Category: 4. Technology

Nintendo has rebranded its Warpstar, Inc subsidiary as Nintendo Stars and tasked the new-look division with supporting and strengthening its transmedia projects. 

In a note to investors published on August 27, the Japanese company said Nintendo Stars has been made responsible for “the ancillary-use business tied to films that feature Nintendo Intellectual Property.”

In other words, Nintendo Stars will support Nintendo’s growing movie roster through merchandising efforts, licensing, events, and other means. 

Nintendo brought its famous plumber to the big screen in 2023 with the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie—an animated flick developed in partnership with Minions creator Illumination Pictures. 

According to Nintendo, the movie earned an estimated $1.35 billion at the international box office and was watched by 168.1 million people. The company has since announced another animated movie based on the Super Mario Bros. franchise that is currently slated for release on April 3, 2026.

A live-action film based on The Legend of Zelda is also in development and is due to hit theatres on May 7, 2027. 

Nintendo Stars will strive to support the company’s ongoing push into Hollywood while continuing to tend to the Kirby franchise. 

The company was established in 2001 as a joint venture between Nintendo and long-term collaborator HAL Laboratory to oversee Kirby merchandising and external media, such as the Kirby: Right Back at Ya! anime series. Nintendo took full ownership of Warpstar earlier this year and has now outlined its vision for the subsidiary.

Related:You now need a credit card to access mature content on Steam in the UK

Also Read | Yoga expert recommends 3 asanas to beat anxiety and stress: Child’s pose to Paschimottanasana

How to practise Bhramari Pranayama

Find a comfortable spot and sit cross-legged on the floor, keeping your spine straight and shoulders relaxed. Gently close your eyes and place your index fingers on the cartilage just above the earlobe, between your cheek and ear. Press lightly to partially close your ears. Breathe in slowly and fully through your nose, filling your lungs. Hold for five seconds. Then as you exhale, make a steady humming sound like the buzz of a bee. Ensure your exhalation is slow and prolonged, and keep the sound low-pitched and smooth, allowing the vibration to spread through your head and body. Keep your awareness on the vibration and sound. Sonakshi recommends continuing this for five to 15 minutes, and feel the calming effect as it resonates in your mind and body.

Cognitive benefits

According to Sonakshi, practising this breathing technique during times of stress or brain fog produces an “immediate calming effect.” She said, “If somebody’s having actual anxiety, somebody’s feeling actually uneasy and they don’t know what to do, they can just do this and it really helps.” According to a study conducted by the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, those who practice Bhramari Pranayama regularly experience lower levels of stress, anxiety, depression, sympathetic activity and blood pressure. It improves attention span, quality of sleep, parasympathetic activity, vagal activity and pulmonary functioning.

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Dhamija also mentions the effectiveness of the pranayama in managing stress and anxiety. According to her, practising Bhramari Pranayama during periods of stress “really helps you put your mind in some other place and break that part of the day for you.” She also added, “It can be done multiple times in a day – when you wake up, before you go to bed, during the day if you need a little breather.” The breathing technique can be practiced for a duration of five to 50 minutes, but the yoga instructor mentioned that doing it for as long as 50 minutes can be challenging and requires added effort and focus; it can be practised by professionals like herself.

She highlights that this simple but effective breathing technique can be performed by anyone, and it does not have any fitness requirements or need any equipment. “You just need to be able to breathe and do this,” she said and added, “It just creates an echo chamber inside your own head and your own mind. And the vibrations that are created with the breath – with the sound of the breath – that stay within you, have a really calming, positive effect on your brain’s psychological function, and that is what eventually calms you down.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

This has been a huge year for gravel. We’ve seen tyre widths grow and the continued emergence of distinct race bikes incorporating aerodynamics alongside evolved geometry.

The range of gravel bikes is widening too, with adventurous bikepacking machines sitting alongside trail-capable full-suspension options, and lightweight aero bikes that wouldn’t look out of place on the road if it weren’t for their big-tread tyres.

I’ve been impressed by Rondo’s radical-looking Ruut, Wilier’s slick and speedy Rave SLR ID2, Cannondale’s evolution of its Topstone, and the SuperX.

Cervélo has two distinct and impressive gravel rides, the Áspero and Áspero 5. Plus, we still have old favourites such as Santa Cruz’s Stigmata, Lauf’s Seigla, and Giant’s Revolt and Revolt X.

The two bikes that have stood head and shoulders above the rest I’ve tested throughout 2025, however, offer something new.

Both bring progressive geometry, giving them the handling chops for technical trails. Both are built light, yet offer big 50mm tyre clearances, and both have nods towards aerodynamics alongside their go-anywhere outlook.

The two bikes I’ve chosen for 2025’s gravel Bike of the Year head-to-head shootout are Mondraker’s Arid Carbon RR Force AXS and Parlee’s Taos Force AXS.

Introducing the Mondraker Arid RR Force AXS

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With the Arid, the designers at Mondraker built a bike to master the challenges of arid, rocky, loose and rutted terrain, a bike that can stay on track and get grip where traction is at a minimum.

The Arid frame’s construction is all about off-road. That means stiffness at the bottom bracket and head tube, while that unique back end, with its spar-like triangulated seatstay to seat tube joint, is all about compliance. That’s enhanced by the carbon layup under the skin. 

By using FSA’s ACR system, Mondraker has been able to route the brake hoses fully internally, keeping them out of the way of bags and snags.

Clearance for 50mm tyres, top tube mounts, three bottle mounts, triple fork mounts and down tube storage make it bikepacking-friendly.

The UDH rear dropout future-proofs the frame (albeit even wider clearances are beginning to appear), and opens the possibility of tuning the drivetrain to your preference.

Want more range at the back? Then you can mix it up with SRAM’s direct-mounting T-Type Transmission mountain bike derailleur with gravel drivetrain parts.

Finishing things off is a threaded T47 bottom bracket.

The Arid, unlike the Parlee Taos, is designed for 1x drivetrains only.

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Bike of the Year is supported by Auto-Trail

Big thanks to sports campervan specialists Auto-Trail for supporting our Bike of the Year 2025 test. Head to auto-trail.co.uk for more details about their range, including the cycling-specific Auto-Trail Expedition 68, which features a purpose-built bike garage.

Introducing the Parlee Taos Force AXS

Massachusetts-based carbon bike builder Parlee has a decade of experience building gravel bikes, since launching the original fully custom Z-Series XD bikes and gravel/all-roader, the Chebacco. 

Compared to its predecessor, the frame is longer, with a massively sloping top tube, slacker head angle, 50mm tyre clearances and a torsionally stiffer construction, yet it has more compliance. Parlee claims this makes the Taos its fastest yet most forgiving gravel bike to date.

The frame has been configured with a monocoque construction that uses a blend of unidirectional carbon fibres to create a meticulously crafted frame with a claimed weight of less than 980g (56cm).

Parlee has chosen to leave the made in the EU (Portugal) carbon fibre frameset here. It’s in a raw-waxed carbon finish, so there are no worries about chips and scratches to the paintwork – simply buff and re-wax and it’ll look as good as new.

Like the Arid, the Taos gets down tube storage, a UDH rear dropout and a T47 threaded bottom bracket; it’s also suspension corrected, as is the Arid.

The difference with the Taos is 2x compatibility and a fork with a flip chip dropout, enabling you to steepen the head angle and shorten the trail, making the Taos more road-ready than a pure gravel bike.

Very similar geometry

Even though our two finalists are pitched somewhat differently, they have a lot in common when it comes to geometry.

The Arid’s inspiration comes from Mondraker’s mountain bike ‘Forward Geometry’, which means a very long reach of 423mm.

Parlee has chosen to go a little shorter with the Taos, at 417mm. Compare that to a classic racy gravel bike such as the Giant Revolt in the same size, and it’s 393mm.

The Mondraker is designed to be used with an 80mm stem, and the Parlee with a 90mm. Which means the on-bike reach is drawn closer, with only 4mm between them.

When it comes to stack, our two contenders are a little more different; the Arid is 613mm and the Taos is 620mm.

Both bikes have slack head angles to cope with rough surfaces. The Arid comes with a 70-degree angle, and the Taos takes things a little further at 69.5 degrees.

This informs the trail of the fork, which has a bearing on steering responses. The Mondraker, with its 45mm fork offset running 45mm-wide tyres, gives a long 83mm trail. The Parlee, because of the flip chip, can be run with the same 45mm offset or 51mm. That means a trail of 85mm or 81mm, sitting either side of the Arid.

The wheelbases are marginally different, with the Arid at 1,089mm and the Taos at 1,090mm. Bottom bracket heights are 269mm on the Arid and 271mm on the Taos.

The builds

Both bikes are nominally built around SRAM’s Force AXS XPLR groupset. Parlee has chosen to go down the mullet route, combining its Force shifters and crankset with an X0 Eagle AXS Transmission derailleur and cassette.

That means the Arid gets a standard and broad 10-44 cassette, and a 40-tooth chainring. The Taos, meanwhile, gets a very wide 10-52 cassette paired with a larger 42-tooth chainring. 

Because of the timing of SRAM’s new Force XPLR, which came after we’d received both bikes, our test models are running the previous D2 generation of Force.

Both Mondraker and Parlee assure us the bikes will get the new E1 Force AXS and Force XPLR AXS, which features the updated shifter shape, new crankset, and in the case of the Arid, the new rear derailleur and cassette.

When it comes to rolling stock, Mondraker has gone with a classic gravel approach, with Mavic’s low-profile 1,521g (including tubeless valves) Allroad Pro Carbon SL wheels. 

Parlee, however, has gone down the wide-deep aero route by using Zipp’s 303 XPLR S. These 54mm-deep aero wheels have a very wide 32mm internal width and come with Goodyear’s Zipp collaboration Inter gravel tyres in a 45mm width. These come up closer to 48mm on the wide Zipp rims at my preferred tyre pressure.

Mondraker has used Maxxis Reaver tyres in the same 45mm width, although on the Mavics, these come up a little narrower than the Zipps because the Allroad has ‘only’ a 25mm internal measurement. 

Parlee has used FSA’s well-shaped K-Force AGX carbon bar, paired with FSA’s SMR II stem. The stem is 90mm and the bar has a nominal 42cm width, although the 25-degree flare pushes the bar out to a wide 46cm.

The bar has a subtle rise from the stem, too, adding to the Taos’ slightly more upright ride position.

Mondraker has used its own-brand OnOff components with a semi-integrated 80mm stem and the OnOff S9 GR carbon bar. The bar has a good 16-degree flare and a compact drop. The tops are flattened into an aero profile, and with a width of 46cm on my large test bike, Mondraker thankfully hasn’t been tempted into the narrow-bar trend.

Both use their own-brand carbon posts, while Mondraker has opted for an old favourite in the Fizik Terra Argo X5 (chromoly railed) saddle, and Parlee the rarely seen Ergon SR Allroad Core pro carbon saddle.

For the Parlee, that means a complete weight of 8.82kg (large with two bottle cages and storage bags). The Mondraker is a little heavier at 9.09kg, including storage bags.

The rides

With its low, slack-angled and long-reach design, the Arid looks on paper like a bike that won’t be great for the road. You’d expect the handling to feel pedestrian compared to a road bike on the blacktop. That should be offset by a capable and lively bike when things get rougher underfoot.

After plenty of test riding in all weather and conditions, a picture emerged of a truly exceptional bike for riding the most challenging terrain. Thankfully, my initial reservations about its on-road performance were mostly unfounded. Whilst it’s no race bike on tarmac, it’s capable of being hustled along at a decent enough pace.

It takes a bit more work to get the Arid to behave through fast road corners – the slack head angle, fat tyres, and lower front end lead to a little understeer.

It also gives the feeling of needing a little more effort to maintain speed. I’ve experienced far less capable rowdy gravel bikes on the road, however – Nukeproof’s Digger RS V3 and Marin’s Gestalt X10 spring to mind.

Where the relaxed geometry pays dividends, aside from on technical descents, is on low-traction steep climbs. The long fork and relaxed angle mean the front tyre tracks aren’t unsettled by ruts and lumps. It’s a great climbing companion when it comes to dirt, especially tight singletrack uphill trails.

The Mavic wheels ride with a lightness and zip that’s enhanced by the excellent Maxxis Reaver tyres, which have fast become a favourite of mine for dry summer gravel riding. The Arid’s weight, of 9.09kg for my large test bike, is comfortably light enough, and certainly plays into the Arid’s impressive climbing feel.

The Mondraker can’t quite hold the pace of the Parlee Taos on smoother gravel and tarmac. However, once you get into the wild, the Arid Carbon RR shows its capability and appetite for challenging technical terrain.

On my favoured gravel test route, there’s a section of singletrack through the woods that starts straight and fast but transitions quickly to a tight, twisty singletrack descent, with lots of natural sweeping turns, dropping 30ft/225m in 1 mile/1.6km.

Both bikes impressed me here, but it was the Arid that had the edge; it felt that bit tamer when it came to drops, tighter turns and rooty off-camber sections. It’s as impressive on the same trails as gravel bikes I’ve ridden equipped with suspension forks, such as the Santa Cruz Stigmata or  Cannondale’s Topstone Carbon.

The Taos flowed beautifully through the twists and turns, but it took a little more of my attention when it came to some of the steeper sections and tighter, narrower turns.

I’d like to try out each bike with a dropper post, to add that bit more manoeuvrability when it comes to steeper drops.

Having a lower bottom bracket than a mountain bike gives each bike stability on gravel roads, but it can be an issue on more technical terrain. I hit a pedal on a large root aboard the Arid when riding through a particularly rooty, rocky section of singletrack. 

The Arid’s bottom bracket, at 269mm, is only a couple of millimetres lower than the Taos’, so you’ll need to be aware this could be an issue when riding on rougher terrain.

I won’t hold this against the Arid or the Taos. The fact that I’ve felt confident enough to take both onto pure mountain bike trails pays testament to how good their handling is.

Overall, the Taos is close to matching the Arid’s performance on technical terrain, although it just loses out because it takes a little more hustling into singletrack corners at speed because of its marginally taller front end.

The frame and fork have a level of compliance that sees them roll over hardened tractor tracks and water-bar ruts with a smoothness that, on lesser bikes, erodes your endurance and slows you down.

Parlee’s mullet approach to gearing choice suits the Taos too, with the very wide gearing giving a bottom end that’s the equivalent of a road bike’s 50/12. In simple terms, it’s a low enough gear to help keep pace with road bikes on tarmac. The lightest gear of only 24 inches is an inch lighter than the Mondraker, too.

However, you won’t struggle to find a gear to get up the steepest off-road ramps on either bike.

The Taos and Arid are so close when it comes to getting way off-road that it will come down to personal preference on bar height.

The difference everywhere else is more marked. The Taos feels quick on smoother gravel roads, doubletrack and tarmac – more so than the Arid. 

It’s not up with the most aero of gravel bikes, such as Wilier’s Rave SLR ID2 or Cervélo’s Áspero 5 when it comes to tarmac. It is, however, the far superior all-rounder. 

Its ride isn’t unlike Parlee’s Ouray – a road bike that smashes through categories and isn’t wholly a race, endurance nor climbing bike. The Taos is its perfect counterpart when it comes to dirt.

It’s worth noting that both the Arid and Taos will be improved, and lightened with the switch to new Force, lighter component weights, better ergonomics, and better braking.

Mondraker Arid vs Parlee Taos Force AXS bottom line

The Taos isn’t a gravel bike you can easily pigeonhole – and that’s a good thing. It’s light and agile enough to race, yet it’s stable, comfortable and smooth enough for bikepacking.

With versatility at its core and a flip chip in the fork, I could see myself using the Taos as both a gravel bike and an endurance bike. It won’t disappoint in either trim.

The Mondraker Arid is very, very close to the Parlee. With the Arid, I’m happy to pay a small penalty for efficiency on smooth gravel and tarmac. When it comes to challenging and exciting, more technical rides, it’s one of the most capable gravel bikes I’ve ever tested.

It’s a more focused off-roader than the Taos, more guided towards technical off-road riding, even though the geometry is very similar. The Arid’s longer and lower ride position makes for a bike that’s much more at home where gravel bikes shouldn’t be.

The Parlee, however, just nudges out the Mondraker by being more of an all-rounder, a more versatile proposition, even if it’s more expensive.

It is expensive, and yes, that is an issue, but with the Taos, you’re getting what you pay for – and that’s one of the most capable and versatile gravel bikes of 2025.

Tilta has announced that they are developing a new adapter that integrates phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) with their Nucleus-M II Wireless Control System. The system is designed to bridge the gap between modern autofocus performance and the precision control demanded on professional sets. The adapter is still in development, but early tests suggest it could streamline the way autofocus is used with manual cinema lenses, so let’s take a look!

We’ve been covering quite a few Tilta camera accessories over the past couple of months – the full camera cage for Sony FX2, the full camera cage for DJI Osmo 360, and a handheld support system for the DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone – just to name a few. Now, Tilta has focused on refining how their Nucleus-M II Wireless Control System can work alongside modern autofocus capabilities.

How the Tilta PDAF adapter works

According to Tilta, the adapter sends autofocus data from the camera sensor to the Nucleus-M II motors using the system’s 7-pin to 7-pin cable. The above demonstration video gives you an idea of the setup running on a Sony E-mount camera paired with a PL-mount lens. The adapter translates the camera’s autofocus signals, enabling the motors to drive manual cinema lenses in sync with the camera’s AF system.

Unlike LiDAR-based focus systems, which calculate subject distance independently, this adapter relies entirely on the camera’s native autofocus capabilities. If it works as shown, it could avoid the complex calibration often needed with LiDAR setups.

About the Nucleus-M II Wireless Control System

The Nucleus-M II was released in April, which you can read about in detail here, and is Tilta’s updated wireless control system for focus, iris, zoom, and ND. It features high-torque motors with a fast 0.02-second response, a 2.4-inch touchscreen for lens mapping up to 128 lenses, and wireless camera control for start/stop and basic settings. It’s powered by NP-F550 batteries and is backward compatible with the original Nucleus and Nano II systems.

Who is the Tilta PDAF adapter for?

This adapter would be especially useful for camera assistants and independent filmmakers as it blends autofocus speed with manual control, simplifies setup, and builds on Tilta’s established ecosystem at a potentially accessible price. That said, real-world testing will show whether it truly delivers on that promise.

Release timeline

The Tilta PDAF adapter is currently in testing and is expected to be released by the end of this year. Pricing and full technical specifications have not yet been disclosed, but we’ll share more details as soon as they become available.

On a side note, while the demo focuses on Sony’s E-mount, Tilta has confirmed that Canon RF and other mount versions are in the works.

How do you see autofocus integration changing your workflow with cine lenses? Do you think AF integration like this will become standard for wireless control systems? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

The best projectors for a home cinema often cost the earth and, as a result, leave people opting for one of the best TVs instead.

That’s not the case for Samsung’s The Freestyle Gen 2 projector, which is now on sale at Amazon.

That means you can pick it up for £339 at Amazon. Given that it launched at £999, you’ll be saving £660.

We haven’t fully tested the Gen 2 model. But at this price we’re happy to flag the deal due to our positive experience with the four-star original Samsung The Freestyle projector and opening impressions with The Freestyle Gen 2 at its launch event.

The Freestyle can throw up a screen size of up to 100 inches, which is impressive for such a small device. With auto keystone and autofocus systems, it is also fairly unfussy with its placement and doesn’t require lots of fine-tuning.

We thought that original The Freestyle presented good-quality HD sources well, with punchy colours and good levels of brightness and Samsung made a lot of noise about improving both on the Gen 2.

It features built-in Wi-Fi and the Tizen-based system Samsung includes in their smart TVs, giving access to a variety of video streaming apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube, Apple TV+ and more.

Users can connect wirelessly to The Freestyle using the Samsung Smart Things platform. This (along with the optional battery, available separately) makes The Freestyle a truly cable-free video display system, something that not too many units can say.

It also features a mini-HDMI input (no mini-HDMI to HDMI adaptor included, however) and a USB-C power connection for ultimate flexibility. Pick this projector up now for only £339 at Amazon.

More

Read more on our Samsung The Freestyle review

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We’re officially in that familiar late-summer rhythm: the NBA season is around the corner, training camps are almost here, and NBA 2K26 has already gone live for those who grabbed early access. Every year, 2K manages to turn the game’s rollout into an event, and this time it’s split neatly between the players who jumped in early on deluxe editions and everyone else waiting for the worldwide release.

Early access has already begun

The big news is that early access kicked off on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025 at 1 p.m. ET. That wasn’t a region-by-region rollout either — it went live simultaneously worldwide, meaning 10 a.m. for players on the West Coast, 6 p.m. for the UK, and 2 a.m. on Aug. 30 for Japan. If you were one of the people who picked up the Superstar or Leave No Doubt editions, you’re already building your MyPLAYER, testing out MyTEAM strategies, and figuring out the early meta.

For everyone else, the full launch is coming on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2025 at 1 p.m. ET. Again, that’s a synchronized release across all supported regions, so you won’t have to watch highlight reels from other time zones before you can dive in.

Sorting through the editions

I’ll admit, one of the more confusing parts of NBA 2K every year is keeping track of the editions. For 2K26, there are three.

The Standard Edition ($69.99) is the straightforward option — it comes with the base game, 10,000 VC, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the cover. The Superstar Edition ($99.99) steps things up with 100,000 VC, MyTEAM and MyCAREER boosts, an exclusive jersey, and that all-important early access. Carmelo Anthony takes the cover here. Then there’s the premium Leave No Doubt Edition ($149.99), which throws in 135,000 VC, both the Season 1 Pro Pass and the Summer Pass, extra cosmetics, and all three cover athletes — Shai, Melo, and Angel Reese — sharing the spotlight.

Here’s every edition of NBA 2K26 available to buy or preorder right now:

If you’re asking me which one makes the most sense, I’d argue the Superstar Edition is the best value. It’s not cheap, but the VC bundled in saves you from immediately opening your wallet again just to stay competitive, and you get the week of early access. The Leave No Doubt Edition, on the other hand, feels like it’s really aimed at players who plan to live in the game all year long.

Where you can play

Platform availability is another wrinkle this year, especially with Nintendo’s hardware shift. On PC, the game is digital-only through Steam or the 2K Store, but you get access to all editions. The same goes for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, where you can pick up either a digital or physical copy. Things get more limited on Nintendo: the Switch 2 only gets the Standard Edition in physical format, while the older Switch offers the Standard Edition for $59.99.

Crossplay finally exists, but only between PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. PC players remain walled off, and the Nintendo versions are in their own lane entirely.

What’s new inside the game

Modes are the backbone of every 2K, and this year’s lineup sticks to the familiar framework while adding some new wrinkles. The WNBA continues to expand its footprint with The W, letting you build a full WNBA career with stars like Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese. From what I’ve seen so far, agile guard builds look like the strongest path in this mode, especially when paired with the new personality trait system.

MyCAREER has a big hook this year: Spike Lee is back to direct a story mode titled Out of Bounds. It’s another reminder that 2K doesn’t just want this mode to feel like a progression system — it wants it to play like a basketball drama. Picking the right team for your position is still key; for example, point guards looking for minutes will have more luck joining the Spurs than a team already stacked at that spot.

The most striking change is in MyTEAM, which now combines NBA and WNBA players in the same ecosystem. This unlocks some wild possibilities — imagine Caitlin Clark feeding A’ja Wilson in a lineup anchored by Jimmy Butler and Brook Lopez. It’s not just a gameplay twist; it’s the kind of crossover that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. And for the league-managers out there, MyNBA and MyGM now feature online Playoffs Mode, making it much easier to run fantasy-style competitions with friends.

The VC grind never ends

If you’ve played NBA 2K before, you know VC is the currency that keeps everything moving. From upgrading attributes in MyCAREER to buying MyTEAM packs, animations, and even new fits, VC isn’t optional — it’s the foundation of the grind. And if you were wondering whether 2K adjusted its pricing this year, the answer is no. The VC bundles in NBA 2K26 look exactly like they have in past years.

The smallest packs start at 5,000 VC for $1.99 and 15,000 VC for $4.99. Realistically, these are more like “starter tips” than anything else. They’ll cover a couple of attribute boosts or maybe help you ditch the dreaded brown shirt and grey sweatpants, but they won’t change your MyPLAYER’s place on the court.

The mid-tier options are where most players tend to live. 35,000 VC runs $9.99, while 75,000 VC at $19.99 can get your build out of pure rookie status and into something resembling a contributor in The City. The real sweet spot, at least for anyone taking MyCAREER seriously, is 200,000 VC for $49.99. That’s enough to raise your player into starter territory, balance out critical ratings, and still have some left over for animations or a new jumpshot package. It’s progress — though you’ll still be a long way from a maxed-out build.

Then there are the heavy-hitter bundles: 450,000 VC for $99.99 and 700,000 VC for $149.99. These are aimed squarely at players who don’t want to wait — the ones who’d rather dominate Pro-Am or Park on day one instead of grinding badges for weeks. With this kind of purchase, you can nearly max out a build, fill in animations, and still have plenty left for cosmetics. But at that point, you’re paying more for VC than for the game itself, which is always the uncomfortable trade-off 2K has leaned on for years.

So, should you buy VC? That depends on how you want to play. If you’re aiming for the competitive side of things — whether that’s Park runs, Rec matchmaking, or Pro-Am squads — then investing in at least one of the bigger bundles can keep you from falling behind. But if you’re patient, grinding daily quests, endorsements, and event bonuses still works; it’s just much slower. The truth is, NBA 2K26 hasn’t changed the fundamental equation: the grind is possible, but your wallet still speaks loudly when it comes to performance.

Where to buy NBA 2K26 VC

Here’s where you can buy Virtual Currency for NBA 2K26:

Why this year feels like a milestone

What stands out most about NBA 2K26 isn’t just the technical upgrades or the usual slate of returning modes, but the cultural weight of its cover athletes and roster choices. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander represents the next wave of NBA superstardom, Carmelo Anthony brings nostalgia for a whole era of basketball fans, and Angel Reese embodies the WNBA’s surging influence. Pair that with the merging of NBA and WNBA talent in MyTEAM, and it feels like the series is finally acknowledging basketball culture as a whole, not just one league.