<![CDATA[ Latest from Windows Central in Pc-gaming ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:37:08 +0000 en <![CDATA[ "A lot of games from 27 years ago don't hold up" — How one of Microsoft's biggest titles ever is beating viewer records in a 2026 esports renaissance ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/age-of-empires-2-red-bull-wololo-londinium-records PPXuKK9wd4cDUPe8Q3o5x6 Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:37:08 +0000 Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:38:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ The original Xbox was going to be a lot like Project Helix, says ex-Microsoft gaming exec — here's why the first plans for a console-PC hybrid didn't work out ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/the-original-xbox-was-going-to-be-a-lot-like-project-helix-says-ex-microsoft-gaming-vp owShss39Vq3zgF9cWDa2c4 Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:30:25 +0000 Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:32:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ Former Microsoft Xbox VP says AI is "the big question mark" for the future of gaming — he believes "There won't be a line where it's 'AI' and 'not AI' anymore" ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/artificial-intelligence/former-microsoft-xbox-vp-says-ai-is-the-big-question-mark-for-the-future-of-gaming EMS6uGQ3fQtjnJYdudF4Ef Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:30:46 +0000 <![CDATA[ Xbox handheld owners finally get the one feature they’ve begged for, and it instantly fixes one of the platform’s most annoying problems ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-handheld-owners-finally-get-the-one-feature-theyve-begged-for-and-it-instantly-fixes-one-of-the-platforms-most-annoying-problems ijSQjdFmXwakGwMXsMFNqe Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:51:14 +0000 <![CDATA[ "The CRT revival is real": I'm amazed by the community efforts to keep CRT gaming alive — and how OLED could be its renaissance for modern gamers ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/accessories/monitors/crt-revival-oled-gaming H8YuVvg58HEWxVXTWbhyER Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:13:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ Oop, Xbox's Halo: Campaign Evolved release date may have just leaked thanks to a retailer's mistake — it might have a Deluxe Edition with Early Access, too ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/halo/oop-xboxs-halo-campaign-evolved-release-date-may-have-just-leaked-thanks-to-a-retailers-mistake b937zJsB7EoJQkWYnDksoi Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:56:24 +0000 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 22:24:47 +0000 <![CDATA[ "I know that a lot of PC gamers are resistant to AI": SteamGPT shows up in datamined Steam files, suggesting Valve plans to add AI to help in these two key areas ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/steamgpt-ai-datamined-update Zn89v7Jo9hF6XBuVfGoGx5 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:27:53 +0000 <![CDATA[ "Raptor Lake will continue to be abundantly available": Intel exec makes a case for its older chips as RAM prices soar, but are they actually worth buying in 2026? ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/intel/intel-raptor-lake-ddr4-cpu-benefits-pc-gaming 8ERRvxtuLXBGPeGGXZzsSX Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:51:06 +0000 <![CDATA[ "I hope NVIDIA's legal team lets this slide": I dive into OpenNOW, an open-source GeForce Now alternative that's trending in cloud gaming — for good reason ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/nvidia/opennow-geforce-now-app-alternative G6uA67yK4W4xtHyBUD5ChE Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:55:11 +0000 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:58:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ Xbox Game Pass is losing one of its best games at the worst possible time — get it now while it's cheap before it leaves Microsoft's service ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-game-pass-is-losing-one-of-its-best-games-at-the-worst-possible-time-get-it-now-while-its-cheap-before-it-leaves-microsofts-service Juce4tYmc6h7tqsS6KfwuA Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:21:28 +0000 Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:22:11 +0000 <![CDATA[ Xbox Game Pass' April lineup brings this surging Call of Duty game, and one of last year's biggest additions is coming to more tiers — plus, Hades 2, DayZ, and more ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-game-pass-april-lineup-brings-this-surging-call-of-duty-game-and-one-of-last-years-biggest-additions-is-coming-to-more-tiers ZrYcAd8FKBuRT7mVsfVV9F Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:14:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ STALKER 2 is getting a free new content update this month — I break it down and reveal why it sets the stage for what comes after ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/stalker-2-is-getting-a-free-new-content-update-this-month-ahead-of-its-cost-of-hope-dlc CGJFRBuuoURGj8sxCTh8MH Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:22:11 +0000 Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:59:39 +0000 <![CDATA[ "Gameplay so good I nearly missed Age of Empires 4's new DLC announcement" — Red Bull's $250,000 Wololo Londinium tournament wraps up today, and you don't want to miss the finale ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/age-of-empires-4-yue-feis-legacy-red-bull-wololo-londinium Mh7ggCX2joT5ZnK9CWZAXR Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:57:26 +0000 Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:18:45 +0000 <![CDATA[ "What's going on?!!": World of Warcraft just created a truly insane, epic moment in gaming history — I had no idea Blizzard was still capable. ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/whats-going-on-world-of-warcraft-just-created-a-truly-insane-epic-moment-in-gaming-history-i-had-no-idea-blizzard-was-still-capable ySRMjLkT59zjGjQANaU6wj Mon, 06 Apr 2026 05:52:57 +0000 Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:36:12 +0000 <![CDATA[ Ex-Bethesda dev on Fallout and Skyrim says Todd Howard has too many yes men around him — "A lot of people were afraid to say no to Todd, and I think that hurt him" ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/zenimax-bethesda/ex-bethesda-dev-on-fallout-and-skyrim-says-todd-howard-has-too-many-yes-men-around-him EqSn4BQQCsQHJ9pKUmbFpX Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:48:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ You can finally play this long-awaited Xbox game soon — its studio is hosting alpha playtests next month, and you can sign up for them now ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/you-can-finally-play-this-long-awaited-xbox-game-soon-its-studio-is-hosting-alpha-playtests-next-month DUZBfbqQ6PZLinEhd75qxc Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:34:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ Upcoming indie game Boxroom emulates physical game collections with your Steam library: "Economic depression simulator" ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/upcoming-indie-game-boxroom-emulates-physical-game-collections jWnrShPTjvKPhNKZwJ2u8P Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:39:45 +0000 <![CDATA[ 'World of Warcraft: Midnight' Season 1 story end suggests to me that Blizzard really needs to rethink its story design processes — This could be much better, and far more satisfying with only a few tweaks. ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/world-of-warcraft-midnight-season-1-story-end-suggests-to-me-that-blizzard-really-needs-to-rethink-its-story-design-processes n45FChUzWLrqtzSxiNHVSE Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:20:36 +0000 Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:36:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ Call of Duty studio head at Xbox dev is retiring after over 36 years — he shipped 42 games, 18 CoD titles, and this criminally underrated shooter I love ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/call-of-duty/call-of-duty-studio-head-at-xbox-dev-is-retiring-after-over-36-years 72b5Z4T2scLErkqpGrEYBM Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:09:27 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I didn’t expect these swings”: Steam’s March survey reveals PC hardware trends that caught me off guard ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/steam-march-survey-ram-ssd-windows-swing 2YV9xRcggeYhpv6EtcyByR Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:13:51 +0000 <![CDATA[ 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM is 33% off today only — This superb memory deal for PC gamers might sell out before midnight ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/woot-corsair-vengeance-ddr5-ram-deal jhaen98LdYtU7AYfpdZBMX Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:53:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ NVIDIA’s new Dynamic MFG feature could make games smoother… or just weirder. Either way, the real GPU battleground is shifting to software. ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/nvidia/nvidia-dynamic-mfg-6x-ai-pc-gaming-opinion TY3ybL3Ft2RiWttHzrvtsR Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:57:42 +0000 Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:19:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ Xbox just made PC game development way easier — and it could speed up how fast games ship ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-just-made-pc-game-development-way-easier-and-it-could-speed-up-how-fast-games-ship 6gbJT3VBotw7sH79AZJf4Y Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:59:28 +0000 <![CDATA[ Xbox Ally X just got a big Xbox app upgrade with a new display widget and smarter controls ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pc/xbox-ally-x-just-got-a-big-xbox-app-upgrade-with-a-new-display-widget-and-smarter-controls tTFmHFeKAGhftzCFc2mXbh Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:08:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ Some are celebrating, but World of Warcraft's move away from the "Horde" and "Alliance" faction split will be seen as a historic mistake ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/some-are-celebrating-but-world-of-warcrafts-move-away-from-the-horde-and-alliance-faction-split-will-be-seen-as-a-historic-mistake sv6ugaUK3ePYgVTAbMQkee Mon, 30 Mar 2026 20:13:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ Windows 11 now supports display refresh rates up to 5,000Hz after its latest update — Here's why that matters for everyone, not just gamers ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/windows-11-update-1000hz-refresh-rate PCUQnecrSjtYPyNLzMsSjN Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:18:49 +0000 <![CDATA[ Get 32GB of high-end DDR5 RAM for just $150 with this Core Ultra 7 270K Plus PC gaming bundle: A perfect way to start or upgrade your build ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/corsair-vengeance-ddr5-ram-bundle-pc-gaming-deal y6fkspMCJu9QygaCmcLWif Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:50:00 +0000 Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:01:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ You don't need to build your own Windows gaming PC just to burn cash on RAM. Ready-made rigs do it for hundreds of dollars less. ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/dont-build-your-own-windows-gaming-pc-to-burn-cash-on-ram UmDAph77ZdUEoxobJAnX2L Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:47:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ Bethesda Fallout 3 dev "initially felt a little touchy" about New Vegas' success because they "put in all this effort" for its foundation — "We made 90% of the art, we built the engine" ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/zenimax-bethesda/bethesda-fallout-3-dev-initially-felt-a-little-touchy-about-new-vegas-success-because-they-put-in-all-this-effort-for-its-foundation mhjocVbmvxoGHZiTecgypM Fri, 27 Mar 2026 18:14:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ Alienware’s 2026 refresh doubles down on power, RGB, and unapologetic gaming attitude, proving subtlety is still not the plan ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/dell/alienware-2026-refresh-laptops-available KAEwcCrWiPCHyto3pvBAKi Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:41:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ Baldur's Gate 3 director weighs in on cheaper Xbox Game Pass tiers Microsoft is considering — "I don't think race to the bottom needs a renaissance" ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/baldurs-gate-3-director-weighs-in-on-cheaper-xbox-game-pass-tiers-microsoft-is-considering kfr6apttrLAyCKribeUbbf Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:30:10 +0000 Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:11:34 +0000 <![CDATA[ STALKER 2 just got a big Xbox feature ahead of its new Cost of Hope DLC — new details about the expansion have me excited to return to The Zone ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/stalker-2-just-got-a-critical-xbox-feature-ahead-of-its-new-cost-of-hope-dlc BkZgJhCUJo2FuGCwPEDJn3 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:43:31 +0000 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:58:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ Qualcomm-based PC sales have "experienced explosive growth," according to a new report — and the platform could save a struggling entry-level PC gaming market ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/arm-based-pcs-budget-pc-gaming-new-report H3xCtethTwMRaGJjbSZR5H Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:20:12 +0000 <![CDATA[ Everything announced at the Xbox Partner Preview March 2026 — SEGA, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Play Anywhere, and more ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/everything-announced-at-the-xbox-partner-preview-march-2026-sega-xbox-game-pass-xbox-play-anywhere-and-more HqbY92rE3e2yiJEZ7PtxNH Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:59:21 +0000 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:22:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition chip is official — 208MB of cache, 200W TDP, and a decent boost to gaming and productivity performance ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/amd/amd-ryzen-9-9950x3d2-dual-edition-announcement 8taTjJCrgYBxwAFALBZaxf Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:31:24 +0000 Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:11:06 +0000 <![CDATA[ Here are the Forza Horizon 6 PC, Steam Deck, and ROG Ally full system requirements ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/here-are-the-forza-horizon-6-pc-steam-deck-and-rog-ally-full-system-requirements qv8apvWVhuH6JWn4SHChae Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:17:28 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 director sticks up for NVIDIA's DLSS 5 AI tech, says "This is just a little uncanny beginning" — "No way haters will stop this" ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/kingdom-come-deliverance-2-director-sticks-up-for-nvidias-dlss-5-ai-tech-says-this-is-just-a-little-uncanny-beginning BKdcCBs57dLQ8ob37GW4Dh Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:39:47 +0000 Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:43:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says 1,000 devs laid off over Fortnite slump are "once-in-a-lifetime quality folks" — asserts the cuts weren't performance-based ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/epic-games-ceo-tim-sweeney-says-1-000-devs-laid-off-over-fortnite-slump-are-once-in-a-lifetime-quality oJ7poMegfYxV8drh3dn4n7 Wed, 25 Mar 2026 21:57:11 +0000 <![CDATA[ Razer Viper V3 Pro drops under $120 — The Razer V4 Pro is overkill for most gamers ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/razer-viper-v3-pro-drops-under-usd120-the-razer-v4-pro-is-overkill-for-most-gamers EScEhnLyaQcEGH9AdUsy9d Wed, 25 Mar 2026 20:14:15 +0000 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:09:50 +0000 <![CDATA[ I'm no competitive gamer, but this new top-tier Razer mouse makes me feel like one — the latest version of the industry's favorite is here ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/accessories/mice/im-no-competitive-gamer-but-this-new-top-tier-razer-mouse-makes-me-feel-like-one miZVmmE9ZP58xQb6v4Eo6Z Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:21:05 +0000 Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:29:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ Razer's new Blade 16 drops AMD Ryzen for Intel Panther Lake — Brighter OLED display, faster RAM, and Thunderbolt 5 make it better than ever for mixed use ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/razer/razer-blade-16-2026-announcement hTgj9ckDZMKtgGxhSVVd9i Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kerbal Space Program 2 is the scam that won't die — How this game is still allowed on Steam as "Early Access" is beyond me ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/kerbal-space-program-2-is-the-scam-that-wont-die coVSjcuogJ4y7gWAbQwehg Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:22:08 +0000 Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:06:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ One of the best and most iconic games I've ever played is only $1 on PC — grab it as the entire Fallout universe goes on a huge sale ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/best-fallout-dollar-on-pc-entire-universe-on-huge-sale Zaqcdod65t3m2efrAu64k8 Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:03:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ This popular MMO is coming soon to Xbox consoles exclusively, at least for now — it's free to play, and getting a big visual upgrade too ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/this-popular-mmo-is-coming-soon-to-xbox-consoles-exclusively-at-least-for-now ofBKMc73NeiMttL5pM8Wc6 Tue, 24 Mar 2026 21:37:23 +0000 Tue, 24 Mar 2026 21:37:37 +0000 <![CDATA[ Razer unveils Viper V4 Pro with 50K sensor, 8,000Hz polling, and an optical scroll wheel ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/razer-unveils-viper-v4-pro-with-50k-sensor-8-000hz-polling-and-an-optical-scroll-wheel ebTqCtyK2FDngYRA5Ymwrh Tue, 24 Mar 2026 21:17:03 +0000 <![CDATA[ Xbox publishing lead says devs should get ready for the next-gen Project Helix console by "developing for Xbox on PC" — and by supporting this key feature ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-publishing-lead-says-devs-should-get-ready-for-the-next-gen-project-helix-console-by-developing-for-xbox-on-pc dpkwDptmrVJ6MS3XEnaEm6 Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:21:53 +0000 <![CDATA[ Microsoft's new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is considering making Game Pass cheaper after last year's price hike — "lower-priced tiers" could be on the way ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/microsofts-new-xbox-ceo-asha-sharma-is-considering-making-game-pass-cheaper-after-last-years-price-hike ZV65awJMBfsT6JKZMME8BT Tue, 24 Mar 2026 19:14:59 +0000 <![CDATA[ Xbox Mode is now officially rolling out, while console players will start to see their cloud save sync status ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-mode-is-now-officially-rolling-out-while-console-players-will-start-to-see-their-cloud-save-sync-status 5rKmiHrjCcDqJomdPCpqfR Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:23:34 +0000 Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:47:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ AYANEO can't sell its NEXT 2 Windows gaming handheld anymore because it's "no longer sustainable" — AI and the RAM and SSD shortage crisis are to blame ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pc/ayaneo-cant-sell-its-next-2-windows-gaming-handheld-anymore-because-its-no-longer-sustainable 4a9S4MueWJpg2bcBMWXtgn Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:37:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ World of Warcraft: Midnight review — This dark middle act has immense ambition, but Blizzard is spreading itself thin at the cost of quality ]]> https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gaming/world-of-warcraft-midnight-review 6wsagPQWY5UVBC9XUrZTNW Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:40:00 +0000 Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:07:55 +0000