Tag: Microsoft - Page 26
News Phil Spencer Suggests Some Xbox Series X Games Could Be Delayed
"We're learning every day"
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer appeared on CNBC yesterday to discuss the recent surge in demand for Xbox Live, and also gave an update on Xbox Series X plans. Responding to a question of whether the coronavirus pandemic had affected the system's launch schedule, Spencer began by stating the following: "We're learning every...
Talking Point What Xbox Series X Games Do You Want To See Next Week?
As part of Inside Xbox
It's been a busy old day for the Xbox Series X. Microsoft has now officially confirmed what has been rumoured for some time - we're getting a first look at some next-gen games next week, which will be revealed as part of an Inside Xbox show on Thursday, May 7th. The only details we know about this show (at the time of...
News Xbox Series X Gameplay Is Being Shown Next Week, Confirms Microsoft
Update: Third-party games only?
Update: It sounds like this event will feature third-party games only according to a tweet from GM of Xbox Games Marketing Aaron Greenberg, who revealed the following: "So pumped to see our partners showing us a first look at Xbox Series X gameplay next week! Also know the Xbox Game Studios teams are hard at work on...
News Someone Has Filed A Lawsuit Over Drifting Issues On Xbox Controllers
Have you suffered this?
A supposed Xbox gamer who has endured multiple issues with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller has filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington, claiming that the joystick component of Xbox One controllers contains a design flaw that Microsoft has failed to disclose. The court documents,...
Rumour Next Xbox Series X Event Will Be More Of A "Nice Appetiser"
''Don't be disheartened, it'll still be fun.''
Noted industry insider Shinobi602 has been providing hints over at Resetera about the Xbox Series X once again, having recently teased some of the games coming to the system. But this time, he says the word "event" might be embellishing what's coming next, calling it more of a "nice appetiser". We've...
News Xbox Is Seeing A Flood Of New Customers Right Now, Says Phil Spencer
Doesn't want to exploit the situation
A new interview with Phil Spencer has been published by Business Insider, during which the Head of Xbox noted that the brand is seeing an influx of new customers during the coronavirus pandemic. However, as he also mentioned in a recent interview with IGN, he's keen to ensure the situation isn't exploited...
Poll How Much Confidence Do You Have In Xbox Right Now?
Give us your verdict
The month of May is fast approaching, and if rumours are to be believed, we'll hopefully be treated to a variety of new information on Xbox Series X (and Lockhart), including those all-important games. To us, it feels like there's more hype around the brand than we've seen in a long time. We've been impressed with the...
News Microsoft's Jason Ronald Provides New Xbox Series X Hints
"Great end to an exciting week"
Microsoft's Jason Ronald is Director of Project Management on Xbox Series X, and is also known for being the guy with that massive beard. He doesn't tweet all that often, but last night, he provided some more insight into Team Xbox and how plans are progressing for the Xbox Series X. Noting how hard the Xbox team is...
News Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Is Free On The Microsoft Store
Grab it while you can
Update (Fri 24th Apr, 2020 14:20 BST): This has now been officially confirmed by Bandai Namco as a goodwill gesture (isn't that nice!). The game is free to download from now until the 10th of May. Original Story (Fri 24th Apr, 2020 06:00 BST): Here's a nice quarantine surprise – the Xbox One version of Pac-Man...
News This Is What The New Xbox Series X Logo Looks Like
Update: Proper reveal soon?
Update (Wed 22nd Apr, 2020 22:45 BST): GM of Xbox Game Marketing Aaron Greenberg has changed his Twitter profile picture to an image of the logo (thanks Reddit!). Original Story (Wed 22nd Apr, 2020 11:00 BST): Here's an interesting start to the day! First spotted by users over at
News Xbox Live Has Been Playing Up Again, As Support Teams Continue To Investigate Ongoing Issues
Update: Fixed again for now!
Update: (Sat 11th Apr, 2020 11:25 BST): Everything appears to be back to normal! Xbox Support tweeted the following in regards to party and chat issues: Original Story: (Sat 11th Apr, 2020 07:15 BST): At this point, we've honestly lost count of how many times Xbox Live has experienced technical difficulties in recent...
Random The New 'Xbox Controller' For PlayStation 5 Is Now Trending On Social Media
Hmm, you look familiar
As you might have heard, Sony has lifted the lid on its new 'DualSense' controller for the PlayStation 5. It's got a bunch of fancy features that you can read all about over on our sister site Push Square, but it's the colour and shape of this new design that's been turning heads – arguably for all the wrong reasons. Not...
News Microsoft Suggests All Xbox Events Will Be Digital-First For The Next Year
"We will continue to evaluate the situation"
It looks like Microsoft could be launching the Xbox Series X without any promotional in-person events. The company has confirmed that all of its internal and external events will be adopting a "digital-first" approach until July 2021, as indicated in a statement sent to MVP attendees (thanks VGC)...
News Head Of Xbox Phil Spencer Would Love To See MechAssault Revived
Mech my day
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has witnessed many of Microsoft's video game releases over the years and was recently asked on the IGN podcast what Xbox IP he'd most like to see revived. While there's plenty to choose from, for Phil it's gotta be MechAssault: “Mech. That’s easy. Mech, from a rights standpoint, is a little bit messy since...
News Microsoft "Extraordinarily Well-Positioned" For The Future Of Gaming, Suggests Analyst
Talks cloud streaming
Another analyst has weighed in on the future of Xbox, this time via a fantastic in-depth Xbox Series X feature over at Polygon. As part of the feature, Wedbrush Securities gaming analyst Michael Pachter suggested that Microsoft and Sony's days as "gaming juggernauts are numbered," but also indicated that Microsoft is...
News Microsoft Comments On Its Decision To Support AA Batteries For The Xbox Series X Controller
A controversial call?
Microsoft's decision to ship the Xbox Series X controller with AA batteries has sparked plenty of debate. We've heard from many Pure Xbox commenters and voters on both sides of the argument, and now, in a conversation with Eurogamer's Digital Foundry, the company has addressed the decision directly. The comments come from...
News Xbox Is Restricting What You Can Upload During The COVID-19 Pandemic
Including gamerpics
We've already heard how Xbox is "actively monitoring performance and usage trends" in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and apparently, this includes restrictions on upload content. According to the Xbox Support beta site, users can no longer upload content such as custom gamerpics for the time being. The site, which also...
News The Xbox Series X Has Four Tiny Rubber Feet For Horizontal Orientation
Get sideways
Just because the Xbox Series X has been compared to fancy-looking fridges and stacked GameCube, doesn't necessarily mean it has to remain upright. As Head of Xbox Phil Spencer explained no
Video Listen To How Project Acoustics Improves Audio On Xbox
Featuring Gears 5
The Xbox Series X is set to feature enhanced audio in the next console generation, and Microsoft's Project Acoustics will be a part of that. The video below dates back to a year ago, but gives us a great insight into how the wave-based acoustic system can boost immersion in Xbox games. It includes a Gears 5 example, in which you...
News Xbox Reportedly Asks For Game Updates To Be Released During Off-Peak Hours
Targeting a four-hour window
Microsoft is asking game developers to only release game updates during a four-hour overnight window in North America, according to an internal email reviewed by The New York Times. The move is a response to the growing and critical demand for internet use during the coronavirus pandemic. The information, which was also...
News Xbox First-Party Studios "Facing Unique Challenges And Constraints"
Delays on the way?
Head of Microsoft Studios Matt Booty has released a statement on the impact of coronavirus on its first-party Xbox studios, commenting that "each studio is facing unique challenges and constraints", and that the company is supporting its studios "to make the right decisions for their teams and their individual games." The...
News Exclusive Xbox One Controller Unveiled At Xbox Community Summit
"Inspired by gaming culture and the history of Xbox"
There's another new Xbox One controller in the wild (looks like we'll have to update that complete guide soon!), courtesy of the 2020 Xbox Community Summit. Xbox MVP Program Manager Malik Prince showed off a couple of images of the controller on Twitter, and we think it's a beauty. The Xbox...
Random Xbox Debug Kit Featuring Two Unreleased Games Appears On eBay
Sells for over $1k
Back in October 2019, an original Xbox debug kit appeared on eBay, eventually selling for the grand price of $1250. Why so expensive? The system wasn't only a 1st Gen debug kit, but came packaged with two unreleased games in the form of International Volleyball 2004 and platformer Geox. Let's break this down. Basically, it...
News Microsoft Says Its Hardware Supply Chain Is Slowly Recovering
That's good news for Xbox Series X production
As the coronavirus pandemic has spread across the globe, there have been ongoing concerns about hardware supply chains. On the Xbox front, the situation is no different – with analysts suggesting the new Xbox Series X could be shipped in "smaller volumes" due to production issues, or perhaps even miss...
News Xbox Comments On Coronavirus Pandemic, Says Teams Are 'Working Diligently'
"We are seeing an unprecedented demand for gaming from our customers"
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has commented officially via Xbox.com on the COVID-19 pandemic, explaining what the company is doing to help. He discussed the "new growth and demand" presented by the pandemic, indicating that the team is seeing "an unprecedented demand for gaming". In...
News Analyst Suggests Xbox Series X Price 'Lurking In $400 – $500 Region'
Also thinks system will come out this year
Another analyst has given their thoughts on both the potential price and release date for Xbox Series X. Speaking to True Achievements, Steven Bailey, senior analyst at market research company Omdia, suggested the system probably won't go above $500 due to it being a "major psychological hurdle." Bailey...
News Microsoft Reveals How Long The Xbox Series X Has Been In Development
Since before Xbox One X
Something we mostly glossed over last week during the massive Xbox Series X reveal was exactly how long the Xbox Series X has been in the works. As revealed by both Digital Foundry and Austin Evans, we now know the console first began development all the way back in 2016. For those keeping track, this means Microsoft was...
Video Microsoft Demos Xbox Concept Controller For Mobile Devices
Very versatile
Microsoft Research uploaded an old video to its YouTube channel a few days ago showcasing a "versatile controller concept for mobile gaming." The video was made back in 2018, but represents work carried out between 2012 and 2014, so it goes back a bit! It's still a really interesting showcase, however, highlighting how the controller...
News ID@Xbox Shows Off Retro-Inspired 2020 Skate Deck
It's very old-school
The Independent Developers program at Xbox (ID@Xbox) has been giving out custom-made skate decks to participating developers and lucky Xbox fans for some years now, and has just unveiled its latest design for 2020. As you can see, it's a gorgeous design reminiscent of the 80s and early 90s gaming era. We're not sure exactly...
News All This Self-Isolation Seems To Be Overloading Xbox Live, As Users Experience Ongoing Issues
Update: Things seem to be OK again for now
Update: (Sat 21st Mar, 2020 15:23 GMT): According to the Xbox Live Status page over at Xbox.com, everything has returned to normal again for now. Hurrah! Original Article: (Sat 21st Mar, 2020 07:15 GMT): As more people around the globe begin to self-isolate in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19,...
Guide All Xbox Play Anywhere Games
Buy once, play on Xbox One and PC
It's not one of Microsoft's more heavily promoted Xbox promotions these days, but Xbox Play Anywhere remains a fantastic deal for anyone buying first-party games. The service allows you to buy a game for Xbox One and get another copy for PC, or vice-versa. Better yet, both versions share cloud saves, meaning you can...
News 343 Industries Working Remotely, But Intends To Push On With Halo Infinite Development
"We're removing all the obstacles in our path and tracking well"
The coronavirus outbreak is causing a lot of disruptions around the world right now. Even within the video game industry, major events have been cancelled and certain releases have been delayed. Fortunately, it's still business as usual for 343 Industries, despite the fact the entire...
Random Xbox Fans Think Now Is The Perfect Time To Bring Back 1 VS. 100
We wholeheartedly agree
If you owned an Xbox 360 back in 2009 or 2010, it's very likely you were able to experience the MMO game show 1 vs. 100 on Xbox Live. It ceased production pretty quickly -- it didn't last beyond July 2010 -- but people are still talking about it today, and some fans think now is the perfect time to bring it back. In case...
News This Is What The Xbox Series X Devkit Looks Like
Not very fridge-y
We all know what the Xbox Series X looks like by now, but what does its devkit look like? Well, thanks to a recent hands-on video by Austin Evans, we have the answer. And interestingly, it looks nothing like the Xbox Series X itself, and a lot like the Project Scorpio devkit (which eventually became the Xbox One X). You can see...
News Microsoft Ditches Optical Audio Port On Xbox Series X Retail Model
A prototype exclusive
A prototype model of the Xbox Series X Microsoft's been incredibly upfront about the hardware housed inside of the Xbox Series X as well as the technical specs, but as we noted the other day, the system has also removed a few (mostly minor) features that were previously included on the Xbox One. An eagle-eyed observer...
News Microsoft Apparently Has 16 First-Party Xbox Studios, But That Doesn't Add Up
Is it teasing a new acquisition?
Microsoft is looking to even the playing field next generation by releasing more first-party exclusives than ever before. In order to achieve this, it needs studios and lots of them. While we already know Xbox has plenty of talented developers on board, there might be one – or even two – that haven't yet been...
News Here's What's Missing From Xbox Series X
Absent features
We spent pretty much the entirety of yesterday talking about what features the Xbox Series X will packing at launch, and it's safe to say we're incredibly excited. But compared to current-gen, what won't it be able to do? We've got some speculation and confirmations to share. The first report comes from Windows Central, who mention...
News Major Nelson Explains What Can Be Run Where On Xbox Series X
He's here to make everything clear
There's seemingly some confusion about the location of where games will run from on the Xbox Series X. It's got to the point where Larry Hryb – best known by his gamertag "Major Nelson" – has chimed in on social media to clarify how exactly Microsoft's new system will play games. This was his response to an...
Guide All Project xCloud Preview Games
Stream Xbox games on the go
It wasn't so long ago that you could only dream of playing Xbox games on a portable device, but Project xCloud makes it possible. The cloud streaming service allows you to play your favourite Xbox games wherever you are in the world (currently for Android devices only) without requiring any additional hardware power. For...
News Here's How Big The Xbox Series X Really Is
It's not the size of a fridge
If you're like us, you've probably been carefully planning where your Xbox Series X is going to sit next to your TV for months, moving everything around in preparation for Microsoft's upcoming console. Until now, however, we didn't know how big it really was. Now we do. According to Eurogamer and Digital Foundry, the...
News You'll Still Be Able To Use USB Storage With Xbox Series X
Just not with Series X games
If you've been using external USB storage with your Xbox One over the years (we certainly have), you'll be pleased to hear it's still compatible with Xbox Series X. The downside? Xbox Series X games won't be able to run off it, and we're not exactly sure how it'll work alongside them just yet. Again, this comes courtesy...
News "Quick Resume" Looks Like A Game-Changer On Xbox Series X
Supports a minimum of three games
We already knew about Quick Resume -- the feature that allows you to resume multiple games on Xbox Series X without losing progress -- but today, we've been treated to more details on the feature courtesy of Eurogamer's Digital Foundry. At its core, it'll support a minimum of three games at once, with potential for...
News New 23 Minute Video Shows The Xbox Series X In Action
Also a look at the components
There's a whole load of Xbox Series X news breaking right now courtesy of Eurogamer's Digital Foundry, and they've also put out some intriguing footage. You can see the video by clicking the play button above, which is a whopping 22 minutes and 53 seconds of Xbox Series X impressions and comparisons. The video features...
News Xbox Series X Full Tech Specs Are Revealed, And They're Seriously Impressive
How does it compare to the Xbox One?
It's time for the big reveal. Microsoft have provided our friends over at Eurogamer's Digital Foundry with a huge set of new details about Xbox Series X, including pretty much everything you need to know tech-wise ahead of release. We're going to be drip-feeding content surrounding the upcoming system...
News Halo 2 For PC Expected To Go Into Public Testing Later This Month
If all goes to plan
Don't get us wrong, we appreciate the fact The Master Chief Collection is now accessible to more fans than ever before, but 343's roll out of the PC version seems like it could take some time. Head over to Steam or any forum celebrating the series and you'll likely see at least a few posts about how long it's taken to release...
News Project xCloud Adds Yakuza 0, Touch Controls Also On The Way
Check out the March preview update
The team at Project xCloud have released a March preview update showcasing some of the new features coming to the cloud streaming service in the near (and distant) future. And if you're fan of Yakuza 0, you'll be pleased to know you can start playing it with xCloud right now. You can see the video above, in which...
News Bill Gates Has Stepped Down From The Board At Microsoft
End of an era
It's been twelve years since Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates stepped away from his full-time post at Microsoft, and six years since he resigned as Microsoft's board chair. Now, he's announced he's stepping down from the board entirely. Speaking via a post on LinkedIn, Mr. Gates explained the reasons behind his decision. I have made...
News Dev Says New Xbox Hardware Allows It To Do Things It "Couldn't Even Dream Of Before"
A powerful claim
If all goes to plan, Microsoft's next-generation system is scheduled to arrive this holiday season. While we already know it'll come packed with 12 teraflops of GPU power and various other fancy features like Variable Rate Shading and Hardware-accelerated DirectX Raytracing, there's nothing quite like some free developer...
Talking Point What Is The Xbox Series X's Most Important Feature?
What has your attention so far?
We're still some way out from the release of Microsoft's Xbox Series X in Holiday 2020 (if indeed it survives that projected window due to coronavirus concerns), but we already know quite a lot about the upcoming system. The company seems willing to dish out information more freely than it did back in the pre-release...
News Free Play Days: Overwatch, Nascar Heat 4 And Verdun Free This Weekend
Available through March 15th
It's that time again -- another Free Play Days weekend. This time around, the free games available to Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members are Overwatch, Nascar Heat 4 and Verdun, with discounts also available for Nascar Heat 4 and Verdun for those want to purchase them permanently. We probably don't