If you still haven't jumped on the Elden Ring hype train, today is a great day to change that, as the game and preorders for its strategy guide are on sale. And, if you're in the market for a new OLED TV, today is a good day to jump on one. The Sony A80J 55" OLED 4K TV is down to the lowest price we've ever seen for a new 55" OLED TV from either LG or Sony. If you want something smaller, for example as a gaming PC monitor, the LG C1 48" OLED 4K TV is down to under $800. That's as phenomenal price for one of the best gaming monitors on the market. In other deal news, grab a Monster Hunter Rise pro controller before it's gone, score a WD P10 2TB portable game drive for only $39.98, the HP Reverb G2 VR headset for only $399, or a 1TB PS5 SSD for only $110.

Get Elden Ring On Sale on PlayStation and Xbox

Elden Ring has cemented itself as the must-play game of 2022 so far, and you can get it on sale today, no matter what console you're playing on. Elden Ring is on sale on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One, so you can hop into the Lands Between and see just what all the hype is about. And, if you're finding the game too difficult, you can check out the deal on the strategy guide for Elden Ring below.

40% Off Elden Ring Official Strategy Guides Preorder

Out July 29

There's no question that Elden Ring is a difficult game, so don't feel bad if you find yourself struggling. Fortunately, you can get a little help in the form of FromSoftware's official Elden Ring strategy guide that comes out next month. It's comprised of two volumes, each unveiling secrets, tips, and maps of everything that Elden Ring has to offer. Even if you've got this game down pat, you might want to pick up these books simply to learn more about the lore and enjoy the canon artwork. These books are normally $49.99, but today they're only $29.99, a whopping 40% off discount.

55" Sony A80J 4K OLED TV for $998

Supports 4K @ 120Hz for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X gamers

Sony's 55" OLED TV dropped in price today; whereas normally Sony OLEDs are pricier than LG OLEDs, that's not the case right now. The Sony A80J is $100 less than LG's 55" C1 and $800 less tahn LG's 55" C2. The A80J is a true OLED 4K TV with near infinite contrast ratios, best-in-class black levels, excellent color rendition, and super fast response times. It also supports 4K @ 120Hz over HDMI 2.1.

48" LG C1 4K OLED Smart Gaming TV for $797

Supports 4K @ 120Hz for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X gamers

This is the lowest price we've seen for both the 48" TV. Yes this is a TV, but it happens to be one of the best gaming PC monitors as well. Compared to traditional LED LCD TVs, OLED panels offer better image quality, deeper blacks, better contrast ratio, wider color gamut, and super fast response times. OLED TVs excel at both gaming and viewing 4K HDR content. In terms of general usability, they consume less power and they're very thin and sit flusher against the wall. Amongst OLED TVs, the LG C1 is oft considered the flag bearer; it's the one TV that all other OLED TVs are compared against. The LG OLED TV boasts several generations of optimizations under its belt and the latest C1 model is future proofed with technology like HDMI 2.1 (4K @ 120Hz), variable refresh rate, G-SYNC, the newest LG A9 Gen4 processor and a revamped webOS smart TV interface.

PS5 Compatible XPG 1TB M.2 SSD for $109.99

The XPG Gammix S70 Blade is the least expensive 1TB PS5 compatible SSD available right now. Just because it's the cheapest doesn't mean it's the slowest. In fact, the S70 is actually one of the fastest SSDs available with transfer rates up to 7,400 MB/s. It's on par with the likes of the WD Black SN850, the Samsung 980 Pro, or the Seagate Firecude 530. This is a PCIe Gen4 SSD that was pretty much released specifically for PS5 gamers in order to double or triple the storage capacity of their PS5 without limiting the speed. To make this deal even sweeter, it already comes with a very low-profile heatsink.

WD Black P10 2TB Portable Game Drive for $39.98

This is an excellent price for one of the fastest portable hard drives around. It boasts speeds of up to 140MB/s. Sure that's not as fast as an SSD, but can you get a 2TB portable SSD for less than $40? Even though it's marketed as a game drive, it performs just as well as a standard portable hard drive.

HP Reverb G2 VR Headset

The Reverb G2 normally sells for $599, but the HP Store has it for $200 off. That makes it the same price as the Oculus Quest 2 256gb model but with some significant upgrades under the hood. The Reverb G2 sports the second highest resolution of any VR headset with 2160×2160 pixels per eye (even more than the already impressive Quest 2's 1832×1920 resolution), manual IPD adjustment, a far more robust headstrap than the Quest 2, inside-out tracking that doesn't require external sensors, and off-ear headphones so they don't get as grimy and maintains your peripheral hearing.

Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Edition Is Available Now

This controller isn't on a discount, but it is in stock, and that's very notable. You see, once most Switch Pro Controller special editions go out of stock, they never come back. We've seen it time and time again with the Smash, Splatoon, and Xenoblade controllers. This time, the special edition in question is the Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak controller which has art of the game's flagship monster, Malzeno, across the whole controller. If you'll one day wish you had this in your collection, it's best to grab it now before it's gone.

GTA V Is $19.99 On PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X

Grand Theft Auto V has launched on pretty much every console since the PS3, and that now includes the next-gen PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. If you want to return to the world of GTA V while we endure the seemingly endless wait for its sequel, you can do so for just $19.99 today.

Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda

Score a rare 20% off this popular little Zelda collectible. The Game & Watch is a miniature retro handheld game system that comes preloaded with The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. It's very well designed with a vibrant full color 2.36" LCD screen and intuitive control buttons, all in a tiny footprint that can even fit in your pocket. Walmart is currently the only vendor that has it at this price.

Get Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE Encore For 50% Off

This RPG combines the worlds of Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei into a bright, colorful Persona-like experience. Usually going for $60, you can grab this Switch game today for just under $30. In our review of the game, we praised it for "dazzling combat and catchy music".

55" Hisense U8G 4K Android TV for $599

HDMI 2.1 for 4K @ 120Hz

Thie Hisense U8G is a fantastic TV at a budget price. It's one of the highest end TVs that Hisense sells and its picture quality competes with the top-end LED LCD TV models from Samsung, LG, and Sony. The U8G is the 2021 model that replaces the 2020 U9G. It has two HDMI 2.1 ports and a native 120Hz panel so it can push 4K @ 120Hz with PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles. It does a great job at displaying HDR content thanks to its high peak brightness and excellent black levels. It also makes a good gaming TV since it has a fast response time. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a bad TV because of the brand; it's one of the best 55" TV you'll find in this price range.

Logitech BRIO 4K Ultra HD Webcam for $140

If you want the best video quality from a consumer webcam, there's nothing better than the Logitech BRIO. It's capable of streaming 4K at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps. It also includes a privacy shutter and supports Windows Hello. The Logitech BRIO normally retails for $200, but it's currently almost $60 (30%) off on Amazon.

55% off Polypropylene Ninja Training Sword

Whether you're a ninja in training or a cosplayer, having a non-life-threatening replica ninja sword on hand is practical and convenient. Get two so you can spar with a buddy. This polypropylene sword measures 33.5" long and includes a sword guard.

Franklin Sports MLB Electronic Baseball Pitching Machine

Want to practice your real-life home run hitting skills? Check out this baseball pitching machine from Franklin Sports. With adjustable height for multiple types of pitches, and a red light indicator to let you know when the next ball is on the way, this is a great way to get active with a ball and a bat. Plus, it comes with six plastic baseballs, so it'll be ready to go straight out of the box.

Razer Anzu Smart Glasses

These Razer smart glasses retail for a ridiculous $199.99. Fortunately, they're on sale today for a much more reasonable price of $59.97. The Razer Anzu glasses comes with two types of interchangeable lenses; blue-light filtering lenses for PC use and polarized lenses for outdoor use. They also feature a built-in mic and bluetooth speaker for hands-free calling.

4 Free Months of Amazon Music Unlimited

Log into your Amazon Prime account to see this deal

If you're an Amazon Prime member and you've never signed up for Amazon Music Unlimited, you can get 4 months of service completely free. Amazon Music Unlimited normally costs $9.99/mo. You get access to millions of songs similar to other streaming services like Spotify or Pandora. You can choose from preset playlists for pick out specific songs and build your own. Since music streaming services can rack up in price and don't offer too many discounts or free months, this is a deal worth signing up for.

3 Free Months of Audible Premium Plus

Log into your Amazon Prime account to see this deal

This is another targeted deal for Amazon Prime members who have never subscribed for the Audible Premium Plus service. That's right, no hidden fees, no cost, just a straight-up 3-month free trial including three audiobooks of your choosing. That's an outstanding deal considering the membership would usually set you back $14.95 per month, so in total you're saving almost $45 overall on the service.

Alienware Aurora R10 RTX 3080 Gaming PC for $1673

Amazon has the best price on this RTX 3080 equipped Alienware Aurora gaming PC. It's $150 cheaper than getting the same configuration from Dell directly even compared to Dell's sale price. In addition to the powerful RTX 3080 GPU, this PC boasts a liquid-cooled AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-core processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

Dell S2721DGF 27" 1440p GSYNC Gaming Monitor

This excellent monitor has hit a new price low for Black Friday. It's one of the best 27" gaming monitors you can buy for under $500. The S2721DGF boasts a high quality IPS panel (better than the VA panel found on the popular S3220DGF model). It features wide viewing angles and excellent color rendition including 98% DCI-P3 color coverage, a super fast 1ms response time and up to 165Hz refresh rate through the DisplayPort. It's also FreeSync Premium Pro and G-SYNC compatible.

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 GPU for $769.99

These are easily the best prices we've seen for an RTX 3080 video card since launch. At this price point, the RTX 3080 is a better value than the 3080 Ti, which costs at least $250 more at reputable vendors. The performance gap between the 3080 and 3080 Ti is about 3%, hardly noticeable. The 3080 is significantly more powerful than the previous generation's flagship RTX 2080 SUPER. This is the card you want to get if you plan to game at 4K.

Razer Iskur X Gaming Chair

The price of the Razer Iskur chair has dropped by a whopping $150 down to $249.99. This is a fantastic price for a Razer Iskur gaming chair. The Iskur X model is very similar to the original Iskur model. It lacks the adjustable lumbar spline and has 2D armrests instead of 3D, but the build quality and premium materials are identical. It's a superior chair than Razer's economically priced Enki chair, and with this discount it's cheaper too! The Razer Iskur commands a high retail price tag for a reason; it's well-engineered with plenty of high quality materials and usable features. It's upholstered in multi-layered synthetic leather that's more durable than PU leather. There's also plenty of high density foam cushioning to keep you comfortable during intense gaming marathons.

New 2022 Apple MacBook Pro 14" M2 Laptop

We're finally seeing a 2022 Apple MacBook Pro laptop equipped with the brand new M2 chip in the wild. Amazon has the 14" model up for sale right now for a very reasonable MSRP of $1299. The new M2 chip is reported to be about 18% more powerful than the previous generation M1 chip, which was already a speed demon for its price range. The M2 chip is also extremely power efficient, with this laptop boasting up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge. In addition to the new M2 CPU, this laptop features a gorgeous 13" Retina display with 500 nits of brightness and P3 wide color, 10-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.

Masterbuilt Gravity 560 Digital Charcoal Smoker

Let me preface by saying that I have owned this particular smoker for the past few years and have done no less than fifty ribs, tri-tips, roasts, and smoked salmon candy in this unit. I highly recommend it. A digitally controlled fan conveys smoky hot air from the gravity fed chute to the main chamber where your meat resides. It switches on and off based on the temp. It's simple (and thus not many things that can go wrong) and very effective. Cleanup is a cinch since the ash from the charcoal drops down to a removable pot in the lower chamber. Amazon currently has it for about $200 off MSRP.

$70 Off Apple AirPods Max Headphones

Not everyone can afford Apple's best AirPods, but for those who can, they'll be treated to a $70 discount from Amazon. Obviously the sound quality on these AirPods Max headphones are phenomenal, but what really takes the cake is the build quality. There are no other headphones in its price range that is built as well as the AirPods Max. They are literally a work of art.

48" Gigabyte AORUS 4K OLED Gaming Monitor

This is the lowest price you'll find currently for a 48" 4K OLED gaming monitor that boasts HDMI 2.1 inputs for 4K @ 120Hz and VRR. That means this is a worthy monitor for your RTX 30 series equipped video card (which has HDMI 2.1 outputs) or a PS5 or Xbox Series X console. Unlike an LG OLED TV, it doesn't have TV-centric features, mostly notably Dolby Vision support and a built-in Smart TV interface, but it does make up for it with more connectivity options like DisplayPort, USB Type-C, and USB 3.0.

$70 Off the Apple Watch Series 7

$50 Off the Apple Watch SE

The Series 7 is Apple's latest and greatest watch. The biggest upgrade the Series 7 has over the Series 6 is the display. It has the same always-on Retina display, but it's 20% bigger and features a more crack-resistant front crystal screen. It also adds on even more health-related features, like measuring your blood oxygen or taking an ECG. It's inarguably the best smartwatch on the market right now. If you don't need the health related features, you can save $100 and go with the Apple Watch SE instead. Despite the low price tag, this watch is still big on features, such as a large Retina OLED display, 2x faster CPU than the Series 3, heart rate monitoring, GPS, swimproof design, haptic feedback, and more.

3 Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $1

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate normally costs $14.99 per month, but right now new customers can get 3 months for only $1. The sheer amount of value you get with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is impressive. This membership gives you both Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass for PC. Xbox Live Gold is required for online gaming. Xbox Game Pass gives you access to a huge library of games that is free as long as you maintain your membership. The list includes AAA games that you can play as early as launch day. These include Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, Sniper Elite 5, Farming Simulator 2022, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and much more.

New 42" LG Evo C2 4K OLED Gaming TV

Supports 4K @ 120Hz for PS5 and Xbox Series X

For many of you who have been patiently waiting for the LG Evo C2 42" 4K OLED TV, now you can rejoice. The majority of the 2022 Evo C2 lineup had been released earlier in the year, but for whatever reason LG had decided to hold off on its new 42" size until now. This highly anticipated TV is finally orderable on Amazon and ships immediately. The 42" replaces LG's 48" as its smallest 4K OLED TV on the market. It performs just as well as its larger sized siblings as a gaming TV, but where it really shines is as a gaming monitor for your PC.

65" TCL 4-Series 4K Roku TV for $398

55" for $298

For most people, the two biggest priorities for a TV are (1) price and (2) size. That's why a TV like this TCL 4-series is so popular; if you're looking specifically for a 65" or 55" TV, you'd be hard pressed to find a lower price. This TCL TV offers solid picture quality without burning a hole in your wallet, and it even has built-in Roku smart TV functionality. It might not look as good as a $1500 TV, but you could fund the rest of your home entertainment or gaming system with the amount you just saved.

Klipsch Promedia 2.1ch Computer Speakers

Update: This is the newer model with wireless Bluetooth streaming.

The Klipsch Promedia 2.1 speakers have been around for over 2 decades, but it's still considered one of the best computer speakers under $200. It's normally listed for $169.99, but today Walmart has it for only $89, a 48% savings. This THX-certified speaker set includes two satellite speakers with 3/4" soft dome tweeter with 3” midrange drivers and a 6.5" 200W powered subwoofer for some intense bass.

Amazon Prime Video’s catalog can be a bit more challenging to navigate versus the neatness of Netflix or Hulu. There are no subcategories or breakdowns, just an endless scroll of fifty-ish pages loaded with titles. Don’t expect many Amazon Originals in their horror section either — these seem to be limited to Blumhouse’s “Into The Blumhouse” collections and not much else. You’d think this is where horror movies come to die, but that’s only if you don’t have a guide.

Clicking through every page of Prime Video’s horror section, you’ll find some real gems hidden between backyard-made uploads that Amazon loosely vets. The problem is, “hidden gems” are just that — hidden. I’m talking “Page 15” for an outright horror icon or anything before the 2000s. Curation seems like an afterthought, just whatever’s available at the time. To make perusing easier, we’ve highlighted the best horror films currently streamable on Prime Video, updated monthly as we sink deeper into their catalog of neverending pages.

Please note: This list pertains to U.S. Amazon subscribers. Some titles may not currently be available on international platforms. This article is frequently amended to remove films no longer on Amazon and to include more horror movies that are now available on the service.

A Quiet Place Part II

Where A Quiet Place was a measured exercise in sound design and largely unseen threats, A Quiet Place Part II is the creature-feature sequel that doesn’t care about making noise. I don’t think it’s as successful as the first, but John Krasinski continues the franchise’s mythology well enough to reward the pursuit of an alternative path. The creatures become more prominent players on the screen, opening the world to alien invasion parameters that frighten through enemy numbers. It’s the perfect kind of sequel to hit Prime Video, which doesn’t have many blockbuster offerings. A Quiet Place Part II should scratch the grander-scale horror itch for those who’ve burned out on low-budget indies at the time.

The Poughkeepsie Tapes

The Poughkeepsie Tapes is an infamous found footage movie that gained notoriety when it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007, was slated for release in 2008, then vanished until an unceremonious dump onto VOD in 2014. It’s another horror film too disturbing to be seen, which blends true crime with found footage tropes as we relive a serial killer’s evidence tapes filled with violent depravity. To some, it pushes past good taste and gives viewers a front-row seat to sadism that no one should endure. To others, it’s a magnificent exercise in finding ourselves analyzing the mind of a killer like we’re sharing the same brain. Whether you find it appalling or revolutionary is a worthwhile gamble, in this writer’s opinion.

Candyman

Nia DaCosta’s Candyman — say it five times — succeeds as a thoughtful requel in remake camoglauge. The creative team sees an opportunity to challenge Bernard Rose’s original by viewing its legacy through a Black lens, which gives a complementary perspective. New elements are introduced (mirror travel), the universe of Candyman expands, and effects teams splatter some righteous gore as trauma is exploited as art. There’s a poignant conversation at the center of Monkey Paw’s Candyman update, one that unifies the worlds of cultural reflection and representative horror in a tasty way.

Tumbbad

Tumbbad is an exquisitely shot Indian horror film about humankind’s follies, demons locked away in Mother Earth’s womb, and the corruption of treasure. It’s a tale in three acts, as we see Vinayak as both child and adult. First, he’s almost devoured by his possessed grandmother while distracted by the prospect of immense riches. He then returns to Tumbbad — after breaking a promise made to his mother — in search of evils with profitable rewards. There’s a moral fable that’s enchanting as a grim fairytale and astounding cinematography that’s colorful, luscious, and awe-striking in ways that modern American horror refuses. It’s a grand spectacle experience that drips macabre beauty in its most tempting forms, stuffed with ambitious storytelling and big swings that make the longer running time fly by with ease.

Freaks

Emile Hirsch has been stacking a humble indie genre career with titles like The Autopsy of Jane Doe and Son, including Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein's Freaks. It's somewhere between a superhero origin story and a sci-fi thriller, hinged on a little girl's discovery of outstanding abilities. Hirsch plays a father character who tries to keep his daughter locked away from the world "for her protection," but an ice cream man outside lures the child away. What occurred becomes mind-bendy, fantastical, and rooted in familial horrors about self-discovery — which is as far as this description goes out of spoiler fears.

Hell House LLC

Stephen Cognetti's Hell House LLC is a spectacularly scrappy take on found-footage Halloween horrors. Haunted attraction creators select an abandoned hotel in upstate New York for their next production, and opening night ends with fifteen dead. Hell House LLC sells itself as documentary footage that recounts the tragedy of Hell House — what went wrong, all the supernatural signs that attraction makers ignored. It's one of its decade's better independent horror efforts, especially considering how it maximizes every advantage of found footage styles. Minimal budgets, seasonally creative scares, and in-your-face screams are the calling cards of Hell House LLC.

Master

Mariama Diallo's Master turns systemic racism into a ghost story that haunts collegiate halls. Regina Hall shines as the first Black master at Ancaster, a predominantly white New England college. There are legends of haunted dorm rooms thanks to witch hangings nearby, but Hall's character encounters prejudice that's far more horrifying. The paranormal element of Diallo's story becomes the unseen but campus-wide stoking of hatred that's ingrained in Ancaster's traditions. Horror becomes a conduit for protest as well as a frightening accent on a few occasions, but most impressively, Diallo keeps thematic emphasis tight and tense throughout the university thriller. It's spooky, frustrated, and particular with its monsters — horror continues to be as punchily political as always.

Train To Busan

If Sang-ho Yeon’s Train To Busan is streaming on a platform, it will be in my recommendations. No exceptions. South Korea’s breakneck zombie thriller jams all the hyper-intensity of World War Z into a speeding commuter vessel and it’s non-stop excitement. Everyone from baseball players to businesspeople must band together when the undead sprint into stations where the train stops. Once the wheels start turning, Yeon’s film never ceases momentum — that’s why it’s one of the best zombie films to release in the last decade (minimum). Look out for its stateside remake produced by James Wan and directed by Timo Tjahjanto!

Harpoon

Rob Grant’s Harpoon is so sarcastic, caustic, and spiteful. I say that with glee. It’s the darkest of dark comedies, cutting to the chase about humanity’s vile core. Three “friends” are stranded on a boat and devolve into the worst versions of themselves — somehow even worse than the betrayers and hotheads they were on land. There’s also a harpoon on board, hence the title. Brett Gelman narrates as Richard (Christopher Gray), Jonah (Munro Chambers), and Sasha (Emily Tyra) try to survive heatstroke, dehydration, and themselves. Drifting on waters that are much calmer than tensions aboard, which is all I want to reveal about this laugh-out-out slice of human misery.

The Taking Of Deborah Logan

Found footage fans already know why Adam Robitel's The Taking Of Deborah Logan is on this list. Deborah Logan (Jill Larson) permits a film crew to document her battle with Alzheimer's, but the production becomes more nightmare than informational research. Threads between mental illness and possession are pulled so delicately until jarring scares deliver thunderous horrors. Deborah's condition worsens as the camera rolls and evolves past medical explanations. Then we reach an open-wide finale moment that's been gif'ed a million times, assuring mass acclaim around Robitel's debut.

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum

Want to visit one of the scariest places in the world? South Korea's Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum painstakingly recreates the actual location prohibited for shooting by the government as a found footage walkthrough. Internet ghost hunters lead viewers through corridors of an abandoned institution as part of an online show, where the hosts begin playing pranks for entertainment. Shockingly enough — or not, it's a horror movie — there are lost souls in the asylum. Those trapped inside must face their ultimate fears. It's nothing particularly groundbreaking but is terrifyingly effective nonetheless. Horror communities consider Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum one of the better found footage movies in years, and there are a million reasons why.

Afflicted

It’s a shame that Derek Lee and Clif Prowse’s only contribution to horror cinema is Afflicted. Their outstanding stealth vampire flick pulls Hardcore Henry stunts before Hardcore Henry even existed. Found footage becomes a window into the fatally-ill Derek’s presumed final adventures, where he’s bitten by a bloodsucker who saves his life in a backward-serving way. Now Derek just has to suck blood and avoid sunlight the rest of his much longer life, which he must grapple with while traveling with Cliff through European countries. Cue fleeing and action and way more complications in this tremendously talented debut.

We Are Still Here

Haunted houses are part of any horror fan's comfort formula but can present storytelling problems. Why remain in an estate that aims to harm you? Or possess your family? Ted Geoghegan's We Are Still Here works as a New England ghost story because characters played by Barbara Crampton and Andrew Sensenig believe their new abode's strange occurrences are signs from their deceased son. A calmness keeps them settled until their assumptions are proven very, disastrously wrong. It's a third-act for the ages that pays off slower burns when Geoghegan unleashes more bloodshed in its closing remarks than some entire movies accomplish. Eat your hearts out, A24. Here's how you sustain elongated simmers with a proper climax.

Stitches

If you’re in the mood for a horror-comedy slasher, may I direct you towards Conor McMahon’s Stitches? British comedian Ross Noble plays an undead clown who reanimates to slaughter the now-teenage children responsible for his accidental party death. Death scenes are over-the-top and emphasize practicality, like when a boy’s head inflates like a balloon or brains are scooped like ice cream blobs. It’s wild fun and even sets up a mythological cultish vibe as Stitches is somehow tied to a graveyard clown congregation, which begs for a sequel. That ship has probably sailed, but for everyone who misses the lunacy of 80s slasher romps? Stitches should be a headliner act.

Hellraiser

Classic horror staples don’t often find their way onto Prime Video, but Clive Barker’s Hellraiser remains the exception. Pinhead makes his theatrical debut serving sadomasochism as the only flavor on Barker’s menu. Cenobites explore new torturous carnal pleasures, no longer able to decipher between pain and pleasure. So begins a gory affair where bodies are pulled apart by hooks as leather demons bring such sights to show the humans caught in their path. Oh, and there’s skinwalking to boot? Hellraiser lives its name by bringing Hell unto Earth, whether you’re talking about the disgusting gratification on-screen or the slew of unappetizing sequels.

Piranha

Joe Dante does aquatic horror as only Joe Dante would in Piranha. It’s Jaws but with rural lakeside landscapes like sleepaway camps and backyard fishing posts. Practical effects do their best for a 1978 production, which means to compliment underwater attacks shot with enough frenzy to deliver munchy-crunchy horror. Although, there’s certainly not enough attention paid to the laboratory creature shown and gone in a flash. Dante’s original plan was to steadily grow his two-legged fish monster throughout the film before a final boss appearance later, but budget restraints wouldn’t allow such ambition. So instead, we’re stuck with the still comical and ferocious Piranha that spawned a knockout remake in Piranha 3D.

Dead Snow: Red Vs. Dead

Don’t sleep on sequels, kids — Dead Snow: Red Vs. Dead blows the initial concept of Nazi zombies hunting for gold clear out of the water. Undead Russian soldiers rise to help battle German zeds. The original’s surviving character accidentally gets his arm replaced with the rotted Nazi commander’s arm, and Martin Starr pops in as a learned-it-from-horror-movies American zombie hunter. It’s ridiculous, there are tanks, and I think a baby explodes at one point? All to say Tommy Wirkola’s Dead Snow: Red Vs. Dead is unthinkably wild and takes the “bigger, better” motto of sequels to heart.

House On Haunted Hill

Yes, 1999’s House On Haunted Hill is an underrated aughts-era example of gothic decadence — but let’s not forget the William Castle original. Vincent Price and Carol Ohmart star as untrusting partners who so entertainingly scorch each other with hateful words, setting a proper murder mystery afoot. Since we’re talking about a 1959 haunted house whodunit, there’s less stress put on inky ghosts and more on the macabre charisma of Price and his character’s guests. Survive the night and win a handsome sum of cash — leave, or worse, and forfeit. The latter becomes harder as the evening turns gravely severe in this delicious horror puzzler that still holds its mansion-mania charm.

Scare Campaign

Cameron and Colin Cairnes have something to say about the mainstream’s shift in media consumption. Scare Campaign is about television pranksters challenged by “The New Entertainment,” in that nobody’s falling for old tricks anymore. The Scare Campaign crew find themselves hunted by The Masked Freaks — these guerrilla filmmakers who’ve outfitted their cameras with weapons like chainsaws or nooses. Crowds show their support to encourage illegal presentations of deaths online, as the Scare Campaign workers wonder how things have become so bleak given their days as television horror jokesters. Don’t be afraid of the film’s indie vibes — it’s a tale that’s only gained more relevance and bite as society’s social media habits have altered since 2016.

Oculus

Huh, this Mike Flanagan fella who directed Oculus sure sounds familiar! Before Haunting of Hill House and Doctor Sleep, Flanagan made movies about villainous mirrors and fractured timelines. The entire cast is achieving their all, from Karen Gillan to Brenton Thwaites, Katee Sackhoff to Rory Cochrane. We watch the mirror tear a family apart in two different eras as Gillan and Thwaites return to the site where their lives changed forever to confront the hallucination-inducing mirror. Traumas from the past and doppelgänger horrors become the film’s calling cards, as Flanagan’s signature ability to weave emotionality into horror is no mirage.

Suck

If you’re a sucker for horror rock musicals, you should crank Rob Stefaniuk’s Suck. A host of rockstars from Alice Cooper to Henry Rollins roll through this vampire take on selling your soul for everlasting fame. Admittedly, it’s not precisely high-brow since Malcolm McDowell plays a vampire hunter named Eddie Van Helsing. Still, musical interludes and the film’s goofy commentary on stardom strum the right chords. Moby, Iggy Pop, Alex Lifeson — Suck has it all in terms of talent. If only “The Winners” had any of the listed legends in their actual band, they wouldn’t have to morph into bloodsuckers for attention.

Another streaming platform, another horror catalog that users must sift through for hidden games. You’d think that an oversaturated streamer market would thin selections between too many providers, but that’s not the case. HBO Max has everything from classics to remakes and whatever’s in between. All the titles that were pulled from Netflix and Amazon collections once contracts expired are now back home where they belong.

Since HBO Max is the destination for Warner Brothers content, James Wan’s The Conjuring Universe alone provides a strong horror draw. That’s the game of musical chairs currently at play. Where Netflix once had one, or even both The Conjuring films available to stream, the emergence of HBO Max has stolen away titles not already locked into contracts elsewhere. Diving deeper, let’s look at the growing horror film catalog HBO Max has to offer.

Please note: This list pertains to U.S. HBO Max subscribers. This article is frequently amended to remove films no longer on HBO Max and to include more horror movies that are now available on the service.

Cronos

Guillermo del Toro’s feature debut is a vampire film barely interested in Dracula prototype vampires. No bitten necks or missing reflections in mirrors. Cronos is an alternative take on vampires that questions the imprisonment that is eternity and introduces common vampire mythology using a golden insect-shaped device. GDT directs the vampire movie of his dreams, challenging the way audiences comprehend familiar tropes in unfamiliar ways. Worth it for GDT’s ever-interesting perspective on humanity and his beginning collaboration with a babyfaced Ron Perlman playing some international goomba crime goon.

John Dies At The End

I know what you’re thinking, but no spoilers. I swear. Legendary horror director Don Coscarelli adapts David Wong’s oddball novel about missing dogs, supernatural cults, and meat monsters. Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes play slackers who can travel through dimensions and timestreams by using a drug called “Soy Sauce;” Paul Giamatti is the reporter interviewing Dave in the present day. Nothing is ever what it seems, nor are character deaths beholden to typical Hollywood standards. It’s as ambitious and outrageous a genre narrative as you might presume, with a high percentage of engaging sci-fi-freaky hijinks that continually challenge best friends who won’t let mortality or reality harsh their vibes.

Santa’s Slay

What if I told you professional wrestler Bill Goldberg played an evil Santa Claus in Santa's Slay? Would you believe me if I said he kills characters played by Chris Kattan and Fran Dresher in an opening sequence where holiday cheer is obliterated the minute Goldberg Santa bursts through the chimney? It's all true and just the first taste of a Christmas horror tale gone awry with plenty of darkly comedic laughs. It's never scary — Goldberg punishes naughty townsfolk with exploding presents and headlocks — but is worth plenty of absurd cackles as Christmas specials are spoofed to their graves. Learn about the true origins of December 25th as a "Day of Death," as Santa's once again allowed to massacre innocents after his 1,000-year debt is finally paid off because this ain't your grandma's Christmas tradition — although it might be a new one if granny's into Santa as the son of Satan.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch

Joe Dante’s Gremlins typically gets all the attention in the original + sequel combination, maybe only because Gremlins 2: The New Batch was ahead of its time in 1994. Wes Craven hadn’t yet popularized meta storytelling in horror with Scream, and audiences might have received Dante’s absurd creature follow-up with confusion. Gizmo and Billy Peltzer are back, taking the Big Apple by storm in a more outrageous, more insanity-fueled adventure that breaks fourth walls like it’s already in style. Hardly the continuation fans of Gremlins expected, but that doesn’t negate its value — who doesn’t want a Looney Tunes cartoon come to life with gremlins made of vegetables, electricity, and spider DNA? It’s crazy, it’s kooky, and ends with a massive Broadway dance number because everything else wasn’t bonkers enough. Dante and Warner Brothers took a massive swing with Gremlins 2: The New Batch, a film I’ll forever turn on when I’m in the mood for a pick-me-up puppet party that redefines the rigidity of how sequels must honor their beginnings.

Freaky (2020)

You know those studio-made original slashers some people complain don’t exist anymore? That’s Christopher Landon’s Freaky! It’s right there! Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton swap bodies as lumbering slasher villain and hottie high schooler before a familiar slasher structure plays out. Vaughn and Newton are having a blast playing one another, but this isn’t some Jaime Lee Curtis Disney special. Landon and co-writer Michael Kennedy write plenty of slasher mutilation into their switcheroo horror-comedy, enough to keep subgenre fans pleased. Freaky finds a way to flip the age-old “survivor girl” trope on its head and let proverbial freak flags fly, all in the name of a new-age slasher that carves its own identity from past 80s classics.

28 Days Later (2002)

Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later has sparked debates through horror groups about fast-moving zombies and what constitutes a zombie movie, but there’s one thing fans agree on — how good it is. Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, and more must navigate the dystopian UK where a horrible virus has infected most citizens. I insist that 28 Days Later is a zombie movie, so yes, the UK is overrun by zombies who can sprint like track athletes and are ferocious beyond human capabilities. It’s dreadful, there’s a griminess about Boyle’s filmmaking that adds an extra layer of horror, and intensity stays spiked as characters try to survive chaotic undead chases. 28 Days Later and Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake changed how horror fans saw zombies in the 2000s — for better or worse, depending on whose opinion.

Check out our list of the best horror movies of all time for more classics like this.

Bad Milo (2013)

Who knew something as adorable and deadly as Milo could live in your butt? Yes, Jacob Vaughan’s Bad Milo stars Ken Marino as an anxious pushover named Duncan, whose repressed rage turns into a killer creature living in his intestines. When Duncan faces immense stress, Milo wriggles free and lashes out by murdering those who caused Duncan discomfort. It’s an oddly sweet film about a man’s best intestinal friend until Milo starts acting out in ways Duncan cannot control. There’s fun gore, a lifelike puppet that harkens back to Gremlins days of practical effects, and this pure warmth shared between Duncan and Milo — all this in a funny movie about an ass demon. I swear.

Cloverfield (2008)

I could write twenty paragraphs about how Cloverfield helped alter the modern horror landscape, but I’ll just say there’s a reason Matt Reeves and Drew Goddard keep getting job offers. Cloverfield introduced found footage into Kaiju cinema, making its audience feel insignificantly small. Characters scramble underfoot as New York City is destroyed by a behemoth invader while battling smaller minions whose bites make you combust (RIP Lizzy Caplan). It’s definitely of the shaky-cam variety, so if that kind of chaotic filmmaking isn’t your thing, Cloverfield doesn’t escape some found footage tropes — but that comes with subgenre territory. Cloverfield pushes the envelope by using astounding perspective shots that reimagine how modern monster movies can be filmed. Plus, who doesn’t love watching T.J. Miller get chewed in half by a mutant alien?

The Conjuring + The Conjuring 2

Allow a slight cheat here because I can’t mention James Wan’s The Conjuring without mentioning his equally accomplished sequel, The Conjuring 2. Wan’s self-assertion as one of modern horror’s most prolific filmmakers started before The Conjuring, but it’s where Wan cements his legacy. Why are we surprised that the man behind Insidious, Saw, and The Conjuring would deliver one of the best contemporary horror sequels? They’re chilling, neither recycle each other’s scares, and both “Conjurings” represent the template that many horror filmmakers have tried to copy since their releases. No notes, Mr. Wan.

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

From Dusk Till Dawn is one of those movies I don’t need an open IMDb tab for while I write. Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s mashup of styles ranks high in both their filmographies. George Clooney battles vampire strippers in an ancient bar tended by Danny Trejo? Music by “American chicano rock band” Tito & Tarantula? Everything about this sleazy, brow-sweat horror flick drips with booze, blood, and seduction, especially when Salma Hayek hypnotizes us with her center stage dance number. Once the fangs come out and Tom Savini fires back with his cod-piece shooter, it’s the best kind of midnighter chaos — although there’s rarely a scene where From Dusk Till Dawn disappoints.

Friday The 13th (2009)

Here’s the paragraph where I say Marcus Nispel’s Friday the 13th remake is one of the franchise’s best entries. How it melds the first three Friday the 13th movies into a leaner, more vicious 2000s vision is so slick, speeding through the milestones of Jason Voorhees becoming the iteration we all know with pep in its step. Derek Mears plays a menacing Jason with mean weapon swings, while the likes of Jared Padalecki, Amanda Righetti, Ryan Hansen, and others flee from the iconic Crystal Lake killer. Also, fun fact, Travis Van Winkle’s Trent ties the universes of Transformers and Friday the 13th together since he’s in both — no joke. Who knows what could have happened if rights issues didn’t kill Platinum Dunes’ momentum and allowed Michael Bay the crossover we all deserve.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

Clowns might be scary, but Killer Klowns From Outer Space is a hilarious appreciation of the zaniness horror can birth. From popcorn cannons to cotton candy ray guns, the Killer Klowns — actors in full-body practical costumes — enact big-top mayhem upon small-town America. The Chiodos brothers have so much fun with circus elements that become weapons or technology for the Killer Klowns, which audiences gobble up like sticky fairground treats. There’s a reason horror fans are still clamoring for the teased sequel that the Chiodos brothers have in mind — not sure we’ll ever get it, but there’s always room for more three-ring terror.

The Lure (2015)

Agnieszka Smoczynska’s The Lure is one of the more remarkable horror debuts in recent memory. This bloodthirsty Polish mermaid musical balances levels of Eurotrash venue performances, aquatic folklore, and stylish creativity. Smoczynska shows her leads Silver and Golden as scaly mermaids, unlike beautified fantasies, and strikes gold as glitzy nightclub lust threatens mermaid ways of life. The Lure is one of those films that you need to see to believe — just a starburst of imagination that washes over audiences in the mood for lounge fishes pursuing careers, passion, and yummy humans.

Malignant (2021)

If I didn’t put Malignant on this list, I feel like there’d be a riot. Jame Wan’s throwback to late 90s, early 00s horror where anything goes takes huge scripted swings on a studio budget. There’s bone-snapping action, gothic dread, Giallo lighting, and plenty of blood — a bit undefinable, but that’s why people love Malignant. In a time where horror’s so reliant on trends like haunted house crazes after The Conjuring or trauma-based storytelling after Hereditary, Malignant defies all expectations. Wan embraces camp, randomness, and unpredictability, which is so much fun to behold. Wan earned Malignant, and we deserve Malignant.

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

If it weren’t for the Child’s Play movies, A Nightmare On Elm Street would be my favorite of the evergreen horror franchise. Everything starts with Wes Craven’s original, where Robert Englund asserts himself as the snide dreamland killer. The gloves, the perfect shot when he outreaches his arms to create a Stretch Armstrong shadow effect, his laugh — Englund is so good from the jump as Freddy Krueger. A Nightmare On Elm Street has what it takes to spawn something bigger than even a horror legacy. Freddy Kruger’s looming presence over pop culture at large is a testament to the terror Craven instigates in this spectacularly original slasher.

The Shining (1980)

To this day, Stephen King talks about his distaste for Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. He wrote the literal book, his opinion is inarguably valid, but apologies Stephen — The Shining gets the job done. When viewed as a standalone feature, there’s so much madness to appreciate in Jack Nicholson’s performance as Jack Torrance. Shelley Duvall plays a pitch-perfect counterpart. The Overlook atmospheres, that booming score, all the psychological torture that goes into breaking both Jack and the audience — The Shining somehow feels claustrophobic even though the hotel is massive. Kubrick might not have impressed Stephen King or those who choose the novel over adaptation, but I’m pretty alright with both. Also see: our best Stephen King movies of all time list.

Looking for more good horror films to stream? You can also check out our lists of the best horror movies on Netflix, top horror movies on Amazon Prime, and the Best Thriller Movies ever.

The Terminal List kicks off Prime Video's July and stars Chris Pratt in a new series that's based on the best-selling novel by Jack Carr of the same name. After his entire platoon of Navy SEALs is ambushed, Pratt's James Reece must wrestle with conflicting memories of what happened alongside dealing with "dark forces working against him" that threaten the lives of those most important to him.

Don't Make Me Go follows John Cho's Max after he discovers he has a terminal disease. In response, he chooses to use the time he has left to live all the moments he will miss with his daughter Wally (Mia Isaac) and perhaps reunite with her mother who left them long ago.

Anything's Possible is a coming-of-age story that stars Eva Reign as Kelsa, a "confident high school girl who is trans, as she navigated through senior year." July will also see the arrival of Paper Girls, a story of four paper girls who get caught up in a war between time travelers after Halloween in 1998. They then find themselves in the future and must work to get back to where they belong alongside meeting adult versions of themselves.

Alongside the Prime Video originals mentioned above, subscribers will also be treated to House of Gucci, The 355, Gladiator, and a ton more movies and shows throughout the month.

Check out the slideshow gallery below for a spotlight of some of the most notable July 2022 Prime Video releases followed by the full list:

July 1

Movies

• 16-Love (2012)
• 1UP (2022)
• 52 Pick-Up (1986)
• A Feral World (2020)
• A Hologram for the King (2016)
• A Very Brady Sequel (1996)
• Adventure Boyz (2020)
• Aeon Flux (2005)
• Ali (2001)
• Ali Director’s Cut (2001)
• All Roads to Pearla (2019)
• As Long as We Both Shall Live (2016)
• Attack of the Unknown (2020)
• Awaken The Shadowman (2017)
• Barry Munday (2010)
• Betrayed (1988)
• Blown Away (1994)
• Blue Jay (2016)
• Body of Evidence (1993)
• Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
• Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
• Cadillac Man (1990)
• Call of the Wolf (2017)
• Cedar Rapids (2011)
• Changeland (2019)
• Chasing Molly (2019)
• Clueless (1995)
• Coffy (1973)
• Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)
• Coyotaje (2019)
• Criminal Law (1988)
• Cruel Hearts (2020)
• Cruiser (2020)
• Dark Blue (2003)
• Dark Waters (2019)
• Dave Made A Maze (2017)
• DC Noir (2019)
• Dead Ringers (1988)
• Drillbit Taylor (2008)
• Easy Does It (2020)
• Europa Report (2013)
• Eye Of The Needle (1981)
• Four Feathers (2002)
• Forev (2014)
• French Postcards (1979)
• Frisky (2015)
• Futureworld (1976)
• Gino’s Wife (2016)
• Gladiator (2000)
• Good Neighbors (2011)
• Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
• Here Comes the Devil (2012)
• High-Rise (2016)
• Hobo with a Shotgun (2011)
• Hot Dog…The Movie (1984)
• Hot Fuzz (2007)
• In Action (2021)
• Infinitum: Subject Unknown (2021)
• Internal Affairs (1990)
• Into the Blue (2005)
• Iris Warriors (2022)
• Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
• Jamie Marks Is Dead (2014)
• Jennifer’s Body (2009)
• Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
• John Dies at the End (2012)
• Kiltro (2006)
• Lincoln (2012)
• Little Man Tate (1991)
• Loves Spell (2020)
• Lust For Love (2014)
• Mandela (1997)
• Midnight in Paris (2011)
• Moments in Spacetime (2001)
• No Way to Live (2017)
• Party With Me (2021)
• Patriot Games (1992)
• Pieces of April (2003)
• Play the Game (2009)
• Pretty Ugly People (2008)
• Racing With The Moon (1984)
• Raging Bull (1980)
• Revolutionary Road (2009)
• Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
• Runner (2018)
• Say Your Prayers (2021)
• Slash (2016)
• Son of God (2014)
• Speed (1994)
• Stay (2021)
• Stuff (2017)
• Sunset Song (2016)
• Swiped (2018)
• Switchback (1997)
• The Arbors (2020)
• The Fighter (2010)
• The Fighting Temptations (2003)
• The General’s Daughter (1999)
• The Gospel According to Andre (2018)
• The Honor Farm (2017)
• The Hunted (2003)
• The Italian Job (2003)
• The Mongolian Connection (2019)
• The Pirates! Band Of Misfits (2012)
• The Posthuman Project (2014)
• The Queen of Versailles (2012)
• The Republic of Two (2014)
• The Rest of Us (2020)
• The Sum of All Fears (2002)
• The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
• The Time Machine (2002)
• Tucked (2018)
• Unicorn City (2012)
• Venus and Serena (2012)
• Virtuosity (1995)
• Wargames (1983)
• We Love You, Sally Carmichael! (2017)
• We Take The Low Road (2020)
• When Icarus Fell (2018)
• Yentl (1984)

TV Series

• Alternatino With Arturo Castro S1 (2019)
• The Terminal List (2022)
• Very Cavallari (2018)

July 2

Movies

• House of Gucci (2021)

July 8

TV Series

• Warriors on the Field (2022)

July 15

Movies

• Don’t Make Me Go (2022)

TV Series

• Forever Summer: Hamptons (2022)

July 22

Movies

• Anything's Possible (2022)
• Prizefighter (2022)

July 29

TV Series

• Paper Girls (2022)

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

At this point there's a SSD for your every storage need whether you're looking to completely eliminate loading times or have affordable bulk space. Hard drives still have their place for storing media and game backups, but at this point your gaming PC or any computer should have a solid-state drive running as its boot drive. Even consoles have made the switch to SSDs and you can add install the shelf M.2 drives on your PS5 to expand your storage space.

There's a wide variety of SSDs available with different transfer speeds, NAND types, and at all varying prices. It's a lot to figure out but that's why we're here to present you only the best SSDs. Whether you're gaming or just want a fast, reliable startup disk, these are the drives you need. Also, we'll help you understand storage specification if you're looking for something outside our recommendations – click here to see them in the UK.

TL;DR – These are the Best SSDs:

• Crucial P5 Plus
• WD Blue SN570
• WD Black SN850
• WD_Black SN770
• Samsung 980
• Corsair MP600 Pro XT
• Samsung 980 Pro
• Samsung 870 QVO
• Corsair MP600 Pro Hydro X Edition
• Seagate FireCuda 530

1. Crucial P5 Plus

Best SSD

• See it on Newegg

The Crucial P5 Plus offers fast speeds with solid endurance and even better value. With its 1TB of storage space and 6,600MB/s sequential read speed, it packs a powerful punch all for under $150, making it our top choice for the best SSD. This NVME SSD has PCIe 4.0 technology, making it much faster than drives with PCIe 3.0 technology. And, while costing slightly more, it edges out other drives on our list like the WD_Black SN750 SE and Samsung 980.

This SSD is perfect for hardcore gamers, creative content creators, or those with intensive workloads. Additionally, Crucial P5 Plus meets the minimum spec requirements to work with the PS5 when used with heat sink. The advanced controller technology and Micron Advanced 3D NAND will make the device faster, hold more information, run more efficiently, and use less energy. Plus, the Crucial P5 offers a warranty of 5-years or 600 total drive writes. For your next gaming PC build, it's the perfect part to go with any affordable CPU and motherboard.

2. WD Blue SN570

Best Budget SSD

Western Digital gives you a lot of bang for the buck with the Blue SN570. Priced under $90, this SSD offers some solid read speeds at 3,500 MB/s, making it run faster than some of the best SATA SSDs. Therefore, you should have limited PC lag and load times. This 1TB SSD uses PCIe 3.0 technology, which is not the fastest that is currently available, but at this price point, it can’t be beaten.

The WD Blue SN750 also offers a good deal of reliability thanks to features that protect your content. There is a dashboard available in order to monitor the health of your drive, plus you can see available space and the temperature. The warranty of 5 years or 600 total drive writes, which is often the standard, means that you can have peace of mind that this small investment will last. And, since you saved a bit of money here, you can spend more elsewhere on your PC build.

3. WD Black SN850

Best Gaming SSD

• See it on Amazon

WD has stepped up its game with the WD Black SN850. This upgrade from the SN750 makes the leap from PCIe 3.0 to PCIe 4.0, and it comes with the speeds to match. Whereas the old drive could offer sequential reads of almost 3,500MB/s, the SN850 fully doubles that to 7,000MB/s. That comes alongside 5,300MB/s write speeds. These are speeds to rival Samsung's 980 Pro SSD.

The WD Black SN950 uses 96-layer, TLC 3D NAND, and it delivers a fairly reasonable price for a 1TB drive without making the sacrifice to longevity that comes from going for QLC NAND. With the incredible speeds of the WD Black SN850, you'll be ready to dive into games in an instant. And, with Microsoft's Direct Storage letting data move from SSDs directly to graphics cards, you'll want to ensure your SSD doesn't become a bottleneck.

4. WD_Black SN770

Best SSD Boot Drive

If you want to limit the time you wait for your PC to turn on and all your applications to load, a great boot drive is a must. It should be relatively fast and roomy. This makes the WD_Black SN770 with a 1TB capacity a great option. It offers compelling speeds with fast sequential reads at 5,150 MB/s and writes at 4,900 MB/s. This is 40% faster than the last-gen, WD_Black SN750 SE. Plus, during random operations, where your operating system will likely feel its speeds the most, it still keeps up a solid performance. Another perk is this drive has considerable endurance at up to 600 full drive writes, or 600TBW for the 1TB model.

The WD_Black SN770 is a bit more affordable than its faster counterpart, the WD_Black SN850, so you’ll be able to spring for the larger 1TB capacity, or if you need more space, you can grab the 2TB model. This means the drive should maintain its peak performance for longer as long as you don't fill it completely with files and media. And, where you’ve saved a bit of money on a quality boot drive, you can then spend a bit more on a dragster to handle large file transfers or your game library.

5. Samsung 980

Best NVMe SSD

• See it on Amazon
• See it on Newegg

If your system isn't able to take advantage of the latest PCIe 4.0 NVMe drives, then you don't need to sink the extra cash it takes to get one of them. Instead, you can pick up the newly released Samsung 980 SSD. This is the PCIe 3.0 counterpart to the PCIe 4.0-based Samsung 980 Pro SSD.

What you get from this drive is more or less a continuation of what Samsung had already been offering in this market segment with the Samsung 970 Evo and 970 Pro. You'll find serious speeds around every corner with 3,500MB/s sequential reads and 3,000MB/s sequential writes. Random read and write operations are also cruising along at a fast clip. And, though it's not a major leap up compared to the 970 Evo, Samsung claims it has improved power efficiency by 32% and reduced heat by 50%. And, one big perk of this new drive is how much lower the price has gotten, as it costs just $130 for a terabyte.

6. Corsair MP600 Pro XT

Best M.2 SSD

The Corsair MP600 Pro XT provides you with a bunch of storage thanks to its 1TB capacity, and it’ll let you access any of your files or games incredibly fast. This drive can reach a peak sequential read speed of 7,100MB/s when you insert it into a PCIe 4.0 x4 slot on your motherboard, so you’ll want to make sure you find an open slot for it to take full advantage of its impressive speeds. Though it’s not leading the class, it also offers remarkable write speeds, so you can move your files to it quickly and make them more accessible.
This’ll be a solid drive if you want your game library to launch quicker and deliver assets to your graphics card faster, especially if you have an RTX card capable of using RTX IO with Microsoft’s DirectStorage. If you’re shuffling content onto and off of the drive a lot or using it as a scratch disk, you’ll also benefit from the drives extensive durability, which can see it completely rewritten 700 times.

7. Samsung 980 Pro

Best PCIe 4.0 SSD

• See it on Amazon
• See it on Newegg

The champ has finally done it. Samsung often leads the field when it comes to SSDs, particularly since it designs its own NAND flash and DRAM cache. And, now the Samsung 980 Pro is here to push things even further forward as Samsung's big foray into the PCIe 4.0 space. This new PCIe SSD tops our previous pick by offering a drive that can offer a whopping 1TB of storage and deliver read speed up to 7,000MB/s and write speeds up to 5,000MB/s.

The best part? The Samsung 980 Pro is offering all that at just a bit over $200. It's not the cheapest price per GB, but cheaper drives aren't going to be nearly as fast. This'll be the drive you want for future PC games that can take advantage of Microsoft's DirectStorage API for super-fast transfers of game assets directly over to your graphic card's memory or as additional storage for your PS5.

8. Samsung 870 QVO

Best SATA SSD

• See it on Amazon

Samsung already had a strong value proposition for SATA SSDs with its 860 QVO, which offered up fairly substantial storage at a lower price thanks to its use of QLC flash storage. Now, Samsung is continuing that offering with the 870 QVO. These SSDs muster a little bit of extra speed, reaching for the maximum throughput SATA can even handle. While speeds are definitely not as impressive as those found on even budget PCIe NVMe SSDs, the price-per-gigabyte of the Samsung 870 QVO is compelling. If you want a lot of storage on an SSD, this is the way to go.

Samsung's 4TB 870 QVO costs a tidy $499. While it's usually true that the more you get of something the less you pay for each one, that hasn't held true for capacious SSDs, but this time Samsung is making it economical to go for the bigger option. That means you can readily fit a massive amount of fast storage in a tiny space without breaking a budget. Samsung also has a 1TB and 2TB version available, and an 8TB model is coming soon. The specs vary slightly between models, with different warranties and DRAM cache sizes being most notable. In any case, there are few more compelling options for switching away from SATA hard drives than these SSDs.

9. Corsair MP600 Pro Hydro X Edition

Best Liquid-Cooled SSD

• See it on Corsair

What's better than a fast SSD? An extra-fast SSD that has extreme cooling to ensure heat never slows it down. That's what Corsair aims to offer with the Corsair MP600 Pro Hydro X Edition. This takes Corsair's MP600 Pro SSD, which is already a fast drive, and attaches a water block to it so it's ready for your liquid-cooled gaming rig.

The drive itself delivers high speeds thanks to its use of the PCIe 4.0 x4 interface. It can offer sequential read and write speeds of up to 7,000MB/s and 6,550MB/s respectively. Since this drive comes in a spacious 2TB capacity, you won't have to worry about needing to upgrade it anytime soon. Another reason you won't have to upgrade too soon is thanks to the drive's extreme endurance, which has it rated for a total of 1,400 TBW.

10. Seagate FireCuda 530

Fastest SSD

One of the main reasons for snagging an SSD over other storage options is the insane speeds offered, so why not grab one of the fastest ones out there? The Seagate FireCuda 530 takes advantage of PCIe Gen4, bringing you transfer speeds two times faster than the PCIe Gen3 and twelve times faster than SATA SSDs. We’re talking 7,300MB/s read speeds, making all your apps and games run smoother and quicker. Plus, with 6,000MB/s write speeds, all of your saves will be a breeze.

The FireCuda 530 is a speed demon thanks to the 3D TLC NAND technology used in its design. This gives it more endurance while also lowering the power consumption. That, combined with the built-in heatsink to ensure speeds are maintained even when working overtime, makes you hard-pressed to find a faster drive. You can also pack it full of files thanks to the 1TB of storage. And if you’re looking for a drive to slide into your PS5’s M.2 slot, the FireCuda 530 meets its specs for performance and dimensions.

Where to Get the Best SSD in the UK

What to Look in for an SSD?

Whereas $500 used to buy you a 128GB or 120GB SSD with you can now buy a 4TB Samsung 860 QVO for roughly the same amount of money and kiss hard drives goodbye forever. What's more SSDs are insanely fast with sequential read and write speeds that start at 500MB/s and peak at 5,000MB/s if you're looking at the latest NVMe PCIe 4.0 drives.

Alternatively, cheap and fast SSDs like the WD Blue SN550 and Adata XPG SX6000Pro allow anyone building a new PC to use an NVMe SSD as their main drive

Before you buy a solid-state drive though, you need to know what kind of SSD you want. Newer motherboards have sockets for M.2 drives, which are long, flat sticks of storage that lie flat against the motherboard. If you don’t have that in your system, you can buy a 2.5-inch drive that uses power and data cables just like an HDD.

Now things get a bit more varied once we start talking about connectors. For starters, M.2 drives might utilize a PCI Express- or Serial ATA (SATA)-based interface. The former delivers incredibly high transfer speeds up to 4,000MB/s, meanwhile, SATA is limited to a maximum 600MB/s speed. 2.5-inch drives are the other form of solid-state storage you’ll find and they mostly utilize a SATA connection.

The next major thing you should know about is ‘NVMe’ and it stands for the Non-Volatile Memory Express technology. That’s a mouthful, but it’s basically a communications standard, which allows SSDs connected over PCI Express to operate more like fast memory than storage. If you're shopping around for a solid-state drive from this category you'll want something that achieves at least a 2,000MB/s sequential read/write speed.

M.2 drives aren’t the only type of drives that can tap into this wickedly fast PCIe NVMe connection. For example, there are solid-state drives like the Intel Optane 905P that connect directly into the PCIe slot on motherboards. Alternatively, you may also find some 2.5-inch drives that utilize a U.2 connection and operate just as fast as the best NVMe SSDs, though, these are becoming increasingly rare.

NAND Types

Almost all SSDs are made up of NAND flash memory, but they don't necessarily use the same type. in fact, the market is currently made up of four types of NAND memory—with SLC, MLC TLC, and QLC variants—and the big thing that separates them all is how their underlying cells store the 1's and 0's that make up your data. Let's take a quick look at what makes each type of NAND memory tick

• SLC: short for single-level cells, this is the original form of NAND memory and arguably the best. SLC is designed to only accept one bit per memory cell, which makes them the fastest, most durable and reliable, and often also the most expensive.
• MLC: Multi-Layer Cell store one more bit to every cell, bringing the number to two. It's a bit slower than SLC, because two bits are being written to every cell, which in turn makes this type of NAND slower and less reliable. The shortcomings of MLC aren't too bad though and that's why you see a lot of flagship SSDs utilize this type of NAND memory.
• TLC: Now we're starting to get into the budget spectrum with Triple-Layer Cell. As its name might suggest, TLC has three bits written to every cell and all its detriments.
• QLC: You guessed it, QLC is short for Quad-Level Cell and you probably also surmised that it writes four bits to each cell. At this point, speed isn't a concern and storage space becomes the priority here. That said, reliability and endurance become a concern here, but at least SSDs of this type are usually very cheap.
• PLC: Penta-Level Cell SSDs, which write five bits to every cell, are still on the horizon but it'll be interesting to see how low it will make the prices of SSDs go.

That’s everything you need to know about SSDs for now and there has never been a better time to ever buy one. The SSD market is so vibrant right now with manufacturers trying to top each other with increasingly faster and cheaper options

Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam