Microsoft’s new Anthropic partnership brings Claude AI models to Azure
Microsoft is announcing a strategic partnership with Anthropic today that will bring the AI startup’s models to Microsoft Foundry for the first time. As part of the deal, Anthropic is also committing to purchasing $30 billion of Azure compute capacity and “to contract additional compute capacity up to one gigawatt.”
Microsoft Foundry customers will now be able to access Anthropic’s frontier Claude models including Claude Sonnet 4.5, Claude Opus 4.1, and Claude Haiku 4.5. Despite these models coming to Microsoft’s AI servers, Amazon will still remain Anthropic’s primary cloud provider and training partner.
Nvidia and Anthropic are also partnering today as part of this deal, to optimize Anthropic’s models for the best performance on future Nvidia architectures. Anthropic is committing to up to one gigawatt of compute capacity using Nvidia Blackwell and Vera Rubin systems.
As part of these partnerships, Nvidia is investing up to $10 billion in Anthropic, with Microsoft also investing $5 billion.
Microsoft’s deal with Anthropic comes just weeks after its OpenAI partner completed its for-profit restructuring and struck a new deal with Microsoft. The new deal with OpenAI extends Microsoft’s IP rights to models from OpenAI through 2032 and also includes post-AGI (artificial general intelligence) models. The potential for a declaration of AGI had been a sticking point in Microsoft’s OpenAI deal, but the pair have now agreed the milestone would be verified by an independent expert panel.
Microsoft and OpenAI have also relaxed the exclusive parts of their partnership even more, allowing OpenAI to collaborate with third parties and release open weight models. Microsoft also no longer has the right of first refusal to be OpenAI’s compute provider.
All of these OpenAI partnership changes have allowed Microsoft to pursue this deal with Anthropic. Microsoft has been increasingly embracing Anthropic’s models across its Copilot services in recent months. In fact, Microsoft has been favoring Anthropic’s Claude 4 over GPT-5 in its new auto AI model selector in Visual Studio Code. Microsoft also brought Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 to Microsoft 365 Copilot users recently.
The best Christmas gifts for gamers and movie lovers
Most of us in the Northern Hemisphere spend the holidays indoors, but you can only watch so many TikToks about cute cats and cooking hacks before the need for something a little more substantive kicks in. Choosing the right game or movie to gift is tough, though, especially if you don't have an exact read on what your friends and family like. And if you choose poorly, remember that you might also be on the hook to play or watch it with them.
That's why, this year, we made it our mission to find gifts that appeal to people with diverse interests across a wide price range. If you know an aspiring Dungeon Master or a Wes Anderson devotee, the …
I tested 15 cases for the Switch 2 and these are the best
Editor’s note: Black Friday doesn’t officially take place until Friday, November 28th; however, if you want to shop ahead of time, we’ve rounded up the best early Black Friday deals you can already get.
You might find it kind of sad to put your hard-earned Switch 2 into a protective case. To me, it’s freeing. Using a case relieves me of the worry that it will accumulate tons of little scratches, or worse. I’ve tested several types of cases on the Nintendo Switch 2 since its June 2025 debut, including flimsy shells that snap or slide onto the Switch 2 to provide a simple, aesthetically pleasing barrier from scratches to the console and its Joy-Cons. I’ve also tested carrying cases that protect the console when it isn’t in use.
It didn’t take long for me to find one that I think is the best, but that hasn’t stopped me from trying new options from brands that are familiar, as well as from companies that aren’t household names. There’s something for everyone — and every budget — below.
I just listed my high standards for form-fitting cases made to fit the Switch 2 while it’s in use. However, the bar for carrying cases is lower. They just need to protect the console and, ideally, provide some extra value, like a pocket for cables, cartridge storage, or ideally both.
As for my favorite case, I didn’t want to make any major compromises; I wanted one that’s just as good for handheld mode as when docked, which is why I think the Dbrand Killswitch is the best model overall. I published a full review of the Killswitch, but the skinny is that while it’s perhaps more expensive than some may hope to pay, the level of protection and versatility it offers is worth the cost.
The best Switch 2 case for both handheld and docked play
Dbrand Killswitch – Switch 2
Score: 8
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Where to Buy:
The least expensive Killswitch tier costs $59.95 and includes a set of Joy-Con 2 grips, a rear cover for the console and a small matching piece to adhere to its kickstand, all of which securely latch onto each component. It also includes one of Dbrand’s skins. There’s no piece of the Killswitch that feels like it’ll incidentally wiggle off.
Unfortunately, the protective case makes it impossible to fit the Switch 2 into the dock. However, Dbrand includes its workaround adapter that fits into the dock, essentially acting as an extender for it’s USB-C jack. It’s a fairly elegant solution that works as intended. The only downside is that it leaves your Switch 2’s screen exposed instead of concealed by the dock’s plastic wall. It’s a little clunky, but I’m willing to forgive it because it allows the Switch 2 to retain its docking functionality.
The tier I recommend for most Switch 2 players (especially those who will often throw their console into a bag) is the $79.85 “Travel” tier, which includes a semi-transparent cover that protects the front of your console when you aren’t using it. The cover fits around the front of your Killswitch-equipped console, securing around the back with a tough bungee cord latch. This tier also includes a pair of analog stick grips and a tray that holds 10 Switch cartridges and fits neatly within the travel cover. Dbrand is discounting its Ultra Killswitch kit for Black Friday, which includes all of the perks in the Travel tier, plus two tempered glass screen protectors. Normally $134.80, it’s $89.80 for a limited time.
When this guide was first published, Dbrand was in the midst of updating its Killswitch so that it wouldn’t allow the Joy-Con 2s’ magnets to break away without you pressing their release buttons. Basically, if you held your Killswitch-equipped Switch 2 parallel to the ground solely by either of the Joy-Con 2 controllers and give it a shake, the entire console portion was likely to detach, potentially causing serious damage to the console. Dbrand redesigned the Joy-Con 2 grips to fix the issue, and previous buyers can request a replacement free of charge. Future buyers will receive the Killswitch with the updated, improved grips. We’ve received the tweaked pieces and can confirm that they fix the issue.
Read my full review of the Dbrand Killswitch case for the Nintendo Switch 2
Runner-up
JSAUX Split Protective Case
Where to Buy:
The Jsaux Split Protective Case is an affordable alternative to Dbrand’s Killswitch, costing $29.99 but with many of the same characteristics. It includes two Joy-Con 2 grips that let you detach them from the system at will, and a transparent shell to clip around the back and the top and bottom edges of the Switch 2. Unlike the Killswitch, however, the Jsaux shell is so thin that the console can still fit into the dock. It also comes with a hard front cover that protect the screen during transit (or just for safekeeping), and it has storage for 10 Switch cartridges on its underside.
I’ve got minor qualms with Jsaux’s case, which I can overlook given its low price (and may not be an issue for you, anyway); the Joy-Con 2 grips are smaller, and don’t add as much bulk or grip as Dbrand’s Killswitch, but they’re still serviceable. Also, its build quality isn’t as good (for instance, on my review unit, there was a little bit of warped plastic that looks like a raised eyebrow near the power and volume buttons, though it’s hard to say if this affects multiple units).
Lastly, the design of its Joy-Con 2 grips exhibit the same edge case issue that Dbrand’s model initially faced before it issued a free fix to all owners. If you hold the Switch 2 by either Joy-Con and shake the console’s full weight downward, the force may be enough to completely detach it, sending the console down to the ground. In my testing, it was really difficult to get the Switch 2 to fall, so this hopefully shouldn’t impact many people, but it’s worth mentioning nevertheless.
The best carrying cases for the Switch 2
Tomtoc’s FancyCase Slim case has recently become my favorite Switch 2 zip-up case. Starting at around $33 and going up to $39 depending on the style that suits you best, it’s not the most affordable option. But it’s worth the cost if you want better protection than either the PowerA or Belkin cases below can provide. It has less give in its middle section by comparison. Another thing that sets it apart are the bulbous sections on the outer cover, which offer more vertical clearance above the Joy-Con 2’s analog sticks, ensuring they don’t get pressed while your console’s inside. Oh, and it includes color options that look like ice cream sandwiches.
The FancyCase Slim case is the best option I’ve tried not just for durability but also for a dash of style. That said, it’s short on other perks to justify the price. While Belkin’s Switch 2 carrying case features a pocket for storing microSD Express cards, a cable, or any other small trinket like an AirTag to track its location, the only thing inside of this one is a soft screen-protecting flap that can hold 12 Switch cartridges on the other side.
Runners-up
WaterField Designs has been making tweaks to its beloved, but pricey CitySlicker case for every major handheld to come along. For fans of the case, or those who are looking for a more premium option, the $129 Switch 2 version doesn’t change what isn’t broken. The City Slicker hugs the console’s curves closely enough to ensure a snug fit with a fleece interior, flanked by two pockets for cables and small accessories — one in front of where the Switch 2 sits, and one behind it. There’s a larger zip-up mesh pocket on its back.
High-quality materials set this case apart from the others on this list, and unsurprisingly are what drives up the cost. It features leather on the flap covering the system and around the front of the case. For the secondary material, you have the option of waxed canvas or ballistic nylon. If you want your Switch 2 to sleep in style, this would make for a great gift to yourself or to another game. However, the City Slicker likely won’t protect your console as much as a tougher zip-up or cover case can. Not to mention, you may prefer a case with more cartridge slots than the five that are punched out of this case’s luxe leather.
Power A’s slim zip-up case for the Switch 2 is a simple and inexpensive way to keep your console safe when you aren’t using it. It’s not a hard case, so it won’t survive catastrophic damage, but it’s a fine choice if you don’t want to add a bunch of heft. To that end, it’s one of the slimmest cases that I have tried.
At just $19.99 (half the cost of Nintendo’s official carrying case), baseline protection alone would be sufficient, but it offers safe storage for up to 10 Switch cartridges, too. The cartridge holder has a soft bottom that protects the screen, and it can also fold into a tent, allowing the Switch 2 to rest against it (the Switch 2 already has a kickstand for this).
This case doesn’t suffer from a negative trait that’s common among other slim cases (some of which are pricier than PowerA’s): being able to press on the Joy-Con 2 joysticks from the outside. Other cases might allow your Switch 2 to suffer some joystick damage unbeknownst to you, but not this one, as well as the others included in this section.
For $10 more ($29.99), Belkin’s slim case is better-looking than PowerA’s and is made with better materials. It has a carrying strap, a large mesh pocket, and a secret compartment for an Apple AirTag or similar Bluetooth tracker, all of which the PowerA case lacks. Belkin’s case can carry 12 cartridges, and it’s only slightly thicker than the PowerA case, likely to compensate for whatever cables or small gizmos you might stuff into its pocket. It features deep grooves to fit the Joy-Con 2’s triggers, and its outer shell it tough enough to prevent most accidental presses on the joysticks. It comes in dark gray, cream, and a fun green shade.
Belkin sells a $69.99 version of its slim case that features everything above and includes a 10,000mAh 20W battery for keeping the Switch 2 charged while it’s inside the case. The company says the battery can fully charge the console 1.5 times. The battery results in a thicker case, and its bespoke compartment only holds the specific Belkin model that’s included, so you won’t be able to swap in a different, faster-charging battery. Neither of those may be deal-breakers for you, but are worth keeping in mind.
The best grip case for the Switch 2’s handheld mode
The Killswitch is the best case for handheld mode because it allows you to remove the Joy-Con 2 controllers and includes an adapter to easily connect to the dock. Plus, it offers kickstand access.
If you don’t ever plan to connect your Switch 2 to its dock or detach its Joy-Cons, or it’ll be a rare occurrence, you might pick an all-in-one shell that fits completely around the console. It will protect every angle of your Switch 2 from dings and scratches, and may even keep it safe in the event of a drop.
The $29.99 Spigen Rugged Armor is a suitable option. It fits around nearly every nook of the Switch 2, leaving access to its headphone jack, USB-C ports, and speakers (it doesn’t cover up the air vents either because that’d be silly). It gets bonus points for fitting around the edges of the Joy-Con 2 while providing more pronounced grips, which may be a boon for those who experience hand or wrist pain while holding the console in handheld mode. However, as noted, you’ll need to remove the case in order to install the Switch 2 into its dock.
Spigen Rugged Armor for Nintendo Switch 2
Where to Buy:
Update, November 18th: Verified prices and stock for products mentioned in this post, and added a new Black Friday deal for the Ultra tier of Dbrand’s Killswitch.
Disclosure: In 2023, The Verge collaborated with Dbrand on a series of skins and cases.
It’s not your job to fix the internet
The concept of enshittification, as coined by the author and activist Cory Doctorow, just feels right. Whether you're searching on Google, shopping on Amazon, or scrolling on Facebook, large platforms often feel like they're not trying to bring us value so much as extract every bit of value they can out of us. It wasn't always like this, was it? Can we get it back?
On this episode of The Vergecast, Doctorow has an answer: no, it wasn't always like this, and yes, we can get it back. Doctorow's new book, Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It, is filled with explanations about how large, successful, once u …
Zoox will let public riders use its robotaxis in San Francisco
Zoox is getting closer to a full launch of its robotaxi service in San Francisco. Last month, the Amazon-owned company started allowing select riders to hail its toaster-shaped, four-passenger vehicles for the first time. And today, Zoox is finally inviting members off its public waitlist, which it calls “Zoox Explorers,” to do the same.
The gradual launch of the company’s robotaxi service is notable, because Zoox is one of the few companies to offer rides in a fully driverless, purpose-built autonomous vehicle that lacks a steering wheel, pedals, sideview mirrors, or other controls typically associated with human driven vehicles. And while its service in Las Vegas is limited to just a handful of pickup and dropoff locations, Zoox said its vehicles will offer more dynamic, “point-to-point” travel within its designated service area in San Francisco.
The experience sounds like it will be similar to Waymo: customers are able to hail a ride anywhere within Zoox’s service area, which includes most of the SoMa, Mission, and Design District neighborhoods. As a point-to-point service, riders can select their own destination, enter a street address, drop a pin, or select from a list of suggested points of interest. Walking directions to their final destination will be provided if needed.
Zoox has a fleet of “about 50 robotaxis” across both San Francisco and Las Vegas, said spokesperson Marisa Wiggam, who also declined to disclose the number of people on its waitlist. Interested customers can join the waitlist through the company’s app.
The rides will be free, as Zoox is only allowed to operate its vehicles for demonstration purposes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Since the vehicles don’t comply with federal safety requirements around traditional controls, Zoox had to obtain an exemption from the government for these demonstration rides. It’s unclear when the company will be allowed to start charging riders for trips.
Wyze’s budget-friendly smart lock gets a Wi-Fi upgrade without a price increase
Wyze has announced a new version of its electronic door lock that features Wi-Fi, allowing it to be controlled remotely from anywhere using a mobile app or voice commands through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
The original Wyze Lock Bolt is currently featured in our smart lock buyer’s guide as the “best budget smart(ish) lock,” but with only Bluetooth connectivity, its functionality is limited. With the addition of Wi-Fi, the new Wyze Lock Bolt v2 offers more flexibility and peace of mind as you can ensure it’s locked while away from home or monitor who’s coming and going. It’s priced the same as the original at $79.98, too, and is now available through the company’s online store.
The Wyze Lock Bolt v2 carries forward an integrated fingerprint reader, which the company says can identify users and open the door in about half a second, while biometric data is stored locally on the device for added security. The keypad buttons on the original have been replaced with an illuminated touchpad covered in a scratch- and smudge-resistant layer of tempered glass. The lock can store up to 50 unique access codes and create single-use passcodes for guests that expire after a preset amount of time, and you can obscure the codes by tapping a series of extra digits before and after the correct one.
Battery life maxes out at up to eight months, slightly less than Wyze’s original Lock Bolt, which can operate for up to a year. There’s a USB-C emergency port that can be used to temporarily power the lock and gain entry should the batteries die while you’re away, and Wyze includes the option to use a physical key to unlock it if you don’t have a power bank and USB cable handy.
There’s a customizable alarm that will sound if someone attempts to tamper with the Lock Bolt v2 or if there have been too many unsuccessful attempts to unlock it. If you also own a Wyze video doorbell, you can integrate the two devices and unlock your door directly from the doorbell’s livestream.
Sony is taking $100 off its PS5 consoles for Black Friday
Sony is cutting the price of its PS5 consoles by $100 for Black Friday. Deals include a PS5 Digital Edition 825GB Fortnite bundle for $399.99 and a 1TB PS5 Fortnite bundle for $449.99 — both ship with exclusive Fortnite in-game content and 1,000 V-Bucks.
While the Fortnite bundles shave $100 off the regular price of the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition, Sony is also taking $100 off other PS5 console options, including the PS5 Pro. These deals will be available “in select regions” from Sony’s PlayStation direct store.
Sony also has deals on PS5 accessories and controllers for Black Friday. The PlayStation VR2 will get a temporary price cut by $100, and there are $20 or $30 discounts on headsets, earbuds, and controllers. If you sign up to PlayStation Plus during Sony’s Black Fridays promotions you’ll also get 33 percent off a 12-month subscription.
Hundreds of PS4 and PS5 games will also be discounted during the Black Friday period, with savings of up to 75 percent on some titles.
Sony’s temporary PS5 price cuts come just months after price increases. All PS5 models were bumped by $50 in August, after price hikes also hit PS5 consoles in the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand earlier this year.
Sony’s PlayStation Black Friday deals start on November 21st, with the console cuts available for an unspecified “limited time.” The promotions on PlayStation accessories also begin on November 21st, and finish on December 18th.
A massive Cloudflare outage brought down X, ChatGPT, and even Downdetector
Cloudflare, a networking company that provides DDoS protection and internet content delivery services for many companies around the globe, is recovering after a major outage that took down sites across the web. Users weren’t able to access X, ChatGPT, and even the outage-tracking site DownDetector on Tuesday morning, with some sites displaying an error message that said, “Please unblock challenges.cloudflare.com to proceed.”
Cloudflare posted an update to its status page at 9:42AM ET, saying: “A fix has been implemented and we believe the incident is now resolved. We are continuing to monitor for errors to ensure all services are back to normal.”
In a statement to The Verge, Cloudflare spokesperson Jackie Dutton says the company noticed a “spike in unusual traffic” to one of its services starting at 6:20AM ET, causing “some traffic passing through Cloudflare’s network to experience errors.” Dutton adds, “We do not yet know the cause of the spike in unusual traffic. We are all hands on deck to make sure all traffic is served without errors.” The company is also planning to investigate the cause of the unusual spike in traffic.
Other online services, including Indeed, Grindr, Uber, Canva, Spotify, NJ Transit, League of Legends, and Archive of Our Own, experienced issues during the outage, while digital outlets like Axios, The Information, and Politico also went down.
The Cloudflare outage comes less than a month after a huge Amazon Web Services crash took down Fortnite, Alexa, Snapchat, and other services, which was followed by issues at Microsoft Azure that brought Xbox offline for hours.
Steam Machine and Steam Frame: your questions answered
Valve is making a game console that might take on Sony and Microsoft. It's also making a gaming headset to compete with Meta. These are big, ambitious, and messy efforts, and we have lots of questions. So do you!
We've gotten a lot of questions about Valve's huge 2026 hardware push and entry into the console wars, and we're compiling the answers we've got so far. Some of them are direct answers to your subscriber questions in our AMA; thank you for paying our salaries!
So, let's start with…
What is a Steam Machine?
The Steam Machine is a specific living room gaming PC coming out in early 2026. It's not your typical Windows PC. The 6-inc …
Talking to Windows’ Copilot AI makes a computer feel incompetent
It's not hard to understand the AI future Microsoft is betting billions on - a world where computers understand what you're saying and do things for you. It's right there in the ads for the latest Copilot PCs, where people cheerfully talk to their laptops and they talk back, answering questions in natural language and even doing things for them. The tagline is straightforward: "The computer you can talk to."
"You should be able to talk to your PC, have it understand you, and then be able to have magic happen from that," Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi told us in October. "The PC should be able to act on your behalf."
And that has nothing on Micr …