Items tagged with Xbox
In April, Microsoft rolled out a limited beta of its Xbox Cloud Gaming (Project xCloud) streaming service for Windows 10 PCs and Apple devices. However, this early beta required users to game through an internet browser rather than providing Xbox Insiders with a native app to experience the service. That all changes today with the latest revision of Xbox Cloud Gaming, which is now available through the official Xbox app in Windows 10. Given that the service is internet-based, your aging PC should still be able to provide an excellent gaming experience (as long as you have a decent broadband connection). Like the previous beta, you will need a compatible controller that connects to your PC via...
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Microsoft is planning to livestream its Gamescom 2021 event rather than have it be an in-person affair in Cologne, Germany this year. During the "100 percent virtual experience," Microsoft will provide new looks at several upcoming games. Microsoft is also planning to host a digital special edition Xbox FanFest during the event. "You’ll get in-depth updates from some of our previously announced Xbox Game Studios titles alongside some of our third-party partners, including some of the incredible titles coming to Xbox this holiday, upcoming releases to our monthly subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, and much more," Microsoft said. When And Where To Watch The Xbox At Gamescom 2021 Livestream...
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One of the most annoying things about using any electronic device at night or in a dark room is the retina-searing, light mode that most apps have by default. Microsoft, however, has finally addressed this problem on Xbox consoles, and is working on a new night mode which is now available to beta testers. Using the new Alpha Skip-Ahead ring, Xbox owners will be able to dim and filter their screens to help protect against sleep-affecting blue light emissions. Moreover, they will also be able to dim their console and controller LED brightness, so the normally bright white light is not so harsh. Coupling these new features with the dark mode system theme should then provide a much better...
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Halo Infinite is the first brand new Halo installation since 2015, when Halo 5: Guardians came to the Xbox One. To say there's a lot of hype around the much-delayed return of Master Chief after apparently going rogue in the previous installment, ultimately being recovered by Spartan Locke. Apologies for the spoilers on a six-year-old game, but the Halo Infinite reveal announced that information itself. Besides, we're sure that Microsoft has bigger things on its mind, like the fact that the company leaked information about the sixth mainline Halo game's plot. According to Halo writer and cinematic director Joseph Staten, Microsoft inadvertently included some files that contain information...
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What would you do if, at 16-years old, you made $1.7 million in revenue and $110,000 in profits? What if this income came from selling (or scalping) things such as the newest PlayStation and Xbox consoles at up to double the sticker price? That is exactly what one teenager from New Jersey did during the pandemic, cornering the resale market on a wide variety of products. From consoles to Pokémon cards and pools, the pandemic has led to shortages of all kinds of products due to production issues and heightened demand. As capitalism goes, this gives rise to an opportunity to make money from these products in the resale subindustry, and 16-year-old Max Hayden saw this. For forty hours a week...
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It can be tough to play games with friends if they are spread across various competing platforms, but this is a problem of the past, thanks to cross-play functionality. Now, Overwatch is adding the feature so you can game on with friends across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo networks. Earlier today, the Overwatch Twitter account announced that cross-play has finally arrived around the globe. All players must create a Battle.net account and link their console accounts to start cross-playing to gain access to this. In celebrating this feature, anyone who logs into Overwatch before the end of 2021 will receive a promotional Golden Loot Box to pick up at least a legendary skin. Cross-Play has...
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E3 is upon us and so too are several game debuts and preorders becoming available right now. Today we will look at some of the more popular games being shown off so you too can know what is coming and be excited as we are… Battlefield 2042 For months we only had leaks, but now Battlefield 2042 has been unveiled, showing a dystopian world mired in suffering. This game marks a new generation of Battlefield, with 128-player maps, special operators called “Specialists,” new modes and maps, and even natural disasters. Battlefield 2042 looks like it will be quite exciting, so we cannot wait for its launch on October 22nd. If you want to grab BF2042, it starts at the regular price...
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Gaming is one of the fastest-growing forms of media we have today, thanks in part due to the pandemic that has kept people at home. However, people would typically need a console or PC to game on, but that becomes less of a problem with the advent of cloud gaming. Now, Microsoft is trying to “bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet” by bringing Xbox and Xbox Game Pass with cloud-based gaming to more screens. Interactive entertainment and video games are central to Microsoft, as “Games build bridges and forge bonds, generating mutual empathy among people all over the world,” explained Xbox Head Phil Spencer in a blog post released today. “When...
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For both gamers and developers, the Unreal Engine team's work, such as the MetaHuman creator, is simply amazing. Now, Unreal Engine 5 is just over the horizon, and it appears to mark a massive milestone in game fidelity and performance. There is a new demo out today, with some new features, such as something awesome called "Temporal Super Resolution." Temporal Super Resolution (TSR) is quite a mouthful of a name, but it quite impressive, according to the latest Unreal Engine docs. The team at Epic Games claims that with TSR enabled, you can get 4K quality with the framerates one would typically see at 1080p. In the example shown, the team rendered 4K frames at native 4K, which netted 18.6FPS,...
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Gaming while on-the-go has gotten better over the years as handheld consoles are becoming more powerful and widespread. Now, Microsoft is taking things up a notch by turning its dual-screen Surface Duo into a versatile game-streaming device by updating the Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) app for Android. This means gamers will have a virtual gamepad on one screen and the game on the other, which is rather awesome. The update, which goes live today, brings the touch controls for any Xbox game down to the second screen on the Surface Duo, rather than being overlaid on the game. It makes console gaming on the go much easier and less claustrophobic-feeling than on a regular mobile device. This change...
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Released in 2001, the original Xbox has become a classic gaming console that millions of people have played even to this day. Just over 20 years later, it seems there are also still easter eggs to be found on the device. With a little bit of work, Xbox console owners can see a list of members on the Xbox Dashboard Team hidden within the System Info menu. Yesterday, a developer for the original Xbox who wished to remain anonymous spoke with Kotaku about a previously hidden easter egg within the Xbox Dashboard. This person came forward because they “didn’t really expect it to be found, not unless the source code leaked or somebody reverse-engineered the Dashboard.” Interestingly,...
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In February, Microsoft unveiled FPS Boost, a new way to revive older games with lower frame rates. Initially, the Xbox team gave a select few games the performance enhancing treatment, and then some Bethesda games followed later after the Microsoft acquisition was complete. Now, the company is bringing the FPS boost love to another 70 titles in the “largest drop of games featuring FPS Boost to date.” FPS Boost is a user-adjustable setting to make older games “visually smoother, resulting in more immersive gameplay.” For the most part, it can nearly double frame rates on select titles when the game engine adapted to render things more quickly. To accomplish this impressive...
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Do you feel that breeze? It is a shift in the winds of gaming, spurred by Microsoft's decision to join Epic Games in allowing game developers to keep a bigger share of revenue. Following last week's announcement that Microsoft is going to slash its cut of PC game sales to just 12 percent (down from 30 percent), court documents in the Epic Games lawsuit against Apple reveal the same reduced royalty rate is also headed to the Microsoft Store on Xbox. This is a big deal, and assuming there are no strings attached, just as none exist on the PC side, the 88/12 split of revenue will apply no matter how many sales a particular game achieves. This is in contrast to Apple's reduced 15 percent royalty...
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Though Halo Infinite may have been delayed, information about the game is slowly trickling out, and it seems the wait may be worth the reward. Back in February, we got to see some gorgeous screenshots from the game, which were rather impressive. Now, Microsoft is giving us another exciting breadcrumb of information with a recent blog post outlining cross-play, progress syncing, and free multiplayer in Halo Infinite. Today, Microsoft and Xbox Game Studios looked at the company’s “Gaming Journey in 2021 and Beyond.” This included some information for developers, such as game revenue changes, and some interesting information for gamers. Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios, announced...
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For long-time fans of the Halo franchise, we have some excellent news for those that own Halo: The Master Chief Collection (MCC). For those not in the know, The MCC includes Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4. The April 2021 update for The MCC (version 1.2241.0.0) just dropped, and it brings a wealth of changes for gamers on both Windows and Xbox platforms. However, one of the most significant changes comes for Xbox consoles, which now get full mouse and keyboard support. 343 Industries now allows you to bind controls across multiple inputs. There is also support for field-of-view (FOV) and crosshair positioning for Xbox One and Xbox Series...
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It seems there are simulator games for just about anything you can think of, such as Granny Simulator, Thief Simulator, and even a PC building simulator. Now, teams from Dovetail Games, Curve Digital, and Skyhook Games are bringing what could be the hottest simulator game this summer: Lawn Mowing Simulator. Later this year, players will be able to “enjoy the challenge and serenity of mowing the Great British countryside in a variety of modes, while ensuring cash flow of your empire remains as green as the blades you’re cutting,” according to developer Skyhook Games. New lawn care professionals will be able to visit the British countryside, large equestrian fields, castle grounds...
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Earlier in the week, we reported that Microsoft got the green light from the SEC and European Commission to purchase ZeniMax Media and all the sub-development studios. It seems Microsoft is moving rather quickly on the acquisition as some ZeniMax Media games will be coming to Xbox Game Pass tomorrow. As Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire editor in chief, explains, this week, Xbox and Microsoft “welcomed ZeniMax Media and Bethesda to the Xbox family, adding even more incredible talent, creative diversity, and beloved gaming franchises to an already stacked Xbox lineup.” While it may not be the best situation for gamers on Sony’s PlayStation lineup, it means greener pastures for Xbox...
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Late last year, Microsoft announced a deal to buy ZeniMax Media and subsidiary Bethesda Studios with IPs such as Fallout, DOOM, and The Elder Scrolls franchises. The $7.5 billion deal would also include id Software, Arkane, MachineGames, and others. Now, Microsoft is one step closer to sealing the deal as both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and European Commission have given the green light. On March 4th, the SEC posted both a notice of effectiveness and a prospectus, meaning that the SEC has reviewed the deal in full and found no issues. Today, the European Commission also agreed with the SEC, explaining that "the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, given...
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Sometimes, people want to go back to games they have played previously because of a fun story line or to relive gaming glory days. As hardware and software improve, however, older games don't tend to receive improvements that keep them up to par with newer games. Low FPS in a last-gen game can especially be a bit of a drag because that is not quite how you remembered the game. Now, Microsoft is trying to fix some of the problems by injecting an FPS boost into the arm of a select few games. Today, Paul Eng, Senior Program Manager at Xbox, wrote about how Microsoft wanted to keep and continue, a “commitment to compatibility […] started back in 2015.” With the Xbox Series X and...
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In the coming weeks, Microsoft will reportedly be increasing the prices of its Xbox Live Gold subscription, much to the ire of people everywhere. Microsoft cites no change in price over the years, but customers view this as a way to shove people toward Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription. Whatever the reason, if you are an Xbox gamer, your online access price may go up soon. Over the next month, Xbox Live gamers will be receiving notice that Microsoft will adjust their membership pricing. The one-month subscription is getting a $1 bump to $10.99, and the three-month subscription is getting a $5 a month bump to $29.99. If you are an existing six- or twelve-month subscriber, you will not notice...
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HyperX is the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company and has been creating concrete gaming accessories and peripherals since 2002. This year at CES2021, HyperX is back with new PC and console gaming gear for the masses. HyperX Alloy Origins 60 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Perhaps you are working on a small desk or need a keyboard for on the go. A full-size keyboard, while nice, will not exactly suit your needs, so something smaller is necessary. HyperX has created the Alloy Origins 60 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, which is an “ultra-compact” 60% form factor keyboard. It features HyperX red mechanical switches and has RGB LEDs to make your typing faster. If you require a smaller...
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Game development is complex, and launching a successful game even more so. Sometimes, anything that goes into development and the gamer experience can change on a dime or entirely fall apart. We can see this with the launch of Cyberpunk 2077, which could be easily described as something of a train wreck. Bugs on all platforms cropped up and the social sphere exploded with complaints. To be clear, the game is still enjoyable if you can play it aside from the current issues. No matter what, though, Cyberpunk 2077's launch was plagued with issues, developer crunch, alongside excessive hype, which was all likely driven by shareholder and consumer pushback to get the game out. The whole spectacle...
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