Xbox Game Pass is coming to Quest VR through Meta’s Horizon subscription, and Xbox VR controller upgrades are on the way. Big win for both platforms, or nothingburger? Latest at Windows Central👇 www.windowscentral.com/hardware/vir...

Xbox sources tell us Microsoft is working to fix its abysmal hacked‑account support after users shared horrifying, years‑long recovery nightmares. Our latest deep dive and exclusive report from Jez Corden👇 www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/...

"A phone is like a slot machine in your pocket, delivering dopamine on demand." The rise of AI, the prevalence of smartphones, and the general digital overload have created an analog revival of sorts, and Gen Z seems to be at the forefront. Do Windows PCs stand to benefit from this movement?

Kensington’s Expert Mouse Pro TB900 EQ trackball is here with 1 kHz performance, a refined ergonomic design, and pro‑grade controls. Our new first look shows a serious productivity upgrade for those who prefer this form factor🔗 www.windowscentral.com/accessories/...

Storage is vital as games and other massive files constantly demand more PC space, and these rare discounts are worth highlighting. Deal link 🔗 winc.shop/wdblack-sn71... WD_BLACK's SN7100 1TB SSD is a winner for gaming, whether in a desktop or as a laptop upgrade, with up to 7,250 MB/s reads

MW4 beta kicks off next month: Early Access August 21, Open Beta August 28. No preorder needed for the second weekend; just install Call of Duty HQ for access during the open beta window!

The mind behind the original Gears of War trilogy wants to make games full-time again, but CliffyB is eyeing PvE over PvP this time 👀 In a recent interview with 80 LEVEL, Cliff Bleszinski revealed that he wants to make a comeback.

Microsoft's new Surface PCs come with a free pair of award-winning headphones. What Hi-Fi calls the Sony WH-1000XM6 "Simply sensational." Now, those 5-star headphones ($460 value) are bundled free when you buy an eligible Snapdragon X2 Surface Pro or Surface Laptop through July 31🔗 buff.ly/Al1Fxu4

AMD’s Ryzen 7 7700X3D dropping to $279 looks like a killer deal, but the value doesn’t hold up once you dig in. 🔗https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/amd/amds-ryzen-7-7700x3d-looks-like-a-steal-at-usd279-but-youll-still-end-up-paying-more-for-less-power-what-gives

Samsung's working on PC silicon again, but don't get too excited quite yet. GAIA is a standalone AI accelerator that can be tacked on to PCs otherwise lacking AI support, which leads me to wonder how it will fit into Microsoft's strict Copilot+ PC guidelines.

Microsoft's Matt and Matt have offered some mixed messaging on Xbox's plans for exclusive games. I think they're potentially missing the point here ... a couple of piecemeal gestures won't move the needle for Xbox. It needs a heavy-hitting exclusives program with major IPs.

Back up your photos, documents, and even games with Seagate's 4TB external hard drive, temporarily on sale for Best Buy's "Black Friday in July" event. It's compact and USB-powered, so it's perfect for traveling workers and students! Deal link 🔗 winc.shop/seagate-usb3...

GameSir's new T7 Pro "Sugar Whirl" controller is the pastel-themed successor that I always wanted, with wireless connectivity for Xbox, TMR sticks, and a great charging dock, all for ~$90! REVIEW by @jenbox360.bsky.social:

Windows 11’s biggest week in months: Microsoft rolled out a cleaner, ad‑free search experience, smarter update controls, fixes for 570 vulnerabilities, and new Insider features. We’ve rounded up every headline this week, plus the best deals to go with it. 🔗https://buff.ly/OEsllmS

Windows 11’s 26H2 update is almost here. These 10 things you need to know before upgrading will help you learn to expect what's different (and what's not changing). ⤵️ www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/wi...

Creation Engine 3 is official for Fallout 5 and The Elder Scrolls VI, confirmed directly by Todd Howard in our exclusive interview with Jez Corden. 🔗https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/zenimax-bethesda/bethesda-confirms-fallout-5-and-the-elder-scrolls-vi-are-built-on-new-creation-engine-3

The Wolverine trailer reignited the debate over physical games, and PlayStation is getting roasted for ditching discs. Xbox has a clear opening here. 🔗https://buff.ly/V3TyGxC

Some Xbox studio leads reportedly detest Game Pass, calling the push toward it “a race to zero.” The new reporting digs into why Xbox kept driving the model forward anyway, and what this means for the future of multiplatform strategy and first‑party development. 🔗 buff.ly/bBs7WX8

The HyperX Cloud III is down to $57.99 from $99.99, one of its lowest prices in months (we checked), and it’s currently the #1 best seller in PC gaming headsets on Amazon. Direct link to Amazon HyperX deal👇https://winc.shop/HyperX-Cloud3

Windows 11’s massive July 2026 update shows how AI is changing Patch Tuesday itself. Smarter fixes, faster rollouts, and a glimpse at Microsoft’s next era of updates. Here's why it matters🔗 www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/wi...

Todd Howard opened up about Xbox’s layoffs, calling them “personally very difficult,” and discussed how Bethesda plans to navigate major industry shifts. 🔗https://buff.ly/zPf6tAW

Windows 11 has a new third-party clipboard utility that’s genuinely great, but the name makes people overlook it. It’s fast, reliable, and solves real workflow problems. This feature deserves way more attention. 🔗 www.windowscentral.com/software-app...

DEAL: Lexar 256GB Professional Gold Micro SD Card: was $154.99, now $125.25 at Amazon. Direct link to Amazon 👇 buff.ly/Rr4K7bF

Our new Todd Howard interview with Jez Corden dives into Fallout 5, Obsidian’s Fallout, Elder Scrolls 6, and Starfield. Big updates for Bethesda fans. 🔗https://buff.ly/cxge2MA

Samsung Galaxy Book6 16GB/512GB, Core Ultra 7 is down to just $899 from $1,449, and features a 16" display. DEAL🔗 www.windowscentral.com/hardware/lap...

DEAL Alert: Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse 47% off for just $79.99 (black OR white model) 👇Direct link to Amazon: winc.shop/razer-DeathA...

Windows 11’s early July Insider update adds 6 genuinely useful features, including a recovery tool that could save your PC when things go wrong. We break them all down and explain what makes them worth watching: 🔗https://buff.ly/HT7All1

LIMITED TIME DEAL SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X headset: was $199.99, now $159.99 on Amazon (-20%). SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X nails the fundamentals of what makes a great mid-range gaming headset. 👉Direct Link to Amazon: winc.shop/SteelSeries-...

Square Enix has released a new trailer for Final Fantasy Resonance, showcasing more of its beautiful HD-2D pixel art graphics for its environments, cutscenes, and combat system. Call me old-fashioned, but this somehow has more charm than most of the series' mainline 3D games.

Prepare your wallets, as the Xbox Ultimate Game Sale 2026 is live with huge discounts across Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, indie heroes, and everything in between! It'll run until July 29, and there are literally thousands of games on sale — indeed, I've already spent over $100 👀

Dispatch’s long‑awaited Xbox Series X|S debut is finally confirmed, and it’s landing in less than two weeks with full Play Anywhere support. DETAILS🔗 www.windowscentral.com/gaming/dispa...

LIMITED TIME DEAL: The Razer Kraken Kitty V3 Pro is down to $104 with an extra $25 coupon, way under its $179.99 price. Great sound, plush comfort, and those RGB ears that actually look good on camera. Solid pickup at this price. Direct link to Amazon🔗 winc.shop/razer-kraken-V3-Pro

Alienware is making "entry-level" gaming laptops now? That's certainly the idea behind this $1,459.99 model, given its reliance on NVIDIA's RTX 5050 GPU "But could you be tempted by the 'Alienware 15' with its 512GB SSD? Besides, you only get 332GB of usable space.." Full review by @benwilson.net:

Kill Block, designed as a training facility, will feature three rotational slabs with hundreds of map combinations when it launches for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's multiplayer. This one's for those of us who missed the Small Map Mayhem playlist the last two years ⤵️

Microsoft pulled a game it owns from Xbox Game Pass even though it was promised to stay. It’s a small removal with big implications for trust in the service. 🔗https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-removes-a-previously-promised-first-party-game-it-owns

🆘Windows 11 has added several new recovery features, including Cloud Rebuild, and it’s not always clear which one you should pick. This explainer breaks down every option and shows when each one is the right choice. 🔗 buff.ly/luHJkvW

A viral Steam horror hit is coming exclusive to Xbox on consoles next week, and it’s dropping straight into Game Pass with Play Anywhere support. Huge pickup for Xbox. 🔗https://buff.ly/2cDKBqJ

"You don't need a storefront's permission to play what you bought." Faith in the preservation of digital media has been shattered in recent weeks, but GOG has at least helped restore some of it. GOG still offers DRM-free games you can permanently save — and even burn them to a disc, if you want to

Microsoft reportedly blocked a user’s full Xbox library and cloud storage. The case highlights how fragile digital ownership can be when everything depends on account access. 🔗https://buff.ly/MSCfbWW

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said Microsoft's gaming brand will return to growth this year, but the cuts and layoffs don't solve Xbox's biggest existential crisis. What will Asha Sharma do to solve it? windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/... Some thoughts. 👇💬

We spoke to Ed Zitron of industry-leading tech publications "Better Offline" and "Where's Your Ed At" to get his take on Microsoft's AI business — and its future prospects. Buckle in, and let us know your thoughts! READ: www.windowscentral.com/artificial-i... 💬

Microsoft is redesigning Windows 11 Search to focus on your PC first. Local results get clearer, ads are gone, and the whole experience feels cleaner. 🔗

New reports say a top Halo studio boss has been sent to HR multiple times, and a former developer alleges he was verbally blasted during a confrontation. 🔗https://buff.ly/td5b0gM

"Microsoft deleted my (account) and told me to buy my games again". A Brazilian Xbox gamer has won a lawsuit after Microsoft blocked his entire digital library, and the court has since ordered the full restoration of his purchases, along with $400 in damages.

I spent a week with Acer's new "Swift Go 16 AI" Windows laptop, and it's a strong OLED option for the price — fast and long‑lasting, held back only by predictable bloatware and a few hardware gripes. Full review by @benwilson.net:

Is this laptop's quirky touchpad just a gimmick, or are these hidden buttons actually useful? 🤔 Multimedia controls (optionally) appear when I start streaming content, and video meeting functions give me marginally faster control over my microphone and webcam.

Razer made a wireless RGB gaming chair powered by a USB‑C power bank and it works way better than you’d expect. Comfort is great, lighting is reactive, and the Soma Chroma feels like a real upgrade. Our latest review👇 www.windowscentral.com/gaming/gamin...

Xbox Series X|S prices rise on August 1, and this tracker follows every retailer as inventory moves, discounts appear, and stock tightens ahead of the jump. 🔗 www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/...

We explain how Windows 11’s new Cloud rebuild makes PC recovery simple. No USB drives, no stress, just a clean reinstall from the cloud. 🔗https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/cloud-rebuild-for-windows-11-explained-microsofts-new-way-to-recover-pcs

Carmack reacted to Microsoft’s id Software layoffs, and his comments are hitting a nerve. Tough moment for a studio with one of gaming’s most important legacies. 🔗https://buff.ly/oOh2XrT