Google’s 256GB Pixel Tablet is on sale for its best price yet

It’s easy to default to iPads and Samsung Galaxy Tabs when shopping for a new tablet, but believe it or not, there are other devices worth your consideration. Take the Google Pixel Tablet, for instance, which is on sale at Amazon and Best Buy in the 256GB configuration for $449 ($150 off) — a record low for the higher storage model. In fact, the current discount makes the larger model cheaper than the $499.99 base model.

The Pixel Tablet’s 11-inch 16:10 display isn’t as comfortable as a 4:3 device for reading or browsing, but it works great as a multimedia consumption device, especially when you attach it to the fabric-wrapped speaker dock that comes with the tablet. The bundled speaker dock sounds pretty good, and playback will automatically resume over the tablet’s four speakers when it’s dislodged. And while not as robust as a proper smart home hub, it provides one-touch access to basic smart home controls and other quick settings. It also holds the tablet at an ideal angle for video calling with its 8-megapixel, 1080p front camera.

There’s not much more to the Pixel Tablet. It uses Google’s Tensor G2 chip that’s tuned to run Android at its best. Games, apps, browsing, and multimedia are all smooth experiences. It does get a little hot, however, and Android still doesn’t feel as right for these big slates as iPadOS does. You can run apps in split-screen mode and the apps designed specifically for tablets are very nice, but that catalog is still thin compared to the competition. It’s just a good midrange tablet, but that may be all some of you need. Read our review.

I’m a simple guy: I see Sonic, I go zoom. There aren’t many other platformer games that give you the same sense of speed. Fortunately, you can take control of the beloved blue hedgehog in more than a dozen games with Sonic Origins Plus, a classic collection that’s down to around $20 ($20 off) at GameStop and Walmart for the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5.

Sonic Origins Plus includes four remastered classic titles — specifically the original Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Sonic 3 and Knuckles, and Sonic CD — and you can play as Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Amy, and other characters, depending on the game. The expansive collection also has 12 Sonic games that launched for the Sega Game Gear (which you might not know of because most of us played Game Boy back then). Purists can stick to the games’ original resolution with limited lives, but you can also toggle on a wide-screen HD mode with unlimited lives, allowing you to practice your speed-running technique without worrying about losing your rings. The games feature new stages, missions, modes, and music as well.