One of the perks many Amazon Prime members forget about – or simply aren't aware of – is the ability to play games on multiple devices through Luna. Amazon Prime includes a free Luna subscription and that means more than 100 games are available to play at no extra cost over the cloud.

There are party games for families and friends to play on a TV, using their mobile phones as controllers, and there are AAA and indie hits you'd normally only see on a console or PC.

The list is regularly updated and this month it includes one of my own personal favourite games of 2025 – the multiple award-winning Dispatch.

An interactive adventure game for adults, Dispatch puts you in the shoes of former superhero Robert Robertson, the "dispatcher" of a group of misfit heroes who fight crime around Night City. You're like a taxi cab controller sending them to trouble spots.

However, the team is made up of ex-supervillains and aren't exactly responsive to being bossed around.

The game is split into two styles and mainly hand animated. There are the interactive adventure parts, where your dialogue choices and actions determine the story, while the dispatching element is like a time-management game, in which you are scored at the end.

It makes for a fascinating blend of play. And it's hugely addictive, with the full game split into multiple episodes that you can't help continuing with long into the night.

In many ways, it's like an interactive version of Invincible – the animated series based on the comic books of Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley. It's adult and pulls no punches, but also with a sharp, dark sense of humour.

Voice actors include Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) as the lead, seasoned video games and animation star Laura Bailey, and Casino Royale, The Last of Us and Westworld's Jeffrey Wright.

How to play Dispatch for free

You can play Dispatch anywhere Luna is available, either on PC or Mac by heading to the official web page and streaming from there, or on any other compatible device.

That includes streamed via Fire TV Sticks and Ember TVs; on iPhone, iPad and Android devices; or many Samsung or LG smart TVs.

You just need a Bluetooth controller for TV play, although you can also play using a mouse (trackpad) and keyboard on a desktop PC / Mac or laptop.

Amazon Luna also includes a wide variety of other great games, such as Death Stranding: Director's Cut, Control: Ultimate Edition, Alan Wake II, and another personal fave, Dave the Diver. EA Sports FC 26 can be played for free as well, right now.

Games stream at 1080p 60fps where possible, although you can drop the resolution down to 720p in the settings if you're worried about data usage. You will need minimum broadband speeds of 10 Mbps for 1080p gaming.

Prime members should also remember that Amazon gives away a big bundle of PC games for free each month, to download and keep. You can claim them on the same Amazon Luna homepage.

Amazon Prime Day is more than just a yearly event these days, but while the spring and autumn sales are very nice, this is the big one. The main event, the OG, the big dog – and hopefully, the one with the best savings.

The sale runs from midnight on Tuesday, 23 June to 11:59 pm on Friday, 26 June 2026. Expect a mix of Prime Deals that last the full event as well as some lightning deals that last just a few hours.

Each year, we bring you all the best deals we find across Prime Day on Amazon, from TV to toothbrushes, as well as a heads-up on some of the biggest bargains we spot on other sites.

You will need to be a Prime member to make use of the deals, especially on Prime Day itself, but if you're not already, you can sign up for 30 days for free.

Though the event is now over, if you're looking to buy now, you can get money off many purchases using these Amazon discount codes.

• Browse all Prime Day deals at Amazon.co.uk
• In the US? These are the Prime Day deals at Amazon.com

Here are our choices for the best deals around right now.

Prime Day quick picks

• 📱Amazon Kindle Paperwhite: 25% off, now £113.99
• 💡Philips Hue White and Colour Smart Light: 27% off now £62.40
• 🚀 LEGO Star Wars Logo: was £59.99 now £39.99 at Amazon
• 🚀 LEGO Star Wars Rebel U-Wing: was £59.99 now £37.89 at Amazon
• 🚀 LEGO Star Wars Death Star: was £899.99 now £725.79 at Amazon
• 🚀 LEGO Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise: was £349.99 now £309.99
• 📺 Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K: 58% off, now £24.99
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Philips: Dual Basket Airfryer 1000 Series, now 38% off
• 📷 Blink Outdoor 4 camera, 62% off, now £24.99
• 📺 Amazon Ember 55" 4-Series: 44% off, now £309.99
• 📺 Amazon Ember 75" Mini-LED Series: 38% off, now £999.99
• 💻 Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M4: 11% off, now £799
• ⛂ Eufy: Omni C20 robot vacuum all-in-one now 27% off
• 🎮 Meta Quest 3S 128GB: 15% off, now £271.99
• 🎧 SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless: was £329.99 now £199.99
• 🧑‍🍳 Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer: was £229.99 now £164.99
• 💍 Oura Smart Ring 4: 34% off, now £199
• 🎧 Apple AirPods 4 with ANC: 26% off, now £125.40
• ⌚ Apple Watch Ultra 3: 13% off, now £649
• 🏷️ Apple AirTag (2nd Gen) 4-pack: 15% off, now £84.55
• 📱 Apple iPhone Air 256GB: 4% off, now £719
• 💻 Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M4: 8% off, now £1099
• ✏️ Apple Pencil (USB-C): 29% off, now £56.05
• ⌚ Apple Watch Series 11: 23% off, now £307
• ⌚ Apple Watch SE 3: 9% off, now £199
• 🔑 Nuki Smart Lock Ultra: 26% off now £229
• 💨 EcoFlow Wave 3: 13% off, now £699.
• ⚡ Belkin BoostCharge 3-in-1: 15% off, now £59.49
• 💻 Asus Zenbook 14 OLED: 22% off now £849.99
• 💻 MSI Raider 16 HX: 21% off now £1,849
• 🕹️ Retro Handheld Game Console: 15% off now £33.99

TV deals

Laptops and tablets

Smart Home

Kitchen and bathroom

Outdoors

Toys and gaming

Sport and fitness

Fragrances

Amazon Devices

When is the next Amazon Prime Day?

The next Prime Day is right now. The sale will start at midnight on Tuesday 23rd and finish at 11:59 pm on Friday 26th June. That means you'll be able to get record-low prices across multiple departments, especially on Amazon devices.

The last Amazon Prime Day took place on 8-11 July 2025, with Amazon Prime Big Deal Days on 8 - 9th October 2024. We expect there to be another Big Deal Days event in October, just before Black Friday.

How to get a free Prime account for Prime Day

You might already know this (the clue's in the title), but you need to be an Amazon Prime member to shop the Prime Day sale.

However, not only do Amazon Prime members get to shop the Prime Day sale, but they also get early access to ALL Lightning Deals and extra offers on Prime benefits, like coupon offers, free Deliveroo Plus and plenty of other benefits. A Prime subscription is definitely something to consider, therefore.

If you're new to Prime, Amazon Prime is available on a 30-day free trial for all new members. If you're a student, there's even better news as Amazon offers a free six-month Amazon Prime trial on Prime Student and after that, it will only cost you £4.49 a month.

To shop the Prime Day sale, our advice would be to sign up for a Prime account a couple of weeks before the sales start so you can shop the sale for free - including any cheeky early offers.

You can cancel your account at any time if you're not happy with it and you'll have got the best deals from the Prime Day sale, free unlimited delivery and you won't have paid a penny for the membership fee. If you decide to keep your Prime account, see our guide on how to save money on Amazon Prime for money-saving hacks.

Sign up now for Amazon Prime and start shopping!

What were the best Prime Day deals last year?

Prime Day 2025 resulted in some great offers across multiple departments.

The best deals were on a range of tech, kitchen and beauty products. For example, the Samsung S90C TV was on sale with over 40% off, the Apple AirPods Max headphones were at their cheapest yet, and you could get a Philips Hue Starter Kit to begin your smart lighting journey for under £100.

Overall, Amazon devices had the biggest discounts, with Echo speakers, Blink cameras, Kindles and Fire tablets hitting record low prices. Alongside this, Ninja, Sage and Tefal kitchen appliances came with amazing offers, as did Xbox and PS5 controllers.

What brands had the best prices on Prime Day last year?

Plenty of different brands took part in the sales last year, with Sony and Bose being two of the most sought after. Speakers, earbuds and headphones were particularly popular.

Philips, Samsung and Shark all saw big price drops too, and makeup brands like Rimmel saw great sales.

Due to the cost of living crisis, we believe people use these sales to stock up on essentials for around the home - from washing-up liquid to coat hangers, teabags to cat food. Amazon delivers with incredibly low prices on these products, especially on its Vouchers page.

How much is Amazon Prime membership?

Amazon Prime membership costs £8.99 per month or £95 for a year when paid in advance. For students, the cost is £4.49 monthly and the annual subscription is £47.49.

So, if you want Prime to shop the Prime Day sale, we recommend signing up before the event and if you're new, you can shop with a free month's trial. You can then cancel Prime soon after and it won't cost you a penny more.

Will Prime Day be better than Black Friday?

Prime Day is heralded as Amazon's biggest sales event of the year. However, Amazon is also well known for its Black Friday sales. Last year, Amazon started its Black Friday sale early, weeks in advance of the official sales date. Many shoppers got to take advantage of early discounts and themed weeks that Amazon ran in the lead-up to Black Friday.

Having said that, there are a couple of key differences between Prime Day and Black Friday. The most obvious is that Black Friday isn't an Amazon-only sale. Retailers from around the world take part in the annual event and slash their prices during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend. Black Friday is also available for all shoppers and not just Prime members.

As Black Friday is the more famous shopping event, you might find cheaper prices. However, Amazon is a big component of the Black Friday sale and its Prime Day sales have some of the cheapest offers on the day. This isn't to say that Amazon won't have low prices on Black Friday but if you're a regular Amazon shopper or Prime user, you'll find the cheapest offers available during the Prime Day sale.

Best Amazon Prime Day Product Categories

Prime Member benefits to use on Prime Day

When you sign up to Amazon Prime, you not only get access to Lightning Deals and the Prime Day sale. Prime members also get other benefits like Prime Video, Amazon Music, Prime Gaming, Prime Reading, flexible delivery options, and shopping benefits like savings on prescriptions and groceries. So, if you want to save extra money in the Prime Day sale, here are the best Prime Member benefits you should definitely use this Prime Day.

Check your delivery options

While the main benefit of Prime is flexible deliveries, one delivery option that can help you save money is free no-rush shipping. If you’re not in a hurry for your items or you’re looking to save money, select the no-rush option at checkout and your order will be delivered within 3-5 days. It’s still free and to thank you for your patience, Amazon gives you an automatic discount on your next order.

Use Amazon Vouchers

Every day, new vouchers are added to the Amazon Voucher page which you can collect and use at the checkout for extra money off your orders. Head to the Amazon Voucher page, find the voucher you want to us – for example, a coupon for 30% off wireless earbuds – and click ‘Collect Voucher’. This will take you to a page with details on how to claim and the discount will be applied at checkout.

Try Before You Buy

Amazon Try Before You Buy is where Prime members can pick up to 6 eligible clothing items from the Prime Wardrobe and try them for free. You’ll have a week to try on the clothes or shoes to make sure they fit, and after the 7-day try-on period, you pay for what you want to keep and send back the stuff you don’t.

Subscribe & Save

If you buy repeat purchases on Amazon every week or month, use Subscribe & Save. This accumulates all your frequent purchases together like toiletries, cleaning products and beauty essentials, which makes checking out easier and offers up to 15% off the original price when you schedule repeat deliveries.

What kind of sales has Amazon run in the past?

Looking at last year's Amazon sales is a good indication of what to expect the next time they come around, including Prime Day, Black Friday and Prime Day 2 (Prime Big Deal Days). Amazon constantly has deals available site-wide on a range of products in its 'Today's Deals' section.

At T3, we like to consider ourselves experts on big sales events so by looking at the patterns from Amazon's 2025 sales, we've come up with a few predictions for what we expect to see in 2026.

Like most retailers, Amazon sticks to seasonal holidays, so during spring it offers a wide range of products, including laptops, air fryers, headphones and lawnmowers. As Prime Day traditionally happens in July, there are deals on absolutely everything, but especially on Amazon devices, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners and premium beauty.

Amazon also typically runs themed weeks throughout the year, and specifically in the run-up to its Black Friday event. In the past, there have been Gardening Week and Fragrance Week events. All of this gives us a strong indication that these deals could make a comeback during 2026.

Amazon split Prime Video membership in two a couple of years ago, asking Prime members to pay extra for an ad-free experience. Now it's widening the gap between the "free" and paid plans further, both in cost and streaming quality.

It is launching a new Prime Video Ultra tier, which will replace the current ad-free experience and introduce a few new features. However, the price of the add-on is going up, while the quality of the standard tier included with a Prime subscription will drop.

This is specific to the US for now, with the new Prime Video Ultra plan arriving in the country on 10 April 2026. It'll be priced at $4.99 per month (almost double the $2.99 of the existing ad-free add-on). That's on top of Prime membership.

In return, Ultra members will get up to 4K streams in HDR10+ and/or Dolby Vision, and with up to Dolby Atmos audio. Also expanded are the maximum amount of offline downloads available – up to 100 from 25 previously.

Ultra also enables five concurrent streams, up to three.

On the flip side, the ad-supported version of Prime Video – which is free with Amazon Prime membership – loses 4K. HDR is still supported, but only at a maximum video resolution of 1080p.

You do get Dolby Vision support for the first time though, plus double the amount of offline downloads available (to 50 from 25) and an additional concurrent stream (to four).

I'm not sure the extra benefits make up for the loss of Ultra HD streaming, however. Especially when Prime membership already costs $14.99 a month, and the step-up plan is more expensive.

Will Amazon Prime Video price hikes also hit the UK and Europe?

Although there has been no official announcement yet, it seems only a matter of time before we'll get similar price rises in the UK, Europe and further afield.

The current Ad Free plan continues to cost £2.99 per month in the UK, but there's time yet before 10 April and a potential hike. Even if it takes a bit longer, it's almost certain to come at some point.

In all honesty though, in comparison with rival streaming services, Amazon's platform has remained remarkably affordable for many years. It was a totally free, unrestricted benefit of Prime membership for over a decade and, in comparison with the likes of Netflix and Disney+, even asking for an additional payment for ad-free 4K HDR streaming seemed good value.

After all, you are getting next- or same-day delivery on thousands of items, Amazon Prime Gaming (now Luna), free Kindle eBooks, and a whole lot of other benefits beyond Prime Video. All for around the same price as other streaming services' Premium subscriptions.

It's the drop in quality for the ad-supported service that rankles most, though. Maybe the advertising model isn't as successful as Amazon had originally hoped.

Amazon claims that it needs to up the price of its top tier to help pay for content – such as the excellent Fallout and The Boys. It is also investing more in live events, such as European Champions League football in the UK.

That and increased competition have clearly forced its hand. It'll be interesting to see just how many will be willing to pay even more though, or whether 1080p is good enough, considering how many watch on mobile anyway.

Amazon Prime members have been spoiled with freebies in recent times, including longer trial periods for Amazon Music Unlimited and Kindle Unlimited. However, gamers are seemingly spoiled the most, with a whole tonne of games available each month at no extra cost.

That's either through Luna – Amazon's cloud gaming platform that can be played on a TV without the need for a games console – or its collection of completely free PC games offered via Prime Gaming.

The latter is updated regularly too, so there's always something to download. And they work across laptops, desktop PCs and even PC gaming handhelds, giving you plenty of options to play them. What's more, unlike some other game services, once you've claimed your Prime Gaming titles, they are yours to keep.

This month has a particularly neat selection, with a couple of February titles available to download now. And the headliner is a first-person shooter that I believe has been criminally overlooked by many.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is a spinoff of the Borderlands series. Tiny Tina herself was first introduced in Borderlands 2 as a bomb-toting teenager, and in this dedicated game, the action switches to a fantasy setting as she takes you through a tabletop role-playing game-style experience.

It's just as crazy as the Borderlands games – more so, perhaps. And it looks and feels great, with plenty of weapons to loot and use. It's also genuinely funny at times, and keeps that cell-shaded comic book-like graphical style of which the series is synonymous.

It's well worth a play therefore, especially for free.

How to download your free Amazon Prime games

Alongside Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, the Amazon Luna downloads also include Dread Templar, Hexguardian, Around the World: Travel to Brazil Collector’s Edition, Ambition: A Minuet in Power, Captain Blood, Meganoid, Rebel Galaxy Outlaw, Total War: Attila, and Tavern Talk.

They'll be available across the month, with one or two titles dropping each week. Tiny Tina's is already available now.

To claim them you need to head to the Amazon Luna page for your region, find the game and hit "Claim Game".

More often than not, this will take you to a digital game store to redeem, of which you'll need to be a free member. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, for example, is redeemable via the Epic Games Store, although if you've linked your Amazon and Epic accounts, it should allow you to claim it without having to leave Luna.

Other stores involved include GOG and Amazon itself.

It's worth also noting that the Amazon Luna cloud gaming service has some amazing games available now too, including Alan Wake Remastered and Alan Wake 2. These are streamed to a supported device, such as a Fire TV Stick, select Smart TV, or mobile. You only need a controller to play.

Amazon Prime isn't cheap, but it's always seemed like good value for money. Free same or next day deliveries, Prime Video membership, free eBooks with Prime Reading, Amazon Music, and a whole lot more. All for just £8.99 / $14.99 / €8.99 per month, or £95 / $139 / €89.90 per year.

It's even better value in some other regions, such as Australia at AU$9.99 per month, AU$79.99 for a whole year.

PC gamers get an even better deal, with scores of free PC titles available each month as part of the subscription – great news for those with a gaming laptop, desktop, or even a handheld, such as the Steam Deck or new Xbox Ally.

But what if you don't have a gaming PC of some description? Why should you miss out on £100s worth of monthly freebies? Well, a new perk has just been added that gives you access to top quality games too – and you don't even need a console, let alone computer.

Amazon has relaunched its cloud gaming service, Amazon Luna, and Prime members especially benefit.

Announced just a few weeks ago, but now available, the new Amazon Luna hosts some of the biggest games of the last year for all Prime members to play for free. That includes the superb Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (one of the best games in the last 12 months) and Hogwarts Legacy, the excellent RPG based on the Harry Potter books.

All you need is a Bluetooth game controller or dedicated Amazon Luna gamepad and away you go. The service will run through a browser on a PC or Mac, Amazon Fire TV models, Fire TV Sticks, other Smart TVs from the likes of Samsung and LG, Fire Tablets, plus iPads, iPhones, and Android devices.

As the games are streamed over the internet, with your control movements sent in the opposite direction, there are no lengthy downloads. You just open the Luna app (or head to the dedicated web page), click on the game you want to play and away you go.

Some party games don't even need a dedicated controller, you can use your smartphone or tablet to play. That includes the exclusive new title Court Room Chaos – Starring Snoop Dogg and Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

And, if you want even more games at your fingertips, an Amazon Luna Premium subscription is available to add a whole host of additional big name titles. Ubisoft+ and Jackbox Games add-ons are available too.

However, you don't have to pay a penny extra if you don't want to, and the free games list is decent already. There should be enough for everyone to be getting on with.

If you've been looking for an exceptional pair of earbuds, then look no further. Yes, eyes off Beckham, please, much as he makes these 5-star earbuds look even more appealing.

Bowers & Wilkins has long made the best in-ears for the luxury market. The brand has Becks on the team as an ambassador, too, with these Pi8 in-ears (plus the Px7 S3 and Px8 S2) part of his repertoire.

Check out the B&W Pi8 new low price offer

Even if the Pi8 weren't Becks' apparent choice earbuds, however, they'd still be an assured top-class buy. We said they offer "great sound, thorough specification and unexpectedly swish design," in our review.

As they're so high up the league, however, the Pi8 have never been a bargain basement purchase. The £349 suggested retail price has been lowered marginally since launch, but it's only now that these earbuds have dropped to a new price low.

Having checked using third-party price-checker site, CamelCamelCamel, the previous £299 low has been reduced yet further as part of Amazon's October Prime Day sale.

That sale is meant to end today, 8th October, so you might want to get a wriggle on – in case the deal doesn't go into extra time. You never know, though, Black Friday could see an even better return in late November.

If over-ears are more your thing, however, then check out the 3 best headphones that are currently on offer for some great ideas. There are some classy offerings in there – even without that signature Beckham pose.

End-of-season clear-outs are in full swing, and Nike’s just switched on one of the biggest I've seen in ages.

The brand's End of Season sale is now live with up to 50% off more than 1,500 items, covering everything from everyday gym kit to race-day running shoes.

Shop the Nike End of Season Sale – over 1500 items on offer

So, if your training gear is due an upgrade - or you’ve been waiting for the right moment to try a new pair of Nike kicks - this is it.

The sale spans men’s, women’s and kids’, with a proper spread of training tops, shorts, leggings, sports bras, base layers, hoodies and gilets, plus a wall of road and trail running shoes. You’ll also find bags, caps and socks to round out a kit bag without rinsing the budget.

From the Nike end of season sale, I recommend trying to find a new pair of trainers at an affordable discounted price. At T3, I'm a big fan of the best Nike running and gym shoes and have given many Nike trainers 5-star reviews, including the Nike Metcon, Nike React Infinity Run, the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly and the Nike ZoomX Streakfly.

Head to the Nike website to shop the full Nike end of season sale today or keep reading for our top five picks, including Nike's best running shoes for training, sprinting and racing.

Sizing moves quickly once a sale properly kicks off, so it’s worth adding your sizes and filters first, then shortlisting a few options before they vanish.

Nike’s size guides are generally reliable, but if you’re between sizes in a running shoe, for example, keep in mind that many runners go a half-size up to allow for foot swell on longer runs.

Amazon has confirmed that Prime Big Deal Days 2025 will take place across 7 - 8 October.

The new major sales event will start at a 00:01 on 7 October and run through until the end of play, 23:59, the following day. You'll be able to find all the biggest deals on the main Amazon Prime Big Deal Days hubs in the UK and in the US.

As with previous years, there will be massive discounts on home, tech, toys and many other products – up to 40% off in many cases – and this time Amazon's Rufus AI shopping assistant can help with personalised suggestions.

There's also another new feature this year, with "New Deal Drop" offers appearing throughout the event. And just keep checking back on T3, as we'll be bringing you our own favourite deals up to and through Prime Big Deal Days.

Certainly, there will be thousands of them on Amazon over the two days, and the event enables the retailer to get ahead of the game prior to Black Friday.

Unlike Black Friday though, you will need to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of the Prime Big Deal Days sales. However, all new subscribers get a month's free trial first, you can sign up soon before the deals start and cancel afterwards.

Of course, you might not want to consider all the additional benefits Prime membership offers - such as free same or next-day delivery, Prime Gaming, Amazon Music Prime and much more. If you do stick around, it'll cost you £8.99 / $14.99 / €8.99 per month or £95 / $139 / €89.90 per year, which is reasonable considering it also includes Prime Video streaming.

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days: the sales and the products

As for the sales themselves, like Prime Day, we expect the new sales period to be a great time to grab an Amazon device, such as a Fire TV Stick, or Echo speaker. You should also find some amazing TV deals.

This summer, LG OLED TVs were available with massive discounts. There was also a great deal on a Philips Ambilight set, so we could see some big price drops on smart TVs.

And, there are plenty of Lightning Deals to be had too – short-term offers that tend to give you major discounts on products from all manner of categories, including whisky, mattresses, video games, Blu-rays, vinyl records, clothes, and much more. They tend to sell out fast and are time limited, so you'll need to be quick off the mark.

To help you spot the best amongst the 100s of products on offer, don't forget that T3 will be here to guide you to unmissable bargains. Just check out our in-depth guide on Amazon Prime Big Deals Day to find out more and join us during the days themselves to keep up to date. It could save you a bundle.

Amazon has announced its Prime Day sales event for 2025 and as part of the celebrations, it's added six surprise titles to its rolling lineup of free games.

All Amazon Prime members can claim them and, for me, the highlight is most certainly the Tomb Raider I-III Remastered collection. It includes Lara Croft's first three adventures in the one pack, all with enhanced graphics and quality of life improvements.

Amazon owns the Tomb Raider brand these days, so it makes sense that it's included in this great Prime Day giveaway. Also added to the selection of free games available from today are Dungeon of the Endless: Definitive Edition, Saints Row 2, Saints Row IV: Re-elected, Star Wars: Rebellion, and TOEM.

As with the vast majority of titles available to all Prime members through Prime Gaming, these are all available to download for PC. That includes many of the PC gaming handhelds on the market, such as the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go.

Some Xbox games have been given away in recent times too, but there aren't any available on the list this month.

How to redeem your free Amazon Prime games

To redeem the above games, along with all the others available on Prime Gaming today, just head to the Amazon Prime Gaming website, click on each game's redemption button and follow the instructions.

Games might need to be redeemed on different online stores, so you might be asked to create an account at GOG, Epic Games Store, etc. Just follow those instructions when they appear too.

As with all Prime Gaming offers, the latest batch of free games will only be available for a limited period. It's suggested that the bonus bundle above might only be free until Prime Day 2025 starts on 8 July (it runs through to 11 July).

Also, you will need to be a Prime member to redeem the games and take part in the Prime Day sales. However, new members can sign up for a 30-day free trial now.

Amazon Prime Gaming is one of the best services out there. Not only is it included in a Prime subscription as a completely free perk, it regularly gives away a whole stack of games each month – which don't cost you a penny more.

Most of them are for the PC, with many running well on the likes of the Steam Deck too. However, for the last couple months, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One owners have been able to snag a free game, too.

Last month, Prime Gaming gave away Minecraft Legends on PC and Xbox, while the month before yielded Wolfenstein: The Old Blood. Now, in May, you can redeem another in the acclaimed FPS series, with Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus available from next week.

Set in an alternate America in the 1960s – one where the Nazi's won the second World War – the game sees the return of BJ Blazkowicz as he seeks to once again disrupt the new world order.

The game was critically acclaimed on its release in 2017, and now you can find out why when it arrives on Prime Gaming on 8 May. While it's not a new game per se, it is new to the Prime Gaming platform.

You can redeem it on Xbox and/or PC by visiting Amazon's dedicated Prime Gaming website and clicking on the Claim Game button. It'll give you a code that can be entered into a redemption box on your Xbox console's Store page or on Microsoft's redemption page online. You will need Prime membership (of course), plus a Microsoft account.

Another 21 PC games will also be available through Prime Gaming this month, including some that have been added already. It's worth remembering that all of the games – including Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus – will only be available for around a month, so you'll need to redeem them quickly.

There are some games still available on Prime Gaming from last month's drop.

What Amazon Prime Gaming games are available in May?

These are the games coming to Prime Gaming in May, including the dates when they will arrive. All are PC games (to be redeemed across multiple game stores), while only Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus will work on Xbox too.

Available now:

• Lego Star Wars – The Complete Saga
• Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds Saga
• Styx: Master of Shadows
• The Invisible Hand

From 8 May:

• Amnesia: Rebirth
• Doors – Paradox
• Hypnospace Outlaw
• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

From 15 May:

• Endless Legend Definitive Edition
• Golf with Your Friends
• Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2
• Mail Time
• Saints Row: Gat out of Hell

From 22 May:

• Chessarama
• Everdream Valley
• Fate
• The Lost Ashford Ring
• Thief 2: The Metal Age

From 29 May:

• Liberté
• Masterplan Tycoon
• Samurai Bringer
• Masterplan Tycoon

For the last few years, Amazon Prime members have been able to redeem free games through the include Prime Gaming perk, with 100s of them being given away each year.

However, they've always been PC games until very recently, so if you don't own a gaming PC or a handheld, such as the Steam Deck, you've not really been able to play them.

For the last couple of months though, Amazon has added an Xbox game to the mix – with one of the monthly titles coming for PC and Xbox consoles. That was Wolfenstein: The Old Blood last month, but you can now claim another.

Minecraft Legends is a real-time strategy game set in the world of Minecraft and the giveaway is timed to coincide with the new movie hitting cinemas.

Offered for free on PC and Xbox consoles – Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S – it tasks you with protecting the Overworld from regular invasions of Piglins. You can build defensive structures, harvest resources and raise your own fighting troops – all in Minecraft's blocky style.

The game can be redeemed by heading to the Amazon Prime Gaming site and clicking on the Xbox version of Minecraft Legends. Then tap on "Get Game" and it'll give you a code that can be redeemed on your Xbox console (in the Store's side menu) or on Microsoft's redemption page online... you just need a Microsoft account first.

The other PC games to be available to all Amazon Prime members this month include Mafia III: Definitive Edition, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, and Endless Space: Definitive Edition.

You can see the full list below.

Amazon Prime Gaming free games for April

Available now:

• Clouds & Sheep 2
• Gravity Circuit
• Mafia III: Definitive Edition
• Minecraft Legends
• Paleo Pines

Coming 10 April:

• DreadOut 2
• Endless Space: Definitive Edition
• Faraway: Director’s Cut
• God’s Trigger
• New York Mysteries: Power of Art Collector’s Edition
• Projection: First Light

Coming 17 April:

• Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
• Berserk Boy
• Fashion Police Squad
• Genesis Noir
• Gloomhaven
• The Last Spell
• The Last Show of Mr Chardish
• Wild Country

Coming 24 April:

• Kraken Academy
• Priest Simulator: Vampire Show
• Thief Gold
• Troublemaker

Amazon Prime membership doesn't just reward you with free games each month, you also get free next day delivery on thousands of items, Prime Video access, and a whole load of other great perks. Indeed, the new AI-powered Alexa+ will also be completely free to all Prime members.

It is priced at £95 for a year in the UK and $139 in the US. You can also pay monthly for £8.99, $14.99, and $9.99 if you live in Australia.

Amazon is giving away a huge collection of games this month, with all Amazon Prime members able to grab them for free.

That's because Prime Gaming is one of the main benefits of Prime and as well as give access to certain titles to play on Amazon's Luna cloud gaming service, the retailer and tech giant also offers a whole stack of PC games to download.

There are 20 games coming in March to play on one of the best gaming laptops, desktop or even a handheld, which will be added to the freebies still available from February's catalogue drop. You'll have to be quick to redeem them though as they won't last forever... you generally find they'll only be around for about a month.

The first to hit the service are a trio of crime titles plus a fantasy strategy game. Available already are Saints Row: The Third Remastered, Mafia II: Definitive Edition, Crime Boss: Rockay City, and Naheulbeuk's Dungeon Master.

You can redeem them now from the dedicated Prime Gaming website, you just need to sign in using your Amazon account and if you're a Prime member already, you will be given instructions on the next steps.

Games are generally hosted on third-party stores, such as Epic Games Store and GOG, as well as on Amazon's own gaming service, so you'll also need accounts with those too. They're free to sign up to, though.

Also added to the lineup this month are the following:

From 13 March

• Beholder 3
• Dark Deity: Complete Edition
• Endling - Extinction is Forever
• Syberia: The World Before
• Wall World

From 20 March

• Figment 2: Creed Valley
• Legacy of Kain: Defiance
• Mortal Shell
• Mutazione
• Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

And from 27 March

• Deus Ex: Invisible War
• Gamedec - Definitive Edition
• Let's Build A Zoo
• Session: Skate Sim
• The Forgotten City
• The Wisbey Mystery

If you head to the Prime Gaming site now, you can still download many of the February games, including the excellent Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut.

If you're not yet an Amazon Prime member, you can sign up for a free month's trial and snag all of the games over the next 30 days – you don't even need to continue your membership to keep them.

However, if you do want to continue and get further free games, plus free next-day delivery, Prime Video access and a whole load of other benefits, it costs £8.99 / $14.99 / A$9.99 per month or £95 / $139 / A$79 for an entire year.

I can't decide whether it's my fault that this Liam Neeson movie passed me by, or whether it's because it came out in 2021 – during those 'unprecedented times' that we try not to talk about – or, frankly, because the actor makes so gaddamn many movies that it's hard to keep track.

Either way, adding to my record of 'shows and movies I missed but would like to see' is The Marksman – which is available on Amazon Prime Video right now. It looks like classic Neeson, playing as Arizonan rancher (well, ex-Marine marksman), Jim Hanson, who mostly wants to be left alone. But, of course, he's not going to be left alone – he's going to land headfirst into a scenario of right versus wrong and stand up for the former.

"I don't scare easy," says Neeson in the trailer, embedded above, giving echoes of classic one-liners from his myriad of movies. All those very many movies which are pretty much the same film over and over again. Except, The Marksman, at least to my eyes, looks like a more subtle variation on Neeson's norm. If only a little.

Given 2025's change in political climes, The Marksman, which is set near to the Mexican border, has renewed meaning. It's about Hanson protecting an 11-year-old boy, Miguel, who is being pursued by the cartel, and whose mother dies in a border shoot-out (not a spoiler, it's at the beginning of the trailer). Jim and Miguel's relationship becomes front and centre, as if the two are family.

Nonetheless, critics did not rate the movie highly, with The Marksman netting a lacklustre 38% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans, on the other hand, flip that score back to front – quite literally – with an 83% approval rating. That speaks volumes about viewers understanding what a Neeson movie is – but, actually, this is one of the higher-rated ones.

I've got so much to watch at the moment – Severance is my weekly go-to, with Silo also occupying my time (yes, I'm late to both) – but I'll certainly be adding The Marksman to my watch list. I've not been exploring Amazon Prime Video as readily as the other best streaming services of late, but this split-the-crowd Neeson flick looks like exactly what my weekend ordered!

It's a busy week for Apple TV, not only do we now have a native app for Android – something that's taken years to arrive – but the Prime Video app for the set-top-box has been given a much-needed refresh.

First arriving in 2017, the Amazon Prime Video Apple TV app has gone through a fair few changes over the years. However, there's always been something missing – it's rarely used the capabilities of Apple's hardware, offering a bog-standard experience instead. It was hardly suitable for one of the best streaming devices around.

Now though, the app has been redesigned to take advantage of the last few generations of Apple TV box, including the latest Apple TV 4K and the Apple TV HD released in 2015.

You can now swipe on the Siri Remote to scroll through shows, and use the touchpad for numerous interactions, including fast-forwarding and rewinding.

Search has been greatly improved too, with more responsive results appearing as you type, plus voice functionality now baked in.

New accessibility features have been added, while the whole service gets a facelift, with higher-resolution marquees for shows and movies. New sounds play when navigating, too.

The new Amazon Prime Video app is available to download on Apple TV boxes now. If you haven't received the update yet, you may need to check for it on your device's App Store.

How much is Amazon Prime Video?

Amazon Prime Video is available as part of an Amazon Prime subscription, which costs £8.99 / $14.99 / A$9.99 per month or £95 / $139 / A$79.99 for a whole year. You can also sign up for a 30-day free trial period if you're not already a member.

The basic package includes ad-supported streaming, although unlike other services, you still get 4K HDR video and surround sound with the free version. However, if you pay an additional £2.99 / $2.99 / A$2.99 per month, not only do you remove the adverts, you also get Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support.

It's also worth noting that an Amazon Prime subscription includes free next-day delivery on thousands of items, Prime Gaming, Prime Reading and a whole lot of other benefits. You get access to Amazon's own sales prices too – on Prime Day, for example.

There is so much to watch and entertain us on TV these days – almost too much, really. However, we're not complaining as we'd rather have an abundance of choice than be stuck watching Eastenders at 7.30pm every night because Netflix and Amazon Prime Video didn't exist.

Thankfully they do, and they allow you to watch pretty much anywhere, providing you have an internet connection or you have taken advantage of their downloading capabilities. But, when you think of the streaming services available on your big screen, rather than just smaller screens like phones and tablets, there is one that may not immediately spring to mind.

Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video are all services that we naturally watch on our TVs, with some even built into services like Sky. YouTube, on the other hand, might not currently be one of the ones you would automatically think to watch on your big screen television.

What's coming up for YouTube this year?

But as it turns out, TV viewing is now more prominent than mobile for YouTube users, so Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ may need to watch out.

On YouTube's official blog, a post titled "Our Big Bets for 2025" sees CEO of YouTube, Neal Mohan, highlight what is coming for the site that turns 20-years old this year. The post was picked up by 9to5Google and says: "TV has surpassed mobile and is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the US (by watch time)."

The post also revealed that "viewers are watching, on average, over 1 billion hours of YouTube content on TVs daily". That includes Shorts, podcasts, and live streams.

The blog post also highlighted that the video streaming platform is now the "most frequently used service for listening to podcasts in the US".

With all that in mind, Mohan revealed the YouTube TV app would be improved this year and mentioned a "Watch With" feature that allows creators to "provide live commentary and real time reactions to games and events". It is also looking to expand "fan-favourite YouTube TV features, like Key Plays and multiview".

There was also talk of "new benefits for YouTube Premium subscribers".

If you're someone who already watches YouTube on your TV, then it sounds like your experience is soon to get better. And if not, then perhaps you should be.

Filming on the second season of Amazon Prime Video's Fallout TV series is well underway and a leaked image from the set has appeared online.

If you haven't finished season 1 yet, we thoroughly recommend you stop reading and go do so right now – there are spoilers ahead. But if you're still with us and fancy a glimpse at what to expect with season 2, then check out the below.

Posted on the Fallout Reddit board by user FeuTarse, the photo shows a scenery prop from the forthcoming follow-up season. And it'll be instantly familiar to anyone who has played the sublime Fallout: New Vegas.

The cliff-hanger ending of season 1 gave us an indication that the second would be set in New Vegas, at least initially, and now we have proof.

"Dinky the T-Rex" first appeared in that game and, as confirmed by Eurogamer, was found on the side of the road on the way to the city itself. It's part of a desert highway motel in the Mojave Wasteland and, in the game, you meet some interesting NPCs, including a cowboy robot called Victor.

Maybe that'll be the case in the series too. It'd certainly be cool if they can get William Sadler to reprise the role he originally voiced.

Either way, as with the first season, it seems showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet are keen to keep the series as accurate to the source as possible, while also telling a new story.

It's a strategy that earned Fallout 94% from critics and 90% from the audience on Rotten Tomatoes, and ensured the show broke numerous viewing records for the streaming service on its debut last April.

We don't yet have confirmation for when second season might appear, and considering its only just entered production, we might yet have a while to wait. Still, at least that gives us plenty more time for further speculation and leaks.

Roll back something like a decade or more, and you might just return to a time when Amazon Prime felt like one of the best deals around. This simple membership gave you pretty serious savings on shipping at the already-huge retailer, as well as access to its steadily growing library of streaming movies and shows.

When we recently wrote about the death of Amazon's Try Before You Buy service, though, it got us thinking about some of the other bits and pieces that Amazon has sliced away from Prime over the years (while the membership's prices have steadily grown).

Now, to be clear, if you go back and look at the launch prices of any number of tech companies, from Netflix to Disney+, you'll find sad numbers compared with today's. Still, we got our thinking caps on and found the below list of defunct offerings that Prime no longer includes – as a reminder of better days.

Try Before You Buy

As mentioned, Try Before You Buy was what prompted all this thinking, and it's been confirmed that Amazon's ending the service on 31 January after years in which it was included with Prime. This basically let you order up to six bits of clothing from certain sellers, and only be charged for any that you decided to keep after trying them on.

It gave people real flexibility to shop online without worrying about waiting for refunds on their returns, but very soon will no longer be available. Of course, those who rightly decry fast fashion will point out that this is great for cutting down on unnecessary emissions and disposable clothing, but others will counter that it's nonetheless an occasionally useful feature that's being thrown away.

Ad-free Prime Video

When it comes to Prime Video, there are a lot of ways you could look at the value Amazon has offered over the years. On the one hand, for example, you have more content than ever right now, including more originals, and you also get 4K resolution where possible, since Amazon hasn't ever resorted to locking resolutions behind paywalls. That makes it one of the best streaming services by any measure.

However, there's also no getting away from the fact that Prime Video used to be a one-plan service, where you paid for access and got everything without ads. Now, though, you have to pay a supplement to make your content ad-free, which makes for a more expensive subscription unless you're fine with those annoying breaks.

It's been one of the most obviously impactful changes to the subscription that Amazon's ever made, and it's impossible to argue that it's a positive.

Always-free shipping

Way back when it first launched, Prime was a really simple proposition – you paid a monthly or annual price, and got completely free shipping. This would typically be faster than you would otherwise get, but regardless of how long it would take, it would be free.

Sadly, that's no longer the case, although the explanation underlines how minor the issue is. If you want same-day shipping, something that can only ever be accessed on certain products and in some locations anyway, you now have to pay a little fee to make it happen. Again, I'd argue this isn't a big deal for almost anyone, since same-day shipping is clearly labour and emission-intensive, but given that it used to be included for free, it's nonetheless a miss.

Free Dolby Atmos

I've included this as another example of the sort of benefit that some people simply won't notice, whether because they're not using a surround sound system or because they don't much care, but in early 2024 people started to notice that they were no longer getting Dolby Atmos sound from Prime Video.

Upon investigation, it was confirmed that Amazon was putting the top-quality sound option behind the same supplementary payment as the no-ads version of Prime Video, so even if you didn't mind adverts, you'd need to upgrade for the best surround sound.

Pricing

Of course, there's no getting away from the single biggest and most obvious change that you'd encounter if you went back to check out Amazon Prime 10 years ago – its price. Amazon hasn't necessarily enacted annual price rises, and it's still really easy to make the case for Prime's value overall, but it's clearly gone up by a pretty heft margin.

It launched at $79 per year in the US, but now costs $139; in the UK it launched at £49 but now costs £95. In both cases that comes out to around double the cost – but also in each case, Prime has been around for nearly 20 years, which makes that margin feel less of an issue.

In fact, this all brings us round to the reason we tallied this (far from exhaustive) list up in the first place. It underlines the fact that Amazon's top-level pricing still doesn't feel unfair for what you get, by any stretch. However, by occasionally removing a feature or locking it behind an additional monthly cost, the membership has been a little diluted over time.

Is there anything better than knowing something others don't – being on the inside of something amazing?

Well. that's something that can happen quite a lot with TV series, especially in the days of streaming services. While there are shows everyone knows, watches and talks about around the photocopier at work, there are also hidden gems to be discovered lurking deep in the forgotten realms of a platform's content library.

We've found three such shows on Amazon Prime Video that definitely tick all the right boxes. So check these out... but remember to keep them to yourself.

Mr. Mercedes

Mr. Mercedes is quite possibly the greatest serial killer thriller / supernatural drama that nobody really knows much about. Streamed in the US on Peacock but now available on Amazon Prime Video in the UK, this adaptation of an original series of novels by the great Stephen King is simply fantastic.

It tells the story of the hunt for a killer that defies reason, logic or the natural realm, and is funny, shocking and unsettling.

The show has a razor sharp script, and each of the three seasons benefit from having the consistently great Brendan Gleeson at the helm. Harry Treadaway also pulls off an acting masterstroke as one of King’s greatest evil creations, Brady Hartsfield.

Watch it, watch it today!

Elementary

Sherlock Holmes' big and small screen outings are so plentiful that they can be hit or miss affairs. – for every Sherlock there is an Enola Holmes, for example. And so, when back in 2012 it was announced that there was to be a modern update, set in New York and starring Jonny Lee Miller as a recovering drug addict, it was met with doubts.

However, after 154 episodes and seven seasons I think it's fair to say the show was a success!

Now to be found in the bowels of Prime Video and pretty much forgotten about, Elementary is well worth rediscovering. Rich in character and plot development, and with a perfectly-placed central performance from Miller, it also has enough twists and turns throughout the seasons to keep interest levels up.

It's absolutely perfect for an especially long binge session.

11.22.63

If you could go back in time to the 60s what would you do? Personally, I would ask John and Paul not to let Ringo sing on Yellow Submarine and save future me from having to sing it every week in school music lessons… but in this Stephen King adaptation our hero uses the power to try and save JFK from assassination. Whatever floats your boat. Or submarine.

What follows is a mission that goes awry, turns into a love story and has the intelligence to keep to a single, really good season.

It looks great, has perfect tone and pacing, and at no point gives into stupidity or melodrama. A solid cast, good direction and an underlying story premise that has real depth and interest result in an excellent day's worth of binge.

My recent barometer for 'good movie' seems to be 'anything with Hugh Grant in'. The British actor has been on fine form in recent years – in particular in Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen, released in 2019 on Netflix, which also happens to be leaving one of the best streaming services on 20 January. Catch it while you can – as there's only this weekend to do so!

I'd go as far as to say The Gentlemen is my favourite Guy Ritchie-directed movie of the last 25 years, as I can't sensibly claim that anything since 2000's Snatch (the sequel to 1998's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels...) has hit quite the same heights for me. Although Ritchie does have an impressive portfolio, from Sherlock Holmes (2009) to Aladdin (2019) – he's no one-trick pony.

The Gentlemen's reception was strong enough to lead to a spin-off series on Netflix too (the appropriately titled The Gentlemen, just to confuse) – and don't forget about this other forgotten Ritchie TV show too – that I've also hugely enjoyed, and look forward to returning for season 2... even though that probably won't air until 2026.

But back to The Gentlemen, as in the movie version. I've often been surprised by the lack of higher ratings – it's 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a slightly higher audience score – because its ensemble cast is of premier Hollywood quality, while its script is typically Ritchie in its verbose yet hilarious form. It's all peak Ritchie irreverence, that's what – which I highly recommend.

The film stars Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Pearson, an American in London who is building a drug empire – but is looking to cash out of the business. And so begins the spiral of everything going wrong thanks to a variety of shady characters – including great stints from Colin Farrell, Charlie Hunnam, Jeremy Strong, and Michelle Dockery.

It's one hell of a cast and one hell of a lot of fun – despite the naysayers. For me, Ritchie is at his forte when dealing with the British gangster genre (if I can call it that) – especially with so much tongue-in-cheek humour among the various outlandish moments that'll keep you hooked. I think I'll watch it again this weekend just to remind myself of the laughs to be had...

Amazon Prime has been around for quite some time now and offers a decent number of perks for its yearly subscription cost. That includes free and fast delivery, but you also get access to special prices during sales periods like Black Friday, as well as subscriber-specific shopping events like Prime Big Day Deals.

Amazon Prime Video, Prime Gaming and ebook lending via Prime Reading are others that have also proved very useful, too.

However, there are a couple of extra benefits that you may not even know about, and sadly one of those is also about to disappear. The Independent has reported that Amazon is calling time on its "Try Before You Buy" perk that allows shoppers to try on clothing, shoes and accessories at home before being charged.

What is Prime Try Before You Buy and when does it end?

Under the perk, you can buy up to six items and have seven days to try them on before being charged. It works in a similar way to services like Stitch Fix used to, where you decided what you wanted to keep before you paid anything.

Of course, you can also opt to use services like Klarna's Pay Later if you want to shop elsewhere. As long as you send items you don't want back before the returns deadline, your Klarna bill will only reflect what you have chosen to keep.

Still, Amazon has offered the "Try Before You Buy" benefit since 2018, initially trialled as Prime Wardrobe in 2017. The decision is said to be down to customers making better use of size recommendations and features like virtual try on.

An Amazon spokesperson said in a statement: “Given the combination of Try Before You Buy only scaling to a limited number of items and customers increasingly using our new AI-powered features like virtual try-on, personalised size recommendations, review highlights, and improved size charts to make sure they find the right fit, we’re phasing out the Try Before You Buy option."

The last date to qualify for the perk is 31 January, 2025. Any apparel purchased after that date will qualify for free returns, but you will need to pay upfront as you do with other items on the online store.

When I compile a list of all the series I've watched on Prime Video down the years, aside from the fact that it gets unmanageably long very quickly, one show always ends up atop my reckoning. I love Reacher, and I'm not afraid to say it.

I've read every single Jack Reacher thriller, which comes in at nearly 30 novels, so when Prime Video announced it was adapting the series with a new lead actor who actually looked the part, I was buzzing. Now the show's about to get its third season, after two strong outings, and we've finally got a full trailer to sink our teeth into.

Surprising absolutely no one, it looks like great fun, too. Reacher (Alan Ritchson) is back on a new case this time out, as he once again finds himself roped into a complex situation after a little bit of citizen policing. This time around, he's recruited by the DEA to infiltrate an organisation they think might be up to no good.

Once he proves himself and gets into the aforementioned bad company, it's up to Reacher to bring it down from the inside. Standing in his way are an army of goons with a leader in the shape of Paulie, a genuine giant of a man played by body builder Olivier Richters. He's the first adversary Reacher's come up against in a long time who not only is bigger than him, but actually makes him look small.

Paulie's one of the most memorable villains in the whole Reacher series, so it'll be exciting to see how Prime Video brings him to life. The trailer shows at least a couple of big fights, but I'm more looking forward to the undercover segments where Reacher can't give himself away, like the gym sequence we get a look at.

All of this makes me hopeful that the third season of Reacher can continue the show's success, after a second season that I felt was a bit too safe, with too many recurring characters. The new season will debut on 20 February with a two-episode premier, before continuing with weekly episodes from that point on. Amazon will be optimistic that it can help cement its place atop the list of the best streaming services out there.

There's some great news for gamers and fans of animation alike, Amazon Prime Video has recommissioned its latest big hit series for another run.

Secret Level is an anthology show appearing on the streaming service and is based on some of the biggest games around. Each of its 15 episodes is set around a different game, with the majority being sci-fi.

The game list includes Warhammer 40,000, Armored Core, Unreal Tournament, Pac-Man, and Concord, with the last being particularly notable considering Sony cancelled the game on which it is centred. In some ways that's a shame as the episode itself is great.

While it was considered so-so by critics, the series has been very well received by viewers – it currently scores 82% on Rotten Tomatoes by the audience. That's largely thanks to great animation, with each episode largely having its own style, and a mighty cast list with voices provided by the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keanu Reeves, and Kevin Hart.

Creator Tim Miller is also the director behind Deadpool and Love, Death & Robots, so knows a thing or two about the genre.

It's worth noting too that the running times of each episode are around 10 - 20 minutes, so they are bite-sized and easy to binge.

It's likely that Secret Level season 2 will be similar, but possibly focusing on a whole new batch of games – sci-fi, fantasy and more. Variety reports that the first run received approximately 1.4 millions views in the US in its first week, so it's easy to see why Amazon wants it to continue.

And we're certainly not going to argue.

Even though the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are starting to fade away, there are still some amazing incentives out there to keep an eye out for.

Amazon Prime members, for example, are about to get their latest batch of free PC games, and one of the 18 titles on offer in December just so happens to be one of the best games of all time.

Quake II was a massive hit when it first launched for PC in 1997 and nigh-on redefined the first-person shooter. It won plenty of awards and was even called the "third best computer game ever" by one of our sister titles, PC Gamer magazine.

It even introduced the ability to crouch to the series for the first time – something that has appeared in pretty much every FPS ever since. And it ditched fantasy elements to entirely focus on a sci-fi story and setting.

Then, of course, there's the multiplayer which, in my opinion, was class-leading for years.

Now you can find out why as the original version will be available at no extra cost to all Amazon Prime members from 5 December via Prime Gaming.

Also coming throughout the month are Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, Tomb Raider: Underworld, Overcooked! 2, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, and Dredge. In fact, those can be downloaded for free now.

Disney Pixar Wall-E joins Quake II this Thursday, while Planet of Lana, Hero’s Hour, The Coma: Recut, Electrician Simulator, and ReDrawn: The Painted Tower Collector’s Edition will be added on 12 December.

From 19 December you'll also be able to add Nine Witches: Family Disruption, Predator: Hunting Grounds, Aces of the Luftwaffe — Squadron Extended Edition, Simulakros, and Christmas Fables: The Magic Snowflake Collector’s Edition to your collection. And finally, The Town of Light will be available on Boxing Day.

Games tend to be hosted on third-party digital stores, such as the Epic Games Store or GOG, or will appear directly in your Amazon Games Library, so you might need external accounts to redeem them. However, you just need to click on each free title on the Prime Gaming website and it'll take you through the steps to sign up for each if you haven't already.

You just need to be a member of Amazon Prime to take advantage.

J-Lo is a bankable star, and there's no doubt about that, but it's also fair to say that her back catalogue is of somewhat mixed quality. Especially recently, she's been in a few genuine turkeys.

After the disappointment of shocking reviews for her Netflix original Atlas earlier this year, a sci-fi epic that simply flopped, she's now back with one of the other best streaming services around. Amazon Prime Video recently uploaded a trailer for its upcoming movie Unstoppable, which stars J-Lo in a major role.

The movie tells the unbelievable true story of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome), an aspiring wrestler who was born with one leg but didn't let that stop him from trying to reach the summit of his sport. It takes a look at the stressful time he went through trying to secure a college scholarship despite his disability.

J-Lo plays Anthony's mother, his greatest supporter – one who's willing to ignore easy short-term wins to help him secure the future she knows he deserves. It looks like a much more tied-down role than her showing in Atlas, and that hopefully means she can showcase her best acting work.

She's not the only big name in the cast, though, with Don Cheadle also showing up as Anthony's college coach, along with Michael Peña as the high school coach who can't quite believe what Anthony's truly capable of. Bobby Cannavale plays Anthony's dad, who might find it a little more difficult to have faith that his son's going to make it big.

There's nothing quite like a sports movie at this time of year, as families start to come back together for the holidays, and Unstoppable looks like it could hit just the right blend of optimism, emotional notes, and triumphant wrestling moments. That said, you won't be able to sit down and watch it this holiday season, since Unstoppable doesn't hit Prime Video until early next year, on 16 January 2025.

I'd say it's a bit of a shame that it therefore won't be an option over the holidays, but then again it's always nice to have something to look forward to early in the new year. If you're a Jennifer Lopez fan, this has to be one for your watchlist.

Amazon Prime Video is on a role when it comes to video games adaptations. Not only has it broken viewing records with Fallout, gained a cult following for Like a Dragon, and has Tomb Raider to come, it has now been confirmed that a TV series based on the hugely popular sci-fi RPG epic, Mass Effect, is in the works.

Amazon has reportedly hired the writer of Fast & Furious 9, Daniel Casey, to pen the show for its streaming service. As Variety reveals, he'll also act as executive producer alongside Ari Arad and EA / Bioware stalwart, Michael Gamble – who is also overseeing the next RPG chapter.

Little else is known about the new show as yet, but Amazon is said to have been in negotiations to sign the license since 2021.

In many ways it is the perfect game franchise to turn into a TV or film series. After its extraordinary work on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, it opted to repeat the formula but in its own sci-fi universe. By doing so, it created one of the most detailed and rich settings in gaming – one that is ripe for adaptation to the small screen.

The universe, characters, races and worlds it established will make for fascinating viewing, whether Casey chooses to adapt the games' story and centre on Shepherd as the lead, or if he decides to go in another direction and tell a whole new tale.

I personally hope he chooses the latter – it has worked well for Fallout and is more interesting for fans of the games and newcomers alike. The Last of Us is superb, for sure, but knowing the outcome already dampens its appeal a touch.

Whatever happens, it could finally cement Amazon as the new king of sci-fi, as it seeks to snatch the crown from Apple TV+.

Amazon has started to roll out a new feature to its Prime Video platform that will help you remembered the goings-on in previous seasons of your favourite shows.

X-Ray Recaps are powered by generative AI and purposely designed to give you enough information, but without spoilers. They appear on the streaming service in each TV show's dedicated page and you can check out the summaries for each season and even individual episodes.

Even segments of episodes can be caught up on using X-Ray Recaps. The information is available from the menu page or while streaming a programme, as part of the usual IMDB-powered X-Ray featureset.

"Prime Video product and technology teams work relentlessly behind the scenes to enhance customers’ viewing experience, and with the creation of X-Ray Recaps, we’re directly addressing a common problem customers face when streaming content – forgetting where they left off," said the vice president of product at Prime Video, Adam Gray.

"With this context-aware functionality, Prime Video will deliver summaries of memorable moments and important plot points so our customers can quickly jump back into what they were watching or rediscover why they fell in love with a series in the first place."

The feature is rolling out in beta form on Fire TV models and devices now, as part of a Prime Video update in the US. It initially offers Recaps for all of Amazon's own original series.

It will also arrive on other devices before the end of the year, although there's no word yet on when it will be available in other regions, such as the UK and Australia.

The new feature is part of a suite of different generative AI capabilities Amazon is testing for its TV services right now. We'll keep you informed as soon as we find out more.

There are those out there that say that the level of blood, gore, profanity and sex on our screens these days is a sign of decline in the nation's morality. But there are others that believe TV these days is great and we're lucky to live in a time of streaming services and getting the choice of what to watch and when to watch it.

No matter which side of the fence you fall on, there's no denying that The Boys is a great piece of modern TV that couldn't have been made in any other era. Oh, and that watching laser beams blow up peoples heads is entertaining.

But, what to do now that season 4 is finished? How will we fill the gap between now and our next adventure with Billy Butcher and the gang? Easy, get Prime Video back on and check out some of these great super-shows.

Gen V

The Boys has been a huge hit for Amazon. An unexpectedly adult take on the superhero genre based on a successful comic franchise, the show found its place in the market by being the most offensive, shocking show on TV at the time. It charts a world where superheroes are real and, despite their powers, have faults like normal people. It's also regularly pushed the boundaries on what you can get away with on TV.

Gen V is one of the spinoff shows and set in the same universe. However, it focuses this time on teenagers who, while at a college for those with powers, have to deal with the daily drama of growing up mixed with an overarching conspiracy, violence and the expectations put on them by a world that idolises "Supes".

Very much like The Boys, the show is largely outrageous and aims to offend as many people and as quickly as possible.

Although seen by many as a bit of a cash-in even, the show has proved to be very popular in its own right. It even grabbed itself a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and looks to be a major sideways step into an ever expanding The Boys universe.

Invicible

With the huge global success of The Walking Dead, its creator Robert Kirkman found himself in a position where every studio out there wanted to own pretty much anything he had written and any franchise he had options for.

That included his coming of age comic book series, Invincible. It has always been a huge fan favourite and in 2021, Prime Video paid an undisclosed (but we can only imagine huge) amount of money to buy the rights and bring it to the small screen.

And honestly, the streaming service has done a great job of it!

The son of Earth's most powerful superhero is about to become something greater than himself: something bold, something universal, something – invincible. From the comics to the screen, Invincible follows Mark Grayson's journey to become Earth's next great defender after his father, Nolan Grayson – also known as Omni-Man – decides to follow through on a mission to enslave the planet and generally be unpleasant.

Invincible tells a fantastic story of family relationships, teenage angst and responsibility, all wrapped up in a hyper-gory animated series. Heroes can die, people have flaws, the good guys don't always win and life can be unfair.

It's a really cool superhero show that, like the comic books, is happy to push the envelope and offend when it needs to… very much like The Boys.

Gotham

Are you at home now crying out for a 100-episode, gritty retelling of the Batman origin story? If so, 2014’s Gotham has you covered.. Kind of.

A Batman show that had no intention of ever including an actual Batman was always going to be a hard sell to networks, but Gotham has proved to be a constantly popular and evolving show that combines great storytelling with a splendid central cast.

The show has us following the character of Detective Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) as he navigates the underworld of Gotham City, tries to solve the double murder of the Waynes, and fights corruption, all the while surrounded by a crowd of developing super villains. It's a lot of fun yet also carries enough weight in the drama department to keep your attention through the five seasons.

Never giving in to pressure to bring the caped crusader into the show, Gotham is a fantastic example of easily binge-able television. A perfect origin add-on to the movies as well as being strong enough to be watched on its own.

Prime Gaming is adding a mighty swathe of free PC games to download in October – and all of them will be free for Amazon Prime members.

With 27 to choose from, there'll be something for everyone, but my favourite is undoubtedly Bioshock Remastered – the touched-up version of one of the best first-person shooters of all time. It's arguably even one of the best games, full stop.

Originally released in 2007, Bioshock is a single-player FPS set in an alternative, steampunk-esque 1960s and introduced us to the art deco underwater city Rapture. It was planned to be a haven for the super rich but disaster struck and it's now a dark, crumbling dystopia filled with deadly denizens.

You must navigate your way through its halls and secrets, pumping yourself with ability boosting chemicals along the way. There are plenty of jump scares – not least when the occasional "Big Daddy" makes an appearance – and it still holds up today. Not least thanks to the graphical upgrades it received with the Remastered version.

Bioshock Remastered is available to download from Prime Gaming now, along with 11 other PC games. A further five will be added on 17 October, six on 24 October, and a final five on Halloween, 31 October.

You can see the full list below, which includes the name of the digital store where you can redeem each game for free:

Available now

• Hive Jump 2: Survivors [GOG]
• SCARF [Amazon Games]
• Tomb Raider: Legend [GOG]
• The Eternal Cylinder [Epic Games Store]
• Spirit of the North [Epic Games Store]
• No Straight Roads [Epic Games Store]
• BioShock Remastered [GOG]
• Doom Eternal [Microsoft Store]
• DreadOut 2 [Amazon Games]
• Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Ecto Edition [Epic Games Store]
• Priest Simulator: Vampire Show [Epic Games Store]
• The Gap [Amazon Games]

Coming 17 October 2024

• Mystery Box: Hidden Secrets [Legacy Games]
• Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness [Amazon Games]
• Through the Darkest of Times [Amazon Games]
• Killing Floor 2 [Epic Games Store]
• Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol [Amazon Games]

Coming 24 October

• Pumpkin Jack [GOG]
• The Gunk [GOG]
• Stasis: Bone Totem [Epic Games Store]
• Gargoyles Remastered [Amazon Games]
• Monster Train [GOG]
• Morbid: The Seven Acolytes [Epic Games Store]

Coming 31 October

• A Plague Tale: Innocence [GOG]
• Death’s Door [Epic Games Store]
• Haunted Hotel: Personal Nightmare Collector’s Edition [Amazon Games]
• Scorn [GOG]
• Coromon [GOG]

How to redeem Prime Gaming PC games

You will need to be a member of Amazon Prime to get the free games. However, you can sign up for a 30-day trial if you are a new subscriber and cancel at any time before the first payment is due.

All of the free games will be listed on the official Prime Gaming website (a large amount already are), so just head there, click on the game you want, click on "Get game" on the next screen and then "Claim code" on the additional screen that follows.

There will also be instructions on where to enter that code, depending on the digital service that its available on.

You will need to have an account for each individual service too, such as GOG and Epic Games Store. However, no money will change hands and you'll be able to keep the game forever.

Many of the games will also work on PC-based handheld games machines, which is an added bonus.

Amazon is hoping to repeat its success with Fallout this month as another huge video game adaptation hits the streaming service.

Like a Dragon: Yakuza is based on the extremely popular RPGs from Rya Ga Gotoku Studio (and published by Sega). It's set around the earlier games – as there have been 13 main outings and spin-offs since 2005's Yakuza (not including remakes) – and that means it centres on ex-Yakuza footsoldier Kazuma Kiryu and his fight to unravel a conspiracy involving his best friend and former employers, the Tojo Clan.

You can basically expect a lot of martial arts fight sequences, with lead actor Ryoma Takeuchi (Pokémon: Detective Pikachu) previously revealing that, during filming, he "was willing to put my life on the line".

Amazon has now released a full trailer for the new show, which will debut on Prime Video on 24 October.

In it, we can clearly see that the series will pull no punches. It also seemingly lacks the more humorous side of the later games, focusing on a grittier, more realistic aesthetic and characters.

It's also worth noting that the entire series will be presented in Japanese with subtitles (which is exactly as we'd want it). That adds to overall styling and authenticity. But like the games, it does use the fictional Tokyo district of Kamurochō as its setting.

It's good to see that Goro Majima will still be integral too, as he's one of the crazier characters in the earlier Yakuza games and a true fan favourite. He's played by Munetaka Aoki here, and will even get his own game early next year when Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is released on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC in February.

Hopefully the show will whet your appetite for more Like a Dragon by then. And if you've not played any of the games yet, we thoroughly recommend you check them out. Just avoid Yakuza or its remake Yakuza Kiwami if you don't want spoilers for the TV series.

There is very little I recommend splashing the cash on quite like a good pair of the best earbuds. Whether you're a self professed audiophile, enjoy a great podcast or just take a lot of work calls, these devices can make all the difference to your day.

The market is currently flooded with top options. Those come from a range of manufacturers. Everyone from household names brands to quirky start ups have models on offer.

The deal I've found for you today definitely comes from the former. Samsung may have only unveiled its new Galaxy Buds 3 Pro back in July, but they're already discounted – now just £169 at Amazon.

That's a great deal. As mentioned, these Buds are only a few months old, so recieving a discount on them already is a big deal. It's a big statement from Amazon, too, and is certainly getting us excited for the calibre of deals to be expected during the upcoming Amazon Prime Big Deal Days event.

Users will snag a killer spec sheet, too. While the redesigned buds caught a lot of stick at launch – mainly for their perceived resemblance to the Apple Airpods – there's no denying they pack in an enviable feature set.

Users will enjoy the full experience of Galaxy AI, with adaptive EQ and adaptive ANC both powered by AI. That should make for a snappy and responsive experience, with both sound profiles and noise cancellation which can intelligently respond to the environment around you.

Quality sonic performance can also be found here. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro offer 24 bit sound reproduction, delivered to your ears via a dual-speaker, dual-amp setup. That should provide high quality audio across a wide range of scenarios, making them perfect for the eclectic ear.

Frankly, these Buds offered a really good value proposition at their retail price. Now, with a further £50 sliced from the price tag, these make for an exceptional buy. 

There's no doubt about it, the rise of streaming services has given us an unbelievable amount of choice when it comes to TV viewing. But, with so much content now on tap, it's natural for some series to simply pass us by – no matter how brilliant.

Thankfully though, the format also means you can still catch up with such hidden gems on your streaming device or Smart TV, you just have to find them.

That's where we come in. We've dug out three excellent TV treasures from the bowels of Amazon Prime Video. So pop these on your binge list and enjoy.

The Night Manager

Honestly, if you take an original story by John Le Carre, film in exotic and beautiful locations, and add some of the greatest working actors to the mix, there is no surprise that it turns out to be this good.

The Night Manager sees Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine, the eponymous manager of a luxury hotel in Cairo who becomes involved with the girlfriend of a local gangster. It's a liaison that finds him unwillingly involved in murder, espionage, international arms dealing, and having to survive against overwhelming odds.

So, not like a Benidorm summer romance in the slightest.

Hiddleston is fantastic in this. His role is a million miles away from his current works within the Marvel Universe and all things super, and thus this is him at his most British. Indeed, it's the performance to put him high on bookies' lists to be the next Bond.

Hugh Laurie also stars, playing the quintessential English villain with a sense of entitlement that can only be earned through, we suspect, years of British boarding school trauma.

Originally broadcast by the BBC in the UK, the first season is now available in full on Prime Video, with a second finally in production too – so it's a great time to get this one done.

Night Sky

Don't you just hate it when you go out to the garden at night to water the plants and find a hidden tunnel that leads to a cave inside a totally different planet and universe?

This is the premise of Night Sky, a 2022 Prime Original drama that works as a beautiful character study between leads, J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek.

They play Franklin and Irene respectively, a couple who have been married "forever" and find that their garden acts as a kind of gateway between Earth and a seemingly deserted alien planet. They use this gateway as a way for them to retreat from the world, taking comfort in watching the distant "night sky" as observers, until events change their seemingly peaceful existence.

This is a bold show and premise. Not so much a sci-fi adventure than a study into old age, life, marriage, grief and loss. The alien world is simply a focus point for the couple to be together, to talk and bond, a place for them to be open about life and the losses they have faced over the years. It is quite beautiful in its approach to the subject and intentionally paced.

The only issue with Night Sky is that Amazon decided not to pick up a second season, leaving some things unresolved.

Still, it is a wonderful watch and can be seen as a great single-season limited series.

Hand of God

Hand of God is an interesting show – despite a huge budget, star-studded cast and plenty of promotion on release, it seems nobody has ever heard of it.

Released back in 2014 and running for two seasons, it stars Ron Perlman as a corrupt judge who seeks vengeance after seeing signs from god. It had all the ingredients for what should have been a successful and long run, including a sharp script and solid direction, but it never matched the hype with the fan base it craved.

No matter what he is in, Perlman is always unbelievably watchable and puts in a solid shift. Special praise must also go to Garret Dillahunt, an actor who never gets the praise he deserves, and seems to have encapsulated the idea of "I know that guy, he was great in... erm". However, he's a fantastic character actor and a personal favourite.

Now seemingly relegated to the dungeons of the Prime algorithm, this is a well hidden but worthwhile little gem of a show.

Anyone with a penchant for gaming and an Amazon Prime subscription looks like they might have a pretty blockbuster month, as the giant platform has unveiled the list of free games it'll give away in the next few weeks. 

Prime Gaming has long had a system that delivers batches of PC game codes to all Prime members, to be redeemed on platforms like the Epic Games Store, GOG and more, but rarely has a month held so many promising and classic titles as this one.

Included in the list is one of the most popular and celebrated shooters of all time, Borderlands 2, along with Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel for those who need more than just a single game's worth of looting and shooting. If you fall in love with its fictional universe, there's even Tales from the Borderlands to round things out in a more story-based way.

Amazon is also putting the focus on The Lord of the Rings to celebrate the recent premiere of the first few episodes of The Rings of Power Season 2, in the form of three games set in Tolkien's world.

These comprise Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition and Lego The Lord of the Rings in code form, while Shadow of War is also going to be available to play on Amazon Luna if you have access to the streaming platform. 

There are plenty of other fun titles in the list that don't necessarily fit into a marketing plan quite so neatly, but nonetheless offer really good options if you're looking for your next obsession. Since these all come at no extra cost with a Prime membership, you'd very much be smart to redeem them even if you don't have time to play them right now. 

The full list of games available now and coming soon is as follows:  

Available now

•     Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition (GOG)
•     Lego The Lord of the Rings (GOG)
•     Borderlands 2 (Epic Games Store)
•     Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (Epic Games Store)
•     GreedFall: Gold Edition (GOG)
•     Whispered Secrets: Everburning Candle Collector’s Edition (Amazon Games App)
•     Minabo - A Walk through Life (Amazon Games App)
•     Eternights (Epic Games Store)
•     Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (Amazon Games App)
•     Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (Epic Games Store)
•     Tales from the Borderlands (Epic Games Store)

Available 12 September

•     9 Years of Shadows (GOG)
•     Moonlighter (GOG)
•     Golfie (Amazon Games App)
•     Cursed to Golf (GOG)
•     XHell Pie (GOG)
•     Showgunners (GOG)
•     Arcadegeddon (Epic Games Store)

Available 19 September

•     Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales (GOG)
•     The Falconeer (GOG)
•     Lego The Hobbit (GOG)
•     I Love Finding Cats & Pups - Collector’s Edition (Legacy Games)
•     Kerbal Space Program (GOG)

Available 26 September

•     Mystery Case Files: Black Crown - Collector’s Edition (Amazon Games App)
•     Ghost Song (GOG)
•     Ynglet (Amazon Games App)
•     Black Desert (Pearl Abyss)
•     Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams (Amazon Games App)

As well as several game announcements and trailer reveals, this year's Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation included a surprise for subscribers of Prime Video – the service is getting a new anthology TV series from the director of Deadpool.

Tim Miller, who also helmed Terminator: Dark Fate and Love, Death & Rockets, took to the stage to announce Secret Level, an adult-animated show whereby each episode tells a story based on a different video game.

Many of them will be pure sci-fi, others action-adventure and/or fantasy, but all should be instantly recognisable by gamers.

The games featured will include Pac-Man, Mega Man, Dungeons & Dragons, Armored Core, Concord, Warhammer 40,000, and a PlayStation episode including a myriad of different titles.

It is being produced by Miller's own Blur Studio and will be available on the streaming service from 10 December.

Amazon Prime Video and gaming

Amazon has been doubling down on gaming of late, with the next Tomb Raider title to be published by the retailer and tech giant. It is also making a live action Tomb Raider TV series for Prime Video, which is being written and produced by the excellent Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Rival streaming platform Netflix will beat it to the punch though, with its own animated series, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. That will debut on the service on 10 October.

There may even be further games TV shows announced during Gamescom this week – and several games based on TV and movies. We'll bring you all the news as we get it.

Gamescom is being held in Cologne, Germany and runs until the end of the weekend (Sunday 25 August 2024).

Amazon has started to roll out a number of key improvements to its Prime Video service, including some user experience tweaks to make the platform easier to navigate.

It has also utilised generative AI technology to help the streaming service offer more personalised recommendations, enabling the system to learn your viewing preferences in a more accurate and natural way.

Perhaps more importantly, it is now easier to see which movies and TV shows are included as part of your Prime membership, and which are only available to rent or buy. That's been a bugbear of ours for years.

Amazon has also made it easier to add and manage add-on subscriptions to your account, such as Paramount+, Discovery+ and Hayu.

The tweaked design now features a new navigation bar at the top of the page. It allows you to easily switch between the different menu screens, with "Home", "Movies", "TV Shows", "Sports" and "Live TV" identifiers. Any add-ons your also subscribe to appear up here too.

There is also a "Prime" destination that, once scrolled onto, will change the main menu to only show content available at no extra cost as part of your Prime membership.

This used to appear in a rail you had to scroll down to, but it is now more prominently placed.

You can also subscribe to new services through a "Subscriptions" section on that top bar. There are over 100 available in the US, with plenty in other regions too.

AI recommendarions

Generative AI has been used to create personalised recommendations, so you'll now see a "Made for You" section in the "Movies" and "TV Shows" sections. This will group content the system believes you'll be most interested, rather than give you separate recommendations based on your different add-ons.

There are new categories you can browse through, too, such as a "Top 10" in the US or UK, or "Trending Shows". And when you check out the hero card for a selected film or programme, you'll also see what add-on it will stream from through easy-to-recognise logos.

If the content requires extra payment, that is more clear now too – using a yellow shopping bag icon.

Finally, the overall design has been enhanced with new animations and page transitions to make the experience look and feel better.

The update has started to roll out across all streaming devices that support Prime Video, including its own Amazon Fire TV Sticks. However, you might have to wait for a few weeks for it to arrive in your region, or across all of your connected devices.

Amazon has a big spy series in the works, expanding the universe it established in Citadel, its big-budget 2023 series. 

The next in the line-up is Italian-language Citadel: Diana, which will tell a completely fresh story when it arrives on 10 October, and will have little overlap with the main series, other than the fact that it'll involve the mysterious Citadel agency. 

Diana herself is played by Matilda De Angelis, who's been making quite a name for herself in Italian productions, and looks suitably big-budget and high-concept, fusing the same sci-fi aesthetic as the first season of Citadel did. 

That show starred Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra as ex-agents who had their minds wiped but find themselves thrust back into the action rather suddently, and appeared to be something of a disappointment in terms of critical reception. That hasn't stopped Amazon forging ahead with the franchise, though, as evidenced by Diana. 

The spin-off series will be set in 2030, so we're talking about a near-future setting here rather than one with distant and imagined tech. It'll be based in Milan, where Diana will be eking out an existence as a long-undercover Citadel agent struggling to stay afloat after the agency's destruction by Manticore.

She'll seemingly end up infiltrating Manticore itself, another secretive society, in the hopes of tunnelling her way out of trouble, although the show's first teaser trailer indicates that things won't be that simple. There are glimpses of action and intrigue alike, and you can clearly see that Amazon has thrown quite a big budget at its production.

This isn't the only Citadel series in the works at the moment, either – Amazon also has an Indian production called Citadel: Honey Bunny coming, apparently, which will similarly tell a disconnected story in the Citadel world when it's ready for release. 

The idea on Amazon's behalf is clearly to offer an interconnected set of series as a way of selling itself to customers as the best streaming service on the market right now, so it'll be interesting to see if Citadel: Diana can help it fight back after the lacklustre performance of Citadel itself. 

Amazon Prime Day is one of the most significant shopping events of the year. Traditionally, it occurs in mid-July, marking the anniversary of Amazon's founding, though the exact dates can vary. In 2024, it occurs between 16 and 17 July. As always, there are tons of exciting Prime Day deals to choose from.

Amazon Prime Day is an annual event typically held once a year, exclusively for Amazon Prime members. Since its inception in 2015, Prime Day has become one of the most anticipated shopping events, rivalling Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

While some people can sign up for Prime for free (Amazon often runs promotions), the full-price membership costs £8.99/ $14.99/ AU$9.99 per month. You can pay annually and save money if you wish; currently, annual Prime Membership costs £95/ $139/ AU$79.

Prime Membership benefits vary from country to country, but it can include free shipping, access to Amazon Prime Music and Amazon Prime Video, free games, and free access to magazines and ebooks.

The event spans 48 hours, during which Amazon offers significant discounts on various products, including headphones, fragrances, telescopes, smartwatches and more. 

In recent years, Amazon has extended the duration and added more deals leading up to and following the official Prime Day to increase engagement and sales.

Occasionally, Amazon hosts additional sales events, such as Prime Early Access Sale, which can resemble Prime Day regarding deals and exclusivity. However, these are not annual fixtures like Prime Day itself.

Various factors, including market conditions, competitive strategies, and global events, can influence the exact frequency and timing of Prime Day, but the primary Prime Day event remains a yearly occurrence.

The next Amazon Prime Day will most likely occur between 15-16 July 2025. Some of the best deals from this year’s Prime Day Sale can be found below.

UK deals

US deals

As part of its Prime Day sales, Amazon is offering a trio of top-notch PC games for free to all of its Amazon Prime members. And one of them is a AAA shooter from the developer of the superb Batman: Arkham trilogy.

Along with Rise of the Tomb Raider and Chivalry II, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is available to claim from Prime Gaming right now – you just need to link an Epic Games Store account to Prime and the game is yours to keep.

The one caveat is that you'll have to be speedy, as it's only available to claim for a short while – until the end of Prime Day at midnight on Wednesday 17 July, in fact. After that time it, and the other two titles, will be gone.

While this offer is exclusive to PC gamers, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 owners can also get a great discount on the game during Prime Day.

The Deluxe Edition of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is available for both consoles for just £26.69.

Prime Gaming is part of the suite of benefits all Amazon Prime members can enjoy. It regularly offers free PC games (others are even available to claim now too), while some titles can be played on multiple devices via the Amazon Luna cloud gaming platform.

An Amazon Prime subscription is essential if you want to take advantage of the deals during Prime Day, but you can sign up for a 30-day free trial first in order to snag the bargains and find out if the other benefits are worth paying for.

Considering how much you get with Prime Gaming alone, it seems a no-brainer for PC gamers, that's for sure.

John Cena's transformation into a bona fide movie star has long since been complete, but it still feels like a fun surprise every time he pops up in a new movie. Amazon's cottoned on to his value nice and smartly, too.

After he starred opposite Zac Efron as a grown-up imaginary friend in Ricky Stanicky earlier this year, Cena's queued up for another Amazon original, as confirmed by the first trailer for Jackpot!, which is coming to Prime Video on 15 August this year. 

This time he'll be bouncing off comedic star Awkwafina, who plays Katie Kim, the nonplussed winner of a futuristic lottery in a dystopian California. Instead of simply winning money, her huge windfall can be stolen by anyone who kills her before the end of the day. Nice premise, right?

If that sounds potentially gruesome and indeed a little like a sci-fi thriller from the mind of an author like J.G. Ballard, don't worry – the trailer makes it clear that we're in for a much more light-hearted ride. 

Cena plays Noel Cassidy, an enthusiastic but raw "lottery protection agent", who wants to help her survive to get a slice of her prize. And this looks like one of Cena's most comedic roles yet – which has proven a fun bit of surprise for fans. 

Cena as Cassidy won't be the only one looking for Katie, though, with another lottery protection agency led by Louis Lewis (Simu Liu) looking to capitalise by doing the opposite: killing her instead. So, the stage looks set for plenty of comedy-action sequences, and the trailer showcases a nice heap of different fights that'll unfold. 

It looks like daft fun, and underlines the fact that Cena has been willing to take on remarkably silly roles in the last few years – some of which have suited him down to the ground. He's fresh from a surprise appearance in the latest season of The Bear, too, after getting rave reviews for a completely nude appearance at this year's Oscars. 

Cheesy but fun movies seem to be in huge demand as every platform vies to be the best streaming service on the market, so Amazon will clearly be hoping that Jackpot! draws the punters in when it releases later this year. It could have hit the, er, jackpot too (sorry not sorry).

There's no doubt that Amazon Prime Video and its rival streaming services have expanded our entertainment choices greatly. Unlike the early 80s, where we had just four TV channels in the UK, we now have a nearless endless supply of shows and films to watch.

However, there is a caveat to this constant tsunami of content – longevity. It is rare today for shows to last more than a couple of series before attention switches elsewhere. And that means some favourite programmes get left by the wayside before we've had a chance to say goodbye.

Here are three such examples that Prime Video cut short that it shouldn't have.

Truth Seekers

A supernatural mystery show created by Shaun of the Dead's Simon Pegg and Nick Frost simply couldn't fail, right?. Well, in 2020 we got Truth Seekers on Amazon's streaming platform and for all the wrong reasons it did.

Starring Frost as the leader of his group of "Truth Seekers", an online blogging group set up to investigate the paranormal, the show delved into the world of the occult, murder and conspiracy with the kind of modern quick cut filmmaking we saw in his and Pegg's Cornetto Trilogy, plus the sitcom Spaced beforehand. It was sharp, funny, spooky and, despite an extremely modest budget, looked great.

So why was it so quickly cancelled after just one season? 

In basic terms, despite the cast, quality and premise, nobody actually watched it.

Audience figures were decent enough but a lot smaller than Prime expected, so that was that. No second season. 

Truth Seekers did seem to have a lot more to offer moving forward but sadly business almost always triumphs over art.

The Expanse

Some shows survive to 20 seasons, some get cancelled after just one, and then there are shows like The Expanse that get a second chance.

Cancelled after three seasons by Syfy, it has a huge fan base and so was subject to a mighty online backlash. That saw the show get picked up by Prime Video, which then cancelled it again a further three seasons down the line.

It made more sense though, second time around.

A hard science fiction epic set in a future universe where humans have colonised Mars and the asteroid belts in between, The Expanse was based on a popular series of novels, and told a sprawling tale of war, conspiracy, survival and hope. Loved by millions, it proved stunning in its range, execution and constant focus on detail.

Its early departure from Syfy (Netflix in the UK) was a bad choice by the network. At that point the show had a lot more to say and a growing fan base. It had become well known for its quality and to drop it then made no sense. Thankfully Prime took it on and let it run out its story.

When the end did come, put down to expense and rising costs, many felt it was the right time and what needed to be said had been. In many ways the cancellation saved the show from the danger of dragging things out too long simply to make money at the cost of good storytelling

It was sad to see it end, but it was done in the right way. Now we just need to wait 30 years for the next part of the story to kick in, like in the books!

American Gods

Imagine having the rights to one of the best pieces of 21st century literature, a book with almost unlimited lore and opportunities for development, and then seemingly cancel it randomly, without warning after the biggest cliffhanger of the entire run.

Well that is what production studio Starz did with Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. And so Prime Video (who hosted it in the UK) had the run cut short.

A book about gods, the supernatural, America and one man's quest through the world of the living and the dead, it was originally seen as unfilmable by many. Perhaps they were right.

The show looked amazing with big effects and pure cinematics, The cast was universally right for the job and the writing was sharp and very much in keeping with the source material. It builds well over three seasons, culminating with a finale that was equally shocking as it was memorable. We all held our breath and waited for the release date for fourth…. and waited… and waited.

Money, or the lack of it, saw the end of American Gods. It seems that super high production values and an all star cast cost a lot and Starz decided that it didn't want to keep paying for a show that wasn't bringing in the expected numbers. 

There are still rumours of a proposed movie to finish it all off, but as per 2024 nothing has been set in stone. It seems we are destined to never know what came next.

Unless you read the books, of course.

One of the biggest and most celebrated movies in years – and an enormous hit at this year's Oscars – is coming to Amazon Prime Video streaming at no extra cost.

Multiple reports indicate that Oppenheimer will start streaming on the platform (where you've been able to rent or buy it for some time) on 18 June – and it looks like this might apply to both the US and the UK, although Amazon hasn't confirmed anything explicitly. 

It would mark quite a coup in its never-ending battle to be viewed as the best streaming service on the market, though.

Christopher Nolan's stunning movie might not be in the upper echelons of all-time Oscar winners (it nabbed seven Academy Awards, when you need eight to crack the top 15 most-awarded movies of all time at the ceremony), but it did streak into the stratosphere where the box office was concerned.

It's estimated to have grossed nearly $1 billion in total, not least thanks to the number of people who saw it in IMAX after it was filmed with the requisite cameras. Artistic best picture winners are often far more modest in their ticket returns, so it stands as one of the most commercially successful winners of all time. 

That's arguably all the more impressive given that it's a three-hour-long historical biopic with some ambiguous and complex scenes, rather than a family-friendly action romp or a broad-brush comedy. Critics and audiences alike loved it, though, with a 93% score from the former on Rotten Tomatoes showing its quality. 

A movie of this scale might have been expected to stay as a premium rental for a good while longer, potentially even through to the holiday season, but it looks like it's instead set to become a summer blockbuster addition to Prime Video, if the rumours circulating are accurate. Regardless, it might be worth holding off on renting it until 18 June just in case – you don't have to wait too long, after all. 

Thanks to Nolan's dedication to practical effects and sheer scale, this is a movie you'll want to watch on as high-quality and large a screen as possible, too. If you haven't checked out our list of the best TVs on the market right now, that's a fantastic place to start if you reckon an upgrade is due.

Like many major platforms and broadcasters, Amazon's Prime Video has what seems to be unlimited resources but very little patience. As such it is home to a huge back catalogue of TV shows in varying stages of production... some complete and finished, some simply abandoned.

However, that doesn't mean that they are all stinkers. In fact, some are superb – just under-appreciated at the time and therefore sitting there waiting to be discovered once more.

Here are three shows on the streaming service that were either forgotten about or fell by the wayside, yet are a cracking watch even today.

The Night Manager

Imagine a show where you take some of the biggest UK talents, a wonderful story by one of the world's leading spy writers, and a series of beautiful locations around the world, yet within a year nobody even remembers it.

This was the fate that awaited The Night Manager. Originally a BBC production, this tale of intrigue, murder, corporate and political unease, and sexual tension is everything you could possibly want from a thriller. Gripping, well-paced and superbly cast, it's a fantastic show and worthy of its spot on Prime Video today.

Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Hugh Laurie (House) are great as hero and villain respectively, and for the former it often feels like an elongated audition to be the next James Bond.

It's just a shame that, even with critical praise on its original showing, it almost disappeared without a trace. Thankfully, that wasn't completely the case and you can stream it now to find out what all the fuss was about.

Plus, even better news if that, after eight years in the wilderness, early production has started on an unexpected but very welcome second season.

Hunters

Nazis, Hitler, assassins, 70s disco and Al Pacino! That's not the tagline for Hunters but it perhaps should have been. It might have helped it gain the audience it deserved.

Following a group of World War II Holocaust survivors as they plot their revenge against Nazis who escaped after the war, this two season show is glorious in its production. It is beautifully filmed and genuinely riveting.

Add Al Pacino to the mix, in what must be a rare television appearance, and this show should have been a huge and memorable success. But, for some reason, be it a lack of promotion or just bad timing, Hunters found itself forgotten and pretty much ignored after its first season.

The show survived to a second season where it seemed the writers and producers had been given the instruction to wrap things up, but that was then it.

So why, with all this in mind, should you bother with Hunters? Well, it's simple really, it's really, really good. It looks great, has a spectacular cast and a really shocking, memorable storyline. It's a lot of fun too, and has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.

There will not be a third season so just enjoy what we got from Mr Pacino and his crew. 

The thing about Stephen King is that you either love him or hate him – and there's a question mark over his consistency. For every It there is a Needful Things, for every The Shining there is a The Shining: the mini series. He is quite possibly the greatest modern day horror writer, iconic and prolific, but also not without his faults.

With this in mind and due to his huge impact all through the 90s, 2000s and 2010s, studios regularly fight each other for the rights to his novels and stories, often regardless of how popular they are.

11.22.63 is a prime example of this.

A what-if time travel story involving 60s America, the plot to kill JFK, and the idea of love outside of your own time, 11.22.63 was never one of King's huge successes – certainly not a household name like Misery, but this I feel works massively in its favour.

The adaptation is a great little show. You get a self-contained single season that's well-written, well-paced, and features a solid main performance from James Franco.

Do not expect time travel tropes, there are no fighting dinosaurs, no trips to ancient Egypt or glimpses of dystopian futures, but it oozes 60s cool and is an interesting watch now that it's on Prime Video.

Reality shows are perhaps the most maligned form of entertainment, and often for good reason. However, for every The Only Way is Essex and Real Housewives... there is a hidden gem just waiting to be discovered.

That includes on the most popular streaming services, that are awash with reality programming that spans a vast array of subject matters. So, while you might not fancy dedicating your time watching the likes of Below Deck and Married at First Sight, we bet there's something based on a favourite pastime out there that you'd love.

Some are even fantastic shows in their own right.

Here are three examples of exactly what we mean, which you can find on your favourite streaming device right now.

Is It Cake?

• Where: Netflix
• Host: Mikey Day

You could say that a television show where the entire premise is whether an object is made of cake or not seems insane, but a few episodes in you'll just need to know... is it really a typewriter, or is it cake?

Currently on its third massively successful season, Netflix’s Is it Cake? has become a cultural phenomenon. Boasting huge ratings, celebrity guests and an increasingly wilder variety of creations, the show has grown from a simple format into something altogether bigger.

People make cakes that look like real things and guests have to guess from a set distance, which of the items on show are baked goods. It's a ridiculous idea on paper, but it simply works. The cake creations are amazing, the show is loud and flashy, the guests are suitably bubbly and enthusiastic, and there's even a sense of drama unpinning the show.

It all makes for perfect Sunday afternoon hangover television – a show where you can run from episode to episode, half asleep, and letting it wash over you like a comforting blanket. Your brain is not required and can have a few hours off.

Perhaps you also can eat cake while watching it, creating a kind of cake Inception, a cake within a show, within a cake within a show…. heavy.

Rennervations

• Where: Disney+
• Hosts: Jeremy Renner, Rory Millikin

Jeremy Renner is an extremely talented actor, but when he isn't shooting arrows at CGI enemies as Hawkeye, touring as a singer/songwriter, or producing gritty dramas for the likes of HBO, he has another passion he dedicates time to.

He likes to build and repair random stuff for people who need it, basically. And prior to his horrific snow plough accident, the superstar filmed the eponymous Rennervations, a show where he does just that.

He and a group of friends pick worthy projects then go to work transforming things into better things. Do you need a mobile dance studio for kids in Mexico? Renner has you covered. Are you in India and need a mobile water treatment centre? No problemo. Each episode is just this, taking old broken down vehicles and giving them a new lease of life. As the tagline goes, "Every build has a purpose."

The thing about Rennervations is that it just works – mainly thanks to Jeremy Renner himself.

He is an instantly likeable guy, down to earth and honest despite being a key part of the world's biggest film franchise. He brings a lot to the show and through him it's a really enjoyable watch.

With only four episodes in Season 1 (a second season is in the works depending on his health situation) the show makes for a great afternoon watch. It is feel good TV in all the right ways.

Clarkson's Farm

• Where: Amazon Prime Video
• Stars: Jeremy Clarkson, Kaleb Cooper, Lisa Hogan

Another Jeremy but one that's oh so very different! Clarkson is a man so divisive that there usually is no middle ground – you either love him or hate him. However, whatever you think about the former Top Gear presenter and host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire in the UK, I guarantee Clarkson's Farm will win you over.

It is set on his own farm on a vast plot of British land he bought several years ago, and documents the journey he takes in becoming a bone fide farmer. A task that he soon learns is no easy ride.

Bringing his brand of brash, sweary and shouty middle classisms to this new environment, Clarkson and his new group of mates (think tractors not cars) go through the daily trials and tribulations of farm life with the expected catastrophes, victories and personal growth you would expect from a show of its kind.  He learns things, helps others, shouts at stuff, and shows his complete lack of knowledge in what is effectively a fish out of water setting.

In a show like this, the personality of the host is what carries it, and this is what makes Clarkson's Farm work so well. Clarkson is a huge figure on screen, imposing and memorable. It works simply because of him. The same personality that made Top Gear legendary is on show here, while his assistant and real farmer, Kaleb Cooper, equally steals the show.

So, no matter how you feel about Clarkson, his personality or his politics, it is impossible to deny that the three seasons so far aren't absolutely binge worthy. And, like the lead himself, you might even learn a thing or two along the way.

Amazon is betting big on another comic book licence that it hopes can reach similar heights to The Boys. It will likely also hope it can match Netflix's The Gentlemen by even stealing one of the stars of the Guy Ritchie movie that preceded the series.

Charlie Hunnam, also of Sons of Anarchy fame, has joined the cast of Criminal – a new, hard-hitting drama based on the Image Comics books by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

Originally created as a mini-series for Marvel imprint Icon, the Criminal books have become hugely popular for their realistic take on old-school gangster themes – especially as they subvert typical genre clichés in clever fashion.

They should make for a great Prime Video TV series too, although we wonder whether there'll be a title change by the time it's released, considering the similarly-named Netflix Criminal UK, France, Spain and Germany shows that are already available.

It could be a while anyway, as the production wagon has only started rolling, it seems. Brubaker and Phillips are said to be executive producing, alongside Jordan harper, Sarah Carbiener, and Phillip Barnett.

The directors attached to the project so far are Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, who have also helmed Captain Marvel, Billions, and Masters of the Air together. They will collaborate on the first four episodes with other directors yet to be announced.

Also landing roles in the first season of Criminal are Adria Arjona (Good Omens) and Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water).

It's worth noting that, if the show is successful and continues beyond an initial run, the comic books tend to tell different stories per collection, but based in the same world and with a few crossovers. It could be that we see a new cast per season, therefore.

If you're looking for another mature comic book-based TV series to binge before Criminal finally hits the streaming service, you can always check out Invincible. Even though it animated, it is very much R-rated as newbie superhero Mark Grayson discovers and develops his powers amid a sea of blood and gore.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

Amazon Prime Video's got a second season of its successful show Outer Range arriving later this month, as revealed by a new trailer. It looks like a must-watch, as you can see from the trailer embedded below.

The season drops on 16 May and Amazon will hope that it helps it fight back against the popular claim that Apple TV+ is the best streaming service right now – especially for sci-fi fans, where the options have been plentiful this year. 

After all, Outer Range revolves around a pretty wild concept, with a sort of time-travelling portal opening up on the edge of a town in Wyoming and the fallout from the event getting somewhat crazy. 

The show stars Josh Brolin as Royal Abbott, a rancher trying to keep his family above water in challenging times, even before the portal appears, and it looks like the second season will give a much bigger role to Imogen Poots as Autumn. 

With the portal no longer a totally new shock to the local community, we're clearly going to get further into questions about how it would change people's perceptions and attitudes – there are hints of a cult developing around it in the full trailer for this next season. 

When Outer Range's first season was at its best, it was looking in detail at how regular people process the incomprehensible, and the early signs are that things will only get more mad from here on in. Here's hoping.

The trailer indicates that more characters will be sucked into the portal at points, or indeed chuck themselves in there willingly, and we'll therefore be travelling to at least one other time period during this season. 

It's all looking like thrilling stuff, and we'd expect it to be anchored fabulously by the accomplished Brolin, fresh from his second turn as the war-master and arch-survivor Gurney Halleck in Dune: Part Two. 

Prime Video's shows are increasingly some of the most reliably good-looking TV series out there right now, too, and it seems like Outer Range will stretch its budget in this forthcoming season. All the more reason to watch.

That also makes it a perfect time to upgrade your TV before it arrives on 16 May – check out our list of the best OLED TVs right now if you want something that will maximise its creepy night-time scenes with inky blacks and vivid colours. 

After weeks, if not months of teasing, Amazon has finally shown off the next season of its hit superhero show The Boys – and confirmed its launch date.

Season four will start streaming on 13 June for Prime Video members, and will do Amazon a lot of good – it probably has the best streaming service around if gory dark comic superhero-killing shows are your thing.

Okay, that's niche, but The Boys has been a huge success for Amazon already, so it's clearly not that narrow an audience. 

It's a pretty blockbuster trailer, too, starting slow with Karl Urban's Billy Butcher talking his team back into action but then accelerating into glimpses of stunningly gory moments.

With new characters joining from the successful spin-off Gen V, and the nefarious baddies from last season mostly still around, it looks like the fight against Homelander and his cronies will heat up even further. 

The political overtones aren't going anywhere, either, with protests and ideological divides clearly still very much on the agenda, but we can't help but come back to that gore.

This is about the bloodiest trailer we can remember seeing in a long time, especially for a TV show, so it'll be reassuring to viewers hoping that The Boys doesn't soften its violent vision despite its massive popularity.

We'll clearly be seeing some disturbing new superhero powers, but also what looks a lot like demonic, possessed and potentially invulnerable farm animals making a mess of people, in what can only be a sentence we never thought we'd write. 

So, there's just a month to go before the season drops – we don't know whether it'll be an all-in-one situation, or whether Amazon will instead drip-feed us those episodes on a weekly basis. 

Either way, if you want to fully enjoy the new season you'll want a great sound system to go with it – nothing amps up the delighted disgust of a good kill like hearing it perfectly. We've tested and listed the very best soundbars on the market right now for those looking to upgrade – these are superb one-stop upgrades for your TV's sound. 

Hot on the heels of Amazon Prime Video's successful Fallout series, which can be watched in its entirety right now, Bethesda has deployed a long-awaited update for Fallout 4.

The last mainline Fallout game, Fallout 4 was released back in 2015 and hadn't ever been updated to run better on current-generation consoles. Now, though, that update is here, meaning there are native PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game available to download.

The update brings with it major graphical improvements, particularly where resolution and framerate are concerned, as well as some welcome bug fixes, some of which fix issues that have been around for years.  

Finally, there are some new armour sets to find and equip, too, making it a little more than just a graphical patch.

Because the update is coming in the form of new native versions of the game, you will need to download it fresh from your game store of choice, but if you own Fallout 4 already you should be able to access it for free.

The only hiccup at this stage is on PlayStation. Back when the PS5 launched, Fallout 4 was included in the PlayStation Plus Collection, which let new PS5 owners add it to their library for free.

For whatever reason, right now if that's the version of Fallout 4 that you own, you're not able to get the new PS5 version for free – something that Bethesda has already said it's looking into.

This isn't direct confirmation that people in this boat will eventually get the new version of the game for free, but it certainly sounds like that's the goal. 

Fallout is very much enjoying a boom as a result of the attention and acclaim Amazon Prime Video's show has brought, upping its kudos among the best streaming services.

Elsewhere, the MMO-esque Fallout 76 has seen a huge spike in players – with over a million logging on to play it this past weekend. Given how poorly it first reviewed, that's quite the milestone.

It's clear that the Fallout franchise is in rude health, then, although that doesn't mean we're any closer to Fallout 5. Indeed, the second season of Amazon's Fallout series is more likely before then – it was renewed before the first episode even aired!

With Bethesda working on the next Elder Scrolls game for now, so it could be years and years until we're given the chance to return to the Wasteland in another full Fallout game, sadly. But hopefully it'll be worth waiting for. Still, for now, there's this Fallout 4 upgrade that's well worth digging your teeth into.

If the big winner of the Oscars 2024 was Oppenheimer, I'd have to say that in a very close second is Amazon Prime Video. 

The streaming service is home to a pair of nominees already with Anatomy of a Fall and American Fiction both streaming on the platform. Now a third Best Picture nominee (and Best International Film winner) is making its way to Prime Video, The Zone of Interest. Unfortunately, I can't give you a specific date yet, only that it has appeared in the 'Coming soon' section of Prime which signals a release sometime within the next month. 

Directed by Jonathan Glazer and based on Martin Amis' novel of the same name, this is a powerful drama following Rudolph Höss (Christian Friedel), the Nazi commander of the Auschwitz concentration camp, and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller). They live in an almost normal family home next to the concentration camp, one of the most evil places on earth. 

Of course, these aren't exactly sympathetic protagonists, Höss is literally a high-ranking Nazi mass murderer and it's a brave filmmaker who centres the story around him and his family. They are presented almost like a normal family who do ordinary things like work in the garden and go swimming. Höss even reads a bedtime story to his daughters, right next to a concentration camp. It's a powerful juxtaposition to say the least. This isn't the movie trying to excuse their actions but to show audiences that it doesn't take too much to drive ordinary people to do horrible things. That contrast is similarly brought up in just how beautiful the film's cinematography and framing are. It's a visual treat while the unimaginable happens just off-screen. 

It's not an easy watch but it's definitely a worthwhile one. Aside from my pitch and the Oscar recognition, a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes should be all the convincing you need to keep an eye out for the movie's Prime Video release. 

If you live in the US the good news is that you don't even need to wait. Instead of Prime Video, The Zone of Interest is already streaming on Max

Watching a movie with your children is a rare pleasure. But what's an even rarer pleasure is watching a movie without them. The last thing you want is to waste that precious time on a bad movie. 

Luckily on Amazon Prime Video, there are a host of great movies just for adults to enjoy. Whether they're a little bit creepy, steamy or just would go over children's heads, these flicks are guaranteed to make the most of your free time. So put the kids to bed and put one of these on. 

Check out our similar guides for Netflix and Disney+ too. 

1. Half Nelson 

I could almost fill this list with just Ryan Gosling movies (check out the excellent Drive too) but Half Nelson is a superb film that doesn't get the love it deserves. 

Gosling plays a young teacher who also coaches the girl's basketball team at an inner-city school. He's smart and personable but also a drug addict barely holding it together. When one of his students (a brilliant Shareeka Epps) catches him lighting up, they form a close bond, with each having their struggles to face.  I won't say too much more but this is a low-key drama that will have you invested from the get-go, with incredible performances to boot. 

2. The Big Sick 

The true story of how star Kumail Nanjiani met his wife, The Big Sick is far more emotionally fraught than any romcom has the right to be. 

It starts pretty by the numbers, Kumail and Emily meet and a fling turns into a brief romance. But it doesn't work out and the two break up. Emily then falls life-threateningly ill and with no family around Kumail is she has to an emergency contact. After agreeing as her boyfriend to put her into a coma, Emily's parents arrive. Like I said, not a typical rom-com.

Sometimes dark, always funny, The Big Sick is a brilliant film only enhanced by its true-to-life credentials. 

3. The Others

A horror film that I saw as a child and gave me nightmares, I implore only grown-ups to watch The Others. 

What they'll find is a story that forgoes cheap jump scares and gore for genuine suspense and unbearable tension. Nicole Kidman plays a distressed mother looking after two children allergic to sunlight on the channel islands. Although her husband has been lost to the war, the arrival of new household help seems to relieve her burden. 

I won't say anymore but even after my traumatic viewing experience, this is a film I can't help but reccommend. 

4. Frances Ha

A collaboration between Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach (now husband and wife) Frances Ha is a wry look at self-discovery. Aspiring dancer Frances is lacking direction in her life, 27 years old and renting in New York city, her housemate decides to move in with her boyfriend. As a result, Frances is forced to move too. With her career, best friend and youth getting further away each day, she looks for meaning in her life. 

Anyone in or who has been through their twenties will find this film oh so relatable (I sure do). Throw in Baumbach's excellent direction and the shining screenplay and you have a hidden gem. It's brilliant. 

5. Saltburn 

We couldn't do this list without mentioning Saltburn. One of the biggest streaming releases in Prime Video history, this Emerald Fennel feature is one of the most talked about films in years. 

Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi play two boys from opposite ends of society at Oxford University. When the privileged Felix (Elordi) invites Oliver (Keoghan) to stay at the titular country house, it seems as though we are in for a heartwarming tale of friendship. 

That couldn't be much further from the truth. Saltburn is a twisted film that absolutely should not be near anyone not yet an adult. That sounds like I'm disparaging it but that's not the case. Saltburn is a pitch-black comedy thriller that continues Fennel's distinct visual style and establishes her as one of the most exciting directors in film today. Not for the faint of heart.  

Before I got to see the opening two episodes of Prime Video's new sci-fi blockbuster, Fallout, I wrote that I was giddy with excitement.

That was based on the latest behind-the-scenes trailer and a whole host of new stills released by the streaming service – so imagine how thrilled I was to be sat in a former BBC studio in London, surrounded by the actual cast and a set designed to look like the in-show Vault 33.

Then the first episode started and... well, you'll just have to read on.

Fallout TV show review

There is plenty of trepidation when a video game adaptation is announced – whether it be for the big or small screen – especially when it's of such a big and much-loved series. History is plagued with awful game-to-movie or TV attempts, often because directors haven't grasped what made the source so special in the first place.

However, a spate of successful and critically-revered outings have provided hope that the tide is turning. HBO's The Last of Us is quite simply superb, and while The Witcher on Netflix is technically based on the books, it owes much to CD Projekt Red's RPG series.

Now, I'm happy to say, Fallout has joined such illustrious company. From the first two episodes I've seen so far, I can safely say that the end of the world is in very good hands.

Director Jonathan Nolan (Westworld, The Dark Knight) is a self-confessed fan of the Fallout games and it shows. As does his propensity to use as few CGI effects as possible, with the episodes (and actors) benefitting greatly from intricate, tangible sets.

The first two episodes are jam-packed with huge set-pieces, so you end up staring at the scenery as much as you do the action within, and it is choc-full of Easter eggs and sly winks to the gaming world of Fallout. Thus it pays just enough lip service to the source material to keep us fans happy, while also presenting something new – improved, even.

As the games' executive producer Todd Howard said during the screening, it presents additional material and backstory that haven't been possible in the RPGs to date.

Without wanting to give away any big spoilers, right from the off we get to see some of the previous life of The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), before the world went boom, and we are told we'll find out additional historical context as the season continues. But the episode doesn't really dwell on origins too much, as it moves mercifully quickly.

That includes the background of Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), our main protagonist. She's a wide-eyed, naive dweller who has been born and raised inside Vault 33. But, after a pretty major (and bloody) event inside her home, she embarks on a quest into an outside world she doesn't know or understand. And all in a tight sub-hour-long premiere.

We are also introduced to Maximus (Aaron Moten), a member of the Brotherhood of Steel who so desperately wants to become a knight of the order and don the famous T-60 power armour. And then there is the aforementioned Ghoul, a radiated bounty hunter who has been around for the 200-plus years since the bombs originally dropped.

The tale is told from each of their perspectives, cutting between them until they eventually collide in a superbly shocking sequence in episode 2. Nolan and showrunners Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner pull no punches throughout, with extreme amounts of gore and comedy violence that also harks back to the games.

Gore blimey!

Much like The Boys, Fallout is often ludicrous in its portrayal of violence and those with a nervous disposition will certainly grimace at times, but nearly always while wearing a massive, beaming grin. It is as funny as it is furious – something that can be levied at the show in general.

The Prime Video series nails the dark humour of the games from the get-go, and yet also manages to present something new and original. There are political undertones too, as well as some great, dramatic twists which I'll also steer clear of here. And all in the first two episodes.

In short, it is a resounding success, which manages to tread the fine line between catering for dyed-in-the-wool Fallout game fans and being a splendid sci-fi series for those who have never even been near a console or gaming PC.

I for one will be glued to the remaining episodes of the first season, and I very much expect you to be too.

Fallout season 1 will debut on Amazon Prime Video from Thursday 11 April 2024. All eight episodes will be available to watch from day one.

Ready for a pleasant surprise, sci-fi fans? Ahead of Amazon Prime Video's new epic Fallout series airing this week, with all episodes available from 11 April, it appears the Bethesda videogame adaptation is already eyeing up season 2 – and a new shooting location too. 

As Variety reports, The California Film Commission has awarded tax credits to a number of shows to incentivise shooting in The Golden State. Fallout's $25m relief will surely lure the production team to the west of the USA, as much of the first season was shot in New York (but also Utah, and far-flung destinations such as Namibia and South Africa). Not that you can tell, as per the trailer below:

There's a lot of hype around Fallout. It's no surprise either: videogame adaptations for the best streaming services are going from strength to strength right now. We've already had the superb The Last of Us captivate audiences the world over. And now Fallout, with writer-director Jonatan Nolan at the helm, is expected to be the next big hit.

However, as I write this, the show hasn't even premiered its first episode. Some have seen it – including my T3 colleague, who has penned his thoughts on the show looking spectacular – and early signs and reviews are strong. There's a buzz around the show, which is why Fallout season 2 seems such an inevitability.

If you're a newcomer to the show and, indeed, the videogame series, then here's the skinny: in a post-apocalyptic future, groups of humans live in 'Vaults' to avoid the radioactive fallout from hundreds of years previous. Cue mutants, bandits, all the usual stuff. 

Fallout stars well-established Walton Goggins as The Ghoul, rising superstar Ella Purnell as Lucy, and Aaron Moten as your new favourite star kitted out with Power Armour. Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, the minds behind Westworld, are the series creators – so it's in good hands. 

Whether season 2 of Fallout will officially start shooting (and where and when) is still up for question. But California looks a likelihood (New Vegas, anyone?). Until then I'm just excited to dig into season one. After all, the first episode hasn't even aired yet, so let's not get too far ahead of ourselves!