Five years ago back in 2021, a game was released with a famous franchise attached that initially slipped me by. I'm talking about Aliens: Fireteam Elite.
I don't really have any affinity for the movie franchise, so that's likely why I didn't even give it a look. But after catching a couple of streamers playing it, I took a punt, and boy was I in for a surprise.
To this day I think Aliens: Fireteam Elite is woefully underrated. I can't speak to whether it's a truly authentic Aliens experience, but it's a fun game with plenty of replayability, without being too serious or requiring all your time. And it's about to leave Xbox Game Pass in 9 days as I write this, so consider this your notice to check it out while you still can.
You've got various classes and loadouts to build out, perks, different weapons, and hidden caches to find to get yourself some of the better loot. It has mild elements of a looter shooter in its mechanics, but it really isn't one.
It's a run-and-gun action game where your objective primarily is slaying alien creatures. Lots and lots of alien creatures. My former colleague, Miles Dompier, summed it up perfectly in our original 2021 review.
"Aliens: Fireteam Elite genuinely caught me off guard. I was excited about the idea of playing another co-op shooter in the Aliens universe, but I wasn't confident it would be a quality title worth spending a great deal of time with. However, my squad and I are already strategizing our loadouts for the more extreme difficulties. Despite my initial reservations, I'm fully expecting to spend the next several weeks playing Aliens: Fireteam Elite with friends."
Don't stop, just mow them all down! (Image credit: 20th Century Games)
This is exactly what happened to me, though I played more solo than with others. While it's more fun with friends, it's perfectly playable solo from beginning to end.
Better still, the Pathogen expansion is currently heavily discounted, too, and I'll be honest, that passed me by. I own the game (and it has Xbox Play Anywhere, too), but with Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 coming really soon, it's as good a time as any to revisit this gem.
But seriously, if you're stuck for something to play right now and you have Xbox Game Pass Premium, Ultimate, or PC Game Pass, take it for a spin. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
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I'm just going to say it as plain as I can: Microsoft customer support really needs to improve. We have, of course, had the recent case where someone being locked out of their account went viral on social media, which seemingly magically prompted some action.
Now, over on the Steam Deck subreddit there's an exhausting tale of a player who has been locked out of playing Forza Horizon 6 for 70 days over an issue with cloud sync. And guess what? Xbox support apparently can do nothing to help.
The detailed explanation goes through the entire ordeal, but the problem boils down to an issue with Forza Horizon 6 syncing to Microsoft's servers, not Steam. The game crashed and appears to have created a server-side block on the sync completing, and now leaves the game unplayable as soon as it tries to connect.
I can already hear some that would point at the Steam Deck being the problem. But for starters, the game is Steam Deck verified, and user reports on ProtonDB for the game are pretty good. But games crash on Windows, too.
The alarming part here seems to be that what's happened could, in theory, happen to anyone who bought the game on Steam and doesn't have access to an Xbox to fix it.
Because the short end to the long story is that the final official support 'solution' is to use an Xbox console to delete the cloud save. Which is fine, if you have an Xbox console. Chances are if you bought Forza Horizon 6 on Steam, though, maybe you don't? Either that or you hate money since it's Xbox Play Anywhere through the Xbox App on Windows.
Part of the frustration seems to be that neither the Forza nor Xbox support teams can delete this data on a player's behalf. I find it very hard to believe that a company the size of Microsoft with such an intricate web of servers and cloud support wouldn't be able to do this. It is, however, more convenient to try and pass it down to us to sort out.
It also potentially highlights a weakness within the Xbox cloud system itself, but that's a discussion for another day. But it wouldn't be a stretch to hope that if a sync fails, the system just falls back to the last one that didn't rather than locking up entirely.
Reading this whole drama is just disappointing. Either there are fundamental problems with Microsoft systems that need addressing, or, and I feel like this is probably more likely, customer support just isn't up to scratch.
I've had my own issues over the years with other areas of customer support within Microsoft, so I definitely don't think it's new. And let's be real, the chances of support agents being replaced by AI loom ever larger.
A cloud sync issue should not be able to block a player from playing the game they paid for. (Image credit: Michael Hoglund)
Fortunately, there is a potential way out, but it's not exactly what you'd call a solution. Many on the Reddit thread have suggested signing up for Game Pass and trying to utilize Xbox Cloud Gaming to see if that can help unblock the cloud sync.
Without an Xbox console handy, this is probably the only thing that could be tried, and it sounds like it could work, but the OP hasn't yet come back with an update. Even if it does, it's still some added expense and effort that shouldn't be needed.
Trying to access the cloud storage via the Xbox web app hasn't seemed to work, either, as if the game hasn't been played through cloud streaming in the last 30 days, nothing appears. Likewise, the original poster hasn't had any joy using the Xbox App on Windows 11.
But it's yet another tale after years and years of tales of poor support from Xbox/Microsoft when it comes to technical issues blocking players from their content. It should not take someone going onto the internet and going viral to prompt action.
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For the longest time, Windows has suffered from an inconsistent user interface design. It started with Windows 8, but got worse over the lifespan of Windows 10, with various levels of UI design, frameworks, context menus, iconography, and more getting thrown into the mix across the many different versions of Windows 10.
In fact, Windows 10's inconsistent UI design became so bad that it began contributing to people's dislike of Windows, citing its perceived lack of polish and craft as a reason to avoid it over competitors like Apple's macOS, a platform that takes pride in how it looks and feels to use.
So with Windows 11, Microsoft began addressing this problem. The debut of Windows 11 in 2021 was a huge step in the right direction, attempting to modernize a number of Windows UI surfaces with a consistent design language using the company's WinUI framework.
Slowly but surely, older and inconsistent UI surfaces were updated with modernized alternatives that match the design of Windows 11. Things like the volume and brightness control, file share dialog, context menus, and more were updated with a more consistent design that look great.
This was introduced in 2022, replacing the Windows 8 one. (Image credit: Microsoft)
More recently, Microsoft has improved dark mode across the Windows 11 interface, making it more consistent in apps like File Explorer where much of it was missing dark mode support and contributed to the "Windows never feels finished" allegations that have haunted the platform for years.
It's been a few months since Microsoft announced its plans to bring WinUI to more areas of the OS, and work has been slowly progressing. The company has already confirmed that it's rewriting the Start menu with WinUI, which should make it faster and more responsive. But there's more interfaces that the company is yet to announce that we know is also in the works.
Modernized File Properties
The modernized File Properties dialog coming soon. (Image credit: Windows Central)
First up, recent Windows 11 preview builds have confirmed that Microsoft is rebuilding the File Properties dialog in File Explorer with WinUI. This is one area of the File Explorer that hasn't been touched in well over a decade, meaning it still doesn't even support dark mode.
This legacy interface is being rewritten with WinUI, and the first sightings of this work were spotted in a recent preview build, albeit only when viewing the properties of a file in the Recycle Bin.
With that said, we know Microsoft is planning to bring this modernized experience to the entire File Properties experience, meaning right-clicking and selecting properties on a file in File Explorer will soon present you with a consistent design that matches the Windows 11 aesthetic.
Modernized Autoplay Menu
Not yet updated, this interface is from Windows 8 (Image credit: Windows Central)
This interface hasn't been touched since Windows 8, and is one of few areas of the OS that still utilize Microsoft's old Metro design language. The menu that appears when you plug in a USB drive or insert a disc is being modernized with WinUI, which will bring a consistent Windows 11 design to the aged interface.
Microsoft has confirmed this work is underway, but is yet to give us a look at the new interface, though we know it will support both light and dark mode unlike the current version. For now, we'll just have to imagine what such a modernized menu might possibly look like. Still, it's good to know the work is happening.
Modernized Print Management
A WinUI powered Print Management app replaces the old MMC-based one. (Image credit: Windows Central)
It's not the sexiest feature in the world, but it looks like Microsoft is building a modern version of the Print Management experience with WinUI, replacing a decades old interface with something that looks like it was designed for Windows 11. And yes, it supports dark mode now.
This is the first MMC-based interface we're seeing get the WinUI treatement, which bodes well for future modernizations of apps like Disk Management, Computer Management, and more. These 90s era interfaces have plagued the Windows experience for years, so it's very reassuring to see Microsoft is finally working on WinUI versions of these apps.
Modernized Run Dialog
The new Run dialog is better in basically every way. (Image credit: Windows Central)
Microsoft has already announced and shipped preview builds with this redesigned interface, but the company is rebuilding the classic Windows Run dialog with WinUI, now with support for both light and dark mode, and features from PowerToys.
The company says the new UI is both better looking, more functional, and faster than the legacy Run box it replaces. With that said, it appears the modern Run interface will be shipping as an option that users will have to manually enable first if they want to see it.
The new Run interface also includes the ability to type ~\ for quick access to your home directory, and it will also show app icons when applicable in your recent search list, which is a nice touch.
Rewritten Start Menu
It may not look different, but the Start menu is being rewritten with WinUI too. (Image credit: Windows Central)
As mentioned up top, Microsoft has already confirmed that it's rebuilding the Start menu with WinUI, but we're yet to hear more about what that's going to entail for the end user.
So far, we know the goal of the WinUI rewrite is to make the Start menu faster and take up less system resources. This should mean (very) slightly less memory usage for the Start menu, as many WinUI interfaces will share a System Compositor, which is how Microsoft intends to make WinUI faster.
It's unclear if Microsoft is planning to redesign the Start menu alongside the WinUI rewrite. Last I checked, this was not in the plan. While there may be some minor UI differences and adjustments between the current Start menu and WinUI Start menu, I understand that the company intends to keep the experiences mostly the same.
This makes sense given Microsoft just launched new customization options for the existing Start menu, which would be odd to change so soon.
Compact Context Menus
While technically not old, context menus are getting an overhaul. (Image credit: Zac Bowden / Windows Central)
While not technically a legacy interface, context menus on Windows 11 are a mess, and Microsoft is working to redesign them so that they are faster, more responsive, and most importantly, more customizable.
Coming this year, Windows 11's context menus will be updated with a new compact design that's smaller and lighter, meaning they won't lag or take as long to open, especially when there's lots of actions and items within the menu.
Microsoft is also planning to let users customize which items appear within the context menu, as well as configure the order in which those items appear. This means users will be able to hide certain actions and apps from the context menu if they don't use them.
With that work ongoing, it's likely that we're going to see even more older and outdated parts of the Windows experience updated with modern WinUI designs. While certain legacy interfaces will likely continue to exist for years to come, it looks like Microsoft is exploring where it can best implement new UIs as fast as possible without breaking compatibility.
Moving more parts of the Windows UI under a consistent UI framework should result in better performance and reduced memory usage, which should make the OS feel faster and less bloated, thanks to that new System Compositor that's in the works that is designed to manage all WinUI interfaces across the Windows Shell.
It's good to see Microsoft once again focused on polish and craft. It helps make Windows feel more unified and cared about, something that has not been so obvious in recent years and in my opinion has eroded confidence in the platform. Hopefully Microsoft will continue to focus on craft for years to come.
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Xbox has been on a bit of a tear when it comes to new platform features lately.
Yesterday, Microsoft announced the latest build for the Xbox Insider Program, with a variety of new features big and small. The features included better management for Xbox cloud saves, better sorting of your games library, and other bits and pieces. The headline act, however, is voice clip recording on the Xbox Game DVR. This is a feature people have been asking Microsoft to add for over a decade, all the way back to the Xbox One era.
When you have an epic gameplay moment with friends, it would be awesome if you could also capture their reactions without having to use a complex capture rig. You'd need to use a streaming PC with StreamLabs OBS or a capture card like the Elgato 4K S to extract the audio alongside your Xbox gameplay.But yesterday's update has made it a million times easier.
Here's a clip from a quick gameplay session on Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 I had this morning, showing how the first iteration works.
Here's an example of Xbox's new voice capture in the Game DVR. It's early days yet (available on the Insider ring). It seems to freeze the game for a split second when you hit capture. Also as far as I can tell, there's no way to adjust audio levels. You can barely hear me in… pic.twitter.com/0wmR5id4KVAugust 6, 2026
As you can see (or ... well, hear) the audio levels aren't ideal out of the box. You can barely hear me in this capture over the audio of the game. You would have to lower the gameplay sound a fair bit in order to be able to hear me, but it would be ideal if Microsoft would add settings for this.
In order for this feature to work, users have to enable it in the settings. Only users who have enabled game or party chat audio capture will appear in the sound mix, giving you total control over whether or not your reactions are captured (potentially saving your more embarrassing gameplay moments from going viral.)
You can also set whether your voice is clippable in public audio settings too, such as lobby chat on Call of Duty (oh boy) or in proximity chat games like Arc Raiders and the like.
Head into preferences, then clip settings, and then voice in captures and live streams to access the above settings. As of writing, they're available to Xbox Insider Program users in the Alpha ring. (Image credit: Windows Central | Jez Corden)
Hopefully, Microsoft will add audio mix granularity sliders in the future, as it's far too quiet in my opinion as of writing. Additionally, capturing a clip seems to temporarily freeze a game for 0.2 seconds when you have voice capture turned on. I'm not sure if that's a consequence of the feature or an instability in the latest Alpha build, but I'm sure the experience will be improved before hitting general availability.
It's potentially exciting how this feature could evolve in the future. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is a former Meta executive, and likely has thoughts on how to leverage social media virality as a vector for growing Xbox's footprint. Perhaps there's a future where Xbox supports webcam picture-in-picture clipping too, and maybe we'll even get direct sharing to social networks back again some day on top. Perhaps even native Xbox Series X|S video editing tools will return as well, who knows?!
The Nintendo Switch 2 is now a little over a year old, but one game that a whole bunch of owners would have been hoping for an upgraded version of hasn't yet materialised. That game is Minecraft.
The good news is that will end fairly soon, as Microsoft's behemoth is almost ready for it. The Nintendo Switch 2 Minecraft upgrade is currently confirmed for October 27, 2026.
Obviously this is good news for Switch 2 owners, which includes my own impatient son. For existing owners a "digital upgrade path" will be available, with more information to come. It also doesn't say this upgrade will be free, and the wording definitely makes me feel like there will be some kind of cost attached. But I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Minecraft is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on October 27! Enjoy Vibrant Visuals support and dig into an adventure that looks better than ever!Learn more here! https://t.co/E6BmUo3vvV pic.twitter.com/7GtMBZ5XgyAugust 5, 2026
The Switch 2 upgrade to Minecraft will bring it more in line with other platforms, with the new Vibrant Visuals experience being enabled as default.
"Let me unfurl this metaphorical scroll a little to remind you why we’re all so excited. First, the Nintendo Switch™ 2 renders the world of Minecraft to lush life with Vibrant Visuals – set as the default visual experience. This means enhanced lighting, shadow effects and more – and you can even enjoy Vibrant Visuals* enabled content across all the supported content in Minecraft Marketplace. "
This also extends to the exclusive Super Mario pack that's only available on the Nintendo version of Minecraft. It, too, will be given some Vibrant Visuals, so have fun with it.
If anything, I'm only surprised it's taken this long. Vibrant Visuals launched around the same time as the Nintendo Switch 2, and it'll be 16 months on when the upgrade is finally made available.
Minecraft has recently been brought directly under Xbox leadership and its CEO, Asha Sharma. It's reported she feels Microsoft has underinvested in Minecraft as a platform and wants to change that in the face of increasing competition from other game-as-a-platform titles such as Roblox.
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GTA 6 + Netflix. Just completely out of nowhere. But it's not a joke.
Announced today by its creator, Rockstar Games, is "Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look" and it will be premiering on Netflix on August 27 at 3pm Eastern.
If you're still at work or you don't subscribe to Netflix, don't panic, it will be added to YouTube later.
Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look premieres on @netflix Thursday, August 27 at 3 p.m. ET.https://t.co/px5rI0eKh7 pic.twitter.com/IDZO55jY6KAugust 6, 2026
Netflix has an exclusive on probably the hottest show of the year, but not for long. Later the very same day, August 27, the same show will be uploaded to the Rockstar YouTube channel and the GTA 6 website at 9pm Eastern.
What are we actually going to see, though? That's still a secret. But since December 2023 we've only had two actual trailers, and neither of those has shown us any gameplay. Both were full cinematics showing off some of the characters and locations we can expect to see in Vice City.
So, surely you'd expect an "extended look" to at least show us some gameplay, right?
At this point, though, any information would be good information. We know nothing official about the story, the size of the map, any online plans, gameplay. It's the most hyped game of all time and we know essentially nothing about it.
We do know that it's currently scheduled to release on November 19, 2026, and that to play at launch you'll need to be on Xbox Series X|S or PS5. And that you can pre-order GTA 6 now.
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Razer's gaming keyboards have consistently ranked as some of the best you could buy, and, of course, they double up as generally excellent options for work and studies. Because let's be honest, if a keyboard doesn't feel good for actual typing, then is it even doing its job?
We already praised the Huntsman V3 Pro as "the world's most advanced gaming keyboard", and for now, the downside of its high price has been solved as the tenkeyless (TKL) model drops to $124.99 at Best Buy. Compared to its original MSRP of $219.99, it's instantly a much more tempting pick.
That $95 price drop stands alongside a discount on the full-size variant that we tested, bringing that to $180.74 with a much more specific $69.25 discount. Either way, you'll gain access to Snap Tap, Razer's solution for perfect counter-strafing in FPS games that prioritizes the most recently pressed button.
Personally, I prefer to ditch the numberpad for more desk space, so the TKL is perfect for me. It's also enjoying a bigger discount right now, making it even better value.View Deal
No compromises for larger desks; this gives you everything. "The Huntsman V3 Pro is one of the best keyboards I've ever used." — Zachary Boddy, Former Staff Writer — Windows Central review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐View Deal
What makes the Huntsman V3 Pro so good?
Razer throws in a wrist rest alongside its wealth of extra keys. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)
Adjustable actuation is one of those phrases that crops up around keyboards, and it's a feature that shines when you have the time to dig into it. Essentially, you can change the depth at which the optical switches underneath the keys detect a valid press, usually opting for shallow pushes during gaming and more deliberate, deeper pushes for typing.
If you're into tweaking and personalization, you'll get a lot out of it by fine-tuning the actuation and saving it to one of the on-board memory profile slots. That, paired with its brushed aluminum chassis and double-shot PBT textured keys for more durable lettering, makes for a comfortable typing experience.
On the flip side, we noted in our (full-size) Razer Huntsman V3 Pro review that the leatherette wrist rest isn't perfect, but it is magnetic, so if you'd rather use it only for typing and remove it for a night of gaming, it's easy to detach. I'd recommend giving it a fair try, as it's generally better to use something to support your wrists than nothing at all, but your mileage may vary.
Overall, this discount makes the Huntsman V3 Pro, whether TKL or full-size, an absolute bargain. Even if you don't make use of all the extra dials at first, diving into customization would help you assign them to your most-used features soon after. It's a quality wired keyboard that works just as hard for daily typing, so you could probably argue it's a back-to-school expense if you tried.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Huntsman V3 Pro wired or wireless?
This is a wired gaming keyboard with a braided USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable. It can be detached and replaced with a longer variant, but the keyboard will not operate wirelessly.
What's the difference between full-size and TKL?
A full-size keyboard includes a number pad and is what you might think of as a "standard" model. TKL stands for tenkeyless, and it drops the numeric keypad to save space while retaining the arrow keys and the home/end keys.
Is this a mechanical keyboard?
The Huntsman V3 Pro does not use mechanical switches; instead, it features optical key switches that operate like magnetic Hall-Effect sensors found in popular joypads to support its adjustable actuation.
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Microsoft's stocks rallied this past week on accelerating AI growth, but the devil is always in the details.
Over the past month, Microsoft's shares have surged almost 30% following its quarterly filings, which beat Wall Street estimates by a significant margin. Microsoft proved that its AI business is accelerating in growth, and that cash flows remain healthy despite the firm's extensive capital expenditure on new data centers. However, new information suggests that there's still an enormous caveat to this news.
Analysis from Bloomberg has poured cold water over Microsoft's AI earnings potential. Disclosures from Microsoft suggest that OpenAI accounts for around 70% of Microsoft's total AI-related income, based on projected growth and previous disclosures that relate to revenue derived from OpenAI.
Microsoft reported that Copilot has millions of paid seats in Microsoft 365, and is being gradually adopted by a wide variety of governmental, public, and private sector businesses. But when you tally it against previous disclosures, it shows that GPU and infrastructure consumption specifically from OpenAI still drives between 65 to 70% of Microsoft's total AI business. Training platforms like ChatGPT and simply serving it to customers remains the cornerstone of Microsoft's AI business. That's potentially problematic and comes with a huge amount of risk.
Azure has turned Microsoft into an absolute powerhouse, but I would argue its AI bets still threaten that. (Image credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto)
On the gaming side, Call of Duty having an off year was enough to drive Xbox's total revenue down by 11%, leading to masses of layoffs. OpenAI, by comparison, is estimated to be losing anywhere between 10 and 20 billion dollars per year, on a comparatively modest $2-5 billion in revenue. OpenAI has a mountain of investors keeping it afloat right now, and Microsoft itself remains one of OpenAI's biggest backers, investing to the tune of billions in cash, infra, compute credits, and other instruments. On the face of it, Microsoft's AI bookings simply represent OpenAI's compute bill packaged as revenue.
It's not unheard of in business. Spotify ran losses for years until eventually becoming profitable (to the tune of billions, I might add). The idea is that you burn through debt, scale rapidly, change user behavior, and create new markets. Then, you lock people in and make them dependent, and start monetizing. Microsoft and OpenAI's other creditors are betting that one day, ChatGPT will become the default — an inescapable cornerstone of computing for billions of people.
But what if that doesn't happen?
What if people end up choosing Claude or Gemini over ChatGPT? What if regulatory scrutiny or public opinion sours ever further? What if elections are won on the promise of blocking new data centers, rather than enabling them?
Public perception of AI remains incredibly negative, owing to the damage data centers cause in communities, and the theft and destruction of art and human-created content. (Image credit: Alex Hirsch on X (Twitter))
The disclosures suggest that Microsoft's AI growth is inorganic and revolves almost entirely around training ChatGPT's models. If OpenAI imploded or decelerated, Microsoft would be on the hook for billions in sunk cost and enormous amounts of excess data center capacity.
There's no suggestion of a deceleration, quite the opposite — which is why the stock price has surged. But there's also little reason to believe that this entire segment is even vaguely organic.
Microsoft is already trying to diversify by training its own "more efficient" MAI models for consumer applications while boosting external enterprise adoption. It's started to devote more attention to its legacy consumer businesses too, namely Xbox and Windows, as neglect therein becomes untenable. But none of this will save Microsoft or its shareholders if the so-called "AI bubble" well and truly does pop.
It'll be interesting to watch how CEO Satya Nadella navigates Microsoft through this somewhat unprecedented era.
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Halo: Campaign Evolved launched just days ago, and it appears Microsoft is moving quickly to make cuts at Halo Studios now that the game is out. A number of developers who were previously employed at Halo Studios have posted on LinkedIn today confirming that some roles have been laid off. (via Insider Gaming)
Halo Studios producer Nick Treitman confirmed that he was impacted by the layoffs, stating that "after 6.5 years working on Halo and dodging just as many rounds of layoffs - it has finally caught up to me. I have nothing but love for Halo and the folks at the studio, this is just a tough reality in the gaming industry right now."
Paul Morris, listed as Scrum Master at Halo Studios, also confirmed that his role had been impacted by layoffs this week. "Today, I learned my time at Halo Studios will be coming to an end following the successful launch of our latest game, Halo: Campaign Evolved. I know this is one of the most challenging job markets our industry has seen, and I know the road ahead won’t be easy."
A number of other Halo Studio employees have updated their LinkedIn pages confirming that they are now available for work. The layoffs come as new reports claim Halo: Campaign Evolved's development was troubled throughout, taking up more resources than originally planned and causing other projects such as a Halo multiplayer game to be canceled.
Unfortunately for the studio, this led to development being more complex, with third-party studio Abstraction struggling to meet deadlines imposed by Halo Studios and being ultimately kicked off the project, forcing Halo Studios to scrap much of the work done by Abstraction and rebuild assets in the Blam engine instead.
If this story sounds familiar, that's because it closely mirrors the development of Halo: Infinite. That game also suffered from a troubled development cycle, with contractors struggling to meet deadlines and work in the Slipspace Engine (which was just the Blam engine with a new name.)
Now, with layoffs impacting Halo Studios, it's clear that Microsoft is moving forward with its confirmed 3,200 layoffs, 1,600 of which were already made back in July.
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In an age where the best laptops are being price-gauged for everything they're worth thanks to AI eating all our RAM and memory, sometimes laptops we never took a shine to can end up being smarter financial alternatives, provided they have redeeming qualities and discounts to back them up.
One such flawed but capable laptop is the 16-inch, 2-in-1 Lenovo Yoga 7i, a laptop that doesn't quite get the "2-in-1" part right but makes up for it with all-day battery life, a strong SSD for fast boot-up times and decent storage space, and more enticing features that are now 20% off for $799.99 at Best Buy (was $999.99).
"Lenovo's 16-inch Yoga 7i 2-in-1 has strong positives for travelers who refuse to compromise on screen size and would benefit from a transforming screen." ~ Ben Wilson, Senior Editor
Side view of the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-inch 2-in-1 laptop. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)
Now, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16-inch isn't the greatest laptop in the world. When our laptop expert, Ben Wilson reviewed it, he remarked that its "sub-par IPS panel prevents its tablet mode from appealing to creatives who demand accurate color reproduction."
Plus, no bundled-in stylus pen combined with a stiff screen hinge makes the laptop's tablet mode not as useful or enjoyable compared to its competition.
However, that doesn't mean the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 is worthless, as it has plenty of redeeming qualities.
It features above-average performance rates for crushing productivity tasks thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 5 Processor (2024) and 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD to help store vital data files and boot its systems quickly, a 70Wh battery that will last over thirteen hours, and solid Wi-Fi 7 connectivity to ensure you never lose connection with the internet and never wait forever for web pages to load.
It's also got a built-in fingerprint scanner that acts as a secondary security measure for your precious work files, a 2K touchscreen with 60Hz refresh rates and 1080p resolution so you can view documents and spreadsheets with clear clarity, and competent performance rates for tackling AI-related tasks thanks to its integrated Copilot+ feature and a Neural Processing Unit capable of 40 TOPS.
So if you're looking for a reliable mid-range laptop that won't cost you over $1,000 to tackle work reports or school exams while travelling, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 that's now 20% off at Best could be the best unlikely weapon you didn't know you needed for slaying productivity backlogs.
FAQ
Is its RAM and SSD upgradeable?
The Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16-inch laptop's pre-installed 16GB RAM can't be upgraded, as it's soldered into the motherboard. Its 512GB SSD, on the other hand, can be replaced and upgraded with a larger one via its M.2 2242 4.0 x4 slot.
Can it play video games?
It can play extremely light video games like Minecraft or Roblox, but don't expect the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16-inch laptop to run intensive AAA PC games like Cyberpunk 2077, as it wasn't built for that purpose.
What ports does it include?
The Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16-inch laptop features two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, a HDMI-out 1.4b port, a microSD card reader slot, and a combo audio jack port.
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Xbox has just announced on its website that it is rolling out new Xbox Series X|S console features for Xbox Insiders before sending them out to the general public, one of which has been requested by many Xbox players since the days of the Xbox One.
These new features include being able to have voice chat included in game captures, more options for viewing achievements, more control over Cloud save data, and improvements to Xbox wishlists.
Voice chat is now possible for recorded gameplay clips (Image credit: Microsoft)
The first and possibly biggest new feature of this bunch is allowing gameplay captures to include your voice and those of your chat party instead of just the gameplay audio alone.
Each player can choose if they want to have their voice included in the clip, and you can also choose to include in-game chat audio in your captures if you're not using the Xbox app's voice chat party feature.
This feature is now available for Xbox Insider users in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring.
New methods of viewing your Xbox Achievements
Viewing Xbox achievements just got easier. (Image credit: Microsoft)
Keeping track of your Xbox Achievements has now been made less of a hassle for Xbox Insider users in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring.
In addition to the 'last played' view option, players can now sort games by title, completion percentage, Gamerscore earned, and the number of Achievements unlocked.
These options can also be sorted in ascending or descending order, whichever a user prefers.
Back up more Cloud data. (Image credit: Microsoft)
This feature is already available for Xbox Insiders, but starting next week, more Xbox players will have the option to restore previously synced cloud save data directly from their Xbox console with games that support it, starting with Forza Horizon 6.
This means that if you need to recover a precious version of your save, you can browse cloud save versions and restore it to an easier save file directly from your console instead of just the Cloud.
You can access this feature for Forza Horizon 6 by going into the Xbox console's 'Manage game & add-ons' options menu, going to 'Saved data', and then clicking 'Restore saved data'.
More Xbox games will support this feature in future updates.
Add More Games To Your Wishlist
Add more games to your wishlist (Image credit: Microsoft)
The final new feature announced is available for all Xbox users and it's a simple one.
Starting today, you can now add up to 1,000 Xbox games to your wishlist, instead of only 301, allowing you to keep track of more upcoming Xbox you're interested in playing and when they'll go on sale.
Windows Central's take
New console features are rolling out to XBOX insiders!💬Voice chat in game captures🏆 New ways to view achievements☁️ More control over cloud saves🎮 More games on wishlistRead more about these upcoming features: https://t.co/eBIUKNYxkoAugust 5, 2026
All these features are all fine and dandy, but the one me and my friends are hyped about mostly is the voice chat becoming available to be included in game captures.
Some of my favorite gaming moments have been listening to my friends freaking out being mauled by monsters in Monster Hunter, or screaming triumphantly after killing a boss I've been stuck on for hours in Elden Ring.
Yes, you can do this already if you're a livestreamer, but that usually requires going out of your way to purchase recording capture cards and learning how to stream, which can be expensive and time-consuming.
With this new feature, you can have your voice in gameplay clips with just your Xbox console alone; no capture gear or streaming knowledge needed, which is good for me, as I never want to become a streamer anytime soon due to stage fright.
But what about you? Are you happy that voice chat in recorded game clips is now possible? Are there any other features you want Xbox consoles to include?
If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll, the comments section, or our Reddit page.
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Xbox is back with a flurry of updates for the Xbox Series X|S, including one headline act that I think will make many people very happy.
Today, Xbox revealed that it has acted on some of the top feedback requests from the Xbox Feedback site, including voice clip and party chat recording inside the Xbox game DVR. Recordings will now also capture your team mates' cries of valor or wails of defeat (if you enable it, that is), alongside other various Xbox system improvements.
Team is working on something for later this year!August 5, 2026
Speaking on X (Twitter), Xbox CEO Asha Sharma replied to a fan "team is working on something for later this year," when asked if Microsoft would implement "Platinum"-styled completion achievements.
Players have been pining for an answer to PlayStation's platinum trophy system, which rewards players with a trophy for achieving 100% completion rates in games. Xbox games typically come with 1000 gamer score to earn per title, but there's no reward for acquiring all of the achievements.
I suspect Xbox was probably working out some of the finer details about how it would work in continuity with gamer score. Many games receive extra achievements post-launch, which would obviously remove your "100%" completion status. Perhaps you get the platinum achievement simply for hitting the base 1000 gamer score in the title? Who knows. Either way, it seems that Xbox will have an answer for it later this year!
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Lenovo Legion Gogaming handhelds are reportedly being bricked by a BIOS update. According to reports, installing the N3CN42WW update results in a black screen and systems not booting correctly.
It's not clear how widespread this issue is, but I suggest holding off on installing a BIOS update on your Legion Go until Lenovo has clarified the situation.
The problem affects the original Legion Go (often called the Legion Go 1 by fans), including both the Z1 and Z1 Extreme models.
In some cases, the Legion Go failed to boot immediately after the BIOS update was installed. In other cases, the failure occurred later.
Several Legion Go owners have reported issues on Reddit. The mods at the LegionGo subreddit shared the following:
"It has come to our attention that some of the Z1E and Z1 versions are being bricked when updating to the latest BIOS that was released on June 17th, 2026.
Please do not update your devices unless you are willing to assume all risks. We the mod team are trying our best to understand and get help on this."
They also asked people to share if they've run into the same issue.
Reddit user mherold11said they reached out to Lenovo support to have their Legion Go repaired. They were told that fixing the gaming handheld would be a chargeable repair since the device was out of warranty. The quote for repair was €237.16 (roughly $273.81).
Other people in that same Reddit thread said their Legion Go gaming handhelds were repaired at no cost when still in warranty.
One Reddit user had luck performing their own repair, but that fix was complicated and is not recommended for general users.
This is a developing story and we do not know the extent of the issue. If you have a Legion Go and have been affected by the issue (or have upgraded and not run into the problem), please share with us through the comments below and reach out to Lenovo and the mods of the LegionGo subreddit.
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À partir d’avant-hierWindows Central - News, Forums, Reviews, Help for Windows 10 and all things Microsoft.
Last night I surprised myself by working an extra hour at my desk. I occasionally work late, but what surprised me is that it happened by accident. I believe the blame falls on GUNNAR and a pair of glasses the company sent me to try out.
Like many people, I sit at a desk for the majority of my workday and stare at a screen for hours on end. I often get headaches or eye strain after working for too long without a break. I've spent years building up an ergonomic workstation to help my back, knees, and wrists, but I've neglected my eyes.
GUNNAR glasses are designed to block blue light. I've been aware of the company for years, in part due to their various gaming partnerships, but I had never used a pair myself. Gunnar and I got in touch to let me try a pair.
The Novato pair of glasses I was sent has the amber tint that's available in many frames from GUNNAR. This particular pair has a slight magnification as well, though it's available with a neutral focus.
When I slipped on the glasses, I felt my face relax almost instantly. I then continued to work throughout the afternoon.
Later in the evening, I noticed that I had worked an hour later than usual.
I got to the end of my normal day and just kept working because I didn't realize how late it was. I usually need breaks every once in a while to rest my eyes, but since my eyes didn't hurt I lost track of time.
These glasses filter out blue light to reduce eye strain caused by staring at a screen. They're made with a lightweight titanium frame and have anti-reflective coating.View Deal
GUNNAR glasses vs. f.lux and Windows 11's Night Light
I've used apps like f.lux and Windows 11 features such as Night Light to filter out blue light from my PC screen. I still recommend those apps to anyone who wants to reduce eye strain or who works late at night.
I was, however, surprised how much the GUNNAR glasses felt different than using software to reduce blue light.
I'm not an eye doctor or any type of medical professional, so please take my experience as simply a hands-on with the GUNNAR glasses. When I put them on, it felt like the entirety of my eyes could relax rather than just having a specific screen filtered.
While apps like f.lux are great, they don't do anything to filter out blue light from overhead lighting or any other light sources in your room. Slipping on a pair of GUNNAR glasses came much closer to filtering blue light out of the entire room.
This particular model of GUNNAR glasses rests quite close to my face, though they have models that wrap around even more.
I'm sure that part of the improved experience is mental. My mind feels like it can relax my eyes, so my face follows. With the glasses on, I caught myself squinting or flexing my face less.
I'm not sure if accidentally working an extra hour is a good thing or a bad thing, but if I can harness the experience for my normal working hours, I'll be very excited. I plan to use these GUNNAR glasses and some other frames over the coming weeks and will follow up with how things go.
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One thing we haven't had so much of with the Xbox Series X|S compared to previous generations is limited edition consoles. There have been some, like the Halo Xbox Series X and some competition specials, but compared to the Xbox 360 and Xbox One especially, it's been a pretty dry time.
Some of the older limited editions command a pretty penny on the used market these days, and obviously there's a finite supply of them. But there are some real gems, like the Gears 5 Xbox One X (pictured above) or even the blood red Gears of War 4 Xbox One S. Later this year we'll also see the Xbox Series X25, with its classic translucent green shell. Though unfortunately, a vastly increased price, now.
But over on the Xbox subreddit there's a thread rolling right now where folks are talking about these consoles, so I thought I'd bring it on over here, too. So what's your favorite limited edition Xbox console of all time?
There are some incredible choices on the Reddit thread, from the classic Crystal Green OG Xbox through the Halo 4 Xbox 360, the Titanfall Xbox One, and some others that folks like myself based in the UK might not even have known existed.
I didn't know there was a Taco Bell Xbox One X, for example, nor a green Mountain Dew OG Xbox. Granted, neither of these were actually sold, but they still exist, and I'd definitely go for a Mountain Dew Xbox if I could get my hands on one without selling a kidney.
I've never actually owned a limited edition console myself. The closest I've come so far is the Project Scorpio launch edition Xbox One X, which I still have in my office looking pretty.
Does this one take the crown as your favorite limited edition? (Image credit: Microsoft)
If I had to pick, it'd be between two. The Xbox console I always coveted the most was the Crystal Green first-generation. I wish I'd chopped in my standard black console to get one, but given I'd already spent a whole paycheck from a part-time job on one at the age of 17, I decided against it lest I risk the wrath of the parents.
The other might be one most wouldn't pick given some of the wild designs, but as a massive fan of the franchise, I always wanted the blue Forza Edition Xbox One. It didn't help that a friend of mine actually had one, taunting me every time I went over.
So, those are my picks, but I'm more interested in yours. There's no shortage to choose from, so hit the comments below and share your own favorite limited edition Xbox console design from the last 25 years!
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To celebrate the occasion, Digital Sun and 11 Bit Studios are giving away the first Moonlighter game for free to keep forever via Steam between August 5, 2026, and August 9, 2026.
For those unaware, the Moonlighter series is a top-down, action-RPG with roguelite elements where you live the life of an adventurer-shopkeeper named Will.
The gameplay loop of this series revolves around exploring dangerous dungeons filled to the brim with ancient treasure guarded by deadly monsters.
You then sell whatever loot you find to help maintain your shop's profits while investing in other businesses to help the struggling town of Tresna thrive again and give you access to better equipment to help you survive more challenging dungeons.
Windows Central's take
We actually covered the Moonlighter series a couple of times at Windows Central. One of my colleagues, Brendan Lowry, reviewed the first Moonlighter, and while he praised it for having a unique premise, excellent presentation, and decent action-RPG gameplay, he felt there was much room for improvement in the story and combat department.
Dungeon crawling was more rewarding, combat was more varied and intense, and its merchant simulation gameplay has somehow made inventory management, which is usually a tedious task in most games, a fun activity in its own right.
I never played the Moonlighter series before, but with the first game now being free on Steam for a short time, I may give it a shot because the art style looks cute, and the gameplay looks fun while giving me nostalgic memories of classic top-down action-RPGs like The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.
It would certainly be a good time to kill before the sequel leaves early access, while giving me much better appreciation for all the improvements it's made from the first game.
Dive deep into dark dungeons for ancient treasure, and risk your life to restore wealth to the ailing town of Tresna in Moonlighter: The Endless Vault.
Microsoft Outlook has a handful of changes in the works that will make it easier to stay on top of emails and events. Some of the upgrades, such as drag and drop support for rescheduling events, will change how you interact with Outlook, while others are smaller upgrades.
All of the improvements are detailed on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap. I've taken five of the most exciting entries from that roadmap and gathered them in the chart below.
Feature
Description
Rollout Start
Platform
Filter messages by events
You can now filter your messages for calendar invitations. Simply go to the filter and select Events from the drop down.
August 2026
Android and iOS
Copilot Chat pop-out for Outlook for Mac and iPad
Copilot Chat remains accessible within an Outlook app window but now can also be popped out to float over the main Outlook app window. Popping out Copilot Chat allows people to switch contexts or have more space for what they are working on in Outlook and control the space and form that Copilot Chat takes on screen. When you open Copilot chat and click the pop-out button, Copilot will open separately over the main Outlook window.
August 2026
iPad and Mac
Drag and drop
You can now reschedule events by dragging them to a new time slot in your calendar. This feature is available in day and multi day views.
August 2026
Android and iOS
Insert signature image from OneDrive
Users can now insert images into their email signature directly from OneDrive, in addition to the device photo library.
August 2026
Android and iOS
All day events to show up more clearly in the Mail module calendar preview
We're making it easier to tell when receiving meeting invites that conflict with scheduled Out of Office time or Busy All Day events, on Outlook Web and Outlook for Windows.
August 2026
Desktop and web
Being able to filter messages to only show those with calendar invitations will save me a lot of time. I get a lot of calendar invites from my wife to coordinate our schedules, but I also get a lot of emails from my wife about other things.
After finding those events, I'll be able to move them around in Outlook by dragging and dropping them. Since we have a young child, we often need to move things to different times of the day to align with naptime. I wish drag and drop support was on the way to the web version of Outlook as well, but the roadmap entry only mentions iOS and Android.
Which features would you like to see added to Outlook? Are there any improvements on the way that you're especially excited about? Let us know in the comments!
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Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it was moving to address Windows 11's biggest issues and criticisms from users in an effort to win back trust from customers and reposition Windows once more as a viable alternative to macOS and Linux, something people actually want to use over the competition.
It was nice to see Microsoft outline its roadmap and plan for Windows 11, but I wasn't prepared for just how fast the company would start delivering on the promises it was making. Since March, Microsoft has previewed and even shipped many improvements to Windows 11 that are the direct result of its Windows K2 initiative, all designed to fix Windows 11.
I've been testing these new Windows 11 builds over the last few months, and there are 5 big changes and improvements that stand out as super exciting. Some of these improvements are already shipping, whereas others are still in preview.
A new and improved Windows Update
Windows Update is now much smarter and doesn't get in the way anymore (Image credit: Zac Bowden / Windows Central)
Updates on Windows have always been frustrating, so much so Microsoft made it a point of focus for its Windows K2 effort. In the last few months, Microsoft has shipped multiple changes and improvements to Windows Update which are designed to make it more reliable, and more importantly, less annoying.
The first big change is ensuring driver, framework, and security updates are now all timed to install at the same time. Previously, any update could require the user to restart at any time. Now, Windows Update will only ask you to restart once a month, as the update system now installs those driver and framework updates alongside security patches.
That's in addition to being able to pause updates indefinitely now, so even when the one time a month that Windows asks you to restart finally rolls around, users have the option to say no and postpone the restart for as long as they need. Even when an update is pending restart, the option to shut down or restart without installing said update is now present.
Microsoft has even made it so users can skip installing updates when setting up a PC for the first time, meaning it now takes just a few minutes to get right into using your new PC instead of the 20+ minutes it used to take when installing the latest update was a requirement before reaching the desktop.
All of these Windows Update improvements are already shipping to all Windows 11 users, which is a crazy quick turn around.
Less ads and AI across the OS
Widgets no longer includes MSN ads and sponsored content. (Image credit: Zac Bowden / Windows Central)
Microsoft is also removing Bing and MSN ads from Windows Search, in preview now. The search pane itself is now a long list or recent search queries and items, with nonsense like the Bing wallpaper of the day and other sponsored content no longer appearing at all. Even search results that reach out to the web no longer include sponsored content.
The Start menu now also has more granular controls over the kind of content that appears in there. The "Recommended" feed has been renamed to the "Recents" feed and no longer shows recommended apps and websites that came across as more advertising. Users even have the option to remove the Recents feed entirely now, which is great.
Copilot used to plague every inbox app and UI surface you could think of on Windows 11, but today it only appears in a few very specific areas. It still exists as a standalone app on Windows 11, but the Copilot button no longer exists in apps like Photos and Notepad. Microsoft has even removed the "Ask Copilot" option in File Explorer.
Better performance and reliability
Windows 11 is now faster and more reliable, with a focus on reducing memory usage. (Image credit: Zac Bowden / Windows Central)
One big area of focus for Microsoft is the overall performance and reliability of Windows 11, which many agree has slipped over the last few years. The good news is Microsoft has already delivered several improvements on this front, with more to come in the following weeks.
The first big change is the new "Low Latency Profile" feature that shipped just a few weeks ago. It's an invisible change that makes opening apps, context menus, and flyouts from the Taskbar much more responsive by silently increasing CPU frequency when these common actions take place.
This is something other OS platforms do which allows them to remain feeling snappy, even under heavy load, and now Windows 11 has the same behavior. This has outright fixed the issue users sometimes have where things like the Start menu don't always appear immediately when clicked. That's a thing of the past now.
Microsoft is also improving the performance of WinUI interfaces across the system via a new System Compositor which reduces latency and memory overhead across the OS so that these modern interfaces are consistently responsive. There's even a new Run dialog built with WinUI that is faster than the old Win32 version.
Opening and navigating through file trees in File Explorer is faster too, and searching for files and apps on Windows 11 is now more consistent. Two character search is already shipping, which makes finding content a little bit easier.
Customizable Taskbar and Start menu
There are many new customization options coming to Start (Image credit: Zac Bowden / Windows Central)
One of the biggest issues people have with Windows 11 is how it took away customizable options for areas of the system like the Start menu or Taskbar. Microsoft has heard that feedback, and is already publicly testing a new Taskbar and Start menu that can be user customized.
The Taskbar can now be repositioned just like on Windows 10, allowing the user to move it to the left, right and top of the display if that's where they want it. There's also a new resize option letting users make it smaller like the Windows 10 one could.
The Start menu is also getting more customization options. Users can hide entire segments of Start, such as the Recents feed, Pinned apps, or All Apps area. They can toggle on or off the Phone Link companion, and disable Start entirely if they don't ever use it.
And there's more to come
Context menus are getting a redesign and better customizability. (Image credit: Zac Bowden / Windows Central)
Above are all the new improvements that I've tested and are either shipping or in public testing via the Windows Insider Program. These are the real changes and features that can be tried and tested as we speak, not just empty promises or ideas. It's all available to download and try out right now.
There's still more to come too, stuff that isn't yet in public preview testing. Microsoft has confirmed it's working to move more parts of the OS to WinUI for faster performance, such as the Start menu and areas of File Explorer. There's an effort to reduce the footprint of the OS in the works too, which should make the OS less resource intensive at idle.
For the features that are yet to ship outside of preview, I understand that Microsoft is aiming to get the bulk of these improvements out of the door before the end of 2026, with some expected in 2027.
SI'm so very impressed with how quickly Microsoft has turned Windows 11 around so far. I haven't felt this positive about the features and changes being actively made to Windows in a really long time, to the point where it feels weird to not have anything to really complain about. All of my biggest issues with Windows 11 have either already been addressed, or are in the process of being addressed.
It's a great time to be a Windows user again.
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My favorite Xbox feature is having a bit of a moment in the sun.
The Xbox ecosystem is a lot better than people give it credit for in my view. Xbox Game Pass is still a fantastic deal for those who want to graze a large library of content. Xbox Cloud Gaming is more viable than ever for single-player games, and things like cloud saves remain free, while paid on other platforms.
My favorite feature however is Xbox Play Anywhere. The ability to buy once, and take my games across Windows PCs, cloud, my laptop, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Ally X handheld is a cornerstone of how I want to access games now. It's a vastly underrated feature, and something I think Microsoft could do a lot more to promote.
Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the best RPGs of modern times. (Image credit: Larian Studios)
I sent Larian publishing lead Michael Douse a message and asked for comment on why Baldur's Gate 3 ended up hitting Xbox Play Anywhere, almost three years after its initial launch.
"We just did it because it's a pretty cool part of the Xbox ecosystem and it would mean a lot to the players who enjoy that ecosystem," Douse explained. "We had the resources & time and figured it would make a few folks happy."
Indeed, there's been a huge sprint of fantastic AAA games hitting Xbox Play Anywhere recently, including 007: First Light, Beast of Reincarnation, Hell is Us, Palworld 1.0, Dispatch, Subnautica 2, and many more. Upcoming we also have things like Blood of the Dawnwalker and Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Historically, games only hit Xbox Play Anywhere via Xbox Game Pass, but increasingly, developers are dropping Xbox Play Anywhere on a discretionary basis.
I also asked Sascha Reuter from Fullset about Project Neon, a classic SHMUP that originally launched on the Neo Geo. Project Neon has now been ported to Xbox Series X|S and other platforms, and is launching straight into Xbox Play Anywhere.
"We always love to give players as much bang for for their buck as we can," Reuter explained. "So adding all the versions was pretty much a no-brainer, so was to allow players to switch between their systems however they like."
Reuter told me that developing for Xbox Play Anywhere is as simple as "using a Dropbox folder," as developers can deliver app packages that target multiple platforms via Microsoft's developer back end. Reuter said that Xbox's API for designating a save folder is simple to set up for cross-platform saves, and prevents overwriting and handles syncing via Azure.
Increasingly, it feels like developers are actively opting into Xbox Play Anywhere by default, but challenges remain.
The future of Xbox is PC
Xbox Helix is set to bridge the gap between Xbox and Windows. (Image credit: Windows Central)
Microsoft is doing a lot of work to bridge the gap between its Xbox and Windows ecosystems. Xbox Play Anywhere helps developers target Xbox customers regardless of platform, and Microsoft has long suggested games with Xbox Play Anywhere see higher sales and boosted retention.
Still, it's difficult to retroactively set up Xbox Play Anywhere. If codebases diverge too much across separate versions, applying Xbox Play Anywhere can create errors when synchronizing progress. Games like Fallout 76 have never received Xbox Play Anywhere support for that reason — although it's not unheard of. Resident Evil 8 gained Xbox Play Anywhere support several years after launch too, just like Baldur's Gate 3.
Some publishers perhaps simply don't seem to see the value in it. Ubisoft has begun offering free versions of some of its PC games to owners who already own the Xbox version, but Xbox achievements aren't supported on PC. EA doesn't offer any form of synchronicity at all between its Xbox and PC versions either.
Connexion
