After years of silence, Microsoft adds basic features to Mixed Reality
Windows 11 A new Mixed Reality Link update lets users pass built-in mic and camera feeds directly to Windows 11.
10 Comments
Features
Project Zeta is a MOBA built for speed
GAMING Project ZETA is a 20-minute, four-team tactical arena by NIRVANANA offering a fast-paced, controller-friendly MOBA experience.
Modern Warfare 3 is the first Zombies mode that was made for me
Gaming It's that time of year again where Call of Duty players go back to older games while waiting for the new one, and how did I miss this?
Final Fantasy Resonance rekindles the spark — and it’s headed to Xbox
Gaming I recently got to play Final Fantasy Resonance's playable demo on Xbox, and it's stunning pixel-art graphics and turn-based combat feels like a return to form from the first chapter alone
Join Daniel and Zac on September 10 at 2PM ET for the LIVE Windows Central Podcast.
LIVE Join Daniel, Jez, and Zac on August 21 at 1PM ET for the LIVE Windows Central Podcast.
On This Day: Xbox’s 2015 “games everywhere” strategy revisited
On this Day A look back at Xbox’s 2015 “games everywhere” vision — the moment Phil Spencer sketched out a future that Asha Sharma is now fully realizing 11 years later.
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.
Windows & Software
Microsoft Edge's latest update is freezing web apps
Apps A Microsoft Edge bug is freezing web apps, but reverting to version 152 requires a bit of work.
7 Comments
Windows 11's buggy September continues, this time breaking a key Excel feature
Windows 11 A new bug stops you from copying and pasting in Microsoft Excel.
16 Comments
Windows 11 now needs yet another emergency update to fix basic features
Windows 11 Microsoft just issued an out-of-band emergency update for Windows 11. The update fixes broken Hyper-V Linux folder sharing, Remote Desktop freezes, and USB audio bugs.
8 Comments
PC Hardware
ASUS ships the first Snapdragon X2 Elite mini PC
Mini PCs The Ascent QN10 is the first mini PC built around Snapdragon X2 Elite, pairing an 80 TOPS NPU with a compact 0.7‑liter chassis for local AI workloads.
5 Comments
Apple definitely snuck a Microsoft Easter egg into its iPhone Duo reveal
Surface Apple's iPhone Duo video features a real 2018 Surface Magazine article during its split-screen demo, likely poking fun at Microsoft's foldable history.
iPhone Duo steals the best thing about Surface Duo, and it's not its name
Surface Vindication!? Apple's new iPhone Duo validates the multitasking and windowing vision Microsoft originally set out to achieve with Surface Duo. Here's how.
23 Comments
The iPhone Duo is a stark reminder that Surface has lost its purpose
Surface Apple’s iPhone Duo highlights a painful truth for Microsoft: Apple knows exactly what its hardware stands for, while Surface no longer has a reason to exist.
16 Comments
Deals
Play games at 120FPS with this RTX 5070 gaming laptop that's now 18% off
Deals The ASUS ROG Strix G16 gaming laptop is on sale at an 18% discount, giving folks craving an RTX 5070 graphics card more value for strong performances
5 Comments
Alienware slices $1,000 off its RTX 5070 gaming PC with 32GB of RAM
Deals Dell is offering a huge $1,000 discount on the Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop, which offers premium-quality performance for both gaming and productivity.
Labor Day has brought this expensive workhorse laptop's steep price down to under $700
Deals A big Labor Day discount turns this 16‑inch Ryzen AI laptop into a standout performance deal.
Attain premium-quality gaming under $2,000 with this discounted laptop
Deals The ASUS ROG Strix G16 remains one of the best-performing premium laptops for gaming at over 120 fps on 1,600p resolution, and it's now 24% off thanks to Best Buy's Labor Day deal
Handheld Gaming PCs
Valve says Steam Deck 2 plans haven't been affected by the RAM crisis
Handhelds Valve says its Steam Deck 2 plans remain unchanged despite the RAM crisis, aiming for clear performance gains even as rising component costs bite.
Gaming
Thrustmaster HOTAS WARTHOG MKII review: For the hardcore flight sim fans
Review I tested the new Thrustmaster HOTAS WARTHOG MKII, an imposing metallic flight stick for hardcore PC milsim fans with an intense but fun learning curve.
PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct: Start times, platforms, and more
Gaming Tune in on September 20, 2026, to witness trailers for over 35 games, with 10 being world premieres at the upcoming PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct livestream
Fallout 76's latest update finally adds Xbox Series X|S support
Gaming Fallout 76 has released a new content update that adds full native Xbox Series X|S, a new Halloween-themed questline, improved weapon crafting, seasonal content, and more.
Artificial Intelligence
Grok is coming to Copilot, minus the snark
Apps Microsoft is bringing xAI's Grok models to Copilot across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Here is what subprocessor integration means for IT admins and users.
4 Comments
Gemini app arrives on Windows 11, but it clashes with Copilot
App You can now summon Gemini on your computer by pressing Alt + Space.
Microsoft EVP begs employees to stop sending him "AI slop." 🤔
AI Microsoft EVP overseeing Office and LinkedIn Ryan Roslansky posts an oddly oblivious self-own. The company flooding the internet with AI slop has started to realize how dumb its technology actually is in most scenarios.
7 Comments
OpenAI's Sam Altman just admitted he was "wrong" about AI
AI In a new podcast, OpenAI and ChatGPT lead Sam Altman lamented how much the industry made AI a hated tech, in his words, that they failed to "explain the benefits."
8 Comments
Microsoft
"Data centres have become integral to our lives" — Microsoft plans to push ahead with data center despite protests
Windows 11 Microsoft says the UK needs more data centers as Slough residents question the impact of the proposed site.
20 Comments
Join Daniel and Zac on September 10 at 2PM ET for the LIVE Windows Central Podcast.
LIVE Join Daniel, Jez, and Zac on August 21 at 1PM ET for the LIVE Windows Central Podcast.
Windows 11 desktop backgrounds are now being used as ad space
Windows 11 Microsoft swapped Bing Wallpaper backgrounds for a fullscreen movie promo, putting promotional text directly on Windows 11 desktops.
Switzerland is the latest European country to try ditching Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 Switzerland is trialing alternatives to Microsoft 365, shifting 3,000 government workstations to test other apps amid sovereignty and data protection concerns.
17 Comments
Peripherals & Accessories
Review: The Reclusa X Mini 65% is Razer’s best budget play in years at just $49.99
REVIEW Razer's new hot-swappable Reclusa X Mini 65% isn't packed with premium bells and whistles, but at $49.99 it delivers one of the most satisfying typing experiences in the company's keyboard lineup.
