Tucked away in its blockbuster announcement that it’s buying Bethesda Softworks, id Software and Arkane Studios parent company ZeniMax Media, Microsoft revealed that Xbox Game Pass now has more than 15 million subscribers. That means it has added more than five million members in the last six months or so.

Microsoft has beefed up Game Pass this year by adding plenty more titles for players to enjoy. EA Play games will soon be available through the service at no extra charge too. On top of that, Microsoft just rolled out xCloud for everyone, meaning that Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can keep playing many of their Xbox and PC games on Android devices.

Microsoft’s long-awaited xCloud game-streaming service officially launches tomorrow with more than 150 games. One of those games is Minecraft Dungeons, and Microsoft has just announced that developers Mojang Studios and Double Eleven are making it easier to play the game on the go by optimizing it for touch controls. This means that you can play the game on your Android phone or tablet without needing to hook up an external controller.

Pretty much all Xbox games that are part of xCloud were developed with the Xbox controller in mind, so Microsoft imagines most people will play them by clipping a controller to a smartphone. But in this case, Microsoft wanted the game to feel native to mobile, so it’ll have not only touch controls but also a redesigned UI better suited to a small screen. This should make it easier to navigate menus or inventories and the tiny text that could come along with it.

All good things must come to an end. Microsoft has confirmed that the PC version of Game Pass will soon cost $9.99 per month, rather than $4.99 per month. We knew this price hike was coming: Game Pass for PC is technically in beta at the moment, and the Xbox website has long stated that $4.99 is a “limited time price.” The higher cost of entry will go into effect on September 17th, the same day the service becomes “generally available” and sheds its beta label. The new pricing makes sense, given that the console version of Game Pass — which is functionally identical, but offers a tweaked library — also costs $9.99 per month at the moment.

We’re retiring the introductory price on the 17th, but if you’re already a member, you’ll pay the same rate through the next billing cycle. look out for a notification on the 17th to get more details

— Xbox Game Pass For PC (@XboxGamePassPC) September 9, 2020

Unlike the console version, though, Game Pass for PC will soon come with a basic EA Play subscription. That service usually costs $4.99 per month on its own, which arguably negates the price rise of Game Pass for PC, provided you’re interested in the third-party publisher’s back catalog. Regardless, Game Pass for PC still seems like a great deal. It still has a vast library, after all, that includes every Xbox Game Studio title on the day of its release. If you have some extra cash to burn, there’s also Game Pass Ultimate, a $14.99 per month service that bundles the console and PC offerings, as well as Xbox Live Gold on console, EA Play and, starting on September 15th, xCloud game streaming on Android phones and tablets.

This week Microsoft gave us a peek at its next Xbox interface refresh, and revealed that this style will include both the current Xbox One consoles and its upcoming Xbox Series X hardware. A few weeks ago Microsoft previewed the Store users will see on Xbox Series X, and the rounded corners from that design will be all over the system’s new UI.

It won’t stop at consoles however, as Microsoft said that this holiday you’ll see the look on the Game Pass app for PC, as well as its mobile apps. The idea is to tie everything closely together, while also upgrading the speed and responsiveness. Recording game captures on Xbox One already pops up a notification on linked mobile devices, and now the clip, as well as other notifications from your console, will be fully synced from console to phone.

It’s been a long time coming, but you’ll only have to wait a few more weeks to play the first Battletoads game since the mid-’90s. We first learned about Battletoads in 2018 and while the initial plan was to release it last year, a new trailer tries to make the case that it was worth an even longer wait.

The game has a distinct look, thanks to its hand-drawn visuals. There should be plenty to keep you on your toes here, too. It’ll jump between different genres, including platformer, shoot ’em up and, of course, beat ’em up.

Sony Playstation Plus

Will Lipman Photography / Sony

Let’s start with the easiest-to-explain option. Sony doesn’t offer a huge array of services for its console, though PlayStation Now offers a streaming service that now has roughly 300 PS4 games (and hundreds of PS3 and PS2 games) to play with.

For everything else, it’s PlayStation Plus. For $10 per month (or less than half of that if you pay for a year), you get multiple online features including unlimited cloud saves stored away from your PS4, as well as the ability to play titles online. That said, there are a handful of games you can play online without a PS Plus account, like Fortnite, Call Of Duty: Warzone and Apex Legends.

PS Plus membership also adds some additional discounts for games, DLC and other add-ons. These are often major releases from months ago, or games that have a sequel coming soon.

The best part — what you’re actually paying for —  is the free games offered each month. Since the start of 2020, that’s included Uncharted 4, Shadow of the Colossus, BioShock: The Collection and most recently, Call of Duty WWII.

Naturally, it depends on your own gaming tastes, but more often than not, they’re games you’d be willing to download and dabble with. If you continue to pay for PS Plus, all the games you add to your library (even if you don’t download them at that very moment) are available to play at any time.

Buy Playstation Plus (12-month) at Sony – $60

Microsoft Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Will Lipman Photography / Microsoft

When it comes to Xbox’s current console, whether you own a One, One S or One X, there are several subscription options, but one option stands above the rest. Unfortunately — perhaps predictably — it’s the most expensive one.

The Game Pass Ultimate combines all Microsoft’s Xbox services into one offering. This means Xbox Live Gold (needed to play Xbox titles online with others) as well as access to a raft of both PC and console games. 

Ultimate sweetens the deal further with free game add-ons and offers. At the moment, that includes a three-month Spotify Premium trial — which is a little unremarkable. More notable is the fact that you’ll save at least $5 compared to combining individual services we’ve detailed below. For $15 a month, you get everything Microsoft has to offer.

The Game Pass component grants access to over 100 games for the Xbox and means you can play games from Xbox Studios the same day as their global release. You can even preload it to your console so you’re ready on launch day. 

The game selection changes over time — take this to mean some games will disappear. If you download a title and don’t play it, and it’s subsequently taken off the service, you’ll have to pay to play.

That said, a lot of major titles on Xbox are included in Game Pass, including Red Dead Redemption 2, Gears 5, The Outer Worlds, Forza Horizon 4 and more recently, games that are more typically seen on PlayStation, like Kingdom Hearts 3 and Yakuza 0. On top of all that, you can also play games on your Windows 10 PC through the Xbox app, and in the future you’ll be able to stream them to your phone with xCloud.

Buy Game Pass Ultimate at Microsoft – $15/month

Xbox Live Gold 

This option is most like the PlayStation Plus, in that you’ll need it to play any multiplayer online games. Like Sony’s service, paying for Live Gold includes a couple of free games each month, called Games with Gold. Once you’ve downloaded them, and keep your sub running, you can play them any time. In the past, that’s included V Rally 4, Batman: The Telltale Series, Gears of War 4 and Metal Gear Solid 5. 

It’s the most reasonably priced Xbox service, but it might not be the best. Let’s be honest the games aren’t as great as the PlayStation Plus titles, but that’s probably because there’s…

Buy Live Gold at Microsoft – $10/month

Xbox Game Pass 

We’ve already touched on what you’ll get here: free games, immediate access to games from Microsoft’s own studios on launch day and even an array of Xbox 360 games from yesteryear, such as the original Red Dead Redemption.

Buy Game Pass at Microsoft – $10/month

Xbox Game Pass for PC

While you can play many regular Game Pass titles on PC, this PC-specific subscription takes the model and applies it to games that are made for PC. You’ll still have your Halo and Gears of War titles, but they’ll be joined by games like Pillars of Eternity and Age of Empires — you just need the app and a decent-enough gaming PC.

Buy Game Pass (PC) at Microsoft – $5/month

Nintendo Switch Online

Will Lipman Photography / Nintendo

Nintendo does things differently. The Switch console itself is a weird hybrid, less powerful than its console rivals, but playable with or without a TV. Nintendo’s service, which allows you to play against others online, launched months after the Switch first appeared, is also rather unusual.

Firstly, it’s only $20 a year. Secondly, its free games library (it still comes with one) is predominantly games older than most people headed to college at this point. At launch, Switch Online came with 20 classic NES games, and this has grown over time, joined by an arguably stronger selection of SNES greatest hits too. This includes games that still stand up to scrutiny like Super Mario Kart, Super Mario World and Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Seriously, play these games.

If you prefer your games a little higher-res, other titles have come free along with a Switch Online subscription, like Tetris 99 and Fallout Shelter.

Switch Online, however, is wobbly in places. Cloud saves don’t work with games that have a competitive element, like Pokemon, FIFA and Animal Crossing, with Nintendo claiming this system helps stop cheaters. 

Don’t expect to pick up a Switch game library from this online service, but at $20, annually, that works out at less than two bucks a month.

Buy Switch Online (12-month) at Nintendo – $20

Your Xbox One game collection can come from a variety of services, which can make it a pain to manage your library. Which games can you most afford to delete to free up space? You won’t have to guess from now on. Microsoft is trotting out an Xbox June 2020 update that, among other things, identifies where your games come from — you’ll know if a title is from Game Pass, Live Gold or EA Access. It’s not clear if other services are in the pipeline, but this will at least help you sift through your catalog with little effort.

You’ll also see a Game Pass or Live Gold badge next to your Gamertag on the home screen and in the Guide, and your Game Pass content will float to the top of your dashboard if you’re a new subscriber.

Buy Birchbox starting at $15/month

ComiXology Unlimited

Will Lipman Photography / Comixology

With college behind them, your new grads can finally put down those textbooks and do a lot more reading for fun. But they might not be ready to tackle the latest 800-page The New York Times bestseller, so why not let them pace themselves with a few comic books? ComiXology has a large selection of comics from various companies around the world, so they can catch up on the major superhero titles they might have missed or indulge in some manga favorites straight from Japan.

Buy ComiXology Unlimited starting at $6/month

Disney+

Will Lipman Photography / Disney

Look, your kids are probably going to mooch your Netflix account as long as you let them, so why not sign them up for a service that you can mooch off them instead? Disney+ has all of their favorite childhood movies as well as new popular shows like The Mandalorian, and you can all make separate profiles so your Herbie or Disney Afternoon binge doesn’t mess up their recommendations. 

Buy Disney+ starting at $7/month

VRV Premium

Will Lipman Photography

VRV is a number of weird and wonderful things a young adult might like combined into a single streaming service: It includes Crunchyroll and HIDIVE for anime, Rooster Teeth’s video game and tech culture shows, and even some cool, retro-throwback programming courtesy of the cartoon streaming service Boomerang. VRV puts all these (and more) into one package, making it easier for your new grad to watch — and making it much easier for you to gift. You may not understand the appeal, but your young adult will appreciate having the ability to watch content tailored to their interests.

Buy VRV Premium starting at $10/month

GQ Best Stuff box

Will Lipman Photography / GQ

GQ isn’t necessarily the cutting edge of cool, but its Best Stuff box is filled with plenty of normally pricey goodies that alternate among useful, interesting and fun for your new grad to try out. Every item may not be a slam dunk, but each shipment has a number of solid picks that ensure you’ll get your money’s worth — and possibly inspire the giftee to up their style game.

Buy GQ Best Stuff Box for $50

HBO Max

Will Lipman Photography / HBO

Your new grad probably watches most of their TV on their laptop, and a cable subscription is probably not in the cards. But they’re still going to want their Succession and Westworld fixes (as well as old faves like Friends), so consider an HBO Max subscription instead. That way they can keep up with all the big shows that their friends won’t shut up about on social media, and maybe you’ll have something to talk about with them when they remember to call home.

Buy HBO Max for $15/month

HelloFresh

HelloFresh

Even if your grad is lucky enough to have their own place after college, you can’t help but worry about them. Are they eating regularly? And are they eating healthily? It can take awhile to develop good food-shopping habits. You can make it a little easier by getting them set up with a HelloFresh meal plan, which delivers the ingredients and instructions for assembling the week’s eats. Each dish makes two portions — great for lunch the next day or for impressing a date with a home-cooked feast. We like HelloFresh for its options: Depending on the gift card amount, you can cover multiple meals per week for your grad, and they get to choose the recipes. HelloFresh has vegetarian- and low-calorie-recipe options too.

Buy HelloFresh gift card starting at $61/week

Microsoft Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Microsoft

Microsoft’s Game Pass Ultimate for Xbox and PC is the Swiss Army knife of game subscriptions: Players get discounts, online multiplayer games, free games and other downloadable content, plus access to even more titles online. That includes new games directly from Xbox Game Studio on the day of release. It’s more expensive than other game services at $15 per month, but it’s a small price to pay to ensure your grad is always up to speed on the newest big titles.

Buy Game Pass Ultimate for $15/month

Nintendo Switch Online

Nintendo

It’s pretty much mandatory to have a subscription for your games console nowadays, but Nintendo’s is the one that feels worth it even for those who hardly touch their systems. Switch Online not only grants online access for games like Splatoon 2 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons but also includes a library of dozens of NES and SNES titles that your new grad can try out, all for only $20 per year.

Buy Switch Online for $20/year

Vinyl Me, Please

Vinyl Me, Please

Spotify is all well and good, but now that your grad is out and about in the world, they may want to start putting together a real, tangible music collection. These days that means vinyl, which has made a huge comeback over the past decade. Vinyl Me, Please makes it easy to build a solid list in a few months courtesy of one of its three curated records of the month: You can choose from the classics, the essentials or rap and hip-hop — all starting at $25 per month (when you choose the annual billing plan).

Buy Vinyl Me, Please starting at $25/month

Sony PlayStation Plus

Will Lipman Photography / Sony

Online multiplayer is the norm for a lot of gaming these days, whether it’s Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto Online or Fortnite. But at $60 per year, PlayStation Plus also sweetens the pot by offering two free games per month. And we’re not talking bottom of the bin selections here; recent PS+ offerings have included high-end, popular titles like Uncharted 4, BioShock and Cities: Skylines.

Buy PlayStation Plus for $60/year

Universal Yums — Yum Box

Will Lipman Photography / Universal Yums

Fresh out of college and burdened with student debt, your grad probably isn’t going to be taking a lot of trips around the world soon. So why not give them a little of the travel experience with Yum Box, which serves up a selection of snacks every month from various countries and regions like Brazil, France and Scandinavia. It’s like going to a foreign supermarket and stocking up on treats you’ve never heard of, without the awkward currency exchange.

Buy Yum Box starting at $14/box

Viz Shonen Jump 

VIZ

Your grad might be more into My Hero Academia than Superman or Spider-Man, which makes them better suited for something more on the Japanese side of the comics medium. Enter Viz’s Shonen Jump app, which offers up hundreds of different titles like Bleach, Death Note and DragonBall for only $2 per month. We’ve recommended this one before, for good reason: It’s the best deal in all of comics. Rival services like Marvel Unlimited and DC Universe will run between $8 and $10 per month.

Buy Shonen Jump starting at $2/month

With E3 cancelled for the first time ever, game publishers and console makers are resorting to online presentations to show off their latest creations. Microsoft isn’t just streaming one event, though — the company will detail its upcoming Xbox Series X console, new games and additions to Xbox Game Pass every month for the rest of the year. Dubbed Xbox 20/20, these sneak peeks will likely cover all the news Microsoft planned to announce at E3, but spread across several months. The first entry in Xbox 20/20 will be part of the Inside Xbox event on May 7th at 11AM ET.

According to the post announcing Xbox 20/20, Microsoft is still planning to have the Xbox Series X ready later this year. According to Jerret West, CVP of Gaming Marketing, the company’s “goal remains to launch Xbox Series X and Halo Infinite this holiday.” That wording doesn’t inspire confidence — it feels like Microsoft is leaving some room to backpedal in case the company needs to delay the console, presumably due to the coronavirus pandemic. That said, all the games shown during the Xbox 20/20 events will be “Xbox Series X Optimized” — they should run in 4K at up to 120 frames per second, feature DirectX raytracing and take advantage of the Series X’s SSD technology.