Gaming Deals Galore: Budget-Friendly TVs, Game Size Reductions, Console Updates, and Exclusive Releases

Top Budget-Friendly Gaming TVs for Your Next Console Setup

IGN’s latest roundup highlights the best affordable gaming televisions under $500, featuring OLED and QLED models with low input lag and high refresh rates. These picks are perfect for budget-conscious gamers looking to upgrade their setup without breaking the bank.

• The Best Budget Gaming TVs: Our Top Tested Picks — IGN
• The Best Gifts for Readers and Book Lovers for the 2025 Holiday Season — IGN
• The 10 Best Marvel Games — IGN
• The 15 Best Gaming Deals Still Live After Black Friday and Cyber Monday — IGN

Helldivers 2 Reduced Install Size: 154GB Game Now Fits on PC with 23GB Slim Version

Helldivers 2 has significantly reduced its installation size, cutting from 154GB to just 23GB for PC players. Thanks to a collaboration between the developers and Sony Studio Nixxes, the slim build now requires only 131GB less space, allowing gamers with limited storage to enjoy the game without extensive downloads.

• Helldivers 2 on PC will now take up 85% less space thanks to reduced installation size — Eurogamer
• Helldivers 2 install size reduction effort yields 131GB in cuts, and you can try the slim build right now — Rock Paper Shotgun
• Helldivers 2 Dev Worked With Sony Studio Nixxes to Create a ‘Slim’ Version for PC That Reduces File Size From 154GB to 23GB — IGN
• Helldivers 2 Patch 5.0.0 Arrives With an Incoming Message From High Command That’s Already Got Players Worried — IGN

Horses Removes Steam and Epic Games Store from List of Platforms

The unsettling horror game Horses has been banned from both Steam and the Epic Games Store in a late-stage removal, despite previously only being listed as removed from Steam. The decision comes amid an ongoing controversy surrounding the game’s disturbing content.

• Horses, the Upsetting Horror Game Previously Banned on Steam, Gets Last Minute Ban From Epic Games Store Too — IGN
• Horses review — Eurogamer

Xbox Game Pass December 2025 Lineup Confirmed: New Titles and Deals

Eurogamer reports on the confirmed Xbox Game Pass lineup for December, highlighting new releases and exclusive titles. IGN also announces a deal offering an Xbox controller for $38.

• Score an Xbox Controller for $38 From Woot Right Now After Cyber Monday — IGN
• Here are our Xbox Game Pass games for December — Eurogamer
• Xbox Game Pass December 2025 Lineup Confirmed — IGN

Digimon Story Time Stranger Defies Tradition with Its Unconventional Charm

This year’s Digimon Story Time Stranger, despite appearing as a typical JRPG, distinguishes itself through its dedication to showcasing peculiar creatures. This unique approach imbues the game with an anarchic and perpetually surprising atmosphere that surpasses what Pokémon can achieve.

• This year’s Digimon Story Time Stranger may have looked like a traditional JRPG, but its commitment to raising weird little guys gave it an anarchic, constantly surprising energy that Pokémon couldn’t match — PC Gamer

Escape From Tarkov: A Gruesome Tactical FPS with High Stakes

IGN’s review of Escape From Tarkov highlights its intense, high-stakes tactical gameplay set in the harsh Siberian city of Tarkov. The game blends first-person shooter elements with RPG mechanics, demanding strategic planning and survival skills from players who must navigate dangerous environments while managing limited resources and facing formidable enemies.

• Escape From Tarkov Review — IGN

Shovel Knight Developer Yacht Club Games Faces Critical Moment with Upcoming Release

Yacht Club Games, the developer behind Shovel Knight, warns that their next release must be a hit or they will face serious consequences, highlighting the high stakes and ‘make-or-break’ nature of their upcoming project.

• Shovel Knight developer Yacht Club Games will be in serious trouble if its next release isn’t a hit: ‘It’s make-or-break for sure’ — PC Gamer

LEGO Announces $300 Stranger Things: The Creel House Set, Featuring 13 Minifigures Including Mr. Whatsit and Vecna

The LEGO Announces the Release of a New $300 Star Wars Set for January 2026

• LEGO Drops Three New Star Wars Sets That Fans Can Preorder Today — IGN
• LEGO Announces $300 Stranger Things: The Creel House Set, Featuring 13 Minifigures Including Mr. Whatsit and Vecna — IGN

Stranger Things Season 5: Fan Screening Details and a Nintendo Easter Egg

The final episode of Stranger Things Season 5 will be screened at select theaters for fans, while the finale runs for approximately 54 minutes. Additionally, hard-core retro video game enthusiasts may notice an obscure Nintendo reference hidden within the season.

• Stranger Things Season 5 Finale Fan Screening Theater Locations and Final Episode Run Time Confirmed — IGN
• Stranger Things Season 5 Has a Nintendo Blunder Only Hardcore Retro Video Game Fans Will Notice — IGN

Metroid Prime 4: Samus’s Silent Stride – The Narrative Quirk

Eurogamer explores Metroid Prime 4, highlighting that while the game features engaging space marine companions, it is Samus herself who poses narrative challenges. The review emphasizes her role as the central issue in the story-driven aspects of Beyond.

• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s chatty space marine companions aren’t so bad – it’s Samus who is this game’s narrative problem — Eurogamer
• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond review — Eurogamer