Everyone is frothing at the mouth over Gears of War E:Day again, but this time it’s not the culture war.

It's the sensationalized reporting around it's budget and retail sales. Headlines claim the game cost an astronomical $500 million to make, while other reports suggest it "only" sold 400,000 retail copies. Predictably, the terminally online commentary machine is in full force, with some rather insanely blaming Xbox fans for this failure.

Xbox fans asked for exclusives, and yet when push comes to shove, "fans didn't put their money where their mouth was," making Gears of War: E-Day's reported failure "their fault." It’s a neat and tidy narrative for console warriors, but one that’s completely out of touch with modern gaming economics outside of the social media bubble.

First of all, that $500 million figure requires crucial context before anyone uses it as a stick to beat the game with.

As clarified by Derek Reese, former Senior Product Manager of Xbox Game Creator Services, that cost isn't simply the game's direct production budget. Much of that figure stems from broad operational overhead, with The Coalition essentially being on the hook for funding Microsoft's custom internal branch of Unreal Engine and supporting engine integration across the wider Xbox studio network (a tech-debt burden similar to Turn 10 bearing the operational costs for ForzaTech, on Fable and Forza Horizon). Conflating general engine-R&D operational overhead with the direct cost of a single game's development represents a misleading omission in the wider narrative.

Beyond the budget discourse, expecting Xbox players to subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate at $22.99 a month, and an annual commitment of over $275, AND drop $70 on day one for every first-party title just to prop up traditional sales metrics is both unrealistic and absurd. The suggestion that players need to pay twice to prove they support a studio fundamentally misunderstands why Microsoft built this system in the first place.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is not free gaming

For what many are spending on an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, in standard retail that represents the cost of roughly four full priced $70 AAA games. When a player opts into the Game Pass ecosystem, they are effectively pre-paying for their gaming line-up up front. Expecting that same consumer to buy Gears of War E: Day at retail price to satisfy outdated quarterly sales charts ignores the basic economic contract of a subscription service. The entire value proposition of Game Pass is that you don’t have to shell out $70 every time a major title lands.

Not only that, but framing Game Pass users as passive freeloaders ignores key data we already know. Under oath, during the FTC proceedings, Xbox President at the time Sarah Bond revealed that Game Pass subscribers actually spend 20% more money on average on gaming than those who don’t subscribe.

I too have pleaded with fans to “put their money where their mouth is” for Microsoft's divested teams like Undead Labs. There's a clear distinction between asking players to support a core Microsoft internal studio, whose quarterly profits are in the tens of billions, over supporting the newly independent Undead Labs. Players who are financially able, could buy State of Decay 3 to stick it to Microsoft's bean counters, and show Xbox what they had just given up.

The Coalition is a victim of Microsoft's structuring. Putting them on the hook for Unreal Engine support across multiple games, collaboration with Epic Games, while also building a multi-faceted multiplayer title squashed under Call of Duty: MW4, World of Warcraft: Forever, Grand Theft Auto 6, and various other heavy hitters this quarter is pure insanity.

In a single two-month span, gamers were asked to choose between massive titles across every sub-genre: Marvel’s Wolverine, Silent Hill: Townfall, Minecraft Dungeons 2, Ace Combat 8 and major remasters like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Dynasty Warriors 3 Complete Edition.

Expecting any single game to generate record-breaking direct $70 sales during one of the most crowded, wallet-draining launch windows in recent gaming history is wishful thinking. In a climate where players are already triaging their spending, a day-one Game Pass entry was an incredibly convenient and lower-cost way to play E-Day.

The $70 SKU is dead on Xbox, and $30 upgrades replaced it.

Regardless, simply citing 400,000 unit sales, or focusing on Steam copies, vastly misrepresents the actual paying audience. Game Pass subscribers actually engaged with the game's revenue model in a massive way through the $30 Premium Edition Upgrade. That’s much easier to justify purchase-wise when you feel like you're already getting something of value with your subscription.

How many would have spent ANYTHING on the game without it being on Game Pass? How do we really predict that behaviour? There's no "alternative reality generator" to see how the game would've shored up in a universe without Game Pass, GTA 6, or the rest of it.

The $70 premium SKU is, for all practical purposes, functionally dead for first-party titles on Xbox console. But that isn’t because Xbox players refuse to spend money; it's because Microsoft has trained them to spend money on early-access add-ons rather than $70 on a standalone license.

The same people attacking Xbox Game Pass are likely the same kind of people happy to wait for Steam sales, which too have contributed to a rejection of the $70 retail model. This is before we even talk about free-to-play titles like Fortnite, Roblox, mobile games, and others which actually dominate the spend.

For many of these people, it represents a glaring double standard to mock players for using the exact monetization model Xbox has designed for them.

Exclusivity is a marathon, not a sprint.

The second major flaw in the current discourse is the demand for seemingly instant gratification. Asha Sharma positioned Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution as console exclusives at this years Xbox Games Showcase as something of an olive branch to the community. A signal that platform exclusivity was still a core priority for Xbox. But one game was never going to turn around hardware sales overnight. The reality of today’s market comes down to demographics and household finances.

Just a short story from my own experience showing a colleague E-Day running on a Xbox ROG Ally X during a train ride for work. He was blown away by the visuals and fondly recalled buying an Xbox console specifically for the original Gears of War. But today, as he told me, he has a PS5, a mortgage, and a family. Knowing E-Day isn't on PlayStation was a bummer for him as he was genuinely interested in the game, but dropping significant cash on a secondary console for a single game simply isn't a justifiable household expense anymore for him.

Decisions like that aren't made on impulse anymore for the age and demographic of console users Xbox is targeting. Hardware momentum won’t be rebuilt with a single flagship release; it needs to be a slow and steady rebuild over years of consistent, uninterrupted hits. As a family, we have discussed buying a Nintendo Switch 2, driven in part by Ocarina of Time’s launch, but that alone isn’t a driving factor; we’ll get access to Pokopia, Mario Kart, Donkey Kong Bonanza, etc. – all exclusives that make it a more justifiable expense and one the whole family can benefit from.

Expecting E-Day alone to magically reverse years of shifting multiplatform strategy and hardware decline in a single month is incredibly short-sighted. One game will not persuade someone to switch ecosystems, but four or five over a two-year span might. Rebuilding brand confidence requires patience, something the internet commentary cycle lacks, and something Microsoft has notoriously lacked itself in the past.

The danger of short sighted pivots

If Microsoft interprets the initial retail sales of E-Day as a failure of exclusivity rather than a predictable outcome of their own subscription strategy and timing, they risk making another premature course correction, so for their own sake I hope they are ignoring the current discourse.

Niche or brand-new IPs like Clockwork Revolution won't single-handedly move the needle either. What’s really needed, if they have the appetite for it, is exclusivity around massive, platform-defining pillars; the moments where a game like The Elder Scrolls 6 is kept strictly within the Xbox and PC ecosystem are what actually might be the thing that makes casual gamers re-evaluate where they play.

I don't even think something like Elder Scrolls 6 alone would do it, but if it is preceded by a bunch of other exclusives, it might.

Game Pass was designed to change how players consume games. Blaming the player base for using the service exactly as advertised is a bizarre double standard. Plenty of players paid out of pocket for E-Day premium upgrade on top of their subscriptions. If Xbox wants to prove that exclusivity still matters, it needs to give the strategy room to breathe.

And virtue-signalling pundits should stop expecting subscription-first, "wait-for-a-sale," players to buy into a $70 retail model have been repeatedly and explicitly told they don't need to.

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I've spent more than a decade testing gaming PCs, and even the best pre-builts usually have cables you simply can't hide. That made my first look inside Maingear's new Zero genuinely surprising, even after my previous Maingear MG-1 review.

There's almost nothing there. Power connections have been moved behind the motherboard, the panoramic glass is uninterrupted, and the components that normally compete with bundles of cabling finally get the spotlight. It's one of the cleanest pre-built PCs I've tested.

Clean doesn't necessarily mean better, though. After a few weeks of gaming, benchmarking, stress testing, and poking around inside, I wanted to know whether Maingear's cable-free approach actually improves the PC or simply makes for prettier photos.

Maingear sent Windows Central a review unit on loan for testing. It had no input, nor saw the contents of this review, prior to publication.

How much does the Maingear Zero cost?

My review unit is an extreme $8,676 configuration built around AMD's Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA's RTX 5090 Founders Edition. Don't let that price scare you away from the Zero entirely, though. Here's what Maingear packed into my high-end loaner:

• AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D CPU
• NVIDIA RTX 5090 Founder's Edition (FE) GPU
• 32GB DDR5-6000MHz RAM
• 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
• TRYX Panorama SE AiO
• MSI Pro B850M-A WIFI PZ motherboard
• 1,250W MSI MAG A1250GL PSU
• Zero MK.II case

But you don't need to spend anywhere near $8,676 to get the Zero's signature design. Models start at $2,799, with the baseline configuration landing you the same Zero MK.II case, an Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus CPU, NVIDIA RTX 5070 FE GPU, 32GB DDR5-6000 RAM, 2TB SSD, and a 360mm AiO.

That starting price is more competitive than I expected. A comparable DIY build came to roughly $2,850 when I priced it out, putting it remarkably close to Maingear's $2,799 starting price. Component prices fluctuate, of course, but Maingear isn't asking for an enormous boutique-PC premium just to get the Zero's distinctive design and professional assembly.

Why is this Maingear PC called Zero?

Maingear's Zero steps away from the MG-1 with a more compact case. Rather than the MG-1's interchangeable front faceplate, panoramic glass extends from back to opposite front.

It's an immaculate look emphasized by customizable internal RGB lighting. I hate the look of exposed case LEDs, and this has none.

The case's foundational layout isn't too different from the average PC. Five slots on the back for expansion, dedicated spot for the PSU, side intake with three fans, AiO CPU cooler installed on top, and exhaust on the back.

Maingear makes good use of extra internal space towards the front. Leaving this open will interfere less with airflow, but it's designed to hold either a figurine stand or a "studded brick stand" for your custom LEGO creations.

I already use LEGO in my own PC to hold up my GPU, and I love this little Maingear addition.

At the front of the case, dual USB-A (5Gbps) ports, one USB-C (10Gbps), and a 3.5mm audio combo are present for quick hookups. I'd like to see faster connections here, but they ultimately get the job done as is.

The MSI motherboard in use offers much better I/O. There's USB4, tons of USB-A, and audio connections. The PC also has cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4; no worries about future-proofing there.

I also appreciate the way the case comes apart. The side and top panels are held in place with pressure points; you can pull them away without using any tools.

These panels have rather fine pinhole venting in all the right areas, and they seem to be doing a decent job of keeping out dust.

The panoramic glass panel is different. It's held in place with two screws, but once removed, you just grab two fabric pull tags to safely carry the glass. No more fingerprint smudges.

Yes, it requires a screwdriver to get into, but because of the reverse connectors, you should be spending a lot less time inside the front of the case.

One other thing I want to call out is the massive bottom air intake covering practically the entire case, PSU included.

Best part? It has a removable dust screen that makes cleaning a breeze. If you live with cats like me, this is a nice addition.

Exploring the Maingear Zero's pristine internal layout

Inside the Zero is where things really get interesting.

The only visible cabling runs to the RTX 5090 GPU, and that runs tight to the card. Exchange hoses run from the CPU to AiO cooler. That's it. For anyone who appreciates a minimalist approach, this is the ultimate design.

This rear connector fad hitting motherboards and cases lately was first patented as "MG-RC" by Maingear itself in 2011. It has taken a long time to get the recognition I think it deserves, but the industry seems to finally be coming around.

As far as I'm concerned, this is the best direction to take PC building. As you'll see below, this setup not only looks clean but also leaves air free to flow through the PC.

How is Maingear Zero's hidden cable management?

Upon removing the steel side panel, I'm greeted by just about the cleanest cable management I've seen in a prebuilt PC.

Because the cables plug straight into the back of the motherboard, they can all be channeled together much more tightly.

Like the MG-1, the Zero uses plastic zip ties to hold the majority in place. Maingear has designed a PC around accessibility and cleaner cable routing, but then uses disposable cable ties that make servicing those hidden cables less convenient.

Velcro/reusable straps would fit the philosophy of the Zero better.

The case has a second, lower compartment that hides the modular PSU. I've seen some real cable messes jammed into this space in some PCs; Maingear keeps everything clean and tidy.

Does Maingear's MG-1 keep cool with good airflow?

The Maingear Zero's Ryzen 7 9850X3D CPU and NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPU speak for themselves. This combination will run any game you want at high, smooth frame rates.

I grabbed some results from synthetic benchmarking software to help compare against other PCs we've tested.

There are no surprises in these results. The CPU and GPU are performing as expected, right out of the box, with no additional steps required. I just unpacked, plugged in, and turned on.

What I'm more interested in is how this PC handles heat from the high-end components. If it keeps cool with this level of hardware, there should not be any issues with the more affordable configurations.

I ran a 20-minute full-system stress test on the PC in a 21°C room. I made no changes to the stock fan curve that Maingear set up.

The PC got as loud as 50.5 decibels from about a foot away, and there was some coil whine to be heard, likely from the GPU. This is a common issue with NVIDIA's high-end GPUs.

Altogether, though, it runs fairly quietly, and there's lots of space for improvement if you don't mind adjusting fan curves.

The RTX 5090 never went above 80°C, remaining steady throughout the stress test. The CPU remained at a cool 62.5°C for most of the test, but I was less concerned thanks to the beefy AiO liquid cooler.

Best part? Performance was super steady over the course of the stress test. No big drops or spikes, which means you can game without worrying about what the system is doing.

That was ultimately my experience with the Maingear Zero. It's all set up when it arrives, sans any bloatware, and it games like it should right out of the box.

Should you buy the Maingear Zero?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You love a gaming PC with minimal visible cabling.

✅ You don't want to build your own rig and are OK with spending a bit more for the convenience.

✅ You want to be able to configure everything about your PC, right down to the cabling.

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You're looking for the most affordable gaming PC out there.

❌ You don't care about showcase aesthetics enough to pay for them.

The Zero feels like the clearest expression yet of what Maingear has been working toward with the MG-RC design (and I still recommend the MG-1). Moving the connections behind the motherboard doesn't just produce better photos; it makes the PC easier to admire, keeps the main chamber remarkably uncluttered, and does it without creating the thermal problems I was worried about.

Sure, there's room for improvement. The front I/O should be better at this price, and reusable cable straps would make servicing the beautifully hidden wiring less frustrating. My review unit also arrived with a loose fan connector that required some troubleshooting.

None of that changes my larger takeaway after living with the Zero. I've spent years looking through glass panels at increasingly powerful PC hardware surrounded by cables. After seeing how clean Maingear can make a high-end gaming PC without sacrificing cooling, performance, or practical access, I don't particularly want to go back.

Microsoft spent October testing a surprisingly useful collection of Windows 11 features, and after digging through the latest preview builds, I found several changes that could make a noticeable difference in how you use your PC.

Some address long-standing frustrations. Microsoft is finally experimenting with a customizable right-click menu, while the Start menu is getting more controls over its size and contents. Windows 11 can also run an internet speed test without kicking you into a browser, and traditional desktop apps are gaining more granular privacy controls.

There are smaller improvements worth knowing about, too, including phone controls in Quick Settings, smarter Windows Hello behavior in low light, accessibility improvements, and changes aimed at handheld gaming.

Microsoft tested these features across eight Windows 11 preview builds during the second half of October. I've gone through the changes and pulled out the ones I think actually matter.

Biggest improvements from the Windows Insider Program in October 2026

Let's dive into the most noteworthy changes since my last roundup.

Windows 11 finally lets you customize the context menu

Windows 11 build 26220.9757 introduces a redesigned context menu with new customization options that let you simplify the interface and control which commands appear when right-clicking files and folders.

The updated menu reduces clutter by moving additional app commands into a new "App extensions" submenu. This keeps the main menu focused on frequently used actions while providing access to extensions added by installed applications.

The new "Customize menu" option opens a dedicated page under Settings > Personalization, where you can control the menu's layout and available commands.

Under "File actions," you can choose which options appear directly in the main menu, including "Send to," "Print," "Create shortcut," "Copy as path," and "Rotate image." "Send to" and "Print" are also new additions to the modern context menu design.

The customization options extend to application integrations. You can choose whether the "App extensions" submenu appears in the main menu and select which application extensions remain directly accessible.

The new settings let you arrange primary commands, such as Cut and Paste, vertically instead of using the horizontal layout introduced with the modern design. You can also move "Properties" to the bottom of the menu to restore its familiar placement.

For those who prefer the classic experience, Windows 11 now lets you bring back the "Show more options" entry. You can also continue opening the traditional context menu by holding Shift while right-clicking a file or folder.

Internet speed test without a browser

Starting with build 26340.9767 in the Experimental channel for version 26H2, the Windows team is refreshing the "Speed test" feature with a native interface in the Quick Settings that allows you to test your internet connection without leaving the desktop.

If you recall, the feature isn't new, but the previous version was an option that opened Bing in the Microsoft Edge browser to perform a speed test with the online tool.

In the new design, the feature is still using the same Speed Test service in the backend, but the tests happen within the desktop experience.

You can also access the feature from the Wi-Fi or Cellular flyout, or by right-clicking the network icon and choosing the "Test internet speed" option.

The Start menu is finally getting more customization

As part of version 26H1, build 26220.9739 introduces new Start menu customization options, including the ability to choose a "Small," "Large," or "Automatic" layout under Settings > Personalization > Start, using the "Start menu size" option.

Microsoft also renames the "Recommended" section to "Recent" in both the Start menu and its Settings page.

In addition, users can now hide their name and profile picture from Start and independently show or hide the "Pinned," "Recent," and "All" sections using the redesigned Start settings page.

Windows 11 is giving you more control over desktop app permissions

In the "Privacy & security" section of the Settings app, the Windows team introduced per-app permissions for camera, microphone, and location access, giving users more control over the sensitive resources traditional desktop apps can use.

Now, inside the Camera, Microphone, or Location settings, users can view and allow or deny access for individual apps. Apps that have not previously accessed a resource will prompt for permission when they first request access.

The update preserves existing permissions, so previously allowed apps retain access and denied apps remain blocked. No action is required, and existing settings are not reset.

Enterprise policies continue to work as designed, although Microsoft is exploring additional management capabilities.

Also, most desktop apps appear with clear names, but some that rely on shared system components or browser-hosted experiences may appear under unexpected names.

Finally, apps with unverified publishers may appear as "Unsigned," so users should grant permissions only to applications they recognize and trust.

These changes for privacy are available with the release of build 26220.9739.

Finally, in build 28020.3262, the "Privacy & security" page gets an update that improves the organization of specific settings, including Camera, Microphone, and Location privacy controls.

Your phone controls are moving into Quick Settings

In Quick Settings, you'll also find a new "Mobile devices" flyout that lets you control your phone without interrupting your workflow.

If you're connecting a supported Android phone, you can check its battery, change the ringer, remotely play sound to find your phone, and enable Do Not Disturb.

This new interface is available starting with build 26340.9767 in the Experimental channel.

XBOX mode new Task View

Starting with builds 26340.9750 and 26220.9739, Windows 11 introduces an updated Task View interface when XBOX mode is enabled.

The new interface adds a navigation bar that gives quick access to "Exit to Desktop" and "Power Options" while using the gaming controller.

Feature flags are getting easier to manage

On the Feature flags page, you won't see major changes, but a new "Filter by" option lets you find and review components you can turn on or off in the installation.

Windows Hello can brighten your screen when it can't see you

Another worthy improvement can be found in Windows Hello. Starting with build 26340.9750, a new option lets the system automatically adjust screen brightness to provide more light and improve the authentication experience when using Windows Hello Facial recognition.

The feature is called "Automatically adjust screen brightness during face recognition" and is available in Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > Facial recognition (Windows Hello).

Magnifier improvements

In build 26220.9739, the development team released an updated version of the Magnifier experience to support independent zoom levels for each monitor in "Extend" mode (Settings > System > Display), preventing the magnified view from spilling across screens.

Users can set different zoom percentages for each display using the "Windows key + Plus (+)," "Windows key + Minus (-)," or "Ctrl + Alt + mouse wheel," adjust the percentages in Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier, or move the Magnifier toolbar to the screen they want to adjust.

Per-monitor zoom is enabled by default, but users can turn it off from the Magnifier toolbar or Settings to restore the traditional behavior of a single magnified view spanning all displays.

The update also introduces viewport locking, which keeps a monitor's magnified view in place while users move their pointer to another screen. This lets users reference content on one display while working on another without losing sight of the information.

The locked screen stays live and interactive, letting users click, read, or copy content while its view stays fixed. A notification indicates when a screen is locked. Users can lock or unlock an individual display by pointing to it and using the "Ctrl + Windows key + K" shortcut, customize the shortcut to "Ctrl + Alt + P" under Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier, or use the "Windows key + Esc" shortcut to release all locks.

In build 28120.3302, Microsoft adds a new contrast theme toggle to Magnifier to help reduce screen glare without changing the original colors of photos, videos, and charts. Users can enable a contrast theme directly from the Magnifier toolbar, with the dark theme applied by default. The preferred contrast theme can be selected under Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier.

Unlike color inversion, which changes colors across the screen, the new option adjusts the appearance while preserving the original colors of visual content. One last thing to note is that color inversion remains available as a separate feature.

Home Device Info card

In addition, build 26220.9739 added the Device Info Card on the Settings Home page to more markets.

The new card offers a quick overview of the device's key specifications and usage for users logged in with a Microsoft account. Clicking the link will open the "About" settings page.

Recovery improvements

Build 26220.9739 for version 26H1 also adds a new "Rebuild this PC" entry point for Cloud Rebuild under Settings > System > Recovery, making the feature easier to find and access directly from the Settings app.

Search experience declutter

The Windows team has also simplified the Search home interface to reduce visual clutter and make recent searches easier to access.

Search results now show clearer source indicators, helping users distinguish between apps, settings, files, web results, and Microsoft Store suggestions before opening them.

Finally, and perhaps more importantly, a new option under Settings > Privacy & security > Search also lets users choose whether web and Microsoft Store suggestions appear alongside local search results.

Although these improvements have been available in other builds, they became available for version 26H1 with the release of build 28020.3262.

Pointer Indicator accessibility feature

As part of the accessibility features in build 28020.3262, Microsoft introduced the Pointer Indicator to help users with low vision locate their mouse cursor more easily.

You can enable the feature under Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch. Once enabled, users can toggle "Pointer Indicator" on or off using the "Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + X" keyboard shortcut.

Live Captions improvements

In build 28020.3262, the Windows team also added a new "Include Screen Reader audio" setting for Live Captions.

The option is turned off by default, preventing Live Captions from transcribing audio from screen readers such as Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA.

This keeps captions focused on microphone and system audio unless you choose to include screen reader audio.

Microsoft 365 billing interface built in

In a continued effort to make it easier to take your money, Microsoft is building a new native interface that allows Microsoft 365 subscribers to turn on recurring billing without having to open their account details in a web browser.

Microsoft is testing this interface in build 26340.9767 through the Experimental channel.

Windows Central's Take

Microsoft is making some genuinely good decisions here. I'm particularly interested in the redesigned context menu, because giving users control over what appears when they right-click could finally address one of the most frustrating changes Microsoft introduced with Windows 11.

The new Start menu controls follow the same theme. Being able to resize Start, hide sections you don't use, and remove your profile information gives users more say over an interface Microsoft has kept surprisingly rigid. Per-app privacy permissions for traditional desktop applications are another meaningful improvement that Windows should arguably have offered much sooner.

Even the smaller additions make sense. I would rather run an internet speed test directly from Quick Settings than have Windows launch a browser, and automatically increasing screen brightness when Windows Hello needs help recognizing you is exactly the kind of subtle feature that can make Windows feel smarter without getting in the way.

I'm much less enthusiastic about Microsoft building a native interface for turning Microsoft 365 recurring billing back on. Windows 11 already spends plenty of time encouraging users to sign in, subscribe, or enable Microsoft services. I'd rather see Microsoft devote that attention to the unfinished and inconsistent parts of Windows itself.

Taken together, though, this is a promising batch of changes. The features I'm most excited about aren't flashy. They give users more control, remove unnecessary steps, and make familiar parts of Windows less frustrating to use. I want to see more of that.

Which of these Windows 11 changes would make the biggest difference on your PC? Let me know in the comments.

More resources

Explore more in-depth how-to guides, troubleshooting advice, and essential tips to get the most out of Windows 11 and 10. Start browsing here:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

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

Microsoft has explained why you cannot drag the new movable Taskbar on Windows 11, a feature that was present on Windows 10 but failed to make the move to Windows 11 when it gained the ability to move the Taskbar earlier this year.

Vice President of Design at Microsoft, Diego Baca, explains that the inability to drag the Taskbar to move it is a "deliberate design decision," confirming that such behavior will not be coming to Windows 11 any time soon.

"From our research, dragging the taskbar to reposition it can lead to accidental movements, which is one of the reasons “Lock the taskbar” existed in previous versions of Windows," Baca said. "We also found that changing the taskbar position isn’t something people do frequently."

Baca continues: "We felt that providing a discoverable setting, just one right-click away, was a more intentional and predictable experience. It’s a deliberate design decision, not a missing capability."

Microsoft is making it clear that the ability to drag and drop the Taskbar to move and resize it isn't coming to Windows 11, which I'm sure some long-time Windows users will be sad to hear. Baca says that most people don't move the Taskbar once they have placed it where they like, and so the ability to drag it to move it on the fly doesn't make much sense.

On Windows 10, moving the Taskbar was as simple as right-clicking it, unchecking "Lock the taskbar" and then dragging the Taskbar to your desired location. On Windows 11, it requires right-clicking the Taskbar, opening Windows Settings, then selecting your desired location within an app.

While not as straight forward as before, I agree that this method is tidier and reduces accidental movement that could sometimes occur when users unlocked the Taskbar on Windows 10 and forgot about it. You could also resize Windows 10's Taskbar by dragging the top of it, another feature that hasn't made the jump to Windows 11, likely for the same reasons.

It's good to see Microsoft being more open about why certain features aren't available on Windows 11. The company has made strides to be more transparent with fans and Insiders about design decisions and processes, and we love to see it.

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The official XBOX 25th anniversary is approaching fast, with November 15 flanked on both sides by plans for special hardware, celebratory merchandise, and a wave of themed cosmetics from Microsoft's gaming division.

It's almost hard to comprehend, given that I remember the much-anticipated launch of the original XBOX quite clearly.

But time marches on, and XBOX has proven it can iterate its hardware and innovate its experiences over the years.

So, in another mix of self-indulgent nostalgia and reflection on how far the technology has come, I'm looking back at how far performance has leaped across these console generations, from the original XBOX to the Series X and beyond.

XBOX (2001)

Microsoft's first console was comically gigantic and heavy, packed with parts that felt at home in a mid-to-high-tier desktop PC of the time. Its DVD drive sat alongside a 3.5-inch hard drive with 8–10 GB of space, connected via old-school IDE ribbon cables, and together they made up most of the heft. Some of my braver friends replaced their HDDs, requiring injected softmods to work.

Deeper inside, Intel provided a modified Pentium III x86 CPU built on a 180 nm process, which it has since scaled down incredibly far to the latest 18A process node used in its mainstream chips. Running at 733 MHz, the processor sat alongside 64 MB of DDR RAM (that's megabytes, not gigabytes) clocked at 200 MHz and an NVIDIA GeForce 3-based GPU at 233 MHz.

Looking back, it's fascinating how the OG XBOX resembled many of my friends' PCs at the time; we either paired Intel CPUs with NVIDIA GPUs or opted for AMD CPUs with ATI (later acquired by AMD) GPUs. It wasn't a permanent partnership for Microsoft, but it powered a compelling competitor to Sony's PlayStation 2, even if it remained out of reach for my teenage self.

XBOX 360 (2005)

Design-wise, this slim console was a far cry from its behemoth predecessor. Sure enough, the XBOX 360 made an instant impression on me and an even faster dent in my first self-earned paychecks. This time, Microsoft opted for a 64-bit PowerPC-based CPU design from IBM, moving further away from traditional PC architecture, with a massive clock speed jump to 3.2 GHz in its tri-core chip.

This leap to a multi-core processor makes direct clock speed comparisons a little moot, but it's still impressive to see how far the XBOX jumped in one generation. Its unified memory moved from DDR SDRAM to 512 MB of GDDR3 RAM clocked at 700 MHz for eight times more capacity and triple the bandwidth, and the GPU swapped teams to the ATI-designed 'Xenos' at 500 MHz.

Storage space is where it gets harder to define, because Microsoft offered so many different models, redesigns, and expandable add-ons. The earliest XBOX 360 consoles I saw ranged from selling with no hard drive at all to a 'Premium' model with a 20 GB HDD in the box. For game discs, Microsoft kept DVDs, but increased the read speed and moved to a SATA-connected, dual-layer disc drive.

XBOX One (2013)

Ah, the all-in-one entertainment unit. I bought into the XBOX ONE so eagerly because I wanted to play Quantum Break, but I was also intrigued by its appeal as a TV tuner with live programming snapped to the side of my screen. Of course, I'd never get the promised DVR function, and the Kinect 2.0 sensor did little more than collect dust, but the console still had its gaming appeal.

This is when Microsoft's consoles started resembling PCs again, with an octo-core AMD Jaguar CPU running x86-64 instructions, clocked at 1.75 GHz. It wasn't as mind-blowing as the XBOX 360's evolution, but the XBOX ONE came with 8GB of DDR3 RAM for a 16x generational memory capacity leap; all part of a new console that was generally easier for game developers to target.

This is also where Microsoft's modern AMD era began, building a GPU running at 853 MHz into its singular APU and delivering raw graphical compute performance about five times faster than the XBOX 360. Storage saw a huge jump to 500 GB to support game installations, and Microsoft finally adopted Blu-ray with a BD-ROM disc drive, but games were already going digital.

XBOX Series X (2020)

Yes, the current generation is almost six years old. We're once again entering an age of speculation about what comes next, but the XBOX Series X (and Series S) remain the brand's primary focus. There's even a transparent green 'Xbox Series X25' special edition console and controller launching in November, though I'm still quite satisfied with my original Series X|S variants.

The specs have more nuance these days, but the AMD octo-core Zen 2 CPU runs at 3.66 GHz, paired with an AMD RDNA 2 GPU at 1.82 GHz in another custom APU. For unified memory, Microsoft moved up to 16 GB of GDDR6 RAM, while storage starts with a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, depending on the model you choose. Proprietary external storage also returned this generation, up to 4 TB.

An Ultra HD Blu-ray drive was also standard at launch, but later 'All-Digital' models have dropped it, in keeping with an ongoing trend shift towards digital gaming. Some major releases are already launching without physical media, and it's reasonable to assume that the Series X could be Microsoft's last console to support them by default.

XBOX Project Helix (2028?)

So, what comes next? We already know that Project Helix will be "powered by a custom AMD SoC", much like the APUs in previous XBOX consoles, and that high-end visuals are a focus for the brand. Ray-tracing technology, in particular, delivers incredibly realistic lighting, reflections, and shadows, but it's demanding on any hardware, which is where AI comes in.

AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) upscaling tech is already making its way to current-gen XBOX consoles via FSR 4.1, and early testing with beta drivers on XBOX Ally handheld gaming PCs shows some promise for improved visual fidelity at the same performance. A new AI-assisted upscaler seems likely for the next XBOX, but it'll depend on what AMD can support with its hardware plans.

Of course, the utterly gigantic elephant in the room right now is the ongoing memory crisis. Shortages have pushed up the cost of components and completely removed some of the highest-end consumer GPUs from sale, as major brands like NVIDIA focus on hardware for large-scale artificial intelligence platforms instead. It'll likely be the most PC-like console yet, but at a severe cost.

Its literal cost will continue to be the most pressing prediction posed by long-serving XBOX gamers. Both of the Series X|S consoles already suffered a price hike, which has many wondering what they'll have to pay for the next-generation console. Is $1,000+ a realistic expectation, or can Microsoft pull some favors to offset the inflated manufacturing costs? Let's see what 2027 reveals.

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Over a week has passed since EA shut down BioWare and subsequently canceled the Mass Effect game, Mass Effect Universe.

This left many people grieving the loss of this legendary studio or motivated to start campaigns to save its iconic Mass Effect franchise through petitions, Fundraisers, and even raising a billboard in Times Square, New York.

People are debating furiously as to why EA decided to close BioWare's doors, whether it's due to EA going private after being bought by Saudi Arabia for $55 billion, or the declining quality of BioWare's games over the past decade.

Jason Schreier, a reporter from Bloomberg, offers his own take on why EA ended BioWare and canceled Mass Effect Universe — Star Wars. According to Jason Schreier's report, his sources claim one of the biggest reasons was that EA was presented with a deal by Walt Disney Cop's Lucasfilm to make a third Star Wars Battlefront game.

At the same time the deal was proposed, EA was facing financial pressure from the aforementioned Saudi Arabia buyout, which saddled the publisher with a $18 billion debt.

In this situation, EA decided to cancel development on the next Mass Effect so it could invest its money in Star Wars: Battlefront 3. Even though Star Wars: Battlefront 3 wasn't even in development when this deal was made, EA decided it would be a safer, more predictable bet than taking a risk with another Mass Effect, especially since EA always preferred shooters like Battlefield over RPGs.

Jason Schreier also mentioned in his report that other contributing factors in EA shutting down BioWare included:

• The poor reception of 2017's Mass Effect: Andromeda and 2019's Anthem.
• 2024's Dragon Age: The Veilguard missed sales expectations by 50%, which led to EA gutting and relocating BioWare's staff elsewhere within the company. By the time BioWare was shut down, only 50 employees were left.
• Possible corporate politics when EA shuffled its executive ranks over the summer. During this time, EA promoted EA Sports veterans David Tinson and Cam Weber, while sidelining Laura Miele, who ran EA’s studios and advocated for BioWare and Mass Effect.

The Bloomberg report claimed that an EA spokesperson, when asked about EA's decision to axe BioWare, said the company “collectively reached this decision following months of planning, review, and analysis, including careful consideration of evolving business conditions, industry dynamics, and our long-term priorities”

While the spokesperson didn't offer more specifics on that statement, they did say, “While this is never easy, we ultimately have to make tough decisions to focus our teams on the biggest opportunities for our future, including investing in new projects across our portfolio.”

How cruelly ironic that the studio who made one of Star Wars' best games, was ultimate ended because of Star Wars

Jason Schreier concluded his report stating that the deciding factor in BioWare's shutdown is the same factor that's causing big game companies to cull their staff by the thousands over the past three years.

"Game budgets have grown exponentially while sales have not, driving game companies to shift development outside of North America and focus only on their biggest franchises moving forward." Jason then added, "And Star Wars is bigger than most."

It's quite a sad, cruel irony that BioWare, the studio responsible for one of Star Wars' best games, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG, was eventually forsaken by EA for the movie franchise it helped support.

Personally, all we can hope for now is a miracle that somebody buys BioWare's original IPs like Mass Effect and Dragon Age to give them the love they deserve, or, failing that, we turn to new developers who aim to carry on BioWare's spirit with their titles, like Owlcat Games' The Expanse: Osiris Reborn.

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Square Enix has concluded its Final Fantasy XIV FanFest Japan event with another Keynote preview of Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold, the latest expansion for Final Fantasy's most popular MMORPG.

During it, it showed new gameplay info, trailers, and a new release date for the expansion. Instead of releasing in January 2027, Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold will now release on February 23, 2027, for PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Pre-orders for the expansion will go live on November 4, 2026, and anyone who pre-orders it will get early access to Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold on February 19, 2027.

Another major highlight from the Final Fantasy XIV FanFest Japan event is the reveal of a new player Job called Zephyr. This is a Ranged-DPS Class that peppers enemies from afar with a crossbow while calling forth a falcon companion to aid it in battle.

Other announcements include:

• A new teaser trailer for its upcoming 24-man Alliance Raid crossover with the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime franchise.
• A new difficulty tier for 8-Man Raids called "Fierce", which is designed to be the middle ground between "Normal" and "Savage" difficulties.
• New battle content called "Gauntlet of Power", which is a 4-player boss-rush dungeon.
• A closer look at Final Fantasy XIV's cast of characters, new areas, and dungeons.
• A preview of its branching narrative, which lets players tackle the Main Scenario Quests in different orders beyond a certain point in the story, with auto-scaling dungeons to accommodate it.
• NA/EU tests for Same-Region Player Matching will begin on November 10, 2026, and China's tests will begin on December 1, 2026.
• A preview of its Seasonal Gear/Raiding gear system, quality-of-life, and other miscellaneous features.
• A Collector’s Bundle Edition containing an art box, a Reaper Figure, an Ethos metel keychain, Köttr mini plush, a tapestry of the Fourth, an in-game Valhallar Odin Mount, an in-game Entreat Crystal Emote, and an in-game Bastion Weapon: the Crystal Skyltborg.

All this sounds cool, but where's the "Evolved" combat mode?

Final Fantasy XIV got me quite interested in the game again with its awesome-looking Bastion Tank Job. However, Square Enix still hasn't shown us Evercold's new "Evolved" Mode, which is being hyped to breathe new life into the MMORPG's combat system by changing the abilities and rotations of all Player Jobs.

In my opinion, this will be the ultimate deciding factor if I decide to play Final Fantasy XIV, because after playing World of Warcraft's much faster and more chaotic combat system, Final Fantasy XIV's combat feels slow and sluggish by comparison.

Here's hoping we get an actual deep dive of Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold's "Evolved" Mode soon before it launches next February; otherwise, I'm afraid I'll be skipping this expansion because I'm going to get burned as I did with Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail.

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You don't hate OpenAI and Sam Altman enough.

Sam Altman is among a variety of tech bros known for making absurd, often outright evil comments about the state of the world and the future of technology. The spectacularly tone-deaf and generationally ignorant Altman recently appeared on a podcast, Cheeky Pint (via Tom's Hardware) where he made some fresh comments about his hatred of consumer-owned compute.

"From a global allocation perspective, actually, it's quite terrible to have everybody have a bunch of the world's limited supply of DRAM sitting in their own computer and being used 5% of the time," Altman whined without a hint of irony. The supply is, of course, constrained because of Altman and his ilk, pushing generative AI platforms without so much of a whiff of realized benefits, either social or fiscal. Most AI companies are billions, if not trillions in debt, as none have actually delivered a business model that can seemingly make money.

"You want maximum utilization in the cloud if you're trying to deal with this very supply-constrained environment. And somehow many people's intuition is the opposite of that."

I wonder why people's intuition is the "opposite" of what Altman and his billionaire buddies want. What is this utter insanity?

Altman is rightfully getting dragged on social media, but this isn't the first time he's made comments like this.

Previously, Altman said that he hoped OpenAI would one day be able to effectively rent out compute "on a meter" like a utility, such as water or electricity. "We see a future where intelligence is a utility like electricity or water, and people buy it from us on a meter and use it for whatever they want to use it for."

It feeds a prevailing and genuinely worrying possibility that one day, tech companies like OpenAI, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, etc. could essentially monopolize compute, and rent it back to us in the form of subscription or ad-based cloud services. Everything from laptops, to video game consoles have become astronomically expensive in recent years because of fake money being used to inflate RAM prices for the "AI infrastructure build out."

Microsoft lamented the RAM supply issue when it shared its Xbox financials this week — the issue it and its buddies literally caused with this sprint to gen-AI products that have yet to prove themselves even vaguely worthwhile or cost effective.

RELATED: Jeff Bezos hopes you will rent your PC some day

For me, I would argue the issue is less that RAM is going into people's PlayStations, phones, Xboxs, PCs, etc, and more that 95% of the AI cloud inference is being spent on total bullshit like cat memes, next-level generative spam, LinkedIn Thought Leader™️ slop, and engagement-bait grift. Perhaps it's OpenAI that should be more thoughtful about how it allocates its resources (those resources generally being other people's money).

Wasn't this shit supposed to cure cancer and solve cold fusion? Maybe they just need more RAM.

These people are supposed to be smart man ... I can't even anymore.

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Windows 11 finally lets you move the taskbar, but Microsoft has not fully restored functionality lost when jumping from Windows 10 to Windows 11. To help bridge the gap, developer Michał Łeptuch created an app that makes it easier to move the taskbar.

The simply-named "Taskbar Location Options" lets you right-click and move the taskbar to the top, left, right, or bottom of your screen. Alternatively, you can simply click and drag the taskbar to any edge of your display once the app is installed.

The inability to move the taskbar was one of the most criticized taskbar regressions when Windows 11 launched in 2021. One of the most-requested pieces of feedback for years was restoring the ability to move the taskbar to the sides or top of a display.

Microsoft finally restored that functionality last month, but changing the location of the taskbar still requires opening Settings, navigating to Taskbar settings, and selecting a new position from a dropdown menu.

Łeptuch's app brings back the option to click and drag the taskbar. That feature was available on Windows 10 and previous versions of Windows. I always found it odd that Microsoft brought back the option to move the taskbar but buried it in the Settings app.

Dragging the taskbar is often faster, especially for users who frequently switch between desktop layouts or monitor configurations.

The installation process for Taskbar Location Options requires more steps than I'd like, but that should be smoothed out in the future. At the moment, you have to download a certificate, unblock the file, then run the file with PowerShell before installing the app.

The app's GitHub page includes a download link and a guide to install Taskbar Location Options.

Microsoft deserves credit for finally restoring the ability to move the taskbar, but the current implementation feels unnecessarily tucked away. Taskbar Location Options fills that gap by bringing back the quick drag-and-drop behavior Windows users enjoyed for years.

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Windows 11 and wallpapers go together like peanut butter and jelly. Many of our laptop reviews are met with comments asking about our wallpapers. Microsoft deals with the same fervor for images. I spent weeks trying to find the wallpaper shown off during the RTX Spark event.

Unfortunately, like the Jedi Archives, Microsoft's publicly shared collection of wallpapers is incomplete. The company has not shared that wallpaper from the RTX Spark event, but it has shared several images inspired by the Surface Laptop Ultra.

The official Microsoft Surface account shared a thread with a bunch of wallpapers. The collection includes an image that looks like an x-ray of the Surface Laptop Ultra, a rendering of the engineering to make that laptop, and some more abstract artwork inspired by the PC.

But one image immediately caught my eye. In the X post stating "It's all about the details," Microsoft shared an image of a grid of screws used in the Surface Laptop Ultra's construction.

As much as I love a good torque screw (side-eye at proprietary screws), that's not what drew my attention. What piqued my interest was that I first thought the image was the Galactic Senate from Star Wars. All it needs is a floating podium and an emergency powers vote.

It turns out I'm not the only person whose brain jumped straight to Coruscant. My X post has drawn several replies and messages from people who saw the same thing.

I was tempted to make the headline of this piece something along the lines of "So this is how liberty dies, with glorious wallpapers," but I figured some people would not know the meme and assume I'm being negative.

For those who don't know, a famous scene from Star Wars Episode III sees Padmé Amidala watch the Senate cheer the rise of the Galactic Empire, prompting her famous line, "So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause."

In that scene, you'll see the senate chambers that Microsoft's new wallpaper resembles.

Star Wars jokes aside, the best way to download any of these wallpapers is to use the "Load in 4K" option on X. To do this, press and hold the image to bring up the share menu, then select "Load in 4K." This worked for me on iOS and I believe it's available on Android. As far as I can tell it is not an option on Windows or the web, so you'll have to grab the wallpaper from your phone and send it to your PC.

I quite enjoy the wallpapers shared by Microsoft and hope the company continues to release these types of images.

If you're similarly enthusiastic about the background of your desktop, you should check out the Microsoft Design website.

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One of the lesser-appreciated aspects of Xbox Game Pass is Xbox Free Play Days, a feature that allows players to enjoy a select number of games for a brief period of time.

The selection of Free Play Days' games changes frequently, and this week's Xbox titles mostly fall in line with the spooky season of Halloween — WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, Dead by Daylight, Darkwood, Spirttea, and Everspace 2 (the latter two of which are playable on console and PC).

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, Dead by Daylight, Darkwood, and Everspace 2 will be free to play for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential members between October 29, 2026 to November 1, 2026.

Dead by Daylight will be free to play for all Xbox players (no Xbox Game Pass plan required) between October 28, 2026, and November 2, 2026.

A fallen Soulslike and an unkillable multiplayer horror game are on the menu for this year's Halloween

Among the biggest titles of this line-up are WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers and Dead by Daylight.

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is an action-RPG Soulslike where you play as the titular pirate warrior, traveling the monster-infested lands of Shu to cure a horrific disease that's slowly turning you into an abomination.

My colleague, Jez Corden, gave WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers a highly positive review for its brutal yet satisfying combat, superb level design, and beautiful visuals. However, its difficulty and story were tarnished by harsh censorship, which can only be bypassed by fan-made mods on PC.

Dead by Daylight is a popular asymmetrical multiplayer horror game where four players must survive the night before a player-controlled slasher villain murders them all in brutal, horror-movie fashion.

The game was released in 2016, and it is still active to this day, with tens of thousands of people playing it and constantly adding new playable Survivors and Killers. Dead by Daylight has even added playable characters from other franchises like Diablo, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Stranger Things, Friday the 13th, Alien, Alan Wake, Nightmare on Elm Street, and many more.

To round up the horror titles is Darkwood, a top-down indie horror game where you must explore the titular forest to uncover its secrets whilst making gut-wrenching choices that may condemn human lives.

Of course, if you don't fancy being terrified this Halloween, you can always chill out with the cozy bathhouse simulator Spirittea or explore the universe while gunning down space pirates in the single-player space shooter, Everspace 2.

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The Steam Deck is quite the success story, at least for Valve, and having used one (and bought one for my sister last Christmas), I can totally see why. It genuinely is a great bit of kit; granted, the price hike is a shame, but that's just how the industry is right now. Despite its success, I have always preferred Xbox, and despite my issues with the Xbox Ally, I still prefer it over the Steam Deck.

One thing the Steam Deck definitely does better, though, is the user experience. Jez Corden recently spoke about how the Xbox Ally and Ally X were in his re-review, and pointed out how Windows 11 still needed work for handhelds.

I personally opt for other launchers over the Xbox App, like Winhanced, but what I have always truly wanted was the Xbox Series dashboard, or heck, even the old Metro dashboard, just on a handheld. Well, we got one of those things on the Steam Deck thanks to an all-new plugin by kromossomom.

The plugin, which can be found on GitHub, turns your Steam Deck into a complete Xbox Series-style dashboard, and it is really impressive and pretty feature-rich. Quick disclaimer, though: Claude AI was used to help with development, but pretty much everything is now, so let’s move on to the features.

The Xbox Series dashboard looks right at home on Steam Deck

Decky Xbox Dashboard replaces Steam’s Home interface with the Xbox Series dashboard. You can use LB/RB to move between tabs, which include My games & apps, Store, Community, and System. You can also visit a game’s page when hovering over it and pressing Y to view the game’s compatibility, achievements, and more.

To install Decky Xbox Dashboard, you can follow these steps:

1. Follow our guide on getting Decky Loader installed on your Steam Deck.
2. Once installed, download the zip file from the Decky Xbox Dashboard GitHub repository.
3. On your Steam Deck, open Quick Access -> go to Decky -> then go to Settings and select General. Make sure Developer Mode is turned on.
4. Within Developer settings, select Install plugin from ZIP, and pick your downloaded Decky Xbox Dashboard ZIP file.

I wish I could just install this on my Xbox Ally X. As much as I like Winhanced, which I currently use, I want the simplicity of a console in the palm of my hands. That is something the Xbox App and third-party launchers have never truly offered in my experience.

Let me know your thoughts. Is this cool? Would you install it? Do you wish it was available on a Windows handheld, or is it more of a novelty?

Make sure to leave a comment down below, and be sure to take part in our poll too!

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Microsoft has announced (via Xbox Wire) that Metro Redux has received a next-gen update on Xbox consoles along with Xbox Play Anywhere support.

This means that Metro Redux will be able to take full advantage of the Xbox Series X's hardware to run at 4K resolution at 60 FPS with improved graphics or at standard resolution at 120 FPS for smoother gameplay responsiveness.

Additionally, this Next-Gen update has TSR Upscaling and Anti-Aliasing to make each game's visual fidelity much sharper and more detailed.

With Xbox Play Anywhere, you will be able to own Metro Redux on a Windows PC by buying the Xbox version, and vice versa.

Plus, you will be able to play this game on handhelds like the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, and continue your progress on any other compatible platform within the Xbox ecosystem.

For those unaware, Metro is a series of first-person shooters set in a post-apocalyptic future where you are struggling to survive in the Moscow underground filled with raiders, mutants, and other horrifying threats to the last scraps of humanity.

I never played this series myself, but my colleague, Jez Corden, is a huge fan of the series. Jez gave Metro Exodus a high 4.5 review score for its intriguing storyline and character writing, satisfying open-world survival gameplay, and excellent level design.

With Metro Redux's Next-Gen update, this will provide newcomers like me and long-time fans like Jez the perfect excuse to revisit the beginnings of this critically acclaimed series before its next entry, Metro 2039, drops on February 4, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

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Motorcycle racing games have been around for decades, but where four-wheeled titles have had support from wheel and pedal (and beyond) setups, bikes haven't seen the same support.

That's starting to change, though. At two SimRacing Expo events this year in Charlotte and Frankfurt that I've been to, both had interesting new products on display for bike fans.

The latest I got to take a look at is from Moza Racing, a brand we're already very familiar with for its excellent racing and truck simulator wheels. There's now an officially licensed MotoGP simulator designed to mimic a race bike's handlebars, and it can be used with existing Moza wheelbases. You don't need to have an actual bike simulator setup to use it.

The MotoGP collaboration is more than just a badge, too. It's been designed to closely follow MotoGP proportions and design.

I've checked out Trak Racer's full motorcycle simulator already this year, and while it's an incredibly impressive product, you need an immense amount of space (and a fairly large budget) to use it.

By contrast, Moza's can be used hooked up to your desk. It does work with dedicated motorcycle sim setups, but the beauty of it is that it's not required. You just need a wheelbase. Since it's a bike, you don't need pedals underneath you.

The handlebars are completely adjustable, so you're able to locate the throttle, clutch, and brake, exactly where it's most comfortable for you. The buttons on both sides are easily reachable without having to take your hand off the handlebars, and there's a D-Pad in the center for navigating menus and other such things you would do while you're not racing.

The whole thing is made of a magnesium alloy, so it's durable but also lightweight. The clutch and brake feature Hall Effect sensors, so they're accurate and will also stand the test of time. You're even able to swap out the brake and clutch with "compatible real motorbike components," which is remarkable. Score one for added realism.

Admittedly I haven't been able to actually try it out; the unit I saw wasn't hooked up to an active wheelbase. But the thing I was most curious about is how you actually use it, because, unlike cars, motorcycle racers lean into corners rather than simply use steering alone. So how does that work?

Moza's system allows for two methods of input. The handlebars can be set up as such that you can use either Direct Lean Mode or Countersteering Mode for an immersive experience. This will also help in future games that are less focused on track racing bikes, giving you the flexibility to ride all kinds.

There are a few games already out with full support, not least MotoGP 26, which has full force feedback built in, but there are more in development.

I'll be the first to admit that I am hopeless at the MotoGP games. I love watching the real thing, but I've never ridden a motorcycle, and I struggle with the virtual ones, too. But I'm really excited to see this is a space getting more attention. The more people that can enjoy this hobby, the better.

Sim racing as a whole is a category that continues to explode, and frankly, our two-wheeled friends deserve as much attention as four-wheeled racing. It's hoped that Moza will have it on sale by the end of the year, but there's no pricing information at this time.

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World of Warcraft: Forever looks to take players to the simpler days of World of Warcraft "vanilla-era" but reimagined with new quests, new race+class combos, improved atmospheric graphics, and compatibility with Xbox controllers and Xbox Ally handhelds.

That last new gameplay addition has got people speculating if Blizzard Entertainment is preparing to port its iconic MMORPG onto Xbox consoles, especially as rumored classifications of its existence have been appearing lately.

GamesRadar+ set out to answer this question during a lengthy interview with Blizzard Entertainment's Vice President, Holly Longdale, and its associate production director, Clay Stone, by asking them, "Is World of Warcraft: Forever launching as a PC-exclusive a missed opportunity?"

Holly Longdale responded to this question by saying, "What you just described is really what we're after. Play it wherever you want and, at some point, on whatever you want. But the first leg of that journey is getting gamepads working really well with World of Warcraft, and we thought Forever was the perfect place to start. Looking at where things are going when we hear about Project Helix et cetera, I think platforms will be a bit more ubiquitous," Holly continues, "Honestly, we just want to be able to play it anywhere. We've seen people getting it working on the ROG Ally X…"

Holly then finished the interview with, "I think just doing some of the work we're doing on gamepad [support] is going to give players a lot of flexibility that I think goes beyond consoles."

Is a console port of World of Warcraft possible this late into it's lifetime?

Now, this is pure speculation on my part, as nothing about what Blizzard said during the interview confirms the existence of an Xbox port, but I do find Holly's statement of "Play it wherever you want and, at some point, on whatever you want," while name-dropping Project Helix and the ROG Ally X, curious.

Could Holly's quote be a subtle reference to Xbox Play Anywhere? Could it be a cryptic hint that Blizzard Entertainment plans to port World of Warcraft to whatever console Project Helix turns out to be, with Xbox Play Anywhere support so it can be played on handhelds?

Considering that Project Helix is reported to be an Xbox-PC hybrid potentially capable of playing games from other online stores beyond Microsoft's Windows Store, it might be possible.

Either way, we'll have to wait a long time to find out. After all, if Final Fantasy 14 managed to get an Xbox port after over a decade, I believe World of Warcraft should be able to do the same.

In the meantime, I'll be playing World of Warcraft: Forever to see if it can wash the sour taste of World of Warcraft: Midnight's rushed patch content, weak storytelling, and controversial housing situation out of my mouth.

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Browsing the web without an ad blocker is a brave adventure, especially on the mobile web. That's a big reason why I opted for Microsoft Edge and its built-in blocker on Android so many years ago; I just wanted to read articles in peace. Then again, it's sometimes an experience that's forced upon me when certain pages manage to bypass my ad blockers.

Of course, there are plenty of other browsers to choose from. Almost too many. But I'm not in a position to migrate my bookmarks, history, and logins to yet another Chromium clone just to escape overbearing ads for a while. That's why I've been leaning more on Reading Mode for the past few months or so, and it's a mostly flawless experience.

Reading Mode isn't new, but underappreciated

Microsoft Edge switches into Reading Mode for compatible articles with a single press of the F9 key, while Google Chrome needs a slightly more involved Alt+Shift+R shortcut. Alternatively, a tiny 'page' icon appears in the address bar on desktop browsers, while the Android app uses an 'open book' equivalent and activates the same thing.

Inside, I can toggle a few customization options, like text size, paragraph width, and color themes for the entire page that go further than a simple light or dark mode. A sepia-toned background might be easier on the eyes for some, and overriding the font to serif (or sans-serif) also helps some users read dense text faster. It's designed as an accessibility feature, but it helps in other ways.

The only downside is that, occasionally, some articles are inexplicably incompatible with Reading Mode, and it doesn't work as the icon disappears completely. It's usually specific to a certain website or outlet, which is even more confusing when they're often geared toward written content. I could probably solve it with another browser plugin, but I'd sooner look for a better ad blocker.

It isn't perfect either, but it's better than ads

It's a small change, but switching to Reading Mode on the regular has made the mobile web (and sometimes the desktop web) feel less cluttered and, for the most part, less annoying. Admittedly, there are still times when it goes a little haywire, blowing up tiny .svg icons into full-page eyesores, but, again, it's better than ads that follow me down the page.

There's nothing magical or groundbreaking about it, and no implication that I struck gold on finding some hidden feature. Instead, it feels more like one of those "Huh, I should have been using this for years" kinds of moments. I already contribute to brands that I care about the most through various memberships, but for the rest of the time, I don't want to be bothered with ads.

"Yet you display ads on your website. Curious!"

Indeed, but you also control your own devices, and what you see generally depends on your choices. Advertising can work when it's done well, and we request ads relevant to our content, even if that doesn't always work out. In that, I'll generally only switch to Reading Mode once I've landed on a (usually long-form) article, to keep distractions to a minimum.

Ultimately, I'd much rather read some creative writing and human-driven opinions over an AI summary, and Reading Mode is proving to be the best way to do it. Again, I could consider an even better plugin as a replacement, but so far, I've been quite happy with this setup for now. Hopefully, Microsoft won't mess with it (or remove it entirely) on mobile.

Maybe you've found an even better solution? Perhaps an extension that has a little more determination to work on absolutely any article? I'm open to suggestions. Let me know in the comments if you have a setup that works for you, or what you think about reading articles on the mobile web in general. We'll always forward any feedback on our ads to the right people, too. We hear you.

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On my recent jaunt to the SimRacing Expo in Frankfurt I got to play with a lot of incredible tech, but nothing like this. The ImSim Porsche Raceborn is designed in collaboration with the legendary German automaker, so it definitely looks the part.

The idea was not to simply slap some Porsche branding on one of ImSim's existing simulators but instead to create a bespoke product with a tailor-made look and feel. The level of detail is extraordinary, right down to the carpet.

Yes, the Raceborn has genuine Porsche carpet. Just as it has Porsche lights on the front and a lit-up, true-to-life Porsche logo on the rear. Does your expensive racing sim need lights and a carpet? Of course not. But in this case it's part of the experience.

You can even choose the color of the 'paintwork' and custom liveries if you've got the budget.

An all-in-one racing sim with integrated gaming PC

Speaking of, the one I tried at the event had a price tag quoted as €70,000 (approx. $78,000). Yeah, it's very expensive. But it's also not a product with a consumer target, not even the keenest of sim racers. Given how expensive even an RTX 5090 is these days, the PC alone will account for a decent chunk of it.

It is a perfect example of how far sim racing technology has advanced in recent years, though. The Raceborn is a complete system that can integrate a high-end gaming PC, ultrawide display, motion platform, haptics, and even active seatbelts. Yes, those are a thing now. And obviously, your choice of wheelbase and wheel.

The display and its mounting also deserve shouting out. It's integrated into the Raceborn unit, but it doesn't move. As the simulator's motion platform operates, the display remains perfectly still. What this also means is that if you'd prefer a three-monitor setup over the ultrawide I experienced, you can have just that. Or you can have VR if you wish. The entire product can be built as you wish.

The haptics are provided by a quartet of ButtKicker transducers, one for each wheel on the car. Each operates individually and has their respective vibrations isolated from the others. Paired with telemetry from the simulator, these are able to reproduce incredibly accurately what's happening with the tires and communicate the overall feeling of the car back to the driver.

So, what's it like to actually use? Honestly, it's the sort of experience I find hard to put into words. Just as in real life, when I've driven supercars on a track, knowing I'll never have the budget to own one. The same applies here. I thought for a second about taking my shoes off; the carpet looks so nice.

It is truly a magical thing to experience, though. The craftsmanship is sublime, and it feels like a Porsche product. The Raceborn at the SimRacing Expo was, naturally, top-spec, with a 21 nm wheelbase. The PC specs were undisclosed, but as with everything else, they can be customized to a customer's demands.

It FEELS like driving a car, not a video game

I've tried motion platforms before, and my feelings vary. Sometimes it feels like a roller coaster, but not the Raceborn. The motion platform is quite subtle but effective, and paired with the haptic feedback, the sensation of driving a car is very much there. It feels alive. The seatbelts even pull you in. The feedback is incredible.

One issue I've always had at home with titles such as iRacing is that because I only have feedback through the wheel, I'm constantly thinking, constantly trying to decipher how I think the car is behaving. On a setup like the Raceborn you don't have to think. Like driving a real car, you just instantly understand how much grip you have, whether you're starting to slide or whether someone just rear-ended you.

It's a gold-standard example of how sim racing is no longer just playing a racing game with a wheel and pedals. The hardware and software out there nowadays can put an extremely lifelike experience into anyone's hands. Sure, it all comes at a cost, but I can promise you that even a basic sim setup with haptics is cheaper than going racing in the real world.

As for the Raceborn, it's disappointing to know I'll never be in a position to own something that brilliant (though always holding out hope for a cheeky lottery win). Sure, rich people who buy Porsches will buy them, but I also see a different possible outcome.

For one, this is an exceptional marketing tool for Porsche. Why wouldn't a dealership or something like the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone get in one or two of these? While you wait for your service, hop on the sim, and drive the 963 prototype racer round Le Mans?

Something like this also opens up the possibility of giving actual racing drivers access to a world-class simulator without having to go to the factory. I've toured an F1 factory before, and their simulators take up an entire and large room. The technology is now getting to a point that drivers can get most of the experience from their own homes.

The ImSim Porsche Raceborn is a mindblowing product from every possible angle. The design and attention to detail, the quality of the driving experience, and the fact that it's a complete PC setup and I could barely even spot a cable. What a magical thing it is.

A final note too: The SimRacing Expo will be returning to Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 21 - 23, 2027. So if you're in the States and want to check out some of the latest and greatest virtual racing gear, I highly recommend a visit. The added bonus is it happens right next door to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

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Microsoft Edge will soon launch faster on Windows 11 by using a feature no other browser has, at least for now. Accelerated app launch is a new feature on Windows 11 that streamlines the process of launching an app.

In the case of Edge, the browser sees a 15 percent launch speed improvement because of the feature. If you're multitasking heavily on your PC, the app could launch up to 33 percent faster.

The version of Edge with accelerated app launch support ships with the October 2026 non-security update for Windows 11. That update, known as KB5127936, is available now as an optional release. It also includes the updated context menu as well as Cloud Rebuild.

Accelerated app launch requires both the app and Windows 11 to work together. Since Edge is the built-in browser on Windows 11, it should come as no surprise that Microsoft first shipped the feature to Edge.

Without accelerated app launch, clicking a link to open Edge requires Windows to determine whether Edge is already running. Doing so requires Windows to start an intermediary process that looks around for an instance of Edge. Microsoft explains that you probably won't notice sluggishness during this process on a freshly booted PC, but that you can notice things slow down when multitasking.

Accelerated app launch sends a registration request to Windows when the browser is launched initially. Windows can then find that registration quickly the next time you launch Edge through a link.

Because of how the feature works, you'll only see those launch speed improvements after Edge has already been opened and is running in the background.

The feature works in the Start menu, Taskbar, and supported links that open in Edge by default.

Not a selling point for Microsoft Edge

Support for accelerated app launch is a nice addition to Edge, but it won't be a feature that convinces people to switch browsers. Microsoft is contributing its work related to the feature to Chromium, so other Chromium-based browsers can benefit from accelerated app launches on Windows.

As far as I can tell, there's nothing stopping non-Chromium browsers from doing the same thing, it would just require more work.

Microsoft is also working on opening PDF files using the feature.

So rather than an exclusive feature for Edge, accelerated app launch will help improve the overall Windows 11 experience by reducing how long it takes to open apps.

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Slitherine Ltd. is celebrating Games Workshop's upcoming Warhammer Day event by announcing all kinds of new updates for its turn-based strategy game, Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector.

First off, it will receive Xbox Play Anywhere support on October 29, 2026 (which is today), along with a free 5-Year Anniversary update that will add a new Skirmish map, expanded T’au and Ultramarine weapon options, and major balance changes to the Tyranid faction.

Additionally, Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector will be receiving a new story campaign on December 14, 2026, titled "Courage & Catastrophe", which will add 13 missions that take place on the mining world of Foran Prime. This update will also add three units for a new playable faction that's yet to be revealed.

With Xbox Play Anywhere, I think it's time I revisited this gem of a Warhammer 40K game

I reviewed Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector when it first launched in 2021 on PC and found it to be a delightful game with addictive turn-based tactical gameplay, a sweet photo mode, wide customization options, and a meaty single-player campaign despite only having two playable factions (Blood Angel Space Marines and Tyranids) at launch.

Five years later, Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector has expanded greatly on its solid foundation with tons of new game modes, playable factions, balance changes, a campaign editor, and now Xbox Play Anywhere.

With Xbox Play Anywhere, I can now play Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector on any compatible platform within the Xbox ecosystem (both console and PC), carry over my progression on multiple platforms, and secure a digital license to play the Windows PC version for free just by buying the Xbox version, and vice versa.

With all these updates, I think it's time I replayed Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector to see how much it's improved since I played it. It and Warhammer Survivors will certainly make good time killers as I wait for Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy and the final DLC expansion of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.

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Apple has finally made a touchscreen MacBook Pro, and you know what? Good.

I’ve been using touchscreen Windows laptops for well over a decade. Microsoft made touch central to Windows with Windows 8 in 2012, and PC makers have spent the years since experimenting with convertibles, detachable keyboards, pens, dual-screen PCs, foldable displays, and nearly every combination of those ideas imaginable.

Now Apple has decided touch belongs on a Mac, too.

There’s an obvious temptation here to point and laugh, particularly given how long Apple spent telling everyone that touchscreen laptops were a bad idea. But I don’t think Apple adopting touch in 2026 is really the problem. Technology improves. Consumer behavior changes. Companies reconsider old assumptions. Ideas that didn't make sense 15 years ago can make considerably more sense today.

Companies should be allowed to change their minds. In fact, I wish more of them would.

What bothers me is the corporate absolutism that so often comes before the reversal, and how readily consumers absorb those talking points and repeat them as though they were established technological truths.

Your favorite company is not your friend

Steve Jobs didn't merely say that Apple wasn't interested in making a touchscreen Mac. In 2010, he argued that vertical touch surfaces were “ergonomically terrible” and that after using one for an extended period, “your arm wants to fall off.”

Apple continued defending that philosophy long after Jobs. Craig Federighi argued that reaching up to touch a screen was fatiguing, while John Ternus explained Apple's position in 2021 by saying the iPad was optimized for touch and the Mac for indirect input.

And now we have a touchscreen MacBook Pro.

Apparently, our arms have recovered.

But there was never anything inherently ridiculous about occasionally touching your laptop screen! You don't use a touchscreen PC by spending eight hours with your arm suspended in front of you like you're directing traffic. You type. You use the touchpad. You use a mouse. And sometimes a button is sitting right there on the screen, so you reach up and tap it.

That's it. Nobody needed a grand philosophical argument for why that was useful.

Microsoft certainly got plenty wrong with Windows 8, especially its attempt to aggressively redesign a desktop operating system around touch. But the underlying idea that a computer could accommodate a keyboard, mouse, pen and your fingers was perfectly reasonable. Windows laptop makers proved that years ago.

Yet because Apple didn't want to make that computer, the company's decision somehow became evidence among some of its most devoted followers that these computers shouldn't exist at all.

That's the part I think is worth remembering.

We've watched this happen before

And touch isn't an isolated example.

When Microsoft was trying to blur the line between tablets and PCs with Surface, Tim Cook famously compared converging products to combining a toaster and a refrigerator. Years later, Apple built the iPad Pro and paired it with increasingly sophisticated keyboard and trackpad accessories. The implementation is Apple's own, but the supposedly absurd idea of a tablet increasingly behaving like a laptop doesn't seem quite so absurd anymore.

I've seen the same attitude around foldables and devices like Surface Duo. Years ago, I found myself explaining to Apple fans, practically like children, why someone might find value in a large display that folds into something much smaller and more pocketable. The response inevitably centered on all the reasons folding phones were unnecessary, compromised, gimmicky, or "solving a problem that didn't exist" (the line always used by people with no imagination).

Now Apple is making foldable devices too.

And again, good. I want Apple to make these products. Competition drives improvement, and Apple entering a category can push everyone else forward. I recently discussed on Schwab Network (above) how strategically important the iPhone Duo is, and its growing pains—or whether it’s the perfect $2,000 phone—are less of a concern in the long term.

This isn't an admonishment of Apple for adopting ideas that competitors got to first. It's an admonishment of the corporate theater that often precedes those reversals, and especially of consumers who willingly participate in it.

Stop turning corporate PR into your personality

Every technology company does some version of this. Microsoft does it. Google does it. Samsung does it. Apple does it.

I've interviewed enough executives over the years to know the standard response when you ask why a product doesn't have some particular piece of technology. You usually get something along the lines of: We're watching the technology, we're talking to our customers, and when we think the experience is right, we'll consider it.

That's corporate PR, but it's also a perfectly respectable answer.

What companies shouldn't do, and what consumers absolutely shouldn't help them do, is transform today's product limitation into some grand design philosophy explaining why the missing technology is actually stupid.

(Anyone else remember Apple not making large iPhones because your thumb couldn't reach across the screen? yeaaahh...)

Companies have roadmaps. They have price targets, manufacturing constraints, engineering limitations, internal politics, and products they aren't ready to announce. Sometimes they haven't figured something out yet. Sometimes a competitor simply got there first.

And sometimes they're just wrong. Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, and Craig Federighi were wrong. And it wasn't the tech that changed; it was the opinion.

Consumers and the technology press shouldn't turn those temporary business realities into articles of faith.

Apple is particularly good at controlling the language around its products, which makes resisting this tendency even more important. When Apple doesn't offer something, there's often an impulse among its most ardent supporters to rationalize the omission and explain why nobody really needs it anyway.

Then Apple ships it, and suddenly it's useful.

That's why the lesson of the touchscreen MacBook Pro isn't that Apple lost, and Windows won. Frankly, that kind of platform-war thinking is just another version of the same problem.

The lesson is much simpler: stop putting corporations on pedestals.

You don't work for these companies. You don't owe them ideological consistency. Buy the products you like. Praise them when they're good. Criticize them when they're bad. And when an executive explains why a technology their competitors already offer is unnecessary, ridiculous, inelegant, or something customers don't want, maybe don't adopt that argument as part of your identity.

Because a few years from now, they may be standing onstage trying to sell it to you.

And when that happens, changing their mind is perfectly fine. Pretending they never told you otherwise is something else entirely.

But tell me, am I wrong or missing something? What do you think about Apple suddenly being interested in foldables and touchscreen laptops in 2026? Let me know in the comments.

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When I was a child my dad's office shelf was filled with plastic toys from McDonald's that I played with. Some of those sat there for years as a reminder of short stops on vacations for lunch. Since those days over three decades ago, McDonald's toys have evolved.

Rather than a heavy plastic Grimace or another colorful mascot, McDonald's food now comes with computer accessories. That is, if you're in China.

McDonald's China teamed up with Lenovo to create a wireless mouse that looks like a carton of McDonald's fries. Apart from looking like a fast food item, the mouse is rather unassuming. It features two buttons and a scroll wheel. It charges through USB-C, which is standard for mice these days.

McDonald's mice are made from around 60% recycled materials. Specifically, old Happy Meal toys were used.

The mouse comes with a carrying case that turns into a mousepad when you open it up, which is a clever design.

Unfortunately for myself and anyone else hoping to get their hands on one of the mice, McDonald's held a very limited run for the accessory. Only 4,000 units were made, and they were sold over a single weekend for roughly $14. There's also the geographic limitation of the fry mice only being made available in China.

My love of McDonald's is well documented. My Microsoft profile photo is me holding a Happy Meal. Call it a guilty pleasure or an occasional treat, I love a box of McNuggets or a taste of a limited-time item at McDonald's.

I often find excuses to review McDonald's food that is connected to Microsoft in some way, such as the Moa McNuggets inspired by Halo and the Minecraft Nether Flame Sauce.

If they ever launch a similar device in America, some of the mice may be made out of my old toys.

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A new feature called Cloud Rebuild allows you to perform a full system reinstall for your Windows 11 PC without USB media or a custom image. The feature can even work without relying on the integrity of the currently installed operating system.

Cloud Rebuild downloads Windows and your device drivers, allowing for a seamless install.

The new feature is available through the latest non-security feature update for Windows 11, which is known as KB5127936. That update is available as an optional release. The feature should make its way to everyone relatively soon.

Windows 11 already included a Cloud Download recovery option, but Cloud Rebuild goes further by downloading both Windows and device drivers from Windows Update and by not relying on the integrity of the existing installation. Cloud Rebuild allows you to reinstall Windows 11 on a device that is unbootable.

Since Cloud Rebuild performs a full system reinstall, you should have all of your important files backed up before using it if at all possible. You also need to have your PC connected to the internet and plugged in to a power source while Cloud Rebuild runs.

For some users, Cloud Rebuild could eliminate the need to create recovery USB drives ahead of time, since Windows can now download the operating system and required drivers directly from Microsoft's servers when disaster strikes.

We've known about this feature for several months and have looked forward to its release. Our Mauro Huculak explained why Cloud Rebuild is one of the most important new features to Windows 11. Now, the feature is available through an optional release and will ship to even more people in the near future.

Because Cloud Rebuild is part of a gradual release, you may not see it right away. Going into the Windows 11 Settings app and enabling the toggle for "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" will help you get the feature quicker, but does not guarantee you'll receive it right away.

Here's how Microsoft describes Cloud Rebuild in its release notes. You can also read more about the feature in Microsoft documentation.

Cloud Rebuild

• New! This update introduces Cloud rebuild, a new recovery option that reinstalls Windows 11 using a Windows image and device drivers downloaded from Windows Update, including when Windows is unable to start. No USB media or custom image is required. Cloud rebuild includes:
  • Drive sanitization: Choose to remove your files or securely erase data using the storage hardware’s erase capability before Windows is reinstalled. Sanitization is irreversible.
  • Remote management: IT administrators can configure and start a Cloud rebuild remotely through the Recovery CSP using either the currently installed build or a specified target build.
• To start Cloud rebuild:
  • In Windows, go to Settings > System > Recovery, and then select Rebuild PC. The device restarts into the Windows Recovery Environment and starts Cloud rebuild.
  • Alternatively, if Windows can't start, the device enters the Windows Recovery Environment automatically after repeated boot failures. From the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), select Troubleshoot > Recovery and uninstall > Cloud rebuild.
  • Connect to a wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi network.
  • Review the target Windows build, edition, and language, and then confirm the data loss warning before the rebuild begins. You can choose whether to remove files or remove and sanitize files prior to Windows reinstalling.

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Xbox gift cards are a quick and easy way to add cash to your account, and they also make a great gift for your friends or family. It's even better when you can essentially get free cash to spend on expensive AAA blockbusters, like the upcoming mega hit Grand Theft Auto 6, which runs for $79.99 at retail.

So if you're hoping to buy yourself (or your pals) an expensive game, Newegg has your back with a special discount code on a (digital) $100 Xbox Gift Card for $90 with code GTWF968. Typing in the promo code during checkout at Newegg reduces the price, but you still get the full $100 delivered to your email inbox as a code. You could buy GTA6 and still have $20 left over!

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It's been a long time since we last heard news of Threads of Time, the indie JRPG that aims to recapture the magic of Square Enix's all-time classic, Chrono Trigger.

After a year since its Tokyo Game Show 2025 trailer, Threads of Time has broken radio silence to reveal that it's releasing during the Summer of 2027 for Xbox Series X|S , PC via Steam, and now Nintendo Switch & Nintendo Switch 2.

Threads of Time is a turn-based JRPG where you travel across multiple time periods to save the world from sinister forces to ruin the world's past, present, and future.

The game will feature gorgeous HD-2D pixel art, a cast of intriguing characters, a rich storyline, a variety of exotic and wondrous lands to explore, and challenging enemies to beat in in-depth turn-based battles.

I've been looking forward to this for a while for its charming, retro aesthetic and gameplay, and was worried it might've been canceled after not hearing any news about it for a year. So I'm glad to hear it's still being made and that it's releasing next year during the Summer.

Here's hoping Threads of Time will get Xbox Play Anywhere at launch so I can play with it on the go with my Xbox Ally and carry over progress to my Xbox Series X at home.

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It has been a year since the Xbox Ally X launched, so I figured it was about time we did a re-review.

We have FSR 4.1 on the Xbox Ally X now, a big Xbox app revamp is around the corner, and I'm probably one of the few content creators who actually uses this device on an almost daily basis. So, I really want to answer that burning question for Xbox ecosystem users: is it actually still worth a thousand big ones, even now, one year later?

How has the battery life stacked up? Is Windows 11 actually functional for handheld PC gaming yet? Does FSR 4.1 make for a killer feature?

Let's discuss.

FSR 4.1 is, indeed, a killer feature for the Xbox Ally X

The Xbox Ally X launched around this time last year (depending on your market) in partnership between Microsoft and ASUS. I'll do a write-up and a video on its less powerful Xbox Ally Z2A cousin in the future too. But we're looking at the $1,000 Xbox Ally X today. It was the first device to sport the Z2 Extreme chipset from AMD, making it the most powerful handheld at the time. AMD's new FSR 4.1 tech has given it a further boost on top of that as well.

FSR 4.1 is a heavier upscaling model than FSR 3, but it's all about boosting image quality, giving you more flexibility over how you play. You can now run quality modes that would previously look too ugly and blurry to bear, and still maintain a good level of performance. This extends to very graphically intensive games like Control Resonant, Cyberpunk 2077, Gears of War: E-Day, and games like Warhammer 40K Darktide, which have lots of enemies on-screen at any one time. FSR 4.1 will be adopted natively by more games over time, potentially extending the lifespan of the device even further. AMD has a list of games that already support it over here.

Using Performance and Turbo modes for maximum power, you're easily getting anywhere between 40 and 60 FPS at 1080p for most games out of the box. Heavier games will benefit more from FSR 4.1 being set to performance mode, which appears as crisp as quality mode did on FSR 3 models. I find FSR Frame Generation is also a good way to loop in more frames at the cost of some latency, although in most games I tried it was barely perceptible.

Heavily-optimized games like Death Stranding and the new Witcher 3 enhanced edition look absolutely stunning on this device, both in high and low power modes. Games with FSR 3 automatically benefit from FSR 4.1, which are presently in beta testing on the Xbox Ally X here. Witcher 3 absolutely sings on this device, although games with heavy reliance on ray tracing, like Silent Hill 2, still struggle a bit.

Either way, FSR 4.1 is going to vastly improve the lifespan of compatible devices like this, and it'll be interesting to see how it boosts the base Xbox Ally Z2A model (and Xbox Series X|S platform) in the future.

The hardware holds up, but Windows 11 still needs work

On the topic of lifespan, I'm someone who uses this handheld very regularly, at least every other day before bed. I've been using it mostly to grind Darktide recently, but I will also be using it for WoW: Forever in the coming weeks since it now supports a controller.

The hardware itself has held up incredibly well for me, but it would be neglectful not to mention the quality issues I've seen with the thumbsticks online and on Reddit. I think ASUS could've done a bit more to reinforce the sticks here, but if you go gently on it, I guess, like I do, perhaps you'll be okay. The most wear I have is that the paint on some of the buttons is beginning to wear off, but besides that, my Xbox Ally X seems rock solid.

I find that even a year in, the battery life is still decent on the Xbox Ally X too. I use Battery Care mode religiously to keep the charge topped off at around 80% to protect the lifespan of the cell, but when fully charged at 100% you're easily getting 4-5 hours in 13w silent mode in 2D games, and maybe 2-3 hours in 17w performance mode in a more intensive game, with trade-offs. If you go turbo mode, then yes, the battery will drain out in an hour or so. However, I find that when traveling these days on planes or trains, there's usually an outlet available to give you some extra juice.

There are a lot of games that offer a solid 3D experience even in silent 13w mode, if you're willing to compromise on visual quality and performance to maximize the Ally's longevity.

What is perhaps less solid is the operating system experience. This isn't ASUS' fault, of course, but more on Microsoft and Windows. Xbox and the Windows teams have been collaborating to improve the experience for users on devices like this, but the results have been mixed. The Xbox Ally X is particularly painful to use when hooked up to a TV in a Switch-like "docked" setting. Sometimes the controller loses the focus window, and there's no way to get it back without tapping the screen.

Basic parts of Windows still aren't navigable without a mouse, and the Xbox PC app still leaves a lot to be desired whether docked or not. Luckily, Microsoft is shipping a big update to the Xbox PC app in the coming weeks, and Windows 11 itself is picking up further refinements. It still feels overall like you're a bit of a beta tester for the OS itself, but you do get the full power of Windows as a trade-off, able to turn this device into a work laptop if you so desire (as I've done while traveling myself). You can run any launcher without hassle, like Steam or GOG, and you can connect any accessory that's compatible with Windows, including gamepads, mice, keyboards, and even printers.

The bottom line: I still adore the Xbox Ally X

But the bottom line is this: when you're actually in a game, this device absolutely sings. In Turbo mode at 35W, it will provide a solid 1080p 30~ish experience in the heaviest AAA games, even on a medium or even high quality setting, particularly with FSR 4.1 tweaks injected. You can get up to 60 FPS if you're willing to compromise on quality, generally speaking. There are many higher-end games that have been well-optimized for handhelds that deliver a 1080p 60 FPS experience too, such as The Witcher 3 Enhanced Edition.

I've never encountered a scenario where I couldn't get a satisfactory experience from a game, which cannot be said about the Steam Deck and other older or lower-end handhelds.

Given the state of the RAMpocalypse and component market in general, I expect it might be a while before developers push their visuals beyond what is available today. The Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Switch 2, and devices like this are probably going to be the baseline for a longer period than usual. If you were to buy the Xbox Ally X today, I expect you're going to get at least 3 to 4, maybe 5 years of solid use out of it before it might start feeling obsolete.

This is a fantastic device, a perfect companion for any Xbox player with a big Xbox Play Anywhere library. Even if you're dedicated to Steam, you can set Big Picture Mode as your default launcher and skip the Xbox ecosystem entirely if you fancy it.

For gaming evenings in bed, portable co-op with friends, or even as an emergency workhorse, the Xbox Ally X is a fantastic PC companion that I hope will be a staple of my gaming experience for a long time to come. And I would absolutely recommend it — as long as you think you'll get a good amount of use out of it.

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Microsoft has started rolling out its overhauled context menus for Windows 11 as part of this month's non-security feature update that was made available today. The update, known as KB5127936, is now generally available as an optional release.

"This update introduces an updated context menu that is faster, simpler, and more customizable," Microsoft says. "The updated menu opens more quickly, reduces clutter, and gives you more control over the commands and app extensions that appear when you right-click."

These improvements are part of the company's ongoing "Windows K2" effort, which focuses on making core OS improvements that address complaints and issues from users. For a long time, context menus of Windows 11 have been slow, cluttered, and confusing, but today's update changes that.

Now, context menus open instantly, and they can also be customized by the user. Microsoft outlines the following customization options being added to Windows 11 with this new update:

• Turn built-in Windows commands, such as Send to and Create shortcut, on or off.
• Add commands such as Print to the context menu.
• Choose which app extensions appear in the main menu or a submenu or hide the app extensions submenu.
• Display Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Delete, and Share directly in the menu instead of as a row of icons.
• Move Properties to the bottom of the context menu.

These new context menus also appeal to Windows 10 users, as they enable the ability to restore common actions such as cut, copy, and paste in the vertical list view instead of horizontally along the top of the menu. You can also turn off apps that might appear within the context menu.

Today's update includes more than just an overhauled context menu system, too. The new Xbox task view interface is also rolling out, along with updates to File Explorer and Windows Settings. Be sure to check out the changelog for the full list of changes.

Unfortunately, all of these new features are rolling out gradually, which means you likely won't see them right away. You need to ensure the "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" toggle is enabled in Windows Settings to get them quicker, but you'll still have to wait before they appear.

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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.

Crono: The New Dawn was one of our favorite Xbox titles last year, and judging by the gameplay deep dive we've seen of this DLC last July and today's Story trailer, it's about to get even better and scarier when Cronos: Lazarus drops on December 3, 2026.

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.

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The Windows Security app is about to be redesigned to align with Windows 11. Soon, you will no longer feel like you've booted up a PC from a decade ago when managing the security features on your computer.

Microsoft discussed several changes that are on the way to the app in its latest release notes. The company started sharing Insider release notes for apps earlier this year, including Calculator, Camera, and Windows Security.

The change log describes several updates to the design and user interface of Windows Security. The app already protects PCs through a collection of tools including Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Windows Firewall, and Smart App Control.

The Windows Security app is already functional and does a good job of protecting PCs. Its security tools are also updated regularly, so it's not as if the app needs to be overhauled from a security perspective.

The current version of Windows Security still relies on navigation, layouts, and visual elements that feel noticeably older than Microsoft's modern Windows 11 apps.

Here's what Microsoft plans to do with the Windows Security app, as outlined by the company:

• Updated navigation and layouts: Pages throughout Windows Security now use more consistent layouts and navigation, with improved behavior across different window sizes.
• Modernized controls and dialogs: Controls, status indicators, typography, spacing, colors, and other visual elements have been refreshed to provide a more consistent experience throughout the app.
• Clearer status and actions: We’ve made improvements to how status information and available actions are presented throughout Windows Security.
• Improved device security information: On supported managed devices, device security details now load progressively so available information can appear sooner, along with improvements to progress, error, refresh, and performance-monitoring experiences.

Those changes are already available to Windows Insiders as long as they're running version 1000.29680.0.1000 of Windows Security.

The refresh should make Windows Security feel far more at home within Windows 11, bringing one of the operating system's oldest-looking built-in apps in line with modern experiences such as Settings.

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I want to say I’m surprised, but every time something like this happens, I’m reminded of all the other wild developments in the space. I just shrug my shoulders because, yes, of course Halo: Combat Evolved has been ported to Roblox. Why wouldn’t it?

Seriously, though, I have no idea what’s going on under the hood here. If I had to hazard a guess, it starts with Claude and ends with AI. It’s a lot like what’s happening with the Nintendo Switch 2 after a jailbreak was found, allowing Mario Kart World to run on Mac. Or how the PS5 got jailbroken, enabling users to play almost every console game bar the Xbox Series on the device. There are valid concerns with both of those scenarios, but Roblox adds another layer to the mix.

Halo on Roblox is impressive, but it raises some concerns

As a platform, Roblox is often synonymous with predators, shady business practices, and user-generated content that mimics other games, sometimes before they even release. So, you can imagine that Halo: Combat Evolved not just being mimicked, but straight-up ported, sets a worrying precedent. And Halo isn’t the only thing making the jump.

Over the past 24 hours, I’ve seen Left 4 Dead, Counter-Strike, and even a PlayStation 4 emulator running within Roblox. I’m sure all of these will eventually lead to copyright strikes from Xbox, Valve, and Sony, though.

I don’t know; maybe this is the future. We’re seeing crazy things happen by the day in the gaming space: Halo: CE on the Dreamcast, PC Game Pass on Android, and even Xbox One games running on an iPhone. It truly is wild, and I’m not sure how to feel about how quickly things are pacing.

I love Halo, and I’m glad more people will get to play it via Roblox; the platform has a crazy amount of monthly active users, somewhere in the 300 million range, which is more than Steam, Xbox, or PlayStation. But I can’t help feeling that projects like this open the floodgates for even more chaotic developments.

Given the current cost of games, if people have the opportunity to play something for free in Roblox instead of buying it on Steam, there will definitely be those who take that route. But that’s just my take on things.

Let me know in the comments whether you’re worried or excited about what this opens up, and be sure to take part in our poll!

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Call of Duty has announced Season 1 for Modern Warfare 4 will begin on November 6 at midnight ET, and DMZ is already getting a new map.

Future locations have already been teased for DMZ before the launch of the game, but the first one is already arriving a mere two weeks post-launch.

But it's not just a new map; it's quite different to Hajin and is more reminiscent of Building 21 from the original DMZ.

"A previously undiscovered weapons facility — codenamed X01 — has recently been seized by enemy forces. Recent reconnaissance along the northern border of North Korea has determined an infiltration point, allowing for deployment through Hajin. Current data suggests this facility was a GRANIT Arms black site. It appears comprised of a dimly lit, labyrinthian network of passageways, tunnels, and linking chambers surrounding a clandestine weapons assembly line and other, more surprising locations. Appearing to be fully enclosed from the outside world, ground-penetrating radar has revealed multi-floored vertical traversals, where the only reliable edge you may have is the back-up of your squadmates."

Expect a fairly strong PvP experience, though apparently that's not the worst thing you'll encounter. We're told it "may be unwise to engage them in head-to-head combat" referring not to players, but to the 100 Spirits NK Faction that is active in the vicinity.

Ghost will act as our Watcher for infils into X01, and alongside the map will be new pages of DMZ Orders for players to complete.

X01 will also be home to a bunch of new enemy types, items, and equipment, though the first two are labelled as [CLASSIFIED]. So you'll need to take the plunge and go see for yourself. But it sounds like the best way to dominate X01 will be to plunder the loot within its walls.

Elsewhere, the FOB will be getting some upgrades, with something new and [CLASSIFIED] for the 3D Printer Station, new weapons and gear at the Vendor which apparently are linked to the BlackCell pass from Season 1 (which you also have if you bought the Vault Edition) and new Lieutenants and Commanders added to the Boss Board.

Season 1 for DMZ also promises two events: Threat Briefing and Resupply Run. The former will see you engaging with either The Captain or a Battle Tank, and in each case extracting parts of their respective armor. The more parts you get, the better the rewards.

Resupply Run is a bit like a trolley dash, but in Hajin, with enemies shooting at you. You'll be tasked with finding specific items to trade in for high-value gear such as Self Revive Kits and 3-Plate Armor Vests.

More events are promised throughout Season 1, but it's definitely a positive to see DMZ frontloaded with content so early on. It requires a decent investment of your time, but so far, it looks like it's well worth it.

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Call of Duty has revealed Season 1 for Modern Warfare 4, slated to go live on November 6 at midnight ET. That breaks usual tradition for new seasons, and indeed, it's a 5am launch here in the UK. I won't be getting up that early, that's for sure.

While the intel drop is full of information on what DMZ and multiplayer fans can expect, for those still waiting on knowing more about what's coming to Warzone, there's still a wait to be had.

We know that there will be two new maps joining the rotation. Hajin, the DMZ map, will be joining the battle royale mode alongside the returning Verdansk. Whether it's an exact copy or will be tweaked in some way, we'll have to wait and see. Zodiac, the new Resurgence map we already saw during the beta, and it will join the (sigh) returning Rebirth Island.

Warzone fans will have to wait, though, to find out the full details on what the first integration with Modern Warfare 4 will look like, though.

"Play across two new maps in Call of Duty®: Warzone™ as the Season 1 update brings both Hajin and Zodiac, plus the return of Verdansk and Rebirth Island, additional game modes, gameplay features, and more as Modern Warfare 4 becomes fully integrated with the free-to-play game. Keep your eyes on the Call of Duty blog this Monday, November 2, for a separate post and Roadmapfully covering everything coming to Call of Duty: Warzone in Season 1."

The only other thing we know for sure is that before that time, Call of Duty: Warzone will go offline for good on Xbox One and PS4.

It was already confirmed earlier this year that due to Modern Warfare 4 not being available on last-gen consoles, those platforms would not be able to play Warzone once the integration happened.

Players who want to continue can, of course, still use Xbox Cloud Gaming or alternatives such as NVIDIA GeForce Now, and all their previous purchases in Warzone will be permanently applied to their Activision ID.

It'll be interesting to see what the player reaction to Warzone under Modern Warfare 4 is. DMZ has been received pretty positively, though the PvP elements still feel a little unbalanced in my opinion. But the new movement that came with Modern Warfare 4 definitely rewards a slower, more tactical style of play (for better or worse) but then, we all know that Warzone players love to fly around the map. So who knows?

Nevertheless, we'll know a lot more on November 2.

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October is the spookiest time of the year, but there are ways to celebrate apart from dressing up or going to haunts. Developer Joe Finney has turned October into "Tray-tober" by releasing a system tray utility each day throughout the month. All of the projects are on GitHub and available to try for free.

Rather than linking 28 separate utilities, I'll just point you to the Tray-tober page managed by Finney. It has a calendar with links to each tool.

It's easy to overlook parts of Windows 11, such as the taskbar, quick settings area, and system tray. Many people leave them set to their system defaults and only interact with them occasionally. But much like a bag on Halloween, Windows 11's system tray can be filled with goodies.

The tools shared by Finney live in the system tray, though they aren't all focused solely on productivity. For example, Tray Battleship, which brings the classic board game to the system tray, shipped on October 3.

Other tools from Finney include Tray Converter for converting units, Trayulator (a calculator), and Tray Nudge, which reminds you to complete tasks.

TrayRadar shows you a weather forecast from NOAA, and Traysky lets you scroll through Bluesky right from the system tray. Finney has created quite the library of tools to try.

Since we're close to the end of October, almost all of the system tray tools have shipped. Only three more remain, and I'm curious to see what they are. Perhaps Tray Connect 4 is on the way?

One of my favorite tools is PowerDisplay, which is part of PowerToys. It allows you to adjust the brightness of your external monitor without reaching around for physical buttons. I keep it pinned to the system tray for quick access. Now, I can sneak in a quick game of battleship after adjusting the brightness of my monitor.

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Original Article:

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?

World of Warcraft: Forever is gaining massive momentum going into its release. Its back-to-basics approach to gameplay progression and exploration, while forsaking modern conveniences to make it ironically more casual-friendly, managed to draw in over one million new players during its beta period (according to classicplus.io).

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.

However, will it be able to maintain player retention in the long term, or will players go back to the retail version of WoW despite its current sorry state of rushed patches, painfully weak writing, and controversial housing transactions? Only time will tell.

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This week, the popular gaming chat platform Discord sailed back into the bad books of many users after it announced official plans to make what you say in discoverable servers searchable on Google.

Discord was already in hot water with users earlier this year when it announced it was adding global age verification. "Discord alternatives" searches jumped 10,000% overnight, while the majority of our readers polled agreed that it was time to leave the platform.

The age verification situation was finally cemented in September when Discord made it official. There wasn't a ton of outcry, whether because users accepted their fate or already ditched Discord for an alternative.

Is it time to raise the pitchforks again? Not quite. Let me explain.

Is Discord's Google search move really that bad?

Discord's planned change begins rolling out on November 16, when every discoverable server will receive a server web page. This page is expected to be populated with AI summaries of what users are talking about.

Discord plans to drop the full change, where your publicly posted words will be discoverable by Google, in mid-December.

This isn't as bad as you think, but it's certainly still invasive. Discord's discoverable servers are not the same as private servers you and your friends use. They're not the DMs you send to other Discord users.

They are the Discord servers that don't require an invite to join and that must have at least 1,000 members. Discord says there are about 63,000 of these servers currently on the go.

Messages you've sent in these servers before the mid-December switch flip won't appear in Google. However, anything sent after the deadline will indeed be searchable.

If you frequent these types of servers and don't want your words appearing in the world's most popular search engine, you can opt out.

How to opt out of Discord's discoverable server Google search changes

Don't want what you type in certain Discord servers to show up in Google? Here's how to opt out.

1. Click the User Settings button in the Discord app. It's a gear located in the bottom-left corner.
2. Click Data and Privacy.
3. Ensure the toggle next to "Show my message content from Discoverable channels on web pages" is turned off.

As far as I can tell, that should do the trick. Keep in mind that your messages from before the switch won't be indexed, so there's not much reason to go back and delete posts you've made in the past.

If you run a server and are not sure if it's discoverable, Discord has a full guide on how to enable, disable, and configure the setting.

Windows Central's take

Discord's angle here is that it wants valuable content created in discoverable servers to be found by a much larger audience.

It imagines a richer collection of game guides, tips, and tricks in Google now that it's opening up its content, and for that I don't blame the company.

The fact that this change comes with so much heads-up time, as well as easy-to-find toggles to disable, makes it easy to negate. Just be sure to hit the right toggles before Discord makes the switch mid-December.

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The new Acer Predator Atlas 8 gaming handheld, featuring Intel's latest G Series chips, finally went up for pre-sale in the US on October 23, with full launch slated for November 1.

This is the new handheld I tested at Computex this year alongside the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. Both are premium devices landing in a market turned upside down on account of RAM and storage shortages. MSI's new Claw with Intel's Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, for example, launched at $1,799.99.

Here's where Acer's new handheld packing the same Intel G3 Extreme chip offers a big surprise for shoppers. It's priced at $1,299.99 at Best Buy. Or at least it was, for the Best Buy page preorder has since been removed. I'm not exactly sure why — maybe Acer is reconsidering the post-launch price now that preorders are in.

In any case, seeing a handheld with the same powerful mobile chip inside as the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ launch for $500 less should be on every gamer's radar. But how is Acer undercutting the competition by so much?

How does Acer charge $500 less for its Intel Arc G3 Extreme gaming handheld?

On paper, the Acer and MSI devices are quite similar. Both feature the flagship Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip, with 14 cores, a 4.7GHz top clock speed, and a faster Arc B390 integrated GPU compared to the standard Arc G3 chip.

Both devices use an 8-inch IPS display with 1920x1200 resolution, 120Hz variable refresh rate, 500 nits brightness, and 100% sRGB color reproduction.

Both have Thunderbolt 4 ports and Wi-Fi 7. Both have Hall Effect triggers and joysticks. Both use an 80Wh battery. So what's the deal?

Based on my (limited) time with the Predator Atlas 8, it looks like the big price difference comes down to build quality and configuration specs.

Let me get the biggest difference out of the way first: the $1,799.99 MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ ships with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. The Acer Predator Atlas 8 pares that back to 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.

Considering the price of storage and memory these days, this difference likely helps make up a huge chunk of the difference.

Otherwise, as I noted in my Intel Arc G3 Extreme hands-on piece, Acer's device has triggers that don't feel quite as snappy as MSI. The reverse can be said for the joysticks, where I believe Acer has MSI beat.

Audio from both devices was good, and although Acer's Predator Atlas 8 is smaller and ultimately more portable, I found both handhelds to be comfortable to hold.

In terms of performance, the Predator Atlas 8 was running demanding games like Hogwarts Legacy and LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight at a cool, smooth clip.

I'll have to do more testing once Acer's handheld actually arrives here for testing, but I don't expect it to perform any worse than MSI's new Claw.

Bottom line? It's the disparity in RAM and SSD configurations at launch that's helping keep Acer's gaming handheld at a much more reasonable price.

Is Acer's $1,299.99 Predator Atlas 8 actually cheap?

In June, I wrote about how you could buy an Xbox Series X, PS5, and Switch 2 for less money than the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, amidst rising concerns that the handheld market was cooked for good.

That's not quite the case for Acer's Predator Atlas 8, especially with console prices on the rise, but that doesn't make it affordable.

Keep in mind that the Steam Deck, which kicked off the gaming handheld craze, launched at just $399 in 2022.

No, the Steam Deck isn't nearly as powerful as the new Arc G3 devices, but it was priced to sell. Is Acer's Predator Atlas 8 affordable relative to today's overall market? Absolutely.

As mentioned, the Predator Atlas 8 Best Buy preorder page is down at the time of writing this piece. Check back soon, especially after November 1, when the handheld actually launches, to see if prices have changed.

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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.

This is the second "leak" of an Xbox 25th anniversary feature this week, as players are getting new, incomplete achievements for OG Xbox games early (both of which are likely released early due to programming errors).

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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One of the most talked-about mice of 2026 now has a developer edition. The Logitech MX Master 4 earned a near-perfect score from our colleagues at Tom's Guide back in February. The mouse then received a significant upgrade that allows its haptics to work with Windows 11.

The Logitech MX Master 4 Developer Edition has several Easter eggs and nods to developers, such as syntax annotations and markup tags that are laser-etched onto the mouse. It also features some important dates along the bottom of the mouse, including 09.17 (Linux kernel release date) and !04.01 (World Backup Day).

The mouse went live on Logitech's website this week, but it's currently only available for pre-order. The Logitech MX Master 4 Developer Edition is expected to start shipping on October 31, 2026.

As for the mouse itself, it has the same feature set as the regular Logitech MX Master 4. It's a premium mouse with a bunch of customization options and a DPI that can be set from 2,000 to 8,000. It's the successor to the Logitech MX Master 3S, which Tom's Guide called the king of mice.

The mouse has a plethora of buttons and wheels that can be customized, including setting commands on a per-app basis.

The side of the Logitech MX Master 4 has a touchpad for gesture controls and a button that opens Logitech's control ring (which can be used to perform commands).

The Logitech MX Master 4 was one of the first devices to support haptics on Windows 11. The new haptic system sends feedback signals when you perform certain actions on a PC. For example, toggling a setting on or off in the Windows Settings app makes supported hardware give a little bump.

What are haptics on Windows 11?

The new haptics in Windows 11 are a subtle addition that improves the overall experience of using a PC. Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden discussed the feature right after it launched:

"This is the kind of quality of life upgrade that I love to see. Windows has sorely lacked niceties like this in its UI and UX design over the last couple of years, so it's great to see Microsoft back on the horse and taking pride in the overall Windows experience like this. It's not a necessary addition, but it's an addition I'm so glad they've added regardless."

The new haptic system requires supported hardware. The Logitech MX Master 4 was among the first wave of supported devices, alongside the Surface Laptop 8. The new Surface Mouse also supports haptics.

Logitech is sending over a Logitech MX Master 4 for us to take a closer look at. I'm excited to have a mouse that adds a bit of color to my mostly black accessory setup.

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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.

Why buy this laptop?

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.

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LG has announced that Microsoft is ending support for Copilot on smart TVs at some point between now and the end of this year. In a popup that appeared on my webOS-powered LG TV this morning, LG confirmed that Microsoft is ending support for Copilot on all smart TVs.

The notice reads:

"We would like to inform you that Microsoft has recently decided to end support for Copilot functionality on all TVs, including the Copilot-enabled feature available on our LG TVs. As a result, the Copilot-enabled feature on your TV is no longer available and may stop functioning shortly."

LG says Microsoft is yet to confirm which date Copilot support will end on smart TVs, but that it's expected to happen before the end of 2026. This move doesn't come as much of a surprise as I don't think I know anyone who has ever actively used Copilot on their TV.

Copilot acted as an AI powered companion that could answer questions based on content on your screen. You could also use it to recommend TV shows and movies, and chat to it generally like you can on other devices. The app was forcibly installed on LG and Samsung TVs in the last year, which caused big pushback from customers online.

Microsoft has also changed course with Copilot since. It's no longer interested in positioning Copilot as a digital friend for personal use. Instead, it's actively targeting productivity and business use cases for Copilot, which means Copilot on TV no longer makes sense for Microsoft.

The company recently merged its Microsoft 365 Copilot and consumer Copilot under the same app, meaning there's no longer a dedicated personal Copilot app for users who wanted to make a digital friend. Copilot on TV is the latest consumer facing version of Copilot to kick the bucket.

We'll be sure to update this article once Microsoft confirms an exact end of support date for Copilot on TVs. For now, what do you think about the current state of Copilot? Let us kow in the comments.

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Lenovo's Pro 9n landed on my desk roughly three weeks ago, and it's been my daily work PC since then.

It's also been my gaming handheld replacement, my home base for local AI testing, my sketchpad to practice digital drawing, and my entertainment hub.

This pricey Lenovo Pro 9n isn't for everyone despite its broad versatility. That's true about any of the new RTX Spark laptops.

I'm looking to see how Lenovo's offering differs from the others — including the Surface Laptop Ultra and ASUS ProArt P16 we reviewed — in terms of features, design, and performance.

Lenovo sent Windows Central a review unit on loan for testing. It had no input, nor saw the contents of this review, prior to publication.

Lenovo Pro 9n: Price and specifications

Lenovo's Pro 9n starts at $2,999.99, putting it near the middle of the RTX Spark lineup.

For this price, you get an 18-core NVIDIA N1X CPU, integrated RTX Blackwell GPU with 5,120 cores, 32GB of LPDDR5x unified RAM, a 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and a 15.3-inch OLED touch display at a 2560x1600 resolution.

Lenovo offers configuration options for CPU, RAM, and storage. The top spec with a 20-core N1X CPU, 6144-core GPU, 128GB RAM, and 2TB PCIe 5.0 SSD balloons to $6,099.99, with several stops along the way.

New designs and updated features for the RTX Spark platform

The design of Lenovo's Pro 9n has grown on me over the weeks. What I first saw as uninspired has morphed into something that's sleek, relatively lightweight, and ultimately perfect for a professional setting.

With an aluminum top and bottom that add rigidity and a more premium feel than plastic, the PC still manages to slide in at 3.64 pounds (1.65kg) while measuring just 0.66 inches (1.67cm) thin.

The 15.3-inch display translates to a smaller footprint than a full 16-inch PC, and I found it to be an apt size for working in the passenger seat of a car. It should also translate well to airplane trays or train seats.

The thermal layout has been redesigned for the new RTX Spark chip (which I explore below), resulting in a massive air intake on the bottom of the PC and larger vents on the rear edge for exhaust.

This setup keeps hot air directed away from the user and, as you'll see below, it does a decent job of keeping the PC cool under load.

This leaves plenty of space along the sides for ports. On the left are HDMI 2.1, USB-A 3.2 (always on), USB4, and a 3.5mm audio jack. On the right side are another USB-A 3.2, USB4, and a UHS-II SD card reader.

At no time did I feel the need to grab a dongle for an accessory, especially with Bluetooth 5.4 on board, and the native HDMI port makes it easy to plug into an external display without a docking station.

On the note of wireless, cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 is on board for excellent throughput and future-proofing.

Lenovo's keyboard and haptic touchpad are among the best

The Pro 9n is the first Lenovo laptop to receive its new haptic touchpad with inking compatibility. Paired with the bundled Yoga Pen (Gen 2), it turns the PC into a creative tablet of sorts.

I'm no artist, but I was able to get down some rough sketches using the awesome Krita drawing app. I found the touchpad's 3.74 x 3.94-inch dimensions were large enough to comfortably write and draw, and the inking feel is outstanding.

My only gripes are likely from me reading too much into the feature. Drawing on the pad often left my hand hanging off the edge (not comfortable), and it was sometimes difficult to line up my pen on the touchpad with where I wanted it on my screen.

Approach it from a rough sketch viewpoint, and you should find it to be quite useful. As for actual pointing and clicking, I had no issues. The haptics underpinning the pad are spot on.

The keyboard, which arrives flanked by a couple of speakers, offers deep 1.5mm key travel, three-stage backlight, and perfect spacing. This might be the best keyboard that Lenovo's non-ThinkPads have ever received, and I enjoyed every word I typed on it.

Circling back to the speakers, the two that flank the keys are each 2W tweeters, and they're accompanied by two 2W woofers on the bottom of the PC.

Sound gets loud without breaking. There's lots of bass. The highs are clean, even before adding any onboard Dolby Atmos tuning. The laptop is just as good for watching TV and movies as it is for handling creative work or jumping into video meetings.

A crisp webcam handles meetings on the move

Lenovo's raised communications bar located above the display adds a bit of space for camera hardware, and the company made good use of it here.

The Pro 9n comes with a 9.2MP camera, easily trumping the ASUS ProArt P16's 2.1MP and the Surface Laptop Ultra's 1.6MP cameras.

It's crisp and handles lighting quite well even without any Windows Studio Effects in play, and I'd say it's a definite upgrade for anyone who often finds themselves in video meetings and collaborations.

The IR sensor built into the camera handles facial recognition via Windows Hello. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to go the extra step to offer human presence detection. This doesn't seem to be a lock for the new RTX Spark PCs — the Surface Laptop Ultra doesn't have it either, but the ProArt P16 does.

An OLED display with color profiles for any job

Lenovo ships the Pro 9n with a 15.3-inch PureSight Pro OLED display. This is basically Lenovo's top-of-the-line screen for creators and pros, coming at you with X-Rite Pantone calibration and X-Rite SkinTone validation out of the box.

It hits Delta E<0.5, tops out at a 165Hz refresh rate (which can be set to variable for better battery life and eye comfort), and has Dolby Vision support.

Something I learned quickly was that the display presets in Lenovo's Vantage app are actually important. The Default mode in which the laptop ships favors sRGB reproduction. There are presets for AdobeRGB and sRGB (which pump up those sections), as well as P3-D65, REC709, and DCI-P3.

I was able to hit 100% across all color gamuts in my testing, but not all at once. You'll just have to be sure that you select the right config depending on the work you're doing.

I also measured 476 nits of peak brightness in SDR content, which pushes past 1,000 nits when HDR is enabled. I was able to work in a brightly lit room with only a bit of glare, but I imagine an anti-reflective instead of glossy finish would have gone a long way to eliminating glare entirely.

The screen is available in touch or non-touch, and the specs are otherwise the same. Note that the pen only works on the laptop's touchpad, whether or not the screen is touch-enabled.

The inclusion of NVIDIA G-Sync tech really props up the gaming aspect, reducing screen tearing and ultimately making everything feel much smoother, as you'd expect from a premium laptop that can game.

My only complaint is that Lenovo doesn't offer a higher-res panel. The 2.5K default is great for everyday work and gaming, but 4K would probably go a long way for some creators.

Comparing the 18-core and 20-core RTX Spark chips

My colleague Zac Bowden put together a deep-dive review on the 20-core RTX Spark chip, and I mainly wanted to see how the 18-core Spark alternative in the Pro 9n compares.

As it turns out, quite well. You get the same pool of unified LPDDR5x memory to pull from for the system and GPU, albeit in smaller quantities (32GB for my review unit).

You get the coveted CUDA cores (with 5120 in my unit compared to 6144 in the premier chip) to handle local AI inference. And you still get about 26 TFLOPs of graphics performance.

The following graphs show how the 18-core RTX Spark in the Lenovo Pro 9n compares to the 20-core RTX Spark chips we've already tested in other laptops.

As you can see, synthetic Geekbench 7 and Cinebench 2026 CPU scores fall accordingly compared to the 20-core Spark. Not by a lot, but it is noticeable.

The SSD looks comparatively slow, but keep in mind that most of these laptops have a mix of PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0. In my test case, it's the former, but you can get the latter, faster drive in a 2TB config.

The weaker RTX GPU also showed a drop-off in Geekbench 7's GPU test, but it put up a strong fight in 3DMark's Steel Nomad and Speed Way tests.

Considering I was playing The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt Remastered at a smooth frame rate with ray tracing cranked up, there should be no denying the Pro 9n can game. Just don't buy it if that's all you want from your laptop.

I also began a journey with local AI agents on the Lenovo Pro 9n. I set up LM Studio on it and downloaded a hefty Qwen model, which runs surprisingly well on the system despite only having 32GB of unified RAM.

The unit I was sent to test is more geared toward creators who don't need the ultimate 20-core CPU and 128GB of RAM coveted by AI specialists, so I'm pleased that it's proving to be a capable local AI base.

I ran a few AI-focused tests in Procyon to see how the weaker RTX Spark chip in my Lenovo Pro 9n compares to the 20-core option we already reviewed.

There's clearly a drop-off with the 18-core Spark chip in terms of AI performance, and I'd recommend that any AI specialists out there opt for the 20-core option.

For creators, part-time gamers, and professionals without a direct focus on AI, I think the 18-core chip should do just fine.

Does Lenovo's Pro 9n get too hot?

The Lenovo Pro 9n's upgraded cooling system does a good job of managing thermal limits, and fan noise isn't bad, either. This is all with the system managing power automatically, which I found quite convenient.

During a lengthy system stress test, I never clocked the fan noise any higher than 43dB. They're audible in a quiet room, but they'd go unnoticed in a busy office.

My trusty FLIR camera is in the shop, but I did a surface temp test with my lap. During the stress run, it remained comfortable to hold. The keyboard side got a bit hotter, but nothing that gave me pause.

How is the Pro 9n's battery life?

Battery life is not as good as I was hoping, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips are not in any threat of being dethroned in terms of efficiency.

My Windows Battery report shows roughly 8 to 10 hours of real-world life on a charge. Keep in mind that I was doing a decent amount of gaming on battery life, which brought that number down. Still, that's in line with the other RTX Spark laptops we've tested.

If you are gaming on battery power and have settings cranked up with ray tracing enabled, know that I was seeing about 10 minutes of runtime for every 10% of battery life.

Indie titles that aren't as demanding don't sap the battery nearly as much, and you can enjoy a few hours of gaming without worrying about power.

Should you buy Lenovo's Pro 9n?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You want an RTX Spark laptop with a 15.3-inch OLED display at 2.5K.

✅ You dabble in drawing, sketching, and writing with a pen.

✅ You're a professional or a creator who wants one PC to handle local AI, demanding apps, and gaming.

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You want the most affordable RTX Spark laptop possible.

❌ You prefer a mini-LED display (go with the Surface Laptop Ultra).

❌ You'd rather use a convertible PC for added versatility (check out the Yoga Pro 9n instead).

Lenovo's first notebook RTX Spark laptop has been a ton of fun to use over the past few weeks, and admittedly, I regret that I soon have to give it up.

It's not perfect. I wish there were human presence detection. I wish there were an extra high-res display option. I wish battery life were a lot better. And I wish it didn't cost as much (which is an effect of the ongoing RAM and storage crisis, not some Lenovo decision).

But for what it is — a specialized portable AI workstation using the first generation of a new NVIDIA computing platform — it's among the most exciting and promising Windows PCs I've used in recent memory.

If you're a general creator who just wants to see the latest chip technology in an ultra-premium package, the 32GB model could be ideal for you, just as long as you can stomach the price.

Otherwise, it's mainly going to appeal to a fairly small set of users, but those who can take full advantage of the RTX Spark chip should love what Lenovo has put together here.

It takes a lot for me to get excited at the prospect of playing Shipment in Call of Duty again, but here we are. The original brainrot map has now landed in Modern Warfare 4.

And I am excited for it. But that's only because the first weekend of multiplayer has been hard. The launch maps are OK at best, the matchmaking makes every game feel like the Call of Duty League finals, and it just feels like hard work. Video games shouldn't feel like hard work.

While Infinity Ward can certainly fix it, for now, we turn to Shipment for some good old-fashioned brainless run and gun. For those chasing the mastery camos, it's definitely a welcome sight to speed up the process a little.

Even so, it's not perfect. The TTK feels too long for Shipment (in my opinion), and there's clear weapon balancing that needs to be done that will presumably not have a chance to happen until Season 1 starts next week.

But whether it's nostalgia or just the fact that the launch weekend has been absolutely mollywhopping you, Shipment 24/7 is live, and most of the game modes are available on rotation on the now smallest map in Modern Warfare 4.

After an incredible campaign, the debut of DMZ which mostly has been a great time (exfil campers aside), multiplayer has been a very mixed bag. Compared to the beta earlier this year, it just doesn't feel as, well, fun.

The maps are definitely not some of Call of Duty's best, though I have been enjoying Mumbai especially, and Cachette is pretty fun, too. But I also think the movement needs to be updated, because while being slower is fine, it feels too clunky and like you have to work hard just to get into and out of a gunfight.

But the gunplay, as in the beta, is really good, even if I think the TTK is still too high. Or maybe it's the weapon balancing that's off, as some, even on Shipment, feel like you're slapping someone in the face with a napkin from a little kid's birthday party.

But if you're camo grinding, go forth and rot thy brain in the name of Orion Reforged. May the shipping containers make your journey take a more profitable path.

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The passionate community fighting to rescue the Mass Effect franchise shows no signs of slowing down. Following a massive digital billboard activation in Times Square, the @WeAreMassEffect organizing team launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund further advertising efforts, and completely shattered their target in under 20 minutes.

The rapid success even took the organizers by surprise, and has made them temporarily pause donations as they plan their next move.

"We're raising funds for more billboards near EA HQ and The Game Awards!"

The crowdfunding campaign was set up to purchase additional billboards located near Electronic Arts' headquarters and at the upcoming Game Awards.

The fundraiser has pulled in $5,715 from just 89 donations, easily clearing its initial $5,200 goal before organizers officially hit the pause button on contributions. Beyond funding the physical protests, We Are Mass Effect have promised that any excess money raised over the target will be directed to the UVW-CWA Game Worker Hardship Fund to directly support the developers laid off during BioWare's recent closure.

The decision to halt donations so quickly was a sensible one, as the community plan their next move. The organizers over on the community Discord have stressed the need to take the campaign "one step at a time" to ensure transparency and guarantee that no one's money is put at risk. Apparently fraudulent accounts and copycat links are already appearing to pocket money from eager fans. Now that the goal has been met, the team is ensuring the funds are handled responsibly while they execute the promised billboards.

To keep the momentum going without soliciting more cash, the movement has established a dedicated home at SaveMassEffect.com. Organizers are also issuing a rallying cry to the community's creatives, urging YouTubers, podcasters, artists, and journalists to continue making content utilizing the #SaveMassEffect hashtag to maintain visibility. Fans have also been flooding EA social posts with #SaveMassEffect not unlike in the PlayStation physical disc debacle where anything PlayStation posted was met with fury.

With their petition still climbing and funding locked in for their next massive real-world stunts, the team promises they have "plenty more things in the works" as they continue to hold the line for Mass Effect and the BioWare studio.

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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 new bundles are called the Haunted Grimtide Estate for $25 on Battle.net and the Grimtide Decor Pack for $10 on Battle.net. However, selling items tied to a playable race in theme is indeed 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.

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?

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.

Personally speaking, World of Warcraft: Midnight has been a non-stop disappointment with its weak storyline, dishonor to the Horde, constant bugs, and rushed content, and this just adds more salt to the wound.

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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Original article:

Infinity Ward is celebrating some glowing reviews right now for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which has hit a comfortable 89 on PlayStation and 86 on PC. By extension, it should be a slam dunk for Microsoft, given that they, you know, own Activision.

Unfortunately, there is one glaring omission from that Metacritic infographic, and it's Xbox.

If you head over to Metacritic, the lack of mention of an Xbox score makes sense immediately. The Xbox Series X version of Modern Warfare 4 doesn't have an official Metascore at all. It sits at a bleak "tbd" based on a grand total of two critic reviews.

So Microsoft owns Activision. Microsoft owns Call of Duty. Yet when it comes time to aggregate critical acclaim for the biggest blockbuster under its banner, there aren't enough critic reviews on Xbox to even generate a baseline score. It's not a good look, is it?

I'm not going to lay blame with "Xbox tax" on this one, don't worry; the reality is far more banal. Platform preference isn't to blame here, but the review process itself on Xbox is unnecessarily painful, and Xbox needs to do something about it.

Game keys vs Whitelisting shenanigans

Most gaming journalists and creators will be offered a choice of platforms on which to review a game, and they choose the path of least resistance. That path is generally PC/Steam, where you get a simple game code or access to a pre-release beta branch, or PlayStation, where you can redeem a code and you're good to go.

On Xbox, however, the process is more convoluted. You have to give your Xbox Live Device ID, which is buried within developer and system settings, to a PR company and wait for the publisher to manually whitelist your individual hardware before a code or build will even register.

Many of us are working against tight embargoes under an influx of game releases, especially in this absolute storm of releases that is Q4, and any extra steps to take can mount up in the inbox. Even if someone wants to cover the Xbox version of a game, convenience almost always dictates picking Steam or PS5 instead.

Xbox had the forethought to take over everyone's Xbox dashboard for Modern Warfare 4, but not to secure any kind of Metacritic presence.

Even Xbox outlets struggle (like us!)

Here at Windows Central, we obviously try to play within the Xbox ecosystem, yet even we constantly run into this wall. Case in point: for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 specifically, our own review was conducted on PC simply because that was the platform offered for the official review event.

When covering major releases or updates, PC and Steam codes are almost always pushed first because beta branches make distribution painless for publishers. Meanwhile, getting early access on Xbox feels a bit like doing my tax self-assessment.

Some titles, like Gears of War: E-Day, have had a healthier ratio. It was accessible through an insider build on the dashboard and much easier, so yes of course while it wasn't on PlayStation, we've a healthier skew of 87 Xbox reviews to 83 PC reviews. This isn't the norm, though.

When reviewing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, I had to start my playthrough on Steam and wait a few days for the Xbox whitelisting to be completed before I could switch platforms (thank heavens for cross-save). I could have waited, sure, but when you're on a tight schedule, time is a luxury you don't have. I've had this exact same problem when checking out DLC for Goat Simulator 3, too.

When an outlet specifically dedicated to covering Xbox has to resort to playing pre-release games on PC just to hit embargo, what chance does the average reviewer at a multiplatform outlet have? Why would a critic jump through extra technical hoops for Xbox when a PS5 or Steam key is sitting in their inbox ready to download with a single click?

Xbox needs to fix this early access issue

Xbox already faces an uphill battle when it comes to hardware market share and media coverage. But allowing its own pre-release access to remain this cumbersome is self-harming to the brand.

When publishers don't distribute Xbox codes efficiently, fewer outlets review Xbox builds. When fewer outlets review Xbox builds, Metacritic scores sit at "TBD." This, in turn, creates a public perception that nobody is playing or caring about the platform, even when the game in question is published by Microsoft itself. Gamers looking for reviews may purchase on the platform where more coverage exists. It quickly becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

If Microsoft wants Xbox to remain a primary platform for game reviews and media coverage, it needs to make access to its platform for reviews much easier. Until redeeming an early-access Xbox code is as simple as punching in a key on PlayStation or Steam, we’re going to keep seeing Xbox-owned games celebrated everywhere except on Xbox.

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If you can't open Copilot in the Microsoft Edge Sidebar, you're not alone. People trying to use the AI tool in Edge may be met with a message stating Copilot is unavailable in that part of the browser during a migration to a new experience.

Several members of our team ran into the message, as have some Reddit users. Here's what the browser says when you try to use Copilot in the Edge Sidebar:

"Your Copilot is migrating to the new experience

It may take a few days and require restarting Edge. You will be able to use Copilot here and see all your chat history and settings once the migration completes. Until then, please use the new Copilot web experience copilot.com"

Microsoft does not explain what the "new experience" is within the message shown in Edge. The message likely references Microsoft's broader rollout of a unified Copilot experience across the web, apps, and other platforms, though Microsoft does not specifically mention the Edge Sidebar in its support documentation.

The notification suggests user data is being moved as part of the transition, stating chat history and settings will be available once the migration completes.

It also seems odd that the migration stops Copilot in the Sidebar from working at all until the new experience is available. I'd prefer to see Microsoft complete the migration in the background then ship the finished version with an Edge update. Instead, people who rely on Copilot in the Edge Sidebar have to jump to a different tab or use the dedicated Copilot app.

The awkward transition is particularly frustrating because Microsoft's actions over the last couple of years have made it clear the company values the Copilot experience in Edge. Microsoft retired the best parts of the Edge Sidebar to remove competition for Copilot.

Microsoft appears willing to temporarily disable Copilot in the Edge Sidebar for some users while migrating them to a new experience rather than maintaining access throughout the transition. That's surprising given how aggressively Microsoft has prioritized Copilot within Edge over the last several years.

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I've been using Android phones for years now, and for the most part, they generally play well with Microsoft's 'Link to Windows' mobile app. That official setup gives me access to my phone from my desktop PC, and Samsung phones like my Galaxy Z Flip 7 have mostly worked without issue.

However, I still rarely use Phone Link on Windows 11 because when it does break, I find its random disconnection bugs so annoying that I don't want to pair my phone over and over. Besides, I don't need to access my smartphone from my PC all the time, so I looked for an alternative and found a great one.

What is scrcpy?

It's pronounced "screen copy", but shortened to scrcpy on its GitHub repo. If you're unfamiliar, GitHub is a platform where coders and developers share and collaborate on software, often letting users view the source code of apps. That includes scrcpy, which is an open-source app (and that means it's free).

As its name suggests, scrcpy can mirror my phone's screen on my Windows desktop, like Phone Link. In that, it's not particularly groundbreaking, but I was intrigued by its flexible customization and support for low-latency connections over USB. It also works wirelessly, so it's nice to have that option.

You'll need to enable 'USB debugging', but that's easier (and less scary) than it sounds. On most devices, including my Samsung Galaxy, I tap the 'Build number' readout in my settings app seven times to enable a 'Developer options' menu and then toggle the new USB debugging option inside.

Now here's what I'm actually using it for

I had two main reasons to find a Phone Link alternative: to show my live heart rate from my Fitbit wearable connected to the Google Health app, and to view my Tapo security camera feeds, since TP-Link still doesn't offer a desktop app. Naturally, I've since discovered more benefits to scrcpy beyond these.

I know that first reason sounds strange, but Fitbit devices can't pair with Windows PCs, so it's more of a workaround to capture my heart rate BPM readout while playing horror games over Halloween. That's purely for fun, but the second is a real workaround.

Plus, command-line arguments like turn-screen-off disable my phone's screen (though it still responds to touch), and stay-awake prevents devices from going to sleep after inactivity. Those, combined with crop let me capture small parts of my screen and use very little resources.

There are more options to find in scrcpy's documentation, but these three alone mean I can watch my video doorbell for an expected delivery, or see which part of the latest Resident Evil game spiked my pulse the most. Niche, but easy to work with. I only need to connect my phone via USB-C and launch the app.

There's more to play with

I'm getting into a habit of connecting my phone to scrcpy in the mid-afternoon to fire through a bunch of tasks that would otherwise make me stare at my phone, and having full mouse and keyboard control makes it much more convenient from my PC. Right-click takes me back a page, and a middle-click takes me home.

That cross-device clipboard feature also lets me copy text from a mobile app into a traditional Windows app without needing the Ctrl+C shortcut. Selecting a prompt to 'copy' on my phone just sends it to my Windows clipboard (and vice versa), which is a similar time-saver. Again, not unique, but still useful.

Still, as satisfied as I am, I'm eager to try other features. Direct camera capture, audio-only mode, and a collection of bitrate/quality tweaks are available for experiments; all exciting without a feeling that I'm getting lost in the Terminal. Definitely check out scrcpy for yourself if you're interested.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is out, and honestly, it looks like the first truly good Call of Duty campaign in a decade. That’s impressive in itself, but the data tells a slightly more worrying story.

According to figures obtained via TrueAchievements and SteamDB, Modern Warfare 4 is reportedly down 32% from last year’s Black Ops 7 on Xbox. The game has also fallen short in player counts when compared to titles like Halo: Campaign Evolved, Gears of War: E-Day, and Forza Horizon 6, again on Xbox. Since all of those games were available on Game Pass, it makes sense why the numbers look the way they do.

What makes this even more interesting is that the situation doesn't appear to be much better over on Steam.

Steam numbers show a significant dip

According to SteamDB, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has peaked at around 215,000 concurrent players so far. That’s not terrible by any means, but it falls considerably short of previous releases.

For comparison, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 reached a peak of 306,460 concurrent players on Steam during its launch weekend in October 2024, despite also releasing on Game Pass. That means Modern Warfare 4 has seen roughly 30% fewer concurrent players so far on Steam.

I should mention that these figures are for Call of Duty HQ, which includes multiple Call of Duty games, as well as Warzone and DMZ.

Of course, there are several things to consider here. Modern Warfare 4 isn't available on Game Pass, meaning players who previously relied on the service for access now have to purchase the game outright. Naturally, that makes jumping into the latest Call of Duty considerably more expensive. Given the times we live in, you can’t blame people for not throwing down $70.

That said, lower player counts don't necessarily translate into poor sales; the game was the number one best seller on Steam when it released. But without official figures from Activision, it's difficult to determine just how successful Modern Warfare 4 has been.

We do have one figure to go by, though. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma recently took to X to reveal that the Call of Duty franchise as a whole has passed $40 billion in revenue. That means the franchise has achieved $10 billion in revenue since 2022, when it was last reported at $30 billion.

With all that said, let me know your thoughts. Are people feeling fatigued by the yearly Call of Duty release cycle, or is it just that other games are out and Call of Duty isn’t quite worth the $70 on release, especially with a Game Pass release expected a year later?

Leave a comment down below, and be sure to take part in our poll!

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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.