microsoft: Last News

Xbox Series X|S has sold over 100,000 units in Japan, which means that the console has already outdone what it took the Xbox One four years to achieve. Initially reported by Japanese publication Famitsu (thanks, GamesIndustry.biz) the Xbox Series X has sold 64,283 units, whilst the Xbox Series S has sold 38,307.

Xbox mini fridge is going up for pre-order, and it’ll be available and in homes by December this year.According to an Xbox Wire post, pre-orders go live on October 19, and arrive across multiple retailers globally in December. It’ll cost £89.99 ($99.99/ €99.99) and will be available exclusively through Target in the US and GAME in the UK, whilst the other available European countries can get it through Game Stop EU, Micromania, or Toynk.This is the “first wave” of production, with Microsoft hoping to expand regional availability in 2022.

Xbox games could be coming to Game Pass through Xbox’s backwards compatibility program, and a datamine of the Microsoft Store potentially confirms it.As reported by TrueAchievements, XboxEra’s Nick Baker tweeted earlier this year claiming the backwards compatibility program wasn’t done, and that there would be a new batch of original Xbox and Xbox 360 games later this year.Baker has tweeted again, saying a datamine has revealed the names of some games, but “sometimes OG and 360 games are tested for BC but don’t make the cut so I won’t list any games as to not set expectations.”An update here.

Halo Infinite is currently running one of its insider weekends (October 1 to 3) where players can get an early look at the multiplayer, and it looks like someone has figured how to play it splitscreen.According to head of creative at 343 Industries Joseph Staten, local splitscreen isn’t going to be available for the game until it launches on December 8, but one Reddit user has found a rather convoluted way to have splitscreen players face off against bots in the beta.Outlined in this Reddit post by u/freebeans, the method currently only works for Xbox users, so PC beta players are out of luck, sadly.

Xbox Series X|S consoles. According to an Xbox Wire post, more than 100 next-gen HDR titles that are optimised for Xbox Series consoles are available with Dolby Vision right now or will be in the future.

Microsoft is bringing back old gamerpics to the Xbox Series X|S with a new option to use Xbox 360 pics on your new console.Before now, upgrading to a shiny new gamerpic on your Xbox Series X|S meant losing your old, outdated gamerpics forever. But now, Microsoft is testing a new feature that allows you to get them back.“I know a bunch of you were asking for a way to go back to your Xbox 360 gamerpic,” said Microsoft developer Eden Marie on Twitter (via eurogamer).

Windows 10 PCs or above can now stream Xbox games directly from the console or via the cloud thanks to a new update. According to an Xbox Wire post, this means that as of today (September 14) the Xbox app can support both “playing Xbox Game Pass games from the cloud” and “playing games directly from your console with Xbox remote play.”Notably it means that PCs that don’t have the specs for certain games can still run them through the Xbox app if your internet is good enough. Up to this point Xbox Cloud Gaming has been in beta on phones, tablets and PCs via a browser link, but now it works directly in app.The post says that all players will need is an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and a compatible controller.

Xbox gamer, there’s been a weird quirk of hardware design sitting in your palms for almost a decade – the buttons on the familiar Xbox One and Xbox Series X controllers are all different sizes.At a glance, it might not look that way.

Halo Infinite, 343 Industries has decided to change how it works in the future, returning to a more traditional method for the franchise.In a blog post on the Halo Waypoint site, 343 Industries explained that while some players liked the new combat sensor, most found it confusing.

Bethesda‘s Pete Hines has responded to PlayStation fan concerns following Microsoft‘s acquisition of the company.During a Gamescom 2021 livestream on August 27, Bethesda’s Pete Hines and Xbox‘s Aaron Greenberg discussed what this means for PlayStation while giving fans an answer who are upset about the news (thanks, Gamespot).“I have no idea how to state this in a way when … I don’t know,” Hines said. “I don’t know the answer.

Microsoft may have only just announced its first limited edition Xbox Series X console but it’s sold out in most locations already, and scalpers are taking advantage of this on eBay.The Xbox Series X Halo Infinite Limited Edition bundle was announced at Gamescom last night (Wednesday) priced at £479.99.

Halo Infinite was nowhere to be found during the Xbox showcase at Gamescom 2021, with a release date for the game still unknown. Slated to come out at some point in 2021, Halo Infinite is one of the most anticipated games of the year.

Xbox chief Phil Spencer has confirmed that xCloud, Xbox’s game streaming service, works on Valve’s Steam Deck.Spencer took to Twitter to sing the praises of the upcoming portable device, and he said that he’s been at Valve “this week talking with Scott, Erik, [and] Gabe about Steam Deck.”“After having mine most of the week I can say it’s a really nice device. Games with me on the go, screen size, controls all great.

Microsoft Flight Simulator lets players fly anywhere in the world, but for some the world is not enough.As reported in GAMINGbible, a player going by “Straight Up P.O.G.” on their YouTube channel recently uploaded their first attempt to fly up past the Earth’s atmosphere and into outer space using a Eurofighter Typhoon.It’s a feat that other players have also done on the PC version of Microsoft Flight Simulator when it launched last year, but this appears to be one of the first attempts on Xbox Series X, and it looks just as impressive.While Microsoft Flight Simulator uses cloud computing to render every part of the world accurately, it’s astonishing to see that the attention to detail extends to above the clouds beyond where players are

Xbox Phil Spencer has said in a recent interview that Xbox Game Pass won’t be coming to other consoles in the near future.In a GamesRadar interview, Spencer was asked about the potential of Game Pass on Nintendo Switch, and he replied: “We have no plans to bring it to any other kind of closed platforms right now, mainly because those closed platforms don’t want something like Game Pass.”“There’s a ton of open platforms out there for us to grow in: the web, PC, and mobile. So all of our focus, frankly, is on those platforms,” he added.Spencer later clarified that he understands why other platforms don’t want or need Game Pass on their console.

Hades is finally coming to Xbox Game Pass this month, though the headliner is also joined by a selection of other titles added to the subscription service.As announced in the latest Xbox Wire post yesterday (August 3), new games have been confirmed for Game Pass for August.The Supergiant Games roguelike will join the service on August 13, the same date that it is also launching on PlayStation, although Game Pass subscribers will be able to play Hades for free on Xbox consoles, PC, and via the cloud.Two installments from the Skate series – Skate and Skate 3 – will also be available on the service on August 5 via EA Play, which is included with Game Pass for no extra charge.

Microsoft has announced that Forza Motorsport 7 has reached “End of life status” and will be removed from sale on September 15.Forza Motorsport 7 released in 2017 on Xbox One and PC, and is the most recent entry in the Forza Motorsport series, as this year makes way for Forza Horizon 5 in November.According to a post from the official website, owners of the game can still access and download all existing content and DLC, and features like online multiplayer will still be available.However, new players will be unable to purchase Forza Motorsport 7 from the above date from the Microsoft Store or play it on Xbox Game Pass.On September 15th, 2021, #ForzaMotorsport7 will reach End of Life status.

Microsoft has unveiled its latest set of titles that will be added to Xbox Game Pass over the coming weeks. As confirmed by the platform holder through its traditional rollout of content (via Twitter), the biggest name that stands out immediately is the introduction of Battlefield V.

Xbox Phil Spencer has said that the success of older games on Game Pass encourages bringing those franchises back.Speaking on the newest Kinda Funny Gamescast (thanks, VGC), Spencer was asked if people playing older games would encourage reboots, he said: “absolutely it does… take Prey, which I think was an amazing game when it came out but a lot of people missed.”He added: “seeing more people playing something like Prey, or Dishonored or going back to Fable and [that] you can talk about those games, for us as we sit back as a creative organisation and watch what people are interested in, it gives us more data to think about things that we might pick up and take forward with new ideas and new teams that might want to go do that.”Spencer

Microsoft has added a new update to its Xbox Family Settings app, just as the school kids break up for the summer holidays.New to the app, which is available on iOS and Android devices, is the ability for parents and caregivers to track and manage their kids’ spending while they play.As detailed on an Xbox Wire blog post, new features include being able to set spending limits by adding money to a child’s account account directly from the app.Funds added to their account can then be used for any purchase, including for games, in-game purchases like cosmetic skins, and apps.This feature had been requested by parents already using the app who wanted a way to reward their kids, whether it’s for completing chores and getting a weekly allowance,

Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty has said that Microsoft doesn’t have a mandate for live service games.In a recent interview with The Guardian, Booty said that while Microsoft is thinking about live service type games, it isn’t something that is essential, stating: “We don’t have any direction or mandate that says every game has to be an ongoing, sustained game”.Booty used the upcoming Double Fine Productions title Psychonauts 2 as an example when he explained that “there might be a Psychonauts 3, but I’m not going to tell Tim Schafer to go make it.“Knowing the history of games that he makes, I don’t think he’s going to be making a game that has seasons and goes on for five years,” he continued. Psychonauts 2 will also have an