Latest News
YesterdaySat, 14th Nov 2026
News Five Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In December 2026 So Far
Looking forward at what's to come
We've made a habit of casting our gaze ahead and sharing with you an early look at what's in store for December 2026's Xbox Game Pass lineup. So far, we know of five games scheduled to arrive in a few weeks' time. Our highlight of the bunch is probably A Game About Digging A Hole Together. On the surface it might...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- December 2026
- Microsoft
Feature 25+ Of The Best Discounted Games From Xbox's Pre-Black Friday Sale
A selection of the finest discounts
We're counting down the days until Xbox's Black Friday sales! They're likely to begin next Wednesday, however we've spotted a plethora of massively discounted games on sale right now. So, we're back to rummage through them and pick out a banger or two for you. Xbox is currently running a couple of sales - a...
- Xbox
- Features
- Deals
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Three Classic Startup Animations Are Set To Arrive On Xbox Very Soon
They were mentioned in some recent patch notes
So, you remember that recent Xbox console update we mentioned yesterday? The one that happened on Wednesday and included original Xbox achievements? It seems like there's at least one more hidden feature to be discovered. A couple of eagle-eyed Xbox fans have spotted that the patch notes had been...
- Xbox
- Startup Animation
- Updates
- Dashboard
News These 10+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (November 16-20)
Nothing particularly interesting, eh?
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for November 16-20! The big release of the week (and the year, and the decade, and of all time) is obviously GTA 6, but there are some other interesting titles on the way including Ranger's Path: National Park Simulator and Vice: Magic City Mayhem, plus some more Xbox Game Pass...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- New Releases
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 14-15)
Are you starting anything new?
It's the penultimate weekend to get stuck into the games you'd like to finish before November 19th rolls up. It's WAYP time, people! You know the score by now, so let's hear what you're playing this weekend! This is your opportunity to have a chat with one another about what's good, what's worth playing, why you're...
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- What Are You Playing
Friday13th Nov 2026
Guide Here's How To Claim All The Xbox 25th Anniversary In-Game Items
That translucent green do be looking fire
Xbox's 25th Anniversary translucent green look is killer, and I'm a big fan of the cosmetics that Xbox's first-party titles have whipped up to support the milestone. We thought we'd do a quick guide on how to get all Xbox Anniversary items across Forza Horizon 6, Halo: Campaign Evolved, Gears of War: E-Day,
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Guides
News Forza Horizon 6 Content Roadmap Revealed For Late 2026 & 2027
With a specific focus on January and February of next year
Ready for some more news on Forza Horizon 6? The team at Playground Games has announced a content roadmap for the game today, pulling the curtain back on their plans for the end of 2026 and all of next year. You can get loads of detail about all of this in the video up above, but in a...
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- Roadmap
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News 13+ Xbox Games Are Releasing Today, Including A Retro-Inspired Shooter (November 13)
🙈🙉🙊
Happy Friday 13th everyone. To celebrate, let's have a look at all the new games launching on Xbox today. Three games caught my eye this morning: a retro FPS, a simulator, and a social co-op game. DERELIKT is the shooter. It's giving serious old-school Xbox and PS1 vibes, drawing from games like System Shock and DOOM. As for the...
- Xbox
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Round Up
- Xbox Game Pass
PSA Xbox And GTA 6 Have Both Pushed Out Small New Updates
One's a console update, the other potentially a "day one" patch
As we get ready to wrap up the working week here at Pure Xbox, we wanted to alert you to a couple of new updates that have been pushed out in recent days - one for Xbox consoles in general, and another specifically for GTA 6. The Xbox console update was actually released on Wednesday,...
- Xbox
- PSA
- Console Update
- GTA 6
- Xbox Series X
News Xbox CEO Announces Major New Bethesda Games In The Works, Including Wolfenstein 3
"Wolfenstein 3 is officially in production at MachineGames"
Xbox boss Asha Sharma has been taking the opportunity today to announce multiple new Bethesda games that are in the works as Xbox first-party titles, including the long-awaited Wolfenstein 3. Sharma made the announcement on social media while highlighting that Wolfenstein is "one of...
- Xbox
- Wolfenstein 3
- Bethesda
- MachineGames
- ID Software
News 'That's An Error' - Xbox Engineer Denies 360 Games Are Being Teased For Disc To Digital
It was a nice dream while it lasted
Yesterday, Xbox starting rolling out three new console features for Xbox Insiders to try out: rotating home backgrounds, the ability to choose which side the Xbox guide pops open on, and new ways to organise disc to digital games. They're all cool features that we're definitely keen to play around with, but what...
- Xbox
- Disc to Digital
- Xbox 360
- Xbox Insiders
- Updates
News Fable's Latest Showing Didn't Exactly Blow Our Socks Off
It's the first time the Xbox RPG didn't wow us
Here at Pure Xbox, we're rather stoked about Playground Games' revival of Fable. We were picking jaws up off the floor in June, then again at gamescom in August, and even left
- Xbox
- Fable
- Playground Games
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
News Former Xbox First-Party Game 'Kiln' Gets A New Identity And Its Biggest Update Of All Time
There's even local multiplayer now!
When Double Fine released Kiln as an Xbox first-party title last year, it's fair to say a lot of the Xbox fanbase was baffled by it. As much as it was a good game (we gave it a 7/10 in our Pure Xbox review), it also shipped with just a singular, online-only mode that was bound to get old pretty quickly.
- Xbox
- Kiln
- First-Party
- Xbox Game Studios
- Double Fine
Thursday12th Nov 2026
News 21 Original Xbox Games Are Coming To PC Via Backwards Compatibility Today (November 12)
Surprise!
Woah, woah, woah! As part of Xbox's 25th anniversary celebrations, it's been announced that 21 original Xbox games are coming to PC via backwards compatibility today, joining the four that were made available earlier in the year. The list of these games is as follows: Armed and Dangerous Disney’s Chicken Little The Elder Scrolls III:...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- PC Game Pass
- Backwards Compatibility
News Xbox Playback Is Now Available, Take A Look Back At Your Xbox History
"Your games. Your milestones. Your story."
One of my favourite things to do is look back at the Xbox games I've been playing, the achievements I've unlocked, and all of my cool unique stats that make me the Xbox gamer I am. This year, Xbox is doing something a bit different. Unlike previous Xbox 'Year in Review' roundups, which cover the past 11 or...
- Xbox
- Xbox Replay
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Three New Console Features Begin Rolling Out Today For Xbox Insiders (November 12)
Including a "Shuffle" feature for dynamic backgrounds!
The announcements are coming thick and fast today! This latest one is for Xbox Insiders, and it concerns three new console features that are rolling out now to members of the Alpha Skip-Ahead tier (with more tiers followed by a public release in the future). Arguably the most notable one is the...
- Xbox
- Console
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox One
News Asha Sharma Issues Statement On Xbox's 25th Anniversary And The Future Of Gaming
"Our largest studios will be able to pursue ambitions as far beyond today’s games"
We've been waiting all week for Xbox to acknowledge its 25th anniversary in a formal fashion, and Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has now issued a statement discussing the past, present and future of the brand to celebrate its birthday. It's a pretty lengthy statement, and a...
- Xbox
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
News Four OG Xbox Games Are Getting Achievements For The First Time Ever
"We’re introducing one of the top requested features"
It's time for achievements in original Xbox games! Microsoft is officially rolling them out for four games today, with more to come over time. They're referring to this as "one of the top requested features" from fans in recent memory. The four games that are getting Xbox achievements today...
- Xbox
- Original Xbox
- Achievements
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (November 12-15)
Download and try these games for free this weekend
It's Thursday, which means it's time for your latest batch of Xbox Free Play Days titles! So far, we know of four games in the lineup, thanks to some digging from Redditor Oliomono. Their findings usually match up with the official lineup, but there's a decent chance Xbox will add another one or...
- Xbox
- Free Play Days
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
News GTA 6 Gets 20 Seconds Of New Gameplay, And Everyone Can't Believe How Real It Looks
Assuming it IS real
Sorry to keep bombarding you with GTA 6 hype, but we're literally one week away from the biggest video game launch of all time, and even 20 seconds' worth of gameplay is getting millions of views ahead of November 19th's launch. This latest footage comes from a weird source - an Instagram account called "Only in Dade". The...
- Xbox
- GTA 6
News Hang On, Firefight Is Coming To Halo: Campaign Evolved
Halo-lujah!
Halo: Campaign Evolved isn't dead, people! Firefight has just been announced as a free update for Halo: Campaign Evolved, arriving sometime this winter. The series' staple co-op PvE mode is locked in, with more details set to be shared at Halo Fest on December 12-13. Halo: Campaign Evolved received some backlash for its lack of...
- Xbox
- Halo: Campaign Evolved
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox Game Pass
News Resident Evil Requiem Wins GOTY As Xbox Takes Home Two Awards At The Golden Joysticks 2026
Full list of winners revealed
Wednesday night was a celebration of all the best games from the past 12 months, with the Golden Joystick Awards taking place in London's Troxy venue. What a night it was for Capcom, as not only did they come away with Ultimate GOTY, and Console GOTY for Resident Evil Requiem, but the developer won another five awards...
- Xbox
- Golden Joysticks
- Game of the Year
News Xbox Anniversary Weapon Skins For Gears Of War: E-Day Are Now Free To Claim
Celebrate Xbox's 25 years by chainsawing Locust grubs
Xbox's 25th anniversary is just around the corner, and to celebrate the massive milestone, The Coalition is giving away a free translucent green weapon skin bundle in Gears of War: E-Day. If I'm being honest, it's not massive news, but it's a nice freebie for E-Day players. We're feeling a...
- Xbox
- Gears of War: E-Day
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox Game Pass
News Three Special Football Jerseys Go On Sale To Celebrate Halo's 25th Anniversary
Including a very limited edition bundle
I've always had a thing for video game edition sports tees. They're breathable, durable, a bit weighted, and usually feature something subtle from a game I like on the front. Xbox and sportswear company Dyenamik have already teamed up in recent weeks with to ship a range of gorgeous Xbox 25th Anniversary...
- Xbox
- Halo
- Football
- Soccer
- Jersey
Puff puff pass the gun
Welcome back to your latest roundup of all the new games launching on Xbox today. Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass subscribers are in for a treat with the arrival of John Carpenter's Toxic Commando, alongside a few other non-XGP releases worth checking out. If you fancy running your own 'medicinal' empire without crossing...
- Xbox
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Round Up
- Xbox Game Pass
Wednesday11th Nov 2026
News Microsoft Announces Last-Minute Restock Of The Xbox Series X25 Console
Available at launch through the Microsoft Store and participating retailers
Ever since the Xbox Series X25 console first became available for pre-order in August, it's become hard to get your hands on one. The "Limited Edition" system quickly sold out, and became a target for scalpers within 24 hours as well. If you were hoping to add the Series...
- Xbox
- Xbox Series X25
- Console
- Limited Edition
News Xbox Brings Its Free Tier Of Cloud Gaming To Loads More Players Today
Could prove popular for GTA 6?
You may recall that back in July, Xbox announced a new free version of Xbox Cloud Gaming that would allow you to play games at no charge, but you'd be forced to deal with ads as a compromise. That tier of Xbox Cloud Gaming was in testing for months, but as of today (November 11th), it's rolled out publicly - meaning...
- Xbox
- Xbox Cloud Gaming
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (November 11)
A charming pair of day one releases
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Today, we've got two day one releases joining the Ultimate and PC tiers of the service. As per the usual, we'll summarise your two new XGP additions with trailers and descriptions down below, alongside a wee poll to let us know if you'll be playing either of the new...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Two Major Developers Explain Why They Like And Dislike Making Games For Xbox Series S
"I wish hardware like the 'Xbox Series S' wouldn't be released (laughs)"
Over the years, we've heard all kinds of stories from all kinds of developers about whether they either like or dislike making games for the Xbox Series S, and former Tekken boss Katsuhiro Harada falls into the "dislike" category. In a recent panel discussion that was...
- Xbox
- Xbox Series S
"Personally, I am looking forward to the next-gen Xbox"
Shift Up CTO DongKi Lee, best known for his work on Stellar Blade and the studio's mobile games, recently spoke at a developer panel about his excitement to get hands-on with Xbox Project Helix development kits. All whilst in front of a senior official of team Xbox. As
- Xbox
- Shift Up
- Microsoft
- Industry
- Project Helix
News GTA 6 Gets Its First Unboxing Video As Shipping Begins For Xbox & PS5
Here's a look at what's inside the physical edition
While Rockstar Games mentioned a date of November 12th for shipping the physical edition of GTA 6 for Xbox and PS5 the other day, we noticed other retailers stating the 11th instead, so it's no surprise that it's showing up in the wild. The first unboxing video for GTA 6 seemingly arrived...
- Xbox
- GTA 6
- Physical Edition
- Unboxing
- Xbox Series X
News Shrek 2 Remastered Has No Official Reviews Yet, But The User Reviews Are Quite Bizarre
It has a high score on Xbox right now, but a Mixed one on Steam
Yesterday marked the launch of Shrek 2 Remastered on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (along with other platforms), and if you're wondering why nobody seems to be talking about it, it's because there are no official reviews yet. It seems codes were only sent out at launch for this one,...
- Xbox
- Shrek 2 Remastered
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Brings Halo's Iconic Pelican To Microsoft Flight Sim 2024 As Limited-Time Freebie
Act fast and claim the combat dropship for free!
Asobo Studios is commemorating the 25th anniversary of Halo by introducing the iconic UNSC Pelican into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Over the years, the combat dropshop has seen a plethora of talented pilots don its cockpit: Carol 'Foehammer' Rawley, the reluctant Fernando Esparza, and now you!
- Xbox
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Halo
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Tuesday10th Nov 2026
News Xbox CEO Issues Statement On GTA 6 And New '10-Year Partnership' With Its Publisher
The game is also now the most pre-ordered Microsoft Store title ever
We're getting a whole ton of GTA 6 details coming out today, and Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has taken to social media to issue a statement about the game's pre-orders, as well as a new 10-year partnership with its publisher Take-Two. Sharma didn't share any specific details about the...
- Xbox
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
- GTA 6
- Take-Two
News Xbox Vs. PS5: GTA 6 Specs Revealed, And These Are The Biggest Differences
"Pushing both platforms to their absolute limits"
Rockstar Games has today lifted the lid on a bunch of specs for both the Xbox and PS5 versions of GTA 6, revealing some of the biggest differences (and similarities) between playing the game on each platform. The most notable bit of information is that every single console runs the game at 30FPS...
- Xbox
- GTA 6
- Specs
- FPS
- Performance
News GTA 6 Will Be Playable On Xbox One Through Xbox Cloud Gaming
Rockstar also confirms GTA 6 will run at 30FPS
Buying current-gen Xbox hardware isn't cheap these days, and with GTA 6 is now confirmed to be running 30FPS on Xbox Series X|S, what chance would an Xbox One have of running the game, even if it had launched for previous generation tech? Well, thanks to Rockstar's pre-load notes, we now know GTA 6...
- Xbox
- GTA 6
- Xbox One
- Xbox Cloud Gaming
- Xbox Series X
News Here's What Xbox Owners Need To Know About 'Moving To New Zealand' For GTA 6
Popular questions answered
So, it's finally almost time for GTA 6. You've probably preloaded the game on your Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S already, and now you're eagerly awaiting the official launch that takes place on November 19th. However, there are more than a few whispers going around about the "New Zealand" trick — something
- Xbox
- GTA 6
- New Zealand
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
It's not ogre. It'll never be ogre.
Welcome back to your daily update of all the new releases on Xbox today! It's a good day for Xbox games, and an even better day for Game Pass. We've got three XGP titles launching today, one of which we've been waiting on for yonks! Tanuki: Pon's Summer has finally arrived to impress us with its BMX postal...
- Xbox
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Round Up
- Xbox Game Pass
News NACON Releases REVO Range Of Xbox Controllers Designed For 'Every Gamer Style'
"Always Ready. Tailored Control. Pros' Arsenal."
NACON has announced today the availability of its REVO range of Xbox controllers, three officially licensed pads. The trio aims to accommodate the needs of every Xbox and PC player, because "every gamer has a style, every style has a controller." The REVO X and REVO X MAX are available for purchase...
- Xbox
- Controllers
- NACON
- REVO
News 'Generally Favourable' Review Scores For Trio Of Xbox Game Pass Launch Titles
Decent scores for Warhammer Survivors, Tanuki: Pon's Summer, and Football Manager 27
Three games from November's Xbox Game Pass lineup are launching today, and they're already picking up some pretty decent review scores. Warhammer Survivors, Tanuki: Pon's Summer, and Football Manager 27 Console
- Review Roundup
- Xbox
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox Game Pass
Feature These Are Xbox's Best 25 Games From 2001-2026 According To Metacritic
We're looking at it year-by-year
As we continue our celebrations for Xbox's 25th anniversary this Sunday (November 15th), we thought it might be fun to look back at the past 25 years on Metacritic, and specifically the best-rated Xbox games from each year. The website has a significant history of review roundups dating all the way back to 2001, and...
- Xbox
- Best Games
- Metacritic
- Features
News Marathon To Add New Co-Op Roguelite Mode, Social Spaces, And Other Major Features In December
It's beginning to look a lot like Destiny
Bungie isn't prepared to let its extraction shooter go quietly. Instead, Marathon's upcoming 'Symbiosis' update arrives on December 8, bringing a whole host of new PvE and PvP modes. Having just finished watching the new gameplay trailer above, I've got to say, It's giving off plenty of Destiny vibes. I'm a...
- Xbox
- Marathon
- Updates
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Monday9th Nov 2026
Guide Xbox Game Pass Essential: Full List Of Games (November 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 How To Preload GTA 6 In Full On Xbox Series X|S (Even If You Haven't Bought It)
All 200GB+ goes live in just a few hours' time
The official preload for GTA 6 is literally just a few hours away at the time of writing, and it means everyone will be able to install all 200GB+ of the game on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S ahead of launch on November 19th. Here are the official preload / preinstall times for GTA 6 on Xbox Series...
- Xbox
- GTA 6
- Pre-load
- Pre-install
- Downloads
News 'The Best RPG I've Played This Year' - Queen's Domain Is A Low-Key GOTY Contender On Xbox
It's getting some stunning feedback
Back at the end of last month, a little-known RPG launched on Xbox in the form of Queen's Domain, which we highlighted in our October 30th new releases roundup alongside 14 other titles that arrived that day. Ever since then, we've been hearing various bits of praise for the game across multiple platforms, and...
- Xbox
- Queen's Domain
- RPGs
- Game of the Year
- Xbox Series X
News New Details Revealed About The Physical Edition Of GTA 6 For Xbox Series X|S
Double-sided poster, shipping dates & more
Everyone already knows about the code-in-a-box situation for GTA 6's physical edition on Xbox Series X|S and PS5, but we've also come to learn a few extra details in recent days about what to expect from the boxed copy of the game. So, when you open up GTA 6 for Xbox Series X|S in physical form, you'll be...
- Xbox
- GTA 6
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Poll Xbox Turns 25 This Week, But Which Console Generation Had The Best Launch Titles?
Xbox? 360? One? Series?
This Sunday, Xbox will celebrate 25 years of great games and console experiences. Without giving away just how ancient we are, Fraser and I have been Xbox players since the beginning, enjoying each new generation of Xbox consoles and the games that launched alongside them. With November 15th drawing closer, we thought we'd...
- Polls
- Xbox
- Xbox 360
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
Bodes well for that eventual console release, eh?
We've talked quite a bit recently about the launch of World of Warcraft: Forever on PC and how it may end up being the biggest success of the year from an Xbox first-party perspective, and it seems that could actually be the case. Its PC launch happened back on November 4th, and according to the...
- Xbox
- World of Warcraft: Forever
- First-Party
- Blizzard
- PC
News Halo 2 Is 22 Years Old Today, And I'm Gutted The Remake Isn't Happening
Pure Xbox is listening to: Blow Me Away - Breaking Benjamin 🎶
It feels like only yesterday that Halo: Campaign Evolved teased a remake of Halo 2, something I've been hoping for more and more as time went on. After all, it's been 22 long years now. Yep, that's right - Halo 2 launched on November 9, 2004 for the original Xbox, and has often been...
- Xbox
- Halo 2
- Anniversaries
- Backwards Compatibility
Sunday8th Nov 2026
News 10+ Game Pass Titles Are Confirmed For Xbox's 25th Anniversary Week
With potentially more to come
We're heading into Xbox's 25th anniversary week! Xbox will officially be celebrating that milestone on Sunday, November 15th (exactly seven days from the time of posting this article), and we're hoping for some surprises along the way. We already know of one surprise, which is that eight games will be joining Xbox Game...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- PC
