At Xbox, we're continuing to improve how we design, build, distribute, and use our products to reduce our environmental impact and help us reach Microsoft's goal of being a zero waste, carbon negative, and water positive company by 2030. Finding ways to reduce the environmental footprint of gaming not only helps the environment but also creates benefits for our collective community of players.

We've heard from players that they want more options for support when their Xbox consoles need repair. Today, we're expanding our repairability program, giving players even more options to get their Xbox Series X|S console options—the Xbox Series S—1 TB in Robot White, Xbox Series X—1 TB Digital Edition in Robot White, and Xbox Series X—2 TB Galaxy Black Special Edition—fixed should they ever need to, while also reducing and preventing waste.

Halo 5: Guardians has remained exclusive to Microsoft Xbox gaming systems since launching back in October 2015, during the Xbox One era—an approaching ten-year anniversary has fans wishing for a possible port over to PC platforms. Hopes were elevated late last week due to an intriguing image popping up on Lenovo's Legion Go S product page. A certain promo image depicts screen content featuring a Steam menu session with an entry for Halo 5. This discovery (courtesy of Rebs Gaming) prompted much online chatter about the possible PC port being unveiled at the next Xbox Developer_Direct—scheduled for broadcast on January 23.

343 Industries (now Halo Studios) has ported five titles over to PC—neatly compiled in the form of Halo: Master Chief Collection—but the absence of Guardians has been a lingering sore spot. Over the past weekend, Lenovo senior community manager—Ben Green—dampened expectations. In a curt response to a query (on social media) regarding the alleged leak, he shot down the notion that Lenovo had inadvertently leaked the existence of a Halo 5: Guardians PC port. It is possible that Lenovo's marketing department had mocked-up the image in error. Microsoft's gaming division has committed to spreading its most visible IPs to "rival" platforms, so the upcoming Xbox Developer_Direct could harbor a surprise or two.

After a break for the holiday season to recharge, refresh, and spend time with our families, we're back this week and hard at work updating Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024! As we begin the new year, our teams are focused on delivering the first major updates, including Sim Update 1, while also finalizing preparations for the Marketplace launch in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

We have analyzed all the feedback provided over the past weeks and months and are prioritizing bug fixes and improvements based on community input. Because of this, we are spending this week working on the Feedback Snapshot and will have an updated version for you in next week's blog. We are also excited to announce that World Update: Brazil is on the horizon! These updates are coming soon, and we will provide more information on the timeline as it becomes available. We appreciate your support as we continue to enhance the simming experience for our community.

It's time to get a look at what's next - Developer_Direct is back. On Thursday, January 23 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK, fans will get an inside look at a selection of highly anticipated games coming to Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass players this year.

Presented by the game creators themselves, Developer_Direct offers an in-depth look at upcoming titles, how they're being created, and who's creating them. We'll visit Compulsion Games in Montreal, Canada to learn more about South of Midnight, head to Montpellier, France to see Sandfall Interactive for a look at Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, stop by the legendary id Studios in Richardson, Texas to check in on DOOM: The Dark Ages, and visit a surprise location to see another studio's brand new game.

Welcome to our first "Coming Soon" announcement for 2025! And special welcome to all you new friends that picked up gaming hardware the last few weeks. Let's get you prepped for what to install or play next. To the games!

Road 96 (Cloud, Console, and PC) - available now!
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard. Returning to the Game Pass library, Road 96 is a crazy, beautiful road-trip. On this risky road trip to the border, you'll meet incredible characters and discover their intertwined stories and secrets in an ever-evolving adventure. But every mile opens a choice to make. Your decisions will change your adventure, change the people you meet, and maybe even change the world.

LG Electronics (LG) has announced a partnership with Xbox, providing players access to hundreds of games with the Xbox app on LG Smart TVs. Owners of LG's latest Smart TVs will be able to effortlessly discover and play a wide selection of PC and console games from industry-leading partners, and soon Xbox, through the new Gaming Portal. This versatile, gaming centric hub is designed as an all-in-one solution for seamless navigation and personalized gaming, both for the latest AAA games and casual webOS app games.

For gaming enthusiasts, LG Smart TV users can soon explore the Gaming Portal for direct access to hundreds of games with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, including popular titles like Call of Duty: BlackOps 6, and highly anticipated releases like Avowed. With Game Pass Ultimate, players will also be able to stream a catalog of select Xbox games they own such as NBA 2K25 or Hogwarts Legacy.

The Xbox gaming handheld is reportedly in the early stages of development at Microsoft, but in the meantime, the PC giant is apparently working on unifying its gaming experience across the various platforms where its games are available. According to a Windows Central report, Microsoft is working on something called Project Rainway, which is "a set of in-game APIs and user interface features," that will take shape as a cross-platform Xbox user interface. This news comes after Microsoft's recent "This is an Xbox" ad campaign and some pretty notable changes to its Xbox Game Bar to make that more compatible with gaming handhelds. How this new API and UI will take shape is yet to be seen, but it will likely further blur the line between gaming consoles and PCs—something that the Valve Steam Deck has also done in the years since its launch.

This seems to align with Microsoft's current strategy around gaming, which has seen Microsoft Gaming head, Phil Spencer, confirm that the company is both working on its own gaming handheld and that, in the meantime, it is focussed on making the Xbox gaming experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible on current gaming hardware. Xbox is also seemingly moving away from console exclusives as a concept, as we reported earlier this month, and, according to Windows Central's sources at least, this is partly because Microsoft has noticed no measurable impact on Xbox performance as a result of moving Xbox exclusives over to other consoles.

It looks like the end of the console-exclusive era is marching ever forward. On the one hand, more game studios are embracing simultaneous launch strategies, as was recently emphasized by both Square Enix and Ubisoft adopting multi-platform simultaneous launches for Fantasian Neo Dimension and Assassin's Creed Shadows, respectively. The latest game to join this trend is Outer Worlds 2, which will launch on all platforms—Xbox Series S|X, Windows, PlayStation 5, and even Game Pass—simultaneously in late 2025. The surprising bit about the multi-platform launch of The Outer Worlds 2 is that Microsoft purchased Obsidian Entertainment, the studio behind The Outer Worlds, leading many to believe that future games in the franchise would be Xbox/Windows-first. While the original Outer Worlds was released after Microsoft bought Obsidian, the launch contract predates the acquisition, so it also had a simultaneous launch, regardless of Microsoft's ownership.

In addition to the swathe of new games embracing multiple simultaneous platform launches, Jez Cordon, executive editor at Windows Central and well-regarded source for gaming rumors, recently also sparked rumors with a post on X suggesting that no future games developed by Microsoft or its subsidiary studios will be permanent console exclusives. In a reply to a comment criticizing Microsoft for seemingly keeping some games on Xbox and others not, Cordon said "They don't. They're all coming to PlayStation over time."

At The Game Awards, Saber Interactive, in collaboration with Universal Products & Experiences, revealed Turok: Origins, a new evolution of the classic dinosaur-hunting game franchise that began nearly 30 years ago. Developed and published by Saber, this fast-paced, third-person, sci-fi shooter, featuring both solo and cooperative action for up to three players, will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Watch the debut trailer now and get your very first look at the epic gameplay and spectacle of Turok: Origins.

Turok: Origins revives the legendary game franchise's action and spirit while bringing it forward into the modern era with a completely new look, story, and gameplay. Players will take on the role of fierce Turok warriors to face off against ferocious dinosaurs and a terrifying alien threat that seeks to destroy all human life in the galaxy. Fans can unleash devastating attacks on enemies with weapons and abilities, and harness fallen enemies' DNA to upgrade their arsenal. Players will embark on a high-stakes adventure - solo or with friends - to unravel mysteries that hold the key to saving humanity.

The call to go beyond the stars is here once again, and it's bigger, bolder, and more unpredictable than ever. We just revealed a first gameplay trailer for The Outer Worlds 2 during The Game Awards 2024, promising a fresh adventure in a brand-new colony next year. No really, we know we're not supposed to promise things in marketing, but the setting is completely new, so this is all factual. Just don't break the colony again. We're looking at each of you who sent the Hope into the sun in the last game.

In true Obsidian Entertainment fashion, you carve your path through Arcadia, a colony teeming with factions, intrigue, and chaos. It's also home of skip drive technology and where the fate of the entire colony - and the galaxy - rests. As a daring, undeniably good-looking, and questionably competent Earth Directorate agent, you're tasked with uncovering the source of devastating rifts threatening the entire galaxy. Talk about stakes (not to be confused with raptidon steaks, those are very different)! The choice of how to deal with the rifts is up to you. "Your worlds, your way," as we say at Obsidian.

Nearly five years after Dauntless first launched on consoles and the Epic Games Store, the free-to-play co-op ARPG finally launched on Steam on December 5, although things haven't gone particularly smoothly since then. Less than a week after the Steam launch, the Steam reviews of Dauntless are already in "Overwhelmingly Negative" territory, with SteamDB citing just 19.21% positive reviews. The negative reviews seem to stem from the changes the game's developer, Phoenix Labs, made to the game when it was launched on Steam.

As part of the new Awakening update and launch on Steam, changes were made to a few key gameplay mechanics, and those changes have not been well received by the community. Additionally, progression has been reset for all players, new and old, forcing players to replay quests they've already completed and re-level weapons they had already mastered. The Awakening update also introduced Canisters, a sort of loot box monetization system that offers in-game cosmetics and can only be accessed in the season pass or by purchasing Platinum, the game's premium currency. Basically all of the posts on the Dauntless subreddit after the update are complaints about the changes to the game's mechanics or about players feeling slighted over the deletion of past progression. Players are also upset that the removal of a swathe of weapons has negatively affected build diversity and made players feel like they wasted their time thoroughly learning the game's mechanics and tuning builds. The developer seemingly tried to mitigate the removal of these weapons by adding new abilities, but that doesn't seem to have been enough to compensate for the decreased build diversity. Yet more complaints stem from apparent performance degradations on both PS5 and Xbox Series consoles. Worse still, those same performance degradations appear to be quite random, with some players saying that their performance has remained the same throughout the update.

iFixit, the company known for publishing tear-down guides and repairability ratings as well as selling official spare parts and components for various electronics brands, has added Microsoft's Xbox consoles to its growing range of official spares. The repair advocacy company today announced in a blog post that Xbox Series X and Series S spares will now be available through iFixit, replete with DIY repair guides for all the spares sold on the online shop. As is typical of iFixit, the goal—aside from the obvious profit motives—is to promote right to repair and DIY repair in order to keep electronics in service for longer, reducing the amount of e-waste that ends up on the trash heap.

The official iFixit Xbox partnership will include both the disc and digital-only versions of the Series consoles, and the parts list is quite extensive, including everything from big-ticket items, like the motherboard assembly and built-in power supply to less obvious things, like the rubber feet and Wi-Fi modules. Xbox controller spares are also available in the Microsoft Repair Hub, and the list of controller spares looks comprehensive, too. Curiously, iFixit will offer both Microsoft's official Series X/S replacement joysticks and Gulikit TMR Electromagnetic joystick modules, which are a drift-resistant upgrade to the stock joysticks.

It's no secret that 2024 hasn't been kind to live-service games, with recent months seeing games like XDefiant and Concord shut down—although not always without reason—so it's a bit refreshing to see the recently released Marvel Rivals hit what can only be described as a home run. Not only is the game already at "Mostly Positive" in terms of Steam reviews, the free-to-play hero shooter also managed to draw in massive amounts of players in its first week on Steam. According to SteamDB, Marvel Rivals peaked at 444,286 concurrent players a mere two and a half hours after its launch on Friday, December 6.

The game launched on the same day as Path of Exile 2, which had an equally successful launch, despite its Early Access fee and some serious technical hiccups along the way. These two games have not been the norm, although Marvel Rivals signals that gaming properties based on Marvel characters may have finally found their audience. In previous years, both Marvel's Midnight Suns and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy made their own impacts, scoring big with both reviewers and audiences. Of course, neither of the aforementioned games garnered quite the player count as Marvel Rivals, but that's likely simply due to the free-to-play nature of Rivals.

Today, NYXI officially announces the global launch of the NYXI Flexi Wireless Game Controller, designed to deliver a seamless and customizable gaming experience across multiple platforms. The NYXI Flexi stands as a strong competitor to other modular design controllers on the market, offering exceptional versatility, precision, and durability.

Customizable Gamepad Layouts
Switching between different gamepad layouts can be frustrating for multi-platform gamers. NYXI Flexi Wireless Game Controller solves this challenge with its innovative swappable components. Gamers can easily adapt the controller to their preferred style with features like swappable ABXY keycaps, interchangeable D-pad & left joystick. Whether you favor an Xbox layout, Switch button configuration, or Playstation controller joystick placement, the Flexi offers seamless customization for an unparalleled gaming experience.

Forza Motorsport, Xbox Studios's cinematic 2023 live-service racing sim, is getting a nice visual upgrade in an upcoming update (titled Update 15) shortly after the first anniversary of its release. On December 9, Forza Motorsport will get Ray-Traced Global Illumination (RTGI), making the racing game and all its shiny cars look more realistic. RTGI will be available for all PC versions of Forza Motorsport as of December 9—as long as the game is up-to-date that is—although it will need to be manually enabled in the game's graphics settings. After being enabled, RTGI will apply to both gameplay rendering and in-game cinematics, as well as the built-in photo mode.

While Forza Motorsport's minimum recommended GPU specification is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, you will need at least an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20-series or AMD RX 6000-series graphics card to take advantage of RTGI, with the game's developer, Turn 10, recommending an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or better for high graphics and RTGI settings. For the uninitiated, RTGI helps increase realism by simulating how light interacts with surfaces and materials, more accurately rendering indirect lighting and shadows in-game. In NVIDIA's blog post announcing the updated visuals for Forza Motorsport, it recommends using the RTGI in conjunction with DLSS Super Resolution or DLAA to get the highest frame rates. Forza Motorsport is available for PC on Steam (currently 50% off), the Microsoft Store, and PC Game Pass

8BitDo is known for making retro gaming-themed peripherals, and it's now expanded that line-up with two more products in a transparent green color way reminiscent of the original Microsoft Xbox gaming console. The 8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard has received a refresh in classic transparent Xbox colors, and 8BitDo has launched its first gaming mouse, the Retro R8 Mouse in the same color way. The new colorway incorporates the expected transparent green plastic enclosures for the mouse and keyboard and also features bright red, yellow, blue, and green accent colors that, following the traditional ABXY button colors. Both the new Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard ($199.99) and Retro R8 Mouse ($59.99) are available for pre-order on Amazon, although it looks like the initial batches on the mouse have sold out for now.

While 8BitDo has opted for Kailh Jellyfish X switches, likely for their transparent appearance, the hardware changes to the Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard are mostly limited to the transparent green case, keycaps, and extra macro buttons. The mouse, on the other hand, bears further inspection, since it's a new product category for 8BitDo. On a surface level, the 8BitDo Retro R8 Mouse looks like a typical ambidextrous gaming mouse, with a claimed eight programmable buttons, USB-C, 2.4 GHz, and Bluetooth LE connectivity, and up to 26,000 DPI resolution. While it's not advertised as a lightweight mouse, it's certainly not heavy for a wireless mouse, coming in at 77 g. The Retro R8 Mouse also comes with a matching charging dock, which 8BitDo says will charge the mouse to 100% in 2.5 hours and acts as a signal extender. 8BitDo claims that the mouse can achieve between 26 and 105 hours of use from its 450 mAh Li-ion battery in wireless mode, depending on the polling rate and connectivity mode.

The wait is over - 'Race to Kill', the first major content update coming to Blindfire, is set to launch November 21 on Xbox Series X|S and Windows. Packed with exciting new features, modes, and weapons; this update is the first exciting step towards the full Blindfire experience. Whether you're a seasoned pro or new to the battlefield, 'Race to Kill' offers something for you.

From a bloodthirsty new game mode to unique weapons and competitive leaderboards, here's everything you need to know about what's coming in Blindfire's 'Race to Kill' update.

If you're not too busy taking off for the skies in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 today, may we interrupt your flight with these games? We have a selection of day one games, game benefits, indies, and more. What can we get started for you (aka: what will you put in your download queue first)?

Available Today

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) - November 19

Microsoft has long been rumored to be working on a gaming handheld to compete with the likes of Valve's Steam Deck and the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go, but all we've had to go on until now is unfounded rumors and leaks. Now, Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Gaming, has confirmed that the software giant is actively working on a Steam Deck challenger, although details are scant, and the timeline is unclear at best.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Spencer confirmed that Microsoft is working on an Xbox handheld, although he was very careful to not overpromise or provide any firm release dates, going so far as to confirm that an Xbox handheld is still years away from release. Spencer reiterated in the review that Microsoft was still looking to grow its presence in the gaming industry, which is one of the company's motivations for getting into the gaming handheld market, in the first place. He also confirmed that Microsoft will be pursuing further mergers and acquisitions in the future as part of its gaming push—a move that might not be looked upon favorably by many gamers and regulatory bodies.

In the 40 years since its creation in 1984 by a puzzle-loving computer programmer in the Soviet Union, the Tetris game has taken over the world - and it's never slowed down. Often found topping the lists of the best games ever created, over 220 official Tetris games have been released and the game has inspired a feature film, esports tournaments, and more. Four decades later, it's the game that hundreds of millions of players still can't put down.

Today, acclaimed retro gaming studio Digital Eclipse, in partnership with The Tetris Company, is pleased to announce the launch of Tetris Forever, the latest entry in the studio's acclaimed Gold Master Series. It's a love letter to the Tetris game, to its global, multigenerational fan base, and to the amazing history behind its rise to the top.

"When we think of our farms, we think of lives well spent", a seasoned farmer tells viewers in the Launch Trailer of Farming Simulator 25. Now available on PC and consoles, publisher and developer GIANTS Software invites returning and aspiring virtual agriculturists to ignite their passion for the wholesome and rewarding life in the countryside.

"This Farm is Your Farm"
"For experienced farmers, the game marks the next step in playfully living their passion", says Christian Ammann, CEO of GIANTS Software. "For everyone else, it's a relaxing, immersive, and community-oriented opportunity to grow a new hobby, cultivate exciting knowledge, and ultimately harvest the rewarding feeling of freedom and accomplishment."

Electronic Arts Inc. and BioWare announced today that Dragon Age: The Veilguard is now available for PlayStation 5 (also enhanced for PS5 Pro), Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam (Steam Deck Verified), EA app and Epic Games Store. This bold, heroic adventure is built to deliver on what the series is best known for: rich storytelling, fantasy worldbuilding, companions & fellowship, and a world where you matter. The next installment in BioWare's beloved franchise has captivated critics worldwide, with outlets such as IGN and GamesRadar+ proclaiming it "deserves its place in the RPG pantheon" and is "A true return to RPG form for BioWare" in their 9/10 and 4.5/5 reviews.

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Solas, the Dread Wolf, wants to tear down the Veil that separates Thedas from the world of demons, restoring his people's immortality and glory - even at the cost of countless lives. But his ritual goes awry, and his worst fears are realized, as two of his most ancient and powerful adversaries are released. Players will step into the role of Rook, a fully-customizable protagonist who must rise up and unite their companions to stop these two powerful deities on a journey that will span across Thedas' bustling cities, lush tropics, boreal forests, fettered swamps and deepest depths.

Microsoft Corp. today announced the following results for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, as compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year:

• Revenue was $65.6 billion and increased 16%
• Operating income was $30.6 billion and increased 14%
• Net income was $24.7 billion and increased 11% (up 10% in constant currency)
• Diluted earnings per share was $3.30 and increased 10%

"AI-driven transformation is changing work, work artifacts, and workflow across every role, function, and business process," said Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft. "We are expanding our opportunity and winning new customers as we help them apply our AI platforms and tools to drive new growth and operating leverage."

Leading gaming accessories maker Turtle Beach Corporation today unveiled another groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind controller, the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot. This new, premium smart controller works both wirelessly and in wired mode for Windows 10/11 PCs, and is Designed for Xbox and compatible with Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One as an advanced wired controller. The Stealth Pivot also features Bluetooth 5.2 to connect with compatible Android devices and smart TVs.

The Stealth Pivot's standout feature is the unique, rotating thumbstick and button control modules that deliver simple, precise, and enhanced gameplay for any game type. One layout provides traditional PC & Xbox gamepad controls, and the modules can be easily rotated and locked back into place to produce a stick and button layout more suitable for fighting games. The Stealth Pivot is crafted from premium materials, including built-in Hall Effect sensors in the rotating control modules, and gamers can also explore an impressive and extensive list of customization options. The Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot controller launches November 26, 2024, and is available for pre-order at www.turtlebeach.com and participating retailers worldwide for $129.99/£119.99/€129.99 MSRP.

The latest game to come out of the Prince of Persia series was Prince of Persia The Lost Crown, which launched in January 2024. Now, after just 10 months on the market, Ubisoft has reportedly disbanded the development team behind the project, effectively ending all future development for the game and scrapping any planned sequels and DLC that was meant to be added to the game. The news has officially been acknowledged by Ubisoft, who published and developed the Prince of Persia game, and in its response, the game studio said that most of the developers involved with The Lost Crown have already moved to "other projects that will benefit from their expertise."

Since its launch in January this year, Prince of Persia The Lost Crown has been a bit of a commercial flop, garnering a mere 1,446-player peak player count on Steam, according to SteamDB. Insider Gaming reports that The Lost Crown sold as many as 1 million units across its PS5, Xbox, and PC releases, leading Ubisoft to classify it as a commercial failure. Despite basically acknowledging that The Lost Crown wasn't profitable enough, Ubisoft seemingly wants to leave the door open for future installments in the Prince of Persia franchise, saying "We know players have a love for this brand and Ubisoft is excited to bring more Prince of Persia experiences in the future."