Microsoft’s Xbox has been around since 2001, and over that time the gaming brand has given us huge hits like Halo, Gears of War, Forza, and more. Today, the Xbox brand covers consoles like the Xbox One, PC gaming, and has even expanded to other platforms. You can play Minecraft on everything from a computer to an iPhone to a Nintendo Switch. Along the way, Microsoft has pioneered modern services like Xbox Live and Game Pass, introducing new ways to play games. And with Project Scarlett on the horizon, the Xbox looks to have a bright future.
Microsoft has started testing a new Game Hubs feature in the Xbox dashboard that will display game information instead of immediately launching a title. A select number of Xbox Insiders can try this new Game Hubs feature out right now, and it does mean you’ll have to hit A twice to launch games from various parts of the Xbox dashboard.
The setting fans have been waiting for does not fail to deliver.
Microsoft has now reached the milestone of more than 1,000 Xbox Play Anywhere titles. Originally launched in 2016, Xbox Play Anywhere lets you purchase an Xbox game once and play it across consoles and PCs. Xbox Play Anywhere will be a key part of Microsoft’s merging of Xbox and Windows, and VP of Next Gen Jason Ronald says “many many more” Play Anywhere titles are on the way.
An Xbox Support page describes “Bluetooth connectivity and performance with some older non-Xbox devices,” that might result as a part of the 5.23.5.0 firmware, and sas owners can now revert the update, but that’s about it.
However, some gamers have been complaining for weeks of thumbstick issues, and I’ve also noticed some odd behavior. The controller customizers at Battle Beaver Customs said the update added a limitation to the max range of thumbstick values and a virtual dead zone, but Microsoft hasn’t confirmed whether that’s the issue it’s fixing.
[support.xbox.com]
The news follows the January announcement that uBreakiFix will be able to do in-person Xbox Series X / S repairs.
Split Fiction, the new game from It Takes Two developer Hazelight Studios, launches today on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. Because the game requires co-op play, Hazelight is bringing back the popular Friend Pass program.
With Friend Pass, if you own Split Fiction, you can invite a friend to play with you without needing to purchase a second copy of the game. Friend Pass is also cross-play enabled, making it easier than ever to find your Player 2.
Xbox testers that have installed the latest Alpha or Alpha Skip-Ahead builds are waking up to consoles that have been reset to default factory settings. Luckily, any games installed locally haven’t been wiped. While serious bugs like this do occasionally happen with pre-release software, the early Alpha builds of Xbox dashboard are often very stable and reliable so issues like this are incredibly rare.
Hazelight Studios’ keeps nailing it with its co-op games by doing simple things really well.
Xbox’s been hard at work bringing its exclusives to the PS5. There was Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, and Sea of Thieves to start, but now it’s targeting bigger releases like Indiana Jones and The Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5. Microsoft announced that it was targeting Spring of 2025 for the beautiful racing game’s release and now we have a confirmed date: April 29th. You can even pre-order the game to get early access starting April 25th.
Microsoft will bump how many points it takes starting April 20th, 2025, writes Pure Xbox. Afterward, those who use the Rewards auto-redeem feature to cover their subscription after accruing enough points will need to set it up again.
Now, it costs level two Rewards members 17,000 (previously 12,000) points for a month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, while PC Game Pass takes 10,500 (previously 7,500) points, the outlet notes.
LG is expanding its Gaming Portal from smart TVs to “additional markets, platforms and devices — including LG Smart Monitors and StanbyME lifestyle screens,” according to a press release. The service will come to those new platforms “by the second quarter of this year.”
The Gaming Portal lets you access services like Nvidia’s GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, and, soon, Xbox Cloud Gaming.
A new sign in Black Ops 6 is very heavily hinting toward a March announcement of the rumored Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 remaster. Microsoft-owned Activision owns both the Call of Duty and THPS franchises, so the cross-promotion makes some sense. The THPS and Xbox X accounts are being coy, too.
The biggest clue? The date on the sign is 03.04.25.
Microsoft’s move to win the console war by not playing has had mixed results.
Avowed launches widely today, including on Game Pass. While it’s not especially innovative, the game is a very well-crafted take on the genre, and one that I personally really enjoyed for its worldbuilding, storytelling, and quirky side-missions.
