Earlier this month, Microsoft announced several upcoming accessibility features for Xbox players. A few of those features, including controller-to-keyboard input remapping, are now live and ready to use. This keyboard mapping feature is particularly significant as it will increase gaming options and improve the overall experience for folks with disabilities. Players will now have the ability to configure the buttons of the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and the Xbox Adaptive Controller to match specific keys on their keyboards. Microsoft says this will help to "expand controller input capabilities in games that have many commands, have limited remapping capabilities, or do not support controllers."

Keyboard mapping has been heavily requested by the accessibility community and this move by Microsoft shows the company is still listening. Now that this has been implemented, it will hopefully be easier for smaller developers to include accessibility features as well since they won't have to create that link independently.

Microsoft has come a long way since stepping into the accessibility market. Back in 2015, the company launched the Xbox One Elite controller, which wasn't necessarily designed with accessibility in mind. But many of that controller’s features have ultimately proven helpful for those with different needs.

Microsoft later took a more intentional approach with the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which was released in 2018. This was created with the input of accessibility and inclusion advocates like AbleGamers, Warfighter Engaged, SpecialEffect, Craig Hospital and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. The Xbox Adaptive Controller was the first of its kind, offering a plug-and-play option for people with disabilities.

Other updates mentioned in today’s announcement include a better way to capture and edit game stills in Clipchamp and improvements to diagnostic data sharing. All these features are live and can be accessed now.

On Tuesday, Microsoft announced a slew of accessibility updates for Xbox players on consoles and PCs. These include keyboard key remapping using controllers, easier-to-get-to accessibility shortcuts and a new section in the Microsoft Store. In a reminder that inclusive design can help everyone, one of the new features will let anyone set up a new controller without getting up to press a pair button on the console.

Wireless controller pairing no longer requires direct console contact. “From the comfort of a couch, wheelchair, hospital bed, etc., players can now put their console into pairing mode using an Xbox media remote, digital assistant voice command, or previously paired controller to connect a new controller to their console,” the company wrote today in a blog post. An official online support document walks you through the setup steps.

Microsoft also announced that “almost 90 keyboard keys” will soon be remappable to the Xbox Adaptive Controller and Elite Series 2 controllers. The idea is to make it easier for people with disabilities to play games that only support mouse / keyboard input. One example the company provides is reprogramming the left bumper to Ctrl+C for copying text.

In addition, the company is simplifying the steps to view options from the Xbox Accessibility menu. Beginning on October 19, the Xbox Game Bar on Windows will let you jump to accessibility settings via widgets. “In the updated Xbox widgets, you’ll find both visual and audio-related accessibility controls to customize your PC gaming experience according to your preferences and needs,” Microsoft wrote. Once the feature launches, you’ll get to the accessibility options via the settings button for “any of the new Xbox widgets in Game Bar.”

Finding accessibility-friendly games is about to get easier, too. The Xbox store now has a channel devoted to Accessibility in Games, featuring every title with corresponding feature tags. The labeling feature launched in 2021 and spread to the Windows app and web store earlier this year.

Finally, Microsoft shared the video below highlighting how the Adaptive Gaming program at Craig Hospital in Englewood, CO, is empowering players with disabilities to rekindle their love of gaming.

Sony will soon release its Access controller, which it designed to help people with disabilities play PS5 games with greater ease. The $90 peripheral comes with a variety of customization options in the box, and there are four 3.5mm ports that people can use to connect third-party accessories to the controller.

Logitech has teamed up with Sony to release an Adaptive Gaming Kit for the controller. It includes eight buttons and triggers you can plug into the peripheral. These include two small and two large buttons with mechanical switches, two light-touch buttons and two variable trigger controls. These are all configurable on the console to best meet a player's needs. The kit includes labels with PS5 symbols that you can attach to the buttons and triggers, along with mats and velcro ties to keep everything in place.

The Adaptive Gaming Kit, which will be available in January, costs $80. Logitech previously released a version for the Xbox Adaptive Controller. Since both console platforms' accessibility controllers use industry-standard 3.5mm connectors, the Xbox variant of Logitech's kit should be compatible with the Access controller. Still, perhaps you'd prefer stickers with PlayStation symbols to help keep track of what's what.

Meanwhile, Sony has offered a look at the accessible packaging for the upcoming peripheral. It designed the packaging so that you can open it with one hand by pulling loops from either side. The company said that the components are placed in a single layer to make it easy to identify them.

The Access Controller will be available on December 6. Pre-orders are open at the PlayStation Direct store.

Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale is turning out to be a great opportunity to pick up some new gaming gear. We're now into the second (and last) day of the sale, but we're still seeing a number of discounts on games and accessories we like. Notable deals include lower-than-usual prices on Nintendo Switch and PS5 exclusives, as well as savings on mice, keyboards, headsets and more. So if you're looking for new titlesto play on your Nintendo Switch, mechanical keyboards for your PC or a decent gaming headset for multiplayer matchups, you'll find those deals and more below. As a reminder, Amazon's “October Prime Day” sale runs until midnight tonight. After that many of the sale prices may disappear (though they may return for Black Friday).

Nintendo Switch games

A number of worthwhile Nintendo Switch exclusives are discounted for Prime Big Deal Days. The offers include the charming turn-based strategy game Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope for $20, the tactics RPG Fire Emblem Engage for $30, the wild hack-and-slasher Bayonetta 3 for $37, the tense side-scroller Metroid Dread for $40 and the workout RPG Ring Fit Adventure for $50. Mario Golf: Super Rush and Super Mario Maker 2 are available for $40 each as well. Most of these games are a few years old, and not every deal is an all-time low, but each is at least $10 cheaper than usual.

PlayStation 5 games

Along those lines, various PlayStation games are also on sale, including several entries on our list of the best PS5 games. The giant action game God of War Ragnarök is down to $50, the gorgeous PS5 remake of The Last of Us is down to $46, while the popular open-world games Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition and Horizon Forbidden West are both down to $40. The haunting roguelike Returnal, punishing action-RPG Demon’s Souls, accessible shooter Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and samurai adventure Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut are all available for $10 less than that. The PS4 copies of some of these games are discounted as well; in Horizon’s case, you can save a little cash by using that to get a free PS5 upgrade. Again, we’ve seen all of these deals before and most aren’t quite all-time lows, but this is still a decent chance to save.

Other video game deals

A few noteworthy non-exclusives are priced a little lower than normal too. The widely acclaimed Elden Ring is down to $40, for example, while the more old-school RPG Octopath Traveler II is down to $28 and the remake of PSP classic Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is available for $25. (The latter is a PS4 copy, but you can get a free upgrade to the PS5 edition.) The dungeon crawler Diablo IV is $20 off at $50, while Prime members can grab a free copy of Ghostwire: Tokyo for the PC. The same caveats as above still apply here.

Backbone One

The Backbone One is a well-built gamepad that snaps around the sides of your phone and works immediately with just about any game that supports controller input. It’s also convenient for cloud streaming games from a console or PC. Right now both its USB-C and Lightning models are down to $70, which is $30 off. That’s not an all-time low, but discounts on the device are relatively uncommon. We gave the One a positive review last year, and we currently highlight it in our guide to the best handheld gaming systems. Backbone says the USB-C models will work with Apple’s new iPhone 15 lineup as well.

$100 PlayStation Store Gift Card + $10 Amazon credit

Here's a simple one: If you buy a $100 PlayStation Store digital gift card and use the code PSN100 at checkout, you can get an extra $10 Amazon credit to use on future purchases. If you often use Amazon and plan on picking up new PS5 games, renewing a PlayStation Plus subscription or buying any other content through the PlayStation Store anyway, it's effectively a bit of free money. 

Razer Basilisk V3

The Razer Basilisk V3 is down to $44, which is a few bucks more than its all-time low but still $6 less than its usual street price. This is the “best for most” pick in our guide to the best gaming mouse, as its sturdy shape should be comfortable for each grip type and all but the smallest hands. (Provided you’re a righty.) It has 11 customizable buttons, including a “sensitivity clutch” for more precise aiming, and its thumb wheel supports both left-right tilt and a faster free-spin mode. That wheel is somewhat noisy, and the whole thing is too heavy for competitive-minded players, but it still tracks accurately and glides smoothly.

WD and Seagate Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox Series X/S

It’s unfortunate, but the only way to fully expand the storage of an Xbox Series X/S console is to buy a proprietary expansion card. If your Xbox is hurting for space, the 1TB version of WD’s Black C50 card is at least a little cheaper than usual at $125. That’s a $25 discount and a new low. If you need more room, the 2TB model of Seagate’s Storage Expansion Card is also on sale for an all-time low at $230. That’s $50 off. (The 1TB Seagate card is available for $130, but there’s little reason to buy that when the WD model is cheaper.) Both of these are still pricier than a comparable SSD, but any bit of savings should be welcome.

Sony PlayStation VR2

Prime Big Deal Days has brought the first significant discount on Sony's PlayStation VR2 headset, which the company released this past February. It's currently down to $509, which is $41 off its list price. That's still a good chunk of change for a VR headset that doesn't have a super extensive game library on the PS5, but if you've been on the fence about picking the device up, it's at least a little more palatable. We gave the PSVR2 a review score of 84 at launch, as we were impressed by its excellent dual OLED displays, (relatively) comfortable fit and well-built controllers.

HyperX Cloud Stinger 2

The top budget pick in our guide to the best gaming headsets, the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2, is on sale for $35. That’s just a modest $5 discount but matches the lowest price we’ve seen. The Cloud Stinger 2 doesn’t have the most balanced or detailed sound, but its V-shaped signature gives action scenes a nice level of impact, and its mic quality belies the dirt-cheap price. The design is comfortable too, though it’s made from cheap-feeling plastic.

HyperX Cloud Alpha

If you’re willing to pay a little more, the HyperX Cloud Alpha is another decent value at $60, which is $15 or so lower than its typical street price. We note this as an honorable mention in our guide: It’s been around for a few years now, but it’s comfortable, and its detachable mic is solid. It’s better built than the Cloud Stinger 2 as well. At this price, they don’t sound bad either, though an underemphasized treble means they aren’t especially detailed.

Logitech G535

If you’re looking for a wireless headset, the Logitech G535 is back down to $80, which is about $25 below its average street price. This is another honorable mention in our gaming headsets guide, as we like its lightweight design, Bluetooth support and agreeable, relatively well-balanced sound. It forces you to crank the volume to reach a listenable level though, and its mic makes voices sound a little too thin. It also doesn’t work with Xbox consoles. But if you really want a wireless gaming headset for less than $100, it’s well worth a look.

Sennheiser HD 560S

If you don’t need a mic, a good set of wired headphones will often provide more detailed sound than a dedicated gaming headset. The Sennheiser HD 560S is a good example of this, and right now it’s on sale for $150. While not an all-time low, that’s about $35 below the pair’s typical street price. We recommend the HD 560S in our guide to the best gaming headphones: Its open-back design lets in and leaks a ton of noise, but its wide soundstage and balanced signature lend games a pleasing sense of immersion. It’s comfortable to wear for extended periods as well. Just don’t expect much in the way of deep sub-bass.

Razer Huntsman V2 TKL

The Razer Huntsman V2 TKL is available for $90, which is $30 or so off its average street price. This is a pick in our guide to the best gaming keyboards, as we like its crisp PBT keycaps, sturdy frame, clean RGB lighting, included wrist rest and steady performance. The catch is that this deal applies to the model with Razer’s Clicky Optical switches, which we found to be noisier and harsher-sounding than its linear counterpart. Neither model is hot-swappable either. But if you can live with a louder typing sound, there’s plenty to like. Razer recently released a higher-end Huntsman V3 Pro line, but those aren’t discounted.

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless

The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless is down to $175, which is within a dollar of its all-time low and $75 off its list price. This is the top wireless pick in our gaming keyboard buying guide, mainly due to its magnetic OmniPoint switches, which enable a range of helpful gaming features. For instance, you can raise or lower the actuation point of individual keys — setting a high point to make typing more comfortable or a low one to make presses more responsive — and use a rapid trigger mode to repeat inputs faster.

The rest of the keyboard is satisfactory as well, with multiple connection options and a useful OLED display for adjusting settings, though you’d buy this for its gaming features more than its typing experience. In general, we think the Wooting 60HE is a better option for gaming enthusiasts, but that one isn’t on sale; the Apex Pro is a close-enough substitute if you need to go wireless. The smaller Apex Pro Mini Wireless is also discounted for $15 less.

ASUS ROG Azoth

Another high-end wireless gaming keyboard, the ASUS ROG Azoth, is on sale for $210 in various switch configurations. While that isn’t an all-time low, it’s about $20 less than the device’s usual going rate since it arrived earlier this year. We highlight the ROG Azoth as an honorable mention in our gaming keyboard guide. It’s expensive, but it’s supremely well-built, with enthusiast-level touches like a gasket-mounted design — which gives keystrokes a softer feel — and a toolkit for lubing switches right in the box. It doesn’t have the flexible gaming features as the Apex Pro above, but it’s decidedly premium all the same.

Samsung Evo Select

The 512GB version of Samsung’s Evo Select microSD card is on sale for $28, which is an all-time low and $7 below its usual rate. The 128GB model, meanwhile, is down to $10, which is another low. The Evo Select is the “best value” pick in our microSD card buying guide: It’s not the most performant option we tested — that’d be the Samsung Pro Plus — but it’s perfectly serviceable for running games on a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck.

Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

Hot on the heels of Sony granting PlayStation Plus Premium members access to a library of movies to stream at no extra cost, the company will start offering them another handy feature in the coming weeks. You'll soon be able to play a selection of PlayStation 5 games via cloud streaming, so you won't need to wait for a title to download before you start playing it.

Sony plans to support hundreds of PS5 titles through this new offering, which beta testers have been trying over the last couple of months. The options will include "top PS5 hits" from the PS Plus Game Catalog, including the likes of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon Forbidden West, Ghost of Tsushima, Mortal Kombat 11 and Saints Row IV. Timed game trials for the likes of Hogwarts Legacy, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and The Calisto Protocol will be available to stream.

Not only that, you'll be able to stream some games that you've purchased, as well as select free-to-play titles. Sony mentions Resident Evil 4, Dead Island 2, Genshin Impact, Fall Guys and Fortnite as purchased or free games that PS Plus Premium members will be able to play via the cloud.

For nearly four years, Microsoft has been promising the ability for folks to play Xbox games they've purchased via the cloud. That still hasn't come to fruition. Now Sony, which just unveiled slimmer versions of the PS5, looks set to beat Microsoft to the punch.

Sony says in-game purchases and downloadable content including expansions and add-ons will be available in PS5 game streaming. You'll be able to stream PS5 games in up to 4K resolution and there's support for 60 fps and SDR or HDR output — you'll need an internet connection of at least 38 Mbps for the highest quality, Sony says.

Sony Interactive Entertainment

The company is promising enhanced sound with support for functions such as 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound, along with Tempest 3D Audiotech. You'll be able to take screenshots and capture up to three minutes of video, which you can find in the Media Gallery on your console and the PS App.

Sony notes that PS5 game streaming will only be available on the PS5 console "at launch." That implies the option will be available on other devices in the future. Sony's upcoming remote play handheld, the PlayStation Portal, seems like a prime candidate for cloud gaming. For the time being, the device will only support the ability to stream games from your own PS5 console.

Here's hoping that PS5 game streaming will be available on PC in the future, as well as on phones and tablets. It remains odd that Sony teamed up with Backbone for a PlayStation-branded version of the Backbone One controller without offering a cloud gaming option on mobile devices.

It is worth noting that Sony is adding PS5 game streaming not long after it bumped up the annual cost of a PS Plus Premium membership. The subscription now costs $160 for 12 months, up from $120.

Sony says that PS5 cloud gaming is "a large undertaking for our teams to roll out," so it's staging a phased rollout. It's planning to make the feature available in Japan on October 17, Europe on October 23 and North America on October 30. As it stands, cloud gaming on PS Plus Premium is available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US.

Meanwhile, Sony has revealed the next titles that PS Plus Extra and Premium members will be able to play through the Game Catalog, including a bunch of horror titles, given that Halloween is on the horizon. Gotham Knights, Disco Elysium – The Final Cut, The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes, Alien: Isolation, Dead Island Definitive Edition, Outlast 2, Elite Dangerous, Far: Changing Tides, Gungrave G.O.R.E. and Röki will be available to members on both tiers on October 17. Premium members will also gain access to Tekken 6, Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, Ape Escape Academy and IQ Final on the same day.

There's always something so exciting about the first time a big device goes on sale. In this case, Sony's PlayStation VR2 has its first deal, dropping from $549 to $509.15 — a seven percent discount — right in the middle of October Prime Day. Sure, spending over $500 for a headset when the PlayStation 5 is $499 feels like a lot, but you can put the nearly $40 saved toward an extra game or two. 

Sony released the PS VR2 in early 2023, and it got an 84 in our review despite being priced a bit higher than we'd like. For starters, it's a lot sleeker looking than its predecessor and is very comfortable to wear (it uses the same plastic as the PS5's exterior shell and DualSense controllers). The PS VR2 also has eye tracking, and was the first time we saw haptics for your head. The device is solid, with great OLED displays and well-made Sense controllers.

The world might not be as enthralled with VR headsets as it was a few years ago, but there are still a range of new options on the market. With its current sale, the PS VR2 is close to the same price as Meta's Quest 3 but is still far below the $3,499 necessary to buy Apple's Vision Pro. The Quest 3 and Vision Pro are both mixed reality devices, but the PS VR2 is a good option if you only want virtual reality tailored for a console.

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Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has warned around 6,800 current and former employees that their personal data was accessed via a data breach, according to a letter seen by Bleeping Computer. The nature of the personal information stolen by hackers was redacted, but the company stated that a file transfer app called MOVEit was the source of the breach. It's the second report of an attack on Sony's operations within the last two weeks.

A ransomware group called CL0P claimed credit for the attack on May 28th, and MOVEit's vendor Progress Software notified Sony about the vulnerability on May 31st "On June 2, 2023, [we] discovered the unauthorized downloads, immediately took the platform offline, and remediated the vulnerability," Sony states in the letter to employees. "An investigation was then launched with assistance from external cybersecurity experts. We also notified law enforcement."

The hackers reportedly gained access to personally identifiable information about US employees, so Sony is providing credit monitoring services to those affected. 

Sony was victim of another breach first reported last week. In that case, the hackers accessed servers in Japan used for internal testing for its Entertainment, Technology and Services business, pilfering 3.14GB of data. A threat actor called Ransomed.vc took credit for the attack, but that was denied by another group calling itself MajorNelson, which posted a sampling of files as proof. Sony said it was investigating the attack, adding "there has been no adverse impact on Sony's operations." 

The company's PlayStation network was attacked in 2011, and Sony Pictures was famously hacked in 2014, resulting in a massive leak of documents and content — including entire films. 

Sony has released its own movie streaming app for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. You'll be able to buy and rent movies through the Sony Pictures Core app, but there's a decent perk for subscribers of PlayStation Plus Premium and Deluxe (a version of Premium that's available in select markets).

Members will get access to a library of up to 100 ad-free Sony Pictures films at no extra cost. Sony says the lineup includes movies such as Looper, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, Elysium and Resident Evil Damnation. The library will receive periodic updates. The company also plans to add some anime content from Crunchyroll to Sony Pictures Core, and it notes that benefits for all PS Plus subscribers are on the way.

Many observers have long suggested that Sony should grant PS Plus subscribers the ability to stream some movies as part of the subscription, so it's nice that's finally happening. Given Sony's big push to turn its gaming franchises into movies and TV shows, it makes more sense than ever to offer that perk. On the other hand, Sony announced this update only a few weeks after it increased the price of the annual PS Plus Premium plan from $120 to $160.

PS4 and PS5 users will be able to buy some Sony Pictures films during an early access window. Right now, folks in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can buy Gran Turismo through their console before it's available for digital purchase elsewhere. Snap up that film through Sony Pictures Core, and you'll get in-game credits for Gran Turismo 7 too.

The app has been available on Bravia TVs and some Xperia devices for a while. Until now, the app has been called Bravia Core, but Sony is rebranding it on those devices next year.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that the PlayStation version of the app includes one of the key features that Bravia and Xperia users have been able to enjoy. On those devices, the Bravia Core app employs Sony's Pure Stream tech, which can stream video at up to 80 Mbps. For comparison, Netflix recommends speeds of up to 25 Mbps for 4K video. Sony says the higher bit rate enables it to offer “near lossless” video streaming at a quality akin to 4K Blu-ray discs. That claim more or less holds up: I found that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse looks astoundingly good with Pure Stream enabled.

However, as things stand, there are no video quality settings in the Sony Pictures Core app on PlayStation devices. Here's hoping Sony enables Pure Stream there in the future.

After closing its 3DS and Wii U eShops earlier this year, Nintendo will shut down online services for those consoles in "early April 2024," it announced. That will put a halt to multiplayer features, along with "online co-operative play, internet rankings and data distribution," Nintendo wrote. Nintendo's Badge Arcade that allowed users to decorate their Nintendo 3DS home menu will also disappear. The date isn't fixed in stone yet, and Nintendo said it may even discontinue services "earlier than planned." 

Most online play on those consoles will end, but the company will continue to operate its Pokémon Bank cloud storage service, although "that may also end at some point in the future," Nintendo said. In addition, you'll still be able to redownload previously purchased games and get patches "for the foreseeable future," according to a FAQ. Nintendo shut down online play for the Wii U versions of Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon in March 2023 to resolve security issues, only bringing them back online in August.

Finally, though SpotPass features are disappearing, StreetPass links within the 3DS ecosystem will keep working as long as you can find another player who has one. "For example, you will be able to use StreetPass in StreetPass Mii Plaza, which is pre-installed on Nintendo 3DS family systems, but you will no longer be able to use features that use online communication (such as receiving new panels in Puzzle Swap)." 

The Wii U console was released in 2012 and discontinued in 2017, becoming one of the company's worst-selling consoles. The 3DS, launched in 2010 and discontinued in 2020, was a bigger success. The Nintendo Network, which arrived in 2012, provided online services for both devices. 

The Xbox Series X is once again on sale for $450 at Dell. That's $50 off its usual going rate. We've seen this deal pop up before, but discounts on Microsoft's highest-end game console have generally been rare since it arrived in late 2020, so this is another good opportunity to save.

Compared to the $300 Xbox Series S, Microsoft's other current-gen Xbox, the Series X packs a stronger GPU and 6GB more RAM, which lets it more consistently play demanding games at higher frame rates and resolutions. It also has a disc drive and twice as much storage by default at 1TB. You can still play every Xbox game on either console, but the gulf in power between the two devices is starting to become more evident; the hit RPG Baldur's Gate III, for instance, recently arrived on the Series S without split-screen co-op — something that is available on the Series X — after developer Larian Studios had issues achieving feature parity with the less powerful machine. Broadly speaking, the Series X is built to play games in 4K at 60fps (or higher), while the Series S is more for 1440p or 1080p displays. 

As for the games themselves, Microsoft has had some struggles producing first-party hits — we were lukewarm on its most recent blockbuster, the space RPG Starfield — but the Xbox library still has tons of titles we like, from blockbusters like Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite to smaller gems like Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment. If you like to sample a variety of games, an Xbox Game Pass subscription is still a decent value as well, though a recent price hike has made it a little less of a must-have.

The caveat to any Xbox deal right now is the trove of documents that accidentally leaked earlier this month as part of the FTC v. Microsoft court battle. That leak included details of an apparent Xbox Series X refresh that could arrive next year with a cylindrical design and 2TB of storage but no disc drive, which could make the current model more appealing for those who don't want to go all-digital. As that info stems from older internal documents, however, it's possible that those plans have changed over time. 

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