Xbox news and reviews

The latest news and reviews of Xbox hardware, software and accessories.

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Microsoft will show off Xbox Series X gameplay next week
Microsoft will reveal gameplay on its upcoming Xbox Series X console next week during its Inside Xbox streaming event.
NHS healthcare workers in the UK have been given free access to 85,000 games
NHS workers in the UK are being thanked for their efforts fighting COVID-19.
‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ comes to Xbox Game Pass on May 7th
One of the best games of this console generation -- Red Dead Redemption 2 -- will come to Xbox Game Pass on May 7th.
Xbox Game Bar's new widgets link to apps like XSplit
Microsoft is upgrading the Xbox Game Bar on PC with new widgets that let you control other apps like XSplit without leaving the game first.
Microsoft opens Project xCloud beta signups in 11 new European countries
Microsoft’s game-streaming service, Project xCloud, is slated for launch in 11 new countries. Given the current situation with COVID-19 and the unprecedented demand internet bandwidth is facing as millions of people around the world stay at home, the company says Project xCloud will launch in these countries when it is confident “it is sensible to do so.” As such, Microsoft is opening up registration for Android customers in these countries today, and is asking players that want to participate in preview to sign up — when launch is approved, you’ll receive a notification email with further instructions.
This week's best deals: Sonos speakers, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and more
Gamers can grab a 6-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription for $40 at Newegg as well. Sonos sale Sonos still has a great sale going on its website that drops the Sonos Beam soundbar to $350, the One speaker to $150, and the One SL speaker to $130.
Get six months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $40 at Newegg
If you play games with your Xbox One frequently, there's a good chance you already have Game Pass Ultimate. Now is an excellent opportunity to top up your subscription at an affordable price. Newegg is offering a total of six months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $40 when you enter the code "EMCDHDE22".
Microsoft disables Xbox gamerpic uploads to help its moderators
The COVID-19 pandemic is having more small but noticeable effects on gamers. Microsoft has temporarily disabled custom picture uploads for Xbox Live, including gamerpics and club images, to help it "streamline moderation" and support the community -- in other words, to help its staff keep up with a surge in demand from people staying at home. The company didn't say when it might restore the feature, although that might hinge on the development of the coronavirus outbreak itself.
Xbox and PlayStation networks adjusted due to surging demand
As internet usage around the world soars due to the effects of the coronavirus, tech companies are taking steps to ensure their services remain as unaffected as possible. Services such as gaming are seeing record levels of engagement, but two major names -- Microsoft and Sony -- have assured players they're watching the situation closely.
The PlayStation 5 vs. the Xbox Series X: Which is more powerful?
The next generation of consoles is coming, with plenty of emphasis on how much power these things have — the better to render modern graphics. Last week we got a look at what's inside Microsoft's Xbox Series X, and today we're finally seeing what's under the hood with the PlayStation 5. As usual, we've lined up their specs for a side-by-side comparison, though for a final verdict we'd wait to see what games each system has lined up and Engadget's full review when both systems launch later this year.
Mixer's new homepage showcases streamers it poached from Twitch
Mixer has recruited its fair share of former big-name Twitch streamers, and it wants to make sure you see them. Microsoft's livestreaming service has introduced a reworked homepage that includes "more focus" for featured material, including broadcasters -- if you didn't already know that Ninja, Ewok and Shroud were exclusive to Mixer, you will after this. You'll still get AI-guided recommendations if you'd rather discover creators that reflect your personal tastes.
Microsoft details its low-latency Xbox Series X controller
A new Xbox console also means a new controller. In a Q&A, Microsoft's Ryan Whitaker, a senior designer with the company's Xbox team, detailed some of the enhancements you can expect to see on the Xbox Series X's controller when it becomes available later this year.
Microsoft unveils a ton of Xbox Series X hardware details
If you had any lingering questions about the Xbox Series X hardware, they've probably been answered. Microsoft has published a deep dive into the console's specs, including just what the company hopes to achieve with all that tech. To begin with, the semi-custom AMD Zen 2 processor runs its eight cores at a fixed 3.8GHz (3.66GHz with SMT in use), with one core set aside for basic system functions. The Xbox will also have 16GB of GDDR6 RAM, although just 10GB of that will have the full 560GB/s bandwidth games will want for GPU-friendly tasks. The remaining 6GB runs at a 'standard' 336GB/s -- 3.5GB reserved for less-demanding gaming tasks and 2.5GB for the operating system.
The Xbox E3 event will still happen, just online
E3, the most high-profile conference in the multibillion-dollar business of video games, has been canceled this year, but that doesn't mean the industry is going to stop altogether. Instead of hosting a massive stage show at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles this summer, the Xbox team is moving the conference online.
Does the Xbox Series X make gaming PCs obsolete?
The Xbox Series X is going to be a beast. On paper, its sheer power blows away most gaming rigs today -- but what does that mean for PC enthusiasts? To be honest, there's still plenty we don't know about the Series X or what the state of PC hardware will be later this year. But based on Microsoft's spec dump last week, we can start making some educated guesses.
Microsoft won't be at GDC because of coronavirus
Microsoft is skipping the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this year, citing concerns about the global coronavirus outbreak. It isn't the only company to bow out of GDC 2020: Sony, Facebook, Kojima Productions and Unity Technologies previously announced they would miss the show in order to keep their employees and attendees as safe as possible. GDC is scheduled to run from March 16th to the 20th.
Xbox Series X's game resume feature even works after a reboot
Microsoft has been gradually dropping nuggets of information about its next generation Xbox. The first Xbox Series X games will be cross-gen, the console with have a 12 teraflop GPU and -- possibly -- it will rely on one HDMI port instead of two. Now, Microsoft's Larry Hryb has revealed a feature: quick game resume following a reboot.
Microsoft confirms Xbox Series X will have a 12 teraflop GPU
We already know the Xbox Series X is going to be significantly faster than Microsoft's current consoles, but in a blog post by Xbox head Phil Spencer, the company revealed a few more details about how big of a leap it's going to be. Most notably, Microsoft confirmed that the Series X will feature up to 12 teraflops of GPU performance. Previously, the company only vaguely said it was twice as fast as the Xbox One X, and four times more powerful than the original Xbox One. The new console will be powered by AMD's Zen2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU architecture, the latter of which isn't yet available on PCs.
'PUBG' cross party play capability for PS4 and Xbox One has arrived
Last year, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds started allowing PS4 and Xbox One players to square off against one another. Which was a welcome addition, unless what they really wanted was to play with each other. Now, the online multiplayer battle royale game has finally introduced cross party play capability, giving PS4 and Xbox One players the option to team up and form a single party. Unfortunately, PC players aren't included in this update and still won't be able to party up with their console-using friends.
Eight ‘Kingdom Hearts’ games make their debut on Xbox One
Kingdom Hearts III coming to Xbox One was a big deal -- it was the first time a game from the series was published on one of Microsoft's platforms, and it was the first time a mainline Kingdom Hearts game wasn't exclusive to a PlayStation console. Xbox gamers can play even more of the series starting today -- Square Enix has published Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue on Xbox One. The two compilations comprise eight games and one movie, meaning fans can play almost every entry in the Kingdom Hearts saga.

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