
Samuel Tolbert
Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Bluesky @samueltolbert.bsky.social.
Latest articles by Samuel Tolbert

Halo Studios says fans won't want to miss the championship in October
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox Halo Studios is teasing updates on multiple projects, sharing that fans won't want to miss the Halo World Championship in October.

The best gaming laptops in 2025 will change the way you play
By Cale Hunt last updated
Laptops With one of the best gaming laptops in your hands, you can forget about needing a bulky desktop rig. From budget options to elite picks, here are our favorites.

Windows Central's Best Xbox Controllers of 2025 and Beyond
By Jennifer Young, Jez Corden, Zachary Boddy last updated
Game On! Get the best Xbox controller and make the most of your gaming time.

With Gears of War: Reloaded on the way, which Xbox 360 game would you like to see get rebuilt next? — Weekend discussion 💬
By Samuel Tolbert published
Community With Gears of War: Reloaded set to launch in a couple of months, what other Xbox 360 games should be rebuilt for modern hardware?

Capcom finally gives Street Fighter 6 players the swimsuits they want
By Samuel Tolbert published
Gaming Street Fighter 6 is getting a wave of swimsuit skins for Cammy, Chun-Li, and other characters when the Outfit 4 pack arrives.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is borrowing one of Gears of War's best modes
By Samuel Tolbert published
Gaming The Siege Update for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is live right now, bringing a twist on the classic Gears of War Horde mode.

Microsoft's Xbox PC store aggregation is rolling out with Steam and more
By Samuel Tolbert published
PC Gaming The Xbox PC app is beginning to populate with the previously promised store aggregation, with Xbox Insiders seeing Steam games and more.

Gears of War: Reloaded preorder guide and everything you need to know
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox Gears of War: Reloaded is coming this year, so get ready for this return to the original outing with our preorder guide and everything else you need to know.

Xbox's Hellblade 2 gets a 60 FPS performance mode in August
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced Edition is slated to launch on Aug. 12, 2025, with a 60 FPS performance mode, developer commentary, and more.

Microsoft is reportedly planning "major" cuts at Xbox next week
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox Microsoft is planning major cuts at Xbox as early as next week, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Xbox is bringing more titles to "Stream Your Own Game" for Cloud Gaming
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox As more games come to "Stream Your Own Game" for Xbox Cloud, a new update provides better details on saves synced across cloud and consoles.

Xbox confirms return to Gamescom 2025
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox Xbox is attending Gamescom 2025, with Bethesda Softworks and the World of Warcraft team also confirmed for the show.

Summer Game Fest was a bit weird this year
By Samuel Tolbert published
Opinion Summer Game Fest 2025 was an extremely mixed bag for me, with some high highs and some low lows, within and without.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword impresses with dark fantasy elements.
By Samuel Tolbert published
Preview After seeing gameplay of Onimusha: Way of the Sword and speaking to the developers at Summer Game Fest 2025, I'm excited for what Capcom is up to.

Directive 8020 is Alien meets The Thing, and it's introducing two huge changes
By Samuel Tolbert published
Preview I played Directive 8020 and spoke to the game director at Summer Game Fest 2025. This cinematic sci-fi horror is Alien meets The Thing, with two huge changes.

Xbox execs discuss the importance of Xbox Play Anywhere
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox Speaking with GamesRadar, Xbox executives talk about wanting game franchises to grow and building out Play Anywhere.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is just pure, simple co-op fun
By Samuel Tolbert published
Preview After going hands-on with Marvel Cosmic Invasion at Summer Game Fest 2025, I'm happy to say it's pure fun and feels great to play.

Gears of War: Reloaded is Steam Deck Verified
By Samuel Tolbert published
PC Gaming Gears of War: Reloaded is Steam Deck Verified, letting portable PC gamers take Marcus Fenix on the go as they play the campaign.

Hades 2 gets romance as the developers approach its full release
By Samuel Tolbert published
PC Gaming Hades 2 has its third major update, The Unseen, bringing new artwork and godly powers as Supergiant Games preps for the game's full launch.

Xbox Game Pass gets Warcraft remasters, another Call of Duty game, and more
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft games are coming to Xbox Game Pass alongside another Call of Duty title.

Bungie's Marathon is delayed past September 2025 with no new release date
By Samuel Tolbert published
Gaming Bungie shared on Tuesday that its upcoming first-person extraction shooter Marathon is being delayed, with features like proximity chat being added.

FBC: Firebreak review-in-progress — Remedy introduces co-op friction and fun
By Samuel Tolbert published
Not yet ratedReview FBC: Firebreak is the most different Remedy game so far, with fun intentional friction in co-op that's rewarding, even if progression is a bit of a grind.

Snap & Grab mixes camp thievery with Hitman, and it's coming to Xbox Game Pass
By Samuel Tolbert published
Preview Snap & Grab is a game where you need to be gay and do crimes. It's rough around the edges, but seems promising based on what I played at Summer Game Fest 2025.
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