XBOX has been on an update roll, at least since Asha Sharma took over as CEO and decided to deliver long-awaited features. And, looking at XBOX Wire, it isn’t stopping. Rolling out to XBOX Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring, fans can expect a nice and welcome update from today.

First up, fans who are big into game ownership are getting more control over how disc-to-digital licensed games appear in their library. Perhaps more exciting, however, is the ability to now switch which side of the screen the XBOX guide appears on. Yes, it’s a small but welcome change, and I’m sure many will appreciate it.

Last but not least, fans who make use of dynamic backgrounds can now dynamically rotate between them. We don't yet know how many dynamic backgrounds you can rotate between (or if there is any limit at all), but this is probably what I’m most excited to try as someone who likes to change things up from time to time.

These Insider changes are expected to roll out gradually, but they’re all welcome, and I’m surprised they weren’t already available. Still, it's great to see them added here nonetheless. Honestly, the pace and speed at which these changes are happening for XBOX is great to see. We are on the cusp of XBOX’s 25th anniversary on November 15, 2026, for those who didn't know, and fans have been eagerly waiting for what XBOX will reveal ahead of that date.

With all that said, I’m impressed. I know it’s going to take a while for XBOX to get back on its feet and appeal again to the masses, but over the past few months, steady progress has been made; not long ago, it was even reported that the online perception of XBOX had improved. Most of us are stuck looking at our gaming history via the new XBOX Playback feature.. that's a lot of hours.

Let me know your thoughts on this latest update to XBOX in the comments, and do be sure to take part in our poll!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

We don't normally cover mobile games over here, but when Master Chief and Cacodemon are showing up in Candy Crush Saga, I guess I'm willing to make an exception. Yep, as Xbox goes all out with the announcements for its 25th Anniversary, this latest crossover is bringing eight of our favourite console and PC franchises to the hands of millions of mobile players for a festive "Game On Season."

Starting today and running through to till December 6, Candy Crush Saga is getting totally hijacked by Xbox. The four-week event weaves in characters and worlds from Halo, Fallout, Sea of Thieves, Forza, DOOM, Banjo-Kazooie, Crash Bandicoot and Spyro in the game.

Unlock cool virtual pins and experience a new soundtrack

Central to the event is a massive in-game pin collection. As you crush (get it) your way through the arcade-themed Leagues event, you can unlock virtual pins of Master Chief's helmet and Dr Neo Cortex, to name a few.

If you're really lucky, you can get your hands on physical versions, as King has turned some of the digital pins into real-life limited-edition collectables. You do need to be a resident of the US to enter, but the sweepstake over at CandyCrush.com is giving out a 1000 physical sets of these pins.

Something else really neat about this crossover is the music designed to "candify" six classic Xbox themes, enlisting the German Film Orchestra Babelsburg, a Bulgarian Choir, and, I kid you not, an accordion player.

To celebrate the announcement, King has released a behind-the-scenes video of the recording process. The music of Halo, Fallout, Sea of Thieves, Forza, DOOM and Banjo-Kazooie has been integrated into Candy Crush Saga in such an unusual way that it's worth a listen alone, even if you don't pick up the game. Luckily, you can check out the tracks in full over on Spotify. The DOOM track in particular, as expected, absolutely slaps.

For Halo, they kept the instantly recognizable choir but wove it into the Candy Crush universe as a "polar rhythmic element." Paula Ingvar, General Manager of Candy Crush, summed it up perfectly: “Hearing the Halo theme played by an orchestra, a choir and an accordion in Candy Crush still makes our team smile."

More announcements from the Xbox 25th Anniversary

It's been a steady stream of announcements all day as Xbox celebrate turning 25. We've had Xbox Playback to check out your own journey with Xbox over the years, a new Firefight mode update coming to Halo: Campaign Evolved, and a bunch more OG console games added to PC. And I'm sure there's more to come from Xbox!

The Game On Season crossover is live right now across iOS, Android, Amazon, and the Windows App store, and runs until December 6.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

People were hoping for a new batch of Xbox backward-compatible games after months of teasing.. and here's what Microsoft has to offer.

Xbox's backward compatibility program is one of the top innovations Microsoft has put out for its ecosystem. Hundreds of OG and Xbox 360 games were brought forward natively to modern consoles, helping game preservation and making Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S the only place you can play many classics. Microsoft has been expanding that program even further.

Last summer, Microsoft unveiled a handful of OG Xbox games ported and emulated to Windows 11 via the Xbox PC app, leading to hopes Microsoft was about to reinvigorate the program in general. Today, we're getting a few more, as well as full Xbox achievement support for select classic titles.

"XBOX is expanding its backward compatibility offering on PC with 21 additional original XBOX games, bringing the total to 25," Microsoft wrote on Xbox Wire. "The expanded lineup includes classics such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. XBOX is also adding achievements to more original XBOX titles, including Knights of the Old Republic, giving players new ways to revisit and celebrate classic games."

Xbox makes the exact game listing crystal clear, saying, "The 21 additional games available to players in supported countries starting today are:"

• Armed and Dangerous
• Disney's Chicken Little
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (also available with XBOX Game Pass)
• Grabbed by the Ghoulies (also available with XBOX Game Pass)
• Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb
• Red Faction II
• Secret Weapons Over Normandy
• Star Wars Battlefront
• Star Wars Battlefront II
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
• Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
• Star Wars Jedi Knight II Jedi Outcast
• Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords
• Star Wars: Republic Commando
• Star Wars: Starfighter – Special Edition
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• Thrillville
• TimeSplitters 2
• TimeSplitters: Future Perfect

It continues, "These join the four games already available on PC: "

• BLiNX: The Time Sweeper (also available with XBOX Game Pass)
• Conker: Live and Reloaded (also available with XBOX Game Pass)
• Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (also available with XBOX Game Pass)
• Fuzion Frenzy (also available with XBOX Game Pass)

Many have been hoping games like Singularity and Skylanders would hit full back-compat, given that Microsoft now owns these properties via Activision. The Xbox Game Preservation website has tens of thousands of votes for games; alas, that's sadly not what we're getting this week. Still, being able to access some OG games and land their Xbox Mythic achievements is something I personally never saw happening, given that these games are no longer anywhere near in active development.

It's a little bittersweet given that EA just killed BioWare. Knights of the Old Republic is one of the best RPGs ever made, with twists that few games have managed to top to this day. I'm hopeful that Microsoft will address some outstanding Xbox 360 games for backward compatibility too, particularly Skylanders, which, given the Spyro remake, has an opportunity to find a new audience in 2026, in my view.

Xbox's 25th anniversary will continue through the week, with a variety of small announcements, including the nostalgia-driven Playback feature. I'm not expecting anything huge like an Xbox Helix reveal, but could we finally see the Xbox Elite Controller Series 3? Time will tell.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

It's Xbox's 25th anniversary this month, and Microsoft is announcing a variety of new "stuff" over the course of the week.

First up, we have a shiny new feature I know some of you have been passionate about, dubbed Xbox Playback.

Last year, it felt like almost every brand on Earth did some form of "Spotify Wrapped," which showcased what music and podcasting habits you had throughout the year. Even my banking app had a "Wrapped" last year, but Xbox was conspicuously absent from the festivities. I wrote back then that it was because they were working on something bigger, something that would be future-proofed, and it seems we now know what it is.

Announced today on Xbox Wire, Xbox Playback is a "personalized experience" that mimics previous anniversary data collections Xbox has done, although, from what I've heard, it will be available annually too moving forward.

To see your Xbox Playback, head over here and sign in with your account, or head to your Playback Archive to explore more of your history.

"XBOX is introducing XBOX Playback, a new personalized experience that lets players revisit their gaming history across 25 years of XBOX," Microsoft said. "Players can discover their first XBOX game, most-played titles, total playtime, achievements, longest gaming streaks and other milestones. Playback will be accessible on console and the web, with personalized videos and shareable cards, rolling out gradually throughout the day in 15 countries." (..)

"Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, Spain, UK and US. Requires at least 1 XBOX Gamerscore, 1 achievement, and 1 minute of qualifying gameplay linked to your Xbox profile; access on console requires at least 1 minute of qualifying gameplay on console. Based on available data; some data may be incomplete or delayed."

It's a bit of a shame it's only available in 15 countries and not the total scope of Xbox's user base.. I'm pretty sure things like Spotify Wrapped are available to all customers. To speculate, Microsoft is pretty meticulous when it comes to regional data laws owing to its enterprise cloud division, and national rules it has to observe therein. I'll try and find out exactly why it's so limited in scope.

In any case, you can expect more Xbox 25th anniversary celebratory announcements throughout the day. I'm not expecting anything on the scale of an Xbox Helix reveal or Elder Scrolls 6 gameplay trailer, but could we finally see the Xbox Elite Controller Series 3? Here's hoping.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

The Xbox Series S has found itself in the crosshairs once again this week after former Tekken director told a panel at the Console Game Developers Conference in South Korea, that he wished hardware like the Series S had never been released. Going as far as to call it "extra work for a slightly weaker child."

Reported and translated by Inven Global, apparently Katsuhiro Harada complained about the console's lower memory, and joked that he hoped Microsoft isn't planning a "Helix S" for next gen. The comments have now fired up the Xbox Series S's most passionate detractors, who are using these quotes as definitive proof that the Series S is holding the entire industry back and, frankly, I'm tired, boss.

The argument is inherently anti-consumer, elitist and completely ignores the benefits of game optimization for everyone and every console, not just Xbox Series S. More importantly, it ignores the current state of the market and what consumers can actually afford right now and for the foreseeable future.

Optimization is a feature, not a bug

On the same panel, CD Projekt Red associate game director Paweł Sasko had a counterpoint to Harada's comments. Laughing them off and said that the Series S is valuable precisely because developing within its constraints makes studios optimise their code more cleanly, work that ends up making the game significantly better on all platforms.

It's not the first time we've heard this sentiment. Of course, Larian wrestled with the Xbox Series S over Baldur's Gate 3 so much it ultimately delayed the launch of the game on the Xbox ecosystem, but the memory optimizations they engineered to make split-screen work on the S directly resulted in massive RAM and VRAM improvements across the PS5 and PC versions of the game.

Meanwhile, I can't help but notice the glaring double standard again here when lower-spec hardware comes up in industry discourse. Hardware like the Steam Deck and the Nintendo Switch 2 don't receive the same vitriol. Nobody claims Valve's hardware is "ruining PC gaming" when developers have to tweak settings to get a Verified badge. As Harada himself admitted on the panel, developers gladly shift their mindset for the Nintendo Switch 2 because it's viewed as its own distinct platform. Yet Xbox offering an entry-level piece of hardware for current gen, using similar architecture is treated as some kind of unforgivable burden on the industry.

It's important to note though that Harada has since clarified that his comments were simply made to "liven up the room." That hasn't stopped the onslaught of told-you-so-themed posts around the Series S, however.

Consumers are going to be priced out of the next-gen arms race

The loudest critics of the Xbox Series S, demanding developers should abandon lower-spec hardware, are frankly out of touch with the economic reality facing the gaming industry right now and the near future.

We are right now witnessing a brutal hardware price crisis, driven by bloated compontent and RAM costs. God only knows what eye watering prices we can expect for early adopters of the Xbox Helix and PlayStation 6, but all signs right now point to price tags that will keep early adoption out of reach for the average consumer, normal families. Us peasants aren't going to be in a position to drop $1000 on brand new hardware. I want what I already have to work for me for as long as possible before I have to choose financial ruin or giving up gaming all together.

A dramatic and hyperbolic statement perhaps, but this is close to the reality for many gamers my age with a family, the days of me buying a new console day one are long gone. My Xbox Series S is going to be a family heirloom.

In this environment, we should be pushing studios and developers harder than ever to optimize games for the systems we actually own right now. Even Harada had to acknowledge this on stage. There are more Series S users than Series X in the United States currently, developers can't simply ignore this player base because optimizing memory budgets is an inconvenience.

FSR 4.1 is also changing the narrative

Thankfully, newer industry advancements are making the whole "Xbox Series S is holding gaming back" argument feel more lame as the years go by.

Earlier this month, Microsoft and AMD officially rolled out FSR 4.1 to Xbox Series X|S developers. I won't pretend to understand the intricacies, so if you want the full breakdown of how it works, our team has covered the technical side in detail, but the short version is that it uses clever AI upscaling to make games look sharper and run smoother without needing beefier hardware. We've already seen it work wonders on handhelds like the Xbox Ally X, effectively acting like a free mid-gen upgrade.

For something lower powered like the trusty Series S this is a lifeline. Instead of expecting normal people to shell out hundreds of pounds or dollars for a brand-new box every few years, tools like FSR 4.1 let developers get far better results out of the hardware sitting under our TVs right now.

Xbox Series S is our cheapest ticket to Grand Theft Auto 6

While I've touched on the current economic mess of modern-day hardware, the Xbox Series S isn't immune to this. It originally launched at an incredibly accessible price of $299, but Microsoft's 'budget" console has been hit with it's own steep price hikes, placing a 512GB model at $499 nowadays.

It's no longer as accessible, but the reality is that even at $499 the Xbox Series S is the cheapest possible way to play GTA 6 at launch. GTA 6 is the biggest entertainment release of the decade, hands down, and having a lower barrier to entry for such a release isn't a flaw in Xbox's strategy. Though I will say, I am praying for some kind of discounts on the console heading in to Black Friday to bring it back down closer to those golden day prices.

Even better, dataminers snooping through the Xbox GTA 6 preload files have spotted libraries matching Microsoft's FSR 4.1 GDK sample. While Rockstar hasn't confirmed whether FSR 4.1 will be active at launch or patched in post-release, the groundwork is clearly there, and any rendering boost will go an especially long way on the Series S.

Hardware prices continue to spiral and move next-gen upgrades further from reach for the average consumer, and as this continues, the narrative around the Series S is going to age terribly (and in my opinion, it already has.)

Sooner or later, the industry will give this consumer-friendly little white box its flowers for forcing developers to optimize better, and I will be first in line.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Xbox's 25th anniversary is nearly here, and the famed gaming peripheral manufacturer Hyperkin is celebrating the occasion by revealing a new "Blue Rock" variant of its Xbox DuchesS Controller.

It's currently available for pre-order at Hyperkinstore.com and Amazon for $49.99 and is expected to release on December 2, 2026.

What's different about this variant of the Xbox DuchesS controller?

This "Blue Rock" variant, spec-wise, is the same as the regular Xbox DuchesS controller. It modernizes the original Xbox Controller S design for current consoles, with Hall Effect sticks and triggers for improved control responsiveness and Dynamic Impulse Triggers for enhanced tactile feedback while shooting in FPS games.

The only difference it has over its traditional Black shell or translucent green shell counterparts is its deep blue translucent design, and I personally adore it as someone whose favorite color happens to be blue (which I know is heretical to say as an Xbox player since blue is more associated with PlayStation).

So I can't wait to buy this bad boy for Christmas when the "Blue Rock" variant of the Xbox DuchesS Controller launches on December 2, 2026.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

We're just over one week from the release of GTA VI. After years of delays and rumors, Rockstar's iconic franchise is back. Some analysts suspect there will be a record number of sick days in mid-November on the day GTA VI launches, but employees at Logitech won't be part of that wave.

According to Fortune, a new initiative by Logitech called "Logi Game Day" allows employees to take a day off work to play a game.

Logi Game Day is not actually a specific day. It's also not set aside exclusively for GTA VI. Logitech employees can take off any individual day over the next year to play the game of their choosing.

It's unlikely that the timing of the initiative is a coincidence. At least one expert estimates that the launch of GTA VI will cost $1 billion in productivity in the United States.

Rather than trying to squeeze productivity out of distracted employees eager to go home and play GTA VI, Logitech leaned into the skid and gave people the green light to take off work.

"It’s time to retire the stereotype that gaming is a waste of time,” said Hanneke Faber, Logitech’s chief executive officer. “As a company designing products for work and play, we see every day how engagement in one sphere supports performance in the other."

Times are definitely changing, and I'd argue it's for the better. When I grew up, it was common knowledge that little got done during the NCAA basketball tournament, but people would have scoffed at similar dips in productivity caused by a video game launch.

Of course, we don't all work for Logitech and may have to work on GTA VI launch day.

While most of us won't be getting a dedicated gaming holiday from our employer, there are still ways to squeeze in some GTA VI during a lunch break or while away from your console. GTA VI will not be playable through Xbox Cloud Gaming, but it will support Xbox Remote Play. That means you could squeeze in some playtime on a PC or mobile device by streaming from an Xbox or PlayStation console.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Dataminers have been busy at work snooping through the Xbox's Grand Theft Auto 6 preload files, and two recent discoveries are grounds for a bit of performance optimism.

Library files named amd_fidelityfx_loader_xbox.dll and amd_fidelityfx_upscaler_xbox.dll are both present in the package snooped by Tex2, who posted their findings on X.

These names match the terms found in Microsoft's FSR 4.1 GDK sample that was published last week, as pointed out by blue nugroho and Y1ng.

While this certainly doesn't mean that AMD's FSR 4.1 is a lock for GTA 6 when it launches — or thereafter — it's good to know that there's at least the possibility of having the latest upscaling tech on board.

What is AMD FSR 4.1?

FSR 4 was a major update that moved AMD's upscaling tech from manual to machine learning. Instead of using spatial and temporal algorithms, it now uses neural networks.

The results? A clearer image with less ghosting, shimmering, and artifacts at the cost of a small amount of GPU overhead.

Microsoft and AMD sent out FSR 4.1 for Xbox developers on November 5, roughly two weeks after it kicked off with beta drivers for the Xbox Ally handhelds.

Compared to competing methods like NVIDIA DLSS and Intel XeSS, AMD FSR is quickly catching up. I think most people hold DLSS as the benchmark for what can be done with AI upscaling, but AMD's broad compatibility can't be forgotten.

And for consoles, FSR is the only option there is, with the 4.1 version representing a significant upgrade over the FSR predecessors.

Why FSR 4.1 might not be in Xbox's GTA VI at launch

I won't be so bold as to claim that FSR 4.1 will be in GTA 6 at launch. The datamined FSR 4.1 files make it a possibility, but their inclusion doesn't guarantee implementation.

Developer Rockstar has not said anything about it. And you'd think that Xbox would be quick to make an announcement to counter the recent PS5's PSSR upscaling news.

Timing is the biggest issue. Unless Rockstar had advance access to FSR 4.1 during development, configuring the upscaler for a game that's days away from a November 19 launch just doesn't seem realistic.

Will FSR 4.1 come to Grand Theft Auto 6 after launch?

I'm leaning more towards a post-launch FSR 4.1 integration for GTA 6 on Xbox. The groundwork seems to already be in place, and Rockstar surely has a strong incentive to make the game as playable as possible on aging hardware.

That's especially true for the Xbox Series S, where any help with rendering will go a long way. Waiting until after launch would mean less risk to the release build, and in this case, late is certainly better than never.

Bottom line? Don't panic if GTA 6 on Xbox doesn't get FSR 4.1 at launch. It was never a guarantee. It'll likely be a post-launch addition. After all, it's hard to imagine that a generational game like this wouldn't be the best place to show off the tech.

I'll be playing the game through Xbox Cloud Gaming and a dusty Xbox One at launch, and I'll make the switch to PC as soon as it arrives. Let me know in the comments below how you plan to play!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Fans of Xbox Cloud Gaming, I have good news for you. Today Rockstar Games has announced that, in addition to being available for pre-loading, Grand Theft Auto 6 will be playable via Xbox Cloud on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.

Do note that, like most Xbox Cloud Gaming titles, Grand Theft Auto 6 will be utilizing the Xbox Series S's graphical settings, so the resolution will be lower compared to running locally on Xbox Series X. Xbox Cloud Gaming servers typically use the Xbox Series S mode to save on video encoding bandwidth, as Xbox Series X versions take anywhere up to 4x more compute, and most people don't have the speed or locality to run cloud titles at 4K typically anyway.

In addition, Grand Theft Auto 6 will support Remote Play on Xbox and PlayStation consoles to stream to devices like PCs, TVs, and mobile devices. Weirdly, though, GTA 6 will not be available via Xbox Cloud Gaming to mobile, TV, or PC devices ... making it one of the only games (as far as we can tell, the ONLY Xbox Cloud game?) with this arbitrary restriction.

No PC or mobile support cloud via Xbox Cloud Gaming

Indeed, confirming earlier reports, note Grand Theft Auto 6's Xbox Cloud Gaming compatibility is only limited to Xbox consoles. This means you can't stream it on PC or mobile devices via the cloud.

It does however, give Xbox One users the chance to jump in. The Xbox One launched originally back in 2013, and still has hundreds of thousands of active users according to our sources. Given that Xbox Series X|S consoles and PS5s are extortionately expensive right now, meeting as many players where they are is a great bet.

It is, however, painfully weird that Take Two and Xbox aren't meeting the potential audience across Xbox Cloud Gaming compatible TVs and mobile devices. We've reached out to Microsoft to comment on exactly why this unique restriction is in place.

Don't forget to check out our GTA 6 pre-order guide for retailer links and gift card strategies so you can save a few extra dollars before Grand Theft Auto 6 finally launches on November 19, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

I've had my Xbox Ally X for almost a year now, and there's still one thing I genuinely hate about it: the Xbox app. Yes, I know Microsoft's recent refresh claims to have made the app 60% faster, but it's still the same general experience, and I've always disliked how it looks and feels.

Microsoft's official app makes the Xbox Ally X feel less like a portable console and more like a Windows PC with a controller attached (which, of course, it is). Still, I don't want it to feel like a PC; I want it to feel like an Xbox. Well, if you use Playnite, a popular third-party launcher, you actually can.

While I usually stick to Winhanced, Playnite is a popular option that does much of the same job. For those unfamiliar, it's a replacement launcher that lets you browse and launch your games from a single interface. Whether that’s Xbox, Steam, Epic, GOG, emulators, or more, it all pretty much lives in one place.

It's gained such a following thanks in part to its community, which develops custom add-ons. There's one for pretty much anything, and if you couldn’t have guessed, there are custom themes, too. That brings us to XFSE-Compact, created by 'mufflerexoz'.

XFSE-Compact brings the Series X|S experience

The theme aims to bring the UI from Xbox Series X and S consoles straight to Playnite, and it is pretty impressive. It comes complete with an Xbox-style Guide, something I wish replaced Xbox Game Bar on PC, because I loathe it, but I digress.

If you want to try out the launcher, you can download it from the official Playnite website. Then, to install the theme, you can visit the XFSE-Compact GitHub to grab it.

It's all very cool. I have longed for my handheld to actually feel like it belonged alongside my Xbox consoles. While Winhanced gets the job done, I do appreciate consistency across my devices. Picking up a handheld that feels exactly like my actual console really goes a long way.

Am I wrong? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and be sure to take part in our poll!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

After years and years of anticipation, GTA VI will finally ship this week. In fact, the game may have already pre-loaded on your console if you pre-ordered it. Regardless of whether you pre-load the game or download it later, it will take up a lot of storage.

Rockstar says you need up to 212GB free to pre-load GTA VI, depending on your device.

With the game being so large, you'll likely want additional storage so you can install GTA VI without clearing out other games to make space.

The good news is that the XBOX Series X and XBOX Series S support seamless storage expansion. The bad news is that stock of supported cards is extremely limited.

You may be able to find select individual XBOX storage cards in stock, but the only one I've been able to find available online consistently is the 2TB SANDISK Optimus GX C50 Xbox Storage Expansion Card.

Is the SANDISK Optimus GX C50 a good XBOX storage card?

The SANDISK Optimus GX C50 is the WD_BLACK C50 Storage Expansion Card under a new name. If you search for the old WD_BLACK card on SANDISK's website, you'll see a prompt explaining the change (shown above).

Regardless of the name, the performance of the card is excellent. The SANDISK Optimus GX C50 fully supports features like Xbox Quick Resume. You can quickly transfer games back and forth between the card and your console as well.

In short, using the SANDISK Optimus GX C50 should feel exactly like having a game stored directly on your XBOX Series X|S.

Unless you care about the graphics and logo on the card, you can take a deeper dive into the SANDISK Optimus GX C50 by reading our WD_BLACK C50 Storage Expansion Card review. I'll warn you that doing so may make you cry when you see the launch price of that card.

Is now a good time to buy XBOX storage?

If you haven't shopped for a console or gaming accessories for a while, you're likely shocked by the price of additional storage. The $479.99 price of the 2TB SANDISK Optimus GX C50 is more than an XBOX Series X cost just a few years ago if you found a good deal.

The XBOX Series X launched at $499.99, but for years it was easy to find one for less. Heck, Verizon used to literally give them away if you signed up for broadband. But like laptops and other gadgets, gaming devices have skyrocketed in price over the years due to the global component shortage.

So, through the twisted lens of current gaming prices, you could almost say that $479.99 is a "fair" price for 2TB of storage. Maybe a better way to say it would be to call it an "expected" price.

With GTA VI pre-loading on consoles starting November 10 and the game launching on November 19, now is the perfect time to expand the storage of your XBOX Series X|S.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

The new Xbox PC app, which we recently dived into in its earlier forms, is finally going live for testers today. Here's what you need to know.

On Xbox Wire, Microsoft's VP for Xbox Experiences, Jason Beaumont, revealed that the latest Xbox PC app iteration offers 60% improved launch speed and detailed some of the usability refinements we previously saw in earlier versions.

I demonstrated the upcoming Xbox PC app in a couple of videos recently. It is a web app, but it's orders of magnitude faster than previous versions, and rubber banding on devices like the Xbox Ally X has been virtually eliminated.

"We’re also bringing the refreshed XBOX web experience to more players and rolling out updates to XBOX cloud gaming apps on supported TVs and VR headsets," Beamont explained. "These changes are part of our work to make XBOX faster, simpler, and more familiar wherever you play."

Indeed, the Xbox Cloud Gaming app has also received a similar overhaul, the interface of which has been in testing and early rollout for a few months. The idea revolves around unifying the different Xbox experiences across PC, TV, mobile devices, cloud, consoles, and handhelds so that the most familiar parts of the apps are always within muscle memory.

If you want to test out the new Xbox PC app today, you'll need to enroll your gaming PC in the Xbox Insider test on PC specifically, using the Xbox Insider Hub app from the Microsoft Store.

1. Download the Xbox Insider Hub on your PC from here.
2. Navigate to Previews from the left panel.
3. Scroll down to find "PC gaming."
4. Click "Join" and wait while it says "Pending." You can leave the app.
5. Check 10-15 minutes later to see if it now says "Manage." If so, you're now enrolled.
6. Reboot your PC and check the Xbox app and Microsoft Store for an update.

The Xbox PC app has improved leaps and bounds

The Xbox PC app still has a big feature gap compared to Steam, for sure. There's a lack of community tooling, in-app mod delivery and curation, and the search functionality is often slow to catch up with recently launched products. There's also still a big catalog gap between Xbox's PC store and other platforms, although Microsoft's initiatives with Xbox Play Anywhere have been doing some strong heavy lifting recently.

As someone who primarily games via Xbox, I've found recently that I don't really need Steam at all anymore for new PC games, given that so many now support Xbox Play Anywhere across devices.

I'd love to see more customization features go live in the Xbox PC app to line up with what we have on console. I'd love to see more community tools and ways for developers to interact with their audiences. I think Microsoft's game recommendation is very poor overall (why are you recommending me Roblox when you literally know I'm in my 40s, Microsoft?).

But the work is being done; Microsoft has uncharacteristically stuck it out with this aspect of its platform despite being very late to the party, and it's great to see as an Xbox customer. But it remains to be seen if Microsoft can win over non-Xbox customers in a PC universe dominated by Steam.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

On October 23, 2026, AMD began rolling out FSR 4.1 for Xbox, starting with beta drivers for Xbox Ally handhelds. Now, AMD has announced that FSR 4.1 is available for Xbox developers working on Series X|S games.

FSR 4.1 is the latest version of AMD's AI-powered upscaling technology, rendering games at lower internal resolutions before reconstructing them to a higher output resolution while preserving detail and improving performance.

It's also part of Microsoft's wider push toward a more unified Xbox ecosystem across consoles, handhelds, and desktop gaming PCs. While the tech has mostly been showcased on Xbox Ally X hardware so far, early beta driver results showed meaningful improvements to image quality and frame rates, at least in supported games.

In our own testing, demanding games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Control Resonance, and Gears of War: E-Day showed more consistent frame rates on the Xbox Ally X with FSR 4.1 enabled, while titles like The Witcher 3 Remaster ran closer to 60 FPS with even more image clarity improvements.

Certain games that previously appeared noticeably soft or blurry in their Quality modes on Xbox Ally X also showed substantial image-quality improvements while maintaining strong performance, even in games that show dozens of enemies on screen at once, like Warhammer 40,000: Darktide.

How much of a difference FSR 4.1 makes on Xbox Series X|S will depend on per-developer implementation, and we already know that certain games that rely on ray-traced lighting, like Silent Hill 2, need more work. Still, those early Xbox Ally X results suggest FSR 4.1 could act as a software-driven mid-generation upgrade of sorts, helping developers squeeze more performance out of existing hardware. Good news.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

The Xbox Nano's worst-kept secret is finally out in the open, and Xbox Cloud Gaming is more accessible than ever.

We’ve been following the ultra-portable Xbox Nano Controller since its initial reveal, and while its pocket-friendly, SNES-inspired design has been the main talking point, we were pretty bemused by the lack of Wi-Fi capabilities. However, as the controller landed in reviewers hands, it turned out there was indeed Direct to Wifi connection included but Microsoft had kept it a secret for some unknown reason. Today, Xbox officially revealed the news officially. The much-anticipated direct Wi-Fi connection feature, officially dubbed "Cloud Connect", is rolling out in preview.

But the real surprise reveal lies in the rest of the announcement. Xbox have also announced a brand-new feature that lets you use your smartphone as a virtual controller for Xbox Cloud Gaming on supported Smart TVs. This will truly open Cloud Gaming up wide to loads of people who want to try it out.

Here is everything you need to know about the new updates and how to test them out.

The Nano's secret weapon: Cloud Connect

If you caught our preview of the Xbox Nano Controller, you already knew this was coming. Up until now, playing Xbox Cloud Gaming on a TV or web browser meant connecting your controller via Bluetooth. While functional, Bluetooth does introduce an extra layer of input latency before your command even begins its journey to the cloud servers.

Cloud Connect bypasses that entirely. By using a direct Wi-Fi connection from the Xbox Nano Controller straight to Microsoft’s cloud servers, input latency is significantly reduced, making gameplay feel noticeably more responsive. It is the exact same approach that Google Stadia's controller used, and bringing it to the Xbox ecosystem is a massive win for cloud players.

How to try it out:

Currently, the Cloud Connect preview is restricted to players in the US, and it is limited to supported Smart TVs and web browser experiences.

To set it up, you will need to configure the Nano Controller to your home Wi-Fi network. You can do this using the Xbox beta app on Android, or the Xbox Accessories app on PC (note: PC setup requires you to be enrolled in the Xbox Insider program). Once connected to your Wi-Fi, simply launch a supported Xbox Cloud Gaming session and sign in with the same Xbox account used during your setup. The controller will handle the rest.

The best news, your phone is now an Xbox controller?

The Nano getting Wi-Fi Connect wasn't really the biggest news today. If you want to fire up a cloud game on your Smart TV but don't have a physical controller handy, Microsoft has rolled out a solution: your phone.

In a new global preview available on supported Smart TVs where Xbox Cloud Gaming is live, players can now use an iOS or Android smartphone as a virtual gamepad.

The controls load entirely within your phone's web browser, meaning there is no bulky companion app required to get started. Even better, Xbox confirmed that some games will feature custom-tailored touch layouts specifically designed for how they play, rather than just slapping a generic digital gamepad on your screen.

How to try it out:

To access the virtual phone controller, boot up the latest Xbox Cloud Gaming app on your supported Smart TV and navigate to Settings > Account. Toggle on Preview Features. From there, whenever you launch a game without a physical controller connected to the TV, you will be prompted with an option to link your phone for that session.

Both of these features are still in their testing phases, so expect the occasional hiccup and a limited roster of fully supported titles while Microsoft gathers telemetry and player feedback. You can check out the official support page for guidance.

Behold the sheer convenience of using your phone for a quick Vampire Survivors run on the living room TV!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Microsoft has announced (via Xbox Wire) one of the strangest promotions it's done in years. It's hosting a free giveaway on social media for the Xbox Series X–Bite, a custom-made Xbox Series X trapped in a fake alligator.

This is not a gimmick display piece; there is an actual, fully functional Xbox Series X inside this fabricated beast, complete with a built-in resting place for an Xbox Series X controller rest in the alligator's jaw.

Do note that only one Xbox Series X-Bite exists and that Microsoft will only give it away to one winner. If you're interested in this monstrosity.

Here are the rules for entering this giveaway promotion:

• Step 1 - Make an X, Instagram, or TikTok account.
• Step 2 - Follow @XBOX on your platform of choice.
• Step 3- Repost the designated XBOX sweepstakes post.
• Step 4 - Manually add #XbiteSweepstakes to your repost.
• Step 5 - Make sure to set your account's privacy settings to public so Microsoft can see your post.

The Xbox Series X-Bite sweepstakes giveaway will run from 9:00 a.m. PT on November 3, 2026, to 11:59 p.m. PT on November 10, 2026.

Keep an eye out for notifications from Microsoft after you enter. If you've won, you will need to claim your prize within 48 hours of Microsoft's notification; otherwise, you'll miss your chance.

Windows Central's take

Now I've seen my fair share of bizarre gaming promotions as a gaming journalist over the years, but this one takes the cake for how random it is. I mean, how do you even put any discs in this gator (and will Xbox controllers' wireless connections be able to get through its stomach)?

I can't help but wonder if this was originally meant to be a Grand Theft Auto 6-themed Xbox Series X giveaway (considering the game takes place in a satirical version of Florida called "Leonida"), but something happened to cause Microsoft to veer away from any mention of it.

Either way, with Xbox consoles struggling for stock, I'm sure there will be plenty of people crazy enough to enter this contest to win the Xbox Series X-Bite and display it as a treasured heirloom for future generations to guard with their lives...or take the console out of the gator's stomach and toss out the reptile if it's too big to fit in their rooms.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.