Month: May 2020

Cords are the worst. They get tangled, knotted, and caught on things. The sooner we live in a wireless world, the better. AirPods, Apple’s wireless earbuds, are a popular accessory (and a great Mother’s Day gift). And right now you can score a deal on every model available. That even goes for AirPods Pro. Here are the deals.

All the Best AirPod Deals

[poilib element=”commerceDeal” parameters=”slug=apple-airpod-deals”]

AirPods Pro

• Get it at Verizon – $224.99 (was $249.99)
• Get it at Amazon – $234.95

The most advanced (and therefore expensive) model is AirPods Pro. They feature active noise canceling to shut out the sounds of the outside world with surprising effectiveness. They come with soft silicon tips in three sizes, so they’re generally considered more comfortable than the other models. They also feature a wireless charging case, which means you can charge them by setting them on a Qi-compatible charging pad.

AirPods with a Wireless Charging Case

• Get it at Amazon – $149.99 (was $199.99)
• Get it at Verizon – $169.99

If you don’t find noise canceling to be worth the added price, you can scoop up the best deal we’ve seen yet on AirPods with a Wireless Charging Case. As the name suggests, they come in a case you can plop down on a charging pad when they’re running low on battery power, and they’ll juice up wirelessly. Like AirPods Pro, they also feature Siri integration and simple setup with Apple devices, though they also work like any Bluetooth earbuds with non-Apple products.

AirPods with Charging Case

• Get it at Verizon – $135.99 (was $159.99)
• Get it at Amazon – $139

Don’t need wireless charging? The baseline model AirPods are excellent as well. The only difference between these and the ones above are that you need to plug these in directly to charge them. Nothing wrong with that.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

[widget path=”ign/modules/recirc” parameters=”title=&type=articles%2Cvideos&tags=us-shopping&count=3&columnCount=3&theme=article”]

Amazon has announced that Crucible, its new free-to-play hero shooter, launches on May 20, and will ship with ten characters and three distinct game modes.

Crucible is a competitive game based around collecting Essence, which allows players to level up their characters and enhance their abilities. Team size and objectives depend on the game mode being played, which mix up both PvE and PvP gameplay.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/03/amazon-developed-sci-fi-shooter-crucible-out-next-month-ign-news”]

Modes available at launch are Heart of the Hives, Harvester Command, and Alpha Hunters. Heart of the Hives is a 4v4 mode in which both teams fight boss monsters called Hives, and gain hearts for killing them. The first team to capture three hearts wins the match, and so it’s a balance between killing the Hives and defeating the enemy team. It sounds a little like Destiny 2’s Gambit mode, which is no bad thing.

Harvester Command is an 8v8 mode that asks teams to capture and defend harvesters on the map that provide Essence for the holding team. The team that depletes their opponent’s resource pool is crowned the winner.

Finally, Alpha Hunters is Crucible’s answer to battle royale: eight duos go into the map and fight to be the last team standing.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=crucible-screenshots&captions=true”]

Before heading into any one of these game modes, players must choose a Hunter. There are ten of these characters to choose from, which developer Relentless Studios (one of the Amazon Games studios) says caters to every playstyle. Like a MOBA, your character starts afresh every match, but you have their full array of weapons and abilities from the moment the game starts. Collecting Essence allows you to upgrade your toolset, and the upgrades you get are assigned pre-match from a customisation menu.

Crucible will be available on PC via Steam from May 20. Amazon has made no mention of other platforms so far, so it is unclear if Relentless Studios plans to bring it to consoles.

Crucible’s May launch was previously confirmed by The New York Times, which reported that the game was originally due to land in April. The shooter is just one of Amazon Games’ larger portfolio, which also includes ambitious MMO New World.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

The barrier to entry for creating your own videos is lower than it’s ever been. Time was, you needed a dedicated camcorder and a pretty beefy computer with a few thousand dollars worth of professional-grade software. Not anymore. Right now, you can start editing your movies and videos for just $50 with this Adobe Premiere Elements 2020 deal.

Adobe Premiere Elements Deal

[poilib element=”commerceCta” json=”%7B%22image%22%3A%7B%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fassets1.ignimgs.com%2F2020%2F05%2F05%2FElements1588684619577.jpg%22%2C%22styleUrl%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fassets1.ignimgs.com%2F2020%2F05%2F05%2FElements1588684619577_%7Bsize%7D.jpg%22%2C%22id%22%3A%225eb16751e4b077244c9f0f1d%22%7D%2C%22url%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fr.zdbb.net%2Fu%2Fbuaq%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Adobe%20Premiere%20Elements%202020%22%2C%22store%22%3A%22Adorama%22%2C%22additionalInfo%22%3A%22Use%20code%20’Adobedeal2’%20to%20save%20an%20additional%20%2410.%22%2C%22ourPick%22%3Afalse%7D”]

This deal is only good for today, and is made better still when you enter in code ‘Adobedeal2’ at checkout, saving an additional $10. That brings the total cost of Adobe Premiere Elements 2020 to just $50, which is 50% off its regular price.

You get both a physical disc and a digital code, so it’s up to you which one you want to use to install your copy. It also works on both PC and Mac, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues. The one downside to this deal is it’s not currently in stock. You can still buy it, and for half-off I recommend it highly, but keep in mind it’s not going to appear on your doorstep right away.

Adobe Premiere Elements is a light-weight version of Adobe’s Premiere Pro software. It has everything you need to start editing your videos, and if you want to give your stuff a professional look without spending a ton of money, this is the best way to get it done. If you’re editing with some free software, that’s all well and good, but I recommend picking this up and taking your stuff to the next level.

If your looking for more digital ways to spend your free time, perhaps a little less constructively, check out Humble’s Star Wars day sale running through the end of this week.

[widget path=”ign/modules/recirc” parameters=”title=&type=articles%2Cvideos&tags=us-shopping&count=3&columnCount=3&theme=article”]

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Seth Macy is IGN’s tech and commerce editor and just wants to be your friend. Find him on Twitter @sethmacy.

 

704Games and publisher and publisher Motorsport Games have announced NASCAR Heat 5, the latest in the popular series of NASCAR racing games.

The latest NASCAR Heat features Chase Elliott on the cover and includes a career mode that lets you progress through the Xtreme Dirt, Gander Trucks, and Xfinity Series before reaching the NASCAR Cup Series. It includes 34 officially licensed race tracks, esports support, a new track-testing mode that lets you learn each course, and more.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=nascar-heat-5-screenshots&captions=true”]

NASCAR Heat 5 will be available on July 10 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC and include split-screen local multiplayer and 40-player online races. A Gold Edition of NASCAR Heat 5 will launch on July 7.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.