Windows Central Insider
New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma says Game Pass "has become too expensive for players”
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.
16 Comments
Features
How the Steam Deck became an unlikely Windows handheld
PC Gaming Valve's Steam Deck is a great piece of hardware that runs SteamOS out of the box. What about Windows? Well, it's possible, but not without some help from a community of enthusiasts.
ASUS shows a better AI PC path
Laptops ASUS’ Zenbook A16 demonstrates how clear hardware execution can outshine Microsoft’s increasingly confusing Copilot+ PC branding.
A lament: World of Warcraft's erasure of the Horde is disheartening
PC Gaming A band of survivors, outcasts, and quite literal aliens in an unforgiving world: What is arguably Warcraft's most iconic faction is gradually being erased. And it's a shame.
Which Xbox console has the best design of all time?
Poll Microsoft has pumped out plenty of console designs over the years, but the Xbox One X is the best of the bunch. Or is it? Let's hear what you think!
20 Comments
Windows & Software
Microsoft is shutting down the Outlook Lite app for good on May 25
Apps After announcing its intentions to kill the Outlook Lite app about eight months ago, a firm end-of-life date has now been revealed. It's time to find an alternative if you haven't already.
Microsoft explains why it killed Windows 11's phone activation option
Windows 11 The tech giant swapped the offline experience with an alternative for better security and reliability.
France's government is ditching Windows and other "American tools"
Windows France’s government is ditching Windows for Linux in a push for digital sovereignty.
PC Hardware
ASUS shows a better AI PC path
Laptops ASUS’ Zenbook A16 demonstrates how clear hardware execution can outshine Microsoft’s increasingly confusing Copilot+ PC branding.
Even a perfect Surface Pro 12 wouldn’t deliver my dream — that company is gone
Surface I'll never get my dream Surface device even if Microsoft makes the perfect Surface Pro 12.
17 Comments
Your Snapdragon X2 laptop might grab the wrong graphics driver
Laptops Early Snapdragon X2 laptops, including the ASUS Zenbook A16, were downloading incorrect graphics drivers. Qualcomm has issued a quick update that fixes the issue.
ASUS Zenbook A16 goes up in price hours after launch
Laptops Just hours after our 5-star review dropped, ASUS and Best Buy hiked the price of the Zenbook A16.
Deals
Work fast for less as this no-nonsense Snapdragon X laptop is now 40% off
Deals The ASUS Vivobook 14, a laptop that prioritizes reliable productivity performance rates and storage over flashy looks and gimmicks, now with a 40% discount.
This budget gaming headset with high-grade audio is right up a PC & console player's ally
Deals The Razer Barracuda X gaming headset has excellent audio quality and comfort levels, with a wide degree of platform compatibility that's now on sale for a price worthy of budget-savvy gamers
This controller with Hall Effect sensors should not be this cheap, but I'm glad it is
Deals The GameSir Super Nova is a PC controller that punches above its budget-price range with Hall Effect sticks and triggers, 1000Hz Polling rates, a sturdy build, and many more features that's now on sale for dirt cheap
Who needs Xbox's Elite controller when this cheaper option is better?
Deals The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is a top-of-the-line controller for Xbox. Incredibly responsive controls, an OLED display, and other useful features are now yours for less with this 54% discount.
Handheld Gaming PCs
How the Steam Deck became an unlikely Windows handheld
PC Gaming Valve's Steam Deck is a great piece of hardware that runs SteamOS out of the box. What about Windows? Well, it's possible, but not without some help from a community of enthusiasts.
Gaming
Qualcomm's next gaming move on Snapdragon X involves 25 NetEase titles
PC Gaming Is Marvel Rivals running natively on Snapdragon X laptops? Qualcomm's gradual gaming push continues with a collaboration with NetEase and 25 "adapted" games.
Is Valve building SteamGPT?
PC gaming Datamined Steam files reference “SteamGPT,” with clues it could help automate support and assist anti‑cheat systems — a practical AI signal from Valve.
AoE2 hits 115,944 peak viewers
PC gaming Microsoft might have perfected the RTS genre in 1999, but nearly 30 years later, Age of Empires 2 is breaking viewer records and maintains a positive
Artificial Intelligence
Former Microsoft Xbox VP says AI is "the big question mark" for the future of gaming
AI Microsoft's former gaming and Xbox VP Ed Fries believes AI is "the big question mark" for gaming moving forward, and says it's not going away.
Did ChatGPT just call Sam Altman a liar?
AI OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently admitted that ChatGPT doesn't have the capability to keep track of time, but the chatbot insists it does.
Lenovo Qira and HP IQ are both heading your way soon. Which one suits you best?
AI Lenovo and HP have both devised on-device AI assistants designed to make your digital life easier. I dug into the features to discover similarities and differences.
OneDrive files deleted from the cloud will soon bypass the local Recycle Bin
Apps Microsoft is changing how OneDrive handles deleted files. Soon, cloud deletions won't hit your local Recycle Bin, forcing you to use the web for recovery.
Microsoft
Windows and Xbox shift toward user feedback, but fans are questioning the timing
Microsoft Is Microsoft's big AI push falling off the rails? Possibly, but not for the reasons you might think.
9 Comments
Azure's cloud platform problems stem from AI, says a former engineer
Azure An ex-Microsoft engineer recently detailed how Azure’s rushed launch, talent exodus, and AI hype left Microsoft’s cloud fragile and struggling to compete.
Microsoft faces new questions from UK watchdog over AI competition
Microsoft The UK CMA is coming after Microsoft again, and this time it's all about AI and ecosystem control, which are at the center of the debate.
Microsoft plans $146 Billion AI spend even as investor interest wanes
MICROSOFT Microsoft could be looking at the worst quarter since the 2008 financial crisis because of AI, but it still wants to make a $146 billion infrastructure investment in 2026
9 Comments
Peripherals & Accessories
How CRT gaming is being reborn with the help of diehard enthusiasts
Hardware If you've ever used a CRT screen, you know how much better the tech is for retro games. But as CRT displays decline in number, enthusiasts have created a new way forward with modern OLED tech.
