Over the past while a few games have had post-launch patches, the exemplars being Starfield and Stardew valley, which have post-launch patches of different kinds and for different reasons. We take some time on the Electronic Wireless Show podcast to talk about this patch of patches, and what it was like in the good ol’ days, where a broken game came out and stayed broken, gosh darn it!
Nate isn’t here today, which means I can make fun of him for owning fish, or whatever it is he does, but in his stead James steps up with an RGB lighting-themed game where I have to guess what accessories people stuck lights on to turn into gamer accessories. This is because Razer stuck RGB lights on a pandemic mask and are in trouble over it now. Naughty Razer. Plus, we talk about the games we’re playing right now, and dish you up some juicy recommendations at the end of the show.
There’s a whole score of incredible Xbox deals to check out right now, including 3-months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just $36.99, a WD Black C50 1TB Expansion Card for $134.36, excellent controller discounts, and so much more. When it comes to picking up new games, hardware, or accessories for your Xbox, it feels good when you can find those items at a discounted price. Here, we’ll keep you updated on all of the latest discounts for Xbox, from games to controllers and so much more. Let’s dig into the best Xbox deals that are happening right now.
WD Black C50 1TB Expansion Card for Xbox for $134.36
Amazon is offering the officially licensed WD Black C50 1TB Expansion Card for Xbox Series consoles at a nice little discount. Right now it’s only $134.36, a 10% off price drop from its original $150 MSRP. It’s currently cheaper than the Seagate 1TB Expansion Card. The C50 is one of the best SSDs for the Xbox, which isn’t surprising since your options are pretty limited.
More Xbox Expandable Storage Deals
Score 2 Free Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (New Members Only)
For those interested in the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offer, it is worth qualifying that this code will only apply to those who currently don’t have an active Game Pass Ultimate membership, and Walmart stresses that this is for new members only. If you’re on Game Pass Core, it should be fine to apply to your account. Otherwise, if you’re a current Game Pass Ultimate member, the code won’t be applicable. If you do qualify, it’s a pretty simple process if you’re looking to bag the two-month free trial, here’s how:
Steps:
Visit the Walmart+ Offer Page and select ‘Get Offer’ next to the 2 free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate listing
On the ‘Offer Page’ you will see a unique promo code, copy this code and keep a record of it
Hit the ‘Redeem Offer’ button on the page to go to the Xbox Site
Sign in to Your Account
Your promo code will autofill — if it does not then paste/type
Redeem your offer and receive your 2 Free Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Disable auto-renewal afterward to avoid being charged at the end of the trial — this can be located in ‘Services & Subscriptions’ in your Microsoft account. You should also do this for Walmart+ if you used a free trial to access the Game Pass offer
The Best Xbox Controller Deals: Select Controllers Down to $49
Ready to add another controller to your gaming setup? You’re in luck! There are fantastic deals available on a range of colors, like the Astral Purple, Robot White, and the Special Edition Remix controllers. Check out some of our top picks for deals above and below!
The Best Xbox Game Deals: Over 50% Off Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order & More Game Deals
While Xbox’s Spring Sale has ended, the deals for Xbox fans continue! Check out some of the best physical game discounts available, including markdowns on titles like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1, and the newly released Alone in the Dark. For more fantastic game deals, click on the links below.
Get Over 50% Off the Xbox Series S Toaster at Walmart
It looks like a fridge, and it kinda is a fridge (mini), and it’s also down to $58.99 at Walmart. Plus, c’mon, who doesn’t want the Xbox Series S toaster for their kitchen as well? Not only is it a fun addition to have in your home, but this is a discount you definitely don’t want to miss out on, either! It’s currently marked down over 50% at Walmart to just $40, which is an excellent deal. What better time to pick it up?
The Diablo IV Xbox Series X bundle is still holding on at Walmart, down $70.99 from its MSRP of $559.99 to $489.00. This has stood the test of time since last Black Friday as one of our favorite console bundles, and is well worth investing in before it’s all gone for good.
Get 10% Off the Official Xbox Wireless Headset & More Headset Deals
Does your family complain when you stay up playing loud shooters late into the night? They’ll stop complaining if you pick up anXbox headset that lets no one but you hear the delightful explosions you cause on the screen. Right now, you can get 10% off the Official Xbox Wireless Headset and you can also save 20% on the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Gaming Headset at Amazon. To see even more gaming headsets on sale, visit our roundup of the best gaming headset deals.
Since Xbox hiked the monthly price of Game Pass last year, we want to help to avoid this. To do so, we’d recommend stacking these 3-month subscriptions as much as possible (36 months is the max you can load onto your account).
Admittedly buying up 12 of these codes can put a strain on your wallet, totaling $539.88 with the Amazon link above. However, when you compare it to the new cost of Game Pass Ultimate for 36 months at $16.99 per month, amounting to $611.64, you’ll realize you’re saving $71.76 on your subscription for the next three years. Otherwise, secure your membership for at least a year to lock in at least some savings overall.
In general, it is advisable to keep an eye out for sales and restocks throughout the year, as availability has improved since the initial launch of the console. Unlike the Nintendo Switch, there is no specific recommendation to wait for a sale regardless of the time of year. Instead, it’s a good idea to monitor various retailers and online platforms for restock announcements and promotional offers.
However, certain events like Black Friday or other holiday seasons may bring about unique bundles, discounts, or promotional deals specifically for the Xbox Series X. These bundles may include additional games, accessories, or exclusive limited editions. While quantities for such promotions might be limited, they can provide an opportunity to get more value for your purchase. See our guide to Xbox Series X prices for more info.
Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S?
Choosing between the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S ultimately depends on your gaming preferences, budget, and specific requirements. Let’s compare the two consoles to help you make an informed decision:
1. Performance: The Xbox Series X is the more powerful option, offering native 4K gaming, higher graphical fidelity, and faster loading times. It has more advanced hardware, including a larger storage capacity. On the other hand, the Xbox Series S targets a lower price point and offers a less powerful performance, targeting 1440p resolution gaming and upscaling to 4K.
2. Price: The Xbox Series S is more affordable compared to the Xbox Series X. If budget is a significant factor for you, the Xbox Series S provides a cost-effective option while still delivering a next-generation gaming experience. For example, the Series S can play Starfield at 1440p 30fps (vs 4K 30fps on Series X).
3. Storage: The Xbox Series X comes with a larger internal storage capacity, allowing you to store more games directly on the console. The Xbox Series S, however, has a smaller storage capacity, which means you may need to manage your game library more actively or rely on external storage solutions.
4. Disc Drive: The Xbox Series X includes a disc drive, enabling you to play physical game discs and enjoy a wider range of media options, including Blu-ray and DVD playback. The Xbox Series S, in contrast, is a digital-only console, meaning you can only play games downloaded from the digital store.
5. Graphics and Performance: While both consoles support ray tracing, the Xbox Series X provides a more immersive and visually impressive experience due to its superior hardware capabilities. If you prioritize cutting-edge graphics and want the best performance available, the Xbox Series X is the preferable choice.
Consider your gaming preferences, budget, and whether you prioritize top-of-the-line performance or cost-effectiveness. If you have a 4K TV, want the most powerful console, and are willing to invest more, the Xbox Series X is the recommended option. If you have a lower budget, a 1080p or 1440p TV, and don’t mind sacrificing some performance, the Xbox Series S offers excellent value for money.
With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as Switch and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
For someone who’s spent an embarrassing amount of my life staring at virtual maps, I am a downright directionless dunce when it comes to geography. Not ‘the country of Africa’ bad, but certainly not good enough that you’d want me on your pub quiz team. Also, I still do the Shredded Wheat rhyme internally when I have to follow directions. However, I do enjoy making maps turn a different colour in strategy games, Total War chiefly among them. Well, one such map is expanding before my confused idiot eyes, that being Total War: Pharaoh’s. It’s getting a new, distinctly Mesopotamia and Aegea-shaped bit. I believe that’s just south of Eastopotamia and Wegea.
If you cast your mind way back to 2021, you might remember the announcement that Universal Orlando’s Super Nintendo World was getting pushed to 2025. Well, today Universal has reconfirmed that this is still happening (yay!) and it has given a sneak peek at what’s in store.
The above video gives an in-depth look at the Nintendo-themed section of the park’s Universal Epic Universe (which also has dedicated areas for Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic, How To Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk and Dark Universe). We can see the sights of the main Mario area and the Donkey Kong Country expansion as well as get a taste of the three rides which will be available: Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, Yoshi’s Adventure and Mine-Cart Madness.
Remember last summer, when Pistol Whip got five new breakneck Scenes and one of them had soaring castle towers, trebuchet battles, and not one, but two dragons?
Here at Cloudhead, we looked at that Scene (the illustrious Majesty) and said “This rules, and we’re gonna make a whole Collection out of it, and no one can stop us.”
And of course, we added yet another new music genre to the game: power metal.
Welcome to Voidslayer: A frenzy of three new Pistol Whip Scenes that charge headlong through raucous villages, cataclysmic fields of battle, to the place where Earth and the cosmos blur together. Each Scene is an act within an epic journey. In the first act, Hero’s Dawn, you shall awake to the call of destiny, and follow it through a world of fire and darkness, with an endless stream of enemies to crash through as you go.
For our seasoned Pistol Whip players, we’ve got a couple of new Modifiers to check out, too.
Colour Match forces you to think quickly, as your weapons will be colour-coordinated to enemies on the field. Only the shots from matching-coloured guns will hit. This is one of those Modifiers that, as soon as you’ve mastered it, will make you want to go back and replay every single Scene just to see how much it changes the groove.
Meanwhile, the Deflector modifier gives you the ability to send bullets ricocheting back at your foes. And if you’re also wielding the Metal Gauntlet, remember to throw up the horns with every deflection. You won’t get any extra points or anything, but you’ll feel extremely cool, and our dev team will all cheer.
As a bunch of metalheads ourselves, we can’t wait to unleash our three chosen music tracks on you. With wailing guitar solos and furious kick drums from the likes of Bloodbound, Brothers of Metal, and Firewind, these are some of the most unstoppable, fist-in-the-air Pistol Whip songs yet.
Ready thy broken sword on June 6, when Hero’s Dawn, the first of Voidslayer’s three new Scenes, will arrive on PlayStation VR2, with the second and third Scenes following in the weeks after!
Now Starfield’s May update is out in the wild in beta form on Steam, players are getting to grips with all the new features, including the detailed maps, ship interior customization, and more. But there’s one change that flew under the radar when it was announced but is now picking up plaudits: the ability to toggle the default dialogue camera off.
Bethesda games are known for the way the camera crash zoom’s onto an NPC’s face when the player triggers dialog. Anyone who’s played the likes of Skyrim or Fallout will know how this often results in hilarious and sometimes quite unnerving sequences in which NPCs will stare at you unendingly. While Fallout 4 did away with this by keeping the camera pulled back for chats with NPCs, Starfield returned to the Bethesda NPC zoom of old.
Following Starfield’s release, modders took it upon themselves to disable the dialogue camera, forcing a third-person camera alongside player movement. Now, Starfield officially lets players toggle the dialogue camera off, meaning you now can watch scenes play out from your chosen perspective.
Reaction to this toggle has been positive, as it has been to the new detailed maps. While the Starfield update isn’t out for everyone until May 15, quality-of-life updates such as these are enticing players back into the space game.
Elsewhere, the May update finally adds a 60fps option for Starfield on Xbox Series X, although not on Xbox Series S. The Shattered Space expansion is due out in the fall, reportedly in September. Land vehicles are on their way, too.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
As reported by Chinese outlet Campfire Camp, spotted by GamesRadar, and machine translated by Ian Games of the Ian Games Network, and then delivered fresh to your eyeballs by me, Nic Reuben of Reuben Paper Shotgun dot com, Elden Ring expansion Shadow Of The Erdtree will be the only DLC released for the world stomping rpg game. That’s according to FromSoftware’s sadistic DM and notable swamp troll Hidetaka Miyazaka, although it doesn’t sound like he’s trolling this time.
Looking to take the strangest collaboration of 2024 crown from McDonald’s, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Hello Kitty’s team up, Tetris and the 7-Eleven convenience store chain have teamed up to create a handheld video game console.
As reported by VGC, 7-Eleven is releasing a line of officially branded Tetris merchandise which, alongside shirts, jumpers, caps, and more, includes the Slurpee + Tetris Handheld Game Device, available “soon” on 7-Eleven’s website for $30.
As the name suggests, the handheld is based on 7-Eleven’s slushy drink and is even designed to look the same with a cup-shaped body and glowing rainbow dollop on top. Able to play Tetris only, the device boasts a 1.8 inch screen “that brings the iconic shapes and colors to life” and a built-in speaker that “delivers clear, immersive sound.” Once you’ve installed three AAA batteries, of course.
“Featuring an officially licensed Tetris title, this portable Slurpee + Tetris Handheld Game Device lets you play the classic game on the go, with a full color 1.8 inch screen that brings the iconic shapes and colors to life,” reads the description.
“But that’s not all. This portable Slurpee + Tetris Handheld Game Device also comes equipped with an on/off switch to illuminate the Slurpee dollop in a rainbow of colors. And thanks to the intuitive user interface, you’ll be able to jump right in and start playing like a pro.
“Plus, the built-in speaker with volume control delivers clear, immersive sound. Powered by 3 AAA batteries or USB-C cable (not included), this portable Slurpee + Tetris Handheld Game Device is the ideal travel companion for gamers of all ages.”
Medieval city builder Manor Lords was Steam’s most-wishlisted game prior to release, and has now managed the feat of transmuting that anticipation into broad enthusiasm and very healthy sales. Not too shabby, considering that it’s mostly the work of just one person, Grzegorz Styczeń of Slavic Magic, who has hopefully found time to sleep now and then between fielding bug reports and preparing the game’s first patches.
Styczeń understandably doesn’t have much time for interviews right now – those troublesome archers aren’t going to balance themselves – but yesterday I spoke to Tim Bender, CEO of Manor Lords publisher Hooded Horse, about how Styczeń is getting on. The answer, apparently, is: pretty good, because Styczeń has a healthy approach to early access development in keeping players close, without quite handing them the wheel.
FromSoftware boss Hidetaka Miyazaki has confirmed that Shadow of the Erdtree will be the only expansion released for beloved role-playing game Elden Ring.
As reported by GamesRadar, Miyazaki told Chinese publication Zhihu that, unlike previous FromSoftware titles such as Dark Souls 3, the developer plans to release just one chunk of downloadable content for Elden Ring due to the nature of its open world.
“[Shadow of the Erdtree] is the first and last DLC, and we have no plans to add more content to Elden Ring,” Miyazaki said, via machine translation.
“[Shadow of the Erdtree] is the first and last DLC, and we have no plans to add more content to Elden Ring.
“Elden Ring emphasizes exploration and adventure in a big world. In order to provide such an experience, a vast and huge setting is inevitably needed. Therefore, instead of splitting it into several parts, it was better to simply make one big [expansion]. If they were sold separately, the freedom of exploration and sense of adventure would be reduced.”
Shadow of the Erdtree, which launches June 21, 2024, may not be fans’ final taste of The Lands Between, however, as Miyazaki didn’t shut down the possibility of a full sequel. When asked about the future of the franchise, he commented that FromSoftware deliberately leaves the end of its games open to potential sequels, and it seems Elden Ring will be no exception.
Miyazaki suggested in March 2024 that FromSoftware hadn’t made a decision on a sequel yet, but similarly spoke to the desire to keep its options open. “We don’t want to say this is the end of the Elden Ring saga for now,” he told IGN.
“We said a similar thing at the end of Dark Souls 3. We didn’t want to flatten those possibilities or put a pin in them just at that time. And it’s a similar story with Elden Ring. We don’t want to discourage the possibilities for that. There might be more ideas in the future.”
The success of Elden Ring may encourage FromSoftware to make a sequel, as the game had swelled to a colossal 23 million units sold as of February 2024.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
