Windows Central

Xbox is testing a new Game Pass Starter Edition inside the code, and it looks like a cheaper tier with limited cloud streaming and a curated set of first-party games. It *feels* like Microsoft is trying to open the door for people who want in without paying full price. We're curious where this lands and who it is really for. STORY👇 windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xb…

Forza Horizon 5 has hit 5 million sales on PS5 and is by far the biggest success from a previous Xbox console exclusive. The numbers don't lie, and with success on this scale, perhaps at least live service multiplayer titles are the ones that should go cross-platform? windowscentral.com/gaming/forza5-…

Microsoft Rewards adds a “Birthday Boost,” finally giving us points for surviving another year of using Rewards. STORY👇 windowscentral.com/gaming/msrewar…

Crimson Desert’s latest patch is one of its biggest yet, adding difficulty settings, expanding core systems, and introducing new content alongside combat and visual improvements! Pearl Abyss is not slowing down. windowscentral.com/gaming/crimson…

From a record-breaking launch of the first day-one Game Pass Call of Duty release to removing future titles, starting with the one releasing in the same year as GTA 6. 🤨 Microsoft is chasing that 'lost revenue' from its biggest gaming franchise but focusing on the 💰 rather than making the game great again. I don't think Microsoft really knows what to do with Call of Duty, but it really should have continued to be a draw for Xbox Game Pass. But most of all, Microsoft needs to figure out how to make it the game players want it to be again. windowscentral.com/gaming/call-of…

"Our Microsoft partnership has been foundational to our success. But it has also limited our ability to meet enterprises where they are..." A leaked OpenAI memo shows some serious shade being thrown at Microsoft, one of the company's biggest investors. windowscentral.com/artificial-int…

"Over 2 billion matches restored" 🎉 'Halo Archive' is a dedicated fan effort that has restored billions of match stats, giving players a chance to revisit their Bungie-era history and relive standout multiplayer moments. I spent well over a thousand hours in Halo 3 alone, so seeing over 1.9 billion Halo 3 match stats, 801 million Halo 2 matches, and more than 30 million Gamertags is kind of surreal. windowscentral.com/gaming/halo/di…

"Xbox, a platform that once thrived on social features, has quietly handed that over to Discord" Discord is a private company that can implement any changes it deems necessary while dealing with its own set of issues. So, why have the major players, including PlayStation and even Steam, all ended up relying on Discord to handle something that used to be so central to all their own platforms? 🤔 windowscentral.com/software-apps/…

"If it continues like this WoW will inevitably die" @JezCorden recently alluded to this idea that World of Warcraft is losing control of its quality ... well, control. And this concept really came to a head this week with Midnight's 12.0.5 patch, which introduced a mountain of new bugs 👇 windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gami…

🚨DEAL ENDS in < 10 HOURS! One of Geekom’s most capable mini PCs just dropped 21 percent for today only, and it’s a sleeper productivity beast. Fast CPUs, plenty of ports, tiny footprint, and enough power to replace a bulky desktop. If you’ve been waiting for a compact work machine that can actually keep up, this is the one to look at. Full breakdown below. windowscentral.com/hardware/big-p…

🪟We're getting the (Windows Insider) band back together! It was great running into @maryjofoley and @JenMsft along with @marcusash and the rest of the Windows 11 Insider Program crew at today's meetup in New York City! It's been waaay too many years since we all last saw each other, and we're hoping to change that. Here's to doing more events like these in the future and bringing back some fun to Windows and tech in 2026.

Microsoft's latest Windows 11 preview build finally fixes File Explorer's white flash bug once and for all. It's something Microsoft has been chasing for over two years. It was first fixed back in 2023, before being broken again late last year. It's since been fixed a number of more times. This time, it looks like the company has finally figured it out, and you can expect the fix to rollout to everyone over the next few weeks windowscentral.com/microsoft/wind…

But wait, why didn't Maingear call its new PC the "MG-2"? Here's why: [2/2] windowscentral.com/gaming/pc-gami…

"We knew refining it wouldn't be easy, but we're proud to say we've taken it further in every measurable way." Maingear's new MG-1 Mk. II pre-build looks like the custom Windows gaming PC to beat. [1/2] ⤵️

However, the tech giant hasn't completely written off the value of third-party antivirus software. Read more: [2/2] windowscentral.com/microsoft/wind…

"I haven't used a 3rd party antivirus since XP" Microsoft recently explained that, for many Windows 11 users, its built-in 'Defender Antivirus' covers everyday risk without requiring additional software. Defender is "usually sufficient when Windows 11 runs with default protections enabled" [1/2] ⤵️

The Redmond giant argues that using Windows Server as an input for Azure while simultaneously licensing it to rivals could be good for healthy competition. Read more: [2/2] windowscentral.com/microsoft/micr…

A London-based tribunal recently ruled that Microsoft must face a class-action lawsuit alleging the tech giant has set the wholesale pricing for its Windows Server software on competing cloud platforms at higher rates than on its own Azure service. Competition lawyer Maria Luisa Stasi initiated the lawsuit on behalf of approximately 60,000 UK businesses, seeking damages of roughly $2.8 billion. [1/2] ⤵️

One of Microsoft's more ambitious initiatives over the last few years was the creation of an Xbox Mobile Store, but that project now seems to be thoroughly dead. Previously announced for launch in July 2024, all test URLs are now hitting a 404 error. And it's hardly a shock. windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/di…

"I'm so grateful for the opportunities that Microsoft has given me and the career that it let me build in an industry that I love." After 28 years, former Halo executive and Xbox Film/TV lead Kiki Wolfkill has left Microsoft. 🫡 Kiki spent almost three decades leading various initiatives across the Xbox platform, from art leadership to transmedia initiatives and video game production. windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/a-…