You can go out and grab a pair of wireless earbuds for several hundred dollars if you want to. However, if you’re on a budget or just don’t want to spend a small fortune on those tiny little devices for your ears, there are plenty of cheap, quality options. Buying a more affordable pair of earbuds is also great for those prone to losing them or looking for a pair to leave in your car or bag as a spare.

You aren’t losing much by saving a lot. These budget wireless earbuds still ditch all the wires, offering Bluetooth instead. Some even tote the aptX codec for your high-quality audio files. If you want to block out the world around you, we’ve included several options with noise cancellation. Battery life is always important, and all of our picks offer a decent amount of juice to rival their more expensive counterparts.

There is an insane amount of wireless earbuds on the market, so we were sure to only include the best you can get for your money. All of our picks come in under $100 and offer a stable wireless connection. Check out our favorites below, you’re bound to find the ideal budget wireless earbuds for you.

TL;DR – These are the Best Budget Wireless Earbuds:

• OnePlus Nord Buds
• SoundPEATS Mini Pro
• JLab Go Air Pop
• Anker Soundcore Life P3
• Tranya T40
• EarFun Air Pro 2
• Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+

1. OnePlus Nord Buds

Best Budget Wireless Earbuds

• See it on OnePlus

Impressive sound, solid battery life, and an affordable price – the OnePlus Nord Buds tote all of this and more, making them a hard-to-beat pair of earbuds. With Dolby Atmos support on 12.4mm drivers, you’re in for a crisp, detailed soundscape to immerse yourself in. Three different sound profiles enhance anything from rap to classical, so your favorite music genre is bound to be covered. And you’ll be listening for a while, too, thanks to the seven-hour battery life. There’s even a fast-charging feature, giving you five hours of juice in just 10 minutes.

Somehow for under $40, OnePlus has managed to design sleek, premium-looking earbuds with an ergonomic shape that remain comfortable no matter how long your listening session may be. To amp them up further, an IP55 rating means you can take them on a rainy run or to a sweaty gym session. The Bluetooth 5.2 support makes for a simple and stable connection to all of your devices. And if you plan on giving a friend a call while out on a walk or doing some grocery shopping, you’ll come across nice and clear because of the four-mic design with noise reduction.

2. SoundPEATS Mini Pro

Best Budget Wireless Earbuds Under $50

• See it on Walmart

The SoundPeats Mini Pro may be small, but they’re mighty. For just $30, you get lightweight, comfortable earbuds packing some of the latest technology around, including AI noise cancellation. Now, you’re probably thinking how great can this be in these little headphones, but it might surprise you. They manage to filter out most background noise from the engine of an airplane to the coffee shop chatter. If you need to quickly hear the world around you, there’s an easy-to-activate transparency mode. Speaking of controls, you can also activate smart assistants, switch tracks, adjust volume, and answer calls, all without picking up your phone.

It’s simple to get listening on the SoundPeats Mini Pro. The Bluetooth 5.2 support makes for a seamless and stable connection to your devices. Both AAC and AptX Adaptive codecs are on offer, so you can even rock out to your premium audio files. And the sound on these tiny earbuds is pretty great. You get crisp vocals, a booming bass, and solid tonal balance. If you plan on bursting your eardrums by cranking up the volume to the max, the audio can get a bit distorted.

3. JLab Go Air Pop

Best Wireless Earbuds Under $20

• See it on Best Buy
• See it on Walmart

Are you looking for a pair of insanely affordable earbuds with all the basics? Look no further than the JLab Go Air Pop. First off, the battery life will impress with the 8+ hours of playtime and over 24 additional hours available in the compact case, so you can enjoy listening all day at the office or during a long travel day. They’re a good workout companion too with a sweat-resistant IPX4 rating and snug fit.

The JLab Go Air Pop totes a solid audio performance, especially when you consider the price. There are three different EQ presets to choose from while listening, including a mode that pumps up the bass for a bit of heart-thumping or a more balanced sound option. And, you control those settings on-ear, without the need for a companion app. It’s also simple to connect them via Bluetooth to all of your devices. These earbuds lack loads of additional features, and the call quality isn’t the best, but for under $20, they’re hard to beat.

4. Anker Soundcore Life P3

Best Noise-Cancelling Budget Wireless Earbuds

• See it on Walmart
• See it on Anker

If you’re ready to *discreetly* tune out the rest of the world, you don’t need to snag a pair of noise-canceling headphones. The Anker Soundcore Life P3 earbuds are a perfect option for doing just that, and it helps they’re super affordable, too. These little devices offer up three different ANC levels — transport, indoor, and outdoor. And each one does a solid job at blocking out sound, whether it be the pesky dog barking across the street or the screeching train wheels on the way to work. Also, you can use one of the two transparency modes to quickly hear what’s going on around you. One even focuses solely on vocals, so you can make sure those behind you aren't plotting something against you.

You came for the ANC, but you’ll stay for the superb audio quality and special features. The Anker Soundcore Life P3 earbuds offer up a warm sound with powerful bass. However, it’s easy to further customize your audio with the Soundcore app. On it, you’ll find 22 EQ presets as well as the ability to create your own sound profiles. You can really tune these earbuds to what you’re listening to. And if you’re into mobile gaming, there’s a low latency gaming mode packed in.

5. Tranya T40

Best Budget Wireless Earbuds for Working Out

Sweating it out at the gym or on a run means you need earbuds that stay in place, so you can focus on your form and not finicking around with your headphones for the right fit. The Tranya T40 make this a nonissue. A flexible ear hook along with three sizes of silicone ear caps ensures everyone finds a snug fit. Once on, your ears won’t feel fatigued even after hours of use, which is a good thing since you get 8 hours of playtime with just a single charge. The IPX5 rating also means you can take them on a bike ride in the rain or along on your most intense of leg days. These can handle some drips of water and sweat.

Thanks to the Bluetooth support, the Tranya T40 earbuds are easy to use. And, unlike most earbuds that use touch controls, which are often too sensitive or not sensitive enough, these are fitted with physical buttons. Therefore, it’s simple to adjust volume, control playback, and answer phone calls. Of course, we can’t forget the sound quality, and these offer a punchy bass and crisp treble from the 13mm drivers. Not bad for headphones that will only set you back $40.

6. EarFun Air Pro 2

Best Budget Airpods Pro Alternative

Let’s say you want Airpods Pro but don’t want to drop $200 to get them. Maybe you should snag a much more affordable alternative, and our favorite happens to be the EarFun Air Pro 2. Coming in under $80, you still get noise-cancellation, in-ear detection, and touch controls. However, the EarFun earbuds manage to beat out the Airpods in battery life, toting six hours of playtime with ANC on — you get an additional hour when it’s off. The case can recharge them almost four times, and when it needs a charge itself, you can do so wirelessly.

Now, the EarFun Air Pro 2 can’t beat out Apple in everything. You don’t get spatial audio, which places sounds around you, and the Airpods’ H1 chip makes for a seamless connection to your Apple devices. Although, the Air Pro’s Bluetooth 5.2 support should still provide a stable and simple connection to all your devices. And, they even offer up a more neutral sound profile, if that’s something you prefer. Beyond that, the most obvious difference between the two is their looks.

7. Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+

Best Budget Wireless Earbuds for Audiophiles

• See it on Best Buy
• See it on Walmart
• See it on Newegg
• See it on OnePlus

If you’re ready to dabble in a Hi-Fi audio experience, the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ earbuds are a great place to start. Most high-end headphones set you back several hundred dollars, but with these, you get a solid sonic experience for just $80. The 5.8mm dynamic drivers deliver an impactful, detailed soundstage with a High Performance Audio Mode to push it further. Meanwhile, app support lets you change presets or customize your own EQ settings. This makes it simple to tune the settings for whatever you’re listening to, whether it be Miles Davis or the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And along with Bluetooth for an easy connection, you get support for three different codecs — SBC, AAC, and aptX. So, these earbuds are ready for your high-res audio files.

Beyond their audio prowess, the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ earbuds have a great design as well. The lightweight, bullet-shaped earpiece comes with memory foam ear tip options to ensure a snug, comfortable fit. If you decide to bring them along on a hike, the IPX5 rating means a little rain or sweat won’t hurt them. Even though the earbuds are compact, they still manage seriously impressive battery life. We’re talking nine hours of playtime with an additional 45 hours from the case. That’s the best battery life out of all our picks.

Before You Buy: What to Look for in Wireless Earbuds

Before you go out and grab a new pair of earbuds, there are a few important factors to consider when making a purchase. You don’t want to just get whatever is cheapest or looks the coolest, as this could end up costing you more in the long run. Instead, think about what you’re using them for. Do you want a pair with enough battery life to last a cross-country flight and then some? How about something that stays in place during a run? Below we go over what to look for in wireless earbuds before making that final purchase.

(No-Brainer) Bluetooth

It’s hard to have wireless earbuds without Bluetooth support. The Bluetooth of yesteryear is long gone, and with each iteration comes more stable and reliable connections. All of your devices should support Bluetooth, so it’s super easy to get connected. If you ever find the wireless connection cutting out, just move your source (tablet, laptop, phone, ect.) closer to the earbuds, and your problem should be solved.

Codecs

Also, with Bluetooth comes the support of different codecs. Certain codecs support higher resolution audio, making your music sound a whole lot more nuanced. SBC is the most common, but it only plays more compressed audio files. AAC is similar, and that along with SBC are your only codec options available for Apple products. However, if you’re an Android user, more codecs are supported including aptX and LDAC for a less compressed and stellar sound experience.

Battery

Battery life may be one of the biggest determiners of the earbuds to purchase. When you go wireless, you lose the wired convenience of never worrying about a charge. Luckily, even though they’re tiny, earbuds still offer a decent amount of playtime. Of our options, the longest battery life is an impressive nine hours, so they’re perfect to use during a workday or on a long flight. The lowest is five hours (with ANC on), and that’s still plenty for most. Some even tote a fast charging feature to ensure you don’t miss out on too much listening time. And of course, you always get several extra charges from the case.

Size and Fit

If you decide to buy some new earbuds, you want to make sure they fit. Nothing’s worse than opening everything up and putting them in, only to find they’re too big (or too small) to fit in your ears. To ensure this doesn’t happen, grab earbuds that offer different ear tip size options. This way, you get a snug fit that helps with sound isolation, too. Some even offer a hook or flap to ensure your headphones stay in place. This is most helpful to those looking to use them during high-intensity activities, like trail runs or bike rides.

Water Resistant

Sometimes you may find yourself in a rainy drizzle or dripping a bit of sweat during an intense gym session. If that’s the case, you want earbuds that can handle the occasional splash. An IPX4 rating or above should have you covered in most cases. The majority of earbuds are only rated for water resistance and not dust. Therefore, the last number in the IPX rating is the one that really matters.

There are so many wireless earbuds to choose from, so we hope these top picks and buying advice can help you narrow down the best cheap wireless earbuds for you.

Danielle Abraham is a freelance writer and unpaid music historian.

Science fiction offers up so many realms to explore. So many ideas. And one of the most probing and prevalent themes, usually always rich with creativity and concern, is time travel. It's a topic we can only theorize about but it's one that has ushered in some of the best sci-fi movies of all time. Ones that expand the boundaries of imagination and, often, chase us down some very cool rabbit holes.

Whether it's the story of a killer cyborg sent back in time to wipe out the future leader of a rebellion, the tale of some poor soul forced to relive the same day over and over in a time loop, or the fable of an investigator playing with time in order to solve a mystery, this particular sci-fi terrain is always fruitful. Here are the top 15 time travel films ever!

15. Palm Springs (2020)

Where to Watch: Hulu

We kick things off with a joyous, playful "time loop" flick from 2020 starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti. Palm Springs features the headlining duo as strangers who attend a wedding out in the California desert and get stuck in a day they can't escape. It's a funky and fresh spin on the format featuring two characters who run the gamut of emotions and experiences involved with being able to live forever, but never being able to move forward in time. J. K. Simmons co-stars.

Check out IGN's review of Palm Springs.

14. Predestination (2014)

Where to Watch: Roku Channel (w/ ads), or rentable on most platforms

Ethan Hawke joins Succession’s Sarah Snook and Preacher's Noah Taylor in this mind-bending thriller movie from The Spierig Brothers (Daybreakers, Jigsaw. It's about a temporal agent (Hawke) who embarks on a final time-traveling assignment to prevent an elusive criminal from launching an attack that kills thousands of people. Predestination is a twisty, turny timecop treat that keeps you guessing until the very end.

Check out IGN's review of Predestination.

13. Looper (2012)

Where to Watch: Hulu, Peacock, Fubo, or rentable on most platforms

Rian Johnson's Looper stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis as the same character from different times. As the young Joe, Gordon-Levitt is a mob assassin who kills victims that get sent back in time for him to dispose of while Willis' Joe is old Joe, who, fulfilling a "Looper" contract, is supposed to be sent back and killed by his younger self. But old Joe, upon his arrival in the past, has other things in mind – namely stopping the future from being destroyed by an entity known only as The Rainmaker. Looper is a thrilling, fascinating ride. Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels, and Paul Dano also star.

Check out IGN's review of Looper.

12. Happy Death Day (2017)

Where to Watch: Rentable on most platforms

Happy Death Day takes the "time loop" concept and wickedly infuses into slasher-horror as Jessica Rothe's Tree finds herself being killed over and over again by the same masked maniac. Once realizing she only has a few "deaths" left in her, she takes matters into her own hands and tries to figure out who's behind the mask. Happy Death Day is bleak and hilarious…and also happens to have a sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, that plunges wildly into sci-fi!

Check out IGN's review of Happy Death Day.

11. The Time Machine (1960)

Where to Watch: Rentable on most platforms

The classic 1960 film adaptation of H. G. Wells' landmark 1865 novella tells the time-honored tale of a Victorian-era inventor, here actually named H. George Wells (and played by Rod Taylor), who uses a machine of his own design to travel to the far-off future, discovering that humanity is now become two new species – the enlightened Eloi and the monstrous, underground-dwelling Morlocks. The Time Machine is a dazzling, family-friendly slice of pioneering imagination.

10. Source Code (2011)

Where to Watch: Rentable on most platforms

Sleeper hit Source Code, from Moon's Duncan Jones, unspools a unique spin on "time loop," following a U.S. Army Captain, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who's sent, over and over, into the digital recreation of a real-life train explosion, his mission being to find out who the terrorist culprit is. It's a clever, devious mystery that also stars Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, and Jeffrey Wright.

Check out IGN's review of Source Code.

9. Time After Time (1979)

Where to Watch: Rentable on most platforms

Time After Time's bonkers hook — that being Malcolm McDowell's H.G. Wells using his time machine to track a fleeing Jack the Ripper (the late David Warner) to 1979 San Fransisco — actually makes for an entertaining, oft emotional film. This playfulness with both sci-fi and real history forms a fun, irresistible yarn that has to be seen to be believed. Wrath of Khan's Nicholas Meyer directs while Mary Steenburgen co-stars.

8. The Terminator (1984)

Where to Watch: Prime Video, Fubo, Showtime, AMC+, or rentable on most platforms

This entry is a bit of a cheat since we're also lumping T2: Judgment Day into the mix. Hey, same continuing story, same director! That being said, James Cameron's gritty, great sci-fi bloodbath, The Terminator largely popularized the idea of going back in time and killing someone to change the present (along with larger, dystopian concepts of a world-ending A.I. uprising). Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 and Michael Biehn's frazzled future freedom fighter use our present era (okay, 1984) like a battleground in this sci-fi firestorm.

Check out our guide on how to watch the Terminator movies in order.

7. About Time (2013)

Where to Watch: Starz add-ons, or rentable on most platforms.

Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams star in this delightful time-tinkering rom-com from Love, Actually's Richard Curtis, as Gleeson plays a young man with the ability to time travel who tries to change his past over and over in order to improve his life, and also win the girl of his dreams. Bill Nighy co-stars in this beautifully sincere film featuring phenomenal chemistry and an intriguing take on hereditary time-hopping abilities that make About Time worth watching.

6. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Where to Watch: Rentable on most platforms

The "time loop" concept went big with alien apocalypse flick Edge of Tomorrow (confused so much with the film's tagline "Live, Die Repeat" that Blu-ray box art waaaay emphasized the latter). Mr. & Mrs. Smith's Doug Liman directs this terrific Tom Cruise vehicle, about humanity losing war against an invading alien army that always seems to be several steps ahead. Once Cruise's over-his-head army public affairs officer gets a taste of their cosmic precognitive power, he finds himself dying over and over in battle, unable to escape the day. Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton co-star in this keenly-crafted, funny alien actioner.

Check out IGN's review of Edge of Tomorrrow.

5. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

Where to Watch: Prime Video, Cinemax Go, Fubo, Roku Channel (w/ ads), Pluto TV (w/ ads), Tubi (w/ ads) or rentable on most platforms

Two teenage metalheads from San Dimas, California recklessly, and hilariously, mosh through time, collecting (okay, mostly kidnapping) famous historical figures from in order to ace a crucial test in one of the most entertaining movies from the '80s, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Smart and dumb collide in fabulous ways in this roller-coaster of sublime idiocy. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter embodied these dense-but-sweet wannabe rockers to a "T," fast forming an iconic comedy duo.

Check out our guide to the best Keanu Reeves movies of all time for more.

4. Primer (2004)

Where to Watch: Rentable on Amazon, Apple, and YouTube

Shoestring budget indie film, Primer, which acts as a no-frills psychological thought experiment about the accidental discovery of time travel, is one of the most cerebral takes on temporal tampering ever. It's a stimulating, challenging chronicle of two engineers who dabble in time travel, testing its limits, only to discover the awful ramifications and consequences of fourth-dimensional meddling. It's twisty, math-y, and full tilt fascinating.

Check out IGN's review of Primer.

3. Groundhog Day (1993)

Where to Watch: Prime Video, Fubo, AMC+, or rentable on most platforms.

There were certainly "time loop" stories — in film, TV, and literature — before Harold Ramis' Groundhog Day, but this early '90s hit popularized the concept to the degree of being considered the "Grandaddy" of the subgenre. Mercilessly funny and surprisingly endearing, Groundghog Day pushed the format in new directions. All of this is accentuated by Bill Murray's exceptional performance as a shallow TV weatherman, Phil Connors, who gets stuck in a repeating February 2nd nightmare with no true explanation (other than perhaps the universe forcing him to become a better human). Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, and Scooter the Groundhog co-star.

2. 12 Monkeys (1995)

Where to Watch: Cinemax Go, or rentable on most platforms

Director Terry Gilliam's insane, lavish visuals stuck mainstream pay dirt with the inventive, star-studded 12 Monkeys (which also became a pretty great TV series 20 years later, by the way). Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt (who received an Oscar nomination) headlined this warped, serpentine tale of a future prisoner, from a wasteland world all but wiped out by a virus, sent back in time to track the plague's origins. "Science ain't an exact science" Willis' Cole is told as he clumsily, and harshly, arrives in both the right and wrong times, piecing together the puzzle, thinking the disease may have begun as the brainchild of a mental patient (Pitt) from a wealthy family. 12 Monkeys is freaky, funky, and full of surprises.

1. Back to the Future

Where to Watch: Fubo, AMC+, or rentable on most platforms

Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future is not only considered one of the best front-to-back movies of all time but it laid the groundwork for time travel in a way that's influenced just about every sci-fi property since. And yes, we're cheating here again, like we did with Terminator, and also including the film's two sequels in this entry too (same story, same director!).

All the ingredients came together in all the right ways for this pivotal pop-culture milestone, tracking young Marty McFly's adventures through time as he tries to set things right for himself and his family (lest he and his siblings wind up erased or his own future kids wind up delinquents). Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd create a time-hopping team for the ages (inspiring the gruesome guffaws of Rick & Morty) as Marty and local disgraced inventor (every town's got one, right?) Doc Brown. Back to the Future is the apex of witty, exciting sci-fi.

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN, a member of the Television Critics Association, and co-host of We Enjoy Wrestling. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

When it comes to making a new game, a significant development choice is deciding between using an in-house proprietary engine or one of the established and well-supported game development platforms. In the case of Striking Distance Studios and its upcoming game The Callisto Protocol, the team chose the latter – specifically Unreal Engine version 4.27.

I had a chance to speak with Mark James, the Chief Technical Officer of Striking Distance Studios to discuss the business and development side of making a new game, why and how Unreal helped, and some of the bespoke improvements the team made to the engine.

IGN: With the immense challenge of setting up a new studio and team, how has the use of Unreal Engine been an enabler in your three year schedule?

Mark James, CTO, Striking Distance Studios: Starting with an engine that has shipped hundreds of games is a great advantage. Workflows and tools are widely understood and experience using a commercial engine makes hiring easier. There are always certain changes you want to make to the base engine based on the needs of the product, and at an early stage we decided on key areas we wanted to enhance. Not that we did this in isolation, we communicated with Epic on a regular basis on these changes to ease the integration. When you start a project you want to keep taking engine drops over the development cycle and consulting with Epic on the best way to make their changes made subsequent integrations much easier.

You use Unreal's Simple Demolitions System and have customized this for The Callisto Protocol. What are some of these customisations, and does this extend to the dismemberment system in the game?

This was an area we created from scratch. We knew we wanted a gore system that hit all the components of a great horror game. Our Gore system blends blood spatter, chunk creation and dismemberment to create the most realistic system we could. We wanted Gore to be a diegetic health bar for each enemy representing realistic flesh, muscle and skeletal wounds. Not only was this be used on enemies, but we also used this to represent the gory player deaths. In the Callisto Protocol even losing is a visual feast!

The game utilizes ray tracing for some of its visual elements. Can you share if these are lighting and shadow-based elements from Unreal Engine 5 or have you gone in another direction?

It was important for us to achieve a physically consistent lighting and shadow model in the game. Contrast and occlusion make great horror.

Using our corridor-based scale of around 20 meters we found that around eight lights could be affecting a surface of the environment. Unfortunately, we found that UE4 was limited to four shadow-generating lights, so first we worked on modifying the engine so that we could support a higher number of lights at a lower cost per light.

We looked at the UE4 ray tracing solution at the time and found that for the number of shadows we wanted to create, we needed to create our own solution. So instead we created a Hybrid Ray Traced Shadows solution that applies ray traced shadow detail to areas of the screen that matter to the overall scene quality.

UE5 took a very different approach for lighting with Lumen that didn’t fit the internal corridor model we wanted for the game, but I’ve been very impressed with the quality of the UE5 demos so far.

With this being a cross-generation game, how has the team found the transition to the PS5, Series X and S based on the previous generation?

We created TCP with the new generation of consoles in mind. We wanted to concentrate on the advanced hardware features that these consoles delivered. We have embraced technologies such as positional audio, the lighting-fast storage, and of course the ray tracing-capable GPUs as part of the design.

That said, we’ve always maintained a scalable content generation approach to guarantee that we are able to deliver a great looking and sounding game no matter what generation you play on.

Have the previous-generation versions presented any key hurdles to overcome?

The biggest change to the new consoles was the speed of the storage device. With the SSD in these new consoles we could have seamless loading across the game.

Working this back into the previous generation’s slower HDD was the biggest design challenge. We needed to work out where to place loading volumes and in some cases loading screens where we didn’t need them on current gen.

Do you plan to extend the Console and/or PC versions with any other technical boosts beyond ray tracing, loading and possibly framerates. For example do you have denser geometry or such for current generation machines?

As a team we want to get the most out of any hardware spec we are given. We represented much more material detail, geometry density and lighting interactions than any of our previous projects. One of the goals we had early in the project was “every step was different.” We wanted to represent a world that was lived in and showed the practical design of a space prison. This meant investment in a kit-based geometry and a complex material system to represent the diversity.

You mentioned you have incorporated Unreal Engine 5 elements in your bespoke spur of UE 4.27. Can you share any details on these please?

As we worked to finish TCP on UE4 we looked at areas of UE5 that we felt would be useful for both development iteration and new console features. Epic even helped us move some of these features back into our custom-made version of the engine. There’s no big components that stand out but instead lots of smaller optimizations and workflow improvements that have helped in the final few months.

The character models, post effects and general visual rendering of characters, faces and movement is above almost all other games I have seen, with main character Jacob (Josh Duhamel) genuinely looking like a live actor on video at points. What are some of the key technical improvements here that are delivering this?

The goal of photo-realistic characters starts with capturing models and materials with the correct light response. We invested heavily in a capture validation system that enables us to switch from photograph setups for easy review of the tech and authoring status. Using this approach we concentrated tech investment in areas that differed from the photo reference and the character render. As an example, one of the key areas of tech investment for us was the correct rendering of translucency. This is shown in simple areas like how light is represented behind a character’s ear but also in our enemies rendering the translucent membranes on skin.

The horror and tension in the demos really comes out. How much has your sound team worked with the gameplay and rendering tech to enhance this and are they utilizing any new techniques with the new hardware, such as Tempest 3D Audio?

Audio is such an important part of delivering horror we wanted to give this as much technology development as rendering. We think of audio like it’s a game feature.

Our goal was a physically-based audio model that represents both directional audio and audio interactions with geometry and materials. Traditionally these models have been too CPU-intensive to be able to do quickly for real time gaming. With the new dedicated audio hardware in the new consoles, we now have the power to do this.

Sound alone gives us a tremendous sense of space even without a visual component. Getting this right creates greater immersion in the game. We use sound to create fear and tension whenever possible.

What is a key area of the game you are most proud of, be that gameplay, technology or other?

There’s so much I’m proud of in the game we’ve delivered. Be it our lighting techniques, immersive audio or our combat gameplay it’s hard to pick a favorite. The team is what I’m the most proud of. We’ve built a studio and new IP in a global pandemic all without compromise on quality. That takes true passion.

Prepare to go to Infinity and Beyond in August with Disney+ as Lightyear is only one of the big hitters arriving on the streamer in the near future. Alongside Buzz's new adventure, two of the most anticipated shows of the year – She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law and Star Wars: Andor – will finally air their first episodes.

Marvel fans out there will be happy to know that, alongside She-Hulk, I Am Groot will also make its way to Disney+, providing subscribers with five shorts that see Baby Groot taking center stage in brand-new adventures.

Star Wars fans will also be in for a treat as LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation will land on August 5 and will see Finn arranging a surprise vacation for his friends aboard The Halcyon – the same ship from Disney World's Galactic Starcruiser.

For those kids and kids at heart out there, Bluey is also returning for its third season to provide the heartwarming and hilarious moments we all need. Seriously, if you haven't watched Bluey, you owe it to yourself to, it's wonderful.

Check out the slideshow gallery below for a spotlight of some of the most notable August 2022 Disney+ releases, followed by the full list:

Wednesday, August 3

• Alice’s Wonderland Bakery (S1, 5 episodes)
• The Ghost and Molly McGee (S1, 5 episodes)
• Lightyear
• Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Ms. Marvel
• High School Musical: The Musical: The Series – Episode 302 "Into the Unknown"

Friday, August 5

• The Lion King (2019) (Sing-Along Version)
• The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride (Sing-Along Version)
• Old Dogs
• LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation

Wednesday, August 10

• Bluey (S3, 25 episodes)
• Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge (S1)
• I Am Groot (All Shorts Streaming)
• High School Musical: The Musical: The Series – Episode 303 "The Woman in the Woods"

Friday, August 12

• Disney Summer Magic Quest
• Father of the Bride
• Father of the Bride Part II

Wednesday, August 17

• Meet Spidey and His Amazing Friends (S2)
• She-Hulk: Attorney At Law – Episode 1
• High School Musical: The Musical: The Series – Episode 302 "No Drama"

Friday, August 19

• Beauty and the Beast (1991) (Sing-Along Version)
• Beauty and the Beast (2017) (Sing-Along Version)
• Tangled (Sing-Along Version)

Wednesday, August 24

• Blackish (S8)
• Chibi Tiny Tales (Shorts) (S2)
• High School Musical: The Musical: The Series – Episode 305 "The Real Campers of Shallow Lake"
• She-Hulk: Attorney at Law – Episode 2

Friday, August 26

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland doesn't have a lot of love for the animated comedy's fifth season. Speaking with IGN for an interview during San Diego Comic-Con, Roiland admitted to having mixed feelings about last year's season, though there were extenuating circumstances.

"Season 5 was a weird one. We lost Mendel," Roiland says, referring to line producer J. Michael Mendel, who died unexpectedly in 2019.

The show's fifth season, which continued the adventures of the chaotic Rick and his perpetually traumatized grandson, Morty, put the spotlight on Evil Morty and his plan. As always, it featured a mixture of high-concept sci-fi, smart writing, and seriously dark humor.

But even if the season largely lived up to the standards set by earlier seasons, Roiland still has mixed feelings about it owing to the circumstances of the show's production.

"It was tough. We were thrown for a loop. That was… yeah. If I talk anymore, I'll start crying," Roiland says.

Now in its sixth season, which was confirmed to be releasing in September earlier this week, Rick and Morty has become known for its chaotic energy, quotable lines, and occasionally wild cultural moments. Originally a parody of sorts of Back to the Future, Rick and Morty has steadily grown into its own vast multiverse with a serialized storyline.

But for as much as it's grown, Roiland continues to prefer Rick and Morty's first and second seasons, which he owes to the "silliness and fun that was happening in the creative process."

Justin Roiland shares his five favorite episodes

Asked his five favorite episodes, Roiland ticks them off in no particular order: Total Rickall, the one where the family deals with memory parasites; Rixty Minutes, the first cable episode; Big Trouble in Little Sanchez, or the one with Tiny Rick; The Ricks Must Be Crazy, guest starring Stephen Colbert, and M. Night Shaym-Aliens, in which Rick, Morty, and Jerry get trapped in an alien simulation.

Roiland recalls these episodes as being akin to "Rubiks Cubes" that the team had to solve. He describes a scene where he, co-creator Dan Harmon, and the rest of the team would be gathered around a white board, exhausted, arguing over every possibility — "little things" like whether Jerry would lose his suit when the simulation went away.

Later seasons were a little more formalized, Roiland says, less likely to stray wildly. "We weren't just going to rip it all up and throw it away and start over."

The passing of Mike Mendel, who had previously worked on The Simpsons, The Critic, as well as Roiland's Solar Opposites, was difficult and tragic for the Rick and Morty staff. Roiland wrote at the time, "My friend, partner, and line producer Mike Mendel passed away. I am devastated. My heart breaks for his family. I don't know what I’m going to do without you by my side Mike. I'm destroyed."

Looking ahead to Rick and Morty's sixth season, though, Roiland seems more optimistic.

"I will say that it's a bit more canonical," he explains, though he says there will be also be good "point of entry" episode as well. "It really rewards fans of the show that have been watching up to this point…So it's like, I think we're kind of finally back into the rhythm of Rick and Morty, and I think Season 6 is… I didn't particularly think Season 5 was bad, but Season 6 is f*cking amazing. It really is a f*cking quality season."

As for his relationship with co-creator Dan Harmon, whom he compared to Rick at one point, Roiland says, "It's good."

"I mean, look, we work very differently and I don't like to work. His philosophy is perfection," Roiland says.

Roiland himself is busy as ever, working on Hulu's Solar Opposites and continuing to run his own game studio, which is current developing High On Life — an ambitious first-person shooter. Meanwhile, Rick and Morty Season 6 is slated to release September 4 on Adult Swim.

There's lots more coverage from San Diego Comic-Con, which wrapped up last Sunday, including our list of SDCC's winners and everything announced during the show.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.