While the PS5 and the Xbox Series X consoles continue to dominate the gaming conversation, there’s more to these systems than just their hardware. Since buying games outright is apparently passé, both Sony and Microsoft offer subscription services that give you huge libraries for a manageable monthly fee: PlayStation Now and Xbox Game Pass, respectively. However, while Microsoft has put Xbox Game Pass front and center in promoting the Xbox Series X, Sony has been almost silent about how PlayStation Now could benefit the PS5.
Sony’s attitude is puzzling, given that PlayStation Now is a good service, and has the potential to be an even better one. However, while Xbox Game Pass offers fewer games, there’s a credible argument that it’s still the better service, offering newer games, wider availability and more consistent features. It’s also seen marked improvement over the past few months, whereas PlayStation Now has offered pretty much the same thing since its inception.
PlayStation Now could be a major selling point for the PS5, if only Sony would lean into the service’s huge library, excellent functionality and reasonable price. Here’s how the service could make meaningful improvements during the next console generation.
A streaming pioneer
In a way, PlayStation Now is the off-label origin of mass-market cloud gaming. When the PlayStation 4 first came out, fans were disappointed to learn that backwards compatibility would be essentially impossible. The PS3’s CPU had a radically different architecture than the PS4’s, so there was simply no way to run PS3 games on the system.
Sony’s proposed stopgap was something no other major gaming company had tried before: Streaming entire games over the Internet. Rather than having to change the PS4’s architecture, Sony realized it could satisfy consumer demand (and hopefully make money) by running PS3 games remotely, then streaming them directly onto players’ PS4s. The service, called PlayStation Now, launched back in 2014 with about 20 PS3 titles; now, there are more than 700 games, representing selections from the PS2, PS3 and PS4.
In other words, Sony intended PlayStation Now to address a backwards compatibility issue. Instead, the company accidentally spearheaded the launch of cloud gaming. Now, Google, Nvidia and Microsoft all have comparable services, although PlayStation Now still has them all beat when it comes to how many games you get for a flat subscription fee.
Where PlayStation Now falls short
PlayStation Now has a stellar selection, including the Batman: Arkham series, the Red Dead games, Bloodborne, Control, the Infamous series, the Ratchet & Clank PS3 entries, Hollow Knight, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and so forth. And if you don’t like those, there are literally hundreds of other choices, from big-name blockbusters, to cult classics, to beloved indie fare. The games rotate in and out at a somewhat unpredictable cadence, but that’s hardly unique to PlayStation.
The service costs between $5 and $10 per month, depending on how many months you’re willing to pay for up front. Provided you have a reasonably strong Internet connection (at least 5 Mbps down, although something more in the 25 Mbps range wouldn’t hurt), the service runs beautifully on both PS4 and PC.
Why, then, does Sony downplay this service and make it so difficult to use?
First, Sony does not make it easy to figure out which games are on PS Now — or what those games might be like. The official PlayStation Now page doesn’t mention game selection, shuffling players off to a “Latest Games” section instead. At the time of writing (September 11), this page was already weeks out of date, advertising that certain games would be available only until August 31.
When you click “See All Games,” all you get is a plain white-text-on-black-background list — no box art, no game descriptions, no links to individual game pages and no indication of how long a game might be available. The browsing experience is better in the PS Now app, but I wonder how many people have tuned out well before signing up for the seven-day free trial (which, as free trials go, is pretty stingy).
Sony has also worked hard to limit the PlayStation Now’s availability, rather than expand it. Previously, the app was available on PC, PS3, PS Vita, PS4, Sony Blu-ray players and various smart TVs. Now, only PC and PS4 remain. While I don’t think many people are clamoring to play PS Now on PS3 or Vita these days, smart TV integration was a forward-thinking feature, and it’s disappointing that Sony (and consumers) didn’t take full advantage of it. Likewise, there’s no PS Now app for smartphones or tablets, where it could be a natural fit alongside apps like Stadia and GeForce Now.
Downloading games through PS Now is also a confusing process. You can download games for enhanced performance — but only certain PS4 titles, and only on a PS4. You can’t download anything to PC, and you still have the option of streaming all PS4 games. It’s a confusing, inconsistent system that doesn’t take full advantage of the available hardware.
There’s also the general sense, justified or not, that Sony simply doesn’t put that much effort into PlayStation Now. It hasn’t received any major upgrades since the ability to download PS4 games last year. We know that the functionality will be available on PS5, but it doesn’t seem as though PS Now will leverage the PS5’s more powerful hardware in any significant way. Likewise, there’s no word about PS5 titles coming to PS Now, either right away or down the road.
Why Xbox Game Pass succeeds
In contrast, Xbox Game Pass is a much more comprehensible service. You pay between $10 and $15 per month, depending on the options you want (PC games, streaming games on Android devices, etc.), then choose from a library of more than 100 titles that you can download to your Xbox One. On an Xbox One or PC, you download games; on an Android device, you stream them. Save files carry over across platforms, and many games are available on all three systems.
Furthermore, Microsoft has made Xbox Game Pass a big part of its marketing strategy. All first-party Xbox titles, from Gears 5 to Wasteland 3, are available as part of Xbox Game Pass from the day they launch. Xbox Series X will continue this trend with big titles like Halo Infinite and Avowed. While backwards compatibility isn’t as big of a focus for Xbox Game Pass, you can still play a variety of original Xbox and Xbox 360 games — and we already know that every single Xbox One game on the service will be playable on both the Xbox Series S and the Xbox Series X.
In short: Microsoft is better not only at communicating what Xbox Game Pass does, but also what it will do in the future.
What’s odd, though, is that Xbox Game Pass isn’t strictly “better” than PlayStation Now in terms of game selection or performance. PS Now has six or seven times as many games on offer as Xbox Game Pass, and for the most part, they stream beautifully. There’s absolutely no reason why PS Now couldn’t be a key part of PlayStation’s strategy, or why it has to exist in this nebulous space between “backwards compatibility substitute” and “full-fledged cloud gaming service.”
Give PlayStation Now a more comprehensive website, a clearer delineation between platforms, a mobile app and a little attention at Sony events, and Sony might find that it’s had a worthwhile competitor for Xbox Game Pass all along.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
