Windows Central Insider
Everything announced at Xbox Games Showcase 2026 and Gears of War: E-Day Direct
Xbox Here's a full recap of everything announced during Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase 2026 and the Gears of War: E-Day Direct.
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Features
Infinity Ward reveals Modern Warfare 4's DMZ details
Gaming Infinity Ward's second attempt at an extraction shooter mode might just be the new lease on life Call of Duty fans have been asking for.
Xbox 25th Anniversary: Counting down the most memorable announcements
Xbox With the Xbox Game Showcase drawing near, it's time to look back at some of the most memorable announcements and reveals for Xbox games and consoles in celebration of the brand's 25th anniversary.
On the ground: ASUS and its ROG gaming brand went all-out at Computex
Computex ASUS's ROG gaming brand turned 20 this year, and Computex is where the anniversary is being celebrated. I went through the elaborate exhibit to find the best new products.
Windows 11 June 2026 update: 6 new features you'll actually notice
Windows 11 Windows 11's June 2026 update adds Low Latency Profile, Shared Audio, NPU monitoring, camera upgrades, and setup improvements.
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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Microsoft launched a Bing “concierge bot” 10 years ago — the same idea Google is now pushing
Flashback From our archives: A decade ago Microsoft was already testing a Bing “concierge bot,” an early take on the AI agents Google is only now announcing.
11 years ago, Microsoft got cozy with "Non-Genuine" version of Windows
Flashback Microsoft’s decision to offer full Windows 10 upgrades to non‑genuine PCs marked a rare moment of outreach — and a major shift in how the company thought about Windows adoption.
Windows & Software
Users push back as Microsoft lists 15 reasons to adopt New Outlook
APPS Microsoft added 15 new features to its new Outlook, bringing it closer to feature parity with the classic Outlook client, including improved meeting tracking, schedule send, and keyboard shortcuts.
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Build 2026 only makes sense if you remember Build 2025
Microsoft’s latest announcements build directly on the architecture it introduced a year ago.
Microsoft Edge switches to Windows Hello and drops master passwords
Apps Microsoft's Edge browser retired passwords and is moving to Windows Hello and passkeys.
PC Hardware
Microsoft returns lost 50th Anniversary Surface after fixing repair mix-up
Surface Microsoft returned a rare 50th Anniversary Surface Laptop after a repair mix‑up exposed a workflow flaw.
On the ground: ASUS and its ROG gaming brand went all-out at Computex
Computex ASUS's ROG gaming brand turned 20 this year, and Computex is where the anniversary is being celebrated. I went through the elaborate exhibit to find the best new products.
PC shipments plunged in early 2026, and more declines are coming
Computing The global memory shortage tanked PC shipments in the first half of this year, and things don't look any better for the next six months.
Dell XPS 13 hands-on impressions: The new best deal for $599?
Laptops Dell's new XPS 13 is the new best deal in laptops, surpassing the MacBook Neo with a better display, ports, build quality, and performance.
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Deals
One of our favorite OLED gaming monitors offers 4K at 240Hz for less
Deals ASUS' ROG Strix OLED 27 is a 4K gaming monitor with a 0.03ms response time, discounted ahead of Prime Day.
Save money and get digital jobs done early with this Inspiron laptop with 32GB
Deals The Dell Inspiron 15 (3530) laptop, with its 32GB RAM and Intel Core i5 CPU, makes for a high-quality companion piece for budding students or workers looking for efficient ways to get work done faster
I need more space for PC games, and this 2TB SSD with 7,450MB/s is just what I need
Deals The Samsung Pro 990 SSD with its 2TB configuration is back on sale for PC users desperate for more space, and 7,450 MB/s Read Speeds to severely cut down videogame loading times so they don't interrupt your fun
Handheld Gaming PCs
AI costs are killing the Lenovo Legion Go 2 and portable gaming at large
Handhelds Lenovo's Legion Go 2 handheld exceeds $2,000 at some retailers, and remains far above its MSRP at others. The once-lauded device is becoming unattainable.
Gaming
Infinity Ward reveals Modern Warfare 4's DMZ details
Gaming Infinity Ward's second attempt at an extraction shooter mode might just be the new lease on life Call of Duty fans have been asking for.
Minecraft Dungeons 2 release date leaks on the Nintendo eShop
MINECRAFT Minecraft Dungeons 2 has leaked via the Nintendo eShop, revealing a September 29, 2026 release date, a $29.99 price tag, and new details ahead of Xbox's upcoming showcase.
Grounded 2 is coming to PlayStation 5 as Xbox loses another exclusive
Grounded Grounded 2's Into the Abyss update arrives August 11, the same day the Xbox-published survival game launches on PlayStation 5.
Final Fantasy VII Revelation ends Xbox wait
Final Fantasy Final Fantasy VII Revelation launches on Xbox day one, marking the end of PlayStation exclusivity for the remake trilogy's final chapter.
Monster Hunter Wilds' DLC expansion has been unveiled, and it already looks insane
Gaming Travel to the heavens, hunt new and classic monsters, and unlock powerful new supermoves in Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, Monster Hunter Wilds' new DLC expansion coming soon to Xbox, PlayStation 5, and PC in 2027
Artificial Intelligence
Satya Nadella isn’t having the ‘AI addiction’ accusations
AI Satya Nadella denies claims Microsoft wants to make people addicted to AI as the company pivots from traditional software to AI agents.
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Mystery firm mistakenly blew $500 million on Claude AI in a month
AI Microsoft data shows AI costs surpass payroll, with a $500 million Claude fiasco proving how expensive automation can get.
Microsoft finally lets Office users hide floating Copilot button
AI Microsoft admits the floating Copilot button in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint was a mistake, and will now allow users to move the AI back to the ribbon.
Ex-Microsoft exec says it missed "the AI wave" after fumbling mobile
AI Former Microsoft executive Mat Velloso claims the company missed its chance with AI, citing past failures in the internet and mobile.
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Microsoft
Office 2019 for Mac hits July 13 cutoff and users are not happy
OFFICE Office 2019 for Mac will stop editing documents after July 13, as Microsoft blames certificate expiry.
Project Solara is Microsoft's latest attempt at setting the narrative for the next era of computing
Artificial Intelligence After Windows Phone, Microsoft is eager to get ahead of the next paradigm shift in computing, and it's betting big on an agentic hardware and software future.
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Microsoft says security researchers can report flaws without legal threats
MICROSOFT Microsoft says it no longer intends to pursue legal action against security researchers who conduct or publish their findings.
Microsoft stock rises on Windows on Arm and NVIDIA N1X momentum
Microsoft Computex has seen a raft of interesting news for Windows on Arm, as NVIDIA commits its first N1X Arm chip to a wave of new PCs targeting the autumn.
Peripherals & Accessories
Logitech’s cushioned keyboard and mouse challenge the setup I’ve used for years
Accessories Logitech’s new Signature Comfort Plus keyboard and mouse add built‑in cushions that allow for more relaxed hand positions. The real question is whether they'll convince me to upgrade?
