Technologies

As Xbox Game Prices Rise, a Game Pass Subscription Looks Better Than Ever

Certain Xbox games will soon see a price hike, but titles from Microsoft’s first-party developers will still be coming to Game Pass.

Microsoft’s $80 games are no longer just a looming threat — The Outer Worlds 2 is the first Xbox title to carry the hefty price tag, launching this October.

The Outer Worlds 2’s price reveal comes shortly after the release of Mario Kart World, which is Nintendo’s first $80 game. These price hikes will hit gamers’ wallets and likely make players more selective about trying games they’re unsure of.

Only time will tell whether Microsoft can move the same number of units at a higher price — The Outer Worlds 2 is certainly no Grand Theft Auto 6 — but the company’s strategy may not rely on selling more copies at all.

Xbox’s first-party games are often included on Game Pass at launch, and The Outer Worlds 2 is no exception. If $80 games become the new normal for the Xbox brand, then the $10 per month subscription service suddenly looks much more attractive by comparison.

With a slew of games from the Xbox Showcase arriving on Game Pass on day one, this could be a gambit to convert more gamers into subscribers.

Microsoft’s Game Pass strategy

As previously Xbox-exclusive games continue to go live across multiple platforms — launching on PlayStation as well as PC — Microsoft is deprioritizing its console hardware sales in favor of delivering premium gaming experiences.

Still, the company has an ecosystem of users to maintain and it would still be a poor move to cede every advantage to Sony. Game Pass is Microsoft’s great equalizer, because you can’t access the subscription service on PlayStation consoles (and picking up PC subscribers is tapping into an entirely different part of the market).

PlayStation gamers who want to play the latest Xbox first-party titles will have to cough up $80 — a kind of exclusivity-lite for those outside Microsoft’s ecosystem.

Creating Game Pass subscribers provides Microsoft with a steady stream of gaming revenue, though, and Xbox and PC gamers who are put off by increasing AAA game prices are going to be funnelled toward the digital gaming service.

This is a great deal for gamers, too — one of the best value propositions on the market right now. The core Game Pass subscription costs $120 for 12 months (or $144 for PC Game Pass), which means you’re still getting a good deal if you only enjoy two of the Xbox titles that launch on the platform each year.

Microsoft’s showcase just revealed nearly two dozen games that are coming to Game Pass over the next year and a half, so odds are good that you’ll be able to find at least a small handful of $80 games you enjoy playing that you’d have never pulled the trigger on buying otherwise.

In addition to the AAA games landing on Game Pass, the subscription service houses some of the most critically acclaimed indie darlings of all time, including Celeste, Dead Cells, Stardew Valley and more. These aren’t your $80 juggernauts, but they pad out the service’s impressive library (and inflict massive choice paralysis in the process).

Game Pass was already one of the best deals in gaming. The rise of $80 games will simply make the service even more enticing.

Technologies

Samsung’s iPhone Fold Killer Is Leaked

Technologies

How to Tell if Someone Else’s Apple AirTag Is Tracking You

These settings can help make sure your iPhone alerts you to unwanted location trackers.

The biggest benefit of Apple’s AirTags is that they help you find your belongings, whether you’re looking for lost keys or keeping track of your luggage while traveling. But AirTags can also be used to track you without your knowledge.

AirTags work by combining built-in sensors, wireless signals and Apple’s wide Find My network to let you keep tabs on your valuables. If you ever lose your wallet with an AirTag inside, for example, you can use the Find My app to locate it on a map, have it play a sound to help you find it nearby, or mark it as «lost,» which allows other Find My users to help you find it.

One of the biggest complaints about AirTags, however, is that someone with malicious intent could easily slip one of the tiny tags into your bag and then track your movements without your consent. Multiple people have reported AirTag-related stalking incidents where the victims didn’t know the trackers were placed on them until much later.

Apple and Google (Android users have their own choice of Bluetooth trackers, such as the Moto Tag, which works with Google’s Find Hub) have since collaborated on an industry standard that alerts the user if a device is being used to track them without their knowledge. Thanks to this collaboration, Android users will be able to know if an AirTag is being used to track them, too.

Apple, for its part, has also made some changes in the past few years that improve the ability to detect an unwanted AirTag. In the initial rollout, an AirTag would make a sound three days after it’s separated from its paired device. Now, that duration is 8 to 24 hours. If you have unwanted tracking notifications enabled (which we’ll get to below), you’ll receive an audible alert.

We should note here that the new AirTag is 50% louder than the first-generation model, and would therefore be theoretically better at alerting you to the unwanted AirTag. Apple has also said that the speaker on the second-gen AirTag is harder to remove than on the first-gen model, in case bad actors try to remove it.

Detecting unwanted trackers

To be able to detect unwanted trackers, first enable unwanted-tracking notifications. For AirTags or other Find My accessories, these pop-up notifications (e.g., «AirTag found moving with you») are available on devices with iOS 14.5 or later. For other Bluetooth tracking devices, these notifications are enabled on iOS 17.5 or later.

You should enable Location Services, Find My iPhone, Bluetooth and Allow Notifications. Here’s how:

Head to Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Location Services and toggle it on.
After that, head to Settings, then Apple Account, select Find My and turn Find My iPhone on.
To enable Bluetooth, go to Settings, then Bluetooth and turn that on.
Then go to Settings, then Notifications, scroll down to Tracking Notifications and toggle on Allow Notifications. Make sure airplane mode is off, or you won’t receive tracking notifications.

What to do when you get the tracking notification

If you do get a notification like «Unknown tracker alert» or «Item detected near you,» you can try to find the unwanted AirTag by tapping it. Tap continue and then tap Play Sound or tap Find Nearby to locate the AirTag in question.

If it doesn’t play a sound or you’re unable to find it, the item may no longer be on your person. Apple suggests checking your other belongings or the area around you, just in case. If you want to review the notification at a later time, you can open the Find My app, tap Items and then tap Items Detected With You.

Be aware that there are often «false positives,» when notifications are triggered when someone nearby has a tracker on them. If you’re traveling on a train, plane or bus, waiting in line or seated in a public space, a mistaken tracking alert could stem from glitches or high-density Bluetooth environments.

If you get an alert, though, it’s always a good idea to take it seriously and investigate what might be causing it.

If you do find an AirTag that doesn’t belong to you, hold the top of your iPhone near the tracker until you see a notification. Tap it, and this will launch a website that provides information like its serial number, the last four digits of the phone number or a blurred-out email address of its owner. If the AirTag is marked as «lost,» you may see a message with instructions on how to contact them.

If you’re concerned that the tracker is being used to monitor your movements and location, Apple advises taking a screenshot of the information above for your records. You can then disable the AirTag by pressing down on the back of the AirTag, turning it counterclockwise to remove the cover and removing the battery.

Of course, before making any of these changes, it’s important to come up with a safety plan, especially if you’re afraid you’re being tracked by a current or former abusive partner. Contact your local law enforcement if you feel like your safety is at risk, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-SAFE (7233).