Author: Game Infliction

Best Buy Just Dropped the Best Meta Quest 3S VR Headset Deals for Black Friday

As part of its early Black Friday Doorbuster Sale, Best Buy just dropped the best deals we may see this entire month on the Meta Quest 3S VR headset. Not only do you get $50-$70 off in instant discounts ($249 for the 128GB model and $329 for the 256GB model), you also get a bonus $50 Best Buy gift card with your purchase. That’s basically getting a Quest for as low as $199. This is the best deal I’ve seen this year on a Quest 3S headset with warranty. Recently we’ve seen deals on refurbished models, but in this case the advantage of buying new is that you also get a couple of free games.

Note: The 128GB model includes two games, Batman: Arkham Shadow and The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. The 256GB model includes one game, Batman: Arkham Shadow.

Meta Quest 3S Starting at $249 Plus $50 Best Buy Gift Card

The Meta Quest 3S is the best standalone consumer-oriented VR headset under $300. It costs 40% less than the Quest 3 and yet retains most of its hardware and functionality, including the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, Touch Plus controllers with inside-out tracking, and mixed reality passthrough. However, whereas the Quest 3 has been updated with a new pancake lens design, the Quest 3S retains the Fresnel optics of the Quest 2. Although obviously not as good as the Quest 3, the Quest 3S still very much offers an immersive visual experience that is sure to impress. I myself logged in hundreds of hours on the Quest 2 before I moved on to the Quest 3. For newcomers who want to try out VR gaming without investing tons of money, of for people who want to give this as a gift to someone who’s never tried VR, I would recommend the Quest 3S over the Quest, especially at this price.

TL;DR Quest 3S vs Quest 3:

  • Same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor
  • Same Touch Plus controllers
  • Same 120Hz refresh rate
  • Same Mixed reality passthrough functionality
  • Same tetherless and tethered functionality
  • Quest 3 has sharper resolution (2064×2208 vs 1832×1920)
  • Quest 3 has better lens array (pancake vs fresnel)
  • Quest 3 has lower FOV (104°/96° vs 96°/90°)
  • Quest 3 has higher storage capacity (512GB vs 128GB)

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.

Nintendo Had No “Intention To Hinder Or Invalidate” Third-Party Docks For Switch 2

Manufacturers are working on updates to their docks.

Following reports that some Switch 2 owners are having issues with third-party docks, Nintendo has addressed the issue.

In a response to Tom’s Hardware and Kotaku, a representative told the outlets that “Nintendo does not have any intention to hinder or invalidate legal third-party dock compatibility.”

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Building a Trusted Gaming Future: How Security Powers Fair Play

Building a Trusted Gaming Future: How Security Powers Fair Play

  • Xbox Platform and Windows Security Team

Xbox Logo Hero

With the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, it’s a timely reminder of the responsibility we share to uphold the integrity of play. We put together this guide on the latest security features and actions players can take to make sure they’re ready to jump into Call of Duty today.  

We’re focused on creating environments where competition thrives. At the heart of every great game is a simple promise: everyone deserves an equal shot at victory. Cheating breaks that promise, undermining the excitement and integrity of the experience for players and developers alike. Through close collaboration with game developers, anti-cheat technology providers, and players, we’re committed to protecting fair play and ensuring everyone can enjoy a level playing field. 

Why Security Features Matter for Fair Play 

Cheat software isn’t like traditional malware that sneaks in unnoticed; it’s installed and run by players who deliberately disable and circumvent built-in protections to gain an unfair edge. That’s why Microsoft’s security features alone can’t stop cheating if someone turns them off. The real value comes when these protections stay enabled by all – they create a trusted state that developers can count on. Using that state, developers can better safeguard their games and their players, by reliably distinguishing systems that are more likely to have cheaters vs. systems that are configured for trust and security. 

Cheating has grown increasingly sophisticated, moving from simple memory hacks to exploits that try to compromise a system before it even verifies your PC is in a trusted state through the hardware and Windows boot process. While most modern PCs include essential security features for gaming, Windows 11 takes protection a step further with advanced defenses tailored for players and developers. Working closely with hardware providers and anti-cheat providers, we have established a set of standards for hardware and software security, creating a root of trust. These technologies work together to make your PC ready for gaming, making it harder for cheats to take hold: 

  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0: Creates a modern, hardware-based secure key storage and root of trust, from which the system and Windows can generate information that can be trusted with cryptographic keys.  
  • Secure Boot: Ensures only trusted software loads during the boot process. So, when it is enabled, developers can have confidence that cheats weren’t inserted into the system early to evade detection by the anti-cheat providers. Plus, it extends the root of trust from the TPM all the way through the hardware initialization process to the time that Windows begins to boot.  
  • Virtualization-based Security (VBS): Provides another layer of protection, strengthening security by creating a secure, isolated environment within your system where it is difficult to run unauthorized code that could interfere with your game or anti-cheat software. Like secure boot, when it is enabled, developers can have greater certainty that cheats are not interfering with fair game play. 
  • Remote Attestation: Provides a well-documented and industry wide approach for remotely validating every important step of both the hardware and Windows boot process by leveraging the TPM and creating cryptographically secure evidence that verifies your PC in a trusted state as it initializes and boots into Windows. 

These same technologies sit at the heart of Xbox console security, a proven and trusted model, and we’re excited to see anti-cheat providers leveraging them on Windows 11 today.  

How You Can Help Game Developers Build Trusted Communities  

We’re working with partners to build the tools and standards that make gaming safer, but players have an important role too. By keeping your firmware and security features up to date, you’re helping developers maintain a trusted environment for everyone. Enabling these protections sends a signal that you value fair play.

That signal matters because developers increasingly rely on these standards when designing multiplayer experiences. When security features stay on, it becomes easier for developers to differentiate genuine gameplay from cheating and keep the community competitive and fun.   

Here’s how you can help ensure your PC is ready for secure, fair play: 

  1. Keep Windows Up to Date: Make sure to regularly install Windows 11 updates. These updates are delivered automatically through Windows Update and provide essential security enhancements to help safeguard your gaming experience. 
  1. Stay Current with Firmware/BIOS Patches: Be proactive about checking for and installing firmware/BIOS updates from your PC manufacturer. Firmware/BIOS patches aren’t always automatic, so reviewing your manufacturer’s support site or tools ensures your device receives the latest protections against emerging threats.  We’ve included some links below for many of the top manufacturers to help get you started. 
  1. Enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot: Most modern gaming PCs come with these features enabled by default. If you’ve built your own system or use an older device, check your firmware/BIOS settings and manufacturer’s or Windows’ instructions to activate them. 
  1. Review Security Requirements: Major titles such as Call of Duty and Valorant provide dedicated pages that outline the necessary protections needed for secure and fair gameplay. Check the official website for your favorite game to find its recommended security requirements before you play to ensure your system complies with the latest standards. 
  1. Stay Informed: Follow Microsoft’s official channels for guidance on best practices and the latest news.  Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters.  Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity. We’ll keep you updated so you can focus on playing, not worrying. 

Manufacturer Instructions 

Additionally, here are a few resources to help: 

What’s Next 

The fight against cheating is always evolving, and so are the tools we use to protect the gaming community. As new games and anti-cheat solutions adopt modern security technologies, you’ll see more titles requiring features like TPM, Secure Boot, and advanced protections such as VBS. 

We’re here to listen to your feedback as we work toward our shared goal of fair play for all.  Together, we can build a gaming ecosystem that’s secure, fair, and fun for everyone. See you in-game! 

The post Building a Trusted Gaming Future: How Security Powers Fair Play appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Share of the Week: It Happens On PS5

This week marks PS5’s fifth anniversary! To celebrate, we asked you to share unforgettable moments from the last five years using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here’s this week’s highlights:

​​

Dande_Lion55 shares the iconic fight between Kratos and Thor in God of War Ragnarōk

PattyGnand shares pixel-level celebration in Astro Bot

FrameCaptureVP shares Ellie swinging an axe through the shadows in The Last of Us Part II Remastered

ibis_monk shares Aloy taking to the skies in Horizon Forbidden West

secondcapture shares an epic armor set in Demon’s Souls

sorathluna shares Higgs playing his battle guitar atop a pillar with a gigantic BT in the background

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: Side Quests
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on November 19, 2025 

Next week, we’re headed on a side quest. Share moments that transpire when you venture off the golden path in the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

How to Watch IGN’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Launch Day Livestream

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launches on November 14, and we’re hosting a launch day livestream to celebrate. The latest entry in the long-running FPS franchise is set in 2035, 44 years after the events of Black Ops 6. Omnimovement is back, but there are added movement options and new game modes in both multiplayer and Zombies.

The livestream is presented by Xfinity, where you can get reliable Wi-Fi at a reliable price for five years. And with Unlimited Data, you won’t miss a moment of action. It’s powerful and secure with fast downloads. Gaming is better with Xfinity.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Livestream Date, Time, and Where to Watch

The livestream will start on Friday, November 14 at 5 p.m. Pacific / 7 p.m. Central / 8 p.m. Eastern. It will stream across IGN’s channels, and you’ll be able to watch it at any of these places:

IGN.com

IGN’s Facebook

IGN’s Twitter

IGN’s Twitch

IGN’s YouTube

If you’re not able to watch it live, that’s alright. You can still watch it in its entirety on our YouTube page after it’s over.

What to Expect in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Livestream

The stream will run for an extended period, but we don’t have a specific amount of time in mind. We’ll feature as much as we can during the stream. You’ll see extended gameplay, get a look at what’s new in Black Ops 7, and different game modes to get a sense of everything on offer. See you there!

Cyber bunny shooter Cicadamata reminds me of nu-Marathon and Jumping Flash and has a flipping cool shotgun

Cicadamata” – yes the rogue apostrophes are part of the official title, yes I will exclude them in future because they make my thalamus itch – is one of those games that makes me incandescently sorry I didn’t spend the past 20 years studying graphics design so that I could, for example, tell you what exactly is going on with that icecream bar HUD, those landscapes of bright diodes and cubes sliding through checkerboard obelisks, those twirling android digits, that wrist-rolling Muji paperweight of a shotgun.

Read more

As Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s ‘Annoying’ Initial Sidekick is Revealed, A Fresh Trailer Confirms Other NPCs Will Join Samus Throughout The Game

Hands-on impressions of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond have hit the internet, bringing stinging criticism of an early human sidekick. And now, a new trailer published by Nintendo shows Samus will also interact with a wider cast of human characters throughout the game.

In IGN’s just-published Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hands-on preview, we described Galactic Federation trooper Myles MacKenzie — who Samus gets lumbered with for a lengthy chunk of the game’s opening area — as “mildly annoying to downright infuriating” with “cringey” dialogue and contstant chattering through gameplay.

Alongside Myles, three other human troopers are highlighted in Nintendo’s new 7-minute Overview Trailer (which feels as close as we’re going to get to a dedicated Direct) seemingly from later sections in the game.

Beyond is structured with four major areas accessible via its desert hub (a forest area where you meet Myles, then an electrical power plant, frozen research center, and firey volcano area). The suggestion is that Samus will meet more of the main quartet in each.

“Like Samus, some Galactic Federation troopers were also transported to Viewros,” the trailer states. “Follow distress signals to help the troopers, and occasionally battle alongside them. They can provide useful upgrades. Teamwork is key if any of you hope to escape the planet alive.”

A montage then shows the other troopers in action, chatting away about getting back to their families, donning a mech suit to smash a wall for Samus, and even prising open a door. Huh — couldn’t Samus have just done that with a new suit upgrade?

Of course, Metroid games have featured other human characters before — even while Samus is typically a silent protagonist. But the real concern here, beyond it interrupting the core solitary exploration of most Metroid adventures, is that the human characters on offer in Beyond are simply too distracting, and too unlikable.

As we discovered in our hands-on preview, gameplay with Myles features escort-style sections and moments where you need to defend the hapless trooper while he hides behind the rock. Allow him to perish in a firefight and you’re given the chance to revive him using Samus’ psychic powers. Fail to do so (or try and refuse) and you get a Game Over screen.

“Of all the things Metroid Prime 4 could’ve been, I never would’ve guessed it would include outdated escort missions with a companion that never stops talking,” we wrote. For much more on the impact of playing alongside the game’s NPC characters, check out Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hands-on preview now.

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

Uma Racing Codes (November 2025)

Uma Racing is based on the popular anime and game franchise, Umamusume: Pretty Derby. In this Roblox experience, you’ll play as a trainer who will raise and race uma – hopefully to victory. You’ll start with just one uma, so use these Uma Racing codes to give you a big cash bonus. In doing so, you’ll be able to purchase new uma to strengthen your team, MVPs, and intros. You never know, you might get lucky with your pick and get a Legendary uma.

Working Uma Racing Codes (November 2025)

The following codes are all active and working and can be redeemed for cash.

  • RELEASECUH – 1,500 cash
  • MBFORANOTHERDELAYBRO – 2,500 cash
  • UFFUEWANTTOMATO – 1,000 cash
  • FIRSTBUGFIX –1,500 cash
  • THANKFORSUPPORTIN – 4,500 cash
  • FIFTYTHOUSANDLIKES –3,000 cash
  • IOOKMEMBERS – 3,000 cash

How to Use Uma Racing Codes

Ready to redeem the active Uma Racing codes listed above? Here are the steps you need to take:

  1. First, you’ll need to join the group Uma Racing Community
  2. Then, launch Uma Racing on Roblox
  3. Click the Menu button at the bottom of the screen
  4. Press Codes (it’s the fifth option on the Menu, next to Settings)
  5. Copy the code from this article and press redeem

Expired Uma Racing Codes (November 2025)

These codes no longer work. We test all of our codes on a regular basis, so, as soon as a code is expired, we’ll move it into this section:

  • CINDERELLAGRAY
  • PLAYTEST
  • DELAYMBBRO
  • SORRYFORBUG

Why Isn’t My Uma Racing Code Working?

Codes for Roblox experiences are usually case-sensitive, so the best way to ensure you’ve got a working code is to directly copy it from this article. We check all codes before we upload them, so you can guarantee they’re working. Just double-check that you haven’t copied over an extra space!

Lauren Harper is an Associate Guides Editor. She loves a variety of games but is especially fond of puzzles, horrors, and point-and-click adventures.

Guide: Top 100 Nintendo Games, As Chosen By Nintendo Life & IGN

A century of must-have classics.

Nintendo has been around for well over a century and has been an active part of the video game industry since the 1970s. The company’s impact on the realm of interactive entertainment is almost unprecedented, and its consoles and handhelds have played host to some of the most iconic titles of all time.

Nintendo Life has teamed up with our friends over at IGN to create a list of the best 100 Nintendo games of all time. I know what you’re thinking – we already have a list with the same title on the site – but this new list has a slightly different remit.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com