Reaction Xbox's Third-Party Strategy Is Finally Making Sense To Me
Will it work out in the long term?
- Xbox
- Reaction
- Xbox Game Studios
- Microsoft
- Features
Opinion Xbox Game Pass Is On A Ridiculous Hot Streak Right Now
Too many GOTY contenders, too little time
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Opinion
- Features
News Indiana Jones 'Selling Faster' On PS5 Than Xbox & Steam, Says Analysis
Further justifying the third-party strategy
- Xbox
- Indiana Jones And The Great Circle
- PS5
- Steam
News Oblivion Remastered's First Update Is Now Live, But It's Causing Problems
Specifically on PC it seems
- Xbox
- Oblivion Remastered
- Updates
- Patch Notes
News Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Defies The Odds To Reach Impressive Sales Milestone
Overshadowed by Oblivion? No chance!
- Xbox
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
News Bethesda Partners Directly With PlayStation On Strange DOOM: The Dark Ages Trailer
What about Xbox players, ay?
- Xbox
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
- PS5
- Bethesda
- Microsoft
Latest News
TodayFri, 25th Apr 2025
News Indiana Jones 'Selling Faster' On PS5 Than Xbox & Steam, Says Analysis
Further justifying the third-party strategy
I've been talking a bit on Pure Xbox today about Xbox's third-party strategy and how putting games on other platforms is finally making sense to me, and these latest estimates from Alinea Analytics seem to align with that as well. Basically, the analytics firm says that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle...
- Xbox
- Indiana Jones And The Great Circle
- PS5
- Steam
News Oblivion Remastered's First Update Is Now Live, But It's Causing Problems
Specifically on PC it seems
It's only been a few days since Bethesda released The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on Xbox consoles and PC, and we've already got its first update today! Unfortunately, it's causing a few problems at first glance. It seems the PC version of Oblivion Remastered has made some adjustments to video settings that...
- Xbox
- Oblivion Remastered
- Updates
- Patch Notes
News Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Defies The Odds To Reach Impressive Sales Milestone
Overshadowed by Oblivion? No chance!
When Oblivion Remastered was shadow-dropped out of nowhere earlier this week, a lot of people's minds immediately went to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and how that game was surely going to be impacted by such a huge new release. There were some who were suggesting it was going to be overlooked and pushed into the...
- Xbox
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
News Bethesda Partners Directly With PlayStation On Strange DOOM: The Dark Ages Trailer
What about Xbox players, ay?
So, this afternoon we've been treated to a brand-new DOOM: The Dark Ages trailer here, as Bethesda starts to ramp up its marketing efforts before next month's release. Normally, that'd be a fairly standard thing to happen, right? Well, you'd think so, until you actually watch the trailer through - and then things get a...
- Xbox
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
- PS5
- Bethesda
- Microsoft
Reaction Xbox's Third-Party Strategy Is Finally Making Sense To Me
Will it work out in the long term?
I think I had the same reaction that many Xbox fans did when it was revealed that the likes of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5 would be coming to PS5. Why are we losing our exclusives? Doesn't Xbox care about the potential harm to console sales? Is a third-party strategy really the best way...
- Xbox
- Reaction
- Xbox Game Studios
- Microsoft
- Features
News Xbox Game Studios Publisher Sale Now Live On Steam, Up To 90% Off Select Titles
Including some newer releases
With lots of Xbox's catalogue now available on the PC platform Steam, we're always curious to see when Microsoft hosts sales over there - particularly to play bits and pieces from the portfolio on Steam Deck. And, to close out April, a big Xbox Game Studios sale has just gone live on the platform - including some of the...
- Xbox
- Steam
- Xbox Game Studios
- Deals
News 2025's Two Best-Reviewed Games Are Both Xbox Game Pass Titles
The top 10 list has changed dramatically this month
In my opinion piece here at Pure Xbox yesterday, I talked about how Xbox Game Pass is on a ridiculous hot streak right now, with all sorts of incredible titles launching "day one" into the service over the past few weeks alone. Don't just take my word for it though! Looking at the top 10...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Highest-Rated Games
"What a debut!"
The folks over at Sandfall Interactive are probably thrilled with how their new RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has gone down so far - and now, a bunch of other big game devs have congratulated the studio on its "incredible launch". One of those devs is the team behind Final Fantasy VII - which, given the game's clear inspiration...
- Xbox
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Random New Xbox Game Accidentally Gets $500 Price Tag On The Microsoft Store
It's quietly been fixed now though
You know that we always round up all of next week's Xbox releases on a Saturday here at Pure Xbox, and we tend to prepare those on the Friday - so imagine my surprise when I spotted an upcoming Xbox release with a $500 price tag! The game in question is Golf Up, which was displaying a pre-order price of £419.99 /...
- Xbox
- Microsoft Store
- Xbox Store
- Random
News Ubisoft Provides Update On Offline Mode For Two 'The Crew' Titles
The first to come "before the end of 2025"
Last year, Ubisoft announced that following the delisting and shutdown of The Crew, it was planning to implement offline modes for The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest - so that fans can continue to enjoy these games beyond their end-of-life status. Today, the team has provided an update on this pair of...
- Xbox
- Ubisoft
- The Crew 2
- The Crew Motorfest
- Offline Mode
News Phasmophobia Passes 3 Million Console Sales, Try It For Free On Xbox
It's storming the charts!
Yesterday, you might have seen in our roundup of the best-selling Xbox Spring Sale games that Phasmophobia was almost topping the list, and that might come as a surprise to many people... but not the publisher of it! It's been announced this week that Phasmophobia has passed 3 million sales on Xbox Series X, Series S and...
- Xbox
- Phasmophobia
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- PS5
YesterdayThu, 24th Apr 2025
News Here's How Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is Running On Xbox Series X And S
Two different setups in play
Earlier today, the eagerly-anticipated Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 went live on Xbox Game Pass, and lots of you fine folks will probably be jumping into this one over the next few days as a result. So, how is the game running on Xbox Series X and S right now? Do we have multiple performance modes to go at? Well, some...
- Xbox
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Opinion Xbox Game Pass Is On A Ridiculous Hot Streak Right Now
Too many GOTY contenders, too little time
I don't know about you, but I've got nowhere near enough spare time to enjoy everything that Xbox Game Pass is dishing out at the moment. I'm still making my way through South of Midnight, and we've seen multiple Game of the Year contenders released on the service since then - it might be the hottest streak...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Opinion
- Features
News These Are The Top-Selling Games In The Xbox Spring Sale 2025
The hottest deals right now
We're now a week into the Xbox Spring Sale 2025 (and longer for those who got access to the "Sneak Preview" version), which means now feels like a good time to see what's been selling the best on the Xbox Store so far. For this list, we've gone and looked at the "Top Paid" Xbox charts and picked out just the Xbox Spring...
- Xbox
- Deals
- Xbox Spring Sale 2025
- Round Up
News RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business Blasts Onto Xbox In July 2025
Less than 3 months to go!
Following its surprise announcement last month, publisher Nacon has revealed RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business is officially coming to Xbox on July 17! The standalone title follows directly on from the original Robocop: Rogue City, and sees you infiltrating an OmniTower that's been invaded by a "group of highly...
- Xbox
- RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News OG Oblivion Dev Not Sure Bethesda's 'Remaster' Title Actually Does It Justice
It's more like "Oblivion 2.0"
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is getting a lot of praise from fans and critics, and it seems even former Bethesda developers are impressed. Speaking to VideoGamer, the title's original senior game designer Bruce Nesmith, who left Bethesda during development of Starfield, has admitted he's not sure the...
- Xbox
- The Elder Scrolls
- Oblivion Remastered
- Xbox Game Pass
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (April 24-27)
Included with Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Free Play Days is officially here, and we have one very spooky effort leading the charge this week. SEGA's Alien: Isolation is the big inclusion this weekend - and it's a must-play horror experience if you've never tried it before! We've got three titles in total this week though, so here's your full Xbox Free Play...
- Xbox
- Free Play Days
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
Guide Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Top Tips & Tricks For Beginners
Live to fight another day
You'll already be well aware, we have no doubt, that Sandfall Interactive's stellar sci-fi RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has released today on Xbox Game Pass, and if you've checked out our 10/10 review, you'll know we're fairly excited about it. Now that the game is here, we thought we'd put together a quick guide of...
- Xbox
- Guides
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Tips & Tricks
News Twitch Streamer Rebuilds Xbox 360 'Blades' Dashboard From Scratch
With chat integration!
We all know how much fondness there is for the "Blades" era of the Xbox 360 - the iconic dashboard that was present for the early days of the console, and that unfortunately is no longer accessible unless you never updated your system. Team Xbox has repeatedly stated how the "Blades" dashboard isn't likely to return for...
- Xbox
- Xbox 360
- Twitch
- Blades
- Dashboard
News GOTY Contender Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (April 24)
Available right now!
It's a big day for Xbox Game Pass today, folks! Hot on the heels of Bethesda's Oblivion Remastered shadow drop, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 heads to the service - an original turn-based RPG that's been getting some incredible reviews and ratings across
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News EA Announces Release Dates For College Football 26 & Madden NFL 26
"Make game day, every day."
We've officially got release dates for EA Sports College Football 26 and Madden NFL 26! College Football 26 will be releasing for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on July 10th, 2025, with early access beginning on July 7th, 2025. A free EA Play / Xbox Game Pass Ultimate trial will likely be available ahead of launch too...
- Xbox
- College Football 26
- Madden NFL 26
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Frostpunk 2 Hits Xbox Game Pass In Summer 2025, New 'Frostpunk 1886' Game Also Announced
It's a good time to be a Frostpunk fan
We've been waiting a long time for Frostpunk 2 to jump from PC Game Pass to Xbox Game Pass, but it sounds like the wait is finally almost over, with 11 Bit Studios announcing a new release window as part of an updated roadmap. As of today (April 24th), Frostpunk 2's Xbox release date is now set for Summer...
- Xbox
- Frostpunk 2
- Frostpunk 1886
News Remedy Sets June Release Date For FBC: Firebreak On Xbox Game Pass
The new three-player co-op FPS
We've been keeping a very close eye on Remedy's three-player co-op shooter FBC: Firebreak for a while, so it's fantastic to see that it's received a release date for Xbox Game Pass today - and one that's not very far away at all! FBC: Firebreak will officially release on June 17th, 2025 at a price of £32.99 / $39.99...
- Xbox
- FBC: Firebreak
- Xbox Game Pass
- Release Dates
Wednesday23rd Apr 2025
The hottest picks for RPG action on Xbox consoles in 2025
What are the best Xbox RPG games you can play in 2025? The RPG genre has exploded in popularity in recent years, edging its way into mainstream gamer consciousness like never before. As a result, where Western RPGs have historically been pretty hard to come by, they're now absolutely...
- Guides
- Xbox
- RPGs
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
Guide Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Release Date & Release Times On Xbox Game Pass
Here's when you can start playing
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the latest huge addition to Xbox Game Pass in 2025, and it's a game that's been highly-anticipated for a long time now - it was even featured in Xbox's big Developer Direct showcase earlier this year. Xbox clearly knew this was something special, as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has
- Xbox
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Release Dates
- Release Times
- Guides
Poll What Are Your First Impressions Of Oblivion Remastered?
Are you impressed with the remaster job?
It's been a wild 24 hours in the world of Xbox, with Bethesda shadow-dropping the heavily rumoured Oblivion Remastered on Series X|S, PS5 and PC yesterday, and there's no doubt it's been a massive success for Xbox so far. The sales were always going to be good though, weren't they?! The big question is...
- Xbox
- Oblivion Remastered
- Polls
- Features
Review Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Xbox) - A Sublime Debut And One Of The Freshest RPGs In Ages
Final Fancily
I'm coming in a little bit late on this review because Bethesda decided to drop good old Oblivion in a fancy new outfit right before embargo, so forgive me! However, and continuing with the Bethesda link as a lazy-ish way to kickstart this review, it's lucky for the masters at Sandfall Interactive that their brand-new action-RPG is so...
- Reviews
- Xbox
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Guide Oblivion Remastered: All Changes, Additions & New Content
Tamri-unreal (is that anything?)
Well met, traveller! Now that Oblivion Remastered is in the wild - yes, we can't really believe it either - we've been right in there, like crazed mud crabs, to see what's new, and what's changed in one of our all-time favourite game worlds. We've got huge graphical upgrades, combat and traversal changes, new NPCs,...
- Xbox
- Oblivion Remastered
- Guides
Reaction Oblivion Remastered Sets A New Standard For Xbox & Bethesda
Expertly modernised and great value gaming
To be honest, after covering Oblivion Remastered and all of its rumours for so long, by the time its scheduled reveal was officially confirmed, we were just ready for it to happen. We can't remember an unannounced game that's been this heavily reported on for quite some time, however, after a
- Xbox
- Features
- Reaction
- Oblivion Remastered
- Bethesda
News Digital-Only Xbox Series X|S Consoles Have Accounted For 75% Of Sales So Far In 2025
The big digital switch
Circana's Mat Piscatella has today provided some fresh sales data for games industry spending in the US - and it's provided some quite interesting stats for Xbox in 2025. According to the data firm, 75% of Xbox console sales so far this year have been for digital-only units - spread across the white Xbox Series X and all Xbox...
- Xbox
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Microsoft
- All-Digital Console
Roundup Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is Getting Incredible Reviews So Far
And it comes to Xbox Game Pass tomorrow!
Following some impressive showings over the last eight or nine months, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 brings its turn-based RPG goodness to Xbox Game Pass this week - and we have some early reviews of the title now circulating on the web. So, we're going to round up some of those early impressions down below;...
- Xbox
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Marathon Players Share Their Initial Thoughts As Xbox Alpha Goes Live
Mixed feelings
Today's the day for the Marathon Closed Alpha on Xbox and other platforms, with the test kicking off for anyone lucky enough to receive an invite via the Marathon Discord server - and players have been sharing their initial reviews already. Based on what we're coming across so far, it feels like there are mixed opinions about what...
- Xbox
- Marathon
- Alpha
- Review Roundup
Talking Point We Played Xbox's First Forza Release On PS5, And It Felt Weird
Press R2 to accelerate?! What?!
It's been a weird few years following Xbox, we must admit. A distinct shift in strategy has led to Microsoft spearheading a multiplatform plan that has, eventually, led to one of its biggest gaming franchises moving over to PlayStation - something that would have been unheard of just a couple of years ago. Well, we're...
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- Forza Horizon 5
- PS5
News Xbox Cloud Gaming Arrives On LG TVs With New Dedicated App
Available for "select" models
Xbox Cloud Gaming has taken the next step in its journey today with the announcement that a new dedicated xCloud app is now available on "select" LG TVs, allowing you to play games without even needing a console for them! Specifically, Xbox says that "2022 OLED TVs, select 2023 LG Smart TVs, and newer models, along...
- Xbox
- Xbox Cloud Gaming
- LG
- TV
News Xbox's Forza Horizon 5 Gets 'Big Visual Boost' On PS5 Pro, Says Tech Review
"The Pro is really where the action is at"
Forza Horizon 5 officially moves over to PS5 starting this week, and as you may have seen elsewhere at Pure Xbox, we've been slowly wrapping our heads around playing a Forza title on a PlayStation console over the last few days. <related ids="181382"> While we've been busy playing the game and...
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 5
- Digital Foundry
- PS5 Pro
- Xbox Series X
News Sunderfolk Brings Its Phone-Based RPG To Xbox Consoles Today
The reviews have been pretty impressive
It's not a great week to be launching a new RPG on Xbox when you've got Oblivion Remastered and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to compete with, but we wanted to bring your attention to this unique-looking competitor anyway! Sunderfolk has a release date of April 23rd, launching on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series...
- Xbox
- Sunderfolk
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Tuesday22nd Apr 2025
News Oblivion Remastered Comparison Shows Difference Between Xbox Series X And Series S
Here's how both Xbox versions stack up
We've already given you our "hands on" impressions of Oblivion Remastered on Xbox Series X here at Pure Xbox, but how does the Series X version stack up alongside the Xbox Series S? It's time to answer that question. Down below, you can see gameplay footage of both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions...
- Xbox
- Oblivion Remastered
- Comparison
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Hands On Oblivion Remastered Is Impressive, But There Are Some Performance Issues At Launch
A huge overhaul
So, Bethesda went and did it, the mad lads, they dropped The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered during the game's official reveal livestream - as had been rumoured might happen - and we've already chewed through the opening tutorial to bring you some very early impressions. First things first, this "hands on" is based purely on...
- Previews
- Xbox
- Oblivion Remastered
- Xbox Series X
- Hands On
News The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Is Now Available On Xbox Game Pass
Yes, it's out now!!
We're finally here, folks! Today, the teams at Bethesda and Virtuos have officially revealed The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered - and it's out on Xbox Game Pass... right now! The shadow drop rumours were real, Game Pass subscribers can go hands on with this Unreal Engine 5 overhaul of Oblivion from April 22nd.
- Xbox
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Bethesda
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
Feature Xbox Game Studios: All Microsoft First-Party Developers & What They're Working On
Including Bethesda & Activision Blizzard
At this stage, Microsoft has lots of in-house development studios making Xbox games, including all those teams across Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. So, as we begin another year of Xbox, we thought we'd gather up every Microsoft first-party developer and what they're working on right...
- Xbox
- Features
- Microsoft
- Activision Blizzard
- Bethesda
News Oblivion Remastered Players Share Their Initial Reviews On Xbox, PS5 & PC
Here's what the first user reviews are saying
It'll come as no surprise to hear that professional Oblivion Remastered reviews haven't been very plentiful following the game's shadow drop release a few hours ago, but there are plenty of user reviews that we can dig into instead! On the Xbox Store, Oblivion Remastered has received almost entirely...
- Xbox
- Oblivion Remastered
- Review Roundup
News Oblivion Remastered Has A Very Cheap 'Deluxe Edition Upgrade' On Xbox
If you want the extra content
You've surely heard the news by now that The Elder Scrolls Oblivion IV: Remastered is available on Xbox Game Pass as a shadow drop, and if you're interested in the Deluxe Edition content, there's a very cheap way to get it. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered - Deluxe Edition Upgrade costs just £9.99 / $9.99 on...
- Xbox
- Oblivion Remastered
- Deluxe Edition Upgrade
- Xbox Game Pass
News Bethesda Details Oblivion Remastered Tech Specs & Gameplay Changes On Xbox
It's an absolutely massive overhaul
With Bethesda's Oblivion Remastered now officially out there and fully revealed, the team has gone into detail on all of the big changes tucked into this Unreal Engine 5 overhaul - and it's a very impressive list of improvements for what's considered a 'remaster'. F
- Xbox
- Oblivion Remastered
- Microsoft
- Bethesda
- Xbox Series X
News Here's Your First Real-Life Look At Microsoft's Latest Xbox Series X Console Wrap
And it features lots of hidden messages!
Last week, Microsoft unveiled a new range of Xbox goodies for the upcoming releases of DOOM: The Dark Ages, with these console and PC accessories now out in the wild. While we've seen lots of posts about the pair of DOOM controllers already, we haven't seen much on the new Xbox Series X console wrap - but a
- Xbox
- Xbox Series X
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X Wrap
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
News Xbox Is Already Achieving Massive Success With Oblivion Remastered
Top selling game on Steam within hours
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is the talk of the industry today, and it's evidently been selling extremely well in its first few hours on sale, with the game already becoming the top global seller on Steam. Looking at the Steam page for Oblivion Remastered, it currently has 80,000 players at the...
- Xbox
- Oblivion Remastered
- Bethesda
- Steam
- Sales
News Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Custom Xbox Series X Bundle Unveiled
Here's how to get your hands on it
Ahead of its huge Xbox Game Pass release later this week, the team at Kepler Interactive has paired up with the Xbox Reddit page to unveil a Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 giveaway - featuring a fantastic-looking custom console and controller bundle. As is always the case these days, this isn't somethi
- Xbox
- Xbox Series X
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Xbox Game Pass
News Microsoft Releases New Xbox Series X|S Dynamic Background For Oblivion Remastered
It's all happening!
We're officially renaming today Oblivion Remastered day with all of the surprise information that's being thrown our way, and now Microsoft has added another drop into the mix - a new dynamic background for Xbox Series X and S consoles. Yep, to celebrate the launch of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Team Green has...
- Xbox
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Microsoft
- Oblivion Remastered
Monday21st Apr 2025
News Bethesda Officially Announces Oblivion Remastered, Full Reveal Coming Tomorrow
Update: It's now live on Xbox Game Pass!
Well folks, the day has finally arrived. After what feels like an eternity being stuck in actual oblivion, Bethesda has officially acknowledged its upcoming remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV . Yep, we have a YouTube countdown to the first official trailer for Oblivion Remastered - and it arrives tom
- Xbox
- Oblivion Remastered
- The Elder Scrolls
- Bethesda
News Oblivion Remastered PC File Size Leaks Ahead Of Rumoured Xbox Game Pass Launch
Better clear some SSD space!
Yep, we're into another week of 2025 without officially hearing about the much-rumoured Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remaster, but today brings even more evidence of its existence. Following a bunch of Oblivion Remastered images cropping up last week, the game's PC file size has now leaked via Steam - and it's a biggie...
- Xbox
- Oblivion Remastered
- Microsoft
- Bethesda
- Xbox Game Pass
PSA Xbox Game Pass Gets Another Huge Day One Release This Week
Ready for a new expedition?
Pushing aside Bethesda's seemingly imminent Oblivion remaster for a moment here, we probably shouldn't forget about another major title coming to Xbox Game Pass this week. Yep, we're mere days away from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hitting the XGP library - and we genuinely can't wait to
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
