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Tech News
Newegg is offering a three-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription for $57.99, about $11 off, when shoppers apply the code BNWF2656 at checkout. The plan includes access to over 500 games on Xbox and PC, plus EA Play, Ubisoft Plus Classics, Fortnite Crew, and online multiplayer on Xbox consoles.
Microsoft is encouraging owners of unused Xbox consoles to trade them in through Best Buy rather than let them sit idle. The push comes alongside Microsoft's own trade-in and refurbished-console programs, but this effort specifically highlights Best Buy's retail network.
DroidDeck, an Android app offering a SteamOS-like PC gaming experience, released version 0.6.7 on GitHub adding Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming and Battle.net storefront integration. The update also improves sleep-mode battery efficiency, second-screen functionality on dual-screen handhelds, and adds Steam-style brightness/volume controls and quick-access menus.
Sony will add Dead Island 2, Monster Train 2 and the Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered collection to PlayStation Plus for all subscribers starting November 3. The games will be available across all three PS Plus membership tiers at no extra cost.
T-Mobile has introduced three new "T-Mix" wireless plans—Standard, More, and Loaded—that let customers bundle service with subscriptions such as Netflix, Apple TV, YouTube Premium, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Pricing starts at $55/month for Standard with one swappable perk, rising to $95/month for Loaded, which allows up to three perks per line across the first three lines, capped at 11 total. Subscribers can change their chosen "Picks" up to four times a year without affecting the plan's cost.
According to a Fortune report, Microsoft is developing a revamped Game Pass structure that would let subscribers choose individual features—such as console game access, cloud gaming, and multiplayer—as separate add-ons under a tiered system. The plan follows earlier reporting from Windows Central in April that suggested Xbox wanted to let users customize which bundled content, like Fortnite Crew, they pay for.
Microsoft has introduced pay-as-you-go packages for Xbox Cloud Gaming priced at $3.99 for 10 hours, $7.99 for 25 hours, and $11.99 for 50 hours. Beginning in November, Game Pass subscribers will only get 5 to 15 included cloud-streaming hours per month depending on their subscription tier, after which they must purchase additional hours to continue streaming, including games they already own. Microsoft says purchased hours do not expire and remain usable until spent.
Indie curator-turned-publisher Pantaloon has launched the Playbill, a Game Pass-style subscription covering 'bold and bizarre' indie titles. The initial catalogue mixes third-party games like Buckshot Roulette and Silt with Pantaloon's own releases such as Offbeat and Sub-Verge, plus a timed-exclusive visual novella, Virtue: Prologue. It also includes a 'Green Room' section offering demos, playtests and abandoned prototypes, alongside free puzzles and community features carried over from Pantaloon's newsletter days.
Microsoft has rolled out à la carte Cloud Playtime purchases to Xbox Insiders, charging roughly 24 to 40 cents per hour depending on the package size (10 hours for $4, 25 hours for $8, or 50 hours for $12). Purchased hours don't expire, but using them requires already owning the game or, for some titles, having free-to-play access.
Xbox has begun previewing a pay-per-hour cloud gaming option for members of its Xbox Insider program who don't subscribe to Game Pass. The trial offers blocks of 10 hours for $4, 25 hours for $8, or 50 hours for $12, described as introductory launch pricing. The feature includes an ad-free streaming experience with shorter wait times and playtime that doesn't expire until used.
Microsoft has set introductory pricing for its new pay-as-you-go Xbox Cloud Gaming option, letting players buy cloud hours without an Xbox Game Pass subscription. Xbox Insiders can now purchase bundles of 10 hours for $3.99, 25 hours for $7.99, or 50 hours for $11.99, with unused hours carrying over indefinitely. The feature rolls out more broadly next month and includes ad-free streaming and faster load times.
Microsoft is adding the indie horror title Mouthwashing and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade to Xbox Game Pass starting October 29, available to Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Premium subscribers. Mouthwashing, a 2024 release, casts players as crew members on a failing spaceship facing dwindling supplies, while Intergrade offers an updated version of part of the classic Final Fantasy 7 story.