The long wait for Cronos: The New Dawn's DLC expansion, Cronos: Lazarus, is almost over, as Bloober Team has revealed its release date and price tag.
The expansion will be released on December 3, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5, and will cost $9.99. Additionally, a Nintendo Switch 2 version of this DLC will be released sometime in the first quarter of 2027.
Witness the origins of the Warden in Cronos: Lazarus
Cronos: Lazarus will have players step into the role of the Warden, a mysterious character from the base of Cronos: The New Dawn. In this DLC expansion, you will witness the Warden's story from his beginnings as the Pathfinder to how he became who he is now.
Throughout this adventure, you will uncover dark secrets of the Collective, fight hordes of monsters using new weapons and abilities like teleportation and decoy holograms, and fend off the pursuit of a new enemy called the Tracker.
If you haven't played Cronos: The New Dawn yet, now's the best time to jump in, as Bloober Team is offering the game at a 50% discount on all digital storefronts for the Halloween season.
Step into a grim world where time and space have been twisted beyond repair, humanity has mostly turned into ravenous monsters, and the only way to survive is by travelling to the past to extract souls of the living.
World of Warcraft: Forever, the stand-alone, Classic+ take on World of Warcraft, releases next week on November 4, 2026, on PC. To celebrate, Blizzard Entertainment is releasing a series of videos called ‘World of Warcraft: Planet Azeroth’.
It's a Planet Earth-style documentary with a comedic tone that gives viewers a grand tour of Azeroth's many locales that have been reimagined in World of Warcraft: Forever's new lighting and graphical effects.
Along the way, viewers will encounter iconic monsters like Murlocs, Kobolds, and Boars, while taking in vast vistas like the Elwynn Forest, Durotar, and Tirisfal Glades, to name a few.
British comedian/musician Bill Bailey will host World of Warcraft: Planet Azeroth, which will run for three videos (with episodes 2 and 3 releasing on October 30, 2026, and November 1, 2026, respectively) as we get closer to World of Warcraft: Forever's release.
Will World of Warcraft: Forever provide more fun than the Retail version of WoW?
I'm personally intrigued by the existence of WoW: Forever and interested in playing it when it comes out, as I never got to experience the early days of World of Warcraft before all the expansions came out.
Xbox's Year in Review feature, which lets players look back on their favorite games and greatest achievements, has been missing for over 2 years; the last one was in 2024, and in 2025, players had to turn to fan-made alternatives.
However, it appears Microsoft is finally looking to bring back Xbox Year in Review, but it will be reborn as a new feature called "Xbox Playback" in honor of Xbox's 25th anniversary.
This discovery comes from X user @redphx, who has uploaded images of this system in action (and we can confirm with our sources that it is real). It lists his most-played game of all time, total playtime across all platforms, total number of games played, rarest achievement, and much more.
However, @redphx notes Xbox Playback is bugged right now, as it listed the Xbox One as their first console despite never seeing or owning it, and mentions the Xbox Series X was their first console.
@redphx mentions Xbox's "Year in Review" tab page will be replaced with "Playback" at https://xbox.com/playback, but the link is currently not publicly available.
Not that I'm complaining, of course. It's cool to see Xbox Year-in-Review coming back, but this time detailing your entire Xbox career instead of just the past year. So I'm looking forward to seeing the final product in action when Xbox Playback gets officially announced.
Could these be part of a series of more updates coming to Xbox platforms when the brand's 25th anniversary lands on November 15, 2026? We'll have to wait to find out.
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Not everyone needs a premium Windows laptop with flagship performance. Sometimes, all it takes is a PC to handle email, Office apps, web browsing, and video calls with strong battery life and a crisp display to get the job done.
Some modern mid-range laptops have become a tougher sell as prices continue to climb from the ongoing memory crisis. Thankfully, Amazon's time-limited deal has dropped HP's OmniBook 5 laptop to $789.99 after its price has fluctuated over the past year. While it isn't a lowest-ever drop, it's certainly a fairer price.
The HP OmniBook 5 is a commendable laptop for everyday and work-heavy use with its 16-inch 2K OLED display, Snapdragon X CPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and Qualcomm Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.View Deal
Why buy this laptop?
Spec highlights for the HP OmniBook 5 16-inch laptop. (Image credit: HP)
This laptop features Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processor and 16GB of RAM. Pair that with an NPU capable of 45 TOPS, and the HP OmniBook 5 can handle web browsing, mid-level productivity tasks like typing reports, and local AI-empowered tasks.
It also features a 512GB SSD to store data, a thin design that's able to keep itself cool, a 2K OLED display capable of rendering images with sharp images and vibrant colors to give your work greater clarity, and best of all, a massive battery life of up to 34 hours and 45 minutes before needing a recharge.
So if you need a laptop that will last you all day at the office and doesn't require heavy-duty engineering, the HP OmniBook 5 should be on your list for your next choice.
Can I upgrade its RAM?
No, you can't upgrade the HP OmniBook 5 16-inch laptop's RAM as it's soldered in place.
Can I run everyday apps on it?
Mainstream apps like Microsoft Office, Google Chrome, and Zoom will run on the Windows on ARM-based HP OmniBook 5 with no issues. However, advanced Adobe apps like Premiere Pro and After Effects, legacy printer drivers, and older, niche enterprise software or corporate-specific VPN clients may need extra effort.
Should I wait for Black Friday for a better deal?
It depends on whether you're willing to wait until Black Friday for a bigger discount or if you're in need of a new laptop for work/casual use right now and don't have time to wait for a killer deal. Nevertheless, this is a fair price for its specs.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
World of Warcraft's new housing system has provided a segment of the player base with things to do, collect, and create beyong the typical raiding gameplay loop, but already it is becoming egregious for its monetization layers.
World of Warcraft's Housing gameplay feature has acquired some decor items for sale for real money, which isn't a first.
The items within these bundles are spooky furniture and decorations themed after the Kul Tiran player race, as these items have a pirate and Lovecraftian aesthetic. However, players are not happy about this arrangement, owing to Blizzard's previous promises about its microtransaction practices for housing.
@Wowhead Kul Tiran housing decor in the shop directly contradicts Blizzard's housing principles from less than a year ago.It was literally principle #2. https://t.co/UOkELnupW3October 27, 2026
X users and even famed content creators like @BellularGaming responded to this, pointing out that Blizzard Entertainment is contradicting itself, reminding us that the company swore never to sell housing decor tied to player races for real money.
The promise in question came from a developer blog post Blizzard made on November 6, 2025, where it said, and I quote, "Housing items tied to core fantasies of a player’s race or class, or that already exist in Azeroth, won’t be sold in the shop. Thematically important decor that players know and love will also not appear in the shop."
We've reached out to Blizzard for further comment regarding this situation.
We finally got player house after two decades, but at what cost?
Suddenly, our homes don't feel so homely anymore in Azeroth. (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)
Housing was one of the most requested gameplay features ever since the 2000s, as players wanted a place for their characters and guilds to call home.
Unfortunately, while the actual gameplay of Housing was good, it was marred by controversial housing cosmetic DLC items that cost just as much as an expansion. Add this betrayal of trust on Blizzard's part, and much of the hype and goodwill surrounding this long-awaited feature has been sucked away, much like the rest of this expansion.
So far, the vast majority of playable races in WoW don't have exterior decor options; some don't even have interior decor options in abundance. Getting items can be an absolutely monstrous grind, and unlike other similar games with housing systems like Fallout 76, you need to buy each individual piece, limiting creativity.
Here's hoping the prices drop on these cosmetics (or better yet, make them free and earnable in-game), and that the next expansion, World of Warcraft: The Last Titan, as well as World of Warcraft: Forever, turn out to be much better experiences.
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With AI continuing to jack up the prices of crucial motherboards, RAM, CPUs, and other components for PC gamers, many are left hoping Black Friday's price cuts can offer them a much-needed reprieve.
However, some retailers aren't waiting for that. Newegg is offering PC users massive discounts on PC bundles that feature high-end AMD processors, DDR5 RAM, and compatible motherboards to help satisfy your high-end gaming needs at lower prices.
"If you're running older AM4 or LGA1200 hardware, the 9600X offers some of the best performance-per-watt value on a budget, especially if your favorite software suite and games are better optimized for single-core processing." — Ben Wilson, Senior Editor
This bundle with the entry-level, gaming-focused Ryzen 5 9600X CPU includes 32GB of DDR5 6000 RAM, and a compatible GIGABYTE B850M EAGLE WIFI6E M-ATX Motherboard to fit them all in.View Deal
"Make no mistake: the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the best gaming CPU, politely dethroning its predecessor as the new king of the hill as a cache-heavy monster."— Ben Wilson, Senior Editor
These discount deals will run until October 31, 2026, or while stocks last.
Why are these bundles good for gaming?
They're great for gaming, as AMD Ryzen CPUs paired with 32GB DDR5 RAM boost most modern AAA titles while keeping performance stable. Plus, these bundles include future-proof AM5 motherboards, all while saving you money, as many of these components are sold for higher prices when bought separately.
Should I wait until Black Friday for a better deal?
It depends on your wants and needs. Are you looking to upgrade your PC gaming rig to play next-gen AAA PC games at higher performance rates, and you don't want to wait until Black Friday for a better deal? Then use Newegg's discounted bundles.
If you can hold out for bigger discounts and aren't in any hurry to play any intense PC games at the moment, waiting for Black Friday's discounts on November 27, 2026, is also a valid option.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
Back in July 2026, Microsoft announced via Xbox Wire that games from the original Xbox would get achievements implemented on modern consoles and PC. However, it seems that this long-requested feature has already been sneaking onto Xbox Series X|S for certain games without any official fanfare.
This has been confirmed by photographs taken by X users @xgramiliki and @PiquenoLoredo (via @CentralXBOX_) showing achievements for OG Xbox games like Destroy All Humans!, Full Spectrum Warrior, Star Wars: Republic Commando, Panzer Dragoon Orta, and KOF: Neowave.
🔥 BOMBA: ¡LOS LOGROS DE LOS JUEGOS DE XBOX ORIGINAL EMPIEZAN A APARECER EN LA LISTA DE JUEGOS!Los títulos de la XBOX original están dando un paso importante hacia una nueva etapa de retrocompatibilidad.Imágenes via @xgramiliki y @PiquenoLoredo https://t.co/6n1kmmPwzNOctober 26, 2026
However, it seems the update isn't finished, as each of the aforementioned games shows "0/0" achievements and zero Gamerscore earned. The possible explanation for this could be that these achievements have shown up on players' profiles by mistake due to a programming error before they were officially ready.
These achievements will probably be taken down shortly when Microsoft discovers this and brought back once they're fully ready so they can join the other OG Xbox titles that have achievements officially, like BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, Fuzion Frenzy.
Either way, this will be great news for Xbox Achievement hunters looking to get the prestige Xbox Mythic Achievement from their favorite OG Xbox titles and serve as the perfect excuse to replay them.
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Monitors are a quintessential part of our lives as Windows users (and gamers), whether it's for achieving the best graphics and frame rates for our favorite titles or simply giving us better details and performance when going about our daily productivity tasks.
Dell's monitors fulfill this need with gusto, and several of them are now on sale if you need one to tackle the winter influx of games or workloads. That includes the productivity-focused Dell 32 Plus 4K S3225QS) for $329.99 at Dell (was $369.99), the gaming-focused Alienware 27 240Hz QD-OLED (AW2726DM) for $319.99 at Dell(was $349.99), and the budget-friendly Alienware 32 (AW3225DM) for $249.99(was $299.99).
"For around £300, the Dell 32 Plus S3225QS delivers a 4K VA panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and a typically smart, stylish design. If you're looking for a big, affordable screen to maximize your productivity, then this looks to be a very capable – and rather handsome-looking – option that won't break the bank." ~ Sasha Muller, freelancer journalist
"The Alienware AW2726DM doesn’t have USB ports or internal speakers, but it does have premium-level gaming performance and an image that goes toe-to-toe with any premium OLED, for a significantly lower admission price." ~ Christian Eberle, Contributing Editor
With its 32-inch Curved QD-OLED screen capable of rendering images and videos at 2560x1440 resolution and 180Hz refresh rates, the Alienware 32 (AW3225DM) is a great budget pick for gamers and content creators alike.View Deal
Which of these monitors is good for gaming?
Alienware's 27 240Hz QD-OLED (AW2726DM) and Alienware 32 (AW3225DM) are the best options for gaming in this round-up.
The Alienware 27 is a mid-range monitor great for gaming with its sharp and colorful images, low input lag for improved controller responsiveness, and a solid build for longer durability. Meanwhile, the Alienware 32 delivers decent frame rates and resolution at a much lower price and with a wider curved screen for greater cinematic immersion.
The Dell 32 Plus 4K (S3225QS) is the best choice for productivity among this monitor round-up.
It features a massive 32-inch display that render 4K resolutions, an sRGB mode to provide images, documents, and other digital assets with vibrant colors, built-in 10W speakers with decent sound quality, and a sideways HDMI port for quick and easy connections to laptops or PCs when swapping desktops.
Should I wait until Black Friday for better deals?
It depends on your situation. If you're willing to wait for Black Friday on November 27, 2026 for potentially greater discounts, then I'd recommend holding off until then.
However, if you're in desperate need of a new monitor or afraid these monitors will rise in price to the point that Black Friday deals won't be useful thanks to the RAM crisis, then I'd recommend taking advantage of Dell's discounts now.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
You can vote for the winner of this coveted award right now at GamesRadar, and the ballot will remain open until October 30, 2026, 5:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM ET/ midnight GMT.
Here are the Golden Joystick Awards 2026 nominees for its Ultimate Game of the Year award:
Golden Joystick Awards — Ultimate Game of the Year nominees
Golden Joystick Awards — Where can we watch the show?
The winner of the Ultimate Game of the Year category and the winners of the 21 other categories will be announced at the Golden Joystick Awards ceremony on November 11, 2026, at Troxy, London, United Kingdom.
Viewers can tune in to watch the awards show (which will be hosted by actress Alix Wilton Regan and several guest presenters) live on YouTube, Twitch, X, Future Games Show, GamesRadar and PC Gamer.
Who do you want to win Ultimate Game of the Year?
My money's on Pragmata. (Image credit: Capcom)
The Golden Joystick has a pretty stacked selection of Ultimate Game of the Year contenders, from AAA titles like 007: First Light to viral indie hits like Big Walk.
Personally, I'm placing my vote on Pragmata to win. Its strange melding of fast-paced third-person gunplay with hacking puzzles to weaken enemies without pausing works surprisingly well, and its story is a heartwarming adventure that I'd dare not spoil for anyone who hasn't played it yet.
But will Pragmata manage to beat out the competition? Who are you personally voting for to win? Tune in on November 11, 2026, to find out when the Golden Joystick Awards reveal its Ultimate Game of the Year.
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On October 23, 2026, the official X account of Stellar Blade revealed that the game is going to have a collaboration with Overwatch titled "Overwatch X Eve Protocol".
Like past collaborations with other franchises, Overwatch will no doubt create new cosmetic rewards based on Stellar Blade's main characters and pass them on to Overwatch's Heroes.
The date for this collaboration and its content have not been specified at this time.
For those unaware, Stellar Blade is a character action game where you play as EVE, a soldier dispatched to Earth to liberate it from monstrous alien invaders called the Naytiba.
With this expected collaboration with Overwatch, a first-party Xbox franchise, there might be a chance we could get an Xbox version of Stellar Blade down the pipeline.
Would you like to play Stellar Blade on Xbox?
I wouldn't mind giving Stellar Blade a chance if it lands on Xbox Series X|S, especially with Xbox Play Anywhere so I can play it while travelling on holiday.
Its gameplay looks fun and gives off the same over-the-top feel as classic combat-heavy titles like Nier: Automata and Bayonetta (it's even getting a crossover Bayonetta skin for EVE when the game lands on Nintendo Switch 2).
But what do you think? Could this Overwatch collaboration be hinting at an Xbox Series X|S port of Stellar Blade? Would you play it if it landed on Xbox? Do you think Stellar Blade's sequel, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, will come to Xbox as well?
If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know in the comments, poll, or Reddit.
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Xbox's 25th anniversary is here, and it's been a wild ride with plenty of ups and downs, to say the least.
To celebrate such a momentous occasion, I'm looking back on how I was introduced to the Xbox ecosystem, what convinced me to stick with it above all the other consoles, and how it shaped my most fond gaming memories.
My first memories of the Xbox ecosystem were during the early 2000s, when my brother came home with his friends to play some strange new sci-fi shooter called Halo on the original Xbox.
We all had a blast playing through the single campaign in co-op (despite my brother constantly getting us killed with his grenade obsession and bad Warthog driving skills) and even spent some time in the PvP modes fighting in the iconic 'Blood Gulch' map.
Admittedly, as a kid, I didn't play much of the OG Xbox's catalog, like Halo 1 and 2, as I was more obsessed with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube at the time.
Sadly, that meant I missed out on classics like Psychonauts, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Jade Empire when they were brand new, and I wouldn't get to play them until decades later.
I certainly can't say the same for the Xbox 360 when it came out in the mid-2000s, as I was obsessed with it as a teen.
Hooked by the Xbox 360
Fallout 3. (Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)
While I was still enjoying the amazing games on the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii, I found myself spending more time with the Xbox 360 and its library of iconic games like Gears of War, Mass Effect, Fallout 3, and BioShock, and underrated gems like Kameo: Elements of Power and Lost Odyssey, just to name a few.
I got to the point where I played multi-platform games like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Transformers: War for Cybertron, Batman: Arkham Asylum, the Saints Row series, and Devil May Cry 4 only on Xbox 360, as I enjoyed its controls more for 3D games than any other home console.
I'll never forget you Mass Effect. (Image credit: EA)
And, in case anyone's wondering, my Xbox 360 managed to escape the infamous "Red Ring of Death", but I remember having technical issues of my own to deal with, mostly of my own making.
I somehow jumbled several Microsoft accounts together due to my inexperience with email addresses as a teen, and it took my brother several months to fix. I owed him big time for that and repaid his service by doing the "Scan the Keeper" quest in Mass Effect for him whenever he played (which has sadly become a family tradition I'll never escape from).
Thriving on the Xbox One
Xbox One. (Image credit: Future)
When the 2010s rolled around, there came a huge turning point in my gaming career. I was starting to become bored of how stale Nintendo games had become and was tired of dealing with motion-control gimmicks.
Plus, I was sick of having to deal with Sony's poor cybersecurity, as it was getting hacked every few months, forcing me to constantly change my account details on my PlayStation consoles.
As a result, I found myself playing console games exclusively on the Xbox One despite its disastrous launch, which mandated always-online requirements while being forced to be bundled with the Kinect, which Microsoft quickly backpedaled on.
Killer Instinct (2013) is in my opinion, one of the greatest gaming reboots of all time. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
While I didn't play the Xbox One as much as I did the Xbox 360 due to me getting into PC gaming during the mid-2010s, the Xbox One era held some of my fondest gaming memories and triumphs.
The Xbox One era held some of my fondest gaming memories and triumphs.
The Xbox One brought back one of the few fighting games I ever liked, Killer Instinct, with an amazing reboot that lasted for several years. It had amazing AAA titles like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Devil May Cry V, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and cool indie retro throwbacks like Cuphead.
However, all of those memories paled in comparison to when I was introduced to one of my favorite games of all time on the Xbox One (even though it's not an Xbox exclusive), Monster Hunter: World.
Fatalis from Monster Hunter World makes every boss in Elden Ring look like a complete joke. (Image credit: Windows Central)
With over 2,000 hours on my Xbox save file, I have never before (or since) been so maddeningly obsessed with a single game as I was with Monster Hunter World on the Xbox One. The in-depth combat system, the vibrant, interactable world laden with secrets, the cool and challenging monsters, the endless amount of gear to grind for — it was amazing.
Even dealing with Monster Hunter World's cumbersome multiplayer matchmaking system and story-locking was worth suffering through, as hunting giant monsters the size of buildings with my friends was some of the most fun I ever had, and no other multiplayer game has topped it since for me.
A shaky modern era and the unknown future
The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series X. (Image credit: Getty Images | Future)
And that brings us to the current Xbox Series X|S era, and it's been a mixed bag, to say the least. While it's brought us some amazing games like Elden Ring, Lies of P, Psychonauts 2, and Baldur's Gate 3, this era has brought about some depressing situations that made me almost consider quitting Xbox altogether.
Lies of P is one of my favorite Xbox games of this Xbox Series X generation thus far. (Image credit: NEOWIZ)
Yet despite this bleak era we're currently in, I'm not giving up. If Xbox was able to survive the global credit crisis of 2007 and the COVID-19 pandemic that lasted for several years, then I believe it will weather this cyber apocalypse as well.
So long as my friends keep playing Xbox games, I will stay the course so we can make more precious memories together as we ponder what the Xbox Series X|S's successor, Project Helix, will be like.
Happy anniversary, Xbox, and here's to another 25 years of gaming!
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Well, that time has come for Xbox handhelds, as Reddit user "Sjknight413" has discovered that beta drivers for AMD FSR 4.1 have rolled out and are ready to download on Xbox Ally, Xbox Ally X, and Xbox Ally X20.
For those unaware, AMD FSR 4.1 is an upscaling technology designed to boost the graphical details of a game's image higher than its native resolution would allow. It accomplishes this by rendering games at a lower resolution, then using machine learning to generate sharper images.
This technique would allow the console to not spend as much on rendering a game's resolution and use the leftover overhead to boost its framerate performance.
Our sources informed us last time that Xbox handhelds receive this update first, with the Xbox Series X|S to follow suit in the following weeks, so we'll keep an eye out and inform you when it arrives.
In the meantime, be sure to look forward to Jez Corden's personal testing of the AMD FSR 4.1 on Xbox Ally X, and see if its resolution and performance boost can match up to the Steam Deck's impressive usage of FSR 4, without the latter's complicated setup for it via GitHub.
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Black Friday is inching closer, but that doesn't mean you should wait for bargains on Windows laptops built for productivity before then. Dell is offering a selection of its laptops featuring 16GB of RAM for reliable performance under load, 1TB SSDs for plenty of storage space, and a range of portable sizes to suit you.
The Dell 14 Plus is the most expensive but best portable laptop in this roundup thanks to its thin and light form factor. It also comes with a crisp 14-inch non-touch QHD+ display (2560x1600), an Intel CPU, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD to crush work assignments.View Deal
The Dell 16 will give you the most screen space of all the highlighted laptops with its 16" FHD+ Touchscreen display (1920x1200) while handling creative tasks with ease using its Intel Core 7 CPU, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD.View Deal
The Dell 15 handles workflows efficiently with its Intel CPU, 16GB RAM, a 15.6" non-touch FHD (1920x1080) display, and 1TB SSD, while keeping a respectable mid-range price compared to its upper-tier siblings.View Deal
Which of these Dell laptops is best for you?
The Dell 14 Plus laptop on display (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
If you're looking for an affordable yet capable laptop, the Dell 15 offers the best value compared to the other laptops in this roundup.
It's equipped with a 15.6" (Non-Touch) FHD display with 1920x1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate to render images, videos, and writing with sharp details, so you don't have to squint at your work when typing or worry about blurry video feed when hosting stream meetings.
It comes with an AMD Ryzen 7000 7730U CPU and 16GB RAM that will make short work of Office, web browsing, and other productivity tasks while offering a ton of space to back up your precious files with its 1TB SSD.
However, if you've got the budget for more processing power, then go for the Dell 14 Plus Laptop.
It's won high praise from our friends at TechRadar for its 13+ hour battery, great portability due to its ultra-thin design, and 14-inch non-touch QHD+ display with 120Hz and Anti-glare protection.
Best of all, the Dell 14 Plus offers the best single-core performance for everyday use and heavy workloads thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 7 256V CPU, 16GB, and 1TB SSD.
Can these laptops have their RAM and SSDs replaced?
Only the Dell 15 laptop can have its RAM replaced, as it isn't soldered like the ones in the Dell 14 Plus and Dell 16 laptops. All of these laptops can have their SSDs swapped out and replaced with larger ones.
Are they good for gaming?
The Dell 15, Dell 16, and Dell 14 Plus aren't designed for gaming due to their integrated graphics cards, so they will struggle to run most games beyond extremely light titles like Minecraft. Stick to cloud gaming.
Should I wait for Black Friday for a better deal?
It depends on whether you're willing to wait until Black Friday for a bigger discount or if you're in need of a new laptop for work/casual use right now and don't have time to wait for a killer deal.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
Yesterday marked the end of an era as EA closed down BioWare, the legendary studio behind classic RPGs like Mass Effect, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age: Origins, and Jade Empire, to name a few.
In the wake of this tragedy, something miraculous yet sad happened. In a Mass Effect subreddit post, an EA employee with the username "rasengo727" mentioned that "There was a trailer ready for Mass Effect 5 that I saw a few months ago, so I’m puzzled as to how “early” they were."
Then a day later, after that post was made, a former BioWare employee uploaded said trailer on Reddit for the now-canceled Mass Effect 5, which would've been called "Mass Effect Universe".
In the era of artificial intelligence, questioning the authenticity of trailers like this is the norm. While the Reddit mods can't independently verify the authenticity of this trailer, as they do not want any former developers or BioWare employees to be harmed, our own sources have confirmed for us that this one is, in fact, real.
The trailer shows the protagonist from Mass Effect 5's teaser trailer infiltrating a nightclub to take down some criminals in hiding, all with the cinematic presentation and storytelling of a spy thriller.
It also shows a montage of our protagonist's backstory, his adventures trapezing around the galaxy, romantic endeavors, meeting ancient aliens, and getting into intense firefights where our hero uses Biotic powers.
The trailer then ends with a fight breaking out and confirmation that Liara T'Soni, one of Mass Effect's most beloved characters, would be returning for this game, albeit much older than she was in the original trilogy.
A spy-thriller Mass Effect with Liara coming back? What a dark timeline we're living in right now
Like everyone else, I'm quite depressed over the closure of BioWare. Mass Effect was one of my favorite game series ever as a teenager. However, with the controversial ending of Mass Effect 3 and the disastrous launch of Mass Effect: Andromeda, the series was never able to recover.
So seeing this trailer makes the studio's end break my heart even more. An epic spy-thriller story calling back to the series' roots while bringing back Liara T'Soni (who was one of my favorite party members) would've been awesome.
Alas, we'll never know for sure now. All we can hope for now is another studio to buy BioWare's iconic franchises away from EA and give them the proper respect they deserved.
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Capcom has officially announced on its website that its CAPCOM ID account service has suffered a major data breach at the hands of a third party. While this breach doesn't affect CAPCOM ID users' ability to play games or access their multiplayer features, it has leaked private information from over 11.7 million accounts.
This private data that's been leaked includes email addresses, IP addresses, account activity, account creation, and login information.
Capcom also states that over 43 Capcom ID users have had their date of birth, gender, country/region, and nicknames leaked. Plus, 193 CAPCOM ID accounts have had their login passwords changed without authorization.
So what's the good news and what do I do if I'm affected?
Capcom's official announcement of the data breach. (Image credit: Capcom)
The good news is that the Capcom ID passwords for all affected accounts haven't been leaked and that users' credit card credentials haven't been leaked or changed.
Capcom has already identified and addressed the method used for this data breach to make sure it doesn't happen again and has begun contacting the victims to provide customer support.
In the meantime, Capcom suggests that if you have received any strange emails or messages after this breach, exercise caution and don't click on any URLs or attached files within them.
As a Capcom ID user myself, I'd personally recommend changing your password as well. Even if you haven't been noticeably hacked, I'd still suggest changing it just in case it got leaked but hasn't been reported by Capcom yet (there are always a few that manage to slip detection no matter how good a company's security is).
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Every once in a while, Best Buy will host a lucrative deal on a reliable, mid-range laptop during its "Deal of the Day" sale, and that's especially true now, as the HP Omnibook 3 laptop is available for $599.99 at Best Buy (was $799.99), but only for today.
This laptop is a great mid-range choice for students and office workers alike, with its above-average performance, battery life, and high-contrast OLED display that will help you get through the day.
The HP OmniBook 3 is a well-made mid-range laptop that will power through homework, casual tasks, and office work with its performance-boosting Snapdragon X CPU and 16GB RAM, long-lasting battery life of 32 hours, and detailed 2K OLED touchscreen.View Deal
Why buy the HP Omnibook 3?
The spec highlights for the HP Omnibook 3 laptop. (Image credit: HP)
Our friends at TechRadar have praised and recommended the HP Omnibook 3 in their coverage a couple of times, and it's easy to agree with them. It's a well-made laptop for school learners or desk workers who need a reliable solution for daily homework, assignments, research, creative tasks, and casual use without breaking the bank.
This laptop is equipped with Qualcomm's (8-core) Snapdragon X CPU to give it faster and more responsive performance when running apps, 16GB of RAM to help it multitask multiple apps without slowing it down, and a 512GB SSD to store precious data.
The HP Omnibook 3 also features a 14-inch 2K OLED touchscreen that displays images, videos, and livestreams with crisp and vibrant details, and a massive battery life of potentially up to 41 hours so you won't have to worry about it shutting down during work.
Is it's RAM and SSD upgradeable?
The HP Omnibook 3's RAM is soldered, so it can't be upgraded, but its SSD can be removed via its M.2 NVMe SSD slot and replaced with a larger one up to 1TB.
Is it an AI laptop?
Yes, the HP Omnibook 3 is an AI laptop as it features Copilot+ PC integration with an NPU capable of 45 TOPS for boosted performance rates while performing local AI-related tasks.
Is it worth waiting until Black Friday?
It depends on your situation and needs. If you're not in a hurry and are willing to wait for a better price, then waiting until Black Friday on November 27, 2026, is a valid option.
However, if you desperately need a new, high-quality laptop and are concerned that laptop prices are going to get worse thanks to the RAM crisis, then we recommend taking advantage of Best Buy's 25% discount on the HP Omnibook 3, as this deal is only available for today.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV has revealed new footage and details on every single aspect of its gameplay, from its cinematic story mode to thrilling multiplayer modes.
If you've been watching the battle reports for the latest entry in Warhammer 40,000's iconic real-time strategy series and have been waiting for an overview of what it has to offer beyond intense RTS combat, this trailer will have you covered.
It first goes over what we can expect to see from its single-player campaign mode. You will play as one of four factions fighting for control of the planet Krono — Space Marines, Adeptus Mechanicus, Orks, and Necrons.
The campaign will feature a cinematic storyline for each faction with branching paths depending on your choices across 70 missions and can be played either solo or co-op.
The Adeptus Mechanicus battle the Necrons. (Image credit: Deep Silver)
We then get a summary of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV's gameplay loop.
In this game, you build bases to generate units for your army, capture points on the map to generate resources for your forces, and engage your enemies in bloody, fast-paced RTS skirmishes with cinematic kill animations during melee combat.
Each faction has its own unique playstyle, unit roster, and strategies:
Orks — an endless horde of greenkin brutes who overwhelm their enemies with sheer numbers of melee fighters and war machines that can be empowered by WAAAGH energy.
Adeptus Mechanicus — a cult of cyborg soldiers, engineers, and priests who use advanced technology to scout out enemy positions and buff units and buildings, and summon building-sized mechs called Imperial Knights to devastate enemy lines.
Necrons — an ancient race of living killing machines that deploy monoliths to infect maps with Power Matrix influence that heals their forces and teleports them across the battlefield.
Space Marines — elite super-soldiers enhanced and trained to tackle any situation with a jack-of-all-trades style roster of units and deploy them behind enemy lines via Deep Strike reserves. They also have specialized units like the Blood Ravens, who excel in covert operations, and the Dark Angels, who charge into the fray with heavy armor and power weapons.
Dawn of War IV's Last Stand preparations screen (Image credit: Deep Silver)
Beyond the Campaign, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV will feature a Skirmish mode with four game types where you can test your skills against AI-driven opponents.
There's also a Last Stand game mode where you and two allies must work together to survive 20 waves of enemies, each one more deadly than the last. Defeating each wave will grant EXP, which can be spent to upgrade your forces' abilities for a better chance of survival.
Last Stand will allow you to command five Commander units at launch and will add more in post-launch updates.
Painter is back and better than ever. (Image credit: Deep Silver)
Next, the trailer goes over the competitive multiplayer portion of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4. This mode will let players face human or AI opponents in 1v1, 2v2, or 3v3 matches across 30 maps and three match types whose rules can be customized to your liking.
Lastly, the trailer highlights the Painter. This is a fan-favorite gameplay feature from previous Dawn of War games that allows you to customize the color schemes (including individual body parts) and cosmetics of your favorite factions so you can show them off in the Skirmish, Multiplayer, and Last Stand modes.
December cannot get here fast enough
Captain Cyrus leads the Blood Raven Space Marines to battle. (Image credit: Deep Silver)
I've been waiting for gameplay footage of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV's campaign for ages, and after watching many multiplayer-focused gameplay deep dives, this trailer did not disappoint.
The mission select screen brings back memories of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War's Dark Crusade expansion, the story looks just as over-the-top as previous games, and the multiple branching paths sound awesome for replay value purposes.
Not to mention it's awesome to see the Painter mode return once more while allowing players to customize each individual part of every unit to their liking (which is great for fans of the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game who need help planning out their custom paint jobs for their miniatures).
After watching this trailer, I'm now completely sold on Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV and will play it when it launches on December 3, 2026, on PC.
Do note that if you purchase Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV's Commander Edition, you will gain 3 days of early access starting November 30, 2026.
Take control of the Space Marines, Orks, Necrons, or Adeptus Mechanicus factions and wage a bloody war for domination in epic single-player campaigns or chaotic multiplayer modes in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV.View Deal
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The update will feature a new questline that acts as a prologue to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2, dual-wielding pistols, new Cyberware and cosmetic customization options, FOV sliders on consoles, mod support on consoles, and more.
Here are all the full details and patch notes for Cyberpunk 2077's 2.5 update.
Click here to expand the full list ↴
Cyberpunk 2077 2.5 update — patch notes
Edgerunners Content
Added a new side quest, Clampdown, set before the events of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2. To unlock it, complete The Heist and two gigs for Wakako, then wait for a message from her.
Added a new 5-piece gear set based on the character King, which can be obtained during the Clampdown side quest.
Added a new radio station, HKGN 102.0 FM, featuring a selection of tracks from the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners series.
Show Off
A brand-new clothing collection has arrived in Night City! 5 new outfit sets can now be purchased from certain clothing vendors:
Maxiwear: available in Heywood, Arroyo, Little China
Jinguji: available in City Center
NetWatch: available in Kabuki, Japantown
IconAmerica: available in Pacifica, Badlands, Northside
And one more set that will hit Night City shelves just a little later...
The NUS Infiltrator clothing set can be now purchased from clothing vendors in Kabuki and Japantown.
4 new TWINTONE skins for Quadra Turbo-R V-Tech are now available via Twitch Drops.
Some of the hairstyles that were previously exclusive to NPCs are now available for V. Please note that some hairstyles are available only to feminine or masculine body types.
Show off your chrome! You can now customize your hand cyberware. Equip your Mantis Blades, Gorilla Arms, Monowire or Projectile Launch System, and visit one of 5 Glamdocs (marked with a spray paint icon on the map) to give your implants a fresh, new look. Each Glamdoc is located in a unique shop, along with their own intro scene with voiceover and animations, and offers a unique catalog of cyberware skins with customizable colors.
Sometimes one gun just isn't enough. The new Double Trouble perk in the Cool tree (along with four auxiliary perks) introduces an entirely new playstyle, allowing you to dual-wield Pistols and Revolvers from the Power category.
Added frames from the Cyberpunk Trading Card Game to Photo Mode, allowing you to make your preem shots look like custom cards.
Added new poses in Photo Mode to show off your dual-wielding prowess.
Mod the World
Added Cross-Platform Mod Support, powered by mod.io, a first step into cross-platform modding that allows you to easily browse and install a selection of player-created mods directly from the in-game menu. More mods will become available over time. The feature is available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro and Xbox Series X|S.
Upgrading the World
Welcome to Paradise! Added a new side quest that takes you on a journey to uncover a mystery and explore Night City on a guided tour narrated by Richard Night. It unlocks after completing The Heist and reaching level 15 Street Cred.
Added 12 new Minor Arcana Tarot Cards to discover across Night City. The Tarot menu now has separate sections for Major and Minor Arcana. The new tarot cards are part of a new side quest, an extension of Fool on the Hill, which activates after scanning any of the new cards. Collect them all to get a special reward.
Quality of Life
Saves in the “Load Game” menu are now grouped by separate playthroughs.
Added item filters to apartment and vehicle stashes.
Modded saves in the "Load Game" menu are now marked with a dedicated icon. Please note that achievements and trophies cannot be earned while playing on console from a modded save file.
Added an FOV (Field Of View) slider on consoles.
Updated the selection of AMD FSR options. FSR 3 upscaling is no longer included, while FSR 2.1, FSR 4, and FSR 3.1 Frame Generation remain available.
Updated the CD PROJEKT RED Account connection, My Rewards and telemetry consent menus.
Technology
Added support for DLSS 4.5, including up to 6X Multi Frame Generation or Dynamic Multi Frame Generation, and the 2nd Generation Transformer Model.
Added support for glasses-free 3D effects on compatible Samsung Odyssey 3D monitors, along with a Motion Comfort setting that lets you balance 3D depth and viewing comfort.
Added support for MetalFX Frame Interpolation and Denoising on Mac.
Added a toggle in settings for FSR Anti-Lag 2.
Introduced various performance optimizations, including improvements specifically for Ray Tracing and for PlayStation 5 Pro.
Improved HDR rendering to provide more accurate colors, brightness, and contrast on compatible displays.
Fixes
Fixed an issue on Nintendo Switch 2 where saving the game could result in a "Save failed - insufficient space" error.
Fixed an issue where adjusting HDR settings on PlayStation 5 had no effect.
Things Done Changed - Fixed an issue where the Delamain cab could get stuck after crashing into another vehicle, blocking quest progression.
Fixed an issue where enabling Film Grain had no effect.
Fixed an issue where tagging enemies while scanning could also cause V to crouch or stand up when using certain control schemes.
Fixed an issue where controller settings for the Third-Person Camera were missing.
Fixed several typos in various languages.
Added various other fixes for features and content introduced since Patch 2.1.
Dual-wielding pistols and FOV sliders on consoles? Sign me up!
Thought you were done with Night City? Well, Night City isn't quite done with you.Patch notes for Cyberpunk 2077’s Edgerunners 2 Update (2.5) are now available for you to ready up and review before going live on the streets tomorrow.Jack in: https://t.co/pae5wylOdPhttps://t.co/QOcX5VljR2October 21, 2026
Overall, all these new features sound cool. My favorite aspects of this update are mowing down enemies while dual-wielding guns and the FOV slider that will allow me to adjust the game's first-person view so it won't feel so cramped and claustrophobic on Xbox anymore.
Of course, mod support so we can customize Cyberpunk 2077 however we like, and customizing my cybernetic upgrades' looks is pretty awesome too.
But what do you think? Is this update worth another playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077? Will it motivate you to play it for the first time if you haven't already, or have you decided to move on and wait for Cyberpunk 2077's sequel?
If you have any thoughts on the subject, please let us know in the comments, on Reddit, or in the poll.
Fight, kill, and survive the dystopian nightmare of Night City and become a legend in the hit open-world RPG, Cyberpunk 2077. The Ultimate Edition combines the base game with its Phantom Liberty DLC into one definitive package.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's full launch is imminent, but it's suddenly hit a technical roadblock that may hurt its chances of success with console gamers.
The developers of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 have announced on X that its Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 versions must run on monitors withVariable Refresh Rate (VRR) enabled for Performance Mode support while players engage with its campaign and DMZ modes.
This requirement for VRR monitors will also be in effect for Call of Duty: Warzone with Season 1. If you do not have a monitor with VRR enabled and with least 120Hz refresh rates, the game's framerates in Performance Mode will be locked at 60Hz.
📢 Call of Duty: #ModernWarfare4 | #DMZ Early AccessPlayers on PS5 and XBOX Series X|S must have Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) enabled for Performance Mode support in #MW4 Campaign and DMZ. This will also be required for Performance Mode in Call of Duty: Warzone with Season 1.If you're encountering issues being locked at 60 Hz in these modes, make sure your display supports 120 Hz and VRR, and check your settings to ensure VRR is enabled.October 20, 2026
Asking players to get a different monitor days before launching your AAA game is certainly a "choice", and a very wrong one at that
This last-minute change won't affect you as much if you don't mind playing the single-player campaign at 60fps in Performance Mode or Resolution Mode for 4K resolutions to achieve greater cinematic immersion.
However, hardcore competitive Call of Duty fans who need as many frames as possible to reduce input lag during intense multiplayer matches or just smoother gameplay in general are beyond angry in the replies to this announcement on X.
Fans are angry at this last-minute warning. (Image credit: X)
I can hardly blame them for getting angry. Asking console players to get a different and expensive monitor if their current one (even if it has a 240Hz refresh rate) doesn't have VRR to achieve optimal performance just days before Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026, is just ridiculous, and they should've warned people months in advance.
What makes this worse is that gaming monitors have become more costly and rarer to find for gamers on a tight budget these days thanks to the worsening RAM Crisis.
Nonetheless, we're not going to leave our fellow console players hanging. So we've scoured the internet for some of the best gaming monitors with VRR to help you circumvent this last-minute requirement and enjoy this AAA blockbuster at its best on Xbox.
"With its HDMI 2.1 port, 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, VSync technology, and great color gamut, this gaming monitor was already a great option. Still, including a KVM switch propels it into being a fantastic choice for multi-system gamers." ~ Rebecca Spear, former Gaming and News Editor
"ASUS eased my OLED fears with this ROG Strix monitor, thanks to its built-in proximity sensor and other sensible settings in its straightforward OSD menu. It's bright enough, looks incredible at 4K with tremendous motion clarity at 240Hz, and you can push for more if you can handle 1080p." ~ Ben Wilson, Senior Editor
This monitor is an upgraded refresh of the HP Omen 27qs we reviewed in 2023, with a higher 280Hz refresh rates and AMD FreeSync Premium tech for VRR support while keeping the same high-quality ergonimic design, and 1440p resolution at 120Hz for improved Xbox gaming.View Deal
"The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 is one of the very best curved gaming monitors on the market today. It offers great motion clarity thanks to its fantastic 240Hz (280Hz when overclocked) refresh rate, speedy 0.5ms response time, and AMD FreeSync support." ~ Rebecca Spear, former Gaming and News Editor
Experience the dark, climactic finale of Captain Price's personal war from the shadows as long-running storylines reach their heart-pounding breaking point in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. In addition to an epic campaign, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 offers thrilling multiplayer modes such as the DMZ mode.
The batch also includes some more niche titles like Planets Vs. Zombies: Replanted and The Séance of Blake Manor, but Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is the star of the show.
Here's the full list of games coming and leaving Xbox Game Pass for the second half of October 2026.
Game
Date Available
Available on (Game Pass versions)
Sandustry (Game Preview)
October 21, 2026
PC(Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass)
Dodo Duckie
October 22, 2026
Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Premium, Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
Scramble Knights Online (Game Preview)
October 22, 2026
Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
The Séance of Blake Manor
October 27, 2026
Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Premium, Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
October 29, 2026
Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC(Premium, Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted
October 29, 2026
Cloud, Console, and PC(Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
Terrible Lizards
October 29, 2026
Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC(Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
Pit of Goblin
November 3, 2026
Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Ultimate and PC Game Pass)
Games leaving Xbox Game Pass (October 31)
Day of the Tentacle Remastered (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Dead Static Drive (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Deep Rock Galactic (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Full Throttle Remastered (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Grim Fandango Remastered (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Wartales (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Wildgate (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Games leaving Xbox Game Pass (November 10)
Football Manager 26 (PC)
Football Manager 26 – Console Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Windows Central's take
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is an action-RPG reimagining of the classic 1990s JRPG, Final Fantasy VII, that tells the beginning of Cloud's journey to save his planet from destruction at the hands of the evil megacorp Shinra and the megalomaniacal Sephiroth.
With its inclusion in Xbox Game Pass, Xbox fans will now have more ways to enjoy Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade's thrilling combat, complex characters, and in-depth story.
Plus, it will serve as a great appetizer for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's eventual inclusion in Xbox Game Pass and the epic finale of the FF7 Remake trilogy, Final Fantasy VII: Revelations, which will drop on April 8, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere support), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam.
Embark on an epic journey through the entire reimagining of one of the greatest JRPGs of all time with the FINAL FANTASY VII Remake Series Trilogy Edition, which features Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Final Fantasy VII Revelation.
Connexion
