Windows Central

All the latest content from the Windows Central team

  1. Halo: Fireteam Raven is now playable on PC — but it's not quite as simple as it sounds

    Halo: Fireteam Raven, the arcade-exclusive Halo shooter set during the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, is now playable on PC through fan preservation efforts.

  2. Once left in the dust, Surface could be on the forefront of "a new era of PC"

    Microsoft and NVIDIA dropped coordinated “new era of PC” teasers that hint at the N1X chip taking center stage at Computex and Build.

  3. “The early signs are encouraging”: New data suggests Xbox is winning back gamers and rebuilding momentum

    New YouGov data suggests Xbox is seeing significant improvements in brand perception among U.S. gamers, with gains across Buzz, Word of Mouth, Value, Satisfaction, and overall brand health metrics following recent changes under CEO Asha Sharma.

  4. Rayman Origins Enhanced Edition leaks early on Xbox with a surprising USD 1,999 price

    A leaked Xbox Store listing has revealed Rayman Origins: Enhanced Edition, including 4K visuals, 60 FPS gameplay, quality-of-life improvements, and four-player co-op. The listing also briefly displayed a bizarre $1,999 placeholder price before being removed.

  5. "No Lady Gaga. No Omni-Man." Call of Duty doubles down on grounded Modern Warfare 4

    Infinity Ward says Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will feature a more grounded approach to cosmetics and collaborations, with developers publicly ruling out crossover characters such as Lady Gaga, Omni-Man, SpongeBob, and Teletubbies.

  6. Acer is launching an Intel Arc G3 Extreme gaming handheld positioned against the Xbox Ally X

    Acer has officially unveiled the Predator Atlas 8 handheld to be released later in 2026. Powered by Intel Arc G3 Extreme and launching in October, the device aims to compete with established handhelds such as the Xbox Ally X.

  7. Minecraft's next update is revealed, bringing with it wool stairs, straw beds, and a brand new biome

    Minecraft's next major update introduces the Dappled Forest biome, Poplar wood, Abandoned Camps, wool stairs, wool slabs, and straw beds, giving builders and explorers plenty of new content to look forward to.

  8. Yacht club games says Xbox Play Anywhere "not off the table" for Mina the Hollower

    Yacht Club Games has confirmed that Mina the Hollower will not support Xbox Play Anywhere at launch, but the developer says the feature is still being considered for a future update.

  9. Haptics make racing games feel so real that I can't believe I was actually indoors using a PC and not on a racetrack

    I tried a haptic seat targeted at sim racing, and the experience is unlike anything I've ever had before. This is the next big step in immersion in video games.

  10. "They will ruin my life": Microsoft threatens to wield 'Digital Crimes Unit' over exploit disclosures — causing uproar in the cybersecurity community (UPDATE)

    Microsoft's approach to working with security researchers has long been controversial, but some of its recent language has alarmed some commentators.

  11. A Minecraft Movie Squared — first look at Kirsten Dunst's Alex is revealed... and Herobrine?

    A Minecraft Movie Squared has been officially revealed at Minecraft Live, with Kirsten Dunst cast as Alex, Matt Berry joining the film, and a new community build challenge offering fans a chance to appear in the movie.

  12. 007 First Light becomes IO Interactive's fastest-selling game by hitting a significant milestone in its first 24 hours

    007 First Light has become IO Interactive's fastest-selling game ever, reaching more than 1.5 million sales within 24 hours. New data from Alinea Analytics suggests at least 500,000 copies were sold on Steam, generating over $25 million in revenue.

  13. Latest Xbox update adds new custom colors, smarter service alerts, and more ways to personalize your console experience

    Xbox's latest Insider update introduces a new hex code color picker, controller previews in the Accessories app, service status notifications, and additional dashboard personalization features.

  14. “We start out with Halo: Campaign Evolved” as Matt Booty outlines Xbox’s 2026 lineup

    Matt Booty may have revealed Xbox's planned 2026 release cadence during a recent podcast, listing Halo: Campaign Evolved, Minecraft Dungeons II, Gears of War: E-Day, and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 in what could be release order.

  15. Meet EuroOffice, Europe’s bold alternative to Microsoft 365 promising sovereignty and control

    EuroOffice is Europe’s bold new alternative to Microsoft 365, promising sovereignty and control over productivity tools.

  16. MSI's new Claw 8 EX AI Plus packs Intel's Arc G3 Extreme chip — and it could be a handheld gaming beast

    MSI has revealed the Claw 8 EX AI Plus ahead of Computex 2026. Powered by Intel's Arc G3 Extreme chip, the new handheld gaming PC could deliver a major performance boost, although pricing and several key specifications remain unknown.

  17. The indie game that toppled Forza Horizon 6 off Metacritic is now out for Xbox and PC — and I deeply regret letting it slip under my radar until now

    Mina the Hollower, the next big IP from the creators of Shovel Knight, is now available on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Here's why you should get excited if you're a fan of retro 2D action-adventure games or Game Boy-era titles.

  18. One of Fallout 4's best and biggest new mods just came to Xbox thanks to Bethesda's storage increase update — it's basically a whole new DLC expansion

    Bethesda's Fallout 4 mod storage increase update on Xbox has allowed one of the RPG's best and biggest new mods to release on Microsoft's consoles.

  19. "Its developers need justice": Former Halo art director pushes for investigation into Halo Studios allegations using Microsoft's Xbox Player Voice forum

    Former Halo art director Glenn Israel is using the new Xbox Player Voice forum to push for an investigation into his allegations against Halo Studios.

  20. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 dev Infinity Ward says it plans to fix one of the franchise's most annoying issues — I hope it stays gone forever

    A new report says Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 dev Infinity Ward has confirmed it's going to address the "Update requires restart" issue in CoD.

  21. Xbox games chief confirms Microsoft will show its titles are coming to PS5, other platforms at the Xbox Games Showcase — Xbox's CEO responds to controversy [UPDATED]

    Microsoft's Xbox CCO Matt Booty has confirmed it will broadcast multiplatform availability of titles shown at the Xbox Games Showcase next week.

  22. "The focus is going to be on these games": Xbox CCO Matt Booty says Project Helix won't be at Xbox Games Showcase, with more on it coming "at a later time"

    Xbox still plans to show more of Project Helix "later this year," but don't expect it to be at the Xbox Games Showcase, says CCO Matt Booty.

  23. ON THIS DAY: In 2015, we unboxed the Verizon LG Lancet with Windows Phone 8.1, a phone even I forgot about it

    A look back at the LG Lancet and the era when Windows Phone 8.1 defined Microsoft’s mobile peak.

  24. "A new era of PC": Microsoft and NVIDIA tease major announcement experts predict to be the fabled N1X chip

    Microsoft and NVIDIA just teased a massive hardware announcement. Will the rumored N1X chip usher in the "new era of PC" promised by both companies?

  25. HP’s Windows 10 holdouts show just how hard Microsoft’s Windows 11 upgrade push really is

    Despite Microsoft’s push for Windows 11, millions of HP users are sticking with Windows 10