Max, the newly rebranded version of HBO Max, is now available. Warner Bros. Discovery announced the updated streaming service in April, and while Max is suffering from some launch-day issues, you may be able to access it, depending on your platform of choice.
Whether you're wondering about how much it costs, what happens to your existing HBO Max subscription, what shows and movies you can expect to find on it, or something else, we've rounded up all of the key information about Max
It's different from HBO Max because it combines both WB content and Discovery content, so viewers can watch an episode of Game of Thrones and follow it up with the pure joy of watching Guy Fieri eat a lot of food the next. WB Discovery is promising improved performance, smarter recommendations, and new hubs within the next Max streaming service. Here's a trailer:
Sign up for Max
Gain access to original shows and movies for as low as $10/month
See more at Max
Here is a breakdown of the offerings:
Max Ad-Lite
$10/month or $100/year2 concurrent streams, 1080p resolution, no offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound qualityMax Ad-Free
$16/month or $150/year2 concurrent streams, 1080 resolution, 30 offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound qualityMax Ultimate Ad-Free
$20/month or $200/year4 concurrent streams, up to 4K UHD resolution, 100 offline downloads, Dolby Atmos sound quality
WB Discovery also confirmed that HBO Max subscribers will continue to have access to existing plan features "for a minimum of six months" following Max's launch on May 23.
All existing profiles, settings, watch history, and lists from current HBO Max plans will migrate to Max at launch. WB Discovery will send existing HBO Max subscribers an email soon with more details on Max and the transition.
Get ready for Max
WB Discovery is promising an average of 40 new titles and seasons each month to keep the catalog feeling fresh.
Some of the upcoming brand-new content for Max will include a new Harry Potter TV series, a new Game of Thrones prequel called A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, and a new Big Bang Theory TV show. There will also be a new Conjuring TV series and Rick and Morty: The Anime.
The company also said it has "significantly" increased its investment in the machine learning space to help users discover new content. It's not just AI that is doing this, though, as WB Discovery said Max will maintain an "editorial voice" as part of its blend of "unique human and machine approach" to surface the kind of content people want to see. Only time will tell if this actually works, though.
Additionally, Max will have a new kids profile option and parental control settings. With the parental controls, parents can limit the kind of content available to youngsters by choosing from the following: little kids (TV-Y), big kids (TV-Y7, TVY7-FV), big kids plus (TV-G, G), preteens (TV-PG/PG), or teens (TV-14, PG-13). Additionally, parents can set profile PINs to lock their adult profiles.
What's more, Max will have a simplified navigation system that aims do the heavy lifting "so viewers don't have to." Members can expect streamlined categories, better content detail pages, shortcuts, and dedicated brand hubs.
Finally, Max will offer 4K UHD, but only at the most-expensive subscription tier. People who sign up for the $20/month Ultimate Ad-Free tier can watch supported content in 4K UHD. WB Discovery said all WB theatrical movies released in 2023 and going forward will be available in 4K UHD when they come to Max after their run in theaters.
More details on Max will be announced in the weeks to come, so keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.