Pocket-lint daily - Xbox buying Activision, Garmin Fenix 7, and more

Good morning! By Stuart Miles | Wednesday January 19 2022 Good morning! - If you're enjoying the email, why not get a friend to sign up too, so they can also be in the know? Get them to [sign up here.]( Xbox buying Activision Blizzard in $68.7 billion gaming deal Activision What's happened? Xbox's parent company, Microsoft, has [agreed]( to buy Activision Blizzard for a whopping $68.7 billion, approval pending. Why does it matter? Some of the biggest franchises in the world will soon be under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella, including Call of Duty, Warcraft, Overwatch, Candy Crush, even Pitfall. What's my take? This has come out of nowhere, with an increasingly tattered reputation and subsequently battered stock price allowing Microsoft to snap up Activision Blizzard on the "cheap". My belief is that Xbox will gut the cultural rot, maximise on the huge back catalogue for its Game Pass offering, and make sure Call Of Duty continues to deliver across all platforms to bring in the cash. But, I also think it's not just about Xbox. Games Pass, which now has some 25m monthly subscribers, could well become the default platform for gaming regardless of the platform you play it on. That is a much more lucrative end-game when you start to factor in the billions of potential customers. So, this is a very calculated and potentially game changing acquisition (if successful) that will have huge ramifications on gaming for years to come. It could be the beginning of a very interesting chapter for Xbox. Garmin Fenix 7 adds touchscreen, built-in torch and more outdoors adventurer features Garmin What's happened? Garmin's Fenix range been refreshed for 2022, in the form of the [Garmin Fenix 7](. Why does it matter? There are a heap of options to cater for all specifics, with the Fenix 7S, Fenix 7, and Fenix 7X each available in 'standard', Solar, and Sapphire Solar editions What's my take? The Garmin Fenix range is incredibly popular and we've been waiting for the latest to arrive at Pocket-lint for some time. The good news is that it's finally here. The bad is that there are so many variations and nuances over the previous Fenix 6 range that you might find yourself scratching your head trying to understand which is best for you. It's not just Garmin that is slowly increasing its line up of late, of course, attempting to cater for all tastes and all options. So, the days of one size fits all seem to be far behind us. - Compared: [Garmin Fenix 7 vs Fenix 6 - What's the difference - including Pro, Solar and Sapphire]( Chicory - A Colorful Tale review: Absolutely perfect for Nintendo Switch Finji What's happened? Chicory is all about painting and presents a lovely little story about self-belief. Our quick verdict It was great on other platforms, but the Switch feels like the best place to catch Chicory now. We thoroughly recommend that you check it out and experience its lovely story about mistakes and self-confidence. [Read our review.]( In Case You Missed it The developer of an unrelated, five-year-old app called [Wordle]( donates his unexpected jackpot to charity. --- Sony opens [PS5]( order registration. --- Save 20% on [HBO Max]( starting at $7.99 a month, instead of $9.99. That's for a 12 month plan where you'll save $24 on the streaming service with ads, or $36 on the ad-free version at $11.99 (was $14.99). From The Gear Loop Garmin Garmin Fenix 7 review: A new Fenix rises. [Read more](. And finally... Pocket-lint We used Nvidia's AI art tool to create these landscape views. [Find out how we got on.]( Have you checked out our weekly podcast that comes out every Friday? It's packed with news, interviews, and top things to get. You can subscribe to the Pocket-lint Podcast via [iTunes]( and [Spotify]( or access it on the web via [Acast](. This week, we get the low down on the OnePlus 10 Pro, review the Amazon Echo Show 15, and talk to the president and CEO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance about the smart home. [Listen to the new episode today.]( Thanks for reading , if you're enjoying the email, why not get a friend to sign up too, so they can also be in the know? Get them to [sign up here.]( [The Trust Project][Why you can trust Pocket-lint]( Copyright © 2022 Pocket-lint, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website Our mailing address is: Pocket-lint PO Box 4770Ascot, Berkshire SL5 5DP United Kingdom [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](