Siri makes it easy to get more done on your iPhone, using only your voice. A simple command allows you to do something like quickly send a text message while you’re driving or convert liters to cups as you cook in the kitchen — all without your hands. But Siri is capable of so much more.
Apple doesn’t flaunt all the things Siri can do for you, and every year Apple adds more voice commands that sometimes fly under the radar. For example, did you know that with iOS 16, you can now restart your iPhone with just your voice? And that’s just the start.
If you want to learn more about what you can do with your voice, check out these seven hidden Siri voice commands you should be using.
Quickly find saved passwords for websites and apps
You can save your usernames and passwords across all your Apple devices, including your iPhone, through the iCloud Keychain. On iOS, you can go to Settings > Passwords to view your saved passwords for your Apple ID, websites and applications — but you can access them quicker with Siri.
All you need to do is ask Siri “Show me the password for (app/website)” and you’ll be automatically redirected to that specific password page in your settings. Before you can view the password, you’ll need to use Face ID or Touch ID to gain access. From there, you can copy the username or password to your clipboard.
Restart your iPhone
If you’re experiencing a software issue, like an application continuously force-closing or a laggy operating system, you can often fix the problem with a quick restart of your iPhone. All you need to do is press down the home button plus either volume button for about a second and then slide to power off your device — but there’s an easier way to reboot.
As long as you’re running iOS 16, you can tell Siri “Restart my phone” and then say “Yes” when prompted to restart your device, without using your hands.
Turn off an annoying alarm
Your alarm is going off, but you’re either not near your iPhone or maybe you just can’t find it because it’s underneath your sheets or lost in your couch cushions. An iPhone alarm will persist for 15 minutes if you don’t cancel or snooze it, but there is a way to stop it with just your voice.
Even if your alarm is blaring loudly, you can tell Siri “Turn off my alarm” to silence it. In fact, you can even just say “Hey Siri” and that will also stop your alarm from ringing. Unlike the snooze feature, using either Siri command will permanently turn off the alarm.
Find family or friend using Find My
The Find My feature allows you track not only your Apple devices but also your friends, family and loved ones. If you’re tracking someone’s location via Find My, like your significant other or your sibling, you can use Siri to quickly check where they are at.
Ask Siri “Where is (contact name)?” and a small Find My window will appear at the top of the screen, showing you exactly where the person is. Siri will also announce how far they are and the approximate address of their location. If you tap the Find My window, you’ll be redirected to the Find My app, where you can contact the person, get directions to their location and more.
Translate a word or sentence
Besides the stand-alone app, Apple’s Translate feature is built into your iPhone, allowing you to quickly translate languages from pretty much anywhere on your device, including within your text messages, in your web browser and with Siri.
You can ask Siri to translate a single word or entire sentences with just your voice. For example, you can say “Translate ‘My head hurts. I think I’m going to sleep’ in Spanish” and Siri will then read out your sentence in the original language and then in the translated language. If you want to hear the translation again, you can hit the play button in the Translate window.
Currently, 17 languages, including Spanish and Chinese, are supported with Translate, but not all of them can be used with Siri.
Set a reminder based on your location
The Reminders app on your iPhone is a powerful productivity tool to help you remember what you need to do throughout the day, like make a phone call, send an email or make a purchase online. But you don’t need to be reminded of everything on your to-do list at all times, which is why you can use Siri to create a reminder notification based on your location.
For example, if you want to be reminded that you need to pay your internet bill when you get home, tell Siri “Remind me to pay my internet bill when I get home” and a reminder will be created. The next time you arrive home (which you can set in Contacts or Maps), the reminder should pop up on your phone. Besides work and home, you can set your location to somewhere like Target or a local park, but Siri will need you to verify the exact address.
Get directions back to your car
Parked at an airport and lost track of your car? It can be difficult to find your way back to your parked car, especially if you didn’t make a mental note and you’re in a large parking lot or garage with hundreds of other cars. Fortunately, your iPhone usually knows where you parked your car — all you need to do is ask Siri.
Say “Get my directions to my car” and Siri will open the Maps application and get you walking directions to where it thinks your car is parked. Your iPhone tracks which other devices your iPhone is connected to, like your car stereo, as well as your traveling speed, to estimate where your car is parked.
This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung’s most popular products.
Samsung clearly wants the Galaxy S23 Ultra to be the ultimate camera for cinematographers and photographers. I’m certainly not a professional filmmaker, nor do I consider myself to be a shutterbug. But after using the Galaxy S23 Ultra for several days, it’s clear the new camera upholds the areas in which Samsung already excels — like low-light photography — and pushes those strengths a little further.
The $1,200 ( 1,249, AU$1,949) Galaxy S23 Ultra will be available on Feb. 17 alongside the rest of Samsung’s new phone lineup, which includes the $800 Galaxy S23 and $1,000 Galaxy S23 Plus. Like last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra, the S23 Ultra’s giant screen, high price and souped-up camera may be too much for the average person.
The name “Ultra” says it all; this phone is for people who want a phone that’s over the top. Compared to the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus, the Ultra offers a closer zoom magnification than most people will probably need, a stylus that stores inside the phone and a massive 6.8-inch screen that’s larger than both those of the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro. You might not need all that excess, but after using this phone for a few days, I wouldn’t blame you for wanting them.
You’re receiving price alerts for Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Like
Fast performance
Excellent main camera, especially in low light
Bright screen
Included stylus
Double the storage in the base model
Four years of Android OS updates
Don’t Like
High price
Photos don’t always look natural, especially selfies
No improvements to fast charging
Samsung largely achieves its goal of providing a deluxe phone with an excellent camera and giant display. But it isn’t perfect. That high price is hard to ignore, and photos taken on the Galaxy S23 Ultra don’t always look as natural as those captured on the iPhone 14 Pro or Pixel 7 Pro.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra camera is a step up
If you watched Samsung’s Unpacked presentation, you already know the S23 Ultra’s main camera is its prized attribute. Samsung added a 200-megapixel sensor for the first time, marking a technical upgrade from the S22 Ultra’s 108-megapixel main shooter.
With the S23 Ultra, you have the option to shoot photos at a 12-megapixel, 50-megapixel or 200-megapixel resolution, which you can adjust in the settings menu alongside the camera’s viewfinder. Samsung’s Expert Raw app is now integrated into the native camera app after you download it for the first time. Although I don’t typically edit raw photos myself, the use case certainly seems appropriate for a phone like this. Shooting in raw allows photographers to edit the full, uncompressed version of an image, giving them more flexibility and data to work with in terms of colors and exposure.
The cameras level up on Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra.
James Martin/CNET
Under-the-hood improvements to color, dynamic range, autofocus and low-light performance seem more meaningful than the resolution bump. Samsung said when announcing the S23 Ultra that its new image sensor is better at minimizing noise, and that its algorithms have gotten better at enhancing color tones and details. Samsung largely positioned these improvements in the context of video recording and low-light photography, but they seem evident across general still photography, too. These changes are more noticeable to the naked eye than the increased resolution.
Unless otherwise specified, the photos in this article were taken at the default 12-megapixel resolution because the 200-megapixel files are just too large to display here. You can still see changes in how the camera processes color, skin tone and dynamic range even at this lower resolution. However, I did capture several 200-megapixel photos throughout the course of my testing.
The biggest differences I noticed in those 200-megapixel photos compared to the 108-megapixel images taken on the Galaxy S22 Ultra had to do with color. Flowers were more vibrant shades of orange and trees looked more lush. The difference in resolution is only noticeable when you zoom all the way in to view the actual size of the pixels.
The photos below, however, show how the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera has changed compared to the S22 Ultra’s. Take a look at the photos of trees and shrubbery taken at a park. Although you might not notice it in the smaller embedded version below, the leaves in the S23 Ultra’s photo have a bit more separation and crispness compared to the S22 Ultra’s, and there’s also better contrast in the tree bark.
In the photos of sweets arranged in a baker’s display case below, the S23 Ultra captured more detail on the strawberries in the top row.
Those who have taken photos with Samsung phones before might have noticed that colors sometimes look exaggerated. Samsung has improved this in recent years, but the Pixel 7 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro still take photos that look more natural overall.
But, natural doesn’t always mean better. There are times when Samsung’s overstated color works well, and others when it doesn’t. For photos of people and pets, for example, Samsung’s emphasis on color can result in more flattering images. In the pictures below, my husband preferred the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s photo over the more natural-looking image from the Pixel 7 Pro because it made his beard and eyes look more vibrant. But he liked the iPhone 14 Pro’s photo best because it struck the right balance of accuracy and bold color. The iPhone 14 Pro also captured a lot more detail in the cookie-shaped bench he’s sitting on.
However, Samsung’s phones don’t always handle challenging lighting scenarios very well. When snapping a photo of my husband in front of a window at a bakery, both the S23 Ultra and S22 Ultra’s images looked washed out and overexposed, although the S23 Ultra’s did have more color than the S22 Ultra’s. The iPhone 14 Pro’s was the best of the bunch in this case, but the Pixel 7 Pro’s was impressive, too.
Colors in landscape photos taken on the Galaxy S23 Ultra can look brighter and exaggerated compared to those from the iPhone 14 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro. Take a look at how that photo of the park from earlier compares to similar photos taken on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro, and you’ll notice the shades of green look more natural. The right side of the iPhone 14 Pro’s photo looks blown out, but otherwise would have been a better shot since the colors are more accurate. Still, Samsung did a great job with dynamic range; you can see the shadows more clearly in its photo compared to the others.
But Samsung is still the king of low-light photography in my book. In my testing, the Galaxy S23 Ultra captured better detail and color. The Galaxy S23 Ultra was able to focus more sharply than both the Pixel 7 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro. It was also slightly better than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, although it was sometimes a close call.
My favorite example of this is in this photo of my cat, Buddy, shown below. Even though the iPhone 14 Pro’s photo is brighter, I like the S23 Ultra’s better because it has more contrast and detail. When looking at these photos side-by-side on a large monitor, you can see the stripes in his fur more clearly. The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s photo is too soft, while the Pixel 7 Pro’s looked like it had a bluish filter over it when I viewed it on a large screen. It’s also another example of how the S23 Ultra’s emphasis on color makes for a more flattering photo.
Video recording on the Galaxy S23 Ultra was upgraded to 8K at 30 frames per second (fps), whereas it previously topped out at 24fps when shooting at that resolution. Samsung also increased the field of view when recording 8K video, which is very noticeable compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Even though Google provides more natural color in still photography, I experienced the opposite when it comes to recording video. The Galaxy S23 Ultra generally captured more realistic color and sharpness compared to the Pixel 7 Pro during my testing. The iPhone 14 Pro was a close competitor, but Samsung’s footage had a little more detail. When testing the video capabilities of each phone, I recorded clips at the highest supported resolution and frame rate. That’s 8K at 30fps for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, 8K at 24fps for the Galaxy S22 Ultra and 4K at 60fps for the iPhone 14 Pro and Google Pixel 7 Pro.
Samsung also highlighted the S23 Ultra’s new 12-megapixel selfie camera when announcing the phone, which it said separates the subject from the background better for more clarity. Selfies were sharp and colorful overall, and I preferred photos taken with the S23 Ultra’s selfie camera over the Pixel 7 Pro’s in every test. The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s were comparable to the S23 Ultra’s, but the iPhone 14 Pro’s selfies had the best overall combination of detail and accurate color. Samsung’s selfies sometimes looked unnatural since the color in my hair seemed exaggerated.
The only exception was in very dim lighting, an area where Samsung reigns supreme. Take a look at the selfie I took in a very dark theater with red lighting. The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s photo has much more detail than the others.
When it comes to the rest of the cameras, you can expect the same arrangement as the Galaxy S22 Ultra. In addition to the main camera, there’s also a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera and two 10-megapixel telephoto lenses that allow for a 3x or 10x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom. Photos from the ultrawide camera packed plenty of color and brightness, as shown in the images below.
You’ll also get more zoom than you probably need on the S23 Ultra, but that might be useful for people who frequently take photos at concerts and sporting events. The 100x digital zoom can feel unwieldy, but Samsung does provide a higher optical zoom than its competitors. Like the S22 Ultra, the S23 Ultra can zoom optically up to 10x, while the iPhone 14 Pro is at 3x and the Pixel 7 Pro is at 5x.
Check out the photo samples below to see the difference in optical zoom levels.
Overall, I was impressed with the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s cameras. They remain the best for zoomed-in shots and low-light photography. The improvements to color and dynamic range are noticeable as well, and Samsung fans upgrading from a phone that’s at least two years old will likely see a major difference. Still, the iPhone 14 Pro’s camera was better in most situations, save for a few exceptions.
Check out the gallery below for a closer look at some photos I captured with the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which isn’t surprising considering Samsung typically uses the latest Qualcomm chip for its new phones. What is surprising, however, is that Samsung decided to customize this chip more than usual for the S23 series. Samsung calls it the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, and it’s essentially a special version of the processor that’s been optimized for better performance and power efficiency. A standard version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is being included in rival phones like the OnePlus 11 5G.
The S23 Ultra feels fast and snappy, whether I’m just swiping around the operating system, playing games while on a video call or running Samsung’s Dex program to use my phone as a PC. I plugged my S23 Ultra into an external monitor, attached a keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth and had five apps running, including Google Docs, to take notes for this review. I never experienced any lag or overheating during any of these tasks.
The S23 Ultra can also export videos quickly, which might be helpful for those who shoot and edit video projects on their phone frequently. In my testing, it exported a 30-second 4K video clip to 1080p three seconds faster than the S22 Ultra and a full 10 seconds faster than the Pixel 7 Pro on average. The iPhone 14 Pro, however, finished the job about three seconds faster than the S23 Ultra on average. You’ll also get double the storage that’s in the base model of the Galaxy S23 Ultra (256GB versus 128GB), which gives you more space to store those video projects.
Samsung’s new phone also scored higher than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Pixel 7 Pro and OnePlus 11 5G on benchmarks meant to test computing power in everyday tasks and in apps that require short bursts of high performance, like mobile games. The iPhone 14 Pro, however, scored higher than the S23 Ultra on the general computing benchmark (Geekbench 5) but lower on the one that measures brief periods of high intensity (3DMark Wild Life Extreme).
Benchmarks
Geekbench Single Core
1541
1160
1190
1877
1028
Geekbench Multicore
4954
4840
3206
5521
3244
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
3802
3572
2249
3361
1829
Legend:
Galaxy S23 Ultra
OnePlus 11 5G
Galaxy S22 Ultra
iPhone 14 Pro Max
Pixel 7 Pro
Note:
Higher scores are better
Frames per second
3DMark FPS
22.8
21.4
13.5
20.1
11
Legend:
Galaxy S23 Ultra
OnePlus 11 5G
Galaxy S22 Ultra
iPhone 14 Pro Max
Pixel 7 Pro
Note:
Higher scores are better
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra battery life and charging
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 5,000-mAh battery, just like the Galaxy S22 Ultra, but it should offer better power efficiency, thanks to its new processor. I need to spend more time with the phone to compare it to the S22 Ultra, but the results are promising so far. After 12 hours of use, which equates to a full workday and then some, the battery was down to 66%.
I had adaptive motion and adaptive brightness settings turned on, which adjust the screen’s refresh rate and brightness based on the situation. The always-on display feature was also turned on, but I had “tap to show” enabled, meaning it wouldn’t display the time and date unless I touched the screen. Battery life will always vary depending on how you use your device. In this scenario, I used the phone to take photos, record a few videos, check email, browse social media and stream music for about 15 minutes.
On a separate day, the Galaxy S23 Ultra still had roughly three quarters of its battery left by the middle of the workday even after shooting 4K video for roughly a half hour. We’re still conducting more battery tests on the S23 Ultra and will update this review accordingly.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has 45-watt fast charging.
James Martin/CNET
I also ran a 45-minute test in which I played games, made a 10-minute video call, checked social media and streamed video; over that span the S23 Ultra dropped from 100% to 94%. The Galaxy S22 Ultra dipped to 91% during that same test. The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s results are similar to the Pixel 7’s, which also hit 94% after that 45-minute challenge. (During this test, I kept the brightness at 50%, left the high refresh rate setting turned on and switched off the always-on display.)
Like last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a top wired charging speed of 45 watts. You need to use the correct adapter, which you’ll have to purchase separately if you don’t already own one since Samsung doesn’t bundle one in the box. So far, that 45-watt charging speed has enabled my S23 Ultra to go from 46% to 91% in just 30 minutes of charging.
That’s not bad, but it would be great to see Samsung push things further now that companies like OnePlus and Xiaomi are offering upwards of 100-watt fast charging. The Xiaomi 12T Pro, for example, supports 120-watt fast charging and went from zero to 100% in 19 minutes, according to my colleague Sareena Dayaram’s Xiaomi 12T Pro review.
Galaxy S23 Ultra: Take a Closer Look at Samsung’s Giant New Phone
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra design, display and other features
The Galaxy S23 Ultra looks almost identical to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It has the same boxy edges that give it a sharper look compared to the regular Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus. But this year, the S23 Ultra is available in cream, green, black and lavender color choices. Like last year’s device, it’s rated for IP68 water resistance, meaning it can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for 30 minutes.
There’s no mistake about it; the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a gigantic phone, just like its predecessor. It has a 6.8-inch screen, making it slightly bigger than the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max and Google Pixel 7 Pro. It’s the type of phone your friends might gawk at the minute you take it out of your pocket. That’s not an insult; there are plenty of people out there who love large phones. It’s just another reminder that this phone isn’t for everyone. But if you do a lot of reading, gaming, photo editing and TV watching on your phone and don’t mind stretching your fingers for one-handed use, you’ll likely appreciate the extra screen space.
Like last year, the S23 Ultra comes with an S Pen stylus.
James Martin/CNET
I’m also certain you’ll never struggle to see the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s screen in direct sunlight. It’s super bright, reaching 1,750 nits, which is brighter than the Pixel 7 Pro’s 1,500-nit peak brightness but not quite as luminous as the iPhone 14 Pro’s 2,000-nit peak outdoor brightness. Still, it’s bright enough to fit most people’s needs and circumstances.
You’ll also get an S Pen stylus, just like last year’s Galaxy S22 Ultra. Samsung’s Ultra lineup has effectively replaced the Galaxy Note series, which was previously known for its large screens and embedded stylus. Expect the same familiar S Pen experience on this device; as soon as you pop the pen out from the bottom of the phone, you’ll see a pop-up menu with compatible apps like Samsung Notes and the drawing app PenUp. I don’t usually use the S Pen frequently, but I found myself jotting down notes during the course of this review more than I had expected.
Samsung also once again commits to four generations of Android OS upgrades, which is on par with the OnePlus 11 and surpasses Google’s three-year promise for the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Samsung, OnePlus and Google all provide five years of security updates for their latest devices. That means you won’t have to worry about the S23 Ultra’s software feeling outdated anytime soon since it launches with Android 13 and Samsung’s One UI 5.1 software.
One extra feature you get by going for the Ultra or Plus instead of the regular model is ultrawideband support, which makes it easier to connect to nearby devices more precisely than Bluetooth. UWB isn’t a necessity, but it can make sharing files or using your phone as a digital car key faster and easier. We could see more services and accessories that require it in the future.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Buy or skip?
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is a lot, but in a good way. Its large screen, 200-megapixel camera, 100x zoom and S Pen might be more than most people need in a phone. But that’s exactly who Samsung is targeting, and it’s ultimately iterating on a formula that’s worked in the past.
This is a phone for people actively seeking features like large screens and versatile cameras that are willing to pay top dollar for them. If you just want a reliable new Android phone with a great camera, the cheaper Pixel 7 Pro, Galaxy S23 or Galaxy S23 Plus will likely do the trick. (However, we haven’t tested those other new Galaxy phones, so we can’t recommend them just yet).
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a giant 6.8-inch screen.
James Martin/CNET
The barrier to entry for the Galaxy S23 Ultra is higher than that of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro. But you also get certain extras like the S Pen, more storage at the base level, a slightly larger screen and a better zoom lens. Those aren’t must-haves for everyone, but this is a phone for people who want extras like these.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s new camera is the most significant change compared to last year’s S22 Ultra. But in my experience, the behind-the-scenes upgrades Samsung made to the way the camera captures color, skin tones and dynamic range are a more welcome improvement than increased sharpness alone.
Samsung could do more to push the Galaxy Ultra line forward in ways beyond the camera. I would have loved to see faster charging, for example. And even though the camera is impressive, the iPhone 14 Pro often outpaced it in my testing.
If you want a giant screen, a great camera and are upgrading from a phone that’s more than two years old, you won’t be disappointed with the S23 Ultra. Just try to snag it at a discount through a trade-in deal to make that $1,200 price easier to swallow.
How we test phones
We pit the Galaxy S23 Ultra (top) against the iPhone 14 and more.
James Martin/CNET
Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes using both standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
We take into account additional features like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds, foldable displays among others that can be useful. And we of course balance all of this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specs vs. Google Pixel 7 Pro, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
The new and improved AirPods Pro 2 earned a top spot on our list of the best wireless earbuds for 2023, and right now you’ve even got a chance to pick a set up for less. Amazon currently has them on sale for $199, which saves you $50 compared to what you’d pay if you bought direct from Apple. It also drops them back down to their lowest price to date. There’s no set expiration, but deals on Apple devices rarely last for long. We’d recommend you get your order in soon if you don’t want to miss out on these savings. You can also snag them for just $1 more at Best Buy, Target and Verizon.
These headphones feature active noise cancelation that is twice as powerful as that of the first-gen AirPods Pro, adaptive transparency and personalized spatial audio with dynamic head tracking for immersive sound. They have four different-sized eartips and provide up to 6 hours of listening time, plus up to 24 hours extra listening time with the included case.
Touch controls let you swipe to adjust volume, press to control media playback, answer or end calls and switch between listening modes. The earbuds and charging case are both sweat- and water-resistant, and the charging case is MagSafe-compatible with a lanyard loop to help you not lose them. Find My support is built-in if you do, though.
From consoles to controllers to headsets, there’s a lot of components that go into building a complete gaming setup. And while the costs can add up pretty quickly, there are also plenty of bargains out there that can help you build your dream setup for cents on the dollar (or at least at a nice discount). For Xbox gamers specifically, we’ve rounded up some of the best deals you can find right now so you can enjoy budget-conscious gaming.
These deals include discounts on top-rated headsets, controllers, gaming subscriptions and much more. And if you’re looking to get your hands on a next-gen Xbox, there is even a deal on the Xbox Series S right now, though there’s no telling how long it will last. We’ll continue to update this page as offers come and go, so be sure to check back often for the best prices available. And if you’re a PlayStation gamer, be sure to check out our roundup for the best deals on PlayStation gaming gear as well.
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If you’re in the market for a next-gen console, this discounted Xbox Series S is the most affordable option you’ll find out there at the moment. It is the more affordable of Microsoft’s two new consoles and doesn’t have a physical disk drive, but can still run all the same games as the pricier Series X.
Microsoft officially discontinued the Xbox One back in 2020, so it’s pretty difficult (and expensive) to find new consoles. But if you’re hoping to grab one of these previous-gen Xboxes, there are still quite a few refurbished models floating around out there at a good price. And while they won’t be able to handle every next-gen game, quite a few new titles are still playable, including recent hits like Elden Ring. This model features 500GB of storage, and is equipped with a disk drive and backwards compatibility, making it a great pick if you’re big on retro games. Plus, it comes with the original wireless controller, which saves you another $60. Though for casual gamers looking for the easiest and most accessible option, you’re probably better off opting for the Xbox Series S.
Note: True, calling this a deal is probably a stretch as there’s no straightforward discount, but it is the best price you’ll find out there on a full-size Xbox console with a disk drive.
Xbox users who subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate now have access to Microsoft’s cloud gaming beta, which allows you to stream games from anywhere on a variety of devices — including smartphones. This Razer Kishi is a compact controller that holds your phone in the middle so you can enjoy your favorite console games while you’re on the go. It’s designed to be universally compatible with Android phones with a USB-C connector, and has a similar layout to the Nintendo Switch. There is an iPhone version available for $76 as well.
If you’re looking for an extra controller to have on hand, this wired Power A model is one of the best options out there right now. It’s highly affordable at less than $30, and we named it the best Xbox controller for those who are just after the basics. It features a standard button layout, a detachable USB cable, and features two mappable buttons for custom controls.
Turtle Beach is one of the top brands out there when it comes to gaming headsets, and the second-gen Stealth 600 is one of our favorite Xbox headsets on the market. These headphones are compatible with both next-gen Xbox consoles, and the Xbox One, and are equipped with 50mm speakers for clear, immersive sound so you can hear every step and shot. They’re totally wireless thanks to the use of a USB transmitter, and the mic arm folds up into the headset so it’s out of your way when you’re not using it for voice chats.
If you don’t feel like dropping $80 or more on a headset, there are plenty of more affordable options out there. This SteelSeries Arctis 1 headset is pretty impressive for less than $50, and boasts solid audio for the price, a detachable microphone and a durable steel-reinforced headband. This is a good entry-level pair for casual gamers and those who just want to chat with their friends.
Games just keep getting bigger, and while I’m not complaining, it does mean that your console’s storage can fill up pretty quickly. Seagate makes portable hard drives that are specifically designed to expand your Xbox’s storage so you can spend less time redownloading and more time gaming. This 2TB model uses a USB 3.2 interface, and is compatible with the Xbox Series X and S, as well as all versions of the Xbox One.
For next-gen users, Seagate also makes an expansion card that plugs directly into the back of your Series X or S console for seamless gameplay. It uses the same Velocity architecture found on Xbox consoles, so it boasts the fastest load times of any external game drive out there right now, with data transfer speeds of up to 2,400 MB/s. It’s roughly twice as expensive as the portable drive above, but it is the fastest and most convenient way to expand your Xbox storage at the moment.
A Game Pass Ultimate subscription is one of the best ways to get the most out of your Xbox. It includes an Xbox Live Gold membership, which allows you to play games online, and also gives you access to a massive library of Xbox titles that you can download and play for free at any time. An Ultimate membership typically costs $15 per month, but this three-month deal from CDKeys drops that down to just $8.
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Notable changes seen in this week’s release are smarter 200% font scaling for better accessibility (different sized text on the same page will now scale proportionally), passkey authentication support and the ability set different languages on different apps. The developer preview also includes changes to increase security, improve device battery life and make it easier for apps to download files over Wi-Fi only.
“With every release, our goal is to make it easier for you to optimize your app across all Android surfaces,” Dave Burke, Google’s vice president of engineering for Android, said in a statement. “Multi-device experiences are a big part of the future of Android.”
Google’s Android 14 release timeline indicates that the developer preview will remain open for feedback until the end of March, and its beta program should roll out in April. The developer preview is currently open to Pixel phones, but later previews will likely be available to more Android phones.
Consumers will have to wait a little bit longer for the final release, which is expected later this summer or fall, closely following the timeline for Android 13 for Pixel phones, which was released in August 2022.
People can expect to learn more about the coming updates for Android 14 at Google I/O in May.
Stores like Best Buy and GameStop offered the option to preorder the game for $60 before halting preorders Tuesday, as documented by Twitter user @Wario64. As of Wednesday evening, preorders are back for $60 at GameStop and $70 at Best Buy.
Other notable announcements from Nintendo Direct include Pikmin 4’s July 21 release date, the surprise reveal of Metroid Prime Remastered, and the Nintendo Online service getting a slate of Game Boy and Game Boy Advance classics.
Disney Plus lost 2.4 million subscribers in the three months ended Dec. 31, Disney said Wednesday, as the subscriber base of its flagship streaming service fell for the first time since the company launched it in 2019.
Disney‘s deepest streaming-subscriber losses were at its Disney Plus Hotstar service, which is an Indian offering priced way lower than the company’s streaming services elsewhere. There, its member base dropped by 3.8 million accounts.
And Disney Plus also lost 200,000 subscribers in the US and Canada. But growth internationally elsewhere offset some of the declines. Overall, Disney Plus has 161.8 million subscribers as of the end of December.
By comparison, Netflix, the biggest subscription streaming service of its kind, has amassed more than 230 million global subscribers in the decade-plus since it started streaming. But Netflix recorded its deepest subscriber losses in a decade during the first half of last year, a sign that the competition for streaming customers was stretched to a breaking point.
Disney also noted Wednesday that Hulu subscribers grew to 48 million and that ESPN Plus membership rose to 24.9 million, both increases of 2%.
Early on, Disney Plus proved to be the standout success of the so-called streaming wars, a period when seemingly every major media company (and some tech ones) rolled out their own streaming-video services. Disney Plus’ growth has far outstripped that of all the new competitors from Apple, HBO, NBCUniversal, Discovery and others. One media analyst called Disney Plus “one of the greatest product launches of all time.”
Disney has estimated that Disney Plus will have between 215 million and 245 million global subscribers by the time the service is five years old, in late 2024.
As the VR headset race heats up in 2023, Meta has been slowly acquiring many of the bigger developers in the field. Now it finally has a fitness platform that it’s been trying to acquire for two years.
Meta announced Wednesday that it closed on the acquisition of Within, maker of the subscription fitness app Supernatural. Meta originally announced its intent to acquire the developer back in 2021. The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint to stop the deal last year on grounds of Meta building a “virtual reality empire,” but it was reported last week that Meta had won approval for the acquisition.
“Today marks an exciting new chapter for Supernatural, as we officially join Meta,” Within CEO Chris Milk said in a statement. “We’re elated for the opportunity to bring joy, awe, wonder, and a happier, healthier life to more people around the world.”
Supernatural pairs with smartwatches to measure heart rate, and uses video scans of trainers overlaid in game-like training settings to create workouts that can feel like a VR version of Peloton. Fitness has been a major interest of Meta for the future of its VR and AR platforms, along with subscription services. Supernatural looks like a building block to fill both needs. CNET’s Joan Solsman has given it severalin-depth tests over the last few years.
The bigger question is whether Meta enables Supernatural to work across other VR headsets and platforms, and whether the app as it currently exists will change significantly now that it’s officially part of Meta.
Nintendo will tease games coming to Switch in its February 2023 Nintendo Direct on Wednesday, it said in a tweet Tuesday. The Feb. 8 livestream will include “roughly 40 minutes of information” about titles launching in the first half of the year, a lineup that includes the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
When does the Nintendo Direct start?
The Nintendo Direct livestream starts at 2 p.m. PT (5 p.m. ET) on Wednesday, which is 10 p.m. GMT or 9 a.m. Thursday AEST.
How to watch the Nintendo Direct
The event will be streaming from Nintendo’s YouTube channel. We’ve embedded the YouTube link above, so you can watch right here.
What games will Nintendo show during its Nintendo Direct?
The majority of Switch owners are eagerly awaiting The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the sequel to 2017’s Breath of the Wild, which got a trailer during last September’s Nintendo Direct. It’s out on May 12, so we can expect details about that game’s story and gameplay mechanics. The game briefly appeared on Nintendo’s digital eShop for $70 on Tuesday, instead of the usual $60, but that figure has since been removed.
Pikmin 4 is scheduled for release in 2023, so Nintendo will likely give us a look at the colorful real-time strategy game and narrow down the release date.
The delayed Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp will probably resurface in Wednesday’s livestream.
Nintendo
Nintendo will probably announce a new release date for Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, the remake collection featuring two Game Boy Advance turn-based strategy games. It was originally scheduled to come out last April, but was delayed due to the war in Ukraine.
It could reveal details of an expansion or update for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, since those games are expected to add compatibility with the Pokemon Home mobile app soon. That might be held for Pokemon Day, Feb. 27, since the company typically announces something big in a livestream celebrating the series’ anniversary.
We’ll probably get hints about Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s next batch of downloadable tracks, since wave 4 should be arriving soon, as well as updates about when Mario Party 3, Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2, 1080 Snowboarding and Excitebike 64 will be added to the N64 retro library in the Switch Online subscription service.
People anticipating Metroid Prime 4 probably shouldn’t get their hopes up though — it’s been nearly six years since that game was announced and we have yet to see gameplay. At least we got Metroid Dread.
Could a Switch successor be revealed during the Nintendo Direct?
It’s unlikely that Nintendo will take the focus away from Tears of the Kingdom and other upcoming games, but we’ll likely see the company’s next console soon. The Switch will be six years old in March, and the technical issues of games like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have highlight the hardware’s advanced age (along with Sony and Microsoft’s technically superior rivals, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X).
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The Switch sold 122.55 million units overall as of the end of 2022, the company announced its latest earnings report on Tuesday, putting it ahead of the PS4 and making it the No. 3 bestselling console of all time. It’s now behind only the Nintendo DS (at 154 million) and PS2 (155 million).
Despite hitting this milestone, Bloomberg noted Nintendo missed console sales targets toward the year’s end. Company boss Shuntaro Furukawa didn’t answer questions about its next console, it noted. Last year, VGC reported that Furukawa said that a smooth transition to the next generation of hardware is “a major focus” for the company — we can expect to get a firmer sense of its plans this year.
