Technologies

Free Xbox Cloud Gaming With Ads Could Be an Alternative to Pricier Game Pass

Microsoft confirmed it’s testing a free option for its cloud gaming.

Xbox Game Pass will have a new, higher price for the game subscription service starting Nov. 4.

With the news that Microsoft’s popular franchise Halo will make the jump to the PlayStation platform for the first time with next year’s Halo: Campaign Evolved, the company confirmed it is testing a free ad-supported version of its Xbox Cloud Gaming, which is included in the Game Pass service.

A Microsoft official confirmed to The New York Times on Friday that it is conducting internal tests of this ad-supported service. This service would allow access to some games via Xbox Cloud Gaming, though it’s not clear how many would be supported.

This confirms a report from The Verge earlier this month, which revealed rumored details about the offering. Microsoft employees have been testing the service, which allows the streaming of some games in a user’s library, as well as Xbox Retro Classic games and Free Play Days titles. During the test, about 2 minutes of ads play before a person can stream a game.

According to the report, it’s available on PCs, Xbox consoles, handheld devices and web browsers.

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Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for more details about this ad-supported service.

It’s unclear if Microsoft will officially include this free service as a free tier in Xbox Game Pass or if it will roll out when subscription prices jump on Nov. 4. Other streaming video services, such as Netflix, Disney Plus and Hulu, have added a lower-priced, ad-supported tier to their membership options in recent years. As of May, almost half of streaming service subscriptions were ad-supported plans.

Microsoft’s Xbox business has been a bit rough for the company this year. Its Xbox Series X|S console sales have dropped by 22% from last year, which is likely due to increasing the price of its hardware twice, ostensibly due to tariffs, making the Xbox Series X console $150 more expensive than when it launched almost five years ago. Xbox Game Pass, usually a bright light among the Xbox woes, had so many cancellations after the news of the price increase that it crashed the service’s cancellation page.

According to a Bloomberg report, Microsoft has also had multiple rounds of layoffs in the Xbox division and canceled game projects, such as a reboot of Perfect Dark, in an attempt to increase its profit margin above the industry average.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Oct. 25

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 25.

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

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s the longest one of the week, and some of the answers are tricky. Read on for help. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Sword go-with
Answer: SHIELD

7A clue: Hamburger or Frankfurter, for example
Answer: GERMAN

8A clue: Sticky stuff on bark
Answer: TREESAP

10A clue: Hotel room pricing
Answer: RATE

11A clue: Classic arcade game of hopping between obstacles
Answer: FROGGER

14A clue: The «W» of the W.N.B.A.
Answer: WOMENS

15A clue: Looked after a pup
Answer: DOGSAT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Drill instructor’s rank: Abbr.
Answer: SGT

2D clue: «___ Loss» (#1 album for Drake and 21 Savage)
Answer: HER

3D clue: Fury
Answer: IRE

4D clue: Appears on the scene
Answer: EMERGES

5D clue: Dish layered like this: sheet of noodles, sauce, cheese, repeat
Answer: LASAGNA

6D clue: Genetic screening procedure
Answer: DNATEST

9D clue: «As ___ my last email …»
Answer: PER

11D clue: Subject line abbreviation
Answer: FWD

12D clue: Aussie marsupial, for short
Answer: ROO

13D clue: «No wayyyy!»
Answer: OMG

Technologies

Verizon Offers New Internet Plan That Could Cost $25 Per Month

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 25, #397

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 25, No. 397.

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 is a fun one. It helps if you’re familiar with the athletes of the Pacific Northwest. If you’re struggling 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 show up in the NYT Games app but appears 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: When you get hurt.

Green group hint: Beaver State.

Blue group hint: Not surnames, but…

Purple group hint: Think oxygen.