IGN

Top horror studio Blumhouse is about to celebrate its 15th anniversary, and to ring in the milestone right, they are bringing the 2022 hit M3GAN back to theaters ahead of the sequel’s release. That said, this limited theatrical engagement includes some new features, so to speak, that encourage the use of smartphones in theaters — so needless to say, it’s pretty controversial.

As part of its Halfway to Halloween initiative, Shudder will screen M3GAN — as well as Ma and Annabelle — for one night only engagements that include the use of Meta’s “Movie Mate” technology, which allows audience members to interact with M3GAN herself through a chatbot, as well as second screen capabilities that will showcase exclusive content in real-time.

“Movie Mate is only available to moviegoers who are in a theater, and works by DM’ing the Instagram account @M3GAN account to start the experience,” the studio explained in a report published by Variety.

“The entire experience is designed to leverage Meta’s capabilities to augment and uplevel the ‘second screen’ viewing experience aimed at generating excitement ahead of the release of M3GAN 2.0 on June 27.”

It also noted that fans can expect “sneak peeks, exclusive recorded messages from directors and talent from the films, and surprise special appearances in select markets.” All in all, this sounds like a blow aimed to kill, directly attempting to strike the already weakened core of the theatrical experience and it doesn’t bring any joy to report on it — but only time will tell exactly how fans react to the experience once they, well, experience it. One thing is for sure: I hope it doesn’t spread to regular screenings any time soon.

The M3GAN screening will take place in various theaters nationwide on April 30, with Annabelle screening on May 7 and Ma screening on May 14. M3GAN 2.0 hits theaters in the United States on June 27.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

Starting today, Walmart has slashed the price of the 75″ Sony X85K 4K Google TV down to only $648, a savings of $650 or 50% off. This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen, and $150 less than the best deal during Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Although the X85K is an older 2022 model, it has the features you’d want in a current-gen gaming TV.

50% Off 75″ Sony X85K 4K Smart TV, Now $648

The Sony X85K is a great TV to pair with your current generation PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X console. This is a 4K TV with a native 120Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 inputs which means it supports 4K gaming at up to 120fps. It also has other gaming features like variable refresh rate and auto low latency mode.

The X85K is also a great budget TV for streaming 4K HDR content. It’s equipped with Triluminos Pro technology (similar to QLED) for richer colors and wider color gamut, and a high brightness rating. The Google TV interface is intuitive to use and supports voice commands through Google Assistant. You can also pair it with an Android phone to use as a remote.

Walmart had it for $798 on Black Friday and it was one of their hottest TV sellers at the time. If you’re looking for more options, check out the best TVs we’ve picked out for gaming. Keep in mind, however, that every one of these TVs will cost significantly more than the X85K with this deal.

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.

Naughty Dog has re-released both of its critically acclaimed The Last of Us games (again), this time as an all-in-one bundle for PlayStation 5 (PS5) called The Last of Us Complete.

The studio behind beloved PlayStation titles like Crash Bandicoot and Uncharted announced and launched its two-pack collection today. It’s a bundle that includes the 2022 remake The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered for players to enjoy.

“Experience the complete story that inspired the TV show with definitive versions of two award-winning games,” an official description for The Last of Us Complete says, “featuring graphical and gameplay improvements made possible by the PlayStation 5 console.”

The Last of Us Complete comes with both mainline stories as well as the bonus content both have received in the years since their original releases. That means the Left Behind Ellie-focused prequel DLC, as well as The Last of Us Part 2’s No Return and Lost Levels content are all included. If you’re a fan of the HBO TV series retelling starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey but have yet to dive into the video games that started it all, you should know that the all-encompassing digital bundle costs $99.99.

As shared in a PlayStation.Blog post authored by Naughty Dog Head of Studio Neil Druckmann, a physical The Last of Us Complete Collector’s Edition is currently set to launch July 10 for $109.99, with pre-orders available now. It comes with a few extra goodies to justify the slightly increased price, including a Steelbook case, game discs, The Last of Us: American Dreams comics 1 – 4, four lithographic art prints, and a thank-you letter from Druckmann.

“From our entire studio, thank you so much for your incredible support for The Last of Us and Naughty Dog over the years,” Druckmann’s post says. “This is such an exciting moment for both the franchise and our teams. We are so humbled by your personal stories of what the series has meant to you, have marveled at your incredible Photo Mode shots, and inspired to keep pushing ourselves forward to create more stories and worlds you’ll love.”

The Last of Us series launched for the PS3 in 2013, and while it has remained an undeniably beloved offering in the PlayStation catalog, its many re-releases and remasters have been the subject of criticism from naysayers and fans alike. Joel and Ellie’s adventure came to PS4 with improved graphics in 2014 and was then reimagined for PS5 with a remake in 2022. The Last of Us Part 2 continued Ellie’s story in 2020 and then went on to receive its own remaster in early 2024. Both stories have also since come to PC, with The Last of Us Part 1 arriving in 2023 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered arriving just last week.

The Last of Us Complete brings all of Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic offerings together under one umbrella as yet another re-release. While many may be confused to see PlayStation revisiting Joel and Ellie’s world once again, the timing does coincide with HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2, which will premiere its first episode this Sunday. Season 3 was greenlit just yesterday.

For more on The Last of Us, you can read up on why many fans aren’t expecting to hear about The Last of Us Part 3 anytime soon. You can also check out how Druckmann and the rest of the team behind the show may continue the story in the future.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Buckle up because one of IGN’s biggest original shows returns this Saturday!

If you’re not familiar with Devs React to Speedruns, let me fill you in! Devs React to Speedruns is an IGN show that celebrates speedruns in the best way we know how—by showcasing the incredible playthroughs completed by the speedrun community and presenting them to the developers of those games. There’s nothing quite like watching developers who have spent years working on a game witness it being completed in mere minutes.

In the upcoming season of Devs React to Speedruns, we’ve partnered with some of the biggest games and developers in the world to bring you a series of exciting episodes. It all kicks off this Saturday, April 12, at 8:30 AM PT with Larian Studios, where we’ll show them a sub-20-minute speedrun of Baldur’s Gate 3. Will it sadden them to learn that their game can be finished in just 20 minutes? You’ll have to watch to find out!

Following Baldur’s Gate 3, we’ll be releasing a brand-new episode every Saturday for the next couple of months—all at 8:30 AM PT. These new episodes will feature some of the most popular games from world-renowned studios, including Team ASOBI, MachineGames, Bloober Team, Shared Memory, Surgent Studios, and Megagon Industries.

If you’re not already familiar with Devs React to Speedruns, I highly encourage you to check out our extensive 100-episode library! Some highlights include Doom Eternal, Half-Life 2, The Outer Worlds (the very first episode of Devs React), and much, much more!

Sometimes, even the best gaming chairs don’t offer sufficient room, support, or comfort if you’re bigger or taller. That means you need to find chairs designed with your size in mind, like the Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen XL. It’s a premium choice ready for gamers up to 6′ 9″ and 395lbs. Whether you’re on a budget, want an extra wide seat, or like the breathability of a mesh option, we’ve found great “oversized” gaming chairs for you to try out.

TL;DR – The Best Big and Tall Gaming Chairs:

A great seat is one of the best gaming accessories you can invest in, but the wealth of available gaming chairs is overwhelming, and many aren’t suited for larger-than-average gamers. You want to seek out wider seats, taller backs, higher load capacities, and solid ergonomics that ensure your ultimate comfort so you can focus on what matters: the game.

To help in the search, I’ve thoroughly tested and researched a range of seats that won’t come up short (literally!) no matter how long you’re gaming. Take a look at our favorite bigger chair options – and also see which XL gaming chairs are available now in the UK.

Additional contributions by Danielle Abraham

1. Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen XL

Best Big and Tall Gaming Chair

The Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen XL is the best gaming chair for big and tall gamers. It’s designed to offer next-level comfort and support, even if you find yourself on the tall side or tipping the scales beyond what the normal Evo Nanogen can handle. It features Secretlab’s new fabric and seat cushion and brings through all of the fan-favorite features of the standard Titan Evo. In a word, it’s great.

I reviewed most of the mainline gaming chairs that Secretlab has released over the last five years, and the Titan Evo Nanogen XL is easily the best among them. It features a new ultra-soft yet somehow more durable fabric that reminds me of Brisa, a so-called ultra-fabric used on high-end, uber-expensive furniture. This alone would have made a substantial upgrade. Sitting in it, the new material feels much nicer against the skin, and its improved softness and breathability is noticeable in a single gaming session.

Secretlab didn’t stop there, however. One of the biggest and most pervasive criticisms the company has gotten is that its cold-cure fabric, while durable over years of heavy use, is very firm out of the box. The Nanogen XL now features a dual-cushioned seat with a softer top layer on top of the traditional long-lasting cold-cure foam. This, alongside the fabric, makes it more comfortable and feel significantly closer to some of the luxury chairs costing hundreds of dollars more.

I reviewed the standard size, but the XL version is bigger and more robust than ever before. It’s able to hold a maximum weight of 395lbs and supports gamers up to 6’9″. It’s also compatible with Secretlab’s range of accessories, including its recliner add-on that turns the chair into a feet-up, head-back demonstration of PC gaming luxury.

2. AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL

Best Budget Big and Tall Gaming Chair

The AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL, which my colleague reviewed, is a spacious racing-style chair with all the quality-of-life features you could want without spending a ton of money. It offers solid lumbar support and adjustability so you can focus on your game instead of fiddling with your chair. Even though it’s affordable, it’s still very comfy.

The AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL learns a lot of lessons from other successful chairs on the market. It offers quality lumbar support that’s adjustable using easy-to-control knobs. You can shift the back contour to make sure it matches your actual needs. It also includes 4D armrests, so you can count on support whether you’re hammering away on a keyboard or kicking back with a controller.

If you’re in need of a quick cat nap, the Kaiser XL offers a deep recline using a familiar car-based lever on the side. There’s no footrest, so you’ll still need an ottoman (or printer) under your desk. Still, its wide seat makes gaming in different postures easier than ever.

Despite the low cost and handy extras, the Kaiser 3 XL is still a throne meant for larger-than-average gamers with its tall back, along with a sturdy aluminum base and steel frame to hold up to 395lbs. The wide, heavily cushioned seat wrapped in durable PVC leather doesn’t have any of the metal bolsters seen in many racing chairs that often dig into the back of your thighs. It’s available in nine color options to match your space’s aesthetic.

3. Anthros Chair

Best Ergonomic Big and Tall Gaming Chair

The Anthros chair doesn’t look like a chair for big and tall gamers, but make no mistake – its unique approach to back support centered on the pelvis means that it’s able to cater to gamers and computer users of all sizes. It’s well made and super comfortable once you get used to its unique method of support. It looks a little alien, but in my review of the Anthros Chair, I found that after a couple days of use, it’s hard to go back to a normal lumbar-based desk chair.

Anthros got its start in the wheelchair business. The company is composed of a small team of health experts in designing chairs that people would be sitting in perpetuity. It developed a unique breadth of experience and insight into chair design that actually meets the needs of the human body.

In a meeting, one of Anthros’ representatives, a practicing physical therapist, revealed to me that they had trialed virtually all of the leading office chairs and found that just about all of them missed the mark on what is actually required to support positive posture and relieve back pain generated by a wide range of causes. By centering the design of the Anthros Chair on the actual mechanics of the human body and leveraging their deep understanding of its interconnected nature, the Anthros Chair was born.

What makes this chair special is that instead of focusing on lumbar support and thoracic support like the majority of other ergonomic chairs, it instead focuses on pelvic support right at the base of your sit bones. This positions your spine forward, naturally supporting the curvature of the spine.

At first, it does feel a little strange. But once it’s properly set up for your body and you’ve become acclimated to sitting with proper posture, it can feel downright refreshing to return to the Anthros after a traditional ergonomic chair, and especially a gaming chair. It also features one of the best seats I’ve ever used. It’s wide, thickly padded, and has internal cutouts to relieve tension on your sit bones, enhancing your comfort without even realizing that it’s doing anything differently in the moment.

There’s something magic about this chair, but don’t get confused. You should still be trying to stand regularly throughout the day. Even Anthros will say that no chair is a magic bullet. However, this is one that really does approach seating differently, and though very expensive, it clearly succeeds in its goals for postural support and all-day comfort.

4. Razer Iskur XL

Best Gaming Chair for Tall Gamers

If you’re tall tall, then you already know how difficult it can be to find a chair that’s big enough to match your body. Whether that height comes from your legs or your back, the Razer Iskur XL is your best bet and will elevate your PC gaming setup with one of the most recognizable backrests out there.

In our review of the original Razer Iskur (the non-XL version), we found it to be exceptionally comfortable, and all of that holds true with the XL version. It’s bigger, taller, wider, and able to hold significantly more than the standard Iskur, which means that a few extra inches won’t hold you back from the comfort and support you desire. It’s made for users up to 399lbs and up to 6’10”, so no matter how big you are, it’s probably going to work well for you.

Razer has also earned significant acclaim for its unique backrest trimmed in a snakeskin-like pattern. The lumbar is pronounced, working on a tension system to ensure it always matches the position of your back. It’s true that some users have found it to be too pronounced, but most people find that they adapt and very much come to like that added support after giving it enough time for their body to acclimate. Once you do, you’ll find you can sit for extended gaming sessions completely pain-free.

While its aesthetics won’t be for everyone, I find that it delivers where it counts. For any gamer on the tall side, it’s definitely worth a closer look.

5. Razer Fujin Pro

Best Mesh Big and Tall Chair

The Razer Fujin Pro has it all: style, substance, and comfort. With its mesh design, you can happily sink into this chair day or night. While it doesn’t necessarily look the usual part you’d expect from Razer – ditching the big branding and heavy gamer style – you’ll still get your money’s worth with breathable mesh that will serve you well in all seasons, a comfortable waterfall seat edge, adjustable lumbar support, and overall ergonomic comfort.

If you spend a lot of time at your desk, the investment is definitely worthwhile. It offers a wide range of ergonomic adjustments to ensure that it will properly support your body through long gaming sessions. It’s an outstanding gaming chair that offers plenty of luxury across its understated frame, providing the support you need whenever you’re sitting.

When I reviewed the Razer Fujin Pro, I described it as “Razer, all grown up” and it’s true. Razer describes this as a chair for gamers that may want something that will fit just as easily into an office as their gaming space but don’t want to sacrifice ergonomics along the way. We definitely think it achieved its goal, and in doing so delivered a competitor to legendary ergonomic chairs like the Herman-Miller Aeron. It will serve you well for years to come, thanks to its unique balance between a productivity and gaming chair.

Where to Get the Best Big and Tall Gaming Chairs in the UK

How We Chose the Best Gaming Chairs for Big and Tall Gamers

In deciding which gaming chairs to include on this list, my first consideration is always which chairs I’ve personally tested and know are worth including from first-hand experience. I, and my colleagues, test a lot of gaming chairs, so drawing on that experience is critical to the process. I strive to recommend only chairs I’ve personally tested and when that’s not possible, do extensive research to find real user feedback on any other compelling options that might exist. For the Best Big and Tall category, I’m looking for three key things: size, support, and durability. Any recommendation I make here is made to last, is known to be supportive, and is big enough to match a wide range of gamers.

What to Look for in a Big and Tall Gaming Chair

Strength and weight capacity: One of the first and easiest things to make sure you’re getting is a sturdy chair. Check the max load capacity to ensure it’s strong enough to hold you up. It’s a good idea to get one that offers a bit of a buffer so the chair’s not always operating near its limit.

Seat width: Many racing chairs have bucket seats that have lightly padded metal bolsters at either side. If that seat is too narrow, the bolsters are going to dig into your thighs and hips. Checking to ensure that a chair’s listed width doesn’t include those bolsters is essential (which we looked out for on the chairs that made this list). Better still, you can find some big and tall gaming chairs that don’t have these bolsters, and that’s a good sign the chair maker knows who they’re building for.

Dimensions and adjustments (seat depth, height, backrest): Your vertical adjustments are going to play a big part in your overall comfort. You’re going to want to ensure the seat is deep enough to come close to the backs of your knees (without pressing into them), tall enough to let your lower legs drop straight to the floor while still touching it, and with a long enough backrest to support your spine. A short backrest may seem like a small problem at first, but if the lumbar and neck pillows, as well as the curves of the seatback, don’t line up with the curve of your spine and shoulder, it will impact your posture.

Ergonomics: If you want to ensure you’re going to get good ergonomics, you may want to also check that the height range from the floor to the top of the armrests overlaps with the height of your desk, as this keeps your arms level with your mouse and keyboard. (This is less of a concern if you’re playing with a controller, though.)

Big and Tall Gaming Chairs FAQ

Should you get a gaming chair or an office chair?

The seats themselves are one of the biggest differences between gaming chairs and office chairs. The ones designed specifically for gaming often come with a long back and a headrest to better support your back and shoulders than a short office chair. Extra lumbar and neck pillows on gaming chairs help keep you sitting straighter, while office chairs often offer more effective lumbar support and better seat adjustability.

Depending on your needs outside of PC gaming, you may also want to explore some XL bean bag chair options you can find within our top bean bag gaming chairs list. We also have our favorite selections of rocking gaming chairs in 2025 which may be interesting to try out as a segue from your couch to a somewhat casual gaming seat.

How does a gaming chair help with gaming?

The biggest thing any gaming chair needs to do is provide you with the support your body needs to game in comfort for extended periods. Beyond that, gaming chairs often come with extra features and bolder designs than traditional office chairs. Their armrests are usually more adjustable to support gaming with a controllers as well as mouse and keyboard. Likewise, the backrests usually offer an extended recline range similar to what you might find in a car. Simply put, the best gaming chairs offer the versatility you need to play games in the position that’s most comfortable in the moment and look good doing it.

Are expensive gaming chairs worth it?

As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. If all you want is a chair that looks good on stream, then the added features of a premium chair aren’t as important. Paying a little more can get you important upgrades, like improved cushioning, greater adjustments, and better materials. With that in mind, gaming chairs are like anything else: There are diminishing returns the higher in price you go. If you care about comfort, it’s best not to cheap out, but you don’t need to lay out $500+ for a quality gaming chair.

Are gaming chairs good for your back?

Lumbar support varies from chair to chair, but it’s true that some gaming chairs put looks ahead of support. Many gaming chairs have completely flat backrests flanked by bolsters that hold you in a single position. These are what we call “bad gaming chairs.” Thankfully, it’s no longer true that all gaming chairs have poor back support. In fact, there are many that are quite good, like the Razer Iskur XL. When shopping for a gaming chair, be sure to look at the backrest from multiple angles if possible and read up on what lumbar features it actually offers.

Christopher Coke has been covering all things tech for IGN since 2019. He has reviewed more chairs than most people own in a lifetime from brands big and small, gaming to ergo, and more.

Image Credit: Annalee Tsujino is a multi disciplinary designer and illustrator. Check them out on Instagram @antsu_illustrations.

Eventually, a movie will attempt to reboot or continue the story of Gremlins, the Joe Dante horror comedy that hit big in 1984 and had a less profitable but even funnier cult classic spring from its back in 1990. But the lower-stakes animated Gremlins series that’s been quietly streaming on Max makes the case that sometimes a weird Saturday morning-style spinoff is more rewarding than a splashy legacyquel attempting to recapture an old movie’s old magic.

To be fair, Gremlins: The Wild Batch is more ambitious than most movie-related cartoons from the original Gremlins era. (The same goes for its predecessor/first season, which went under the title Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.) Set in the 1920s, the show follows future curiosity-shop owner Sam Wing (Izaac Wang, recently seen in the affecting Didi) in the early days of his custody of the cuddly, apparently centuries-old Mogwai Gizmo. The first season was set in and around Sam’s native Shanghai, which was eventually, inevitably overrun by Gizmo’s accidental spawn: more mischievous Mogwai with a destructive drive to eat after midnight and transform into meaner, toothier gremlins. These antics adapt surprisingly well to a kid-targeted, TV-PG cartoon, where the violence is less explicit, but plenty of chattering beasts can still be squished into green goo, aided by 3D animation with its own cutely caricatured style. At times it’s almost like a Gremlins version of a DreamWorks fantasy cartoon.

The Wild Batch follows Sam, his reformed-thief pal Elle (Gabrielle Nevaeh Green), his adventure-minded grandfather (James Hong), and the ever-adorable Gizmo on an extended trip to the United States, where a ship full of gremlins fled at the end of the first season. This second season has been split in half, which seems unnecessary for a total of only 10 22-minute episodes. But the two batches of five (one dropped last fall, with the rest premiering on Max this week) do make sense as mini-seasons, moving from San Francisco to the fading American West for the final five.

While the first season started out building its characters before unleashing plenty of gremlins mayhem in its later episodes, The Wild Batch evidently feels comfortable enough to make the creatures almost secondary in some episodes. The main storyline involves Elle’s attempt to free her sort-of dead mother Margot (Yael Grobglas) from the clutches of Kung-Kung, the Water God. The whole season entwines Chinese mythology with American iconography, and the final five episodes go especially heavy on this technique, with a ghostly cowboy (Keith David) serving as a prominent supporting character. At times, these elaborations threaten to overwhelm the simple urban-legend appeal of the original movies. It’s almost as if the show’s creators had a whole other idea for an animated fantasy-adventure series and have been forced to figure out what available franchise could possibly accommodate it.

On the other hand, Gremlins is as rich and relatively untapped a world as any, and who can resist Timothy Olyphant voicing the ghost of Johnny Appleseed running a casino populated by spirits and trickster animals? Even as The Wild Batch goes lighter on the anarchic Looney Tunes energy that powered Gremlins 2: The New Batch, it maintains a certain try-anything spirit that feels compatible with that movie. (There’s even a direct homage to a pair of prominent, desert-appropriate Warner Bros. cartoon characters.) The only non-Gizmo Mogwai to carry over from last season is also a New Batch homage: a talking gremlin nicknamed Noggin (George Takei) cleary meant to evoke Tony Randall’s “brain” gremlin from that movie. While some killer instinct remains, Noggin also does a stint as a benevolent crime boss and a psychological counselor for Gizmo, who feels stirrings of his wilder side in these episodes.

That subplot gets a little repetitive, but The Wild Batch makes enough weird detours – gremlins at Alcatraz! A haunted house connected to the ancestors of Gremlins 2 villain Daniel Clamp! Magical travel portals! – that it doesn’t matter too much when the season’s second half takes its time in unleashing the inevitable mayhem. So many spin-offs go heavy on the lore out of some misguided sense of fandom obligation. Gremlins: The Wild Batch does it with true-believer conviction.

The grand opening of Universal Orlando Resort’s newest theme park, Universal Epic Universe, is on the horizon, and IGN got the exciting chance to experience the entire park in the lead-up. I spent a whole nine hours exploring Epic Universe’s five worlds and rode just about every ride–here are my first impressions of the park and some of the coolest things I experienced.

Before I dive into the coolest things, here’s some background information on Epic Universe. The park consists of five uniquely themed worlds: Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Dark Universe (a gothic world of Universal Monsters featuring Darkmoor Village and the Frankenstein Manor), and Super Nintendo World, which also includes Donkey Kong Country.

It’s a clever premise. From the loosely space-themed Celestial Park, the “heart” of the park, you’ll find four portals to the other worlds (and the on-site Helios Grand Hotel). Though lacking the hyper-immersive theming of the other worlds, the original Celestial Park has dazzling bright fountains, statues, and well-manicured gardens, making it nice enough to stroll through between portals, and it’s smartly laid out to make it easy to get to wherever you’re trying to go.

I loved the portal idea and it’s executed superbly. Walking through each of the portals for it to open up into a completely immersive new world was incredible, each world unique and spectacular on its own.

It’s a dense park with tons to see and interact with, not even counting the rides. Though I spent nine hours there and skipped every line while on the media tour, I feel like I barely scratched the surface of everything that Epic Universe has to offer. This is with only a one-hour lunch break and around 45 minutes of “free” time. I didn’t even get to play with the interactive spots that utilize the Harry Potter wands in the Ministry of Magic or the power bands in Super Nintendo World (both, admittedly, at an extra cost.) I also didn’t get to meet Toothless, which I was pretty sad about. That’ll be a next-trip goal.

Now that you’re primed on what Epic Universe is, here are my favorite things I noticed or experienced that sparked a unique sort of joy, in a completely arbituary order.

1. The Intense Stardust Racers Coaster

Sure, a little cliche to include the park’s “signature” coaster, but it really was so memorable. I grew up in Florida, so I’ve been on a lot of coasters at all the parks in the sunshine state (bar the more recently launched Jurassic World VelociCoaster, unfortunately), and I can say this is easily the most intense roller coaster I’ve ever ridden–and my media group member’s agreed it was more intense than the VelociCoaster, too. I don’t want to “spoil” the experience for anyone, so I’ll just tell you this: it starts with the intensity of a shooting star and maintains it with barely a single moment of reprieve but with a variety of movements that kept me surprised. Add on the dueling coaster aspect, where the other coaster train is right there, and you have a star of a ride, even if the lead-up to it in the line is a tad under-themed compared to the elaborate set-ups many of the other rides at the park have.

2. All the Dragons

Okay, I love dragons, so the Isle of Berk was absolutely my jam. There are moving dragons, big and small (and sheep!), all around the How to Train Your Dragon-themed world, and I love them all too much to pick just one. If you’re lucky, you’ll see an impressive little robot of Dart, one of Toothless’ and Light Fury’s children, being escorted around the park, too. There’s also a special meet and greet with Toothless and Hiccup you can wait in line for, and occasionally you’ll see Astrid and her dragon Stormfly (who is a person in a suit, not a robot, but still cool!)

3. This Donkey Kong Themed Float (and Mug)

My tour ended just thirty minutes before the park closed, and with my free time, I backtracked to Donkey Kong Country to cop one of the fancy floats I saw at The Bubbly Barrel, a snack stand next to the Minecart Madness ride entrance. The line was long, but it moved fairly quickly and was worth the wait. The DK Crush Float includes pineapple soda with banana and pineapple Dole Whip, topped with toffee and chocolate caramel corn, surrounded by a fresh waffle cone. (Quick note, I’ve never seen Banana Dole Whip?) I opted to get it served in this souvenir DK Barrel Cup, which should probably be used to hold plastic cups like in this instance rather than be used straight up. The tasty concoction hit the spot and left me $19 poorer, but the souvenir mug is cool enough to justify it for me. I enjoyed my treat sitting beside the Mine-Cart Madness ride with the DK theme playing in the background as the sun began to set–not a bad way to end a long day!

4. One of The Longest Most Intricate Queues for a Ride I’ve Ever Seen

The Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry of Magic ride has a line that took about 1,300 steps to get through–which is about a half-mile–but the entire thing is decked out to the nines to look exactly like the to-scale inside of the British Ministry of Magic. I have a whole separate article about how the Battle at the Ministry of Magic’s line is half a mile long, going over the “magic” of this place, but be prepared to be impressed and, hopefully, entertained enough as you wait for this attraction.

5. These Custom Coca-Cola Freestyle Machines

Okay, I’m sure not everyone will be absolutely stunned by the styling of the interior of a restaurant, but I’m a nerd who appreciates William Morris and loved the American craftsman (or “arts and crafts”) vibe of the Oak & Star Tavern in Celestial Park. It even had custom Cocoa-Cola Freestyles to match the crafty, woodland-inspired theming. The whole restaurant had me wanting to live there, which is insane, but you like what you like, right? I wish I had been able to visit any of the other restaurants because, by the look of this one, I assume they must be well put together at the least. May I also add, that the BBQ at the Oak & Star was incredible–I highly recommend the brisket and the mac and cheese.

6. This Little Guy Messing with a Lock

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic world is mostly set in the 1920s “wizarding Paris” from the Fantastic Beasts films, and it does a great job at tricking you into thinking you really are in a city where there are plenty of cafes to try and window shopping to indulge in. One of these windows included piles of ornate locks, and inside was a moving Bowtruckle. This cute little guy made adorable sounds as it worked at picking a lock, something Bowtruckles are adept at. It’s discovering tiny, missable details like this that greatly enhance immersiveness and little moments of joy.

7. Pikmin!

It’s called Super Nintendo World, but this world is clearly Super Mario World that leads to Donkey Kong Country. Stepping through the initial green warp-pipe portal leads you to the parlor of Princess Peach’s Castle, and just outside, the bright colors and many moving parts of the Mushroom Kingdom greet you, complete with Question Blocks, Piranha Plants, Goomba, and even Bowser’s Castle. Turn a corner down the stairs, and you’ll see the clear entrance to Donkey Kong Country–but to the left are a few red Pikmin on the wall! What are you doing here, little guys? What a delightful little discovery.

8. Captain Toad Repeatedly Saying, “Thanks to you, We Found the Golden Egg” in His Silly Toad Voice

The Yoshi’s Adventure ride in Super Nintendo World is definitely a slow-moving “kiddie ride,” but it’s highly produced, plays nostalgic music from familiar games throughout, and tasks you with finding three colored eggs during the ride by pressing their corresponding buttons when you see them. At the end, if you found them all, Captain Toad enthusiastically thanks you for the help. Well, since this is the end of the ride, we were a little backed up, and hearing him say this repeatedly in the silly Toad voice had me and my ride partner (The Nerdist’s lovely Rotem Rusak), cracking up.

9. Fragrant Gardenias in Celestial Park

I admit this is a little silly to include on a “coolest” list, but something about the moment the lush scent of gardenias hit me while I took in the views around the statue of Luna, the Goddess of the Moon, stuck with me. I grew up with the fragrant white flowers in my small yard, so it’s a nostalgic scent for me. When I commented on them, our tour guide said Celestial Park is designed to put the “park” back in “theme park,” and this little moment that encouraged me to stop and smell the “roses” definitely backed that sentiment up.

10. An Intimidating Vampiress with a Violin

Dark Universe is a spooky, gothic town with a foreboding castle as its centerpiece and monstrous denizens that inhabit it. I only got to very briefly see two of these characters–The Invisible Man, who menacingly said something along the lines of, “I remember what we talked about,” to our tour guide before stomping away, and a violin-playing vampiress. The vampire stood on a short balcony, telling us we’re only alive because they allow us to be, before aggressively playing her violin and walking away. These characters seem like they’d be so fun to interact with, and I heard there are many, many more to find around the park.

11. The Underwater-Themed Super Mario Bathroom

Everything in Epic Universe is themed, some more heavily than others, but you can bet that even the bathrooms match wherever they’re placed. No boring, bland, beige bathrooms here (at least of what I saw!) Though not the fanciest, my favorite was probably the Super Nintendo World bathroom that not only had this cute underwater theme but played the Underwater Theme from Super Mario Bros., too.

12. Getting Spit on By the Wolf Man

Okay, look, hear me out. Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment was an incredible ride with huge production value and the coolest effects. To board the ride, you sit down on seats that are moving on a conveyor belt of sorts. As I approached, I noticed the seats were wet, so I asked the cast member why. He said with a mischievous smile, “Don’t worry about it,” then followed up with, “don’t you know this goes underwater?” Okay, cheeky, I didn’t worry about it. But I was still surprised that the reason those seats were wet was because when the Wolf Man ferociously snarls at you during the ride, his drool slings all over you. Gross. But also, cool.

Universal Epic Universe will officially open on May 22 in Orlando, Florida. What are you most looking forward to experiencing at this immersive, ambitious theme park? Let us know in the comments below.

Casey DeFreitas is a deputy editor of guides at IGN and is the team’s resident Floridian. Catch her on social media @ShinyCaseyD

Nintendo fans in the U.S. may be feeling pretty hard done by now as the rest of the world fights for a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order, but some are fighting back by challenging and reporting every Nintendo Switch 2 auction listing they can find.

On eBay.com, Nintendo Switch 2 consoles are, at the time of writing, listed from anywhere between $468 to $855, with a lot listing Buy It Now prices of around $700-$750 — that’s $300 over the recommended retail price.

United in their frustrations both about the pre-order delay and the preponderance of over-priced pre-orders on eBay, however, players are working to take scalpers down together.

“If anyone wants to do their bit for society, go on eBay and report the scalpers,” said one Redditor. “I’ve had about 15 listings removed, spent literally minutes reporting them.”

“Reminder that preselling an eBay item is not allowed unless it will be shipping within 40 days of purchasing off eBay, (impossible for the Switch!), at least in the UK anyways,” said another, racking up almost 6,000 upvotes. The image attached showed a long list of confirmation emails from eBay stating that the content they had reported was removed.

Another jumped on Reddit to confirm they’d had “15 more scalpers removed from eBay,” while another player posted to say their actions saw 20 Switch pre-order listings scrubbed from the site.

I have gotten over 20 switch 2 pre-order listings removed off of ebay
byu/MrJava- inNintendoSwitch2

So, just why are players having so much luck combating scalpers this time around? Well, that has to do with eBay’s very own terms and conditions concerning pre-sale items, which say “pre-sale listings must clearly state that they are ‘presale’ in the title and description, and guarantee shipment within 40 business days of purchase.”

“You’re not allowed to sell pre-orders on eBay because the seller doesn’t have, and it’s possible they will never actually get, the item they’re selling,” explained rmajor86 on a post that’s also been upvoted hundreds of time. “Just report the listing, and eBay will remove it.”

That said, things may change soon. As formerlyDylan pointed out, June 5 is 40 business days from today, April 10 (excluding Easter), and eBay’s terms and conditions state pre-sale items must “guarantee shipment within 40 business days of purchase.”

While this means scalpers may soon be able to legitimately list their pre-orders for sale across parts of the world where the console will release on June 5, fans may be able to continue to fight scalpers across the U.S. and Canada right up until those countries have a shipping date.

Nintendo Switch 2 arrives on June 5, 2025, with prices starting at $449.99, but the Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order was delayed in the United States after import tariffs enacted by President Trump sent financial markets spiraling. Just a few days later, the issue spread across the border, with Nintendo Canada also confirming pre-orders would now be delayed there, too.

The tariff uncertainty and greedy scalpers have left some Nintendo fans concerned they may be priced out of the next-generation if the company goes even higher than the already controversial prices for the Switch 2 and its games, such as the $79.99 Mario Kart World.

Missed the Nintendo Direct presentation? Worry not — you can catch up on everything shown at the Nintendo Direct right here, and here’s a handy list for every game confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

The original Lilo & Stitch is getting the 4K treatment in the form of an Ultimate Collector’s Edition (see here at Amazon). This new edition is set to release on May 6 – ahead of the live action adaptation that’s set to hit theaters on May 23 – and is currently listed for $40.99. If you’re a Disney fan, this one is definitely worth picking up for your collection.

Preorder Lilo & Stitch: Ultimate Collector’s Edition

Head to the links above to get your preorders in today. We’ve also broken down what special features you can expect to see in this Ultimate Collector’s Edition below.

Lilo & Stitch: Ultimate Collector’s Edition Bonus Features

There are quite a few bonus features to enjoy with this Ultimate Collector’s Edition, from deleted scenes to an audio commentary. Per Disney’s press release, here all of the bonus features included on the Lilo & Stitch: Ultimate Collector’s Edition 4K:

• Deleted Scenes
• Hula Lesson
• Animating The Hula
• Audio Commentary
• DisneyPedia: The Islands – Explore Hawaiʽi, Oʽahu, Maui, Kauaʽi, Lǡnaʽi and Molokaʽi
• 2 Music Videos and a Behind-The-Music Featurette
• A Stitch in Time: Follow Stitch Through The Disney Years

Lilo & Stitch 2025 Live Action Adaptation Trailer

If you’re interested in seeing the brand new live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch after watching the original, you won’t have to wait too long for its official release on May 23. If you haven’t seen the official trailer for the film yet, you can check it out below.

There are so many more 4K and Blu-ray releases coming out soon that are worth picking up alongside this one, too. In our roundup of upcoming 4K UHD and Blu-ray release dates, you can see a variety of films and TV shows that are set to release in a physical format over the next few months. And if you’re on the hunt for a nice TV to play these on, the 2025 Samsung Neo QLED and OLED smart TVs are available now and worth a look.

More Disney Classics for Your Collection

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.

Back on the digital shelves at PlayStation Direct, you can finally grab a PS5 disc drive for $79.99 in the US and £99.99 in the UK. While these aren’t as rare as they were back when the PS5 Pro was announced, it’s still surprising to find these from all retailers at the standard list price.

Since these are the only way PS5 Pro or digital edition PS5 Slim owners can play physical games and films, or series on Blu-ray with their console, this add-on can be an essential one depending on your needs. However, both in the UK and the US, PS5 disc drives at other stores are either out of stock or have a costly price markup.

Amazon, for example, has only used disc drives from $106.81 in the US. While Amazon UK does have new ones in stock, you’ll have to hand over £117.00. There are still some exceptions, as PS5 disc drives are also still available at Best Buy, Walmart, and GameStop, thankfully at the base $79.99 price tag.

Among other UK stores, though, stock at the lower price is limited—Very being the only other besides PS Direct selling the physical media players for £99.99. Meanwhile, PS5 disc drives are unavailable at Currys while being out of stock at Argos, Smyths, and ShopTo—the latter of which was selling them at a higher £109.85 anyway.

While stock has gladly stabilised more since the Pro hit the market, it’s highly likely we still won’t be seeing disc drives for the PS5 going down for quite some time, since demand is still currently outweighing the supply.

If you’re still waiting for the right time to buy or upgrade to a PS5 Pro—so you can enjoy enhanced versions of games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33—we’d recommend you may as well pull the trigger right now.

Since $79.99/£99.99 is the best price you’re going to get, and we don’t know how quickly stocks will be replenished. That’s especially in the UK, where availability is the most limited.

Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.