News

We’re finally going to be seeing the fruits of the LEGO Group’s $1 billion investment into Epic Games. A recent social media post from LEGO teased the collaboration with a brick-built llama from the popular game Fortnite, which has many builders and gamers alike buzzing about what kinds of kits we could see the two companies create. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but no, we’re not getting a wave of LEGO Fortnite sets.

This year’s Sonnet Black Friday and Cyber Monday Super Sale has now arrived! The brand is well known around here for delivering more than reasonable prices on well-made Thunderbolt docking solutions as well as HDMI and display adapters for both Mac and Windows users (as well as other systems). And everything just got even less expensive for Black Friday. Its deals are now live on the official site as well as the Sonnet Amazon store to deliver some of the best prices we have tracked all year on much of its most popular gear, including both the 5- and 11-port Echo Thunderbolt 4 docks. Head below for a closer look at this year Sonnet Black Friday and Cyber Monday Super Sale.

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 $400 on Apple’s 14-inch M2 Pro MacBook Pro at new $1,599 all-time low
• Apple Watch SE 2 now starts at new $179 lows (Reg. $249+) with carbon neutral design
• CalDigit’s new TS4 Thunderbolt 4 dock sees first discount at $320 (Reg. $400), TS3 at $180

Last week, I got to play over an hour of the upcoming DLC for Scarlet and Violet. The Indigo Disk is slated to release next month, and a head of time I was able to dive in and explore Blueberry Academy, the Terrarium, and just how fun the focus on challenging Pokémon double battles can be.

Roborock is one of the mainstays around the holiday shopping season, known for not just being one of our favorite robotic vacuum companies at 9to5Toys, but also as one of the brands that offers the best deals. Both are true for the 2023 Black Friday event, with massive discounts on its latest flagship robot vacuums, more affordable options, and even stick vacuums for quick cleanups.

Govee has now unveiled its new star projector. The brand is well known around here for its smart lighting solutions, but it’s now flying folks to the stars with its brand new Galaxy Light Projector Pro. Looking to provide users “with an out-of-this-world cosmic projection” experience, the latest from the brand is bringing the ambiance home in a way unlike any of its other smart lighting solutions before it. Now available for purchase, head below for more details on the new Govee star projector. 

Ubiquiti today is launching a new and more affordable way to get into its popular networking platform. The new Gateway Lite arrives with a lower-end price tag as well as a feature set that’s better suited for home usage – rather than some of its higher-end enterprise gear.

Black Friday is on the horizon now, but the BLUETTI deals have already arrived. The brand is a favorite around here in the portable power station space, offering eco-friendly energy storage solutions for both indoors and out, but it is now delivering some particularly wild price drops for this year’s Black Friday festivities. We are talking as much as $2,400 off here and deals across just about its entire breadth of power products. Starting on November 17, Black Friday BLUETTI pricing kicks off at $169 with as much as $799 in FREE add-on gear thrown in on select bundles and that’s on top of early-bird pricing with an exclusive extra discount on the brand new AC200L power station it is introducing for the holiday season. Head below for a closer look at BLUETTI’s latest and some of its best prices of the year. 

Samsung is kicking off the Black Friday savings today by launching a sale of its own. While we’ve already be covering some of the more enticing offers matched at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy, Samsung is giving shoppers a reason to head over to its own storefront with bonus savings for app users and enhanced trade-in values on smartphones.

As we approach the holiday season, it’s a great time to reflect on some of the best tech we’ve covered this year and share what might be worth watching for upcoming deals. We’ll cover microphones, headphones, earbuds, and some of my favorite mice. Hit the links and pick one up if you find any of my favorite gear of 2023 interesting. 

We just highlighted how beneficial memberships can be for Black Friday, and now Rakuten is doubling down on our point by offering some extra cash back today. Now for a limited time, you’ll be able to shop early Black Friday deals at a number of different online retailers, all while also cashing in on some added savings. Rakuten is hoping the added 10% back helps make it easier to pull the trigger on gifts for yourself and family ahead of the holiday rush. You can check out all of the retailers below, or just over on this landing page.

The new Bluey Xbox console is a must-see. While it’s not a Black Friday deal, it is one of the sweetest and most adorable Xbox console designs we have seen yet. Just after getting a closer look at the first edible chocolate Xbox controller and Willy Wonka console, Xbox is back at it again with another special edition console. And this time it’s all about Bluey! But you’re going to have to head below for the details to stand a chance at actually scoring the new console for yourself. 

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.

• M3/Pro MacBook Pro early Black Friday deals start from $1,449 on 14- and 16-inch models
• Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 sees early Black Friday deal to $1,300 (Save $500), Z Flip 5 $800
• Anker’s early Black Friday sale goes live with new lows on Prime chargers, Nano gear, more from $14

Verizon today is announcing its Black Friday 2023 deals. Instead of showing off all the ways you can save this holiday season super far in advance, the carrier is just taking the curtain off all of the promotions right now that they’re live.

Amazon’s early Black Friday sale is now live! As promised the retailer is keeping true to its word and rolling out its first wave of discounts fit for the holiday shopping season – all before Thanksgiving Week even gets here. The offers are available to everyone right now, with Prime members mainly benefiting from free shipping on the whole lot and skirting the usual $25 order minimum for no-cost delivery. You can shop all of the deals right here, and we’ll be rounding them up all day, too.

Happy Super Mario RPG release day folks! While the Nintendo Black Friday deals are likely top priority for many gamers, we would like to take a minute to celebrate the re-release of Nintendo’s beloved RPG starring the iconic mustache’d hero and friends. The game has received rock solid praise from critics and it will soon be out in the wild for everyone (if it isn’t already) to enjoy! While the game might be one of the only Nintendo Switch titles that won’t see a deal for Black Friday (other than maybe the new Super Mario Wonder), there is still a way to grab it for less if you haven’t yet. 

It’s time to take stock on the best Black Friday smart TV deals. We have already detailed the Apple, Google, PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox offers (some of which are already live), but Black Friday TV deals are always a big deal and there’s going to be tons of them this year. Featuring price drops from Samsung, LG, Hisense, Sony, Amazon’s in-house offerings, and a host of major doorbuster deals on budget-friendly solutions, the deals will be launching in staggered fashion and we have tried to make sense of the most important stuff down below – alongside some offers that are already live right now. Head below for a closer look at the best Black Friday smart TV deals that are both on the way and now available for purchase. 

The question of what doesn’t Amazon sell has already been taken to the extreme over the year, as the online retailer branches out into even more verticals. Now we’re seeing yet another push for a new space, as Amazon announces a partnership with Hyundai that will see the automotive manufacturer begin listing its rides right on Amazon.com.

The Pokémon Company is officially announcing the next expansion to the popular trading card game. Debuting next year, the new Pokémon Paldean Fates set will be all about shiny artwork for new monsters from the Scarlet and Violet series.

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 Apple’s 12.9-inch M2 iPad Pro Magic Keyboard at $249 on Amazon
• Google Pixel 8/Pro see first discounts as Black Friday discounts go live from $549 (Reg. $699+)
• Samsung’s new stylish Frame 4K smart TVs start from $548 with up to $1,000 in savings

Target today finally has its Black Friday 2023 ad out. The retailer must have been waiting for every other retailer to get its announcements out of the way, because Target is seriously cutting it close with today’s reveal.

Today, we’re getting a first look at the new LEGO Orient Express Train. The year’s final creation to officially debut has arrived, with an impressive model debuting next month with over 2,500 pieces in tow.

The dust has all but settled on Black Friday 2023, and now we’re combing through all of the markdowns to highlihgt the best Google offers of the holiday season. With new smartphones, as well as other hardware taking the spotlight after fall debuts, there’s deals on Pixel 8/Pro, the latest Nest smart home gear, and more. Head below for all of the details on this year’s best Google Black Friday deals.

Today we are taking a closer look at Spigen’s latest affordable MagSafe charging stand. The new Spigen ArcField Dual debuted shortly before the launch of its epic iMac-style iPhone 15 MagSafe case as another piece of notable bang for your buck tech for folks not looking to spend over $100 or more for a desktop or nightstand charging station. Ready to support your StandBy habits and daily desktop charging needs, we have been putting the new ArcField Dual through its paces over the last couple weeks to see if it was actually worth spending the $40 on it or not. Head below for the latest entry in the Tested with 9to5Toys series to find out. 

Just about all of the major Black Friday ads are in for 2023, and now we can start looking to the best of the best deals. As far as Apple is concerned, we’ll be seeing some of the best prices ever across a catalog of all-new M3 Macs, the latest AirPods

The new PowerThru 2-in-1 Charging Stand has arrived. CASETiFY might be best known for its iPhone cases, especially the crossover campaigns like the new Disney Villains and sweet Chainsaw Man models we reviewed recently, but it has now introduced its new MagSafe stand. CASETiFY says the new PowerThru 2-in-1 Charging Stand is the “first dual-charging stand that can be ordered in different designs.” While I’m not sure that’s entirely true, it is one of the only options I have seen available with all of the wild styles CASETiFY has up for grabs, from the Game Boy-like look to floral patterns, this adorable duck model, and much more. Now available for purchase directly from the official site, you can get a closer look at what the new CASETiFY MagSafe stand has to offer. 

Update: The latest Petcube 360 pet cam detailed below has now dropped back down to the $33.59 Amazon all-time low. 

The new Petcube Cam 360 has now been unveiled. Petcube has been offering up some of the more affordable dedicated smart pet camera systems for a while and its brand new release is now available for purchase with a solid launch deal. While we are expecting to see some big-time deals on its previous-generation models for Black Friday in the coming days, the brand new Petcube Cam 360 is here and is already on sale right now at just over $40 shipped. Head below for all of the details. 

mophie today is updating one of its more beloved charging accessories. The 3-in-1 travel charger is one of the company’s most popular MagSafe offerings, and now on top of the 15W tech inside, it’s getting updated with Apple Watch fast charging and a more sustainable design.

Just after detailing the Microsoft Store offers, the official Xbox Black Friday deals have now been unveiled. After getting the details on the Nintendo and PlayStation offers, it’s time for the Xbox Black Friday deals. Microsoft has now taken to the official Xbox Wire to detail this year’s official offers and you’ll find all of the details waiting down below. 

The Microsoft Store Black Friday deals have now been unveiled, many of which will start tomorrow. In year’s past the Microsoft Store offers have dished up some of the better deals on the latest Microsoft Surface laptops as well as a host of worthwhile deals on the Xbox console side of things (although we are still waiting on the official Xbox game offers to some degree), and 2023 is no exception. There will be up to $800 in savings going live on Surface laptops starting tomorrow alongside some notable Xbox Series X and Series S console deals, bundle offers, and Xbox controller discounts as well. Head below for a closer look at the official upcoming Microsoft Store Black Friday deals. 

PNY is next out of the gate with some hyper-fast new Gen5 internal SSDs by way of today’s announcement of its new CS3150 M.2 NVMe models. While we have featured Crucial T700 Gen5 solutions a number of times around here thus far, PNY is looking to give them a run for their money with its latest heatsink-equipped solutions that deliver up to 12,000MB/s speeds and unique extreme cooling specs as well. Head below for a closer look at the new PNY CS3150 Gen5 internal SSD models. 

We are now closing in on the beginning of the best Black Friday gaming deals from Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox so it’s time to take stock of what’s live and what’s to come. This year’s sales have already started on the Nintendo and PlayStation side of things, and things are scheduled to ramp up again starting this Friday in an official capacity. The Black Friday ad scans haven’t been overly helpful but we have scoured the webs, official announcements, and more to gather up some details on the best PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox offers that are set to go live in the coming days and next week. Head below for a closer look at the best Black Friday gaming deals from Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox. 

Competition is fierce this year as Black Friday 2023 ramps up. All of the early discounts so far have made it clear that anyone with a membership program to any of the top retailers has a top advantage over other shoppers. So weighing your options between Amazon Prime, Walmart+, and other subscriptions will be a must for making the most of the holiday shopping season.

While we await the upcoming Nintendo Black Friday deals (details on those are right here), we are taking a quick break for today’s Nintendo Switch Indie World showcase. While most folks are still exploring the Flower Kingdom in Super Mario Bros. Wonder (hands-on review right here) ahead of the launch of the Super Mario RPG remake this Friday and awaiting many of the upcoming releases featured in the last major Nintendo Direct event, it’s now time for a look at some of the major indie releases headed to the platform. Head below to follow along with today’s Nintendo Switch Indie World showcase. 

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 new M3/Pro MacBook Pros see early Black Friday deals from $1,449 (Reg. $1,599+)
• Apple’s new 24-inch M3 iMac sees $100 discount to all-time low of $1,199
• Google’s new Pixel Watch 2 falls to new all-time low at $301 (Reg. $350)

After featuring and going hands-on with Samsung’s top-of-the-line 200MB/s models, today Lexar is announcing its new Professional GOLD microSDXC cards that can reach speeds up to 280MB/s. While the standard issue models ranging from around 130MB/s up to 200MB/s tend to be more than enough for most casual users, Lexar is targeting content creators, filmographers, drone pilots, and action cam enthusiasts with its new speedy Professional GOLD lineup. Now available for purchase starting from $40 shipped, you can get more details and a closer look down below. 

The brand new Samsung T5 EVO Portable SSD has arrived. After the launch of its first USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 T9 model in October, this time it is all about capacity over speed. Offering up a far more tame solution in terms of transfer rates, the T5 EVO Portable SSD has the “largest storage capacity of any Samsung portable SSD” and is being positioned as a replacement upgrade for folks still using more economic external HDDs, but the prices are going to have to come down before that becomes a reality for most users. We received an advance unit of the new Samsung T5 EVO Portable SSD ahead of today’s unveil to give it a run for its money – our hands-on impressions and all of the details are waiting down below.

T-Mobile today is now announcing its Black Friday deals for the 2023 shopping season. The Un-Carrier is looking to set the pace ahead of savings going live later this week on November 16, with deals on new smartphones, family plans, and 5G home internet packages.

The LEGO Group today is announcing its pre-Black Friday 2023 plans. With everything from the launch of an all-new creation to extra rewards points, freebies, and of course actual deals, we break down all of the company’s first-party savings below as part of this year’s LEGO Insiders Weekend.

In-store shopping is very much back in season this year for Black Friday 2023. After tons of online sales stole the digital spotlight that was previously reserved for the likes of Cyber Monday, nature is healing as more companies look to bring things back to retail locations. But that doesn’t mean retailers aren’t going to be taking the opportunity to close down brick and mortar stores across the United States the day beforehand. Below we break down all of the stores that are closed on Thanksgiving Day 2023.

Just in time for the winter months, the BowFlex early Black Friday deal is live and offering up to $600 off select at-home workout equipment through November 27 when you sign up. Once you sign up, you also instantly qualify for free shipping. BowFlex has plenty of pieces of equipment to choose from to refresh or build your brand new at-home gym including treadmills, bikes, dumbbells, barbells, and more. Our favorite deal here is the Revolution Home Gym, typically listed at $2,999, and is currently $2,399, or $600 off.

Since Overwatch 2 launched last fall, the team at Blizzard behind the team-based shooter has been not just adding entirely new heroes, but also tweaking existing playable characters. Tanks have seen some of the biggest adjustments now that there’s only one locking into each server per team, and today Roadhog is finally getting a rework.

Sony has now taken to its official blog to unveil annual the PlayStation Black Friday deals preview. After getting a look at the official Nintendo Black Friday deals sneak peek last week, it’s now time for PlayStation. This morning also brought with it the 2023 PlayStation holiday gift guide, so let’s keep the ball rolling with the official details on what’s on the way for Black Friday from the PlayStation camp. Head below for the details. 

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 M2 Mac mini is finally back in stock at Amazon with $99 discount attached
• Apple Pencil 2 with magnetic iPad Pro charging down to $89 (Second-best, Save $40)
• Anker’s recent Prime 240W USB-C charging station sees 45% discount to new $110 low

Ever wanted a chocolate Xbox controller? Well you now have a chance to win an official one. Joining some early Black Friday offers on Series X with a FREE game or a $50 price drop and gift card offer, Microsoft is getting into the holiday spirit in a delicious way with the announcement of the “first ever official edible chocolate Xbox controller and Wonka-inspired console.” In partnership with the new Warner Bros. Pictures’ film “Wonka,” Xbox is looking to celebrate the return of the “world’s greatest confectioner” with a uniquely delectable gaming experience. Head below for a closer look. 

The LEGO Group is gearing up for the holiday shopping season today with the reveal of two new gift with purchases. Helping to entice shoppers to stick to buying their bricks direct from Shop Online or in-person retail locations, there are a pair of upcoming creations that will exclusively be available from LEGO. Check out the new LEGO Majisto’s Magical Workshop and Winter Market Stall freebies below.

While the new Spider-Man 2 PlayStation 5 Slim alongside the Call of Duty Modern Warfare III PS5 slim bundles are now live at $500, not to mention the live Black Friday DualSense controller deals, Sony has now unleashed its official 2023 holiday gift guide. Looking to give PlayStation gamers a good look at the entire scope of gear it has on tap this holiday, there might not be specific deals mentioned here, but it does hint at what could be on sale (that isn’t already) in the coming weeks (or sooner). Head below for a look at the 2023 PlayStation holiday gift guide.