News Xbox Boss Declares Game Pass Is 'Too Expensive' And Needs A 'Better Value Equation'
Asha Sharma says XGP will evolve in the long term
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
News Microsoft Announces New 'Xbox First Look' Showcase For Later This Week
Featuring the new Metro from 4A Games!
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Xbox Showcase
- April 2026
Feature ROG Xbox Ally X: 6-Month Review - A Handheld I've Been Using In Unexpected Ways
Has it really been that long already?!
- Xbox
- ROG Xbox Ally
- Features
- Reviews
- Handhelds
News Xbox Unveils Full List Of 57 Achievements For Forza Horizon 6
"FH6 launches with 57 achievements, worth a total of 1,000 Gamerscore"
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- Achievements
Roundup Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About Capcom's Pragmata
A new IP from the Resi, Monster Hunter team
- Xbox
- Capcom
- Pragmata
- Round Up
- Xbox Series X
Feature Forza Horizon 4 Is Still Packed With Players On Xbox, And It's Easing The Wait For Horizon 6
One final lap of open-world Britain?
- Xbox
- Features
- Forza Horizon 4
- Forza Horizon 6
- Playground Games
Latest News
TodayMon, 13th Apr 2026
News Xbox Boss Declares Game Pass Is 'Too Expensive' And Needs A 'Better Value Equation'
Asha Sharma says XGP will evolve in the long term
It's official! New Xbox boss Asha Sharma wants to make Xbox and PC Game Pass more affordable in the future. This is courtesy of a leaked memo that's been shared by The Verge today, in which the Xbox head and Microsoft Gaming CEO told employees that the current model of Game Pass "isn't the final...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
News Replaced Dev Reveals Xbox Series X And S Specs Ahead Of Game Pass Launch
Impressive numbers on both machines!
After quite a few delays and setbacks over the years, the team behind stylish platformer Replaced — Sad Cat Studios — has today revealed how the the game will look and play on Xbox in terms of resolutions and frame rates. Over on Xbox Series X, Replaced will run at a full 4K / 60FPS. Xbox Series S owners,...
- Xbox
- Replaced
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Unveils Full List Of 57 Achievements For Forza Horizon 6
"FH6 launches with 57 achievements, worth a total of 1,000 Gamerscore"
We're just over a month away from the release of Xbox's Forza Horizon 6, and following our hands-on preview last week, Xbox and Playground Games have now revealed the full list of 57 achievements included in the base game. As you'd expect, there's a lot of variety here, and...
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- Achievements
Roundup Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About Capcom's Pragmata
A new IP from the Resi, Monster Hunter team
Capcom's Pragmata hits Xbox Series consoles later this week, and with some early reviews now hitting the web, it sounds as though the new Capcom IP is doing pretty well for itself so far. Naturally then, we're going to gather up some of these reviews down below to give you a feel for what the critics...
- Xbox
- Capcom
- Pragmata
- Round Up
- Xbox Series X
News The Bully-Inspired 'Agefield High' Releases For PC This Summer, Xbox Later In 2026
Can it live up to the hype?
Around six months ago, we covered a game called Agefield High: Rock The School that was going viral due to its comparisons to 'Bully' by Rockstar, and it's now been dated for PC - with Xbox and PS5 versions due later in 2026. This game is getting serious interest on YouTube in particular right now, with
- Xbox
- Agefield High: Rock The School
- Bully
- PC
News Microsoft Announces New 'Xbox First Look' Showcase For Later This Week
Featuring the new Metro from 4A Games!
Surprise! Microsoft has just announced that a new Xbox showcase will air later this week - focusing solely on 'Metro 2039' in a similar vein to the team's upcoming Stranger Than Heaven event. This one is being called 'Xbox First Look' though; where developer 4A Games will be revealing its brand-new Metro game...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Xbox Showcase
- April 2026
Time Extension "They couldn't make it too obvious they were supporting Xbox"
Ed Fries played a big role in securing the long-term stability of the Xbox brand, and served as vice president of game publishing during the first Xbox era. He's the ideal person, then, to talk about Microsoft's efforts to court Japanese developers in the very early years of the project...
- Xbox
- PlayStation
News Xbox Reporter Suggests Microsoft Is Being More Lenient With Its Gaming Profit Goals
"This has given Xbox extra breathing room..."
Back in October, we heard that Microsoft had been pushing its Xbox teams to aim for increased profit margins in recent years - and although the Xbox owner responded by saying that the quoted 30% margin was incorrect, it was still believed that increased pressures had been put on Microsoft's studios as of...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Industry
News Xbox's Asha Sharma Speaks On Camera For First Time As Microsoft Gaming CEO
As part of a fan vlog with Phil Spencer
Even though Asha Sharma has been very active in making improvements for Xbox fans over the past few weeks, we still haven't seen her speak publicly on camera as Xbox boss — or at least, not until a GDC vlog went live over the weekend. A YouTuber known as Mr. Wright Way was in attendance at GDC 2026 back in...
- Xbox
- Xbox Boss
- Asha Sharma
- GDC
Rumour Fable Has Apparently Been Delayed Internally, But May Still Launch In 2026
"They are worried about the launch of GTA6"
GTA 6 could be a bit of a trouble-maker when it comes to other 2026 game launches, couldn't it? The Rockstar epic is sure to swallow up everyone's time and attention when it finally launches this year (supposedly), and the latest rumour doing the rounds suggests that Xbox's Fable may end up getting delayed...
- Xbox
- Fable
- Microsoft
- Playground Games
- GTA 6
YesterdaySun, 12th Apr 2026
Feature ROG Xbox Ally X: 6-Month Review - A Handheld I've Been Using In Unexpected Ways
Has it really been that long already?!
Six months ago, when I first got my hands on the ROG Xbox Ally X courtesy of ASUS, I assumed it was going to become like an Xbox Series X in my hands — a system I would use basically in the same kind of way as my main Xbox console, while also perhaps taking advantage of the likes of Steam and other PC...
- Xbox
- ROG Xbox Ally
- Features
- Reviews
- Handhelds
Feature Forza Horizon 4 Is Still Packed With Players On Xbox, And It's Easing The Wait For Horizon 6
One final lap of open-world Britain?
Recently, I spent a good amount of hours playing Forza Horizon 6 for a preview some of you may have seen on Pure Xbox, and I had a fantastic time with Xbox's upcoming 2026 racer. In fact, I'd started getting withdrawal symptoms after the preview concluded - so much so that a re-install of my favourite FH game was...
- Xbox
- Features
- Forza Horizon 4
- Forza Horizon 6
- Playground Games
Rumour Microsoft Might Not Launch Call Of Duty 2026 On Xbox Game Pass
This year's COD may skip a day one XGP release
In the last couple of years, Microsoft has made the bet to launch Call of Duty day one on Xbox Game Pass; first with 2024's Black Ops 6 before following it up last year with Black Ops 7. However, a new rumour doing the rounds suggests that Xbox is considering reversing that decision for this year's Call...
- Xbox
- Call Of Duty 2026
- Microsoft
- Xbox Game Pass
- Rumours
News These Are The Top-Selling Games In The Xbox Spring Sale 2026
The hottest deals right now
It's almost time for the Xbox Spring Sale 2026 to come to an end! The sale officially concludes on April 15th, so before we get there, we thought it was worth checking out the "Top Paid" Xbox chart to see what's selling the best. This chart is always based on what's selling well right now, of course, so the positions...
- Xbox
- Deals
- Xbox Countdown Sale 2025
- Round Up
Saturday11th Apr 2026
News Four Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In May 2026 So Far
Including a first-party release you may have heard about
As we always do around this time of the month, we're taking an early look today at what's ahead for May 2026's Xbox Game Pass selection, with four games currently scheduled to arrive next month. One of those is the absolutely massive release that is Forza Horizon 6; Xbox's first major AAA...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- May 2026
Feature These 30+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (April 13-17)
Including eight more Game Pass titles!
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for April 13-17! We've got a stacked list of releases heading our way over the next few days, including the likes of Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire and Pragmata, while there are eight games rolling out across various Xbox Game Pass tiers including
- Xbox
- Features
- Weekly Roundup
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
Time Extension "Everyone at M2 Co., Ltd. has a strong passion and love for classic games"
When it comes to retro game ports, M2 Co., Ltd. is a byword for unimpeachable quality, so it was great to catch up with Naoki Horii on how he founded the beloved game studio. M2 Co., Ltd. has been around since the early 1990s, but has cemented its reputation as the go-to...
- Features
- Interviews
- M2
- Naoki Horii
Talking Point Are You Happy With The New Updates Coming To Xbox Consoles So Far?
We're getting new features on Series X|S!
We've not had enough time to properly judge how boss Asha Sharma is going to get on in her new role as Head of Xbox, but one thing we're loving so far is the team's renewed focus on console, and that's starting to manifest itself with new updates arriving for Series X|S users. Indeed, for the first time in...
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- Microsoft
- Xbox Updates
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 11-12)
Time to open your new bookshop?
Welcome to another weekend! The sun is retreating here in the UK after a warmer start to this week, so that's the perfect time to get back indoors and get some gaming time in. Maybe even start a new business in Tiny Bookshop on Xbox Game Pass? Anyway, here's what we're playing over the next few days: Ben Kerry,...
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- What Are You Playing
Friday10th Apr 2026
News Former Xbox Exec Says Project Helix Is 'Very Similar' To Microsoft's Plan For The OG Xbox
"It's very similar to what the original Xbox plan was..."
Microsoft is moving further and further back towards its PC gaming roots with the advent of the next-gen Xbox — Project Helix — and according to former exec Ed Fries, the upcoming console sounds a lot like what Microsoft had originally planned for the OG Xbox before the system morphed...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Project Helix
- OG Xbox
- Ed Fries
Performance mode is "reminiscent of a Switch port"
Following extensive testing on all versions of Crimson Desert, the Digital Foundry team has now dropped its tech review for the Xbox editions of the Pearl Abyss RPG, and it's no real surprise that the results are a very mixed bag - particularly when you bring Xbox Series S into the equation...
- Xbox
- Crimson Desert
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Digital Foundry
News Crimson Desert Dev Details List Of New Features Coming To Its Massive Xbox RPG
In development for future updates
In the wake of its big 4K Performance Mode enhancements earlier this month, the team behind Xbox RPG Crimson Desert has unveiled a list of new features that are being worked on for upcoming game updates. Developer Pearl Abyss does stress that these features are still in-flux and "may be adjusted" prior to release,...
- Xbox
- Crimson Desert
- Pearl Abyss
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Is Sending Out Project Helix Gift Packages Signed By New Boss Asha Sharma
No console yet, just a bunch of free merch
We're sure you've already heard about the codename for Xbox's next console by now — "Project Helix" — and although the console itself won't be in developers' hands until next year, Xbox is clearly trying to build hype for it this year. The latest example of this is a bunch of free "Project Helix"...
- Xbox
- Project Helix
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
News Mouse P.I. For Hire Performance Specs Revealed, 120FPS Confirmed For Xbox Series X And S
Lots of options on Xbox!
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire brings its black-and-white, rubber-hose-animated FPS shenanigans to Xbox next week, and ahead of launch, the team at Fumi Games has revealed exactly how the title will run on all platforms, including Xbox Series X|S. It's good news, too. On both Xbox Series X and S, the team is providing 120FPS...
- Xbox
- Mouse: P.I For Hire
- Fumi Games
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Talking Point If Someone Was Buying Their First Xbox Today, What Games Would You Recommend?
In other words, what are the essentials for a newbie?
Every now and again, we come across people who are entering the Xbox ecosystem for the first time with a new Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S or even an Xbox One console, and they're often overwhelmed with what to play first. Just look at what Xbox Game Pass offers — we're talking hundreds of...
- Xbox
- Talking Point
- Features
News Hades 2 Xbox Release Times Revealed Ahead Of Next Week's Game Pass Launch
Here's when you can play
The much-hyped Hades 2 is finally coming to Xbox next week after a successful spell on Nintendo Switch & PC, and ahead of its imminent launch, the team at Supergiant Games has revealed the exact release times for Xbox & PS5. We've known for a while now that Hades 2 has a release date of April 14th, and now we know the...
- Xbox
- Hades 2
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Here's What The Invincible VS Open Beta Looks Like On Xbox Series X|S
You can play it right now!
Fancy playing a new 3v3 fighting game on your Xbox Series X|S this weekend? Well, the free open beta for Invincible Vs is available now on both consoles, and it looks pretty cool at first glance! You'll find it under the name "Invincible VS Open Beta" on the Xbox Store, and it gives you access to 10 playable fighters and...
- Xbox
- Invincible VS
- Open Beta
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Thursday9th Apr 2026
News 'Samson' And 'Xbox' Have Been Trending This Week, But It's Off To A Rough Start On PC
The reviews have been surprisingly poor
A few weeks ago, we mentioned a game called Samson that was potentially getting an Xbox version, and how it seemed to be getting a serious amount of hype ahead of its release on April 8th. Well, we're now on April 9th, and the first reviews for Samson on PC have been surprisingly rough so far. It has a...
- Xbox
- Samson
News Two Games Are Available Late This Week With Xbox Game Pass (April 9-10)
Including a new day one Ultimate release!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! To round out the end of the week, we've got a couple of fresh additions to the XGP library, including new day one Game Pass Ultimate title Tiny Bookshop on Friday. Here's what's new on Xbox Game Pass late this week (April 9-10): Planet Coaster 2 (Series X|S,...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Roundup All The Biggest Xbox Reveals From The Triple-I Initiative Showcase 2026
Including a new Game Pass announcement!
Today marked the return of the Triple-i Initiative Showcase for 2026, treating us to reveals and updates for a wide variety of games across multiple platforms, with many of them coming to Xbox as well. We've got a few particularly notable ones in the bunch here — Super Battle Golf was officially announced...
- Xbox
- Round Up
- Features
- Triple-i Initiative Showcase
- Xbox Series X
News 'Graveyard Keeper' Is Available To Claim For Free On Xbox For A Limited Time
Here's when you can grab it!
As part of today's 'Triple-I Interactive' showcase, Graveyard Keeper 2 has been announced for Xbox and other platforms, and to celebrate its reveal, the team has announced that folks can grab Graveyard Keeper for free right now - and that's free to keep forever. Indeed, if you head over to the Xbox Store as we speak,...
- Xbox
- Graveyard Keeper
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Boss Reveals New 'Dedicated Team' Focusing On Fan Feedback
Following the rollout of new achievement features
Yesterday, we were treated to yet another surprise from Team Xbox when it was revealed that Xbox achievements were getting multiple new improvements, and this is seemingly the result of a new "dedicated team" that's been set up. Shortly after the achievement features were unveiled, Sharma took to...
- Xbox
- Xbox Boss
- Asha Sharma
- Fan Feedback
- Achievements
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (April 9-12)
One of them is free to keep forever!
Microsoft's Free Play Days selection for this week is rolling out now on Xbox! We've got four games playable as part of FPD over the next few days - and one of them is a special entry as it's free to keep once downloaded! Here's what's playable with Free Play Days this coming weekend: Graveyard Keeper One...
- Xbox
- Free Play Days
- Microsoft
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
News 'What Do You Want Added?' - Xbox Engineer Requests Ideas For New Console Features
Sounds like there's a lot more to come!
Following yesterday's multiple improvements to Xbox achievements, as well as Xbox boss Asha Sharma announcing the formation of a "dedicated team" for fan feedback, one particular Xbox engineer has taken to social media today to request ideas for new console features in the future. Bill Ridmann, who has been...
- Xbox
- Console
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox One
News Halo: Master Chief Collection Deploys 'Significant Ban Wave' In Latest Update
Gravity ban hammer
The Halo Support team has announced that a new backend update has been deployed to its Easy Anti-Cheat efficiency program in The Master Chief Collection, resulting in a "significant ban wave" for the Halo collection on Xbox and PC. This was announced by the team on social media late last night, where it's noted that this doesn't...
- Xbox
- Halo Master Chief Collection
- Microsoft
- Halo Studios
Wednesday8th Apr 2026
News Here's What Starfield's New Update Looks Like On Xbox Series X|S & PS5
A quick glance at the new version
The latest major update for Starfield officially dropped yesterday - adding new "Free Lanes" content along with a paid Terran Armada expansion — and the game also officially released on PS5 for the first time. With that in mind, we thought we'd take a look at the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PS5 and PS5 Pro v
- Xbox
- Starfield
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- PS5
News Four Games Are Available Today Across Various Tiers Of Xbox Game Pass (April 8)
New games for Ultimate, Premium & Essential players
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Today, we've got four games entering various different XGP tiers - including two new Premium titles, one new Essential title and a PC-only addition across all tiers of Xbox Game Pass. Here are your four new Xbox Game Pass additions, complete with all...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Preview We've Played Forza Horizon 6, And It's Potentially The Best Entry To Date
All roads lead to Japan
Forza Horizon has become a quintessential Xbox series over the years. I've loved my time with almost every entry, from all the way back with Forza Horizon's Colorado to Forza Horizon 4's take on Great Britain, pretty much every game has given me the digital road trip that I so often crave. I must admit though, Horizon 5 was a...
- Previews
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Achievements Are Getting A 'Refresh' With Multiple New Improvements
"We’re excited to hear what you think"
We didn't see this one coming! It's just been announced that Xbox achievements are getting multiple new improvements, including a brand-new visual refresh, and these are rolling out to Xbox Insiders starting today. The most major difference here is that achievements now look different — they feature...
- Xbox
- Achievements
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Offers Free Rechargeable Batteries To Fans Affected By Recent Controller Shipping Issue
Specifically if you didn't get AA batteries in the box
Did you buy an Xbox controller over the past few months and discover there were no AA batteries included with it? If that's the case, you're likely being treated to a free rechargeable battery as an apology from Team Xbox! Specific
- Xbox
- Controllers
- Battery
News Playground Games Reveals Forza Horizon 6 Map, Here's How Japan Looks In-Game
Welcome to Horizon Japan
With Forza Horizon 6 previews landing today — including our very own here at Pure Xbox — Playground Games has gone ahead and revealed the overhead map for Horizon Japan, which the team says is "our most dense and vertical map yet". We'll throw a link to their social media post showing an overview of the map down below,...
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- Playground Games
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News 'We Got Pokémon In No Man's Sky' - New Xeno Arena Update Arrives On Xbox & Game Pass
All these years later, this game continues to surprise us!
No Man's Sky has received a new update on Xbox and other platforms today (don't forget, it's included with Xbox Game Pass), and this "Xeno Arena" update basically brings a version of Pokémon to the game! In Xeno Arena, you'll be able to build up a pet squad, train them and improve their...
- Xbox
- No Mans Sky
- Pokemon
- Xeno Arena
- Updates
Rumour Xbox To Release Halo: Campaign Evolved In July 2026, Early Access Included
The rumour mill is suggesting a late July launch
There's been a lot of speculation this year already about when the big four Xbox first-party games will release — we already know about Forza Horizon 6 on May 19th, but what about Halo, Fable and Gears? Well, we might be getting closer to an answer on Halo: Campaign Evolved, as a new rumour...
- Xbox
- Rumours
- Halo: Campaign Evolved
Tuesday7th Apr 2026
Guide Xbox Game Pass Essential: Full List Of Games (April 2026 Update)
Here's everything you can play on Game Pass Essential
Back in 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. Since then, it's been renamed to Xbox Game Pass Essential as of October 2025. Unlike Games with Gold, which
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
News The First Reviews Are Going Live For Starfield's Terran Armada Expansion
Is it worth grabbing the new DLC?
In addition to the big free update called "Free Lanes" that's arrived for Starfield today, the game has also received a brand-new paid expansion known as "Terran Armada" — but is it worth buying? Well, the first few reviews have just started going live for Terran Armada, with some of them embedded into reviews...
- Xbox
- Starfield
- Terran Armada
- Expansions
- DLC
News Five Xbox Games Are Being Delisted In April & May 2026
All disappearing from the Xbox Store
A couple of days ago, we highlighted three Xbox games that are shutting down their servers in April 2026, but when it comes to games that are being delisted, there are actually a few differences that you might want to be aware of. The two Fortnite games that we mentioned in that article are getting delisted by...
- Xbox
- Delisting
- Microsoft
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
News These 19 Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (April 7-23)
A huge list of new XGP titles!
Microsoft has today unveiled its next batch of Xbox Game Pass titles, which features some huge Xbox releases such as Hades 2 and the long-in-development Replaced. Here's everything coming to Xbox Game Pass from April 7 through April 23: Date Game Platform Tier April 7
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Starfield Free Lanes Update Out Now On Xbox, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
New DLC 'Terran Armada' also live
It's a big day for Starfield today as the Bethesda RPG finally arrives on PS5, alongside the game's 'Free Lanes' update and 'Terran Armada' DLC dropping on all platforms - including Xbox and PC. While we begin to see footage and opinions roll out from the PS5 crowd, we're going to focus on today's Xbox update here,...
- Xbox
- Starfield
- Bethesda
- Free Lanes
- Terran Armada
Talking Point Which Xbox Console Do You Think Has Aged The Best?
The Xbox One must be in with a shout...
Yesterday, we asked you about the consoles you've bought at launch over the years, and whether they were ultimately worth it in your opinion — but today, we want to focus specifically on Xbox consoles and how they've aged. We've obviously all got great memories with each of the Xbox consoles we've owned...
- Xbox
- Talking Point
- Features
News Xbox Is Hosting Two Major Betas This Month, Starting This Week
Plus a third one on Steam
Fancy checking out some new betas on Xbox? We've got a couple of big ones heading our way in April! The first of these is for Invincible VS, and it's happening this week. The brutal 3v3 superhero brawler releases in full on April 30th, but its free open beta takes place for Xbox Series X and S from April 9th (10am PT) to...
- Xbox
- Open Beta
- Invincible Vs
- The Expanse: Osiris Reborn
- Kiln
