As a console platform, Xbox has historically focused on the US market, with Europe, Africa and Asia in particular being relatively weak markets for the US-based Microsoft. Following the recent announcement to changes with its Game Pass subscription service, Xbox is reportedly moving away from EMEA regions almost entirely. As …
Read More »Game Pass Cloud streaming officially available on Amazon Fire TV
Last month, Amazon announced a partnership with Microsoft/Xbox to bring Game Pass to its Fire TV Sticks via cloud streaming. Said to be coming some time in July, the Xbox Game Pass app is now officially available. Following the announcement last month that the Xbox Game Pass app would be …
Read More »Microsoft Flight Simulator gets 9th major City update
Despite the fact that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is set to release in just a few months, the team at Asobo Studio are continuing to add new features and improvements to 2020’s MSFS – with City Update 9 bringing a revamp of the Northeastern United States. Making the announcement on …
Read More »Microsoft lay-offs continue
Microsoft had some negative press earlier this year, after announcing mass layoffs a few months after closing its blockbuster acquisition of Activision Blizzard King. Unfortunately, it seems the troubles aren't over just yet, as reports of another round of lay-offs at Microsoft are now hitting the web. Former Microsoft Senior …
Read More »Microsoft and Nvidia may soon turn your Xbox into an RTX 4080 powered gaming PC
Microsoft has walked back on its plan to turn any TV into an Xbox with its own cheap cloud streaming box. The new plan seems to be turning the Xbox into a powerful gaming PC. According to new leaks, Microsoft and Nvidia are now working to bring GeForce Now to Xbox consoles, which would allow users to turn their consoles into RTX 4080-powered gaming beasts...
Read More »Forza Motorsport gets stealth visuals boost in latest patch
Forza Motorsport has unfortunately not hit in the way Microsoft were hoping – not helped by the fact that the final product appeared visually downgraded from its pre-release material. Though RTGI has yet to make its way into the game, some subtle visual tweaks were discovered in Motorsport’s latest patch. …
Read More »Xbox partners with Amazon to bring Game Pass to Fire TV Sticks
Just yesterday, we reported on Microsoft’s cancelled cloud-streaming Xbox console, with details on the abandoned technology being discovered through submitted patents. It appears Microsoft has no need for its own cloud streaming box, as they have just announced a partnership to bring Xbox Game Pass to Amazon’s Fire TV stick. …
Read More »Forza Horizon 4 breaks player record following announcement of its delisting
Yesterday, we reported on the unfortunate announcement that Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted later this year “due to licensing and agreements with our partners”. As has been the case with many soon-to-be-delisted games, Forza Horizon 4 has now shot to the top of the PC charts, breaking its …
Read More »Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted later this year
One issue which many video game developers have come across at some point is the need to delist their games from digital stores due to expiring licensing agreements. One of the biggest culprits of this are racing games. Many fans of the Forza series were hoping that 2018’s Forza Horizon …
Read More »Microsoft patent sheds light on unreleased ‘Keystone’ streaming device
A recently found patent has shed light on Microsoft's cancelled Xbox streaming device codenamed ‘Keystone'. The device, originally unveiled in 2021, was designed to enable users to stream Xbox games to TVs or monitors without needing a console. However, it was reportedly put on the back burner after Microsoft struggled …
Read More »Obsidian reveal a bunch of new Avowed details
Following the most recent showing at Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase, we have seen and heard a great deal more about Obsidian Entertainment’s upcoming RPG Avowed – including discussions on the game’s tone, length, companions and more. In an interview with GameInformer, Carrie Patel – the game director for Avowed – …
Read More »Microsoft Flight Simulator surpasses 15 million players
Microsoft’s Flight Simulator released back in 2020 to a wave of success, with fans and critics alike giving the unique title its flowers. In the years since, the team at Asobo Studio have continually updated the game with new features, improvements, optimisations and more. With its successor mere months away, …
Read More »Crash Bandicoot N’Sane Trilogy has sold over 20 million copies
Crash Bandicoot is an iconic classic video game mascot, being closely associated with the PS1 back in the day, and helping to put developers Naughty Dog on the map at the time. In the decades since, Crash’s cache had fallen out of relevance – until the release of the much-loved …
Read More »Shinji Mikami’s departure partly led to Xbox’s decision to shutdown Tango Gameworks
Last year, Shinji Mikami left Tango Gameworks, more than a decade on from founding the studio. Less than one year on from his departure, Microsoft announced that it was shutting the studio down. Now, it seams that Mikami's departure may have had more to do with the shut down than …
Read More »Xbox will host its largest booth ever at Gamescom this year
While Sony has confirmed that it will be skipping Gamescom again this year, Xbox is looking to take advantage by hosting its largest booth ever at the event. We aren't going to get another huge showcase of announcements at Gamescom, but fans can expect to see more from World of …
Read More »Microsoft begins refunding Redfall Hero Pass buyers
A while back, Microsoft announced that the upcoming Redfall DLC, which promised new playable heroes and had already been sold to players, would no longer be coming out. The planned ‘Hero Pass' has been scrapped and Arkane Austin, the studio behind the game, is also being shut down. Now, Microsoft …
Read More »Fable and Gears E-Day targeting 2025 release
During the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this month, Microsoft impressed a lot of fans with its reveals for Gears of War: E-Day and Fable, both of which got brand new trailers. However, the show was lacking when it came to specific release date news. Fortunately, it seems we now have …
Read More »Steamworld Dig, My Time at Sandrock and more coming to Game Pass
Twice a month, Microsoft updates its Game Pass library, adding a line-up of titles across the AAA and indie sides of the industry. For the second half of June, Microsoft will be dropping a decent selection of titles including some strong indies and a day-one addition. Making the announcement on …
Read More »Starfield has gained 2 million more players in the past 6 months
Starfield has had an interesting trajectory. Following an extensive and lengthy marketing strategy, the game launched to a great deal of interest, amassing more than 10 million players within its first month. Since then however, growth has slowed down significantly, with just 4 million extra players entering its universe since. …
Read More »Xbox cloud gaming has increased by 50% YoY claims Phil Spencer
For the past generation or so, Xbox has been putting an increased amount of emphasis on its cloud gaming platform, with Microsoft continuing to update and improve its xCloud game streaming service (to some degree). In a recent interview with Phil Spencer, the President of Microsoft Gaming revealed that Xbox …
Read More »New Xbox system update brings enhanced personalisation
Microsoft releases new software updates for its Xbox consoles at a regular cadence, adding both small and large changes alike. June’s system update brings improvements to customisation, network switching and more. Making the announcement on the Xbox Wire blog, June’s Xbox update includes new features across the Xbox Series of …
Read More »Phil Spencer addresses handheld Xbox rumours
Phil Spencer had been pretty quiet ever since the announcement of the many studio closures going on at Xbox. That said, the executive emerged in an interview with IGN following the conclusion of Xbox’s Game Showcase, discussing a number of topics including the potential for an Xbox handheld. Spencer in …
Read More »Eidos Montreal is assisting with the development of Fable
During the recent Xbox Games Showcase, we were given another look at Playground Games’ Fable, and though no release date was given, the game does appear to be shaping up rather nicely. In a surprising announcement, it was later revealed that Eidos Montreal of Deus Ex fame have been assisting …
Read More »Avowed leaks its own release date alongside 3rd-person camera confirmation
During Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase, we were given another look at Avowed from Obsidian Entertainment. During the show, the team confirmed that the RPG would still be releasing in 2024. Though not stated during the showcase itself, an official release date has now been announced – though seemingly by accident. …
Read More »Phil Spencer officially comments on Xbox studio closures
Just over a month ago, the industry was stunned when it was announced that Microsoft would be shutting down 4 of its studios, including the critically acclaimed Tango Gameworks as well as Arkane Austin. Typically a vocal person, Xbox Head Phil Spencer had instead remained silent on the matter. Finally, …
Read More »Xbox may tease its rumoured handheld this weekend
Back in March, we began hearing rumours that Microsoft may be working on their own Xbox handheld in the vein of the Steam Deck or ROG Ally. Microsoft themselves have since teased the idea as a possibility – while still keeping things vague. That said, according to one insider, we …
Read More »Xbox exclusive Contraband “is a ways off, for sure” claims insider
Announced back in 2021, Contraband is an Xbox console exclusive currently in development by Avalanche Studios and set to be published by Microsoft themselves. We have heard pretty much nothing officially from the game ever since – and it seems we are unlikely to for quite a while. According to …
Read More »Xbox Games Showcase will be streamed at 4k60fps
While video game showcases are always a fun time, far too often the visually stunning titles on display are done a great disservice by being live streamed at 1080p – sometimes even running at just 30fps. Fortunately, the upcoming Xbox / Call of Duty showcase will be streamed at the …
Read More »Kena: Bridge of Spirits is finally coming to Xbox
One of the most exciting games to launch during the PS5’s release year was Kena: Bridge of Spirits. The first game from studio Ember Lab, Kena launched to consistent and positive reviews from both critics and fans alike. Back in April, an ESRB rating seemed to suggest that the game …
Read More »AMD, Intel, Google, Microsoft and Meta collaborate to create alternative to Nvidia NVLink
Nvidia NVLink technology has been a game-changer in enabling high-speed communication between GPUs and CPUs since its debut in 2014. Surpassing traditional connection standards that have become inadequate for today's high-performance accelerators, it started off being used in gaming GPUs. That's not the case anymore, as Nvidia has removed the …
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