Today, in sales figures that should surprise no one: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor became April’s bestselling video game within two days of release. And if you’re a PC gamer who has yet to play Respawn’s excellent follow-up to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, you can pick up a digital copy on the Epic Games Store for $52.49 (about $18 off) as part of Epic’s ongoing Mega sale, which runs until June 15th.
We praised the game in our review, namely for the way the Star Wars title builds upon the original without completely rejiggering what made the first game such a joy. The puzzles, frantic lightsaber battles, and Force antics are still there, and although the PC version was notoriously buggy upon release, it’s in noticeably better shape now that EA has patched many of the most egregious performance issues.
Like previous Epic sales, you’ll need to use one of the special Epic Coupons to take advantage of the deal, though it should automatically apply at checkout. That same 25 percent off coupon can be used toward a host of other eligible titles totaling $14.99 or more, too, including Hogwarts Legacy and Darkest Dungeon II. You can even pick up the PC version of Death Stranding for free, which is a screaming deal on its own.
Earlier this week, Amazon announced a slew of new products — including a forthcoming update to the Echo Show 5 and a colorful new smart speaker known as the Echo Pop. It also introduced a cheaper pair of Echo Buds, which are currently available for preorder at Amazon for $39.99 ($10 off their eventual MSRP) ahead of their release on June 7th.
We haven’t had an opportunity to get our hands on them yet, but Amazon’s latest pair of wireless earbuds are a little bit of a changeup from the second-gen Echo Buds (now known as “Echo Buds with Active Noise Cancellation”). They ditch the active noise cancellation and now tout a semi-open design that’s more reminiscent of the standard AirPods, allowing you to hear more of your surroundings. They also offer tap-based controls, hands-free Alexa commands, and multipoint pairing — which is somewhat of a steal at $39.99. Now, here’s hoping the sound quality can match their notable feature set.
For as much as we love the Apple Watch Series 8, there’s no denying that it’s not a massive step up from the last-gen Apple Watch Series 7. Yet, finding the latter wearable can be tough, especially if you’re someone who prefers picking up a new model over a refurbished one. Fortunately, Walmart is selling the 45mm LTE configuration in select colors right now for just $279 — a cool $180 less than its newer counterpart typically goes for when it’s on sale.
As for the tradeoffs, they’re pretty minimal. The Series 7 features a larger display than its predecessor and faster charging as well as all the fitness-tracking metrics the average fitness aficionado would want. It leaves out newer features found on Apple’s latest wearables — most notably, Crash Detection and menstrual tracking — but it can still make use of a host of improvements introduced with watchOS 9, including a low-power mode and a slate of new watchfaces. Overall, it’s a good buy, particularly if you can stomach the thought of plunking down north of $450 on a smartwatch that’s really just an incremental upgrade.
Read our Apple Watch Series 7 review.
A few more deals to round out the week
- Apple’s second-gen AirPods Pro are once again on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart for $199.99 ($50), their typical sale price. We consider them to be some of the best wireless earbuds you can get and the go-to if you’re an Apple user, namely because they deliver terrific noise cancellation and a host of Apple-centric features (including spatial audio support). Read our review.
- Well, that didn’t take long. Google’s Pixel 7A is already on sale at Amazon for $449 ($50 off) when you apply the on-page coupon or at Best Buy for the same price with a $50 gift card upon activation, which marks the first discount we’ve seen on Google’s latest Pixel since it made its debut at Google I/O last week. The 6.1-inch Android phone retails for $50 more than last year’s 6A, yes, but it also offers an improved 90Hz screen, wireless charging, and faster performance, making it the midrange phone to beat. Read our review.
- The world is only getting hotter, which makes spring arguably your safest bet if you’re someone who enjoys hosting a fire in your backyard. Fortunately, if that is you, Solo Stove’s Bonfire 2.0 is down to $249.99 ($150 off) direct from Solo right now. The stainless steel fire pit is pretty no-frills, but it’s lightweight and relatively portable, meaning you can easily haul the drum-like burner to your patio, the beach, or wherever you might want to go.
- Wemo’s HomeKit-compatible Smart Plug with Thread is selling for $23.99 ($6 off) on Amazon, making now a fine time to upgrade if the Sternum’s troubling security reports regarding the aging Smart Plug Mini V2 are giving you pause. The newer fourth-gen model doesn’t require an internet connection in order to function, but it still allows you to control lamps, appliances, and various devices using your phone.
