Timeline
Friday14th Nov 2025
Guide When Will The Xbox Black Friday Sale 2025 Be Revealed?
Up to 1000+ discounts set to be included!
The Xbox Black Friday 2025 sale is almost upon us, during which hundreds of Xbox digital titles are expected to be discounted for a couple of weeks, possibly even extending into December 2025 as well. The official date of the sale hasn't been announced at the time of writing, but it should be just a few...
News Here's Your First Look At Black Ops 7 Running On Xbox One & One X
Unsurprisingly unstable
Yesterday, we shared a comparison for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and we weren't exactly shocked to see that the game runs perfectly both fine on both systems. It was the Xbox One version that we were most interested in, as the original XB1 is now 12 years old and still getting brand-new...
News Developing For Xbox Can Be Difficult, So Microsoft Is Taking Major Steps To 'Remove Barriers'
Making it more Steam-like, you might say
We've heard a bit in the past how some indie developers have found it tough to bring their games to Xbox for whatever reason - stuff like the The Mortuary Assistant, for example, where it ended up having to be delayed on Xbox alone. It's not a common thing that crops up, but Microsoft understandably wants to...
News Former Xbox Exec On Steam Machine: Choice Is Good, Not Everything Needs A Winner Or Loser
"Where YOU find YOUR fun is all that matters"
Following the announcement of Valve's new console-like Steam Machine the other day, there's inevitibly been a lot of talk about how it might affect the future of Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo if it ends up proving a popular system. However, former Xbox exec and all-around Xbox legend Major Nelson has...
News ROG Xbox Ally X Demand Has 'Exceeded Expectations' And ASUS Is Ramping Up Production
An impressive start for the X in particular
It's been a month now since the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X handhelds first debuted on the scene, and we've been waiting over the past few weeks to hear from ASUS about how well they've fared in terms of sales. In an
Crap Ops
Where do I even start with the Black Ops 7 campaign? Following last year's fantastic effort led by developer Raven Software, Black Ops 7 contains a messy, stitched-together story mode that barely constitutes as a Call of Duty campaign whatsoever. Intrigued? Well, I'll do my best to explain what's going on here, but the long and short of it...
Thursday13th Nov 2025
Feature Xbox Series X|S: How Their Prices Have Changed Over The Past Five Years
It's been a weird console generation
It's typically the case that whenever a console generation begins and a new batch of systems are released into the world, you'll save a bit of money by waiting as long as you can - hold off until there's a discount you can't pass up. That's happened at times during the Xbox Series X, Series S and PS5 era, but...
News Red Dead Redemption To Receive Free Xbox Series X|S Upgrade This December
Update: Rockstar Games reveals all
There's been a lot of talk about Red Dead Redemption 2 potentially getting an upgrade for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, but in the meantime, the first game in the series has suddenly been rated for multiple current-gen platforms. The ESRB has specifically rated Red Dead Redemption for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series...
News Seven New Games Added To Xbox Retro Classics, Including A PS1 Title From 1997
November's batch of new additions has arrived
Microsoft has added seven new games to its Xbox Retro Classics library for November 2025, following the four that joined the lineup around this time in October. We've actually got a PS1 title in the mix for November as well! The Lost Vikings 2 is that game, which is a puzzle-platformer that received...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (November 13-16)
Your latest set of free Xbox titles for the weekend
Xbox Free Play Days is now live! Ahead of the coming weekend, Microsoft has added five games to the program - with one of those being Grand Theft Auto Online which we covered earlier this week here at Pure Xbox. As for the other four titles, well, here's your full list of Free Play Days games...
News Black Ops 7 Comparison Shows Difference Between Xbox Series X And Series S
Here's how both Xbox versions stack up
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has started to release around the world, so we've already got a comparison for it! The excellent Xbox Fuzion Testing is first on the scene again, sharing an initial look at both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S gameplay over on YouTube, including some very preliminary performance...
News Fallout Season Two Gets 'Official Trailer' Ahead Of December Launch
"Just about a month before you’re back in the Wasteland"
Ready for Fallout Season Two? We're only just over a month away! As we get closer and closer to its December 17th arrival, Prime Video has shared a look at the "Official Trailer" for the second season, which follows the Teaser Trailer that was unveiled a couple of months ago. You can check...
News Analyst Questions Whether Next Xbox & PS6 Could Slip To 2028 Following GTA Delay
"Sony and Microsoft will have wanted a much earlier release [for GTA 6]"
Microsoft has yet to say anything about when to expect the next Xbox console (and neither has Sony about the PS6), but speculation and the odd rumour here and there have settled on 2027 as being the most likely year as things stand. It's unlikely that anything's set in stone...
News 25+ Games Reduced By 80-90% In Xbox's Generous New Warner Bros. Publisher Sale
Heavy discounts for some classic Xbox games!
This week's new batch of Xbox deals have been a little more subdued than usual, but with the Xbox Black Friday Sale 2025 set to arrive imminently, it's probably no surprise that they're keeping things quiet. Before we get to the big BF sale, we wanted to highlight a new Warner Bros. Publisher Sale that's...
Random Valve's Steam Machine Is Reminding Folks Of Those Old Xbox Series S Mockups
Project Lockhart, anyone?
Okay, we've got to admit, Valve's new Steam Machine is pretty cute, right? The little 'GabeCube', as it's affectionately being named in some corners of the internet, is Valve's new attempt to bridge the gap between console and PC hardware - in the wake of its successful
News Three Big Fixes Coming To Fallout 4 Next Week, Mod Storage To Increase By 50x On Xbox Soon
"We’re actively investigating issues you’re encountering"
We've already talked about how Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition didn't get off to the best of starts the other day, but Bethesda is quickly on the case - promising an important hotfix update for next week, and two bigger patches incoming. Firstly, the hotfix for next week will include...
News Xbox Game Pass Users Are 'Moving To New Zealand' Again To Play Black Ops 7 Early
Some regions can play before others...
It's finally almost time for the launch of Black Ops 7 on Xbox, with the game officially releasing this week on November 14th. However, as is becoming the norm each year, fans have already started talking about plans to 'visit New Zealand' to begin playing a little early. Yes, the biggest open secret in the...
News Square Enix Is Cutting Down Its Western Workforce, Focusing On Japanese Development
More layoffs afoot
New financials from publisher Square Enix, alongside reported information from outlet IGN, show that the Final Fantasy maker is shrinking down its Western workforce to further focus on Japanese development. Those financial reports include a note that says "review and optimization of overseas studio development or
News Valve Says It Focused On 'Own Audience' For Steam Machine Rather Than Xbox, PS5 & Switch
In an interview following yesterday's reveal
We've already heard from Xbox boss Phil Spencer on his thoughts about yesterday's Steam Machine reveal, with Spencer "welcom new options for players to access games everywhere", but how does Valve feel about the comparisons to Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo's efforts in the console space? Speaking to
Wednesday12th Nov 2025
Talking Point What Does The 'Steam Machine' Mean For Xbox's Next-Gen Console Plans?
Multiple ways of looking at it
Following Valve's big hardware announcement earlier today, we've noticed a lot of chatter on social media about how the Steam Machine could cause major problems for Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo, and particularly in terms of Xbox. A few weeks ago, it was suggested that the next Xbox console would potentially...
News Steam Machine Specs Revealed, Here's How They Compare To Xbox Series X|S
Valve's new console-like PC for 2026
With Valve announcing its new Steam Machine today, the good folks over at Digital Foundry have been hands on with the device as part of the reveal, and they've also shared a list of specs to give us an idea of its potential horsepower. That also means we can do some comparisons with the Xbox Series X and S!...
News Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Shares His Thoughts On Valve's New 'Steam Machine'
"Congrats on today's announce"
In case you haven't seen it yet, Valve has announced a bunch of new hardware for 2026 today including a console-like PC known as the "Steam Machine", and Xbox boss Phil Spencer has been reacting to the reveal on social media. Spencer responded to Valve's announcement post on Twitter, highlighting that Xbox's focus on...
News Valve Announces New Hardware, Including A Steam Machine That'll Compete With Xbox
Coming in 2026
In typical Valve fashion, the Steam owner has today announced a new lineup of gaming hardware coming in 2026 - including the Steam Machine which sounds a lot like it'll compete with the likes of Microsoft and Xbox. As detailed in the video up above, this new Steam Machine is basically a home console version of its
Reaction As Gran Turismo 7 Gets A Major 2025 Expansion, Forza Motorsport Deserved More
The Xbox racer is on hiatus
Last night, we were tuning into Sony's State of Play event to see what Xbox-related announcements would show up, as you do. Thankfully, there were quite a few relevant reveals, but one of the most interesting trailers of the evening was for a new Gran Turismo 7 expansion. GT7 Power Pack adds a bunch of cool stuff like...
News Call Of Duty Dev Clarifies Skill-Based Matchmaking Options In Black Ops 7
"Here's what you'll see on day one"
Last month, developer Treyarch announced that it was removing skill-based matchmaking from Black Ops 7 multiplayer following some early beta testing of this change in direction - and now the team has detailed exactly how this will all work at launch, and there are some caveats. Black Ops 7's multiplayer playlists...
News Backbone Pro: Xbox Edition Announced, And It's Available To Buy Today
"Redesigned from the ground up"
If you're in the market for a premium Xbox mobile controller that works across both Android and iOS (iPhone 15 and above), you might be interested in the Backbone Pro: Xbox Edition, which has just been announced today. This is a pretty darn expensive controller at £169.99 / $179.99, but it comes with loads of...
News Epic Games CEO Comments On ARC Raiders And Its Use Of AI Voice Generation
Stemming from a controversial review
Earlier this week, outlet Eurogamer put out a controversial review on ARC Raiders - one where the game's use of AI voice generation massively affected the site's overall score, which ended up being a 2/5. As you can imagine, this has kicked up a bit of a frenzy online - so much so that Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney...
News To Make Up For GTA 6's Delay, GTA Online Is Free On Xbox This Week
Playable through the weekend
Still hungover from last week's GTA 6 delay? Well, if you somehow don't own GTA 5 on every platform known to man, Rockstar has made the online portion of its latest Grand Theft Auto game free on Xbox this week. Yep, GTA Online for Xbox Series X|S is now free-to-play until Monday, Novem
Feature A Month Later, The ROG Xbox Ally X Has Totally Changed My Gaming Habits
And it might be where the next Xbox console is headed
In a few days' time, it will have been exactly a month since we published our review of the ROG Xbox Ally X handheld here at Pure Xbox, and it's actually been about six weeks since I first started using it as my main gaming device. And I'll be honest, I've barely turned on my Xbox Series X over...
News Sony's Purchase Of Former Xbox Studio Bungie Isn't Exactly Going To Plan
Destiny 2 continues to underperform for PlayStation
Almost four years ago now, Sony announced that it was acquiring former Halo maker Bungie for $3.6 billion. At the time, it was a shock announcement — especially considering the studio's old ties to Xbox — but it was clear that PlayStation wanted to move further into the live service market with...
News Square Enix Drops Free Octopath Traveler 0 Demo Ahead Of December Xbox Launch
And your progress carries over!
As part of yesterday's Sony State of Play event, Square Enix announced a free demo for its upcoming RPG Octopath Traveler 0 - and the demo is now live on Xbox Series X|S! Octopath Traveler
News Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road Launches To Outstanding Reviews, Aside From Pesky Xbox Glitch
The feedback has been amazing so far
A little while ago, we mentioned how the long-running football simulation RPG series Inazuma Eleven would be coming to Xbox for the first time in November, and now we're pleased to say the game is getting some amazing first reviews! Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road is currently in early access ahead of its full...
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (November 12)
Including a brand-new day one release!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass roundup! Today, Microsoft is bringing two games to the service, including a "day one" addition in the form of cozy survival title Winter Burrow. Just keep in mind that both of these are only available for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members, meaning the...
Tuesday11th Nov 2025
Roundup All The Xbox Reveals From November 2025's State Of Play
Don't worry, they're not all PS5 exclusives!
Today's PlayStation State of Play event for November 2025 included a bunch of games that are also coming to Xbox, including the new DLC for Elden Ring Nightreign that's launching in December! Keep in mind that this State of Play was focused purely on games made in Japan and wider Asia. If any other games...
Poll Now That The Dust Has Settled, Which Xbox Game Pass Tier Are You Subscribed To?
Or did you cancel your subscription?
Just over a month ago now, Microsoft dropped a bombshell with its overhauled Xbox Game Pass plans. At the start of October, the company introduced a new tier in the form of Game Pass Premium, while bumping up the prices of PC and Ultimate; the latter with its new
News Agefield High: Rock The School Is Basically A New Version Of Bully, And It's Going Viral
Xbox release looks likely
We've been waiting ages for Rockstar Games to give us something related to Bully, but now another developer has taken it upon themselves to deliver Agefield High: Rock The School - and it looks very similar to the Rockstar classic. This game sees you playing as a new student called Sam in an early 2000s rendition of...
News Ex-Nintendo Boss: Xbox Isn't 'Directly' Competing Anymore, But There'll Always Be A War
Reggie gives his feelings on Xbox's future alongside Nintendo & PlayStation
Earlier today, we reported on former Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aimé talking about Xbox having yet to embrace the Switch 2, and in that same interview with The Game Business, he talked a bit about the "war" between Xbox, Nintendo and PlayStation that's typically been in...
News Hit PS5 Exclusive Stellar Blade May Be On The Way To Xbox In The Near Future
Developer Shift Up is "considering additional platforms"
Stellar Blade has been a massive hit on PS5 and PC, and earlier in the summer, we heard that a Switch 2 port was reportedly being considered by developer Shift Up. Well, now we're hearing that the game is being considered for "additional platforms" more generally - and that's coming straight...
News Former Nintendo President 'Surprised' That Xbox Hasn't 'Fully Embraced' Switch 2
Some games have been announced, but not many
Since Nintendo's Switch 2 announcement earlier this year, Microsoft has begun to support the new hybrid console, announcing various ports such as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Fallout 4: Anniversary
News Helldivers 2 Is Doing 'Extremely Well', Thanks In Part To 'Attracting New Users On Xbox'
"This resulted in a significant increase in sales"
Shortly after the launch of Helldivers 2 on Xbox Series X|S, we heard on multiple occasions that the game was doing pretty well in the wake of its fresh port - and now new comments coming directly from Sony shine a very positive light on the game, and on its performance since moving over to...
News Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition Isn't Getting The Best Reception From Fans Right Now
"This Anniversary Edition is incredibly underwhelming"
Yesterday, we highlighted the release of Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition - a new version of the game that bundles in a bunch of DLC content (just like the Game of the Year Edition) along with over 150 pieces of Creation Club content. Unfortunately, it's not going down too well with fans right...
News ARC Raiders Hits Incredible Player & Sales Numbers Across All Platforms, Including Xbox
Since its launch in late October
There's been a lot of buzz surrounding extraction shooter ARC Raiders in the past few weeks, and now some sales and player numbers have been released that show a seriously impressive start for the Embark Studios title across all platforms, including Xbox. Coming by way of Gematsu, Nexon reveals that ARC Raiders has...
News Phasmophobia Gets A Free New Map As It Remains One Of The 'Top Paid' Games On Xbox
It's third in the charts right now
We haven't talked much about the co-op horror game Phasmophobia in a while here at Pure Xbox, but rest assured it's been faring extremely well since its Xbox release last year, and it's getting a free update today with a brand-new map. The update introduces Nell's Diner, which features 13 new rooms, 11 of which...
News Sony Exec Suggests PS5 Is Far From Finished, And It's Likely The Same For Xbox Series X|S
"We believe that the PS5 is only in the middle of the journey"
We've been hearing quite a lot about the next Xbox console in recent months, and even about the PS6 a little bit as well, but Sony executive Lin Tao has advised that the PS5 is still only in the "middle" of its journey as things stand. Tao mentioned earlier today how there are "many...
News Three Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (November 11)
Your latest roundup of new titles
Welcome to another Xbox Game Pass roundup! We've got three new additions to XGP today, including two that are available to Premium subscribers as well as Ultimate/PC players. Here's a summary of what's new on Xbox Game Pass today (November 11): Great God Grove (Series X|S, PC, Cloud) - PC, Premium Ultimate:...
Monday10th Nov 2025
Feature It's A Big Birthday For The Xbox Series X, So Let's Look Back At Our Review From 2020
What we said then, and what we think now
Pure Xbox was in an interesting place back in 2020 - we'd just relaunched the website in March of that year after multiple years on hiatus, and then the COVID pandemic arrived around the same time, causing havoc around the world. For the folks at Microsoft, they had an Xbox Series X launch to plan for, and...
Guide Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7: Release Date, Launch Times & Download Size On Xbox Game Pass
Everything you need to know
Black Ops 7's launch is right around the corner, with the brand-new Xbox FPS landing on console and PC later this week. As we revealed earlier in the month, preloads are now live for the new Call of Duty title, so we're here to detail all you need to know ahead of launch. With information on everything from the game's...
News Fallout 4: Anniversary Upgrade Launches For $40, 'Creations Bundle' Also Available For $20
And the full version is $60
Happy 10th birthday to Fallout 4! Bethesda is celebrating the milestone by releasing a special Anniversary Edition for the game, and it's just shown up on the Xbox Store at a price of $60, with a couple of upgrade bundles also available. So, if you don't own Fallout 4 at all, you can buy the Anniversary Edition and get...
Feature Five Years On, Xbox Series S Is Still A Fantastic Place For Current-Gen Gaming
And will remain relevant for many years to come
Does anyone else remember 'Project Lockhart'? Casting our minds back to early 2020, about six months before Xbox Series X launched, Lockhart was this mysterious entry-level console that still hadn't been officially revealed. It dominated the headlines for months, before Microsoft officially unveiled it...
News BMX Streets Has Become An Unlikely Best-Seller On Xbox Series X|S
"A next generation physics driven freestyle extreme biking simulator"
Last week, we talked about how a GTA clone with farting frogs had reached the "top paid" charts on Xbox, and now we've got another new indie release that's surprisingly climbed very high on those charts - it's called BMX Streets. This game has been on PC since 2024, and it has a...
