Nobody could've seen this one coming!

Much has been said about Xbox's previous approach to its gaming portfolio. In a sprint to boost margin mandates seeded by Microsoft CFO Amy Hood, Xbox leadership put together a haphazard plan to publish icons like Gears of War, Halo, and Forza onto PlayStation. Forza has been an utterly resounding success, but ... the other two not so much.

It's arguably been particularly damaging with regards to Halo. Halo is to Xbox what Mario is to Nintendo, and for Xbox to put Halo on its arch-rival could be interpreted as a very visible signal that Microsoft isn't in it for the long haul.

Every hardware ecosystem tends to have some form of exclusive content, whether it's creative software on Apple products or native Google services on Android. Microsoft decided it wanted Xbox to be the only closed platform in history without any form of exclusive content. Was the juice worth the squeeze?

Well, the data very much says "not," I think.

According to Circana's Player Engagement Tracker, on July 28th Halo: Campaign Evolved ranked 4th in US DAU on Xbox platforms (8% of total Xbox players on that date launched the game), while placing 14th on Steam (2% of actives) and 29th on PlayStation (1% of actives).

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-08-01T08:44:24.344Z

Despite some clear sales success, Halo: Campaign Evolved has hardly lit the PlayStation world on fire. Halo: Campaign Evolved defeated some service game staples on Xbox during its launch week, claiming the 4th highest daily active users across Xbox Series X|S consoles. It managed to rank a lowly 14th on Steam, and an even worse 29th on PlayStation, claiming just 1% of PlayStation's install base.

I would argue that the immeasurable brand damage putting Halo on PlayStation has wrought on Xbox is hardly worth this paltry figure. Circana senior director Mat Piscatella noted that the data shows "the massive challenge for new games in an environment dominated by the live service behemoths."

For Xbox, I would argue that Halo Campaign Evolved's performance represents a larger problem.

Halo Campaign Evolved has been generally controversial for its lack of multiplayer, perceived (or unperceived) "liberties" taken with the art direction and detailing, while accentuating a lack of visible roadmap for the future of the franchise. Sources familiar tell us that Halo Studios recently canceled a multiplayer-focused Halo game titled Project "Ekur," formerly "Tatanka," a short while ago, leaving the franchise somewhat adrift.

Microsoft's handling of Halo in general has been legendarily poor. The franchise was formerly a staple of the industry landscape and a cornerstone of Xbox's identity. In 2026, it feels like a shadow of its former glory, with a weak TV adaptation doing its own damage to the brand, and repeated "soft reboots" leaving the central narrative in a confused state.

The PS5 version doing poorly is a reflection on how much lustre Halo has lost in the wider gamer consciousness. Xbox fans have been jumping in for the nostalgia, but the fact nobody else cares is an indictment of how the franchise has been handled in general.

Putting Halo on PlayStation 5 did a ton of brand damage to Xbox in general, and I seriously doubt any future Halo will launch on PS5 given Xbox's shift back towards exclusive games. Gears of War: E-Day will be permanently Xbox exclusive, for example, and the E-Day previews have come in extremely positively recently.

Making Halo exclusive to Xbox again is low-hanging fruit ... delivering a Halo that can reclaim the franchise's lost glory is going to be much, much harder, as faith in Halo Studios seems to be in short supply, to put it politely.

As incoming Xbox CEO Asha Sharma seeks to reset the brand and double down on Microsoft's core IP library ... I think of all Xbox's problems, repairing Halo's prestige is by far the biggest challenge facing Xbox. What do you think?

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LG got caught showing ads for McAfee to people who dared to plug in a monitor. An investigation by Gamers Nexus revealed that plugging in certain LG monitors triggered Windows Update to automatically download the LG Monitor App Installer without user consent. This wasn't just a display driver; it was a utility app.

The saga required Microsoft to step in and pressure LG to stop putting adware onto people's computers.

"We’ve connected with the team at LG and as an immediate next step, they have agreed to disable the McAfee pop-up from their app," said Windows chief Pavan Davuluri. "We appreciate LG working with us toward a shared goal of a better experience for our mutual customers."

LG has since stopped shoving adware onto people's PCs, but the company's official statement on the matter makes me question if any lessons have been learned.

"LG Electronics reiterates that McAfee is not installed automatically and is never installed without the user’s explicit consent," said LG in a statement shared with Windows Central and other outlets.

The company added, "During a limited period in the United States, a McAfee trial offer was also presented as an optional recommendation. McAfee was never installed automatically and always required a separate user choice and consent."

LG was never accused of installing McAfee without user consent, at least not by any reputable outlets I've seen. The company was accused of installing the LG Monitor App Installer without permission. That app is essentially a portal to other LG apps. It also controversially showed ads for McAfee.

I argue that no software should be installed without permission. Even more relaxed users would expect a monitor to install an app that's actually related to the monitor, not a showcase for other apps such as McAfee.

I chuckled at the part of the statement that read, "After reviewing customer feedback, LG removed the McAfee recommendation." I suppose that's one way to refer to the backlash and Microsoft intervening.

In case anyone from LG is still confused about definitions, installing an app without permission that shows ads for McAfee is adware. You don't have to install McAfee without consent for it to be adware.

Below is LG's full statement with emphasis provided by the company.

LG's full statement

"LG Electronics reiterates that McAfee is not installed automatically and is never installed without the user’s explicit consent.

The LG Monitor App Installer was designed to help monitor owners discover optional LG applications that enhance productivity, customization and monitor performance.

When compatible LG monitors are connected, the Installer can make related software available to help customers access monitor-specific features and functionality.

During a limited period in the United States, a McAfee trial offer was also presented as an optional recommendation. McAfee was never installed automatically and always required a separate user choice and consent. After reviewing customer feedback, LG removed the McAfee recommendation.

The LG Monitor App Installer does not collect personal information from customers' devices. Its function is to identify compatible monitor models and present applications supported by those models."

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Windows chief Pavan Davuluri has posted an article on X today that outlines the journey Microsoft has taken so far to fix and improve Windows 11. Since March, the company has been laser focused on addressing Windows 11's biggest issues, delivering many new features and changes that are designed to improve the reputation and experiences around Windows.

While that work is still ongoing, Davuluri has now outlined four new areas of focus that Microsoft will be working on for Windows 11 between now and the end of the year:

• Onboarding and setup. Delivering a faster and more efficient out-of-box experience.
• Memory optimization for 8GB and above. Reducing Windows memory footprint to deliver a fast and responsive Windows experience across the PCs customers use every day.
• Family. Providing a faster set up and making it easier for families to access useful parental controls.
• Voice. Making voice more natural and fluid to interact across the apps you use every day.

Microsoft has confirmed that it's planning to improve Windows 11 so that it runs better on PCs with just 8GB of RAM. MacBook Neo took the world by storm earlier this year, and while Windows OEMs have since stepped up to offer better value for money, Windows itself is still quite heavy on these limited memory devices.

The company is now working to reduce Windows 11's memory footprint, ensuring that the OS feels fast and responsive even on 8GB RAM. It's yet to dive into how it's planning to make these changes, but it's likely related to how the company is moving more areas of the Windows UI to WinUI, which is lighter than WebView.

"We're going to take everything we've learned since March and keep listening and closing the loop on your feedback. The signal from you is clear: keep going. We intend to," says Davuluri.

Additionally, Microsoft has confirmed that it's rethinking the Windows out of box experience, with a new faster and more efficient set up experience in the works that will make booting up a new PC for the first time seamless and straight forward.

The other two areas of focus are Family and Voice. The company says it's working to deliver new Family Safety features across the OS, including enhanced parental control setup and more.

Voice is the final area of focus. Microsoft is on record as stating the future of computing will be one that is multi-modal, with voice acting as a primary input method alongside the keyboard and mouse. The company intends to make voice input more natural and fluid across the OS and apps you use.

Microsoft is clearly very proud of the work it has done so far this year to fix Windows 11. Compared to late last year, Windows 11 is in a very different spot. The company has delivered genuinely meaningful improvements and changes that are already impacting the OS for the better, and it sounds like there's more to come soon.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

After weeks of backlash and ridicule from gamers, fast-food companies, game designers like Hideo Kojima, and even a politician, Sony has finally made an official response to all criticism launched at the company for its decision to end physical game disc production for PlayStation consoles from 2028 onwards.

This response comes from Sony's first-quarter financial report for 2026, where during a Q&A session, Sony's Chief Financial Officer, Lin Tao, was asked about this controversial decision via a live interpreter who pointed out Sony had already announced its plan to end game discs a year and a half in advance.

Lin Tao answered with, and I quote from the translated interpreter (as saved via an X post by @ethangach), "There are various reasons we made this decision, the biggest being that the digitalization of content overall has been progressing; that’s the big factor. It’s not just for PlayStation, but for all kinds of content; digitalization is progressing."

Lin Tao continues, "So when we think about the future–and we put in a lot of thought and time, and we cautiously considered this–and we came to this conclusion, and we’re going to cautiously move this forward."

She also says that Sony is aware people have strong opinions on the subject and that these physical forms of entertainment hold fond memories and strong emotions for people. Yet, Sony won't reverse its decision.

This is mostly because, according to Sony's first-quarter financial report, 82% of PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 software sales were digital games while 18% were physical games.

Additionally, deep within the financial reports, it showed that within the first quarter earnings for 2025, 83% of PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 games were bought digitally.

Windows Central's take

So, the bottom line is that Sony decided to kill physical media for games because it simply wasn't profitable for them anymore, without any care for people crying out for better digital ownership rights or how unviably pricey their products are becoming.

I mean, if Sony really cared about people's feelings regarding media, it wouldn't have delisted over 500 movies from people's accounts without giving them refunds or making it harder to get into anime by jacking the price of Crunchyroll subscriptions.

Now, Microsoft could take advantage of this situation by announcing that it will continue to support physical media for its future Xbox consoles.

However, I highly doubt that, considering that Microsoft is reportedly planning to convert game discs into digital copies through its secret 'Positron' project, hinting that the Xbox Helix will also drop physical media too.

Either way, between Sony's abandonment of physical media, Microsoft blocking people's hacked accounts without backing up their data, and realizing that modern Xbox game discs can't function if Xbox Live goes down, my faith in digital media has been dropped to an all-time low.

I don't care if the vast majority of the gaming audience buys games digitally; if there's no way to physically preserve games or at least have digital copies not be beholden to online subscription services or Digital Rights Management licenses, we will have wasted our time and money on glorified digital paperweights that we don't even own.

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Rumors of a crossover between World of Warcraft and Dungeons & Dragons have become true, as these two iconic franchises have confirmed they are working on D&D: World of Warcraft, as announced during an official D&D Vision Keynote livestream on July 30, 2026.

This TTRPG will blend the rich roleplay mechanics of Dungeons & Dragons with the expansive lore, playable races, and classes of World of Warcraft, allowing players to create their own custom-made adventures within the realms of Azeroth.

Here's everything you need to know about this crossover.

According to World of Warcraft's news post, D&D: World of Warcraft will include:

• Six new Subclasses and thirteen Class Skins modelled after the classes of World of Warcraft — the new subclasses are the Oath of the Ebon Blade and Oath of the Holy Paladin, the Demon Hunter Ranger, the Shadow Domain and Discipline Domain Cleric, and the Path of the Elements Barbarian. Plus there will be updates for the Swashbuckler Rogue, Path of the Spiritual Guardian Barbarian, and Warrior of Mystic Brews Monk subclasses.
• Playable races from World of Warcraft — including WoW-themed updates for existing D&D races and 11 new races for D&D, including Dracthyr, Draenei, Earthen, Forsaken, Haranir, Mechagnome, Pandaren, Tauren, Troll, Vulpera, and Worgen.
• Sixty new Spells, twenty-five new magic Items, over ten new Professions, new mounts, and new companion creatures.
• Over 50 new monsters and 30 dungeon bosses, each with their unique stat blocks.
• Seven iconic World of Warcraft dungeons reimagined for Dungeons & Dragons — These locales include Azjol-Nerub, Blackfathom Deeps, Deadmines, Dire Maul, Onyxia's Lair, Scarlet Monastery, and Shadowfang Keep.
• Twenty-five factions to earn renown rewards with.
• D&D: World of Warcraft, Icecrown Citadel Map Pack and Digital Adventure — these include five double-sided poster maps (22"×30") covering 10 of Icecrown Citadel's boss arenas, two taken sheets for the Lich King's forces, a digital adventure spanning 16-20 levels across five chapters, 10 maps, and 10 boss encounters, and sixteen new magic items to grab such as the infamous Frostmourne sword.
• A D&D: World of Warcraft Dungeon Master's Screen.

Pre-orders for D&D: World of Warcraft are now available at D&D Beyond, where players can grab the core D&D: World of Warcraft gameplay expansion rulebook ($39.99), Icecrown Citadel Map Pack ($19.99), and the D&D: World of Warcraft Dungeon Master's Screen ($24.99) separately or all together in one of two Ultimate bundle packs.

The D&D: World of Warcraft Ultimate Bundle will contain the core D&D: World of Warcraft gameplay expansion, the Icecrown Citadel Map Pack and Digital Adventure, the D&D: World of Warcraft Dungeon Master's Screen, a limited edition Murloc Promo Miniature, and digital pre-order bonus items, which include in-game World of Warcraft items like a Black Dragon Mount, a Gazer pet, a Mimic Chest toy, and a Mimic Chest decor.

The Collector's Edition of the Ultimate Bundle includes all of the above along with special versions of the core rules with book covers modeled after World of Warcraft's Horde and Alliance factions.

Windows Central's take

I was wondering what a World of Warcraft x D&D TTRPG crossover was going to look like, and it did not disappoint.

Its pre-made adventure module is modeled after Wrath of the Lich King, one of my favorite World of Warcraft expansions. Plus, every class and race from World of Warcraft has been ported to D&D's 5th Edition tabletop system, which opens up all kinds of cool party synergy combinations if you combine them with the traditional classes of Dungeons & Dragons.

Most importantly, however, this module will allow us to craft our own stories and adventures within the World of Warcraft universe. So if you're sick and tired of seeing the Horde being pushed to the side, or you miss the "WAR" in World of Warcraft and want the Alliance and Horde killing each other again, now you can, since it looks like actual World of Warcraft has moved on forever from faction wars between players.

As for me, I'll be busy pre-ordering it so I can get my hands on the limited edition Murloc miniature because A) It looks awesomely adorable, and B) I want to take it apart and combine its parts with my Warhammer 40,000 miniatures to make a hilarious Murloc Space Marine figure.

But what about you? Are you impressed with D&D: World of Warcraft? Would you like to see World of Warcraft make more crossovers with other franchises, like, say, Final Fantasy, for instance?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll, the comments section, or our Reddit page.

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Gears of War: E-Day's much-anticipated multiplayer gameplay reveal is finally here, as The Coalition has released a 10-minute gameplay overview covering its various PvE and PvP content.

If you're a fan of multiplayer in past Gears of War titles, then buckle up because this gameplay overview has a lot to unpack.

First of all, the gameplay overview gives us details on "Horde Siege", a 12-player PvE co-op mode that looks to take Gears of War's classic Horde Mode and give it an epic evolution to convey the true horrors of Emergence Day.

In this mode, three squads consisting of four players are tasked to complete multiple objectives across large-scale maps while fighting off hordes of Locust until you've completed enough goals to call a helicopter to pick you up.

Each player will take up character classes, customizable weapons (a first for the series), armor mods, and tactical gear mods to help them survive. These classes include the sniping Marksman class, the shotgun-berserking Breacher class, the versatile Assault class, and the supportive Medic class.

You will need to master these classes and gear, and get along with your teammates if you hope to live through the day, as not only will you be dealing with Locust grunts, but giant Locust monsters too.

These Locust monsters function like MMORPG raid bosses that will require every squad to come together to defeat, as they have a ton of health and hit harder than a runaway train on fire.

Next up, The Coalition gives players a taste of Gears of War: E-Day's PvP modes — Team Deathmatch, Conquest, Demolition, and Crucible, each of which will be 4v4 skirmishes.

• Team Deathmatch — This is a simple mode where players must rush to kill the enemy team until they run out of lives.
• Conquest — This is a 'king of the hill' style mode where players must take and hold objective markers on a map to rack up points.
• Demolition — Players must run to obtain a bomb planted on a map and then take it to one of their rival team's bomb sites to blow them up.
• Crucible — A unique mode where players must obtain a Power Core to accumulate points for their team whilst keeping it away from enemies and a shrinking scoring zone.

The Coalition says they plan to add more new game modes, maps, and events after the game launches.

During this gameplay overview, the developers also highlighted some miscellaneous features like training modes to test out weapons, customizable control schemes, casual and Ranked playlists, and tons of new unique character and weapon skins that can be earned purely by playing the game.

The only paid pieces of cosmetic gear this game will have will be Premium Edition content, charity content, and partner content, like the unique weapon skin pack created in collaboration with the legendary heavy metal band Metallica.

Additionally, the developers will be adding new characters, new weapon skins, poses, customization items, challenges, medals, and events through post-launch seasons, all of which will have no battle passes or pay-to-win elements holding them down.

Windows Central's take

When I played Gears of War when I was younger, I usually stuck to the main campaign in two-player co-op, but this may be the first time I'll give multiplayer a go because the mountain of content Gears of War: E-Day is displaying is bonkers, especially at launch.

PvP looks so fast-paced and brutal, while the new PvE Horde Siege mode is beyond epic. Taking on classic Gears of War monsters like Brumaks and Corpsers with 12 players at once sounds like one heck of a great time, and judging by my colleague, Jez Corden's glowing preview of Horde Siege mode, this is probably going to be the most amazing game mode a Gears of War game has ever had.

Gears of War: E-Day was already high on my wishlist, but this multiplayer overview has pretty much sold me on the game. I can't wait to play Horde Siege mode with my friends when the game launches for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, and PC via Windows and Steam on October 6, 2026.

In fact, I might even sign up for Gears of War: E-Day's early-access multiplayer beta starting on August 6, 2026, which, by the way, you can only access by having an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate/PC Game Pass subscription or pre-ordering the game.

But what do you think? Has Gears of War: E-Day impressed you with its multiplayer reveal

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll, the comments section, or our Reddit page.

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Yesterday, Microsoft unveiled its fiscal performance for the past year, and most segments were up, save for Windows and Xbox.

Microsoft's consumer-oriented segments saw material declines, albeit coming in slightly ahead of expected guidance. The memory crisis has weighed on PC shipments as we all know, and Xbox has seen an immense amount of disruption in various ways.

Microsoft was up overall, buoyed by demand for its Azure AI service delivery. Where does that leave Xbox in a world where shareholders are demanding more of Microsoft than ever? Here's what Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella had to say on the matter.

Microsoft's c-suite promises Xbox will return to growth by the end of FY27

In comments on X (Twitter), Xbox CEO Asha Sharma remarked upon Xbox's journey, noting that it now had "200 million" active players, although it's hard to quantify exactly what that means in real terms. Xbox's platform is incredibly confusing and fragmented; does 200 million include players on PlayStation 5? Does it only include players on Xbox Series X|S, One, and Xbox PC? Does it include Candy Crush Saga players on Android? Who knows.

Either way, 200 million is nothing to scoff at, but she hinted at a core issue: Xbox isn't monetizing those players as well as they perhaps could or should be.

"Regarding Xbox, we are making the necessary decisions in our portfolio, platform, and operations to restructure the business and ensure sustainable long-term growth," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told investors. "We have the best titles in the industry along with highly talented studios around the world. We trust in our ability to unite these assets and leverage them, and we expect Xbox to return to the path of growth during fiscal year 2027."

I've seen some try to pin blame on last year's Game Pass u-turn for Xbox's decline this year, but the timeline doesn't really add up. Game Pass did lose a ton of subscribers in the short-lived price hike, but it would've also monetized remaining users more heavily. In fact, subscription services remain a bright spot in an otherwise pressured industry.

"US non-mobile subscription video game spending grew 16% in the first half of 2026 when compared to the same time a year ago, to $3.6 billion," Circana Senior Director Mat Piscatella told us. "Total video game content spending across, PC, console, mobile, VR and cloud was flat, at $24.3 billion. Non-mobile subscription spending includes everything subscription, from service like Xbox Game Pass, Switch Online, etc. to the MMOs and everything in between."

What's the real culprit for Xbox's decline here?

Xbox insiders point to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 as the primary driver of this past year's decline, although the lack of major tentpole AAA titles is also worth pointing the finger at as well. The previous fiscal year saw a pretty huge amount of content hit Xbox's coffers, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was touted as the biggest in franchise history. Exceeding that expectation simply didn't come to bear.

Call of Duty had some unprecedented competition last year from a resurgent Battlefield 6 and incumbents like Arc Raiders. And debates around Call of Duty's cartoony skins impacted perceptions around the game in general.

There are also other major titles at Xbox seeing pressure right now. Minecraft saw a huge explosion on the back of the 2025 movie in the previous fiscal, and hasn't really had a comparable boost in 2026. Roblox is likely doing more damage to Minecraft than Microsoft is willing to publicly admit right now, as Asha Sharma brings Mojang in-house as a direct report to her.

Candy Crush Saga is an absolutely monstrously huge franchise that core gamers often ignore, and even that has seen immense pressure on mobile from similar casual games, like Monopoly Go.

Xbox Game Pass has seen disruption from its ill-advised price hike last year, and Xbox hardware is under strain from the memory rout. But they're a drop in the bucket compared to the mega franchises Xbox now governs.

The challenge facing Xbox is tough, but is NOWHERE near insumountable

Despite challenges, there are already green shoots of recovery worth pointing towards. Call of Duty Black Ops 1+2's unexpected bare-bones (i.e. very cheap) ports to PlayStation 5 has seen it inexplicably claim the top spot on PS5, beating out Fortnite itself. It could open up a very big opportunity for Call of Duty "Classic" ports that nostalgic millennial cohorts are eager to re-experience, without the ridiculous skins and pop-culture bloat the modern games often tout.

Xbox is also returning to exclusive games to try and boost its hardware visibility. The memory crisis will likely prevent real growth in this area for at least a year or more, but Xbox Helix is around the corner — there's an opportunity for Xbox to innovate on the traditional console business model here.

Microsoft insiders have reiterated to me that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood are giving Asha Sharma some breathing space on accountability margin expectations, in order to let the new strategy play out. The price of this has been absolutely massive layoffs, the biggest in Xbox history, as the brand resets various studios to staffing levels seen pre-Covid.

Xbox has become an enormous and unwieldy operation, though. Ensuring each part of the business is delivering on the opportunities ahead of it represents a massive and complex undertaking that Xbox arguably has struggled with. Since it acquired Minecraft, Activision, Blizzard, ZeniMax, and others over the past twelve years, Xbox has solidified itself as arguably the biggest content house on Earth this side of Disney. Maximizing the opportunities therein will take real investment, innovation, and risk-taking that I'm not sure Microsoft (or its shareholders) have the stomach for.

It should be clear how much potential there is here. The Fallout TV show, the Minecraft movie, and other big wins have proven beyond all doubt that Xbox can create a cohesive content portfolio that spans mediums and devices. But can it achieve this without sacrificing the core of what Xbox is?

It'll be interesting to see how Asha Sharma navigates all of these challenges in the coming years ahead. Asha Sharma arguably has the biggest business challenge in all of gaming right now.

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Microsoft's stock price has seen a huge spike upwards as a result of its FY26 earnings report, which outstripped expectations by a considerable margin.

While Xbox and Windows were down 4% overall, with Xbox specifically down 11%. But these consumer-facing businesses are not what moves Microsoft's stock price in 2026. The core of Microsoft's operation, essentially Azure and AI, is vastly beating expectations.

Microsoft's stock has seen declines over the past year as investors worried the company was over-extending on its AI build out. Google has seen some volatility as its cash flows flipped negative — a historic first for the firm, as it continues to race to build out its AI stack.

Microsoft has also seen similar fears, but the FY26 report showed its Azure AI delivery is actually accelerating growth — and not just capital expenditure.

CEO Satya Nadella is positioning Microsoft's AI as a more "efficient" option over competitors, as cost increasingly drives conversations around the tech. OpenAI and Anthropic's assistants win out in benchmarks, but are orders of magnitude more expensive than Microsoft's home-grown models, as well as Chinese incumbents. Nadella stated to investors that Microsoft's home-grown chips and models are driving up to "40%" efficiency gains, beating out its previous reliance on OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Microsoft's overall revenue increased 18% YoY, to an insane $90 billion, its operating income hit $40.6 billion, up 18%, and Azure saw growth hit 45%, beating expectations by 5%. Microsoft 365 Copilot hit 30 million paid seats, up 20 million since the Spring. Microsoft also reported a pretty staggering 84% YoY increase in contracted AI revenue, which now represents an eye-watering $678 billion demand backlog.

Despite committing almost $116 billion in capital expenditure the past year, Microsoft still managed to keep operating cash flows positive to the tune of $55 billion, a 30% jump. Its free cash flow was down YoY to $19.64 billion, but still beat out expectations.

It's the type of fiscal discipline Wall Street really likes, and they rewarded Microsoft with a record-breaking stock rip. Microsoft's market capitalization increased by $450 billion in a single day, beating out a previous world record set by NVIDIA.

Increasingly it seems like the AI business is coalescing around a small handful of companies, namely Microsoft and Google. Meta has seen its stock price take a beating this past year, as investors fear it has fallen too far behind to keep up.

Great stock gains in the short term ... but questions remain

Perhaps philosophically, there's still a pretty large question mark hanging over the AI build out. Socially, data centers have become increasingly unpopular, owing to their vast negative impact on local communities, in terms of both noise and electricity prices. Indeed, AI data centers are also massive carbon emitters, and the benefit to society in general remains fairly unclear. Many of the lofty promises from the likes of OpenAI's Sam Altman have failed to materialize in real terms, and there's still a big discrepancy over how it could impact the global economy, and the social contract in general.

If AI puts millions, or billions even out of work, that'll simply create a consumption and productivity bottle neck that no amount of AI data centers could feasibly close. Microsoft itself has laid off thousands of workers this year, and will likely lay off many thousands more next year too. Microsoft and other big tech companies seemingly have no answer for this.

In the short term, investors stand to make a lot of money. But ... umm, will the AI build out actually be good for humanity in the long term? Does anyone actually care? I guess that's not something that tech billionaires worry themselves thinking about too much, eh?

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During Warhammer Skulls 2026, one of the biggest surprises of the event was that the popular co-op horde shooter, Helldivers 2, announced a Legendary Warbond collaboration with Warhammer 40,000, as a follow-up to its Halo: ODST crossover.

Nobody knew what this historic crossover was going to look like, but we do now, as Helldivers 2 has just released a trailer for the Warhammer 40,000 Legendary Warbond.

The trailer reveals that this Warbond will feature "TG-8 Sharpshooter" and "T-122 Demo-Trooper" character skins inspired by the soldiers of Warhammer 40,000's Astra Militarum faction (a.k.a. the Imperial Guard).

Additionally, this Warbond will feature weapons ripped straight out of Warhammer 40,000, including Meltaguns, Bolt Pistols, Meltamines, and Hot-Shot Marksman Rifles, along with new vehicle patterns to have Helldivers 2's mechs and war machines have color schemes similar to vehicles used by the Imperial Guard.

The trailer confirms that Helldivers 2's Warhammer 40,000 Legendary Warbond will be released on August 12, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

Windows Central's take

Now, for the longest time, I didn't play Helldivers 2 because it was locked behind PlayStation 5 and PC at first, before releasing on Xbox later, being interested in other games at the time, and because of controversial updates that caused players to review bomb it on Steam (although recently reviews have jumped back to "mainly positive").

Yet, as a Warhammer 40,000 fan, I can't help but admit to myself, "Okay, Helldivers 2, you got me, this crossover looks pretty sweet".

For those unaware, the Imperial Guard is one of the most hardcore yet relatable factions in Warhammer 40,000 and has slowly become one of my personal favorites.

They're not genetically enhanced like the iconic Space Marines; they're just ordinary men and women like you or me. Yet, they're not afraid to charge headfirst into unwinnable battles and fight to purge the universe of the untold horrors of Chaos daemons, never-ending hordes of Orks, and other foul alien menaces, all in the name of the God Emperor.

Some of the greatest heroes of the Warhammer 40,000 setting also happened to be ordinary humans, like Commissar Yarrick who defended the world of Armageddon time and again from millions of Ork barbarians, or Ciaphas Cain who defended the Imperium of Man from Orks, Necrons and the forces of Chaos (even if he, at least in my view, deludes himself into thinking he's a massive coward undeserving of credit), just to name a few.

In short, the Imperial Guard are awesome and, I believe, a perfect fit for Helldivers 2's chaotic, wartorn universe. So I can't wait to at last give Helldivers 2 a shot (along with giving the Terminds a shot of Meltagun fire) when it's Warhammer 40,000 Legendary Warbond drops on August 12, 2026.

🗨️ Over to you

What do you think of Helldivers 2's Warhammer 40,000 Legendary Bond? Do you think it's awesome enough to convince Warhammer 40,000 fans to play the game? Are you still playing Helldivers 2?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll, the comments section, or our Reddit page.

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I always liked me some Gears of War Horde mode, but nothing prepared me for how ambitious the new Siege mode turned out to be.

Gears of War: E-Day is slated for launch on October 6, exclusively on Xbox Series X|S and PC, marking Xbox's official return to exclusive console games for the first time in a couple of years. There's potentially a lot riding on Gears in that context, but we're not here to talk about that aspect of the launch today.

Last week, I had the opportunity to go hands-on with Gears of War: E-Day's new Horde Siege mode, which extends the old-school PvE offering with bigger, sharper teeth.

Gears of War: E-Day is set in the early days of humanity's fight against the subterranean Locust swarm. The humans of Sera just ended their own bloody civil war, and all hope for peace is shattered under the reptilian fist of this horrific new threat.

Horde mode has long been a staple of the Gears franchise, pitting small groups of players against endless waves of Locust monsters in a shooter-meets-tower-defence hybrid game mode. But Siege mode is a bold reimagining of the formula, now pitting 12 players in huge maps with dynamic objectives and defensible locations, complete with raid boss style events and biting extraction climaxes.

Gears of War: E-Day's Horde Siege is the most fun I've ever had with Gears multiplayer, and I think it could be a big deal.

The sheer chaos of 12-player Horde is sublime

Gears of War's Horde mode was a key innovation from the franchise's early days, and spawned a variety of copycats over the years. The key premise is pretty simple: teams of friends bunker in, collect energy from fallen monsters, build turrets and other traps, and defend points from an increasingly difficult assault of Gears of War monsters.

Siege mode evolves the formula, taking inspiration from some of the biggest PvE games of the current era. It'll now rock up to 12 players, split into squads of 4 soldiers, complete with soft class roles to enhance tactical play and reward cohesion.

12 players means a bigger play space. The area for the demo was absolutely huge, and was once again represented a new bar for visual fidelity for Unreal Engine — a tradition that The Coalition and the Gears of War franchise seems to have on some form of uncanny lockdown.

I didn't get a ton of breathing space to admire the apocalyptic locales, though. Gears of War: E-Day is utterly chaotic and frantic in the best possible ways. The game drives your squad from objective to objective in a near-constant fight for survival as you move through the rubble of Jacinto's cities.

Siege Mode brings in classes from previous Horde versions, promoting unit cohesion and tactical play. I picked up a basic Assault class for my sessions, giving me access to a stimpack healing ability on a beefy cooldown. Great in a pinch, but not particularly helpful for other squad mates. Other classes got boosts to energy collection, used for building defensive facilities, while others got improvements to healing and squad support. It's easy to imagine how The Coalition could extend Horde Siege mode with post-launch class additions, similar to what we've seen in games like Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 and the like.

The classes aren't as deep as some other games, though. The emphasis is entirely on combat in keeping with the typical Gears tradition. And the combat is as brutal, cinematic, and spectacular as you'd hope.

Evolving objectives, insane weapons, and raid bosses?!

Emergence Day is a particularly brutal and violent time in Gears' long, bloody canon. Humanity was caught completely unawares and unprepared for the Locust, and that disarray is reflected well in the barrage of objectives Horde Siege mode throws at you.

As you move around the map, event recommendations pop-up spawning a variety of objectives, including defending a point, taking down a bigger enemy, a certain amount of smaller enemies, and so on. You can pick from a variety of difficulty settings (higher was way more fun and brutal), and also match lengths. You can jump in for a quick 15-minute session, up to 45-minute gauntlets of increasingly difficult and increasingly epic challenges.

The bigger play areas designed to accommodate more players are also perfectly suited for creating set piece events that feel a bit more sensical than Horde has occasionally felt in previous games. For example, the central area of the map is a huge circular courtyard, with a raised monument in the middle for taking cover. The outer area is perfectly sized to accommodate some of Gears of War's largest and most iconic threats, such as the spider-like Corpsers or T-Rex-like Brumaks.

The Brumaks now have a truly obscene amount of health in Siege mode's higher difficulty settings, really forcing all three squads to come together to take it down effectively. The battle feels far more spectacular and cinematic as a result, seeing 12 COG soldiers desperately unload their clips while getting swarmed by smaller minions on the flank. The threat level felt far more in-line with battles depicted in Gears' books and cinematics — reflecting Gears' true scale and horrors for the first time.

One thing I was hoping to see more of in the game revolves around progression layers and Siege mode gadgets. We didn't get a ton of toys to play with in the beta, which is fine — more surprises for later. But I didn't get a good sense of what to expect from the energy collection gameplay.

In typical Horde fashion, players can pick up energy from downed enemies, and then spend that energy at specific vendors for ammo and other gadgets. The only ones available in the beta were explosive decoys, spike traps which slow enemies down, and smoke grenades. I suspect the full game will offer a lot more in this area, but it would've been nice to catch a glimpse at what those might look like.

The game did give access to some of the new weapons. The early Locust Horde have incredibly primitive and inelegantly brutal weapons. The heavy boomshot was particularly effective, firing out a cluster of explosions that can gib large contingents of enemies in chokepoints.

The biggest question mark I'm left with pertains to server performance, though. Playing from Europe at present, the game was very laggy, although I doubt I was in there with many other content creators from the EU. I imagine I was connecting to U.S. servers here, it's hard to know for sure.

Hopefully, when populated properly, the latency won't impede the fun for you as it did me. You'll get the chance to try for yourself on August 6 when the Early Access beta goes live for those who have pre-ordered Gears of War: E-Day.

A potentially powerful canvas for post-launch support

It's a strange time for the game industry. PlayStation has killed Destiny, which at one point seemed like it would be an utterly invincible industry staple. Fortnite was just dethroned on PS5 by a bare bones Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 port of all things. More games are launching than ever, but there are also more layoffs than ever.

I'm curious what kind of unique pressure that puts on Gears of War: E-Day and The Coalition, who are launching Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's well-publicized return to Xbox console exclusive games. Can E-Day sustain itself without PlayStation's mega audience? Does it even need to? Is it enough for Gears of War: E-Day to be an amazing, albeit transitory experience? Or does Microsoft hope for it to have a lengthy post-launch content regime?

I'm not sure what the future will hold for Gears of War: E-Day overall, but one thing I can say for sure is that Gears of War: E-Day Horde Siege mode is a metric fuckton of frantic, frenzied fun, wrapped in some of the best visuals the franchise has ever produced. I can see myself playing this for a really long time across Xbox Series X|S and particularly the Xbox Ally X.

If both Versus mode and Campaign mode land anywhere near as hard as Siege Horde, it could end up being remembered as the best Gears of War ever.

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Microsoft is working on a major overhaul to the context menu system on Windows 11 that is designed to fix performance and reliability issues by allowing users to customize what appears within the right-click menu across the system. The company is also working on a new compact menu design that will be faster to open and interact with.

One of Windows 11's more frustrating problems currently is how cluttered the modern context menus have become. Since Windows 11's debut, context menus have become bloated and overburdened by apps and actions from both Microsoft and third-party developers, which can add themselves into the context menu without user input.

This has resulted in the context menu being very slow to initiate, often taking a second or two to appear when the user right-clicks in File Explorer on a system with many apps installed and actions available. According to sources familiar with Microsoft's plans, the company is working on a new compact context menu design to fix this, that prioritizes the most common actions above everything else.

This new compact menu will be much faster and more reliable, as it foregoes needing to load in all the third-party actions that slow it down currently. Additionally, at the Windows Insider Meetup in London, Microsoft showed me a new context menu customization feature coming soon that will let users configure what apps and actions appear in the right-click menu.

Users will be able to show and hide actions and apps, as well as change the order in which these actions and apps show within the right-click menu. The menu will include a new "customize" option at the very bottom which can be accessed at any point to begin changing the menu options.

These changes are part of Microsoft's larger effort to fix Windows 11's biggest problems and issues under the Windows K2 initiative, which has been ongoing since last year. The company has confirmed plans to move more areas of the Windows system over to WinUI for consistency and performance reasons, with areas like File Explorer file properties and the Start menu getting the WinUI treatment soon.

Context menus are already powered by WinUI, and these new improvements that are currently in the works are designed to speed up the menus so that they are instantly responsive whenever you right-click within File Explorer, the desktop, or other native Windows UI interfaces.

It's unclear when these context menu updates are set to be announced, but the demo I saw a few weeks back was real working code and relatively polished, so I suspect we'll see an official announcement about these changes in the near future. I expect Microsoft is hoping to get these improvements out the door before the end of the year.

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In recent years, due to climate change, gaming has become increasingly difficult to enjoy during the summer because of rising heat waves. Why, according to the BBC, June 2026 has seen a record-breaking heat dome across the United Kingdom and Europe, with temperatures reaching between 36°C and 41°C (95°F to 105.8°F).

And that goes without mentioning that most homes in the UK and Europe were built to retain heat in winter, making them even more unbearable to sit through in summer (most of them aren't built with air conditioning).

I know this because I live in a brick-built house in the UK, which gets so hot during summer heat waves that it feels like my bedroom turns into an oven, especially when I have to turn on my PC for work.

pcmasterrace from r/pcmasterrace/comments/1v6vo1r/pc_chimney

My colleagues and I, living across the world, turn to playing games on handhelds like the Xbox Ally or anything that supports Xbox Cloud Gaming during heat waves to play without making the temperature in our homes even worse via the combined excess heat from our consoles or PCs.

However, Reddit user "scvready0808" got sick and tired of these heat waves turning his office into a sauna whenever he wanted to play PC games, so he decided to craft a homemade "PC chimney".

Using a combination of Etsy-sourced duct adapters, insulated flexible piping, connector kits, and a window fan, they're venting excess heat from their PC and making the room's temperature more tolerable for gaming.

It's a primitive-looking but effective method that worked in scvready0808's favor, and it's one I'd love to try myself, since my room is incompatible with traditional air conditioners — though I'd need to learn how to craft the thing without breaking my windows in the process.

Either way, I hate summer, and I can't wait for winter to come again so I can game in peace without worrying about overheating my precious RTX GPU or my ever-expensive Xbox Series X.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

On July 27, 2026, Xbox suffered quite possibly the worst outage to its live services in recent memory. The outage lasted nearly a whole day and prevented people from signing into their profiles and launching their downloaded games and apps.

After the debacle was over, Xbox's CTO (Chief Technology Officer), Scott Van Vilet, came online to apologize to Xbox fans and explain how this technical catastrophe happened.

However, on July 29, 2026, Scott revealed in an interview with The Verge that the damage caused by this outage was worse than most people thought, as he had reports of physical discs of Xbox games not working during this time either.

Scott says, “We’re looking into reports that some players were unable to access games using discs as expected during the service interruption. Disc-based entitlement checks should not prevent players from accessing their games, and this is by design.”

He mentions that Xbox's tech engineers discovered that there was an issue that prevented certain Xbox consoles from, and I quote, "correctly using saved entitlements during the outage" and that “Offline mode is also designed to rely on those saved entitlements.”

Windows Central's take

Scott says the Xbox's tech support is working on an update to Xbox consoles to prevent this issue from happening again, but it goes to show that investing entirely in a digital-only future for games is not viable in the long run.

Having game discs just be "entitlement" tokens to grant a player digital rights access to a game you download from stores instead of actually having the game on the discs just proves you don't actually own them, and they become glorified paperweights if Xbox Live's servers pull another outage like this again.

Even Microsoft's upcoming disc-to-digital "Positron" program that creates digital copies of physical discs won't matter if online servers fall apart or companies delisting games prevent people from truly owning and playing them.

So how do we get around this? Well, investing in GOG to get access to DRM-free games with dedicated launchers that you can safely download onto your internal or external data storage units without being beholden to online servers to play them sounds like a good idea.

But that's for preserving and owning games on PC; console players don't have the luxury of GOG. All they get right now is either Sony discontinuing game discs for future PlayStation systems or Microsoft blocking people from their Microsoft accounts if they get hacked, cutting off access to thousands of dollars' worth of games.

Honestly, I feel like if Microsoft, Sony, or any other game company wants to keep our good graces without forcing all of us to resort to piracy for true game preservation, they need to go back to basics and have games just be on the discs with no DRM or "entitlement" strings attached.

But what do you think? Do you think we should eliminate "Entitlement" checks and DRM encryption on video games?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll above, the comments section, or our Reddit page.

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Windows power users, PC builders, and admins have a new tool at their disposal that makes it easy to restore a PC after reinstalling Windows or setting up a new PC. The app, called Endstate, streamlines the process of reinstalling applications and can also restore your settings and preferences within supported apps.

Endstate is a free app designed for Windows, though Linux and macOS support are on the way. You can grab Endstate through GitHub.

I spoke with the developer of Endstate to better understand where the app is now and where it could evolve in the future.

Endstate uses WinGet and Chocolatey, which allow it to install a massive library of applications available across those package managers. But the real standout feature is that Endstate can capture the settings of your app into a zip file to make restoration simple.

When you reinstall Windows or set up a new PC, you have to install your required apps as well. A package manager like Chocolatey or WinGet can streamline that process, but the restored applications will be set to their factory defaults. All the toggles and settings you spent time customizing are reset to their base state.

Endstate supports settings restoration on 357 apps right now. Among those supported are some big-name apps such as MSI Afterburner, Adobe Lightroom Classic, VS Code, Windows Terminal, PowerToys, Git, Obsidian, OBS Studio, Notepad++ and ShareX.

Settings restoration is separate from app restoration. If an app is available through Chocolatey or WinGet but does not support settings restore, Endstate can still install the app.

Restoring settings is also done on a per-app basis.

You can use Endstate without an account and the app works offline.

Windows vs iOS and Android

Despite any Apple marketing campaigns about how many apps there are on iOS, Windows trounces all other operating systems when it comes to app selection. That is in part because everything from ancient programs to modern web apps works on Windows 11.

Because of the legacy support on Windows 11, we don't get all the benefits of modern applications on PCs. For example, any iOS or Android user may have read this article and been confused because saving and restoring app settings is commonplace on smartphones.

But on Windows 11, Endstate fills a notable gap. With only 357 apps that support settings restoration, Endstate has a ways to go before matching the native experience on iOS and Android, but it's still nice to see. I hope more app developers embrace Endstate and make it possible to save and restore settings.

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It's been three weeks since Xbox's massive "reset" that saw over 3,200 employees lose their jobs, and the damage reports of its aftermath continue to pour in. The latest casualty report of this "reset" comes from Double Fine Productions, one of the studios that actually managed to escape the worst of it by going independent.

However, Double Fine Productions didn't survive unscathed. On July 28, 2026, its studio head, Tim Schafer, announced on Bluesky that to survive Xbox's "reset," Double Fine Productions had no choice but to lay off 23 employees.

Tim Schafer says in his announcement, “As a small, tightly-knit team, these actions are not taken lightly. Only the survival of our studio would ever make us consider such a painful action. Our transition to becoming an independent company also means becoming a size that we can sustain."

However, that doesn't mean Double Fine Productions will simply kick its employees out the door, as Tim Schafer says his company is committed to supporting everyone affected by the decision as thanks for all their hard work and commitment they've brought to Double Fine and the gaming industry.

Windows Central's take

Losing Double Fine Productions is a sad setback for the Xbox brand, as Double Fine Productions has created some of the wild and unique games artistically I've seen on the platform, including the Psychonauts series, Brütal Legend, The Keeper, and Kiln, to name a few

While I'm angry and tired of seeing more people lose their jobs because of Microsoft ( even Bethesda, Id Software, or Zenimax couldn't escape layoffs), I'm happy to see Double Fine Productions has managed to regain its freedom so it can continue to make wild and creative games without corporate meddling getting in its way.

Plus, I think Double Fine Productions may have dodged a bullet in the long run because Microsoft has seemingly been fumbling more and more as of late.

Notable examples include its Xbox Live service suffering major outages that stopped people accessing digital games more than usual (the latest lasting for nearly a day), blocking people's entire Microsoft accounts through no fault of their own, and making self-harmful pushes towards AI.

If Microsoft hopes to keep its fans on its side for its Project Helix console, it needs to seriously improve the stability of its digital services and not casually treat its game developers like disposable assets; otherwise, the Xbox brand might not last much longer.

But what do you think? Do you think Double Fine Productions becoming independent of Microsoft was the smart decision despite having to lay off its staff to do it? Will Microsoft be able to redeem itself in the eyes of its customers after this latest string of controversial decisions and technical oversights?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll above, the comments section, or our Reddit page.

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When Asha Sharma was named Xbox CEO, some on the web screamed about the fact that she was not a gamer. But the first few months of her tenure have shown why sometimes it's best to have a person who understands business in charge of a multi-billion-dollar gaming empire.

Here are some lessons that Xbox has had to learn or relearn this year under Sharma: Exclusives matter, Xbox starts with console, and it's not realistic to expect Xbox Game Pass to have 77 million subscribers when there are only an estimated 30 million Xbox consoles around.

Back in 2024, then Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said he wanted a "Future Where Every Screen Is An Xbox." It's been over two years since that memo was sent to Microsoft employees and leaked. In that time, we've seen Microsoft ship exclusives to PlayStation, reverse course, and straddle the barrier between consoles and PCs.

Spencer's vision was flawed. Taking the box out of Xbox never made sense. While cloud gaming extends the Xbox experience, the best experience requires dedicated hardware.

Sharma emphasized that fact in her exclusive interview with us earlier this year:

"I am committed to 'returning to Xbox,' and that starts with console, that starts with hardware. You will hear more about that soon."

But worse than taking the box out of Xbox was the idea that you could take the Xbox out of Xbox. Microsoft needs its console to stand out, and making everything under the sun an Xbox goes directly against that.

Microsoft put Halo on PlayStation 5 in a move our Jez Corden called "brand suicide." In February 2027, we'll see Fable launch and then God of War: Laufey launch the next day.

In just two days, PlayStation 5 owners will gain two massive games, but Xbox owners will get just one.

Hardware needs a reason to exist

Spencer's vision was flawed in terms of practicality, but I understand why people would wish it could work. In a perfect world, we'd all be able to play all our favorite games on any device.

But the reality is that exclusive content is at the core of platforms in 2026, and that's even more true when it comes to gaming. How many people would buy a Nintendo Switch 2 if all of its best games were available on the Xbox Ally X? Why would anyone buy an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S if the PlayStation 5 had all of Xbox's games plus a bunch of Sony exclusives?

Perhaps in another timeline in some parallel universe where PlayStation is actually for the players, we'd see Xbox and PlayStation games appear on both platforms. But we don't live in that world.

Sony reportedly has plans to pull back from PC gaming and not release single-player games on Windows PCs or Steam. That move was likely made because the next Xbox console is a PC at its core.

That means that Sony would rather lose out on all PC sales for its upcoming single-player games than have those same games be playable on the next Xbox console.

With Sony making moves like that, Microsoft can't afford to put its exclusive games on PlayStation.

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Windows Insiders have a new build of Windows 11 to install, and it comes with some exciting improvements for accessibility. The biggest change is to Voice Access, which can now isolate your voice to better control your PC while in a crowded room.

Voice Access allows you to control your PC with only your voice. Once you launch the feature, a dock appears and stays along the top of your screen. That bar shows commands as you enter them, which helps confirm what you've said to your computer.

At the moment, using Voice Access in a room with background noise can be tricky. But that will change with the update to Windows 11 that's now in testing. That upgrade is just the latest in a long string of accessibility improvements from Microsoft.

Microsoft and accessibility

_{Windows 10 added eye tracking in 2017. The feature lets you type with your eyes.}

Microsoft has prioritized accessibility for a long time. It's genuinely one of the most endearing aspects of the company. Here are just a few of the Windows features and pieces of hardware we've covered over the past few years that are part of Microsoft's push to make technology more accessible.

• XBOX Adaptive Joystick
• XBOX Adaptive Controller
• Eye tracking on Windows 10
• Screen tint and improved Braille support
• Voice Access

Our Mauro Huculak has an excellent piece on 7 accessibility features in Windows 11 that make life easier for everyone.

Windows 11, and earlier versions of Windows, have a massive library of features that make computing more accessible.

Microsoft has an extensive support document about all the accessibility features in Windows.

Accessibility is about everyone. When Microsoft develops a feature or accessory with one type of user in mind, there's often a knock-on effect. For example, Read Aloud in Microsoft Edge makes PDFs more accessible, but it also improves reading comprehension and lets you multitask while hearing what's on your screen.

I use Read Aloud every day to proof read my articles. I find that listening as I read improves comprehension and helps me spot typos or other mistakes.

New and improved accessibility in Windows 11

The latest Windows Insider build includes several improvements to accessibility features. Voice Access now supports Voice Isolation, which filters out other speakers and background noise.

It's a small change that makes it possible to use Voice Access in a broader range of work environments. If you rely on Voice Access, a shared office can cause frustration.

Hybrid and in-office work often places colleagues too close to each other to use Voice Access. Voice Isolation allows someone who needs the feature to control a PC to work in the same space as their coworkers.

The same Insider build brings support for displays that use the HID (Human Interface Device) standard to Narrator. That standard enabled plug and play support for braille displays and is backed by Microsoft, Apple, and other tech giants.

Here's the change log for Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29634.1000 that relates to accessibility.

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 29634.1000

Voice Isolation in Voice Access

• We’re introducing Voice Isolation, a new option in Voice Access that helps it focus on your voice, even when others are speaking nearby. Whether you’re in a shared office, an open floor plan, or at home with family around, Voice Isolation filters out other voices and background noise so Voice Access can better understand you. All processing happens privately on your device.
• Getting started
  Voice Access now offers three speech recognition modes under Voice Access settings > Improve speech recognition:
  • Voice Isolation — Filters out other speakers and background noise (one-time voice setup required).
  • Remove background noise only — Filters out non-speech sounds like typing or door slams. No additional setup needed.
  • No filtering — Default microphone input with no additional processing.
• To set up Voice Isolation, select it from the menu and follow the short, guided setup where you’ll read a brief paragraph aloud so Voice Access can learn your voice. It only takes a minute, and your voice data never leaves your device

Narrator

Braille displays now connect instantly with Narrator

• We’re making refreshable braille displays easier to use in Windows. Narrator now supports displays that use the HID standard — an open industry standard for braille displays. If your display supports HID, simply connect it via USB and start reading — true plug-and-play with no additional setup required. For Bluetooth, pair your HID braille display in Settings > Bluetooth & devices just like any other accessory, and you can work wirelessly without being tethered to your PC.
• Compatible HID displays include models like the Orbit Reader 20, Orbit Slate 340, Freedom Scientific Focus 40, and APH Mantis Q40.
• HID braille displays now work during the initial Windows setup experience (OOBE) over USB — meaning users who are deaf-blind can set up their PC independently, right from the first screen. You can customize braille input and output options anytime in Settings > Accessibility > Narrator > Braille.

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One thing I've been thinking about a fair bit recently is Microsoft's original pitch for Xbox Helix.

Former CEO Phil Spencer was teasing for years before Project Helix was revealed that it would run PC games. He talked about platforms like the Epic Games Store on Xbox Helix, for example, opening up the platform to new business models and aligning more closely with traditional PC gaming — albeit designed for the living room.

In 2026, we're in a very different universe, though. The memory crisis has made consumer tech less affordable than ever. The console market has traditionally been the "affordable, simple" alternative to PC gaming. Several price increases later, it increasingly looks less like the "affordable" option and more like the "nerfed" version of PC gaming.

As an "open" PC, Xbox Helix could end up being absurdly expensive

As an open device, Xbox Helix would likely be far too expensive to justify purchase for the vast majority of traditional console gamers, and parents raising the next generation of potential console gamers as well.

Users are already stretched on affordability, and gravitating towards cheaper experiences. Free-to-play titles are eating into legacy core gaming paradigms, and parents are putting their kids on Roblox and old iPads instead of considering increasingly expensive consoles. Roblox is bigger than Steam and PlayStation combined right now ... driven in large part by Gen Alpha and younger Gen Z audiences.

By making Xbox Helix an "open" device, that traditional software sales subsidy goes out of the window. Microsoft would have to price Helix as a high-end PC, profiting on the hardware, rather than the software, if it couldn't guarantee users would remain in its ecosystem. This is one reason why the Steam Machine ended up being so expensive. If you can install Windows on it and ignore Steam, why would Valve ssell the hardware at a loss? It simply isn't viable.

So ... if Xbox Helix is to come in at a reasonable console-like price point, doesn't that mean it has to be a closed box, subsidized by software sales rather than hardware profitability? These are the questions Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Xbox CSO Matthew Ball are likely grappling with right now.

PlayStation has pulled out of PC, eliminating one potential major advantage

Under former CEO Phil Spencer, Xbox began putting their games on rival platforms, including PlayStation. This did a huge amount of brand damage to Xbox, leading customers current and potential to think that Xbox was preparing to exit its ecosystem all together.

I've written extensively on why Xbox ditching all forms of exclusive content seemed like a terrible idea, but the crux is ultimately why would you choose an Xbox when you can choose a PlayStation which will ultimately have both Xbox and PlayStation's games?

New CEO Asha Sharma is pulling Xbox games off PlayStation in the future, though, bringing Xbox in line with other major industry players again. But where does that leave Xbox Helix?

PlayStation announced internally a short while ago that it was planning to drop Steam and PC ports for its single player titles entirely. It experimented putting some PlayStation classics like God of War and The Last of Us on PC. But Sony clearly feels (rightly, in my view) that they're simply training users to ignore PS5, and maybe consoles in general.

Obviously, in a world where Xbox wasn't going to have any form of console-exclusive content, Xbox rocking up with Steam and Epic Games Store would incidentally impose the same limitation on PlayStation.

Even if Sony wasn't going to offer Xbox users its games, at least you could open up Steam and play Sony's back catalog there instead. I doubt Sony considers Xbox Helix to be a big threat to PlayStation, but the idea of an "Xbox branded" device having carte blanche access to Sony "exclusive" games probably felt at least a little uncomfortable to them.

Now PlayStation has pretty much officially jumped ship, and Xbox is also doubling down on its own exclusives, it disrupts at least one long-term major selling point of Xbox Helix's previously planned model.

But the truth is, PlayStation games on PC have hardly moved the needle. PC has reams of Windows-exclusive titles that haven't ever come to console, and in some cases likely never will. Factor in mods, big-hit indie titles, and other PC franchises that aren't even on Steam like World of Warcraft ... well, perhaps PlayStation ditching PC isn't even a big deal in the Helix model.

... But, what about money?

The memory crisis breaks the economics: open consoles would be priced like high-end PCs

The current-gen consoles are now the most expensive video game consoles in decades thanks to the RAMpocalypse. Demand for AI infrastructure has pushed prices of memory chips to historically high levels, decimating consumer electronics across the board. PC shipments are down, smartphones are getting ever more expensive, and lower-volume systems are also getting hard hit.

Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S consoles are far more expensive than they were at launch, marking a historic first. Typically prices come down over the course of a generation, but no longer.

For Xbox Helix and the PlayStation 6, this presents a huge dilemma. Next-gen consoles are usually expected to be more powerful than their predecessors, not less powerful. Price increases have historically been expected, but nobody expected, much less wanted, a $1000+ video game console.

The Steam Machine represents a scary vision of what next-gen could look like for Xbox Helix. This is a "console" that behaves like a PC, is fully open, and thus not subsidized by closed-ecosystem software sales. Because of that, it costs over $1000 for the base model, while simultaneously being less powerful than a much cheaper PS5 or Xbox Series X.

If Xbox Helix is indeed an "open" PC, Xbox would have no choice but to price it like an "open" PC. The Xbox Ally also costs $999.99 because ASUS cannot make their money back on the software sales, given that they have no real distribution platform of their own.

Thanks to the RAMpocalypse, those wafer thin margins get even trickier. I've been told Xbox is losing around $150~ per Xbox Series X|S sold recently due to memory price increases, and will continue to lose money per device even after the planned August 2026 price hike. Now imagine 50% or more of those Xbox Series X|S users bypassed the Xbox ecosystem and went straight to Steam to buy games. The margins would be even worse, without any form of software sales subsidy. Xbox wouldn't have a business at all.

Indeed, internal Xbox documents from around last winter received and verified by Windows Central offer some insights into how Microsoft's Xbox Ally gaming PC is going on that front.

Around 75% of Xbox Ally owners also own Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass, which is an impressive figure. But the purchasing behavior of non-subscription holders offers a bleak picture for the Xbox PC store attach rate — an insight into how Xbox Helix could go if it were "open."

Of non-subscribing users: If an Xbox Ally user was also an Xbox console owner, around a quarter of those users also made purchases on the Xbox PC ecosystem. However, if the Xbox Ally owner was not an Xbox console owner, that figure dropped to a measly 2%. Suggesting that almost 100% of non-Xbox owning, new Xbox Ally owners simply went straight to Steam.

If Xbox Helix simply became a defacto "Steambox" for new users, the profitability would have to come out of the upfront hardware cost, otherwise Microsoft stands to potentially lose millions on the hardware ecosystem in general. With the RAMpocalypse and user behavior data from the Xbox Ally experiment, Microsoft might be reconsidering this aspect of the box. Otherwise, it stands to just accelerate another generation of users to free-to-play games, Steam, and mobile slop.

But ... Asha Sharma has professed that Xbox Helix WILL support PC games ...?

But ... the contracts for AMD's Xbox "Magnus" PC-console hybrid chips are already in place. The silicon is already being pressed, the whole platform has been costed up and approved.

Indeed, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma reiterated fairly recently that Xbox Helix will "play your PC games." Although, Xbox CSO Matthew Ball did say that "aspects" of Xbox Helix were being re-evaluated.

In light of the constraints outlined above, how might this end up going down?

• Option 1: Some kind of paywall or subscription to open up to third-party stores?

This one seems fairly unlikely to me frankly, but I've seen some suggest that Xbox could set up some kind of paywall to trigger access to Steam and other storefronts.

If we assume that Microsoft doesn't want to make a box that is straight up unaffordable, one way it could ensure it still has a software subsidy and make the margins work on the other side is by having users pay for a "Pro" version that actually is open.

Perhaps they could do two separate versions, similar to Windows RT or "S Mode" which was locked to the Microsoft Store, and offer a premium version that is fully like a PC, but comes with PC-style price tag.

I suspect that would be difficult to market and explain, particularly given how Asha has suggested that Xbox Helix will play "your PC games," ... but they've never explicitly said Steam would be on it.

• Option 2: Semi-open, revenue sharing model with Epic Games' on PC or other strategic partners.

One thing that struck me as odd is, when Phil Spencer talked about the next-gen Xbox having other stores, he actually never did mention Steam. He mentioned things like GOG, and the Epic Game Store, but he never actually did say Steam itself would be on the box to my knowledge.

Indeed, maybe Microsoft's plan has been to work with partners directly in a more curated fashion. On the Xbox PC store for example, we see platforms with extensions plug-in to Xbox PC, such as Battle.net and Ubisoft Connect.

Perhaps it was never really about Steam, but more about giving platforms the option to work directly with Microsoft on some sort of revenue-sharing model, which would keep the hardware subsidized but give platform holders more control, and a bigger cut of the profits.

Xbox PC sales do pay out at 90% to developers, rather than the console-oriented 70%. But ... we get into hardware subsidy problems again when we talk about some of this stuff.

• Option 3: Fully open, absurd price point and all?

The third and final option ... perhaps it will simply sport a PC-style price tag. Perhaps the plan is for Xbox Series X|S to have an unnaturally long life span, and for Xbox Cloud Gaming to do some heavy lifting for those who can't afford the Unaffordable-Console-Future.

I find it hard to imagine an Xbox console with a >$1000 price tag. I'm not sure how Xbox can achieve a <$1000 price tag with a device that sports full Windows-style openness, especially when Xbox's own data shows new users go straight to Steam when given the chance.

If Xbox has to make a profit on the hardware, and is effectively making a Steam Machine in all but name, nobody will buy it. But Asha has promised access to PC games on Xbox Helix ... but then, surely that does mean it'll have Steam, right? Could it be a half-way house with direct partnerships with Epic Games and other platform holders? Or will it have some kind of paywall "Pro" option to remove an artificial, arbitrary block, like Windows "S Mode"?

I'm sure these discussions are happening at a high level at Xbox right now ... what do you think should happen? Hit the comments, lets discuss it.

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Recently, I decided to catch up on Final Fantasy XIV's 2026 FanFest in Berlin out of morbid curiosity about what one of the new Jobs will look like for the Evercold expansion, even though I haven't actively played the game in years due to being disappointed by the Dawntrail expansion.

What I saw made my jaw hit the floor because Final Fantasy XIV's new job, the 'Bastion', looks so unbashingly cool. It's essentially a brawler that fights using two greatshields to block enemy attacks, slash at them with claws attached to said shields, and then transforms the shields into arm cannons that blow enemies away with laser blasts.

Now while this isn't enough for me to get into Final Fantasy XIV (I'll have to see more of its Evercold's Evolved Mode combat system in action, the second new Job, and Evercold's story to decide), this is enough to make me jealous as a World of Warcraft player (who's currently on break after having enough of WoW: Midnight's buggy patch cycle).

Now, I've never played as a Tank Class In World of Warcraft. Not because I'm afraid of the taunting responsibility of drawing the enemy's attention and protecting the entire party during raids, but because, well, none of them ever appealed to me.

All their abilities, playstyles, class fantasies, and aesthetics look too unremarkable and too generic high fantasy.

I mean, slapping enemies as a Bear-form Druid, or parrying attacks with a shield as an Arms Warrior, never seemed as cool or unique compared to Final Fantasy XIV's slick Gunbreaker Job, which slashed and blew enemies up with a gunblade before shooting magic shields at allies, or the new, brutal Bastion Job for the reasons mentioned earlier.

Also, Blizzard seems to keep nerfing Tank classes into the ground, making them less appealing and more stressful to play in Mythic+ dungeons or Raids at high difficulty levels.

So aside from giving all the Tank Classes in World of Warcraft major buffs to their toolkits, I think Blizzard needs to start adding new Tank Classes, starting with ripping off Final Fantasy XIV's new Bastion Job.

Final Fantasy XIV's new Bastion Job can easily be replicated or even approved easily in World of Warcraft by adding the long-requested Tinkerer Class (which I mentioned was one of the things I wanted out of Blizzard at the beginning of the year).

This hypothetical Class's Tank Spec could summon a giant mech robot or suit and use it to blow up enemies with missiles, rocket punches, lasers, and whatever insane weapon of mass destruction the Horde's Goblin race or Alliance's Gnome race can come up with.

If adding a new Tank Class is too much hassle to balance considering the game's stacked roster of classes, maybe Blizzard can focus on adding new Tank specializations (Specs for short) to existing classes at least.

Maybe we can have a Shaman Tank Spec conjure a suit of armor made of molten rock to withstand damage, uses wind magic to pull enemy groups, and then finishes them with explosive rocky fists.

Heck, maybe we can have an Evoker tank spec that specializes in using the Bronze Dragonflight's chronomancy powers more heavily than the Augmentation Spec?

They can use time magic to slow down an enemy's attacks to mitigate damage, augment their attacks with superspeed to maintain aggro on enemies, and reverse time on their own body to heal wounds for survivability or even revive a fallen teammate.

I know I would love a Tank Class in World of Warcraft that allowed me to use the iconic Goblin Shredder mount as a weapon to use in Dungeons and Raids all the time, customize with unique gear pieces, and shred bosses to pieces with its buzz saws.

Who knows? Maybe Blizzard is already working on a new Tank class or spec as we speak as a surprise reveal for Blizzcon 2026? At least I hope so anyway.

Either way, if we had more unique Tank jobs that took advantage of the more unique and wacky aspects of World of Warcraft's lore, I would definitely work up the courage to take up the role of a Tank class and defend my guild from the worst bosses World of Warcraft has to offer.

🗨️Over to you

But what do you think? Do you think it's about time World of Warcraft added more Tank Classes? Is Final Fantasy XIV's new Bastion Job enough to hook you into its upcoming Evercold expansion?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll above, the comments section, or our Reddit page.

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If you got in from work or school today hoping for a chill evening playing Xbox, you might've been greeted with an array of annoying errors.

Indeed, the Xbox network (don't call it Xbox Live) was down for 15~ hours for many today, with services still intermittent for some even now. For the most part, it seems to have recovered as of writing.

It's not a great look, considering how much of a spotlight PlayStation has thrown onto digital ownership rights in the past few weeks. Sony's decision to announce that it is sunsetting delivering games on physical discs has gamers questioning what they stand to lose, and today's major Xbox outage is a big hint.

The Xbox network (not Xbox Live) has a generally good uptime. It suffered an outage last week during Halo Campaign Evolved's launch window, but before then I can scarcely remember the last time it had a major outage. Still, that's of little comfort for those actively paying for a service they aren't receiving, particularly given how strapped for free time many of us are.

Xbox's shiny new CTO Scott Van Vilet agrees, and posted a lengthy article on X (Twitter) to explain what went wrong, and what Xbox plans to do better.

"This is an unacceptable situation, and we must do better to support you. Over the coming weeks, you'll hear more from me about our services, our platform, and the work we're doing to make XBOX better. And that starts with some transparency about this incident."

Van Vilet explained that Microsoft's licensing library system began failing yesterday, which had a cascading affect on dependencies outside of the the core Microsoft Store. Microsoft engineers prioritized Xbox traffic to other parts of Microsoft's cloud array while repairing the faulty license entitlement systems.

Van Vilet explained that Xbox plans to launch a "full post-incident review" with the goal of preventing this from happening again.

"We're running a full post-incident review. I care less about the one-line root cause and more about the real questions: why a failure in one service was able to take down this much, why recovery took as long as it did, and what we change so a single point of failure can't ruin your night again."

Van Vilet closed by thanking Xbox fans for their patience, and promising to "do better."

The downsides of digital are very much in the spotlight right now

Microsoft hasn't responded to PlayStation's decision to kill disc-based games, but there's little reason to think Xbox won't follow suit. I heard that the previous Xbox leadership also made the decision that Xbox Helix would not have a disc drive some time ago, although the absolutely massive backlash to Sony's announcement may have them reconsidering.

Microsoft is expected to be announcing a disc-to-digital entitlement program codenamed Positron, which will allow users to convert their disc-based games to permanent digital licenses on their Xbox account.

It's a great idea, if it works as rumored, and will give physical gamers an opportunity to enjoy digital entitlement benefits like Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Play Anywhere, and protect their licenses on the net.

The downsides are obvious, though. With digital games set to be phased out, digital rights over content are becoming increasingly questioned. There's presently no legal mechanism in most markets to bequeath digital goods to loved ones upon death, for example. There's no mechanism for reselling digital games on a second-hand market. Sharing digital games is also impossible on most platforms, although Steam and Nintendo have provided some innovations in this area — Xbox and PlayStation have yet to follow suit. Many Xbox and PlayStation games won't function offline even if you have the disc, given that many modern games don't actually run from the disc these days anyway, or have weird forced (and oft-unnecessary) always-online systems.

The outage, while relatively brief and annoying, once again shines a spotlight on some of these digital entitlement problems. It'll be interesting to see how Xbox addresses the situation when it reveals Positron.

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One thing that has long bugged me about Ubisoft's involvement in Xbox and PC Game Pass is how terrible their PC versions are.

I literally tweeted about this the other week. Every time I turn on my Xbox Ally, I'm greeted with recommendations for Ubisoft+ Classics as part of my Game Pass subscription. There are a ton of great Ubisoft games available on Xbox PC and Xbox PC handhelds, but they never have Xbox achievements, they don't support Xbox Play Anywhere, and they don't support cloud saves. "Do not buy these," I wrote. Well, Ubisoft is at least fixing that last part.

Announced on Xbox Wire today, Microsoft and Ubisoft announced an extended collaboration between the firms.

For Xbox Series X|S players, if you own the following Ubisoft games, you will now be able to access the PC versions for free. Sadly, it doesn't work in the opposite direction for users who purchased Ubisoft games via the Xbox PC store.

• Assassin’s Creed Mirage
• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
• Far Cry 6
• Immortals Fenyx Rising
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
• Riders Republic
• Skull and Bones
• The Crew 2
• The Crew Motorfest
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
• Watch Dogs Legion

A couple of weeks ago, Ubisoft added over 80 games to the Xbox PC store, many of which are included in Ubisoft+ Classics, which is included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

NONE of these games support Xbox Play Anywhere, however. Meaning you won't get achievements, save synchronicity, or any other Xbox-adjacent features. These are the most basic, lazy-ass ports Ubisoft could commit to, despite the fact Ubisoft+ Classics has inflated the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. EA games on Xbox PC are similarly bad at supporting Xbox core functionality.

"From today, customers that purchase a digital version of the listed titles will immediately get the XBOX console and XBOX on PC digital versions. For existing owners of an XBOX digital version of the listed titles, you will receive the PC version during a progressive rollout period until August 4."

In order to access these titles, you need to have the latest version of the similarly poor Ubisoft Connect PC app, which as of writing, won't update for me and simply returns an error. If only Microsoft provided a decent delivery mechanism for games publishers could use instead.

On the plus side, the games are at least well-optimized for handhelds like the Xbox Ally X. And some do include progression syncing between PC and Xbox Series X|S consoles via Ubisoft Connect (when it works). Although the functionality is invariably poorer than Xbox's own via Play Anywhere.

While this is at least a nice gesture, it's still incredibly frustrating that Ubisoft refuses to implement even the most basic Xbox features on Xbox PCs and heldhelds like the Xbox Ally. If you want a "true" Xbox experience for these games, you're honestly better off streaming them from Xbox Cloud Gaming or Xbox Remote Play.

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It's been a while since we last heard of STALKER 2, but after months of radio silence since the Sealed Truth update, GSC Game World has good news.

GSC Game World is releasing the first of its two planned DLC expansions for STALKER 2 on August 20, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via GOG, Epic Games Store, and Steam, and it will be called S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope.

In this expansion, you step back into the role of STALKER 2's protagonist, Skif, as he investigates a mysterious PDA signal that draws him into an epic questline that will run alongside the base game's story.

The Cost of Hope expansion will add new uncharted locales to explore, new allies and enemies to encounter, and new powerful weapons to obtain.

Additionally, this expansion will be launching with a free 2.0 update for the base game of STALKER 2, which will include new content, gameplay improvements, and compatibility with the latest version of Unreal Engine 5.

In the coming weeks, GSC Game World will share info on the content of the Cost of Hope expansion and 2.0 update, so stay tuned for further details. In the meantime, you can add S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope to your wishlists on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation digital storefronts.

Are you ready to return to the post-apocalyptic wasteland of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2?

The base game, STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl, received critical fanfare (including a 4/5 star review from us) for its engrossing and unforgiving open-world gameplay, intriguing story with multiple branching paths, and haunting atmosphere.

Yet it was riddled with game-breaking bugs, performance issues, and balance issues when it launched in 2024, which GSC Game World has spent the last two years eliminating along with improving its gameplay and adding new content entirely for free.

Now, with all the problems that plagued it at launch mostly purged and with the DLC expansion on the horizon, are you planning to revisit it, or will this be your first visit to the grim world of Stalker 2?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll below, the comments section, or our Reddit page.

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After last week's debacle of Xbox Live being down on the same day as Halo: Campaign Evolved suffered errors that prevented people from its early access launch, you'd think they would calm down at Xbox, right?

Well, you'd be wrong because Xbox Live has once again suffered an outage that's been preventing people from logging into their profiles, accessing their games, and launching them, as confirmed by Xbox's X profile this morning.

According to Xbox Live's Status webpage, currently its Account & Profile, Store & Subscriptions, App & Mobile, and Games & Gaming functions are unavailable thanks to outages, but Xbox's engineers are currently working on fixing them, and they'll let players know once they're back up as soon as possible.

Faith in digital media has been heavily shaken in recent weeks, what with Sony discontinuing games and pulling 500 movies from people's accounts without refunds.

With these recent debacles at Xbox, it's adding more fuel to the hot debate about whether piracy is the only way to preserve and own games without being shackled to online servers prone to system failures or DDoS attacks that could permanently damage them.

A debate that has drawn the attention of not only high-profile game developers like Hideo Kojima but also politicians to boot, like France's presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, both of whom have a negative opinion of a digital-only future where nobody truly owns anything.

In the meantime, as this debate rages on, we'll keep an eye on Xbox Live and let you know when it turns back on so you can get back to playing games.

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Xbox players have been begging Microsoft for years to give it AAA tentpole games on par with what PS5 players have historically gotten, and right at the finish line, Microsoft said "nah."

Time for a rant.

Microsoft famously confirmed that Xbox players will no longer have exclusive content a few years ago, in a weird "business update" video that has since become notorious. Xbox fans expressed concern that, without exclusive content, nobody would want to buy an Xbox. Lo and behold, the absolute obvious truth was, in fact, correct.

Microsoft's utterly doomed multi-platform strategy is on the way out after the firm admitted it had failed to deliver growth. New CEO Asha Sharma is committing to bringing back exclusive content for Xbox Series X|S consoles. Unfortunately, it may simply be too little too late to save the brand in the long term, but it sounds like what remains of Xbox is going to give it a good old try at least.

Xbox players will get Gears of War: E-Day and mind-bendingly dark RPG Clockwork Revolution as exclusive games in the near term, but various projects are still slated for PlayStation. The biggest and most crucial among these is none other than Fable, developed by Playground Games of Forza Horizon fame.

Microsoft has already committed brand suicide by putting Xbox icon Halo onto PlayStation 5 this past month, although I wouldn't exactly be shocked if subsequent Halo titles end up skipping PS5 moving forward.

The same cannot be said for the next Fable, though, which sources suggest has run "uncomfortably" beyond budget. Microsoft previously noted that any games previously announced as multiplatform would continue to be, and that includes Fable.

The darkly satirical Fable RPG franchise has been (up until next year) Xbox and Windows exclusive, although dormant for some time. Playground took the reins a few years back, with the hopes of delivering a truly ambitious AAA experience on par with the likes of The Witcher 3 and other big-hit expansive RPGs.

Rather than use Fable as Xbox's own answer to PlayStation's high-quality exclusive titles, Microsoft is instead co-shipping it on PS5 day and date in February 2027. And now, it has been revealed that it'll go head-to-head with a massive exclusive from Sony itself.

God of War: Laufey is the next entry in one of PlayStation's most iconic franchises, and it'll launch one day before Fable's early access period on February 16, 2027.

The timing of the launch date is another hilarious reminder of how self-defeating Xbox's multi-platform push will continue to be long into the future. I suspect God of War: Laufey's launch window will punish Fable's PS5 sales quite substantively, even if the latter turns out to be a solid game.

The timing highlights that on PlayStation 5, not only will you be getting a tentpole exclusive from Sony, but also one from Xbox. Xbox fans will be left with less choice for putting their faith in Microsoft over Sony — a stark reminder of how little respect Satya Nadella's Microsoft has for its customers, and Xbox in general.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has been tasked to change the way Xbox consoles are perceived. She did a flurry of interviews in the first half of the year, and repeated that "Xbox starts with console" in various permutations. Xbox consoles have also seen a ton of updates and improvements recently, alongside claims that more exclusive games will come beyond Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution.

The timing couldn't be worse, though. The memory crisis has seen the Xbox Series X|S base price increase for the second time in a year. Despite going multiplatform and delivering record revenue last year, Xbox decided to lay off thousands starting this summer, divesting studios in the process.

In any case, God of War: Laufey's launch date is most likely coincidental. But symbolically at the very least, it's a plain reminder of how dumb Microsoft's approach to Xbox exclusivity has been up until now.

It was a cute vision. The idealist vision that players could access content regardless of platform. Xbox's efforts here got PlayStation to open up to cross-play, and even forced Sony to experiment by putting games on PC and even Helldivers 2 onto Xbox itself. PlayStation decided it was a silly idea not long afterward, pulling out of PC almost entirely. In the end, the whole ordeal just served to scream to potential customers that PlayStation is a more abundant content platform — painting Xbox as a weak, dying ecosystem. I'm sure that's a great way to pitch your platform to potential customers and developers.

There isn't a platform in history that has survived without having at least some form of exclusive content. Apple TV, Netflix, Nintendo Switch, Prime Video ... I'm not sure whether it was simple greed, hubris, or some form of corporate madness that led Microsoft to believe Xbox could survive without a reason to actually buy into the platform. Alas, consumer-facing businesses are absolutely not Microsoft's strength. And certainly not CEO Satya Nadella's strength, who seems laser-focused on turning Microsoft into IBM. But I digress.

Let's see if Microsoft learns its lesson for the 500th time.

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I'm starting to wonder if the developers at SCS Software — makers of the incredibly popular duo of Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator — ever sleep.

Beyond a raft of upcoming DLC projects that have been confirmed to be in the pipeline, we're also now starting to see some base map reworks being teased. For American Truck Simulator, a reworked Nevada is on deck, while for Euro Truck Simulator 2 the UK is well in-progress.

Both of these games are pretty old at this point, at least so far as the base content goes. Euro Truck Simulator 2 has been with us since 2012, 14 whole years, while American Truck Simulator celebrates 10 years in 2026.

The newer content being released, be that Illinois on the American side or Nordic Horizons in Europe, are generally of better overall quality than the earliest maps. But these rework projects are designed to bring Nevada and the UK "up to the quality standards" of the newest map DLCs.

There's another reason this is great news, too. While PC players have been trucking for potentially a decade or more at this point, both games are confirmed for a console release. We don't actually know when that's supposed to be, but it would make an abundance of sense to show some love to the base game content before they drop, right?

Neither rework project is simply a lick of paint. New content is being added to the maps in the process. Here's what we know about each of them so far.

American Truck Simulator Nevada rework

Nevada's rework will see SCS return to one of the original locations in American Truck Simulator and rebuild many of its locations from the ground up.

Existing locations will be refreshed, but SCS is also going to be adding new ones and expanding the current road network. Nevada is a vast state, but it can also feel a little empty at times.

One new location confirmed is Fallon, to the east of Carson City. Its inclusion will also bring missing sections of US-95 that run through the city, where currently this area of the map is inaccessible.

Nevada's rework will also introduce a number of new depots to increase the opportunities for different delivery routes across the state. Previously, the iconic Route 66 had been reworked.

Euro Truck Simulator 2 UK rework

Similarly to Nevada, the UK's rework won't just be a splash of fresh paint. It was revealed earlier this month that with the rework, Inverness will be added as the latest new location in the very north of the map.

The UK rework was revealed in late 2025, so there has been significant effort already put into it. Other locations highlighted so far include Stonehenge, and Leeds will also be added to the map as a new city location, and the EuroTunnel will be getting a revamp, too.

SCS also says consideration will be made with regards to the planned Coaches DLC. The UK is a pretty significant part of the Euro Truck Simulator 2 map, and as a Brit myself, I hope they take as much time as they need. It's probably because I'm a Brit that I look at the current incarnation and feel it's lacking, but everything teased so far is looking really promising.

Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator on console... eventually

The long-awaited arrival of both of SCS Software's truck simulators to both Xbox and PlayStation was revealed at last year's Gamescom during the Future Games Show. There's still no word on when that's expected to happen, but the most recent dev talk on the topic can be seen above.

However, there's no denying that reworking large chunks of the base game content is a great thing to see with the console releases still to come. After all, these will be the first impressions new players get.

Gamescom is almost around again for 2026, and SCS has already confirmed its presence with its biggest booth yet, an exclusive partnership on something with both Thrustmaster and Volvo, and the chance for attendees to check out some upcoming content.

The console version has not been discussed yet, but if there was a place to offer an update, there would be worse places to do it.

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I've been keeping an eye on global PC shipments as part of the ongoing RAM crisis for more than a year, and it seems that the component shortage has finally caught up with markets.

Global PC shipments dropped 4% year-over-year in Q2 2026 according to a new study by Counterpoint Research. That drop resulted in roughly 65 million shipments for the quarter, ending a growth run that had held since Q1 2025.

This report lines up with what IDC predicted a few weeks ago: that global PC shipments will decline by 11.3% for the full year. In the same report, IDC analysts also predict that Q4 shipments could fall by a whopping 20% year over year.

Why are PC shipments dropping?

The culprit behind the drop in PC shipments is the same as the one driving tech prices up seemingly across the board: soaring DRAM and NAND prices, driven largely by the sudden glut of AI data centers around the world.

PC manufacturers have basically had to choose between raising consumer prices and eating raised component costs, and most have chosen the former. It's no wonder that PC shipments have finally started to drop off.

Counterpoint notes that commercial PC buyers are proving to be the most resilient, helped along by ongoing Windows 11 migration from Windows 10. Without this uptick in PC sales, the overall picture would likely look a lot worse.

ASUS gained the most out of all Windows PC makers

ASUS has undeniably been producing some of the best Windows laptops around lately, and I'm not exactly surprised to see it's the only Windows PC maker that saw a rise in global shipments.

It improved by 4% year-over-year in Q2 2026, as Lenovo, Dell, HP, and other brands fell by up to 9%. It's worth noting that Apple had the best quarter, seeing its MacBook shipments climb by an impressive 13%. The popularity of its budget MacBook Neo undoubtedly has something to do with that number.

What this means for you when shopping for a new PC

Counterpoint expects component prices to remain elevated throughout the second half of 2026. That's bad news for anyone who's on the lookout for budget PCs, as there are bound to be more price increases as OEMs struggle to maintain margins.

My best advice for anyone holding out for a cheap Windows PC? Don't. Just don't. As I've explained in my previous RAM crisis coverage, relief on pricing isn't expected anytime soon ... at least not before the end of 2027.

If your current PC doesn't seem like it's going to live through another couple of years of dutiful service, it might be best to buy sooner rather than later despite the inflated costs already hitting consumers.

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Halo: Campaign Evolved has launched in early access, which has been met with glowing praise from critics and scorn from Xbox players who are having trouble accessing the early access period due to technical difficulties.

However, if you're planning on playing this game on PC or Steam or Xbox on PC, but are stuck with old hardware thanks to rising prices on newer PC components caused by the ongoing RAM Crisis, we have good news.

Our friends at PC Gamer have discovered through rigorous testing that Halo: Campaign Evolved can be played at low settings and still look almost as good as it does on Ultra settings on PC.

For further context, PC Gamer tested Halo: Campaign on several PCs running NVIDIA RTX 3070, NVIDIA RTX 4070, NVIDIA RTX 5080, and AMD RX 9070 GPUs, and noticed there were very few differences between Low and Ultra settings when it comes to the graphics.

The biggest differences were blood textures and weapon lighting being slightly more detailed on Ultra, whereas foliage details, lighting softness, and shadow textures were only barely more detailed.

As for the game's framerate performance, PC Gamer noted that differences are much more prominent in this regard. Running Halo: Campaign Evolved on Ultra settings cuts the performance down by at least 20% across multiple rigs, particularly if the DLSS upscaling setting is set to Ultra.

Meanwhile, keeping the game at low graphical presets keeps the game's framerates somewhat high without a dip in their consistency, without the need for DLSS upscaling.

For example, running the game on Ultra graphical presets at 1440p with Ultra DLSS settings saw Halo Campaign Evolved achieve 60fps (RTX 3070), 84fps (RTX 4070 Super) , and 127fps (RTX 5080).

Whereas running the low graphical presets at 1440p with low DSLL settings saw Halo Campaign Evolved achieve 82fps (RTX 3070), 148fps (RTX 4070 Super), and 172fps (RTX 5080), giving much higher framerates with minimal changes in graphical fidelity.

PC Gamer even tested Halo: Campaign Evolved out on the Xbox ROG Ally X and discovered that running the game on Ultra or Native upscaling tanks its performance hard. PC Gamer recommends running the game using the Xbox Rog Ally X's Very Low preset option to get the performance out of it.

PC Gamer concluded that unless you have a monster PC rig that can push hundreds of frames per second or if you don't mind playing the game at around 30fps, they recommend playing the game on Low settings for the best balance of performance and appearance.

Though they also recommend turning off the motion blur, as it makes the game look pretty terrible.

Now, while I plan on playing Halo: Campaign Evolved on Xbox Series X after hearing how awesome it is from my colleague Brendan Lowry, who gave it 4/5 stars, I'm glad PC players won't be forced to upgrade their rigs to play it at acceptable levels.

We are living in a dire age of tech where it's getting harder for PC gamers to play the latest games without scouring the internet for increasingly scarce and pricey components needed to run them, so any AAA game that's optimized enough to be played on older hardware without losing too much graphical fidelity is a blessing we'll gladly take.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is available in early access and will be released to the general public on July 28, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Windows and Steam.

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LG found itself in hot water after its monitors were spotted automatically installing adware onto PCs. Using certain LG monitors would result in a monitor app being installed silently. That app would then show pop-up ads for McAfee.

Backlash against LG was so strong that Microsoft had to step in. While it's quite common to see McAfee preinstalled on a PC or bundled with other software, LG took things further.

The situation was placed in the spotlight because of an investigation by Gamers Nexus. That outlet did an excellent job breaking down the situation. The title of their video, "DO NOT BUY: LG’s Spyware TVs, Monitors, and Wiretapping Concerns," made me curious if people will stop buying LG monitors.

I've seen outrage pointed at LG across the web, but will that lead to an actual boycott or just complaints on social media?

People may be upset by the McAfee ads LG forced onto PCs, but will the outrage be enough to shift buying habits? Take a look at this quick roundup of LG monitor reviews from our sibling sites:

• ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (T3): LG UltraGear 45GX950 review: The Rolls-Royce of gaming monitors
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (Tom's Guide): I just tested this 45-inch OLED gaming monitor — and it's so good it could be your next TV
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (Tom's Hardware): LG UltraGear 52G930B 52-inch 5K gaming monitor review: Extreme in every respect
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (TechRadar): LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED review: This is the 4K OLED monitor of my dreams

That's a lot of stars to overlook. I understand people's concerns about LG installing an app without notification then showing ads on PCs. I just doubt it will change people's buying habits.

I predict a chorus of "I can turn the ads off" from those who choose to stick with LG monitors. And honestly, I don't blame them. If you've had a monitor work well for years and are looking for a new one, it makes sense to stick with what you know works.

Others will claim that the problem is fixed since Microsoft stepped in and LG stopped pushing McAfee.

The flip side of all this is that as good as LG monitors are, they have to compete with the best computer monitors from other companies. Competition is fierce in the monitor segment, and it won't take much to sway some customers to look at a different brand.

LG is often one of the first companies to make monitors with certain specs. I've covered loads of UltraGear monitors that are the first in one category or another. But the reality is that many monitor companies buy components from the same sources. Heck, quite a few get their displays from LG.

After any LG monitor sits alone as a unique combination of refresh rate, size, or curvature for a while, other companies catch up.

Does LG's adware move cross a line for you, or is it a non-issue now that the pop-ups are gone? Vote in our poll and sound off in the comments below.

The gaming rumor mill has recently spun one of the biggest yarns in gaming and tabletop history, if it's to be believed, for a supposed leak has been spotted for an upcoming crossover between the popular MMORPG World of Warcraft and the historic tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons.

According to tabletop RPG news fansite ENWorld, this 'leak' comes from a post on Roll20, an online virtual tabletop website that is a partner of Dungeons & Dragons.

It reveals that Dungeons & Dragons is making a tabletop RPG version of World of Warcraft titled 'D&D World of Warcraft', which was planned to be announced at a tabletop gaming convention called Gen Con next week on July 30, 2026.

The post was quickly removed, but ENWorld managed to save a preview image and images related to the announcement via its web page, including the title post saying "Pre-order D&D World of Warcraft!".

ENWorld has reached out to Dungeons & Dragons' publisher, Wizards of the Coast, for confirmation of this supposed 'leak' of validity and will post an update when they have received word back from them.

Windows Central's take

A good chunk of World of Warcraft's lore, setting, characters, and monsters are very heavily inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, and in turn, World of Warcraft even influenced Dungeons & Dragons, particularly its 4th Edition, where a lot of its game mechanics became very gamified (speaking from experience here when I saved my group countless times as a healing-focused Cleric in D&D:4e).

Now Wizards of the Coast is no stranger to crossing its franchises over with others, as Dungeons & Dragons' sister game, Magic: The Gathering, has had crossovers with Final Fantasy, Warhammer 40,000, Stranger Things, Tomb Raider, Ghostbusters, Hatsune Miku of all things, and many more.

So the idea of a D&D World of Warcraft tabletop RPG would make total sense and would make for one heck of a crossover game, that is, if it turns out to be true. I know I would be down for roleplaying sessions where the DM would allow us to enact goofy fanfiction adventures where we could change events of Warcraft's lore in hilarious ways.

Either way, we will have to wait and see if this supposed leak turns out to be true at Gen Con next week on July 30, 2026, and remember, always take rumors and leaks with a grain of salt.

Do you think this supposed leak of a Dungeons & Dragons tabletop RPG adaptation of World of Warcraft is true, and if it is, would you be up for it?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know in the comments, on Reddit, or in the poll.

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In a new video, Microsoft Executive Vice President of Windows+Devices Pavan Davuluri, and Corporate Vice President of Surface Brett Ostrum have sat down to talk about what's next for Surface, including more details about the upcoming Surface Laptop Ultra, hints at more surprises to come this year, and even acknowledges people's want for a Surface Studio monitor and Surface Mini.

In the 20 minute video, Davuluri and Ostrum discuss the year so far for Surface PCs. They recap recent announcements around Surface Pro 12 and Surface Laptop 8 with Intel and Snapdragon SoCs, along with the surprise announcements around Surface Laptop Ultra and RTX Spark back in June.

In regards to what's next for Surface, Ostrum clarifies that Surface is going to continue doing what it has always done; validate platform advancements through hardware. Just like it validated touch, pen, and Windows Hello with Surface in the past, the company is currently focused on using Surface to validate Windows on Arm, as recently seen with the RTX Spark.

"We are there to help show what is possible from an experience perspective in terms of technology and experiences and help to lead the way for the ecosystem. These days, oftentimes it shows up in the form of helping to stand up brand new platforms like the, RTX Silicon from NVIDIA. And so I think for us that work will continue."

Ostrum also reminds viewers that Surface still has the Surface Laptop Ultra and RTX Spark to come this year, and teases that there's more announcements to come, though doesn't dive into details as to what that might entail, "We have a few more surprises coming before the end of the year, so I'm looking forward to that."

In a segment answering community submitted questions, Microsoft also touches on fans' want for more Surface peripherals, including a Surface Studio monitor. Ostrum acknowledges that the Surface Studio is the most beautiful display they've ever shipped, but doesn't confirm plans to address the want for a standalone monitor.

"My history is in mouse and keyboards, and I do believe that the Surface Studio screen is the most beautiful screen we have ever shipped," Ostrum says before the video is jarringly cut to the next question. Could Microsoft be hinting that a Surface Studio monitor is finally in the works?

Another question also asks about the infamous Surface Mini, a device that Microsoft came very close to shipping in 2014 before being canceled at the last minute. The user submitted question asks if they can have a Surface Mini, and Davuluri jokingly says "We've got a few laying around somewhere, I think." Ostrum follows up with "We typically don't comment on future looking Surface roadmaps, Pavan."

If you're a fan of Surface and Windows on Arm, this month's episode of Inside Windows is a great watch. Be sure to check it out on the official Windows YouTube channel.

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As part of Microsoft's Age of Empires revival, the third installment received a Definitive Edition treatment in 2020. Although not nearly as popular as Age of Empires 2 (which also received a glorious remake), Age of Empires 3 has a loyal following amongst real-time strategy (RTS) fans.

I have good news for those PC gamers. Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition is currently testing a new "The Baltic Powers" expansion in open beta. The test runs from July 23 until August 6, after which the expansion will officially launch on September 10, 2026.

This is the first expansion of Age 3 since 2022's Knights of the Mediterranean, which added Italian and Maltese civilizations, as well as plenty of new maps, new minor civs, new game modes, and new achievements.

The Baltic Powers was actually a previously planned DLC that got canceled. It's not clear exactly why it was canceled, but I guess the game has proved resilient enough in terms of player count to warrant new content. For reference, SteamDB lists the game as having a 24-hour player peak of 5,470. Not bad at all.

Here's what you can expect from the latest Age of Empires 3 expansion content.

Age of Empires 3: DE's new DLC adds two new civilizations

The biggest addition to the game is undoubtedly the two new civilizations: Poles and Danes.

In the former case, you'll take control of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with a focus on economic perks and cavalry armies.

For the latter, you're looking at taking control of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway to foist naval control and strong defenses on your enemies.

The DLC comes with new challenge scenarios as set pieces to test your skills, as well as Regicide and Independence game modes. Regicide, as most Age veterans know, is a race to kill the enemy's king. Independence is a new one for me, and it involves a lack of Home City support.

And finally, if you're feeling burned out on the current map selection, The Baltic Powers is adding 20 new maps to the pool.

Can I still join the open beta test on Steam?

The open beta testing period for the new Age 3 expansion runs until August 6. To get in on the advance fun, just make sure you have the game downloaded on Steam.

Right-click Age of Empires 3: DE in your Steam library, click Properties, click the Game Versions & Betas tab, then click open_beta. An update with the open beta files should begin automatically.

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The dedicated Copilot key on your PC is finally useful. Recently, Windows 11 gained the option to remap the Copilot key to act as the Context menu key or Right Ctrl key. It's also possible to disable the key entirely.

Which key do you use the least on your PC? Is it Scroll Lock? Maybe the Insert key feels like a waste of space. I don't normally pay much attention to unused keys on a keyboard, but the Copilot key is an exception because it replaced a key people actually use.

Any laptop or keyboard that ships with a dedicated Copilot key lacks a Right Ctrl key. People have complained about the Copilot key since it was introduced and Microsoft has responded.

At some point this year, Windows 11 shipped an update that allows you to remap the Copilot key to the Right Ctrl key or the Context Menu key.

We've known about this change for a while. A Microsoft support document outlines the plans of the tech giant:

"Microsoft is committed to enabling customers to select options for how the Copilot key functions. A Windows 11 update will ship later this year that will add a setting option to let you remap the Copilot key to act as the Context menu key or Right Ctrl key. When available, you can find this setting in:

Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Keyboard"

The change is finally here. X user @phantomofearth shared a screenshot of the setting on Windows 11.

Up to this point, the feature has appeared inconsistently on Windows 11. In a follow-up post, @phantomofearth noted that the option does not appear on their system until enabling a feature ID.

My PC is running the latest version of Windows 11 and I see the option to customize the Copilot key. I did not see that option earlier this year, but I honestly can't say which day the toggle was added to my system.

I'm happy that Microsoft responded to feedback about the Copilot key, but there has been a way to remap the key for years. PowerToys has had a keyboard manager utility for years that lets you remap keys. If you use that tool, you aren't limited to the options Windows 11 gives you.

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"To get straight to the point: The game itself is 100% SAFE and virus-free. This incident was strictly limited to a single admin account's Discord being compromised.

What Happened: While investigating and patching a malicious MOD map issue, a system engineer's PC was infected with malware. The hacker bypassed the engineer's Discord 2-Factor Authentication (2FA), took over server permissions, and banned all official staff members from the server.

Game File Security: The infected PC was a spare testing machine, and it is physically impossible to access or edit game source files from it (which we have re-confirmed via logs). The affected PC has already been completely wiped and reformatted.

A Warning to Players: The perpetrator who took over the Discord server will likely continue to release fake statements and announcements. Please do NOT click any links, join fake servers, or follow any instructions posted on that Discord."

The original article continues below:

It seems like everyone these days is playing the insanely popular indie game Meccha Chameleon on PC, my friends included. If you've also played, you're going to want to double-check what custom, user-created maps you've downloaded from the Steam Workshop.

Worse, if you've already downloaded some custom maps for the game, I strongly suggest you A) finish reading about the issue, and B) check your Steam library.

A security researcher who goes by Feint on Medium.com recently posted a lengthy analysis breaking down their findings. They posit that some workshop maps associated with Meccha Chameleon are quietly being rigged to drop malicious scripts (aka malware) onto players' PCs.

Feint began the investigation after friends noticed a command prompt window flashing briefly as Steam downloaded a custom workshop map for the game. These downloads are handled automatically as you load into certain game lobbies.

On the surface, the custom map's files looked totally normal, with standard Unreal Engine 5 asset containers and a lack of evident executables or scripts.

Digging deeper, however, Feint discovered the real problem: a Blueprint actor with a naming mismatch buried inside the map's metadata. It was built to look like an ambient controller, but an outdated internal name tipped off the researcher.

According to Feint, the Blueprint is built to run automatically the moment the map loads. When it does, it injects a batch file into the gamer's Documents folder on their Windows PC. Not good.

Once triggered, the batch file sneakily launches a hidden PowerShell process with bypassed execution policy before calling out to an outside server to download a second script.

Feint's testing resulted in that download failing, so it remains unclear what exactly was intended to be sent to infected PCs.

No name for the malware, but a map shouldn't act like this

Although the final goal of the odd script is debatable, a game's map should never involve writing and executing scripts outside of the game's folder. This is a clear sign of malware.

Feint also notes that there are some red flags surrounding the account that uploaded the map to Steam Workshop. The Steam account is only about a week old and has comments/ratings disabled on the listing, making it much harder for savvy victims to share their woes.

The malware-infused map has been reported to Steam, though it's unclear whether any actions have been taken yet.

What you should do if you've downloaded Meccha Chameleon Workshop maps

Until Valve confirms that the map is malicious and pulls it from the Workshop library, your best bet is to avoid any new Meccha Chameleon maps, especially if they lack reviews and/or have comments disabled.

If you've downloaded custom maps recently, it's probably worth running a PC scan with your favorite antivirus. You can also check your Documents folder for any strange .bat files hanging around.

To be clear, this isn't the fault of the developers. Rather, this is another bit of potential malware that slipped past Steam's Workshop screening process.

Just last month, Steam's most popular PC background app, Wallpaper Engine, was discovered to be infecting users with malware. Valve, owner of Steam, took the necessary steps to remove the infected files, but added that this sort of thing could inadvertently happen again.

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A few days ago, LG was discovered to be automatically installing adware via their monitors when connected to a Windows PC, resulting in popups for apps like McAfee appearing on screen that users are forced to dismiss. Naturally, this has caused outrage online, and appears to have even caught the attention of Microsoft.

Now, Microsoft has confirmed that it has intervened and reached out to LG to see what can be done about stopping this. Windows chief Pavan Davuluri says that LG has agreed to stop McAfee from appearing within their LG monitor popups.

"We’ve connected with the team at LG and as an immediate next step, they have agreed to disable the McAfee pop-up from their app," Davuluri said in a post on X. "We appreciate LG working with us toward a shared goal of a better experience for our mutual customers."

It's good to see Microsoft stepping up to help here, as OEMs often get away with gross practices on their hardware. Many Windows PCs ship with adware and bloatware out of the box, and Microsoft has done little in the past to reduce this.

With the company reaching out to LG directly, it's clear that Microsoft thought LG's practices here were a step too far, and is eager to improve the overall health of the Windows ecosystem by ensuring OEMs are dialing back on the amount of bloatware and adware that appears on third-party hardware.

McAfee is one of the most pre-installed OEM bloatware apps you can find. Almost all major Windows OEM hardware will include a free-trial of McAfee, along with other demo or trial apps like Dropbox, Microsoft Office, and more.

Unlike actual PC hardware, LG's adware is being installed through a monitor app that is automatically downloaded onto a Windows PC when you connect an LG monitor to it. The app is designed to allow you to control functions and settings of the monitor, but it includes a popup that previously displayed ads for things like McAfee.

It's unclear if LG is planning to stop showing ads there permanently, if it it's only doing so temporarily until the outrage dies down. Hopefully, this change is a permanent one, as most users are not interested in being advertised to via a popup appearing because of the monitor they've chosen to use.

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When Diablo 2 launched in 2000, it essentially took over my gaming life. Never before had I played something so addictive. It was (and still is, to a certain degree) impossible to put down. Little did I know that I'd still be playing it 26 years later.

My love for action RPGs with isometric graphics and oodles of loot was indeed borne from my love of Diablo 2, and trust me when I say that I've tried almost every other game similar to the best there is.

Grim Dawn. Titan Quest. Nox. Torchlight. Last Epoch. Path of Exile. I could go on and on.

The thing is, none of these Diablo 2 competitors ever gripped me in the same way as Blizzard's opus. Hell, even Diablo 3 and Diablo 4 failed to get me to keep coming back in the same way that Diablo 2 continues to do today.

I've thought a lot about exactly what Diablo 2 does differently than its competition to make it so compelling, and I've never really been able to pin it down.

This mental block was recently lifted. In a video on his personal YouTube channel, Path of Exile co-creator Chris Wilson dropped some serious ARPG knowledge that made Diablo 2's appeal finally click.

Diablo 2's eternal appeal is all about ... breakpoints?

Chris Wilson helped create what is arguably the best non-Diablo ARPG around with the Path of Exile series. To say he knows a lot about the genre is an understatement, and the wisdom he shares in the video is proof.

Wilson argues that it's Diablo 2's breakpoints that make it particularly compelling.

In Diablo 2, rather than each piece of superior gear making a tiny change to your character's power level (as we see in most modern ARPGs), the effects are only felt once the numbers reach a certain threshold, aka a breakpoint.

Block rates, cast rates, attack rates, and hit recovery rates all depend on breakpoints. Diablo 2 was designed to run at an internal 25 frames per second no matter how many frames your PC is outputting, and each of the actions I just mentioned has to fit into that metric.

Wilson uses the Amazon's base faster cast rate number as an example. It takes 19 frames to complete, which eats up a big chunk of those 25 frames, and it only goes up by equipping new gear.

Here's the catch. The Amazon, in this case, only starts casting faster spells once those frames drop to a certain breakpoint. You need a total of 152% faster cast rate from gear in order to hit the lowest 11 frames per second casting speed, with several stops along the way.

If you aren't hitting those breakpoints, there's no actual difference in speed.

Wilson explains that modern ARPG systems "preserve a fractional time and carry it into the next action." This results in your toon acting at an average speed.

Diablo 2 does the opposite. It rounds "up to a whole number of frames and just discards that fractional time. " The result of this system is a series of meaningful power spikes that actually make your character feel so much more powerful.

Any Diablo 2 player who has slotted in a piece of Hammerdin gear that helps finally hit the final casting breakpoint knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Wilson explains the drawback to how modern ARPGs operate.

The modern approach to ARPG power is indeed smoother and requires far fewer spreadsheets with listed breakpoints, but it's also far less rewarding.

Speaking from personal experience I have with Diablo 4, this seems to be the game's biggest problem. Everything feels the same all the time, and character progression is not even slightly engaging. Oh, look, a new piece of gear that's marginally better. Guess I'd better equip it.

Diablo 2's addictive qualities were not an accident

Wilson wraps up his video by stating that David Brevik, one of the original Diablo 2 creators, confirmed that breakpoints were an intended mechanic.

Wilson adds that he doesn't think players "love inaccurate timing," but he does agree that "many players love systems where reaching a target requires planning and produces a noticeable payoff."

I've pored over breakpoint spreadsheets for so many hours it's probably better to measure in days, but for whatever reason, this mechanic never crossed my mind as what makes Diablo 2 so exciting.

For my other Diablo 2 diehards out there, do you agree with Wilson's analysis? What else do you think contributes to the game's lasting appeal? What are modern ARPGs lacking that would make them as compelling as Diablo 2? Let me know in the comments section below!

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Creative Assembly, the developers behind the upcoming strategy game Total War: Warhammer 40,000, has recently concluded its first Alpha Strike Livestream, which showed their first unedited look at its real-time strategy combat system.

The developers demonstrated this gameplay through several 1v1 skirmishes, playing as the Astra Militarum faction defending their cities from the savage Ork faction.

As seen in the PC Gamer trailer, the combat system is fast-paced and chaotic, where you will need to command massive armies to blast enemies with sheer, overwhelming firepower while taking care not to get overwhelmed by making strategic use of cover and making sure enemies don't flank your units.

You must also decide which units are best suited to take down foes, when to use limited-use Stratagem abilities to lay waste to enemies to give your army breathing room, and make liberal use of your army's special abilities.

The Astra Militarum, in particular, have unique abilities where commanding officers within a squad unit can issue special commands to move faster, fire faster, and employ other unique tactics similar to how they operate in the original Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game.

The developers demonstrate these mechanics expertly as they command their light infantry units to take cover and lay down suppressing fire to slow down the Ork infantry's advance, leaving them open for their heavy units and strategems (which in this case are tanks) to blow them to smithereens.

Windows Central's take

I thought I'd seen my fair share of large-scale carnage in Warhammer 40,000 games before, like Dawn of War or Battlesector, but they're nothing compared to Total War: Warhammer 40,000.

Taking control of over 40 units (some of which consisted of 100-man squads), charging across the battlefield, watching them rain down a hail of gunfire upon the enemy, and seeing Orks explode in a shower of blood and guts is an awesome sight to behold.

Now, whether I'll be able to pull off such glorious spectacles without getting massacred in the first seconds of deploying my units is another matter, as I'm woefully inexperienced with real-time strategy games.

But I'm willing to learn because, even this early in development, Total War: Warhammer 40,000 looks awesome, and I can't wait to play it when it comes out on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

🗨️ Over to you

So how do you feel about Total War: Warhammer 40,000? Does it make you excited as a longtime Warhammer 40,000/strategy game fan, or does it make you want to try the Total War series for the first time if you're a newcomer?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll below, the comments section, or our Reddit page.

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Valve has recently announced a major improvement for the Steam digital storefront.

As of now, Steam has new and improved features to help PC gamers send digital gift cards and games to their friends and family with greater ease, and we've got the patch notes on how they will work.

Guest checkout

First off, the patch notes on Steam describe changes to the guest checkout system. Before, it allowed family members or friends to make gifts without needing a Steam account, but it was limited to digital gift cards and hardware.

Now, it's been updated so people can buy and gift any game on Steam. You just send a wishlist share to a friend or family member, and they buy gifts directly from the wishlist without needing to make a Steam account on their end.

If a guest user wants to send a surprise gift, they can send it to any email address instead.

Gift to email

Next up, we have the new gifting via email feature, which allows players to send digital gift cards and games directly to a recipient's email account in case they don't know their Steam account.

Additionally, if the recipient's email address is linked to their Steam account, the email they'll receive will include a link to sign into their account and accept a player's gift.

However, any gift email not accepted within 30 days of being sent will automatically be refunded, so it can't be scheduled for future delivery, plus the recipient of the gift must live in the same country as the gift purchaser.

Cross-region gifting

Next we have improvements for cross-region gifting. Previously you couldn't buy Steam games for friends and family overseas on Steam, and you had to send digital gift cards to get around that, while also doing research on how much games cost in different regions due to currency conversion.

However, this update will now allow you to gift games directly to people so long as they're on your Steam friends list, while Steam automatically calculates how much a game you're sending to a person in a different region will cost during checkout.

Direct from wishlist

Finally, Steam has implemented improvements for its wishlist share link feature.

With this, you can send digital gift cards or gift games directly from a person's wishlist without needing to be friends with them on Steam. You can also create a shared wishlist that's been filtered to specific games.

Additionally, when a friend or family member clicks on your shared wishlist link, if they decide to buy you a game, the gift recipient in the cart during checkout will be automatically filled with your information.

As a reminder, friends and family members can checkout as guest users without needing a Steam.

Windows Central's take

These new changes sound really cool, but the change I'm liking most is being able to directly buy games for my friends overseas without needing to guess how much it will cost due to regional currency conversions.

This is more than I can say for Xbox, because, as of right now, you can only gift games on the Xbox ecosystem to people who live in the same region as you. Which is really inconvenient for me as I have family overseas who I would love to send Xbox games to but can't.

So I hope that Microsoft takes notes from Steam and copies this update so I can more easily buy Xbox games for my family overseas for Christmas and birthdays without having to use circumventing tactics like sending gift cards.

What do you think? Do these improvements to sending gifts on Steam sound cool? Would you like to see Xbox copy this update?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know in the comments, on Reddit, or in the poll.

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Halo and Xbox fans are having a bad day today. Not only are people locked out of playing Halo: Campaign Evolved's early access despite paying for it, but Xbox Live's services have become inoperable as well.

This has been confirmed by Microsoft via Xbox tech support on X, which states, "We are aware that some users are encountering errors when attempting to connect to Xbox services and features. Our engineers are actively working to mitigate the issue."

As of right now, according to the Xbox Support website, Xbox Live's outage currently affects Store & subscriptions, Friends & social activity, Cloud gaming & remote play, Games & gaming, and Apps & mobile, leaving players unable to access these online features on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming-compatible handhelds.

Maybe this outage is the reason why players can't enter Halo: Campaign Evolved's early access? I know I've certainly noticed something's wrong, as I've been unable to look at any Xbox games on the Xbox app's store today.

Either way, we will keep an eye on Xbox Live's status updates and let you know when things are back up and running properly.

Have you been affected by these recent Xbox Live Outage issues? Have you been unable to access Halo: Campaign Evolved's early access period because of this?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know in the comments, on Reddit, or in the poll.

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Today should've been a joyous day for Halo fans as Halo: Campaign Evolved is now available for people who purchased the Premium Edition or Premium Edition Upgrade, and it's received many glowing reviews on Metacritic (including one from us, which gave it a high score of 4/5 Stars).

Unfortunately, people who bought the Premium Edition or Premium Edition Upgrade via the Xbox Series X|S's store or the Xbox on PC App aren't so lucky because they've been unable to access the game despite paying money for it.

This has been confirmed by Halo Studio's tech support team on X, which says they are aware of the situation and is working on fixing it. They will let players know status updates on their progress as soon as more info is available.

Fans are especially upset over this because if they couldn't get the Premium Edition through Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. You have to shell out $69.99 separately for it, and it promised players up to five days of early access to the game. This isn't the first time Xbox has failed to deliver early access for one of its products, and it's frankly getting odd at this point.

Since this is one of Xbox's flagship franchises, I have no doubt the developers are scrambling as fast as they can to fix this issue, and we'll be sure to let you know when they do, so stay tuned for further updates.

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One of the big existential crises facing Xbox and other platforms is "how do we find new users?"

The memorypocalypse has driven Xbox console hardware to record highs. While that has led to an Xbox hardware bounce in the short term as people buy hardware before price hikes, longer term it's looking like fewer consoles will be sold than we've seen in a long time.

As free-to-play platforms like Roblox and Fortnite capture audiences on the younger end, and older gamers become aged and priced out, Microsoft and other companies are trying to figure out how to find new users in a tough climate.

What's cheaper than a $699.99 Xbox Series X? Well, free Xbox gaming, of course. And that's what Xbox is beginning to test today. Say hi to the long-rumored Xbox Cloud Gaming free tier, powered by ads, featuring all of your digital content.

We revealed exclusively last year that Microsoft was building a free version of Xbox Cloud Gaming, powered by ads, and now it's confirmed.

"Today, we’re starting to test an ad-supported way to stream select games from your library for a limited time, available to XBOX Insiders," the Xbox Wire post reads. "During this test period, XBOX Insiders with an XBOX account will be able to stream games they own for free with ads. Players will have one-hour session limits across supported devices and regions."

Microsoft says that ads will only run before the session starts, and won't interrupt gameplay during the one-hour session slots. The ads won't be inserted into games, and it'll remain entirely optional, focused on Xbox Cloud Gaming. The paid tiers of Xbox Cloud Gaming (associated with Xbox Game Pass) will continue to be ad-free in perpetuity.

Microsoft's blog post is clear on its approach to ads, with an attempt to put forward a player-first approach. The idea entirely revolves around improving access to Xbox content, without having to buy a (now, very expensive) console. Xbox One users can gain access to titles that have dropped past-gen versions, and developers can potentially access an all-new audience. Indeed, any digital game you've purchased that is available on Xbox Cloud Gaming will be available to play through this free tier. There are well over 1,500 titles in the pool as of writing.

Microsoft outlined its policy approach to Xbox Cloud Gaming free-tier ads as thus:

• We start with the player. Ads should create value.
• We do not interrupt the flow of gameplay.
• We hold ads to the same quality bar as our content.
• We’re clear about what’s advertising.
• We make sure ads fit what players expect on each platform.

Indeed, Microsoft wants to emphasize that it is imposing some strict rules on the types of ads that can show up here, too. Given that increasingly YouTube and Meta feature ads that are often wildly beyond irrelevant, this is a refreshing take.

Providing Microsoft remains principled ... of course.

If it helps Xbox and devs find new users and compete with free-to-play mobile games, I'm all for it

Being completely honest, I've discovered a metric ton of hidden indie gems via Steam advertising on Reddit, Instagram, and X in recent months. If ads actually feature high-quality games or relevant products, I'm personally all for it.

Too many companies went way too hard on ads, and it led to a degraded experience overall. It's a piece of feedback I'm constantly sharing with higher-ups, even here at our parent company, about ads on the site, as we explore models that will help you guys avoid ads here while continuing to support our work.

RELATED: Best Xbox Cloud Gaming controllers

Developers in the gaming industry, particularly on Xbox, are starving for new users willing to move beyond the CODFIFAFORTNITE triptych. If allowing free access with ads helps Xbox and core game devs find new users in a world dominated by free-to-play mobile titles, I'm all for it. But we'll have to keep an eye on it as a community, to stop the ads eventually appearing in other places ... let's hope Microsoft remains principled on this one.

Now, Microsoft ... it's about time you released that direct-to-cloud Xbox controller already, huh?

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One thing that has dogged Xbox users since the beginning of time is the inconsistent speeds games often download at.

The same seems true across both Xbox PC and Xbox Series X|S (and older) consoles, where download speeds often fail to come close to what you're actually paying for via your ISP.

There are numerous factors at play when it comes to download speeds specifically. Steam generally has set the bar here, with very visible download metrics in its app that show how data is downloading in addition to the speed at which it's writing data to your storage device. Indeed, I was told before that sometimes Xbox downloads can appear "slow" because it gets backed up while unpacking data to your disk space, even it still displays as a "download" in the app. But I digress.

Xbox announced yesterday evening that it is working to boost download speeds across its network, starting with Xbox Alpha Skip-Ahead users on the Xbox Insider Program.

"Users will experience a new feature to optimize game install and update speeds by introducing a smart download client," the update reads. "Shortly after your game download begins, the client will check which content servers are available for the install or update. It will then test the connection speed to each server pool and select the fastest available connection for that install. The speed test will rerun periodically during the install or update to ensure that the client continues using the fastest available connection." The update notes also describe improvements to general stability and performance, as well as a fix for downloads sometimes hanging.

Even though this update is targeting Xbox consoles, it seems to have boosted my experience on Xbox PC devices as well. As someone who plays about 50% of the time on Xbox Ally these days, this boost in download consistency has been a welcome add. My internet at partner's place (in the countryside) is pretty abysmal compared to what you can get in a big city, so every wasted MB is particularly annoying when trying to download big games or updates. I was pleasantly surprised to see Halo Campaign Evolved and Beast of Reincarnation pre-downloads hitting my max 250 mb/s download capacity, which is honestly generally rare to see for me.

It's nice to see the incremental updates flooding back to the Xbox platform. For a long time it felt like Xbox was grossly under-funding its hardware platforms, but new CEO Asha Sharma seems intent on bringing back Xbox as a platform. She's pledged console exclusives again for Xbox for the first time in years, and we've already seen a variety of small and major improvements to the Xbox ecosystem. Xbox achievements are once again getting new additions, Xbox back compat program just hit Windows PC, among other smaller changes.

Although with Xbox's huge layoffs biting throughout this year, it remains to be seen just how long this new feature shipping cadence will last ...

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Halo: Campaign Evolved finally launches today, in early access at least, and if you're playing on PC and have an NVIDIA graphics card, then you might need this hotfix first.

Specifically, a stability issue has been highlighted for the RTX 50 series using the recent 610.xx version drivers, and since it launches today, a hotfix has been deployed rather than a whole new driver.

As it's a hotfix, you won't be able to just update it through the NVIDIA app on your PC; you'll need to go to the dedicated support page to grab it and install it manually.

The hotfix is also worth grabbing for Path of Exile 2 players, as it addresses a frustrating issue players have been seeing in the game when running under DX12.

"[Path of Exile 2] Fixed intermittent long pauses that could occur after extended gameplay sessions in DX12 mode"

No other games are affected by this hotfix, so if you're not planning to play either of them in the next week or two, you can hold off. NVIDIA will roll these fixes into its next regular driver release so you'll get them fairly soon.

It's also worth making sure you do a clean installation, which honestly, I'd recommend any time you install an updated driver. During the NVIDIA installation process there is a box you can check to do this, or you can use a tool like Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to remove the old ones first. I've seen some issues first-hand over time that were rectified from doing a proper clean installation, and it's no extra work really to do.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is, of course, another remake of the first game in the legendary series. Beyond looking better, it's actually coming with some fresh content, expanding the classic game, and for the first time folks on PlayStation will be able to see what all the fuss is about.

Early access begins today, July 23, with general access on all platforms and Xbox Game Pass beginning on July 28.

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If you'd asked me a couple of days ago, before Xbox's latest news, what games had me excited about PC gaming, there's no way I'd have named BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, or Fuzion Frenzy.

Alas, here we are. These four classic Xbox games are spearheading the new Xbox backwards compatibility program on Windows PC, with more titles expected to arrive in the future.

Sure, this initiative might seem small today. These are four first-party games without many legal complications. A toe dipped in the water, if you will.

But new information about how Xbox is handling backwards compatibility has emerged since the news first broke, and it has me rethinking the entire situation.

The back-compat OG Xbox games just released on PC are already Xbox 360 games

In a lengthy thread on X, user @XCTdotLIVE explains how the back-compat program currently works.

As it turns out, the store packages are actually labeled as "Xbox360BackwardCompatibil.*," giving us our first clue at what's happening.

XCT.LIVE goes on to explain that, yes, these games are in fact already Xbox 360 games that are running on the Xbox 360 Xenon Fusion (XeFu) emulator.

As they put it, "your 2001 game runs inside the 360's OG-Xbox emulator, inside a 360 running on Windows. Two nested generations of Xbox emulation."

As X user @TheLunarixus notes, this is confirmed by "XEX2/STFS magic and strings in the kernel such as "XENON KERNEL EXITING."

The rabbit hole goes deeper. This is the same sort of wizardry that allows original Xbox games to run on the Xbox One's x86 architecture via layers of Xbox 360 architecture. It's a convoluted way to reach an end goal, but hey, if it works, it works.

This information is really what got my attention. If the foundation is already a working Xbox 360 emulator, 360 games being backwards compatible on PC is more than plausible. In fact, it's probably already almost ready for primetime.

The likelihood of Xbox 360 games on PC just got a lot better

The core statement that "Microsoft made four old Xbox games run on PC" gets a lot more exciting now that I know how everything works. The four OG Xbox games look a lot more like the tip of a much larger technical foundation that's already capable of running 360-era games.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the hardest part about console emulation is the base architecture rather than the games that run on it. So if the base is already capable of handling Xbox 360 games, the path from four OG Xbox titles to a plethora of 360-era games is a lot shorter than it seemed just a few days ago.

The Xbox 360's library is what really gets me excited. I wasn't much of an OG Xbox gamer (I was too busy with PCs), but I had a lot more experience with the 360. It's the generation that landed right when I was graduating high school, and I know I'm far from the only one who considers its library of games to be peak.

If Xbox 360 emulation is indeed on the table, Microsoft's back-compat news stops being a nostalgia play and instead becomes one of the most significant moves Microsoft could make, not just for Game Pass (on which these games are launching), but for game preservation in general.

I don't know how this all relates to Xbox's "Positron" disc-to-digital program, but I can't imagine the two initiatives won't collide at some point.

Microsoft hasn't yet made anything official, but I'm feeling hopeful

Let me be honest here. Microsoft has been pretty quiet about what's going on behind the back-compat scenes. There's no roadmap, no announced Xbox 360 support, and no timeline for any of it.

The information I received could be wrong (not likely), or Microsoft could have reasons involving licensing, resources, or other priorities that keep it from acting on the Xbox 360 capabilities, even if they do exist.

It's worth pointing out that my colleague, Jez Corden, has teased that "their plans for this longer term are pretty epic" regarding the back-compat program. He knows a lot more about Xbox than I do and generally has plenty of inside information he keeps close to his chest.

In any case, Xbox seems to be making all the right moves at a time when game preservation is a hot topic. Microsoft might have just flipped the switch on one of the biggest customer service endeavors in video game history, and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

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NASCAR 25 last year ended a long wait for a good stock car racing experience on consoles especially. But that was last year, and now we're onto NASCAR 26, the new and improved release for the 2026 season.

It was recently revealed at the San Diego street race alongside its cover star, reigning NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Kyle Larson. Now, alongside the first Dev Diary for the game, we also have a release date.

NASCAR 26 is launching on September 18, with the added bonus this year of a simultaneous release on both PC and console. NASCAR 25 came to PC players around a month later, so it's great news that everyone's playing at the same time for 2026.

This year's game is more than just a fresh coat of paint, though. First up, the Chase will be part of NASCAR 26, mimicking the change in format in the real-life series'. While it will be part of career mode and seasons, there will also be a standalone 10-race Chase mode where players can choose the 16 drivers they want to be part of it and just race the back part of the season.

AI opponents will also now be able to DNF, which sounds like a small thing but is actually pretty huge. NASCAR games of old have always had a full field finishing every race, but as fans know only too well, that almost never happens in real life. It just adds another layer to the experience.

When points are most important in the championship hunt now, even if you're struggling yourself, finishing ahead of DNF drivers makes it worth carrying on.

The biggest new change coming to the gameplay, though, at least that's been announced so far, is how tracks will change throughout the course of a race. Dynamic Track will aim to mimic how a real-life track alters through the course of a race weekend.

At the start of the weekend it'll be 'green', that is, clean and free of rubber. As cars drive over it, rubber gets laid down, and the track will change. As the track conditions change, so too does the way it has to be driven. Different lanes will become an option. You might start out hugging the bottom, but by the end of the race, you could be up ripping the fence.

Oh, and as is seemingly the norm now, there will be a premium edition with early access to the game. The Gold Edition will be available from September 15. Pre-orders are set to start on July 29, and on the same day we'll get our first gameplay trailer.

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Few MMORPGs have lasted as long or even longer than the iconic World of Warcraft, and one such active MMO that predates it is RuneScape, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.

What started as a humble little game to play with friends online grew into a massive franchise, spawning three games (Old School RuneScape, RuneScape, RuneScape: Dragonwilds) with over 250,000 concurrent players for just the original Old School RuneScape alone.

Yet, it's always been seen as the No. 2 runner-up of top-rated MMORPGs compared to the juggernaut that is World of Warcraft. However, Jon Bellamy, the CEO of RuneScape's studio, Jagex: The RuneScape Company, has recently stated in an interview with The Game Business YouTube channel that he plans to change that.

Jon Bellamy proclaims that, and I quote, "The dream is that we’re not the number two biggest MMO brand in the world; we’re number one. There’s a big old gap between us and number one, but if we get it right, we know we can make headway."

He continues, “It’s lofty and ambitious, but if you’re going to set lofty and ambitious goals, why not swing for the top? So, that’s the number one goal.”

Jagex is already working towards Jon Bellamy's lofty ambitions by cutting out RuneScape's unpopular microtransactions like the Treasure Hunter perk, while at the same time improving its gameplay systems to remove "much of the clunkiness and pain within the game", according to Jon.

Additionally, Jagex is planning to release RuneScape's survival spin-off, RuneScape: Dragonwilds, on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, and reveal big news updates for the RuneScape franchise as a whole on October 3, 2026, at RuneFest in hopes of winning back fans who have long since quit the game while bringing in new fans at the same time.

Windows Central's take

Declaring that you want to be the No.1 MMO in the world is no easy task, as many big-name titles from Final Fantasy XIV to Star Wars: The Old Republic have tried and failed to overthrow the titan that is World of Warcraft.

In fact, the only times any MMO has managed to get a leg up on World of Warcraft is whenever the game and Blizzard Entertainment stumble over their own feet. Such as when World of Warcraft: Shadowlands came out in 2021, which was so panned by critics and fans that it (along with a controversial lawsuit laid at Blizzard at the time) caused players to embark on a mass exodus to Final Fantasy XIV before they returned for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight.

So RuneScape has a lot of work to do if it hopes to take World of Warcraft's crown. However, considering that the current World of Warcraft: Midnight expansion has been panned by fans for having one of the most rushed, glitchiest launches in the game's history, while angering fans for its absurd monetization practices, RuneScape might not have to do THAT much to win fans over, especially if plans to buck FOMO live service trends and microtransactions.

But on the other hand, Blizzard Entertainment has a chance to turn things around quickly if it takes time polishing its content releases and announces something really cool for World of Warcraft at BlizzCon 2026, thus putting a spanner in RuneScape's plans.

Either way, we will have to wait and see who will rise as king of the MMORPGs in the coming months.

But what do you think? Do you think RuneScape's plans to expand its franchise will help it overtake World of Warcraft, or will Blizzard's iconic MMORPG retain its position as the most popular and successful game in the genre?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know in the comments, on Reddit, or in the poll.

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It's been a long wait, but BlizzCon's grand return is nearly here, as we're less than two months from BlizzCon 2026 opening on September 12, 2026.

To celebrate the occasion, Blizzard Entertainment has announced several digital bundle packs containing new in-game items for World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo IV, Diablo Immortal, and Hearthstone available right now for purchase on the Battle.net shop.

These in-game items include mounts, cosmetic costumes, weapon skins, and more. Additionally, there are two free in-game items (a Heroes of the Storm Fix It Gear Head Thrall armor and StarCraft II 15-day co-op XP boost) to claim on the Battle.net shop with no extra charges.

You can buy these digital bundles individually, depending on which game you play, or together in the BlizzCon Ultimate Collection pack, which includes extra goodies not found in the other packs. What's more, if you bought a BlizzCon 2026 Pass ticket, you will get the BlizzCon Ultimate Collection by default.

Do note that these bundle packs and the two free in-game items will only be available until September 28, 2026.

BlizzCon is right around the corner

Blizzard fans are no doubt excited to see BlizzCon after it went on hiatus for the past couple of years, especially after breathing a sigh of relief hearing Blizzard seemingly avoided serious damage from Xbox's big 'reset', which laid off 3,200 people across Xbox's gaming studios.

This event will no doubt bring tons of new, exciting announcements for Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch, while also bringing the fan community together through various fun activities like cosplay content, getting hands-on playtime with video games, watching esports competitions, and more.

But what do you think? Are you excited for BlizzCon 2026's announcements? Are you planning to attend the event in person or watch the livestream of its announcements at home? Do you think rumors of StarCraft getting a new shooter are true and will be announced at BlizzCon 2026?

If you have any thoughts, please let us know through the poll, the comments section, or our Reddit page.

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Fans eager to know what Gears of War: E-Day's multiplayer modes will look like won't have to wait any longer. Coalition has confirmed on X that on July 30, 2026, at 6:00 am PT | 9:00 am ET, it will reveal the first gameplay footage of Gears of War: E-Day's multiplayer on Xbox's official YouTube channel.

What we know so far about Gears of War: E-Day's multiplayer is that, according to Xbox Wire, it will feature a 12-player PvE horde mode similar to Gears of War 2's horde mode, but on a much grander scale, where you and other players work to fend off invading Locust across giant city maps.

Plus, it will feature a 4v4 PvP mode where players fight in classic Gears of War-style symmetrically designed maps with new traversal mechanics thrown in.

Additionally, playing both these modes will contribute towards completing in-game challenges, events, and achievements, and these multiplayer modes will be seasonally updated via a content roadmap.

Players who pre-ordered the game or who are subscribers of Xbox Game Pass/PC Game Pass will be able to play these multiplayer modes early through an Open Beta test weekend starting on August 6, 2026.

However, this gameplay reveal on July 30, 2026 will give fans a brief early taste of what they can expect to see before then.

Windows Central's take

Gears of War's multiplayer modes are often a major highlight alongside the main campaign, featuring insanely brutal, fast-paced, and challenging firefights that always end in fun chaos.

I still have fond memories of my brother screaming in fear as he was overwhelmed by a squad of Locust before soloing them in a blind panic in Gears of War 2's Horde Mode.

So I can't wait to see how Gears of War: E-Day plans to improve upon Horde Mode because the idea of 12 players scrambling to fight Locust at once with the possibility of friendly fire getting everyone killed sounds like my brand of mayhem.

Gears of War: E-Day is set to launch on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, and PC via Windows and Steam on October 6, 2026.

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One depressing part of the Xbox story over the past few years has revolved around Xbox hardware sales, which have been in near freefall decline quarter in, quarter out.

Factoring the memory crisis, attention market saturation, bad marketing, and the general negativity over the Xbox brand — the Xbox Series X|S platform has had a pretty awful gen, despite arguably being the best console Microsoft has ever made (on paper).

RELATED: Xbox Series X|S price / stock tracker (before price hikes)

There's no reason to think that Xbox's hardware fortunes won't continue to struggle in the near term. Price hikes are pending for these consoles, and the memory shortage is expected to get even worse before it gets better. But, hey, positive momentum is positive momentum, I guess.

Xbox Series had a good June in the US. Units up 86% vs last June, avg price up as well. Highest US Xbox Series units this year. Last June, Xbox Series was seeing impact of the May price increase and the Switch 2 launch. So, big % growth on a smaller base last year. Still, good month for Xbox Series.

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-07-22T18:35:49.083Z

Mat Piscatella of Circana noted Xbox's positive June upswing on BlueSky, charting that Xbox had its best month ever. He noted that the increase offsets a nasty decrease from last June, owing to the Nintendo Switch 2 launch and Xbox's initial price increase wave. Xbox also has price increases pending for August, which has likely driven additional sales in the short term as users get on board now before rates go up. Piscatella noted that Nintendo Switch 2 was down -78% year over year, and PS5 was down -43%.

There are other potential factors here too for Xbox. Xbox has had a bit of a spotlight on it recently. Forza Horizon 6 has enjoyed massive sales success, and is presently exclusive to Xbox Series X|S on console (exclusives sell systems? who knew). New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has also created some positive excitement for the brand, and hints of a more aggressive posture on exclusive content, a price cut for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and the promise of new games like Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution also might be having some impact. There's also the GTA 6 bounce. The Xbox Series S is going to be the cheapest way to access GTA 6 for the foreseeable future, despite the price hikes.

Microsoft might also simply be allocating more stock to the U.S. market. Japan, for example, has seen Xbox sales dive down from thousands of units, to hundreds, to mere dozens of units in recent years. Prioritizing Microsoft's core market in the short term seems like a smart play than trying to muddle through in markets where it has traditionally struggled. Although longer term, new CEO Asha Sharma has signalled intents to grow Xbox beyond its traditional Western shores.

Xbox isn't out of the woods yet

It's also true that Xbox is growing from a very small base number of units. An 86% increase might seem like a lot, but if you're starting with a low number already, Xbox still has a ways to go to show real growth. Still, up is up, and "up" is probably the only way Xbox can go from here.

I wrote recently how only heavy-hitting exclusives will change Xbox's console fortunes. The overall base of console gamers probably won't grow until Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo figure out a way to siphon youngsters moving directly to Roblox when joining the industry. Roblox is under pressure from world governments to tighten protections for youngsters, as the dangers of the social media-adjacent gaming platform become increasingly apparent.

RELATED: Xbox brings back compat games to PC for the first time

Games like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls enjoy mass market appeal. It's particularly true of Fallout, which has enjoyed mainstream TV show success recently. Minecraft as well represents vast untapped potential as a potential system seller for Xbox. The previous Xbox administration felt content to leave Minecraft to its own devices, but new CEO Asha Sharma has brought Minecraft directly in-house at Xbox, potentially signalling intent to leverage its mainstream status to synergise marketing beats with Xbox hardware.

It remains to be seen if Xbox Series X|S can finish with positive hardware growth for the quarter overall. The RAMpocalypse is on-going, and Xbox Series X|S consoles will pick up price hikes soon, too. But many gamers on Xbox One will likely be looking to upgrade for the first time specifically for GTA 6 soon, as well as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which is cutting off last gen for the first time.

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There's a story doing the rounds about how Steam Deck sales have cratered in recent times, courtesy of the team at Boiling Steam looking at data and crunching numbers.

There's plenty of reaction out there, but honestly, what did anyone expect? I love my Steam Deck and I will defend it to the hilt, but at this point in time, nobody should be buying one anyway. And no, this isn't some thin attempt at selling the virtues of a Windows 11 handheld gaming PC instead.

Just look at where we are. The Steam Deck is nearly four and a half years old, it hasn't had any performance upgrades despite a newer version of its APU and an OLED display, and the AI-induced RAMpocalypse means it's more expensive than it ever was.

Speaking with a sensible head, the same applies to the Steam Deck as it does to the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles, each of which is also more expensive towards the end of their product cycles than when they begin. Don't buy one, definitely not at full price.

As such, it's no surprise to see Steam Deck sales are slowing. The cheapest model available is now $789/£649, a significant increase on the launch prices. Admittedly, there is now only the upgraded OLED model, and the base storage is 512GB, but it's still substantially more expensive than it once was.

I was lucky to get my 256GB Steam Deck LCD in the first few batches back in 2022 and paid £459. For a device that doesn't perform any better in games, which is ultimately what matters most, the new prices just don't make any sense.

It makes even less sense when you consider that Valve has opened up SteamOS to be installed on other handhelds. The base Xbox Ally is currently $599, with a better APU, a higher refresh rate display, and the same storage/RAM combination, while costing almost $200 less. If you were eying up a 1TB Steam Deck, you'd be better off getting the Xbox Ally X, which is far more powerful and only $50 more expensive.

I appreciate what Valve has done with the Steam Deck; after all, it really kicked off the handheld gaming PC category as we know it today. It's a phenomenal device, and I've had zero regrets. I think SteamOS is still a superior handheld experience, too, with only anticheat holding it back.

But we can't look at the situation right now and lament falling sales, because it should be happening. It's four years into its cycle, it's been usurped handily by others in the performance stakes, and it's just too expensive.

We should appreciate it for what it is and what it's done. But if you want a somewhat affordable handheld gaming PC right now, the Xbox Ally is the smart choice. Then throw SteamOS on it if you want; I know I'd be tempted to.

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Xbox fans have been wondering for a long time what might be next for its backwards compatibility and game preservation efforts. Today, we got a pretty big hint.

Shared on Xbox Wire, Xbox VP Jason Ronald revealed that the Xbox backward compatibility program is expanding to PC, with new emulation tech supporting Xbox games on Windows for the first time.

It's early days yet, but it's an encouraging step about where Xbox's efforts to preserve its gaming legacy will end up in the coming years.

"Your library is more than just a collection of games. It is your personal history of epic stories and treasured memories from the past. And as players, we don’t want to leave our gaming legacy behind even as technology continues to evolve and advance. We expect our library of games to move forward with us and to be able to play them in entirely new ways," Jason Ronald explained.

The initial wave of games will include Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Fuzion Frenzy, Crimson Skies, and Conker: Live and Reloaded. All are classic OG Xbox games fully owned by Microsoft, but it stands to reason that even more titles previously locked away on Xbox consoles could eventually appear on Windows PCs and Xbox gaming handhelds, like the Xbox Ally.

Additionally, and surprisingly, these games will also eventually support Xbox achievements "later this year," says Ronald. Considering the source code for these games is likely covered in cobwebs, I'm curious how Microsoft has managed to achieve this one.

The games will also support a variety of PC-oriented upgrades. They will support Xbox Play Anywhere with Xbox Cloud saves. They have 4X resolution scaling, V-Sync support, Full and Windowed display modes, anisotropic filtering, anti-aliasing, and other PC-expected features.

In a universe where digital ownership rights are in the spotlight, it's great to see Xbox leading the charge for backward compatibility and preservation here. It increasingly seems like disc-based games are not long for this world, but platforms like GOG are stepping up to offer DRM-free digital options, and companies like Xbox continue to invest in bringing more console-locked titles to Windows PC, complete with dual-platform license entitlements via Xbox Play Anywhere.

It's only four games for now, but could we realistically see a future where all your digital Xbox content could move between platforms even as console hardware becomes obsolete and stops being manufactured? One can hope.

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