2025 is finally here, and chockfull of brand-new releases await. January is particularly packed with remasters, sequels, blockbusters, and high-profile PC ports. Whether youre a fan of role-playing games, platformers, shooters or even Star Wars, there may be something worth playing. Check out all the biggest new releases in January 2025.Donkey Kong Country Returns HDJust when it seemed like Nintendo wrapped up all its big releases ahead of its next console reveal, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD launches on January 16th for the Switch. Featuring the return of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, the classic campaign supports revamped visuals, JoyCon support, and new levels from the 3DS port. Theres even New Mode, which provides an easier on-boarding difficulty for newcomers.Dynasty Warriors: OriginsNo more open world is already a massive selling point for Dynasty Warriors: Origins. However, Omega Force is cooking up even more with the prequel ahead of its launch on January 17th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. A new protagonist, tactics, and combat improvements alongside multiple weapons and famous warriors as teammates (who you can control for limited periods) are just a few notable features. If the demo is any indication, Dynasty Warriors: Origins should restore the series glory.Tales of Graces f RemasteredIts still remaster season for Tales fans, with Tales of Graces f the latest title to get said treatment. Unlike Symphonia, the next remaster is handled by Tose instead of Bandai Namco, ensuring 60 FPS on all platforms (except Nintendo Switch, sadly). Tales of Graces f Remastered also features quality-of-life additions like auto-save, English and Japanese audio, a destination marker for quests on the world map, and more. It launches on January 17th for PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Switch.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (PC)The critically acclaimed sequel finally arrives on PC after remaining on PS5 for the better part of 2024. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth offers numerous improvements to Remakes combat while heavily expanding on the mini-games, characters, exploration, and story. PC players can look forward to more extensive graphical settings, support for upscalers like DLSS, and improved lighting rendering. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth arrives for PC players on January 23rd.Marvels Spider-Man 2 (PC)If another 100-hour RPG isnt what youre after on PC, then Marvels Spider-Man 2 may be the solution. Featuring not one but two Spider-Men, Peter Parker and Mile Morales, it offers new locations, combat abilities, and activities to go with the darker narrative and addition of the infamous Symbiote, Venom. Its out on January 30th for PC.Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power BattlesAspyr has been working overtime to bring various Star Wars classics to modern platforms, with Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles being the latest. It arrives on January 23rd for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. While the prospect of higher resolutions and better performance is tempting, fans can also look forward to playing unlocked characters from the beginning and using a new modern control scheme.Hyper Light Breaker Early AccessHyper Light Breaker is an open-world rogue-lite for PC that features intense boss battles, weapons and hoverboards. After facing several delays, Heart Machine is releasing Hyper Light Breaker in early access on January 14. It will feature three player co-op along with a variety of skins and weapons.Eternal StrandsAction adventure title Eternal Strands, which sees players relying on the elements and environments to battle massively imposing threats, launches on January 28th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Besides intriguing us with its visuals and overall combat, the premise and journey of Brynn, a Weaver on a mission of redemption, is intriguing. If thats not enough, post-launch content developed alongside the Final Fantasy 16 development team is also in the works.Orcs Must Die! DeathtrapFranchises come and go, and yet somehow, Orcs Must Die! still showcases the appeal of constructing elaborate defenses and slaying hordes of Orcs. Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap is the latest iteration of the series, out on January 28th for Xbox Series X/S and PC. It offers co-op for up to four players, but you can still go it alone, choosing from six new War Mages and partaking in new rogue-lite runs. Offering more extensive customization, random modifiers in each run, and more, Deathtrap retains the series signature chaos and charm.Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of WinterOdd Bugs long-awaited sequel to its brutal 2D side-scrolling action RPG finally arrives on January 28th for PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. On top of a new violent story, players will once again engage in settlement building, slaying enemies (this time with new elemental effects), and even embarking on hunts against massive beasts for greater rewards. And yes, Doug Cockle, the voice of Geralt from The Witcher 3, returns to provide the same impeccable narration.Sniper Elite: ResistanceLong-range snipes into body parts with explosive results, carefully showcased with an X-Ray Killcam? Youve come to the right place with Rebellions Sniper Elite: Resistance, a spin-off that runs parallel to Sniper Elite 5 and stars Harry Hawker of the SOE. Between sniping, sneaking, and assassinating Nazis across large maps, youll also take out Kill List targets and embody Resistance fighters in new Propaganda Missions. All this and more await on January 30th for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward VectorA new Sleeper, a new Belt in the Helios System, and many of the same problems (with a few new ones thrown in for good measure). Jump Over the Ages mix of sci-fi narrative, tabletop dice mechanics, and role-playing gives you a ship and various jobs to complete amid an ongoing conflict between corporations. Making new friends, temporary and permanent, and bringing them along to complete jobs is key, as is managing stress and your slowly deteriorating body. If you even mildly enjoyed the originals characters and stories, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector launches on January 31st for PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.Ys Memoire: The Oath in FelghanaTrying to unravel the origins of Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana can be a headache (especially since its a remaster of a remake). All you need to know is that its one of the better titles in the series, now presented with sharper visuals, a new voiceover for protagonist Adol, new character illustrations, and every iteration of the excellent soundtrack. Its available on January 7th for PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.Freedom Wars RemasteredThe underrated dystopian action RPG first released in 2014 by Sony for the PlayStation Vita makes its long-awaited return on January 10th for PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. As a prisoner in the Panopticons, players must effectively work off their sentence, battling Abductors and competing against other cities for valuable resources. Offering 4K/60 FPS on PlayStation and PC, improved controls, visual improvements, and more to go with eight-player co-op, Freedom Wars Remastered is a long time coming.Blade ChimeraFrom the team behind Touhou Luna Nights comes another immensely sleek platformer. As the amnesiac Shin, players work alongside Lux and fight against various monsters to unravel the mysteries of his life. Alongside shapeshifting and time manipulation, players will unlock new abilities and weapons in their quest. Launching on January 16th for PC and Nintendo Switch, Blade Chimera is shaping up into an excellent side-scroller.Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the MistThe follow-up to Ender Lilies, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist travels to the Land of Fumes and stars a new hero Lilac, an Attuner who can control the Homunculi, each with different abilities. While there are no signs of the Rain of Death from decades prior, the world has fallen into ruin after mysterious Fumes infect the Homunculi. Survival is paramount, but Lilac must also recover her memories. While offering more excellent 2D art and animation and a new soundtrack by Mili, Ender Magnolia also provides new skills, difficulty levels, and combat changes. It exits early access on January 22nd for PC while also launching for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.

Volunteers in Pennsylvania discovered a valuable Elizabeth II coin wrapped up in a dollar bill in one of their red kettles. Salvation ArmyDuring the holiday season, theSalvation Armys red kettles and bell-ringing volunteers are a common sight in front of stores. This annual campaign, which dates back more than 130 years, helps raise money for the Christian charitys social programs.Some donors dig around in their purses or open up their wallets to look for spare change to drop into the kettles. But others have been quietly sliding valuable coinsworth hundreds or even thousands of dollarsinto Salvation Army buckets across the United States.This year, the mysterious treasures have turned up inIllinois,Arizona,Ohio,Pennsylvania,Michigan, California,Kansas,South Dakota,Oregon and North Dakota. Its not clear whether the donations are connected. But either way, the nonprofits leaders are appreciative of the generosity.Were grateful for every penny, to be honest, says Jeff Walters, who works with the Salvation Army of Marion and Polk Counties in Oregon, to theSalem Reporters Abbey McDonald. But something like this stands out.Walters is referring to a 1927 $20 double eagle gold coin, which is worth around $2,600. An anonymous donor dropped the coin into one of the groups red kettles over Thanksgiving weekend.Whoever gave this to us trusts us to put this gold to good use to make a difference in this community, he adds.Volunteers in Napa County, California, were counting up the days donations a few days before Christmas when they found a South African Krugerrand gold coin among the U.S. currency. It weighed just an ounce, but it may be worth thousands of dollars, per theSan Francisco Chronicles Nora Mishanec. Around the holidays, volunteers solicit donations to support the Salvation Army's charitable initiatives, such as veterans programs and food pantries. Salvation ArmyKrugerrand coins feature a portrait of Paul Kruger, who served as president of theSouth African Republic from 1883 to 1900. The coins were first minted in 1967 during a period of international sanctions, with an overarching goal of bringing foreign investment to South Africa, according to the SmithsoniansNational Museum of American History.This is not a coin you carry in your pocket to toss anywhere, Larry Carmichael, who works with the Salvation Army of Napa, tells the San Francisco Chronicle. Whoever had it was intentional about where they were donating it.A similar situation unfolded in Washington County, Pennsylvania, where Salvation Army volunteers discovered an Elizabeth II coin wrapped inside a $1 bill. According to CBS Pittsburghs Barry Pintar, it was accompanied by a brief note indicating that the donor wished to remain anonymous. After getting the coin appraised, the charitys leaders learned it was worth more than $2,700, per theObserver-Reporters Karen Mansfield.This is the fourth year in a row that a gold coin has been found in one of the local groups red kettles.What it says to me is that there is still hope for people out here in this world, says Thomas Perez, who works with the Salvation Army in Washington, to CBS Pittsburgh. A lot of people have lost hope and think that the world is full of evil and theres no more love and joy and compassion in this world. This shows me that there is compassion left in this world. Volunteers in Phoenix discovered a half-ounce gold American eagle coin, which they later had appraised and sold for$1,310. It was accompanied by a note. Salvation ArmyIn Phoenix, volunteers discovered a half-ounce gold American eagle coin in their red kettle. It was attached to a handwritten note that read: May this gold help the people in need during the Christmas season. Bless you all. The charity sold the coin for $1,310, reports theArizona Republics Jose R. Gonzalez.In November, an anonymous donor in Fargo, North Dakota, left a 2016 Australian gold kangaroo coin worth nearly $3,000, per theForum. Weeks later, someone slipped four gold coins worth collectively around $6,800 into various Salvation Army kettles around town, reportsKVRRs TJ Nelson.The Salvation Armys annual red kettle campaigndates back to 1891, when Joseph McFee, one of the groups leaders in San Francisco, raised money to provide a free Christmas dinner to 1,000 of the citys poorest residents. These days, the initiative raises millions of dollars every year.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: American History, Christianity, Christmas, Coins, History, Money, Religion, Rituals and Traditions

The R46 trains started running in the subway system during the 1970s. Tdorante10 via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 4.0After half a century, New York City is retiring its iconic orange and yellow subway cars. This year, theMetropolitan Transportation Authority(MTA) will begin phasing out the R46 trains and replacing them with newer, sleeker models already running on some of the citys lines.Old train cars break down six times as frequently as new cars, so replacing them is more than just a matter of aesthetics, says MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber in astatement. The decision will help [make] the system more reliable and dramatically upgrade the passenger experience.The MTA recently bought 435 R211 trainsincluding 80 open gangway trains, which allow passengers to move between carsto replace the older models, which many New Yorkers have grown attached to.The first R46 trains hit the tracks in the summer of 1975. The 75-foot-long subway cars (marketed as the finest in the world) were equipped with rubber floors, fluorescent lights and plastic seatinga departure fromolder subway cars, which featured rattan seats. The R46 interiors were designed in a conversational style, with seats arranged both in long rows and two-person benches. The MTA recently purchased435 R211 trains, which feature longer benches and cooler colors. MTAThe change thats happening now with this new sort of move away from the kind of conversational to the long-bench seats, and actually more standing room, feels a little bit seismic for people because it is, Concetta Bencivenga, director of the New York Transit Museum, tells theWashington Posts Karla Marie Sanford.As of October, 696 of the original 754 R46 cars were still in service, per the Washington Post. Some commuters are lamenting the models coming retirement, saying theyll miss the crampedtwo-seater benches.Riding the train with girlfriends and sitting smushed together in the back-to-back love seats will always have a place in my heart, Timmhotep Aku, a 45-year-old New Yorker, tells the Washington Post.Other riders are mourning the loss of the distinctive warm colors of the R46 cars.One of the things that is interesting about the orange and yellow seating is that it was a departure for our system, as earlier models had been decorated in cooler colors, Jodi Shapiro, curator of the New York Transit Museum, tellsHyperallergics Isa Farfan. The warm tones of the R46 reflected the environmentalism and a return to nature in the early 70s.The R46s are the oldest cars in the MTAs fleet, and theyve reached the end of their useful life, according to a recent MTA report. The R211 cars will be equipped with more accessible seating, brighter lights, security cameras and better signage.Most of the newer cars wont actually arrive until 2027, so the R46s wont disappear right away. As Bencivenga tells the Washington Post, the older trains have become icons of the city.If you came on this [train] with no other identifying information, you would very likely be able to surmise that you were in New York, Bencivenga says. In the real world, there are very few experiences nowadays that will kind of invoke that sort of visceral reaction, right? When you step on board, youre like, Yep, got it.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: American History, Cities, History, Innovations, New York City, Pop culture, Trains, Transportation

Samsungs smart fridges will soon be able to identify when youre running low on something and add items to your Instacart app so you can order what you need from the grocery delivery service right from your fridge. Today, Samsung announced a multiyear partnership with Instacart that will let you shop for groceries from the screen on your Samsung Bespoke fridge the 32-inch one or the one with the new 9-inch screen the company is debuting at CES this month. According to the press release, the tech uses Samsung Vision AI food recognition technology to identify what you have in your fridge and determine what youre running low on. Then, using Instacarts product matching API, it suggests items from the service you might need and lets you order them from the fridge.A new camera above the door in Samsungs smart fridges uses on-board AI to identify up to 37 food items as you put them in or take them out of the fridge. Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The VergeThe service uses AI Vision Inside on Samsungs fridges, which leverages a camera above the fridge door to see when you put items into your fridge as well as when you take them out. It also has cameras inside to keep an eye on what you have in there, although it cant see itemsin the refrigerator door bins or freezer. Samsung says the locally-based AI can recognize up to 37 food items including fresh fruits and vegetables. You can also manually input details of other items to your food list on the Samsung Food app on the fridge or on your phone.While you can currently use Samsung Food to create a shopping list you can send to Instacart, this new feature should make that experience simpler and more automated. It should also automatically update your food list when you purchase items from the shopping list. And, when you make a recipe you've saved to the Samsung Food app, it can automatically remove items youve used from the food list and add then to the shopping list, working hand-in-hand with the AI-powered cameras to keep your fridge stocked.However, how well this will all actually work in practice remains to be seen.Funnily enough, the Instacart app used to be on Samsungs smart fridges; although it wasnt integrated with the devices cameras in this way, it was just a standalone app. It also mysteriously vanished earlier this year, along with a number of other apps at least from my 2019 model.Samsung says the Instacart integration will come later this year via a firmware update to models with the AI Vision Inside, which arrived last year.

Meta appoints new Trump-friendly policy chiefMeta appoints new Trump-friendly policy chief / Joel Kaplan, a former Republican White House staffer, is replacing global policy president Nick Clegg.By Emma Roth, a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Jan 2, 2025, 9:15 PM UTCShare this story Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty ImagesMeta is shaking up its policy team ahead of President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration, with global policy head Nick Clegg stepping down after seven years at the company. Hell be replaced by Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican and Metas current vice president of policy.In a post on Facebook, Clegg says its the right time for him to leave Meta, adding that hell spend the next few months handing over the reins to Kaplan. Joel is quite clearly the right person for the right job at the right time ideally placed to shape the companys strategy as societal and political expectations around technology continue to evolve, Clegg says.Kaplan served as the White House deputy chief of staff during George W. Bushs administration and joined Meta in 2011. He drew some controversy in 2018 when he supported Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during a Senate hearing about sexual assault allegations, which reportedly angered some employees. Kaplan also recently joined Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance at the New York Stock Exchange.Despite butting heads with Trump in the past, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has attempted to flatter the President-elect in recent months, with Meta donating $1 million to his inauguration. Zuckerberg also met with Trump in Mar-a-Lago in November. Clegg, who once served as the UKs deputy prime minister as a member of the Liberal Democrats party, joined Meta in 2018. He played a pivotal role in shaping Metas policies in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which saw a rise in covid-related misinformation and a ban on Trumps Facebook and Instagram accounts. In December, Clegg reversed the companys earlier stance, saying Meta has been mistakenly moderating too much.Youve made an important impact advancing Metas voice andvalues around the world, as well as our vision for AI and the metaverse, Zuckerberg said in a response to Cleggs post. Im excited for Joel to step into this role next given his deep experience and insight leading our policy work for many years.Kevin Martin, a former Republican chair of the Federal Communications Commission, will take over Kaplans role as vice president of global policy.Most PopularMost Popular

Federal net neutrality rules, which briefly came back from the dead under the Biden administration, have been struck down by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The three-judge panel ruled that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does not have the authority to impose net neutrality rules on internet service providers (ISPs). The FCC sought to reclassify ISPs as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act in order to impose policies meant to prevent them from discriminating against different internet traffic, like by slowing speeds or blocking content. But the judges disagreed with the agencys interpretation of how ISPs could be classified and were emboldened by the recent downfall of Chevron deference, a legal doctrine that instructed courts to defer to regulatory agencies in many cases. After the Supreme Court did away with that principle in 2024, courts became more free to favor their own interpretations over the judgment of expert agencies. Net neutrality was immediately seen as a prime target to be struck down without Chevron. While the DC Circuit Court of Appeals upheld previous iterations of net neutrality, the Sixth Circuit judges note that it relied on Chevron to do so. Unlike past challenges that the D.C. Circuit considered under Chevron, we no longer afford deference to the FCCs reading of the statute, they write.We acknowledge that the workings of the Internet are complicated and dynamic, and that the FCC has significant expertise in overseeing this technical and complex area, the ruling says, citing an earlier decision. After the fall of Chevron, it continues, that capability, if you will, cannot be used to overwrite the plain meaning of the statute.This left the judges free to wax philosophical about phrases like offering of a capability and information services, finely parsing the distinction between those and more heavily regulated telecommunications services. The existence of a fact or a thought in ones mind is not information like 0s and 1s used by computers, one part of the ruling reads. It asserts that speaking reduces a thought to sound, and writing reduces a thought to text ... during a phone call, one creates audio information by speaking, which the telephone service transmits to an interlocutor, who responds in turn, but crucially, the telephone service merely transmits that which a speaker creates; it does not access information.Net neutrality was already in danger, even before this rulingalready blocked the net neutrality rules from taking effect. During oral arguments in October, the three Republican-appointed judges prodded attorneys about the correct interpretation of the Communications Act and about deference to agency expertise. With President-elect Donald Trump under whom net neutrality was previously repealed due to take office in mere weeks, this could be the last we hear about the attempt to reclassify broadband providers as common carriers for a while.FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel called on lawmakers to take up the mantle of creating rules to safeguard the open internet. Consumers across the country have told us again and again that they want an internet that is fast, open, and fair, she says in a statement. With this decision it is clear that Congress now needs to heed their call, take up the charge for net neutrality, and put open internet principles in federal law.Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr, Trumps pick to lead the agency once he assumes office, issued a lengthy statement calling the ruling a good win for the country. He calls net neutrality rules an attempt by the Biden administration to expand the governments control over every feature of the Internet ecosystem and says the push for the rules was a waste of time. While hes pleased with the ruling, he adds, The work to unwind the Biden Administrations regulatory overreach will continue.Former FCC Chair Ajit Pai, who led the movement to repeal the rule during the first Trump administration, took a victory lap on X. For a decade, Ive argued that so-called net neutrality regulations are unlawful (not to mention pointless), he wrote. Today, the Sixth Circuit held exactly that.

To kick off the new year, Best Buy is offering an HP Omen 35L RTX 4060 Ti gaming PC for only $999.99 after a $500 off instant discount. This price drop matches one of the most popular prebuilt gaming PC deals I saw during Black Friday.HP Omen 35L RTX 4060 Ti Gaming PCHP Omen 35L AMD Ryzen 7 8700G RTX 4060 Ti Gaming PC with 16GB RAM, 1TB SSDThis PC features an AMD Ryzen 7 8700G CPU, RTX 4060 Ti GPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and 1TB SSD. The AMD Ryzen 7 8700G is one of the latest Zen4 processors to be released and has a max boost clock of 5.1GHz with 8 cores, 16 threads, and a 16MB cache. It's cooled by a 120mm tower heatsink fan, which should be more than adequate since the 8700G is a power efficient low voltage chip. This is a very capable processor that excels at both gaming and workstation tasks and is one of the first processors to be equipped with Ryzen AI.The RTX 4060 Ti 8GB video card is about 5%-10% faster than its RTX 3060 Ti predecessor at 1080p and about 20%-25% faster than the RTX 4060 in 1080p. This is the best bang-for-your-buck Nvidia GPU for 1080p gaming, and it's even fully capable of running games at respectable frame rates (in many cases 60fps or more) at 1440p, especially with DLSS 3.0 and frame generation enabled. Prebuilt gaming PCs equipped with this GPU usually cost between $1,200 and $1,500.What's new about the Omen 35L?HP touts the Omen 35 as its "first gaming desktop designed with Omen components". What that essentially means is that many of the parts that were originally sourced elsewhere are now designed in-house by HP. That includes the power supply units, the case fans, and the cooling systems. The OMEN 35L itself is a good looking, mid-tower chassis with a sensible airflow design; two large 140mm fans bring air in from the front and a rear 120mm fan exhausts it out the rear. This particular model features a tower heatsink fan instead of a watercooling system. That is actually preferred because the AMD Ryzen 8700G doesn't run as hot as other more power hungry CPUs. If you don't need liquid cooling, air cooling is better because it's less expensive and less likely to fail.For more discounts, check out the best gaming PC deals today.Why Should You Trust IGN's Deals Team?IGN's deals team has a combined 30+ years of experience finding the best discounts in gaming, tech, and just about every other category. We don't try to trick our readers into buying things they don't need at prices that aren't worth buying something at. Our ultimate goal is to surface the best possible deals from brands we trust and our editorial team has personal experience with. You can check out our deals standards here for more information on our process, or keep up with the latest deals we find on IGN's Deals account on Twitter.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.

When it came to the last season's model, the Stealth 700 Gen 2s, my thoughts were very much in line with my learned US contemporarys 8/10. They certainly weren't a perfect pair of cans right out of the box (with two medium-sized faults needing to be zapped via firmware updates), but those bugbears aside, my pair served me aural delights for ages. Ive been keen to see (read: hear) how the envelope could be pushed further with a Gen 3. This new revision has some big memory foam cups to fill, thoughthe Stealth 700 Gen 2 wasnt quite the apex of high-fidelity ear candy in 2020, but at the time it was Turtle Beachs best headset to date by a considerable margin. Have these Gen 3s spent four years of an off-season raising the benchmark? Yes and no (but mostly yes). Im going to dig into specifics in a sec, but I should get the impulse purchasers among you sorted with the cheapest prices available now. If you wish to skip all that window shopping in favour of raw info and unfiltered impressions instead, click here to jump right to it.Best Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 DealsTurtle Beach Stealth 700Wireless Multiplatform Amplified Gaming Headset for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, PS5, & Mobile60mm Speakers, A.I. Noise-Cancelling Mic, Bluetooth.Amazon $274JB Hi-Fi $399Big W $399Kogan - $348Scorptec - $399Catch $360Ears On ImpressionsLet's roll out a basic overview of these cans for those of you who skipped Gen 1 and Gen 2. First of all, and though its packaging is big on the Xbox branding, know that the Stealth 700s are very much a wireless multiplatform affair with support for PlayStation 4 / 5, PC, Steam Deck, and mobile devices in addition to your Xbox X|S / One. The biggest feather in its cap? A CrossPlay 2.4GHz wireless system that leverages two (included) USB transmitters (plus some simultaneous Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity) to let you seamlessly and sans hassle switch your audio output from different platforms with a button tap. And, obviously, the implications of that Bluetooth double up are that you can listen to music while you're gaming, take a call while you're gaming, etc. Pretty slick stuff, though many of us have been enjoying this for ages. Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3Additionally, the Stealth 700 boasts 80-hours worth of battery charge, and the Swarm II companion app is still on hand to tweak and get the most out of your A.I. noise-cancelling mic and the impressive 60nm Eclipse Dual Drivers. In layman's terms, that's more or less a subwoofer and a tweeter separated. The theory being: halving the workload for better results as one driver delivers the sharper high-end audio details and the other is handling the beasts below who are lurking in the low-end of your soundscape.It's also worth noting that there's a 10-band onboard EQ, and that the 60nms are indeed an upgrade from the 50nm nano clears used by the Stealth 700 Gen 2. Technically speaking, they're only "new" if you discount the fact that these 60s have been used in another Turtle Beach headset in the intervening years.Lets indulge our shallow side and focus on the aesthetics. Firstly, while there are three variations available, the sample I received was the bog-standard black "Designed for Xbox" edition. If you want a splash of colour or love seeing brownish-black fingerprint smudges accumulate over time, you can always opt for the Cobalt Blue or White (PlayStation) versions, respectively, instead.The other is handling the beasts below who are lurking in the low-end of your soundscape.Once again, the design approach here may not be from the school of Pulsing Disco RGB and Aggressive Angles, but Turtle Beach is still erring on the side of gaming (just not capital G). The fold-down-to-use / fold-up-to-mute microphone isnt completely hidden, which (along with the prominent logo) are the main giveaways of the primary purpose of these. (If you believe the marketing pitch, that is: "to rank up" in the vidjagurms with Daredevil-level hearing.)If you plan on taking these slightly bulky beasts out on the road to complement your Steam Deck, youll be happy to know that the build quality feels rock solid. Theres a backbone of steel running through the band that still allows for some pretty vigorous bending and twisting to suit the most oddest-shaped and overlarge craniums imaginable. Furthermore, the head-pinching nature of the Gen 2's have been lessened noticeably this time around.Likewise, theyre quite comfy due to a mixture of mainly pleather on every surface that will be touching your hair (or scalp) and some material around the ear sections. The heat dispersal is great around the ol ear ballsI was forced to use these in 30C+ heat this summer and was quite surprised by how low sweat my ears were after long sessions. Better yet, and without impacting comfort, the inside padding of these ear cups have been pushed back to be about 20% more cavernous when compared to the Gen 2's, which means wider support for...well, wider ears.Let's move on too the things that matter far more for meconnection performance and the audio experience. The included dongles, I'm happy to say, worked flawlessly with every console I slapped them in (I have all of the main ones mentioned earlier on hand). Compatability-wise, I believe I got the best Stealth 700 variant to go with, as one of the specifically labeled Xbox dongles comes with the encryption chip needed to attend Microsoft's needlessly snooty and selective peripherals party.Switching between the dongles is a cinch thanks to a quick switch button on your cup and a visual system of "orange standing by" and "green in-use" represented on the two dongles you're running on separate machines. The switch is basically instantaneous, too, and if you're running Bluetooth audio at that moment, it's not disrupted in any way. When it comes to sound performance, this Gen 3 sounds a touch different to the Gen 2s, but still very much the Turtle Beach approach to audio. For me, the Gen 3s felt like their bass still envelops nicely but is a touch shallower and a smidge punchier. The mids are bright and plateau nicely for content like voices, and the highs are richly detailed without being scratchy or harsh. All in all, I think an already great-sounding headset tweaked to be slightly better right out of the box. For FPS games, at least, I wouldn't switch EQs at all.PlayI have similar praise to heap on the mic experience as well. My teammates reported crisp and clear comms from me, despite the fans of my PC and PlayStations going more or less flat knackers (because, again, 30C+ heat). And, while you can call me antiquated for not embracing touch-to-engage and spin-to-change controls on some of TB's more recent headsets, I love that my mic and game/chat mix controls are just instantaneously changeable with sensibly located physical dials.Couple all that with the aforementioned improved comfort (and the battery quick charge that can take you from out of juice to ready to maul for another 3 hours after a mere 15 minutes), and this Gen 3 of Stealth 700s is mighty impressive. Would I ditch my Gen 2s and pony up again for the refresh? No, probably not. But if you're canless and looking for quality in this highly competitive price range, Turtle Beach puts up a shelluva good argument for a purchase here.Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

Call of Duty publisher Activision has confirmed plans to charge players extra to earn the best Squid Game crossover event rewards in a first for the series.In a blog post, Activision detailed the Squid Game event, which includes a Red Light, Green Light limited-time multiplayer mode for Black Ops 6, as well as new operator bundles based on characters from the hugely popular Netflix show for use across Black Ops 6 and Warzone.One controversial addition, however, is the new Squid Game Event Pass, which includes a free reward track and a premium reward track. Activision detailed all the rewards included in both tracks (the premium track includes the coveted Front Man Operator skin), and confirmed the premium track costs 1,100 COD Points ($9.99).Call of Duty's Squid Game event has a premium track. Image credit: Activision Publishing.Heres the official blurb on the premium reward track:While every player can progress and unlock items along the Free reward track, a second Premium reward track in the Event Pass offers even more. Purchase the Premium track to access the ability to unlock additional themed rewards, including the instant reward High Authority XM4 Assault Rifle Blueprint plus Blueprints for the Knife, GS45 Pistol, and Saug SMG as well as a Concussion Grenade Equipment Skin, a Finishing Move, the Throwdown Emote, the Whos Left Talking Gun Screen, and more!Complete the premium track to turn the tide on the other competitors:Ultimate Mastery Reward: Front Man OperatorBecome the leader of the Pink Guards with the Front Man Operator. Deploy as the ruthless administrator of the Squid Game and take your team to victory.Call of Duty players are used to battle passes, premium battle passes, and even more expensive versions of premium battle passes on top of the $70 cost of entry. However, this is the first time a Call of Duty event has launched with its own premium battle pass. Its fair to say reaction to this development is negative, especially considering the hardcore Call of Duty community isnt best pleased with the state of either Black Ops 6 or Warzone right now due to what appears to be rampant cheating, a failing anti-cheat, and various connection problems.Call of Dutys Squid Game Event goes live starting January 3 at 10am PT and ends on January 24 at 10am PT.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 the mercury drops, nothing holds as much appeal as curling up in front of a crackling fire, hot toddy in hand and the nip of winter at bay. And while your fireplace might be the prime spot to cozy up, hearth and home (to borrow an old aphorism) obviously go hand-in-hand as far as decor is concerned. A mantel, be it bold or traditional, is, naturally, a glowing focal point for your living room, bedroom, or patio. So how do you go about transforming your existing fireplace or designing one from scratch in a way that feels at once functional but has that wow factor? Weve been seeing mantels trend bolder (dare we say hotter?) than ever before. Even so, says ELLE DECOR A-List designer Rayman Boozer, its best to keep things classic when designing a timeless fireplace. The key to any successful contemporary design is to limit the number of materials used and let them be the story, he says. In a Harlem duplex we showcased in our October 2024 issue, for example, the designer paired a bold Calacatta Viola surround with sky-blue trim that matched the rooms walls. Many of our clients don't want traditional mantels anymore, Boozer continues, noting he tends to steer clear of clichd materials like stone and brick. They opt for a flatter profile with nothing distracting from the hearth and surround; this allows the fire to be the focus. If youre working on a budget, there are plenty of DIY solutions to give your mantel that special spark. Any mantel can be gessoed to achieve a plaster finish. You can buy gesso at any art store, and it looks just like plaster, says Toronto-based interior designer Colette van den Thillart. Paint remains the cheapest way to refresh anything, affirms Boozer. If you have an old mantel, try painting it the same color as the walls. This will make it look fresh and new.And if all else fails, says van den Thillart, Place a basket of logs beside any gas or electric (or even empty!) hearth, as it renders the effect more cozy and inviting.For more ideas sure to ignite the imagination, weve turned to the ELLE DECOR archive for our 70 most stylish fireplace ideas. Now, fire it up!1Copper-Hued FireplaceStephen Kent JohnsonThe brief for this perfectly-rustic Montana winter home was a "kind of French boho ski chalet" and the Los Angeles-based designer firm Commune totally delivered. The living room got a unique folded chimney breast designed by artist Brian Robles and clad in copper plasterproof you don't need to rely on brick alone for a homey hearth. 2Art Deco-Inspired Marble FireplaceHelenio BarbettaWhen creating this sumptuous Milan apartment, ELLE DECOR A-List architect Hannes Peer looked to the Italian city's design heritage. That inspo was carried through in the gorgeous Giallo Siena marble fireplace, whose geometric lines of concentric rectangles were inspired by the Art Deco movement. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below3Sculptural Plaster FireplaceStephen Kent JohnsonThis is the New York furniture showroom of ELLE DECOR A-List designer Pierre Yovanovitch, but it's pretty much our dream home. Anchoring the room is an original fireplace, which Yavanovitch covered in plaster and gave a gorgeously curvaceous silhouette, a look that feels retro and fresh at the same time. 4Blue-Bordered FireplaceKelly MarshallIt's safe to say that ELLE DECOR A-List designer Rayman Boozer is the king of using paint color creatively and this living room, in a Harlem duplex we showcased in our October 2024 issue, proves it. Here, Boozer covered the walls in Benjamin Moore's Harbor Haze and painted the trim surrounding the fireplace in a slightly darker hue. The simple move makes it feel unified with the framed artwork that surrounds it. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below5Spanish Revival FireplaceKaryn MilletThis 1928 Los Feliz home, recently revitalied by Joe Lucas, featured beautiful Spanish Revival bones. Lucas left the fireplace intact, painted it white, and incorporated layers of texture and artwork. Above the mantel, he hung a sculpture acquired through the Los Angeles antiques dealer JF Chen. Instead of a painting, why not do something similar with the real estate above your mantel? 6Muted Blue FireplaceSam FrostDesign power couple Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus certainly knew how to set the mood in this Montecito, California estate. They painted the entire living areafireplace included! in a dusty shade of blue. Try the monochrome strategy for yourself by using Portolo Paints Sirene shade. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7Mirrored Tile FireplaceStephan JuillardOne of the boldest moves designer Pierre Gonalons made in this 1970s-inspired Paris apartment was cladding the chimney breast in gradated glass panels that are backed in copper, brass, and silver leaf. My idea was to give the impression that a fire had burned the mirror at the bottom, he told us.8Beaded FireplaceElliott FuernissBeads arent just for your favorite bracelet. Here, in an Atlanta home, designer Jessica Davis brought the millegrain look to the plaster fireplace surround. We have a feeling this is a trend thats bound to bubble up...Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9Midcentury Cone FireplaceRichard PowersFor a look as groovy as it is graceful, consider a cone fireplace, la this corner in designer Carol Egans midcentury-modern dream house. Because its freestanding, this fireplace (which is original to the house) allowed Egan to create a bold gallery wall directly behind it. 10Muted FireplaceOri HarpazMuted can be mighty chic, as designer David Lucido proves in this soft-spoken Los Angeles home. By matching the fireplace to the cream-colored walls and choosing warming, tan hues for the floor and ceiling, you feel like youre sandwiched inside the worlds most glamorous smore. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below11Raspberry Marble FireplaceEthan HerringtonBold Breccia Arrabida marble? Check. Bold raspberry paint job? Check. This idea, courtesy Alton Bechara, leans into a maximalist manteland then some. I told them that I really like pink, the homeowner says. Dreams do come true! 12Historic Hearth FireplaceFrancesco LagneseAlyse Archer-Coit amped up the country charm in her 1770 upstateNew York house by painting her kitchen hearth in a happy shade of blue. The shelf is the perfect venue to showing off her ceramics collection. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13Room-Spanning FireplaceEma PeterFireplaces are typically reserved as a sitting rooms focal point, but we love how this one, in a West Vancouver, British Columbia, mother-daughter pad designed by PlaidFox, quite literally spreads the love with its room-spanning marble surround. 14Beaux-Arts FireplaceNoe DeWittWe cant all live in a home as grand as this (it used to belong to newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer) but we can certainly admire its wedding cake levels of decoration. Designer Jean Liu, the owner of this unbelievable pied--terre, leaned into the aesthetic of the original marble mantel a vintage bust and a pair of antique candlesticks. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Lime FireplaceYves DriegheThis Belgian manor may have once been a medieval hunting lodge, but Jean-Philippe Demeyer injected it with plenty of color and whimsy. If youre feeling brave, why not paint your fireplace in a similar lime green? 16Midcentury Brick FireplaceChris MottaliniIf your home features amazing period featureslike this midcentury exposed-brick, asymmetrical fireplace in a home ELLE DECOR A-Lister Garrett Hunter designed for his parentsleave them be and let the decor do the work. Here, accessories like Francis Jourdain chairs, a rug by J. James Akston, and an artwork by Irmgard Arvin make the space feel refined, not retro. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below17Steel-Clad Fireplace Chris MottaliniLeave it to Andre Herrero, cofounder of the architecture and design studio Charlap Hyman & Herrero, to give us a fireplace thats as cool as it is cerebral. In his girlfriends West Hollywood apartment, he clad the fireplace in stainless steel panels, a move that hides the TV and also nods to the Paris home of Yves Saint Laurent muse Betty Catroux.18Wainscot-Backed FireplaceIbrahim OzbunarWhat could be cozier than a fireplace? A fireplace with wainscoting behind it! The designers at Istanbul-based firm Sanayi313 brought extra warmth to this stately sitting room via earthy plaster finishes and travertine floors. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below19Blue Marble FireplaceDouglas FriedmanIf you want your fireplace to be the glowing center of the room, try painting your surrounding walls in a dark hue, la Nicole Hollis in this San Francisco stunner. She selected a dazzling blue-veined marble slab and topped the look off with a tondo by artist Doug Aitken.20Pooch-Perfect FireplaceFrancesco LagneseAdding a few strategic accessories is a simple way to take your mantel to the next level. Here, designer Tom Scheerer used a matching set of plants, a trio of framed artworks, and a lean mirror to give the fireplace roof-raising impact. As if the adorable dog hadnt already won us over. Anna FixsenDeputy Digital EditorAnna Fixsen is the deputy digital editor of ELLE DECOR, where she oversees all facets of ELLEDECOR.com. In addition to editing articles and developing digital strategy, she writes about the world's most beautiful homes, reviews the chicest products (from the best cocktail tables to cute but practical gifts), and reports on the most exciting trends in design and architecture. Since graduating from Columbia Journalism School, she's spent the past decade as an editor at Architectural Digest, Metropolis, and Architectural Record and has written for outlets including the New York Times, Dwell, and more.