Author: Game Infliction

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket contains a secret, full art Mew card and continues the long-running tradition of only letting players grab the mythical pocket monster by completing some interesting quests.

The Mew card, which is part of the Genetic Apex set but comes unnumbered due to its status as an alternate art card (despite there not actually being a regular version), can only be obtained after players complete the Kanto Pokédex.

This means players must acquire the first 150 Pokémon from the original Red and Blue generation, meaning everything from Bulbasaur to Pikachu to Dragonite to Mewtwo. Once players have collected one of each of these Pokémon the 3 Star Mew card will unlock.

The only condition is the cards must also be from Genetic Apex, meaning, for example, that collecting the promotional Butterfree card from the special Lapras ex event won’t count towards the 150 total despite it being among the first 150 Pokémon. Any version of the Pokémon from Genetic Apex will work, however, whether it’s an ex or alternative art or regular or whatever else.

While simple, collecting so many cards may still take some time. One player recently worked out it could take almost two years of daily play to collect every card in the set, though thankfully hitting the 150 necessary for Mew will require considerably less time.

Mew holds a special place in the set as one of just four 3 Star cards, meaning it’s one of the special immersive cards with fully animated artwork. It joins Charizard, Pikachu, and Mewtwo in this category, the three Pokémon which feature on the booster pack covers of Genetic Apex.

Pokémon TCG Pocket arrived in October as a streamlined, digital version of the beloved trading card game. It has players opening packs, collecting cards, building decks, and battling others; a simple formula that’s already proved popular given it made $12 million in four days.

Players may otherwise want to keep an eye out from cards from the two decks currently dominating the Pokémon TCG Pocket meta, headlined by usual suspects Charizard ex and Mewtwo ex. Those who love a conspiracy theory can also discover what some players think is the best way to obtain such cards.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

A Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket player has calculated just how long it takes to complete the first set, Genetic Apex, and those not looking to spend any money can expect to be collecting ’em all for towards two years.

Kotaku spotted a Reddit post from TCGPCollector, who broke down how different methods of collecting resulted in different completion times, revealing that the most optimal way to collect the 286 Genetic Apex cards without spending money will take 655 days.

Those put off by the huge amount of time, which requires players to log in every single day and always have access to a card they need in the often unreliable Wonder Pick feature, can take solace in knowing this number includes the 60 alternate art cards not included in the regular numbered set (which totals 226 cards).

It also doesn’t take into consideration the incoming (but currently undated) trading feature, which will allow players to pick up those last few cards much easier than using the otherwise random odds. Those paying $9.99 a month for the Premium Pass can collect all cards in 437 days, though the subscription would add up to almost $150 in this time.

One of the biggest selling points of the PS5 Pro is that it can boost the image quality of PS4 games, even though they have not technically been “enhanced” for the console by either Sony or developers. And while there are over 3,000 PlayStation 4 games to date, there’s one many of us hold dear to our hearts: Bloodborne. With a sequel now seeming little more than a pipedream, we’re left with only one option – to play through the original again on PS5 Pro to make the most of the console’s Enhanced Image Quality feature.

But does the PS5 Pro actually make Bloodborne look any better? If you’ve pre-ordered a PS5 Pro then you can check it out for yourself, but if you’re still sitting on the fence then check out the video below and see if you can tell the difference.

We’ve also compared some of the other 50-plus games that are enhanced for PS5 Pro at launch, starting with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. We tested it in both Pro modes – Fidelity and Performance – and you can see the results for yourself in this 23-minute gameplay video.

Hogwarts Legacy was one of the big showcase games from the console reveal. We’ve now had the chance to play it on PS5 Pro in Fidelity mode with ray tracing, which promises to improve lightning and shadows, as well as adding better reflections. Take a look at the game running on PS5 Pro.

Finally (ahem), we have 16 minutes of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth running in Versatility mode, which enhances the quality of the visuals and delivers better frame-rates.

Can you tell the difference? If so, is it enough to make you pay the extra money for a PS5 Pro? Let us know in the poll below. Meanwhile, make sure you check out IGN’s full review of the PS5 Pro, which tells you everything you need to know about PlayStation’s latest console.

With massive sale events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday on the horizon, the holiday season of savings is kicking off. In the meantime, though, there are still quite a few discounts for PlayStation fans to check out. And with the brand new PS5 Pro up for preorder now with a hefty price tag, there’s really no better time to take advantage.

We’ve gathered up some of our favorite offers below, including some excellent discounts on games like Final Fantasy 16 for $25. That only scratches the surface of what’s available now, though. Below, you can also find other deals on everything from accessories to SSDs and even information on where to buy a PS5 now.

Best PS5 Video Game Deals

One of the standout video game deals right now is Final Fantasy 16 for just $24.97 at Amazon—a substantial discount from its original $69.99 price tag and the lowest Amazon price since launch, according to CamelCamelCamel.

It’s unlikely we’ll see a further price drop during Black Friday sales, so this is a prime opportunity to pick it up while it’s still available. Given the demand, this deal may not last long once word spreads, so consider acting quickly to secure a copy.

Where To Preorder a PS5 Pro

If you’re itching to get your preorder in for the PS5 Pro, you now can. Preorders are live at a variety of retailers we’ve listed out below, with the upgraded console officially releasing on November 7.

In his PS5 Pro preview, Bo Moore said: “From what I’ve seen, it seems to be capable of achieving similar results to what DLSS has done for PC gaming over the past few years, and I can’t wait to see how developers push the graphical envelope now that the hardware can better keep up with their ambitions.”

“Of course, it’ll be a good while before we see games designed to take advantage of this power from the ground up. But until then, if you choose to invest in its high price, you’ll at least be getting peace of mind that you’re getting the best possible PlayStation experience money can buy.”

What to Buy Ahead of the PS5 Pro’s Release

It was also revealed during the 9-minute presentation that the new console does not come with a disc drive or the vertical stand. So we thought it best to point you in the direction of these items so you can purchase them now in the event they sell out. The PS5 Disc Drive will cost you $79.94 and the vertical stand will set you back $29.94.

Perfect PS5 2TB SSD with Heatsink for $139.99

SSD prices have been rising in 2024 but, with significant discounts available, now is the perfect time to buy. This is one of the best deals on a 2TB SSD at the moment: You can score the 2TB Seagate FireCuda 530R PS5 SSD with Heatsink for $139.99 at Amazon. This deal isn’t the only one worth checking out right now, either. You can see even more of our favorite SSD deals below.

Best PS5 Headset Deals

There’s no shortage of PS5-compatible headsets. If you’re constantly having to turn down the volume when you play, you might want to pick up one of these, then you can listen to your games as loud as you darn well please. And if you’d like to see even more options that are worth buying, check out our collection of the best gaming headsets.

How to Trade in Your Old PlayStation Consoles

If you’re looking to trade in your old PlayStation consoles, you can do so at select retailers in-store and online. Often, the most widely available retailers are GameStop and Best Buy. However, you can also trade your used devices online at retailers such as Amazon and Microsoft.

Some retailers will offer you cash for your used goods, while others may provide you with a gift card that can be used in-store and online. This is a great way to offload your old gaming gear and get some money that you can put towards a newer console and games.

While trading devices in at retailers will often net you the lowest amount for your used consoles, there are also online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, and OfferUp that may fetch higher prices, but you’ll often be responsible for packing and shipping costs, or be required to meet someone in person for the transaction, the latter of which poses its own risks.

With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as Switch and Xbox, and we keep these updated daily with brand new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

This week’s release of Stardew Valley 1.6 on console and mobile has come with a number of problems, including disappearing chickens. Now, players are reporting performance issues following the release of the update, although the game’s developer has a solution.

In a tweet, Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone suggested removing all hats from pets if you’re experiencing performance issues in Stardew Valley 1.6. “We will address the problem as soon as possible.”

Earlier this week, Barone came up with some Stardew Valley lore to explain the disappearing chickens issue, blaming it on a wild coyote on the farm.

Barone also has some lore to explain the performance issues, tweeting: “There’s rumors of a strange rash affecting pets’ ears in Zuzu City and we just want to make sure those ears can breath for a few days.”

Yesterday, November 5, Barone revealed that Stardew Valley 1.6 added a hidden experimental multiplayer feature to the mobile version of the game. It’s unlocked using a take on the Konami Code.

The free 1.6 update, which sparked a fresh 10/10 Stardew Valley review from IGN, launched on PC in March. Barone initially expected the console and mobile ports of 1.6 would be released a month later.

Barone has apologized to disgruntled fans and promised not to return to work on his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, until Stardew 1.6 is finalized. Haunted Chocolatier, revealed in 2021, doesn’t have a release window.

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.

Nintendo has confirmed that the yet-to-be-announced Switch 2 will be backward-compatible with original Switch games and will feature Nintendo Switch Online.

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa shared the news during the company’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, revealing a bit more about the successor to 2017’s Nintendo Switch.

“This is Furukawa,” Nintendo wrote on X/Twitter. “At today’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well. Further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date.”

We have a ton left to learn about this new Switch as we are still waiting for its actual announcement, which Nintendo has previously said will happen by the end of March 2025.

The Current State of the Nintendo Switch

Nintendo also shared more about sales of the current Switch and its software, including that it was cutting the sales projection of its current hardware for the financial year ending March 2025 from 13.5 million units to 12.5 million units.

Nintendo had a 17% revenue drop and a 69% profit drop versus the same quarter from its last financial year, and it sold 4.72 million Switch units in the six months ending September 30. That latter figure is down from the 6.84 million units sold during the same period last year.

On the software side from April to September 2024, Nintendo said The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom sales have reached 2.58 million, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s have jumped up 2.31 million, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door’s have climbed to 1.94 million, and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD’s have scared to 1.57 million.

For context, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has now crossed a whopping 64.27 million units sold and is far and beyond the best-selling Switch game. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is currently in second place with 46.45 million units sold.

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Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.