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It should be simple to stream live TV at home. But depending on the sport, you might be signing up (and paying handsomely) for a lot of different services just to keep up. There are the rare leagues, like Major League Soccer, that can be watched on a single channel. (In the US, every match can be viewed live on Apple TV Plus.) But keeping up with most sports resembles, say, tennis, where the rights for its four major tournaments are scattered across several different platforms. And in general, as the large streaming platforms go toe-to-toe with the legacy broadcast companies transitioning to digital, the much-sought-after rights have positioned leagues to make a lot of money. The adverse effect for viewers is that many professional sports are now available “exclusively” in many different places. Basically, watching sports has never been easier. And it’s also never been harder. The high cost of NFL streaming options In the US, you can stream the majority of live NFL games through Sunday Ticket, a full season of which costs $349, plus you’ll need to be subscribed to YouTube TV at $72.99 a month. For six months of football ($437.94), from week one to Super Bowl Sunday, that brings... Read the full story at The Verge.

We never thought such a simple attachment would be so difficult to come by. | Image: Sony Sony’s detachable disc drive for the PlayStation 5 has been hard to come by as of late, and it’s disappointing that the $700 PS5 Pro doesn’t include one. However, GameStop is now offering a rare window for GameStop Pro members to pick one up for its original MSRP of $79.99. GameStop’s loyalty program costs $25 a year, so you can consider that an added premium if you’re not interested in its other benefits. Those include a $5 welcome reward, two percent cash back rewards, free shipping, exclusive deals and discounts, and an extra $5 monthly reward. Whether you already own or anticipate purchasing a digital-only PS5, such as the newest Digital Edition or recently released PS5 Pro, it’s a good idea to pick one up while you have the chance. Neither console requires the disc drive, but with no future guarantee that your favorite games will be available for download after the console generation runs its course, it offers nice peace of mind. The add-on also ensures that physical media preservationists can continue using physical game copies, although you may still have to download extra data to play many of them. It also allows you to play your entire Blu-Ray and DVD collection. What’s neat about the PS5’s Disc Drive is that it hides away under a cover that makes it look like a seamless piece of the overall hardware. Setup is easy, too, and only requires connecting a cable before pairing it to your console. You’ll need an internet connection for the initial setup, but that’s a small inconvenience to gain the long-term benefit.

Image: The Verge Microsoft is updating the Xbox app on Windows today with hundreds of PC games that weren’t previously available and a new home experience. It’s part of a broader effort to make the Xbox app the place to find PC games, regardless of whether they’re part of PC Game Pass or not. “Earlier this summer, we began working with partners to bring all PC games with Xbox features into the Xbox app,” explains Chris Charla, general manager of content curation and programs at Xbox. “We’re super excited to see what Xbox games come to Windows PC from game creators in the future and to welcome nearly 400 titles that previously weren’t discoverable or purchasable in the Xbox app.” Image: Microsoft The new Xbox app homescreen. The 400 new games include titles from Japanese studios like Kemco and Kairosoft, alongside games like The Invincible by Double 11. More than 100 of these new titles are also Xbox Play Anywhere, so if you buy the Xbox console version then you can play the Xbox PC version too. “Universal Xbox ownership, as well as universal cloud saves on Xbox, and cross-play between Xbox versions on console and PC (and other platforms, at the developer’s discretion) are awesome features players love,” says Charla. What’s not immediately clear from Microsoft’s blog post is exactly what “bring all PC games with Xbox features into the Xbox app,” means. Microsoft has been trying to tempt game developers over to its Windows-based store in recent years, even lowing its cut from 30 percent to just 12 percent to try and shake up PC gaming. Despite these efforts, there are plenty of PC games that have cross-play between the Xbox and PC version of the game but aren’t part of the Microsoft Store currently or the Xbox app. Microsoft now appears to be working to bring even more of these games into the Xbox app, and it will be interesting to see whether the company makes the bold move of listing Steam, Epic Games Store, or itch.io games in the Xbox app soon, too. Microsoft says it will have more to share about its Xbox app plans at the game developers conference in March. Microsoft is also rolling out a new home UI for the Xbox app on Windows today. The home UI now includes featured content from PC Game Pass and the Microsoft Store, alongside collections of deals and discounts. Microsoft has also added a “jump back in” section that lets you quickly get back into recent games just like you can on an Xbox console.

Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge Nvidia must face an investor lawsuit claiming it misled shareholders about the impact of the cryptocurrency market on its sales after the Supreme Court dismissed the company’s appeal. The court said it had “improvidently granted” Nvidia’s petition, meaning it decided it shouldn’t have taken it up in the first place. That means the case will have to continue on in the lower courts. During oral arguments last month, some justices seemed skeptical about whether it was appropriate for them to weigh in on the case, wondering if it was more of a dispute over facts than a legal question, according to Reuters. The case stems from a pair of 2018 investor lawsuits claiming Nvidia recklessly misled investors about how closely tied its revenue growth was to cryptocurrency performance. Investors alleged that Nvidia and its top executives made materially false claims downplaying the impact of the volatile cryptocurrency market on its revenue growth, and exaggerating its ability to adapt its changes. An appeals court had allowed at least a portion of the consolidated case to move forward. In a separate case in 2022, Nvidia settled charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission for $5.5 million over claims it obscured how its success was linked to the volatile cryptocurrency market. The company did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement. Nvidia is facing increased legal scrutiny alongside its business success. The company is reportedly facing antitrust investigations from both Chinese authorities and the US Department of Justice. “We would have preferred a decision on the merits affirming the trial court’s dismissal of the case, but we are fully prepared to continue our defense,” Nvidia spokesperson John Rizzo says in a statement. “Consistent and predictable standards in securities litigation are essential to protecting shareholders and ensuring a strong economy, and we remain committed to supporting them.”

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft is going to let Xbox Insiders who also subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate test the ability to stream some Xbox games they already own to their Xbox starting today. The feature could be useful if you want to jump into a game without having to install the whole thing; given how big game file sizes can be nowadays, streaming a game via the cloud might be a faster way to play or save you from hitting a data cap. Microsoft has published a list of games that support the feature on its website. There are some great games on the list, including Animal Well, Balatro, Baldur’s Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077, and Price of Persia: The Lost Crown. You’ll be able to stream games on Xbox Series X / S and Xbox One consoles, Microsoft says, and the feature is set to come out of testing next year. The company started letting Xbox players stream select games they own on TVs and browsers last month.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft has started testing some improvements to its Phone Link app for iPhone users. Windows Insiders can now try out a new way to share a file from an iPhone to a PC and vice versa, making the experience a little more like file sharing with an Android device. Windows Insiders can download the latest Phone Link app update, version 1.24112.89.0 or higher, and it will include a new setup dialog to enable sharing files between iPhones and PCs. The sharing works by using the share sheet on iOS to send files to the “Link to Windows” app, which then lets you select a Windows device to share the file with. On a Windows PC you can also share local files by right clicking on a file and selecting share and then “my phone” to get a file from your PC to your iPhone. Image: Microsoft The new file sharing dialog for iPhone users. Microsoft has been gradually improving its Phone Link app for both iOS and Android in recent years, but the iOS version is still very limited thanks to Apple’s OS restrictions. Last year Microsoft did manage to update Phone Link with the ability to send and receive messages via iMessage. Even this integration is limited though, only supporting sending and receiving messages to single contacts and not groups (via iMessage). You still can’t use the Phone Link app to mirror phone apps onto your PC like you can with Android, and you have to have the app open for messages to be sent over iMessage as Microsoft is using a Bluetooth and system notifications workaround to read send messages. The latest file sharing update is live now for Windows Insiders and should start rolling out to all Phone Link users in the coming months.

The Homey smart home platform, which works with the Homey Pro or Homey Bridge hubs, has launched a Home Energy Dongle and energy management tab for its app. Smart home company Homey has added a new energy management tab to its app to track and monitor energy use from compatible smart devices such as plugs, appliances, thermostats, and EV chargers. This week, the company also announced the Homey Energy Dongle for Europe, which can connect directly to a smart meter to monitor a home’s energy consumption. Together, the software and hardware are a big step toward a full home energy management system. Homey says it plans to bring support for automatic dynamic energy pricing next year, so users could set up automations to do things like charge their EV when electricity prices are low. The new energy management tab is available in public beta to all Homey Pro and Homey Cloud customers, and the dongle can be preordered for €39 if you’re in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Austria, Switzerland, and Hungary, with shipping expected in March 2025. Image: Homey The Homey Energy Dongle works with European smart meters and uses the P1 standard to monitor electricity and gas usage. Homey is a smart home platform centered around a smart home hub, either the powerful, locally based Homey Pro ($399) or the lighter Homey Bridge ($69). Depending on which hub you have, Homey can connect to and control a wide range of smart home devices thanks to radios for Zigbee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Thread, IR, and more; there’s also the option of cloud-based connections and compatibility with other bridges, such as Philips Hue. Homey also supports the Matter smart home standard. “The Energy Management functionality works with all devices connected to a Homey setup, no matter if they use a proprietary local/cloud API, Zigbee, Z-Wave or Matter to connect to Homey,” explained Homey commercial director Stefan Witkamp in an email to The Verge. A full list of currently compatible devices is on Homey’s website. Image: Homey The new energy management tab in Homey can track energy usage across connected devices in your home. The energy tab uses charts to show a home’s live electricity, gas, and water usage (with compatible hardware) and can provide historical data. Homey says it “can also track solar generation, monitor EV charging, and show energy supply to, or consumption from, the grid.” It’s compatible with smart batteries and can show a list of your top energy consumers, helpful for figuring out where to cut down on usage. You can enter your energy price to get cost estimates, and Homey says it plans to add support for dynamic pricing next year. LG acquired Homey earlier this year and has said it plans to incorporate Homey’s connectivity and software into its ThinQ platform. However, Homey will continue to operate independently. While LG plans to integrate its appliances with Homey, official support is still on the roadmap, says Witkamp. Energy management is set to play a key part in the smart home as a compelling reason to connect all your devices. Allowing a system to automate energy use in your home could save you energy and money. Several smart home companies already offer some functionality here. Samsung’s SmartThings Energy platform, which works with its appliances and several partner devices, was the first platform to be recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as an Energy STAR Smart Home Energy Management System. Others, such as Home Assistant, offer some energy management features, and Apple introduced an electricity usage page to its Home app this year (although it’s limited to PG&E customers). The new Matter smart home standard just added energy management to its spec along with support for several key devices in the space — electrical vehicle supply equipment, solar panel inverters, home batteries, and more. All of this shows significant momentum in home energy management, and Homey’s latest move is another option for people looking to use smart home tech to maximize the efficiency of their energy use and minimize their costs.