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HTC realizes most people don't have a VR-ready PC
HTC is making it easier for you to buy a Vive. The company just rolled out three new bundles for the virtual reality headset that include PCs and graphics cards for the first time. If you already have a decent rig but need a new graphics card, you can now get the Vive and the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition for $999.99. That's $200 cheaper than the suggested retail price, HTC says. You can also finance the bundle for as low as $49 per month for 24 months (estimated shipping plus tax), but these are temporary offers that run through April 24th.
Sling TV launches new Extra channel bundles
It's no secret that Sling wants to overthrow the sluggish cable providers. But as more an more people start cutting the cord, Sling is finding out that some of them aren't quite ready to ditch the channel packages that they're used to. Now, to cover the middle ground between broadcast TV, streaming services and a complete cable replacement, Sling is introducing new channel bundles for fans of Comedy, News, Lifestyle or Children's programming.
Apple's $200 education bundle includes apps like Final Cut Pro X
Companies usually give college students, teachers, faculty and staff some solid discounts on both hardware and software. Today, Apple is doing just that with a new audio and video education bundle. The software pack offers Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X, Motion 5, Compressor 4 and MainStage 3 for $200. For reference, that's the price you would typically pay for Logic Pro X and Final Cut Pro X will set you back $300.
PlayStation VR bundles are back
Sony knows that you probably don't have the camera and Move controllers needed to make use of its PlayStation VR headset, so it's reviving and expanding its virtual reality bundles to help get you started. On top of the original bundle, which includes the necessary hardware, the PSVR demo disc and PlayStation VR Worlds, there's a new GameStop/EB Games exclusive bundle that packs in the on-rails shooter Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. Both will cost the same $499 as the previous bundle, and it's really just a question of when you can get them: the regular bundle will hit stores next week, while the Rush of Blood kit will be available later in February.
The first Xbox One S bundles in the UK are really cheap
Microsoft's Xbox One S is just the right kind of mid-generation hardware update. The neater console, with a better bundled gamepad and 4K Blu-ray drive, is tempting enough without feeling like a big ol' middle finger to OG Xbox One owners. When it launched in the UK towards the beginning of last month, though, its £350 price tag wasn't exactly accessible. But today, the first One S console bundles (with FIFA 17 included) have launched, lowering the cost of entry to dangerous, impulse-buy territory.
'Final Fantasy XV' slim PS4 bundle hits the US on November 29th
Did you look on wistfully as Sony Japan unveiled a special edition slim PS4 to mark the launch of Final Fantasy XV? You don't have to anymore. Sony has confirmed that the console will reach GameStop stores in North America on November 29th for $449 US, or $549 Canadian. In the UK, it'll launch on the same day at GAME for £330. Besides the conspicuous moon decal on the system, you're getting a 1TB hard drive, a branded DualShock 4 controller, Square Enix's role-playing game (plus downloadable extras) and the Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV movie on Blu-ray. It's a tempting deal if you can't get enough Final Fantasy into your life, although we have to ask: do you get this, or would it be wiser to spring for the more powerful PS4 Pro plus a separate copy of the game?
iTunes offers 10-movie bundles for $10 each
Believe it or not, it's been a decade since movies arrived in iTunes... and Apple wants to make sure you remember that. It's launching a 10th anniversary US promo that, appropriately, offers 10-movie bundles from five major studios (Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros.) for $10 each. And no, these aren't all stinkers that wouldn't otherwise sell. There are gems like Live Die Repeat, Rush, Selma, Captain Phillips and No Country for Old Men in the mix, and the odds are usually good that you'll enjoy most of what a given bundle has to offer.
PlayStation 4 will play Netflix and YouTube videos in HDR
Sony made much ado over high dynamic range imagery for gaming on the PlayStation 4 Pro at its September event, but don't worry -- it knows you want to watch HDR videos, too. The console maker announced that both Netflix and YouTube are making new apps that should play HDR videos on all PS4 models. You'll need a Pro to play videos from either service in 4K, alas, but this still means that you'll get richer colors when you're watching Luke Cage and other supporting shows. At least the Netflix app will be available around the time of the PS4 Pro's November launch, so you'll have a way to show off your HDR-capable TV in the near future. Find all the news from Sony's big PlayStation event right here.
PSN's first Humble Bundle gives you Capcom games at a discount
Humble Bundle is best-known for its PC game offers, but it's branching out in a big way. It's partnering with Capcom and Sony to launch PSN's first-ever Humble Bundle, the appropriately titled Humble Capcom PlayStation Bundle. Pay at least $1 and you'll both get a handful of Capcom titles as well as donate some of your purchase toward the American Red Cross, Rettsyndrome.org and Save the Children. You can choose how much goes to charity versus the developer, so there's an incentive to splurge in the name of a good cause.
Xbox One S 'Halo' and 'Madden 17' bundles arrive August 23rd
Microsoft dropped the price of the original Xbox One to $249 over the weekend, and now the company is offering more details on the new Xbox One S. The first two bundles that pair games with the smaller 4K-ready console will ship August 23rd, but they're up for pre-order today. First, a Madden NFL 17 option comes with a One S that offers a download of the game, 1TB of storage, seven Madden Ultimate Team Pro Packs and one month of EA Access for $349. Unfortunately, there's no 500GB model available with the popular football title and the bundle will only be available in the US and Canada for now.
Play 'Guacamelee' and 'Severed' in one bundle on your PS Vita
If you scored a good deal on a PlayStation Vita and aren't sure how to get started on game shopping, Drinkbox might have the answer. The developer is launching a bundle, the simply-titled Drinkbox Vita Collection, that includes all three of its Vita games (Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack, Guacamelee and Severed) plus Guacamelee's DLC add-ons. You may not be all that familiar with Mutant Blobs unless you tried it during the Vita's early days, but this is otherwise a great introduction to some classic handheld gaming -- it's hard to top Guacamelee's lucha libre-inspired 2D action, and Severed puts a very surreal twist on the concept of a first-person dungeon crawler. Drinkbox hasn't yet said how much its bundle will cost, but it'll likely be modest when it shows up on July 13th. Update 7/13: The bundle is available for $25, which isn't too shabby for three titles.
BitTorrent Now is an open, ad-supported music and video platform
Chances are, most people still think of BitTorrent as a tool to pirate the latest Game of Thrones episode -- but for several years now, the company has been using its peer-to-peer internet technology as a platform for independent musicians, filmmakers and other artists to distribute their work. The resulting BitTorrent Bundle network has played host to projects from Madonna, comedian David Cross and Radiohead's Thom Yorke as well as a host of smaller, lesser-known people. Since debuting in 2013, the ways artists can choose to be compensated for their work has evolved too. Originally, BitTorrent Bundle content was free (after you signed up with your email address), and then Thom Yorke's album introduced the "paygate," which let artists offer a preview and put the rest of their work being a paywall. Today, BitTorrent is introducing a new way for artists to get paid: BitTorrent Now is a new, ad-supported service that'll let users stream any participating artist's content to iOS, Android and the new Apple TV. The Android app launches today, with the iOS and Apple TV apps to follow soon.
Microsoft bundles 1TB Xbox One with 'Tom Clancy's The Division'
Maybe you've been holding out on getting an Xbox One all this time because your subconscious has been waiting for this bundle. Whatever your reason is, this package is worth checking out if you've been looking to get both a 1TB version of the console and Tom Clancy's The Division when it finally drops. You can pre-order right now from the Microsoft Store, Amazon, Best Buy or GameStop if you're in the US or Canada for US$400.
AT&T's unlimited mobile data plan is back
After discontinuing its unlimited mobile data plans back in 2010, AT&T has brought them back as a bundle with its U-Verse TV and new DirecTV services. If you're a subscriber on either of those, the plan costs $100 for a single smartphone, with additional lines at $40 each. That's a far cry from the $30 that grandfathered subscribers of the older Unlimited plans pay, though AT&T will also lop $10 off of your DirecTV or U-Verse bill. New subscribers will get throttled at the same 22GB limit as older users, but will also get unlimited texts and talking.
Amazon's $250 Fire bundle will feed your reading habit
If you've been eyeing an e-reader for that special someone this holiday, Amazon has a new bundle that could do the trick. The online retailer announced what it's calling the Reader's Edition of the Fire HD 8. In addition to the reading gadget itself, the $250 price includes a year of books from Kindle Unlimited and a leather cover. If you were to pay separately, the Kindle Unlimited subscription alone would cost you $120 for 12 months.
1TB Xbox One bundle includes 'Gears of War' and two more games for $399
Do you have a special someone on your Christmas list who deserves a shiny new console this holiday season? Even if you're just shopping for yourself, there's a new Xbox One bundle that might catch your eye. Microsoft is offering the 1TB version with three games for the cost of the console alone. The trio of titles includes Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, Rare Replay and Ori and the Blind Forest. All of that will set you back $399 when this so-called Holiday Bundle goes on sale in October.
Cablevision will sell streaming CBS, Showtime to cord-cutters
Need more evidence that cable TV is giving way to internet TV? Cablevision just announced its new TV deal with CBS includes a provision for it to sell CBS All Access and Showtime streaming to its internet-only Optimum customers. Cablevision is already offering internet customers a way to bundle HBO Now or Hulu streaming with their bill, and now this adds another option. There's no pricing info for CBS or Showtime yet, but if it follows the setup for 'cord-cutting' with HBO and Hulu, we wouldn't expect any deep discounting. While Dish Network and Verizon chose one path to wrap up deals for internet TV during their usual negotiations with channels and content providers, Cablevision is going another, and even Comcast has its own plans. Welcome to the new look of cable.
Using your old gear with 'Rock Band 4' on Xbox One will cost you
Rock Band is rising from the dead this fall, and as such we're starting to get finer details about different prices and packages for the forthcoming game. Unfortunately for Xbox One owners, the "disc-only" version of Rock Band 4 will cost $79.99, $20 more than the PlayStation 4 version. Harmonix confirmed that's because the Xbox version will come bundled with a legacy adapter that'll let buyers use their old instruments with the new game and hardware. PS4 owners won't need that -- the existing USB adapter that PlayStation owners have always used with Rock Band will continue to work just fine. If you're new to the series and buying one of the bundles that includes instruments as well as the game, though, the pricing will be identical: $249.99 will get you a mic, guitar, drum set, and the game regardless of which platform you're playing on. If you just want the game and a guitar, you'll be shelling out $129.99. Mad Catz also plans to sell the adapter standalone for people who purchase the game digitally. Rock Band 4 is set to launch on October 6th.
Darth Vader PS4 bundles cater to your 'Star Wars' cravings
Between The Force Awakens, Battlefront and Disney Infinity, you're about to get your fill of Star Wars -- and Sony is determined to capitalize on that sci-fi feast with some special PlayStation systems. It's releasing two limited edition Darth Vader PS4 bundles that each include a distinctive 500GB console (emblazoned with the Sith Lord's face, naturally) and a controller whose red and white accents mimic Vader's chest panel. The core Battlefront Vader bundle includes both a Deluxe edition of its namesake shooter as well as a voucher for four vintage Star Wars games (Super Star Wars, Bounty Hunter, Jedi Starfighter and Racer Revenge). Head to Walmart, meanwhile, and you can spring for a Disney Infinity 3.0 Vader bundle that replaces Battlefront with Infinity and a matching figurine kit. And if you're just interested in software, there will be a plain PS4 bundle that includes Battlefront and the classic games.
Hulu hooks up with Showtime to make internet TV more like cable
Showtime is following HBO's lead and launching an internet-only version of its service in July, but cutting the cable doesn't mean the bundle is going away. In a first for Hulu, it's adding the network as a premium option similar to the way it's offered with cable TV. While Showtime by itself will be available for $11 per month on Apple TV, Roku or PlayStation Vue, $8 per month Hulu subscribers (no Plus, it dropped that name a few weeks ago) can add it for $9 and stream the network's stuff to anywhere they usually watch Hulu.
