Technologies

5 Free-to-Play Games We Love

We’ve pulled together a selection of free games so you can start enjoying your new system.

Gaming PCs and game consoles offer hundreds of hours of entertainment, thanks to the breadth of games available these days. They also «offer» hundreds of dollars in additional expenses in the form of new games and accessories. That’s why we recommend checking out free-to-play games, which give you a chance to test out your new gaming machine without all the added costs.

We’ve curated a list of popular free-to-play games from different genres, along with a few alternatives. Keep in mind that there are other ways to get free games, too. The Epic Games store periodically offers the chance to download otherwise paid games for free. Xbox Gold and PlayStation Plus members also get access to a monthly selection of free games for as long as they stay subscribed.

And though they’re not technically free games, there are game subscription services that grant you access to all kinds of games (including console exclusives) for a relatively low monthly price. These services are good deals if you play a lot of games.

Here are our picks for the best free games to play on your new gaming system, whether you’re into shooters, fighters, party games, MMOs or simulation games.

Shooter: Fortnite

Available on: PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox

Also check out: Apex Legends, Overwatch 2, Valorant (PC only)

Most multiplayer shooters are free to play these days, and we have Fortnite to thank for much of that. Fortnite started as a paid disaster survival game before shaking up the entire video game landscape with its free-to-play battle royale mode. Now the game features various game types, including zero-build, team rumble, party royale and dozens more. And with the game recently moving to Unreal Engine 5.1, it looks better than ever on new consoles and gaming rigs.

Fighting game: MultiVersus

Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox

Also check out: Brawlhalla

A recent Game Awards winner for best fighting game, MultiVersus blends the frantic pace of Smash Bros. with more technical fighters for a truly unique fighting game experience. The core game mode is 2v2 battles where the first team to four knockouts wins. Pick from your favorite DC Comics and other Warner Bros. characters, like Bugs Bunny, Arya Stark, Wonder Woman and… Gizmo from Gremlins?

Party game: Fall Guys

Available on: PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox

Also check out: Bombergrounds (PC, Mac, iOS only), Stumble Guys (PC, iOS, Android only)

Fall Guys has dropped off a bit from its initial, pandemic-propped hype, but it’s still arguably the best free-to-play party game out there. Run, jump, stumble and fall your way to various objectives in minigames while competing against dozens of comically costumed competitors. If you enjoy Mario Party minigames, Fall Guys offers a similar experience on a larger scale.

MMO: Final Fantasy XIV

Available on: PC, PlayStation

Also check out: Destiny 2 (not available on Switch), Lost Ark (PC only)

Final Fantasy XIV’s free trial has turned into a bit of a meme, but it’s a genuinely great deal — effectively letting you play through the entire base game and first expansion for free. FFXIV has an unusually newbie-friendly player base, and recent updates allow you to play through dungeons with computer-controlled allies, meaning you don’t even have to experience the «multiplayer» part of «massively multiplayer online role-playing game.» Unlike other MMOs, Final Fantasy XIV also lets you play all classes on just one account, giving you even more freedom to play the way you want. Note that the other expansions are paid, and some functions like item trading are locked for free accounts, but there’s plenty to do in the free trial.

Simulation: Sims 4

Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox

Also check out: Minecraft

If you’re less interested in saving the world and just want to relax with a game that lets you build things and live your digital life, The Sims 4 is a great option. The game recently became free to play and features dozens of DLC packs to make the game more your aesthetic, whether that’s summery, spooky, school-focused or nearly any other theme you can think of.

Technologies

TikTok and FIFA Team Up for World Cup 2026 Coverage

A new team-up aims to make this summer’s tournament more accessible for fans.

If you hadn’t already planned on swiping on TikTok videos of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a new partnership between the social media platform and tournament organizer FIFA could motivate you to start stretching out your thumbs.

As the soccer tournament nears — it will take place from June 11 to July 19 and span 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the US — TikTok will become FIFA’s first «preferred platform.» According to a FIFA statement on Thursday, this entails TikTok providing more coverage of the World Cup, including original content and even livestreaming of some portions of matches.

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You can use the FIFA World Cup 2026 hub on TikTok to find content, match tickets and viewing information, as well as participation incentives such as custom stickers and filters.

In the US, World Cup games will air live across Fox and FS1. If you don’t have cable, you can get a live TV streaming service, such as YouTube TV, which includes those channels. Additionally, every match will stream live on Fox One and the Fox Sports app.

«FIFA’s goal is to share the exhilaration of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with as many fans as possible,» FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Jan. 9, #473

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 9, No. 473.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition might be tough, if you don’t know your sports venues. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Are you ready for some playoffs?

Green group hint: Up! Down!

Blue group hint: Where teams play.

Purple group hint: Not angels.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: NFL playoff rounds.

Green group: Jumping ability.

Blue group: NBA arenas.

Purple group: ____ devils.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is NFL playoff rounds. The four answers are conference championship, divisional, Super Bowl and wild card.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is jumping ability. The four answers are bounce, bunnies, hops and ups.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is NBA arenas. The four answers are Delta, FedEx, Scotiabank and Spectrum.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ devils. The four answers are blue, New Jersey, red and sun.

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Technologies

Speediance’s Compact Resistance Trainer and Wearable Make Wellness and Fitness More Connected

Speediance unveils a portable strength training device and a wearable at CES.

Speediance unveiled its new Gym Nano and Speediance Strap products this week at CES 2026. The smart fitness equipment manufacturer, which previously developed its own smart home gym, the Gym Monster 2, designed the Gym Nano and Speediance Strap to complement its current equipment ecosystem.

«Rather than developing products in isolation, we’re building a comprehensive training and health ecosystem that adapts to users’ real lives and empowers better decision-making over time,» Speediance founder and CEO Liu Tao said in a statement.

Speediance used the consumer tech expo in Las Vegas to demonstrate the Gym Nano, a portable, motor-driven cable resistance training system designed to occupy minimal space for those who prefer to work out at home. The strap is a prototype wearable device designed to read your health data and provide training recommendations based on this insight.

CNET previously tested Speediance’s VeloNix AI Smart Bike and named it the best AI-powered exercise bike.

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Gym Nano

The Gym Nano is a compact digital cable resistance machine trainer that fits any space and delivers full-body workouts. It’s meant to make strength training at home easier if you have limited space and can’t commit to larger home gym equipment.

The Gym Nano offers up to 220 pounds of resistance through adjustable 1-pound increments. It also has five dynamic weight modes: Eccentric, Chain, Standard, Fixed Speed and Sled.

Speediance Strap

The strap can be used for both endurance and strength training activities and recognizes various types of exercises, movement patterns, training volume and other insights that can help you learn how well your body is responding to your training.

The Speediance Strap is a screen-free wearable that collects data related to your sleep, training and core body temperature. It then uploads and shares this data to the Speediance Wellness Plus app, where it makes suggestions for your daily training and recovery based on this information. Similar to other wearables, the Speediance Strap assesses your readiness each day and can detect stress factors to determine if you should focus more on recovery on that day.

«With Speediance Strap, we are exploring how wearable data can function as part of a decision-support layer within a connected fitness system, rather than existing as isolated metrics,» Tao said in a statement.

Additionally, everyday insights (like core and recovery data) will be free to you unless you want to upgrade to the Wellness Plus access, which will come at an additional cost to receive long-term insights and AI planning.

It’s unclear when the Gym Nano will be available for purchase, but the Speediance Strap is expected to launch through a Kickstarter campaign in spring 2026.