Technologies
Here Are the Best Game Subscription Services
Every gaming platform has monthly game subscriptions, from Xbox Game Pass to PlayStation Plus.
Just like movies and television, gaming streaming services have taken over. Every gaming platform has at least one, with Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo building their gaming subscription servicesaround multiplayer and a library of playable titles.Â
That’s right, even if you aren’t interested in a digital gaming library, it might be more cost-effective to subscribe to one just to access things like multiplayer — and you might even find a new favorite game along the way.
With cloud gaming and the PC version of Xbox Game Pass, subscriptions are a big part of PC gaming, but not yet the default. It helps that PC gamers can buy games a la carte from a variety of shops (Steam, GOG and so on), which means individual games are often discounted.Â


And if content subscriptions are the future of gaming, then cloud gaming subscriptions are the future of that future, as they require almost no specialized hardware, and generally work anywhere, from an iPad to a cheap Chromebook. For this roundup, we’re including both download and cloud-based subscription services.Â
That said, the road to cloud gaming isn’t always a smooth one. Google shut down its Stadia service in January. And the very first cloud-gaming service, On Live, started in 2010 and shut down in 2015.Â
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate remains the gold standard, offering a catalog of games across console, PC and cloud (which works on practically any device). But Sony has revamped its PlayStation Plus service to be much closer to what Microsoft offers.Â
The top tier of services includes:
- Xbox Game Pass UltimateÂ
- PlayStation Plus
- Nintendo Switch OnlineÂ
- GeForce NowÂ
- Apple ArcadeÂ
Other players include:Â
- EA Play
- Ubisoft Plus
- Google Play Pass
- Amazon Luna
- Amazon Prime GamingÂ
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Game Pass has evolved far beyond its Xbox-bound origins to become a subscription that delivers something for everyone who plays games, and now encompasses console and PC game downloads, access to online multiplayer services, a deal with gaming giant EA and a cloud-based service that streams games to nearly any device.Â
Microsoft offers several versions, but because of how the features are sliced up between them, only the $15-a-month Ultimate plan, with all the benefits detailed above, really makes sense. New subscribers can get their first month for just $1 right now as well.Â
Dan Ackerman/CNET
This service went through a dramatic change in 2022. The new PS Plus incorporates a large game catalog and also Sony’s PS Now cloud gaming service. Subscribers have access to three tiers: Essential, Extra and Premium (called Deluxe in some countries).Â
Essential is the same as the previous version of PS Plus, allowing access to online multiplayer games, along with PSN in-store discounts, cloud game saves and two new free-to-you games each month (similar to Xbox Live Gold).
Extra has about 400 PS4 and PS5 games available to play via download for $15 monthly, while Premium costs $18 a month and adds PlayStation 1, PS2, PS3 and PSP games, a handful of time-limited game demos and cloud streaming for select games.Â
Essential is the least expensive ($10 a month), but Extra ($15 a month) is the tier everyone should have. Premium ($18 a month) feels like a stretch, unless you’re really into retro games. —Â Oscar GonzalezÂ
Nintendo
If you want to play online multiplayer with a Nintendo Switch, there’s only one option: Pay for Nintendo Switch Online. The service ranges in price depending on whether you’re playing by yourself or have other family accounts: $19 for a single person is the way to go for most, while $35 covers eight Nintendo family accounts in case others play (or have their own Switches).Â
Unlike other services, which charge by the month, this single fee covers an entire year. Besides online play, access to a bunch of free NES and SNES games are included, as well as Pac-Man 99. Online cloud saves are useful in case you play across multiple Switches, too.
A bonus tier introduced in 2021 called the Expansion Pack probably isn’t worth it unless you’re a serious Switch player or a lover of retro games. It comes with add-on Animal Crossing, Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 DLC packs that normally cost around $25 each, and adds a bunch of Sega Genesis and N64 games.Â
But the $50-a-year plan ($80 a year if you choose the family account access) still doesn’t feel worth it yet. If you really love Sega games, there’s already a Genesis Classics compilation in the eShop that’s often on sale. —Â Scott Stein
Lori Grunin/CNET
GeForce Now differs from the competition in that it lets you play games you’ve already paid for rather than requiring you buy a special version of the game (like Google Stadia or Amazon Luna) or stream games from a circumscribed subscription library (like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or the Sony PlayStation Plus Premium).Â
It also works, via an app or web browser, on Android, Windows and Mac OS devices, as well as Chromebooks, iPhones and iPads.Â
The service costs $10 a month for a version that supports 1080p resolution at up to 60 frames per second. For $20 a month, a premium tier supports 4K resolutions at up to 120fps. A free tier is a great way to try it out, but limits you to one hour of play at a time.Â
Because of its smart set of plan options, solid performance and big and growing list of supported games, along with Nvidia’s aggressive strategy for its data center and GPU businesses (the bedrock on which GeForce Now is built) I’m recommending it for gamers who’ve amassed large game libraries and want to play them in more places. —Â Lori Grunin
James Martin/CNET
Apple Arcade has established a polished service with something for every kind of gamer since its launch in 2019. For just $5 per month, subscribers can play hundreds of games without ads or in-app purchases across all their iOS devices. New games are added weekly along with updates for existing titles. You can download and play all of Apple Arcade’s games offline.Â
The service is still a solid option for users seeking family-friendly gameplay, but Apple Arcade increased its appeal by adding more social and multiplayer games, as well as classic and well-known games already available in the App Store. —Â Shelby Brown
Also tested
EA Play
For $5 to $15 a month, you get access to a catalog of EA games, but EA Play is also included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.Â
Ubisoft Plus
For $15 a month, you get access to Ubisoft games as a stand-alone PC subscription, or as a paid add-on to Stadia or Luna, and eventually Xbox.Â
Google Play Pass
Like Apple Arcade, the Google version for Android phones includes lots of games, but also other apps. It works on Android devices only.Â
Amazon Luna/Prime Gaming
Luna is Amazon’s cloud-based service, like Stadia, that offers different catalogs for between $5 and $18 a month. Prime members can stream some games at no additional cost, and also get access to “a rotating selection” of full downloadable games. Amazon also owns Twitch, so there’s deep built-in integration for streamers.Â
Stadia
Google’s cloud-based service is no more, but you can still go back and read our launch review of Google Stadia.
Technologies
Iranian President Pezeshkian to head to New York for UN meeting as Trump warns of no-deal consequences
Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s economy or eliminate its leadership if Tehran doesn’t strike a deal, complicating efforts at diplomacy.
President Masoud Pezeshkian will lead an Iranian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, amid renewed hopes for a diplomatic solution to the Middle East conflict.
Pezeshkian will address the assembly and present Iran’s positions on “international developments,” according to the country’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, with a particular focus on its war with the U.S. and Israel.
He will also hold talks with the leaders of several countries on the sidelines of the event, which is scheduled to take place Sept. 22 to 26, and 28.
The Iranian delegation’s attendance at the UN has renewed hopes for a diplomatic solution to the war, lifting market sentiment on Monday, with stocks rising, oil prices easing and global bond yields falling sharply.
But U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he would be open to meeting Pezeshkian during the assembly, has threatened to destroy Iran’s economy or eliminate its leadership if Tehran doesn’t strike a deal.
Trump told Fox News on Sunday that the only options on the table were “wiping Iran out,” or letting its economy “rot,” unless both sides reach a deal.
Separately, Iran’s military said that its intelligence suggested a new, large-scale strike being prepared by the U.S. and its allies, warning of “painful” retaliation across the Middle East. Regional countries backing such a strike would be treated as parties to the conflict, it said.
“If the U.S. makes any mistake against the Islamic Republic of Iran, all its positions and interests in the region will be targeted by sustained, effective and painful attacks,” the Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters of Iran said, according to Tasnim.
Houthi-Saudi conflict complicates diplomacy hopes
The U.S. State Department this weekend issued a security alert citing risks of unforeseen escalation in the Middle East, telling Americans to exercise more vigilance and be aware of possible flight cancellations and airspace closures.
The warnings came after Iran-backed Houthi militants claimed missile and drone attacks on Riyadh on Saturday, triggering the first air-raid alert in the Saudi capital since fighting escalated in July.
Saudi authorities said they intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and reported no casualties or damage. The Houthis also attempted to target civilians and infrastructure in several parts of the kingdom, Saudi-led coalition forces spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki said on X on Saturday, though those attacks were thwarted by the country’s air defenses.
Oil prices have pulled back in recent days despite widening hostilities, as traders hope for a recovery in energy shipments from oil-rich Saudi Arabia.
Oil prices will remain high despite U.S. progress in moving oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a team of analysts at Eurasia Group said in a Saturday note. Any rebound in oil flows would not be enough to address the overall market deficit, they said, forecasting Brent prices to trade in a higher band of $90-110 per barrel through the rest of this year.
“Iran’s leadership will stick with resistance, even as they quarrel internally,” according to the consultancy firm, as Tehran seeks to use military proxies and tanker attacks to keep a chokehold on shipping flows, to pressure Washington into concessions.
Tehran has insisted that it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until Washington fulfills its commitment under the June memorandum, which called for lifting the naval blockade of Iranian ports, easing sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets and ending U.S. military threats.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Sunday that Iran must keep on fighting and negotiating, to push back its enemies, and only work on diplomacy when it has the upper hand on the battlefield.
Technologies
U.S. crude oil drops below $100 a barrel as Trump signals willingness to negotiate with Iran
U.S. crude oil prices slipped back below $100 a barrel after President Trump signaled openness to talks with Iran and halted plans to bomb Yemen, while Middle East supply flows remained robust despite pipeline disruptions.
Crude oil prices declined for the fourth straight session on Monday after President Donald Trump reportedly decided against bombing Yemen for the time being and indicated he was open to diplomatic engagement with Iran.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures fell 2.7% to $97.59 per barrel by 7:48 a.m. ET, while Brent crude, the global benchmark, slipped 2.8% to $101 a barrel. The market has risen more than 11% so far this month.
Trump told Fox News he would likely be receptive to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the United Nations General Assembly later this week.
According to The New York Times, the president has decided not to target the Iran‑aligned Houthi militants for now, despite requests from Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, crude shipments from the Middle East appear resilient after Saudi Arabia shut down its East‑West pipeline following attacks. JPMorgan analysts noted in a September 18 report that oil flows from the region remain surprisingly strong, averaging 17.1 million barrels per day over the past 10 days—about 6.1 million bpd below the 2025 average.
Potential supply disruptions persist. Trump told Fox that he is in a “deciding mode” and that “very big things” are expected soon regarding the U.S.–Iran conflict.
Prices are likely to stay closely linked to the pace of export normalization and diplomatic progress, said Daniel Takieddine, co‑founder and CEO of Sky Links Capital Group.
Any setback or renewed deterioration in shipping conditions would tighten the physical market and restore upward pressure on prices, Takieddine added.
Technologies
White House TV press pool won’t cover Trump after CNN ban
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White House TV press pool won’t cover Trump after CNN ban
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Politics & Policy
White House TV press pool won’t cover Trump after CNN ban
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