Microsoft

Xbox confirms its Gamescom 2026 booth in Hall 7, Cologne, with 140 playable stations for 25 games including Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.

Researchers kept asking Microsoft Copilot why it could not run a command on its own. Mid-refusal, the assistant named the undocumented parameter that made it possible. One click on a link was then enough to read a victim's inbox, calendar and cloud storage. Microsoft closed the critical flaw on 18 August.

Microsoft is merging its two Copilot apps. Account migrations start on August 18, 2026, and three features do not survive the move: Deep Research, Podcasts and group chats. The replacement for Deep Research is Researcher, and that one sits behind Microsoft 365 Premium at $19.99 a month.

Windows 11 update KB5121003 triggers severe crashes in games like The Finals and ARC Raiders due to an inpoutx64.sys driver conflict. Broken HDR also reported.

Less than a year after launch, Microsoft is moving its animated AI companion, Mico, from the chatbot to the classroom. The move coincides with a merger of the consumer and Microsoft 365 Copilot apps, which begins rolling out on August 18.

A Windows kernel flaw was already being exploited by Lazarus hackers before Microsoft's August patch shipped. See which CVEs to prioritize this Patch Tuesday.

Microsoft's support page names four AI components inside a Copilot+ PC. Its own delivery list has nine, among them Semantic Analysis, Content Extraction and Image Search. Exactly one can be removed since late July, and Microsoft only turned it into a separate package on that very day. What really goes, what only switches off and what stays.

Following a new Xbox Elite Series 3 controller leak, gamers know more about the accessory. The suspected prototype includes an LCD display adjacent to the pairing button. Dual scroll wheels also appear, but it’s unclear if Microsoft introduced TMR technology to the thumbsticks.

Microsoft says a software update fixing the bug behind a 16-hour Xbox outage in late July is now rolling out and will become mandatory for all users by August 17, 2026. Xbox chief technology officer Scott Van Vliet said the outage was caused by a failure in a shared external licensing service compounded by a bug in the Xbox client software stack

Microsoft releases Windows 11 August 2026 Patch Tuesday (KB5121003). Explore new features for builds 26100.9165 and 26200.9165, including Windows Hello ESS support, File Explorer upgrades, and security fixes.

Microsoft has reportedly increased Windows licensing fees for PC manufacturers by 7–10% — a much larger hike than in previous years. The move could add further pressure to PC prices, which are already rising because of higher component costs.

A new report shows Windows 11's built-in Weather app can consume more than 1 GB of RAM. By comparison, Apple's native Weather app on macOS uses roughly five times less memory under similar conditions.

Your phone is gone. You still know the password, but the second factor lived on that exact device. We read the recovery procedures at Google, Apple and Microsoft, and the ones at 1Password, Bitwarden and Dashlane. All six come down to the same thing. Nothing can be set up after the fact, and at one provider the account is gone for good.

A disturbing pattern is repeating at Halo Studios in the wake of the Halo: Campaign Evolved release date. A producer and a project manager are leaving, amid rumors of dysfunctional leadership. With future Halo games in doubt, sales of the latest remake may not be meeting expectations.

A popular 360-era shooter looks headed to Xbox Game Pass in August. Microsoft's blog did not list Wolfenstein 3D in its upcoming lineup for the subscription service. Leaks suggest that more Xbox 360 games will appear on PCs through backward compatibility and emulation.

Linus Tech Tips ran a simple side-by-side comparison of RAM usage on Windows 11 and Linux. Unsurprisingly, Windows 11 is shown to use much more RAM for the same tasks as Linux. However, both systems never got close to exceeding their RAM buffers.

A publisher-facing roadmap has surfaced detailing Xbox's Disc to Digital rollout and expanded backward compatibility plans.

Xbox consoles are more expensive than some gamers in Europe anticipated. Microsoft’s price increase bulletin did not reveal that the disc-based Series X would cost €799.99. The PS5 now offers a superior value, while doubts are growing about the affordability of Project Helix.

Microsoft is preparing Windows 11 optimizations designed to improve performance on PCs with 8GB of RAM, targeting high idle memory use. The updates will roll out gradually, with broader improvements expected by the end of 2026.

Microsoft and Sony may have opposing ideas for the future of physical game discs. A Digital Foundry podcast revealed that Xbox was considering making backward-compatible media playable on Project Helix. The new Xbox console could lure protestors unhappy about a likely digital-focused PS6.

ZeniMax Online Studios has revised The Elder Scrolls Online’s roadmap following major Microsoft layoffs, delaying Update 52 and other planned content into 2027 while shifting its focus from fixed deadlines to quality. Game Director Nick Giacomini reassured players that ESO will continue, supported by closer collaboration with Bethesda Game Studios, with Update 51 now scheduled for September 28, 2026.

Microsoft’s planned Xbox Series X|S price increases reportedly will not prevent the company from losing roughly $150 per console, as surging memory costs squeeze already-thin hardware margins. The review examines how AI-driven chip demand is pushing prices higher across the gaming industry, reversing the traditional trend of consoles becoming cheaper over time.

A global Xbox Series X|S outage unexpectedly blocked some disc-based games, exposing a flaw in Microsoft’s offline entitlement system. Microsoft called the failure unacceptable and said it is developing a fix to ensure physical games remain accessible during future service disruptions.

Subscribers enjoy a steady stream of day one Xbox Game Pass games. Unfortunately, Microsoft may no longer be able to justify cannibalizing its own sales. A Forbes journalist suggests the Fable release date could coincide with the subscription service losing benefits.

Gears of War: E-Day releases on October 6 for Xbox consoles and PC. The multiplayer will bring two classic game modes, with key upgrades, with early access starting August 6.

Xbox as a business has been on a downward trajectory, but Microsoft’s CEO seems confident that the strategic decisions and changes will lead to growth. It’s going to be a challenging FY 2027 for Xbox in order to meet its ambitious goals.

Microsoft's KB5101684 preview update brings File Explorer unit fixes, more secure Windows Hello external fingerprint support, and Voice Isolation.

Steam compatibility would give Project Helix an advantage over the PS6. Unfortunately, the perk threatens to inflate the price of the new Xbox console. An insider believes that Microsoft may be reevaluating the hybrid approach to maximize revenue and lower costs.

Microsoft is linking Windows volume activation to the TPM chip. This led to reports over the weekend that pirated versions of Windows 11 would soon stop working. The blog post from July 22 does not say that. KMS servers in companies are affected, not individual computers. What was actually announced and when it takes effect.

Halo: Campaign Evolved player counts during early access may signal an unexceptional launch. New Xbox numbers show how far it trails Forza Horizon 6 ahead of its release date. Steam data is also middling, but account and connectivity issues have slowed Microsoft’s remake.

(Update: description of the event log flaw corrected) Passkeys are replacing the password, and Microsoft is making them the default from September. Security researcher Michael Grafnetter is presenting a family of attacks called Pass-the-Passkey at Black Hat. This follow-up explains cloud passkey versus hardware key, what the research found and how to close the most common password back door.

Anyone who searched for the Claude desktop app on Bing was sent by a paid ad to claude.ai, Anthropic's real address. The page waiting there was built by attackers and looked like the official download. 7,100 views, at least 29 organizations hit, and a trojan at the end that steals passwords and credit card data.

Retro gamers welcomed 4 OG Xbox selections accessible in Microsoft’s PC app. Dataminers have exposed this unique approach to backward compatibility. Using an Xbox 360 emulator to achieve the feat, players are anticipating titles previously locked to the console.

Xbox console and PC download speeds should get a long-awaited update soon, as indicated by the update release notes for the Alpha Skip-Ahead members from yesterday. Users should be able to reach the maximum ISP-allowed download speeds when downloading games from the Xbox Store.

Halo: Campaign Evolved Xbox and PS5 discs are booting sooner than anticipated. Collector’s Edition buyers are revisiting the classic shooter, despite a July 23rd early access release date. The review embargo also isn’t up, which had curtailed potential leaks for the Microsoft game.

Ahead of the multiplayer open beta for Gears of War: E-Day in August, Xbox will be showing off the game mode soon. It is known that the game is a prequel to the franchise and will be an Xbox exclusive.

Microsoft’s gaming systems experienced their best month for console sales in 2026. U.S. Circana data for June provides a glimpse at how consumers responded to the comeback for Xbox exclusive games. Buyers may also have acted before the August Series X|S price increase takes effect.

Xbox support may be in a worse state than gamers realize. As more supporters lose access to hacked accounts, it strengthens the argument against digital games. A new report highlights Microsoft’s failings to train agents, but the company is considering revamping the recovery process.

Microsoft didn’t unveil Positron as early as some rumors suggested. Even so, a reliable insider believes the disc-to-digital option for Xbox consoles will surface before July ends. With PlayStation under fire for dropping PS5 discs, the program would convert physical games to digital licenses.

Fans anticipating an onslaught of Halo games should prepare for disappointment. A leaker discovered that after the Halo: Campaign Evolved release date, the studio’s roadmap is barren. Besides the canceled multiplayer Project Ekur, other remakes and a new mainline addition are in jeopardy.

Microsoft has restored a 25-year-old account after its handling of a hacking incident triggered widespread online backlash. The case has highlighted concerns about digital ownership, cloud storage and whether users without a large public platform can secure effective support.

Microsoft is running a new promotion, thanks to which you can get the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones worth $458 for free when you buy a new Surface Pro or Surface Laptop. The promotion is live until July 31 and only applies to certain configurations.

Microsoft now offers its compact Surface Laptop 13.8 with the updated Snapdragon X2 Elite processors. The entry-level model with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD storage costs at least $1599, while the much lighter Asus Zenbook A14 with the faster X2 Elite SoC starts at $1349.

It’s unusual for a scheduled new Xbox Game Pass game not to arrive on time. That’s why the sudden removal of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 from the July lineup caused a scare. Microsoft has now explained that licensing issues are delaying the debut of the Activision title.

Microsoft has patched a critical flaw in the Copilot apps for Android and iOS. A malicious website could push commands to the AI through Microsoft Edge without the user noticing. It is rated 9.6 out of 10, and Microsoft says it was never exploited.

Streamer Joshua Khane recently posted on X, claiming that the company deleted both his Microsoft account and the OneDrive linked to it after it was hacked.

Microsoft's July 14 Patch Tuesday update brings Point-in-Time Restore, a redesigned pause updates feature, and the final Kerberos RC4 enforcement phase for Windows 11.

Prices for upcoming Xbox and PlayStation hardware may be more affordable than anticipated. One analysis believes that RAM costs will improve in time for the Project Helix and PS6 release dates. The new gaming systems will be vital to turn around the decline in console sales.

Microsoft is responding to the criticism and is fundamentally overhauling the search feature in Windows 11. In the latest Windows Insider preview version, the search box no longer displays ads, and is designed to find local search results, such as settings, apps, and files, much more reliably, rather than falling back on a web search.

Following criticism of the AI’s eavesdropping capabilities, Microsoft is adding a toggle switch to Teams meetings. Organizers and presenters can now turn Copilot, Facilitator, and Recap on and off in the middle of a conversation. The rollout is underway, with widespread availability planned by the end of July. There’s still a catch when it comes to transcription.