Xbox Series X - Timeline
Thursday28th Mar 2024
News Planet Zoo: Console Edition Launches To Decent Reviews On Xbox Series X|S
"Another amazing sim from Frontier"
In case you'd forgotten, it's been a few days now since the release of Planet Zoo: Console Edition on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and the good news is that it's been getting mostly positive reviews from those who have bought it. The Xbox Store rating is sitting at 4.1/5 in the UK and 3.8/5 in the US, with...
Poll Skull & Bones Players, What Do You Think Of The Game So Far?
It's all gone quiet on the high seas
After years of delays, Ubisoft finally delivered Skull & Bones to the world just over a month ago. The game released to somewhat disappointing reviews (a 63 on Metacritic for Xbox), but we also saw plenty of positivity from its playerbase. And then... nothing. From our perspective at least, it feels like...
News Gearbox Entertainment Acquired By 2K As Team Confirms 'Borderlands 4'
Changing gears
At some point during its mad spending spree, Embracer Group acquired Borderlands developer Gearbox as it sought to strengthen its development portfolio. However, the company has since begun shedding studios, and Gearbox is now heading back to 2K - the team who helped it build the Borderlands series. This time around though, Gearbox...
News Call Of Duty: MW3's Next Update Contains Absolutely Tons Of New Content
Six 6v6 maps! The return of Rebirth Island!
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has just unveiled its next batch of seasonal content - and this is one of series' biggest updates for quite some time. Alongside the return of the ever popular Rebirth Island Warzone map, MW3 is getting six core multiplayer maps, four weapons, four game modes and a whole lot...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (March 28-31)
Two HUGE games are included this week
Xbox Free Play Days is back once again, and this week we have a very interesting lineup to dive into. Four games are featured here — including two huge AAA titles — but both of these appear to have time limits for Xbox players. Here's the full Xbox Free Play Days lineup for this coming weekend: Assassin's...
News Three Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (March 28)
Our first ActiBlizz game is finally here
March is going out with a bang when it comes to Xbox Game Pass! Three games are coming to the service today, including our very first Activision Blizzard game in the form of Diablo 4. Here's an introduction to all of today's new Xbox Game Pass titles, along with some handy links to our Pure Xbox reviews of...
News Leaked Images Reveal 'First Look' At White, All-Digital Xbox Series X
Set to release this summer
It was around a month ago that the existence of a white, all-digital Xbox Series X was first reported, and now the same outlet that broke the news has returned with a series of images that appear to prove its legitimacy. This all comes from Exputer, which highlights the "clear absence of a disc drive on the front" as well...
News New Rumours About Toys For Bob's Next Game Surface Online
"Spyro 4" is the latest claim
Following a report last week about Xbox and the now-indie studio Toys for Bob reaching an agreement on a new game, there's now a new rumour doing the rounds about what this game might be. This information comes from the Crash and Spyro YouTube channel 'Canadian Guy Eh', which claims the next title is Spyro the Dragon...
Wednesday27th Mar 2024
Roundup Here's What The Critics Think Of 'Open Roads' On Xbox Game Pass
Reviews are out now
Wistful road tripping adventure Open Roads heads to Xbox Game Pass tomorrow as part of a big day for the service, and ahead of launch some early reviews have started to drop for the title. So, we've gathered up some early impressions of Open Roads down below - including a short snippet of our Pure Xbox Review.
Talking Point Has Ray Tracing Been A 'Complete Waste Of Time' For Xbox Series X|S?
The Xbox community questions the feature
Before the console ever shipped back in 2020, ray tracing was an important part of Microsoft's messaging with Xbox Series X. It was seen as an emerging bit of graphical tech that could transform the way current-gen games look as we moved past the Xbox One era. However, as the generation has gone on it's...
News No Man's Sky Brings Its 'Orbital' Update To Xbox Game Pass
Featuring highly-anticipated ship customization
Update: Technical issues seem to have delayed the release of No Man's Sky's Orbital update on Xbox at launch. As per the official Xbox Wire website, it's expected to arrive in the early part of the week commencing April 1st, 2024. Original story: No Man's Sky developer Hello Games has today unveiled...
A surprisingly ineffective road trip
Open Roads has been described as "an interactive movie mystery thriller", one that plays out in the form of a deeply personal roadtrip. Of course, this particular roadtrip happens to be the creation of the devs behind the fantastic Gone Home, so it feels as though a good old mystery filled with plenty of thrills...
News 'Marvel Rivals' Dev Hints At Possible Xbox Version Following PC Launch
"An extraordinary third-person hero shooter game"
Marvel has today revealed a brand-new free-to-play shooter in the form of Marvel Rivals, which is officially launching with a beta in May. The sad news is that it's PC only for now - but there's reason to be hopeful of an Xbox release. The team behind Marvel Rivals has hinted that an Xbox version is...
News This Week's Xbox Sales Include One Of 2024's Best Games So Far
A great chance to pick up Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
This week's batch of Xbox deals is far less noteworthy than some of the others we've been seeing recently, suggesting the big Xbox Spring Sale is just around the corner. That said, there are still a few offers that are tempting at first glance, particularly in terms of a Bandai Namco selection...
News Phil Spencer On Porting Exclusives: 'Every Decision We Make Is To Make Xbox Stronger'
"It doesn’t mean everyone’s going to agree"
The 2024 edition of GDC has just taken place, and Xbox boss Phil Spencer has been present at the conference to talk all-things gaming as usual. His presence has led to an in-depth chat with outlet Polygon - where the boss spoke about the future of Xbox and its exclusive strategy. As we all now know,...
News Xbox Game Studios' Ara: History Untold Is Coming To Console, Just Not At Launch
"Plans for Xbox consoles will be revealed"
Ara: History Untold was one of the major Xbox first-party releases to feature at 2024's Developer Direct event, although the game's reception so far has been somewhat subdued. Part of the reason for that is likely because the game is only launching for PC on day one, but a new comment from developer Oxide...
News Diablo 4 Adds Console Ray Tracing Ahead Of Xbox Game Pass Debut
"Patch 1.3.5. introduces Raytracing to all supported platforms"
Blizzard has detailed its big ray tracing update for Diablo 4, right on the eve of the title's Xbox Game Pass debut. Patch 1.3.5 "introduces Raytracing to all supported platforms", alongside a host of other graphical tweaks and improvements. Ray traced shadows and reflections have been...
News Phil Spencer Would Like To See Other Digital Storefronts Appear On Xbox
"How can we be part of opening up that model?"
During a chat at this year's Game Developers Conference, Xbox boss Phil Spencer spoke about how he would like to break down certain "walled gardens" within the gaming space, so players could potentially buy games from other storefronts on Xbox. When asked about a future where storefronts like the "Epic...
Tuesday26th Mar 2024
News Microsoft's Latest Xbox Giveaway Features Four Unique South Park: Snow Day! Consoles
Enter for your chance to get one!
Another Xbox sweepstakes competition is upon us! To celebrate today's launch of South Park: Snow Day!, Microsoft is giving away four different South Park-themed Xbox Series X consoles - each with a unique design. You can see the four console designs up above there, and we think these things look pretty darn...
News Flintlock: The Siege Of Dawn Gets Deep-Dive Showcase Ahead Of 2024 Game Pass Launch
New Game Pass RPG coming this summer!
Following a chunky delay last summer, upcoming Game Pass RPG Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is back with a new deep dive showcase - featuring around 10-minutes of fresh gameplay. We've thrown the team's extended gameplay overview up above, which shows off a bunch of different mechanics and environments from the...
News 'Judas' Previews Detail The Next FPS From The Creator Of BioShock
Judas in my mind
Today, a fresh round of previews have dropped for Judas - the upcoming narrative FPS from Ghost Story Games; the core of which created the BioShock series. Up to now this project has been largely shrouded in mystery, but as we build towards its eventual release, Ken Levine & co. are starting to open up about the upcoming Xbox...
News Xbox Is Hosting A LEGO-Themed 'Buy 1, Get 3 Free' Sale Right Now
Running through April 5th
Another Tuesday has rolled around, which means some new Xbox promotions are now live on the Microsoft Store - and one particular batch of deals has caught our eye already. For the team's latest 'Buy One, Get One' sale, LEGO has taken over - and it's a particularly generous offer when you count the sheer amount of bonus...
News Star Wars Outlaws Rated In Multiple Regions As Ubisoft Seemingly Nears Xbox Release
No longer outlawed
The release of Star Wars Outlaws on Xbox could be creeping ever-closer, as the game has now been rated in multiple regions. A first South Korea Game Rating & Administration Committee rating was spotted last week, and now the game has also been looked at by the Australian Classification board - where it'll be rated M.
News Forza Horizon 5 'Race-Off' Update Brings New Cars, Collectibles & More To Xbox Game Pass
"Race towards the finish line"
Xbox developer Playground Games has detailed its latest Forza Horizon 5 update — 'Race-Off' — which begins this week at the Horizon Mexico festival. As usual, the new update brings plenty of new vehicles, events and more to Xbox's open world racer. Starting off with the 'race-off' theme, two new rides will be...
News Major Game Maker Reportedly Questioning Xbox Support Amidst 'Falling Sales'
"I don't know why we bothered supporting it"
Some gaming companies are starting to question whether it's worth it for them to continue supporting Xbox consoles, a new comment from gamesindustry.biz's Chris Dring concludes. Appearing on another episode of the outlet's 'Microcast', Dring spoke about GDC 2024, and some of the discussions about Xbox...
News Xbox Boss On Handheld Rumours: Hardware Team Considering Different 'Form Factors'
"What should we build that will find new players?"
Following new rumours about Xbox potentially entering the handheld gaming space, Microsoft's Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has now (kind of) chimed in with his own thoughts on the subject. Although he "wouldn't outright announce an official Xbox handheld", Spencer did reveal to Polygon in a recent...
Monday25th Mar 2024
News Cyberpunk 2077 Is Getting A Completely Free Trial On Xbox Series X|S
No subscription required!
CD Projekt RED has announced a new upcoming trial period for Cyberpunk 2077 - and it'll be completely free for console players with no subscription required. The five-hour free trial will be live at 8am PT / 11am ET / 3pm GMT on March 28th, and goes on until late on Sunday, March 31st. For the exact finishing times, check...
Roundup Here's What The Critics Are Saying About South Park: Snow Day!
New South Park game hits Xbox this week
South Park: Snow Day! is out this week on all major platforms, which means impressions of this latest South Park adventure are starting to hit the web today - including ours here at Pure Xbox. So, we've gathered some early reviews of South Park: Snow Day! to see what the critics make of it so far. Check 'em...
Feature Hands On With South Park: Snow Day! - A Short But Sweet Co-Op Adventure
Fart-tastic?
You'd have been forgiven for expecting the new South Park game to follow a similar structure to that of 2014s The Stick of Truth and 2017's The Fractured But Whole, but South Park: Snow Day! is a very different beast to those 2D adventures, transforming the series into 3D and offering up a very different gameplay experience. That said,...
Rumour Microsoft Is Apparently Prototyping Xbox Handheld Hardware
Xbox is "absolutely pursuing" this market
We've heard recently how Xbox has been working on new hardware for Holiday 2024, and there have also been ongoing rumours about a possible handheld device - rumours that Windows Central's Jez Corden has again weighed in on. In the latest 'Xbox Two' podcast episode, Corden has now reitera
