Windows Central Insider
Microsoft's Xbox division is responsible for a variety of gaming innovations we now take for granted. Direct-to-digital, at home cloud-based gaming multiplayer, achievements, among other things — but its subscription services are what gave Xbox it's biggest business wins.
We had Xbox Live in the past, but it has since evolved into Xbox Game Pass, a Netflix-like all-you-can-eat gaming subscription service, officially launched in 2017. The service has long been called the "best deal in gaming," although price hikes and restructures have tarnished its image throughout 2025, as analysts wonder if the deal was actually simply too good to be true.
Essential Xbox Game Pass reading
Latest about Xbox Game Pass
Starfield gets Switch 2 rating days after its PS5 release, extending hopes for a port
Xbox Is Starfield coming to Nintendo Switch 2? A new rating suggests that it is, though recent reports claim the port in development has been difficult to make.
Xbox's Matt Booty says Forza Horizon 6 takes him back to the golden years of racing games
Xbox Forza Horizon 6 will likely be one of the biggest Xbox games of the year, and CCO Matt Booty says "It really feels like a whole new, fresh game."
Microsoft's Xbox studios work together more than you think, says Matt Booty
Xbox Xbox Game Studios has over 30 teams under its wing, and chief content officer Matt Booty says they collaborate more often than many believe they do.
Game Pass helps games succeed beyond Xbox says ID@Xbox
XBOX ID@Xbox director Guy Richards says Xbox Game Pass boosts game discovery and can drive sales beyond Xbox platforms, highlighting its wider impact across the industry.
Bethesda's Todd Howard says Starfield and Fallout 76 were "creatively different" by design
Bethesda Bethesda's Todd Howard says Fallout 76 and Starfield were different than its usual RPGs by design, as the devs "have ideas that we want to get out there."
Subnautica 2 publisher changes from Krafton to the game's devs on Steam and Xbox
Gaming The publisher of the upcoming Xbox Game Pass title Subnautica 2 has been changed from Krafton to its devs, raising questions about their partnership.
ARM-native Kingdom Come Deliverance II build launches only on Steam
PC Gaming Kingdom Come: Deliverance II now has a native build for Windows on ARM devices with Snapdragon X chips, but the Xbox PC app has fallen behind.
New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma says Game Pass "has become too expensive"
Xbox Reportedly, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has signaled to employees that Microsoft is planning to figure out "a better value equation" for Xbox Game Pass soon.
