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The 2025 flat-panel 32” Samsung Odyssey G5 G50F gaming monitor is an affordable and versatile choice for gamers who also want some multi-purpose use for everyday usage and work. At 32 inches, it’s not as immersive as larger models, but for those looking for gamer-friendly features in a non-curved screen with an adjustable stand, it’s a speedy and visually vibrant choice. And right now it's down to a record-low $219.99, from $349.99. 

With an 180Hz refresh rate that delivers smoother gameplay than 144Hz displays, it’s a value-oriented monitor for competitive and FPS gaming, bolstered by the Virtual Aim Point to improve accuracy. It also has a 1ms GTG response time to reduce motion blur during fast-paced gameplay, and FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility help eliminate stuttering and tearing. QHD (2560×1440) resolution gives users sharper visuals than 1080p, while HDR10 delivers better shadow detail and contrast, further supported by a Black Equalizer.

It has a fast IPS panel with better color accuracy and a 178-degree viewing angle compared to older G5 models, making it suitable not just for gaming but also for media consumption, general office work, multitasking, or use as a multiplayer monitor. Additional gamer-friendly extras include Eye Saver Mode and Refresh Rate Optimizer.  

While usually hovering at the $350 price point, at $219.99, this gaming monitor is a strong deal for competitive gamers, general PC gamers, and anyone looking for a larger, mixed-use monitor without stepping up to the much higher price point of an OLED display.

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When Meredith and I began training for Hyrox back in April, we had one big question: Whose strengths will help more in the race, hers as a runner or mine as a weightlifter? We ran the 2026 Hyrox race in New York City this past weekend, and we definitely have our answer. You can see a few video clips and some of my thoughts in this wrap-up I posted on Instagram, but read on for the detailed breakdown. For the record, our finish time was 1:36:48.

As a reminder, Hyrox is the fitness race where you do eight short runs, each followed by a different strength-based workout station. (I have a full explainer here.) It’s what you’d get if you asked runners to redesign Crossfit, which may be a bit of a spoiler for our results. Meredith and I did the race as a doubles team, meaning we had to do the runs together, but could divide the work any way we liked when we were at the strength stations.

How the Hyrox race felt for each of us

Heading into the race, Meredith said she was worried she would have to leave me with (literally) all the heavy lifting. I was worried I’d be too tired from the runs to be much help with the lifting at all. Unfortunately, I was right. 

For me, the first few runs and stations felt good, as I was warming up and being careful not to go out too hard. But about halfway through the sled push (the second station), I realized I was too gassed to be a hero. From that point to the finish, I was just hanging on for dear life. I kept telling Meredith we had to slow down on the runs; I cherished every brief moment of rest I got during the stations when she was taking her turn. 

Meredith had a very different experience. Since we had to stay together on the runs, and she’s a stronger runner, my “oh god this is as fast as I can go” pace was a relaxed jog for her. She says: “I did really get to recover on the runs, so I could be way more explosive / ‘full send’ at each station than I originally thought I would.”

Originally, I’d wanted to take more of the strength stations and expected we’d split the more cardio-heavy stations 50/50. Instead, we ended up splitting strength 50/50. Some of the cardio was still 50/50 (we each did 500 meters on the rower), but on other stations, like the burpees, Meredith had the energy to take on more.

What our Hyrox race heart rate data shows

Heart rate graph of runs and stations during our Hyrox race
Meredith (the runner) in dark purple, Beth (the weightlifter) in light blue. Credit: Beth Skwarecki

Meredith and I wore heart rate monitors so we could analyze our effort levels in a more-or-less objective way. She used the Garmin HRM 600 paired to a Forerunner 970; I had my trusty Coospo connected to the Coros Pace 4. Conveniently, despite the fact that I'm about 16 years older than her, we have similar max heart rates, so the graphs line up nicely. (Max heart rate doesn’t correlate with age the way you’ve probably been taught—more on that here.)

In this graph, Meredith is the darker purple line and I’m the lighter blue line. Both lines spike at the stations, but the run segments show why she had an easier time with this race: Whenever we left a station and took our running laps, Meredith’s heart rate dropped. 

In other words, the runs were recovery time for her. But for me, the run after each station was just as hard as the station itself. I was pushing myself the whole way, while for her, the effort level varied like an interval or fartlek workout. 

Why runners are better at Hyrox

Hyrox is, ultimately, an endurance race. The average finish time is around 90 minutes (we were a bit slower than average), and that means it’s a long aerobic effort no matter what. 

To put that in exercise science terms, the main energy system you’re using during a Hyrox race is your aerobic system—the same as in a long running race like a marathon. When you do strength work in the gym, with heavy weights and complete rest between sets, that’s a different story. But the strength work in a Hyrox race uses light weights and little to no rest, so it’s really just more endurance work in disguise. 

To look at it another way, let’s think about race strategy and timing. The heaviest station was the sled push, and it took us 1:55—just under two minutes. Pushing the sled a little faster wouldn’t affect our race time very much. According to Hyresult, the very fastest women’s doubles teams take about 1:00 flat on this event. If we worked to become one of the best sled-pushing teams in the world, we’d only save 55 seconds on our total race time. 

Contrast that with the returns you can get from being good at running. Each of our runs averaged 7.5 minutes, and over the course of the race, we ran for a full hour. Runners in the top 10% of our division tend to get each run done in just four minutes. If we could run as fast as those ladies, we’d have finished in something like 1:09 instead of 1:36. That’s a drastic difference. 

So, to summarize: runners do better than weightlifters at Hyrox because (1) running takes up most of the time in the race, (2) the demands on your body are endurance-focused; and (3) the weights aren’t heavy enough to be a serious barrier to runners. A heavy sled might slow you down, but it won’t make a huge difference to your race time. 

What I (the weightlifter) would do differently next time

I’m already thinking about how I would improve for another Hyrox race. I’m not saying I want to do another one, but I can’t help thinking about this as a problem to solve. And the answer is painfully clear: run more. I’d need to have really good endurance—which I could build with any exercise, like running but also cycling—and ideally good running economy as well. In other words, I’d have to turn myself into a runner. 

What Meredith (the runner) would do differently next time

I asked Meredith for her thoughts on improving, but before we get to that, there’s a really simple way Meredith could improve her time: Team up with someone who runs as fast as her! Not having to drag my tired ass around the track would get her a much better finish time regardless of how the stations go. 

But she graciously did not say that, at least not to my face. Instead, she says: “I would do what I could to focus on strategy, finding as many simulations as possible, since I think my greatest challenge was a lack of familiarity. I think I lost a lot of brainpower trying to tap into a muscle memory [on the strength stations] that simply didn't exist.” 

My advice for anyone thinking of tackling a Hyrox for the first time

So what does this all mean for you, dear reader, thinking about trying a Hyrox and assessing your strengths and weaknesses? 

First of all, I think you should know you need to work on your running, or at least your endurance, no matter how good or bad you are in this department to start. Being a good runner means that, in any given moment of the race, you get to choose whether you want to push the pace and finish faster, or relax and recover while still moving forward. Us out-of-shape runners can only suffer or stop. 

But that doesn’t mean that a Hyrox race is equivalent to, say, a half-marathon. (Meredith has more thoughts on that here.) The strength stations are quite a challenge if you’ve never done them before, and a Hyrox-themed class at a gym is not the same as proper race preparation. For example, Meredith’s classes had never gotten around to doing actual wall balls (the last and arguably most challenging exercise of the race) so I gave her a crash course in the warmup room before the race. 

We also discovered that a strategy that came naturally for me, as a competitive weightlifter, was a mind-blowing new idea to Meredith, who only strength trains for the purpose of building strength (not showing it off). That’s the idea that in a competition, you want to use as little energy as possible on exercises, even if you’re used to doing the opposite in training. So we step up from our burpees instead of jumping, we run on the farmer’s carry so that our grip strength doesn’t have to last as long, and we pull the sled by walking rather than trying to get the sled pull to work our biceps. 

Our percentiles for the different segments of the Hyrox race: overall, running, strength, and roxzone (transitions).
Credit: Hyresult.com

It’s also worth taking the time to study the race: knowing what order the stations come in, and studying the venue map so you know where to find each of them. Besides station time and run time, your results also include your “roxzone time,” the roxzone being the transition area between segments. While we were slightly below average on workouts, and well below average on runs, we actually had a better-than-average roxzone time. That means our preparation helped us shave off a bit of time there—and every minute helps. 


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TikTok users in the U.S. now have yet another way to engage with the TikTok ecosystem—this time through a new standalone app focused on live entertainment and "cultural milestones." TikTok Pro Events is centered on fan culture for events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup, encouraging users to search for trending hashtags, visit the event hub, and share related content. Doing so earns you rewards—called Stars—which can be redeemed in-app for official merch, TikTok Shop coupons, or TikTok-funded charitable donations.

The new app is now available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, though exclusively for those in the U.S. If you don't want to download a separate app, you can still access World Cup event hubs in the main TikTok app by searching "FIFA World Cup," which raises the question of why this new app is necessary—and whether any U.S.-based TikTokkers will actually bother to use it in favor of the main TikTok app.

New under TikTok's new owners

Of course, it doesn't seem like the app is really for TikTok users as much as for the benefit of TikTok's new U.S. owners. As TechCrunch notes, TikTok Pro Events offers revenue opportunities for TikTok USDS Joint Venture, the new owner of the platform's U.S. operations arm, with sponsorships, partnerships, and advertising.

While this is the first standalone app introduced under TikTok's new ownership, it's not the first launch targeted at U.S. users. Local Feed, a feature designed to show you content from your immediate geographic area, rolled out to the main TikTok app in February (though exclusively in the U.S.). It's worth noting that Local Feed has opt-in GPS data sharing, which allows TikTok to see your precise location in order to deliver more specific content. If you don't enable this setting, the app will use "coarse location" data based on your IP address, network, and posting activity to customize your local feed.

In May, TikTok USDS JV also introduced TikTok GO, a travel-focused feature (similar to TikTok Shop) that helps users discover hotels, attractions, and tours, check availability, and complete their booking—all within the app. While the feature relies on partnerships with third-party engines like Booking.com, Expedia, and Viator, it does not require users to leave TikTok to complete their transaction.


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During its big I/O 2026 keynote, Google announced Gemini Omni, an AI model that can generate videos from, well, just about anything. In the weeks since the announcement, paid subscribers have been able to use a mix of text, images, documents, and video clips to generate new AI videos. Now, Google is rolling out a new Omni feature, that lets you generate hyperrealistic avatars of yourself. It's limited to videos right now (no AI profile pictures yet), but it does a surprisingly good job of creating a talking-head video with only a couple of reference selfies—surpassing what the short-lived Sora app accomplished. With Omni, Google has unleashed a tool that lets you create deepfake videos of yourself (and only yourself) in mere minutes. Are we ready for it?

You can create your own deepfake with Gemini Omni today

Creating your own Gemini Avatar deepfake.
Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Thankfully, you can't take a selfie and turn it into a deepfake video. You need to go through a verification process from Google that requires scanning your face. Once you have access to this Omni feature, go to the Gemini sidebar and tap on Videos. You'll see a pop-up here to create your own avatar. If you don't see it, click the Plus button from the Gemini prompt box, then tap Avatar. Gemini will direct you to a Google site to scan your face. Here, you take a couple of selfies and move your face from side to side. Then, you say a couple of numbers out loud, and you're done. You don't even have to speak any words or sentences. Once the process is done, the avatar is ready, and you can go back to Gemini.

Now, back in the "Videos" section, type "@[your name]" to use your own avatar in your videos. Generating a video takes a couple of minutes, and you'll get a notification when it's ready. You can play the video in the app, save it to your gallery, or share it via a link or with the video file itself. There are some further limitations here: Gemini's new avatar feature is only available AI Pro or AI Ultra subscribers using personal accounts. In addition, the feature is limited to users 18 or older, and it's not available in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom. Right now, it can only generate audio in English. Each generation carries an obvious Gemini watermark, but is also coded with SynthID, Google's new industry standard for subtly watermarking AI videos and images using metadata that can be tracked even if the video is cropped.

Would you deepfake yourself?

After playing around with this feature all day and generating a series of videos, it's clear that this tool is shockingly good. We are not prepared for an era in which deepfake technologies are this prevalent and easy to access. You can see that in the example below: I asked Gemini to generate a video of me reviewing the iPhone 17 Pro, and requested that it include me saying a specific sentence. It did that.

Of course, there are limitations, and I can find plenty of faults as well. I asked for a review of the iPhone 17 Pro, but the video used an iPhone 16 Pro. At one point, something spontaneously appears above one of the many headphones in the background. And while the audio sounds like my real voice, there's no cadence to it. There's no personality, just a monotone delivery. And that extends to the videos themselves. It's me, a human, saying things, but the video feels quite lifeless. It's too clean, and too sharp, and my hair doesn't always look that good. If you know what to look out for, it's not necessarily difficult to tell that this is ultimately an AI deepfake (if the Gemini watermark and the AI label on YouTube didn't give it away). But the question is, how long will that be true for? And who will look deeply enough?

Videos are limited to 10 seconds right now, and you can't edit them, or make any changes, so the potential for abuse here is still quite small. That said, according to Google's announcements, they are currently gathering feedback. The company says, "in terms of editing videos to change audio and speech, we are still working to test this and better understand how we can bring this capability to users responsibly," so there's a possibility of an interactive editing interface down the line. Soon enough, users might place themselves in videos they can adjust to their exact specifications before sending them out into the wider internet. We might not be ready for that.


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Last Friday, my fellow Lifehacker writer Beth Skwarecki (a weightlifter) and I (a runner) completed a Hyrox race with far less than the recommended amount of training. We came out the other side with a final time of 01:36:48—and a lot of opinions about which stations nearly broke us. Let’s take a look at our personal rankings of the nine different movements that Hyrox demands.

How we're analyzing our Hyrox performance

We tracked our heart rate data throughout the race, which gives us some data to back up what we intuitively felt like were our different strengths and weaknesses. A high average heart rate at a station means your cardiovascular system was working hard throughout. For a runner like me, a relatively lower average can mean I was pacing myself or recovering well during the runs. For Beth, her strength background means she can handle heavier loads, but the runs didn’t offer much recovery. 

In the doubles format, we both had to do the runs together, but could divide the work at the stations any way we liked. That means that during the stations, we each got short rest breaks while the other worked. Our average heart rate for each station includes both the working and resting time.

heart rate chart
Meredith in purple; Beth in blue. Credit: Beth Skwarecki

However, we know that heart rate alone doesn’t tell the full story. Beth and I have added our opinions about how each station felt to us personally in order to round out the picture. With that framing in mind, here's how each station shook out for us. All heart rate numbers are in beats per minute (bpm). Our full, numbered rankings are at the end.

Ski erg

Beth: Max 180, average 172

This was the easiest station for me. It comes early in the race, before you’re tired, and it’s quick enough to switch that we each did 125 meters (so, four turns each). This was over in no time and didn’t feel particularly hard. 

What to watch out for: technique. There’s a way to use your hips and core to power the movement, rather than just yanking on the cords with your arms. This is definitely worth practicing. A cue I liked was: "Throw your chest to the floor.” 

Meredith: Max 185, average 160

Beth and I are aligned on this one. Looking at our heart rate data, neither of us spiked dramatically, which puts the ski erg firmly in the “most survivable” category.

Sled push

Beth: Max 190, average 182 

I liked this one and found it pretty easy. 

What to watch out for: technique again. You want to lean way into the sled, ideally with your chin over the center post. The better athletes hook their elbows around the front posts of the sled, and I did that at first. I also took one length with my arms locked overhead, which feels very natural coming from a weightlifting background. 

Meredith: Max 181, average 149

In our warm-ups before the race, I realized I didn’t have the proper grip or technique here—a theme that shows up across a few stations. Beth and I chatted it out, and we landed on sticking to how I trained (even if it’s technically less efficient), rather than trying to master something new in fifteen minutes. The sled push rewards leg drive and raw strength, and I simply don't have as much of either. Still, I felt fairly strong on this one, and I enjoy the movement itself.

Sled pull

Beth: Max 193, average 179

I wish we could have braced our feet and done it seated, but this was fine. Not too hard or heavy—it just takes finding a rhythm as you walk back and forth. 

What to watch out for: rope management. You don’t want to give yourself a pile of rope to trip over, and you get a penalty if you impede someone else, so we carefully kept the rope at the side of our lane and spilling out the back. There was no divider between us and our neighbor, though, so it was always kind of in the way. Take time to practice how you’ll manage your rope. 

Meredith: Max 185, average 171

I’m thanking my lucky stars I had Coach Beth here. This was the most daunting station in my training, but Beth’s strategy made it dramatically easier. To fellow runners who think this looks like a crazy bicep workout: It doesn’t have to be. You just need to learn how to power the movement from your lower body instead.

Burpee broad jumps

Beth: Max 189, average 181 

This was the worst. If I could ban one station from all of Hyrox, it would be these damn burpees. 

Meredith: Max 189, average 161

This one was so difficult that it became fun for me. I think that burpees are cardio-adjacent enough that I can settle into a rhythm, albeit a tough one. Burpees are widely considered one of the most dreaded Hyrox stations, and the numbers back that up for us. Plus, it’s hard to ignore the fact that this station is in the first half of the race. I felt completely gassed afterwards, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how much we had left.

What to watch out for: control. Aim for consistent, mid-sized jumps rather than massive, explosive leaps. What’s more, Hyrox burpees aren’t what you typically find in a workout class. You don’t need to do a push-up, but you do need to watch your hand and foot placement.

Rowing

Beth: Max 186, average 176

This wasn’t too bad because I prepared ahead of time to take this as an active rest. I had practiced my rowing technique, and that really paid off, since I was able to take long, smooth strokes and relax on the recovery. 

What to watch out for: smart splits. In hindsight, I should have made Meredith take most (all?) of the rowing, since it’s cardio-heavy and I could have used more of a break.

Meredith: Max 182, average 149

With rowing, I got cocky during my training, and I paid for it on race day. I felt like my body wouldn’t adjust any of the form cues my brain was trying to send. My numbers suggest I was either under-pulling or pacing too conservatively.

Farmers carry

Beth: Max 192, average 187 

My grip strength is solid, so I wanted this to be easy, but running with kettlebells is (again!) cardio. Technique-wise, it’s very simple: Keep your upper body steady and shuffle your feet as fast as they’ll go. If only my lungs could keep up!

What to watch out for: grip strength. So many people have trouble with their grip on this station. Actually train your grip on purpose, don’t just expect occasional farmer’s carries in training to be enough.

Meredith: Max 184, average 164

The farmers carry accumulates fatigue in your grip, shoulders, and legs in a way that seems to catch up with you fast—so I decided to “full send” and move my legs as quickly as I could. As a result, I performed better here than I was expecting. I also enjoy where this station falls in the race. With only two more runs and two more stations between us and the finish line, it was natural to push myself here.

Sandbag lunges

Beth: Max 183, average 179 

These were tough, but nowhere near as bad as burpees. 

What to watch out for: transitions. We practiced having the partner in the back grab the bag by the sides and scoop their head under. It’s a simple, smooth movement, but the front partner has to make sure to stay in place until the transition is completed.

Meredith: Max 186, average 173

Beth and I are aligned here, although I know this movement was tougher for me than it seemed to be for her. Both of us were working hard here, and the relatively similar heart rates suggested this was one of the more equalizing stations. Looking at my footage, I can see my knees bending inward in such a way that I’ve taken this whole week off running and am solely focusing on mobility work.

Wall balls

Beth: Max 194, average 187

I was happy to get to this station because the weight is light and I have no problem hitting depth on squats no matter how tired I am. I was, of course, completely gassed by this point. 

Meredith: Max 189, average 168

Race day was the first time I attempted this movement, and, well, it showed. I look like I’m trying to shoot a free throw—another thing I have no idea how to do, actually! Thank you, Beth, for not making fun of me here. I didn’t know it was legal to have your boss watch you flail about like this.

What to watch out for: momentum. The most efficient movement here would get you called out by a fitness instructor for “cheating” with the momentum. (Beth here: I would just call it good timing! The catch should flow into the squat, which should naturally make the ball fly out of your arms when you stand up.)

So which Hyrox stations are actually the hardest?

Beth’s ranking, as a weightlifter, from easiest to hardest:

  1. Ski erg

  2. Rowing 

  3. Sled push

  4. Sled pull 

  5. Farmers carry

  6. Lunges

  7. Wall balls

  8. Running

  9. Burpee broad jump

Meredith’s ranking, as a runner, from easiest to hardest:

  1. Running

  2. Farmers carry 

  3. Ski erg

  4. Rowing

  5. Sled push

  6. Sled pull

  7. Lunges

  8. Burpee broad jump

  9. Wall balls

It seems like Hyrox is specifically designed to find your weaknesses. If you're a runner, the strength stations will humble you. If you're a lifter, the 8 km of running between stations will find your limits. Luckily, Beth and I always knew that. And somehow, finishing together with a time of 1:36:48 felt like exactly the kind of thing you can only do when you've got someone next to you who's strong where you're weak.


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At WWDC 2026 next week, Apple is almost assuredly going to reveal iOS 27 for the first time. But even with just days to go until that announcement, the company is still actively updating iOS 26. Astute observers may have noticed a new update hit their iPhones on Monday, iOS 26.5.1, and while it isn't the feature-filled new experience iOS 27 will be, it does ship with an important bug patch for anyone with the newest iPhones.

What does iOS 26.5.1 do?

According to Apple's release notes for iOS 26.5.1, the update fixes exactly one problem. It seems a "small number" of users with an iPhone 17 device (meaning iPhone 17, 17 Pro, or 17 Pro Max) or the iPhone Air are experiencing an issue with wired charging. Apple says that when these devices' batteries are "nearly drained," iOS may prevent wired charging. That means if your iPhone's battery is about to hit 0% and you plug it into power, nothing may happen, leaving your iPhone to wither away—at least, until you get it on a wireless charger.

Apple may say that this issue only affects a small number of iPhone 17 and iPhone Air users, but it was a big enough problem to make headlines a few months ago. Back in April, I covered how some iPhone 17 and iPhone Air users weren't able to charge their iPhones once their batteries ran out—unless they tried charging with wireless charging first. The bug iOS 26.5.1 aims to squash is almost assuredly the same one affecting these iPhones, though it's surprising it took this long for Apple to roll out a fix.

The good news, at least, is that this was clearly a software problem, rather than a hardware issue. When I first wrote about this quirk, that wasn't a foregone conclusion; had it been a hardware problem, Apple would have had more of a dilemma on its hands. But now that the charging glitch can be solved with a simple software update, affected iPhone 17 and iPhone Air users will be all set.

How to fix an iPhone 17 or iPhone Air that won't charge

The solution is simple: update to iOS 26.5.1 (or newer). To do so, open your iPhone's Settings app, then head to General > Software Update. Here, let iOS look for an update, then follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the latest version.


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Over the course of three seasons (so far), HBO’s The White Lotus has served up a delicious menu of murder mystery, eat-the-rich satire, and hilarious class warfare. From Hawa’ii to Sicily to Thailand, the show’s intricate storytelling and Mike White’s acerbic character work have made it an addictive sensation.

Season Four—set in Paris—is on the way, but if you can’t wait, and need more darkly comedic class warfare in your entertainment diet now (and you’ve already burned through the shows we’ve recommended as streamalikes), here are the books, movies, games, and podcasts you should try next.

The best books like The White Lotus

Nothing beats long-form fiction for complex character interactions, devious plotting, and lush descriptions of luxurious locales. Here are the books that will give you those White Lotus feels.

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This classic banger of American literature still delivers—times may have changed, but Fitzgerald’s story of ill-gotten wealth and attempts to use it to buy, well, everything still hits hard. You can easily imagine Jay Gatsby showing up at a White Lotus resort in the late 1920s, chasing after something he can’t have and burying himself in purchased luxury before becoming embroiled in a tragic death of some sort (possibly his own).

The Grand Paloma Resort, by Cleyvis Natera

If you bonded with Armond, the manager of the White Lotus resort in Maui portrayed by Murray Bartlett in season one, this is a perfect read: Laura is the manager of the Grand Paloma Resort in the Dominican Republic, and she has a lot on her plate. Up for a promotion that will secure her future, she’s dealing with her wild younger sister, Elena, who works as a nanny for hotel guests—when she’s not partying. When a child is injured under Elena’s care, Laura embarks on an ill-advised scheme to protect her sister and her own career, and things quickly go very off the rails.

The Guest List, by Lucy Foley

The Guest List ticks all the boxes: Remote, luxurious location? Check—an exclusive island off the coast of Ireland and a spare-no-expense wedding. Monied people lugging secrets from the mainland? Check—wedding guests arrive with a lot of drama trailing in their wake. An inconvenient dead body? Check—along with a sinister bridesmaid, an old friend of the bride’s carrying a torch, and some reckless substance abuse. If the White Lotus had a resort in Ireland and hosted a wedding, this is exactly how it would all go down.

Bad Tourists, by Caro Carver

Love exploring how the guests at each White Lotus bring their own trauma as luggage? Bad Tourists digs into that juicy trope. Darcy has had a rough couple of years, a tumultuous period marked by violence and ending in a shattering divorce. She takes her settlement money and buys a luxury trip to the Maldives for herself and two friends, Kate and Camilla. The trio bonded over their shared trauma stemming from a massacre, and it haunts their vacation from the beginning. Soon they’re worrying over a newlywed whose husband might be an abuser and a flirty dance instructor who seduces Camilla—and promptly vanishes.

The Namaste Club, by Asha Elias

If season three of The White Lotus was your favorite because of the complicated girlfriend dynamics it explored, check out The Namaste Club. The titular retreat is a sun-soaked yoga center run by Insta-ready influencer Shakti. Wealthy women from all over Florida flock there to escape their messy lives and find some peace (or maybe just the attention of the handsome assistant instructor, Daniel). But they bring their personal messes with them, and by the end of this particular retreat, one of them will no longer have to worry about it—or anything else.

The best movies like The White Lotus

Each season of The White Lotus is a slow burn, giving us room to get to know the characters, the layout of the resort, and the dynamics that will swirl into murder. For those seeking similar slow burn mysteries with capitalism-skewering themes, these films are ideal.

Triangle of Sadness (2022)

One of the joys of The White Lotus is how it lampoons the wealthy, clueless tourists who float into the resort on fumes of privilege. Triangle of Sadness goes even further, following a pair of vacuous influencers who are gifted berths on a luxury yacht in exchange for views. The yacht is soaked in wealth and entitlement—until things go disastrously (and hilariously) wrong. It’s not subtle (there is a lengthy sequence documenting a case of epic food poisoning depicted in gross detail), but it is a hilarious look at the social dynamics of luxury, wealth, and the service workers who make it all possible. Stream Triangle of Sadness on Netflix or rent it on Prime Video.

Parasite (2019)

One of the great things about The White Lotus is that Mike White doesn’t forget the workers who make the comfortable, easy lives of the wealthy possible. Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning film explores a similar dynamic, following the efforts of the poor, struggling Kim family to insert themselves into the wealthy Park family’s lives—only to discover they’re not the only ones surviving off the wealthy family’s resources. Stream Parasite on Kanopy or rent it on Prime Video.

Infinity Pool (2023)

Infinity Pool swims in the same class- and money-focused waters as The White Lotus, just in a more speculative way. The story follows a struggling author, James (Alexander Skarsgård), who falls in with a group of thrill-seeking tourists in the fictional nation of Li Tolqa. The country’s justice system is brutal—it generally offers the death sentence for any crime—but when James accidentally kills a native, he discovers a dark secret: Wealthy tourists can pay to have a clone of themselves executed instead. What follows is a terrifying exploration of what it means to truly be insulated by money while kind of, maybe definitely, hating yourself for it. Stream Infinity Pool on Kanopy or rent it on Prime Video.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

Patricia Highsmith’s brilliant 1955 novel has been adapted several times, but it’s Matt Damon’s 1999 turn as the title character that resonates most with The White Lotus. His version of Ripley may be dealing with issues around his obvious attraction to Jude Law’s Dickie Greenleaf, but its Dickie's lifestyle of leisure and money that steals the show. After Ripley’s hunger for what Dickie has turns deadly, he takes over his life, viewing himself as better-suited to appreciate the privilege Dickie always took for granted. It’s easy to imagine Ripley taking a rest at a White Lotus location someday, and probably targeting one of his fellow guests for a bit of well-deserved fun. Stream The Talented Mr. Ripley on Kanopy or Paramount Plus, or rent it on Prime Video.

Saltburn (2023)

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to follow one of the vacationing families home from a White Lotus resort, check out Emerald Fennel’s 2023 film. The story follows Oliver (Barry Keoghan), a poor scholarship student at Oxford who worms his way into the lives of the wealthy Catton family. The film satirizes the out-of-touch lives of the incredibly wealthy, as Oliver weaponizes their insulation and privilege to his own advantage. Rent Saltburn on Prime Video.

The best video games like The White Lotus

Sometimes the viewing experience of The White Lotus is frustrating, because you want to physically interact with the characters (slapping a few, shaking some sense into others). If that’s your reaction, it’s time to get in on the action with one of these thematically appropriate video games.

The Sexy Brutale

If you want to actually solve a mystery involving wealthy people at an isolated location, check out The Sexy Brutale. You wake up to discover you’ve entered a time loop at a swanky party being held at a billionaire’s gothic mansion-slash-casino. All the guests at the party are being killed off, and you have to use the looping iterations to gather clues, eavesdrop on conversations, and explore the mansion in order to save them one by one. The story goes in wild directions, but the setting and characters make this a good way to relive those White Lotus vibes.

Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam

Hotel Magnate

Some of the fun of The White Lotus comes in the behind-the-scenes glimpses of how a high-end resort like this is actually run and managed. If that’s part of the appeal for you, load up Hotel Magnate and start working on your own luxury destination getaway. Build your offering, decorate and outfit it, then manage guests and reservations (and complaints and repairs). The customization options mean you can try to create the ultimate White Lotus-inspired resort without losing your shirt in the process—and there probably won’t be any murders to worry about. Probably.

Platforms: PlayStation, Steam

Forza Horizon

If you just want to pretend you’re a guest at a White Lotus, play some Forza Horizon. Yes, this is a racing game—but it’s no secret that players have been using Forza Horizon as a vacation simulator ever since the first game was released. The combination of an incredibly detailed open-world map and the ease of choosing and operating a variety of vehicles means you can skip the racing part and just drive around, checking out tourist sights, snapping photos, and enjoying yourself as if you were on a real vacation (Forza Horizon 6 allows you to explore Tokyo, Japan, any way you’d like to, for example).

Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Steam

Lushfoil Photography Sim

If driving around isn’t your idea of a vacation and The White Lotus has made you pine for a long trip to an exotic location, load up Lushfoil Photography Sim, which combines photorealistic graphics with a robust walking simulation engine. The goal is to take photographs using your knowledge of real-world camera settings and photography, but you can also just visit the exotic locations on offer and explore to your heart’s content.

Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, PC, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Steam

Way of the Hunter

Another option to satisfy the wanderlust inspired by The White Lotus is this hunting game, especially if your idea of a vacation is to grab your gear and bag some dinner. On the other hand, if you’re not really into hunting, you can turn off the heads-up display, put down the gun, and enjoy a virtual vacation in the incredibly realistic wilderness settings. You’ll have the chance to observe and even interact with some wildlife and get lost in the natural beauty around you. And if you miss all the murder on the show, you do have a gun.

Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam

The best podcasts like The White Lotus

Whether you want to dig deep into The White Lotus and its characters, themes, and plot twists, or want a similar narrative experience in your earbuds, here are some terrific podcasts to check out.

The White Lotus Official Podcast

The White Lotus Official Podcast
Credit: Podcast logo

The official companion podcast for The White Lotus is a must-listen if you want behind-the-scenes access. The team breaks down each episode in impressive detail, augmented by cast and crew interviews and other exclusives. Whether you need to brush up on all the craziness before the new season drops or are starting a guided rewatch, this is the perfect podcast to sink into.

Welcome to the White Lotus

Welcome to the White Lotus
Credit: Podcast logo

If you’re looking for a more fan-focused discussion of The White Lotus, this podcast fits the bill. With a light, banter-filled tone and a commitment to thinking way too hard about fan theories and the subtle details, this is the perfect podcast for anyone who might admit to being a “little obsessed” with the show and its twisty little surprises.

The Last Resort

The Last Resort
Credit: Podcast logo

Skewing into sci-fi, this narrative fiction podcast is perfect for fans of The White Lotus because it explores similar themes (albeit a bit more broadly). Nikki is an influencer recovering from a public career disaster, so she heads off to an exclusive resort to recharge and rethink her life. Once among the wealthy guests, however, she notices some odd behaviors that quickly spin up to terrifying levels. If you’ve ever imagined what the folks at a White Lotus resort would do if they found themselves in a horror movie, this is your podcast.

The Last Trip

The Last Trip
Credit: Podcast logo

Each season of The White Lotus is at least one character’s last trip. Host Jaimie Beebe devotes each episode of this fascinating true crime podcast to the case of someone who murdered or vanished while on vacation, recreating their last known movements and trying to piece together what might have happened. It’s easy to imagine an episode being devoted to the folks who didn’t make it out of the White Lotus alive.


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