Hasta La Gadget!

It is clear that Apple has quite a bit of interest in gaming. After all, games are probably the most popular category of apps, plus Apple did invest in the Apple Arcade to bring a more premium gaming experience to gamers who were sick and tired of games that had ads and in-app purchases.

So much so that it honestly doesn’t really come as a total surprise that the company could also be exploring creating its own gaming controller. This is according to a patent discovered by Cult of Mac where it seems that Apple is looking into possibly creating a gaming controller for its devices that has magnet attachments.

This means that users will be able to quickly hook it up to devices like the iPhone or iPad and start gaming right away. Seeing as Apple has been rumored to bring MagSafe to the iPad, such an accessory kind of makes sense. Plus Apple can also ensure optimal compatibility, maybe with games on the Apple Arcade.

However, before we get too excited, it’s just a patent so it’s hard to say if it will actually come to fruition. Plus, a gaming controller feels a bit too niche of a product for Apple to invest in, especially with there being many third-party options out there that work just as well, but it’s still fun to think about anyway.

Apple Patent Suggests The Company Could Be Designing Its Own Gaming Controller

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The days of getting kicked off of Xbox because a partner or family member decides to sign in from another room may soon be over. Microsoft is reportedly adding a family plan as a separate subscription tier to its Xbox Game Pass, according to Windows Central. 

Engadget reached out to Microsoft for confirmation of the news, but the company is keeping its lips sealed for now. “We are always looking for ways to improve the Game Pass experience and add more value for members, which includes regularly testing and refining features based on community feedback. However, we have nothing to announce at this time,” wrote a Microsoft spokesperson in an email to Engadget.

Unlike Netflix, Spotify and many other subscription services, the Xbox Game Pass currently has no option for multiple users to share one account. This has been a common frustration amongst Xbox players over the years, particularly those who share a household with other people who love to play games. Xbox Game Pass subscriptions are tied to specific Xbox profiles and not specific devices, allowing players to sign-in from anywhere. While players can technically add a secondary Xbox console to their Game Pass subscription, the primary account holder must be signed in for the second person to access their games. Households with multiple gamers often get around this inconvenience by paying for multiple individual Game Pass subscriptions.

The family plan will reportedly allow up to five players on a single subscription and should debut later this year. It is unknown what the exact pricing will be, and whether the family plan will be exclusive to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, or include the other subscription tiers. 

A family plan will likely give Microsoft an extra edge over Sony Playstation, which this week announced a newly revamped set of subscription plans — none of which include a family plan — to compete with the Xbox Game Pass. 

As we’ve noted in the past, Microsoft has been very eager to grow its Xbox Game Pass subscriber base. The cloud gaming service is currently at 25 million subscribers as of this January. The company’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is expected to close next summer, meaning popular titles like Call of Duty, Diablo and World of Warcraft are coming to Game Pass. It’s not surprising that one of the ways Microsoft will accommodate this larger subscriber base is by making it easier for households to share a subscription.

The North Carolina Republican slammed Cawthorn’s “juvenile behavior, outlandish statements, and untruthfulness.”

Samsung is embracing the right-to-repair movement in a big way, announcing a new collaboration with iFixit that’ll help consumers get official phone parts.

Due to the pandemic that has raged on for the past couple of years, a lot of events that were typically held in-person were either canceled outright or were replaced with virtual ones. It looks like gamers looking forward to E3 2022 this year will be disappointed to learn that neither will be taking place.

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) had initially stated that E3 2022’s in-person events would not be happening and that they would be hosting a virtual event instead. However, according to the organization, it turns out that even the virtual event would no longer be happening.

In a statement provided to GamesBeat, the ESA said, “E3 will return in 2023 with a reinvigorated showcase that celebrates new and exciting video games and industry innovations. We previously announced that E3 would not be held in person in 2022 due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19. Today, we announce that there will also be no digital E3 showcase in 2022.”

They added, “Instead, we will devote all our energy and resources to delivering a revitalized physical and digital E3 experience next summer. Whether enjoyed from the show floor or your favorite devices, the 2023 showcase will bring the community, media, and industry back together in an all-new format and interactive experience. We look forward to presenting E3 to fans around the world live from Los Angeles in 2023.”

It is a bit of a bummer that the digital event is no longer in the cards, but we expect that companies who have new games to announce will still probably go ahead and do so via their own channels, so gamers will have to keep an eye out for that.

E3 2022 Has Been Canceled, And No It’s Not A Joke

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