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How to cancel or downgrade your Xbox Game Pass subscription

If raising console prices wasn’t enough to scare you away, Microsoft has also increased the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by 50 percent. That makes the subscription cost $30 per month when it used to be $20. Even if it comes with more games and the benefits of a Fortnite Crew subscription, you wouldn’t be wrong for wanting to cancel.

Cancelling means you’ll also lose ability to play online multiplayer games, but cheaper tiers of Game Pass received new benefits without getting a similar price hike, so downgrading might be worth considering. Whichever you choose, the process of managing your subscription is relatively easy, provided you remember your login information.

How to cancel your Game Pass subscription

Ian Carlos Campbell for Engadget

Rather than managing your Game Pass subscription on your Xbox, you’ll need to log in to your Microsoft account through a web browser. To get started:

Access your account by clicking the profile icon in the top-right corner of Microsoft’s website, or by heading to account.microsoft.com and logging in.

Click on the Subscriptions tab in the left sidebar.

In the Game Pass section, click on Manage.

Then click on Cancel subscription, the last option in the menu.

Depending on when you subscribed and when your next billing date is, Microsoft might offer to refund a portion of your subscription if you choose to unsubscribe immediately, rather than wait to the end of your billing period. Whichever you choose, once you confirm, you’ll be unsubscribed.

How to downgrade to a cheaper Game Pass subscription

Ian Carlos Campbell for Engadget

If you’d prefer to just switch to a more affordable subscription, like Game Pass Premium for $15 per month or Game Pass Essential for $10 per month, the process is nearly the same.

Click on the Subscriptions tab in the left sidebar.

In the Game Pass section, click on Manage.

Then, click on Change subscription plan.

Consider your options, then click on Switch subscription to change plans.

Microsoft will ask you to confirm your decision and potentially choose a payment option, but once you click on Subscribe, you’ll be all set.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/how-to-cancel-or-downgrade-your-xbox-game-pass-subscription-191801458.html?src=rss

The best early October Prime Day kitchen deals include up to 39 percent off our favorite air fryers

It’s not officially called October Prime Day, and it doesn’t technically start until next Tuesday, but Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days 2025 sale is already offering up quite a few deals on kitchen tech. And we’re finding a good number of deals on the air fryers, multicookers, soda makers and more that we’ve tested and recommend. The Engadget team has tested plenty of excellent kitchen tech, as seen in our reviews and buying guides. so if you want to read up before you buy, you can. We’ll be adding more deals to this list as we get closer to Tuesday, and expect to add a lot more once the sale officially starts. For now, here are the best Prime Day kitchen deals we could find.

The best October Prime Day kitchen deals

Ninja Creami ice cream maker with extra pints $200 ($55 off with Prime): Here’s a bundle that includes two additional pint jars for the ice cream maker. It’s one of our favorite pieces of kitchen tech and we called it a frozen fantasy-maker in our review. Note that the unit itself dipped down to $160 last Black Friday and the extra pints have gone as low as $16.

Instant Pot Vortex Plus with Clear Cook for $80 ($20 off with Prime): This Vortex air fryer model is similar to our top airfryer pick, but is missing the Odor Ease feature. It still has the Clear Cook window that lets you keep an eye on your food as it crisps and the Vortex cooking tech heats up remarkably fast, with almost no pre-heating time.

Instant Pot Vortex 2-QT Mini for $38 ($22 off with Prime): The budget model from our air fryer guide may not be large but its two-quart basket is enough to reheat leftovers for two or cook up a batch of frozen appetizers. And, because of its small size, it doesn’t take up a ton of space on your countertops — ideal for a small kitchen.

Breville InFizz Fusion beverage maker for $200 ($50 off): We called this fizz-maker the bubble master in our review. True, it’s pricier than rivals in the same space, but the upscale design — that actually looks good on a countertop — somewhat makes up for the price premium. We also appreciate the Fusion Cap that helps prevent messy eruptions when you’re bubbling up your drinks.

Cosori Air Fryer Pro Compact for $85 ($15 off with Prime): One of our concerns with the Cosori 9-in-1 was that it was a little on the wide side, taking up extra countertop space. The Pro Compact has a more space-saving design while still packing a five-quart basket.

Instant Pot 4QT Vortex mini air fryer for $55 ($35 off with Prime): This model’s four-quart capacity falls between our top Instant Pot air fryer pick and the budget model. It has the Clear Cook window feature, six presets and it comes in pink in addition to the standard white and black.

Instant Pot Duo Plus for $90 ($50 off): We named this the best multicooker in our guide to the best kitchen tech we’ve tested. It can cook a dizzying array of foods from basic beans and rice to homemade yogurt. We like this one because it’s simple to use, and has quick-cooking modes for soup, eggs and grains. There’s even a sous vide cooking function.

Breville Bambino Plus for $400 ($100 off): In our gift guide for coffee lovers, this espresso machine earned our respect for its compact size and the fact that it doesn’t cost a grand, like some machines do. Plus the controls are easy for beginners to learn but makes silky milkfoam for pro-level latte artists.

Breville Juice Fountain Plus for $130 ($20 off): This went as low as $110 back in January, but it’s still a decent discount on a high-powered juice extractor. We were won over by its impressive juicing abilities and despite how it looks, it’s surprisingly easy to clean — as long as you do it right away.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-early-october-prime-day-kitchen-deals-include-up-to-39-percent-off-our-favorite-air-fryers-193009170.html?src=rss

Saturn’s ocean moon looks more hospitable to subsurface life than we thought

Mars isn’t our only neighbor that may harbor life. The odds have risen that Saturn’s moon Enceladus may, too. On Wednesday, scientists published a paper outlining the increasing complexity of molecules emitted from beneath the moon’s surface. “We now have all elements required for Enceladus to harbour life,” the ESA’s Dr Jörn Helbert told The Guardian.

Enceladus gives researchers a unique window into its subsurface world. The Cassini mission already taught us that plumes of water ice shoot 6,000 miles into space from Enceladus. The source of those icy jets is believed to be a subsurface saltwater ocean, around 30 miles deep, that envelops the entire moon. The space geysers shoot out from its South Pole.

Previous analysis of the moon’s icy particles already revealed the chemical building blocks for life as we know it. But before, the organics were inferred from studying Saturn’s E ring, which is composed mostly of material from the icy jet. In contrast, this study looked at data from the Cassini mission’s flyby of the plumes themselves. What’s different today is the variety of organic signatures and the freshness of the samples. “These grains were just minutes old,” lead author Dr. Nozair Khawaja told The Guardian.

NASA / JPL / Space Science Institute

“The detection of organics directly in the plume rules out space weathering as the sole production pathway,” the paper’s authors wrote. Space weathering refers to radiation and other processes that potentially alter or spoil the samples. “The grains are fresh, unaltered and proof of survival through ocean transit and plume emission” for the compounds.

“These grains were just minutes old,” Khawaja said. “It means that what we are capturing here is actually the pure sample from the subsurface.” He said the results also increased the known complexity of Enceladus’ sub-surface organic chemistry. “When there is complexity happening, that means that the habitable potential of Enceladus is increasing right now,” he said.

The results still don’t prove that there’s life on Saturn’s moon. However, they do suggest a chemically rich subsurface ocean that could seed the building blocks of life. Your move, Mars.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/saturns-ocean-moon-looks-more-hospitable-to-subsurface-life-than-we-thought-174149814.html?src=rss

T-Mobile’s Starlink satellite service now works with a handful of apps

T-Mobile just announced that its T-Satellite with Starlink service now integrates with several apps. These include AllTrails, AccuWeather, X, WhatsApp and several others. Certain native apps also now integrate with the service, like Google Messages, Apple Music and Samsung’s weather app.

It’s important to note that users won’t always have access to the full app experience here, as satellite connectivity is limited. Some features may be limited and everything is likely to be noticeably slower. Still, being able to look at a map on AllTrails while actually on a trail in the middle of nowhere will be incredibly useful. It’ll be less useful to read some random screed on X while sitting next to the campfire, but whatever gets you through the night.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile promises that WhatsApp will allow for “sending voice notes, sharing photos or even calling your entire group chat.” This is a potential game-changer but it really depends on how slow everything is, which we won’t know until some explorers get out there to put the app through its paces.

The company has also integrated a number of business-focused apps into T-Satellite for those subscribed to the SuperMobile or T-Priority plans. These apps include the communications platform MultiLine and the AI-powered messaging service Dialpad.

T-Satellite uses Starlink satellites to provide coverage in remote parts of the world. It became broadly available back in July after months of testing. The service is available for both Android and iOS devices. It’s free for T-Mobile customers but everyone else can sign up for $10 a month.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/t-mobiles-starlink-satellite-service-now-works-with-a-handful-of-apps-165732659.html?src=rss

Best October Prime Day SSD deals: Discounts on gear from Crucial, Samsung and more

A portable storage device can make a world of difference to intensive processing tasks, from running massive video games — which feels like all of them these days — to core operating system functions. A solid-state drive (SSD) gives your hard drive more bandwidth than it comes with by default, making huge chunks of data easier to digest and keeping your device from running too hot. This October Prime Day, we’ve rounded up the best deals on SSDs, portable SSDs and microSD cards. Not only are these some of the best products in the field, but their prices are lower than they’re likely to be for some time thanks to Amazon Prime Day.

Best October Prime Day SSD deals

Crucial T500 1TB for $89 (38 percent off): We named the Crucial T500 one of the best SSDs for PS5 and still stand by that rating. This 1TB model can hit read speeds of 7,300MB/s, more than enough for optimal performance per Sony’s specs. You can even install it at home with no tools more complicated than a screwdriver.

Crucial X10 4TB Portable SSD for $240 (39 percent off): The Crucial X9 is our current favorite portable SSD, but the X10 is a step beyond. Based on USB 3.2, it’s compatible with a wide range of devices, and reaches reading speeds of 2,100MB/s — all in an extremely portable pocket-sized case.

Samsung 990 Evo Plus 1TB for $70 (33 percent off): This is an incredible deal on an internal SSD from a reliable brand. All capacities of the Samsung 990 Evo Plus are currently on sale, but even the 1TB option can visibly boost your performance with top read speeds of 7,250MB/s. There’s no heatsink, but nickel plating on the controller reduces both heat output and energy use.

Samsung Fit Plus 256GB for $23 (30 percent off): The Samsung Fit Plus isn’t just the best thumb drive on the market right now — it’s one of the best SSDs, period. This deal gets you 256GB of storage and read speeds of 400MB/s for almost unfathomably cheap. It’s also built to resist water, extreme temperatures, magnets and even radiation.

Kingston SX1000 1TB High Performance for $89 (23 percent off): If you can’t swing a Crucial X9 or X10 right now, Kingston offers a much more affordable alternative. The SX1000 can handle both PC backups and gaming storage with ease, nearly matching the X9 in our speed tests. It’s also easy to carry around, though keep a tight grip as it’s not officially rated for any drop height.

SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD for $148 (29 percent off): The SanDisk Extreme line of portable SSDs provides a great middle ground in both price and performance. Read speeds of 1,050MB/s are enough for transferring most files you’ll encounter day-to-day. Its external design holds up too, with a large carabiner loop, IP65 waterproofing and dustproofing and drop protection as high as three meters.

Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB for $220 (39 percent off): This SeaGate SSD is specifically for expanding storage on the Xbox Series X and S, and it’s designed to meet Xbox specs exactly. You’ll get exactly the same performance booting a game from this card as you would from internal Xbox storage, which makes data management infinitely easier.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-october-prime-day-ssd-deals-discounts-on-gear-from-crucial-samsung-and-more-170039440.html?src=rss

Here are all the games Microsoft added to Game Pass today, including a whole lot of Assassin’s Creed

Xbox owners got a bit of a nasty surprise thanks to Microsoft’s sudden announcement today that the monthly cost of a Game Pass Ultimate subscription is getting a 50 percent increase. The new $30 monthly price, up from $20, is going to really sting for a lot of people, especially with no cheaper annual or quarterly options offered.

Fortunately, the rough price hike isn’t all that Microsoft talked about today — there are a lot of games being added to the service, particularly for the two most expensive plans. In case you aren’t up to date, Game Pass is now split into three slightly revamped tiers: Essential, Premium and Ultimate, two of which are confusingly also names Sony uses for its cheapest and most expensive PS Plus offerings. You can read a full breakdown of each tier and what they cost here.

More than 45 new games have joined the Ultimate library, with certain Ultimate games trickling down into the Premium and Essential tiers. If that sounds confusing, that’s probably because it is, but the main headlines are that Hogwarts Legacy is now part of Game Pass Ultimate and Premium, while the priciest Ultimate lineup has ballooned in size thanks to the introduction of Ubisoft Classics+. This curated catalogue of Ubisoft’s extensive back catalogue joins EA Play, which was already part of Ultimate, and is a pretty significant addition to the service. Especially if you like old-school Assassin’s Creed.

Here is the full list of games joining each Game Pass tier today.

Ultimate

Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Assassin’s Creed II (PC)

Assassin’s Creed III Remastered (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag: Freedom Cry (PC)

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (PC)

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD (PC)

Assassin’s Creed Revelations (PC)

Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection (Cloud and Console)

Assassin’s Creed Unity (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Child of Light (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Far Cry 3 (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Far Cry Primal (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Hungry Shark World (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Monopoly Madness (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Monopoly 2024 (Cloud, PC, and Console)

OddBallers (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Rabbids Invasion: The Interactive TV Show (Cloud and Console)

Rabbids: Party of Legends (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Rayman Legends (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Risk Urban Assault (Cloud and Console)

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Skull and Bones (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/S)

South Park: The Stick of Truth (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Starlink: Battle for Atlas (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Steep (Cloud, PC, and Console)

The Crew 2 (Cloud, PC, and Console)

The Settlers: New Allies (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Tom Clancy’s The Division (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Trackmania Turbo (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Transference (Cloud and Console)

Trials Fusion (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Trials of the Blood Dragon (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Trials Rising (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Uno (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Valiant Hearts: The Great War (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Watch Dogs (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Wheel of Fortune (Cloud and Console)

Zombi (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Premium (all games also in Ultimate)

9 Kings (Game Preview) (PC)

Abiotic Factor (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

Against the Storm (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (PC)

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition (PC)

Age of Mythology: Retold (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

Ara: History Untold (PC)

Arx Fatalis (PC)

Back to the Dawn (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Battletech (PC)

Blacksmith Master (Game Preview) (PC)

Cataclismo (PC)

Cities: Skylines II (PC)

Crime Scene Cleaner (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

Diablo (PC)

Diablo IV (PC and Console)

An Elder Scrolls Legends: Battlespire (PC)

The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard (PC)

Fallout (PC)

Fallout 2 (PC)

Fallout: Tactics (PC)

Football Manager 2024 (PC)

Frostpunk 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

Halo: Spartan Strike (PC)

Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Manor Lords (Game Preview) (PC)

Minami Lane (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Minecraft: Java Edition (PC)

Mullet Madjack (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

My Friendly Neighborhood (Cloud, PC, and Console)

One Lonely Outpost (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Quake 4 (PC)

Quake III Arena (PC)

Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PC)

Rise of Nations: Extended Edition (PC)

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

Sworn (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/|S)

Terra Invicta (Game Preview) (PC)

Volcano Princess (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Warcraft I: Remastered (PC)

Warcraft II: Remastered (PC)

Warcraft III: Reforged (PC)

Wolfenstein 3D (PC)

Essential (all games also in Premium and Ultimate)

Cities: Skylines Remastered (Cloud and Xbox Series X/|S)

Disney Dreamlight Valley (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Hades (Cloud, PC, and Console)

Warhammer 40,000 Darktide (Cloud, PC, and Console)

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/here-are-all-the-games-microsoft-added-to-game-pass-today-including-a-whole-lot-of-assassins-creed-171525929.html?src=rss

How Old Is Maggie Baugh? Keith Urban Guitarist’s Age Now

Maggie is a rising music star and has performed on stage with Keith. Amid her current tour with the Aussie-American singer, learn more about Maggie here, including her age.

Microsoft 365 Premium aims to deliver more AI value than ChatGPT Plus

Microsoft is adding another subscription plan to its already confusing list of offerings. The new Microsoft 365 Premium plan, which costs $20 a month, bundles the company’s standard Office productivity suite together with access to OpenAI’s latest models and extended AI usage limits.

Microsoft positions it as a more valuable subscription than OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus, which also costs $20 a month and doesn’t have the benefit of Office apps or the 1TB of OneDrive storage you get with all Microsoft 365 subscriptions. (That’s certainly an odd way to treat a close partner.)

Thankfully, Microsoft isn’t touching the pricing of its $10-a-month MS 365 Personal plan, or the $13 monthly MS 365 Family subscription — for now, anyway. The company just announced today that it’s pushing its GamePass Ultimate subscription to $30-a-month, much to the chagrin of gamers everywhere.

In a way, the Microsoft 365 Premium plan simplifies Microsoft’s offerings a bit. If you had one of the cheaper MS 365 plans, you’d still need to pay another $20 a month to get access to higher AI usage limits with the Copilot Pro subscription. Microsoft hasn’t made any updates about what’s happening with Copilot Pro, but it seems redundant and overpriced now that MS 365 Premium is available.

According to the company, Microsoft 365 Premium will get you access to GPT-5 and 4o, as well as AI agents including “Actions, Researcher and Analyst.” That’s directly comparable to OpenAI’s plan, which uses ChatGPT Agent’s instead of Microsoft’s. MS 365 Premium users will also be able to test new AI features as they’re available, but they won’t have access to OpenAI’s custom GPTs or Sora video generation.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-365-premium-aims-to-deliver-more-ai-value-than-chatgpt-plus-160008060.html?src=rss

The second-gen Apple Watch SE drops to a record-low price ahead of Prime Day

If, like me, you’re wondering how it could possibly be October already, perhaps you need a watch. Probably one with a calendar function. Strangely enough, there are some solid deals on several Apple Watch models right now ahead of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event. The second-gen Apple Watch SE with LTE connectivity has dropped to $189, which is a discount of $110 or 37 percent.

That’s a new record low price for this 40mm variant with a small/medium band. The discount applies to versions with an ink sport loop and denim sport band.

It’s worth bearing in mind that this deal is for the previous-gen model, which Apple released in 2022. The company started shipping the latest Apple Watch SE in September. That starts at $240 for a GPS and Wi-Fi model without LTE connectivity. The third-gen SE 3 is now our pick for the best budget Apple Watch. However, if you’re looking for a cheaper option for fitness tracking, at-a-glance notifications and, perhaps, quick access to a calendar, the second-gen SE is worth considering.

Several variants of the Apple Watch Series 10 are on sale on Amazon as well. This is last year’s version of the smartwatch, but it’s still plenty capable and it supports some of the same new features as the Series 11, such as sleep apnea detection and sleep scoring. You can pick one up for as little as $329.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-second-gen-apple-watch-se-drops-to-a-record-low-price-ahead-of-prime-day-162845138.html?src=rss

Alienware 16 Area-51 review: A fully retooled gaming mothership

Alienware is at its best when it makes no-holds-barred gaming machines that are big on style and performance. By reviving an iconic nameplate and combining it with an all-new design packing some seriously intergalactic vibes, the Alienware 16 Area-51 laptop is just that. Sure, it’s so big and heavy that you won’t want to move it around very often. And battery life be damned, because if you aren’t plugged in, you probably aren’t pushing those pixels hard enough. But if you’re in the market for a classic desktop-replacement gaming notebook with flagship specs and an unmistakable aesthetic, this rig represents a beastly return to form.

Design: A revamped spaceship

Alienware’s industrial design is so far out there that its systems have almost become a shorthand for gamer culture in movies and TV. But for this generation, I think the company has done a great job of creating something unique that’s also a bit more sophisticated than before. To start, there’s Alienware’s “Liquid Teal” paint job. It’s the only available color and in person, it looks more like the kind of deep emerald green you’d see on a car due to the way it shifts and shimmers depending on the light. As always, there’s Alienware’s classic logo in the middle of the lid, complete with customizable lighting. On the inside, there are nice touches like RGB-lit fans, punchy up-firing speakers and a clicky mechanical keyboard with deep travel that reminds you that if you aren’t using this system to frag some enemies every now and then, you’re probably doing it wrong.

The Area-51 laptop features mechanical switches with lots of travel and customizable RGB lighting for both its keyboard and touchpad.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

My favorite design element is the little window on the bottom of the laptop. At first, this seems like overkill, because just like men’s shoes, how often do you really look at the bottom of a PC? But if desktop PCs can have glass panels that show off the insides of the machines, why not laptops too? More importantly, Alienware’s raised Cryo Chamber (that’s its technical name) improves thermals thanks to increased airflow and a hidden exhaust that helps move heat away from critical components like the GPU. Even so, the vent’s placement means you’re still not going to want to use this on your lap for prolonged periods (especially while gaming). But as a feature that would normally be purely functional, Alienware’s solution is clever and stylish.

The Area-51 laptop’s only two ports that aren’t in the back are a microSD card reader and 3.5mm audio.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Of course, the downside to adding extra glass to an already hefty notebook is that it makes this thing even less travel-friendly. Weighing 7.5 pounds, the Alienware 16 Area-51 is actually closer to a typical 18-inch notebook like a Dell 18 Pro Max (7.2 pounds) than a similarly-sized non-gaming machine. On top of that, while the Area-51 offers a wealth of connectivity options (three USB-A, two USB-C and HDMI 2.1), most of its ports are in the back. That’s great for keeping cables tidy and out of the way, but they are a bit harder to reach, which reinforces the notion that you won’t be moving this PC around very much. I just wish Alienware had made room for a single USB-C port somewhere on either side. Having a full-size SD card reader and 3.5mm audio on the left is super handy for quickly transferring media or plugging in headphones, but it would have been nice to have one more spot for accessories like thumb drives so you could avoid fumbling around in the back.

Display: Bright and fast, but more choice would be nice

The Alienware 16 Area-51 laptop features a 16-inch 2,560 x 1,600 LCD display with 500 nits of brightness and a 240Hz refresh rate.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

The Alienware 16 Area-51 packs a 2,560 x 1,600 display with a 240Hz refresh rate, G-Sync support and 500 nits of brightness. In a vacuum, it’s a really solid panel. It has a matte coating to reduce reflections while still producing vibrant colors that look good even in sunny rooms. My only gripe is that for a flagship system, I would have liked to see some other display options.

For demanding gamers, or people planning to use the system for photo or video editing, a 4K screen upgrade (preferably an OLED one) would be a great option. Alternatively, with the Area-51 capable of accommodating up to an RTX 5090 GPU, a panel with a 300Hz or higher refresh rate could have been a nice choice for the hardcore competitive crowd. And sadly, even if you feel like upgrading to the 16-inch model’s bigger brother, there aren’t any additional display options available for that version either.

Performance: More cooling, more speed

The bottom of the Area-51 laptop is both functional and stylish thanks to its Cryo Chamber, which provides a view at the components inside while also improving heat management.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Our $2,800 review unit features an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU with 24 cores, 32GB of RAM, 2TB of SSD storage and an NVIDIA RTX 5080 GPU. Unsurprisingly, a loaded system like this had no issues handling games like Cyberpunk 2077. Even when using Ultra graphics presets at 1080p with ray tracing turned on, the Area-51 still hit 90 fps. Meanwhile, in Control, the Alienware fared even better at the same resolution and Epic settings when it reached 154 fps.

Thankfully, if you don’t have nearly $3,000 to burn, the Area-51 is rather configurable. A base model starts at a more affordable $2,000 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX chip, 16GB of RAM and an RTX 5060. On the other hand, if you want all-out performance, you can load this thing up with an RTX 5090, but doing so currently starts at $3,550.

Battery life: Don’t leave home without your power cord

Most of the Area-51 laptops ports are in the back which is great for keeping cables out of the way, but it can be annoying if you want to quickly plug in USB accessories like a thumb drive.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Peter Parker’s beloved Uncle Ben once said “With great power comes great energy draw” (or something like that), and the Area-51 is a perfect example of that. On PCMark 10’s Modern Office battery rundown test, Alienware’s laptop only lasted four hours and thirteen minutes. That’s more than three hours less than what we got from its predecessor — the m16 R2 (7:51) — and five hours less than last year’s ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (9:17). When I retested the ASUS only using its GPU (instead of automatically switching to onboard graphics), its time of 3:08 was worse. So when it comes to power-hungry portable gaming machines like these, if you plan on using them away from an outlet on a regular basis, you’d better make sure you have a portable charging solution on hand.

Wrap-up

Depending on the light, Alienware’s Liquid Teal paintjob can shift between emerald green, blue and several other colors.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Even though the Alienware 16 Area-51 might not be as portable as some of its rivals, it’s got a lot to offer. There’s a striking design, a nice screen (though more options would be nice), tons of ports and class-leading performance with plenty of configurability so you can dial in its specs exactly how you like. Granted, Alienware’s attention-grabbing space-age aesthetics might not be for folks who aren’t ready to be beamed up to the mothership. But aside from its short battery life and high price for well-equipped models, this system delivers pretty much everything you want from a flagship gaming laptop.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/alienware-16-area-51-review-a-fully-retooled-gaming-mothership-150000871.html?src=rss