Microsoft

Hands-on impressions of the Fable reboot at the Xbox FanFest London are surfacing. Players say the 60 fps performance mode on the Series X console delivers crisp, stable visuals. Combat may not be a weak point either, with enemies reacting convincingly to attacks.

Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Pro 12-inch (2nd edition) 2-in-1 laptop powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus CPU for significantly faster local AI and GPU performance. The fanless tablet PC can be ordered with an optional 5G cellular module for Internet access while on the road. Sep 25, 09:31 PM GMT update: Added Notebookcheck's hands-on video.

Microsoft has tasked Activision with making a new Halo game following development struggles. However, according to a report, Halo Studios leader Pierre Hintze hopes to remain a factor. The executive had concepts for more remakes and a 7th entry, but those plans are now in flux.

Once again, it has been reported that GTA 6 pre-orders on the PS5 heavily outnumber those on Xbox. This time, it comes straight from within Xbox, despite what the company previously claimed.

Microsoft confirms September's KB5124012 and KB5124008 updates broke Always On VPN connections using automatic IKEv2/SSTP protocol fallback. Here's the workaround.

Microsoft cuts 268 Xbox jobs, hands the next Halo game to Activision, merges Playground with Turn 10, and proposes closure of Ninja Theory amid wider studio reset.

Windows 11 KB5124010 adds Copilot key remapping, Emoji 17.0, and File Explorer fixes, but brings two major bugs. Here is what is new and how to fix all the errors.

Hideo Kojima predicts Physint, now backed by Xbox after Sony withdrew funding, could become his best-selling game when it launches sometime after 2030. Kojima said he was shocked but immediately returned to work, with the project’s plot, design, and storyboards complete and 3D character modeling underway.

The next Halo game will come from Call of Duty publisher Activision. Xbox has announced the next phase of its reset, and it includes major rearrangements, putting Halo in the hands of a purpose-built team within Activision.

Microsoft confirms File History backups are silently failing after September 2026 Windows updates. Here's what is affected and how to check your system for errors.

CD Projekt Red has confirmed that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered will support Xbox Play Anywhere at launch on September 29, 2026, granting existing Xbox owners a free Windows PC copy with synchronized saves. The Microsoft Store version in Japan will also become the studio’s first PC release to receive a CERO Z rating, without affecting editions sold through Steam, GOG, or the Epic Games Store.

A new report has revealed that Microsoft’s original plan for digitization was quite consumer-friendly. However, we may have progressed too far in the other direction to return to those plans.

Recently, reports about changes to Xbox Game Pass have been circulating, and they suggest the removal of cloud streaming as well as day-one games. However, that might not be entirely true, as industry insiders point out.

In a recent podcast, serial leaker Moore's Law Is Dead and critic Gene Park explained how Xbox can turn things around with the next-gen Xbox Helix. The duo highlighted that Xbox should ensure console exclusives and games specifically optimized for Xbox Helix.

Microsoft's out-of-band KB5129195 update fixes Remote Desktop, Hyper-V folder-sharing, and USB audio bugs from September's Patch Tuesday, plus a SYSTEM privilege flaw.

A rumor describes how Microsoft could revamp Xbox Game Pass tiers dramatically. A leaker with a track record of success learned that day-one games may disappear in 2027. In addition to a cheaper ad-supported plan, Xbox Cloud Gaming would become a paid add-on.

Microsoft's September security update stops Excel from pasting. The command fails without a beep and without an error message, and the destination cell stays empty. Microsoft added the bug to its own update description on September 10 and says it is still researching the cause. Excel 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024 are affected.

A clearer picture of why Sony abandoned a Hideo Kojima project is emerging. A Bloomberg article claims that spiraling budgets and missed deadlines prompted PlayStation to drop Physint. After embracing PS5 exclusive games, the lack of an SIE-published PC version would also have hurt revenue.

Microsoft's September 2026 Patch Tuesday fixes major exploited Windows zero-days and rolls out new taskbar, Start menu, and search options for Windows 11.

Forza Horizon 6 launched for Xbox and PC back in May this year, and it was said to be released on the PS5 within the year. It’s now looking like a delay is more than likely, and it could come to the PS5 around its one-year anniversary.

Microsoft has unveiled Project Zenith, a developer-focused Windows 11 configuration built around local AI workloads. It mandates high-end unified-memory systems, and the devices will use AMD's Ryzen AI Halo platform.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma says the next-generation Project Helix will launch as a “family of devices,” suggesting a tiered lineup similar to the Xbox Series S and X. Microsoft has confirmed AMD-powered hardware supporting Xbox and PC games but has yet to disclose pricing, release timing, or disc-drive options.

The BBC questioned Xbox CEO Asha Sharma about the multiplatform status of The Elder Scrolls 6. At Gamescom 2026, Asha Sharma refused to confirm whether it will launch on the PS5, PS6, or Switch 2. As an exclusive, the Bethesda title would drive Xbox console adoption, but also impact game sales.

Windows 11 26H2 has entered the final testing stage ahead of its public release. The update will not bring any new features, but it will reset the support cycle and should arrive as a simple one-restart update for existing 25H2 users.

Xbox's CEO is well aware of the mess console pricing is in right now and wants to shift focus to affordability. The narrative comes at a time when Xbox is already cutting costs on the game development side of the business.

Despite Undead Labs' separation from Xbox, the long-awaited zombie survival sequel is still targeting 2027. It will reportedly enter closed beta testing before the end of 2026.

Microsoft’s Project Positron converts supported Xbox One and Series X game discs into account-linked digital licenses but requires a console with a disc drive and currently excludes Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles. While the initiative strengthens access through Xbox Play Anywhere and cloud gaming, its limited scope undercuts Microsoft’s claims of broad game preservation where such preservation may be needed most.

Price is proving no obstacle for gamers hunting for the $899 Xbox Series X 25th Anniversary console. With pre-orders not satisfying demand, eBay scalpers are reselling the system for as high as $2500. The X25 Special Edition controller is also scarce, leading to eBay closings of $130-150.

Latest information about Forza Horizon 6’s PS5 launch comes as bad news for those waiting to play the game on their Sony console. An insider has reported that the game might not launch this year.

A hidden Windows 11 maintenance task is deleting Nvidia GPU drivers on Asus laptops after 15 days in Eco Mode. Learn how pnpclean.dll causes the bug and how to fix it.

Strings in the Link to Windows app reveal Microsoft is building remote power controls into Phone Link, allowing users to lock, sleep, restart, or shut down a paired PC.

A new problem threatens disc support on the PS6 and Project Helix. With demand for physical games and Blu-ray movies falling, optical drives for consoles are in shorter supply. Despite launching its disc-to-digital program, Microsoft reportedly is still considering other solutions.

Xbox dropped the official story trailer for Gears of War: E-Day at Gamescom 2026! Watch young Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago fight the Locust Horde on October 6.

Microsoft is testing a new Windows 11 feature that lets users reserve portions of unified memory for graphics and AI workloads. It could be especially useful on systems such as AMD Strix Halo and Nvidia RTX Spark, where very large shared-memory pools can already be allocated to the integrated GPU.

Double Fine has regained the intellectual property and publishing rights to Psychonauts 2, Keeper, and Kiln following its split from Microsoft, allowing game revenue to flow directly to the independent studio. After cutting 23 jobs, the developer is also preparing an Amnesia Fortnight Kickstarter campaign to fund its next commercial project.

Microsoft has traced gaming crashes caused by the latest Windows 11 update to software associated with RGB devices. The issue affects three games so far, with affected systems potentially freezing, crashing or even rebooting. Microsoft is still working on a permanent fix.

China plans to drop Windows earlier than planned in favor of Linux for some government bodies. The move comes as part of China's broader push to reduce dependence on foreign products and services, especially those of US origin.

Microsoft has released a standalone Windows 11 utility that pushes Bing as the default search engine in Chrome, Firefox and other browsers. The tool installs a Bing extension and encourages users to keep Microsoft's search engine enabled.

Employees who once planned to retire at Bethesda say Microsoft's ownership brought something the studio had never had before: annual layoffs. The revelation comes as Microsoft indicates it plans to axe another 3200 positions linked to its Xbox business.

Activision has released detailed system requirements for the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta. Along with the minimum and recommended system requirements, the publisher has also announced a new shader pre-loading feature to go with its TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirements for anti-cheat software.

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.