased twice last week, we finally have detailed information on the new Control LTM as well as what Mad Maggie’s abilities will be. Control looks to be a very unique game mode that’s 9v9 and has infinite respawns. Mad Maggie is poised to be an interesting addition to the Apex Games as well, with some pretty powerful abilities. Curious to learn more? Head below to find out all the details we have on the upcoming Apex Legends Defiance season.

Crate & Barrel just debuted its Valentine’s Day collection with an array of gifts to spoil your loved one. There are 61 items throughout this collection with pricing starting at just $3. This gift guide was made to get the whole family in on the festivities, with ideas for both you and them. Find all of our top picks from the Crate & Barrel Valentine’s Day Gift Guide below. You will also want to check out Lululemon’s Valentine’s Day Gift Guide here.

A series of new JOBY camera mics for content creators and streamers have arrived. JOBY creates some of the best tripods and accessories for filmmakers out there and is now entering the pro-grade microphone market. The latest entries to its Wavo mic lineup are tuned for “pro-grade sound,” with the new flagship Wavo PRO and Wavo AIR leading the pack alongside podcasting desktop variants, streamlined shotguns, and even a lavalier design. Head below for a closer look at the new JOBY camera mics and more. 

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• iPhone 12 mini sees $231 discount in cert. refurb sale at $460, more from $128
• Apple’s official iPhone 13/Pro/mini MagSafe clear cases now on sale from $37.50 (Reg. $49)
• Anker discounts MagSafe chargers, portable speakers, and more from $13 in latest sale

January has been about as exciting as its gets for LEGO Ideas. We saw the new Sonic the Hedgehog set hit store shelves to start off the year, only to be followed up by the official unveil of the upcoming Globe. But in the meantime before tomorrow’s launch, we’re checking out three different creations from the fan-made Ideas platform including a pair of iconic brick-built sneakers, an instant camera, and even a LEGO PS5 model. Head below for a closer look at all of the best LEGO Ideas in January.

After yesterday’s first look at the new LEGO buildable Star Wars helmets launching in March, we’re getting some details on other upcoming sets due out come spring. Ranging from the very first Speed Champions sets of the year to the latest from LEGO Creator and more, you’ll want to head below for all of the new kits launching later in 2022.

Today, we’re getting our first look at two of the upcoming LEGO Star Wars buildable helmets. Delivering two iconic characters from a galaxy far, far away, fans will soon be able to assemble busts of the Mandalorian himself alongside Luke Skywalker’s signature Red Five X-Wing Pilot Helmet in LEGO form. Head below for all of the details.

New Wave Toys’ latest miniature retro arcade cabinet is the 1943 X RepliCade overhaul edition. Officially licensed by Capcam, this $170 1/6th scale cabinet features the same impeccable attention to detail that New Wave Toys has put into all of its cabinets in the past. We took a look at the 1942 X RepliCade most recently, but be sure to check out the video and see all of the attention to detail New Wave Toys has put on the 1943 X RepiCade cabinet. 

After seeing Ubiquiti launch its very first Wi-Fi 6 products over a year ago at the end of 2020, the company is back with its latest and greatest networking upgrades. The new UniFi Wi-Fi 6 Pro access point arrives with higher-end features over its predecessor, like 5.3Gb/s throughput, support for 300 devices, and a dual-band radio equipped with 160MHz channels. Head below for all of the details.

Today, the LEGO Group is officially unveiling its new first DC Art set. Delivering an over 4,100-piece brick-built mosaic, the new Batman set portrays the Dark Knight and other iconic Gotham City characters depicted by comic artist Jim Lee. Head below for all of the details.

Now that PCIe 5.0 computers are starting to gain a bit of traction with the latest Intel processor release, it’s time to start looking into compatible peripherals. TeamGroup is among the first brands to launch a PCIe 5.0 NVMe solid-state drive, and on paper, it offers impressive specs. While general consumers might not reap the benefits of PCIe 5.0 for years to come, we’re finally getting to a place where storage devices outpace processors and other PC components, which is something the gaming and content creation industry has desired for many years. What all does the TeamGroup PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD bring to the table, and how is this new technology going to change computers as we know it? Let’s take a closer look below.

The latest model SanDisk Professional 2TB G-DRIVE ArmorATD protective hard drive is in the spotlight today. Solid-state portable solutions have become far more affordable than year’s past, but they still, for the most part, can’t quite compete with the per TB pricing on traditional hard drives. The G-DRIVE ArmorATD lineup offers up a rugged solution for content creators and more at a relatively affordable cost of entry, but are the far slower transfers speeds compared to that of its SSD brethren worth the savings? Are hard drives even still a worth while investment? Let’s see if the ArmorATD brings enough to the table in other aspects for it to be worth your time. Head below for our hands-on review of the latest-generation SanDisk Professional 2TB G-DRIVE ArmorATD protective hard drive

Listen to a recap of the best deals and news from 9to5Toys each day at noon. 9to5Toys Daily is available on iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed. New episodes of 9to5Toys Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes/Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they are available.

• All-new Beats Fit Pro earbuds with Apple’s H1 chip include a $20 Amazon gift card at $200
• Anker’s new Nano Pro USB-C chargers in all colors on sale for the first time from $17
• Score a spare official Apple Watch charger at just $23.50 (Reg. $29)