Microsoft finally gave us more information about the Surface Laptop Ultra, including price, release date, and features, at a special event on October 7.

It's confirmed that the RTX Spark-powered PC will begin shipping on October 16, and preorders are live now, starting at $2,599.

The reactions to this announcement have been interesting. It seems like a fair number of people were expecting a higher baseline price, while others are just happy that Surface now has a true MacBook Pro competitor for the age of AI.

Here's what people are saying about the new Surface Laptop Ultra and its RTX Spark platform.

The Windows community reacts to the Surface Laptop Ultra's pricing

Starting at $2,599, the Surface Laptop Ultra is actually the most affordable RTX Spark laptop you can buy right now. You can have a look for yourself in my roundup of Spark devices available for preorder today.

Many of us here at Windows Central expected the price to kick off at $2,999, and that seems to be a common thread in the community as well.

Responding to Zac's post, X user @janekknaf said, "Quite cheap tbh I expected it to start at $2999."

Over on Reddit, the sentiment seems to be largely the same.

Responding to a Windows Central subreddit thread regarding other RTX Spark laptops and their pricing, user Icybubba noted, "And somehow the Surface seems to be the cheapest out of all those."

Another redditor, Valterri_Its_James, remarked, "Lowkey the pricing isn't absolutely horrendous. 32GB costs $3300 which is about the same as the ROG Zephyrus G14."

Not everyone is loving the Surface Laptop Ultra's pricing

Others aren't so sure that the Surface Laptop Ultra is a reasonable price, especially once they dig into the configuration options and see what's available for each chip.

For reference, the Laptop Ultra has two RTX Spark options available: a more affordable option with an 18-core CPU and 5120-core GPU, or a more expensive option with a 20-core CPU and 6144-core GPU.

The price difference between these two models is roughly $1,100, though the more powerful Spark defaults to at least 32GB of RAM (compared to 24GB) and a 1TB SSD (compared to 512GB).

Do you think the price hike for 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD is too extreme? Let me know in the comments below.

How's everyone feeling about the breakaway USB-C Port?

The announced feature that seems to be getting a lot of attention alongside pricing is the Surface Laptop Ultra's breakaway USB-C port.

It's sort of a mashup between Apple MagSafe and Surface Connect, designed to pull out of the laptop rather than ripping it off a desk should you trip on the cable. It's designed to work with any USB-C cable, and the port offers full functionality.

Reddit user Oliver-Pearce called it a "Welcome feature!" and X user Psalter said, "Anyone who's ever tripped over a charging cable will appreciate this."

There are, of course, plenty of detractors noting that it took Microsoft this long to finally copy Apple MagSafe. That's not exactly true; Surface Connect was always magnetic and would break away if jarred. The move to the more ubiquitous USB-C form factor erased that failsafe, and Microsoft has now reintroduced it.

It's also worth pointing out that MagSafe does not handle any data and is for power only. The Surface Laptop Ultra's USB-C port handles both.

I want to know what you think!

We're a community here at Windows Central, and I'm always interested in your opinions. I want to know what you think about the Surface Laptop Ultra's pricing, configuration options, and features in more detail, so please be sure to leave a comment below!

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PC gaming has become an expensive hobby; I'm experiencing that firsthand. Still, hardware occasionally drops to a more sensible price, and it can happen where you least expect it. Walmart's 'Deals & More' event is still live, running until October 11, and I spotted some tempting discounts for gamers.

• Shop Top 100 Tech Deals at Walmart

Indeed, we already passed the cutoff for Amazon's 'Big Deal Days' pseudo-Prime Day tease, but Walmart constantly surprises me with how much PC hardware it stocks. If you're looking for a new portable rig or just an upgrade to your existing desktop, I've hand-picked a few obvious winners, like MSI's RTX 5070 gaming laptop for $1,349.00, down from $2,099.00.

MSI is synonymous with these kinds of events, almost always appearing with more affordable gaming laptops. The 15.6-inch Cyborg AI gets its name from the AMD Ryzen 7 260 processor, which includes an NPU for local AI tasks, though its other hardware is far more interesting.

You'll get an FHD (1080p) display that supports up to a 144Hz refresh rate, backed up by NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5070 mobile GPU and the DLSS upscaling technology that helps it reach those kinds of matching frame rates. Essentially, it's a mid-range gaming laptop that's fallen below its typical price range.

Its 1TB SSD has plenty of space for games, and 16GB of DDR5 RAM is a good match for its components, all packaged in an RGB-laden chassis. Wi-Fi 6E means fast wireless networking, though you can always rely on the included Ethernet LAN port for the fastest possible wired speeds.

If you already have a gaming laptop or a desktop PC with limited storage space, you could always upgrade it to a hefty 2TB with the Optimus GX 7100 for $399.00. It's a PCIe Gen 4 drive, which is about as common as it gets, though it'll still work in a PCIe 5.0 socket if you don't need anything faster — and frankly, most of us don't.

And, once again, I'm advocating for 1440p monitors as the best balance of clarity and value. At 27 inches, this $269.00 Acer Nitro QD-OLED display offers up to a 240Hz refresh rate, which is arguably more beneficial than pushing higher resolutions. I've seen enough QD-OLED panels to know that the increase in contrast is totally worth it over IPS LCD, if you can stretch your budget for it.

Peripherals make for the best value upgrades

Sure enough, sometimes all you need is a new mouse or a controller. It depends on how you play; if you're mostly sticking to cloud gaming, then the $39.99 GameSir G7 HE joypad is a wired option with drift-proof Hall-Effect sticks that should last for years and years.

Otherwise, the $49.99 Razer Viper V3 HyperSpeed is a wireless esports option that we called an "affordable gaming mouse that reigns supreme" in our review, and that's even more relevant now that it's dropped from its original $69.99 launch price.

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At its Windows 11 and Surface event, Microsoft showed off its improved Search experience. The new Search is faster, more efficient, and has a streamlined design that should be easier to scan.

The streamlined Windows Search is about more than finding files or apps, though it can do that. Search can perform tasks, such as switching your PC to dark mode or changing the volume of your computer.

Whether you're more interested in the performance improvements or the new features, there's reason to install the latest builds of Windows 11 that shipped to the Experimental channel and the Experimental channel (26H1). Insiders in those channels can now test the refreshed Search experience with limited support for inline actions.

Microsoft's engineers must have been excited about Windows after its big event, because five Insider builds were released yesterday. Two of them include the refreshed Windows Search. Here's everything that's new across all of the builds.

Windows Search (Experimental, Experimental (26H1))

• New Windows Search experience with inline actions: We're beginning to roll out a new Windows Search experience built on WinUI 3 that is faster, more efficient, and features a streamlined design that makes results easier to scan. We're also introducing inline actions, allowing you to quickly complete tasks directly. Turn on dark mode or Bluetooth, adjust your screen brightness, mute your device, or arrange windows from Windows Search.
• We're improving how Windows Search understands what you're looking for, including better matching for typos and synonyms. We'll continue fine-tuning these improvements over the coming weeks. For more information detailing the new changes, check out the Windows Insider Blog.
• English is the only supported language for this initial release.
• After upgrading to this build, restart your device before the New Windows Search Experience feature flag is visible.

Battery status widget (Experimental)

• As part of our continued commitment to making Widgets more useful for everyday moments, we're introducing the Battery Status widget for Insiders on newer builds. This widget provides a unified view of battery levels for your PC and peripheral devices, helping you quickly assess power status without hunting through multiple UI locations. Add it by going to Widgets board > Add widgets > Battery Status.

Narrator (Experimental (26H1))

• Read and explore math equations with Narrator (see full description in release notes)

Kerberos enhancements (Experimental)

• IAKerb is now enabled by default for Windows client. IAKerb is a Kerberos extension that allows Windows authentication to succeed in scenarios where traditional Kerberos can't be used because a direct connection to a domain controller is unavailable. This extension helps reduce reliance on NTLM while improving compatibility for modern authentication scenarios. For additional background, implementation details, and early preview information, see Reducing NTLM Dependency: IAKerb and LocalKDC in Windows Insider Preview.

Task Manager (Experimental)

• Task Manager is expanding process grouping to allow apps to combine otherwise separate background processes into a single unified category rather than relying solely on traditional parent-child trees. This makes an app's resource usage easier to understand. Microsoft Defender is the first app to use this capability.

Windows Update (Experimental)

• Fixed the issue causing some Insiders with Windows Sandbox enabled to get error 0x80073712 when attempting to install the latest updates.

Security (Experimental)

• We've updated the security key PIN entry experience, removing the "other user" icon for a clearer sign-in experience.

Taskbar (Experimental)

• Fixed an issue impacting some Insiders recently, which was causing the taskbar app window previews to become slower and noticeably lag over time.

Taskbar (Experimental (26H1))

• Improved underlying state persistence of taskbar settings related to multiple monitors across monitor connections and disconnections.

Settings (Experimental)

• Removed the backplate from the Settings icon when UAC is invoked from within Settings.

File Explorer (Experimental)

• Added support for font preview and installation in the File Explorer and desktop context menus.

Other (Experimental)

• Fixed an issue with msmpeg2ac3dec.dll which was leading to some apps and games crashing recently.

General (Experimental (Future Platforms))

• Symbols were missing for our previous flight. They should be available for this one.

Widgets (Beta)

• As part of our continued commitment to making Windows calmer and higher quality, we’re updating the default lock screen widget experience for Insiders on newer builds. With this change, Weather will be the primary widget shown on the lock screen, reducing recommended widget content and making the experience feel more focused. We're also giving users more control of personalizing the widgets on lock, curating the ones they find most useful for them. Users can access these settings by going to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.

The new Search experience is the biggest change, but I'm also excited about the Battery Status widget that's now available to more Insiders. Microsoft has largely ignored widgets on Windows 11, so it's nice to see a useful one on its way.

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In among the litany of failures across Xbox and Microsoft in general, there are at least a few dozen undeniable epic business wins. One of those is undoubtedly Minecraft.

The blocky craft 'em up adventure already had huge momentum when Microsoft acquired it, but the firm has since turned Minecraft into a cultural powerhouse, with a merchandising and licensing empire that is often overlooked in general gaming discourse. Microsoft thinks there are more opportunities like this ... and that's why it is creating a new division under Xbox today.

"XP" is a new department under Microsoft's gaming team, led by new XP CEO Kayleen Walters, former president of Minecraft.

During Xbox's internal Town Hall meeting this week, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma described "four Cs" of focus for Xbox, with the session focusing mainly on Core and Content, i.e. console growth and uplifting Xbox's first and third-party content. Sharma described XP forging ahead with the Creator and Connection segments of the plan, aimed at developing other Xbox franchises to the same heights as Minecraft itself.

Microsoft put out a blog post today outlining the vision for XP, which will essentially operate as a licensing pipeline across all of Xbox's major franchises.

"Xbox Pictures" will focus on opportunities to bring Microsoft gaming franchises to the big and small screen, in the forms of movies and TV shows. Microsoft has already revealed a range of content in this area, including content for Gears of War, Wolfenstein, Diablo, among others. Big wins here include the Minecraft movie and Fallout TV show, both of which were huge successes in their own right, and vastly boosted interest in the games.

"Xbox Products" will extend what Walters has already done for Minecraft in the form of merchandising and other product lines. Microsoft says that these will be "authentic" to the fandoms. Toys 'R' Us recently announced plans to open dozens of new stores, focusing on the new adult toy-collector cohort. I suspect Microsoft may seek to join in here ... perhaps we could see Skylanders return?!

"Xbox Places" will be a new division focusing on fan events and theme park experiences. Microsoft specifically referred to BlizzCon in the press release here, and I recently heard whispers that Microsoft was interested in extending the BlizzCon model to other major Xbox franchises. Microsoft also has a theme park for Minecraft going live in the UK next year, set as a test bed for this type of thing. Perhaps the Overwatch map "Blizzard World" will become a reality some day ...

Finally, we have "Xbox Partnerships," which will continue the work Microsoft already does bringing its universes into other brands. The recent IKEA Xbox furniture line is an example of this, as well as the Blizzard McDonalds promotion in the UK, and the recent Fanta Xbox Game Pass integrations.

Kayleen Walters spent 13 years at Lucasfilm doing the same kind of work between Disney's theme parks and merchandising empires for Star Wars, and delivered the same for Minecraft during her tenure at Xbox. Now, Microsoft is hoping to extend that even further to franchises like Fallout, Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and more.

Reaching Xbox fans outside of Xbox

Speaking on the appointment, Kayleen Walters had this to say about XP and the potential that exists in Xbox's franchises.

"XP was created from a simple but powerful belief: the world's most beloved gaming franchises have an opportunity to reach people far beyond the boundaries of the game itself. Fans don't just play our franchises. They watch them, wear them, attend them, celebrate them, and connect with them in countless ways. XP brings together the teams responsible for helping XBOX franchises show up in the world in bigger, more meaningful ways."

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Microsoft has also appointed former Reddit and Meta executive to run Minecraft in Walters' stead, with a goal of growing Minecraft's chops as a developer platform, taking on Roblox and the like.

This era of Xbox revolves around synchronizing and utilizing Microsoft's acquisitions of the last few years, identifying the clear opportunities that the Minecraft movie and Fallout TV show has presented. Other big media properties of recent years, spanning Cyberpunk, to Castlevania, to Resident Evil, have all seen significant uplift as a result of successful delivery of these shows and movies.

Of course, those movies and TV shows have to actually be good. And as the Halo TV show has taught us ... a flop can actually do more harm than good to a gaming brand and its potential. There's no guarantee Microsoft and its partners can easily emulate the success of the Fallout TV show and Minecraft movie with other properties. I would like to see them take another stab at a Warcraft movie, though.

In any case, Microsoft has explored this segment before with Xbox Entertainment Studios, which fell apart quite rapidly. Microsoft knew this segment was going to be big, as far back as 2012. Although it seems Microsoft now has the good sense to work with external experts (like Netflix and Amazon Prime) rather than try to develop some of these products in-house.

It remains to be seen if the results of this venture will actually deliver. There's definitely a clear and obvious opportunity here, and Xbox's primary competitors, Nintendo and PlayStation, are leaning heavily in this direction already.

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Splitting up with your partner usually leaves both parties on rather poor terms, or is that just me? In the case of Undead Labs, the developer behind State of Decay, that seemingly isn’t the case.

In a recent interview with Game File, Undead Labs Studio Head Philip Holt was asked why the studio is still sticking with Game Pass, and here’s what he said:

Shocking many I'm sure, as again another developer comes out in defence of Game Pass, but Holt does go on, stating:

"Even today, we have several thousand people coming through the door every day. The benefit of State of Decay is that it’s a very retentive game. Last time I looked, something like half of our monthly active users have been in the game for close to two years, and a quarter for more than five. A lot of players from Game Pass come in and they’re like ‘this isn’t for me’ and leave. There is a high churn rate. But of the players we capture, we capture for a long time. And then they become franchise fans and consume other titles, and they’re excited for State of Decay 3. It’s really helped us achieve scale."

He continues, lamenting Game Passes reach:

"How do we make the most of that for State of Decay 3? Our biggest investment by far is the four-player co-op shared world, so a large audience that comes through Game Pass becomes a huge benefit. They play State of Decay 3, it is a great experience with friends, they invite their friends, and many of them will be on other platforms. It is a vector of growth for us."

The full interview dives into a plethora of additional details, including how the studio is working with three co-development teams to keep the project on track, so I do suggest you dive in and read it yourselves. But it’s great for us Xbox fans to see Holt take this position and recognize the value of a service like Game Pass despite the split with Xbox.

Thankfully, State of Decay 3 is full steam ahead for next year. As quite the zombie fanatic, I’m excited and hopeful that the game does well. It remains the one game I wish Xbox hadn’t chucked out amid their restructuring, but alas.

Do let me know your thoughts on Holt’s comments down below!

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Xbox CTO Scott Van Vliet has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm that more is coming to make development on the platform easier. Despite already rolling out numerous positive changes for developers, Van Vliet states that the company is actively working to remove further friction.

“We’ve heard the feedback from developers: bringing a game to XBOX should be easier than it is today. We agree, and we’re working to make it better. We care deeply about ID@XBOX and the developers who build for XBOX. We’re starting with some of the areas we know can create unnecessary friction, including our concept and publishing processes, and simplifying them so developers can spend less time navigating process and more time bringing great games to players. More soon.”

It’s great to see Xbox address developers directly here and whilst what exactly will change is kept rather vague for now, and doesn’t give much away, outside of simplifying concept and publishing processes, it's still nice to see acknowledged, and publicly no less.

Not long ago, I was getting quite giddy over changes made to PlayFab, specifically with the introduction of Foundation Mode. This gives developers access to backend services for free, including infrastructure for multiplayer lobbies and other essential features.

At the same time, Microsoft expressed confidence that developers could now get working within the Xbox development environment in about 30 minutes, making the onboarding process significantly simpler than before.

For folks like me, and you, it won’t really mean much if you just play games. But for developers, Xbox is making serious strides to lower as many barriers as possible. Eventually, maybe skipping Xbox won’t be an option anymore? Who knows?

Hopefully, we hear more soon about the specific changes Van Vliet is referring to. Despite not being all too technically inclined with game development, I do enjoy dabbling here and there, and as an Xbox fan, it’s exciting that more and more developers might see the platform as more viable in the future.

With that said, let me know if things like this excite you or not by commenting down below, and be sure to take part in our poll.

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After the double-whammy launch of Gears of War: E-Day and Minecraft Dungeons 2, things are quietening down for Xbox Game Pass as its next batch of new titles includes a mixture of older AAA titles like Battlefield 6 and intriguing new IP like the soulslike FPS, Valor Mortis.

Here's the full list of Xbox games coming and leaving Xbox Game Pass for the second half of October 2026.

Games leaving Xbox Game Pass (October 15)

• A Plague Tale: Requiem (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Crime Scene Cleaner (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Donut County (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Evil West (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Nova Roma (Game Preview) (PC)
• Pacific Drive (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Superball (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• The Casting of Frank Stone (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Windows Central's take

The biggest game on this list is Battlefield 6, the latest entry in EA's long-running military FPS series. The game has received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising its tight gunplay and multiplayer, but felt the single-player was lacking in the character writing and plot departments.

Battlefield 6 will arrive on Xbox Game Pass on October 13, 2026, which will be the same time the game launches its fifth season.

This season will have players battle in Las Vegas with several new maps, weapons, and vehicles, a new Operation, a Halloween event, a Server Browser, a #REDSEC: Rapid Royale mode, Platoons, and more.

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However, I'm not sure players will have time to play this game because three days after Battlefield 6's induction into Xbox Game Pass...will mark the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, one of the most anticipated Xbox titles of 2026.

Will Battlefield 6 manage to capture player retention away from its biggest rival in the military shooter genre with its Xbox Game Pass inclusion and Season 5 content? Will Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 sweep Battlefield 6 under the rug with its massive campaign mode, intense PVP modes, and new DMZ extraction mode?

Only time will tell next week.

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Xbox is about to celebrate its 25th Anniversary, and while there have been numerous brand collaborations to mark the occasion, the 8BitDo Xbox collection has actually been in circulation since November 2024. Inspired by the OG Xbox, the collection is a transparent-green dream consisting of a chunky keyboard, numpad, mouse, and even a controller.

I only got my hands on the set this year, which feels fitting with the Xbox anniversary about to be in full swing. While 8BitDo has just added a gorgeous Gears of War edition to the lineup, I'm firmly sticking with my bleed-green setup, which I've been using every day for around four months now.

The TL;DR of this review is that I absolutely adore this chunky, obnoxiously green keyboard, and I can't see myself using anything else, but read on if you need a little more swaying.

DEAL ALERT: This keyboard is currently 25% off thanks to Amazon Big Deal Days

8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard Xbox Edition: Price, availability and specs

The 8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard (Xbox Edition) retails for $119.99 in the US and £99.99 in the UK. However, it frequently sees discounts and at the time of writing, it is on sale for $89.99 on Amazon US.

Out of the box, the keyboard includes 8BitDo’s iconic Dual Super Buttons, a pair of massive, programmable arcade-style macro buttons that plug directly into the back of the board via 3.5mm jacks without needing extra software configuration.

If you are a sane person who enjoys using a Numpad, rejecting all minimal keyboard ideology, then 8BitDo also offers a matching standalone Retro 18 Mechanical Numpad (Xbox Edition), which retails separately for $44.99 / £39.99.

The main tech specs you need to know are:

• Layout: 87-key Tenkeyless (TKL) with top-mount design
• Switches: Kailh Jellyfish X linear/clicky switches (Hot-swappable PCB, full N-key rollover)
• Keycaps: Double-layered ABS with a matte UV coating
• Connectivity: Tri-mode (2.4GHz wireless via magnetic dongle, Bluetooth 5.0, wired USB-C)
• Battery: 4,000mAh rechargeable Li-ion (rated for up to 280 hours on 2.4GHz / 300 hours on Bluetooth)
• Lighting & controls: Customisable RGB backlighting, dedicated volume dial, and connection mode knob
• Included extras: Dual Super Buttons module, USB-C charging cable, 2.4GHz dongle, and 1 month of Xbox Game Pass for PC
• Dimensions & weight: 376.6 x 169.6 x 46.8 mm; 1,100 g
• Software support: 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 (Windows & Android)

8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard Xbox Edition: What's good

Unboxing this was an experience in itself; the box was roughly twice the size of any keyboard package I’ve opened before. Coming from the Roccat Vulcan I’d been rocking (or should I say Roccing hur hur), I expected it to be chunky, and while it was different for sure, I'm kind of loving that 8BitDo has embraced the maximalist approach. To be honest, as I get older, I’m really appreciating the larger keycaps and moving away from that classic all-black "squint at the keys" aesthetic.

The green design is unabashedly Xbox of course, but with a lot of small, thoughtful touches. Like the A/B/X/Y colored arrow keys that mirror the OG controller and the glowing Xbox home button (which matches the look on the new 25th Anniversary Series X console.) This is a hell of a lot cheaper than that console too!

If the Xbox Duke controller were a keyboard and mouse, this would be it.

Even before typing a single sentence, the convenient design details impressed me. Having a dedicated magnetic compartment built into the base to store the 2.4GHz receiver is a godsend; I’ve lost count of how many wireless dongles I’ve misplaced over the years.

Connectivity is versatile, offering 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, or a wired USB-C connection. I wouldn't normally dedicate a sentence to a cable, but 8BitDo even made the braided wire matching Xbox green. Talk about attention to detail!

The board itself feels incredibly hefty, solid, and durable on the desk. That robust build quality is a major plus for me: regardless of how gentle I may be with the keyboard, my son also loves gaming at my desk and is considerably heavier-handed. This chassis easily withstands the enthusiastic key-slams of a kid navigating mods in Wobbly Life. The physical dials at the top for adjusting volume and switching connection modes feel equally premium and far from flimsy.

The box includes 8BitDo’s famous Dual Super Buttons. At first, I had no idea what to do with them other than getting my cat to play the bongos, but they plug in via a 3.5mm jack on the rear. You can map them on the fly directly from the board without software, though downloading the 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 is essential if you want to set up complex macros or multi-key shortcuts.

While I didn't get overly creative with my bindings, mapping the giant "A" button to instantly grab screenshots is super handy during streams.

If you love RGB backlighting, the board comes packed with bright lighting modes and a full spectrum of color profiles. I usually keep the backlighting on boring white as I think having multi-colours looks a little 'busy' through the green casing, but the customization options are there if you want a full rainbow light show (I do not, and prefer less visual noise).

The stock switches deliver a wonderfully satisfying clickety-clackety feel (that’s a technical term), offering great audio and tactile feedback. I also didn't note any input lag even over wireless. For tinkerers, the PCB is fully hot-swappable if you ever want to pull the stock switches and experiment with custom ones later on. Finally, if you opt for the matching standalone numpad, it snaps flush against the side of the board with a deeply satisfying magnet click, just another detail that makes this feel pretty premium.

8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard Xbox Edition: What's bad

As I said, I love this keyboard, and I'm hard-pressed to find anything I don't like about it, but if I had any criticisms at all, I'd start with the fact that I have to clean it more often!

The super-matte, double-layered ABS keycaps tend to show finger oils and shine much faster and more noticeably than keycaps on previous boards I’ve used. I find myself wiping the keys down more often, but that's a small price to pay for how good the setup looks on my desk.

Second, while I appreciate that 8BitDo made the matching Numpad an optional extra, it's a bit frustrating that both the keyboard and the numpad require their own separate 2.4GHz USB dongles. USB ports on my dock are always at a premium, so I’ve ended up running the main keyboard wired most of the time. Given that the keyboard sits stationary on my desk anyway, it’s hardly a dealbreaker just a minor setup niggle to keep in mind if you are beholden to getting the Numpad too.

8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard Xbox Edition: The competition

You'll only be reading this if you're already interested in grabbing a very in-your-face Xbox fan-themed keyboard, in which case, it's worth mentioning that Razer have released the Xbox 25th Anniversary Collection just recently, and within that, a Black Widow V4 75% keyboard.

At $209.99 / £199.99, it carries a distinctly "Razer price tag" compared to 8BitDo’s accessible $119.99 MSRP.

However, that higher price tag gets you a sleeker, smaller frame and quieter tactile switches.

If you prefer a more subtle, understated tribute to the original Xbox without the chunky retro footprint (and don't mind waiting for pre-orders to ship on October 20), the Razer option is a gorgeous alternative. But for that loud, unapologetic early-2000s green Duke-style aesthetic at nearly half the price, 8BitDo is a no-brainer for me.

8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard Xbox Edition: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You want a nostalgia-packed OG Xbox aesthetic

This board is certainly cheaper (and easier to buy) than the Xbox Series X25, and it nails the retro 2000s theme

✅ You love big keycaps and clicky switches

The keyboard is just as loud as the design

✅ You want versatile wireless options and handy extras

With built-in magnetic dongle storage, 2.4GHz/Bluetooth toggles, a dedicated volume dial, and programmable Dual Super Buttons, it’s packed with great quality-of-life details.

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You want a silent, low-profile keyboard

The stock switches are loud and proud, and the chunky retro frame takes up a good chunk of desk space.

❌ You need a built-in numpad without extra dongles

It’s a Tenkeyless layout, and while 8BitDo sells a matching separate numpad, taking up two separate USB ports for two wireless dongles can quickly clutter up your hub or dock.

The 8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard Xbox Edition is just perfect for anyone who holds a soft spot for early 2000s gaming tech, translucent and chunky. I can't wait to sink many hours of WoW Forever on it and live my millennial retirement home dreams.

It looks like a collectors edition item without the price tag you would normally expect, while managing to also be built to last and something I want to keep on using (not just take pretty pictures of for Instagram). If you want a desk setup that brings a smile to your face every time you sit down to type or game, this obnoxiously green and thicc beast is worth every cent.

Microsoft finally revealed exactly how much its new Surface Laptop Ultra costs (starting at $2,599!), and preorders are now live for anyone who wants to get in on the first wave of PCs expected to ship on October 16.

While Microsoft was busy revealing new information about its most powerful Surface yet at the event, other laptop makers were busy setting their own prices and opening up preorders.

We now have a wide selection of RTX Spark laptops from the likes of ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and MSI, and I'm expecting there to be more arriving in the near future. Until then, here's what you can preorder today.

RTX Spark laptops with confirmed pricing and release date (so far)

To make it easier for anyone hoping to land a new RTX Spark-powered PC, I've put together this list of laptops that you can now preorder.

Did I miss any RTX Spark laptops?

Did you spot a live preorder I missed? Let me know about it in the comments section below. I'd also love to hear your opinions regarding pricing on these models. Do you think it's too high? Too low? Just right? Tell me about it!

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While a lot of the Microsoft Surface/NVIDIA co-event is talk of AI, and indeed RTX Spark isn't being marketed as a gaming platform so much, gaming still got a pretty big mention.

One of Microsoft's biggest franchises, Call of Duty, will be available on RTX Spark devices at some point in 2027. At first that might not sound like a big deal; after all, it's a Microsoft game on a Microsoft-powered platform.

But as with the Steam Deck and the Qualcomm Snapdragon X platform, the big sticking point has been anticheat support. Lots of games can be played on Windows on Arm already, and surprisingly well. But anticheat support is still in its infancy, and this news means that Activision's Ricochet is being developed to run on ARM64.

What can we take from this? Well, the view I'm taking as a Call of Duty player is that this is a pretty significant development for the future of the franchise. Sure, folks buying RTX Spark laptops and desktops in the foreseeable future are likely developers or AI enthusiasts first, but people still like to game.

Folks can talk about whether Ricochet is any good or not until they're blue in the face, but it's required to play modern Call of Duty titles on PC. Today, that means AMD and Intel-powered systems only because of the kernel-level anticheat.

Coming to RTX Spark means Ricochet is being developed to support ARM64, and in the longer term, that surely means not only systems using NVIDIA's chip. I still long to see a world where Snapdragon and RTX Spark chips are powering future handhelds, and I want those devices to be able to play my favorite game my hopeless addiction.

Failing that, at some point I know I'll be moving to Windows on Arm fully. Even if it's not for some years, given the price of everything, it's going to happen, and I want all my games on there.

Ricochet joins the likes of Epic's Easy Anti Cheat, Denuvo, and Battleye, all of which have plans to support Windows on Arm.

The other thing we can take is that it was very deliberately announced as "Call of Duty." Not Modern Warfare 4, which is the next game to launch on October 23 this year. 2027 is a big window of time, so it is possible it could take until next year's game to get everything up and running.

Then there are the legacy titles that also use Ricochet. Will these be included, or just the most current release at the time?

In any case, I'm glad to hear this news. Even if Windows on Arm isn't going to be a true gamer's platform for a while yet, we have to start somewhere. And this is a big step in the right direction.

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The Surface Laptop Ultra with NVIDIA RTX Spark is now available to preorder following the October 7 Surface event in San Francisco. It arrives as a suped-up Surface Laptop 8 with a 15-inch mini-LED display, tons of ports, a sleek design, and, of course, NVIDIA's N1x chip with support for up to 128GB of unified memory.

It's a laptop that's marketed as the ultimate PC for creators, AI specialists, engineers, scientists, and developers who don't want to be tied down to a bulky workstation on a desk.

That's all fine and good, but having had the opportunity alongside my colleague Zac Bowden to use the Surface Laptop Ultra a couple of times, I can say that NVIDIA was not shy about showing off the PC's gaming prowess in closed demos.

I can also say that the gaming experience was super smooth, even in games with ray tracing, path tracing, and DLSS support. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle ran flawlessly when I tried it, and every other title seemed to be an easy task for the Laptop Ultra.

What's more impressive is that many of these demo games were run through Microsoft's Prism emulation layer due to the RTX Spark's ARM architecture (the same used by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X and X2 chips).

That begs the question: Is the Surface Laptop Ultra the ultimate laptop for PC gaming?

At the risk of breaking some pixelated hearts, I'll say that dedicated PC gamers should look elsewhere. Here's why.

The Surface Laptop Ultra's specs look ideal for gaming ... what gives?

It's well established that NVIDIA's RTX platform is the preferred way to play on PC for most gamers, mainly due to the excellent performance and additional support for features like ray tracing, path tracing, and DLSS.

Considering the Surface Laptop Ultra's RTX Blackwell GPU supports all of the latest features, wouldn't that make it a capable PC for gaming?

Well, yes. But there's more to the story.

The Surface Laptop Ultra was not designed to be a gaming PC. It was made to handle intricate AI workloads locally and to be the centerpiece of a professional's arsenal, and the fact that it can run plenty of games smoothly is simply a convenient effect of using NVIDIA's technology. Its starting price of $2,599 reflects that reality.

Sure, that cost is inflated due to the ongoing RAM and storage crisis, but in any case, you can buy a quality laptop made specifically for gaming purposes (suffering from the same RAM and memory squeeze) for considerably less money.

For my PC gaming money, I'd much rather buy a PC running standard Windows 11 rather than Windows on ARM (despite serious advancements in emulation and support). That way, you're guaranteed not to experience any compatibility issues with the games or their anti-cheat methods.

Gaming laptops also come tuned for gaming right out of the box, and their hardware is designed to support that initiative. Sure, you could tune the Surface Laptop Ultra to focus more on gaming, but that's really not what it was meant for.

The bottom line regarding the Surface Laptop Ultra and PC gaming

The Surface Laptop Ultra should be treated as a pro-grade laptop that happens to have some more-than-decent gaming chops.

I know there are plenty of pros out there who love the idea of tackling AI workloads during the day and gaming at night, all from the same machine, and the Surface Laptop Ultra should be a hot ticket for those users.

For gamers at heart, however, I recommend taking a look at the host of quality dedicated gaming laptops before ever considering the Surface Laptop Ultra.

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Microsoft's Surface event today, October 7, revealed a lot more about the Surface Laptop Ultra with an NVIDIA RTX Spark chip inside.

For those who can't fathom missing out on the first wave of new laptops, I have good news. The Surface Laptop Ultra is now available to preorder starting at $2,599, with shipments expected to begin going out on October 16.

Surface Laptop Ultra — What configurations are available, and which one is best for me?

The Surface Laptop Ultra is set up so that configurations really only affect the performance hardware inside. Each model comes with a 15-inch mini-LED display, the same port selection, and the same killer design.

The baseline $2,599 model includes the RTX Spark platform with NVIDIA's 18-core N1X CPU and 5120-core RTX Blackwell GPU, 24GB of unified RAM, and 512GB of storage.

This is a decent option for those who need to balance price and performance, or for those who simply want to get their hands on this new hardware without overspending.

There's also a model with a 20-core CPU and 6144-core GPU for those who need utmost power. Configuring with 32GB of unified RAM (the lowest option) and a 1TB SSD (also the lowest option), you're looking at $3,699.99. This model is where I'd recommend most advanced users start.

Moving up from there, you can essentially trick out your PC with as much RAM and storage as you want. This is where things begin to get very expensive for pro users. The top-of-the-line model with the more powerful Spark, 128GB of unified RAM, and a 1TB SSD runs up to $5,899.99, reserving it for a select few.

Both models are available in Nightfall or Platinum colors.

Is the Surface Laptop Ultra's price too high?

I wasn't expecting the laptop Microsoft calls "Not Standard Issue" to be reasonably priced for most users.

It's a flagship PC with monster internals, and Microsoft clearly states that it's intended for creators, AI builders, scientists, engineers, and other power users who need an ultimate device to handle everything.

Those users are generally used to paying more for high-end hardware, but that doesn't make the price sting any less.

Take this high-end approach and tack on the macroeconomics of the ongoing RAM and storage crisis, and you get set prices much higher than I'm sure Microsoft ever intended.

Starting at $2,599 for a "baseline" model, you'll want to be sure this is the PC for you before you buy it.

As for the gaming angle, I've covered it in more detail in a separate post. Bottom line? You shouldn't buy the Surface Laptop Ultra as a dedicated gaming machine, but its NVIDIA Blackwell GPU will indeed power many games with ray tracing, path tracing, and DLSS in tow.

Are you preordering the new Surface Laptop Ultra today? If so, which configuration did you get? If not, what made you skip it? Let me know in the comments section below!

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Microsoft just unveiled the new Windows Search experience at its Windows and Surface event. The new Search is more than just a search feature; it's a system composer. That means it can be used to control your PC. Microsoft's Windows lead Pavan Davuluri discussed the new Search experience on stage.

Starting this fall on Windows 11 PCs, users can take thousands of quick actions directly from Search in the Taskbar. For example, you could enable dark mode or switch your PC to Do Not Disturb. You can also adjust your microphone slider through the new Search experience.

You can even use the new Search experience to send a text message through Phone Link.

Microsoft detailed the new Search in a blog post. It also shared some examples of actions you can perform:

• Turn something on or off. Try phrases such as “switch to dark mode”, “turn on night light,” or “turn on Bluetooth.”
• Make a quick adjustment. Try “dim my screen” or “mute.”
• Manage your workspace. Try “minimize all my windows,” or “arrange windows on screen.”

Copilot can be summoned through the new Search as well, showing responses directly within the user interface. You won't have to jump into a separate app to interact with Copilot. If you do want to jump to the full Copilot app, there's a shortcut to do so.

As you'd expect, the new Search experience can also be used to search for things on Windows 11. "At its core, the new Windows search experience is quicker, more efficient, so you can find your files, settings, and apps faster," said Davuluri.

The new Windows Search experience is faster and more efficient with resources because it is built on WinUI 3

Windows Search will better understand what you're searching for. For example, it will still be able to find items even if your input has a typo.

Microsoft will start testing the new Search experience with Windows Insiders today, October 7, 2026. It will appear first through the Experimental channel.

This piece was written during the live stream of the Windows and Surface event. Microsoft is expected to share more details about the new Search experience and other items discussed at the event. We will update this piece with more information as it becomes available.

Microsoft has finally given us the all-important pricing and availability details for its flagship Surface Laptop Ultra device, which it first unveiled back in June. During its October 7th keynote in San Francisco, Microsoft confirmed that Surface Laptop Ultra would begin shipping on October 16, with pre-orders going live today starting at $2,599.

That entry-level price is on the more expensive side, but it's not as bad as many were expecting it to be. That entry-level price nets you the Surface Laptop Ultra with a 15-inch mini-LED screen, a large haptic trackpad, three USB-C ports (one of which is very unique), and the 18-core RTX Spark with 5120 GPU cores and 24GB RAM.

While the entry-level model isn't for high-end local AI development and agent work, it should be more than capable for video editing, photo creation, data crunching, light gaming, and 3D modeling work.

Alongside pricing and availability, Microsoft also revealed that the Surface Laptop Ultra is the world's first laptop to feature a breakaway USB-C port, similar to Apple's MagSafe and its own Surface Connect. Breakaway cable design means if you ever trip over the cable while the laptop is plugged in, it won't yank the entire laptop off your desk.

Breakaway ports have only ever really been possible on proprietary ports, as they use magnets to ensure the cable remains attached when in use. It's never been attempted on a universal standard before, which is what makes the Surface Laptop Ultra's breakaway port so special. It's a standard USB-C port, capable of taking any USB-C peripheral you can throw at it.

Surface Laptop Ultra is Microsoft's most expensive and most powerful Surface PC ever made. The high-end configs are designed for intensive AI developer workloads such as running large 120B parameter models locally, enabling complex agentic AI workloads and experiences.

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For 48 hours during Amazon's Big Deal Days event (don't call it Prime Day), Samsung's fastest-ever (up to 14,700MB/s) 9100 PRO M.2 solid-state storage drives had dropped in price twice. The 1TB 9100 PRO was down to $196.64 $243.27, edging somewhat closer to the lower prices I preferred before the memory crisis, so it was actually a great time to buy.

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These are PCIe Gen 5 drives, which provide the fastest read and write speeds for commercial storage drives, as long as you have a compatible motherboard. If not, they'll fall back to PCIe 4.0 and can be transplanted into an upgraded rig later. Similarly, the 2TB 9100 PRO (had) dropped to $334.99 $399.99, which seems like it would sting, but was a relatively decent price for double the space.

For those with more of a stretchy budget, you could have also sprung for more space, since the 4TB 9100 PRO was 'down' to $734.99 (now, even further to $712.49). You can see where the value multiplier starts to slip, but it's still slightly better than it has been in the past. If you're lucky enough to own one of the rarer motherboards with two PCIe 5.0 slots, you'd perhaps consider picking up two 2TB drives instead.

On the other hand, you could go completely overboard and grab the 8TB 9100 PRO for.. $2,279.50. That's not a typo. It might be listed as a deal, but that's still within the realms of fantasy for most, especially when the dollars-per-gigabyte metric falls off so hard.

Then again, I know people with these kinds of drives. They're usually in massive home server units, powering self-made servers, but these things do sell. Either way, I have a couple of the 1TB 9100 PRO drives in mine and my wife's desktop PCs, and they've been running strong since day one. It was an expensive adoption, but I've had no regrets. This price was much more like it.

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"Babe?... Babe!? Is everything alright?" If you're in my house on a relaxing weekend afternoon, you'll often hear me trying to get a hold of my wife. I have to ask a few times, not because she's ignoring me, but because she has a pair of noise cancelling headphones on.

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For the last couple of years, my wife has donned a pair of Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones. They're sleek, comfortable, and do a great job blocking out noise. And right now, they're on sale for $190 off.

You may be surprised to hear that I rarely spend a lot of money on gadgets. I love covering tech, but I try to keep my spending down when it comes to laptops, phones, and accessories. That's why it was a major shift when I bought my wife a pair of Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones. Back then, the headphones were newer and closer to full price.

But I wanted to splurge on a gift for my wife. She loves music, audiobooks, and podcasts, so I knew she needed a pair of headphones that she could wear all day. The headset from Bose delivered. They're comfortable, block out noise with active and passive noise cancellation, and last a long time.

They're mostly my wife's headphones, but I use them at least once a month and am frequently reminded of how much I like them. After years of heavy use they show some wear and tear (I just ordered new ear pads), but they still sound great.

The Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones are now a bit older, but they still deliver high-quality audio and are comfortable. They lack some of the bells and whistles you'll see in newer headsets, but they've aged well.

The $190 discount on the Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones makes them easy to recommend.

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Yesterday, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma spoke to Microsoft employees in a big Town Hall meeting, covering a variety of topics.

Xbox's gaming org has undergone vast restructuring this summer leading to thousands of job cuts via layoffs and divestitures. The reorg is designed to reduce costs and shift as much of its business as possible out from underneath Microsoft U.S. corporate structure. More of Microsoft's game studios have been moved under purpose-built publishers like Activision and Bethesda, as the AI buildout continues to dominate Microsoft U.S. overall bureaucracy and legal apparatus.

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Xbox stated recently that its restructure is "75% complete," with staffers still wondering what additional layoffs might be on the table. But for now, Asha Sharma took to the internal airwaves to give Xbox staffers an update on what to expect in the coming months from Xbox's overall plan. The quotes below were transcribed to us and verified with multiple sources.

Xbox's big plans for PC and gaming in general: easier publishing, and a Battle.net boost

Sharma spoke on a range of topics at the event, some of which we covered yesterday which you can read up on here. There, Xbox's Asha Sharma spoke on the need to strengthen Xbox's core user base: console users, with plans to boost Xbox Series X|S and the next-gen Xbox Helix "family of devices." But today, I'd like to highlight her comments on Xbox PC and its future, which includes boosted publishing powers for developers, more support for Battle.net, and more.

"On PC historically, we've taken a one-shot approach. We've had one app, and that's what we've focused on. As we have dug in, we're leaving a lot on the table," Sharma said. "It turns out that Battle.net supports an audience that we're not reaching outside of it, and it is awesome at it. The retention is nearly as good as Steam's retention, and we've never really put any work behind it as a platform. And so, we are doing that. We are doing it the right way for that community. It'll be great for our first-party games, and great for select third-party games too."

Indeed, Battle.net recently picked up its first third-party game in the form of The Witcher 3. Activision previously experimented with Battle.net, putting Call of Duty and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater up on the service, and Xbox chimed in with DOOM and Avowed, among others. Blizzard seems to be taking a more curated approach to content on Battle.net, as opposed to opening the flood gates Steam or Xbox PC-style. Retention refers to return users, and not necessarily total users. Sharma is saying that once they're in the ecosystem, Battle.net users stick around at a rate almost as good as Steam.

It'll be interesting to see what publishers show up there next in any case. I could see Battle.net focusing more on AAA type stuff, but it also seems to be designed to help Xbox boost Xbox Play Anywhere. Indeed, The Witcher 3 is now Xbox Play Anywhere on Xbox Series X|S consoles and cloud as a result of this partnership, even if you grab it via Battle.net on PC.

None of this means Xbox plans to ditch Steam, though.

"We will continue to invest in other PC apps as long as they reach distinct audiences," Sharma emphasized. "The Windows app [Microsoft Store] reaches a lot of people around the world. In fact, in China, it is the number one store," Sharma said, although it's unclear by what metric they're measuring this. It's true that Fortnite, Roblox, and some other major service-type games are available on the Windows Microsoft Store, and not on Steam. I'm told many users in China access Steam via a VPN, which probably clouds some of these figures.

"We're collaborating across the board," Sharma said, "we're doing a lot this fall [in terms of offers] through OEMs. We have an offer going out to 14 million OEMs. I saw some great pre-install work that's happening for [World of Warcraft], and some great conversion numbers. We will continue to succeed on Windows. There are a billion Windows PCs. There's no reason we shouldn't be serving our audiences there."

OEMs refers to companies that build and ship Windows-based devices. It sounds to me like Sharma and Xbox are working to bundle other content with upcoming laptop launches. Many laptops come with PC Game Pass codes these days, for example, and it sounds like World of Warcraft may come with launchers and gametime pre-installed on some devices to celebrate the launch of WoW: Forever and further boost Battle.net in general.

Finally, Sharma spoke about making it easier to "work with Xbox," echoing complaints I've heard from developers big and small about building games for the Xbox ecosystem.

"Right now, it is simply very hard to work with Xbox," Sharma admitted. "So, we are simplifying the targets, we're moving to a headless partner center, we're taking the cruft out of our APIs, and we're making them machine-readable. There's a lot of work here. We need developers to be able to work with us, understand how they are performing, and have tools that actually grow their business. There's a lot we can do here. I'm encouraged by the work happening."

The idea here is to make Xbox's publishing programs as simple and automated as possible, reducing the need for human-intervention and bottlenecks. You might notice on Metacritic that PS5 and Steam reviews of games often vastly outstrip their Xbox counterparts. One reason for this is that developers' games often seem stuck in certification until the last minute on Xbox, with reviewers and content creators opting for PS5 and Steam versions as codes usually come in much earlier there.

More problematically, Microsoft's publishing requirements often just see indie developers rejected without providing any clear reasoning, despite obtaining clearance on Steam and PS5. It's often only when the Xbox community gets involved and makes noise that some publishers get their work cleared through cert, which is absolutely stupid. It sounds like there's an effort to fix this, thankfully.

PC gaming is a huge opportunity for Xbox, both on and off Steam

Microsoft's core focus is rebuilding its Xbox Series X|S console business ahead of the Xbox Helix launch, but it's encouraging to see they're not abandoning efforts to strengthen their PC offering.

In years past, Microsoft earned itself a reputation of hostility among PC players, with services like Games for Windows Live remaining notorious to this day. As of 2026, Xbox's offering on PC is far far better. The Xbox PC app is in a much better place (although could still be better), the Xbox Ally X handheld is a fantastic console companion for Xbox Play Anywhere fans. And perhaps ironically, Microsoft's disc-to-digital program on Xbox consoles is offering a way to acquire physical PC games for the first time in years, strangely.

Microsoft still has a way to go on building trust with PC gamers for sure. I would argue having more open dialogue with the community there and having a more public, prominent feedback program similar to what we've seen on Xbox Series X|S would help. PC Game Pass is still a very strong offering, and Battle.net is arguably the best of the publisher-focused launchers, vastly outstripping stuff like Ubisoft Connect and EA Play.

PC gaming is a very different culture to console gaming, and arguably more competitive. Steam is absolutely beloved, and outside of that, we have an arrangement of publisher-focused launchers like the Riot Client and HoYoverse launchers. Xbox PC still needs a lot of work on the performance side, especially on handhelds, and the integrations with external launchers like Battle.net itself aren't always the best. But as an Xbox-first, Xbox PC-second gamer, I've been encouraged by the work here. I'd love to see Xbox boost publisher relationships and discoverability for indie games, improve the search functionality on Xbox PC, and also streamline processes for getting Xbox Play Anywhere functional.

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