Tag: Microsoft - Page 5
News Halo & F1 Partnership Spawns Amazing Master Chief-Inspired Helmet
HCS and Quadrant team up
British Formula One rep Lando Norris, who is currently racing with McLaren, has unveiled his very own Halo Master Chief style helmet. The racer will be wearing it at the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix, taking place this coming weekend. Lando has always been a fan of the Halo series, mentioning in an interview on social media...
News Phil Spencer Says New Quick Resume Feature Is 'On The List' At Xbox
"Good feature ask, makes sense"
'Quick Resume' was one of Xbox's big new features at the turn of the console generation, allowing users to pick up games right where they left off from a previous session. The feature is a solid one, although it can be spotty in terms of functionality with certain games. Well, Xbox's Phil Spencer has taken to Twitter...
Talking Point Do You Consider A Game's Length When Browsing Xbox Game Pass?
Alexa, how long to beat?
In a world filled with seemingly infinite choices on games, TV shows, movies, you name it, we tend to prefer our gaming experiences to fall on the shorter side in this day and age. That's not to say we don't love getting stuck into a huge RPG every now and then, but sampling a wider variety of shorter titles is typically our...
Rumour Xbox Is Talking To 'Major' Japanese Publishers About Acquisitions
Even while the ActiBlizz deal is underway
Xbox is continuing to push for growth in Japan, highlighted by its recent Tokyo Game Show livestream which was one of Xbox's best in recent memory. The show brought a bunch of Japan-focused news, like Ni No Kuni shadow dropping on Xbox Game Pass and much more. Well, if fresh rumours are to be believed, then...
Deals All 20+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (Sept 27 - Oct 3)
Xbox classics
As usual, Xbox has put a selection of backwards compatible titles on sale this week to go alongside its mammoth list of Xbox One and Series X|S games. It ain't the biggest back compat sale the week, but there's still some notable stuff on offer. Deals: 500+ Games Included In This Week's Bumper Xbox Sales (Sep 27 - Oct 3) Here's the...
News Xbox Unveils 'Mineral Camo' Special Edition Controller, And It's Out Now
Oooh shiny
Woah there, new controller just dropped! Yep, Xbox has just officially unveiled the 'Mineral Camo' Xbox Series X|S controller, and there's no lead time on this one - it's out right now! Mineral Camo joins Night Ops Camo, Arctic Camo, and Daystrike Camo as part of the 'camo series', with Xbox labelling its main colour as a "bold mineral...
Deals 500+ Games Included In This Week's Bumper Xbox Sales (Sept 27 - Oct 3)
Fill up!
Another week, another set of Xbox sales, and this week it's a substantial one. More than 500 titles are discounted across various different promotions, with some notable new releases like Saints Row already on sale. So, we've gathered a selection of highlights across this week's Xbox sales, and of course, the full list is live on Xbox...
News Microsoft CEO 'Very Confident' About Activision Blizzard Approval
The Xbox & ActiBlizz merge is ongoing
We've heard from Phil Spencer recently about how the Xbox Activision Blizzard deal is progressing, especially in regards to Call of Duty and its exclusivity terms moving forward. While some aspects of the merger seem uncertain at this stage, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella still seems pretty confident it'll all go...
News White Xbox Series X Console Spotted In Astro Headset Ad
Is this Microsoft's next Series X model?
Okay, so, this is a weird one. Astro has just dropped a new ad for its upcoming A30 headset revision, and it contains a suite of gaming hardware to match, including a PS5 and an Xbox Series X. However, the Series X system on show is white - a colour scheme we've not yet seen since the generation began. Now,...
News Xbox Series S Outsold The PlayStation 5 In Japan Last Week
Following on from a strong display at TGS 2022
Xbox has been trying to crack the Japanese market for some time now, and it seems it's recently had some sales success according to the latest Famitsu sales data. Between September 9th and September 18th, the Xbox Series S hardware managed to shift 13,211 units. This is seemingly one of its best weeks...
News Three Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (September 22)
Out on the slime ranch
Microsoft is bringing three more titles to Xbox Game Pass today, September 22, as part of the latest update to the library. Headlining the bunch today is the newly released Slime Rancher 2, from developer Monomi Park. As these are all brand new releases, they might not be available right away, but each title will arrive...
News Logitech G CLOUD Handheld Launches Next Month With Xbox Cloud Gaming Built In
But where's our Xbox portable?
Early last month, Logitech revealed that it was working with Xbox, in some capacity, on a cloud-based gaming handheld. Well, the tech company has now fully revealed its Logitech G CLOUD system, and it's out as early as next month. The handheld device launches on October 17th in the US for $350, with no other regions...
News Xbox September 2022 Update Adds Tons Of Features, Including New Game Install Options
Choose install location by game type!
Xbox has detailed its September console update for all users, and it's safe to say it's a biggie! There are a lot of notable new features packed in here, including new install options, the ability to change your Xbox controller LED colour, and much more. Let's start with the installs shall we? We brought news...
Random Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Appears In Xbox Game Pass Library
Half baked
Okay, this isn't something we thought we'd see today, but here we are! A Reddit user spotted Ben & Jerry's appearing as an Xbox Game Pass title, yes, the ice cream brand. The app wasn't titled as such, but all the media related to Ben & Jerry's ice cream. After coming across the post we thought we best check for ourselves, and lo...
News Once Again, Xbox Says 'No' To The Return Of The Xbox 360 Blades Dashboard
"No, you can’t have the blades back"
Another year, another dream killed eh? Look, we've always been huge fans of the Xbox 360 blades UI, and while we know it'd take some tweaking to bring back in 2022, we'd still love to see it return. Well, once again it looks like that won't be the case anytime soon. On a recent episode of Major Nelson's Xbox...
News EA Sees 'Tremendous Opportunity' If Call Of Duty Goes Xbox Exclusive
Beyond the existing agreement
There's been a lot of back and forth recently between Xbox and PlayStation over the future of Call of Duty. Microsoft feels that it's laid out a generous plan for the next few years of CoD if the Activision deal goes through, while Sony doesn't feel the same way. Now, EA has had something to say on the matter; they...
Rumour Xbox Initially Planned To Launch 9 Exclusives In 2023
But how will things actually pan out?
Due to 2022's unfortunate slate of delays, we've always looked at 2023 as a pretty stacked year for Xbox Game Studios. Redfall, Starfield, and Forza Motorsport are all planned for the first half of next year, however it appears Xbox originally had a pretty packed lineup planned for 2023 anyway. VentureBeat...
News Xbox Series X Update Makes Great Change To Game Installs
But there's still room for improvement
Xbox has implemented a pretty awesome new feature in its latest console update! The Xbox Series X 2206 update has made some welcome changes to offline installs for physical games. Basically, prior to this update Xbox One disc games required an online 'check in' for use on Xbox Series X, even when a Smart...
News Microsoft Announces 343 Industries Leadership Team Restructure
Pierre Hintze is the new studio head
Yesterday, the Xbox and Halo community got some "shock news" - with Head of 343 Industries Bonnie Ross announcing she would be leaving the studio (as well as Microsoft) due to a family medical issue. In case you missed it, her replacement will be Head of Production Pierre Hintze. Hintze is an industry veteran...
News Here's Your First Look At Xbox's New Home UI In Motion
It's already rolling out to select Xbox Insiders
Xbox yesterday announced it was working on a brand new 'Home UI' experience for its console dashboards. It'll be released to the public in 2023 and will add some nifty new features like a new 'jump back in bar'. This new dash is already available to Xbox Insiders. If you're wondering how it looks in...
News Holy Smokes! This Game Of Thrones Xbox Series S Looks Amazing
House of the Dragon
Microsoft seems to have a conveyor belt of custom Xbox Series S consoles going over there at Xbox HQ! Their latest effort is a seriously impressive one though, with an elaborate Game of Thrones design completely encompassing a Series S console. This thing looks like it has an entire vault case surrounding it, almost like a...
News Xbox Details September [email protected] Showcase Featuring Game Pass Announcements
On a particular anniversary...
Showcase season is continuing well into September this year it seems! Xbox's Tokyo Games Show livestream takes place later this month, and literally a day before that, Microsoft is now delivering a fresh [email protected] showcase for us all. The team's [email protected] fall show goes ahead on September 14th, at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm...
News Xbox Unveils New Home UI For 2023, And Your Feedback Is Wanted
Here's a quick overview
Xbox has announced that the team is working on a brand new 'Home UI' experience for its console dashboard, set for public release in 2023. The new UI will change the core console interface a little bit, while also adding features like a dedicated store tile, a new 'jump back in' bar, and more. The new UI in its current form...
News Aaron Greenberg Promoted To Xbox's VP Of Games Marketing
Congratulations!
If you're a close follower of the Xbox team, you'll be well aware of Aaron Greenberg. He's a really nice guy who is always busy promoting the latest game and hardware. It seems he's recently been promoted - with his LinkedIn profile revealing how he's gone from Xbox Games Marketing General Manager to Xbox Games Marketing Vice...
PSA Now's Probably A Good Time To Use 'Energy Saver' Mode On Xbox Series X|S
Bills, basically
Since things have moved over to those super speedy SSDs in Xbox consoles, we've been happily using 'Energy Saver' mode on Xbox Series X and S. The bootup speed boost gained from 'Instant On' just isn't really there with the new systems, not to mention the cost and environmental benefits from the console properly shutting down when...
News Xbox's 'Approach' With Starfield Is Leading To More ActiBlizz Scrutiny
The UK CMA is once again concerned
Earlier today, we covered a little bit about the UK Competition and Markets Authority's concerns over the Activision Blizzard deal. Those concerns mostly related to how big some of Activision's games are, and whether Microsoft owning them could harm competition. Well, the whole first phase document has now been...
News Xbox App Search Function Finally Sees Improvements In Latest Update
Hurrah!
Searching for content on Xbox has always been a bit hit and miss, and that extends to secondary devices like mobile as well. Players have long complained about the usefulness — or lack thereof — of the search bar on the Xbox app on mobile, and well, Microsoft seems to be making some changes. A new update for the Xbox app has just gone...
News UK Authority Reveals 'Concerns' Over Xbox's Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard
It could end up being investigated further
Update: Xbox boss Phil Spencer has now responded to this in a long letter on the Microsoft website: Read More: Xbox's Phil Spencer Responds To 'Concerns' Over Activision Blizzard Deal Original story: We've got some not-so-good news to share on the progress of the Activision Blizza
News Xbox Will Be At Tokyo Game Show 2022 With Japan-Focused Livestream
"This will be a show curated for our players in Japan and Asia"
Team Xbox has revealed that it'll return, at least digitally, to the Tokyo Game Show this year, which takes place mid-September. Xbox will host a livestream focused mainly on Japanese and Asian titles from "developer partners" around the world. The team has tempered expectations...
Talking Point Will Microsoft Replace Xbox 360 Games With Gold?
The end of an era
Well, there it is. Xbox has just announced the final Games With Gold selection that'll feature Xbox 360 titles (and seemingly original Xbox titles as well), as the company recently announced that it was ditching the 'classics' part of the program. It's been a long, and at times less-than-thrilling ride we have to admit, which is...
News Xbox Has Unveiled This Custom Pac-Man Xbox Series S Console
Up for grabs via Xbox Sweepstakes!
The latest in a long line of custom Xbox Series S consoles is a bright and colourful rendition based on the legendary Pac-Man! As is the norm, this custom console is only available to acquire through entering a competition, but still, it looks pretty darn sweet! All the rules & regulations are laid out in...
News Xbox Is Adding New Install Options For Different Game Types
Choose where next-gen & last-gen games download
The latest round of Xbox Insider patch notes have revealed a very welcome install-related feature on its way to Xbox. Basically, we'll soon be able to pick a default install location for each game type, meaning Xbox Series optimised titles can be automatically downloaded to your console's SSD or a...
Reaction More Gaming Acquisitions Doesn't Necessarily Mean More Exclusives
The tides are changing
We seem to be caught in a whirlwind of gaming acquisition news as of late, from progress on the Xbox ActiBlizz deal, to Embracer buying a bunch of studios, to rumours about an EA deal, and even more besides. While these deals often bring out both supporters and sceptics in
News Xbox Series X & Series S Will Not Follow PlayStation 5 Price Increase
Microsoft responds
In recent developments, Sony has made the "difficult decision to increase" - yes, increase - the price of its PlayStation 5 console in select locations around the world due to a whole host of factors. It had Xbox fans wondering if Microsoft would follow, but it seems there is no need to worry. As you might have already seen,...
Reaction Will Xbox Follow PlayStation In Raising Console Prices?
Update: Microsoft issues a response
Update: It looks like we've got our answer! Microsoft has issued a statement today to various outlets suggesting that the price of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will remain the same - at least for the forseeable future. Phew! Here's the full quote: “We are constantly evaluating our business to o
News Xbox Continues To Look For Potential Acquisitions, Says Phil Spencer
Especially in different markets
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has sat down with Bloomberg to discuss all things Xbox, as the industry focuses on Gamescom 2022. Microsoft's head of gaming expressed how he feels about the ongoing Activision Blizzard deal, while also touching on what could potentially come next. In short, Spencer says the company continues...
News Xbox Activision Blizzard Deal Officially Approved By Saudi Authority
The Asian nation is the first to publicly approve the deal
Since Xbox announced its plans to acquire Activision Blizzard, official approval of the deal by nations around the world has been a key topic of discussion. The FTC is scrutinising the deal over in the US, while the UK CMA is taking a good long look at proceedings over here. Well, we've now...
News Sony Didn't Pay To Keep 'Cult Of The Lamb' Off Xbox Game Pass, Says Publisher
Update: "This is absolutely untrue"
Update: Devolver Digital, which publishes Cult of the Lamb, has since reached out to TheGamer about this story to state that the rumour is "absolutely untrue" and Sony didn't pay to keep the game off Xbox Game Pass. "This is absolutely untrue". Original story: There's been a lot going around lately about how...
News Hideo Kojima Teases Work-In-Progress Trailer For Upcoming Project
Could it be his announced Xbox game?
Back in June, Kojima Productions and Microsoft finally confirmed their partnership, with the two companies now working together on a brand-new Xbox game. It had been rumoured and reported on for months prior as well, following the release of Kojima's PlayStation exclusive Death Stranding. We've seen nothing on...
News Xbox One Seemingly Sold 50-60 Million Units Last Generation
About half as many as PS4!
As Microsoft pushes on in pursuit of wrapping up its Activision Blizzard acquisition, countries around the world are continuing to scrutinize the deal. Brazil is one such country, where a regulatory body in the South American nation has been has been looking at Microsoft, and various other third parties, in relation to the...
News Xbox Says Sony's Concerns About Call Of Duty Are 'Simply Unjustifiable'
The fight continues
Scrutiny surrounding Xbox's Activision Blizzard deal is increasing, especially as Microsoft has seemingly submitted all of the required info to the FTC. While such a process is formality in a deal of this nature, we're now seeing Xbox react to other opposing parties. In the gaming space specifically, Xbox appears to believe Sony...
Talking Point Is It Time For Xbox To Introduce A New Dashboard?
Refreshed
It feels like we've been rocking some form of the current Xbox dashboard layout for quite a while now. Sure, when Xbox One first released things looked a fair bit different (good riddance to that UI) but in the years since say, Xbox One X launched, things have felt quite samey especially considering we're now into a new generation. So,...
Random Xbox 360 Blades UI For Game Pass Looks Awesome In Fan-Made Concept Art
Xbox Game Pass 2005 edition
Xbox 360's launch era, the time when the 'Blades' dashboard was front and centre for the console, is starting to hit all the right nostalgia notes. We've spotted quite a few fan-made concepts recently focusing on bringing back the Blades, and a new concept looks at how the UI could work with Xbox Game Pass. This...
Talking Point Xbox Series S Owners, Are You Happy You Skipped Series X?
Decisions, decisions
Xbox Series S has been a pretty consistent talking point throughout the generation so far. From its much-rumoured reveal before launch, to questions about whether it could keep up with the big boys, it seems folks have always had something to say about Microsoft's digital next-gen Xbox. We have to say though, it's continued to...
News Preview Pricing Makes Xbox Game Pass 'Family Plan' Seem Really Good Value
Revealed via the Ireland testing phase
Yesterday, August 4th, Microsoft finally started to roll out testing for its upcoming Xbox Game Pass Family Plan. The program, which allows up to four users to take advantage of Game Pass Ultimate benefits, just began testing in Ireland and Colombia. Thanks to the testing phase in Ireland specifically, we now...
News Xbox Series S Becomes More Powerful Thanks To New Console Update
Dev kit improvements
Microsoft has announced that tucked into its June developer update across Windows and Xbox, it's enabling Xbox Series S to become a bit more powerful. A new update to developer tools for Xbox Series S allocates more memory for teams to use, which could result in performance boosts to both existing and upcoming games on the...
News Microsoft Defends Activision Blizzard Deal With Eyebrow-Raising Statement
It makes sense though!
Yeah, this is a weird one. You remember how a couple of days ago, we reported that Sony seemed a little bit worried about Xbox's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and specifically the Call of Duty franchise? Since then, RPS has pointed out that Microsoft had an interesting way of justify
News PlayStation Seems Worried About Xbox Owning Call Of Duty
Sony says the series 'has no rival'
We all know how incredibly popular Call of Duty is, and just how big of a deal Xbox owning the brand could potentially be. However, most of us don't have quite as much stock in the series as Sony does, and what happens to CoD is clearly of huge interest to the PlayStation owner. In a Q&A between Sony and a...
News Multiple 'World Premieres' To Feature At Gamescom Showcase Later This Month
"World premiere!"
The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley has revealed that he'll be hosting a live showcase at Gamescom 2022, set to take place later this month. During the 'Opening Night Live' show, expect to see new game trailers, extended demos, and of course, plenty of 'world premieres' (admit it, you read that in the voice). The showcase kicks...
News Former Xbox Boss Talks Building The 'Innovative' Xbox 360 Console
"It was such an innovative console"
The Xbox 360 was a defining era in the history of Xbox. It pretty much put the brand on the map, exposing Xbox to millions through Xbox Live - and a fantastic, cutting edge console to boot. At the time, Peter Moore was brought in to help Microsoft market the Xbox 360 launch, and in a new interview, Moore has...
