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Add style to your gaming with the Phantom White Xbox One controller

If you’re sick of your Xbox One controllers being too opaque and mysterious, then you’re in for a treat. The Xbox Wireless Controller — Phantom White Special Edition is on the way, and it looks like it’s about to disappear into the netherworld.

Announced during the latest edition of Inside Xbox on Tuesday, March 12, the Phantom White Xbox One controller is the second controller in the “Phantom” line after the Phantom Black controller. The buttons, sticks, and directional pad are all a light gray or white color, and at the bottom of the controller there is standard white plastic. As you move up, it turns translucent, allowing the gold mechanic pieces underneath to show through. There are still textured grips on the back so your hands won’t slip during long gaming sessions, or if the controller decides it wants to fully ascend into the great beyond.

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“The design is the optimal blend of luxury and sci-fi, embodying a new slant on technical beauty,” Microsoft global product marketing manager Bree White said. “The controller reflects a sense of mystery with rich, neutral colors that fade away to reveal the technology inside.”

That’s a lot to take in for something you’ll barely look at while you’re actually using it, but it’s hard to deny that Microsoft denies some gorgeous controllers. Through the Xbox Design Lab website, you can fully customize your own personal controller, as well, changing the color of everything from the shell to the buttons.

As with other Xbox One controllers, the Phantom White version comes with a 3.5mm input and Bluetooth support, so you can use it on your PC. This will come especially in handy after Halo: The Master Chief Collection releases on the platform. It will be available piecemeal, beginning with the prequel Halo: Reach and ending with 2012’s Halo 4. Neither has been available on PC before, though the original Halo: Combat Evolved has been.

The Xbox Wireless Controller — Phantom White Special Edition will be available for pre-order for $70 from retailers around the world beginning on April 2, and in certain regions, it will come with a two-week trial to Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass.

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Claim these free 3DS and Wii U games before the eShop closes
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The eShops on the 3DS and Wii U will shut down on March 27, so players are splurging on great games that they want to pick up in the final days of each storefront's life span. If you can't drop any cash on games for these systems before then though, you're probably wondering what's available from them for free. For the most part, it's demos, as the 3DS and Wii U weren't really known for their free-to-play offerings. Even then, many of the available free-to-play games -- or "free-to-start" titles as Nintendo called them in that era -- won't have much use after the eShops cease game sales because most of their content is gated by microtransactions.

Some might be a little more time-consuming due to in-game timers and other microtransactions, but are still worth checking out regardless. If you're wondering what full games you can play on 3DS and Wii U for free ahead of the eShop storefronts' discontinuation on March 27, we recommend checking out the following six titles.
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Sonic Frontiers is getting a free update this week, including new modes
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Sonic Frontiers will receive its first of three planned updates on Wednesday, March 22. The free DLC -- dubbed Sights, Sound, and Speed -- has a load of new features, including Photo Mode, Jukebox, and new challenge modes.

Sega previously detailed its plans to support Sonic Frontiers in the long term last November, but it didn't share a timeline for when the updates were coming. Now that first wave is finally here, giving the game it's first significant update since it launched last year.

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Netflix expands its game lineup with new titles from Ubisoft and more
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Netflix is doubling down on its commitment to gaming. During a presentation attended by Digital Trends, the streaming service's games team teased four new titles. It highlighted how many games are in the works for Netflix as it continues to put its mark on mobile gaming and ramp up its efforts on its cloud gaming service.
The four games Netflix discussed were all from external studios. Following Valiant Hearts: Coming Home, Netflix is collaborating with Ubisoft again on the action roguelike Mighty Quest: Rogue Palace, which is based on the game Mighty Quest for Epic Loot and launches on April 18. 
Ustwo Games is bringing complete versions of both Monument Valley titles to Netflix in 2024, building on the partnership established with Desta: The Memories Between. Netflix also confirmed that it is working with Catalyst Black and Vainglory developer Super Evil Megacorp on a tie-in game for an unannounced Netflix IP.
Finally, Netflix confirmed that it is working with developer Nanobit on another game based on the show Too Hot to Handle. Their previous tie-in game for that show is the most popular Netflix game.

Netflix made it clear that it understands that people like games that tie into known franchises and that there are plenty of titles still in the works. Leanne Loombe, vice president of External Games, confirmed that Netflix is currently working on 70 games with external developers, in addition to 16 titles that are in "early ideation" at its internal studios. She explained that the ultimate goal is for Netflix to release batches of new games that appeal to a wide variety of gamers every month.
"It's going to require us to release a variety of different games and take some risks, and not everything we launch will be a hit," Loombe explained. "But everything is going to be a great opportunity for us to continue to evolve our strategy and also our approach around games to make sure that we're bringing those most-played games to our members."
In the near term, that means the focus will remain on mobile games that players download on the App Store and Google Play Store before authenticating them through Netflix. Loombs also reaffirmed Netflix's efforts to build a cloud gaming platform, albeit slowly and steadily.
"We are very early in that side of our journey, but we are very committed to making sure that games can be played wherever you have Netflix," Loombe said. "We do believe that cloud gaming will enable us to provide that easy access to games on any screen, be frictionless, and provide that accessibility into gaming experiences. But we do want to be super thoughtful about how we build that and how we bring it to our members, ... just like we're doing for mobile games, we will take it slow."
Don't expect Netflix to be an immediate competitor for Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo, but don't be surprised if it ends up becoming very relevant in the mobile and cloud gaming spaces in the future. 

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