Guide Xbox Partner Preview Showcase March 2026: Date, Start Times & What To Expect
Our first partner preview of the year!
- Xbox
- Guides
- Xbox Partner Preview
- Microsoft
- March 2026
News Microsoft Beats Out Sony & Nintendo In Metacritic's 2026 Game Publisher Rankings
A spot in the top five!
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Sony
- Nintendo
- PlayStation
News New Xbox Boss Has Considered 'Pricing Revamp' For Game Pass, Claims Report
Involving lower-priced tiers and maybe even a partnership with Netflix
- Xbox
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
- Xbox Game Pass
Talking Point Do You Think Project Helix Will Support Physical Xbox Games?
Or is MS going all-digital?
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- Project Helix
- Microsoft
News Three Games Are Available This Week With Xbox Game Pass (March 24-26)
Including some day one goodness!
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Exec Talks Project Helix And Why It'll Be 'Easier' Than Series X|S To Develop For
The idea is to make one Xbox build work across multiple devices
- Xbox
- Project Helix
- Next-Gen
- New Xbox Console
Latest News
TodayWed, 25th Mar 2026
News Xbox Uses March 2026 Update To Highlight New M&K, Play Anywhere & Streamable Games
Plus a handful of "Handheld Optimised" titles
Every month, we like to bring you a roundup of the Xbox "Update" that Microsoft reveals over on the official Xbox Wire website, but there's actually not much new content in the March 2026 update that we haven't covered already. For example, the update talks about the new Xbox dashboard features that...
- Xbox
- Updates
- M&K
- Xbox Play Anywhere
- Stream Your Own Game
News Forza Horizon 6 PC Specs Revealed, Ray Tracing & ROG Xbox Ally Compatibility Confirmed
Here are all the details
Ahead of launch on Xbox Game Pass this May, Playground Games has detailed the key PC specs required for Forza Horizon 6, including confirmation of ray tracing features and ROG Xbox Ally compatibility for its new open-world racer. The team has provided detailed PC specs for Minimu
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- PC
- ROG Xbox Ally
- Playground Games
News 'Please Don't Expect Console Ports' - Retro Rewind FAQ Addresses Xbox & PS5 Demand
Might have to wait for Project Helix
Have you heard of this game called Retro Rewind - Video Store Simulator yet? It only came out for PC on March 17th, and it's already climbed up to eighth in the "Top Sellers" GB chart on Steam as things stand. It stands to reason that people want to know if it's coming to Xbox (and PS5), then, and unfortunately...
- Xbox
- Retro Rewind - Video Store Simulator
- Console
Guide Xbox Partner Preview Showcase March 2026: Date, Start Times & What To Expect
Our first partner preview of the year!
As confirmed a few days ago, Microsoft will host its latest Xbox Partner Preview showcase this week, featuring a bunch of third-party titles from the likes of SEGA, GSC Game World, Owlcat Games and others. Alongside the announcement of this year's first Xbox Partner Preview, the team also confirmed some of the...
- Xbox
- Guides
- Xbox Partner Preview
- Microsoft
- March 2026
News Microsoft Beats Out Sony & Nintendo In Metacritic's 2026 Game Publisher Rankings
A spot in the top five!
Metacritic has today revealed its list of top game publishers for 2026 (based on their 2025 output), and this year, Microsoft has made the top five - beating out the likes of Sony and Nintendo in terms of average Metascores. Based on its 2025 releases, Microsoft managed a Metacritic average rating of 80 - with Forza Horizon...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Sony
- Nintendo
- PlayStation
News Ubisoft Issues Fix For Major Assassin's Creed Unity Bug On Xbox Series X|S
"To our Xbox Series X|S players..."
Almost three weeks since Assassin's Creed Unity got its free current-gen upgrade after more than a decade following its 2014 launch, Ubisoft has issued a patch for the strange lighting bug that cropped up on Xbox Series X|S consoles. Shortly after the release of this 60F
- Xbox
- Assassin's Creed Unity
- Ubisoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Be Quick! Xbox Has Limited Spots For A Free 'Once Human' Closed Beta This Week
The upcoming free-to-play supernatural survival game
Fancy playing something new this week? Xbox has just opened up registrations for a free Once Human closed beta on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, which is taking place from March 26th through to April 8th. This is an open-world supernatural survival game that released on Steam back in 2024, and...
- Xbox
- Once Human
- Closed Beta
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
YesterdayTue, 24th Mar 2026
News New Xbox Boss Has Considered 'Pricing Revamp' For Game Pass, Claims Report
Involving lower-priced tiers and maybe even a partnership with Netflix
It's been a busy old month since Asha Sharma took the reigns as Xbox boss over at Microsoft HQ, and according to a new report from The Information, she's already considering how she can lower costs for Xbox Game Pass. The repo
- Xbox
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
- Xbox Game Pass
Report Halo Studios Is Working With MCC Co-Developer On Halo: Campaign Evolved
All hands on deck
We know that Xbox and Halo Studios are gunning for a 2026 anniversary release with Halo: Campaign Evolved (despite no official launch date yet) - and as is the norm with modern AAA development, it looks like the Microsoft first-party team has brought a familiar co-developer on board to try and make that happen. Coming by way of...
- Xbox
- Halo Studios
- Master Chief Collection
- Halo: Campaign Evolved
- Abstraction
News The Company Behind Evercade Just Teased A New Console
Time Extension Enter the Nexus
Evercade maker Blaze has just teased a new piece of hardware called the 'Evercade Nexus'. Adopting a similar approach to the one used when the company announced its Evercade Alpha series of bartop arcades, Blazed has teased nothing but a name and predictably triggering plenty of speculation. "Evercade Nexus is coming soon," says...
- Evercade
News Albion Online Is Finally Making Its Xbox Console Debut In April 2026
The popular MMORPG is on its way to Xbox Series X and S!
It was all the way back in 2017 that Albion Online first arrived on PC, and the free-to-play MMORPG is still going strong here in 2026. Better yet, the team has just announced that it's finally making its Xbox console debut this year! You can see this in the following roadmap for Spring 2026,...
- Xbox
- Albion Online
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Exec Talks Project Helix And Why It'll Be 'Easier' Than Series X|S To Develop For
The idea is to make one Xbox build work across multiple devices
There's still a lot we don't know about Xbox's next-gen Project Helix console, but we do know that it'll support both console and PC games, and that in theory should make it an easier console to develop for than the Series X and S. Xbox Portfolio GM Chris Charla (who's best-known for...
- Xbox
- Project Helix
- Next-Gen
- New Xbox Console
News Epic Games Lays Off 1,000 Staff, Announces Closure Of Fortnite Rocket Racing
A massive shakeup for the Fortnite owner
Epic Games has announced the shocking news that over 1,000 employees are being laid off from today, attributing "the downturn in Fortnite engagement that started in 2025" as the driving force being this massive company-wide shakeup. CEO Tim Sweeney took to the Epic Games blog to make a statement on the move,...
- Xbox
- Epic Games
- Fortnite
- Rocket Racing
- Industry
News Microsoft Adds Three New Dynamic Backgrounds For Xbox Series X|S (March 2026)
Including two first-party additions!
Microsoft has added three new dynamic backgrounds to its Xbox Series X|S collection here in March 2026 - two first-party efforts from the Xbox team, alongside a brand-new drop to coincide with the release of epic RPG Crimson Desert. The first of which you can take a look at up above; the Crimson Desert effort...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Dynamic Backgrounds
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Hands On Secretlab Titan Evo Cyberpunk Edition - Johnny Silverhand Would Be Proud
Push Square The netrunner's throne?
Back in 2022, we had a look at Secretlab Titan Evo gaming chair, a reassuringly expensive premium-grade seat that "you're unlikely to regret sinking the money into." We stand by that verdict, save for one key point – if you're tempted but yet to pull the trigger, it might be worth opting for the Cyberpunk 2077-themed...
- Hands On
- Cyberpunk
- Gaming Chairs
- Secretlab
News Xbox Console Updates Continue As New 'Cloud Save Sync' Indicator Rolls Out To Insiders
A small but very useful addition
We've talked this month about how pleasantly surprised we've been with the new features that have arrived specifically for Xbox consoles, and we've got another one rolling out today to Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead Xbox Insiders! This is a "cloud save sync" indicator that's going to be visible when viewing the Game...
- Xbox
- Console
- Updates
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
They've just introduced a Widescreen Fix update for the PC version
With Xbox subtly revealing that backwards compatibility is going to make some kind of revival later this year (not necessarily new console additions, but we're hoping so!), there's been a lot of talk about which titles could still realistically get re-licensed from the original Xbox...
- Xbox
- Backwards Compatibility
- True Crime: New York City
Monday23rd Mar 2026
News Here's What ICARUS: Console Edition Looks Like On Xbox Series X|S
How the new Xbox versions stack up
Amidst the 40+ games releasing on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S this week, we've got a survival PvE multiplayer game from the creator of DayZ known as ICARUS: Console Edition, which officially releases on March 26th. This game has been on PC for years now, where it holds a "Mostly Positive" score on Steam based...
- Xbox
- ICARUS: Console Edition
- Upgrade
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Time Extension "We used every card we had"
In the realm of retro gaming news in 2026, the announcement that 70's Robot Anime Geppy-X is getting a re-release certainly ranks pretty high on the 'shock-o-meter', not least because the game is considered to be a cult classic even in Japan, but also because it's getting a Western release for the first time ever...
- Interviews
- Features
Talking Point Do You Think Project Helix Will Support Physical Xbox Games?
Or is MS going all-digital?
With lots of talk about Project Helix coming out of GDC 2026, we know a little bit more about Microsoft's next-gen vision - including high-level details on the hardware, how developers will be able to make use of it, and the fact that
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- Project Helix
- Microsoft
News Crimson Desert Patch 1.03 Is Making Major Improvements On Xbox & PC
Live now on PC, Xbox update to come
Developer Pearl Abyss has today detailed patch 1.03 for its open-world RPG Crimson Desert, and it brings some major improvements to the game across all platforms, including on Xbox Series X|S and PC. The update is now live on PS5 and most PC storefronts, with Xbox consoles getting version 1.03 "at a later time"...
- Xbox
- Crimson Desert
- Patch 1.03
- Pearl Abyss
- Xbox Series X
News Three Games Are Available This Week With Xbox Game Pass (March 24-26)
Including some day one goodness!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass roundup! We have a few games spread over the course of the coming week here, including indie hit Absolum which makes its Xbox debut in just a few days' time. Here's a quick breakdown on what's coming to Xbox Game Pass this week (March 24-26): Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth -...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Partner Preview Event Announced For March 2026
SEGA, GSC Game World & more will feature!
Microsoft has today announced an Xbox Partner Preview event for March 2026! The third-party focused showcase takes place later this week, and will feature the likes of SEGA, GSC Game World, Owlcat Games and more. Here's what Xbox has to say about its Partner Preview event ahead of time: "During Xbox...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Xbox Partner Preview
- March 2026
News Xbox's Call Of Duty Team Drops Hint About 2026 Title As Modern Warfare Gets Huge Steam Sale
MW4 is coming...
Earlier this month, we got our first hint at what to expect from Call of Duty 2026 as branded soda cans began showing up at certain retailers, but over the last few days, some official happenings in the world of COD have provided real teases about this year's title. It's very much looking like Modern Warfare is back for 2026. This...
- Xbox
- Call Of Duty 2026
- Modern Warfare
- Infinity Ward
- Microsoft
News EA Announces Server Shutdown & Delisting Plans For Battlefield Hardline On Xbox
"You will no longer be able to purchase it"
We've got a big delisting and server shutdown announcement to bring your way today, as EA has announced that the 2015 shooter Battlefield Hardline will be delisted in May and go offline in June. This is specifically for the Xbox One and PS4 versions of Battlefield Hardline, as the Xbox 360 and PS3...
- Xbox
- Battlefield: Hardline
- Delisting
- Servers
- Xbox One
News Screamer Is Out On Xbox This Week, And Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About It
"Join the competition and race side by side with fearless drivers"
One of the games we mentioned in our latest "Next Week" roundup here at Pure Xbox on Saturday was Screamer, which is an arcade racing title that's launching across multiple platforms (including Xbox Series X and S) on March 26th. We've been keeping a keen eye on this one for a...
- Xbox
- Screamer
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Sunday22nd Mar 2026
News 'The Game Is Running On Consoles' - Samson Dev Hints At Potential Xbox Version
It's been getting hype ahead of its PC release
Over the past few months, you may have come across a game known as Samson - it's been highlighted at a few showcases, and it's being created by a new studio (Liquid Swords) formed by Just Cause creator Christofer Sundberg. Unfortunately, Samson is just a PC game for now, but the developer has confirmed...
- Xbox
- Samson
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Series X Gets Major 'Just For You' Discount On The Microsoft Store
But like all Just for You deals, it only shows up for certain people!
It's been a long time since Microsoft gave us any kind of meaningful discount on the Xbox Series X, but certain Xbox fans are suddenly noticing that a major "Just For You" deal has started appearing for them on the Microsoft Store! This discount sees the Xbox Series X being...
- Xbox
- Xbox Series X
- Just For You
- Deals
- Discounts
Retro Recap All The Classic Gaming News From The Past Week (March 22nd 2026)
Time Extension DOOM! Devastators! Animal Crossing!
Welcome to Retro Recap, a regular feature we run each and every weekend which rounds up all of the best retro gaming news and content of the past week in one place. DOOM Star Says The Movie Was "Probably One Of The Worst Films Ever Made": Rosamund Pike, who starred in the live-action DOOM movie, doesn't...
- Retro Recap
- Features
News Two Xbox Executives Announce Their Departures From Microsoft
Both had worked at the company for around a decade
We've got a couple more departures to share from Team Xbox, as it's been announced this week that Lori Wright and Haiyan Zhang will be leaving Microsoft soon, with both having spent around a decade each at the company. Lori Wright was the Corporate Vice President of Partnerships, Business...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Industry
- Lori Wright
- Haiyan Zhang
Saturday21st Mar 2026
Feature These 40+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (March 23-27)
Including three new Game Pass titles!
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for March 23-27! We've got a ton of great games arriving on Xbox consoles over the next few days, including the likes of Life is Strange: Reunion, ICARUS: Console Edition, Screamer, the
- Xbox
- Features
- Weekly Roundup
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
Guide Based On Previous Years, Here's When The Xbox Spring Sale 2026 Should Begin
Time to start saving up!
With Steam hosting its big Spring Sale right now (featuring multiple Xbox Game Studios titles), it's no surprise that questions are starting to be asked about the Xbox Spring Sale 2026, which is set to begin in the near future. The official date of the sale hasn't been announced at the time of writing, but it should be just...
- Xbox
- Guides
- Xbox Spring Sale 2026
- Deals
- Sales
Talking Point What Are Your First Impressions Of Crimson Desert On Xbox?
Enjoying the new open-world RPG?
The talk of the town this past week in the gaming world has definitely been Crimson Desert, with the Pearl Abyss RPG taking the world by storm in recent days. In fact, this one has been hyped for some time now, and has planted its flag in a fairly quiet week in terms of major Xbox releases. So, did you decide to pick...
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- Crimson Desert
- Xbox Series X
News New Xbox First-Party Game Announced In The Form Of Minecraft Dungeons 2
"Return to the world in an all new action RPG adventure"
We've had a new Xbox first-party game announcement today! It's been revealed as part of Minecraft Live! that Minecraft Dungeons 2 will officially be coming to Xbox, PC, Switch and PS5 in Fall 2026, and it'll be available on Game Pass too. Details are minimal on this one right now, but you can...
- Xbox
- Minecraft Dungeons 2
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox Game Pass
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 21-22)
Are you surviving the desert heat?
Welcome to another weekend! It's been a busy week on Xbox once again, with the likes of Crimson Desert launching on Series X|S, Disco Elysium hitting the Game Pass library and more! There's plenty to be playing, then - and here's what we're getting stuck into this weekend: Ben Kerry, Staff Writer: Truth be told,...
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- What Are You Playing
Friday20th Mar 2026
News Crimson Desert Comparison Shows Difference Between Xbox Series X And Series S
How the Xbox versions stack up
Here we go, folks! Crimson Desert is officially out now for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and so we can finally get our answer on how well the game is running across both consoles thanks to some early release day footage. We're looking to Fuzion Xbox Testing for this comparison, which has shared gameplay of both...
- Xbox
- Crimson Desert
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Comparison
News Forza Horizon 6 Dev Explains How Turn 10 Has Helped Since Dropping 2023's Forza Motorsport
The track racer is no longer getting major updates
IGN's most recent look at Forza Horizon 6 focuses on the improvements made to cars and customisation this time around, and there's an interesting nugget of information here regarding Turn 10 Studios and how they've helped out with this year's Forza Horizon game. Indeed, Turn 10 recently scaled back...
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- Playground Games
- Turn 10 Studios
- Forza Motorsport
News RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic Is Randomly Set To Shadow Drop On Xbox Very Soon
According to an official Xbox roundup at least
Shadow drop alert! It's been revealed today via the official Xbox Wire blog that RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is apparently arriving for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on March 25th, 2026. This is a game that had not been announced for Xbox ahead of time, but it does indeed have a page on the official...
- Xbox
- RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News 'Energized' Xbox Engineer Talks New Dashboard Update & Its 'Unusually' Fast Turnaround
"We got an unusual amount of stuff done"
This week, Xbox Insiders received some new dashboard features thanks to what feels like the first meaningful console update in ages - and now newly-"energized" Xbox engineer Eden Marie has given us a bit more context on its "unusual" development time over at Microsoft HQ. Following the update's mid-week
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Xbox Dashboard
- Eden Marie
- Xbox Series X
Talking Point 20 Years Later, How Do You Feel About The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion In 2026?
Did the remaster give you a new appreciation for it?
We've got a big birthday to celebrate today! Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is officially celebrating its 20th anniversary, having first released all the way back on March 20th of 2006 for the Xbox 360 and PC. It's since gone on to be known as an all-time classic, of course, and was...
- Xbox
- Talking Point
- Features
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
News Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
"Ask for help anytime or anywhere you're playing"
If we go back to this time last year, we mentioned how then-Xbox boss Phil Spencer was "excited" about the ongoing rollout of Microsoft Gaming Copilot - an AI-powered service that aims to provide support for your Xbox experience. It's a service that's proved controversial with Xbox fans without a...
- Xbox
- Gaming Copilot
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Game Studios Sale Now Live On Steam Featuring Major 2025 Titles
Compatible with ROG Xbox Ally... and Project Helix?
With lots of Xbox's catalogue now available on PC platform Steam, we're always curious to see when Microsoft hosts sales over there - particularly in the wake of ROG Xbox Ally and with Project Helix on the horiz
- Xbox
- Steam
- Xbox Game Studios
- PC
- ROG Xbox Ally
Thursday19th Mar 2026
News Two More Xbox Game Pass Titles Quietly Announced For April & May 2026
A release date for one, release window for the other
The XGP news is coming thick and fast at the moment! Following the reveal of 12 upcoming Game Pass titles on Tuesday, followed by Xbox's Kiln release date yesterday, we've now been treated to another two quiet Game Pass announcements - Vampire Crawlers for April 2026, and
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Vampire Crawlers
- Subnautica 2
News 'Keep The Feedback Coming' - Xbox Boss Says New Console Features Were Built Two Weeks Ago
An impressive start to Asha Sharma's reign
Yesterday, we were treated to the surprising news that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles were getting a major dashboard update for the first time in what feels like forever, with multiple features being implemented including custom colour settings, the ability to disable Quick Resume for certain...
- Xbox
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
- Console
- Xbox Series X
News No Crimson Desert Xbox Reviews Until Launch, But Here's How The PC Version Is Faring
The embargo for PC impressions dropped last night
Today's the day for Crimson Desert — it releases late this evening at 6pm ET / 10pm GMT, and therefore the first reviews started going live last night for the PC version specifically (there are no Xbox or PS5 reviews until after launch). As you may seen, there's been some disappointment around the...
- Xbox
- Crimson Desert
- Review Roundup
- Round Up
- PC
News Xbox's Starfield Is Already One Of The Top Three Pre-Orders On PS5
And the Premium Edition is outselling the Standard Edition
There's been renewed debate recently about whether Xbox should stick with its multiplatform plans or go back to exclusives, but we've known for a while now that Starfield would be getting a PS5 release, and it's set to fare pretty well. Starfield's official PS5 release date was revealed on...
- Xbox
- Starfield
- PS5
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (March 19-22)
All playable from now until Sunday night
The latest edition of Xbox Free Play Days has officially begun on the Xbox Store today, with five games available to play until late on Sunday night, three of which are totally free for everyone (even non-Xbox Game Pass subscribers). Here's your full Xbox Free Play Days selection for March 19th to March...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Free Play Days
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
News Former Xbox Leader Don Mattrick Lands Major New Role As CEO Of Photonic
His first CEO role since leaving Zynga in 2015
When it comes to former Xbox leaders, we've often heard about what the likes of Seamus Blackley and Peter Moore are getting up to, but Don Mattrick, who led the brand during part of the Xbox 360 era and the start of the Xbox One era, tends to remain in the background these days. That's probably because...
- Xbox
- Don Mattrick
- Industry
News Disco Elysium Is One Of The Best RPGs Ever, And It's Available Today With Xbox Game Pass
Specifically the Final Cut edition
We've got a new Xbox Game Pass addition today (March 19th), and it's surely one of the greatest RPGs of all time! Disco Elysium: The Final Cut has entered the Game Pass library for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC users (as well as Xbox Cloud Gaming) across the Ultimate, Premium and PC tiers, and this...
- Xbox
- Disco Elysium
- Xbox Game Pass
- Metacritic
- Xbox Series
Wednesday18th Mar 2026
News Xbox Series X|S Is Getting Its First Dashboard Update In Ages, Quick Resume Upgrade Included
New console features are coming
After what feels like months and months of Xbox updates centred around PC and Cloud, Microsoft has today unveiled a new set of Xbox Series X|S console features, rolling out now to Xbox Insiders. Yep, the Xbox dashboard is getting some fresh refinements, including the ability to add more Groups to your home page, new...
- Xbox
- Xbox Dashboard
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox Insider
