The Xbox February 2026 update is now being highlighted by the folks over at Xbox Wire, and this week we've got new features across console, PC and handheld devices.
We're looking at higher resolution streaming for Xbox Cloud Gaming on console, new navigation sounds on the Xbox PC app and some improvements to the ROG Xbox Ally experience as our main updates this time out.
Here's a summary of Xbox's February 2026 update:
1440p, High Bitrate Streaming On Console
"Xbox Cloud Gaming on Xbox consoles is leveling up. We’re now rolling out up to 1440p, higher bitrate streaming for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members, delivering sharper visuals and more responsive gameplay across supported titles and regions. This upgrade is beginning to roll out on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One X and Xbox One S consoles – joining the Xbox PC app, handhelds, supported browsers, select Fire TV devices, LG TVs, and Samsung TVs. With Xbox Cloud Gaming now out of beta, we’re continuing to refine performance, expand support, and make cloud gameplay seamless."
New Navigation Sounds On The Xbox PC App
"We’re bringing a little extra polish to your controller experience on the Xbox PC app. Rolled out this month, you’ll notice new, subtle navigation sounds that make moving around the app with a controller feel more responsive and intuitive. These optional audio cues play during key actions – like shifting focus, selecting an item, or backing out – giving every interaction a bit more feedback and personality. If you want to customize things, you’re in control: head to Settings > Audio to turn controller navigation sounds on or off and adjust the volume to match your setup."
ROG Xbox Ally Updates
Improved Removable Storage Formatting support: ROG Xbox Ally players can now easily format removable storage (including the officially licensed Sandisk microSD cards) for installing and running games directly in the Xbox app. When installing a game, you can simply select your removable storage drive and format it directly.
Advanced Shader Delivery Indicator: ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X players will now see a notice on the game loading screen of supported titles indicating if graphic shaders were pre-compiled. Advanced Shader Delivery preloads game shaders during download so select games launch faster and run smoother on first play.
Additional Improvements: We’ve made several other updates for ROG Xbox Ally players based on their feedback. You can see the complete list of updates in the patch notes.
Beyond these core features, Microsoft has also highlighted new games for its Handheld Compatibility program, new Xbox Play Anywhere additions, more Stream Your Own Game titles, more games with Mouse & Keyboard support - and a new update for Xbox Retro Classics, which we've covered elsewhere at Pure Xbox.