It was probably inevitable eventually, but Xbox Cloud Gaming is joining NVIDIA and other platforms in putting hourly limits on its streaming service.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is a platform tied to Xbox Game Pass right now, giving you unlimited access to stream games from Game Pass as well as hundreds upon hundreds of digital games you own. In fact, thanks to Xbox's disc-to-digital program, you can now even play disc-based Xbox games you own if they're included in Xbox Cloud Gaming.

DEAL: Get Surfshark VPN 86% OFF with Windows Central 🦈

Many users use Xbox Cloud Gaming on Xbox One to play current-gen Xbox Series X|S games that aren't available natively on older systems. It's also great for running games on laptops, tablets, and other devices that aren't powerful enough to run said titles natively.

Up until now, Xbox Cloud Gaming was unlimited, but Microsoft just announced that it will begin introducing limits.

The new hourly cloud gaming limits via Xbox Game Pass

"We recognize that introducing limits is a meaningful change, particularly for players who regularly spend more time gaming through the cloud," Microsoft said on Xbox Wire. "We expect this upcoming change to impact 4% of Game Pass subscribers. Once subscribers use their included hours, they will be able to purchase additional cloud playtime through the XBOX Store."

I'm told that the "additional cloud playtime" bundles will not have a "use by" expiry window once purchased, although Microsoft hasn't listed exactly how much these passes will cost as of yet.

Indeed, you will not need an Xbox Game Pass subscription to use these cloud playtime hours, which will grant you access to your own library of compatible Xbox Play Anywhere cloud games even if you don't fancy owning the Game Pass subscription.

"We’re introducing this model because the cost of providing cloud gaming grows as more people use it and play for longer," Microsoft explained. "Moving to monthly limits allows us to keep offering the service while continuing to invest in its reliability and performance."

"We understand that for some players the practical result is a higher cost. In November, we’ll provide more information about pricing, purchasing additional hours, eligible games, market availability, and how players can check their remaining time. We’ll listen closely to player feedback before and after the change takes effect and share any adjustments we make."

The RAMpocalypse is coming for cloud gaming, too

Microsoft has been long-rumored to be exploring an ad-based tier for Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Game Pass in general. It's also true that the video ads business is incredibly tough, making me wonder if Microsoft decided to opt for this approach instead of trying to compete with Google / YouTube for video ad slots.

Indeed, many recent reports suggest that Twitch, despite being absolutely rammed with ads, is nowhere near profitable. What prayer would an ad-based Xbox Cloud Gaming tier have, given the monstrous amount of bandwidth required for Xbox Cloud Gaming video encoding?

The RAMpocalypse is impacting consumer electronics prices, but also cloud server prices too. Microsoft has reportedly joined NVIDIA and Google in earmarking 70% of Samsung's total DRAM output through to 2031. Unfortunately, I don't think a significant chunk of that memory is going towards gaming.

One advantage Xbox Cloud Gaming probably does have (at least in terms of Microsoft corporate politics) is that it does help keep cloud inference up — which in turn helps Microsoft justify infrastructure capital expenditure to shareholders. Xbox Cloud Gaming servers, while idle (at night, for example), can be used for training AI models potentially, which helps anchor Xbox's future in a corporation dominated by AI hype.

I suspect that introducing these limits now revolves around a plan to begin marketing Xbox Cloud Gaming more aggressively. If Microsoft ever did manage to find some form of mainstream breakthrough with Xbox Cloud Gaming, creating huge server queues (which we've seen in the past) wouldn't exactly represent a positive first-time experience for new players.

If Microsoft's goal is to form habits around Xbox Cloud Gaming in regions where console availability and affordability are low, ensuring a stable experience is obviously within their interests.

It remains to be seen if Xbox Cloud Gaming will ever be anything more than a niche kind of thing. It's useful for testing out games without installing them, but in most scenarios where you might want to use it, i.e., on a plane, on hotel Wi-Fi, or on a long-distance commute ... you're probably not going to have good enough internet speeds.

The laws of physics and the speed of light preclude Xbox Cloud Gaming from seeing any significant improvements from here, probably, but the upcoming direct-to-Wi-Fi Xbox controllers should offer a meaningful latency boost — if they ever actually come out.

It's a hot topic right now. With Xbox Helix and the PS6 threatening to be the most expensive consoles ever, perhaps even cloud gaming will end up too expensive to be worth it.

I'm tired of this AI stuff, mannnnnnnn.

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

Xbox's disc-to-digital program was revealed in full last week, and at first, it seemed too good to be true.

Codenamed Positron, Xbox's disc-to-digital program lets Xbox gamers unlock digital rights to physical games, including things like Xbox Cloud Gaming for streaming on the go, and Xbox Play Anywhere for entitlements on Windows PCs and gaming handhelds like the Xbox Ally.

DEAL: Get Surfshark VPN 86% OFF with Windows Central 🦈

There's somewhat insanely no downsides whatsoever: simply insert the disc, claim the entitlement from the disc tile's menu, and boom. The game is now digitally attached to your account. If you sell the disc or pass it on, the digital license will transfer from your account to the new owner. You could claim it back too if they return it.

I'm told this was ultimately how the original Xbox DRM was supposed to work back in 2013, before bad messaging confused the situation and triggered a massive ill-informed backlash (which was ultimately Microsoft's own fault.)

Fast forward to 2026, and people are far more accepting of digital convenience, even as debates over digital rights continue to swirl. PlayStation announced that it will sunset physical discs entirely by 2028, and collectors are not happy. At least Xbox's 2013 DRM has served this system in 2026, Microsoft's manufacturing process for its game discs means that it's able to track rights from physical discs. It's unclear if PlayStation can match it at this time.

Either way, you might be wondering exactly how many games are available. XCT.Live (via IdleSloth) is compiling a database of every disc that is currently compatible with the program, and the list is already quit exhausted. Over 200 completely de-listed games work too, which is phenomenal news for game preservation purposes.

The full list of Xbox Disc-to-Digital games (so far)

1. 007 First Light
2. 7 Days to Die
3. 8 To Glory - The Official Game of the PBR
4. 8-Bit RTS Series
5. [PROTOTYPE]
6. A Plague Tale: Innocence (X1)
7. A Plague Tale: Requiem (Win)
8. A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead
9. Ad Infinitum
10. Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations
11. Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion
12. AEW: Fight Forever
13. Agatha Christie - Death on the Nile
14. Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The First Cases
15. Agatha Christie - The ABC Murders (X1)
16. Agents of Mayhem
17. Agony
18. AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES Nirvana Initiative
19. Airoheart
20. Alan Wake 2
21. Alan Wake: Remastered
22. Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX
23. Aliens: Fireteam Elite
24. Alone in the Dark (2024)
25. Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy
26. Among Us
27. Anthem
28. Apex Legends
29. Arcadegeddon
30. ARK: Survival Evolved
31. Armello
32. ARSLAN: THE WARRIORS OF LEGEND
33. Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore
34. Ashes Cricket
35. Assetto Corsa
36. Asterix & Obelix Slap Them All! 2
37. Asterix & Obelix XXL3: The Crystal Menhir
38. ASTRONEER
39. Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration
40. Atari Flashback Classics Vol. 1
41. Atari Flashback Classics Vol. 2
42. Atari Flashback Classics Vol. 3
43. Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land (SX)
44. Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand (Win)
45. Atomic Heart
46. Attack on Titan
47. Attack on Titan 2
48. Aven Colony
49. AVICII Invector
50. Back 4 Blood
51. Back to the Future: The Game - 30th Anniversary Ed. (X1)
52. Baja: Edge of Control HD
53. Balatro
54. Baldur's Gate 3
55. Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Ed.
56. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
57. Banner Saga 3
58. Barbie: Project Friendship
59. Batman: Arkham Knight
60. Batman: Return to Arkham - Arkham Asylum
61. Batman: Return to Arkham - Arkham City
62. Batman: The Telltale Series (X1)
63. Battle Chasers: Nightwar
64. Battleborn
65. Battlefield 1
66. Battlefield 2042 (SX)
67. Battlefield 2042 (X1)
68. Battlefield 6
69. Battlefield V
70. Battlefield: Hardline (X1)
71. Beast Quest
72. Ben 10
73. Beyond a Steel Sky
74. Biomutant
75. BioShock 2: Remastered
76. BioShock: Infinite - The Complete Ed.
77. BioShock: Remastered
78. Black Desert
79. Black Mirror
80. Blackguards 2
81. BLADESTORM: Nightmare
82. Blair Witch
83. Blasphemous 2
84. BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend
85. Bleeding Edge
86. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (X1)
87. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
88. Borderlands 2 (X1)
89. Borderlands 3
90. Borderlands 4
91. Borderlands: Game of the Year Ed.
92. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (X1)
93. Bramble: The Mountain King
94. Bridge Constructor: Portal
95. Brothers: a Tale of Two Sons (X1)
96. Bulletstorm: Full Clip Ed.
97. Burnout Paradise: Remastered
98. Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop
99. Cabela’s African Adventures
100. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (X1)
101. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
102. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
103. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (X1)
104. Call of Duty: Black Ops III (X1)
105. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (X1)
106. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (X1)
107. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered (X1)
108. Call of Duty: Vanguard (X1)
109. Call of Duty: WWII (X1)
110. Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium
111. Carmageddon: Max Damage
112. Carnival Games
113. Cars 3: Driven to Win (X1)
114. Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers
115. Castlevania Advance Collection
116. Castlevania Dominus Collection
117. CHAOS;CHILD
118. Charon's Staircase
119. Chicken Run: Eggstraction
120. Chronos: Before the Ashes
121. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
122. Clash: Artifacts of Chaos
123. Classified: France '44
124. Clock Tower: Rewind
125. Company of Heroes 3
126. Conan Exiles
127. Construction Simulator
128. Constructor
129. Contra: Operation Galuga
130. CONTRA: ROGUE CORPS
131. Control (X1)
132. Control Ultimate Edition (SX)
133. Crackdown 3: Campaign
134. Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy
135. Crayola Scoot
136. Cricket 24: The Official Game of the Ashes (X1)
137. Crimson Desert
138. Cris Tales
139. Crysis 2 Remastered
140. Crysis 3 Remastered
141. Crysis Remastered
142. Cuisineer
143. Cuphead
144. Cyberpunk 2077
145. CYGNI: All Guns Blazing
146. Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
147. Danger Zone 2
148. Dangerous Driving
149. Darksiders Genesis (X1)
150. Darksiders II Deathinitive Ed.
151. Darksiders III (X1)
152. Darksiders Warmastered Ed.
153. DARQ Ultimate Ed.
154. Day of the Tentacle: Remastered
155. DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace
156. DC's Justice League: Cosmic Chaos
157. DCL-The Game
158. de Blob
159. de Blob 2
160. Dead Alliance: Multiplayer Ed.
161. Dead Island 2 (X1)
162. Dead Island: Definitive Ed.
163. DEAD OR ALIVE 5 Last Round: Core Fighters
164. DEAD OR ALIVE 6: Core Fighters
165. Dead Rising (X1)
166. Dead Rising 2 (X1)
167. Dead Rising 4 (X1)
168. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
169. Dead Space
170. Deadlight: Director's Cut
171. Deadpool (X1)
172. DEATHLOOP
173. Deformers
174. Deliver Us The Moon
175. Demon Turf
176. Desperados III
177. Destroy All Humans!
178. Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed
179. Devil May Cry 5
180. Devil May Cry 5 Special Ed.
181. Devil May Cry HD Collection
182. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Ed.
183. Diablo IV
184. DiRT 4
185. DIRT 5
186. DiRT Rally
187. Disciples: Liberation
188. Disco Elysium - The Final Cut
189. Dishonored 2 (X1)
190. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (X1)
191. Dishonored: Definitive Ed. (X1)
192. Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King
193. Disney Dreamlight Valley
194. Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed
195. Disney Illusion Island
196. Disney Infinity 3.0 (X1)
197. Disneyland Adventures (X1)
198. Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Ed.
199. Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Ed.
200. DmC Devil May Cry: Definitive Ed.
201. Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality
202. Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins
203. Dolmen
204. Don Bradman Cricket
205. DOOM
206. DOOM + DOOM II
207. DOOM 64
208. DOOM Eternal (X1)
209. DOOM: The Dark Ages
210. Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons
211. Dragon Age: Inquisition (X1)
212. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
213. Dragon's Dogma 2
214. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
215. DreamWorks Dragons Dawn of New Riders
216. DREDGE
217. Dungeons 3
218. Dying Light
219. Dying Light 2: Stay Human - Reloaded Ed.
220. DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 Empires
221. DYNASTY WARRIORS 9
222. DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires
223. DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS
224. EA SPORTS College Football 25
225. EA SPORTS College Football 26
226. EA SPORTS FC 25 (X1)
227. EA SPORTS FIFA 17
228. EA SPORTS FIFA 20
229. EA SPORTS NHL 16
230. EA SPORTS Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR
231. Earthfall
232. Earthlock: Festival of Magic
233. eFootball PES 2020
234. eFootball PES 2021 SEASON UPDATE
235. Elex
236. ELEX II
237. Endling - Extinction is Forever
238. Enotria: The Last Song
239. EVERSPACE 2
240. Evil Dead: The Game
241. Evil Genius 2: World Domination
242. Evil West
243. Evolve
244. Exoprimal
245. Extinction
246. F1 2015
247. F1 2016
248. F1 2017
249. F1 2018 (X1)
250. F1 2019 (X1)
251. F1 2020
252. F1 2021
253. F1 22
254. F1 23
255. Fallen Legion Revenants
256. Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory
257. Farming Simulator 15 (X1)
258. FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE
259. FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves
260. FIFA 15 (X1)
261. FIFA 16 (X1)
262. FIFA 21 (X1)
263. FIFA 22 (SX)
264. FIFA 22 (X1)
265. FIFA 23 (X1)
266. Firefighters: Airport Fire Department
267. Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour (X1)
268. Five Nights at Freddy's
269. Five Nights at Freddy's 2
270. Five Nights at Freddy's 3
271. Five Nights at Freddy's 4
272. Five Nights at Freddy's Into the Pit
273. Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach
274. Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location
275. Flashback 2
276. FlatOut 4: Total Insanity
277. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
278. Fortnite
279. Forza Horizon 4
280. Friday the 13th: The Game
281. FRONT MISSION 1st: Remake
282. FRONT MISSION 2: Remake
283. Frostpunk (X1)
284. Funko Fusion
285. G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout
286. Game of Thrones - The Telltale Series (X1)
287. Gears 5
288. Gears of War 4
289. Gears of War: Ultimate Ed.
290. Gears Tactics
291. Generation Zero
292. Gex Trilogy
293. Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Ecto Ed.
294. Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered
295. Ghostbusters
296. Ghostrunner
297. Ghostrunner 2
298. Goat Simulator (X1)
299. Goat Simulator 3
300. God of Rock
301. Gotham Knights
302. Gothic Classic
303. GRADIUS ORIGINS
304. Grand Theft Auto III – The Definitive Ed.
305. Grand Theft Auto V (X1)
306. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Ed.
307. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – The Definitive Ed.
308. Grandia HD Collection
309. Gravel
310. GreedFall
311. GRID
312. Grim Fandango Remastered
313. Grounded
314. Hades
315. Halo 5: Guardians
316. Halo Infinite
317. Halo Wars 2
318. Halo: The Master Chief Collection
319. Halo: The Master Chief Collection (China)
320. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions
321. Harvest Moon: One World
322. Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos
323. Has-Been Heroes
324. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (X1)
325. Hello Neighbor
326. Hello Neighbor 2
327. Hello Neighbor: Hide and Seek
328. Hi-Fi RUSH
329. High On Life
330. High On Life 2
331. HITMAN 3
332. HITMAN 2
333. Hogwarts Legacy (X1)
334. Hogwarts Legacy (SX)
335. Homefront: The Revolution
336. Hot Wheels Let's Race: Ultimate Speed
337. HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED
338. HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED 2 - Turbocharged
339. HOTEL BARCELONA
340. Hotel Transylvania 3: Monsters Overboard
341. House Flipper 2
342. Human Fall Flat
343. Immortal: Unchained
344. Immortals of Aveum
345. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
346. Indivisible (X1)
347. Industry Giant 2
348. Infinite Air with Mark McMorris
349. Injustice 2 (X1)
350. INSIDE
351. Iron Harvest: Complete Ed.
352. John Carpenter's Toxic Commando
353. John Wick Hex
354. JoJo Siwa: Worldwide Party
355. Journey to the Savage Planet (X1)
356. Jumanji: The Video Game
357. Jumanji: Wild Adventures
358. Jurassic World Evolution
359. Jurassic World Evolution 2
360. Jurassic World Evolution 3
361. Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth
362. Kena: Bridge of Spirits
363. KeyWe
364. Killer Frequency
365. Killer Instinct
366. Killing Floor 2
367. Kingdom Come: Deliverance (X1)
368. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
369. Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning
370. Kung Fu Panda Showdown of Legendary Legends
371. L.A. Noire (X1)
372. Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered
373. LEGO 2K Drive
374. LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (X1)
375. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
376. LEGO CITY Undercover
377. LEGO DC Super-Villains
378. LEGO Dimensions (X1)
379. LEGO Harry Potter Collection (SX)
380. LEGO Harry Potter Collection (X1)
381. LEGO Jurassic World (X1)
382. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
383. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2
384. LEGO Marvel's Avengers (X1)
385. LEGO Party!
386. LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens (X1)
387. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
388. LEGO The Incredibles
389. LEGO Worlds
390. LEGO Brawls
391. Let's Build a Zoo
392. Let's Sing 2022
393. Let's Sing 2024
394. Let's Sing 2026
395. Let's Sing Country
396. Lichdom: Battlemage
397. Lies of P
398. LOLLIPOP CHAINSAW RePOP
399. Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports
400. Lords of the Fallen (2014)
401. Lords of the Fallen (2024)
402. LUNAR Remastered Collection
403. Mad Max
404. Madden NFL 16 (X1)
405. Madden NFL 17 (X1)
406. Madden NFL 18
407. Madden NFL 19
408. Madden NFL 21 (X1)
409. Madden NFL 23 All Madden Ed. (X1) (SX)
410. Mafia II: Definitive Ed.
411. Mafia III
412. Mafia: Definitive Ed. (X1)
413. Mafia: The Old Country
414. Maneater
415. MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
416. Marvel Pinball Epic Collection Vol. 1
417. Marvel's Midnight Suns (SX)
418. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series (X1)
419. Mass Effect: Andromeda
420. Mass Effect: Legendary Ed.
421. Matchbox Driving Adventures
422. Mato Anomalies
423. Mega Man 11
424. Mega Man Legacy Collection 2
425. Mega Man X Legacy Collection
426. Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2
427. Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection
428. Mega Man Legacy Collection
429. METAL GEAR & METAL GEAR 2: Solid Snake
430. Metal Gear Solid - Master Collection Version
431. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - Master Collection Version
432. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - Master Collection Version
433. METAL GEAR SOLID 4: Guns of the Patriots - Master Collection Version
434. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (X1)
435. Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater
436. METAL GEAR SOLID: Peace Walker - Master Collection Version
437. Metal Gear Survive
438. Metal Slug Tactics
439. Metro Redux
440. Micro Machines World Series
441. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor - Game of the Year Ed.
442. Middle-earth: Shadow of War
443. Mighty No. 9
444. MindsEye
445. Minecraft (X1)
446. Minecraft Dungeons
447. Minecraft Legends
448. Minecraft: Story Mode (X1)
449. Minecraft: Story Mode - Season 2 (X1)
450. Minecraft: (X1) Ed.
451. Mirror's Edge: Catalyst
452. MLB The Show 21
453. MLB The Show 22
454. MLB The Show 24
455. MLB The Show 25
456. Monster Crown
457. Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame 4
458. Monster High Skulltimate Secrets
459. Monster Hunter Wilds
460. MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD
461. Monster Jam Steel Titans
462. Monster Jam: Crush It!
463. Mortal Kombat 11
464. Mortal Kombat X
465. Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
466. Mortal Kombat 1
467. Mortal Shell: Enhanced Ed.
468. MOTHERGUNSHIP
469. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
470. MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
471. Moving Out
472. Moving Out 2
473. Mutant Football League
474. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
475. MX vs ATV All Out
476. MX vs ATV Legends
477. MX vs. ATV Supercross Encore
478. MXGP2
479. MXX
480. MY LITTLE PONY: A Maretime Bay Adventure
481. My Time At Portia
482. My Time at Sandrock
483. MySims
484. MySims Kingdom
485. NASCAR Heat 2
486. NASCAR Heat 4
487. NASCAR Heat 5
488. NASCAR Heat Evolution
489. NBA 2K15 (X1)
490. NBA 2K16 (X1)
491. NBA 2K17 (X1)
492. NBA 2K19
493. NBA 2K20
494. NBA 2K21 (X1)
495. NBA 2K22 (X1)
496. NBA 2K23 (X1)
497. NBA 2K24 (X1)
498. NBA 2K25 (X1)
499. NBA 2K26 (SX)
500. NBA BOUNCE
501. Necromunda: Hired Gun
502. Need for Speed
503. Need for Speed: Heat
504. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered
505. Need for Speed: Payback
506. Need for Speed: Unbound
507. Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution
508. Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters
509. NERF Legends
510. Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Ed.
511. New Tales from the Borderlands
512. NHL 19
513. NHL 20
514. NHL 15 Full Game
515. NHL 21 Great Eight Ed.
516. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
517. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
518. Nickelodeon Kart Racers
519. Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix
520. Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway
521. Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny
522. NINJA GAIDEN 4
523. No Man's Sky
524. No More Heroes 3 (X1)
525. No Place Like Home
526. No Straight Roads
527. Northgard
528. Now That's What I Call Sing 2
529. Now That’s What I Call Sing
530. Observer: System Redux
531. OCCULTIC;NINE
532. Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Ed.
533. OK K.O.! Let's Play Heroes
534. ONRUSH
535. Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Ed.
536. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
537. Outcast - A New Beginning
538. Outlast
539. Outlast 2
540. Overcooked! All You Can Eat
541. Overwatch
542. Painkiller
543. Paleo Pines
544. Past Cure
545. Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Definitive Ed.
546. PAW Patrol The Movie: Adventure City Calls
547. Paw Patrol: On a Roll
548. PAYDAY 2: CRIMEWAVE ED.
549. PAYDAY 3
550. Pentiment
551. Peppa Pig: World Adventures
552. PGA TOUR 2K25
553. Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate
554. Phar Lap - Horse Racing Challenge
555. Pharaonic
556. Phoenix Point
557. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (X1)
558. Pillars of Eternity: Complete Ed.
559. PJ Masks: Heroes of the Night
560. Planet Coaster: Console Ed.
561. Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville
562. Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2
563. Plumbers Don't Wear Ties: Definitive Ed.
564. Police Simulator: Patrol Officers
565. Port Royale 4
566. Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
567. PRAGMATA
568. Prey (X1)
569. Pro Evolution Soccer 2015
570. Pro Evolution Soccer 2016
571. Pro Evolution Soccer 2017
572. PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2018
573. PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2019
574. Professional Farmer 2017
575. Project Cars
576. Project Highrise: Architect's Ed.
577. Project Spark
578. Promenade
579. Prototype 2
580. PSYCHO-PASS MANDATORY HAPPINESS
581. Psychonauts 2
582. Quake
583. Quake 2 (2023)
584. R-Type Final 2
585. R.B.I. Baseball 16
586. Race with Ryan
587. RAGE 2 (X1)
588. RAID: World War II
589. Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX
590. Raiden IV x MIKADO remix
591. Rare Replay
592. REANIMAL
593. ReCore
594. Red Dead Redemption 2
595. Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered
596. Redfall
597. Redout 2
598. Redout: Lightspeed Ed.
599. Remothered: Broken Porcelain
600. Remothered: Tormented Fathers
601. Resident Evil (X1)
602. Resident Evil 0 (X1)
603. Resident Evil 2
604. Resident Evil 4 (2023)
605. Resident Evil 4 (X1)
606. Resident Evil 5 (X1)
607. Resident Evil 6 (X1)
608. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
609. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Japan)
610. Resident Evil: Requiem
611. Resident Evil: Revelations (X1)
612. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (X1)
613. Resident Evil: Village
614. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
615. RetroRealms Arcade
616. Return to Monkey Island
617. RICO London
618. RIDE
619. Ride 2
620. RiME
621. Risk of Rain
622. Risk of Rain 2
623. RoboCop: Rogue City
624. RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business
625. Rock Band 4
626. Rocket Arena
627. Rocket League
628. Rogue Trooper Redux
629. Roman Rumble in Las Vegum - Asterix & Obelix XXL 2
630. Rugby 15
631. Rugby League Live 4
632. Rugby World Cup 2015
633. Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure (X1)
634. Rustler
635. RWBY: Arrowfell
636. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
637. Saints Row
638. Saints Row IV: Re-Elected (X1)
639. Saints Row: Gat out of Hell (X1)
640. Saints Row: The Third - Remastered
641. SAMURAI SHODOWN (Standard Ver.)
642. SAMURAI WARRIORS 5
643. Scar-Lead Salvation
644. Scars Above
645. Scott Pilgrim EX
646. Screamer
647. ScreamRide (X1)
648. Scribblenauts Showdown
649. Sea of Stars: Sunset Ed.
650. Sea of Thieves
651. Session: Skate Sim
652. Severed Steel
653. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
654. Shadow Warrior
655. Shadows of Doubt
656. Shadows: Awakening
657. Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution
658. Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn
659. Shenmue
660. Shenmue II
661. Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter
662. Shi In
663. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (X1)
664. Sid Meier's Civilization VI
665. Sid Meier's Civilization VII (SX)
666. Sifu
667. SILENT HILL f
668. Sine Mora EX
669. Skull Island: Rise of Kong
670. Skylanders Imaginators
671. Skylanders SuperChargers Portal Owner's Pack
672. Slay The Spire
673. Slime Rancher
674. Slime Rancher 2
675. Sniper Elite 4
676. Sniper Elite 5
677. Sniper Elite V2 Remastered
678. Sniper Elite: Resistance
679. SNIPER Ghost Warrior 3
680. Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts
681. Snooker 19
682. Song of the Deep
683. Sophstar
684. Soulstice
685. SOUTH PARK: SNOW DAY!
686. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated (X1)
687. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
688. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game
689. SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide
690. Spyro: Reignited Trilogy
691. Squirrel with a Gun
692. Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova
693. Star Trek: Resurgence
694. Star Wars - Episode I: Jedi Power Battles
695. Star Wars - Jedi: Fallen Order
696. Star Wars - Jedi: Survivor
697. STAR WARS Zero Company
698. Star Wars: Squadrons
699. STAR WARS Battlefront
700. STAR WARS Battlefront II
701. STAR WARS: Bounty Hunter
702. Stardew Valley (X1)
703. Starfield
704. Starship Troopers: Extermination
705. State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Ed.
706. State of Mind
707. Steelrising - Standard Ed.
708. Stern Pinball Arcade
709. Steven Universe: Save the Light
710. STORY OF SEASONS: A Wonderful Life
711. Strange Brigade
712. Stray
713. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
714. Street Fighter 6
715. Street Outlaws: The List
716. Street Power Soccer
717. Streets of Rage 4
718. Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse
719. Styx: Shards of Darkness
720. Subnautica
721. Subnautica: Below Zero
722. Sudden Strike 4 - European Battlefields Ed.
723. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
724. Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars
725. Sunset Overdrive (X1)
726. SUPER BOMBERMAN R
727. SUPER BOMBERMAN R 2
728. Super Lucky's Tale
729. Surviving Mars (X1)
730. Syberia - The World Before
731. Syberia 3
732. System Shock
733. Sébastien Loeb Rally EVO
734. Tales from the Borderlands - A Telltale Games Series (X1)
735. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants
736. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
737. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
738. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan
739. Tempest 4000
740. Temtem
741. Tennis World Tour
742. Terminator 2D: NO FATE
743. TERMINATOR: RESISTANCE
744. Terraria
745. Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
746. The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem
747. The Banner Saga
748. The Banner Saga 2
749. The Book of Unwritten Tales 2
750. The Callisto Protocol
751. The Chant
752. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
753. The Elder Scrolls Online
754. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Ed. (X1)
755. The Elf on the Shelf: Christmas Heroes
756. The Escapists
757. The Eternal Cylinder
758. The Evil Within (X1)
759. The Evil Within 2 (X1)
760. The Falconeer
761. The First Berserker: Khazan
762. The Grinch: Christmas Adventures
763. The Inner World - The Last Wind Monk
764. The Invisible Hours
765. The Jackbox Party Pack 7
766. The Karate Kid: Street Rumble
767. THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV (SX)
768. The Knight Witch
769. The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom
770. The Last Stand: Aftermath
771. The LEGO Movie Videogame (X1)
772. The LEGO NINJAGO Movie Video Game
773. The Medium
774. The Occupation
775. The Precinct
776. The Quarry (SX)
777. The Riftbreaker
778. The Sims 4
779. The Smurfs - Mission Vileaf
780. The Surge (X1)
781. The Survivalists
782. The Technomancer
783. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (X1)
784. The Town of Light
785. The Unicorn Princess
786. The Voice
787. The Voice, la plus belle voix
788. The Walking Dead Collection - The Telltale Series
789. The Walking Dead: Season 2 (X1)
790. The Walking Dead: The Final Season (X1)
791. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series
792. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
793. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Ed.
794. The Wolf Among Us
795. theHunter: Call of the Wild (X1)
796. Them's Fightin' Herds
797. This Is the Police
798. This War of Mine: The Little Ones
799. Thymesia
800. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (SX)
801. Titan Quest
802. Titanfall 2
803. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft
804. Tony Stewart's All-American Racing
805. Tony Stewart's Sprint Car Racing
806. TopSpin 2K25 (SX)
807. Torment: Tides of Numenera
808. Tour de France 2016
809. Tower of Guns: Special Ed.
810. TRANSFORMERS: BATTLEGROUNDS
811. TRANSFORMERS: Galactic Trials
812. TRANSFORMERS: Devastation
813. Trepang2
814. Trine 2: Complete Story
815. Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power
816. Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
817. Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy
818. Trine Enchanted Ed.
819. Troll & I
820. Tropico 5 - Penultimate Ed.
821. Tropico 6 - Next Gen Ed.
822. TUNIC
823. Turok
824. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
825. Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered
826. TY the Tasmanian Tiger HD
827. UFO ROBOT GRENDIZER – The Feast of the Wolves
828. Ufouria: The Saga 2
829. UglyDolls: An Imperfect Adventure
830. Undertale
831. Unravel
832. Unravel 2
833. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
834. Vampyr (X1)
835. Victor Vran
836. Vikings - Wolves of Midgard
837. Wanted: Dead
838. Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr
839. Warhammer: Chaosbane (X1)
840. Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide
841. Warhammer: Vermintide 2
842. WARHAMMER 40,000: Darktide
843. WARHAMMER 40,000: Mechanicus
844. WARHAMMER 40,000: Space Marine 2
845. WARRIORS OROCHI 4
846. Wasteland 2: Director's Cut
847. We Happy Few
848. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (2020)
849. Wild Hearts
850. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
851. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (X1)
852. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (X1)
853. Wolfenstein: Youngblood (X1)
854. World War Z (X1)
855. Worms W.M.D
856. Wreckfest (X1)
857. Wreckreation
858. WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers
859. WWE 2K Battlegrounds
860. WWE 2K15 (X1)
861. WWE 2K16 (X1)
862. WWE 2K17 (X1)
863. WWE 2K18
864. WWE 2K19
865. WWE 2K20
866. WWE 2K22 (SX)
867. WWE 2K22 (X1)
868. WWE 2K23 (X1)
869. WWE 2K24
870. XCOM 2
871. Xenon Racer
872. XIII
873. Xuan Yuan Sword 7
874. Yooka-Laylee (X1)
875. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (X1)
876. Yooka-Replaylee
877. You Suck at Parking Complete Ed.
878. Ziggurat
879. Zombie Army 4: Dead War
880. Zombie Army Trilogy
881. Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection
882. Zorro The Chronicles (SX)
883. ŌKAMI HD

A huge win for game preservation

The disc-to-digital program is currently available to Xbox Insiders in the Alpha and Alpha-Skip Ahead rings, and it already seems to be fully functional without any issues generally. I expect it'll roll out more broadly in the coming weeks, and then go live publicly probably by October 2026.

Some major publishers are currently not involved in the program, including Sega, Square Enix, Bandai Namco, and Ubisoft. Microsoft is likely working through the legalese with these publishers before some of them come online, but it's also possible that some of these publishers would rather you buy the game twice than enjoy benefits on content you already own.

Ubisoft in particularly has been painfully resistant to supporting things like Xbox Play Anywhere, opting instead to push its own Ubisoft Connect PC platform. It has given some Ubisoft games free licenses for Xbox owners on PC, but they don't come with Xbox Achievements and the like, which is irritating.

It's fantastic to see that Xbox is standardizing how physical discs should operate in the digital-first era ... it just came too little too late. Perhaps if this had been the default from 2013 onwards, disc-based gaming wouldn't be heading the scrapheap as quickly as it is now.

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

Many will probably remember 2026 as the year Grand Theft Auto 6 launched, but for me, I'll remember it as The Year of Capcom.

Huge updates to Monster Hunter Wilds, bangers like Resident Evil 9 and Pragmata, a huge expansion for Dragon's Dogma 2, and now the revival of the classic Onimusha franchise make for one of Capcom's most productive years, maybe ever.

I've been playing Onimusha: Way of the Sword (Xbox, starting at $69.99) for the past couple of weeks on Xbox Series X for this review, and I'd already previewed the game a couple of times leading up to this. I admit I don't have much experience with the franchise in general, but I'd say that's probably true for a lot of people trying it out in 2026.

There are tons of high-quality samurai games out there in this day and age. Can Capcom compete with the best of them and stand out in what is arguably a pretty busy crowd? Can Onimusha revitalize the franchise for a modern audience and stay true to what veterans are expecting? Here are my thoughts.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches on September 4, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Steam, and Xbox PC (with Play Anywhere). This review was conducted mainly on Xbox Series X

Onimusha: Way of the Sword review — Story, setting, and art

Set in the twilight of the Sengoku period in Japan, Onimusha has generally revolved around historical swordsmen dropped into a fantastical, horror-tinged setting.

Onimusha was originally envisioned as a "ninja" version of Resident Evil, complete with tank controls and fixed camera angles. The original game was re-released in HD for Xbox recently, and it's actually pretty good if you have some old-school Resident Evil nostalgia. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is quite a different beast, though.

In Way of the Sword, you play as historical legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, who is believed to have never lost a duel. Musashi's presentation in Onimusha is perhaps the game's biggest triumph: powered by RE Engine, Musashi is incredibly expressive, making his characterization particularly infectious. His cocky, almost comedically arrogant attitude leads the game's story delivery with similar confidence and also gives him a lot of room for character development throughout.

Set in Kyoto, Musashi is humbled early on as demonic Genma forces manifest and launch attacks on the surrounding villages and town center. Revived from the dead as an Onimusha, Musashi reluctantly takes charge of his new role as demon slayer, with the goal of preventing the permanent sundering of the veil between reality and the underworld.

Musashi is supported by an eclectic cast of interesting characters with great designs and similarly expressive delivery. But what really shone for me above all was the antagonistic characters. The demonic Dokyo does some absolutely heinous experiments on innocent townsfolk, and the hilariously creepy Genryu stalked Musashi, desperate to prove himself. One-off boss battles also enjoy top-tier characterization in ways many other similar games often neglect, giving those duel-style boss battles high stakes and memorable conclusions.

I'm not sure the overarching plot of Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be remembered as a true classic, but the visual treatment, characters, and setting are designed primarily to feed its infectious hack-and-slash gameplay — which is every bit as thoughtful and high-quality as modern Capcom is now known for.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword review — Gameplay

This is a weird and complicated segment to write in some ways, and it reminds me of my Monster Hunter Wilds review from last year. There are things in Onimusha: Way of the Sword that Capcom nails spectacularly well, but there are also areas where they've really dropped the ball — and weirdly, it's similar pitfalls that I saw in Monster Hunter Wilds.

First, the good stuff. Onimusha's swordplay combat is absolutely spectacular and incredibly nuanced. It's often about playing defensively, where parries and dodges deliver the best form of offense over simply hack-and-slash. A well-timed parry will devastate an enemy's stamina meter, leaving them open for a spectacular dismembering attack, which can slice enemies cleanly in half. This extends even further to boss battles.

Oftentimes there are multiple different ways to interact with enemies. Some might have armor that needs to be broken; some attacks aren't blockable with regular parries and need to be deflected. Some attacks can't be blocked and need to be dodged. Learning when and how to react forms the basis of finding victory over more dangerous opponents, and the volume of unique and memorable bosses in Onimusha is generally impressive. This isn't a soulslike, but you will find yourself dying a couple of times (or more) on some of the harder bosses to learn their patterns.

The big bads can often be found at the end of well-designed linear segments that function similarly to how dungeons might in other games. These areas are well-paced, sprinkled with story beats, unique music, and set pieces. It's the connective tissue between these areas that really let Onimusha down for me.

The "overworld" is an open-world map based on ancient Kyoto. It's an urban area with dense streets and pathways, with a needlessly frustrating, sometimes headache-inducing approach to map design.

There's a huge amount of needless gating throughout the open world, making exploration painful. An area might be blocked off by a wall that might be climbable in one area, but inexplicably un-climbable in another. "This door doesn't open from this side" is scattered throughout, even as the mini-map pings you for treasure on the other side, leading you on a wild goose chase to find the arbitrarily "correct" entrance to a walled-off area that, visually, should be easily passable.

Sadly, you can't really ignore the "open world" gameplay, since upgrades require all manner of random bits and bobs like pieces of cloth and leather. Finding these around the open world is an absolute chore owing to all the random blocks, gates, and arbitrary barriers that simply frustrate and harm the pacing.

Onimusha might've been better had it had no open world whatsoever and stuck to being simply linear, or using a more Resident Evil-style maze-like layout. The game plays far better every time you escape the pain of the open world and its chore-like upgrade system, which is a shame.

It's not enough to prevent Onimusha's best aspects from shining through. Those boss battles are incredibly fun and rewarding, the story delivery is interesting and engaging, and the overall treatment makes for a game well worth your time. But man, Capcom in general needs to rethink its approach to "open world" gameplay, or perhaps better yet, not even try.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword review — Conclusion

Onimusha is let down by its open-world design, but the high points are so high that it isn't held back by its less favorable connective tissue.

Musashi is a great character who I hope we see more of, even if Onimusha games generally swap to new protagonists across each new game. Capcom's RE Engine absolutely shines here, with top-tier visuals, presentation, digital character acting, and nuanced and detailed combat.

Onimusha is launching in an incredibly busy window as developers of all sizes flee to avoid GTA 6's launch, but it is without a doubt one of the top-flight titles of the season. If you love Onimusha or action-oriented samurai games in general, and want something that avoids the stress of a soulslike while still being suitably challenging — this is absolutely

Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches on September 4, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC. It comes with Xbox Play Anywhere for Windows PCs and handhelds, too.

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

Xbox's long awaited disc-to-digital program is here, and I just went hands on.

Available now to Xbox Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings, users can immediately receive digital entitlement on hundreds upon hundreds of Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S titles without any additional effort or work.

The program formerly codenamed "Positron" leaked as part of code snippets from the Xbox Cloud Gaming web interface. It was later confirmed by Tom Warren at The Verge, and at the time, many thought it was too good to be true.

The way it works is incredibly simple.

1. Insert a compatible Xbox One or Xbox Series X disc into your Xbox Series X.
2. Select the disc tile with the menu button on your dashboard, and select "Claim Digital License." Alternatively, running the game from the disc will also automatically claim the license too.

3. If compatible, a toast message will inform you that digital entitlements have been unlocked, along with an explanation of how it works.
4. You can now remove the disc and put it back on your shelf!
5. You can now install the game from your library without the disc too, and it'll have a symbol on it denoting that it was claimed from a disc.
6. With the digital entitlement unlocked, you can now play compatible Xbox Play Anywhere games on devices like the Xbox Ally, or stream them from Xbox Cloud Gaming.
7. If you sell the disc or lend it to a friend, they will receive the digital entitlement after installing it for the first time. Then, your digital rights will be removed until you get the disc back or re-purchase it.

The process as you can see is incredibly seamless and intuitive. Simply inserting and installing the game immediately unlocks the rights, and the disc remains fully capable of transferring the license onwards if you ever decide to sell the game.

It creates a ton of added value specifically for Xbox discs, and so far, it doesn't seem like PlayStation is planning to replicate the feature.

It's a huge preservation win, too, because it seems that even many fully de-listed games are capable of providing a digital license as long as you own the disc. Users have noted the classic Deadpool game for Xbox One comes with a digital entitlement despite being no longer available for purchase.

Unfortunately, many publishers aren't participating in the program at the moment, including companies like Ubisoft, Sega, Bandai, and others. It could be that Microsoft is working with them to sort out the contractual minutiae, but it could also be that these companies are hostile to the idea of people being able to ... I dunno, actually own the content they paid for, which wouldn't be a shock.

Indeed, digital rights are very squarely in the consumer consciousness right now.

It's a nice bridge to the inevitable digital future, and a huge preservation win

PlayStation caused a ton of controversy when it announced that it will begin gradually phasing out discs completely by 2028, indicating that the next-gen PlayStation 6 will not have a disc drive at all.

Xbox hasn't offered an official alternative narrative yet, although there are some hopes among the disc-using faithful that Microsoft could seek to get a massive PR win over PlayStation by backing disc-based games. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's tweet announcing the disc-to-digital program has a truly absurd 27 million views, with over 200,000 likes — giving you a sense of how passionate the user base is over this issue.

Speaking with Microsoft sources suggests that the future is bleak for disc-based games in general, and that, while no official decision has been made, the expectation is that the next-gen Xbox Helix will also follow in PlayStation's all-digital footsteps.

It's less about the discs themselves, but I've been told that the supply chain that produces optical disc drives like those found in the PS5 and Xbox Series X is effectively collapsing. Factories and assembly lines that produce lasers and lenses required for Blu-Ray drives are pivoting their floor space to industries that are growing and scaling. Practically the only use case for discs these days at any scale is PlayStation 5, with Xbox Series X offering a miniscule opportunity by itself.

The likelihood of Xbox maintaining the disc-based supply chain by itself is vanishingly small in my view. If PlayStation's own ecosystem wasn't enough, I'm not quite sure how Xbox's would be able to go it alone in any way, shape, or form.

Regardless, the whole "digitization" saga is once again shining a huge spotlight on the lack of digital rights we seem to have as consumers. Microsoft has at least been quite fair on this topic in the past, refunding Groove Music (formerly Zune Music) MP3 purchasers no questions asked. It's also maintaining licensing for users who purchased digital content in its defunct Xbox Movies & TV platform, too. But, we shouldn't have to rely on companies "doing the right thing," as many evidently simply won't if given the chance.

DEAL: Get Surfshark VPN 86% OFF with Windows Central 🦈

Perhaps the big three will opt-in to another format to maintain the physicality many of us in the hobby enjoy. Perhaps Xbox and PlayStation will opt for key cartridges similar to what Nintendo Switch 2 offers. Perhaps Microsoft will revive Activision's Skylanders and slap the games on cute and collectible toy figurines via NFC chips. Who knows.

What I do know at least is that Xbox's disc-to-digital program is real. It works, and it's fantastic.

Once the testing period is over, it should roll out more broadly to all Xbox Series X owners in the coming weeks ahead.

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

Hey Copilot, what's the definition of ironic?

I'm not sure Microsoft Copilot would feed me this post from LinkedIn and Office EVP Ryan Roslansky, but maybe it should.

Earlier in the year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella bemoaned the term "AI slop" and hoped 2026 would be the year everyone started lying down and accepting AI as inevitable. So far, that hasn't happened. And what's worse, Microsoft's own senior employees seem increasingly annoyed by the tech.

DEAL: Get Surfshark VPN 86% OFF with Windows Central 🦈

We've seen Xbox CEO Asha Sharma repeatedly use the phrase "AI slop" to describe subpar experiences like Microsoft's ill-fated "gaming Copilot," and LinkedIn itself deleted its "enhance with AI" post button, and replaced it with an "AI slop" report feature to try to boost the "quality" of its miserable, self-aggrandizing content algorithm.

Speaking of the hellscape that is LinkedIn, former CEO now Microsoft EVP Ryan Roslansky recently dropped this musing that I found to be particularly comical given what Microsoft has unleashed on the world.

Roslansky lamented, "AI slop isn't happening just on social networks ... it's happening in the day to day of work. Someone sent me what was clearly an AI generated doc. I read it, realized it was AI, had my AI summarize it, and ended up with nothing that brought new thinking to the idea ... This is a doom loop."

The phrase "no shit" comes to mind. Roslansky is speaking to a workplace irritation, but unwittingly touched on one of the AI industry's most self-destructive problems. One of the hilarious consequences of Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini, and other content-theft platforms is that they're trained entirely stolen human-made content. AI data sets post 2023 are doomed to rely on cannibalizing AI-generated content, creating an incestuous data "doom loop" Roslansky spoke of here. Researchers have described this as "model collapse" previously, as human content creators get put out of business by Google's AI summary box. Reddit is reportedly thinking of cancelling its AI training contracts with Google, after realizing that Google's content theft engines are killing Reddit's entire business. Reddit recently blocked ChatGPT from accessing its content, as the platform seeks to insulate its business from theft.

"If we're not careful, we'll end up with a very expensive way to avoid writing and reading in an ocean of sameness, genericness ... Let's not do that." Roslansky pleads, "Let's go another way where AI helps us to do things, to learn things, to create things, but in ways that we enhance and advance with our distinct perspectives and unique experiences!"

Lol. Lmao even.

The post was liked by Microsoft President Brad Smith, who I've noticed has been desperately trying to whitewash Microsoft's data center expansionism across his own LinkedIn recently. Microsoft, unlike other big tech firms, seems far more concerned with how badly AI is battering its public image. Microsoft's data centers are increasingly dealing with protests across the world. The destruction of local communities is uniting regular folk across the political spectrum in ways we haven't seen in years.

Microsoft unleashed this mess. Perhaps take some responsibility?

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has been instrumental in turning around Microsoft's gaming brand in recent months, boosting perception of the platform with a flurry of consumer-friendly features and promises. It doesn't seem like other Microsoft departments got the memo, yet.

Linux adoption among consumers is gradually increasing, as gamers, tech enthusiasts, and even nation states seek to escape Microsoft's poor handling of Windows. AI buttons everywhere, unwanted bloatware, poor performance, and a collapse in trust has made Windows look more vulnerable than ever — and competitors are lining up to take advantage.

Microsoft is the undisputed monarch of AI slop. Watching its execs cry about the technology they themselves foisted on the world is a master class in obliviousness and responsibility avoidance. Microsoft isn't fooling anyone, except perhaps themselves, and it's miserably sad.

DEAL: Get Surfshark VPN 86% OFF with Windows Central 🦈

I got into this business inspired by the innovations Microsoft was exploring a decade ago. Microsoft led cloud convenience and digital platform synergy, its hardware innovations across Surface even gave Apple pause. But it has become consumed by AI psychosis in recent years, and while shareholders are undoubtedly happy, consumers in Microsoft's "legacy" business are looking for the exit.

Whether it's data centers destroying local communities, AI bull cluttering up Windows, or Microsoft's harvesting of tech components blowing up consumer prices ... perhaps Microsoft's senior execs need to read the room, sit down, and take some responsibility for the chaos they've unleashed on the world.

A crazy idea — that didn't require any input from AI, by the way.

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

The debate over whether or not Xbox should make Elder Scrolls VI exclusive or not isn't letting up, and the UK's BBC News recently turned up the heat.

Ahead of the next-gen Xbox Helix, many are wondering how Microsoft can maneuver here. Xbox's hardware fortunes have been strained to say the least, as Microsoft grapples with strategic mis-steps and an AI-induced memory shortage of epic proportions. The Xbox Series X|S is more expensive than ever, and Xbox Helix threatens to be even more so.

This year, Xbox will return to exclusive content to try and shore up interest in its hardware platform. As sales into its ecosystem collapsed, Microsoft hasn't been able to grow Xbox Game Pass or third-party sales as much as competitors. This year, Microsoft will ship Gears of War: E-Day exclusively on Xbox, after a few years of ditching exclusivity entirely to sell more content via PlayStation. The move dismembered the brand's identity arguably, and the lack of confidence planted a question mark over Microsoft's commitment to remain in the business all up.

On the topic of exclusivity, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma spoke to Laura Cress at the BBC about Elder Scrolls VI. Sharma noted, "every platform needs some form of exclusive experiences and content. We shared Gears [of War: E-Day] and Clockwork [Revolution]. We're going to do the best we can to continue to do that, all in the context of the business being healthy. We have to balance that."

Laura pressed Asha to discuss Elder Scrolls VI exclusivity, Asha smiled and replied "it's a beautiful game ..."

Indeed, Sharma has repeatedly cautioned the state of Xbox's expenditure. Microsoft has blown hundreds of millions on failed projects, such as Avalanche's open-world vehicular service game Contraband, which I'm told was a particularly expensive write-off for its publishing arm. Microsoft has also spun off a variety of studios like Undead Labs, Ninja Theory, and Double Fine, which also weren't able to ship quickly enough to even come close to meeting costs.

Some of Microsoft's pillar gaming franchises like Call of Duty have also seen a downturn in recent years, many of which have been subsidizing parts of the Xbox business that haven't performed as well. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 failed to resonate with fans at the same clip as earlier games. Minecraft has also faced stiff competition from Roblox, and Candy Crush Saga has seen its user base chipped away by other casual games like Block Blast and Monopoly Go.

Elder Scrolls VI skipping PlayStation would be potentially putting hundreds of millions of dollars on the shelf in the short term — but keeping it multiplatform could also be just as risky in the long term.

Will Xbox blink?

For Elder Scrolls VI to be exclusive, Microsoft would have to view it as some form of "loss leader" specifically with boosting Xbox's own platforms in mind. It could be that there simply isn't enough opportunity to justify the risk in Microsoft's view.

In my view, Xbox Series X|S and Steam should be enough. For PlayStation and Nintendo, having a smaller addressable audience is worth it to ensure they don't hollow out their core platform. Asha Sharma has repeatedly emphasized the need to strengthen Xbox's core, as users who own multiple consoles increasingly defaulted away from Xbox due to a collapse in confidence in Microsoft's strategy.

Despite mass layoffs earlier in the summer, Xbox is enjoying some positive momentum with consumers right now. Huge marketing deals with Ikea and McDonalds just dropped, for example, and Microsoft's X20 anniversary celebrations are in full swing. Xbox also just announced a disc-to-digital game preservation program which is a direct shot at PlayStation, who is enduring widespread anger from its vocal decision to end support for physical media. If there was ever a time for Microsoft to double down on Xbox, it's probably right now.

I feel like people will show up on other platforms to buy Elder Scrolls VI if it's good enough, whether that's PCs people already own, Xbox Cloud Gaming, or perhaps even buying an Xbox Helix or Series X|S as a companion console. The goal should be getting users into Xbox's ecosystem, creating a flywheel for third-party developers, and Xbox Game Pass subscriptions — the latter of which will never be allowed on Nintendo or PlayStation.

Whether or not Xbox is willing to give Elder Scrolls VI some form of exclusivity will be a sign post for how much faith Microsoft has in its gaming brand in my view. I think Sharma's refusal to commit either way suggests Xbox is still in deep debates and analysis about which way to go ...

The Xbox platform would benefit immeasurably from a longer term commitment to highly visible exclusives, but Microsoft of 2026 revolves around short-term thinking and quarterly returns for shareholders. What might be best for Xbox third-party developers and customers is probably in direct opposition to what is best for shareholders, unfortunately.

Time will tell.

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

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges facing Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is what exactly to do with Halo.

Halo used to be synonymous with Xbox. It was to Xbox what Mario is to Nintendo, but after years of painful mismanagement, corporate inertia, and hundreds of millions of dollars ... Halo is arguably at its lowest point ever.

DEAL: Get Surfshark VPN 86% OFF with Windows Central 🦈

Halo Campaign Evolved arguably didn't resonate as well as it perhaps should've done. Selling yet another re-master of the original Halo game, albeit this time without even competitive multiplayer, doesn't seem to have been a hugely worthwhile endeavour. You could even argue it did more harm than good to Xbox, given the fact Microsoft released it on PlayStation too, but that's just my opinion.

What is perhaps less of an opinion is that Halo has absolutely mountains of untapped potential. It's a known quantity, the fanbase is clamouring for a new high-quality Halo game, and the transmedia opportunities are painfully clear. It's always been about execution.

Perhaps the answer to getting Halo back towards firing on all cylinders again is looking towards the alumni who made it great in the first place. Co-creators of the original games such as Joseph Staten have been reminiscing about the game lately, with Staten wondering what more Halo ODST-like spin-offs and expansions might look like.

"I often think about what it would have been like if we’d kept building on Halo 3 with ODST-like expansions — new stories, innovative mechanics, etc. Would have been great fun."

There has been a lot of rumors and conjecture about what it's like working at Halo Studios right now, with some arguing that Microsoft and Xbox leadership isn't running it all too well.

Others have suggested Halo's slide is frustrated by its location, or Microsoft's creativity-stifling corporatism. Many others have expressed hopes that maybe some OG Bungie or 343i alumni could return to the franchise, such as Marcus Lehto.

I really enjoyed Halo Wars 2, and Halo Infinite's campaign gameplay was decently fun, but there was always this sense of untapped potential across the franchise. Many of Halo Infinite's story beats connecting it to Halo 5 were shunted into books and out of the game, as 343i repeatedly reworked story beats only to subsequently abandon them and leave them unfinished. And let's not discuss the disastrous Halo TV show on Paramount.

With Gears of War, Fable, and Forza enjoying an incredibly strong showing throughout Gamescom and this year in general — Halo has oddly become the runt of the litter, which is an absolutely wild thing to say.

What would you like to see Asha Sharma do with the Halo franchise? Is it worth saving? Can it be saved? Would you like to see Joseph Staten return to lead? Let me know your thoughts.

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

The next-gen Xbox Helix is gradually appearing on the horizon, but there's very big question marks over how it will actually show up.

Microsoft's attempts to disrupt the gaming industry ended mostly with it disrupting itself, harming its own Xbox console business as well as third-party developers in its ecosystem. As Xbox's hardware footprint has shrank due to poor marketing and lack of exclusive games, so too has its relevancy on the general gaming stage. The turmoil has been turbo charged by the AI-driven RAMpocalypse, which has seen consumer electronics prices soar due to RAM shortages.

New CEO Asha Sharma has been tasked with reviving Xbox's gaming fortunes, starting by bringing back exclusive games (including the amazing-looking Gears of War: E-Day), and delivering a barrage of fan-requested features.

DEAL: Get Surfshark VPN 86% OFF with Windows Central 🦈

Fans are increasingly wondering how Xbox will respond to PlayStation's own PR nightmare right now. PlayStation inexplicably announced a gradual phase out of disc-based games on its platform, with discs going away entirely by 2028. Microsoft has moved in the opposite direction, revealing today that Xbox discs will now grant digital entitlements for gamers in that ecosystem, including Xbox Cloud Gaming access and Xbox Play Anywhere.

In conversations with BBC reporter Laura Cress, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma acknowledged the backlash to Sony's physical phase out.

"I know players love physical media, and I know there's a lot of benefits in digital media, and I want to make sure people have a choice," Sharma said. "There are stacks of games on everybody's shelves. We're announcing the ability for players for 1,000 titles with physical discs to be able to have a digital entitlement."

"We've long pioneered backwards compatibility and so you'll continue to see that as we go forward in the generations. This next generation, we have to be thinking about efficiency and affordability alongside performance."

Will Xbox give disc-loving gamers the lifeline PlayStation won't?

Speaking to my own Xbox hardware sources, I was told that it's less about the discs themselves and more about the supply chain around optical disc drives collapsing. Factories and assembly lines previously oriented around making optical disc drives are moving towards other, more lucrative and more scalable industries, such as camera lenses and the like. Demand for optical disc drives revolves entirely around Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 right now, with laptops, Blu-Ray devices, and other formats essentially phasing out the tech.

Consumers opted overwhelming for digital-only in the last few years, although the downsides are becoming increasingly apparent. The lack of rights consumers have over digital content has come into focus, as licenses can be revoked remotely at any time potentially. At least with a physical game or Blu-ray movie, it's definitively yours in perpetuity.

DEAL: Get Surfshark VPN 86% OFF with Windows Central 🦈

It's ironic perhaps given the revival of vinyl records in recent years, as more of us seek ownership and hobby-oriented collecting. Digital games, books, and movies don't create the same sense of participation, and lending games and sharing content with families is obviously much harder generally speaking when the content is tied to a specific account.

Xbox doesn't have strong family-sharing systems like Steam yet, nor does it come with the ability to re-sell digital games as some have called for. There's also no legislation in place to refund users when digital games are sunset or revoked.

It'll be interesting to see how Microsoft and the next-gen Xbox Helix navigates this impending reality for optical disc drive manufacturing, given the widespread backlash to PlayStation's vocal policies on it.

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

Frankly I have no idea why it didn't always work this way, but better late than never eh?!

Speaking at Gamescom, Microsoft confirmed that the long-expected disc-to-digital program is going live on Monday for Xbox Insiders, and it works exactly as you would've hoped and expected.

First detailed by Tom Warren at The Verge following datamining leaks, codename "Positron" is a new feature that will be available across Xbox One and Xbox Series X consoles with a disc drive. Simply insert your Xbox physical game disc into a console, and you'll be prompted to redeem a digital version of the game too.

Naturally, it needs to be a game that actually works on Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S. OG Xbox and Xbox 360 discs aren't compatible, since they were never manufactured with digital identifiers in mind.

The digital version will have all the same benefits as any other digital Xbox copy of a game: Xbox Play Anywhere support, meaning access on an Xbox Ally handheld or Windows PC and support for Xbox Cloud Gaming. If you console share with a family member, they'll also get access to the license via your account. Once you've activated the digital version, you won't need the disc to play the game. However, the disc you used doesn't become inert — it still contains the digital license, too.

Just like sharing a physical game in the real world, if you sell or give the disc away, the digital license will then transfer to the Microsoft Account of the new user, and off your account.

The system will go live for Xbox Insiders on Monday will support for "thousands" of games, sources tell me. Microsoft plans to roll out support for more discs over time as it refines and polishes the service, although it seems that some discs may be incompatible due to how they were manufactured at the time.

It's unclear if PlayStation will be able to replicate this feature on PS4 and PS5. Indeed, it's an awkward discussion right now potentially, given that Sony recently announced that it is phasing out disc-based games entirely to a visceral backlash.

Microsoft still hasn't really put its mark on the debate, although sources tell me it's less about the discs and more about the disc drives themselves; the entire supply chain for the components required to make optical disc drives is collapsing, with assembly lines pivoting away from the tech as users actively opt for digital-only.

Microsoft has also been actively building out Xbox game emulation on PC as well, with planned support for all Xbox 360 games, and potentially Xbox One and above in the future too. It's great, in my view, that Xbox is offering some sort of exit for those with digital collections — it remains to be seen if those on other platforms will be so lucky.

It'll be interesting to see how they navigate the inevitable phase out with the next-gen Xbox Helix as well, as users call on Xbox to take a different path to PlayStation.

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

Are we on the cusp of a turn-based tactics renaissance? After playing Star Wars Zero Company on Xbox for a few dozen hours over the past couple of weeks, I absolutely want to believe it.

Star Wars Zero Company is from Bit Reactor, made up of XCOM and Firaxis alumni. The studio partnered with Respawn and EA, who are stewarding the Star Wars license for Disney through the oft-treacherous universe of gaming. Respawn and EA, I would argue, have more than done the license justice over the years. Jedi Fallen Order, Battlefront 2, and even Star Wars: The Old Republic have all performed incredibly well, even as Disney itself struggles with the universe on the silver screen.

Indeed, I admit I've had some of my own "Star Wars fatigue" given Disney's handling of some of the movies and shows. Disney spent a ton on the property, but in their haste to capitalize on it, they've probably done more harm than good.

It was my fandom of XCOM rather than Star Wars that drove my intrigue in Zero Company. If Take-Two no longer wants to make XCOM games, then Bit Reactor spun up a new studio to carry the torch. And Force be damned, carry it they did.

Star Wars Zero Company is truly phenomenal. Bit Reactor threw a lot of the rules out of the window building this game, delivering a cinematic "AAA" experience that is rarely associated with the isometric turn-based tactical genre. You can expect an authentic Star Wars experience here, complete with a crew of interesting characters from all sorts of galactic species, wrapped in an original plot that runs concurrent to the famed Clone Wars.

Here's why Star Wars Zero Company is an essential play for fans of turn-based tactics, and something well-worthy of consideration for Star Wars stalwarts.

Star Wars Zero Company launches on August 27, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC. This review was primarily conducted on Xbox Series X with a code provided by EA.

Star Wars Zero Company: Art and Performance

Star Wars Zero Company follows a familiar formula for those who have played XCOM, given the pedigree of those who worked on both properties. The gameplay primarily revolves around isometric turn-based battles, with a grid-based cover system and squad-oriented combat mechanics. However, Zero Company goes a little bit further than most within this genre.

Given the Star Wars property, Bit Reactor has poured a ton of work into making Zero Company seem truly cinematic. This required ditching the rulebook to some degree, and giving the player the ability to explore the environments up close and personal. It also required a similarly cinematic story, with detailed character models that meet modern expectations.

Typically XCOM-style games straddle a stylized presentation, given the de-emphasis on story content and zoomed-out camera, but Zero Company defies this convention. The environments and lighting are immaculate and authentically Star Wars, with impressive explosion and smoke effects, in heavily destructible, dynamic combat spaces.

The game runs at a solid 60 FPS on Xbox Series X even with many, many units on screen. You'll see some dips at times when there's huge amounts of volumetric smoke popping off, but there's rarely an issue.

My only real complaint on the performance front pertains to calculation glitches that seem to be a staple of the genre in some ways. Sometimes the enemy AI can get stuck in loops in some scenarios, unable to actually take their turn. It's an issue that I've seen in various incarnations of this genre, whether it's XCOM, Gears Tactics, WH40K: Mechanicus, and beyond. Usually these kinds of issues get patched out over time, and Zero Company does have a turn-based autosave function, but it's not ideal in situations where you can lose progress. I also did have a couple of hard crashes even after the day one patch, so more polish is probably warranted. But it's hardly a deal breaker, and issues are definitively rare.

Overall, Zero Company is a generally technically impressive game. The art delivery is exactly what you'd expect from Respawn Entertainment's era of Star Wars games, with tons of little details and easter eggs Star Wars fans will appreciate. The digital acting is excellent, and the explorable environments between battles are also engaging and immersive. I would argue Zero Company has raised the bar and expectations for the genre as a result.

Star Wars Zero Company: Story

I did not expect to be sitting here thinking of comparing a turn-based tactics game to the likes of Mass Effect for story delivery, but here we are.

Star Wars Zero Company absolutely rose to the occasion with regards to story treatment, given expectations around the legendary sci-fi license.

Players take the reins of Hawks, a disgraced former Republic captain, dishonorably discharged in a military stitch-up of sorts. Hawks sets up a mercenary band to make ends meet, although his team, Zero Company, has fallen upon hard times. And hard debt, owing thousands of credits to the Hutt clan.

It's only when an exiled noble, Jae, and a Republic Intelligence officer show up on his doorstep that things begin to look up. At least, comparatively speaking. Early on, Hawks finds himself running afoul of a new galactic faction, known as The Coil. Infected with some mysterious, psionic space virus, Coil members form into some sort of hive mind, intent on spreading their deadly cult. The Coil has already threatened various planets in Republic space, but the Clone Wars are in full swing, and resources are stretched thin. Perhaps some outsourcing might help?

Republic Intelligence offers Hawks' band a deal he can't refuse, but the investigation into The Coil quickly becomes personal.

Without spoiling too much, the early stages of the game really did give me a Mass Effect vibe, particularly so in Mass Effect 2, in the most complimentary way possible. You're chasing a mysterious threat that kidnaps citizens, all while gathering a menagerie of mercenaries from all walks of alien life, with all sorts of different motivations. There are even loyalty-style missions that offer deeper insights into the various characters, complete with unique scenarios and unlockable story sequences that can also boost character prowess in combat.

Typically, I play these types of games for the infectious tactical gameplay and gradual sense of progression, but Zero Company was the first where I found myself playing specifically for the story.

I would've liked Zero Company to have been a little bit on the more "mature" side, given the espionage angle and coming off the back of Star Wars: Andor, but that's perhaps just personal preference. The Coil is a genuinely interesting threat, and the adjacency with the events of the Clone Wars is woven expertly in such a way that it doesn't interfere with established lore, but still makes for nostalgic moments and fan-service scenes that are truly delightful.

Thankfully, the gameplay itself is also top-notch.

Star Wars Zero Company: Gameplay

The last pure XCOM-style tactics game I played before this was Gears Tactics, and as much as I did enjoy it, it was clearly limited by the scope of the Gears in-universe tech. Given the diversity of weapons, technology, abilities, and enemy types in the Star Wars universe; Zero Company absolutely does not have this issue. There are so many options in Zero Company that you're often too spoiled for choice.

In Zero Company, you create your own character with a variety of alien races, clothes, and cosmetics to choose from; you're then able to choose a basic archetype class. These seem deceptively simple to start with, stuff like highly-ranged Sniper, advantage-seeking Scoundrel, and general-purpose Assault-type classes, and so on. However, as you level up, unlock focus points, equip different mods, weapons, accessories, and bond skills — depth ramps up quickly. And that's before we talk about hero character-specific abilities.

Indeed, beyond the basic archetypes and custom-created mercs you can make, Hawks will meet some very powerful characters along the way, fitting famed Star Wars roles. A Jedi padawan deserter signs up, alongside a jetpack-wielding Mandalorian. A Disney-approved new alien named Kabb is always on task to uppercut enemies across the map, too. Each of these heroes has unique and powerful abilities that can set up satisfying kill zones when the right conditions align.

Many XCOM-style staples return, such as overwatch scanning zones, melee knockback attacks, and so on. Star Wars Zero Company changes it up with advantage points, which allow squaddies to use more powerful abilities. As you rack up kills, you'll be able to spend advantage points on things like a powerful Jedi area knock back shockwave, an extreme-range guaranteed crit sniper shot, and an electrifying taser stun gun.

You can switch between party members at any time, too, so you'll want to make sure they're positioned to complement each other well. Some passives let characters take extra shots in some conditions, for example. So you'll want them in line of sight to take advantage of that. You're also able to do things like Force-push enemies off ledges and into overwatch fields for extra shots, and call upon allies to back you up when you attack with their own follow-up shots.

Zero Company also tasks you with upgrading and maintaining your mercenary "den" between missions. Ensuring that you have a proper arsenal of powerful weapons, complementary equipment like grenades, and facilities like a med bay for healing injuries is paramount.

I've been playing through on normal difficulty so far, and have found the game to be a decidedly addictive experience. It doesn't reach the stakes of XCOM's panic-inducing time-limit mechanics, but you can ramp up the difficulty and turn on character perma-death and "beskar mode," which is Zero Company's ironman no-save scumming mode. Every decision is final. And yes, even major story characters can die here.

Star Wars Zero Company is simply a top-shelf XCOM-styled game, well worthy of the genre's legacy, and arguably the best we've seen from the medium in a very long time.

Star Wars Zero Company: Conclusion

Star Wars Zero Company is one of those rare games where I found myself grinning ear-to-ear (something I rarely do these days, frankly). Whether it was the nostalgic nods to Clone Wars events and even obscure Star Wars lore, pulling off kill sequences that made me feel smart (even though I'm not), or the various surprises and little details Bit Reactor weaved throughout the game — Star Wars Zero Company is a true delight.

If you don't like XCOM-style games like Gears Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics, Midnight Suns, and so on, Star Wars Zero Company likely isn't going to do much to change your mind. It leans into that genre incredibly hard, at least on the gameplay side.

Where Zero Company changes it up is in the cinematic, character-driven story that feels every bit as deserving of a place among some of Star Wars' greatest video game tales. The characters are as interesting as they are fun to be around, making it all the more painful if you find one of them perma-killed by an ill-thought-out plan.

There's perhaps more Zero Company could've done to mitigate the genre's long-standing foibles. My attention-addled mind is less tolerant of things like waiting for the AI to catch up, or turn-based tooltips and messages to play out. I'm not sure why some abilities can't run concurrently, or enemies can't take attacks more quickly at times.

I also think Zero Company could've benefitted from leaning more towards Andor's darker tone rather than the family-friendly Clone Wars movies, given the likely age range of the turn-based tactics demographic (we're old, guys). But none of my personal preferences undermine what Bit Reactor has crafted here: Star Wars Zero Company is a banger, and I absolutely hope we see more of Hawks' squad in the future.

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