Microsoft

Voice actor Alix Wilton-Regan has revealed that Microsoft’s canceled Perfect Dark reboot had reached advanced development, with whole motion-capture chapters and key milestones completed before funding was abruptly pulled. Her account underscores how deeply the project was underway and how sudden Xbox’s wider wave of studio closures and layoffs felt to those working on the game.

Physical disc owners have more reason to avoid the digital gaming age. Complaints continue about hackers compromising Microsoft accounts filled with Xbox games. Even if gamers can prove their identities, they may need to start from scratch and repurchase every title.

Fewer third-party studios are committing to Xbox consoles while turning down the PS5. Aniimo is bucking that trend after announcing that it’s an Xbox exclusive game. Putting a different spin on Pokémon and Palworld, the title has unique elements that have piqued curiosity ahead of its release date.

John Romero has revealed that his cancelled, big-budget Microsoft-backed FPS has been reborn as a smaller-scale indie shooter that repurposes about $50 million worth of prior work into a radically redesigned single-player project. Now free of AAA constraints, Romero claims the game’s experimental mechanics aim to deliver a fresh experience he likens, in terms of innovation rather than genre, to the transformative impact of Elden Ring.

Even as console and Game Pass prices rise, new first-party Xbox games remain at $70 or less. In a Variety interview, a Microsoft executive explains why the company has avoided higher software prices. Xbox is exploring other ways to profit from game sales after purchases.

Backward compatibility is a major advantage of owning Microsoft’s gaming systems. Unfortunately, the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds and other new Xbox consoles may struggle with Windows limitations. A respected leaker claims that Microsoft is exploring ways to ensure more Xbox 360 games are playable.

After a release date price hike, the ROG Xbox Ally wasn't tempting enough for some buyers. However, with a discount of over $100, it’s a better match for the Steam Deck OLED or Legion Go S. For much less than the ROG Xbox Ally X, the gaming handheld runs a vast collection of Windows titles.

Recently, when Microsoft contacts gamers, it’s often about products and services becoming more expensive. In this case, lucky individuals are being sent free Xbox gift card codes. The company has made a series of scrutinized decisions to raise the price of Xbox consoles and Game Pass.

Microsoft's ugly sweater is back and now available in an Xbox edition that should pair nicely with the Xbox Crocs. The sweater also comes in Zune and Artifact editions.

An insider believes The Game Awards will showcase a new Diablo 4 expansion. Still, with some gamers more excited over a potential Half-Life 3 reveal, Blizzard may have other news to share. The company hasn't released a Switch 2 game, but the demonic action RPG may soon land on Nintendo’s console.

Windows 11 users are reporting a curious bug: the password sign-in icon may vanish from the lock screen after recent updates — even though the button is still there, just invisible. Microsoft says a fix is on the way, but for now you’ll have to click on empty space to log in.

A newly discovered variant of the ClickFix malware masquerades as a critical Windows Update, using a fake full-screen update prompt to trick users into pasting a malicious command that grants attackers administrative access. Huntress researchers found that the malware leverages hidden code in PNG pixel data to deploy powerful infostealers like Rhadamanthys and LummaC2, targeting credentials, financial data, and crypto wallets primarily via booby-trapped adult websites.

Despite a 10-year agreement in place, Activision hasn't released a Call of Duty Switch or Switch 2 game. A job listing could finally signal the return of the shooter franchise to a Nintendo console. Sledgehammer Games is hunting for a Senior Technical Artist with experience on handheld platforms.

An October Windows update crippled performance in titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows. A Digital Foundry benchmark demonstrates how a patch for the 24H2 and 25H2 versions sent frame rates plummeting. An Nvidia driver update corrected the problem, but frustration about gaming issues in Windows 11 persists.

Microsoft brings the Xbox Full Screen Experience to Windows 11 PCs, giving laptops and desktops a console-style interface designed for controller use.

The already high Xbox Series X price may inflate even further. Moore’s Law Is Dead reveals that Microsoft is warning partners that RAM shortages will force another increase. Sony is less likely to change the PS5 price, as it has amassed an emergency supply of GDDR6 SDRAM.

Microsoft used its Xbox Full Screen Experience to convince console fans to purchase the ROG Xbox Ally. Sooner than anticipated, the Lenovo Legion Go 2 and other handheld gaming PCs are receiving the update. The gaming-focused UI reduces background bloat, but doesn’t always behave as advertised.

Microsoft has removed NDAs, streamlined ID@Xbox, its Insider Program, and updated its revenue model for indie developers in one fell swoop expected to lower the complexity and cost of doing business for publishers large and small on its platform.

Xbox’s Retro Classics has grown to 95 titles with the addition of seven 1990s Activision Blizzard games, including Blackthorne (Genesis and SNES ports), The Lost Vikings and The Lost Vikings 2 (SNES and PlayStation versions), RPM Racing and Rock n’ Roll Racing — now available to all Game Pass tiers, including Essential.

There are more indications that a new Xbox Partner Showcase will surface very soon. After a report that the show would happen in November, a popular leaker anticipates an announcement. The event may focus on third-party Xbox games with Play Anywhere support, like the Silent Hill 2 remake.

Microsoft expands Flight Simulator 2024 with a fictional part of the world. The new add-on costs $20 and adds the Jurassic World to the well-known flight simulation.

While Age of Empires IV: Dynasties of the East has mixed reviews on display, many of them indicate that players are fascinated by what they feel is a fresh take that boosts replayability for the title considerably, even as some decry bugs that continue to plague it post-release.

Microsoft has updated the Xbox GDK and added several features that suggest the next-gen Xbox will be a hybrid console. There are updates to existing features and net new features that will help developers create a more seamless experience for players.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's director Daniel Vavra, took to X to provide what many might find to be a scathing review of Obsidian's The Outer Worlds 2, ranking it 7 out 10 as part of his feedback.

Even with a growing library of titles, Microsoft appears envious of some PS5 exclusive games. An Xbox Insider Hub survey asks gamers for their opinions of Ghost of Yotei. Future Xbox consoles could support PS5 PC ports, further blurring the lines between the platforms.

A World of Warcraft console release looks less likely after an interview with its senior game director. He explains that attempts to simplify the MMO don’t signal wider platform support. Gamers speculated that The World of Warcraft: Midnight expansion has changes aimed at the next Xbox console.

Fans are digesting the first hands-on impressions of the improved Xbox Cloud Gaming. Videos show demanding open-world titles like The Witcher 3 streaming smoothly at 1440p. Available in the pricier Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the performance is comparable to some GeForce Now plans.

The Outer Worlds 2 developers have responded to complaints over problematic PSSR upscaling. Many PS5 Pro Enhanced games display noisy images as a result of the technology. A new patch swaps PSSR with the TSR used by the Xbox Series X version, which doesn’t suffer from the same technical glitches.

Microsoft has rolled out its full-screen handheld mode to the MSI Claw through the latest Windows 11 Insider build, signalling a stronger push toward console-like experiences on Windows handhelds.

Microsoft may reintroduce older Xbox 360 games earlier than expected. Gamers spotted delisted titles with "coming soon" banners appearing on the Microsoft Store. There have been rumors about an Xbox 360 emulator benefiting Windows handhelds and a new Xbox console.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 developers expect to profit from Xbox Game Pass price increases. A leaker reports that as more gamers purchase the shooter, the studio will enjoy additional revenue. Subscribers now pay $29.99 for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which may lead to higher game sales.

An Azure-related outage knocked out Xbox Live sign-ins, matchmaking, and the Microsoft Store earlier this week, Microsoft says fixes have been rolled out, and services should be back to their ‘pre-incident state’.

The ultra-light Windows 7 build is an impressive technical feat, though it offers little in the way of practical functionality as it can not even run most applications on its own.

An optional October 2025 update for Windows 11 seems to have introduced a new bug that causes the Task Manager to create duplicate processes every time you close it. Microsoft has not acknowledged the bug yet, and it may cause issues with system performance.

Doom and Quake co-creator John Romero said Romero Games is in talks with multiple publishers to revive an unannounced AAA FPS after Microsoft abruptly withdrew funding in July, leaving the project in limbo.

Antenna data confirms that Game Pass sign-ups have declined since August 2024. Highly-rated Xbox Game Pass games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 resulted in a temporary influx of new memberships. Still, an investment adviser argues that Xbox price increases could boost the service as it evolves.

The Trump administration’s social post repurposing Halo imagery, which used an AI-generated image of President Donald Trump in Master Chief armor and a DHS/ICE recruitment graphic urging “Destroy The Flood,” has elicited different responses from the community and creators of the Halo franchise.

After the latest Microsoft earnings report, the state of Xbox hardware sales is predictably dire. The Q1 2026 fiscal data reveal another 29% decline in revenue. Game Pass experienced minor growth, but Xbox price increases have led some subscribers to cancel the service.

Microsoft executives have stated that the company remains invested in making first-party hardware. Even so, YouTuber Austin Evans suggests that many OEMs will manufacture the next Xbox console. The hybrid PC/consoles would offer multiple performance tiers, with varying prices and features.

Apple recently became the third company in history to cross US$4 trillion in market capitalization, thanks to better-than-anticipated iPhone 17 series sales and forward-thinking supply chain decisions.

Warner Bros. has launched a "For Your Consideration" awards campaign for A Minecraft Movie after its mammoth $957 million global box-office haul, targeting major categories including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.

After Halo: Campaign Evolved’s 13‑minute Silent Cartographer demo at the Halo World Championship 2025, former Combat Evolved designer Jaime Griesemer took to X to criticize changes. He focused most of his ire on the ability to steamroll Hunters in a Warthog, movable obstacles, and added trees, all of which he says wreck the pacing in the game.

Xbox’s president of game content and studios, Matt Booty, told The New York Times that it is pursuing a multiplatform strategy and now views competitors as broader entertainment like TikTok and movies rather than rival consoles, as Halo: Campaign Evolved and other former exclusives head to PS5.

At the Halo World Championship 2025 Community Stage, Halo community director Brian Jarrard wore a PlayStation t‑shirt while announcing that Halo: Campaign Evolved, a complete Unreal Engine 5 remake of the 2001 Halo: Combat Evolved, will launch as a day‑one release on PlayStation 5 in 2026.

Studios are increasingly hesitant to embrace platform exclusives. The No Rest for the Wicked director shunned Xbox exclusivity even before Microsoft changed its philosophy. Companies are struggling with higher development costs, making the PS5 and Switch too lucrative to ignore.

Bethesda’s Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition arrives on November 10, 2025, on PC, PS4/PS5, and Xbox One/Series (with a reported Switch 2 port in 2026) and bundles the base game with all six DLCs, 150+ Creation Club add-ons in a singular package for users who have yet to play the title.

The former Blizzard President is among the fans critical of Microsoft’s views on exclusivity. Mike Ybarra argues that these titles still can be a selling point for consoles. Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive games are only available on the handheld and have encouraged buyers to adopt the system.

A Bloomberg investigation reports that Microsoft finance chief Amy Hood had imposed a 30% profit-margin "accountability" target on Xbox in late 2023. The goal, which is nearly double the industry average, seems to have directly contributed to waves of subsequent layoffs and studio closures that have plagued its game divisions since

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer addressed upcoming hardware in a Famitsu interview. While the ROG Xbox Ally is made by Asus, another new Xbox console will be a first-party system. It will offer the revamped Xbox experience, which blurs lines between platforms and may not include exclusive games.

Not all gamers are welcoming the new Gaming Copilot AI features with open arms. It aims to boost skills, but relies on scanning recorded screenshots for training. Some Windows 11 users think the app is sending data to Microsoft without their consent while simultaneously degrading performance.