Microsoft and Meta are teaming up to offer Xbox Game Pass with Meta Quest VR Horizon+ sub
Xbox For all 6 Meta Quest owners reading Windows Central today, Microsoft and Xbox have a new offering for you.
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Features
Windows Wrap: Microsoft trades Bing ads for a better Windows 11 Search, and more this week
Windows 11 It took years of relentless user pushback, but Microsoft is finally rescuing Windows Search from ads and clutter.
6 new Windows 11 Insider features for July
Windows 11 Windows 11 Insider builds for early July add Cloud rebuild, Windows Search changes, Taskbar positioning, Pro Education upgrades, and recovery improvements.
Windows 11 recovery explained: Every tool you need to fix a broken PC
Windows 11 Windows 11 doesn't rely on one recovery option. Discover every tool available to repair, restore, reset, and rebuild your computer.
Xbox's cuts and layoffs don't solve its biggest problem — What will be Asha's X factor?
Xbox In order to find the next genuine article of growth, Xbox will need to innovate in ways it hasn't seen in decades. Will Xbox CEO Asha Sharma be given the runway to do it?
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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.
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Windows & Software
Windows 11 KB5121767 update released to address major reliability issues on certain Dell PCs
Windows 11 After blocking the most recent Patch Tuesday updates on Dell PCs, Microsoft has now released an emergency fix that addresses some big issues.
Windows Wrap: Microsoft trades Bing ads for a better Windows 11 Search, and more this week
Windows 11 It took years of relentless user pushback, but Microsoft is finally rescuing Windows Search from ads and clutter.
Microsoft addresses 570 vulnerabilities in July 2026 Windows 11 update
Windows 11 Windows 11 update KB5101650 fixes 570 vulnerabilities and marks a new era for Patch Tuesday, as AI is now helping Microsoft to accelerate vulnerability discovery.
PC Hardware
Ryzen 7 7700X3D’s $279 price is misleading
Hardware The new 7700X3D is cheaper than the 7800X3D ever was, but don't rush out and buy one quite yet.
Samsung is jumping back into PC silicon, but not in the way you think
Hardware Samsung is reportedly working on a new GAIA AI accelerator chip, and the standalone silicon could be yet another reason for Microsoft to scrap its Copilot+ certification program.
Does a low-end Alienware 15 gaming laptop hold up with NVIDIA's RTX 5050 graphics?
Review The Alienware 15 gaming laptop with RTX 5050 graphics delivers capable gaming performance with NVIDIA's DLSS tech, but loud fans and tight storage hold it back.
New Surface Laptop and Surface Pro for Business ship with Snapdragon X2 chips
Surface The Snapdragon X2-powered Surface Laptop 8 and Surface Pro 12 for Business are officially available. Here is what you need to know.
Deals
The Surface Laptop 8 is the only laptop with Windows 11's new advanced haptics
Deals The Surface Laptop 8 features impressive battery life and premium performance, but its support for Windows 11's advanced haptics changes how computing feels.
Best Buy's Back to School has a solid 16" laptop with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD for 38% off
Deals The Samsung Galaxy Book6 is a fast-performing and feature-rich laptop with a gorgeous 2K, 16-inch LED touchscreen that's now on a 38% "Back to School" discount at Best Buy
Newegg bundles our top gaming CPUs with motherboards and RAM
Deals The highly rated AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, Ryzen 7 7800X3D, and Ryzen 5 9600X processors are part of summertime bundle deals.
Power through work and game on breaks with this Mini-PC with a 1TB SSD and 16GB RAM [EXPIRED]
Deals The Geekom A7 Max Mini-PC is a commendable desktop and its 16GB RAM, 1TB config is now on sale for a limited time at Best Buy
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
Witcher 3 Songs of the Past DLC confirmed to debut at Gamescom's opening night
Gaming CD Projekt Red has announced that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's highly anticipated 'Songs of the Past' DLC expansion will debut at Gamescom's opening night ceremony on August 25, 2026.
Gears of War's 'CliffyB' plans a comeback to the video game industry
Gaming "CliffyB" has expressed a burning desire to return to making video games after eight years since his studio, Boss Key, shut down.
When (and how) to play COD: Modern Warfare 4's multiplayer beta
Call of Duty Infinity Ward has confirmed the early access and open beta periods for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. Here's when and how you can play the upcoming Call of Duty title's new multiplayer experience.
Artificial Intelligence
Ed Zitron says Microsoft’s trillion‑dollar AI push is built on hype, fake demand
Microsoft Analyst Ed Zitron says Microsoft’s AI math is impossible and the whole strategy looks like a scam
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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.
Microsoft
Microsoft will shut down Copilot Podcasts and wipe your saved audio
App Microsoft is retiring its Copilot Podcasts feature on August 18, 2026. Users will lose all access to their AI-created audio, with no option to export or download files before the tool shuts down.
Critic warns Microsoft’s AI push is unsustainable
INTERVIEW Journalist Ed Zitron of the 'Better Offline Podcast' and 'Where's Your Ed At' newsletter offered us a scathing take on Microsoft's chances in the AI race.
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Microsoft reports a 25% emissions surge tied to AI expansion
Microsoft While some claimed Microsoft emissions hit 34 million metric tons, the raw data shows actual emissions were much less. It was still a 25% increase, but there's important context missing.
Windows Central Podcast on Microsoft’s latest changes
Podcast On this week's episode: Daniel, Zac and Jez discuss the Microsoft's big wave of layoffs and how it impacts Xbox, the recent Copilot OS leaked, and a recap on where things stand with Surface.
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Peripherals & Accessories
REVIEW: Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II (Xbox, PC) — An absolutely spectacular multi-platform headset with the firm's BEST EVER audio
Review Turtle Beach has another absolute banger on its hands, with a refreshed design that looks at home either while gaming or commuting. There are a couple of minor gripes, but this otherwise flawless headset is a top-shelf pick.
