Fully Charged: EA’s all-you-can-play Xbox One service, Canon debuts new PowerShot cameras, and PlayStation 4 gets Blu-ray 3D playback
Begin the morning right by catching up with the latest in tech news
EA launches unlimited access subscription on Xbox One
Electronic Arts set foot in uncharted console terrain yesterday with the announcement of EA Access, an all-you-can-play membership for Xbox One that grants unlimited access to selected games, along with discounts on newer games and downloadable content.
It’s available now for some Xbox One users in a beta version, but will expand to all others soon, and the current list of games includes Battlefield 4, FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, and Peggle 2. Others will be added down the line, while users can get a 10% discount on more recent EA games and DLC.
Additionally, EA Access will allow users to download a limited trial of games like FIFA 15, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and others five days before their respective release dates, with all progress transferring into the complete game if purchased. EA Access subscriptions are available at US$4.99 a month or US$29.99 for a full year.
Update: EA has confirmed (via TechRadar) that Access subscriptions will be priced at £3.99 a month in the UK, though no word yet on the annual fee for players who wish to commit for a year.
[Source: EA]
READ MORE: FIFA 15: First Play preview
Canon reveals two new PowerShot bridge cameras
Canon has a pair of new bridge cameras due out later this year and early into the next, the company announced yesterday. The PowerShot SX520 HS (pictured) is the more advanced of the two, delivering 42x optical zoom, Intelligent image stabilisation, a 24mm wide-angle lens, and the HS system, which pairs a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor with a DIGIC 4+ processor.
Comparatively, the PowerShot SX400 IS has many of the same features, but comes in a bit smaller, and caps its optical zoom at a still-respectable 30x. Expect the PowerShot SX520 HS out in August for £299, with the Argos-exclusive PowerShot SX400 IS not due out until January for £259.
READ MORE: Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II review
PlayStation 4 update adds Blu-ray 3D playback
Remember earlier this month when Microsoft announced that the August system update for Xbox One would add Blu-ray 3D support? Well, ever so nimble, Sony beat Microsoft to the punch with yesterday’s release of the version 1.75 system software for PlayStation 4.
If you’ve got slick flicks that’ll pop off your screen, now your PS4 can bring them to life. And Xbox One owners – it’ll be another couple of days-to-weeks until you can do the same.
[Source: Twitter]
READ MORE: Sony PS4 review