Throughout the last several months, Microsoft and Xbox have made a wide range of improvements to the platform on consoles and PC, including an overhaul to the Achievements system, visual updates for its user interface, and the introduction of more customization options, among other things.

Now, in the latest Xbox update — available now for Xbox Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring of the Xbox Insider Program, and hopefully soon to all — Microsoft has further elevated the Xbox user experience with a few major feature enhancements and additions.

The first and arguably most exciting part of the update is a change for Xbox gamertags that expands their character limit from 12 to 15. Provided you create a gamertag that's both unique and doesn't contain non-Latin characters, you can take advantage of this. Non-unique gamertags will still have a 12-character limit, and will be assigned a random numerical suffix.

"This update applies to gamertags that are unique and available, giving you more room to create a gamertag that feels like you," reads Microsoft's blog post.

Xbox 360 games playable through the Xbox Backwards Compatibility feature have also been updated so that they have game hubs within their game cards in the Xbox UI. These allow you to "quickly view achievement progress, captures, and other useful information," and give these titles parity with Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S games in the Xbox Dashboard.

Another big addition for Xbox Game Pass subscribers specifically is the ability to play a game through Xbox Cloud Gaming while you're updating it. This allows you to circumvent the time you'd normally have to spend waiting for an update to finish entirely, and jump right in while one downloads in the background. Do note that this feature will only work with games that support play through streaming.

Finally, you now also have the ability to add games to your wishlist directly from game cards, making it quick and easy to bookmark a title you're interested in when you come across it on the Xbox Dashboard. This works with "both released and upcoming games," notably.

All in all, I think these are some excellent improvements to the Xbox platform, and continue the streak of speedy updates that have come after Xbox's new CEO Asha Sharma stepped into the position earlier this year.

They also come about a month and a half after Sharma vowed to deliver new Xbox updates every two weeks, admitting that "We have to sweat every single detail" and announcing that one of her core goals this year would be to "fix the fundamentals on console and PC."

That objective is part of a wider plan to make Xbox "where the world plays," and coincides with an ongoing 100-day "reset" of the brand. Sadly, it's been reported that this reorganization will likely bring layoffs as well as a variety of studio closures and/or divestments, but one silver lining is that the Xbox user experience has been getting quite a lot better.

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This past weekend was quite an exciting time to be a fan of Microsoft's Xbox, with the big Xbox Games Showcase towards the end of Summer Game Fest celebrations bringing the community tons of amazing looks at Halo: Campaign Evolved, Fable, Clockwork Revolution, and Gears of War: E-Day — the latter two of which have been confirmed as Xbox console exclusives.

As it turns out, though, the good news for Team Green doesn't stop there, as Microsoft has now rolled out a new major update for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles. This update is only available to select members of the Xbox Insider Program for testing right now, but will hopefully come to all Xbox users in the near future.

So, what's new? Well, in my view, the highlight of the update is the introduction of a new social feature that allows you to see people you're mutually friends with when viewing someone's profile — regardless of whether you're friends with that person or not. I'll be using that a ton when deciding whether or not I want to accept friend requests I'm unsure about.

Microsoft has also given elements of the Xbox UI a revamp, with "rich poster-style artwork" for "a more immersive library experience" in the My games & apps section along with toggleable status icons. Home and My games & apps have been split into distinct sections as well, while new shortcuts make navigation between menus faster and easier.

Another new feature is the inclusion of an "Add to wishlist" button to Game Cards for upcoming titles, meaning you'll no longer have to navigate all the way to a game's store page in order to put it on your wishlist. Ultimately, it's a small thing, but still useful; being able to add something to your wishlist the moment you see it means you won't have to worry about forgetting to do so later.

Finally, the Sleep mode for Xbox consoles is being replaced by the Shutdown (energy saving) option that was first introduced in 2023. Microsoft says this option reduces your system's power usage by 20x while it's off, but still allows it to receive, download, and install updates for games, apps, and/or the console itself.

All in all, this is a sizable update, and a welcome one. Notably, it comes about a month after Microsoft's Xbox CEO Asha Sharma asserted that "We have to sweat every single detail," and that she planned to push for more frequent console updates that improve the user experience as this one has.

It also comes after Sharma revealed an ambitious long-term plan to make Xbox "where the world plays," and later stated that her goal for the platform to become "the number one gaming and entertainment company." Platform upgrades like these play a vital role in bringing that vision to reality, as useful features and convenient functionality attract users and keep them coming back.

I hope it doesn't take long for these features to come out for everyone. In the meantime, though, you can sign up for the Xbox Insider Program in the free Xbox Insider app on console and PC and hope you get testing access.

Are you looking forward to putting these new features to good use while playing on Xbox? Let me know in the comments.

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The latest Xbox Insider update, and yes, I still refuse to call it XBOX, includes some pretty nice additions. Nothing is quite as significant as some of the updates we've seen in the past, but there's still plenty here worth sharing.

First up is an update to the Xbox Accessories app, which now lets users see their actual controller within the app. It's a small but welcome change, especially for those with limited edition controllers like the latest Forza Horizon 6 one.

Next up, and continuing Xbox's recent trend of giving players what they want, the company has added more color options thanks to community feedback. A new hex code color picker lets users precisely match the color they want. Personally, I'm quite fond of a good #0077B6, but that's just me.

Moving on, Xbox is also adding an easier way to find "What's New" after an update, accessible through the dashboard's top-right navigation. For me, though, the standout addition is the ability to check Xbox service status directly on the console. If there's a confirmed issue, you'll now be notified in the upper-right corner of your screen.

Xbox are actively seeking feedback in their new XBOX Player Voice feedback forum, so if you do wish to share some feedback, whether its new ideas, or feelings on certain updates, do head over there and let Xbox know just what you think.

Now, I know this isn't the biggest update, and it comes as part of Xbox's promise to deliver consistent improvements for console users, but I'm glad we're finally seeing a steady flow of updates after the drought we seemed to be going through before Sharma became CEO of Xbox.

I must admit with each update, I am always curious what's next, as I've still got my fingers crossed for that big achievement overhaul, though I imagine that'll be much later in the year, if it's even real.

That said, let me know what you think of these changes and whether you appreciate them, even if they are on the smaller side by leaving a comment and taking part in our poll below:

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Xbox’s latest Insider update is here. After Xbox CEO Asha Sharma promised to deliver regular updates, the latest rollout for Insiders has arrived, bringing another neat update to achievements alongside the recently revealed new boot-up animation, so let’s go over just what’s here in the latest update.

First off, Xbox’s recently teased new boot-up animation is finally here for Insiders. After Asha Sharma revealed the new animation on X, formerly Twitter, it’s now beginning to roll out for testing.

More impressively, however, are the new tiered Gamerscore badges. Players will earn these badges based on their lifetime Gamerscore, with the designs evolving as your score grows, all the way up to a massive 5 million Gamerscore, while 10 million has also been teased, likely for some time in the future.

In addition to this, users can now access new filters designed to make navigating their game library much easier.

If you wish to join Xbox’s Insider Program, you can follow the guide linked here. However, do so at your own risk, as the experience may still have issues, including bugs and glitches.

I must say, I’m impressed with the progress being made at Xbox lately. While yes, there’s still a boatload of work left to be done, we are seeing genuine efforts being made to improve the overall user experience, and I imagine this is just one of many things currently in development.

I, for one, as I’m sure many others are too, am eagerly awaiting a much bigger overhaul to achievements, but introducing profile badges to showcase your Gamerscore is pretty neat and a welcome change. Now, it’s not quite the PlayStation Platinum Trophy equivalent many people want, but it certainly feels like a step in the right direction, and one can hope there's more achievement updates in the future.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this latest Xbox Insider update, so make sure to leave a comment and, as I always say, be sure to take part in our poll below:

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Xbox is on what some may call a bit of a redemption story lately. With a new CEO at the helm, the company has reallocated resources and appears committed to delivering some of the most requested features fans have been asking for.

That push started last month with updates to customization, which have now rolled out to all users. This month, Xbox Insiders also got a long-awaited update to the platform’s achievement system, something many have felt was overdue.

However, not every Insider seems to be having a smooth experience.

One user in the Xbox Insider program, @1tristan on X (formerly Twitter), reported that the update had bricked their system. The issue was serious enough that they even considered upgrading from an Xbox Series S to an Xbox Series X to fix their issue.

Normally, complaints like this can fly under the radar. Given the scale of platforms like Xbox, it’s difficult to respond to every single issue. This time, though, it caught the attention of Asha Sharma.

After previously saying “hear you” when stepping into the role, Sharma responded directly to the user, stating, “looking into this.”

It’s not something you typically expect to see from a CEO, and it does stand out. Hopefully, it also means @1tristan’s issue gets resolved.

It’s also just not much, of course, but I did think it was worth highlighting. Since taking on the role as CEO of Xbox, Asha Sharma does seem very involved, and I do feel like there’s been a slight shift in how Xbox is being perceived lately.

That said, there’s still a lot of legwork to be done.

There are still difficult conversations happening across the community, especially around exclusives. It’s something I touched on recently when discussing reports that Starfield sold around 140,000 copies on PlayStation 5, if Alinea Analytics are to be believed.

With all that in mind, I think it’s important to point out these smaller moments when they do happen.

So, how are you feeling about Sharma as CEO so far?

Do things like this give you more confidence, or is it just another drop in the bucket that doesn’t really move the needle? Let me know in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll!

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It appears Xbox is beginning its rollout of Xbox Mode on the Xbox app, as users have noticed the app now says Xbox Mode in the top right corner instead of Xbox Full Screen.

Xbox Mode, first announced at GDC and set to arrive on Windows 11 in April, is Microsoft’s answer to Steam Big Picture Mode and is a rebrand of the Xbox Fullscreen Experience that has been around since last year.

Xbox Mode gives users an Xbox-like interface designed for controller use, making it easier to access Xbox PC games and titles installed through Steam, Epic, and other launchers while avoiding the usual friction of standard Windows 11, at least for gamers.

Microsoft has now rebranded its Xbox Full Screen Experience to just Xbox mode in the latest update for the Xbox app on PC

— @tomwarren.co.uk (@tomwarren.co.uk.bsky.social) 2026-03-24T18:47:28.801Z

Xbox Mode definitely feels like a better name than Xbox Full Screen Experience and certainly rolls off the tongue better than Steam Big Picture Mode, but for me, there are still too many annoyances with the Xbox app itself that Xbox Mode relies on, which leads me to look elsewhere, such as apps like Winhanced.

Over on the console side of things, users in the Alpha Skip Ahead ring can now start seeing whether their game’s cloud save data has synced within the Game Card menu.

I believe this is a feature already available on the Xbox App so seeing it head to consoles is great, especially considering efforts from Microsoft to unify their platforms, as Xbox and PC are set to merge with Project Helix.

Do you like these changes?

It seems Xbox and Windows teams are hard at work on changes, with one Xbox engineer saying it has not felt this energized in a long time. Windows has also recently announced efforts to polish the user experience, and to me, this signals we could be in for a turnaround for Microsoft, or at least I hope so.

With that said, let me know your thoughts on these changes. Do you prefer Xbox Mode, and what do you think of the cloud save sync updates? Leave us a comment and take part in our poll below:

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Xbox insiders are in for a little treat, starting today Insiders can start testing out some nice new features like more groups, custom colors, changes to quick resume settings and updates to your profile.

With that said, let’s dive in and cover just what’s being changed.

What’s new in this Xbox Insider update

Starting today, Xbox Insiders can try out expanded groups on Home, increasing the limit from two to ten. It is also now easier to rearrange them, and pinning groups to Home or My Games and Apps has been made more straightforward.

Another addition is Custom Colors, which is one I am especially looking forward to. I tend to stick to a specific shade of blue wherever I can, so having more control here is a nice touch. You can find this option under Settings > General > Personalization > Customize the Guide.

Once inside, you are able to fine-tune your color using hue, saturation, and lightness sliders. Your previous selection is also saved, so you can quickly switch back if you change your mind.

Quick Resume is also seeing some changes. While it is one of Xbox’s most useful features, it can run into problems with certain always-online games. You now have the option to turn it off on a per-game basis, which should help avoid those issues.

To adjust this, open the More options menu on a game, select Manage Quick Resume, then go into Manage game & add-on, followed by Quick Resume Settings to disable it for that title.

Finally, profile badges are now visible in the Guide. When viewing a profile, you will see the five most recently earned badges, making them easier to notice when browsing.

Badges aren’t quite a feature I think of often when thinking of Xbox, but badges would be a great name for a PlayStation trophy-style equivalent to Platinum's…

Interestingly, according to new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, these features only began being worked on two weeks ago, and she has urged fans to continue providing feedback.

🎮 Do you like these changes to Xbox?

It's not much that's been changed, but it's enough to show that Xbox is listening to feedback, and whilst a full release for all users isn't set in stone yet, Xbox does say the updates will be rolled out over time.

With that said, I'd love to know your thoughts on these changes or whether you expect more changes from Xbox?

Let me know in the comments, and make sure to take part in our poll below:

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Xbox Insiders can get their hands on part of the next-gen Xbox, or at least what will likely be a feature on that device. A new feature that's available for testing on the Xbox Ally X captures highlights automatically as you play and then creates a highlight reel.

The feature, known as highlight reels, was announced in a blog post this week. But we already knew highlight reels was in internal testing thanks to a report by our Managing Editor Jez Corden.

Since the next-gen Xbox is essentially a PC optimized for console-style gaming, Microsoft and the Xbox team are hard at work on experiences for the device, including highlight reels.

That feature relies on the NPU of a device to automatically capture memorable moments from games. That happens without requiring you to leave your game or hop into a different app.

According to Corden's sources, the feature is set to release for the Xbox Ally X in the next few months, but you can test it now if you're an Xbox Insider.

During the preview phase, the highlight reels feature works with a small selection of games:

• Among Us
• Elden Ring
• Fortnite
• Forza Horizon 5
• Lies of P
• Overwatch
• Palworld

Notably, Elden Ring is not an Xbox Play Anywhere title and is not available through the Xbox app, suggesting the highlight reels feature will work with games from a range of launchers.

Corden's report explained that more games worked with highlight reels during internal testing, so we could see the list of supported games expand as the Xbox team seeks more feedback.

Since highlight reels requires an NPU, that suggests the next-gen Xbox will have that type of processor inside. NPUs are optimized for AI workloads. They handle certain types of tasks better than a CPU or a GPU. A growing number of PCs have NPUs inside, but the tech will be new to some gamers.

I'd argue the new feature is most interesting because of what it suggests about the next-gen Xbox, but it also works on the Xbox Ally X right now if you're an Insider. I'd love to hear your experiences with the feature in the comments.

How to become an Xbox Insider

Microsoft outlines the steps to join the Xbox Insider Program:

1. Join the Xbox Insider Program if you haven’t already: Xbox Insider Home | Xbox Support 
2. Ensure recording settings are enabled. 
   1. You can do this via Game Bar by navigating to Settings > More Settings > Widgets > Record in the background while playing a game. 
   2. There are other ways you can change this setting:
      1. Via Gaming Copilot: Navigate to Gaming Copilot > Settings > Capture Settings > Navigate to Capture Settings in Widget 
      2. Via Windows settings: Navigate to Settings > Gaming > Captures > Record what happened 
3. Jump into one of the supported games
4. Gaming Copilot will capture clips of gaming moments while you play. At the end of your gameplay session, a highlight reel will automatically be created using these clips, which you can view and share via Game Highlights (Preview) within the game page of the Xbox PC app
5. Be sure to try out the experience and take the survey in the Xbox Insider Hub! 

💬 What do you think about AI in gaming?

AI is a controversial topic, but it could prove useful in gaming. Upscaling, frame generation, and performance could all see a boost because of AI, though we'll have to wait to see how things run in the real world.

Grabbing clips from gameplay and making highlight reels sounds like one of the more useful ways to integrate AI into gaming.

Do you think AI will greatly improve gaming over the next few years? Let us know in the comments!

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Gamers that use the Xbox PC app to play games on Windows have a new feature to look forward to. Announced by Microsoft today, it's coming to the app soon, and is currently available for Xbox Insiders to test in preview ahead of its full release.

That feature is postgame recaps, which pulls up an overview of notable moments from a gaming session after you close the game you were playing. Some of the highlights the recaps show include recorded Xbox Game Bar screenshots and clips, achievement completions, and "relevant in‑game events" you engaged with.

Notably, these recaps "are designed to show up only when they’re useful," so don't expect to see one every time you play a game. Microsoft says you'll mainly see them any time you capture a screenshot or video or complete an achievement, though you're also likely to get a recap after your first time playing a game.

Recaps may also show some recommendations for games similar to the one you're playing, and will direct you to the full Xbox PC app if you'd like to share your recap with your friends. In the app, you can also turn off parts of postgame recaps you don't want to see in the Settings > App > Postgame recaps menu.

With postgame recaps enabled, the Xbox app will run in the background on the system tray, as that's required in order for the program to display a recap when you end a gaming session. Note that Microsoft has "optimized this to minimize memory and performance impact," and if you fully disable postgame recaps, this won't occur.

To test the postgame recaps feature ahead of its full launch, you'll need to join the Xbox Insider Program. Doing so is free, and is done by signing up within the Xbox Insider Hub app you can find on the Microsoft Store. I also recommend reading the Xbox Insider Program FAQ for a full overview of the program.

Overall, these new postgame recaps are hardly a huge addition to the Xbox experience on PC, but I do like them; there have been times where I record something to show friends during a particularly long gaming session but forget about it by the time I'm done, so these will remind me of my captures in those scenarios.

I also appreciate that Microsoft has done what it can to make the Xbox app as lightweight as it can while it runs in the background, and like that you can customize what the recaps show specifically, too. All in all, they're pretty nifty, and I expect I'll get good use out of them myself since I'm an avid PC gamer and use Game Bar and the Xbox app frequently.

Notably, this preview is one of the Xbox Insider Program's first major tests in 2026. Last month, Microsoft also began testing a revamped Xbox Cloud Gaming user interface with Xbox Insiders, with the new design closely emulating the Xbox Dashboard experience you'd get with a console.

Do you think you'll get good use out of the postgame recaps feature, or is it not really relevant to you? Are you an Xbox Insider? Let me know in the comments below.

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Xbox has officially unveiled its new Cloud Gaming web experience, and at first glance, it should feel familiar to anyone who has used an Xbox console. The layout closely mirrors the console interface, making it immediately approachable, and eager-eyed fans may notice it resembles the datamined UI that leaked a couple of months ago.

That said, this is a public preview, and things could change. Even in its current form, it represents a clear improvement over the existing web experience, both visually and in how it flows, which makes it an encouraging step forward.

Here’s how you can try it for yourself right now, along with a closer look at the new experience

A noticeable improvement

When accessing Xbox’s cloud gaming experience before, it kinda felt a bit like opening the Xbox app. That familiarity is not always a good thing (I'm not a fan of the Xbox app), and it has often left the web version feeling clunky and dated in my experience.

With this new public preview, users can switch to a far more console-like experience. The interface is cleaner, more structured, and much closer to what you would expect when powering on an Xbox.

To access the new experience, follow these steps:

1. Go to xbox.com/play in your browser of choice and make sure you’re logged into your Xbox account.
2. Once logged in, go to settings in the top right corner by clicking on your profile.
3. Select the Settings option from the drop down menu.
4. Here under Account, toggle the option Preview Features and select Yes when asked.
5. You’ll then have to wait as the features are enabled, which may take up to 10 minutes.
6. Once done, visit play.xbox.com in your browser of choice to experience the new cloud UI.

Glimpse into the future of Xbox UI?

After spending some time with it while writing this, it feels like a meaningful step forward for Xbox Cloud Gaming. Navigation is clearer, the layout feels more intentional, and it is simply more pleasant to use overall.

There are still bugs and rough edges, which are expected in a public preview. Even so, the experience already feels like a noticeable improvement, and it naturally raises questions about where this approach could appear next across future Xbox experiences.

A more unified UI across devices would be a welcome change. I am very much looking at you, Xbox Ally, because the Xbox app just is not cutting it on the Xbox Ally X for me. A more console-like experience would be a clear step in the right direction.

If you do try it out for yourself, Xbox has pleaded with users to provide feedback, so make sure to check the full Xbox Wire article on just how to do that.

Cloud gaming may not be everyone’s daily driver yet, but this redesign makes it a lot easier to imagine a future where it is. Now, Xbox just needs to keep the momentum going.

Have you tried the new Xbox Cloud Gaming web experience yet, and does it feel like a step forward compared to the current interface? Let us know in the comments or by taking part in our poll below:

In a new post, Xbox explains how it has been working with the Windows team and ASUS to respond to player feedback on the Xbox Ally, from small quality-of-life fixes to larger feature requests.

The post also confirms that Default Game Profiles are available today for Insiders, giving players a way to reduce manual tweaking by automatically balancing frame rate and power use.

Right now, you have to adjust TDP and FPS limits manually for each game. Default Game Profiles are designed to cut down on that work and make the handheld easier to use. The update also improves input response, library loading, cloud gaming performance, and several other parts of the experience.

A full breakdown of what to expect

Default Game Profiles are a new preview feature that automatically sets a power target and FPS cap for each supported game. The profiles only apply when the Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X is running on battery power, and are meant to reduce how often players need to adjust TDP or frame limits by hand.

When a supported game starts, the system applies a profile that increases power if the game is struggling to reach its target frame rate. This trades some battery life for smoother gameplay. The feature is currently available in 40 games during testing, and you can toggle it on or off in the Armoury Crate Command Centre.

The current list of first-party games includes:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• Call of Duty: Warzone
• DOOM Eternal
• DOOM: The Dark Ages
• Forza Horizon 5
• Gears 5
• Gears of War: Reloaded
• Gears Tactics
• Halo: The Master Chief Collection
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Minecraft
• Sea of Thieves
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4

The update also improves gamepad response after logging in, which is something I have noticed on the Xbox Ally X, as inputs can take a moment to register. Loading large game libraries should now be faster as well.

Xbox mentions improvements to the Cloud Gaming page, with quicker loading and smoother navigation. There is also a new option to filter games by performance fit, showing how well each title is expected to run on the device. The update includes general bug fixes and performance improvements, too.

How to get the update right now

Default Game Profiles are available today through the Windows Insider Program. You need to enroll if you want to try new features before they roll out to everyone.

Before you start, make sure your handheld is fully updated to the latest Windows 11 build.

How to join the Windows Insider Program on the Xbox Ally:

1. On your Xbox Ally, go to Windows Settings.
2. Go to Windows Update.
3. Ensure that you’re sending Optional Diagnostic Data, it will tell you if you aren’t .
4. Select Windows Insider Program and follow the instructions.
5. You'll be prompted to restart.
6. Go back to Windows Update after restarting.
7. Select Check for Updates.

Once you've downloaded and installed the update, you should be able to try out the Default Game Profiles feature.

If you give it a whirl, drop into the comments below and let us know what you think!

This week, Xbox lead Phil Spencer took to the airwaves to drop a big hint about the next-gen Xbox console.

Speaking to Famitsu, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said that the Xbox Ally handheld is a glimpse into the future of the Xbox platform.

The Xbox Ally is, indeed, a PC gaming handheld, and not a traditional Xbox console. Indeed, it cannot run Xbox console games, instead relying on a combination of cloud streaming, remote play, and dual-entitlement console PC games in the Xbox Play Anywhere program.

Xbox Play Anywhere has been the best bridge so far in this universe, bringing across hundreds of high quality titles on a single cross-buy, cross-save structure. Microsoft has expanded the program aggressively, but it's not a substitute for true console hardware compatibility.

To that end, Microsoft announced over the summer that it is partnering with AMD for its next gen Xbox console ecosystem, emphasizing that the next Xbox will allow current users to retain access to their console game libraries. But, during this week's interview, Phil hinted heavily that the next Xbox will be – as many of us have been expecting – a PC in essence.

There are huge opportunities associated with this strategy, but also, devastating, perilous pitfalls if mismanaged.

The Xbox Ally is a beta test for the next-gen Xbox

It's effectively a foregone conclusion at this point. The next-gen Xbox will be a Windows PC at its core, while attempting to deliver an Xbox console-like experience not unlike what you have today. However, unlike today's Xbox Ally, the new chips from AMD will allow this new wave of devices to run your Xbox console games. On top, it will also be able to run stores like Steam, GOG, and Epic Games, bringing in games from PlayStation and others into one gaming-focused PC ideal for the living room. You might even be able to install things like Adobe Premier and Microsoft Office and do homework on it, if you fancy it.

The problem is, the current iteration of that experience, on the Xbox Ally, is nowhere near where it needs to be. PC gamers hate Windows more than ever, and Xbox console users seem generally sceptical of being forced to become PC gamers, along with all the complexity that tends to follow it. But there's a huge opportunity here.

Microsoft has rarely taken such a deep interest in gaming, particularly when it comes to Windows. For all the bloatware Microsoft corporate has shoved into Windows over the years, it remains the most compatible operating system in history, giving you access to decades of content on a single platform. The downside is the overheads that come with all that code debt.

Windows is not as efficient as single-purpose operating systems, like the Xbox OS, or things like Steam OS. Which is probably why Xbox President Sarah Bond is warning the next-gen Xbox will be a "premium" device, likely to accommodate those aforementioned overheads.

If Microsoft gets this strategy right, it could be truly transformative, bringing benefits to both PC native gamers and Xbox gamers alike. If Microsoft gets it wrong, it could crater its entire platform.

I've been fielding questions from Xbox community members almost on a daily basis since the Xbox Ally launched. As someone who is well versed in the weirdness of Windows I almost instinctively work around all its idiosyncrasies, forgetting how needlessly unfriendly it can be to a new user. Microsoft's Xbox app Full Screen Experience has been an attempt to bridge that gap, but I still find myself having to exit out to the Desktop frequently to do certain things and access certain settings.

There's also a parade of other weird quirks that aren't typical of console gaming, whether it's graphics settings, power modes, or even more egregious platform support stuff. Death Stranding, for example, is broken on the Microsoft Store for PC, and neither 505 Games nor Kojima Productions seems to have any intention of fixing it. The Xbox PC app doesn't let users comment on news posts, nor upload screenshots or videos. There's no direct way to share gameplay clips to OneDrive, and setting the Capture folder as a backup target causes weird sync issues. I STILL see Windows Phone games in my library.

There are SO many small and large problems that there's far too many to list here, and you have to wonder just how much of them Microsoft is actively tracking. And I feel like that's a problem. We probably should know. Microsoft should be tracking feedback on this stuff, and it's hard to know these days if they are.

As someone who experienced the absolute clusterf-- that was the Windows 10 Mobile soft reboot, I implore Microsoft to start working directly with fans today to ensure this experience is polished up for its true landing strip.

The Xbox platform team's biggest ever challenge — and opportunity

During the Xbox One era, Microsoft had a UserVoice platform where players could submit and upvote feedback. Microsoft has its own platform for that these days, known as the Feedback Hub, but I rarely see Microsoft respond to any of the feedback posted in the gaming section.

I also rarely see new feedback posted there for gaming, either. Microsoft doesn't really promote it as a destination for gathering feedback like they did during the UserVoice era, back when Microsoft was aggressively seeking fan comments during its "New Xbox One Experience" era.

The Xbox Insider Program is supposed to be the platform where this kinda stuff is handled, but it seems relatively light touch these days. The Xbox Insider Program blog is very rarely updated, and Microsoft is incredibly opaque with its roadmaps, and relatively slow with its updates.

Windows is a huge behemoth, used by literal billions of people. Microsoft has a huge operation for ensuring that it remains functional for consumers, businesses, and even governments that depend on it. The problem is that its complexity has historically made it difficult for Microsoft to react to emerging trends and address feedback in a granular way.

The Xbox app being an "app" should make it easier for Microsoft to improve the front end experience, but the various oddities of Windows as a platform is ultimately what Microsoft may struggle to overcome here, and therein lies the biggest challenge.

Microsoft has said that Xbox and Windows are working more closely together than ever to improve the gaming experience on the platform. But there's a pillar missing here. Users need to be involved too — more heavily than ever.

Microsoft needs community managers that will listen to and frequently address feedback directly. Microsoft should treat this opportunity like a live service game — we need roadmaps, we need old school Windows Insider Program-style Q&A live streams, and we need to see feedback being directly addressed on social media platforms and in places like reddit.

There's an avalanche of nuance that needs to be addressed to improve Windows for gaming in general. But the challenge to bridge the Xbox console-style TV-sofa-controller-casual experience with the openness and complexity of Windows will be huge. Microsoft can't do it alone.

If Microsoft is truly serious about gaming as it says, re-engaging the community directly to solve the biggest complaints about the Xbox PC and Windows gaming experiences all up would be a great first step.

Members of the Xbox Insider Program subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Standard will now be able to stream some games through Xbox Cloud Gaming, as well as access PC versions of titles, where possible.

As shared on Wednesday via Xbox Wire, it's some great news for Xbox Game Pass users who aren't subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the highest tier of Microsoft's gaming subscription service.

Both of these features were previously unavailable for Xbox console users on these tiers, with Xbox Cloud and (additional) access to PC games being limited to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

This new access for Cloud gaming on these two tiers includes Game Pass titles as well as games in the "Stream Your Own Game" library, the latter of which has greatly expanded over the last few months.

Cloud Gaming is available across numerous devices, including Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, select Smart TVs, Meta Quest 3 headsets, and web browsers via Xbox.com/play.

If you aren't currently a part of it, you can sign up to join the Xbox Insider Program, which allows you to test new and upcoming features, providing feedback before they roll out across Xbox consoles and the Xbox PC app.

Xbox Game Pass breakdown, as it stands

Up until this latest update for Xbox Insiders, the Xbox Game Pass tier breakdown was as follows:

Xbox Game Pass Core, available in the U.S. for $10 a month, includes online multiplayer and a small library of console games. Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass Standard adds on a far, far larger library of games for $15 a month, but does not include day one releases.

PC Game Pass (geared exclusively toward PC players) includes a large library of PC titles, including day one first-party games, as well as an EA Play subscription, all for $12 a month.

Finally, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes day one first-party games, Xbox Cloud Gaming, an EA Play subscription, and a large library across console and PC, all for $20 a month.

Day one access to first-party games is by far the biggest selling point, giving subscribers the ability to play titles like Keeper, Ninja Gaiden 4, and The Outer Worlds 2 when they all launch in October.

Outside of that, another big point is that if you wanted to play across console, PC, and Cloud, then you had to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate...at least, until now.

Again, this feature expansion is just for Xbox Insiders at the moment; however, when it eventually comes to all Xbox Game Pass Core and Standard users, it'll give them new ways to play and benefit from other parts of the ecosystem.

In particular, the ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally devices may become somewhat more attractive, as these handhelds are running the PC versions of games, meaning access to PC titles is imperative for something that intends to use them.

Now, for players that buy all of their games, Xbox Play Anywhere will obviously be the main selling point, but for a Game Pass subscriber that isn't on the Ultimate or PC tiers, this new feature is interesting to consider.

The Xbox Ally devices are both slated to launch on Oct. 16, 2025. There's no price point yet, but leaks point to $899 and $599 for the higher-end and lower-end systems, respectively.

I'll be extremely curious to see if this latest feature has left Xbox Insider testing and is widely available by the time these devices launch.

Today, Microsoft uploaded a new official Xbox Podcast show detailing the near and long-term future of the Xbox platform. Microsoft is undergoing something of a transformation with gaming.

First-party content has overtaken third-party for revenue, and Xbox Game Pass is reshaping how users engage with the platform. Microsoft has opened up its software to third-party stores more than ever, including PlayStation, and Sony has even reciprocated with Helldivers 2 heading to Xbox in the coming weeks.

VP of next-gen Jason Ronald and VP of Xbox Platform Jason Beaumont caught up with the dashing Mixer alumnus Ethan Rothamel of Xbox's social team to discuss the future of Xbox as we know it.

"It's the hardest I've ever seen the team working, there's just so much going on," says Beaumont. "On the console, a lot of what we're working on is under the hood. When we release something that's for PC or for cloud gaming, or for mobile, we want that feature to go everywhere. So that's a lot of the investments we're making. Jason mentioned the Xbox Ally and the Xbox Ally X. We've been working gangbusters to get that released in time for this holiday."

VP of next-gen Jason Ronald chimed in, "When we think about the future of the Xbox, we think about how we put the player at the center of the experience. The vast majority of players play across multiple devices."

"There's a bunch of games I would start playing on the Xbox Ally, and now I want the full fidelity on my console on my big-screen TV. We're focusing on how we evolve the Xbox ecosystem to allow players to play the games wherever they want to play them."

Ronald emphasizes that Microsoft wants to continue building devices that are dedicated to gaming, including the upcoming first-party Xbox next-gen console.

Beamont and Ronald recapped many of the recent additions made to Xbox PC, including a unified library, storefront aggregation, handheld scaling, and more, while hinting vaguely that even more features will be coming soon for Xbox Insider Program members on PC.

On Xbox Cloud Gaming: More regions, and a cloud-only subscription?

Throughout the podcast, the team at Microsoft discussed a variety of topics, from Xbox Cloud Gaming to next-gen and beyond.

Jason Beaumont hinted that Microsoft is working to expand the availability of Xbox Cloud Gaming to new countries, while spinning up even more servers to "meet demand."

"You're going to see us continue to invest in this area. This includes adding new [cloud] servers to meet the growing demand. We're also exploring innovative ways to reach more players wherever they are. Our goal is really simple; we want to bring more games to more people. Cloud is great at that. We want to expand Xbox Cloud Gaming to more countries around the world, so people can play games they love no matter where they are."

Jason Ronald hinted that Microsoft is exploring "new ways" to access Xbox Cloud Gaming, following our previous report that Microsoft is working on cloud-only subscription tiers for Xbox Cloud Gaming. Perhaps Microsoft is also exploring bringing Xbox Cloud Gaming to Xbox Game Pass Standard with a smaller library, or just the ability to play 'stream-your-own' cloud games.

"One of the things that we see is that there's a lot of players who use Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to access the cloud. Whether it's the primary way, or additional way to play when you're on the go. I think for us, it opens up the opportunity to make it more affordable, and make it more accessible to more players. Whether that's new regions, or new ways to access [Xbox] cloud."

"We want to add more value for our most dedicated players. Whether that's things like adding new first or third-party day-and-date titles, the ability to stream your own games, or even things like adding new free-to-play game benefits. We want to add as much value as we can."

On next-gen, Xbox Game Pass growth, and new hardware experiences

Jason Beaumont emphasized the growth of Xbox Play Anywhere, noting that Xbox transactions even outside of Game Pass are growing by "double digits." "We're seeing a strong alignment with developers, for titles that support Xbox Play Anywhere, they're seeing more play, because the game is available on many more screens. When I think about Xbox Game Pass, we had record Game Pass revenue, and we had our all-time high in Xbox Game Pass payouts to developers."

"In addition, we're also seeing double digit growth in both first and third-party transactions as well. So whether your game is in Game Pass or not, there are many more opportunities for developers to reach players within our community."

The podcast team shifted to discuss Xbox's next-gen, known to be in development in partnership with AMD. Jason Ronald hinted at new AI-powered rendering techniques, while also unifying storefronts from Steam to Xbox to GOG, all on one box. "Xbox and AMD have had a decades-long partnership, innovating in driving the next-generation in gaming. We're excited to continue that relationship as we look forward to the future of Xbox."

Jason Ronald noted that the "silicon innovation" coming out of AMD will revolve around unifying storefronts across multiple platforms on a single device. It's widely believed the next Xbox will be able to incorporate Steam, GOG, and indeed any Windows app potentially — while also supporting your existing Xbox console library.

"We're deeply focused on hardware and silicon innovation and how we can push the boundaries beyond the current generation of devices. This is grounded in the work we're doing to build a unified platform across devices in new ways. It's about ensuring gameplay is not locked to an individual device or storefront. We built our libraries across a whole set of different services, we want to put that experience front-and-centre."

"Together with AMD we're developing dedicated silicon to power the next-generation of gaming experiences. We're developing next-generation rendering technologies, including neural rendering. It's about deepening the immersion. We're investing in dedicated silicon to develop the next-generation of AI experiences, which will be transformative in how you experience gameplay."

"It also provides a new surface that developers can take advantage of, delivering new kinds of experiences that they weren't able to deliver before. All of this starts this year with the Xbox Ally X, because it has a dedicated NPU that allows us to experiment with some AI-powered experiences before we get to our next-generation console."

Ronald emphasized how, going all the way back to the original Xbox, Microsoft innovated with a long-term vision about where gaming was going. Despite 56K modems being standard, Microsoft would still bet on a future where internet speeds would accommodate a full Xbox Live platform, for example.

"This reminds me a lot of the early days of the original Xbox. We had a vision of where the Xbox console could go. We had this notion of connecting gamers across the world, and ultimately that became Xbox Live. From a hardware perspective, we knew early on we had to invest in things like, a hard drive, an ethernet port."

"At the time, people were gaming on 56K modems. It was out of left field for us to invest in this hardware. We believed in our vision. So for us, it's about betting on the future, rather than against the future. We want to go where players are going, and build the right platform to allow developers to build on their creative vision."

A glimpse into the future of Xbox

Throughout the rest of the podcast, Jason Ronald and Beaumont offered some insights into the design of the Xbox Ally, the development of Xbox's PC offering, including offline play, while emphasizing Xbox Play Anywhere, too.

Of course, developers have to opt-in to Xbox Play Anywhere, and many seem sceptical about the idea of "giving away" multiple licenses for free. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, for example, was revealed as Xbox Play Anywhere, but then it was taken away. Resident Evil 7 was Xbox Play Anywhere, but Resident Evil Village was not.

It's not all bad news, though: Ready or Not didn't have Xbox Play Anywhere at launch, but it was added later, and some publishers have supported Xbox Play Anywhere incredibly strongly, including Square Enix — although even then, the upcoming Final Fantasy Tactics remaster is not Xbox Play Anywhere.

I think well and truly, the only way Microsoft can deliver on its vision is via silicon compatibility. There's far too much content on the Xbox legacy library that won't run on a Windows PC, including games from Microsoft itself.

Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 are notoriously not included in Xbox Play Anywhere, and it's hard to envision how PC-first games like Heroes of the Storm or World of Warcraft would function on console without significant gameplay reworks. It'll be interesting to see how Xbox delivers here.

Be sure to watch the full Xbox Podcast episode here, and let us know what you think.

A new update for some members of the Xbox Insider Program is fixing a long-standing issue for players with lots of demos and trials on their accounts.

This update (announced on Monday via Xbox Support) is available now, bringing a new tab called Free with Xbox to the My Games and Apps section of the Xbox console's Full Library section. Any demos or limited trials that players have on their accounts will now be moved to this tab, keeping the Owned Games section limited to actual games.

The update is currently just for Alpha Skip-Ahead Ring users, and will likely expand to other testers before becoming available for all Xbox users outside of the Insider program. Per Xbox support, this update also brings various performance improvements, meaning Alpha Skip-Ahead Ring users should have a more stable experience moving forward.

A sorely-needed update for Xbox console users

On the surface, I can understand someone not immediately thinking that this would be a huge issue, but this is a big deal for many players like myself. If you've been playing tons of Xbox games and taking part in betas over the years since the Xbox One first launched in 2013, your account almost assuredly has a lot of various trials that have piled up.

Just recently, I was scrolling through my full library trying to find something, and it was made more difficult by the sheer volume of betas for games like Gears of War 4 that are still tied to my account. It's not the end of the world, but it was needlessly more tedious than it should've been.

Hopefully, this is an update that won't need too long in testing before it's available for all Xbox players. It's not a radical change, but shunting demos and other assorted trials into a dedicated category will go a long way toward making a large library easier to browse.

The Xbox Insider Program has been on a roll this year, with several new features being tested across consoles and PC, such as letting players see their Cloud-playable games on PC. A lot of this platform work is meant to bridge the gap, bringing Xbox and PC experiences closer together, especially with the upcoming launch of the Xbox Ally partner handhelds, which are reportedly slated to launch in October.

PC players are also seeing the rollout of the "aggregated" storefronts, meaning games that players own on Battle.net or Steam can show up in their Xbox PC libraries.

How to join the Xbox Insider Program

If you aren't a part of the Xbox Insider Program, it's free to sign up and join. Just search for the Xbox Insider Bundle in the Xbox Store, then download it. On your Windows PC, you can search the Microsoft Store for the Xbox Insider Hub.

Insiders are allowed to test new features, providing feedback before the features potentially make it out to other Xbox users. Different rings of users get different builds, with the Alpha Skip-Ahead Ring usually at the cutting edge of what's available.

Microsoft has been making some big moves to make the "Xbox" ecosystem across devices and platforms more tightly integrated, and those developments continue today.

Following the arrival of Xbox PC's "aggregated library," pulling different storefronts together, and the addition of Xbox Cloud Gaming's "Stream Your Own Games" feature to the Xbox PC app, some new features are rolling out to the Xbox Insider Program today.

Announced on Xbox Wire, there are two features Insiders can test starting today. First, the Xbox PC app is making it even easier to find and play all of your cloud games (whether you own them or play them through Xbox Game Pass).

Second, the Xbox ecosystem is getting a new "Play History" feature that syncs your most recently played games across console, PC, and handheld devices.

Will this all be the same thing at some point in the future?

Just to get it out of the way, these features are just entering the "testing" phase with Xbox Insiders, so it may be a while before the rest of us see them (and the features may have changed by then).

Still, the direction Xbox is heading is abundantly clear with the rollout of its most recent features across console and PC, and the company is staying on the same track.

Xbox PC players definitely benefit the most from these features right now. It's even easier to play more of your games through the Xbox PC app, after all. On top of pulling in installed games from Steam, Epic Games Store, and other third-party launchers with dedicated filters, Xbox has added a new "Cloud playable' filter that brings together all your Xbox Cloud Gaming and Stream Your Own Games titles in one place, from the original Xbox to the Xbox Series X|S — all playable on your Windows PC or gaming handheld.

RELATED: New Xbox games launching this week 🎮

Next is the new "Play History" feature, arguably the more interesting of the two. Present in the "Jump back in" section of the Xbox PC app or on the Xbox Dashboard for console, the "Play History" feature syncs all your most recently played games across devices, including cloud playable games. Play Banjo-Kazooie on your Xbox? Find it waiting for you on your handheld, ready to be streamed.

With Xbox consoles unable to play PC-exclusive games (at least for now), PC players do benefit from this feature more right now. That being said, the next-gen Xbox console could be closer to a PC than ever, Xbox Play Anywhere has never been more important, and Xbox Cloud Gaming may be getting more advanced, too.

As time goes on, our devices should increasingly be able to access the same library of games, and the "Play History" feature will make it easier to keep track of them all as we move between them.

Personally, I'm excited to see where Xbox takes these features next! Do you think this is the right strategy for Xbox, and is there anything the Xbox ecosystem is missing for you?

Members of the Xbox Insider Program can now use Xbox Cloud Gaming's "Stream Your Own Game" feature on the Xbox PC app. As shared via Xbox Wire on Tuesday, a new update is rolling out now for players, allowing them to see and stream games directly from the app.

Naturally, this means that Xbox PC players can now stream the console versions of Xbox games they own, giving a way to play games across PC even if those titles don't happen to support Xbox Play Anywhere.

This update also allows PC players to potentially save on storage space, choosing to stream a particularly large game instead of keeping it installed on an internal or external SSD.

This also comes as the Xbox PC team is doing a lot of work on the app, with prior updates for Xbox Insiders bringing support for PC storefront aggregation, letting players see games from Battle.net and other stores in their Xbox PC library.

A lot of this work is also meant to pay off for the Xbox Ally partner handheld device, which is slated to launch at some point later in 2025. The Xbox Ally will launch into the Xbox PC app, but also allows players to install and use other storefronts.

"Stream Your Own Game" is growing steadily

Years after first being promised, "Stream Your Own Game" first began rolling out last fall, with an initial selection of 50 games that could be streamed through a browser via Xbox.com/play, including titles like Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3.

Additional updates have seen the list of games grow frequently, with titles such as Assassin's Creed Shadows, Final Fantasy 16, and Subnautica joining the roster.

Updates have also opened up "Stream Your Own Game" on other devices, including Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, LG and Samsung Smart TVs, and Meta Quest headsets.

In order to stream your own game, you'll need to (obviously) purchase a copy of the game. You'll also have to be subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which also allows you to stream Xbox first-party titles and numerous other games in the Game Pass library.

If you aren't a part of it yet, you can sign up to join the Xbox Insider Program, letting you test advanced features ahead of the wider launches across Xbox consoles and the Xbox PC app.

We'll have to wait and see how long it'll be before the broader launch of this "Stream Your Own Game" update for the Xbox PC app.

The previously-outlined Xbox PC store aggregation is beginning, at least for some members of the Xbox Insider Program on Windows 11.

While it isn't showing up for everyone, some members of the Windows Central team are now seeing games from Battle.net, the Epic Games Store, and Steam populating in the Xbox PC app.

The fact it isn't appearing for everyone suggests there may be some A/B testing underway (allowing the developers to test small differences in a public setting) or it could be just a slow rollout that differs for individuals based on other details.

Things are still clearly early, with notably low-resolution art for Steam games that show up like Stellar Blade or Silent Hill 2. Launching one of these games then launches Steam, meaning that at least right now, this is something of a launcher for your launcher, while keeping everything in one place.

Somewhat amusingly, this also means that if you own multiple copies of a game across different storefronts, you're going to see those games back-to-back. I'm curious exactly how many copies of certain titles it might be possible to stack in a row.

All of this comes as Microsoft is devoting more resources to improve gaming on Windows 11, especially when using the Xbox PC interface.

It's all work that's meant to pay off ahead of the launch of the Xbox Ally handheld partner devices later this year. I went hands-on with the Xbox Ally X and was impressed with how the device handled Gears of War: Reloaded.

Microsoft's plans for Xbox gaming on PC continue unabated, and now Xbox Insiders on the Windows 11 PC Gaming Preview can test Microsoft's new aggregated store system.

In a blog post today, Microsoft revealed that Xbox Insiders will gain access to a new version of the Xbox PC app for Windows 11 this week. The app will now aggregate "leading PC store fronts" from other gaming companies, although the blog post stops short of saying exactly which will be available.

My cynicism tells me that the lack of mention for the leading PC storefront, Steam, indicates that it won't be there for now, but it won't be long until we can find out for ourselves.

You can find out for free on your gaming PC quite easily. Using the Xbox Insider app on Windows 11, sign up for the PC Gaming Preview to join the test.

Microsoft says that the Xbox PC app will begin automatically detecting games you've installed from other PC gaming stores and then aggregate them into the library section on your Xbox PC app. The screenshots only show Battle.net integration so far, but Microsoft says "more" PC stores will be integrated in the future.

And yes, if you don't fancy this functionality, you can turn it off in the library section of the settings panel.

When it is enabled, it will automatically populate your library with games from those alternative storefronts, and also show them in your most recently played list down the sidebar. It makes it a little easier to jump back and forth between different launchers, but if you still need to actually load into the launcher anyway, it doesn't do a huge amount to change the experience. What it does do is make it a little easier to navigate through different PC store apps and games using a controller, which will be ideal for the Xbox Ally launch later this year.

Microsoft is allocating a lot of resources to improving the Xbox experience on PC across the board. The Xbox Ally will launch with the PC store aggregation feature, and will also have new Windows features to make navigating the OS with a controller more palatable. Will it all be ready for the holiday season, though? Time will tell.

Some players enrolled in the Xbox Insider Program will soon be able to customize their console Home screens in new ways, pinning favorite games and hiding system apps.

As shared via Xbox Wire on Friday, this update is rolling out to Xbox Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings first. Members of these rings will soon be able to pin up to three favorite games or apps, keeping them there instead of letting them go away if you've played other games more recently.

Xbox Insiders will also be able to hide system apps, reducing clutter and helping keep the Home screen focused on games and entertainment. Finally, the Xbox team is also working on an option that'll allow players to reduce the maximum number of tiles shown at once.

Naturally, players in the Xbox Insider program that test these features are expected to share their feedback.

Over the last few years, many Xbox users have voiced complaints about how much space the tiles take up on the Home screen for Xbox Series X|S consoles. There's been a number of changes over the years to improve this functionality and overall look.

This update is potentially the biggest shift toward making the Home screen look empty and "clean," so I'm curious to see if it changes any in response to player feedback.

Updates usually take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to filter out to all Xbox users, so we'll have to wait and see when this becomes more broadly available.

If you'd like to join the Xbox Insider Program, you can search for the Insider hub and install it on your Xbox.

Xbox Cloud Gaming has a new way to play in the works. The most recent update available to Alpha Skip-Ahead Ring Insiders adds mouse and keyboard support for Xbox Cloud Gaming when playing on a console.

Following the update, console players with one of the best Xbox gaming keyboards can now use their preferred input method when streaming titles via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Mouse and keyboard input was already supported for Xbox Cloud Gaming on PC and some browsers, such as Microsoft Edge. That same functionality is now being tested on consoles.

The list of the best Xbox mouse and keyboard games continues to grow. Many of those games are available to stream through Xbox Cloud Gaming as well.

Microsoft shared the full changelog for the Alpha Skip-Ahead Ring update in a support document.

Xbox Alpha Skip-Ahead Ring: New Features and Experiences

Play Xbox Cloud Games on Xbox Consoles with Mouse & Keyboard

Mouse and keyboard users rejoice! With the latest updates to Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), you can now use mouse and keyboard to play some of your favorite Xbox cloud games on your Xbox console. Much like the current experience on PC and in some browsers, there are currently a select number of titles that support mouse and keyboard input, but more are coming.

Xbox Alpha Skip-Ahead Ring: Fixes

Xbox Accessories App

• Fixes to address an unexpected error that could occur when updating a controller indicating there was a problem.

System

• Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.
  • Note: Users participating in Preview may see “odd” text across the console. To learn more, go to: What’s This? Learn More About Pseudo-Loc in Preview

Yesterday, Microsoft announced a new "mini" feature for the Xbox Insider Program on the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring, but it may be more meaningful than you think.

Xbox's Game Hubs are up in A-B testing on the Xbox Insider Program right now, offering a glimpse at Microsoft's efforts to further converge its features between Xbox and PC. Indeed, these Game Hubs already existed in some form, typically accessible via search up until now, but Microsoft is surfacing them right from the dashboard.

The new Game Hubs pop-up when you first select a game, which is similar to when you select a game from your library on Steam. There, it surfaces information about said game, including Xbox achievements, active friends in-game, and other things, but it's their future potential that is perhaps their most compelling aspect.

The Xbox Game Hubs have some rich potential

I couldn't help but immediately notice how similar these were in functionality to the game listing pages on Steam. With rumors abound that Microsoft is trying to converge its console and Windows PC gaming feature sets, aligning Xbox more closely with expectations being set by Steam is probably a safe bet.

With previous comments from Xbox lead Phil Spencer, as well as VP Jason Ronald, and Xbox's own concept art, many Xbox users are fully expecting Microsoft to integrate Steam itself into the next console platform. Windows Central understands Xbox's next big hardware push revolves around OEM devices, starting with Project Kennan, potentially slated for later this year from ASUS. Microsoft is working on its own Xbox Series X successor as well as a handheld, tentatively planned for 2027. It's widely expected that these devices will run Windows all up, completing a full circle from Xbox's original vision 20 years ago, which was to be a gaming PC for the living room.

Features like the Game Hub will help Microsoft surface content and features that are perhaps more typical of a PC-like environment, including mods, community tools, and updates from developers. And yes, just FYI, you can turn it off in the settings.

It'll be interesting to see how they evolve over time, in any case.

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Select Xbox Insider Program users can now test Game Hubs, a new feature that Xbox is testing ahead of a wider release.

As shared by the Xbox team on Wednesday, Game Hubs will appear whenever a player selects a game. These hubs include various stats relevant to the game, such as friends that are currently playing, recent captures, events, available DLC, and more.

This means that instead of a game directly launching, a user will go through the hub first. The default selection when opening a game hub will be to then launch a game, allowing players to essentially double-tap to quickly get into a game.

If players want to change settings so that selecting a game launches it directly instead of opening a game hub, they can alter their settings by opening My games & apps, then Settings, then Games & apps.

Game Hubs are available now for members of the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring of the Xbox Insider Program. This update will become mandatory for members of that ring starting on March 25, 2025 at 3:00 a.m. PT / 6:00 a.m. ET.

Reaction: This could be neat, but implementation is key

This is an interesting idea for a new feature, and there are situations where I can see it being useful. Instantly knowing that a new DLC is available (or is coming up soon) would be particurlarly nice.

Even so, I don't love the concept of hopping into a game being slowed down significantly. If the process is quick enough and it's only adding another half a second or so, that's not a big deal, but if it's more than that, I'd likely want Game Hubs to be disabled.

The feature is only in testing right now, and the developers working on it are asking for feedback, so it'll be interesting to see how this goes in the future.

I'm curious, would anyone reading this that regularly plays Xbox games enjoy using Game Hubs or not? Let me know!

Busy gamers will soon have yet another way to ignore Copilot, as Microsoft's push for features and tools powered by generative AI isn't showing any signs of slowing down, as the company Microsoft unveiled Copilot for Gaming today.

This new iteration of Copilot is explicitly geared towards Xbox players, focusing on creating an AI assistant accessible on mobile devices that claims to understand a player's needs.

Some examples given in "proof of concept" demonstrations for how Copilot for Gaming could be helpful to a player include having the player ask the chatbot to begin installing a game, or asking what was the last thing a player did in-game.

Other demonstrations include having Copilot for Gaming recommend a playable hero for someone to choose while playing Overwatch 2, or providing advice to a player starting their adventure in Minecraft.

Speaking on an episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, Fatima Kardar, Corporate Vice President of Gaming AI at Microsoft, noted that the team wants the experience to avoid being "intrusive" and that player feedback will be important in refining Copilot for Gaming.

Kardar also mentions that the team is looking into "what it means" to refer back to content that others have put out.

While Microsoft eventually intends to have Copilot for Gaming available across all parts of the Xbox ecosystem, it's rolling out slowly for now. It will first launch as a part of the Xbox mobile app, and members of the Xbox Insider Program will be able to test Copilot for Gaming through the app, starting at some point in April 2025.

I don't want to talk to my phone while I'm gaming

I get that different people play games differently, but little about this appeals to me. Sure, voice commands could provide some active assistance, but does someone need a chatbot telling them what character to pick in a game like Overwatch?

No matter if I'm by myself or chatting with friends, I don't want to yell at a screen (especially a second, smaller one) to get additional functionality or enjoyment out of what I'm playing.

Even with that aside, it's impossible for me to look at this and not see concerns with how Copilot for Gaming will reference existing work.

This is hardly a new problem, but brands that create step-by-step guides and feature explanations for games (including our team here at Windows Central) are already dealing with problems from AI-generated results erroneously repackaging and summarizing hand-written content.

Companies aren't going to stop exploring AI any time soon. Just recently, a now-removed video showed PlayStation experimenting with an AI-powered version of Aloy from Horizon Forbidden West.

We'll have to wait and see how Copilot for Gaming pans out. At the very least, players will soon be able to provide feedback to Microsoft directly.

At last, epic role-playing game Baldur's Gate 3 is getting split-screen support on Xbox Series S, the developers at Larian Studios revealed on Tuesday. This feature is coming to Xbox as part of the comprehensive update in Patch 8, which also features numerous bug fixes and general improvements.

Baldur's Gate 3 launched on Xbox Series X|S consoles in December 2023, coming a few months after the game's prior arrival on Windows PC and PlayStation 5. At the time, Larian Studios shipped the game's split-screen feature on Xbox Series X, but not Xbox Series S, meaning players on Microsoft's lower-end console couldn't access local co-op, though naturally, online co-op wasn't changed.

Split-screen and cross-play ready for testing

When we did our Baldur's Gate 3 review for PC, we talked about how fun this game is to play with friends due to the level of spontaneity it provides and its wonderful replay value. We've been looking forward to this feature being available on Xbox Series S.

Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 is a big one, as it's also bringing the long-awaited cross-play feature, allowing players across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5 to party up and play together with friends no matter what device they're using to access Faerûn. The patch is also introducing 12 new subclasses, allowing players to radically change how they're playing over a year after their adventures might've first began.

If all that somehow wasn't enough, Patch 8 is also introducing a Photo Mode, meaning players can carefully spend hours taking cool pictures of their Tavs, Dark Urges, and assorted pookies.

Right now, you can check out Patch 8 on Xbox consoles ahead of its full release by participating in the Stress Test. In order to take part, you'll need to be a member of the Xbox Insider Program, and you'll also need actually own Baldur's Gate 3. From there, just open the Xbox Insider Hub, go to the Previews section, find Baldur's Gate 3, and join in!

To test cross-play once you're in, make sure to navigate to the Multiplayer tab from the main menu, then select Cross-Play. You can join a friend's lobby, or set up your own.

As a reminder, this is a test meant to find issues, so if you run into any new problems while you're playing with everything Patch 8 has to offer, Larian Studios is asking that report these problems using the official bug report tool.

If you've got tons of games installed on your Xbox, you might be worried about running out of space. While Xbox Series X|S consoles support up to 16TB external hard drives (which is more than enough to store hundreds of games), they haven't been compatible with anything larger. That's about to change, with a recent update for the Xbox Insider Program bringing support for external hard drives larger than 16TB.

Any drives larger than 16TB that you format with your Xbox Series X|S will then appear as multiple drives, giving you access to all of the available space.

While this update is only for the Alpha Skip-Ahead Ring users for now, it should hopefully be making its way to regular Xbox console users before long. Here's the full list of changes and fixes included in this Alpha ring update:

• Expand Your Xbox Storage with Support for Larger Drives
  • We are enabling support for external USB drives larger than 16TB, so you can be sure your favorite games are always ready to play! Newly formatted drives that are larger than 16TB will be formatted with multiple partitions to utilize all available space for games and apps. These will appear as multiple devices in the storage devices list.
• Spot Great Deals from the Comfort of Home
  • Today's update makes finding discounts easier than ever. A random subset of users will see a new badge we're adding to games on sale that you don't already have access to, showing the percentage off directly on your Home screen.
• Accessibility
  • Fixes to improve Narrator readout in Settings, particularly in power options and when enabling remote play.
• Entertainment Apps
  • Fixed an issue where some media apps could become laggy or sluggish after extended playback.
• System
  • Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console
• Known issues
  • System
    • We are investigating reports of the console shutting down or restarting unexpectedly when testing the network connection.

Never running out of storage

Xbox Series X|S consoles require new Optimized games to be installed on the console's internal SSD or on a matching Seagate or WD_Black Expansion Drive. These drives are certified to match the internal SSD, ensuring smooth, stable gameplay and ultra-fast load speeds.

Because this limited storage is needed for new games, it's always best to install non-Optimized titles on an external hard drive. It's a problem compounded by the fact that many modern games are growing well beyond even 100GB in size, rapidly eating up storage space. You can also store an Xbox Series X|S Optimized game on an external hard drive, but you'll have to move it back over to the SSD in order to actually play it.

As a result, while it's certainly hard to use up the currently-supported 16GB of storage in one of the best Xbox hard drives, it's still technically possible, especially for anyone that buys large amounts of backward compatible games and keeps them all installed at once.

With even larger hard drive support on the way, anyone that's been running into this problem lately should be quite happy soon.

• Xbox Insiders in Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead get a new feature.
• Stream games you own directly to Xbox consoles without installing.
• The feature requires an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

Insiders within the Alpha and Alpha Skip-ahead rings are receiving an early gift from Xbox this holiday season. They are among the first to test an oft-requested Xbox Cloud Gaming feature. Starting today, this select group of Insiders with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription can stream games they own directly to their Xbox Series X, Series S, or Xbox One console via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Xbox previously announced these games were available to stream for those in the Alpha and Alpha Skip-ahead who owned them. However, at the time of that announcement, the features were only available via supported devices like smartphones, PCs, and tablets. Streaming owned games to Xbox consoles was not expected until 2025.

The update is limited to a selection of 50 games the player can have in their library to test the feature, although we expect this to expand on a near-monthly cadence over time.

The first wave of games include:

• Animal Well 
• Assassin’s Creed Mirage 
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora 
• Balatro 
• Baldur’s Gate 3 
• Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden 
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) 
• The Casting of Frank Stone 
• Cyberpunk 2077 
• Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake 
• Dredge
• Dying Light 2 Stay Human 
• Farming Simulator 25 
• Fear the Spotlight 
• Final Fantasy XIV Online 
• Final Fantasy
• Final Fantasy II 
• Final Fantasy III 
• Final Fantasy IV 
• Final Fantasy V 
• Final Fantasy VI 
• Hades 
• Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions  
• High On Life 
• Hitman World of Assassination 
• Hogwarts Legacy 
• House Flipper 2 
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits 
• Lego Harry Potter Collection 
• Life is Strange: Double Exposure 
• Metro Exodus 
• Mortal Kombat 1 
• NBA 2K25 
• PGA Tour 2K23 
• Phasmophobia 
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown 
• Rust Console Edition 
• 7 Days to Die 
• Star Wars Outlaws
• Stray 
• The Crew Motorfest 
• The Outlast Trials 
• The Plucky Squire 
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 
• Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 
• TopSpin 2K25 
• Undertale
• Visions of Mana 
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 
• WWE 2K24  

How to stream your own game on an Xbox console

Go to My Games & Apps > Full Library > Owned Games to stream games you own to your console. Playable games you own will have a cloud badge if cloud streaming is available. You can filter your game library by going to Filter > Ready to play > Cloud gaming to only see games that you own and can stream to the console via the cloud. Once you've chosen the game you want to jump into, select the game and choose "Play with Cloud Gaming."

Games that support cloud saves allow you to jump back into your existing game progress and pick up right where you left off, with no extra installation necessary. Xbox Cloud Gaming is still in beta, but at this time, the service is supported in 28 countries and across a myriad of devices, from smart TVs to smartphones.

PC players who want to stream their Xbox games directly to their desktop via the Xbox PC app haven't been forgotten. While that functionality is not currently part of this preview, it is planned for a future update. Xbox players can also look forward to a future update, adding the option to launch owned games from the store via Xbox Cloud Gaming without waiting for their freshly purchased title to download.

How to become an Xbox Insider

The Xbox Insider Program is designed to allow regular Xbox users to participate in early testing of upcoming console features and then provide feedback on those features for further development. The program separates users into various rings, with the higher rings, like Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead, having access to new features that are a little further back in the pipeline than, say, the Delta or Omega rings.

Joining the Xbox Insiders Program carries an extra risk, as the features being tested are still in the early stages of development and may not be completely stable. Joining the Insiders Program requires a commitment to providing feedback—both positive and negative—on the features being tested ahead of release.

To join the Xbox Insiders Program, download the Xbox Insider Hub for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One or Windows PC.

What you need to know

• Microsoft has introduced a new feature for the Xbox app on Windows called "Home." As the name suggests, it's a Home screen for the software.
• The menu shows featured game releases and Game Pass additions, and events, along with headings for top game deals currently available and a curated list of games suggested to you based on what you've played previously.
• In the gaming handheld-friendly Compact Mode, Home also displays games you've recently played so you can quickly start playing them again when you're ready to.
• The new Home menu is only available to Xbox Insiders for now, though signing up for the Xbox Insider Program and its PC Gaming Preview is very easy and free. An explanation and relevant links can be found in the text below.
• The Xbox app has been criticized for years for poor performance, clunky menu navigation, and other issues, but this update represents Microsoft's latest efforts to make it software that PC players will like using.

Since its introduction a few years ago, Microsoft's official Xbox app for Windows has garnered quite the controversial reputation. Though it serves as a place to find new Xbox and Xbox Game Pass titles available on PC well enough, users frequently complain about slow performance, bugs that cause problems when installing games, and having to dig through lots of menus to find exactly what you're looking for. Over time, Microsoft has worked to address these issues with updates and additions, and today, it's implemented a new feature for the app: a "Home experience."

The Xbox app's Home menu is similar to the Xbox dashboard on Microsoft's consoles, and is honestly something the program should have had at release. There's a section of featured content that displays new game launches, Game Pass additions, and special events, along with headings for the best game deals available as well as a curated list of titles the app's algorithms think you'll enjoy based on what you've played previously. On top of that, Home also shows tiles of recently played games in the gaming handheld-friendly Compact Mode and lets you quickly jump back into them with something Microsoft fittingly calls "Jump back in."

"We’ve listened to your feedback and have been testing different designs internally over the last several months," wrote Xbox Experiences project manager lead Tila Nguyen in Home's announcement post on Xbox Wire. "Our goal is to create a unified Home experience that combines the best and latest content from both the Game Pass and Microsoft Store tabs, so you can easily find what you love without having to jump between tabs."

Notably, the Home menu is only available to Xbox Insiders right now since it's being tested, though signing up for the program is free and only requires downloading the Xbox Insider Hub app from the Microsoft Store on Windows. Also, since it's rolling out to all Xbox Insiders today, you'll be able to use Home right away as long as you enroll in the PC Gaming Preview within the Xbox Insider Hub — even if you're a brand new Xbox Insider.

Microsoft hasn't yet said when PC gamers can expect the new Home experience to release for everyone, but historically, new features are fully added a few months after their initial introduction in testing. Given that the menu has been made available to all Xbox Insiders immediately, though, I wouldn't be surprised if it launched even sooner.

While it's being tested, the company has created a short survey for users to fill out with feedback once they've checked out the Home screen and what it has to offer. It's also encouraged fans to post on the official Xbox Insiders subreddit if they're having an issue with the menu, and also report any encountered problems directly through Xbox Support channels.

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It's great to see the Xbox app finally get a proper Home tab, though I haven't been able to use it myself yet as the update that adds it for Insiders is still coming out in waves. Still, this is a big step in Microsoft's plan to transform the Xbox app into a piece of software that PC and PC Game Pass players actually like using, and I hope it proves to be as good as it looks in the preview images.

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We've written about the Xbox app's shortcomings before, but it's genuinely gotten pretty good in the last year or two, with significant updates streamlining its design, taking care of some problematic bugs, speeding up its performance, and stopping it from annoyingly hogging system resources. The introduction of this Home experience is long overdue, but nevertheless, it's another major improvement I'm happy to see come through the pipeline.

What you need to know

• Xbox's Insider Program is an opportunity for users to test new games and features while providing feedback that shapes the console's future.
• The latest update for users on the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring introduced several new features and bug fixes.
• One notable newly introduced feature allows users to connect to direct voice chats via Discord directly from Xbox's Parties and Chat tab.

A new update for Xbox Insiders on the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring rolled out today, including a notable improvement for Discord.

The Xbox Insider program allows console users to test out new features before they hit the operating system for widespread use, giving Xbox's development teams a chance to squash bugs and tweak new features based on actual player feedback. The program is divided into various rings, each gaining access to features in varied states of stability.

Release notes for the latest Xbox Update Preview rolled out today alongside a new system update that brings the operator system up to version XB_FLT_2411GE/26100.2843.241021-2200 for Xbox Insiders who are in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring. Among the patch notes was the announcement that Direct Voice Chats through Discord would be included with the new update.

Alpha Skip-Ahead ring users who download the new update will be able to open the Xbox guide by pressing the Guide button on their controller and navigate to the "Parties & chats" tab. Then, select Discord and choose Direct Voice Chats to find a list of direct message channels that are joinable from the Xbox console. Currently, users are only able to use Discord voice channels from servers they are a part of, but this change will allow peer-to-peer calling without requiring a server with a voice channel.

Features in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring are typically a little more buggy and unstable than features that hit the Delta ring, for example. Users who are accepted into the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring are typically those who Xbox's team knows it can trust for critical feedback on bugs and features. They have worked their way up through the program by providing high-quality feedback and participating in playtests and surveys before receiving an invitation to the ring.

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The new operating system, which Alpha Skip-Ahead users will be required to update to no later than 3:00 AM PT on October 24, also included new options for mapping Xbox Elite Wireless Series 2 and Adaptive Controller thumbsticks to button, mouse, or keyboard inputs. This new feature gives users the freedom to use their controllers for keyboard and mouse inputs in games that support them. Users can create a new profile or edit an existing one in the Xbox accessories app to map their inputs.

Various bug fixes, focused primarily on local language support across the console, are also included in the update. Some known issues, such as mapping mouse input requiring you to restart your controller and the wrong input being displayed when controller thumbsticks are mapped to mouse input, are persistent but are under investigation without a solution at this time.

Because of the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring's more critical nature in playtesting, it is unlikely that the new Discord calls will make it to public release before early 2025.

What you need to know

• Right now, Xbox Cloud Gaming only supports games in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but that's changing from November 2024.
• Xbox Cloud Gaming is finally getting the ability to purchase games to own outside of Game Pass, confirmed in a thread by Xbox President Sarah Bond.
• However, it won't instantly give you access to your entire digital Xbox console game library, with the rollout set to be gradual over the coming weeks and months ahead.

It finally happened. The long-awaited rollout of buy-to-own Xbox games in the cloud is coming in November, 2024 (next month!), but there are some details well-worth knowing.

Microsoft first announced its long-term vision for Xbox Cloud Gaming as early as 2019, when it set out its goal to bring its entire Xbox games catalog to the cloud. Since then, we've been waiting an incredibly long time for confirmation of the program's launch window, and Xbox President Sarah Bond posted in a thread just yesterday that the plan is finally going ahead. However, some details are still missing from the equation.

Post by @bondsarah_bond

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So, what's going on with Xbox Cloud Gaming?

So, what's going on with Xbox Cloud Gaming?

In the thread above, Sarah Bond hailed the U.S. courts for its decision in a recent Google vs. Epic case, which forced Google to open up its app platform to third-party stores and goods sales. Google Play's policies prevent platforms from selling content directly through their own apps, which is why, for example, you can't buy Kindle books directly through the Kindle app on Android anymore. However, thanks to this U.S. court ruling, that will likely now change.

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For Xbox, it means that Microsoft can begin selling Xbox games directly through its shiny new Xbox Android app in the United States. And while it seems Google has wiggled around the EU's similar legislation on the topic, it probably won't be long until the chips fall there too. Right now, you can only play Xbox Game Pass Ultimate games on Xbox Cloud Gaming. But from next month, you'll be able to create your own cloud library using games from the Xbox Store as well.

Indeed, one of the main questions I've had so far about this new feature is "what about iOS? what about outside of the United States?"

Will Xbox Cloud Gaming "buy to own" be available on iOS, PC, or outside the United States?

Well first of all, right now, yes, our sources indicate that Android in the United States will be the only Xbox app version that gains this new capability, at least initially. Apple's app platform is still (inexplicably) locked down, so don't expect it on iOS. And Google may even overturn the previous decision on appeal. Google may even figure out some arbitrary fine-print way to throw the Xbox app out of the Google Play Store, like Google did when it revoked the YouTube app for Windows Phone API keys back in the day.

Yes, you will also need Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to access your cloud games — maintaining that server infrastructure ain't cheap. However, we believe Microsoft is working on a cloud-only Xbox subscription plan for the future too, based on our sourcing. But will you need an Android device?

It seems that Microsoft is planning to bring these features to Xbox.com/play on the web as well. So even if Google does somehow get around to sabotaging this feature, or you find yourself unlucky enough to have an iPhone, you should still be able to access your Xbox games via the web version. Additionally, the Xbox app on Amazon Fire Stick 4K ($29.99 at Amazon) devices and Samsung TVs that support Xbox Cloud Gaming are already based on the website, so they should get this functionality lit up as well around the same time. It seems likely that the Xbox app on PC will also gain this functionality too, naturally.

What regions will Xbox Cloud Gaming "Bring Your Own Games" be available in?

It seems that additionally, even if Android in the United States is the only version with this functionality natively, the ability to play your own games via the cloud will roll out more broadly to other Xbox Cloud Gaming markets on Xbox.com/play. However, the exact timelines for this is unclear. It could be that initially, Microsoft starts with the United States, and then moves to light up other markets over time.

You can check if your region supports Xbox Cloud Gaming via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at the website xbox.com/regions. The current region list is as follows:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Will Xbox Cloud Gaming support ALL of my games on day one?

Another important point to note is that even in the United States, Xbox Cloud Gaming will not support your entire library of games at launch. One reason being that some publishers are simply going to opt out, because they have exclusive deals with other services perhaps, or maybe they're seeking to build their own cloud platforms in the future. Another reason is more technical. Xbox's cloud servers are based on Xbox hardware, and stream installations of cloud titles on the fly if necessary at times. I've been told in the past that when queues appear on Xbox Cloud Gaming, sometimes it's due to the server node drawing the game down from network-attached storage, if it hasn't been used recently by another player in that node.

Up until now, Xbox's cloud servers have had an expected 300~ or so games available due to Xbox Game Pass, but now they plan to expand that catalog to thousands upon thousands of titles. That's potentially terabytes of additional required network-attached storage, as such, the rollout of the existing Xbox Cloud Gaming library will arrive in batches I believe. This might look similar to how NVIDIA GeForce Now announces new games from Steam hitting its service as it cuts deals with license holders and expands its own storage facilities.

So yes, while the rollout won't give you instantaneous access to your entire library at launch, it's still an important step toward that future where you'll be able to access all of your Xbox games, anywhere, at any time.

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A future in the Xbox cloud

In a universe where platform holders are trying to figure out where the next wave of growth will come from, cloud gaming seems to be a promising option. Players are increasingly cloud-based and digitized, as sales of physical media wane in the wake of the popularity of digital platforms like Steam, and even iOS and Android. People just expect their content to be available when moving between devices now, and that's certainly the universe the next generation of potential consumers have grown up in.

RELATED: Xbox Cloud Gaming requirements and set up

Xbox is hoping that it can be ahead of the curve in this nascent market, but significant challenges remain. Xbox Cloud Gaming and cloud gaming in general is very network-dependent. Even if you have good bandwidth coming in, you still need to make sure you're running 5 GHz Wi-Fi to get the best experience, or even ethernet in some cases. Not everybody is willing or able to accommodate the requirements involved with cloud gaming. Given that Microsoft is targeting folk who are casual to the point of not wanting to own a home console at all, there's certainly a gap to bridge when you consider the technical complexity of optimizing your home networking. Most enthusiasts are already buying Xbox Series X|S consoles or Windows PCs for native gaming anyway, making me wonder how much appeal something like cloud gaming might actually have with the console-eschewing audience.

Still, even if "cloud" simply becomes another way for core users to access their Xbox content, I'm all for it. I'm not sure Xbox Cloud Gaming will deliver the new audience Xbox is hoping for, but technological advancements with Wi-Fi and mobile networks could eliminate the accessibility gap. It's crucial that Microsoft has a foot in the door if it does become more popular. And I'd say they have a pretty big foot in there already. It would be a nice addition for saving storage on an Xbox handheld ... that's for sure.

What you need to know

• Starbound is a popular 2016 open-world space exploration game in which you adventure through a procedurally generated universe with your spaceship.
• The indie was a huge hit on PC, and now — eight years after its original launch — Starbound is getting an Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One port soon.
• Developer Chucklefish hasn't yet announced a release date, but is currently holding a beta playtest for the game on Xbox that you'll have a chance to get access to by installing the Insider Hub app on your Xbox.
• The beta runs until next week on September 4, 2024, with the developers primarily looking for feedback on the console version's performance, UI, gamepad controls, and gameplay balancing.
• The PC version of Starbound is available on GOG, Steam, and the Microsoft Store for $14.99. Notably, it's playable on the latter platform through PC Game Pass (and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, by extension).

When games expand to platforms other than the ones they launched on, it's something that typically happens within a couple of years or so. In rare cases, though, popular titles can come to new systems many years later, giving their players a surprising chance to finally enjoy something other gamers have come to call a beloved classic. That's precisely what happened this week, with the studio behind the fan-favorite open-world PC game Starbound confirming that an Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One release is coming soon — a full eight years after its original 2016 launch.

"The Starbound Xbox version is finally almost ready to launch!" reads the recent announcement blog post from publisher and developer Chucklefish. "Before we confirm the release date, we would love to involve the Starbound community to get your thoughts and feelings regarding usability — specifically around controls and console-specific design decisions on the Xbox version. This will inform our final changes ahead of the game’s launch, and will help us with any further quality of life changes for future post-launch patches."

As the post notes, Starbound's specific release date on Xbox hasn't been revealed yet. However, Chucklefish is holding a playtest for the game on Microsoft's consoles through the Xbox Insider Program that lasts until next week on September 4, 2024. The developers say that "the testing pool will be size restricted in order for us to manage and prioritize the feedback we receive," but any Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One user may be eligible for this beta once they install the Insider Hub app (if you are, the option to participate will appear within the app).

In other words, there's a solid chance you can jump into the game right now on Xbox, but access isn't guaranteed. If you are and decide to try out Starbound, Chucklefish asks that you fill out this Xbox Insider feedback form when you're ready to share your thoughts on the experience. The survey is fairly extensive with six pages of questions, with most of them focusing on console performance, user interface, gamepad controls, and gameplay balance. The developers have also implored playtesters to report any bugs they experience with Xbox's "Report a problem" option (hold down your controller's Xbox button and you'll see it pop up).

"Our main aim of the playtest is to find the optimal default controller mapping for the launch version using information we receive from the playtest surveys," the studio explained. "We want to find out what feels best and most natural for the majority of players, so after you’ve given the default controls a try, you can adjust the mapping and deadzone balancing in the Settings."

If you're hoping to check out Starbound with friends, good news: the game was designed with multiplayer in mind, and supports four-player parties. Playing the beta on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One X, or Xbox One will allow you to join a full party, though Xbox One S users can only play with one other person. The reason for this limitation wasn't given in Chucklefish's blog post.

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If you've never heard of it, Starbound is a 2D open-world survival game in which you adventure through a vast procedurally generated universe by traveling from planet to planet in your starship. I haven't played it yet, but differences in presentation aside, it's immediately giving me No Man's Sky vibes — funnily enough, Hello Games' zero-to-hero hit also came out in 2016 — though Starbound seems to place a greater emphasis on RPG character building and narrative, while No Man's Sky is more about exploration. The game has a "Very Positive" rating on Steam, with 90% of its 85,189 reviews giving it a thumbs up.

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Note that if you don't manage to get into the ongoing Xbox playtest, many folks in the Xbox ecosystem can still blast off to the PC version without making a full purchase thanks to Starbound's availability on PC Game Pass (and, by extension, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate). It will likely also be playable through the console version of Xbox Game Pass once the Xbox edition releases in full, though this hasn't been directly confirmed at the time of writing.

Should you prefer buying the game directly, you can do so for $14.99 on GOG, Steam, and the Microsoft Store. It's not on sale anywhere right now, but based on its glowing reviews from critics and players alike, I'd say it's absolutely worth getting at its MSRP. If you're into the open-world and survival genres, it seems like one of the best PC games to play; I'm definitely checking it out soon for that reason.

What you need to know

• Members of the Xbox Insider Program have been testing advanced Discord features on Xbox for a while, allowing users to watch streamed gameplay directly from their consoles. 
• As part of the Xbox August 2024 update, this feature is leaving testing and is rolling out for everyone. 
• Xbox players can also choose what to install when downloading a game on Xbox or PC, giving more control over the optional elements in relevant games like Call of Duty titles.

After spending some time in testing, previously announced Discord improvements are rolling out for all Xbox players. 

As shared via Xbox Wire on Wednesday, the Xbox August 2024 update is rolling out across consoles, bringing a couple of major updates to how Discord functionality works on Xbox Series X|S. These features were first announced back in July, and have been tested by players in the Xbox Insider Program. Now, players on Xbox can directly watch a Discord stream from their console by hopping in and joining their friend.

Another big addition sees players able to chat with each other through Discord on Xbox without any app. As long as your Discord and Xbox accounts are properly linked, you'll be good to go.

Outside of Discord, players are also getting more granular control when choosing what to install on their Xbox consoles or PC via the Microsoft Store. When dealing with a game that has multiple optional installs, such as a recent Call of Duty title, players can pick and choose which separate bits to install, instead of everything being installed all at once by default.

Looking ahead, Xbox players can look forward to button toggling, which was previously announced alongside a suite of accessibility-focused devices. This feature is currently in testing for players signed up to the Xbox Insider Program.

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Analysis: Some great platform improvements

I've been happy using Discord on my Xbox Series X, but there's simply no denying that dealing with transferring calls could get a little annoying. Eliminating that tedium is a big improvement, and a great way to ensure cross-platform game chats are viable, considering Discord's presence on Windows PC and PlayStation consoles. 

I'm also happy that we will have more control over what to install immediately in the future. This is definitely far more relevant to Call of Duty games than most other titles, but it's still a useful feature.

What you need to know

• Xbox Game Bar is available on Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices. 
• Hitting Windows Key + G opens the Xbox Game Bar overlay, which gives you access to helpful PC gaming settings such as screen capture recording, screenshotting, Xbox's social feed, and more. 
• Microsoft has made it a thousand times easier to use on the new wave of PC gaming handhelds, with a new Compact Mode version hitting Xbox Insiders on PC. 
• The new Compact Mode ditches the mouse-oriented widgets for something more gamepad-friendly, with better scaling for 7-inch screens like those typical of the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally range. 

One of Microsoft's most underrated tools is getting a makeover, specifically for those rocking devices like the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally. 

The Xbox Game Bar is an oft-overlooked overlay accessible on Windows 10 and 11 PCs. Hitting Windows Key + G brings it up if you have it enabled, giving you quick access to various useful settings while playing games. You can quickly access FPS counters, performance graphs, game screenshotting and video clipping from the Xbox Game Bar, and much more. However, it was very much designed for desktop use. The app is split into several small widget windows that can be repositioned and have text scaling designed for larger screens. As such, it's not particularly useful on smaller screens like those expected in the PC gaming handheld range — which is arguably where the Xbox Game Bar would be most helpful in the first place. 

RELATED: How to enable the Xbox Game Bar

Microsoft has now pushed an update to users on the Xbox Insider Program on PC (available to opt-in via the Microsoft Store), adding a fresh new "Compact Mode" to the tool, as detailed on the Xbox blog earlier today. 

"We are excited to announce that Compact Mode is now available in Game Bar for Xbox Insiders. Compact Mode is a new experience that simplifies Game Bar, making it more intuitive and easier to navigate on small screens, Windows handhelds, and when playing with a controller. To use this feature, open Game Bar, go to the Settings widget under General, and turn on the “Compact Mode” toggle."

The new Xbox Game Bar Compact Mode is easily toggleable via the settings menu. In fact, when you download this update, it will give you a link directly to the setting in the initial dialogue box. 

This new compact mode ditches the mouse-first widget windows of the desktop version and guns for a more familiar Xbox Guide-like interface, which you can navigate easily with any PC-compatible gamepad, such as those from our great best Xbox controllers guide, which you should definitely click on and read (open it in a new tab, RIGHT NOW.) 

From here, you can easily switch between the most popular widgets typical of the full-screen Xbox Game Bar. The main tab showcases games and launchers you might have installed, including Steam and Battle.net. The second tab gives you a look at your Xbox network friends list. There are also tabs for the Xbox Game DVR, which lets you record footage from your games (and any window, which can be helpful for content creators or even show a family member how to fix something). You can also quickly access your PC's performance monitors and an FPS counter. 

The first version of the new Compact Mode is a bit rough around the edges. There are no animations, for example, and some of the slides still seem like they could use improved scaling for smaller displays. But it's a great start and might even offer a glimpse at Xbox's handheld future. 

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Microsoft's gaming handheld future

Microsoft and other companies are exploring all sorts of new ways to acquire new users. As different cohorts of gamers age and their lifestyle habits change, so too must gaming in general if it plans to keep reaching them. Devices like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally have become increasingly popular in recent months and, at least anecdotally, are especially popular among friends of mine with new families. They can be a great device not only for travel but also to revive "local co-op" scenarios within homes while also freeing up the TV for young ones or spouses who aren't necessarily interested in the latest Diablo 4 season. 

Microsoft's work to improve the Windows experience for the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go is only just beginning, but it's something users of these devices are crying out for. The usability of devices like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch is a big advantage over Windows-based devices, whose interfaces are simply not intuitive nor designed for touch or small screens. The new Compact Mode in the Xbox Game Bar is at least a step in the right direction, and software solutions like ASUS' Armory Crate also help bridge the gap to some degree. But they're all a far cry from an OS designed specifically for gamepad-shaped PC gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck. A lot more work needs to be done here. Perhaps Microsoft should just... you know, make a portable Xbox OS handheld instead. 

What you need to know

• DOOM Eternal first launched back in March 2020 on Xbox One, Windows PC, and PlayStation 4, with developer id Software providing an upgraded version for the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.
• DOOM Eternal is getting official mod support, as id Software is publishing the same toolkit used in the game's development, allowing players to more easily create and publish their own mods. 
• Mod support is currently opt-in with a Steam beta branch, and is also coming to the Microsoft Store via the Xbox Insider Program. 

One of the biggest games of 2020 is about to get even bigger through community efforts.

During the QuakeCon 2024 kick-off livestream, id Software announced that DOOM Eternal is getting official mod support. The developer is publishing a toolkit, the same one used in the game's creation, that will allow players to craft and publish their own mods with ease. 

The mod system is in preview right now as the team continues to gather feedback, but players can choose to opt in and test it out right now. In order to join the DOOM Eternal mod preview, players will need to own DOOM Eternal on Steam or the Microsoft Store, or be a subscriber to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass. 

To join the DOOM Eternal mod preview on Steam, you'll need to select DOOM Eternal. Click Properties, then the Betas tab. Choose pc-mod-preview from the menu, then close the window. 

Alternatively, in order to join the preview on the Microsoft Store, you'll need to launch the Xbox Insider Hub. From there, go to Previews, then DOOM Eternal, and then PC Mod Preview.

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Analysis: DOOM continues to grow

It's honestly impressive to see this happening so long after the game's launch, and it speaks to the longevity of DOOM games as a whole. Combined with the enhanced bundle of DOOM and DOOM II, there's a lot of love for DOOM and the series clearly isn't slowing down. 

That's not going to change next year either, with DOOM: The Dark Ages on the way. I'm envious of the QuakeCon 2024 attendees who got to see a new gameplay segment, and what I'm hearing sounds incredible. Hopefully we'll be learning more soon, because I can't stop thinking about that reveal trailer.

What you need to know

• Discord is one of the most popular communication platforms in the world, especially for gamers. Nearly two years ago, it was officially integrated with Microsoft's Xbox consoles, allowing Xbox users to voice chat with their friends on Discord.
• Now, starting this week, Xbox Insider Program members in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings can preview a new feature: watching Discord game streams. This comes after the ability to stream games to Discord calls came in September last year.
• By relinking your Xbox and Discord accounts, you'll also be able to see your Discord friends on your Xbox friends list and join their calls or streams directly from the Xbox dashboard interface.
• Notably, stream viewing coming to Xbox widens the advantage it has over PlayStation in terms of Discord integration, as it's not possible to stream to the platform or watch streams from it on Sony's consoles.

It's been nearly two years since Xbox maker Microsoft and the team behind the globally popular chat platform Discord teamed up to bring official integration of the program to Xbox consoles, and in that time, it's been built upon with a handful of different features. Most notably, the ability for Xbox users to stream the game they're playing to friends in their Discord call was added last year; soon, they'll now also be able to view streams without using a PC or mobile device to watch.

Microsoft announced the news earlier on Wednesday morning in an Xbox Wire blog post, confirming that Discord stream watching is coming in preview to members of the Xbox Insider Program in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings this week. Once the feature goes through some thorough testing, it will then become available for everyone — hopefully in the near future.

Based on the image of the interface that Microsoft shared in the post (visible below), you'll be able to adjust the volume of a stream you're watching or even mute it if desired, just like you can with the full-fledged Discord app on PC and mobile. You also won't need to use a separate app on your console, allowing you to access streams directly from the Xbox dashboard interface.

This isn't the only improvement coming to Discord's integration on Xbox, however. Another feature going into testing today is the ability to see what your Discord friends are playing and when they're streaming or in a call from the Xbox dashboard, as well as who they're chatting with and the name of the server they're in in the latter two cases. Provided they're in a voice channel accessible to you, you can then join it directly.

To do this, you'll need to relink your Xbox and Discord accounts, which will give you the option to display your Discord friends in your Xbox friends list. Specifically, folks you know on Discord will appear on the right side of the friends list under the "Happening now" header.

If you're in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings of the Xbox Insider Program and plan to use these features, make sure you leave feedback on the experience for Microsoft as it works to refine and improve them. One place you can do this is the Xbox Insiders subreddit, a community where Microsoft notes "official Xbox staff" interact with members. You can also post to the subreddit if you're in need of support.

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Analysis: A long-awaited feature finally arrives

Xbox users have been asking for the option to watch their friends' Discord streams ever since the platform got integrated, so it's fantastic to finally see this feature make its way to consoles. Given that streaming to Discord from Xbox was introduced last September, I'm surprised that it's taken this long for stream viewership to come, but more than anything I'm just happy to see it's finally here.

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Something worth noting is that the addition of this feature further raises the advantage that Xbox has over PlayStation in terms of Discord support. While Sony recently gave PS5 users the ability to join Discord voice calls directly, it isn't possible to stream games or watch streams in the console. This, along with things like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and day one console exclusive releases on PC, makes the Xbox ecosystem more attractive to users that PC game or interact with PC gaming communities.

What you need to know

• Earlier in the year, Xbox president Sarah Bond announced that the Xbox Mobile Store would be launching at some point in July 2024. 
• A web page for the Xbox Mobile Store has been spotted, with the description that is coming soon and thanking users for taking part in the Xbox Insiders program.
• The Xbox Mobile Store will begin with first-party games like Candy Crush and Minecraft, with third-party games being added at a later date.

It looks like some players may be able to play Xbox mobile games fairly soon. 

A web page for the Xbox Mobile Store has been spotted (thanks, @Klobrille) with a description thanking users for signing up for the Xbox Insiders program and indicating that access is coming soon. 

Back in May, Xbox president Sarah Bond announced that the Xbox Mobile Store would be launching at some point in July 2024. As of July 29, as I'm writing this, there has been no official word on when the store will be launching, and we are clearly running out of July in just a couple of days.

At the time, Bond indicated that the store would first be launching as a web-based store, providing users an alternative to the app stores run by Apple and Google. Bond also confirmed that the store would first be launching with first-party games like Candy Crush and Minecraft from King and Mojang, respectively, with third-party games from external partners being added to the store at a later date.

Analysis: Huge questions and opportunity

It's possible we get an announcement in the next couple of days, allowing the Xbox Mobile Store to squeak in at the end of the month. It's also possible it's been slightly delayed and we'll instead see something officially announced in August.

Either way, it seems safe to expect something being announced in the coming days and weeks. It'll be interesting to see if access rolls out to members of the Xbox Insider program first, like this page seems to indicate. If so, I'm curious how long it'll be before it then opens up for all users. That's going to be important in order for the store to acquire more casual users.

There are a lot of questions surrounding the Xbox Mobile Store right now, from ease of access to the starting game library to what (if any?) Xbox Game Pass integration is available. 

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has previously spoken at length about how critical mobile gaming is for Xbox, something that's been cited as one of the biggest reasons for Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard King, adding mobile opportunities around franchises like Candy Crush, Call of Duty, and Diablo from across Blizzard Entertainment and King. 

Xbox also has some other mobile development capacity, such as the mobile team at now-unionized Bethesda Game Studios that is working on The Elder Scrolls: Castles.

What you need to know

• Do you like updates to your Xbox updates? Well, this update is for you. 
• Microsoft is enabling a new update pre-download feature soon, first with Sea of Thieves. 
• You will be able to pre-download assets and major parts of big updates to existing games ahead of their general availability once this rolls out publicly in the coming weeks.
• Initially, it's available in the Xbox Alpha Ring for Xbox Series X|S. 

Do you like Xbox updates? What about Xbox update updates for your updates? Well, Microsoft has a little gift for you. 

Spotted by Xbox watcher Klobrille on Twitter (X), the latest Xbox Insider Program update has a nifty new feature that will save everybody a lot of time and headaches as updates to service games grow ever larger. 

As explained on the Xbox support website, the update is hitting the Xbox Alpha Ring shortly for testing, for those included in the Xbox Insider Program. 

"We have exciting news! Xbox Insiders can expect something new coming to their Xbox Update Preview.

Update Pre-Download

Games that enable support for update pre-download will allow updates to be downloaded days before they are scheduled to release, so you can jump in and start playing right when the update goes live!

Be on the lookout for the for first updates to start taking advantage of this new option by checking My games & apps > Manage > Updates."

There was some confusion about how this system would work among users on Twitter. Xbox engineering lead Eden Marie jumped in to explain exactly what users can expect as this update rolls out. "If it’s available for download early it will download but not apply it until it’s mandatory," Marie explained. "That way when it’s update time you can do it quickly and get to playing right away without waiting for a download."

The first game that will utilize this feature is Sea of Thieves' own Insider program, although it stands to reason that many more Xbox internal studios and games will utilize it in the coming weeks and months ahead. 

Xbox is still getting nifty features and refinements

Recently, Microsoft also included the ability for Xbox consoles to remember previous Wi-Fi settings. A feature you'd probably need if you were developing an Xbox handheld, right? This feature too could be useful for people who are travelling frequently, allowing large updates for games like Call of Duty or Diablo 4 to be pre-downloaded at home, before patched and activated with slower hotel Wi-Fi or even a hotspot. 

Microsoft has done a good job of supporting Xbox Series X|S consoles with post-launch quality of life updates, but I wouldn't mind seeing some more grand projects as well on the side. Xbox fans have been asking for improvements to the Xbox Game DVR and Xbox achievements systems for years, only for them to be largely left untouched. However, I suspect a lot of Microsoft's development bandwidth is being spent on the next-gen Xbox at this point, which could be a major paradigm shift. Phil Spencer previously hinted that the next Xbox will be more Windows-like, including the ability to install Steam and the Epic Game Store. 

PC Game Pass is awesome, but the app that powers it has been ... less-than-awesome. But that's starting to change. 

PC Game Pass (sold separately or part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate) is a monthly subscription service that gives access to hundreds of great PC games. The service also includes all Microsoft-owned games from day one into the service, typically helping you avoid paying the standard $60+ dollar asking price for a full AAA game. In the future, Activision-Blizzard games will also start hitting PC Game Pass, starting with Diablo 4 later this month, with Call of Duty to follow. 

Despite the quality of the service overall, and the value within Xbox Game Pass full games list, the Xbox app itself which serves the content has been controversial. I've written a few articles complaining about it in the past, but it is gradually improving. 

As part of the Windows Gaming Insider Program on Windows 11, I noticed that the Xbox app got a fairly significant design update recently, making the visual language a bit more consistent, while improving some of the overall features and usability. The app certainly seems to be turning a corner. 

A lot of consistency tweaks and improvements ...

Two of the main feature updates I've noticed are a new "recent" and "installed" filter on the left hand side, making it a little easier to sort your games library. It's not quite as robust as Steam's game list sidebar, but the fact there's a drop down menu there now means Microsoft could expand it to a variety of additional filters in the future. 

I previously wrote about how Compact Mode on the Xbox app makes the usability with touch a little easier for devices like the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go. It doesn't seem like there has been any further tweaks to Compact Mode as of writing, but there has been some improvements to the game page, as you can see above. 

The design is a little bit more consistent across the app, but also there's a little more visibility for your friends who might've been playing the same game, complete with their display pictures and profile backgrounds. It's a nice touch, and gives the page a bit of flair. From here, you can easily access the game's files if you want to set up mods and tweaks, although there's no indication that the pain points with Windows installation integrity systems have been improved for people who use a lot of mods. Steam will probably remain your best option for mods and things of that nature, at least for now. 

One thing that was interesting in this build was the inclusion of an "Extensions" section in the settings menu. I'm not sure I've seen this section before, and it says you can manage compatible Xbox app extensions there, yet I have none installed. 

UPDATE (March 8, 2024): As pointed out by a reader, this section refers to games that have additional launchers, such as those offered by Ubisoft and EA. Seems that it could also expand to Battle.net potentially when Diablo IV hits PC Game Pass later this month, but maybe there's more they could do here too?

... but still a long way to go. 

There's also been some improvements to the library section. The filters are a little easier to access, with filters that let you quickly find games you've purchased. However, it doesn't differentiate between games you've actually purchased, and games that you have purchase entitlement for via Game Pass, which makes the Game Pass filter a little redundant. It's easy to filter by games you have installed, but there's still a lot of improvements here I'd like to see. 

The "play later" section feels a bit redundant to me, and it would be nice if we could hide it away, or customize rows of games to our own liking. It would make more sense for me to have a quick button filter for "Xbox Play Anywhere" for Xbox and PC gaming handheld users, instead of "Purchased" and "Game Pass" here. This section is obviously a library of content you have access to, so I'm not sure what the point of these buttons are. 

Also, it's painful that we can't hide games that we own here like we can on Xbox. I really, really don't need to see the "Bleeding Edge Beta" in my PC library, given that the Beta client is absolutely never going to be used ever again. I'm also endlessly irritated that there are no cloud save indicators on the PC Game Pass app. If you shut down your PC too quickly, it can cause save file conflicts for Xbox Play Anywhere games if you frequently switch between devices. However, I have been told that a cloud save upload indicator feature is on the way for both Xbox and PC. 

But that's the point here, the app is moving forward, gradually. Today's version of the Xbox app looks nicer, runs more efficiently, and is far more stable than its previous incarnations, and this latest design pass is a really encouraging sign. 

But, the Xbox app for Windows 11 is moving in the right direction!

The Xbox app is far from "Steam," but I'd argue that it doesn't need trading card systems or forums and the like. Although the primary functionalities expected of a "PC gaming" experience should probably take priority. 

There are a number of things that bug me about Microsoft's PC gaming push. Whether it's inconsistent versions across platforms, spotty developer support, or other types of usability complaints, the Xbox PC app still needs a lot of work. The "Microsoft Store" delivery systems could also use a TON of improvement. I'm not sure why I need to "accept app permissions" via pop-ups for these games, with an unnecessary email notification. If I'm downloading the game... surely I've already offered permission, right? As a Lenovo Legion Go user, I'd also like more visibility for games that do support cross-progression via Xbox Play Anywhere (as well as more support from developers, even if I have to buy the game twice!). But, I'm sure Microsoft has a very long list of feedback and complaints they want to address over time. 

The most important thing is that the Xbox app for Windows 10 and 11 is moving in the right direction. It's become far more performant, far more usable, and generally more consistent as time has marched on. It remains to be seen what Microsoft will do with Battle.net, often used for Blizzard games, for example — which they now own. The last time Activision tried to mess around with the Battle.net app, it resulted in a huge community backlash owing to the legacy of one of the world's oldest multiplayer platforms. Microsoft will likely need to tread carefully here. I'm also curious to know what other features are on the horizon. Will we ever be able to stream PC games from the cloud like NVIDIA GeForce Now, for example?

In any case, the days of "Games for Windows Live" and "MSN GameZone" (wow, I'm old) are long behind us. PC Game Pass is one of Microsoft Gaming's fastest growing sections, and the value is truly undeniable. 

(Oh, actually... MSN GameZone still exists, who knew?)

What you need to know

• NZXT and Bethesda have partnered to bring more Starfield gaming products to gamers.
• Most of the products will launch in early 2024 as part of the NZXT CRFT series.
• To celebrate the announcement, the NZXT Starfield H5 Flow PC case is available in limited quantities today. 

In a press release, NZXT and Bethesda have announced a new partnership to celebrate the success of Starfield. We gave Starfield a great review, and many players still call it the game of the generation. You can grab the NZXT Starfield H5 Flow case as part of a pre-built. We aren't sure what other Starfield-branded products will be released. Still, it would be awesome to see some custom motherboards, cooling fans, and the whole works so that fans of Bethesda's masterpiece of a game can celebrate with the beautiful Starfield aesthetic that permeates the marketing and game. 

Where to buy a Starfield PC?

If you have been looking for more ways to celebrate Starfield like I have, this announcement is a welcome surprise. The NZXT Starfield H5 Flow is a great starting point and looks fantastic to boot. Act quickly to get one of the brand new NZXT Starfield H5 Flow cases before they are sold out. 

It's important to note that these are only available in North America and on NZXT.com as an upgrade option when purchasing a Player: Two prebuilt NZXT PC.

Do you like the NZXT Starfield H5 Flow case design? Will you pick up some Starfield branded PC parts from NZXT when they become available? Let us know in the comments. 

What you need to know

• Xbox, as part of their desire to support players where they want to play, has released a new compact mode for the Xbox app for handhelds.
• The new compact mode doesn't change very much but does make the app better on small screens. 
• This could be a precursor and show that Xbox is ready to support handhelds with a compact mode for Windows as well. 

On October 26th, Xbox released a new update for the PC Gaming Insiders preview program. There are several changes to the Xbox app and a handful of bug fixes, but the most significant change, while not in scope but in intent, is the addition of a compact mode for the Xbox app for handheld and small screens. 

While reportedly, the changes are minor, primarily focusing on reducing the size of the bar on the left-hand side of the app, giving players more real estate to manage their game library.

What was changed in the app doesn't matter as much as the fact that something was changed to make the experience better for handhelds. This should be Xbox foreshadowing more of an intent to prioritize gamers across all different devices and could lead to a new Windows version for handheld devices to make devices like the ROG Ally or Lenovo Legion Go a genuine alternative to playing Xbox games. 

Will Xbox have a handheld?

There has yet to be any public confirmation of Xbox making a dedicated handheld. Conversely, Xbox leadership has repeatedly pointed to partner devices and pushed them as handheld options to play Xbox games. Starting with the streaming-only Logitech G CLOUD, to users successfully playing Gamepass on the SteamDeck, and now the Rog Ally, it's evident that Xbox could build an empire of mobile gaming handhelds. 

Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, has publicly applauded the ROG Ally, and back in May, he famously interviewed with the ROG Ally on his shelf before its official release. Based on all of this, I don't think Xbox will make a bespoke handheld any time soon and leaked documents from the FTC trial against Microsoft show that while they were thinking of making a handheld, it was out of scope for 1st party.

For Phil Spencer, though, devices like the ROG Ally really are an "Xbox on the Go," as he said in an interview with Eurogamer. 

Will Windows run well on handhelds?

This is the real issue Microsoft needs to address. Ever since the failure of Windows 8, Microsoft appears to be worried about watering down the Windows experience for smaller screens. However, with the recent changes in Xbox leadership, there is hope that Phil Spencer can work with the Windows team to streamline the operating system with a thin version optimized for gaming with an excellent UI for small screens. 

Windows employees had concepts leaked for a Windows mode optimized for handhelds from a Hackathon project. This was an old video before the success of the ROG Ally and the competition that will be brought to the market as more devices are released, like the Lenovo Legion Go.

I expect Windows to have a thin client ready for handheld devices soon. Unfortunately, agile development and Windows aren't two things that go together so that it might take some time.

Can Xbox reach ubiquity on handhelds?

The recent Xbox FY24 quarterly earnings impressed upon analysts and gamers alike that the need to sell consoles to make money is no longer a reality for the games industry. As we said in our coverage linked above, "Notably, while Xbox hardware revenue was down 7% year-over-year due to lower consoles sold, Xbox content and services revenue was up 13% year-over-year. " 

Xbox Game Pass and Xbox games on Steam are the new revenue model going forward, and as Xbox works to improve the Xbox experience on these handheld devices, they will continue to grow their profits all while no longer needing to subsidize the cost of so many consoles. 

There are great handheld devices on the market now or soon entering the market, and we have a guide on the best gaming handhelds to help you pick which is right for you. As technology improves, handheld gaming will only grow. A recent leak showed an Emdoor handheld running Intel's new Meteor Lake CPU, which has had some impressive demos.

In the end, the power to shape the future of video games is in Xbox and Microsoft's hands. They have great momentum with the closure of the Activision-Blizzard-King acquisition and need to capitalize by showing gamers everywhere that they are a priority. Do you own a gaming handheld? Are you excited about a better UI for the Xbox app and hopefully Windows down the line? Let us know in the comments.

What you need to know

• Microsoft will join other companies using Barclays' co-branded credit card program, this time with Xbox.
• The Xbox Mastercard will be fully available in the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii from 2024.
• Xbox Insiders can get in on the fun early from September 21, 2023. 
• Users can earn points while using the card in various ways to spend on the Microsoft Store for Xbox and Windows, among other platforms. 

Have you ever woken up and thought, "you know what would make my life more complete? An Xbox-branded credit card." Oh boy, I have some GREAT news for you. Unless you live outside the United States, that is. 

Today, Microsoft officially unveiled the Xbox Mastercard in partnership with Barclays Bank. The United States-exclusive credit card will reward users who regularly use the Microsoft Store across Windows and Xbox, with other beneficiaries including Disney+, Netflix, and even delivery services like DoorDash and Grubhub. 

The cards will come in five unique designs and can even be personalized with your Gamertag.

The card will accrue points for any purchase, but customers will earn accelerated points for purchases made at the Microsoft Store and other supported platforms. 5,000 points have a cash value of around $50, so you'd need about 6,000 points to buy a full AAA game like Starfield or any other upcoming Xbox games. The points can then be spent at Xbox.com on any games, downloadable content, or apps via the Microsoft Store. 

First-time users will get 5,000 points included with their first purchase and three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (for new users only). The card has no annual fee and comes with Barclays co-branded standard APR of around 29% alongside the associated standard terms and conditions. 

The card will launch on September 21, 2023, specifically for members of the Xbox Insider Program. Microsoft encourages those interested (18+ in the United States) to download the Xbox Insider Hub on either Windows 11 or an Xbox console to get started. The card will launch more generally in 2024, presumably after this initial testing.

An Xbox credit card?!

These Barclays co-branded Mastercards have become more popular in recent years, with PlayStation and other platforms also involved in the program. It rewards users with specific spending habits, in this case, around the Xbox and Windows ecosystem. I can't help but feel like Microsoft missed a trick with this one. It already has a Microsoft Rewards system, so why not tie purchase points into that instead? Perhaps that would've been too logical. 🤔

There's no word if Microsoft will expand its availability beyond the United States. Financial rules per region are usually quite strict and specific, but we'll be sure to update you if anything changes.

We asked, and finally, Microsoft delivered. 

This past week, Microsoft revealed that finally, it will allow you to automatically integrate and upload Xbox gameplay clips directly to your OneDrive storage. I feel like we've been asking Microsoft to do this for almost a decade, back in the Xbox One generation, and back when OneDrive was even called SkyDrive. Better late than never, eh?! 

Anyway, I decided to fight through COVID-19 and take a pause from recovering from my massive Starfield review to give you a quick look at how OneDrive integration works on Xbox, and what you can get out of it. 

Xbox has technically had OneDrive integration since the early days of the Xbox One, but it wasn't automatic. Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S consoles have game DVR recording functions, complete with a small pool of cloud storage for uploading and transferring clips to other devices or platforms, such as Twitter. Much like Starfield's inventory space, this cloud storage facility gets filled up quite quickly, leaving you to laboriously manage dozens of clips while figuring out which epic 360 no-scopes are worth keeping. With this update, you can finally set the Xbox DVR to automatically select OneDrive as a storage and upload location, much like the Camera Roll on any phone you have OneDrive installed on. 

You can compare OneDrive plans here. OneDrive comes with 5GB of storage for free, and if you have an Xbox you technically already have it. All Microsoft accounts come with OneDrive attached as standard. However, if you subscribe, you can get boatloads more. You can pay $20 per year for 100GB of storage (which also removes ads from Outlook.com), or you can pay $70 per year and get full Microsoft Office tools, and 1TB of storage. There's also a family plan for $100 per year for up to 6 people. 

It would be cool if the OneDrive implementation allowed you to manage Xbox DVR clips you had already uploaded to the Xbox DVR folders, while also viewing how much storage you have left. It's early days yet, though. I suspect Microsoft will add more features to this integration over time. 

Automatic OneDrive uploads are available now in the Xbox Insider Program as part of the Alpha Ring, and will roll out to more users in the coming weeks and months ahead. 

What you need to know

• A new Xbox system update is coming to the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring of the Xbox Insiders Program, beginning at 2 p.m. PT on August 30, 2023.
• Xbox OS version RS_XBOX_DEV_FLIGHT\25942.1001.230828-2000 will be a mandatory update for Alpha-Skip Ahead users beginning 3 a.m. PT on August 31, 2023.
• Users with the update will be able to choose if they want to automatically upload their captures to OneDrive, among other fixes.

The Alpha Skip-Ahead ring of the Xbox Insider Program received a surprise update this evening with a range of fixes for the console's operating system. Among all the patches was a surprise feature at the top of many users' wish lists: the ability to upload captures to Microsoft OneDrive automatically. To implement the new feature, you must be part of the Xbox Insider Program and a member of the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring. You will need to have downloaded the latest system update, and then you can enable automatic uploading by navigating to Settings > Preferences > Capture & share, under the Automatic uploads section. 

In addition to automatic uploads, the latest Xbox system update will include a handy wizard allowing users to back up existing Xbox Network clips to OneDrive or an external drive. 

There are some caveats to automatic uploads of your game captures to OneDrive. Users who take 4K or HDR video clips will not be able to automatically upload those clips to OneDrive cloud storage, though the feature will be available in the future. Video clips and screenshots automatically uploaded to OneDrive are uploading to Pictures\ instead of Pictures\Xbox Screenshots at this time, while video clips are being uploaded to Videos\ rather than Videos\Xbox Game DVR. Particularly snap happy users with large collections of captures numbering in the thousands will see a delay in their uploads. Xbox has asked users to be patient and give their captures a few days to appear in OneDrive.

Additional fixes were also a part of the latest system update, including a fix to address unexpected prompts to update apps and a fix for unexpected issues when some users were pre-installing titles before launch. A series of updates were also included in the latest patch that will properly reflect local languages across the console. Some users may see "odd" text across the console if they participate in Preview.

While the patches resolved some issues, there are still plenty of others that Xbox engineers continue to work on behind the scenes. The following Known Issues were acknowledged but still in need of a solution as of the most recent patch:

Audio

• Intermittent issues with audio across the dashboard, games, and apps.

Keyboard button mapping for Xbox controllers

• In the Xbox accessories app, the "Learn More" does not work.
• Changing your keyboard language settings while the Xbox accessories app is open requires quitting the app or rebooting the console to reflect changes.

My games and apps

• Titles in the collection appear with a "trial" tag incorrectly.

Reactive voice reporting

• This feature is currently limited to English language in US, CA, GB, AU, NZ, and IE regions.

As with any new system update, Xbox has asked that users head to the community subreddit if they need support and provide adequate feedback on any issues or bugs encountered.

The latest system update, OS version RS_XBOX_DEV_FLIGHT\25942.1001.230828-2000, can be voluntarily downloaded by Alpha Skip-Ahead users beginning at 2 pm PT on August 30, but it will be mandatory for all Alpha Skip Ahead users beginning at 3 am PT on August 31.

This past week, Microsoft announced a game-changing new Xbox feature to little fanfare, but it could become one of the most important new features Xbox has gotten in years. 

Announced on Xbox Wire a couple of weeks back, Microsoft detailed how it's planning to bring full keyboard bindings to Xbox controllers, as part of the Xbox Insider Program initially. This will allow for vastly more control over games than has ever been previously possible, and portents a major cultural shift in the types of games that could actually work on consoles. 

Ahead of Microsoft's acquisition of PC-focused developers like Blizzard, the potential is vast and exciting, and not enough people are talking about it. 

Xbox could now realistically get World of Warcraft, Heroes of the Storm, and more

One thing I'm asked repeatedly since Microsoft opted to purchase Activision-Blizzard was if the firm's world-busting MMO World of Warcraft could realistically come to console. Until recently, I wouldn't have thought it to be even vaguely possible, but this new feature set suggests it could be far more plausible. 

Some games are just designed all up for PC, like it or not. World of Warcraft is sort of playable with a controller. There are third-party tools that allow you to map a gamepad to the game, which is how users are playing World of Warcraft on handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck or the ASUS ROG Ally. Those devices already have keyboard mapping, though. 

On an Xbox controller, you'd be limited to the four shoulder buttons and four face buttons, alongside the d-pad and the stick clicks for your keybindings. For some classes in World of Warcraft, that simply aren't enough buttons — and that's without factoring in non-combat features like sheathing weapons or stuff like sitting, macros, etc. So, how would this new feature benefit games like World of Warcraft in this scenario? It's all about modifiers, baby. 

When this system goes live more broadly, users with an Xbox Adaptive Controller or an Xbox Elite Controller will be able to map modifying keys like ALT, and SHIFT to create combination keys. Binding one of your inputs to SHIFT or ALT would essentially double or triple the number of available keybindings. Some games already use the standard buttons available to create modifying control schemes, of course. Dragon Age Inquisition is an easily memorable example, which had one of the triggers bind to an additional bunch of spell slots when held down. However, when you combine the additional available buttons on the Xbox Elite Controller or the Adaptive Controller, it's easy to see how games that have more complex keyboard-first controls would benefit from the feature. In the case of World of Warcraft specifically, it would preclude the developers from having to remake and rebalance the entire game potentially, to downscale complexity to meet the needs of controller gameplay. 

Of course, however, the issue is actually having to own one of these controllers. The Xbox Adaptive Controller is designed for accessibility needs, but the Xbox Elite Controller is by no means cheap, and a question mark still hangs over its long-tail susceptibility to wear and tear. But this move strikes me as just the first step. 

It's time to make back buttons standard

Trying to play Baldur's Gate 3 recently on my ASUS ROG Ally has proven a chore. While the game is admirable in handling gamepad controls, the granularity of the game's world makes me wish I had a mouse attached at all times. While playing Armored Core 6 for preview recently, I couldn't help but lament the lack of back buttons, since taking your thumbs off the controls for any period of time in that game can be a death sentence. For other games, the issues are less about needing a cursor, and more about needing a keyboard for those extra buttons.

There is a ton of games on Xbox that already support mouse and keyboard natively, and Microsoft noted that it will allow developers to enable their games to use a combination of gamepad controls and keyboard binding controls. Sea of Thieves already has support for this, allowing users to set up quick bindings for specific items and weapons, for example. World of Warcraft would benefit massively from this feature, particularly since up until now, the reverse buttons on the Xbox Elite Controller were essentially used as mirror keys for ABYX. It's great for playing characters like Farah or Echo in Overwatch, whose omnidirectional flight modes kind of demand that you never move your hands from the joysticks. Therein lies the issue, though, really. 

Back buttons are not standard on Xbox controllers right now. If Microsoft was setting up the Xbox Elite Controller as a defacto control method for games like World of Warcraft, the upcoming Final Fantasy 14 Xbox version, or MOBAs like Heroes of the Storm, it would be asking users to shell out of a lot of extra cash for the privilege. That's why I firmly believe that to really maximize the potential of this feature, Microsoft really needs to consider adding four back buttons as a standard feature on future basic Xbox controller iterations. Part of me thinks that's absolutely the plan here. Nobody was really asking Microsoft for this feature on Xbox Elite Controllers, which hints that Microsoft is planning for future needs. Time will tell. 

What you need to know

• Members of the Xbox Insider Program can now stream their games to Discord. 
• This feature allows someone playing on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles to stream the game they are playing into a Discord voice channel. 
• This test is rolling out now to Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha testers in the Xbox Insider Program. 
• Streaming games to Discord will be coming "soon" for everyone. 

Ever wanted to show your friends what you're playing on Xbox, but without the hassle of setting up a Twitch stream? Your hopes are being answered.

Microsoft shared on Wednesday that Xbox Insiders will be able to test streaming games to Discord starting now. This new feature, which is rolling out to Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead ring testers, allows players who have linked their Xbox and Discord accounts to instantly start streaming gameplay into a Discord voice call. 

In order to use this feature, testers simply need to join a Discord voice channel, then select "Stream your game."

This functionality is similar to how PlayStation 5 users can take advantage of the "Share Screen" feature to stream the games they are playing into their party chat. While this isn't exactly the same thing, as PlayStation's offering doesn't rely on Discord, this is still a neat feature for people to use.

While there's no exact date or window for when regular Xbox users will be able to stream games to Discord, the press release says that it's coming for everyone "soon."

Windows Central's take

This is a really cool feature to see added to the Xbox ecosystem. Obviously I wish there was a completely native version like what Sony offers to PS5 users, but this comes pretty close as a substitute. By being able to stream games to Discord, players can have community game sessions even with a single-player title, ask friends for help with something, or just liven up a long-distance date night.

What you need to know

• A new Xbox home page layout is being developed, with a focus on showing off a user's chosen background. 
• This new home page is now available for Xbox Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings. 
• The home page moves the "Games and Apps" section while increasing the number of a user's most recently played games that are displayed.

While the Xbox home page goes through frequent design changes and tweaks, some being more radical than others, the latest design goes a long way for anyone that's been wanting to see more of their background. 

Microsoft shared on Monday that the new Xbox home page layout is available for members of the Xbox Insider Program who are in the Alpha or Alpha Skip-Ahead rings. As shown in the image above, the new layout has much more blank space, providing room for users to see whatever their chosen background is. The icons for recently-played games have been shrunk, making more space and fitting in more games. 

This new layout also includes a "responsive game art" feature, meaning that whenever you hover over a particular game, the background changes to show art from that game. 

There's no current expected date for this new home page to make its way to regular Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S users. If anyone just can't wait, they can sign up for the Xbox Insider Program by downloading the Xbox Insider Bundle.

Windows Central's take

It's been a very, very long time since I was jealous of something in the Xbox Insiders program, but this new home page has accomplished it. I absolutely love the look, showing off the background and still centering games. Obviously it should be in testing for as long as needed, but I'm hoping the wait for all of us regular users isn't too long.

What you need to know

• The Xbox Dashboard is enjoying lots of testing for new updates in the Xbox Insider Program.
• The latest test, rolling out this week, will bring a new "Friends & Community Updates" group to the Xbox Dashboard.
• The pinnable group will share the latest updates and posts from friends, fellow players, and official game clubs.
• Xbox is aiming to collect feedback on the feature as part of its wider, multi-month New Xbox Experience experiments.

Microsoft is constantly updating the Xbox OS over time with new features and improvements, but the software hasn't enjoyed a significant upgrade in a long time. The company is working to fix this; on Monday, it announced the latest feature heading to Xbox Insiders later this week. Say hello to the refreshed "Friends & Community Updates" group for the Dashboard.

As part of Microsoft's multi-month New Xbox Experience experiment, this week's Xbox Insider Program update continues the company's efforts to revitalize the Xbox Dashboard with a refreshed design and new features. Microsoft is busy collecting feedback on every iteration, and the brand-new "Friends & Community Updates" group is a part of that.

The Xbox Dashboard is customizable with various pinnable groups, and the "Friends & Community Updates" has been around for a long while. However, it dominates the screen and takes up a huge amount of space, and doesn't always surface particularly useful information. The latest iteration in testing with the more streamlined Xbox Dashboard is compact, with a brief look at the latest Achievements, game clips and captures, announcements, and more from friends, fellow players, and official game clubs.

Clicking into the group will show you your complete activity feedback, and the group aims to encourage you to share more in the Xbox community as you play the best Xbox games or explore the vast Xbox Game Pass catalog. The build is rolling out this week all users in both Alpha rings of the Xbox Insider Program.

Windows Central's take

This is a small update to the ongoing New Xbox Experience experiments, but it's good to see Xbox testing changes to many aspects of the Xbox operating system, which is in dire need of a facelift. I'm hoping to see a major update arrive for all players in the near future with a more customizable, visually appealing Dashboard and a host of new features.

What you need to know

• A new survey on the Xbox Insider Hub suggests Microsoft is looking to expand on its energy saving features for Xbox consoles and potentially PC games too.
• Microsoft asks users how they feel about features that would reduce frame rates and resolution, thus reducing power consumption and saving money. 
• Surveys don't necessarily mean we'll see a finished product out of it, but Microsoft's commitments to reducing its carbon footprint make these potential features a definitive candidate for development. 

Given the state of global power markets, Microsoft has placed a greater emphasis on energy saving as of late. One of the recent updates to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles included a revamp of the power settings menu, giving you a better visual representation of how much energy you're likely to save while switching between power saving and standby modes. If these recent Xbox Insider Program surveys are to be believed, Microsoft may be exploring ways to take it a step further. 

A recent questionnaire I came across in the Xbox Insider app on Windows PC detailed a potential list of new features Microsoft is exploring for games across consoles and PC. These new features pertain specifically to opting-in to reduce frame rates, resolution, and so on, with the goal of limiting energy consumption. 

Of course, surveys don't necessarily mean that these sorts of features will make it into a final product, but Microsoft's commitments to net zero carbon use have seen the firm increase its investments in this space. 

The survey asks users about their current feelings with regard to energy consumption, potentially polling users on how the energy crisis is affecting their willingness to spend. The survey asks users if they would be interested in features that reduce power consumption in games, both while the games are running and while they're inactive, specifically to save energy and thus money. Microsoft also asks users how they would prefer these features to be branded, with terms like "eco-saving" and "energy-saving," and even asks if these sorts of features would affect users' purchase decisions per game. 

It's hard to say just how much energy you could save by reducing a game's frame rate from 60 down to 30, but as energy markets across the world go through various forms of upheaval, it's pretty cool that Microsoft is exploring the idea. There are reports that the UK could face blackouts over the winter months, with European nations like Germany urging citizens to voluntarily reduce energy consumption. 

As is often the case with Microsoft, we get one step forward and two steps back. 

Today, a new dashboard design hit the Xbox Insider Program on the Alpha Skip Ahead ring, and it sort of ignores most of the popular feedback revolving around the dashboard as of late. 

Last year, we put out a survey asking Microsoft and Xbox fans what their top feedback for the Xbox platform is, and lo and behold, dashboard design was one of the top complaints. Users have been clamoring for more of a minimalistic design that reduces the footprint of "ads" and "dynamic content" in favor of showcasing the dynamic background themes Xbox fans finally won after years of requests. Microsoft seems intent on hiding those backgrounds, however, with this latest "upgrade" to the Xbox dashboard. 

The new design pushes up the tiles layout further to the top of the page, obscuring view of whatever theme you've opted for. If that wasn't annoying enough, just below the fold, we have rows upon rows upon rows of Xbox Game Pass content, which cannot be customized in any way. 

In earlier versions of the Xbox dashboard, we were able to tap "X" to interchange blocks of content below the main dashboard. You could pin a friend to see their latest activity, or pin a game to see updates from the developers. It seems all of those features have been stripped out in favor of turning the dashboard into a second storefront. 

Microsoft has been listening to user feedback very gradually over the past year. Last week, we got a new Captures app which has vastly improved the Xbox Game DVR both in terms of performance and usability. Microsoft has also continued to add other refinements here and there, including packet tagging for modern routers, improved bitrate on Game DVR clips, and a refreshed design on the power states menu to give you a better idea of how much electricity you can save. 

Despite all of these improvements, Microsoft seems strangely resistant to fan feedback that requests a more minimalistic dashboard design that prioritizes our content and our themes in favor of large advertising blocks, and now rows and rows of "suggested" content. 

A lot of the fan-made dashboard concepts imagine a world where there's only one row of content, where dynamic themes and user customization get an opportunity to shine. I'm not sure why Microsoft feels the need to push Xbox Game Pass so hard on users who already have it, and I sympathize with the fact that the dashboard has to subsidize the platform in some way. The console business is all about software sales rather than hardware sales, after all. And I've often been told by Microsoft's partners that the attach rate (and thus, profitability) on Xbox punches above its weight, owing in part to the delivery of store content in the dashboard. That being said, there must be some form of compromise that can be reached here. 

The above dashboard concept from @Souls_Ninja on Twitter is among the most popular redesign ideas floating around the web, with many other users building similar ideas in Photoshop and other platforms. 

This dashboard design is currently in the Xbox Insider Program on the Skip Ahead Ring, and I suspect that its design will be tweaked before it goes live in the coming months. However, increasingly it seems like the entire Xbox operation is skewing towards Xbox Game Pass over everything else from a platform perspective. It took months for the Xbox Game DVR to start getting the improvements it needed, despite being plagued with various issues for an incredibly long time. 

As always, if you are in the Xbox Insider Program, you can leave (respectful, constructive) feedback via the Xbox Insider Hub app on your Xbox console. 

What you need to know

• The latest Xbox Insider builds include a refreshed Xbox Game DVR video capture experience, alongside other updates.
• You can now also join a Discord channel straight from the Xbox guide, without having to use the transfer system via a phone or PC. 
• There is a range of smaller tweaks in this build too, further marrying the Xbox design language with that of Windows 11. 

Recently, the Xbox dashboard picked up some new features that may seem small at first glance, but have some pretty broad implications attached. These features are currently present in the Xbox Insider Program for testing, but will no doubt make their way to the public domain in the coming weeks ahead. 

The first upgrade is the new Captures app for Xbox Game DVR clips and screenshots. While it's fairly simplistic at first glance, the fact that it has been separated into its own app is a major change that will help the Xbox team iterate more quickly, given that it's no longer tied to the Xbox OS itself. 

The Captures app has some improved iconography bringing it more closely in line with that of Windows 11, and has better clip management and organization. It's far easier to see at a glance how much cloud storage you have left, and it's also far easier to highlight multiple clips for deletion or uploading to OneDrive.

Crucially, the Captures app also seems far more reliable, while being speedier at editing video and trimming. Loading a clip is a lot smoother, and previous bugs of audio desync seem to have been resolved.

With Captures as a separate app, it potentially paves the way for more features and usability in an age where video has become a dominating facet of social media and online interaction.

Additionally, the more recent Xbox Insider builds refine and elevate the Discord experience on Xbox. You can now connect directly to any voice channel in any server that you're a member of. Previously, you had to perform some form of dark magic ritual to transfer a Discord voice call over to your Xbox, using your cell phone or PC as a bridge. This change vastly streamlines and improves the process, essentially connecting Discord and Xbox up fully. Now, it's a simple case of signing in to your Discord, accepting the app permissions, and joining a channel straight from the Xbox guide menu. 

The Xbox dash has also picked up some improvements for its power saving and settings menus, alongside a recommendations tab in the settings menu for adjusting key features and more Windows 11 design language visual tweaks. 

There's no official timeline when the new Captures app will hit the public builds for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles, but we'll keep you updated on the progress.