Xbox CEO takes direct control of Minecraft to better compete with Roblox amid layoffs
Minecraft As Microsoft's mass Xbox layoffs come down, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma assumes direct oversight over Minecraft, Candy Crush, and its development teams.
17 Comments
7 Comments
36 Comments
36 Comments
9 Comments
Features
Xbox fans need to support State of Decay 3
XBOX Xbox's freed studios have a lifeline. Now I implore fans to put their money where their mouth is and buy their games.
Podcast: The path ahead for Xbox
Podcast On this week's episode: Zac and Jez discuss the state of Xbox as a business, recent rumors around studio closures, and what Microsoft is planning for Project Helix.,
What's the point of consoles if physical media disappears?
Opinion PC gaming isn't perfect, but it certainly seems like the correct way forward in a digital-only world.
4 Comments
'CONTROL Resonant' wasn’t on my radar — now it’s my top upcoming Xbox game
Xbox As far as I know, this is the first time Remedy has strayed this far into melee-first combat. Unexpectedly, they absolutely nailed it. Control Resonant is shaping up to be something special.
4 Comments
Moonraker turns 10 and still looks ahead of its time
Flashback A decade later, Microsoft’s unreleased Moonraker smartwatch still feels like a glimpse into an alternate timeline.
Looking back at 2016’s “I love you, Xbox” — and how much (and little) has changed
Flashback Looking back at the 2016 editorial that captured Xbox’s growing pains and predicted the decade ahead.
Revisiting the LG Lancet, 11 years later
Flashback A look back at the LG Lancet and the era when Windows Phone 8.1 defined Microsoft’s mobile peak.
The 2016 Android‑apps warning that now echoes Googlebooks
Flashback A 2016 warning about Android apps on Chrome feels newly relevant as Googlebooks pushes Android PCs into the agentic era and challenges Microsoft again.
8 Comments
Windows & Software
Microsoft Teams adds simple toggles to disable meeting AI
Apps Microsoft simplified the controls for Copilot, Facilitator, and Intelligent Recap, giving licensed meeting organizers a clear way to turn off meeting AI.
Microsoft Edge now supports Google account sign-ins
Apps You no longer have to use a Microsoft account to keep your browser data synced in Edge. The latest update adds support for standard Google logins on Windows and macOS.
What is Project Aion? Everything we know about Microsoft's secret Copilot OS project
Windows 11 Project Aion is a 2024 incubation effort designed to build out a functioning Copilot OS experience, capable of running on Windows, Android, and focused entirely on the web and agentic AI.
PC Hardware
HP's OmniBook 3 has the potential to be the best budget laptop out there
Review At its cheapest (around $399 on sale), the OmniBook 3 16" is an easy recommendation. If only it were always on sale.
Surface Go and Surface Laptop Go are dead
Surface Surface Go 4 and Surface Laptop Go 3 are now out of stock in most places, and sources say there are no plans to restock them or replace them with a successor.
13 Comments
RAM makers are facing a new lawsuit for alleged price and supply fixing
Hardware Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron are under fire for alleged bad business practices, and it's not the first time it's happened.
4 Comments
Windows Wrap: Microsoft’s new budget Surface models land in the middle of better deals
Surface New 8GB configurations make the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop more affordable, but competing deals leave them looking like poor value.
Deals
Don't settle for lesser laptops as one of Dell's best in years is 33% off
Deals The Dell XPS 13 laptop is one of its best in recent years, and its gorgeous 3K OLED display is now on sale for a 33% discount.
These Microsoft 365 deals beat a decade of inflation
Deals Microsoft 365 subscription prices went up last year, but these limited-time deals from Woot cut through the price hike.
Internal SSDs are selling out but this one with fast speeds and vast sizes is in stock and on sale
Deals The WD_Black SN8100 PCIe SSD, with its 14,900MB/s Read Speeds is one of the best premium options for storage PC games, and its 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB models are on sale at Best Buy
This HP 2-in-1 laptop may look plain, but it can take on your daily workload
Deals HP's OmniBook X Flip 14 is a great 2-in-1 laptop that trades style for work efficiency, and its Core Ultra 5 226V model is now 35% off.
Handheld Gaming PCs
Winhanced on handhelds keeps making Xbox Mode look totally outdated
Handhelds Winhanced's latest update adds a built-in game store with price comparisons, Game Pass support, and personalized recommendations for Windows handheld gamers.
Gaming
Xbox fans need to support State of Decay 3
XBOX Xbox's freed studios have a lifeline. Now I implore fans to put their money where their mouth is and buy their games.
This World Cup star is a man of class as an XBOX, not PS5, fan.
Xbox Norway striker Erling Haaland is lighting up the World Cup, but he's also a man of class because he doesn't slum it with a PS5. No, no, he's an XBOX man.
Coaches come to Euro Truck Simulator 2 before any rigid chassis models
PC Gaming Euro Truck Simulator 2's upcoming "Coaches" DLC for PC gamers will add drivable buses, though some fans are still craving rigid trucks.
Artificial Intelligence
Bill Gates says athletes are safe from AI
AI Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says athletes are safe from AI, arguing that no one wants to watch computers playing.
Microsoft and OpenAI face publisher lawsuits over AI copyright
AI A coalition of publishers has sued Microsoft and OpenAI for scrapping their content without their consent or compensation.
Satya Nadella calls for AI to benefit everyone — not just elites
AI Satya Nadella calls for open AI development, warning against the concentration of power among a small group of tech companies invested in the landscape.
NVIDIA’s new AI data centers could end community water concerns
AI NVIDIA unveils a cooling breakthrough that could reduce water and energy use in data centers.
Microsoft
The path ahead for Xbox and Surface — Windows Central Podcast LIVE
LIVE Join Daniel and Zac at 2PM ET on June 12 for the LIVE Windows Central Podcast!
Microsoft expected to lay off up to 2.5% of workforce next week
Microsoft Reportedly, thousands of roles will be cut across Xbox, sales, and consulting as the tech giant starts its new fiscal year.
Critical "RoguePlanet" exploit bypasses Microsoft Defender
MICROSOFT Microsoft confirms RoguePlanet zero-day exploit in Windows Defender, leaving Windows 10 & 11 PCs exposed while a patch is on the way.
6 Comments
Steve Ballmer called Linux a "cancer" — but it could be the cure for Windows 10 holdouts
MICROSOFT Microsoft once dismissed Linux, but today it’s becoming the lifeline for Windows 10 users facing performance and RAM challenges.
Peripherals & Accessories
Dbrand's amazing Steam Machine Portal Companion Cube case just got canceled
Accessories Dbrand's extremely popular Portal Companion Cube Steam Machine case has been discontinued after Valve issued a takedown due to licensing issues.
