"Ragnarok": A Clueless Thor, a Gay Loki, and a Lot of Beefcake

An annual subscription to PlayStation Plus is down to less than $50 right now The PS Plus Collection will soon expire, but you still have time to grab the last-gen titles before they disappear. If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Mother of God, it's finally the weekend! And speaking of mothers, I don't want to stress you out, but you have less than one week to pick out a gift for Mother's Day. But here, allow us to help. We've curated a selection of gift guides filled with plenty of ideas for all kinds of moms, including one with wide-ranging options and another that's a bit friendlier on your wallet.   If you've already taken care of your familial holiday obligations, rest assured that we've also rounded up a bunch of deals for your perusal — including a timely discount that will help PlayStation Plus subscribers take advantage of a disappearing membership perk from Sony. There are also excellent deals to be had on Apple's latest iPad Mini and the best wireless earbuds around, so be sure to dig in below for all the details. You can still get a year of PlayStation Plus for $48.49 and claim some great last-gen titles If you own a PS5, you owe it to yourself to claim all the games still being offered via the PlayStation Plus Collection — a premium perk Sony plans to take away on May 9th. And if you're not currently a PS Plus member, you can get 12 months of its Essential tier for $48.49 (about $12 off) at Eneba if you use offer code USPlus before 7AM ET on May 8th.    The PS Plus Collection was Sony's way of quickly bolstering the number of launch titles for the PS5 and showcasing the console's backwards compatibility. It was also a small sampling of what was to come with the new PS Plus Extra and Premium tiers, allowing PS5 owners to play God of War (2018), Bloodborne, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and a bunch of PS4 hits without having to plunk down extra cash. Now, Sony is taking the initial perk away, so you best claim all 19 games while you still can.   Fortunately, if you claim these games with the base-level Essential plan, you'll always have them registered to your account, even if your sub lapses and you resubscribe later. The biggest barrier to entry is that you must claim them on a PS5 — though, you can play them on a PS4 after doing so. PlayStation Plus Essential (annual subscription) $48 $60 20% off Prices taken at time of publishing. A membership to PlayStation Plus Essential allows PS4 and PS5 owners to play games online, download free monthly titles, use cloud save backups, and take advantage of discounts on the PS Store. Right now, Eneba is offering an annual membership (digital delivery via voucher code) for $48.49 if you use promo code USPlus before 7AM ET on May 8th. $48 AT ENEBA The best noise-canceling earbuds you can buy are currently $82 off at Amazon The Sony WF-1000XM4 are on sale once again at Amazon and Best Buy for around $198, their second-best price to date. While a few of the newer models have bested them in the noise cancellation department, the XM4s remain our favorite pair of wireless earbuds thanks to their terrific sound quality, marathon battery life, and niceties like Qi wireless charging. You simply can't go wrong with these earbuds at this price, which we've only seen bested during the holidays. Read our review. Sony WF-1000XM4 $198 $280 30% off Prices taken at time of publishing. Sony's WF-1000XM4 have top-notch noise cancellation and lively, enjoyable sound quality. With wireless charging and bonus features like LDAC support, they're a great overall pick. $198 AT AMAZON $200 AT BEST BUY The iPad Mini is low-key the best iPad —especially with a $100 discount There are lots of iPads these days, but only one of them offers you that tablet experience in a portable size that's perfect for reading. The iPad Mini is that iPad, and the latest model is on sale at Amazon and Target for $399.99 ($100 off) in the 64GB, Wi-Fi configuration. Alternatively, if that's not enough space, the 256GB model is down to $539.99 ($110 off) at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon.   The Mini's 8.9-inch display and design means it's basically a shrunken-down iPad Air — and that's perfectly fine. It's comfortable to hold for longer stretches on the couch or at your desk, which makes it great for reading lots of articles, comics, manga, books, etc. E-readers may have a slight edge due to their glare-free displays, but the Mini is also a tablet that you can get other stuff done on. Plus, pairing it with a second-gen Apple Pencil makes for a nice note-taking experience. Read our review. 2021 iPad Mini (Wi-Fi) $400 $499 20% off Prices taken at time of publishing. Apple's revamped iPad Mini ditches the home button and opts for a larger edge-to-edge display. It also comes outfitted with a faster processor, support for USB-C, and a top-mounted power button that moonlights as a Touch ID sensor. $400 AT AMAZON (64GB) $400 AT TARGET (64GB) $540 AT AMAZON (256GB) Some Star Wars Day deals that stuck around Star Wars Day may have come and gone quicker than a eopie, but don't underestimate the power of the deals. There are still a few fun ones you can take advantage of even now, a day after May the 4th.   Nanoleaf, for instance, is still selling its "Small Baby Gu" Star Wars-inspired Bundle, which contains 10 mini triangles and seven hexagon panels for $229.99 ($70 off). When assembled, the smart lighting panels create a cute Grogu-like design. Of course, you can always go off-script and arrange them however you'd like.   The latest Echo Dot is also currently on sale at Amazon for $54.98 ($23 off) in either white or charcoal. Whether you or your kids find it cute or creepy depends on your personal taste, but the fifth-gen smart speaker offers good sound for its size and Alexa-based voice controls. If you prefer the model with an LED display, it's also on sale at Amazon with the aforementioned Grogu-inspired stand for $64.98 ($23 off). Nanoleaf "Small Baby Gu" Bundle $230 $300 24% off Prices taken at time of publishing. $220 AT NANOLEAF Echo Dot (fifth-gen) with Grogu-inspired stand $55 $78 30% off Prices taken at time of publishing. $55 AT AMAZON (WHITE) $55 AT AMAZON (CHARCOAL) $65 AT AMAZON (BLUE, WITH CLOCK) A couple of more deals to bring it on home If you game on Xbox or PC, you can get three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $24.49 (about $20 off) at Eneba until May 8th at 7AM ET, so long as you use offer code XGPU3US. Now through May 17th, you can get the treasure that is Trombone Champ on Steam for $16 in a bundle with six other indie rhythm games in Humble's "Feel the Rhythm" bundle. The quirky tromboning game normally sells for $14.99 on its own, but if $16 is still too much, Humble also offers it in a five-game bundle for $12.   Correction May 5th: In last week's newsletter, we listed the incorrect price for Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro and Respawn's latest Star Wars  game. The correct MSRP for the MacBook Pro is $2,499, not $38, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor normally retails for $79.99 with a $10 gift card, not $69.99. We regret the error.    Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy. View our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service.   This email was sent to pzupdatesww@gmail.com. Manage your email preferences, or unsubscribe to stop receiving this email.   Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved.