Tag: Microsoft
News Xbox Talks Sustainability Efforts As Rare's New 'Solar-Powered Studio' Is Unveiled
Earth Day 2024 brings new Xbox innovations
As part of Earth Day 2024, Microsoft has broken down a number of new initiatives going on at Xbox right now - including a brand-new "solar-powered studio" at Sea Of Thieves developer Rare. This new studio, also known as 'Barn X', opened last year - and it's since been "certified LEED GOLD for its design...
News Xbox's Latest BOGOF Sale Includes Some Best-Ever Deals On Rockstar Classics
This is more like it!
Xbox has just set some new digital deals live as the annual Spring Sale comes to an end, and one particular promotion is standing out to us this week. The team has a new 'BOGOF' sale going on right now, focusing on a bunch of backwards compatible Xbox classics. The selection here is quite mixed, but we're noticing some good...
News World Of Warcraft For Xbox Is Still Discussed Internally At Blizzard
"Of course we still talk about it"
Can you believe that World of Warcraft is 20 years-old this year? Nah, us neither, and as it turns out - new versions of the title are still a hot topic over at developer Blizzard. Yep, two decades later the team still ponders a console release, and whether it's something worth pursuing. Talking to VGC, the...
News Blizzard Says It's Already 'Benefitting' From From Being A Part Of Xbox
"If anything, it’s just been helpful"
It's no doubt a pretty huge task to incorporate a team like Blizzard into your organisation - we've already seen evidence of this back in January when a studio shakeup resulted in a cancelled Blizzard project. However, things seem to have settled down since, and a new comment from one Blizzard dev suggests...
Talking Point What Do You Want To See From Xbox's New 'Game Preservation' Team?
New features like FPS Boost? More back compat games? Tell us!
Earlier this month, we learnt via internal Microsoft emails that Xbox has recently set up a new team dedicated entirely to game preservation - building on its "strong history of delivering backwards compatibility" to players on its platform. While the leaked memo doesn't contain much...
Guide Xbox Game Pass Core: Full List Of Games (April 2024 Update)
Here's everything you can play on Game Pass Core
Back in September 2023, Microsoft finally phased out Xbox Live Gold, replacing it with Xbox Game Pass Core as a new entry-level tier to its subscription service. Unlike Games with Gold, which has now been scrapped, Xbox Game Pass Core grants subscribers access to a select list of games separate to...
News Six Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass In Late April 2024
The latest group of leavers
The second batch of games leaving Xbox Game Pass in April 2024 has been revealed today, and in total we have six games leaving the library - including one EA Play title. Here's the full list of titles leaving Xbox Game Pass on April 30, 2024: Xbox Game Pass: Leaving Soon (April 30, 2024): Date Game Platform April...
News Former Xbox Exec Likes The Idea Of 'Tipping' Developers After Beating Their Games
"Some games are that special"
The price of AAA games has been a hot topic recently, especially with the move to $70 releases, but one former Xbox & Blizzard exec has taken to social media to express that they'd actually like the option to give devs more money for their releases. Yep, Mike Ybarra — who left X
News Crash Bandicoot 4 Has Apparently Sold Over 5 Million Copies
That's great news for the future
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time has apparently been a huge success for developer Toys for Bob. According to the game's design director Toby Schadt (via LinkedIn), the game has sold "over 5 million copies" since its initial multiplatform release in 2020. So in other words, this is great news for the future of...
Talking Point Will Hellblade 2 Be A Genuine Game Of The Year Contender This Year?
The first game missed out in 2017
As we close in on a month-or-so before launch, the Hellblade 2 hype is building. This is Xbox's first big exclusive launch of 2024, and it should hopefully get the ball rolling for a fantastic year in regards to Xbox first-party. As good as the game looks so far — and always has done since it was first unveiled...
News Fallout 4's Next-Gen Update Is Coming To Xbox Series X|S Later This Month
Finally!
As announced all the way back in October 2022, Fallout 4 Next-Gen is finally coming. Today, Bethesda has revealed that the upgraded version of its 2015 RPG will launch for Xbox Series X|S on April 25th, 2024. The update will add new 'Performance' and 'Quality' mode options for current-gen players, while stability improvements and bug fixes...
Feature If Q1 Is Anything To Go By, 2024 Should Be Another Fantastic Year On Xbox
2024 has already delivered some bangers!
Last year was widely considered the best of the current generation of gaming so far, and we're hoping that the Xbox Series X|S era keeps on gathering pace from this point onwards. It's going to be hard to top a year that contained Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield and so much more - but the first
News Xbox's Hellblade 2 Is 'On Another Level' Says Digital Foundry, Despite Series S Concerns
The DF team dives into some preview footage
Early previews are now doing the rounds for Hellblade 2 - and by most accounts this is shaping up to be an impressive Xbox Series X|S title. The team over at Digital Foundry is one of the outlets to have taken a look at the game recently, and they reckon it's "on another level" visually, de
News Here's What's Included In The Xbox April 2024 Update
Rolling out today on Xbox & PC
The Xbox April 2024 update begins rolling out to all users on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC today, and it includes a bunch of new features highlighted by 'Game Hubs' for PC players. Here's a short overview of the Xbox April 2024 update, with more details available at Xbox Wire: Xbox April 2024...
Random Streamer Beats Gears Of War On Insane Difficulty In 2024, Without Ever Taking Cover
Now this is a mad world
Beating any of the Gears games on Insane difficulty is no small feat, but what if you were mad enough to try and do it without ever taking cover? Well, Twitch streamer Arrrash has decided to replay the first game — specifically 2015's Gears of War: Ultimate Edition — in 2024, without using the game's cover mechanic...
News It's Been 12 Months Since Xbox Faced A Major Activision Blizzard Crisis
And in some ways, it's still not over
Last year was absolutely packed full of news about Xbox's continual attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard in various countries around the world, but a major roadblock almost put a stop to everything 12 months ago. Yes, it's been almost an entire year since the UK's Competition and Markets Authority blocked...
News NetEase Enters Into Agreement With Microsoft To 'Explore' Bringing New Titles To Xbox
As Blizzard games return to China
Blizzard has announced its games will be returning to China under a renewed publishing deal between Microsoft Gaming and NetEase. After discussions "over the past year", players in China will be able to once again access World of Warcraft, Hearthstone and many other titles across the Blizzard universe including...
News Ori Dev Explains Why It Decided Against Third Entry In The Franchise, For Now
"I think were were pretty happy with where it left off"
Ori developer Moon Studios has talked about its future in a new interview with Game Informer - a future that's laser-focused on No Rest for the Wicked at the moment. A third Ori game has been discussed though, and while the te
News Xbox ANZ & Cure Cancer Foundation Collaborate To Build Dazzling Custom Series X Consoles
Three amazing designs for a great cause
Xbox ANZ has unveiled three unique Series X console designs this week, built in collaboration with Australia's 'Cure Cancer' foundation. The systems are being auctioned off in the region for the next three weeks, to help raise money towards fighting Cancer. There are three completely unique consoles up for...
News Citizen Sleeper Dev Says Xbox Game Pass Is 'Keeping A Lot Of Indie Studios Going'
"The money is a pittance to Microsoft"
We all love Xbox Game Pass here at Pure Xbox, and as it turns out, plenty of indie studios seem grateful for the service and its security too. We've heard this from small devs and publishers before, and this week, the Citizen Sleeper creator has talked about how the service is keepin
Random Gears Of War Creator Reminds Fans He Can't Revive Games He Doesn't Have Rights To
"Please stop asking me"
The Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski has previously voiced his interest in returning to the series, but he's recently taken to social reiterate that it's mostly out of his control. Here's what he had to say in his latest post (via social media): "Please stop asking me to bring back games that I don't have the rights...
News Xbox Dev Ninja Theory To Host 'A Journey Of The Mind' Live Event For Hellblade 2
Highlighting the game's ties to mental health
Hellblade 2 is out on Xbox next month, and to highlight some of the game's themes and overall ties to mental health, developer Ninja Theory has a special live event planned for tomorrow, April 9th. 'Hellblade: A Journey of the Mind' is a collaboration between the development team and its nearby...
Talking Point Which Classic COD Would You Play First On Xbox Game Pass?
It's rumoured Xbox is 'gearing up' for an announcement
So, all of a sudden we're starting to see lots of rumours about Xbox's upcoming 2024 summer showcase - including a potential ActiBlizz back catalogue announcement of some sort. This announcement could include Call of Duty in some fashion (we've still not seen any of those titles appear on
News Xbox Could Be 'Gearing Up' For Call Of Duty Back Catalogue Announcement
"Gulf War might not be the only CoD-related announcement"
In case you missed our recent story about Xbox Showcase rumours for this summer, it's been claimed that an announcement about Activision Blizzard's library of older titles may be coming in the near future. This is according to Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson, who says Xbox could be "gearing...
Random Xbox Two-Game Bundle Priced At Ridiculous $2000 On Microsoft Store
We thiiiink this might be a mistake
It's come to our attention today that Microsoft may have made quite the mistake pricing one of its new Xbox game bundles. As spotted by Omni Gaming, a new two-game package has just gone live on the Microsoft Store - coming in at a whopping $2000 for Xbox players. The package in question is the
News Diablo 4 Gets New Lease Of Life On Xbox Thanks To Successful Game Pass Launch
"Xbox has quickly become the #1 platform"
Microsoft finally graced us with its first ActiBlizz Xbox Game Pass addition at the end of March in the form of Diablo 4, and its arrival has given the Xbox platform a huge boost already. Xbox exec Sarah Bond has revealed that Xbox has become the biggest platform for Diablo 4 since it came to the Game Pass...
News Xbox Establishes New Team Dedicated To 'Game Preservation And Forward Compatibility'
A new exclusive reveals a big internal announcement
Microsoft has reportedly established a new team dedicated to future-proofing and preserving the Xbox game library. In a new "exclusive" from Windows Central's Jez Corden, it's revealed how the recently appointed Xbox president Sarah Bond sent out emails to empl
News Elder Scrolls Online Reveals 10th Anniversary Roadmap For 2024 & Beyond
New chapter 'Gold Road' launches on Xbox this June
As you might recall, The Elder Scrolls Online is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, and as part of a new livestream (reconfirming the June release of the new expansion Gold Road), it's also revealed the full road map for this year and beyond. The celebrations will kick off this month and...
News Xbox Reportedly Testing The Waters With Sea Of Thieves PS5 Release
Sources familiar with Microsoft claim it's a "key test"
Sea Of Thieves is sailing onto the PlayStation 5 later this month, and while there have already been some claims Microsoft is using it as a test, The Verge's senior editor Tom Warren has now chimed in. According to "sources familiar with Microsoft's plans", Rare's open-world multiplayer pirate...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (April 4-7)
Call of Duty: MW3 headlines this week's lineup!
This week's Xbox Free Play Days lineup is back to three titles (from four last week), but we've got a major headline act in the form of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which is free for all Xbox members until the end of the week. As usual for MW3 free trials though, it's just the multiplayer and...
News Killer Instinct Bonus Update Adds New Stage And '87 New Colorways'
Update: Available now
Update [Wed 3rd Apr, 2024 06:55 BST]: As a reminder, this update for Killer Instinct is now live. You can check out the patch notes in the original story below. Original post [Sat 30th Mar, 2024 06:00 GMT]: Killer Instinct earlier on held a special "bonus update stream" celebrating the recent release of the anniversary...
News Phil Spencer Celebrates 10 Years As Head Of Xbox This Weekend
Time flies
This weekend marks an extremely important milestone in the world of Xbox, as Phil Spencer will be celebrating 10 years as the head of the brand on Sunday, March 31st. Yes, it's really been that long now! Spencer famously took on the job as Xbox boss following a rough Xbox One launch and the subsequent departure of former head Don...
Talking Point Would You Be Interested In Microsoft's White Xbox Series X Revision?
If today's leak comes to fruition
Earlier today, we were treated to a first look at Microsoft's supposedly-planned Xbox Series X console revision thanks to some newly-leaked images. In short, the system appears to be sporting a fresh white coat of paint, while also ditching the disc drive for an all-digital Series X debut. <related...
News Call Of Duty: MW3's Next Update Contains Absolutely Tons Of New Content
Six 6v6 maps! The return of Rebirth Island!
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has just unveiled its next batch of seasonal content - and this is one of series' biggest updates for quite some time. Alongside the return of the ever popular Rebirth Island Warzone map, MW3 is getting six core multiplayer maps, four weapons, four game modes and a whole lot...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (March 28-31)
Two HUGE games are included this week
Xbox Free Play Days is back once again, and this week we have a very interesting lineup to dive into. Four games are featured here — including two huge AAA titles — but both of these appear to have time limits for Xbox players. Here's the full Xbox Free Play Days lineup for this coming weekend: Assassin's...
Talking Point Has Ray Tracing Been A 'Complete Waste Of Time' For Xbox Series X|S?
The Xbox community questions the feature
Before the console ever shipped back in 2020, ray tracing was an important part of Microsoft's messaging with Xbox Series X. It was seen as an emerging bit of graphical tech that could transform the way current-gen games look as we moved past the Xbox One era. However, as the generation has gone on it's...
News Phil Spencer On Porting Exclusives: 'Every Decision We Make Is To Make Xbox Stronger'
"It doesn’t mean everyone’s going to agree"
The 2024 edition of GDC has just taken place, and Xbox boss Phil Spencer has been present at the conference to talk all-things gaming as usual. His presence has led to an in-depth chat with outlet Polygon - where the boss spoke about the future of Xbox and its exclusive strategy. As we all now know,...
News Xbox Game Studios' Ara: History Untold Is Coming To Console, Just Not At Launch
"Plans for Xbox consoles will be revealed"
Ara: History Untold was one of the major Xbox first-party releases to feature at 2024's Developer Direct event, although the game's reception so far has been somewhat subdued. Part of the reason for that is likely because the game is only launching for PC on day one, but a new comment from developer Oxide...
News Diablo 4 Adds Console Ray Tracing Ahead Of Xbox Game Pass Debut
"Patch 1.3.5. introduces Raytracing to all supported platforms"
Blizzard has detailed its big ray tracing update for Diablo 4, right on the eve of the title's Xbox Game Pass debut. Patch 1.3.5 "introduces Raytracing to all supported platforms", alongside a host of other graphical tweaks and improvements. Ray traced shadows and reflections have been...
News Phil Spencer Would Like To See Other Digital Storefronts Appear On Xbox
"How can we be part of opening up that model?"
During a chat at this year's Game Developers Conference, Xbox boss Phil Spencer spoke about how he would like to break down certain "walled gardens" within the gaming space, so players could potentially buy games from other storefronts on Xbox. When asked about a future where storefronts like the "Epic...
News Microsoft's Latest Xbox Giveaway Features Four Unique South Park: Snow Day! Consoles
Enter for your chance to get one!
Another Xbox sweepstakes competition is upon us! To celebrate today's launch of South Park: Snow Day!, Microsoft is giving away four different South Park-themed Xbox Series X consoles - each with a unique design. You can see the four console designs up above there, and we think these things look pretty darn...
News Xbox Is Hosting A LEGO-Themed 'Buy 1, Get 3 Free' Sale Right Now
Running through April 5th
Another Tuesday has rolled around, which means some new Xbox promotions are now live on the Microsoft Store - and one particular batch of deals has caught our eye already. For the team's latest 'Buy One, Get One' sale, LEGO has taken over - and it's a particularly generous offer when you count the sheer amount of bonus...
News Xbox's Call Of Duty: Warzone Mobile Bringing In Plenty Of Cash Already
In its first four days on the market!
Xbox has been spotted promoting Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile on its console storefront lately, and the team's heavy advertising push seems to be paying off. Coming by way of PocketGamer, the new mobile CoD release has seemingly raked in $1.4m in its first four days on the
News Major Game Maker Reportedly Questioning Xbox Support Amidst 'Falling Sales'
"I don't know why we bothered supporting it"
Some gaming companies are starting to question whether it's worth it for them to continue supporting Xbox consoles, a new comment from gamesindustry.biz's Chris Dring concludes. Appearing on another episode of the outlet's 'Microcast', Dring spoke about GDC 2024, and some of the discussions about Xbox...
News Xbox Bolsters Ranks With Another Experienced Recruit
"I have always been a fan of Xbox's commitment"
It's a new year and although Xbox axed a lot of employees earlier this year, it's still recruiting new (and experienced) talent. The latest individual to join the team is Jairo Lopes, who has taken on the role of third-party business development management for Xbox's global content partnerships. He...
News Xbox Boss On Handheld Rumours: Hardware Team Considering Different 'Form Factors'
"What should we build that will find new players?"
Following new rumours about Xbox potentially entering the handheld gaming space, Microsoft's Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has now (kind of) chimed in with his own thoughts on the subject. Although he "wouldn't outright announce an official Xbox handheld", Spencer did reveal to Polygon in a recent...
News Bethesda Provides Tiny Update On The Elder Scrolls 6 To Celebrate Series Anniversary
"Yes, we are in development on the next chapter"
Earlier today we celebrated the 30th anniversary of The Elder Scrolls series, and as it turns out, so has Bethesda - dropping a small update on The Elder Scrolls 6 in the meantime. Taking to social media earlier today, Bethesda Game Studios talked about all things Elder Scrolls, including how things...
Rumour Microsoft Is Apparently Prototyping Xbox Handheld Hardware
Xbox is "absolutely pursuing" this market
We've heard recently how Xbox has been working on new hardware for Holiday 2024, and there have also been ongoing rumours about a possible handheld device - rumours that Windows Central's Jez Corden has again weighed in on. In the latest 'Xbox Two' podcast episode, Corden has now reitera
News Toys For Bob Has Reportedly 'Reached An Agreement' With Xbox On Its New Game
After revealing it was "going indie" last month
Last month, in a surprise announcement, the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro developer Toys for Bob revealed it would be "going indie" but would continue to "work closely" with Microsoft in the future. Now, according to a new "exclusive" from Jez Corden of
News Microsoft Is Heavily Promoting COD: Warzone Mobile, And It Supports Xbox Controllers
"Download for free"
A big reason behind Xbox's purchase of Activision Blizzard was to push further into the mobile market, and a new full-width advert on the Microsoft Store is certainly doing its best to point Xbox fans in that direction. As spotted on Xbox consoles (including ours here at Pure Xbox HQ), Microsoft has begun heavily advertising