The next premium Call of Duty release, Infinity Ward's upcoming Modern Warfare 4, is just a few months away from hitting consoles and PCs, and it's finally time for players to get a good look at the upcoming first-person shooter's multiplayer gameplay.

As it has with previous Call of Duty launches, Activision will show off Modern Warfare 4's multiplayer in detail during this year's Call of Duty NEXT showcase. COD NEXT is a fan-favorite event where many of the top Call of Duty players — from popular streamers to esports pros — go live to broadcast gameplay, dev commentary, and more across YouTube and Twitch.

Here's everything you need to know so you don't miss out on COD NEXT 2026.

When and where to watch Call of Duty NEXT 2026

Call of Duty NEXT 2026 is set to go live on August 21 at 9 AM PT/12 PM ET. Players can tune in to the official Call of Duty channels to catch the live stream. Those who have preordered or have otherwise received an early access beta code can hop into the Modern Warfare 4 beta via the Call of Duty HQ immediately following the broadcast.

The Early Access Beta for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is only for players on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Xbox on PC, Steam, and Battle.net. Modern Warfare 4 will not release on last-gen consoles, but it will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2 for the first time. Switch fans will have to wait until the open beta on August 28 to try out multiplayer.

What to expect from Call of Duty NEXT 2026

Official Call of Duty NEXT details remain scarce, even as the event draws nearer. Activision and Infinity Ward have been oddly tight-lipped on what players can expect to see during the showcase, but there have been some vague clues that the experience may be a bit different this year.

In previous years, Activision would pool together popular streamers, sports professionals, and more to show off gameplay. However, Xbox and Activision previously partnered with Fanatics Fest in July to spotlight the upcoming Kill Block map. Many of the popular streamers who typically participate in Call of Duty NEXT were present at the Fanatics Fest event for hands-on gameplay.

In an official blog post, the Call of Duty team calls COD NEXT 2026 a "global event featuring live gameplay, an in-depth briefing on the lineup of content coming to Modern Warfare 4's Multiplayer, developer insights, and new reveals ahead of the Beta."

The description is a bit vague, but the phrase "global event" has led many to speculate that this year's COD NEXT event will not feature the in-person gameplay event that has been a staple for the showcase. For the first time ever, the beta for this year's Call of Duty title will go live immediately following the COD NEXT broadcast — a welcome move that just might help the hype generated by the NEXT showcase carry over into the beta experience.

That move, however, may ultimately make it unfeasible to bring big-name gamers who might not want to miss streaming the beta during its early access period to an in-person event.

Infinity Ward has confirmed that it will showcase multiplayer during COD NEXT 2026, but the team has been surprisingly mum on Modern Warfare 4's third mode since the initial DMZ reveal. DMZ is not expected to be playable during the two beta weekends for Modern Warfare 4.

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Sony's decision to kill physical games from 2028 is the discussion that won't go away, and we're still waiting to see what the Xbox stance will be.

But wading in today is Strauss Zenick, CEO of Take Two (via IGN), otherwise known as the company that counts Rockstar Games among its portfolio. The same Rockstar Games that recently printed a ridiculous sum of money when GTA 6 pre-orders went live.

Only this time, and for the first time in the franchise, there will be no physical version at all. If you buy it from a retailer, all you get is a download code. Naturally, Zelnick is all for this.

“Our business is well over 90% digitally distributed,” Zelnick said. “It's already a digital business. So in certain instances, especially if it's a big game, discs just — and note I said discs — don't really make sense for the consumer.

Also, most instances you have to register online to play anyhow. So if you're already connected, who cares if you download digitally? It's all the same and it's much more convenient."

Granted, I'll give Rockstar Games specifically a little more slack here. GTA V came on two discs on the Xbox 360 originally because the game was too big for one (PS3 used Blu-Ray and was a single disc). Likewise, even on the larger capacity discs for Xbox One, Red Dead Redemption 2 suffered the same fate.

Nobody wants to get up and have to change discs. Not to mention more raw materials, manufacturing costs, etc. But I take particular exception to the second part of the quote above.

It's not our fault we have to register online to play a game. It's not our fault we need to have a Microsoft or Sony account, probably also a Rockstar Games account created alongside either of those. A subscription to play online. Alongside an account for every other different publisher who says we need to have an account.

Are digital games more convenient? Of course they are. But let's not pretend that this has anything to do with making our lives easier. Without a physical copy of something in our hands, we know that at any point it could just vanish without a trace.

It's not remotely surprising GTA 6 is digital-only. Even ignoring the likely technical issues fitting much of it onto a disc, it kills the resale market stone dead. Used game stores won't have copies of GTA 6 on the shelves after players are done with it. GTA Online is the cash cow, but there are still plenty of us who will play the campaign and call it a day. Those players can't sell on or trade in their copy anymore.

Curiously, Zelnick also said that "It doesn't mean that we won't have physical additions now and then, I'm sure we will in the same way that there’s still vinyl in the recorded music business." I don't even know where he's going with that one.

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Everyone knows Xbox isn't doing so hot these days, but new research from Statista Consumer Insights has put that common belief to the test.

Xbox is "unhealthy" according to new CEO Asha Sharma, which has led to thousands of layoffs this summer and many more throughout the next fiscal year. Gaming as a whole is struggling from a variety of headwinds, including the memory crisis, dilution of attention, competition from non-gaming hobbies, and potentially an unhealthy dependence on free-to-play forever games like Fortnite.

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Indeed, Microsoft's gaming division saw a decline to the tune of 11% last fiscal year, which sources tell me almost entirely revolves around Call of Duty having an off year. I suspect diversifying the Xbox business would probably be a good idea to reduce dependence on the firm's handful of mega-games, but that's a discussion for another time.

It's no secret that Xbox One was ill-received by the core gaming community, and Microsoft is still paying for those mistakes over a decade later. New data from Statista Consumer Insights put common beliefs about Xbox's performance to the test, surveying over 3,200 gamers in the United States.

Users were asked which console platforms they frequently play on specifically, with PC and mobile excluded from the picture. Of console players in the United States, some 85% frequently play on PlayStation platforms, 76% play on Nintendo platforms, with Xbox coming in last at 58%. The figures suggest that most people own multiple consoles and frequently play across different platforms. What is perhaps most striking is how popular the Xbox 360 still is, which is even giving the Nintendo Switch 2 a run for its money. It aligns with what I've previously heard about Xbox 360 engagement, which is uniquely sticky for Microsoft.

In a universe where some service games last "forever," there are arguably few reasons to upgrade from a PS4 or an Xbox One if all you enjoy playing is Fortnite or Minecraft and the like, which are still updated and fully functional on older platforms. At least it shows that users remain engaged, even if they are playing on older platforms. The challenge is figuring out how to convince them the upgrade is worth it.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is exclusive to Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, which in a usual console cycle would likely have a dramatic upward impact on the current-gen systems. That uptake is likely going to be a tad muted for Xbox, which is struggling to source memory at reasonable prices for its Xbox Series X|S range. The box is already more expensive than ever, and has firmly slipped beyond your average luxury purchase.

It'll be interesting to see how Xbox CEO Asha Sharma addresses the delta here. Xbox PC and Xbox Cloud Gaming are obviously excluded from the results here, and both of these platforms represent a huge growth area for Microsoft. Microsoft has barely marketed Xbox Cloud Gaming arguably, and Xbox Game Pass on PC remains a fantastic deal too. Putting more investment into these products (and maybe I dunno, marketing them?) could make for an easy win.

Sharma said that there are "200 million" Xbox players last month, but it's unclear exactly how Microsoft arrives at this figure. Does that include Minecraft players on PS5 or Nintendo Switch for example? It's hard to parse. What isn't hard to parse is the scale of the challenge facing Xbox, whose identity has been rocked by a variety of experiments that landed with mixed results.

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Xbox has a new console on the horizon, in the form of Project Helix, but so too will PlayStation. The competition for the future will remain fierce, but it's unclear if Microsoft still has the stamina to keep investing in gaming as shareholders heap demands for more AI.

It'll be interesting to see how Xbox weathers the next few years, with no end in sight for memory shortages, demographic shifts to PC, and the rise of free-to-play perpetuating something of a race to the bottom.

We've seen where the United States prefers to play, but where do YOU prefer to play, Windows Central reader? Vote in our poll below!

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As price rises hit everything thanks to the RAMpocalypse, with SSDs, memory, graphics cards, PCs, handhelds, consoles, and literally everything getting more expensive, let's celebrate when someone beats the system.

Sure, it's only one person, but at this point, I'm so utterly depressed with the state of things that I'm ready to buy this person a beer and shake their hand.

You see the doom and gloom everywhere, so when I was browsing Reddit this morning and came across a post where someone had secured an NVIDIA RTX 3050 graphics card for just FIVE DOLLARS, I have to shout it out.

Is it the greatest deal of all time? Honestly, even before the price rises, I'd have grabbed this, thrown down a $5 bill, and run out of the store before anyone realized what they'd done putting that price tag on it.

Is the RTX 3050 a particularly good graphics card? I mean, it depends what you want to do with it. It'd be pretty good as a budget video encoding card for streaming; it'll play games at 1080p fairly well, too. Hell, I'd have absolutely put it into a machine and given it to my son.

For five bucks I would have found something to use it for. Maybe slap it inside the home server I've been wanting to build again for years to handle video transcoding. I don't care; I'd have found something to do with it.

That's assuming it works properly, of course. The post does show a Windows boot screen, so it would appear it at least gives video output, so that's a start. With a used, mystery GPU like this, you'd have to test it properly, and most definitely you'd want to strip it down, clean it up, and give it some new thermal paste.

But for $5, who cares? Worth a go, right? It's just nice to see someone have a win right now. If you were to buy a brand new RTX 3050 right now, you're looking at paying at least $250 if you went to somewhere like Best Buy. Nobody should pay $250 for a two-generation-old budget graphics card.

It also gets me thinking: What's the absolute craziest deal you've ever found on a piece of hardware? I think I've only ever been so lucky once, managing to get a Surface Go 2 LTE with a price mistake once and securing it for essentially free with an inexpensive data SIM contract.

It should have been a couple of hundred British pounds, and I got it for £8. And even though it was a mistake, it was still honored, and I got my Surface Go 2.

So jump into the comments below and let me know your personal craziest deal. Meanwhile, I'm definitely raising a glass to this person. Hopefully it all works well, and if so, you've definitely beaten the system right now.

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Five years ago back in 2021, a game was released with a famous franchise attached that initially slipped me by. I'm talking about Aliens: Fireteam Elite.

I don't really have any affinity for the movie franchise, so that's likely why I didn't even give it a look. But after catching a couple of streamers playing it, I took a punt, and boy was I in for a surprise.

To this day I think Aliens: Fireteam Elite is woefully underrated. I can't speak to whether it's a truly authentic Aliens experience, but it's a fun game with plenty of replayability, without being too serious or requiring all your time. And it's about to leave Xbox Game Pass in 9 days as I write this, so consider this your notice to check it out while you still can.

You've got various classes and loadouts to build out, perks, different weapons, and hidden caches to find to get yourself some of the better loot. It has mild elements of a looter shooter in its mechanics, but it really isn't one.

It's a run-and-gun action game where your objective primarily is slaying alien creatures. Lots and lots of alien creatures. My former colleague, Miles Dompier, summed it up perfectly in our original 2021 review.

"Aliens: Fireteam Elite genuinely caught me off guard. I was excited about the idea of playing another co-op shooter in the Aliens universe, but I wasn't confident it would be a quality title worth spending a great deal of time with. However, my squad and I are already strategizing our loadouts for the more extreme difficulties. Despite my initial reservations, I'm fully expecting to spend the next several weeks playing Aliens: Fireteam Elite with friends."

This is exactly what happened to me, though I played more solo than with others. While it's more fun with friends, it's perfectly playable solo from beginning to end.

Better still, the Pathogen expansion is currently heavily discounted, too, and I'll be honest, that passed me by. I own the game (and it has Xbox Play Anywhere, too), but with Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 coming really soon, it's as good a time as any to revisit this gem.

But seriously, if you're stuck for something to play right now and you have Xbox Game Pass Premium, Ultimate, or PC Game Pass, take it for a spin. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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I'm just going to say it as plain as I can: Microsoft customer support really needs to improve. We have, of course, had the recent case where someone being locked out of their account went viral on social media, which seemingly magically prompted some action.

Now, over on the Steam Deck subreddit there's an exhausting tale of a player who has been locked out of playing Forza Horizon 6 for 70 days over an issue with cloud sync. And guess what? Xbox support apparently can do nothing to help.

The detailed explanation goes through the entire ordeal, but the problem boils down to an issue with Forza Horizon 6 syncing to Microsoft's servers, not Steam. The game crashed and appears to have created a server-side block on the sync completing, and now leaves the game unplayable as soon as it tries to connect.

I can already hear some that would point at the Steam Deck being the problem. But for starters, the game is Steam Deck verified, and user reports on ProtonDB for the game are pretty good. But games crash on Windows, too.

The alarming part here seems to be that what's happened could, in theory, happen to anyone who bought the game on Steam and doesn't have access to an Xbox to fix it.

Because the short end to the long story is that the final official support 'solution' is to use an Xbox console to delete the cloud save. Which is fine, if you have an Xbox console. Chances are if you bought Forza Horizon 6 on Steam, though, maybe you don't? Either that or you hate money since it's Xbox Play Anywhere through the Xbox App on Windows.

Part of the frustration seems to be that neither the Forza nor Xbox support teams can delete this data on a player's behalf. I find it very hard to believe that a company the size of Microsoft with such an intricate web of servers and cloud support wouldn't be able to do this. It is, however, more convenient to try and pass it down to us to sort out.

It also potentially highlights a weakness within the Xbox cloud system itself, but that's a discussion for another day. But it wouldn't be a stretch to hope that if a sync fails, the system just falls back to the last one that didn't rather than locking up entirely.

Reading this whole drama is just disappointing. Either there are fundamental problems with Microsoft systems that need addressing, or, and I feel like this is probably more likely, customer support just isn't up to scratch.

I've had my own issues over the years with other areas of customer support within Microsoft, so I definitely don't think it's new. And let's be real, the chances of support agents being replaced by AI loom ever larger.

Fortunately, there is a potential way out, but it's not exactly what you'd call a solution. Many on the Reddit thread have suggested signing up for Game Pass and trying to utilize Xbox Cloud Gaming to see if that can help unblock the cloud sync.

Without an Xbox console handy, this is probably the only thing that could be tried, and it sounds like it could work, but the OP hasn't yet come back with an update. Even if it does, it's still some added expense and effort that shouldn't be needed.

Trying to access the cloud storage via the Xbox web app hasn't seemed to work, either, as if the game hasn't been played through cloud streaming in the last 30 days, nothing appears. Likewise, the original poster hasn't had any joy using the Xbox App on Windows 11.

But it's yet another tale after years and years of tales of poor support from Xbox/Microsoft when it comes to technical issues blocking players from their content. It should not take someone going onto the internet and going viral to prompt action.

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Xbox has been on a bit of a tear when it comes to new platform features lately.

Yesterday, Microsoft announced the latest build for the Xbox Insider Program, with a variety of new features big and small. The features included better management for Xbox cloud saves, better sorting of your games library, and other bits and pieces. The headline act, however, is voice clip recording on the Xbox Game DVR. This is a feature people have been asking Microsoft to add for over a decade, all the way back to the Xbox One era.

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When you have an epic gameplay moment with friends, it would be awesome if you could also capture their reactions without having to use a complex capture rig. You'd need to use a streaming PC with StreamLabs OBS or a capture card like the Elgato 4K S to extract the audio alongside your Xbox gameplay. But yesterday's update has made it a million times easier.

Here's a clip from a quick gameplay session on Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 I had this morning, showing how the first iteration works.

As you can see (or ... well, hear) the audio levels aren't ideal out of the box. You can barely hear me in this capture over the audio of the game. You would have to lower the gameplay sound a fair bit in order to be able to hear me, but it would be ideal if Microsoft would add settings for this.

In order for this feature to work, users have to enable it in the settings. Only users who have enabled game or party chat audio capture will appear in the sound mix, giving you total control over whether or not your reactions are captured (potentially saving your more embarrassing gameplay moments from going viral.)

You can also set whether your voice is clippable in public audio settings too, such as lobby chat on Call of Duty (oh boy) or in proximity chat games like Arc Raiders and the like.

Hopefully, Microsoft will add audio mix granularity sliders in the future, as it's far too quiet in my opinion as of writing. Additionally, capturing a clip seems to temporarily freeze a game for 0.2 seconds when you have voice capture turned on. I'm not sure if that's a consequence of the feature or an instability in the latest Alpha build, but I'm sure the experience will be improved before hitting general availability.

It's potentially exciting how this feature could evolve in the future. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is a former Meta executive, and likely has thoughts on how to leverage social media virality as a vector for growing Xbox's footprint. Perhaps there's a future where Xbox supports webcam picture-in-picture clipping too, and maybe we'll even get direct sharing to social networks back again some day on top. Perhaps even native Xbox Series X|S video editing tools will return as well, who knows?!

Microsoft has been listening to user feature ideas more aggressively lately via the Xbox Player Voice portal over here. The top most requested feedback is still "Xbox exclusive games," which Xbox has delivered in the form of Clockwork Revolution and Gears of War: E-Day. Xbox also confirmed it will deliver "Platinum" completion achievements later in 2026.

What features would YOU like to see Xbox deliver? Let us know in the comments.

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The Nintendo Switch 2 is now a little over a year old, but one game that a whole bunch of owners would have been hoping for an upgraded version of hasn't yet materialised. That game is Minecraft.

The good news is that will end fairly soon, as Microsoft's behemoth is almost ready for it. The Nintendo Switch 2 Minecraft upgrade is currently confirmed for October 27, 2026.

Obviously this is good news for Switch 2 owners, which includes my own impatient son. For existing owners a "digital upgrade path" will be available, with more information to come. It also doesn't say this upgrade will be free, and the wording definitely makes me feel like there will be some kind of cost attached. But I guess we'll have to wait and see.

The Switch 2 upgrade to Minecraft will bring it more in line with other platforms, with the new Vibrant Visuals experience being enabled as default.

"Let me unfurl this metaphorical scroll a little to remind you why we’re all so excited. First, the Nintendo Switch™ 2 renders the world of Minecraft to lush life with Vibrant Visuals – set as the default visual experience. This means enhanced lighting, shadow effects and more – and you can even enjoy Vibrant Visuals* enabled content across all the supported content in Minecraft Marketplace. "

This also extends to the exclusive Super Mario pack that's only available on the Nintendo version of Minecraft. It, too, will be given some Vibrant Visuals, so have fun with it.

If anything, I'm only surprised it's taken this long. Vibrant Visuals launched around the same time as the Nintendo Switch 2, and it'll be 16 months on when the upgrade is finally made available.

Minecraft has recently been brought directly under Xbox leadership and its CEO, Asha Sharma. It's reported she feels Microsoft has underinvested in Minecraft as a platform and wants to change that in the face of increasing competition from other game-as-a-platform titles such as Roblox.

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GTA 6 + Netflix. Just completely out of nowhere. But it's not a joke.

Announced today by its creator, Rockstar Games, is "Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look" and it will be premiering on Netflix on August 27 at 3pm Eastern.

If you're still at work or you don't subscribe to Netflix, don't panic, it will be added to YouTube later.

Netflix has an exclusive on probably the hottest show of the year, but not for long. Later the very same day, August 27, the same show will be uploaded to the Rockstar YouTube channel and the GTA 6 website at 9pm Eastern.

What are we actually going to see, though? That's still a secret. But since December 2023 we've only had two actual trailers, and neither of those has shown us any gameplay. Both were full cinematics showing off some of the characters and locations we can expect to see in Vice City.

So, surely you'd expect an "extended look" to at least show us some gameplay, right?

At this point, though, any information would be good information. We know nothing official about the story, the size of the map, any online plans, gameplay. It's the most hyped game of all time and we know essentially nothing about it.

We do know that it's currently scheduled to release on November 19, 2026, and that to play at launch you'll need to be on Xbox Series X|S or PS5. And that you can pre-order GTA 6 now.

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Halo: Campaign Evolved launched just days ago, and it appears Microsoft is moving quickly to make cuts at Halo Studios now that the game is out. A number of developers who were previously employed at Halo Studios have posted on LinkedIn today confirming that some roles have been laid off. (via Insider Gaming)

Halo Studios producer Nick Treitman confirmed that he was impacted by the layoffs, stating that "after 6.5 years working on Halo and dodging just as many rounds of layoffs - it has finally caught up to me. I have nothing but love for Halo and the folks at the studio, this is just a tough reality in the gaming industry right now."

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Paul Morris, listed as Scrum Master at Halo Studios, also confirmed that his role had been impacted by layoffs this week. "Today, I learned my time at Halo Studios will be coming to an end following the successful launch of our latest game, Halo: Campaign Evolved. I know this is one of the most challenging job markets our industry has seen, and I know the road ahead won’t be easy."

A number of other Halo Studio employees have updated their LinkedIn pages confirming that they are now available for work. The layoffs come as new reports claim Halo: Campaign Evolved's development was troubled throughout, taking up more resources than originally planned and causing other projects such as a Halo multiplayer game to be canceled.

Halo Studios had confirmed plans to use Unreal Engine 5 in future Halo titles to help streamline development and make building Halo games faster. But for the Halo remake, it chose to use a modified version of the Halo: Reach engine known as Blam, but with Unreal Engine 5 graphics and assets on top.

Unfortunately for the studio, this led to development being more complex, with third-party studio Abstraction struggling to meet deadlines imposed by Halo Studios and being ultimately kicked off the project, forcing Halo Studios to scrap much of the work done by Abstraction and rebuild assets in the Blam engine instead.

If this story sounds familiar, that's because it closely mirrors the development of Halo: Infinite. That game also suffered from a troubled development cycle, with contractors struggling to meet deadlines and work in the Slipspace Engine (which was just the Blam engine with a new name.)

Now, with layoffs impacting Halo Studios, it's clear that Microsoft is moving forward with its confirmed 3,200 layoffs, 1,600 of which were already made back in July.

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Xbox has just announced on its website that it is rolling out new Xbox Series X|S console features for Xbox Insiders before sending them out to the general public, one of which has been requested by many Xbox players since the days of the Xbox One.

These new features include being able to have voice chat included in game captures, more options for viewing achievements, more control over Cloud save data, and improvements to Xbox wishlists.

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Voice Chat in Game Captures

The first and possibly biggest new feature of this bunch is allowing gameplay captures to include your voice and those of your chat party instead of just the gameplay audio alone.

Each player can choose if they want to have their voice included in the clip, and you can also choose to include in-game chat audio in your captures if you're not using the Xbox app's voice chat party feature.

This feature is now available for Xbox Insider users in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring.

New methods of viewing your Xbox Achievements

Keeping track of your Xbox Achievements has now been made less of a hassle for Xbox Insider users in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring.

In addition to the 'last played' view option, players can now sort games by title, completion percentage, Gamerscore earned, and the number of Achievements unlocked.

These options can also be sorted in ascending or descending order, whichever a user prefers.

This feature will no doubt be super useful for those hunting for the newly announced Xbox Platinum Achievements coming soon.

More Control Over Your Cloud Saves

This feature is already available for Xbox Insiders, but starting next week, more Xbox players will have the option to restore previously synced cloud save data directly from their Xbox console with games that support it, starting with Forza Horizon 6.

This means that if you need to recover a precious version of your save, you can browse cloud save versions and restore it to an easier save file directly from your console instead of just the Cloud.

You can access this feature for Forza Horizon 6 by going into the Xbox console's 'Manage game & add-ons' options menu, going to 'Saved data', and then clicking 'Restore saved data'.

More Xbox games will support this feature in future updates.

Add More Games To Your Wishlist

The final new feature announced is available for all Xbox users and it's a simple one.

Starting today, you can now add up to 1,000 Xbox games to your wishlist, instead of only 301, allowing you to keep track of more upcoming Xbox you're interested in playing and when they'll go on sale.

Windows Central's take

All these features are all fine and dandy, but the one me and my friends are hyped about mostly is the voice chat becoming available to be included in game captures.

Some of my favorite gaming moments have been listening to my friends freaking out being mauled by monsters in Monster Hunter, or screaming triumphantly after killing a boss I've been stuck on for hours in Elden Ring.

Yes, you can do this already if you're a livestreamer, but that usually requires going out of your way to purchase recording capture cards and learning how to stream, which can be expensive and time-consuming.

With this new feature, you can have your voice in gameplay clips with just your Xbox console alone; no capture gear or streaming knowledge needed, which is good for me, as I never want to become a streamer anytime soon due to stage fright.

But what about you? Are you happy that voice chat in recorded game clips is now possible? Are there any other features you want Xbox consoles to include?

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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Xbox is back with a flurry of updates for the Xbox Series X|S, including one headline act that I think will make many people very happy.

Today, Xbox revealed that it has acted on some of the top feedback requests from the Xbox Feedback site, including voice clip and party chat recording inside the Xbox game DVR. Recordings will now also capture your team mates' cries of valor or wails of defeat (if you enable it, that is), alongside other various Xbox system improvements.

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Microsoft has been on a bit of a tear with regards to fan feedback through 2026. It started delivering Xbox exclusives again, added the Xbox backward compatibility emulator to PC, and also reverted the much-hated Xbox Game Pass price hike from last year. And now, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma just confirmed one of the most-requested features for "later this year."

Speaking on X (Twitter), Xbox CEO Asha Sharma replied to a fan "team is working on something for later this year," when asked if Microsoft would implement "Platinum"-styled completion achievements.

Players have been pining for an answer to PlayStation's platinum trophy system, which rewards players with a trophy for achieving 100% completion rates in games. Xbox games typically come with 1000 gamer score to earn per title, but there's no reward for acquiring all of the achievements.

I suspect Xbox was probably working out some of the finer details about how it would work in continuity with gamer score. Many games receive extra achievements post-launch, which would obviously remove your "100%" completion status. Perhaps you get the platinum achievement simply for hitting the base 1000 gamer score in the title? Who knows. Either way, it seems that Xbox will have an answer for it later this year!

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Lenovo Legion Go gaming handhelds are reportedly being bricked by a BIOS update. According to reports, installing the N3CN42WW update results in a black screen and systems not booting correctly.

It's not clear how widespread this issue is, but I suggest holding off on installing a BIOS update on your Legion Go until Lenovo has clarified the situation.

The problem affects the original Legion Go (often called the Legion Go 1 by fans), including both the Z1 and Z1 Extreme models.

In some cases, the Legion Go failed to boot immediately after the BIOS update was installed. In other cases, the failure occurred later.

Some users have said the performance of their Legion Go has gotten worse over time, such as the controllers not working.

Several Legion Go owners have reported issues on Reddit. The mods at the LegionGo subreddit shared the following:

"It has come to our attention that some of the Z1E and Z1 versions are being bricked when updating to the latest BIOS that was released on June 17th, 2026.

Please do not update your devices unless you are willing to assume all risks. We the mod team are trying our best to understand and get help on this."

They also asked people to share if they've run into the same issue.

Reddit user mherold11 said they reached out to Lenovo support to have their Legion Go repaired. They were told that fixing the gaming handheld would be a chargeable repair since the device was out of warranty. The quote for repair was €237.16 (roughly $273.81).

Other people in that same Reddit thread said their Legion Go gaming handhelds were repaired at no cost when still in warranty.

One Reddit user had luck performing their own repair, but that fix was complicated and is not recommended for general users.

This is a developing story and we do not know the extent of the issue. If you have a Legion Go and have been affected by the issue (or have upgraded and not run into the problem), please share with us through the comments below and reach out to Lenovo and the mods of the LegionGo subreddit.

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One thing we haven't had so much of with the Xbox Series X|S compared to previous generations is limited edition consoles. There have been some, like the Halo Xbox Series X and some competition specials, but compared to the Xbox 360 and Xbox One especially, it's been a pretty dry time.

Some of the older limited editions command a pretty penny on the used market these days, and obviously there's a finite supply of them. But there are some real gems, like the Gears 5 Xbox One X (pictured above) or even the blood red Gears of War 4 Xbox One S. Later this year we'll also see the Xbox Series X25, with its classic translucent green shell. Though unfortunately, a vastly increased price, now.

But over on the Xbox subreddit there's a thread rolling right now where folks are talking about these consoles, so I thought I'd bring it on over here, too. So what's your favorite limited edition Xbox console of all time?

There are some incredible choices on the Reddit thread, from the classic Crystal Green OG Xbox through the Halo 4 Xbox 360, the Titanfall Xbox One, and some others that folks like myself based in the UK might not even have known existed.

I didn't know there was a Taco Bell Xbox One X, for example, nor a green Mountain Dew OG Xbox. Granted, neither of these were actually sold, but they still exist, and I'd definitely go for a Mountain Dew Xbox if I could get my hands on one without selling a kidney.

I've never actually owned a limited edition console myself. The closest I've come so far is the Project Scorpio launch edition Xbox One X, which I still have in my office looking pretty.

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If I had to pick, it'd be between two. The Xbox console I always coveted the most was the Crystal Green first-generation. I wish I'd chopped in my standard black console to get one, but given I'd already spent a whole paycheck from a part-time job on one at the age of 17, I decided against it lest I risk the wrath of the parents.

The other might be one most wouldn't pick given some of the wild designs, but as a massive fan of the franchise, I always wanted the blue Forza Edition Xbox One. It didn't help that a friend of mine actually had one, taunting me every time I went over.

So, those are my picks, but I'm more interested in yours. There's no shortage to choose from, so hit the comments below and share your own favorite limited edition Xbox console design from the last 25 years!

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Digital Sun (the indie developer behind the cult-favorite Moonlighter series) and 11 Bit Studios (the publisher of several hit indie titles like The Thaumaturge, Indika, Frostpunk 2, and Creatures of Ava) have announced that Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is finally leaving early access.

Version 1.0 of Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault will be launching on September 2, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam.

To celebrate the occasion, Digital Sun and 11 Bit Studios are giving away the first Moonlighter game for free to keep forever via Steam between August 5, 2026, and August 9, 2026.

For those unaware, the Moonlighter series is a top-down, action-RPG with roguelite elements where you live the life of an adventurer-shopkeeper named Will.

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The gameplay loop of this series revolves around exploring dangerous dungeons filled to the brim with ancient treasure guarded by deadly monsters.

You then sell whatever loot you find to help maintain your shop's profits while investing in other businesses to help the struggling town of Tresna thrive again and give you access to better equipment to help you survive more challenging dungeons.

Windows Central's take

We actually covered the Moonlighter series a couple of times at Windows Central. One of my colleagues, Brendan Lowry, reviewed the first Moonlighter, and while he praised it for having a unique premise, excellent presentation, and decent action-RPG gameplay, he felt there was much room for improvement in the story and combat department.

One of my other colleagues, Michael Hoglund, previewed Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault's early access build and mentioned that it was already a massive upgrade from its predecessor.

Dungeon crawling was more rewarding, combat was more varied and intense, and its merchant simulation gameplay has somehow made inventory management, which is usually a tedious task in most games, a fun activity in its own right.

I never played the Moonlighter series before, but with the first game now being free on Steam for a short time, I may give it a shot because the art style looks cute, and the gameplay looks fun while giving me nostalgic memories of classic top-down action-RPGs like The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.

It would certainly be a good time to kill before the sequel leaves early access, while giving me much better appreciation for all the improvements it's made from the first game.

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My favorite Xbox feature is having a bit of a moment in the sun.

The Xbox ecosystem is a lot better than people give it credit for in my view. Xbox Game Pass is still a fantastic deal for those who want to graze a large library of content. Xbox Cloud Gaming is more viable than ever for single-player games, and things like cloud saves remain free, while paid on other platforms.

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My favorite feature however is Xbox Play Anywhere. The ability to buy once, and take my games across Windows PCs, cloud, my laptop, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Ally X handheld is a cornerstone of how I want to access games now. It's a vastly underrated feature, and something I think Microsoft could do a lot more to promote.

I was over the moon when I saw Larian announce Baldur's Gate 3 for Xbox Play Anywhere this week, in what has been a pretty great sprint for the service.

I sent Larian publishing lead Michael Douse a message and asked for comment on why Baldur's Gate 3 ended up hitting Xbox Play Anywhere, almost three years after its initial launch.

"We just did it because it's a pretty cool part of the Xbox ecosystem and it would mean a lot to the players who enjoy that ecosystem," Douse explained. "We had the resources & time and figured it would make a few folks happy."

Indeed, there's been a huge sprint of fantastic AAA games hitting Xbox Play Anywhere recently, including 007: First Light, Beast of Reincarnation, Hell is Us, Palworld 1.0, Dispatch, Subnautica 2, and many more. Upcoming we also have things like Blood of the Dawnwalker and Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Historically, games only hit Xbox Play Anywhere via Xbox Game Pass, but increasingly, developers are dropping Xbox Play Anywhere on a discretionary basis.

I also asked Sascha Reuter from Fullset about Project Neon, a classic SHMUP that originally launched on the Neo Geo. Project Neon has now been ported to Xbox Series X|S and other platforms, and is launching straight into Xbox Play Anywhere.

"We always love to give players as much bang for for their buck as we can," Reuter explained. "So adding all the versions was pretty much a no-brainer, so was to allow players to switch between their systems however they like."

Reuter told me that developing for Xbox Play Anywhere is as simple as "using a Dropbox folder," as developers can deliver app packages that target multiple platforms via Microsoft's developer back end. Reuter said that Xbox's API for designating a save folder is simple to set up for cross-platform saves, and prevents overwriting and handles syncing via Azure.

Microsoft last year revealed new APIs for cross-platform save syncing for developers who want to take their games even further afield beyond the Xbox ecosystem, as more and more of us go cross-platform.

Increasingly, it feels like developers are actively opting into Xbox Play Anywhere by default, but challenges remain.

The future of Xbox is PC

Microsoft is doing a lot of work to bridge the gap between its Xbox and Windows ecosystems. Xbox Play Anywhere helps developers target Xbox customers regardless of platform, and Microsoft has long suggested games with Xbox Play Anywhere see higher sales and boosted retention.

Still, it's difficult to retroactively set up Xbox Play Anywhere. If codebases diverge too much across separate versions, applying Xbox Play Anywhere can create errors when synchronizing progress. Games like Fallout 76 have never received Xbox Play Anywhere support for that reason — although it's not unheard of. Resident Evil 8 gained Xbox Play Anywhere support several years after launch too, just like Baldur's Gate 3.

Some publishers perhaps simply don't seem to see the value in it. Ubisoft has begun offering free versions of some of its PC games to owners who already own the Xbox version, but Xbox achievements aren't supported on PC. EA doesn't offer any form of synchronicity at all between its Xbox and PC versions either.

Recent data suggests that Xbox Play Anywhere is seeing more organic adoption than ever, consistently hitting a 50% compatibility rate for newly released games. Microsoft's impending Xbox backward compatibility emulator on PC could see even more Xbox games hit PC via Play Anywhere by default, by virtue of the fact they're already Xbox games regardless.

I love this feature, so it's great to see more developers opt-in. Hopefully, we're starting to see

Baldur's Gate 3 and Project Neon are available to buy now on Xbox Play Anywhere, across Xbox PC and Xbox Series X|S.

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Players of Dovetail Games' popular train simulator, Train Sim World 6, on Xbox One and PS4 have unfortunate bad news to endure.

Currently the game and all DLC content have been made available on last-gen hardware, but that is now coming to an end.

The announcement was made on the developer's blog, alongside information on exactly what it means for players on Xbox One and PS4.

"Train Sim World titles and new TSW Add-on releases developed from this date onwards will only be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC platforms (Steam, Xbox for PC and Epic Games).

This change is essential for allowing the teams that create TSW content freedom to take advantage of current-gen hardware, prioritising the best performance possible, and improving the visual quality as much as they can."

The good news is that this change doesn't affect content you've already bought up to now. It's still there, it's still playable, and it's still supported. The cancellation only applies to any further DLC content for Train Sim World 6 and for future games in the franchise. To play any of that, you'll need to be on PC, Xbox Series X|S, or PS5.

It's sad news for players still on the last-gen consoles, for sure, but credit to Dovetail Games for holding out as long as it has.

Even Xbox has finally had to take the plunge with Call of Duty, with Modern Warfare 4 not releasing on Xbox One or PS4, either. It's particularly bad timing for those still holding onto their older consoles given that both Xbox and Sony have recently increased prices on the new consoles, too.

If you are on Xbox One with Train Sim World 6, you do at least have options. It supports Xbox Play Anywhere, for one, so if you can move to PC, you can take all of your existing content with you so long as you use the Xbox App. You can't transfer your content to Steam or Epic Games. Content does transfer between Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S as you would expect, and PS4 players can also carry over to PS5.

Train Sim World 6 is also supported by Xbox Cloud Gaming, so even though your console may not be up to scratch going forward, you can still keep playing through the cloud if you're unable to move natively to supported hardware. PS4 owners don't have that luxury, as cloud streaming on PlayStation is limited to owners of the PS5 version.

While the timing might not be great, it's understandable. Games are more demanding than ever, and ultimately no experience at all is better than paying for something and having a bad experience.

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Another month into the scorching summer season, and things have just heated up for Xbox Game Pass as we have a couple of major highlights coming in its latest batch of new games dropping in the first half of August 2026.

Some standout highlights include the cozy Power Wash Simulator 2, the hit open-world survival game Grounded 2, and the chaotic roguelike action game Ball x Pit.

However, the star of the show is the first Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer beta test, which is scheduled to run from August 6, 2026, at 12:00 pm PT to August 10, 2026, at 10:00 am PT for people who pre-ordered the game on Xbox Series X|S or Steam or people who are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Here's August's first wave of Xbox games coming to and leaving Xbox Game Pass.

Games leaving Xbox Game Pass (August 15)

• Menace (Game Preview) (PC)
• Atlas Fallen (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Aliens: Firesteam Elite (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Firewatch (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Windows Central's take

To be frank, this isn't the greatest batch of new Xbox Game Pass titles in the world (unless you're really into Grounded 2 or PowerWash Simulator). It's quite clear that, right now, Xbox is dedicating all its marketing power to hyping Gears of War: E-Day by including its upcoming early-access multiplayer beta test in this line-up.

Which, to be fair, is totally fine with me because Gears of War: E-Day's multiplayer looks insane. It features an epic 12-player PvE mode called "Siege Horde" where you must fight off never-ending waves of Locust grunts while completing objectives, and occasionally content MMORPG-style raid bosses that require every player to take down.

The classic PvP 4v4 Versus mode also makes a comeback, but with new match types, maps, and new weapons to help you rip and tear your enemies apart.

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So, if you have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass, you're in for one heck of a weekend this week. If you want to find out more about how to enter the Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer beta tests, you can check out our FAQ on the subject.

Additionally, you can also check out my colleague, Jez Corden's preview of Gears of War: E-Day's Siege Horde mode to see if its large-scale carnage and 12-player co-op insanity is up your alley and enticing enough to make you pick up the full game when it launches on October 6, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass (Day One), and PC via Windows and Steam.

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If you use a Steam Deck, then the first thing I would always recommend is to install Decky Loader. From there, one of the first plugins I'd recommend is SteamGridDB, because let's face it, the box art isn't always the best artwork you can have in your games library.

Now, though, SteamGridDB is also on Windows 11. We first covered SteamGridDB for Windows 11 a while ago, but until recently I hadn't really given it much notice.

I've started using the Xbox App on Windows 11 as my go-to launcher since I'm in there a lot for Game Pass games, anyway.

But while it's convenient having the Xbox App launch games also from Steam, Epic Games, Ubisoft, etc., one thing made me twitch; the artwork pulled in was awful. Low-res icons mostly rather than full artwork.

This is where SteamGridDB comes in. Just as on the Steam Deck, you can use it to select custom art for your games, and in this case, bring your non-Xbox titles up to the standard of those you're getting directly through the app.

SteamGridDB is not an app, as such, but instead a Game Bar widget. So to make your changes you have to go through Game Bar, but I actually think I prefer it this way. It can't hook into the Xbox App like it can hook into SteamOS, so it's probably the next best thing this way.

These days you can get it directly from the Microsoft Store, and once it's installed, you may just need to launch it from the Widgets Menu on the Game Bar.

But it's as simple as selecting a game, hitting the search icon, and compatible artwork will show up. The selections in my experience aren't quite as plentiful as they are on SteamOS, but there's not been a game I've come across where there isn't something that's a whole heck of a lot better than a crummy low-res icon.

Once you choose your artwork, the next time you go to your library in the Xbox App, it'll have been applied, and it won't make your eyes bleed any longer.

I'm using it on my desktop PC, but it's particularly useful if you're on a handheld gaming PC such as the Xbox Ally or Lenovo Legion Go series. Clean library, clean mind!

Game Bar is one of those features I use a lot without really exploring what it can do, and SteamGridDB is now a permanently pinned widget. It only takes seconds to make a change, and it's so worth it.

It's a must-have if, like me, you're using the Xbox App to launch games from elsewhere.

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The ASUS Zenbook A16 is not a gaming laptop, but what if it were a gaming desktop? One YouTuber sought to find out what happens when you connect an eGPU to the Zenbook A16. The results are surprising and show a promising potential future for gaming on Arm processors.

Connecting the Zenbook A16 is not something for the faint of heart. Until recently, it was not possible to connect any GPU to a Snapdragon X-powered laptop, even if you were willing to use unofficial methods.

ETA Prime connected an RTX 4060 to a Zenbook A16 using the developer driver for RTX Spark. That GPU is also from NVIDIA, and its driver can be installed on a PC like the Zenbook A16 to connect an RTX 4060.

Obviously the setup is not official or optimized, but it does work to an extent. Some other NVIDIA GPUs were also successfully connected, but ETA Prime saw the best performance with the RTX 4060.

ETA Prime runs through all of the specific hardware used, but the heart of it all is the AOOSTAR AG03 Thunderbolt 5 & OCuLink eGPU Dock.

The Zenbook A16 was able to hit impressive framerates and settings when connected to the RTX 4060.

In ETA Prime's video, you'll see Forza Horizon 6, Cyberpunk 2077, Project Cars 2, and DOOM: The Dark Ages at very respectable framerates and settings.

Hitting those framerates often required frame generation, but gameplay looks smooth. In Cyberpunk 2077, ETA Prime was able to hit the low 40s at high settings without frame generation and the low 70s with frame generation.

The Zenbook A16 runs on a Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme processor, which is quite speedy. But the chip leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to graphics. On top of that, games are not always optimized for Windows on Arm, so you can end up with issues like Halo: Campaign Evolved missing textures and having a transparent ground.

Experimentation by ETA Prime and Ghobso Gaming (who tested Halo: Campaign Evolved) shows that Snapdragon X2 chips are capable of playing games. But those processors lack support and optimization.

If drivers ship and game developers embrace Snapdragon X-powered PCs, we could see a significant jump in gaming on Windows 11 on Arm.

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Mark Russinovich is the CTO of Microsoft Azure, and as it seems, a big fan of id Software's classic 1993 FPS, DOOM. I've seen the game running on practically every imaginable piece of hardware with a screen and any semblance of buttons, but I hadn't expected it to be playable inside Paint — until I installed it on my own PC earlier this morning.

"Playable" is being generous, because as Russinovich explains in his documentation for DoomPaint on GitHub: "Every frame is placed on the Windows clipboard and pasted into Paint's canvas as a genuine document edit", so Microsoft Paint is acting like more of a monitor than anything else, but it's still a sight to behold.

Performance ranges from quite smooth to snail's pace, but "the spreadsheet-tier framerate is part of the charm", and this is hardly the kind of medium I'd expect anyone to beat the entire game in. Nevertheless, it's real, and stands as the latest example of DOOM running in weird places. You'll need to install Python to run it, but that's all — alternatively, you could just watch my video.

It's a particularly bizarre crossover featuring two of my special interests, retro boomer shooters and classic Windows apps, with the icing on the cake being its creator. Sure, looking at the contributors section of DoomPaint shows generous commits from Anthropic's Claude and Microsoft's GitHub Copilot, so we're definitely dealing with a vibe-coded project here, but this is still a fascinating look into the downtime of a Microsoft executive.

Plus, there's working sound and music in this oddity, which is a step beyond what I expected from using Paint as a DOOM renderer. Again, though, this is more of a visual trick than an engine conversion, as Russinovich reiterates, "Paint renders the game but does not compute it. Paint computes nothing. Paint has never computed anything. That's the joke."

I've spent plenty of hours replaying the classics with source ports like UZDoom, and pulling a legitimate copy of its internal ".WAD" file will make variants like this playable with the complete selection of levels and weapons. If, somehow, you still haven't played DOOM in 2026, this could be one of the strangest ways to get started — but it's probably better to appreciate it from a distance.

— via Tom's Hardware

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I’m usually not one who likes to compare a new game to others, or someone who combines two games and calls it a “child” of the aforementioned counterparts. But I feel like I would be dishonest with the fans of specific games if I didn’t compare in this case.

Beast of Reincarnation is part NieR: Automata, a touch of Sekiro, with a semblance of Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, all combined into a beautiful creation that makes me wonder what Game Freak could really do if they weren’t enthralled by the money they make with Nintendo off their Pokémon games.

The first time I saw the developer of Beast of Reincarnation listed, I was floored by what Game Freak could actually do. For years, they’d been on the receiving end of joke after joke for their lackluster open worlds in Pokémon on Nintendo Switch 1 and 2.

Let’s just say this: Game Freak is actually capable of some astonishing stuff. Beast of Reincarnation is proof that developers can sometimes become victims of their own success, bound to endless cycles of repeat games until they’re able to break free and direct something of their own.

This review was conducted using a pre-release code of Beast of Reincarnation provided to Windows Central by Game Freak. The company had no input or prior knowledge of its content.

Beast of Reincarnation: Story

The year is 4026, and the world as humanity once knew it is gone. Taken by what they call the Blight, the Earth has been largely replaced by some sort of forest-like organism that dominates the landscape and poisons the populace. Humanity still exists, whether as themselves or the husks of iron golems; the world's future hangs in the balance of one they call “Blighted.”

That person is Emma, an 18-year-old both gifted and cursed by the Blight. Known to the rest of humanity as a “Sealer,” Emma has the ability to use the Blight to her advantage. She grows and manipulates it at will to wreak havoc on those around her.

Alongside Emma is Koo, a dog who also suffers from the Blight. Together, Emma and Koo set out alongside a ragtag set of characters to free the land of the Blight by taking on the big bad, the Beast of Reincarnation. A creature that resurrects itself once every 100 years and must be defeated in order for humanity to survive.

To do so, Emma must go about collecting the powers held within the Nushi, boss-like creatures of massive zones Emma will journey to. Each Nushi collected will grant Emma a new power and further improve her strength and capability to defeat the Beast of Reincarnation.

The overall arc is well done and far beyond anything I've seen Game Freak make to date. While it's not on the same level as NieR: Automata or Pragmata in terms of Eastern-developed stories, it's nice to see them create something more than the ever-loving rival-driven Pokémon games.

Beast of Reincarnation: Gameplay and Combat

Beast of Reincarnation comes labeled as an action RPG, but that term doesn’t really cover what kind of action the game entails. From Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Diablo 4 to Kingdom Hearts and The Witcher 3, the ARPG genre is very undefined in terms of what you can expect.

Which is yet another reason why comparing other games is such a compelling approach in this situation. As the combat reflects that of games like Sekiro and NieR: Automata, but it's nothing like something from Diablo!

Either way, what matters most is the answer to the age-old question, “Is it fun?” Yes! I had a blast playing Beast of Reincarnation.

The combat is a bewildering dance of enemy management. Engage foes when ready, keeping them at a distance, or sneaking up on a group to eliminate one before engaging the whole cohort. Balancing that alongside handling your companion, it might sound overwhelming, but it's not.

What I love most about Beast of Reincarnation is how intuitive the controls feel (at least on a controller). Your main weapon attacks, combos, and pet abilities are all within reasonable button combinations that create a sense of power.

I am always the shield or magic guy in Soulslike/ARPG games, so I was pretty terrible with the parries to start. I even gave up playing Sekiro at one point because it wasn’t clicking, and I’m a guy who’s beaten and replayed every other Dark Souls game.

Beast of Reincarnation felt different, or at least, things just finally clicked. After an hour, I felt like I knew what I was doing. A feeling a lot of players have when tackling some of these harder games.

And make no mistake, again, I love these games, but I’m trying to emphasize both the challenge of them as well as the ease of learning. One of the biggest gripes players have with harder games these days is the lack of accessibility or difficulty options, or how hard the games are.

I’ve never been one to believe that games like Sekiro or Dark Souls should have difficulty options, as that would alter the very core principles those games were built on. Beast of Reincarnation isn’t that, but it's also not a game that will hold your hand through every little niche or problem you come across.

Beast is a perfect reincarnation of the ARPG genre in the sense that it delivers a rewarding, challenging experience yet doesn’t punish the player with lost experience, loot, or something else upon death.

The rewards come in waves with a sense of accomplishment as well as wonder on screen as parries land and enemies fall. New weapons, gear, and other items that grant currency for upgrading both your gear and your home base.

Your main weapon is a samurai sword. Upgradable and interchangeable with other similar swords of varying effects you'll find across the landscape.

What I found disappointing in terms of both weapons and combat is that over time it can feel very repetitive. Unlocking combos is a slow process, and weapons aren't all that varied either.

From boss to boss, they look gorgeous, but the combat itself is the general dodge and parry, followed by a finishing move. I find it more frustrating that it seems so much potential was left on the development floor. Even general enemy finishers are mirrored far too often, with every Golem seemingly getting the same backslash attack.

With great horizontal and vertical traversal mechanics, I felt "whelmed" by the combative options to make good use of them. The abilities eventually begin to flesh this out, but they take so long to unlock that by the time you do, you start to wonder if you even have enough time to have fun.

That's not to say it's horrid, not by any means. The combat is serviceable and genuinely fun at times, but the fact that much of the actual development for this game was given to external studios is shown as the entire puzzle doesn't feel as cohesive as it could have.

Walker

Speaking of which, the main base for player operations is known as the Cleanse Walker. This, straight out of Star Wars, metallic vehicle is a host for you and your party, as well as equipment benches, chicken farms, and even a shower for you and your dog, Koo.

Players can find items out in the world that will grant upgrades to these different little Walker areas, like different seeds to plant so your in-Walker cook can help create new dishes that will bolster your stats as well as keep Emma fed. Hitting a point of starvation will cause Emma to lose out on some of her strength, making a general return to your Walker something that will become habit-forming.

You can also increase bonds with other characters and Koo, which grant extra slots for abilities, or other things like new recipes, upgrade paths, etc.

Those abilities for Koo will be essential, as he adds a plethora of abilities that grant multi-target damage, blinding, and other effects. He can also carry healing items and other small-use gadgets that will help Emma in a pinch. Upgrading his bond with Emma will allow for more slots to become available to use. If he dies (not Emma), the slots reset, so be careful!

I actually quite liked these additions granted by the Walker, but as I said with combat, I just wish they'd have more impact on the overall game itself. Once again, it feels like the mechanic is there but never quite reaches its full potential.

Open world-ish

All of this comes neatly packed in a semi-open world. On your pilgrimage, Emma will come across multiple zones of varying size, all of which are open to the player to explore. Checking corners, while not necessary, will lead to treasure chests and Walker upgrade items.

Each new zone comes with a general collection of both corrupted and normal Golems to either fight or buy items from, as well as new enemies packed into different areas that will keep players on their toes, much like the second zone, which literally had me blowing up from self-destructing Golems.

A general Blight-infested look will dawn on each zone, but every one felt very different from the last. The first acting as a training ground of sorts, while leading into narrower, but more vertical areas like an entire city structure with its own underground tunnel system.

What you don’t find on your first go won’t be gone forever, as each zone can be revisited with a simple fast travel back. Meaning anything you might have missed is still up for collection.

The loot isn't game-changing outside of general Walker upgrade materials. What bothered me most was the lack of cool outfits to find! Armor isn't showcased either, as each new outfit

Beast of Reincarnation: Performance and graphics

Here’s where things get a little more complicated. Our main review rig was my Windows PC via Steam, where I run an RTX 5080, 9800X3D, and 64GB of DDR5 RAM. Needless to say, my rig can hang.

On Beast of Reincarnation, I had zero issues running it via my system at 4K with DLSS set to Quality. I was hitting frame rates well above 90, with all the settings maxed out, ray tracing included. When we hop over to Xbox, it’s a different story.

Our own Jez Corden was testing it on his Xbox Series X and reported to me that it was almost unplayable at times. I asked him what kind of frame rate issues he was running into, and in his own words he said, “from 60 FPS down to like 5 FPS,” when running around the open-world zones.

Curiously, I booted up my 4060m laptop, and over there, it ran surprisingly well. At 1080p, I was hitting over 100 FPS with most settings maxed and DLSS 3.5 set to Quality. So, for once, it doesn’t seem to be a bad PC port, but rather a potentially bog-water console port.

We’ve been told that issues will be ironed out come launch, but as of July 28, 2026, when we last tested the Xbox Series X version, it wasn’t doing so well. I can’t imagine the Series S version is much better!

So buyer beware; maybe check out a couple of day-one patches if you’re unsure about the experience you could potentially have playing on console. Sounds like it could be another Crimson Desert situation. Great PC performance, with a couple of patches needed before the game really shines on console.

You'd think as a result, the world would be jaw-droppingly gorgeous, but it's just okay, I guess? Don't get me wrong, the art direction is wonderful, and I do think the game is rather pretty to look at, but for the performance trade-offs we're currently seeing on console, it doesn't make a lot of sense.

Should you buy Beast of Reincarnation?

If you’re a sucker for the following titles, you should absolutely buy this game: NieR: Automata, Sekiro, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Pragmata, Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Colossus. You get the point.

I think once all the bugs are ironed out, Beast of Reincarnation will become quite a hit with a smaller audience. I don’t believe it’ll reach the heights of something like NieR: Automata, but it's something that I truly feel has the weight to capture said audience with its magic and majesty.

It's also a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, so if you're a subscriber to either, definitely add it to your list.

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If, like me, you were wildly impressed by Gears of War: E-Day's insane multiplayer gameplay showcase and want to play it as soon as possible, then you're in luck. E-Day is holding two beta test weekends for players to try out its multiplayer modes and help the devs polish it ahead of its October 6, 2026 launch.

The first beta test will run from August 6, 2026, at 12:00 pm PT to August 10, 2026, at 10:00 am PT for players who pre-ordered the game on Xbox Series X|S or Steam, and/or subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

The second beta test will be open for all players on all eligible platforms and will run from August 13, 2026, at 12:00 pm PT to August 17, 2026, at 10:00 am PT, regardless of whether a player has pre-ordered the game or not.

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To download the beta for the early access weekend, search for it on your respective platform's digital storefront or library for "Gears Beta" if you pre-ordered the game digitally, or redeem an email code sent to your account if you pre-ordered the physical edition.

Accessing the open beta test is easier, as you simply need to search for "Gears Beta" on the Xbox digital storefront, Xbox PC app, or Steam's storefront and download accordingly.

Xbox users will need at least an Xbox Game Essentials subscription to access the Gears of War E-Day multiplayer beta tests.

Steam users won't need an Xbox/Microsoft account to play the Gears of War E-Day multiplayer beta tests, but they'll need to link their Steam account to an Xbox account (which is done via the multiplayer beta test's main menu) if they hope to play with Xbox players via cross-play.

Multiplayer beta content

Here's a list of what content you can expect from Gears of War: E-Day's multiplayer beta test versus what content will be available in the full version, sourced from the official Gears of War: E-Day page.

Multiplayer beta exclusive rewards

Additionally, completing certain challenges within the beta tests will net you some exclusive in-game rewards you can use in the beta and in the full game, which include:

• Epic Blast Damage Mags Character Skin – Hit Player Level 20 
• Rare Crush the Bug Weapon Skin Set – Extract from Horde Siege 8 Times on Infantry difficulty or higher. 
• Crush the Bug Banner – Get 25 Headshots 
• Crush the Bug Emblem – Perform 10 Revives 
• Crush the Bug Icon – Perform 5 Prototype Lancer Chainsaw Executions 
• Open Beta Medal & First in the Fight Title – Launch the Multiplayer Beta 

PC spec requirements

If you're planning on playing Gears of War: E-Day on PC, here is a list of recommended specs by The Coalition for you to determine if your rig can run it.

Do note that these specifications aren't reflective of the full game, and The Coalition will update this list with the final PC spec requirements ahead of the game's launch.

Also, make sure you update your NVIDIA Driver to GeForce Game Ready Driver 610.74 before launching the game; otherwise, it won't run.

Minimum requirements

• CPU — AMD Ryzen 5 2600X / Intel i7-6850K / Intel i5-10400.
• GPU — NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 9060 / AMD Radeon RX 6600
• RAM — 12GB
• Storage — 80GD (SSD required)
• Windows Version — Windows 10 / 11 (minimum 22H2)
• Graphics Preset — Medium
• Performance Specs — 1080p, 60fps, Super Resolution: DLSS / FSR / TSR / XeSS

Recommended requirements

• CPU — AMD Ryzen 5 5600 / Intel i5-11600K.
• GPU — NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT / AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
• RAM — 16GB
• Storage — 80GD (SSD required)
• Windows Version — Windows 10 / 11 (minimum 22H2)
• Graphics Preset — High
• Performance Specs — 1440p, 60fps, Super Resolution: DLSS / FSR / TSR / XeSS

Windows Central's take

I can't wait to get stuck into a Gears of War game again after all these years, especially after reading Jez Corden's preview about how epic Gears of War: E-Day's "Horde Siege" mode is shaping up to be.

Not to mention its story campaign, as shown in the Gears of War: E-Day Direct in June, which is also building up to a nostalgic thrill ride for players who grew up playing the original trilogy while also bringing in new newcomers with new mechanics and weapons to make it more fast-paced and brutal than previous titles.

But what about you? Are you looking forward to playing the Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer beta tests, or are you waiting until the full game comes out to play the campaign solo or with co-op?

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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Larian Studios has announced a surprise update for the Xbox version of its critically-acclaimed CRPG, Baldur's Gate 3, despite currently working on the next Divinity game.

As of today, Baldur's Gate 3 is now an Xbox Play Anywhere title, meaning you can now play it on any platform within the Xbox ecosystem.

This includes Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and gaming handhelds like the Xbox Ally.

To celebrate the occasion, Larian Studios has also announced that the Xbox version of Baldur's Gate 3 is now on sale for a 30% discount for a limited time.

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What's cool is that now that Baldur's Gate 3 is an Xbox Play Anywhere title, buying it on Xbox consoles means you don't have to buy it again on Windows PC and vice versa.

Windows Central's take

Xbox recently appears to be doubling down on PC gaming, what with rumors of Xbox Helix being very PC-focused and making more of its games compatible with Xbox Play Anywhere, which my colleague, Jez Corden, considers to be one of the Xbox's most underrated features, despite not many big-name games supporting it.

Now, personally I'm using the Steam version of Baldur's Gate 3 due to exclusive PC mods available on Nexus Mods, but I can't deny that Baldur's Gate 3 becoming an Xbox Play Anywhere title is a massive win for the feature.

I hope that this will convince Microsoft to invest in adding more games for Xbox Play Anywhere so we can play our entire library wherever we want on any accessible Xbox, PC, or handheld compatible within the Xbox ecosystem.

Especially since adding more games compatible with Xbox Play Anywhere means we can play more of them on handhelds to circumvent these continually rising heatwaves that make home console gaming impossible.

But what do you think? Are you excited that Baldur's Gate 3 is now an Xbox Play Anywhere title? Will this convince you to finally give the game a go if you somehow managed to avoid it for three years?

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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Despite the massive damage Xbox Game Studios took during its controversial 'reset', it's still alive and ready to continue celebrating the 25th anniversary of the original Xbox, which would help change the video game landscape forever.

In honor of this momentous occasion, Microsoft has several announcements to help the Xbox fan community join in on the festivities while giving them presents as thanks for their support over the years.

Community-Created XBOX Designs and profile badge

To start, Microsoft is partnering with two popular Xbox content creators, Klobrille and Ben Kenobi, to publish new gamerpics, backgrounds, and a dynamic theme for Xbox consoles custom-made by the Xbox community.

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Additionally, Xbox is also willing to publish your custom-made Xbox designs if you send them on X and @XBOX with #XBOX25.

Speaking of Xbox customization. Starting today until the end of 2026, players who log into their Xbox account on console, PC, or the Xbox mobile app will obtain the Xbox 25th anniversary profile badge that they can put on their profile pics.

Xbox Game Pass

Next up, Xbox Game Pass is curating a collection of classic Xbox games that helped define the brand on each console generation from the original Xbox all the way to Xbox Series X|S, all playable on console or PC.

Some of these iconic titles will include, but are not limited to: Fable Anniversary, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Fallout 4, Psychonauts 2, Grounded, and more.

Xbox FanFest Tour dates

Finally, Microsoft has announced more dates for the Xbox FanFest Tour, which kicked off during the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2026.

The Xbox FanFest Tour is a global series of events where Xbox fans come together to connect, play games, and have fun.

Here's where and when you can expect the tour to happen next:

• Cologne, Germany — August 26, at gamescom
• Tokyo, Japan — September 17, during Tokyo Game Show
• London, U.K. — September 26
• Mexico City, Mexico — October 17
• Sydney, Australia — October 17
• Toronto, Canada — November 6
• Seattle, U.S. — More info coming soon!

Tickets for each stop of the tour will be handed out to people through city-specific sweepstakes.

If you wish to enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win a ticket and keep up on all the news updates for this tour, you will need to visit the XBOX FanFest Tour webpage.

If you want to keep up to date on further announcements regarding Xbox's 25th Anniversary celebrations, products, and exclusive content, visit the Xbox 25th Anniversary webpage hub.

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Those of us old enough to have played Halo: Combat Evolved when it was first around (I think we're boomers now?) will have probably done so with the most legendary of all Xbox controllers.

The Duke.

The absolute goliath of a controller that back then, in my teenage hands, felt like a dinner plate. But what a thing. Hefty, sturdy, a real piece of equipment. I adapted pretty quickly, having been used to the equally sizable Dreamcast controller, and have many fond memories of one of Xbox's most iconic franchises.

I hadn't even thought of digging out my Hyperkin Duke for Halo: Campaign Evolved until I came across a thread on Reddit simply calling it a "nostalgia rush."

It just feels right.

The only trouble is that if you don't already have one of Hyperkin's remade controllers, they're not as plentiful as they once were.

Right now you can only buy the white Xbox 20th anniversary edition, with the original black and the crystal green ones no longer in stock (unless you hunt a used one down.)

The Hyperkin Duke is a perfect recreation of the original, except you can use it on modern Xbox consoles and your PC. The icing on the cake is the OLED panel in the giant center button that shows the OG Xbox boot-up screen when the controller is connected.

As my colleague, Jez Corden, wrote when first trying it out, this controller is built for nostalgia. Playing backwards compatible games with it just feels right. Halo: Campaign Evolved may be shiny and new, but it's as classic an Xbox game as you can get.

After all, the original incarnation of the game was the console seller back then. I'm not a massive Halo fan these days, but the original is the game that got me to buy an Xbox. The first time I played it at a friend's house with a Duke, all of my next paycheck from my part-time job was used to buy a console and a copy of Halo.

I haven't played Campaign Evolved yet, but suddenly I have the urge to dig out my green Duke from the box of many things in the attic and get to it. Better still, I guess, now we're also getting original Xbox backwards compatible games on PC, too.

Oh, and if the Duke is a little too big, you can still buy the smaller Duchess from Hyperkin, too. Same nostalgia, smaller size.

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Something I said on our Xbox Two Podcast this weekend was taken a little bit out of context by some news aggregates, and it led to rumors that Microsoft was exploring quitting Steam. They are absolutely not exploring that (right now), but there is good reason to think Microsoft is evaluating how it engages with Windows gaming all up.

Someone superchatted in during the live show and asked if there was a scenario where Xbox would ever quit Steam. Microsoft has been re-engaging with exclusive content as of late, with Gears of War: E-Day being the tip of that spear. It'll be exclusively on Xbox Series X|S on console, removing PlayStation from the equation. It is, however, still launching on Steam on PC, in addition to Xbox PC.

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PC gaming seems to be core to Xbox's future. Xbox Helix is going to be a gaming PC in essence, and component prices are making the Xbox Series X|S a non-starter for many. At least for the duration of the memory crisis, Microsoft likely isn't expecting to sell a ton of its own hardware. So, targeting users where they already are, without completely exiting the hardware landscape, is likely the play for now.

So, given that Microsoft literally owns Windows, how are they hoping to corner a bigger piece of the lucrative PC gaming market, even if it doesn't mean undermining Steam directly?

Xbox will continue to support Steam, but it's planning to expand its PC business too

Xbox Game Pass remains core to how Microsoft plans to show up on PC. Game Pass is designed to capture a separate audience from Steam, targeting users who are perhaps more inclined to otherwise stick to free-to-play titles or seek savings in as many ways as possible.

Xbox is still investing a ton in improving the Xbox PC app, which now sports Xbox Mode on Xbox handhelds and Windows 11 PCs, turning your desktop environment into a more optimized, controller-focused interface. The Windows 11 team wrote just last week about how it intends to further boost the OS for gaming and optimization in general. We live in a world where Linux and SteamOS seem to offer significant gaming performance gains by simple virtue of not being Windows — Microsoft absolutely wants to solve that gap.

But furthermore, I've received information from multiple trusted sources that Microsoft and Blizzard have been planning to open Battle.net up to third-party developers. It's unclear if that's still the plan under new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, but so far, I'm not yet seeing evidence that the plans here were canceled.

Battle.net boasts enormous monthly active users in its own right, and technically has its own "exclusives" in the form of World of Warcraft, Heroes of the Storm, and some other Blizzard classics.

Microsoft already tested launching some Xbox games through Battle.net, including Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, and DOOM: The Dark Ages. It seems Battle.net is being redesigned to offer more third-party content beyond the Microsoft ecosystem in the future, while still acting as the primary delivery platform for Blizzard games like Diablo IV and Overwatch.

Battle.net and the Xbox PC app already form a "bridge" of sorts via Xbox PC's plugins section. Microsoft is also working with publishers like Ubisoft and EA to integrate their own PC stores to give publishers the opportunity to deliver their content directly while integrating Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud, and Xbox PC ecosystems and features. Ubisoft announced last week that owners of some Xbox Series X|S console games will receive their Xbox PC versions for free, for example, and it's likely the program there will expand over time.

There's a lot of unknowns here, of course. There are some gaps and pitfalls when it comes to third-party titles on the Xbox PC store. Diablo IV, for example, doesn't support Xbox Play Anywhere, meaning users have to buy DLC multiple times for multiple platforms. Ubisoft games on PC don't support Xbox achievements either, even though you can sync your progress on some games to Xbox Series X|S devices.

Just how seamless the synchronicity between platforms will be remains to be seen, but the core of it is pretty simple: it's about giving developers more options for selling games, and putting more games in front of users where they already are on PC. The PC market is pretty fragmented given its open nature, with different launchers, stores, and platforms competing for attention. Xbox is trying to make it more seamless for PC players who want the integrations using its plug-in systems, while also leveraging the platforms it already has to create more opportunities for developers in general.

Blizzard games are generally seasonal in delivery, so it's a potential win for Xbox if, during typical patch cycles, Blizzard gamers pick up another game inside the ecosystem rather than leave for something external on the Riot Client, Epic Games Store, HoYoverse launcher, or wherever else.

Positron and Xbox emulation on PC

Microsoft is also known to be creating a bridge between console and PC with its Positron platform.

Xbox "Positron" is a system designed to help gamers convert disc-based games into digital licenses. If those games support Xbox Play Anywhere (and up to 50% of new releases currently do these days), then you will also get the PC version of any Xbox Series X|S disc-based game you connect to your Microsoft Account.

Sources suggest to me that Positron is expected to be revealed some time in August as Microsoft works out some of the finer details. It won't support every single game on Xbox 360, Series X|S, and Xbox One, but it will support a significant amount of titles pending licensing hurdles and agreements with publishers.

Another tool Microsoft is using to grow its presence on PC is the unassuming backwards compatibility emulator we saw ship a few weeks ago.

Xbox has arguably been a leader in the digital preservation space, ensuring games from decades ago still function on modern systems. In some cases, the only way to play certain old school games has been on Xbox consoles via backward compatibility. But Microsoft is planning to expand that even further to include PC gamers in the mix as well.

For now, the Xbox backward compatibility emulator on PC includes four OG Xbox games, including Conker, Blinx, and Crimson Skies. Future plans also include Xbox 360 games, which could light up some major classics that have, in some cases, up to now, been completely locked to consoles.

It would help Microsoft close some big gaps in its PC ecosystem, which came in pretty late and is sadly still missing out on mountains of classic games. It would also help Xbox gain access to a wealth of new content that would potentially perform better on lower-end handheld devices, such as the Xbox Ally S, in a universe where hardware prices have become truly insane.

Lots of potential, but polish is paramount

Xbox's history with PC gaming has been checkered, to say the least. PC gamers of a certain age still call back to the dark days of Games for Windows Live. Even those who might've dabbled more recently lament Xbox PC's feature and app gaps when compared to Steam.

On lower-end devices especially, the Xbox PC store is still not as performant as it probably should be, especially on that initial load. The Xbox PC store search functionality isn't particularly great either, and curation is a mixed bag. It's hard to find new games at times, and many games to this day still skip the platform, even though Xbox PC offers a far more generous cut than Steam does.

The Xbox PC store has improved by a huge amount, and now probably represents roughly 50% of my play time. I'm currently bouncing between Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Ally X while playing Hell is Us, for example, and many upcoming major AAA titles like Blood of the Dawnwalker and Onimusha from Capcom do support Xbox Play Anywhere.

Indie developers still aren't huge fans of the Xbox PC platform either, sadly, with long certification times and difficult policies making shipping on Xbox PC needlessly complex. Without some form of Game Pass deal, it seems many indie developers simply don't think it's worth the effort.

It'll be interesting to see what Xbox does to continue improving adoption on their end, and particularly how Battle.net handles some of this stuff in the future (if plans don't change under new CEO Asha Sharma). None of it means Xbox will walk away from Steam; there's simply too much money to be left on the table. PC has long been a place of platform plurality, and Xbox is seemingly embracing that aspect of Windows gaming in a big way.

RELATED: Xbox Helix and Steam — does it still make sense?

If it works, could Microsoft look to a future where it focuses on its own platforms rather than Steam or Epic Games? It's perhaps a window at best, but not likely in the medium or even long term. But given how Microsoft is pressuring Xbox to deliver bigger margins at all costs, I suspect today's incarnation of Xbox would be less philosophically inclined towards supporting Steam if it felt it didn't have to. But that's just my (potentially cynical) opinion.

As far as I know, Xbox has no plans whatsoever to quit Steam, even as it doubles up on Xbox PC and potentially Battle.net as store destinations for its developer ecosystem.

All of this is before we learn more about Xbox Helix, and how Microsoft plans to bridge the console and PC ecosystems with its own hardware ... More competition should be good for consumers, at least in theory. Ideally, whether you're on Steam or not, Microsoft's boosted attention towards Windows should improve PC gaming in general.

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In the UK, Summer used to mean a few fleeting days of mild sunshine, scoffing a melted choc ice in my Nan's backyard and still needing to put a cardigan on in the evening. Thanks to climate change however, British Summer is rapidly turning into a crash course on how to survive 6 weeks in Mount Doom.

We're now regularly seeing temperatures soaring to 38°C (that’s a blistering 100.4°F for our American readers across the pond), which alone probably doesn't sound that dramatic, but as everyone over the age of 40 says, IT'S THE HUMIDITY THAT GETS YOU.

Anyway, to my point, for anyone living in a classic heat-retaining UK brick house built to withstand the winters and middling summers of the past, sitting indoors and trying to game in this heat feels like trying to play Diablo 4 from actual Hell.

It's put me off turning my Xbox on at all and pushed me further into the arms of handheld gaming.

Gaming is so hot right now, literally.

Under full load, both the Xbox Series X and S I have in my living room act like electric radiators at best, but during Summer it's absolutely unbearable.

The Xbox Series X draws around 160 to 200 watts of power when rendering demanding games, dumping nearly every single watt of that electricity straight back out into the room as pure thermal exhaust. Naturally, this raises the question: is Microsoft doing anything to help us out?

It's worth noting that Microsoft’s revised Xbox Series X models (including the all-digital white edition) have a smaller chip, and I'm still rocking the old disc model. The new chips pull roughly 10 to 15 watts less from the wall and are more power-efficient, but I doubt that 10-watt difference has a dramatic enough effect on heat output.

In my case, I play mainly on a Series S anyway, which, while about half as powerful as the Series X, also dumps every watt it generates out the vent as heat.

The Xbox Toaster might be a real, actual kitchen appliance, but I'd argue you could fry an egg to go with it on my Series S. Though disclaimer: I didn't actually risk breaking my console to try this; the picture is a joke. Have you seen how much the Xbox costs nowadays?

Retreating to the cold arms of the ROG Ally X

I've had a love-hate relationship with my ROG Ally X, but faced with giving up gaming for the summer or melting into my couch, I've been pushed willingly back into its arms as my device of choice.

Sure, it also generates some heat of its own, but it's more akin to holding a Dyson hairdryer than having full-force hot winds blowing into my living room. That being said, there are plenty of ways I can lower the impact, like dropping the TDP and playing in Silent mode.

I've also leaned a little harder into Xbox Cloud Gaming during these hot spells. Using the cloud, I can play the more graphically heavy titles on a lower-power screen without melting my lap away.

Granted, using the Cloud is environmentally ironic

While handhelds and cloud gaming save my immediate space from an unbearable meltdown, I do need to acknowledge that cloud gaming doesn't actually eliminate heat entirely. It's simply displacing it elsewhere, namely to Microsoft's massive server infrastructure.

Data centers require colossal amounts of electricity to run high-end server blades and even more energy to power the massive industrial chillers keeping those racks cool. As climate change continues to drive extreme weather across Europe and North America, relying on cloud infrastructure simply shifts the burden elsewhere. I'm saving myself from sweating today, but streaming high-bitrate video from a rack of server GPUs miles away and outsourcing my discomfort to Microsoft carries its own heavy carbon footprint.

Big tech is wrestling with this environmental paradox, and Microsoft has faced intense scrutiny over its climate impact, with reports highlighting how data center water usage could double or even triple by 2030 due to intense cooling demands.

The company is more than aware of the backlash. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently touted new closed-loop liquid cooling technologies, claiming their revamped data centers can drastically cut water consumption down to what a single restaurant would use per year. But whether closed-loop cooling fixes the issue or not, the sheer electrical demand of running hyperscale infrastructure isn't disappearing. Every time I stream a game to keep my bedroom cool, Microsoft's servers are working overtime and sweating on my behalf.

Surviving the new normal

Until air conditioning becomes standard in British housing, summer gaming will remain an uncomfortable and sweaty juggling act for me.

For now, my Series S is taking an extended summer break, staying firmly switched off. You'll find me sat next to an open window begging for a slight breeze and relying on my gaming handheld to get me through the heatwave.

Or you know, I could just read a book...

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I have become one of the world's only Xbox Ally-first gamers, and as you might expect, I'm a big fan of Xbox Play Anywhere.

For those who don't know, Xbox Play Anywhere is a truly remarkable program by which Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC players get both the PC and console version of a game on a single purchase. In an era where digital rights and preservation have become central, the fact a huge chunk of my Xbox console library is playable on any Windows PC is something that is probably critically overlooked.

It's a great service in particular for the Xbox Ally handheld range, but it's true that many, many games simply don't support the feature. Support has been generally inconsistent, despite some big wins throughout the past couple of years.

New data shows that Xbox Play Anywhere support is still improving, but there's still a ton of work to be done here.

Korean Xbox resource @KoreaXboxNews has been manually tracking the ratio of games that support Xbox Play Anywhere throughout 2026, and the general trend has been pretty impressive.

Microsoft lists new games on the Xbox Store page and lets you filter games by the features they support. KoreaXboxNews' data shows that Microsoft is steadily approaching a ~50% ratio for new games launching that allow users to buy once and then play anywhere.

Microsoft indeed landed some big AAA wins in this regard recently. IO Interactive's 007: First Light was particularly notable. Typically, Microsoft requests that Xbox Game Pass partners deliver titles with Xbox Play Anywhere in exchange for the funding deal. 007: First Light was notable for the fact it was a rare AAA game that opted for Xbox Play Anywhere without any form of discernible incentive.

Other major Xbox Play Anywhere wins recently include Hell is Us, Palworld 1.0, Subnautica 2, Arc Raiders, Cronos: The New Dawn, STALKER 2, Persona 4 Revival, Final Fantasy Resonance, Valor Mortis, Control Resonant, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Blood of the Dawnwalker, Beast of Reincarnation, and many more. Although there have been some downsides too.

Ubisoft continues to be a particular frustration in this area. Ubisoft+ Classics is an Xbox Game Pass benefit, but the PC versions come with no achievements, inconsistent cloud save support, and a Ubisoft Connect PC app requirement that offers no discernible benefits to the player. Some games that were formerly Xbox Play Anywhere, including Resident Evil 7, and Mortal Shell, have irritatingly dropped Xbox Play Anywhere for their sequels. Although sometimes support has arrived post-launch or post-announcement. Aliens Fireteam Elite 2 was certified for Xbox Play Anywhere recently, despite not initially including it.

There's also no real benefit for developers to offer Xbox Play Anywhere on older games. We have seen older games arrive on Xbox Play Anywhere with a Game Pass deal, such as Resident Evil Village, but there are so many classics and new games alike that may likely never arrive. Even many of Microsoft's own back catalog have never been ported to Xbox Play Anywhere, and if Xbox itself doesn't think it's worth it — why should third-party developers?

Xbox Play Anywhere is one of the best features of the Xbox ecosystem in my view, and it's great to see more upcoming titles adopt it out of the box.

RELATED: Best Xbox Ally accessories

Clearly more work needs to be done to convince third-party developers that it's worthwhile. Games sold on Xbox PC deliver more revenue to developers than Steam does, and longer term, building up a credible PC store alternative to Steam would benefit creators in the industry in the long run. I'd argue Microsoft should continue to invest in shouldering some of the burden to support developers willing to support Xbox PC, but Xbox already has its work cut out with a variety of other problems.

It's unclear if hoping developers will "organically" support Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox PC in general will be enough in the long term.

Do you use Xbox Play Anywhere? What games are missing from the platform? What could Microsoft do to improve adoption? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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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?

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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Earlier this week, my colleague, Alex Cope, wrote a piece detailing how a surprise game had turned around his growing ill feelings towards gaming. It resonated with me because it mirrors a lot of the same feelings I've been having myself.

There's a huge selection of great games out there, don't get me wrong, but the whole state of the industry weighs heavy. Not to mention I'm really burned out on live service gaming and the constant grift.

Thanks to another of my colleagues, Ben Wilson, I finally opened up a couple of games I've had sitting in my Steam backlog for actual years: American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2.

I. Am. Hooked.

I've always known how popular these games are, but I finally get it. You're given an enormous sandbox to play in, and you can make of it what you wish. Play the game, make your own game, change it with add-ons, or play with others on community servers.

These are old games but still get new content regularly and, at some point, will finally arrive on console, too. If you look at them and think it might be a tedious gameplay loop, you couldn't be more wrong.

For me, it's all about the drive

You can pretty much make of Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator what you want. There's no campaign to speak of, and from the off you're able to drive anywhere on any of the maps you own.

For me, it's the driving that's completely sucked me in. I could easily be making money faster, buying more trucks, hiring more drivers, and building my own virtual empire, but I'm not really driven that way.

It's all about the road trips. Leveling up to open up bigger, more valuable cargo earns more monetary reward, but it also opens up longer drives. It's one of the most relaxing video games I've ever played.

Sure, AI traffic at times acts dumb and produces a bit of the old virtual road rage, but mostly it's me, my trailer, and the open road. Stick on some music from the selection of in-game but still real-world radio stations, settle in, and admire the surroundings.

It can be challenging, too. Navigating tight roads gets the brain matter working, and I'm still not very good at reversing a trailer, but it also never feels frustrating. There's a real sense of satisfaction when you do it right and don't crash into everything around you.

Hours just fly past. Thinking, "Oh, I'll just jump on and do a few short deliveries," suddenly becomes driving across the entire map. I don't even have all the DLCs for either of the games, but without consciously thinking about it, I'm accepting a 1,000-mile+ drive from New Mexico up to Oregon.

I've spent more time in American Truck Simulator than I have in Euro Truck Simulator 2 purely because I think the drives are better. I've seen plenty of real-life Europe in my years on the planet, and it's nice, but it's not quite the same as some of the spectacular scenery in the U.S.

It feels more like a real road adventure to me.

Both games have limitless potential for customization

Besides the quantity of official DLCs, both American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2 have quite ridiculous mod support. Both from the Steam Workshop and external sources.

I've barely scratched the surface of this yet, but it's mindboggling how far you can go. You can add real-life companies to replace the standard, fake ones. You can download new vehicles, including those not officially in the game. There are graphics mods, physics mods, weather mods, mods to customize your trucks, and mods to change the traffic.

If you can think of it, there's probably already a mod for it.

There are also ways to play with others. Inside the game, there are convoys that you can join in with, but there are also external options, with the most well-known being TruckersMP.

This is a mod that allows you to drive on dedicated servers alongside other real people rather than AI traffic, and there's a whole community built around it. I haven't yet dipped a toe in the multiplayer waters, so I can't speak with any authority, but the option is there.

Ultimately, you can make the experience your own. If you want to go down the hyper-realism route, you can. If you're happy just trucking by yourself using the official content, you can do that too. Or any step in between.

Both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator play great on handhelds

Most of my time trucking so far has actually been spent on my Steam Deck, feet up on the sofa. One day I'm going to get more serious with a wheel and probably a button box, but it's perfectly enjoyable with a controller and a handheld.

Both games actually have a native Linux version you can enjoy on the Steam Deck, and both are still being kept up to date with the Windows equivalent. I've been playing it through Proton instead, and I do think it's a little better overall. But you don't have to. They're as pick-up-and-play as it can be on SteamOS.

There are limitations, and frame rate will drop in some of the newer DLCs and the bigger cities, but overall, it's superb. I'm not even playing on the lowest settings, either. Some are set to low, but most are on medium, and it's working just fine. It looks good enough to still feel impressive on those long drives through the countryside.

Both are perfect games to play on a handheld, and for me at least, I get added relaxation from moving away from my gaming PC. The one I spend all day in front of while I'm working. These two truck sims plus the Steam Deck are a perfect antidote.

Mostly, I'm wondering why I waited so long. I said the same about Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, too.

I've always loved games where you can explore, and what's better than a huge open map to drive across as you please?

If you've ever been even curious, I definitely recommend checking out at least one of them. The base games are cheap, and while there's a lot of DLC map add-ons, there's enough road in each of the base maps to help you get a feel for it.

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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.

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

This is my first foray into the world of 8BitDo accessories, happened upon only as the entire range of classic Xbox retro green accessories caught my eye last year. The full range, which consists of a keyboard, mouse, and controller, makes for quite a collection for fans of the original Xbox, especially as we wait for Xbox to make its own 'X25' gear, which I'm sure will be considerably more expensive.

First up on my testing docket was this 8BitDo Ultimate 3-mode Xbox Controller in Jade, and while I'm a bit bummed that not one of those 3 modes includes true wireless for Xbox, this is still a fine piece of kit for PC players (especially if you are also looking at that sexy keyboard and want to match).

8BitDo Ultimate 3-Mode Controller: Price, availability and specs

The 8BitDo Ultimate 3-Mode (Jade Edition) comes in at an MSRP of $69.99 (frequently on sale around $54.99–$59.99 at major retailers like Best Buy).

Here's what you get under the hood:

• Tri-mode connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and USB-C wired connection
• Compatibility: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11, Android, and iOS
• Hall Effect anti-drift sticks & Hall Effect analog triggers
• Membrane ABXY buttons and traditional D-pad
• Two remappable pro back paddle buttons
• 4 integrated rumble motors (impulse trigger rumble + grip vibration)
• Custom Profile Switcher: Holds up to 3 custom configurations via 8BitDo Ultimate Software
• Included charging dock: Houses the 2.4GHz USB receiver

8BitDo Ultimate 3-Mode Controller: What's good

First off, we have to talk about the obvious aesthetic pull of this controller. As a bonafide millennial, obviously the translucent green hue speaks to me. I gravitate toward translucent tech, as it reminds me of when tech was less boring and more prone to black-and-white combos. Combined with the matching green Xbox guide button, it’s one of the cleanest-looking controllers I’ve put on my desk in a long time. Overall, this controller would make a fantastic pairing with the 8BitDo retro green keyboard and mouse if you want to build out a complete, cohesive PC desktop setup with those lovely Xbox retro colors.

Ergonomically, despite being smaller than what I usually reach for, it feels wonderfully crafted in the hand. I tend to grimace when I see anything outside the standard Xbox controller shape and layout, but this is a little more compact and surprisingly comfortable; your experience may vary if you have huge hands. The general weight and size are a bonus for me, though, as I've packed the controller on a couple of hotel trips now for use with my laptop, and even with the charging dock, it takes up so little room.

The build quality feels tight, sturdy, and light, featuring a very subtle textured grip on the back (though a little too subtle for my preference).

The sticks use Hall Effect technology, meaning stick drift shouldn't be an issue down the line, a massive upgrade over Microsoft's stock controllers that still refuse to incorporate this.

Connecting it to the official 8BitDo Ultimate Software app directly on your Xbox or PC is also seamless. The app gives you full control to remap the face and rear paddle buttons, fine-tune trigger sensitivity, and adjust stick dead zones with ease, saving up to 3 custom profiles on the fly.

Then there is the charging setup. 8BitDo was ahead of the game when it came to including bundled charging docks with budget controllers, and has been doing it long before other brands. Dropping the pad onto the cradle at the end of a session so it’s fully charged and ready to go for the next day, without messing with external play-and-charge kits or AA batteries, is a convenience feature I never get tired of. I'm always impressed to see it in a sub-$100 controller.

You do also get a code for 1 month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in the box, though it's only for new customers (I couldn't stack it on my existing subscription booo!)

8BitDo Ultimate 3-Mode Controller: What's bad

I feel like I've repeated this same point now on many a third-party controller, but it really grinds my gears when they are advertised as for Xbox, complete with the logo, to be wired only for the console. It often catches me out, and I imagine it would the average consumer too who doesn't understand the stranglehold that Microsoft keeps on their wireless technology.

This only works via a wired USB-C connection when playing on an Xbox console. The 2.4GHz wireless dongle and Bluetooth modes are strictly reserved for PC, Android, and iOS devices. Having just experienced the true wireless couch freedom of the GameSir T7 Pro on my Xbox, being tethered to my console with a long cable here just means this is a non-starter for me when I'm playing on my console. There are other better options now.

Speaking of that cable... 8BitDo decided to bundle a standard black cable and black charging dock with this edition. When you buy a special translucent Jade controller, having it sit on a plain black dock with a plain black cord hanging out of it does look a little jarring, especially when 8BitDo has made beautifully color-matched accessories for their other special editions; look at the Rare 40th Edition and Lavender Dusk, for example.

On the gameplay front, the controller lacks features that are fast becoming standard at this price point. There are no physical trigger stops, meaning shooter fans can't shorten their trigger pulls for rapid firing, and like I've previously mentioned, the texture on the grips is far too subtle, and I'd prefer a rougher texture, if not rubber.

8BitDo Ultimate 3-Mode Controller: The competition

At $69.99, the Jade 3-mode controller is being squeezed from both sides of the controller price wars, and I'd say for just $20 more you'd get more connectivity (wireless for Xbox) with the following two options...

The GameSir T7 Pro Sugar Whirl costs a little more at $79.99, but you're also getting the benefit of it working wirelessly with Xbox, the more up-to-date TMR stick tech, and those trigger stops that are missing from the 8BitDo option. It's an acquired taste when it comes to the design, but its value for money can't be beat.

For those who bleed green and just have their heart set on the OG Xbox colors, it could well be worth waiting until November for the official Xbox Series X25 controller to be released. However, the price is still unknown, and it will not have the bells and whistles of an included charging dock and Hall Effect sticks.

8BitDo Ultimate 3-Mode Controller: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You want that full retro green PC setup

This will pair stunningly well with the green keyboard and mouse 8BitDo provides, so it will be a no-brainer for collectors

✅ You like more compact hardware

It may be a little smaller than your standard pad, but this makes it great for travel and those with smaller hands.

✅ You want a controller primarily for PC and mobile

If you jump between PC, Steam Deck, or mobile devices, the wireless 2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth toggles work like a charm.

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You want a wireless controller for your Xbox console

IHaving to plug a wire across your living room floor to play on Xbox completely defeats the point of buying a "wireless" pad.

❌ You play competitive shooters or racing games

The lack of physical trigger stops and tactile micro-switch buttons means it's not built for ultra-fast response times.

As my very first experience with an 8BitDo controller, the Ultimate 3-Mode (Jade Edition) is a bit of a heartbreaker. On one hand, it’s a compact, perfectly formed pad that easily stands out as one of the prettiest third-party controllers on the market. If you are building out a dedicated PC setup alongside 8BitDo's retro green keyboard and mouse, it’s a match made in heaven.

However, arriving right after I tested the GameSir T7 Pro Sugar Whirl — which proved that budget-friendly controllers can give us true wireless Xbox gaming — being tied down by a cable on console is a real bummer. If you pick it up on sale for around $55 for PC or casual desktop play, you’ll undoubtedly love it. But for pure Xbox console players who want couch freedom, there are simply more feature-packed wireless options sitting on shelves right now.

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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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.

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.

In just a month from now, Gamescom 2026 will commence, offering the public early hands-on previews of highly anticipated Xbox games, along with reveals of brand-new gameplay footage or even entirely new games.

This year's Gamescom is already stacked with some heavy hitters, with the likes of Gears of War: E-Day's first playable demo and the premiere of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's 'Songs of the Past' DLC expansion already confirmed to show up.

I've already curated my own list of upcoming Xbox games that I'm most looking forward to seeing at Gamescom, along with other Xbox games that haven't been confirmed for Gamescom — but I still hope they'll show up with surprise trailers.

Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance

Capcom has confirmed it will be at Gamescom this year (via its European X account), bringing playable demos for Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, Mega Man: Dual Override, and Street Fighter 6.

While we won't be getting a playable showroom demo this year, I'm still hoping for more gameplay trailers or info on Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance.

This DLC expansion to the latest mainline entry in the Monster Hunter series, just from its initial reveal trailer, has me stoked with its new beautiful floating island locale, new and classic monsters, and new Boost Bracer mechanic that aims to add completely new moves and ways to play every weapon type in the game.

I'm hoping for at least a new gameplay trailer and, at most, a gameplay deep dive describing not only its new content but how it will change or improve the base game content of Monster Hunter Wilds.

Granted, the base game is in a much better state than it was at launch, but I feel there's still plenty that could be done to fix the fundamental gameplay issues I have with it, which I hope the DLC expansion will address.

Gears of War: E-Day

One game that shot up my wishlist recently was Gears of War: E-Day, which is confirmed to have a playable demo at Gamescom, so we'll definitely be getting more info on it for sure.

Seeing the initial reveal trailer and its E-Day Direct filled me with waves of nostalgia for the original Gears of War trilogy with Marcus and Dom, not to mention how hyped it made me for the new modernized mechanics that make its classic cover-based gunplay more fast-paced than ever.

So I can't wait to see more footage of its gameplay (hopefully co-op) in action at Gamescom. Though thankfully we have its multiplayer gameplay showcase to look forward to first to whet our appetites.

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.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past DLC

In what is possibly one of the biggest pleasant surprises of 2026, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is getting another DLC expansion over a decade later after the release of its Blood & Wine expansion.

Little is known about this 'Songs of the Past' expansion other than CD Projekt Red confirming its content will be on the same level of scale as the Blood & Wine expansion, which was so gigantic and well-done that it won the award for "Best RPG" at the 2016 Game Awards, so I can't imagine how 'Songs of the Past' plans to top it or how it lead into Witcher 4.

Many years ago, I went through a marathon of The Witcher series, and I concur with Jez Corden's review that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was the best of the bunch. Just the base game alone was packed to the brim with dozens of hours of epic branching stories, engrossing character writing, varied character builds, and enticing combat.

So I can't wait to see what CD Projekt Red's swansong to this legendary game will look like when it debuts at Gamescom 2026.

Spyro: A Realm Beyond

My inner child leaped with joy upon seeing that Spyro the Dragon will be coming back with a new game called Spyro: A Realm Beyond, made in the same gameplay style as the original PlayStation 1 trilogy.

Not to mention that it will be made by Toys for Bob, which has proven it can make solid platformers with its fantastic Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, and Crash Bandicoot 4.

We've only gotten a brief look at its gameplay within its reveal trailer, and it's already got me intrigued with the addition of being able to fly whenever we want now, because in previous Spyro games, flight was only limited to certain boss fights and the Speedway levels.

So I'm hoping that Spyro: A Realm Beyond shows up at Gamescom 2026 so we can see more of this free-flight mechanic, other gameplay elements, and its mysterious new bad guy for Spyro to torch.

Spyro: A Realm Beyond is set to launch on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass with Xbox Play Anywhere support, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam sometime in the future.

Persona 6

After over a decade of Persona 5 content, we're finally getting a new mainline entry in the Persona series with Persona 6, and it's already having me intrigued with the dark, gothic vibes it's giving off compared to previous games, at least from its teaser trailer.

While Atlus is focusing all its attention on Persona 4: Revival, which looks amazing in its own right, I'm more interested in seeing what Persona 6 is going to look like as it's new, and I already played the original Persona 4 back on the PlayStation 2.

Now, chances of a new trailer showing up for Persona 6 are very unlikely since we're so early in development. But it would be nice to at least have an interview with Atlus on Persona 6 (as they're confirmed to be at Gamescom via X) on how it will evolve the series' trademark gameplay loop of living a double life as a high school student and an otherworld dungeon crawler fighting Shadows in turn-based battles.

Persona 6 is launching on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass with Xbox Play Anywhere support, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam sometime in the future.

Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember

One game I was not expecting to exist but glad it is is Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember, a sequel to the underrated soulslike action-RPG, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. I played the original Wo Long years ago to help my colleague Brendan Lowry with guide coverage (particularly with killing Lu Bu), and I loved every minute of it.

I loved its dark, deranged take on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms setting, its endless array of weapons and spells to create insane character builds with, and its fast-paced and brutal combat system comparable to that of Team Ninja's Nioh series.

So I'm hoping to see more of Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember at Gamescom 2026 and how it plans on topping its predecessor because, judging from its Xbox Showcase reveal trailer, it's looking nuts with the addition of aerial combat mechanics.

Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember is launching sometime in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass with Xbox Play Anywhere support. It's also releasing on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam.

Final Fantasy Resonance

One of the biggest surprises this year that I did not see coming was Final Fantasy Resonance, the first game in the Final Fantasy series to adopt Octopath Traveler's HD-2D graphical art aesthetic and the first game in decades to have turn-based combat.

As a fan of the turn-based era of Final Fantasy games (Final Fantasy 1-10), Final Fantasy Resonance has been impressing me every time I see it. Its blending of 2D pixel art sprites with HD backgrounds looks gorgeous, and its insane, fast-paced turn-based combat system looks like a glorious return to form for the franchise that I hope the mainline follows suit someday.

While plenty of information and gameplay for Final Fantasy Resonance has been shown off already, I'm still hungry for more because I haven't been this excited for a Final Fantasy game in decades, and I hope we'll get it at Gamescom 2026.

Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy

Last month, I played the beta of Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, an upcoming sequel to one of the best Warhammer 40,000 games and best CRPGs I've ever played, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.

In the short time I played the beta, I was taken in by its dark storyline, in-depth investigation system where you can sentence important NPCs for crimes they committed or frame them, streamlined character progression system, and its engrossing turn-based combat system where you will need to plan things out carefully; otherwise, you'll get stomped, even on lower difficulty levels.

I'm hoping to see more of Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy if it shows up at Gamescom, so we can see more of its potential companions and enemies, and find out when its release date is, as it's currently unknown.

Honorable mentions

To close out, there's a small list of honorable mentions of Xbox games that aren't too high on my wishlist priority, but I would be happy to see more gameplay of at Gamescom 2026:

• Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
• Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Deathwatch
• Total War: Warhammer 40,000
• Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2
• Minecraft Dungeons II
• Persona 4: Revival
• Fable
• Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Deathmaster

And there you have it: my top Xbox games that I'm hoping to see more gameplay of at Gamescom 2026. Do you have any games you're looking forward to seeing, or are you hoping to find something completely new?

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

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

There's a ton of games on the horizon, in what looks to be another outstanding year for new content.

The big Xbox headliner is without a doubt Grand Theft Auto 6, but it comes against a backdrop of industry turmoil. The memory crisis has vastly constrained console supplies across Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation alike, and competition from non-gaming "hobbies" like YouTube Shorts and TikTok continues to compete for attention.

That's not stopping the monstrously talented games industry from putting out endless bangers, though. Inspired by a conversation I was having IRL, I thought I'd put the question to you guys too: what are your top 5 most anticipated games for the rest of the year, and maybe some that are also flying under the radar?

Here are some of my picks.

Star Wars: Zero Company (August 27, 2026)

I absolutely adore XCOM, and I've been endlessly irritated that Take-Two has put the franchise on ice. Thankfully, various members of the OG Firaxis XCOM team formed a new studio, Bit Reactor, and they've teamed up with EA for a next-gen XCOM-like set in the Star Wars universe. Do not sleep on this one, tactics fans.

Beast of Reincarnation (August 4, 2026)

Beast of Reincarnation is from the publisher of Pokemon of all things, proving that they can deliver modernized visuals and combat in a wholly original IP.

Beast of Reincarnation draws upon the likes of Sekiro, Nier Automata, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake's hybrid tactics-action combat, and it looks fantastic.

Gears of War: E-Day (October 6, 2026)

Gears of War: E-Day is the first fully forever Xbox console exclusive in years, and it looks to be something special. E-Day is a prequel showcasing the initial attack on humanity, as the Locust horde springs forth from the ground and begins carving humanity into dust. More horrific and brutal than ever, Gears: E-Day might end up being the best entry in the franchise's history.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword (September 4, 2026)

Capcom is arguably having one of its best years in history, with Resident Evil 9 and Pragmata selling millions of copies at the start of the year. It looks set to make it a hat trick with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, which modernizes the classic horror-hack-n-slash for a new era.

Guns of Eschaton (TBC)

Guns of Eschaton is the final game from legendary artist Viktor Antonov, known for shaping the worlds of Dishonored and Half-Life. Antonov sadly passed away in 2025, but not before leaving his mark on Guns of Eschaton, a mind-warping horror Western FPS with soulslike traditions baked in.

Over to you! What games are you most excited for?

There are tons of games I could also mention on top of this list. I'm excited for Final Fantasy Resonance, Mortal Shell 2, Minecraft Dungeons 2, Fable, Clockwork Revolution, Blood of the Dawnwalker, Castlevania Belmont's Curse, and of course, GTA 6. There's also tons of DLCs I'm interested in playing too, such as STALKER 2's Cost of Hope expansion, and Dragon's Dogma 2's on top.

There are probably dozens I'm forgetting as well, which is why I'm handing it over to you.

Hit the comments and let us know what your most anticipated upcoming games are, and there are bonus points for highlighting games flying under the radar right now.

The industry is in turmoil in some ways, but the creativity on display despite all the pressures is inspiring in its own right.

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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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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Let's get this out of the way: Monster Hunter Wilds was one of the biggest disappointments I've had playing a game in a long time, which hurts me a lot to say as a die-hard Monster Hunter fan.

Unlike my colleague, Jez Corden, who somewhat enjoyed it when he reviewed it, Monster Hunter Wilds left me frustratingly bored at launch for its dangerless main campaign, inadequate performance, dull art style, nonexistent endgame content, and other quality-of-life features that went too far in catering to new players, which sucked out any form of challenge seen in previous Monster Hunter games.

Granted, it got better over time with some cool post-launch updates that added much-needed meat to its endgame content and fixed its performance issues on the Xbox and similar issues on PC. However, none of these updates have fixed the aforementioned issues that plague its main story campaign and other elements that make the base game a slog until players can unlock the post-launch content.

Which is why I'm hoping that, when the game's DLC expansion, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, launches in 2027, it will take its time to address the fundamental gameplay issues with the base game, so that the journey to Master Rank quests won't be a tedious grind to sit through. So, here are the top gameplay improvements I want to see Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance bring to the base game of Monster Hunter Wilds.

1) Make enemies tougher — encourage players to upgrade gear at every step of the journey

One of the biggest problems of Monster Hunter Wilds was that the main Low Rank campaign and early High Rank story quests were too easy compared to previous games. This problem was caused by lots of new gameplay mechanics introduced in Monster Hunter Wilds, and the monsters themselves don't feel like much of a threat.

A good chunk of the monsters died in less than five minutes with little effort, and they barely did any damage to me, and I was wearing the beginner Hope Armor set and Gunlance, which I didn't upgrade for the majority of the campaign until the end purely out of fashion rather than function.

As for the new combat mechanics such as Focus Strikes and Wounds, they were constantly trivialized as they kept knocking monsters down and chopping off a good chunk of their health.

So, what I propose is that when Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance comes out, it could introduce a major balance adjustment for the monsters so that they hit much harder and have much more health in Low Rank quests and early High Rank quests.

This way, it will encourage players not to recklessly button-mash their way to victory, as that will get them killed, and actually take the time to prepare before each fight by upgrading their equipment and studying their quarry's attack patterns and openings, as previous Monster Hunter games have done.

Additionally, I'd want Wounds to appear far less often on monsters so that when they do show up and are ready to be popped by Focus Strikes for big damage and knockdowns, it feels rewarding to be aggressive while also careful to avoid getting eaten by the newly improved monsters.

Granted, we already see elements in this post-launch High Rank monster like Omega, Gogmazios, and Tempered Monsters. But having this level of toughness for the Low Rank to early High Rank campaign quest monsters will help new players become better hunters for the greater challenges ahead and provide great satisfaction upon beating these newly improved monsters.

Not to mention, the increased difficulty will also make the story more enjoyable, as now the stakes presented by monsters in cutscenes will actually feel real.

2) Nerf the Seikret

One of the contentious additions of Monster Hunter Wilds is the new Seikret mount. This thing is designed to help players traverse the large-scale maps and aid in combat by providing a faster mode of transportation while allowing players to switch weapons, use items, or sharpen weapons on the fly.

The problem with the Seikret is that it's too good at its job. When you get knocked down, you can call the Seikret to help you get back while being invincible for a brief period, and there's no cooldown for this trick.

Plus, with the extra mobility and other features, the Seikret can make players literally run circles around monsters without getting hit and hit back twice as hard with dismounting attacks with no consequence.

While I would like to remove the Seikret entirely, unfortunately we can't. Otherwise, we would be unable to access areas that can't be entered on foot and would be unable to progress in the game.

I propose making the Seikret less of a "get out of jail free card" by limiting the number of times we can call it to escape attacks or switch weapons in battle. It could be done by using a cooldown system tied to the Seikret's stamina (similar to the Wirebugs in Monster Hunter Rise) or by having certain monsters exude such a terrifying aura that it causes the Seikret to flee, making it unusable while the player is near it.

That way, players will need to be more careful when using the Seikret in combat, learn to use other mechanics like playing dead, dodge rolling, and blocking with shields to avoid damage so they can experience more varied defensive options, and feel more rewarded for using the limited Seikret calls when trying to escape dire situations when all other options are exhausted.

3) Permanently setting the weather state of maps

One of the unique features of Monster Hunter Wilds is its dynamic weather system, which changes the look and feel of hunting biomes and which monsters appear. These weather states include:

• Plenty: A biome brightens up with gorgeous lighting and abundant wildlife roaming the fields.
• Fallow: A biome's ecosystem falls into a barren, decaying state devoid of life.
• Inclemency: A biome undergoes hazardous weather effects and draws out that biome's Apex monster.

While this weather system is designed to make each area feel more alive and immersive, it only makes the game's art direction and graphics look dull (and, in some worse cases, an unfinished mess).

The game's diverse biomes look absolutely beautiful during Plenty periods with their rich colors and contrasts, but during the Fallow and Inclemency periods, the game's art direction takes a nose dive as areas are covered in way too much fog, dust storms, and other weather effects, making the environments look so dull and grey (though they did an option to reduce volmetric fog in a post-launch update).

What makes this worse is that the game's best monsters like Rey Dau and Nu Udra only show up during the Inclemency periods, which causes all their sublimely well-done, detailed character designs to be muddied and lost in hazardous weather conditions and fog.

Sometimes I don't want to hunt these monsters in their natural habitats and would just fight them in the arena map so I can actually see them properly and take in their gorgeous details rendered by Capcom's RE Engine.

So, I propose giving players the option to set the weather state of a biome permanently to whatever state they want and have the Apex monsters show up in any weather state instead of just Inclemency.

That way, we can hunt enemies all the time in the lovely Plenty weather and feast on the visual eye-candy this game's detailed graphics can provide, instead of being forced to fight the most challenging enemies in the other weather states, which do nothing but degrade this game's artistic beauty.

Here's hoping Monster Hunter Wilds' DLC expansion can help it 'ascend' to new heights

I could rant on even more about potential improvements to the base game, such as improving certain weapon types by bringing back moves from previous games to make them more fun to use (please, give us recoil mods for Spread ammo on Bowguns and bring back Heavy Bowgun's shoulder tackle from Monster Hunter Rise).

However, judging by Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance's debut trailer, it looks to be already addressing that with the introduction of the Boost Bracer mechanic, which seems to give weapons access to cool new moves or modes, like holding a Light Bowgun in one hand and firing it like a machine gun or increasing the swing speed of the Greatsword.

Either way, whatever improvements Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance plans to bring, I will be there to experience them first-hand when it launches on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam, as I still love Monster Hunter at the end of the day.

If the DLC plays its cards right and if it takes my advice into account, Monster Hunter Wilds may finally become that awesome next-gen RE Engine Monster Hunter experience we were promised when it was first revealed in 2023.

But what do you think? Are there aspects of Monster Hunter Wilds' base game you would like to improve in Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, or are you happy with the state of the game as is and just want all the new content in the DLC expansion?

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

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

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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We're headed towards an all-digital future, and there's nothing we can do about it. We've only ourselves to blame, really. As more of us moved away from buying physical music, movies, and video games, it's given the platform holders the fuel they need to do away with it entirely.

PlayStation has already pulled the trigger, confirming that from 2028 there will be no new physical console games released. The next Xbox, Project Helix, is going to be some kind of PC/console mashup, and we're expecting it'll do the same. We already have the Xbox Series S and a digital-only version of the Xbox Series X.

I'm not an eggs-in-either-basket person. I have a large library of digital content, as well as physical games, music, and movies. I like buying a thing on a disc, and I appreciate the convenience of not having to do that, also.

But in less than a week we've had two major Xbox outages and one from PlayStation; living proof this all-digital future we seem to be locked into is going to be pretty awful at times.

Unfortunately, I don't really know the answer. One thing is pretty clear, though; we need more robust systems in place and we need reliable ways to enjoy our content in an offline environment when these systems go down.

Offline access needs to be guaranteed

It's not just Xbox and PlayStation catching attention for the wrong reasons in recent weeks. Ubisoft had a hit on its hands when it launched Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, only to stomp all over it when folks couldn't play it offline on PC.

A Ubisoft Connect outage somehow also stopped players playing the game offline, leading us to question whether Ubisoft even knows what an offline mode really is. Ironically there were comments about saying pirated versions of the game were working just fine

We've since found out that a licensing tool not specific within Microsoft to just Xbox is what failed and ultimately brought everything crashing down around it. Folks couldn't even see their library of 'owned' games. All these systems are in place to prove 'ownership' of our content, and it turns out that they're not necessarily up to scratch.

Steam, for all its faults, at least has a pretty robust offline mode. There are still conditions that need to be met, but assuming you keep game files up to date, there's no external connection required to launch or play, and it uses Steam's own DRM for your 'ownership' check, you're usually able to play when you don't have a connection.

I've had a Steam Deck for four years now and never once have had an issue playing a game offline on it that didn't need outside connections. The rest really do need to catch up.

The future really isn't so bright after all

I've been feeling increasingly disillusioned with gaming over the past few months, for many reasons I won't go into here. The Xbox layoffs situation certainly hasn't helped.

But I think it also carries over a little from other media. Trying to explain to my children what it was like when I was their age is like speaking a foreign language.

Going to Blockbuster to find a movie to watch at the weekend. Hitting the local games store with friends to hunt for something new to play, then being able to just put a cartridge or disc into a console and get right to playing it. No updates, no accounts, just straight into the fun.

The entertainment industry as a whole is structured now to take as much money as possible from us and give us the least in return. Instead of focusing on making good games (at least at the biggest studios), the focus is on how to ensure that a game can extract revenue for as long as possible.

We're paying more than ever with less to show for it. And it's only going to get worse.

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

For many years, "pre-built PC" almost felt like a slur in some gaming circles, and I'll admit that I used to consider myself above the pre-built market.

Who would buy a system built by someone else? That might not have proper airflow? That might have a ton of bloatware installed out of the box? That might use proprietary parts you can't upgrade yourself? That charges a premium price compared to building your own? To put it bluntly, pre-built gaming PCs had a poor reputation.

These things used to cross my mind before I regularly started testing pre-built PCs here at Windows Central, before I had a ton of experience with the pre-built market, and before the PC market's recent changes.

I won't pretend that I don't still prefer building my own gaming PC. Watching it power on and run my favorite games is a small joy that I love to repeat. But the time when building your own PC was cheaper and better than picking up a pre-built is coming to an end.

I've spent the past several months testing a wave of new pre-built gaming PCs here at Windows Central, and I can no longer pretend that they're inferior. Some of these machines are genuinely good. Not just "good for a prebuilt" — genuinely good and bordering on better than I could do myself.

The proof is in the pre-built PC

It was Acer's Nitro 65 pre-built gaming PC that finally spurred me to write this article. It's the most recent pre-built I reviewed — I'm also testing the HP Omen 45L right now — and I went in expecting the usual compromises often found in big-brand pre-built systems.

It turns out that, aside from a non-modular PSU tucked away out of sight, the PC is something I'd easily recommend to anyone looking for an upgrade.

I saw a similar story play out on the boutique end. I tested Maingear's MG-1 MK.II earlier this year, handing it five stars and a Windows Central Editor's Choice award.

It's an expensive PC to be sure, but not much more than putting your own system together with everything considered. These PCs are assembled by hand by people who clearly have a passion for this type of thing, and I don't think I've ever paid as much attention to cable management and RGB lighting as what's found in Maingear's flagship.

The iBuyPower Slate 8 Mesh that I reviewed last year is another relatively affordable gaming PC that balances power and price quite well, and it regularly costs less than $1,500.

This leads me to the Steam Machine's launch, when I went looking for prebuilts that could best it on price and performance. This was during Amazon's Prime Day event, but it quickly became clear that the five PCs I chose could outperform Valve's box while also costing less.

This is really where I imagine PC purists are having a hard time: pre-builts are increasingly upping build quality, maintaining convenience, and winning on value.

Not every pre-built gaming PC is a winner

As I said, I'd still recommend anyone with the time and inspiration to put together their own system. If hardware prices weren't being completely skewed by the ongoing RAM and storage crisis, I might not be writing this piece.

And although I've had some positive experiences of late, I don't want to oversell pre-built PCs. There are certainly still a lot of oddities to be found in the market.

Take the ASUS TUF Gaming T500 that I reviewed as an example. It's built around a laptop-class mobile CPU stuffed into a desktop chassis, and, in my opinion, the mash-up didn't work.

It took the worst pre-built habits, including poor upgradeability, and added new problems on top. It's ultimately proof that pre-builts still aren't guaranteed to be winners, and that the ceiling has risen without the floor following.

That's the distinction that matters. Just a few years ago, the odds of landing a quality pre-built PC that was upgradeable and assembled properly weren't great. Enough so that using a blanket "just build your own PC" response was reasonable.

Those odds have shifted. More and more companies are shipping systems that hold up against self-assembled PCs in terms of price, component quality, and thermals.

My advice to gamers shopping for a new pre-built PC

Those shopping for a pre-built gaming PC shouldn't trust the entire category. Instead, trust specific reviews. Check what PSU is inside and whether an upgrade is necessary. Check what parts the case can fit inside. Check how much bloatware you're dealing with on day one.

Just a few years ago, I would have told a friend building their first gaming PC to skip pre-builts entirely. Now, I'd tell them to read a few reviews first, because there's a real chance the better deal is already sitting on a store shelf.

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I'm going to be real honest here: I've been feeling somewhat down lately.

Even though there are so many games on the horizon, it's hard to feel excited when there's been so much negativity surrounding the industry recently, what with Sony discontinuing physical media, Xbox blocking people from their Xbox accounts through no fault of their own, and rapidly rising Xbox and PC tech prices thanks to AI.

I was stuck in a rut, which my colleague, Jez Corden, noticed and decided to fix by gifting me a game I had never heard of but knew would capture my attention: Tears of Metal.

This game is a roguelike hack-and-slash heavily inspired by Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors franchise, where you play as legendary Scottish warriors looking to take back their homeland from demonic invaders created by the mysterious Dragon Meteor.

As someone who grew up playing Dynasty Warriors games like Samurai Warriors 2, Warriors Orochi, and, my personal favorite, Hyrule Warriors, Jez thought this game would be up my alley and get me out of my funk.

Although, I didn't think I'd like it because of my depressing state and because I hadn't played a Dynasty Warriors game in decades after growing bored of how repetitive they are (and before you ask, I didn't play Dynasty Warriors Origins when it first came out because, despite the good things I heard about it, the idea of playing only ONE character in a Dynasty Warriors game sounded like heresy to me).

But I decided to give it a chance, and oh my gods, was I wrong to be pessimistic. This chaotic game was just the catharsis my brain needed, and I'm about to tell you why this game should be on any hack-and-slash lover's wishlist.

The gameplay structure has you embark on campaigns with procedurally generated maps filled with levels where you must defeat hordes of baddies to reach the final boss, each level more challenging than the last thanks to rising threat levels if you spend too much time on a map.

To survive, you will need to master your character's wide range of special attacks, command units in your army to attack priority targets, and gather items that grant powerful passive traits like firing explosions every time you dodge or cursing groups of enemies so they all share the same amount of damage they take even if you hit one of them.

However, it's unlikely you beat it on your first go because enemies in this game get tougher the further you progress, eventually to the point where you'll start doing less damage to them and kill you in one or two shots.

Thankfully, death is not the end. After each campaign concludes, whether you win, lose, or quit, you will gain permanent resources that can be used to upgrade your characters by unlocking new moves, unlocking discounts on item shops, promoting your army so that they'll get stronger while providing you with passive benefits so long as you keep them alive during a campaign, and much more.

These roguelite elements, combined with a fast-paced combat system and fun characters to play as (my favourite being Brienne Ironleg, as she's an extremely fast brawler), make this game so exciting to play through, even when I was dying a lot, as I knew I was still making progress unlocking new gear and moves after each run.

But don't take this to mean Tears of Metal's enemies are pushovers once you've found enough upgrades, because they can and will wreck you if you don't take time to analyse their attack patterns and learn when it's safe to dodge or attack.

Dying to these bosses can be pretty demoralizing, especially when you've progressed so far into a run. But coming back with new gear, moves, and knowledge to get revenge on them after they humiliated you was very satisfying and worth the backtracking.

Plus, when you feel like the game's starting to get too easy, you can always add difficulty modifiers unlocked after each successful campaign for greater challenges and rewards.

Overall, I had a blast playing Tears of Metal, and it was just what I needed after a stressful couple of weeks reporting on this dark state of gaming we currently live in.

The art style is cartoonishly grim, the available playable characters were fun to mess around with (there are only 3 in early access with more coming in the future), the music was gloriously metal, there's a healthy variety of enemies to fight, and the roguelike elements kept things from getting repetitive, unlike its main inspiration.

And the kicker was that I was having a good time solo, so I can't imagine how fun it will be when I drag my friends into playing this game's 4-player co-op mode with me.

I can't wait to see this game fully evolve as time passes with more updates and hopefully get my friends to play it when the full game releases on PC and Xbox sometime in the future.

In the meantime, I think I'll fire up Dynasty Warriors: Origins to give that game a chance now that Tears of Metal has put me in a hack-and-slash mood, as well as check out the hit 2D hack-and-slash, Absolum, now that it's on Xbox and Xbox Game Pass.

This early-access game is currently available on Xbox on PC, (via Xbox Game Preview), PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Steam, but is planned to launch on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Cloud Gaming at a later date.

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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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I thought I was locked into ultrawide monitors for good. It had been 10 years of an expanded 21:9 aspect ratio and 3440x1440 resolution on my desk, after all.

But that all changed a couple of months ago when I got my hands on a "regular" widescreen 16:9 gaming monitor from Alienware.

The screen in question, the AW2726DM, came my way temporarily as a review unit, and it reintroduced me to several display perks I'd forgotten I was missing.

I saw an improvement to my first-person shooter skills with a 16:9 monitor

OK, yeah, I totally forgot that playing first-person shooter (FPS) games on a 16:9 monitor is way different than playing on an ultrawide. I've always said there's a reason that pros don't go for extra pixels on the sides, but I guess I forgot why I was saying it.

Switching back to a regular monitor while playing games like Battlefield 6, Escape From Tarkov, Hell Let Loose, and a few others made a noticeable difference to my scoreboard.

With fewer pixels to watch, especially outside of my main area of focus, I found that I was able to do a lot more shooting and a lot less dying. It largely has to do with a tighter HUD and a smaller window of focus — in any case, when I'm on a first-person shooter jag where I care at all about my performance, I'll be using a 16:9 display.

Indie games and singleplayer gems usually fit better on a 16:9 monitor

When I'm not enjoying first-person shooters, I spend a lot of time with indie and single-player games, many from decades ago before ultrawide screens were even an option.

While some of them offer ultrawide support, there are plenty that fill the space with black bars instead. It's not the worst look, but it's certainly not as clean as gaming on a 16:9 monitor where the graphics fill the screen from bezel to bezel. Worse, some games struggle with a 21:9 aspect ratio in terms of UI functionality.

Even some high-profile games lack native ultrawide support. Elden Ring is a good (bad?) example, requiring me to download a mod or a third-party tool to get rid of black bars on an ultrawide monitor.

My PC doesn't work as hard ... and that's especially important in the summer

PC gaming in the summer usually finds me with a Steam Deck in hand near the air conditioning. But, as we all know, a gaming handheld just isn't the way to play a lot of demanding titles.

It's a coincidence, but my switch to a 16:9 monitor lines up nicely with hot summer weather. Because my GPU isn't having to produce extra pixels for a 3440x1440 ultrawide monitor (compared to 2560x1440), it's not running as hot, and I'm seeing similar (or better) frame rates.

Forgetting ambient temperatures for a moment, giving my RTX 5070 Ti some extra headroom for advanced stuff like ray tracing is always nice. A 16:9 monitor doesn't have to be any less crisp than an ultrawide, and it doesn't take long to stop noticing the lack of extra space on either side of the picture.

My desk isn't being dominated by one screen anymore

I have a dual-monitor mounting arm attached to my desk, and I found that with an ultrawide connected to one fork, there was always one screen taking over my setup.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. My secondary monitor is an old 16:9 screen I use for running Discord and other secondary apps while I game, so it can easily be pushed to the side to make space for the ultrawide.

With two 16:9 monitors back in play, the setup feels a lot more balanced. There's just more space to work with, and I don't feel like I'm turning my head nearly as much when I'm looking at the secondary screen.

I want to be honest about the 16:9 monitor trade-offs

I truly thought I was an ultrawide lover for life, and I spent a considerable amount of time trying to nail down the best high-performance QD-OLED option for gaming.

But my time with a 16:9 monitor has convinced me that a regular aspect ratio is more than enough for my needs. That should also help soften the blow to my wallet when I finally upgrade once and for all.

Regardless, there are a few things I know that I'll miss without a 21:9 screen. The biggest impact is felt when I'm working. Sure, it's easy to drop a couple of windows side-by-side on a 16:9 display, but on an ultrawide, I had a lot more room to play with. Enough that I could fit three windows if I really needed to.

RPGs and racing games don't feel the same

I'm certainly not a gamer who only plays first-person shooters. I enjoy plenty of roleplaying games (RPGs) and racing titles, too, and I won't pretend that they don't look better on an ultrawide display. The extra pixels add a lot of immersion.

In an ideal world, I'd have an ultrawide to swap to when enjoying these genres. Alas, that's a lot of dough to drop on screens, and I'm convinced I'd be better off with 16:9.

The switch back to a 16:9 display went way different than I expected

If you've been mulling over your next gaming monitor's aspect ratio, I'm here to tell you, as a long-term 21:9 enjoyer, that the ultrawide prophets might not always be right.

My experiment with a regular 16:9 gaming monitor certainly didn't feel like a downgrade (especially thanks to a QD-OLED panel and a high refresh rate), and I'm extra happy that I won't have to spend as much on new hardware.

Are you gaming on an ultrawide monitor, or are you sticking with 16:9? Any plans to make a change in the near future? Do you agree with my opinions? Let me know in the comments section below!

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