Timeline
Sunday10th May 2026
Talking Point 10 Years Ago, Bethesda Released One Of The Best Shooters Ever To Grace Xbox
Time flies when you're on Mars
The DOOM series has been top of the FPS game for most of its life - from the 1993 original to recent releases like Eternal and The Dark Ages. Id Software usually knows just when to mix things up in the right way; surprising and delighting shooter fans for decades now. However, around the early 2010s, the series wobbled...
News These Are The Top 10 Xbox Backwards Compatibility Requests After 350,000 Votes
For both the original Xbox and Xbox 360
Last week, Xbox's VP of next-generation (Jason Ronald) left us pretty surprised when he pointed towards the unofficial Xbox Game Preservation website for people to submit their requests for new backwards compatibility titles, and it's led to a massive uptick in votes over the past few days. So, let's have a...
Saturday9th May 2026
Poll What Are Your First Impressions Of Mixtape On Xbox Game Pass?
Enjoying this blast to the past?
Mixtape — from the team behind the critically acclaimed The Artful Escape — is one of our most recent day one additions to Xbox Game Pass; bringing a teenage coming-of-age story to the service this past week. You've probably seen some of the critic reviews and fan ratings of the game already, but we want to know...
Guide Xbox Adds More Perks For Game Pass Members (May 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 May 2026, including for the likes of Fortnite, Delta Force, Stumble Guys and various other games. As we've mentioned before, it seems most Xbox Game Pass Perks are now accessible to Essential, Premium...
Feature These 30+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (May 11-15)
Including six more Game Pass additions!
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for May 11-15! We've two particularly big releases over the next few days in the form of Directive 8020 and the early access (Premium Edition) of Forza Horizon 6, while the new Xbox Game Pass releases include Call of the Elder Gods and the long-awaited Subnautica 2! Here's...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 9-10)
The dawn before the Forza day
Welcome to another weekend! There may feel like a bit of a lull here as we all await Forza Horizon 6's arrival (it'll be out this time next week in early access!) but no matter, there's still plenty to be playing on Xbox and beyond. Here's what we're playing this weekend: Ben Kerry, Staff Writer: Ahead of Forza's...
Friday8th May 2026
News Mina The Hollower Promises 'One Of The Greatest Top-Down Adventures Ever' On Xbox This Month
From the developers behind Shovel Knight
When we published our May 2026 indie games roundup back at the start of the week, we didn't know that one of the most major indie releases of the entire year would be releasing on May 29th, 2026! That game is Mina The Hollower, which is a top-down action-adventure game from the developer of Shovel Knight...
News Xbox's First 'Gamerscore Millionaire' Suggests How To Improve 100% Completions
Would you like to see more fanfare for them?
At the moment, when you fully complete all the achievements for a game on Xbox, you don't really get any fanfare for doing so. Team Xbox has just added a new system that makes your 100% completions a little more visible (as you can see in the image up above), but it's not a massive change by any means...
News Xbox Partners With LEGO For Two New Forza Horizon 6 Sets, Complete With In-Game Bonuses
Pre-orders available now in some countries!
LEGO and Forza Horizon fans, this one's for you! Xbox has partnered with LEGO to offer two brand-new Forza Horizon 6 sets based on the Ferrari 488 PISTA and Dodge Viper GTS-R, with both of them releasing for £59.99 / $64.99 on August 1st, 2026. The Ferrari 488 set is made up of 882 pieces and is...
Talking Point Amidst PS6 Uncertainty, Do You Think Xbox Has Project Helix All Figured Out?
It's all about price, product and timing
We're seeing some big news coming out of Sony today where the company admits that it has "not yet decided on what time" the PS6 will launch — or indeed what price it will launch at — which is quite interesting six years into the current generation. We'll link to coverage on that from our friends at Push...
News Game Pass Platformer Replaced Sees Progression & Chapter Select Fixes In New Xbox Update
Live now on Series X|S
Sad Cat Studios, the team behind Xbox Game Pass platformer Replaced, has just announced that a new update has gone live on Xbox Series X|S; fixing some pretty major bugs for the 2026 title. Indeed, this update — which is now available for Xbox players — "includes fixes for certain progression blockers" alongside sorting...
News Xbox Needs To 'Sweat Every Detail' In Winning Over 'Frustrated' Players, Says Asha Sharma
She's certainly committed to the cause
We've heard a lot from Xbox boss Asha Sharma recently about her plans to evolve the brand and address areas that she believes needs fixing, and The Verge has shared new quotes that she apparently told employees at a recent meeting. This is from around the same time that Sharma and Matt Booty issued a massive...
News Two More Big Xbox Series X|S Sequels Have Just Been Confirmed For Summer 2026
The return of Aliens and Sinking City!
Yesterday was pretty busy for Xbox news and release dates for upcoming Xbox titles in particular, so we didn't get a chance to highlight two big Xbox Series X|S sequels that have just been confirmed for Summer 2026! The first of these is Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, which expands from three to four player co-op...
News Official Xbox Dashboard Mockup Hints At Potential Changes Across Console, PC & Mobile
It's all about offering a "Consistent Experience"
Yesterday, we highlighted the new Xbox Game Dev Update episode that had been posted to YouTube, which included a complete broadcast of Jason Ronald's next-gen presentation from GDC 2026 back in March. Following this, Tom Warren over at The Verge pointed out that the presentation included a...
Thursday7th May 2026
Roundup All The Biggest Xbox Reveals From The Nacon Connect Showcase 2026
Here's what we saw
Today marked the return of the Nacon Connect Showcase for 2026, with the company treating us to brand-new announcements and fresh looks at a bunch of upcoming Xbox games. Some of the most notable reveals here included a proper glimpse at Hunter: The Reckoning - Deathwish, developed by the studio behind RoboCop: Rogue City, along...
News Xbox Appears To Be Experimenting With New Labels For Physical Games
"Game Disc" has started appearing on some of them
Earlier today, we came across a story from the folks over at Twisted Voxel about how Xbox appeared to be changing its physical game box designs, based on someone who initially pointed it out over on ResetEra. We've looked into this a bit further, and it does seem to be partially
News Xbox Teases More Project Helix News For 2026, Shares Full Presentation From GDC
"The console is absolutely core to Xbox"
Last week, it was announced that game developers would be getting more information on Xbox's next-gen Project Helix console today, although it was heavily suggested at the time that it would just be a recap from GDC in March. It turns out that the Project Helix portion of the video is literally the...
Roundup Mixtape Is Getting Some Incredible Reviews As It Rolls Out On Xbox Game Pass
We weren't expecting this!
Earlier today, we shared the news that new story adventure Mixtape was heading to Xbox Game Pass today, May 7th - and now some early reviews have come out suggesting this could be a potential GOTY contender. We're not joking. With that little teaser in mind, then, we're going to s
News Capcom Proves New IP Can Be Successful With Impressive Pragmata Sales Milestone
"The title aims to deliver a fresh gameplay experience..."
After just over two weeks on the market, Capcom has announced that its new action game Pragmata has sold two million units worldwide - hot on the heels of its also-successful Resident Evil Requiem launch earlier in the year. This is a very impressive start for a brand-new IP from the...
News Former Xbox 360 Exclusive Steins;Gate Is Getting A 'Re:Boot' For Series X|S
Release date already confirmed for the Japanese version
Back in 2009, a sci-fi visual novel game known as Steins;Gate was released exclusively for the Xbox 360 in Japan alone, followed by a PC release in 2010 and eventually PlayStation versions in the following years. And now, 17 years later, it's been confirmed that a "Re:Boot" version of the game...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (May 7-10)
Including the hugely popular 'Deadside'
Xbox's latest Free Play Days selection is rolling out now! We've got two games confirmed for the program this weekend - including survival shooter Deadside which had a very popular start on Xbox and PC just over a year ago. Here's your FPD lineup this week: Catan - Console Edition Deadside
News Mixtape Is Your Latest Day One Game Pass Title, And It's Available Today (May 7)
Making a new record?
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass roundup! Today we've got just the one game entering the library, but it's a big one in the form of day one title Mixtape - from the folks behind The Artful Escape. This Life is Strange-esque title has been on our radar for some time now, and we're interested to see how it lands with...
News Xbox Dedicates Entire Showcase To Stranger Than Heaven, Releasing Winter 2026 On Game Pass
"An epic saga of men battling through five eras and five cities."
Today's first edition of the "Xbox Presents" showcase has just finished, with this one being entirely focused on the new RGG Studio game known as Stranger Than Heaven - now confirmed to be releasing at some point in Winter 2026. You can watch the entire showcase up above, which goes...
Wednesday6th May 2026
News Elite Dangerous Players Warn Of Downsides With Console Version On Xbox Game Pass
"If you have a PC, it's defo better to play there"
When Xbox announced its latest massive batch of new Xbox Game Pass titles, one of the games that caught our eye was Elite Dangerous, and unfortunately not for the best of reasons. Don't get us wrong — Elite Dangerous is a great game! Unfortunately though, console development was cancelled all the...
News More Than 50% Of Hardcore Gamers Don't Buy Full-Priced Games Anymore, Survey Finds
Saying no to $70
A new survey has revealed that more than half of hardcore gamers from multiple age groups no longer pay full price for video games, with just 20% of one age range saying that they'd pay full whack for a new release. The survey has been been carried out by IGN, in association with Kantar and UC Berkeley, and subsequently shared by...
News Xbox CEO Reveals New Start-Up Animation Coming To Consoles Next Week
"Sound on!"
We're getting a new start-up animation for the first time in six years! Xbox boss Asha Sharma has announced today that the following boot-up sequence will be coming to Xbox next Wednesday (which presumably means Series X, Series S and Xbox One), and it even includes a new sound design. Here's a look: As you can see, this...
News 17 Arcade Archives Games Have Quietly Released For Xbox Series X|S In 2026 So Far
They're going under the radar somewhat
Whenever we publish our new games roundups, especially on the weekends, it's very rare that they contain any Arcade Archives titles — they just don't get publicised much ahead of release, so we never really come across them. However, they do appear in the "New Games" section on the Microsoft Store on a...
News The 'Best-Selling PC Game Of 1997' Is Finally Releasing On Xbox This May
A "brand-new, re-imagined, and expanded version" of Riven
All the way back in 1997, developer Cyan Worlds (then known as Cyan Productions) released the highly-anticipated follow-up to 1993's Myst in the form of Riven, and it's been cited by Cyan since then as the best-selling PC game of '97. Now, almost three decades on, the beloved puzzle game is...
News Halo Infinite Adds New Game Mode, Six Months After Its 'Last' Major Content Update
Say hello to Operation Firefight: Gauntlet
Back in November of 2025, we reported on Halo Infinite's final major content update for Xbox and PC, with the development team noting at the time how they needed to put extra focus on multiple new Halo titles in the works. So, there was a lot of surprise last night when a sizeable Halo Infinite update...
News Five Games Are Available Today Across Various Tiers Of Xbox Game Pass (May 6)
Here's what's coming to XGP Premium & Ultimate today
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Today, we've got five games joining various tiers of the service - two of which are completely new for Game Pass Ultimate players, with the other three moving over to Premium. Here's a quick breakdown of these new XGP additions: Ben 10: Power Trip...
Tuesday5th May 2026
News Xbox To Retire Features That Don't Align With Future Plans, Starting With Copilot AI
"We will stop development of Copilot on console"
Following reports earlier today that Asha Sharma had hired new leaders for Team Xbox, the boss has shared a short statement on social media confirming the news, while also revealing that some features are going to be retired. "Xbox needs to move faster, deepen our connection with the community, and...
News Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About The Latest Surprise XGP Release, Motorslice
"Parkour through the ruins of a megastructure"
As we've already covered today elsewhere on Pure Xbox, we've got two brand-new additions to Xbox Game Pass for May 5th, including one that literally only got announced a few hours ago in the form of Motorslice. So, what is this game? It's actually an indie parkour adventure title in which your goal is...
News 'We Need To Evolve How We Work' - Xbox CEO Announces She's Bringing In New Leaders
To address consumer and technical expertise
Xbox boss Asha Sharma is making another major move today, as she's reportedly told employees in a company memo that the division needs to "evolve how we work", and therefore she's bringing in new leaders. This was first reported by CNBC, which mentioned that Sharma had the following to say in her memo:...
News EA Sports UFC 6 Releases This June, Promises The 'Most Authentic Fighting Experience Yet'
Pre-orders begin today
We've been treated to the full unveiling of EA Sports UFC 6 today, with confirmation that the game will release for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (along with PS5) in just a few short weeks on June 19th, 2026. This year's game promises to deliver "the most realistic and authentic fighting experience yet", featuring evolved...
News Xbox Series X's 4K Mode Gets Resolution Increase For Gamerpics & Other Artwork
Rolling out first to Insiders, and then to everyone
We've got a little improvement coming to the Xbox Series X, starting today for some Xbox Insiders! It's been shared by Xbox engineer Eden Marie on social media that anyone who uses their Xbox Series X in 4K resolution will be benefiting from a resolution increase for gamerpics and "certain game or...
News These 13 Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (May 6-19)
The new two weeks of XGP titles!
Microsoft has today unveiled another 13 games coming to Xbox Game Pass later this month, including some newly-announced additions alongside titles we already knew about such as the massive release of Forza Horizon 6. In the table down below is everything coming to Xbox Game Pass from May 6th - 19th - and don't...
News Xbox Reveals List Of 28 Titles With New Improvements For The ROG Xbox Ally
In the form of Default Game Profiles
Following last week's slate of new features and updates for the ROG Xbox Ally, we've got even more improvements today in the form of 28 games that have received new optimisations via Default Game Profiles. If you recall, Default Game Profiles were first announced back in November 2025 for around 40 games, and...
News Xbox's Next Call Of Duty Game Won't Release On Last-Gen Consoles For The First Time In 14 Years
13 years of COD for Xbox One
Another year, another Call of Duty game - with Activision's Infinity Ward team at the helm for COD 2026. Whilst the game hasn't been formally revealed yet, we know that it's coming and that it's going to be another Modern Warfare game of some sort, and now an o
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (May 5)
Including a surprise release!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass roundup! Today, we've got two games to talk about, including a title that's only just been announced as a Game Pass addition in the form of Motorslice! Here's a full breakdown of your new Xbox Game Pass titles for May 5th: Final Fantasy V (Series X|S, PC, Cloud) - Ultimate,...
Monday4th May 2026
Talking Point New Survey Highlights The 'Top Reasons To Play Games On A Console'
Exclusives at #1, but that doesn't tell the full story
Something that's been hitting the headlines a bit over the past couple of days relates to a new survey that's been conducted by the analysis firm Circana, and how it suggests exclusives are the number one reason to own a console. This gained traction due to being shared by The Game Business —...
News Six Cars Are Being Given Away As Loyalty Rewards In Forza Horizon 6
How many are you eligible for?
In addition to today's Forza Horizon 6 news about the game going gold and the performance details being revealed for the Xbox Series X and Series S versions, we've also learned about six loyalty reward cars being given away for free. Basically, if you've played a bunch of Forza games in the past using your current...
News Forza Horizon 6's Full Resolution & FPS Details Revealed For Xbox Series X|S
All the visual & performance info you need
It's official! Forza Horizon 6 has gone gold today, and therefore we've got some confirmed resolution and frame rate details for both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions of the game (PC deets were already revealed recently). We now know that Forza Horizon 6's Quality Mode will run at a native 4K...
Feature 10 New Xbox Indie Games That Should Be On Your Radar In May 2026
Including plenty of Game Pass titles!
May has officially arrived, and looking at the array of indie games heading to Xbox over the next few weeks, it's once again proving extremely difficult to try and narrow down this selection to just 10 games! For example, the following list misses out the likes of Coffee Talk Tokyo, Outbound and Beastro that...
News Blindfire, A Pitch-Black Multiplayer FPS, Is Going Free On Xbox Series X|S This Week
"Don't fear the dark"
Two years ago, we covered a game called Blindfire on Pure Xbox which had just been revealed at an Xbox Partner Preview Showcase, and it actually shadow dropped on the same day for £7.99 / $8.99. It never really seemed like Blindfire performed very well though — it has a "Mixed" rating on Steam and a 2.6/5 rating on the...
Report Halo 2 & 3 Remakes Are In 'Active Development' At Halo Studios
As follow-ups to Campaign Evolved
Some of you may remember that right around the official announcement of Halo: Campaign Evolved in 2025, a rumour was going around that Halo 2 and Halo 3 remakes were set to arrive sometime after this year's Combat Evolved remake - and now a fresh report from Rebs Gaming adds even more fuel to that fire. Accor
News Two More 'Day One' Game Pass Titles Quietly Announced For 2026
One for console & PC, and another just for PC
Anyone fancy a couple more Game Pass announcements to start the week?! We've got two more that we haven't mentioned yet — one that's just for PC Game Pass, and another that's for both Xbox and PC Game Pass. They're also both launching "day one" on Xbox's subscription service at some point in 2026...
News Xbox Founder Invited To Microsoft HQ By Asha Sharma, Says It Was 'Amazing' And 'Bizarre'
25 years since he shipped the original Xbox
Ever since Asha Sharma took the role of Xbox boss in February, she's appeared to be taking advice from a wide range of people throughout the industry, and the latest example arrives in the form of Xbox co-founder, Seamus Blackley. Blackley played a key role in shipping the original Xbox 25 years ago (to...
Sunday3rd May 2026
News 30+ Xbox Games Are Reduced By 90-95% To Kick Off The New Month
Including a whole bunch of fantastic titles!
Looking for some cheap Xbox games as we head into May 2026? Well, we've had a lot of new sales arrive on the Xbox Store over the past week (including the Golden Week Sale we previously highlighted), so as expected, we've got quite a lot of 90-95% discounts included in the pile as well. We'd say the main...
News HyperX Unveils New 'Premium, Hot-Swappable' Wireless Xbox Controller
The Clutch Talon is expected to arrive this summer
It feels like so many companies are constantly bringing out new Xbox controllers, and we've got yet another example here in the form of the HyperX Clutch Talon, which is described as a "premium, hot-swappable" controller. In addition to a "full 10-button layout" along with "an 8-axis d-pad,...
Saturday2nd May 2026
Talking Point Have You Been Playing The New Don't Nod Title On Xbox Game Pass?
What are your first impressions of it?
This past week, the makers of Life is Strange — Don't Nod Entertainment — released their latest game in the sci-fi adventure Aphelion, and it's gotten off to an okay start on Xbox Game Pass so far. We haven't got around to playing this one for ourselves just yet (it's been pretty busy lately!), but we
