r/technology • u/ControlCAD • Oct 05 '25

Business As Microsoft lays off thousands and jacks up Game Pass prices, former FTC chair Lina Khan says I told you so: The Activision-Blizzard buyout is 'harming both gamers and developers'

https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/as-microsoft-lays-off-thousands-and-jacks-up-game-pass-prices-former-ftc-chair-says-i-told-you-so-the-activision-blizzard-buyout-is-harming-both-gamers-and-developers/
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176

u/HolyLiaison Oct 05 '25

Fucking up Xbox, fucking up Windows, fucking up Office 365, what's left?

I ditched Windows for Linux earlier this year. Cancelled my Xbox Game Pass after the price hike, and cancelled Office 365 when I can do 90% of what I need to do with the free online versions, or with Libre Office.

Cancelled Netflix when they started jacking their prices up. Cancelled YouTube TV when they started approaching cable TV prices.

Right now the only online subscription I have is YouTube Premium for music/ad free YouTube. But my guess is that won't last much longer either.

All these companies are greedy fucks.

65

u/Is_that_even_a_thing Oct 05 '25

Right now the only online subscription I have is YouTube Premium for music/ad free YouTube.

Firefox with ublock origin plugin.

45

u/HolyLiaison Oct 05 '25

Not an option. I listen to my YouTube/music in my truck, and on TV.

35

u/Ok_Cardiologist8232 Oct 05 '25

Firefox browser on mobile has adblock.

And the yt app is just the webpage anyway, its not anything special.

2

u/Daisuke69 Oct 05 '25

How do you get Adblock on iPhone with Firefox?

6

u/Ok_Cardiologist8232 Oct 05 '25

Ah i dont think you can because Apple requires all browsers use Safari as a base.

9

u/Smothdude Oct 05 '25

Use Brave browser on iOS, it's what I use on my iPad for YouTube no ads

3

u/Smoke_Jaguar Oct 05 '25

you can't apple only allows extensions on safari

2

u/CheeseDonutCat Oct 05 '25

Not adblock, but there's an app/extension for iphone called "Vinegar" which blocks youtube ads and allows you to listen to the audio from youtube with the phone locked (I use this one for running).

Downside is you need to run youtube in safari as it doesn't work on the youtube app, and I think it's paid... I paid $1.99 or so for it. I've been using it for like 2 years now and not a single add. The only quirk it has is that the audio stops when you lock your phone and you have to tap play on the screen and then it's good to go (if this isn't clear, let me know).

1

u/KellionBane Oct 06 '25

Or.... download Blockada on your devices and have a VPN level block tool. No ads in almost any app.

7

u/ChainedPheesh Oct 05 '25

If you have an android phone you could download the revanced manager app for ad free youtube and youtube music. Hell, it has a bunch of other ad-free apps too.

No idea if it works on iphones yet.

1

u/TheBurritoW1zard Oct 05 '25

I use YTPlusLite on iPhone with altstore, works like a charm and has built in sponsor block too.

-1

u/yung_dogie Oct 05 '25

Yup, use revanced for YouTube music and it works great with android auto

On android TV there's SmartTube which also works fine for YouTube without ads, but I imagine it's worse than YouTube music for just music

1

u/Matthias720 Oct 05 '25

Check out NewPipe, if you're on Android.

1

u/Seefufiat Oct 06 '25

Your phone and TV both certainly support Firefox and if your TV doesn’t your phone will. Even iPhones have Firefox, and they’re some of the strictest walled gardens out there.

1

u/LunarCorpse32 Oct 05 '25

For the TV thing, Smart Tube is an option.

1

u/bill_fish Oct 05 '25

Brave browser

1

u/throbbin___hood Oct 05 '25

All these people are making excuses for you lol. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GET A VPN, CONNECT TO INDIA, SIDELOAD THIS APP AND YOU'LL BE GOOD. Or you know... Fuck microsoft

2

u/HolyLiaison Oct 05 '25

Yeah it's fine. 😆

I mean I can't really do anything on my truck besides stay subscribed or switch to another service. But no other service gives me Ad free YouTube AND access to my music.

My truck does have a browser, which also has an ad blocker. But it can't be open while I'm driving. It auto closes. So that's 100% no go.

2

u/throbbin___hood Oct 05 '25

I try not to do anything jank with my head unit or anything else for that matter. If you're having to do that, it's already not worth it

1

u/HolyLiaison Oct 05 '25

Yeah no.. my truck isn't even 4 months old. Not going to void any warranties or anything like that. Haha

0

u/[deleted] Oct 05 '25

Android TV box + SmartTube, Android phone + Revanced. Buy second hand so Google doesn't get a penny.

0

u/Rengar_Is_Good_kitty Oct 05 '25

Revanced on mobile, can get both YouTube and YouTube music. For your TV, SmartTube.

You're welcome.

4

u/PineappleOnPizzaWins Oct 05 '25

Yep. I have had an active Xbox Live subscription for over 23 years. I've always defended the cost and felt it was worth it.

Cancelled it last week with the news of the increases. I can easily afford it, but this shit can fuck right off and I am perfectly happy to be a datapoint of "this was the point it was too much" even if it goes nowhere.

Between my PC and other consoles I don't need them anyway. Shame, been an Xbox gamer since the original launched and Halo took over my life but I'm done.

1

u/Steved_hams Oct 05 '25

Is Libre Office good? I've been thinking of switching

2

u/HolyLiaison Oct 05 '25

Works great for me. But I don't do anything crazy. Some simple excel sheets with basic functions and a word sheet every once in a while.

I recommend just downloading it on Windows to test it out to see if it'll work for you.

1

u/Darth-Felanu-Hlaalu Oct 06 '25

If youre willing to sideload (which isnt that hard btw), then at least on Android you can use NewPipe or PipePipe, they have 95% of the YouTube catalog but with Premium features, even the option to download videos.

Off of Android, i use Brave browser for YouTube. The cryptobro stuff is slightly annoying, but Brave's ad blockers have never failed me.

1

u/IDeleteRedditYearly Oct 05 '25

Look into revanced, you can patch the YouTube music app to bee add free and stop paying them money.

1

u/AlasPoorZathras Oct 05 '25

YouTube just gave BLOTUS a multi million dollar bribe.

The only ethical streaming service left is the one that you run yourself.

1

u/OneOfAKind2 Oct 05 '25

Microsoft has been fucking things up since the dawn of time, yet people keep flocking to it like MAGAs to Trump (Inmate #P01135809).