Xbox Series X News
News Here's What The Ghost Recon Wildlands Upgrade Looks Like On Xbox Series X|S
How the new Xbox versions stack up
A newly-upgraded version of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands officially arrived on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S yesterday, and therefore we've got some footage to bring your way of both versions following the major update. Various YouTube channels have been showing off this footage, but the easiest comparison...
News Surprise! Quake Adds Free New Episode With 600G Xbox Achievements
To celebrate its 30th anniversary
QuakeCon has officially kicked off today in Texas, so we assumed we'd get at least one surprise reveal at some point over the next few days, and one has already arrived in the form of a brand-new episode for Quake! The episode is known as "Dawn of the Machine", and it features "19 all-new maps across a cohesive...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (August 6-9)
Your latest set of FPD freebies for the weekend
Is it Thursday already?! That means it's time for a new batch of Xbox Free Play Days titles, and this week's selection is a particularly good one, featuring NBA 2K26 and a couple of Ghost Recon games amongst other things. The highlight here for some people will be Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands,...
Feature 25+ Of The Best Discounted Games From Xbox's Four New Early August 2026 Sales
A selection of the finest discounts
Tucked away inside this month's new Xbox sales is a hefty discount with your name on it. Four new promotions have popped up on the Xbox Store over the past few days, alongside a selection of notable deals exclusively for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. You can take your pick from Bethesda's 40th Anniversary Sale,...
News New GTA 6 Footage To Be Revealed In Special 'Extended Look' This Month
In partnership with Netflix
Ready for a proper glimpse at what GTA 6 has to offer?! Rockstar Games has announced today that it has partnered with Netflix to unveil an "Extended Look" of the next Grand Theft Auto at the end of the month. Specifically, the reveal will take place on Thursday, August 27th at the following times: 3pm August 27th 2026...
News Ghost Recon Wildlands Goes Stupidly Cheap On Xbox Alongside Free Next-Gen Upgrade
Other Tom Clancy games have been discounted too
We mentioned back in July that a next-gen upgrade had been leaked for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands, and that upgrade looks set to go live today - details about it were revealed via the PlayStation Store yesterday. The upgrade will introduce the ability to play at up to 4K, 60FPS on Xbox Series X...
News Xbox Set To Announce 'Beautiful' New Controller For Gears Of War: E-Day
Known as "Storm King"
It looks like we've got another limited edition Xbox controller on the way! Following the positive reception to the Forza Horizon 6 controller a few months ago, Gears of War: E-Day is set to receive the same treatment in the near future. This is being shared by the very reliable Dealabs, which says that the controller i
News Two Games Are Available Today Across Various Tiers Of Xbox Game Pass (August 6)
Here's a look at what's joining Game Pass today!
We're back with your latest Xbox Game Pass update for August. Two more games join the subscription service today across various tiers, including a bonus third title if you're willing to count a 10-hour trial as an extra game. Truth be told, August is shaping up to be a Premium-heavy month for Game...
News Xbox Announces Four More Console Features, Including Two Highly-Requested Ones
Amazing stuff!
The folks on the Xbox team are back with yet another set of console improvements today, the majority of which are rolling out to the Xbox Insider program first before eventually going public in the weeks and/or months to come. There are four improvements mentioned in here, but two that are particularly noteworthy due to how...
News Beast Of Reincarnation Dev Outlines Five Improvements Coming In First Major Xbox Update
"We take your feedback to heart"
It's only been just over 24 hours since Beast of Reincarnation made its debut across multiple platforms (and on Xbox Game Pass), but the development team at Game Freak are already busy preparing its first update. That update will arrive at some point over the next week, and will feature five specific types of...
News Two Big Free Demos Are Now Live On The Xbox Store
Both available to play right now on Xbox Series X|S
We here at Pure Xbox do love a fresh demo release on the Xbox Store, and always keeping our eyes peeled for any biggies worth talking about. Today, we've got two particularly beefy demos to dig into, alongside a bunch of recent honourable mentions that you might fancy downloading. First on the...
News Gears Of War Fans Convince The Coalition To Add Versus To E-Day Early Access Beta
"We heard you. We acted."
Since details dropped that Versus PvP wouldn't be included in the Gears of War: E-Day Early Access Beta beginning on August 6, passionate fans haven't been shy about letting The Coalition know exactly how they feel about it. To get you up to speed, E-Day's Multiplayer Beta is split across two weekends. The first is...
Feature 15 New Xbox Indie Games That Should Be On Your Radar In August 2026
A bumper month of exciting indie releases!
Here we go again with another indie roundup! It's always a challenge putting these together and only highlighting 10 upcoming titles, so we've decided to extend it to 15 this time around, putting the spotlight on even more exciting games. There's some really cool stuff in here, including Kinseed (made by a...
News These 10 Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (August 6-18)
The vast majority being new XGP Premium additions
Microsoft has revealed the next official batch of Xbox Game Pass additions for August 2026, with 10 games joining the service between August 6-18. We've already had a couple of new arrivals this month, with today's launch of Beast of Reincarnation to kick things off. Two of the next ten were...
News Gears Of War: E-Day Preload Now Live Ahead Of Multiplayer Beta
Install today with Xbox Game Pass!
Who wants toast?! Oh yeah, the highly anticipated Gears of War: E-Day Multiplayer Beta is almost upon us, and preloads are now live for Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers, as well as for those of you who pre-ordered the Xbox console exclusive. Clocking in at just a little over 62GB on Series X, The Coalition's...
News Beast Of Reincarnation Comparison Shows Difference Between Xbox Series X And Series S
And a day one patch has addressed pesky stutters
We're kicking off August in a big way with the addition of Beast of Reincarnation to Xbox Game Pass, which is officially available now as part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass tiers if you want to check it out. Most of the reviews for this one only went live a few hours ago as well,...
News Two Games Are Available Today Across Various Tiers Of Xbox Game Pass (August 4)
Gotta play 'em all!
It's a brand new month for Xbox Game Pass and would you look at that? Not one, but two games are available across various tiers of the service today, including a day one release! August kicks off with Beast of Reincarnation, a satisfying action RPG built around thrilling parry-focused combat. It's still crazy to think Game...
News Mortal Shell 2 Open Beta Is Seriously Impressing Fans On Xbox Series X|S Right Now
Might be worth adding to your wishlist!
Over the weekend, Xbox players have been plugging away at the prologue for Mortal Shell II thanks to an Open Beta. As it turns out the upcoming action RPG - slated for release August 20, 2026 - is making a strong first impression, so much so that I've gone ahead and downloaded the console beta for myself!...
News Xbox Adds Dynamic Background & Gamer Pics To Celebrate 25 Years Of Play
Community Celebration!
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Xbox has unveiled a fancy new batch of gamerpics alongside an all new dynamic background for Xbox Series X|S. Aye aye, to celebrate 25 big years of Xbox, Microsoft has released a community-inspired dynamic background showcasing Xbox's core four franchises in the styling of Klobrille...
News Here's A Breakdown Of The New Prices For Xbox Series X|S Consoles As Of August 2026
Specifically the UK, US, Canada, Europe and Australian prices
Times is hard for us console lot, as the cost of, well, pretty much everything skyrockets. It's proper grim. If you're in the market for a new piece of Xbox hardware, you may be in for a wee shock as Microsoft's latest price hikes officially kicked off August 1st, 2026. We thought it was...
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (August 3-7)
Including a big Xbox Game Pass addition!
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for August 3-7! The big release of the next few days is undoubtedly Game Freak's Beast of Reincarnation, which just so happens to be releasing on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass at launch, and there are plenty of other exciting new releases to look out for as well!...
Guide All Xbox Games With Mouse & Keyboard Support
The latest keyboard & mouse list for Xbox One, Series X, Series S
Update: Our latest update to this list has added the likes of Halo: Campaign Evolved, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, Gothic Remake, Darwin's Paradox, Beatdown City Survivors, Kabuto Park, Metal Eden, Subnautica 2, Motorslice, Replaced, Easy Delivery Co, Sword and Fairy Together...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (July 30 - August 2)
Three games to play for free this weekend!
Where does the time go? It's Thursday again, which means we're back to share the next batch of Xbox Free Play Days titles for you to crack on with this weekend. Only three games up for grabs this time, so why don't you pull up a steel chair and get busy with WWE 2K26. If tussling around the ring with...
Roundup Here's What The Previews Are Saying About Gears Of War: E-Day
Horde Siege, PVP, and more
The first round of previews for Gears of War: E-Day have dropped and they're all saying the same time - Horde mode rocks. The Coalition's next game is a prequel to the original Gears of War, focusing on the iconic brotherhood between Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago. Set during the darkest chapter in Gears history,...
Preview We've Played Gears Of War: E-Day, And Can't Get Enough Of Horde Siege
It's fun, but is it Gears?
Gears of War is one-third of the Xbox holy trinity, and a series I've loved for almost two decades thanks to its unique cover-based brutality. No matter which entry you boot up, chainsawing through a shredded Locust simply never gets old. It's been a long six years since Gears 5, and whilst I've been champing at the bit...
News Mistfall Hunter Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass, And Here's What The Reviews Are Saying
Available for Premium, PC, and Ultimate members today!
It's another day, and another brand-new addition to Xbox Game Pass! The dark fantasy world of Mistfall Hunter is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Cloud, and supports my favourite feature, Xbox Play
News Not A Good Look For Xbox As Halo: Campaign Evolved Plays Best On PlayStation
The grass is bluer on the other side
The clever clogs at Digital Foundry have released arguably one of the most awkward console comparisons in recent memory, putting Halo: Campaign Evolved under some heat. When you hear about Halo, you think Xbox - they've been synonymous for decades. Master Chief has long served as the poster boy of
News Xbox Could Still Lose Money On Series X|S Console Sales Despite Price Hike, Sources Claim
And what does this mean for Project Helix?
Xbox's planned price increase for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles will come into effect on Saturday, August 1st, but it appears Microsoft could still end up selling its hardware at a loss. As seems to be the norm everywhere right now, rising manufacturing costs caused by the ongoing component...
Poll So, What Do You Think Of Halo: Campaign Evolved?
Is this your first Halo game?
Halo: Campaign Evolved is finally out in the wild, and I can't get enough of it. Despite getting very early access weeks before launch, I still find myself hopping on to replay the campaign, remix levels, try out new Skull modifiers, and have a laugh with friends. It's such a blast! The remake feels like a proper...
Dun dun dun dun dunnnnnnn!
Halo: Campaign Evolved is officially available worldwide on Xbox, PC, and PS5. It's still so surreal seeing Halo on a Sony console, but better yet, It's available day one with Xbox Game Pass! Hooray, confetti and grunt brains everywhere! The Standard Edition of Halo Studios' breathtaking remake is out now for everyone...
News Xbox Servers Were Down For 20 Hours, But Everything Should Be Working Now
Update: "Good news — the earlier Xbox issue should now be mitigated"
Last week, Xbox suffered an untimely server outage preventing players from accessing Halo: Campaign Evolved Early Access on the very same day it launched. Not great from Team Green, and to make matters worse, it looks like servers are playing up once again. You're not alone,...
News Stalker 2: Cost Of Hope Gets August 2026 Release Date For Xbox, PS5 & PC
Launches alongside major 2.0 Unreal Engine 5 update
GSC Game World has just announced the first major expansion for Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is set to release on August 20, 2026. We got a new trailer for the upcoming DLC Cost of Hope, which introduces two new regions with plenty more "horrors and mysteries of the Zone" to encounter. The...
News Halo: Campaign Evolved Legendary Ending Teases A Halo 2 Remake Is On The Way
*Minor Spoiler Warning*
Halo Studios has teased that a remake of Halo 2 is coming, and they've done it in the best possible way. Back in 2001, players who managed to complete the final mission of Halo: Combat Evolved on Legendary difficulty were treated with a secret ending. It wasn't anything major, just a fun cutscene featuring the UNSC's finest,...
Guide Xbox Game Pass Essential: Full List Of Games (July 2026 Update)
Here's everything you can play on Game Pass Essential
Back in 2023, Microsoft finally phased out Xbox Live Gold, replacing it with Xbox Game Pass Core as a new entry-level tier to its subscription service. Since then, it's been renamed to Xbox Game Pass Essential as of October 2025. Unlike Games with Gold, which
Feature These 30+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (July 27-31)
Including two huge Xbox Game Pass additions!
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for July 27-31! We've got some really cool games coming to Xbox over the next few days including Forever Skies, Dispatch and Gothic Classic, while Xbox Game Pass is dominated by two massive "day one" additions in the form of Halo: Campaign Evolved and M
News Two Massive Sports Games Have Joined Xbox's Stacked Lineup For September
As if it wasn't busy enough
We've already seen so many games announced for September over the past few months as publishers desperately attempt to avoid GTA 6 in November, and we're continuing to get more announcements by the week. Two massive sports games, for example, have just slotted into that window. NBA 2K27 is coming to Xbox Series X and...
News Black Flag Resynced Tops The Xbox Charts As Ubisoft Says It's Massively Exceeded Expectations
3.5 million copies sold to date
It feels like it's been a rough period for Ubisoft over the past few years, but the company will be extremely happy with the results of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, which has already exceeded sales expectations for all of 2026! The game has sold 3.5 million copies across all platforms since it launched in...
News Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Is Free To Play On Xbox For The First Time This Weekend
The Crossplay Playtest begins today!
We covered all the games in this week's batch of Xbox Free Play Days titles yesterday, but there's also another free title to mention for the next few days that isn't officially part of the Free Play Days selection! Yes, the upcoming Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is also free to try as part of a Crossplay Playtest...
News Avatar Legends Delayed On Xbox Just Moments Before Launch
Due to 'unforeseen circumstances'
In a bizarre last minute decision, the developers behind Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game have been "forced to delay" the Xbox version until sometime before September 3. The announcement came via the game's official Twitter/X account in the early hours of July 23, just hours before launch. Addressing the Xbox...
Guide Two More Free Master Chief Skins Up For Grabs In Halo: Campaign Evolved
Looking slick, Chief!
Halo: Campaign Evolved is now officially available in Early Access, and we've got two more free armour skins to help your Spartan baddie look his best. If you missed our earlier guide on how to redeem Master Chief's 'Fanta-stic' new look, be sure to check out the article below. That way you'll send the Covenant packing as a...
Roundup Here's What The Critics Are Saying About Halo: Campaign Evolved
The verdict is in
The Halo: Campaign Evolved embargo has officially lifted, and therefore we're seeing a massive number of reviews online for the latest first-party title in Xbox's lineup, including here at Pure Xbox where we gave it a 10/10 in our review! Does everyone else feel as strongly as us? We've had a quick browse around the web to see...
News Halo: Campaign Evolved Comparison Shows Difference Between Xbox Series X And Series S
How the Xbox versions stack up
Right then, here we go! Halo: Campaign Evolved has officially launched in early access for Premium Edition and Premium Upgrade owners today, and therefore we've got footage from both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions to share. We're looking to the ever-reliable Fuzion Xbox Testing on YouTube for this, which...
Maw of this
Halo: Campaign Evolved, much like the newly minted Halo Studios behind it, represents a fresh start for Xbox’s flagship shooter. It’s a remake that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, instead drawing on lessons from the past. Stripping Master Chief back to his original MJOLNIR Mark V armour, it reminds us why the series’ 2001...
News Call Of Duty Adds New 'Classic' Matchmaking In Response To Black Ops 1 & 2 Ports
Older games just hit different!
Some would argue games were better back in the day, and as Season 5 of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 rolls out with "a new matchmaking system" inspired by classic Black Ops titles, that statement might actually hold some truth, at least for today. In a post, the official Call of Duty Twitter account reflected on the...
News Xbox Is Adding A New Feature To 'Optimise' Download Speeds For Games
Faster Installs and Updates!
It looks like Xbox is working to improve download speeds for console game installs and updates. Today (July 23), select members of the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring in the Xbox Insider Program began testing a new update that aims to "optimise game install and update speeds" through the introduction of a smart download client...
News These Are The Final Two Xbox Game Pass Additions To Finish Off The Week (July 23)
Unless we get any extra surprises, of course!
It's time to put a bow on this week for Xbox Game Pass! We've got two final additions to finish things off (unless they add any further surprises), with the previously-announced Hell is Us joining the surprise inclusion of a Conker game! Let's talk about Conker first, because this is the game that was...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (July 23-27)
A solid offering of FPD weekend freebies!
Every Thursday, we round up the latest Xbox Free Play Days lineup for you to have a crack at over the weekend, and this week's offering is looking like a mighty solid one. We're being treated to a triple date with Mr. Snake as Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake are on the table. The...
Guide Halo: Campaign Evolved Release Date, Release Times & Early Access Details For Xbox & PC
Update: Preload now live!
We're finally approaching the release of Xbox's next major first-party title for 2026 in the form of Halo: Campaign Evolved, providing us with a remake of the very first Halo game (multiplayer excluded) from all the way back in 2001! So, considering it's just around the corner, we wanted to put together a guide with all...
Guide Here's How To Get The Fanta Skin For Master Chief In Halo: Campaign Evolved
Looking Fanta'stic
So, you're here because you'd like to save humanity whilst looking extra zesty, right? Well, you've come to the right place, because Halo: Campaign Evolved and Coca-Cola have teamed up to turn Master Chief into a 7ft can of Fanta. All you'll need to do is play a silly little puzzle on your phone, give away some of your precious...
News Metal Gear Solid 4's Full Resolution & FPS Details Revealed For Xbox Series X|S
Arriving as part of the Master Collection Vol.2
Can you believe we'll finally be playing Metal Gear Solid 4 on Xbox in just a few weeks' time?! Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.2 officially releases on August 27th, and we now have full resolution and FPS details for it. Konami has listed the "platform specifications" for each version of MGS...
