Month: February 2024

Sony’s latest console is still a big boi, even if it is more than 30 percent smaller. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

PlayStation 5 sales have already surpassed 50 million units — a solid figure for a console that has rarely received a substantial price drop since it arrived on the scene more than three years ago. If you have yet to pick up Sony’s latest console, however, Best Buy is now offering the new PS5 “slim” with a digital copy of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for $449.99 ($50 off), which marks the first discount we’ve seen on the bundle.

The revised PS5 isn’t all that different from Sony’s standard disc-based offering. The midcycle refresh is slightly smaller and more refined, and it tackles all the same games as the original models at the same 4K graphical fidelity. The biggest change is the detachable disc drive — which you can easily remove and attach without any tools — and a modest spec bump to 1TB of built-in storage (up from 825GB on the OG model). It also features a rearranged port selection, with two front-facing USB-C ports as opposed to a single USB-C and USB-A.
Timing-wise, Best Buy’s discount is landing at a great time. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches today on the PS5, and FromSoftware recently confirmed that Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is set to arrive in late June. Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves are also coming to Sony’s platform in the coming months as part of Microsoft’s recent strategy shift — something that seemed unimaginable a year ago.
Read our hands-on impressions of the new PS5 (slim)

Having picked up a Keychron Q1 Pro for around $200 last year, I will be the first to admit that mechanical keyboards are a capital-C Choice, one that can easily destroy your wallet and even your mortgage payment if you’re not careful. Not all mech boards will cost you an arm and leg, however. The Keychron C3 Pro is a good example of a budget board that can be had for very little, especially since it’s nearly matching its all-time low at Amazon, where you can pick it up through March 3rd with either red or brown switches for $29.91 (about $7 off).

As you might expect based on the price, the budget-friendly C3 Pro is all about compromises. The wired, tenkeyless starter board isn’t outfitted with hot-swappable switches or premium PBT keycaps, though it does provide an enjoyable typing experience, red backlighting, and the ability to easily toggle between Windows and macOS. It’s also relatively sturdy — which, frankly, can be hard to find at this price point — and supports QMK, a type of open-source firmware for keyboards. The latter means it’s pretty simple to adjust the keyboard’s lighting effects, assign custom macros, and remap keys using the VIA app, letting you customize the board to your liking that much easier.
It’s certainly not going to offer the look and feel of some of the more premium models out there, but for $30, the tradeoffs make sense.

More deals, discounts, and ways to save

Xgimi’s MoGo 2 Pro is currently available for around $449 ($150 off) from Amazon and Xgimi, which is the best price we’ve seen on the Android TV projector / speaker. Our own Thomas Ricker toted it with him around Europe last year, and though he had a few qualms with its so-so image quality under certain conditions, he was quick to point out how well it performs in dark rooms with minimal lighting. You can even run it via USB-C power bank, rendering it a great option for those on the move. Read our review.
If you’re a Samsung Galaxy phone owner looking for a worthwhile alternative to the new entry-level Galaxy Buds FE, the Galaxy Buds 2 are back down to $99.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. The last-gen earbuds boast a lot of the same hallmarks — including good sound, ANC, and about five hours of continuous playback — except they support wireless charging and eschew the wing tip design of the FE for a more traditional fit. Read our review.
For the past several years, nearly every device that offers wireless charging has relied on the Qi wireless charging standard. Times are a-changing, however, and we’re already beginning to see discounts on new Qi2 chargers like Anker’s MagGo Power Bank, which is available for $59.49 (about $10 off) from Amazon and Anker (with offer code WSCP0VPZ9Z). The 6,600mAh charger functions better as a stand than something you’d throw on your phone on the go, but it offers speedy 15W passthrough charging without MagSafe — that is, assuming you’re using a Qi2-certified phone such as the iPhone 13, 14, or 15. Read our impressions.
Earlier this week, we flagged a pair of excellent deals on Seagate’s Storage Expansion Cards, which are some of the only proprietary forms of SSD storage available for the Xbox Series X / S. Amazon quickly sold out of the 1TB expansion card, but, thankfully, Seagate is now discounting the 1TB and 2TB models for $129.99 ($20 off) and $229.99 ($50 off), respectively, which are some of the lowest prices we’ve seen on the plug-and-play storage upgrades.

Sony’s latest console is still a big boi, even if it is more than 30 percent smaller. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

PlayStation 5 sales have already surpassed 50 million units — a solid figure for a console that has rarely received a substantial price drop since it arrived on the scene more than three years ago. If you have yet to pick up Sony’s latest console, however, Best Buy is now offering the new PS5 “slim” with a digital copy of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for $449.99 ($50 off), which marks the first discount we’ve seen on the bundle.

The revised PS5 isn’t all that different from Sony’s standard disc-based offering. The midcycle refresh is slightly smaller and more refined, and it tackles all the same games as the original models at the same 4K graphical fidelity. The biggest change is the detachable disc drive — which you can easily remove and attach without any tools — and a modest spec bump to 1TB of built-in storage (up from 825GB on the OG model). It also features a rearranged port selection, with two front-facing USB-C ports as opposed to a single USB-C and USB-A.

Timing-wise, Best Buy’s discount is landing at a great time. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches today on the PS5, and FromSoftware recently confirmed that Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is set to arrive in late June. Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves are also coming to Sony’s platform in the coming months as part of Microsoft’s recent strategy shift — something that seemed unimaginable a year ago.

Read our hands-on impressions of the new PS5 (slim)

Having picked up a Keychron Q1 Pro for around $200 last year, I will be the first to admit that mechanical keyboards are a capital-C Choice, one that can easily destroy your wallet and even your mortgage payment if you’re not careful. Not all mech boards will cost you an arm and leg, however. The Keychron C3 Pro is a good example of a budget board that can be had for very little, especially since it’s nearly matching its all-time low at Amazon, where you can pick it up through March 3rd with either red or brown switches for $29.91 (about $7 off).

As you might expect based on the price, the budget-friendly C3 Pro is all about compromises. The wired, tenkeyless starter board isn’t outfitted with hot-swappable switches or premium PBT keycaps, though it does provide an enjoyable typing experience, red backlighting, and the ability to easily toggle between Windows and macOS. It’s also relatively sturdy — which, frankly, can be hard to find at this price point — and supports QMK, a type of open-source firmware for keyboards. The latter means it’s pretty simple to adjust the keyboard’s lighting effects, assign custom macros, and remap keys using the VIA app, letting you customize the board to your liking that much easier.

It’s certainly not going to offer the look and feel of some of the more premium models out there, but for $30, the tradeoffs make sense.

More deals, discounts, and ways to save

Xgimi’s MoGo 2 Pro is currently available for around $449 ($150 off) from Amazon and Xgimi, which is the best price we’ve seen on the Android TV projector / speaker. Our own Thomas Ricker toted it with him around Europe last year, and though he had a few qualms with its so-so image quality under certain conditions, he was quick to point out how well it performs in dark rooms with minimal lighting. You can even run it via USB-C power bank, rendering it a great option for those on the move. Read our review.
If you’re a Samsung Galaxy phone owner looking for a worthwhile alternative to the new entry-level Galaxy Buds FE, the Galaxy Buds 2 are back down to $99.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. The last-gen earbuds boast a lot of the same hallmarks — including good sound, ANC, and about five hours of continuous playback — except they support wireless charging and eschew the wing tip design of the FE for a more traditional fit. Read our review.
For the past several years, nearly every device that offers wireless charging has relied on the Qi wireless charging standard. Times are a-changing, however, and we’re already beginning to see discounts on new Qi2 chargers like Anker’s MagGo Power Bank, which is available for $59.49 (about $10 off) from Amazon and Anker (with offer code WSCP0VPZ9Z). The 6,600mAh charger functions better as a stand than something you’d throw on your phone on the go, but it offers speedy 15W passthrough charging without MagSafe — that is, assuming you’re using a Qi2-certified phone such as the iPhone 13, 14, or 15. Read our impressions.
Earlier this week, we flagged a pair of excellent deals on Seagate’s Storage Expansion Cards, which are some of the only proprietary forms of SSD storage available for the Xbox Series X / S. Amazon quickly sold out of the 1TB expansion card, but, thankfully, Seagate is now discounting the 1TB and 2TB models for $129.99 ($20 off) and $229.99 ($50 off), respectively, which are some of the lowest prices we’ve seen on the plug-and-play storage upgrades.

Read More