Timeline
Monday18th May 2026
News ASUS Shows Off One-Of-A-Kind ROG Xbox Ally X Based On Cyberpunk 2077
"This Ally X case mod is insane!"
It's no secret that we're big fans of the ROG Xbox Ally X here at PX HQ, although we're now slightly salty that our standard black unit doesn't look this bloody good. Shared by the folks over at ASUS, the "master craftsman" known as AK Mod has created a "one-of-a-kind" ROG Xbox A
News Forza Horizon 6 'New Zealand' Trick Is Going Viral For The Full Xbox Launch
Yes, it'll be playable early on XGP via New Zealand
We've known for years now that Xbox has a "New Zealand trick" that allows you to change your region and get access to loads of new games at the same time as everyone in New Zealand — a trick that's become very popular over time. If you want to risk it, Forza Horizon 6 buyers and Xbox Game Pass...
News Five Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass In Late May 2026
Here's what's leaving soon
Microsoft has revealed the next five games leaving Xbox Game Pass in late May 2026, with all of these being highlighted as "leaving soon" on the official Xbox mobile app. The most notable departure here is definitely Metaphor: ReFantazio; the very-well received Atlus RPG departs the service later this month - alongside...
Sunday17th May 2026
News Xbox Takes #1 Spot In Metacritic's Top 10 Video Games Of 2026 So Far
But bizarrely it doesn't top the Series X and Series S list
We knew Forza Horizon 6 was going to review well, but it's pleasing to see just how much it's won over both the critics and most players so far — to the point where, according to Metacritic, it's the highest-rated video game of 2026 so far. Yes, Xbox tops the list here, although it...
News 50+ Games Are Reduced By 90-95% In The Latest Xbox Sales, Including Some Unlikely Gems
GWYF, Zombie Army, TMNT & more!
Looking for some cheap Xbox games in the latest round of Xbox sales? There are actually well over 50 titles that fit this category at the moment, and a lot of them arrive as part of the massive ID@Xbox Mega Sale that began a few days ago. There are some unlikely gems in the mix as a result — titles that never...
News 'Xbox Or XBOX?' - Asha Sharma Hints At Rebrand Based On Poll Results
THE ALL CAPS ERA
Earlier this week, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma took to social media to poll fans on the branding of the word "Xbox" — she wanted to know whether people preferred the current version, or whether they wanted to see it in all capitals. Her tweet racked up 2.1 million views, although only 19,000+ people actually ended up voting. The final...
Saturday16th May 2026
Talking Point So, Did You Cave And Buy Early Access For Forza Horizon 6?
Taking an early flight to Japan
Today is Saturday, May 16th, which means Forza Horizon 6 is out now in early access and has been for more than a full day at this point. Getting in via early access comes at quite the cost, we must admit, but the team at Playground is offering up some good stuff as part of its Premium Upgrade - including a pair of...
News Five Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In June 2026 So Far
An early look at what's to come
As we always do around this time of the month, we're taking an early look today at what's ahead for June 2026's Xbox Game Pass selection, with five games currently scheduled to arrive next month. Now, a few of these titles currently don't have a nailed-on release date, but they're scheduled for some point in June, so...
Feature These 30+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (May 18-22)
Including two more Game Pass titles!
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for May 18-22! We've got two massive releases over the next few days in the form of Forza Horizon 6 (the Standard Edition) and LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, but there's plenty of other good stuff in this list, including a second Xbox Game Pass title in Luna Abyss!...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 16-17)
Who's jumping into FH6 early access?
Welcome to another weekend! It's a bit of a special one this week because Forza Horizon 6 is out now in early access - we've been waiting for this so that lots of you fine folks can hop in and join us on the streets of Japan! In case we haven't given it away just yet, here's what we're playing this weekend: Ben...
Friday15th May 2026
News Beloved VR Game 'Moss' Is Finally Getting The Xbox Treatment In 2026
"One of the most celebrated modern indie adventure franchises"
A few years ago, one of the games that was all the rage in the VR space was an indie fantasy adventure title known as Moss, and after eight years, it's just been revealed that it's finally making its debut on Xbox Series X and S. This version will be known as Moss: The Forgotten Relic,...
News Xbox 'Investigating' Issue With Passwords Not Working On Consoles
“The password is incorrect. Please try again.”
If you've run into an issue this week where your correct password isn't being accepted properly on your Xbox console, you're not alone — Xbox Support has issued a statement today confirming that the problem is being investigated. The statement mentions that you can use a couple of workarounds in...
News 'Dear Asha...' - Xbox Fan Desperately Wants New CEO To Remove Irrelevant Ads From Dashboard
"Please remove these types of ads off my screen."
Xbox's dashboard ads have long been a bit of a sore point amongst the fanbase. We see complaints about them crop up in waves — especially if a particularly annoying advert keeps appearing for various folks — and today, one particular fan has begun pleading to new boss Asha Sharma to be rid of...
News Batman: Arkham Knight Joins Xbox Play Anywhere, And More Major Titles Could Be On The Way
Possibly even BG3
We've had another massive legacy addition to the Xbox Play Anywhere program this week! Batman: Arkham Knight, which first released all the way back in 2015, now gives you a free copy on PC if you buy it on console. There have been occasions in the past where this has happened before (such as Hogwarts Legacy), but Xbox Play...
News Five Xbox Games Are Set To Be Delisted In May & June 2026
Update: LEGO 2K Drive added to the mix
As the new month begins, it's time once again to look at the delistings for both May and June 2026, and there's actually quite a lot going on even beyond the four games, so bear with us — this might get a little confusing. We'll break it all down for you in a minute, but let's focus on the main delisting...
News Forza Horizon 6 Is Immensely Popular Already, Even In Early Access
Worth paying a premium for?
It's well-documented at this point that Microsoft first-party games such as Forza Horizon 6 launch day one for Game Pass on Xbox and PC - yet despite that, some releases still perform very well outside of the subscription service. And, well, that seems to be happening with Playground's new open-world racer, and we're not...
News Two New Xbox Controllers Have Leaked, Seemingly Including The Elite Series 3
Surprise!
We've been waiting so long for Microsoft to unveil the Xbox Elite Series 3 Controller, and it appears to have leaked accidentally today via a Brazilian regulator, along with a second controller geared around Xbox Cloud Gaming. This is being shared by Tecnoblog (thanks to The Verge for the
Thursday14th May 2026
Poll Are You Planning To Buy 007 First Light Later This Month?
The release is creeping up on us!
We're obviously in the thick of talking about Forza Horizon 6 right now, and LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is around the corner as well (along with plenty of other great games), but we've also got one eye on 007 First Light - a James Bond game we've been anticipating for years, and one that releases on May...
News Xbox Has Just Discounted Another 1000+ Games On The Microsoft Store
As part of two new sales
We've been treated to a couple of big new sales on Xbox today, amounting to over 1000 discounts on the Xbox Store! These are made up of an ID@Xbox Mega Sale and a Publisher Spotlight Series sale, featuring deals for some pretty massive games such as Baldur's Gate 3, Cronos: The New Dawn, Hollow Knight: Silksong and a whole...
News Forza Horizon 6 Comparison Shows Difference Between Xbox Series X And Series S
How the Xbox versions stack up
Here we go, everyone! Forza Horizon 6 news is dropping all over the place today (including our review!), and therefore we've finally got some official footage from both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions to share with you. As we often do, we're looking to Fuzion Xbox Testing on YouTube for this early...
Roundup Here's What The Critics Are Saying About Forza Horizon 6
The verdict is in
With the Forza Horizon 6 embargo lifting earlier today, it's no surprise that an absolute ton of reviews are flooding in for Xbox's first-party title, including here at Pure Xbox where we gave it a 9/10 in our review: But what about everyone else? We've had a quick browse around the web to see what the critics are saying about...
Feature Four Things I Love About Playing Forza Horizon 6 On The ROG Xbox Ally X
Horizon on the go
While Ben has been busy playing on his Xbox Series S for the official Pure Xbox review of Forza Horizon 6, I've also been playing the game on a mix of the Xbox Series X and the ROG Xbox Ally X, and it's been a great experience so far! In fact, I've ended up using the Xbox Ally more than I'd expected for Forza Horizon 6, and even...
Review Forza Horizon 6 (Xbox) - Playground Delivers Another Exceptional Open-World Racer
Toygoata
After 14 long and thrill-filled years, Forza Horizon has finally landed in Japan; where fans have wanted the series to go for some time now. Heading to Tokyo and its surrounding areas was the no-brainer, the banker, the one that couldn't fail - and Xbox & Playground Games have indeed delivered a Japanese car culture extravaganza with Forza...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (May 14-17)
A particularly good selection this week!
Xbox Free Play Days is back again for the next few days, and as always, we've got a few titles that are free to play throughout its duration, including a game that might whet your appetite for Forza Horizon 6! JDM: Japanese Drift Master is that game, which first arrived on Xbox in November of 2025, and...
News Two Games Are Available Today Across Various Tiers Of Xbox Game Pass (May 14)
Here's what's coming to XGP Premium & Ultimate today
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Today, we've got two games joining various tiers of the service - one of which is a brand-new "day one" title for Ultimate and PC members, while the second is moving over to XGP Premium. If you're interested in Subnautica 2 specifically, that game...
Wednesday13th May 2026
News 'Judas Is A Huge Amount Of Work' - BioShock Creator Opens Up About Making New Xbox FPS
Ken Levine's next game is still coming... eventually
Ever since the game was first revealed more than three years ago, we've been incredibly excited to play Judas; the next title from BioShock creator Ken Levine. While the game's upcoming Xbox launch still hasn't been dated (we're remaining patient,
News New Console Start-Up Animation Rolling Out To Xbox Insiders, Gamerscore Badges Also Detailed
Say hello to a new Series X|S boot animation!
After Asha Sharma first teased the news last week, Microsoft has revealed that the new console start-up animation is rolling out to Xbox Insiders today, with a full rollout to come to all Series X|S players in the coming weeks. The 'new boot up experience', as the team calls it, features "a new...
News Garfield Is Getting A New 3D Platformer On Xbox, And People Seem Hyped For It Already
From the team behind the recent Smurfs games
Anyone fancy a new 3D platformer based around Garfield on Xbox? Well, that's exactly what we're getting in the form of Garfield: Escape from Monday for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (along with various other platforms) on September 24th, 2026. This game is being developed by the team behind the recent...
Guide Subnautica 2 Release Date, Release Times & Preload Details On Xbox Game Pass
Coming day one on XGP!
Excited for Subnautica 2? The sequel to Subnautica has been a long time coming, but the follow-up is finally launching this week, and it's going to be included with Xbox Game Pass on day one! We're seeing massive interest in this one — especially with how well it's al
Talking Point What Dream Reveal Would You Like To See At The Xbox Games Showcase 2026?
Is this finally the year of Banjo-Kazooie?
We've just checked the calendar and realised that we're less than a month away from the big Xbox Games Showcase 2026! For those who aren't aware, this typically marks Xbox's most important event of the year, putting a spotlight on tons of upcoming games from both first and third-party developers. Details...
News The Top Two Best-Selling Games On Steam Right Now Are Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Titles
Making bank on Steam too
You'd be forgiven for thinking that whenever a game launches into Xbox Game Pass on day one, it probably doesn't sell too well outside of the service - and while that certainly can happen, it's not always the case. Sometimes games are just so popular that they shift plenty of standalone units too, and that seems to be the...
Rumour Project Helix Unlikely To Include Disc Drive, But Xbox May Have A Digital Solution
"Take this with a huge pinch of salt and a healthy dose of speculation"
We've been pondering for a while now about whether Xbox might choose to avoid including a disc drive in the next-gen Project Helix console, and a new report suggests that might indeed be the case. Windows Central's Jez Corden has mentioned that based on "h
News Forza Horizon 6 Progression Methods Detailed, Including A New 'Horizon Play' Feature
Three main ways to progress
In the build up to Forza Horizon 6, much has been said about the game's progression after concerns about campaign structure following Forza Horizon 5 - and just ahead of launch, the team at Playground Games has gone into more specifics about how you'll progress at Horizon Japan. The studio has split progression into...
Tuesday12th May 2026
News 'NBA The Run' Brings Its NBA Street Vibes To Xbox This June
Releasing in just a few short weeks
If you were a fan of NBA Street back in the original Xbox era, you'll want to keep your eye on an upcoming game known as NBA The Run, which is landing on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on June 9th, 2026. The game clearly takes inspiration from NBA Street, and its creative director even worked on all four games...
Talking Point One Year Later, What Do You Think Of DOOM: The Dark Ages?
Has your opinion changed since launch?
As we prepare for the release of Forza Horizon 6 later this week / next week, we're also marking the one-year anniversary of yet another major Xbox first-party title in DOOM: The Dark Ages, which first launched on May 13th, 2025. Back then, we described the game as "another absolutely stellar offering from id...
News Star Wars Battlefront 2's Resurgence Day Aims To 'Make History' On Xbox & Beyond This Month
Almost 10 years since it first released
It's crazy to think that the latest version of Star Wars Battlefront 2 released all the way back in 2016! That game has long since stopped adding new content, of course (it was marked as "complete" by the developer in April of 2020), but it continues to have its fans, and they're aiming to keep it alive in a...
Guide Forza Horizon 6 Release Date, Release Times & Everything You Need To Know On Xbox & PC
Microsoft's biggest release of the year so far!
Forza Horizon 6 is about to mark Xbox's biggest release of 2026 thus far, with the sixth iteration of the Forza Horizon series taking players to open-world Japan later this month. It's been a long and winding road to get here, but our trip to Horizon Japan is upon us! So, with this major Xbox...
News Xbox Game Preservation Adds New Tool To Vote For Delisted Games, Initial Top 10 Revealed
Hopefully some of these will return eventually
Over the weekend, we highlighted the top 10 most-requested Xbox backwards compatibility games courtesy of the Xbox Game Preservation website, which had reached 350k votes at the time and has almost passed the 400k mark. The reason it's getting so many votes is due to a tweet from Xbox's VP of next-gen,
News Xbox Racks Up 2M Views With Comment That Appears To Address Mixtape's Review Backlash
Not everyone thinks it's a 10/10
When new indie adventure Mixtape released on Xbox Game Pass late last week to fantastic reviews, including many 10/10 scores from the likes of IGN and DualShockers, it inevitibly attracted a lot of attention. However, it's fair to say that not everyone agrees with those scores — it currently has a 6.3 user score...
News SEGA Lists 10 Upcoming Titles On New Roadmap, But Cancels 'Super Game' In The Process
Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio all remain on the list
SEGA has shared its FY2026/3 "Full-year Results Presentation" today, and it includes lots of interesting information about the company's plans, including a new roadmap of upcoming titles (most of which should land on Xbox!). The roadmap is specifically focused on "only announced titles",...
News Three Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (May 12)
Including two day one releases!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Today, we've got three games entering the library; two day one releases and one older title that's joining both Game Pass Premium and Ultimate. Here's a closer look at your three new Xbox Game Pass titles for May 12: Black Jacket (Series X|S, PC, Cloud) - Ultimate, PC:...
Monday11th May 2026
News Forza Horizon 6 Dev Vows 'Strict' Action Against People Playing The Leaked Version
Playground Games issues a statement
As you may have heard, Forza Horizon 6 has already started to leak across the web, with initial reports suggesting the leak was caused by an accidental release of unencrypted files by FH6 developer Playground Games. However, Playground Games has issued a statement this evening that claims the leak was "not the...
Roundup Here's What The Reviews Say About New Sci-Fi Horror Game Directive 8020
The Dark Pictures heads to space
Ready for some early-year spooks on Xbox? Well, Directive 8020 brings its sci-fi horror experience to Xbox tomorrow, and the reviews are now in for what is Supermassive Games' next entry in the Dark Pictures franchise. We're going to round up some of these reviews, then, so you can get a good picture of what you'd...
News Gears Of War: E-Day Might Release In September 2026 As Xbox Shooter Sponsors Upcoming Event
Gears of War x WWE
As we lead into the Xbox Games Showcase 2026, very little is known about Microsoft's upcoming Gears of War: E-Day release - but a random mention in relation to an upcoming WWE event may well have given us a tease for its launch window ahead of the official E-Day Direct. That's right, ahea
News Discord Partners With Xbox For 'Starter Edition' Of Game Pass, Includes 50+ Titles
Existing Game Pass members also get Discord benefits
Back at the end of April, it was revealed that Discord Nitro members would soon be getting access to a "Starter Edition" of Xbox Game Pass, and that tier has now been officially unveiled today. As expected, this includes a library of over 50 titles at launch, the vast majority of which seem to...
News Xbox Adds Nine Titles To Game Pass Essential In New Surprise Update
Nine additions for essential gaming
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass upd... oh, hang on a minute, Microsoft didn't tell us about these! Yep, over the weekend, nine more titles have been showing up as newly-added to Game Pass Essential, and they haven't yet been formally announced by Microsoft at the time of writing. However, they're all here...
News Lucky Xbox Owners Accidentally Given Early Access To LEGO Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight
Pre-loads are now live for everyone else!
We're still over a week away from the official release of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight on May 22nd (with formal early access beginning on May 19th), but some very lucky Xbox owners have been playing it already! Yesterday, someone took to the LEGO Gaming subreddit to reveal that, after pre-loading...
News Outbound Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass, And Here's What The Reviews Are Saying
Day one on XGP!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass roundup! Today, co-op camping sim Outbound joins the library as a day one Game Pass Ultimate title - and we're going to do things a little differently and round up some of the game's early reviews in this XGP update! Of course, you can get a snapshot of the game via the trailer up above, and...
Guide How To Play Forza Horizon 6 Early With The Premium Upgrade Bundle This Week
A bundle designed for Xbox Game Pass subscribers
Welcome to Forza Horizon 6 week! Well, kind of. The game doesn't officially release in terms of its Standard Edition until May 19th, but the early access period begins for Premium Edition owners on May 15th, so some players will be getting access to it later this week. There are two ways to access...
Sunday10th May 2026
Poll Which Is Your Favourite Forza Horizon Game To Date?
Which Horizon Festival have you liked best?
Forza Horizon 6 is upon us! Indeed, if you're drifting in via early access, you can go hands on with Xbox's new racer this Friday — May 15th — so what better time to ask you fine folks which is your favourite Forza Horizon game to date? The first Horizon game was a bit of a landmark title for Xbox's...
