It could soon be all too easy to cave into peer pressure if you're an Xbox One owner. Microsoft is trotting out a Guide update that not only lets you obtain more info about the games your friends are playing, but buy them, install them or play them. It can even take you to the game's official club if you're interested more than just purchasing. You just have to select a friend's profile to glean more details.
The company's Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) would only say that the feature will reach your system "soon," so don't be shocked if it isn't there right away. Yes, this is clearly a bid to spur more game purchases -- it's banking on that fear of missing out when your friends are playing that hot new shooter. It could be genuinely practical if you've been invited to join a game, though, and it might also come in handy if you're unsure of what to play.
We are starting to roll out a new feature for Xbox One: Directly from the Guide you will be able to quickly get more information on a game your friend is playing - with a link to play it (if installed), install (if you own it) or buy it + a link to the official club pic.twitter.com/VpVGqPzI6u
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Stadia is supposed to represent the future of gaming, or at least one possible future that revolves around streaming. You buy, not rent, a game to play, run it on Google’s massive data centers, and have it streamed to almost any device, with some AI and machine learning magic to help cut back on natural latency from this back and forth process. In reality, however, the launch of Google first formal foray into the gaming market under its own name is turning out to be quite the mess and the harshest words are coming from the platform’s earliest believers who now feel they have been deceived by the company’s sugary words and promises.
This very vocal group is made up of “Founders”, the term given to early adopters who put their money where their mouths are by pre-ordering the game or, in this case, a subscription. Google made it clear that not only would these Founders get dibs on Stadia when it launches, they will also be treated to a “first come, first served” queue. That applies not only to getting access codes before anyone else but also to registering their unique names on the service.
That has apparently not happened in the most ideal situation that Google planned. Many Founders still don’t have their access codes while others do, breaking that processing order that Google promised. That, in turn, has resulted in these early adopters being unable to reserve the name they would have wanted, even if, by pre-order sequence, they should have been first.
To its credit, Google did respond but it is as much as you would expect from a PR response. An issue was discovered and has been addressed and that’s pretty much it. No course of action or compensation has been mentioned.
This is, sadly, just the latest in a growing list of issues with Google Stadia that started with a paltry list of launch titles and has also included performance concerns. Google did mention that Stadia would be growing and improving over time as the platform matures but that’s never an excuse not to put your best foot forward. Especially when you’re asking “Founders” to believe in that promise and invest in your business.
If you need a refresher, the iPhone 6s has a 4.7-inch Retina HD display, FaceTime HD camera, Touch ID and still fits in the back pocket of your jeans comfortably (which can’t be said for some of the larger, more recent iPhone models).
It makes a great gift for older parents or grandparents who want a fuss-free way to FaceTime, or as a present for tweens and older kids who are ready for their first “real” phones.
Maybe you want something a little more advanced?
We’ve spotted several noteworthy deals on newer iPhone models, like up to $450 in eGift cards on the iPhone XS, $400 in eGift cards on the iPhone XS Max or iPhone XR and $300 in eGift cards on the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
All of the deals above are live at Walmart right now.
Walmart also has the best pre-Black Friday deal on Apple AirPods we’ve seen so far. These AirPods (with the charging case) were previously on sale for $144, but were just marked down an additional $5 and are currently down to just $139 at Walmart.
Want more deals? Check out these other major savings at Walmart going on right now:
Normally $450 this LG 55-inch Class 4K Ultra HD Smart LED HDR TV is on sale for $367
These Frida Kahlo and Rosa Parks Barbie Dolls from the “Inspiring Women” collection normally retails for $60 but you can get both of them for just $30
Save on this $35 ScentSationals five-piece oil diffuser gift set and get it for $20 today
Give the gift of comfort with this Fruit of the Loom sleep set. Originally $17 get it on sale for $15
See more early holiday deals from Walmart on Yahoo Shopping!
This article was paid for by Walmart and created by HuffPost’s commerce team. The HuffPost editorial staff did not participate in the creation of this content. Prices and product availability are subject to change.
Nintendo has confirmed that it’ll start selling its official, previously Japan-only Switch Lite Flip Cover in the US next month, with a release date set for January 9th. This is good news, because it’s a great product, and I’d recommend picking one up when it’s out if you’re using the newer, smaller Switch. It does what I want a case to do, which is to protect the screen while adding as little bulk as possible.
The Flip Cover is a lightweight case that the Switch clips into, with a fabric finish and a lid that attaches magnetically. It also comes with a plastic screen protector. I’ve been using the case for a few weeks now, as it came out in Japan at the beginning of the month alongside the Pokémon Sword and Shield limited edition Switch Lite, which I decided to wait for because, well, look at those pink and blue buttons.
The Switch Lite is meant to be a more portable version of the Switch, but it isn’t that much smaller than the regular model. The Lite is still a console that you’ll almost always need to carry in a bag. That’s for the best — I don’t think I could play Fire Emblem: Three Houses if the font size shrunk much further. But the overall size of the Switch-plus-case combination gets reduced so dramatically with the Flip Cover that it makes a huge difference to the system’s portability.
In particular, Nintendo has managed to make the case much thinner by covering the analog sticks with two slightly raised bumps rather than allowing them to balloon the dimensions of the entire case. Here’s how it compares to the official Nintendo case I got with my original Switch at launch in March 2017:
The result is that the Switch Lite is now something I can just toss into a tote bag without a second thought, rather than a bulky gadget I’d only want to bring along with me if I were sure I was really going to use it.
It’s thankfully easy to take the Switch Lite in and out of the case, but you can still play the system with the cover attached and open if that proves to be more convenient. It doesn’t fold all the way back — it just dangles down at a 90-degree angle without getting in the way. There’s also a cut-out for the USB-C port so you don’t have to remove the case to charge the Switch.
I don’t know why Nintendo didn’t have the Flip Cover ready for the Switch Lite’s launch and available in more regions, because it feels like an integral part of the product to me, like the Smart Cover was when Apple first introduced it for the iPad. My one complaint, actually, it doesn’t magnetically lock and unlock the Switch itself like an iPad Smart Cover, which would have been nice.
Still, at $39.99, I would recommend this to pretty much anyone. The point of the Switch Lite is portability, so you’re probably going to want a case, and this is the best one I can imagine.
Update (18th Nov, 14:45): Already confirmed for other parts of the world, we've now had word that the stylish Switch Lite Flip Cover is coming to North America on December 8th, with a retail price of $39.99.
Update (3rd Sep, 10:45): Great news, folks! The official Switch Lite Flip Cover has been confirmed for release in Australia and the UK. In Australia, it'll launch on 6th December, while UK buyers will have to wait until January 2020.
Original Article (30th Aug, 16:30 BST): As with any portable device, you'll likely want to make sure your new Switch Lite is as safe as can be after its launch next month. We're sure it can handle being dropped a few times, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.
Luckily, Nintendo has revealed its very own official Flip Cover for the new console, and it looks like a perfect solution. As you can see in the images below, it appears to simply clasp on to the rear of your console, with one section flipping over to protect the screen, buttons and control sticks. From there, it looks like you can just flip that cover off and get back to playing, all while keeping the case attached.
It's a pretty smart way to stop your console from being battered, so we're hoping this makes its way over to the west; at present, it's only available on the Japanese My Nintendo store, where customers can pre-order it for 3,758 yen (approx. £29 / $35). It launches there in November, so we guess you could try to find a way of importing it if it doesn't get released over here.
Would you grab one of these if it released in your area? Here's hoping Nintendo gives it a worldwide launch.
Google's Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are two of our favorite affordable smartphones, delivering similar camera tech found in the older Pixel 3 flagship while costing significantly less than the recently-released Pixel 4. Prices for these budget options have continued to drop since launch, but now Amazon has discounted both models to their lowest pricing yet.
We saw the Pixel 3a on sale for $349 last month, but the $100 drop to $299 means it's never been cheaper. Similarly, the bigger Pixel 3a XL reached $429 previously, but is now on sale for $380 (a discount of $99.01).
Not all color variants are enjoying those big discounts, though. The Just Black Pixel 3a and the Clearly White and Purple-ish versions of the Pixel 3a XL are currently the cheapest. Although, if you're really keen for a black Pixel 3a XL, you can pick that one up for a still-discounted $399.
Google has begun teasing its own Black Friday deals, which includes a similar sale on the Pixel 3a and a hefty $200 discount on the Pixel 4. However, if you don't want to wait until next week, Amazon has you covered.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19389169/DSCF7188.jpg)
