Microsoft News Roundup: Xbox takes over PlayStation Store, Fallout tops charts, and Microsoft's project Stargate

Some strange things are happening in the worlds of Microsoft, Windows, and Xbox. The PlayStation Store charts are full of Microsoft-owned games, Fallout games that are almost a decade old have skyrocketed in popularity, and Microsoft and OpenAI are reportedly working on an AI project called "Stargate." In context, all of those stories make sense, but if you've only had a chance to glance at the headlines, some of them would seem quite odd. Luckily, we're here to run through the biggest stories of the week and make everything make sense.

Xbox takes over PlayStation Store

In a headline no one would have expected 10 years ago, Microsoft took over the PlayStation Store this week. No, Microsoft did not hack the PlayStation Store or buy Sony. The tech giant did, however, claim several of the top spots in the PlayStation Store. Perhaps most notably, Microsoft-owned titles held more top-25 spots than Sony's collective works.

Microsoft has invested billions of dollars into gaming over recent years, including acquisitions of Activision Blizzard and Bethesda. Between franchises acquired through those purchases and other popular titles, it's not shocking to see the PlayStation Store top charts full of Microsoft-owned games. In many ways, this week served as an example of why Microsoft invested so much money acquiring companies and investing in Xbox games on different platforms.

Fallout resurgence

The Fallout TV show on Prime Video premiered this week, causing a surge of interest in the franchise. Every Fallout game saw player counts soar on Steam and several entries from the franchise became best sellers on Steam and GOG.

At its high point in terms of player count, Fallout 4 had 472,000 concurrent players, but that was nine years ago. The game's player count sat between 18,000 and 20,000 before the launch of the Fallout TV show. But with the surge in interest in the franchise, Fallout 4's player count spiked to 53,000 concurrent players.

Other games, including Fallout 76 and Fallout 3 saw similar spikes. Even Fallout: New Vegas more than tripled its player count.

The Fallout TV show earned rave reviews for its first season. "Fallout represents some of the best of what game-to-TV adaptions can offer, carrying forward the look, action, and ideas of the iconic franchise while providing multiple viewpoints in a season that'll leave fans and newcomers alike wanting more," said our Samuel Tolbert in his Fallout TV series Season 1 review.

The franchise also likely saw interest rise due to a franchise-wide sale that's going on right now. The Fallout games are also on Xbox Game Pass, meaning anyone who already has the gaming subscription can hop in and try them at no additional cost after seeing the show (or just in general).

Microsoft, OpenAI, and Stargate

With all the talk of TV shows, I wouldn't blame you for thinking Stargate being in the news is good for fans of the incredible sci-fi series. Sadly, Microsoft and OpenAI are not funding a Stargate TV series. Instead, the two tech giants are reportedly investing over $100 billion in a new AI project.

Microsoft and OpenAI have worked together to build a data center to meet the ever-growing demand for AI, according to recent reports. By 2028, the project could cost up to $100 billion and allow Microsoft and OpenAI to rely less on NVIDIA.

According to a report by The Next Platform:

"The first thing to note about the rumored "Stargate" system that Microsoft is planning to build to support the computational needs of its large language model partner, OpenAI, is that the people doing the talking – reportedly OpenAI chief executive officer Sam Altman – are talking about a data center, not a supercomputer. And that is because the data center – and perhaps multiple data centers within a region with perhaps as many as 1 million XPU computational devices – will be the supercomputer." 

The Stargate project will provide more computational power for Microsoft and OpenAI, assuming reports of plans prove accurate. No word yet on if the datacenter will be in Cheyenne Mountain.

More PCs can upgrade to Windows 11

More PCs can now upgrade to Windows 11, following a move by Microsoft that took several years to happen. The move does not represent a change in Microsoft policy regarding the minimum requirements of Windows 11. While more PCs can now upgrade to Microsoft's latest operating system, it is because the company lifted a compatibility hold. 

Some systems have been blocked from upgrading to Windows 11 for over two years due to an issue related to Intel Smart Sound Technology when running on an 11th Gen Intel Core processor and Windows 11. That issue has since been resolved, paving the way to remove the compatibility hold.

Reviews and editorials

We don't just write about the biggest gadgets and games; we go hands-on with all the devices and titles you want to know about. Recently, our team reviewed the Dell XPS 16, an incredible SSD, and a five-port 240W charging hub. We also took a close look at the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon and shared some editorials on the hottest topics in tech.

• My partner became a Minecraft addict because of XREAL's AR glasses — And I previewed the next generation at GDC
• Microsoft's latest Copilot coercion forced me through the five stages of grief over the death of the Windows 11 desktop
• Apple's dumb reasons for selling $1099 laptops with 8GB RAM proves why you should just buy a Windows laptop instead
• Fallout TV series Season 1 review: Starting a flame in our hearts
• Dell XPS 16 (9640) review: A gorgeous AI PC, but divisive design
• SK Hynix Tube T31 review: This SSD-based USB flash drive is absolutely incredible
• I took Razer's premium backpacks to GDC 2024, and their quality and attention to detail surprised me
• This five-port 240W charging hub can charge everything on my desk at once, even my laptops
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) review: A legendary enterprise laptop gets a gorgeous redesign

Deals

We love gadgets. We don't like paying too much for the best tech. I bet you're the same. Our team keeps an eye out for the biggest deals on laptops, accessories, games, and more. Here are the biggest deals that are still live.

In addition to the deals below, make sure to check out our collection of the best Fallout deals.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon | was $3,119 now $1,824.99 at Lenovo

This business laptop from last year is still an excellent device for productivity. It's also a bargain, thanks to its $1,494.01 discount. This model runs on a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1365U vPro processor and Intel Iris Xe graphics. It also has 16GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a 14-inch anti-glare touchscreen.

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Surface Pro 9 | was $1,099.99 now $749.99 at Best Buy

The Surface Pro 9 builds on a decade of 2-in-1s from Microsoft to create the best Surface the company has ever made. A $350 discount at Best Buy brings the Surface Pro 9 to the lowest price I've ever seen.

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Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 | was $1,799.99 now $1,099.99 at Samsung

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 monitor is now available at a massive discount. The monitor features an 1800R curve, 240Hz refresh rate with 0.03ms response time, and a 5120 x 1440 resolution with a 32:9 aspect ratio.

💸Price check:  $1,099.99 Best Buy | $1,099.99 at Amazon | $1,099.99 Newegg

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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-month) | was $42.19 now $30.19 at CDKeys

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate provides access to over 100 games and Xbox Live Gold. New Xbox Game Studio titles are added to the service at launch and subscribers also get exclusive member discounts and perks.

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ROG Ally Z1 (non-Extreme) | was $499.99 now $399.99 at Antonline

The ROG Ally is literally a small gaming PC with controllers attached. It runs Windows 11, which means it can access any store or service that a normal computer can so it isn't just tied to Steam like the Steam Deck. 

✅Perfect for: Playing PC games away from your desk (like in bed or on the couch. It's also perfect for traveling.

❌Avoid it if: You'd prefer the more powerful Z1 Extreme version of the ROG Ally, which runs locally games more smoothly. 

👀Alternative: ROG Ally Z1 Extreme $699.99 at Best Buy | ROG Ally Z1 (non-Extreme)  $399.99 at Best Buy

🔎Our review: ASUS ROG Ally: So close to perfect

💰Price check: $729 at Newegg

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Microsoft 365 Personal | $44.99 for 12 months at Woot (normally $69.99 per 12 months)

Microsoft 365 provides access to a long list of applications. As you'd expect from a service formerly known as Office 365, Microsoft 365 comes with the Office apps, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It also gets you access to Microsoft Editor, Microsoft Defender, and gets you 1TB of OneDrive storage.

Woot deals can sell out quickly, so it's worth grabbing Microsoft 365 at a discount now.

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Microsoft 365 Family | $74.99 per year at Microsoft (normally $99.99 per 12 months)

Microsoft 365 Family comes with all the same apps and services as Microsoft 365 Personal, including Office, Microsoft Editor, ad-free Outlook, and Microsoft Defender. It also gets you 1TB of OneDrive storage per user. The main difference is that Microsoft 365 Family provides access to its services to up to six people.

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