Xbox Series X News
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
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...
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...
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...
Guide Marathon Data Reconstruction Contract: Part 1
NuCaloric is calling
Marathon has pleasantly surprised us with its contracts and their fluidity since the server slam, and NuCaloric’s line of contracts called “Data Reconstruction” are no exception. However, they can catch you out if you're not careful, which is why this guide is here to give you an idea of what you will be coming up against...
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...
News Playground Games Says Ditching Xbox One Will Help Forza Horizon 6's Post-Launch Plans
FH6 "has more potential" in terms of updates & DLC
With the last few Forza Horizon entries, the team at Playground Games has made a big effort to provide post-launch support — with new expansions, seasonal content and plentiful updates — and it sounds as though leaving Xbox One behind with Forza Horizon 6 is going to allow the team to be even...
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass Premium (March 18)
Including an Xbox first-party release!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Today, we've got just the two games moving over to Microsoft's XGP Premium library, including first-party release South of Midnight. Here's what's new on Game Pass Premium today (March 18): South of Midnight (Series X|S, PC, Cloud) - Premium: "S
News Forza Horizon 6 Brings Back Seasonal Weather Changes, But Playground Has 'Learned From' FH4
Winter will be more forgiving overall
In another look at Forza Horizon 6, the IGN First program has gone into a bit more detail on the seasonal weather changes coming to Playground's new open-world racing title, with a bit more context from members of the dev team as well. In short, seasons are back in a bigger way than ever in FH6; taking more...
News Starfield Gets Major Free Update & New Expansion Next Month, Alongside PS5 Release
Say hello to Free Lanes & Terran Armada
After months of rumours and speculation, Bethesda has today lifted the lid on its next batch of content for Starfield - with a huge free update, a new premium expansion and the game's PS5 release all landing on April 7th, 2026. First off, let's talk about the broader update, dubbed Free Lanes and set to bring...
News These 12 Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (March 17 - April 7)
We have our next batch of XGP titles!
Microsoft has today revealed the latest official roundup of Xbox Game Pass titles for March and April 2026, with 12 games joining the service from March 17th to April 7th, including Disco Elysium and Resident Evil 7. If you're a Premium Xbox Game Pass member, South of Midnight, The Alters
Guide Crimson Desert On Xbox: Release Date, Release Times & Download Size
All the key details for the big Xbox release this week
We've got a massive release coming our way on Xbox this week! Crimson Desert is officially bringing its open-world action adventure game to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S along with a bunch of other platforms, and based on what we've seen pre-release, it looks like it's going to prove extremely...
News Cyberpunk 2077 Dev Has 'No Plans' For More DLC Following Xbox Game Pass Launch
Putting a bow on things
Cyberpunk 2077 made its Xbox Game Pass debut last week after years of DLC, updates and support from developer CD Projekt RED, and the company has now confirmed that it has "no plans" for any more big expansions to the game. Taking to social media on the day of its Xbox Game Pass launch, CDPR responded to a fan query about...
News The Coin Game Is Bringing Its Open-World Arcade Paradise To Xbox This Thursday
"Featuring 50+ modern inspired arcade machines..."
In our big list of all the games coming to next week that we published yesterday, we assume most people will have glossed over one called "The Coin Game" — but if you like ticket-style arcades, it should definitely be on your radar! The Coin Game has been on Steam for a few years in early access...
Feature Xbox Backwards Compatibility Helped Me Rediscover This Forgotten Call Of Duty Horde Mode
Playable fully offline on modern Xbox consoles!
I'll openly admit that I'm a bit of a sucker for going back and playing classic Call of Duty on modern Xbox consoles, but I usually stick to a few personal favourites; Modern Warfare 2 for the nostalgia, Black Ops for Zombies mode, you know the drill. This week though, I decided to load up 2011's...
Feature These 30+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (March 16-20)
Including this massive new open-world RPG!
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for March 16-20! The big release of the next few days is undoubtedly the new open-world RPG Crimson Desert, but we've also got the likes of MLB The Show 26 and Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor on the
News Tomb Raider Remastered's Big Xbox Discount Is Perfect Timing For The Free New DLC
In fact, all the "Remastered" bundles have been heavily discounted!
Yesterday, it was announced that Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered was getting free Challenge Mode DLC, and it also launched on the same day - you can literally go and check it out right now on all platforms including Xbox consoles. The DLC adds various difficulty customisation options,...
Guide Apex Legends x Gundam Event - How To Get The New Skins And Free Rewards
Suit up
The Gundam x Apex Legends collaboration comes flying onto your screens in style, featuring outfits from your favourite Gundam shows along with a new update to the game's Wildcard mode, where you can get your hands on the new Bit Staves. There's also the fearsome new Buster Rifle, which completely changes how you choose to play the mode...
News That Viral Thomas The Tank Engine Game Is Officially Releasing On Xbox Next Week
Wonders of Sodor is about to arrive at the platform
Just over a week ago, it was quietly revealed that a Thomas the Tank Engine game would be "coming soon" to Xbox consoles, and the reaction has been significant from fans over on the official Xbox YouTube channel. The game is specifically called "Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor", and it's being...
Roundup All The 20+ Xbox Reveals From The Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2026
A 90-minute extravaganza of upcoming games!
Today marked the first Future Games Show event of 2026, with this one known as the "Spring Showcase" featuring countless upcoming games for a variety of platforms, with many of them confirmed for Xbox. This show was 90 minutes long, so there's a lot to get through here, and the reveals included various...
News Nintendo 3DS Classic 'Bravely Default' Releases On Xbox Today In Its HD Remaster Form
Shadow drop alert!
Surprise! Square Enix has announced that after 14 years, the Nintendo 3DS classic Bravely Default is officially coming to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox PC today, and we've spotted that you can already buy it on the Xbox Store! For those who aren't aware, Bravely Default was a very popular RPG back in the 3DS days, racking...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (March 12-15)
Including a big Activision title!
Microsoft's latest Free Play Days lineup is starting to roll out now on Xbox - and we've got five games playable as part of the program this week, including Activision Blizzard's Diablo 4. Here's your full Free Play Days selection for the coming weekend: Bassmaster Fishing Diablo 4 Killing Floor 3 Tropico 6
Roundup Toxic Commando Is Out Today On Xbox, And The First Reviews Have Arrived
The game launches later today
We've been keeping a close eye on John Carpenter's Toxic Commando for a while - an "intense FPS" that's launching on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S today (March 12th) along with a bunch of other platforms. In the trailers, it's painted itself as being a four-player World War Z (and Left 4 Dead) style experience, and...
Feature 10 New Xbox Indie Games That Should Be On Your Radar In March 2026
A hectic month's worth of indie goodness!
Considering how busy March has been with the Project Helix announcement and the Xbox leadership changes at the tail-end of last month, we haven't had a chance to highlight many indie games for March yet - so let's change that! We've already seen some great indie games in March up to this point, including a...
News 'Abyssus' Brings Its Otherworldly FPS To Xbox Game Pass This Summer
"Blast through the corrupted denizens of a sunken civilization"
Abyssus has been out on PC for a good few months now, and it's sitting at a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam with almost 3,000 user reviews thus far. The roguelite FPS from DoubleMoose Games has had a pretty good start, then, and it's now been announced for Xbox Game Pass later this...
News Three Xbox Games Are Being Delisted In March 2026
You haven't got long left to grab these
Earlier this month, we highlighted a few games that are shutting down their servers in February and March 2026, and we also mentioned that Yakuza 3 Remastered was set to be delisted on February 12th. Well, a lot more games have been added to the "delisted" pile since then, so we thought we'd put together a...
News Forza Horizon 6 Tracks, Events & Open-World Activities Detailed In New Gameplay
A more in-depth look at FH6
Our next look at Forza Horizon 6 has again come via IGN First this week, but this one is a much more in-depth glimpse at the Xbox racer, as Playground Games details new event types, in-game tracks, open-world activities and more ahead of launch this May. The core of the video focuses on just what players can get up to in...
News Crimson Desert Has Three Different Performance Modes On Xbox Series X
Plus three on ROG Xbox Ally X and two on Series S
Open-world action adventure game Crimson Desert is right around the corner, releasing for Xbox and other platforms on March 19th, and we've been treated to the official console specs today. It turns out that Crimson Desert has three difference performance modes on Xbox Series X, with those being...
Guide How To Complete Marathon's "Introducing: Traxus" Contract Mission
Say hello to Traxus Heavy Industries
With the release of Marathon only a few days ago, many people, myself included, have been hooked on this game's immersive, at times slightly confusing world. A significant moment of confusion came from the game's many quests, and one in particular was that of the introduction to Traxus, the “unequivocal leader...
News Capcom Confirms Resident Evil Requiem Story Expansion For Xbox Series X|S
Photo mode and other DLC coming over the next few months
Hot on the heels of its successful Resident Evil Requiem release, Capcom has confirmed that a story expansion is in the works for its ninth mainline Resi game, with development now underway on the upcoming DLC. Director Koshi Nakanishi confirmed the news on social media (thanks, Nintendo...
Roundup All The Biggest Xbox Reveals From The MIX Spring Showcase 2026
Including the remaster of a cult classic FPS!
Last night, to kick off GDC 2026, Kinda Funny Games partnered with The MIX to deliver a Spring Game Showcase full of indie titles that are coming to various platforms, with some of them penned in for Xbox. This was an absolutely stacked show as well, and as you'd probably expect, the majority of games...
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (March 10)
Including a massive Xbox RPG
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Today, we've got two games joining the XGP library, including the absolutely mammoth RPG Cyberpunk 2077 from the folks over at CD Projekt RED. Here's a quick refresher on that one, alongside today's other addition to Xbox Game Pass: Construction Simulator (Console, PC,...
Feature 30 Xbox Series X|S Games To Look Forward To In March-December 2026
Ten months of fantastic new games are ahead of us!
Update: As mentioned, we're updating this feature on a monthly basis, and it's now been adjusted for March. We've taken a few games away, added a few in, and changed a handful of dates around for games like Replaced. With 2026 now starting to kick into gear, it's time to look ahead at what this...
Roundup Here's What The Reviews Say About Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Capcom's latest MH launches on Xbox this week!
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection arrives on Xbox Series X|S later this week, and while we haven't had chance to check this one out yet here at Pure Xbox, plenty of reviews have just gone live, so we're going to round some of those up here in this article. It sounds as though folks are...
News Assassin's Creed Unity's 60FPS Upgrade Is Seemingly Broken On Xbox Series X|S
The lighting is all wonky right now
Last week, Ubisoft's latest current-gen 60FPS upgrade was applied to 2014's Assassin's Creed Unity, and early footage suggested that the frame rate was looking rock solid, despite concerns over the game's resolution. Now though, it seems as though the game has a different visual issue on Xbox Series
News The 10 Most Wanted Backwards Compatibility Games According To 'Xbox Game Preservation'
Could we get any of them in 2026?
It's been many years now since Xbox's backwards compatibility program officially closed down in terms of new additions, but that hasn't stopped people requesting a whole bunch of titles should it ever start up again in the future. We've come across a new resource recently called Xbox Game Preservation that aims to...
Guide Xbox Adds More Perks For Game Pass Members (March 2026)
The latest freebies for XGP subscribers
The Xbox Game Pass Perks program is continuing to add a bunch of freebies for Game Pass members throughout March 2026, including for the likes of The Division 2, Call of Duty: Warzone, EA Sports College Football 26 and various other games. We expect more to come over the next few weeks as well. As we've men
Feature These 10+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (March 9-13)
Including three new Game Pass titles!
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for March 9-13! We've got lots of big titles on the way over the next few days, including the Fatal Frame 2 Remake, John Carpenter's Toxic Commando, WWE 2K26 and
News Super Battle Golf Set For Eventual Xbox Release Following Console Announcement
It's been achieving "incredible" sales on Steam
The Steam Top Sellers charts are always filled with certain indie games that end up making a big splash out of nowhere, and Super Battle Golf is one of those titles — it's been a particularly big hit on the likes of YouTube and Twitch recently. It takes the form of an online multiplayer golf game in...
News 'This Is Actually Next Level' - WWE 2K26 Owners Are Loving The New Ragdoll Physics
It's out now in early access, full release next week
Today marks the official early access release for WWE 2K26 on Xbox Series X and Series S (along with other platforms) if you happen to have bought one of the more expensive versions, with the standard version releasing next Friday. We've already talked about all the new features in the game, like...
News Marathon's Final Reviews Are Mostly Being Held Back, So Here's What Xbox Players Are Saying
Following its launch on Series X and S last night
We fully intended to bring you some initial impressions of Marathon when it released on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S last night, but then Microsoft went and revealed the next Xbox console (Project Helix) and plans had to change! Nevertheless, there aren't many formal reviews to speak of for...
News Capcom Is Ready To Unleash Pragmata Early As Release Date Gets Brought Forward
That's pragmatic
As part of its latest Spotlight Showcase this week, the team at Capcom has announced that its upcoming action game Pragmata will now release a little earlier than previously planned. Yep, instead of the prior release date of April 24th, Pragmata will now launch on Friday, April 17th. With the announcement that the title will...
News Assassin's Creed Unity Xbox Footage Revealed For The New Series X|S Upgrade
It's out now on both systems
Yesterday, it was announced that Assassin's Creed Unity would be getting a free upgrade for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S along with the PS5, and we mentioned at the time how it probably wouldn't make a huge difference on Xbox. Unity was already running at 60 frames per-second prior to the announcement (thanks to...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (March 5-8)
Including Black Desert & Sonic Racing CrossWorlds!
Microsoft has just revealed its Free Play Days lineup for the coming weekend! This time around, four Xbox games are playable for free over the next few days - headlined by Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds from the folks over at SEGA. Here's your full Xbox Free Play Days lineup this week: Black...
News Here's Almost 10 Minutes Of Uncut Gameplay Footage From Forza Horizon 6
Coming to Xbox Game Pass in May 2026
As part of IGN First for March, the outlet has gotten ahold of almost 10 minutes of extended Forza Horizon 6 footage - showcasing a broader look at open-world Japan ahead of the game's Xbox and PC release this May. Indeed, thus far the team at Playground Games has mainly shown us snippets of gameplay and...
News Xbox Hardly Ever Advertises Free Demos, But A Handful Have Been Added In Recent Weeks
Including a brand-new Fatal Frame 2 demo!
Here at Pure Xbox, we like to highlight Xbox demos wherever we can - at the end of the day, they give folks a taste of upcoming titles for free ahead of their respective launches. Having said that, the Microsoft Store kind of buries them these days (they're listed in popularity order rather than by release...
News Xbox Drops Major Games To Their 'Lowest Price Ever' In Today's New Sales (March 5)
Over 750 games have just been discounted!
We didn't expect to wake up to over 750 games discounted on the Xbox Store, but here we are! Microsoft has published a bunch of new sales over the past hours, including a 2K Weekend sale, a Best Rated sale, an Activision Publisher sale and an ID@Xbox Super Saver Sale. These sit alongside the ongoing Deep...
News The Gorgeous Planet Of Lana 2 Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (March 5)
Available for PC and Ultimate subscribers today!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Today brings just the one new game to the library, but it's a much-welcome day one release in the form of Planet Of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf. Here's a quick introduction to your brand-new Xbox Game Pass title for March 5th - and we've thrown a roundup...
News Crimson Desert Impresses In Previews As Dev Urges Patience For Xbox & PS5 Footage
Two weeks to go until release!
One of the big Xbox releases of March 2026 is Crimson Desert, which is an open-world action-adventure game from the team at Pearl Abyss (known for Black Desert), and it's coming to Xbox Series X and Series S on March 19th. Ahead of that date, a whole bunch of hands-on previews have gone live across the web today for...
News Assassin's Creed Unity Is Getting A Free Xbox Series X|S Upgrade This Week
It's also part of Xbox Free Play Days in April
Ubisoft has announced today that Assassin's Creed Unity is getting a free next-gen upgrade to 60FPS (frames per-second) on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S this Thursday, March 5th. The upgrade is coming to PS5 at the same time, and we assume that's the platform it's targeted at, as Assassin's Creed...
