While Activision has been striving to shrink its notoriously huge Call of Duty games so they take up less storage space, you may still need more room on your console. That's true even if you have the new Xbox Series X with 2TB of built-in storage. Games can quickly fill an internal SSD and if you're an Xbox Series X/S gamer, Seagate's expansion card is perhaps the way to go.
The 2TB variant is on sale at the minute. It has dropped to an all-time low of $200. That's $160 off the regular price.
Look, proprietary storage stinks, but the choice for Series X/S owners looking for more space is largely between Seagate's Storage Expansion Card and WD's Black C50. It's possible to store Series X/S games on a regular external drive, but you'll need to move them to internal storage or an expansion card anyway to actually play them. If you don't want to deal with shifting large files around and waiting for transfers to complete, or you don't want to delete and download games more than is necessary, an expansion card is the way to go.
Seagate's version is one of our picks for the best Xbox Series X/S accessories. The 2TB version should give you ample space at least until you start filling it up with all of the huge Call of Duty games that have started hitting Game Pass.
Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/seagates-2tb-xbox-expansion-card-is-down-to-a-record-low-price-ahead-of-black-friday-210647959.html?src=rss
Accessory maker 8BitDo has unveiled its second new product in two weeks. After showcasing a latch-on gaming controller for Android phones, the company now has a new version of its Retro Mechanical Keyboard that adds a numpad and new shortcuts. And yes, the $120 accessory still includes those begging-to-be-mashed Super Buttons.
Like its predecessor, the 8BitDo Retro 108 Mechanical Keyboard is inspired by Nintendos NES and Famicom consoles. The two variants almost perfectly match the colors of these 1980s gaming machines: white, dark gray and black for the NES-inspired flavor and white and crimson for the Famicom one. Appropriately, the latter has Japanese markings under its English characters.
The keyboard is 22 percent wider than the standard version to accommodate the integrated numpad and other extras. The extended area also includes Windows shortcuts, Calculator, Function Lock and Screen Lock buttons.
Otherwise, the new keyboard retains the features of the 87-key original. That includes using it in wired or wireless modes (including Bluetooth or wireless 2.4G), custom key mapping through 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 (Windows only), N-key rollover and hot-swappable keys.
8BitDo
The new model includes the same pair of Super Buttons youll get with the smaller variant. These programmable macro keys look like giant-sized versions of the A and B buttons on the NES and Famicom. They connect to the keyboard directly via a 3.5mm jack, and you can string up to four sets together. You can also order Super Buttons (in red, blue or yellow) for $30.24 apiece.
Officially, 8BitDo says the keyboard is only supported for Windows and Android, likely because its customization software is only available for the former. But you can still use it with macOS; youd just miss out on customizing its keys and macros and receiving software updates.
The 8BitDo Retro 108 Mechanical Keyboard will be available in NES and Famicom variants on December 12. You can pre-order it now for $120 through Amazon.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/8bitdo-has-a-new-version-of-the-retro-mechanical-keyboard-with-a-built-in-numpad-201051915.html?src=rss
TikTok is all about the tunes, and the social network has added integrations to directly post audio from streaming services. Share to TikTok is a new feature that will let listeners in Apple Music and Spotify share music to the video platform. The tool can post a track, album, playlist or other content to the TikTok Feed, either in FYP or Stories. Streaming audio material can also be shared via a TikTok DM.
Even though TikTok has become a popular place to discover and share audio, the company recently announced that its TikTok Music platform would be shutting down later this month; the service never launched in the US. The business has also faced scrutiny for encouraging addictive behavior in its users, as well as posing a possible security threat. The US has considered banning the app, and Canada recently ordered TikTok to shut down its domestic operations.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/you-can-now-post-tracks-to-tiktok-from-spotify-and-apple-music-195521948.html?src=rss
Todays the day. Those with an extra $700 can go pick up a shiny new PS5 Pro. There are already over 50 enhanced games to coincide with the consoles launch, and one of them is the exquisitely delightful Baldurs Gate 3. Developer Larian Studios just announced all of the various features available for those who are on the fence about Sonys latest gadget.
The Quality and Performance modes have both been tweaked to achieve crisp console visuals without sacrificing smooth performance. Quality mode can now run at native 4K at 30 fps while Performance mode upscales 1440p to 2160p at 60 fps, thanks to Sonys proprietary PSSR upscaling technology.
The company has also massively improved the split screen multiplayer experience, which might be worth the price of admission for some. Split screen mode will now allow players to choose from 30 fps or 60 fps, depending on if Quality or Performance mode is engaged.
This update for the PS5 Pro even includes some minor tweaks for the regular PS5 version of the game. For instance, Larian has fixed an issue that prevents people from downloading or subscribing to mods when loading into another players multiplayer game with mods enabled.
For the uninitiated, Baldurs Gate 3 is a fantastic RPG that prioritizes player choice above all else. Its as close a video game has ever come to duplicating the feeling of sitting at a table playing Dungeons and Dragons. Also, you can have sex with a bear.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/here-are-all-of-the-enhancements-for-baldurs-gate-on-ps5-pro-194530443.html?src=rss
Japanese automaker Nissan is taking a big ax to its workforce. Reuters reports that the company plans to make some steep cuts to its operation, including 9,000 jobs and 20 percent of its global manufacturing capacity.
The cuts wont just affect workers on the assembly lines. The New York Times reports that Nissan Chief Executive Officer Makoto Uchida is taking a 50 percent pay cut from his monthly compensation.
Japans third-largest automaker has to cut $2.6 billion in costs this fiscal year. Nissan revised its annual profit outlook by a whopping 70 percent as its struggles to sell cars in places like China and the US where it lacks a credible line-up of hybrid cars. Nissans global sales fell by 3.8 percent for the first half of the fiscal year, witha 14.3 percent drop in China and 3 percent drop in the US.
Nissan says in a press release that its taking urgent measures to turnaround its performance beyond just making cuts to its labor force. The automaker says its planning to introduce new energy efficient vehicles to China and plug-in hybrids and e-POWER vehicles in the US. So far, the only EVs in Nissans garage include the Leaf and the Ariya fleet.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/nissan-is-laying-off-9000-workers-and-giving-its-ceo-a-pay-cut-193050069.html?src=rss
For many homes, a single router just won't cut it. Unless the device is in a prime position at the center of your home and there are few walls and other obstacles for the signal to deal with, your Wi-Fi network may not reach the outer limits of your house or property. As such, a mesh network might be what you need. A three-pack of Google's Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E is worth considering, especially because it has dropped to its lowest price to date.
You can pick up this bundle for $279 at both Amazon and the Google Store. The three-pack normally retails for $400.
This is our pick for the best mesh Wi-Fi system for folks who are using the tech for the first time. There isn't a great deal of customization here and there are more powerful options out there. But the Nest mesh system is easy to set up and then just let it do its thing.
Together, these three nodes provide up to 6,600 sq. ft. of Wi-Fi coverage and speeds of up to 2,402 Mbps. That's more than enough for most people. Though if you're gaming, you'll probably want to connect to Ethernet if possible to minimize lag.
As you might expect, the Wi-Fi Pro 6E integrates with other Google services. It's compatible with the Matter and Thread smart home standards too.
Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/googles-nest-wi-fi-pro-6e-is-cheaper-than-ever-in-this-early-black-friday-deal-191945827.html?src=rss
BioWare had told Mass Effect fans to expect a quiet N7 day without any updates on the new game in the works, but there is still some exciting news for the franchise today. Variety reports that Amazon MGM Studios is developing a TV series based on the sci-fi universe. Rumors first emerged about the tech company's interest in a Mass Effect show back in 2021, but now it's official.
Daniel Casey will be the series' writer and executive producer. He has action credits on the screenplay for F9: The Fast Saga and made contributions to sci-fi films Kin and 10 Cloverfield Lane. Variety noted some of the other executive producers, but there have been no details shared yet about the cast or plot of the project. Since a large part of the original Mass Effect games' appeal was players making their own choices about Commander Shepard's moral compass and love life, it seems likely that a show would want to tell an original story within that universe rather than retreading the same path as the trilogy.
Amazon had a huge win with its TV adaptation of Fallout earlier this year, and it seems the company is going to continue mining video games for source material. After some stumbles, Amazon is also reviving its plans for a live-action God of War show. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/amazon-is-making-a-mass-effect-television-show-185111285.html?src=rss
Max, the other major platform that ruined years of brand recognition with a bizarre name change, is about to get serious about password-sharing, according to reporting by The Verge. Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery said during a Q3 earnings call that it will begin cracking down on the practice over the next few months, along with some very soft messaging to encourage people to pony up.
Chief financial officer Gunnar Wiedenfels said the aforementioned gentle messaging will ramp up in 2025, indicating an eventual mandate. He suggested that folks who share passwords make the subscription costs rise for everyone, as its like asking members who have not signed up, or multi-household members to pay a little bit more.
The company also announced nearly ten billion dollars in revenue last quarter, along with 7.2 million new Max subscribers. This is the biggest jump in subscribers in the platforms history. Theres more juice to squeeze out of that lemon, however, as some of those 7.2 million people likely gave a password to a grandkid or something.
Wiedenfels also didnt rule out the possibility of yet another price increase. He said that the premium nature of Max gives the platform a fair amount of room to continue to push a price weve been judicious about. As for judiciousness, the subscription cost shot up in June of this year and again back in 2023. So, what, price increases are like yearly Madden installments now or something?
Max is merely the latest streamer to put the kibosh on password sharing. Netflix makes people pay to share passwords and Disney+ just started its crackdown back in September.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/max-is-about-to-crack-down-on-password-sharing-174549440.html?src=rss
Apple has been forced to ditch the Lightning port and switch to USB-C for charging across its products. But there's another way to top up the battery of recent iPhones thanks to MagSafe. The company recently released a new, more powerful MagSafe charger, the price of which has fallen in an early Black Friday deal. It has dropped from $39 to $25.
The latest MagSafe charger was introduced alongside the iPhone 16 lineup this fall. When it's used with an adaptor that supports 30W of power or more, the charger reaches speeds of up to 25W with an iPhone 16 (the charging speed still maxes out at 15W on older iPhones).
As you might imagine, the charger can juice up an iPhone 16 more quickly than previous versions. According to Apple, when used with a 30W USBC power adapter, it can charge an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro up to a level of 50 percent in 30 minutes. Meanwhile, since the charger is Qi compatible, it can charge an iPhone 8 or later as well as AirPods with a wireless charging case.
The MagSafe charger is one of the handiest iPhone accessories to have around. This version has a 1m (3.3 ft) cable. The other model, which has a 2m (6.6 ft) cable, is also on sale. It has dropped from $49 to $34.
Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-latest-magsafe-charger-drops-to-25-in-an-early-black-friday-deal-173636146.html?src=rss
Sega is delisting a bunch of its classic games for modern devices. The company posted an FAQ on its website (via Eurogamer), breaking down the Sega Classics games each platform will lose next month. The collection includes some of the publishers golden oldies, like Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe and Altered Beast.
Over 60 Sega Classics games will be delisted on Steam, Xbox, Switch and PlayStation on December 7 at 2:59PM ET. In addition to the above-mentioned titles, departing ones include (among many others) Virtua Fighter 2, Streets of Rage, the Golden Axe trilogy, Ecco the Dolphin and the most 90s game ever, Toejam and Earl.
Sega
The Sega Genesis Classics bundle will also be delisted on Switch and PlayStation on the same day. However, the FAQ notes that select individual classic titles will still be playable with a Switch Online membership. And if you own any outgoing games (or snag them before the cutoff date), theyll remain playable in your library. But dont expect any bug fixes or other software updates moving forward.
Sega hasnt stated a reason for delisting the games. But its a strange choice, given that the company is rebooting Crazy Taxi (as a multiplayer AAA game), Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage. Keeping their nostalgic forerunners available to spark memories for older players and introduce the franchises to younger gamers seems like a marketing opportunity that would have outweighed the potential confusion of listing multiple games with similar or identical titles.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sega-will-delist-a-bunch-of-its-classic-games-from-major-storefronts-next-month-172823328.html?src=rss
