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Xbox hit hard with layoffs: from cancelled games to a shuttered studio

theverge.com Verge Staff 2026-02-15 03:36:32

On July 2nd, Microsoft announced sweeping layoffs affecting as many as 9,000 employees, and they had a big impact on the company’s Xbox studios. Microsoft cancelled Perfect Dark from The Initiative and closed the studio. Rare’s Everwild, announced in 2019, was cancelled, too. And Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios will lose more than 70 employees. “We must make choices now for continued success in future years and a key part of that strategy is the discipline to prioritize the strongest

Topics: company employees microsoft spencer xbox

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Phil Spencer isn’t retiring as the chief of Xbox ‘anytime soon’

theverge.com Jay Peters 2026-02-15 08:40:27

Microsoft says that Phil Spencer, Microsoft Gaming CEO and the head of Xbox, isn’t retiring “anytime soon.” The company has responded to rumors of Spencer’s retirement, which have spread online today following Microsoft’s major layoffs. “Phil is not retiring anytime soon,” says Kari Perez, head of Xbox communications, in a statement to The Verge. The denial comes after Call of Duty leaker GhostOfHope claimed “Phil Spencer will be retiring from his role as CEO of Microsoft Gaming after the launc

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Everwild has reportedly been cancelled amid Xbox layoffs

engadget.com Unknown 2026-02-15 22:22:00

In today's gaming world, a decade of development can sometimes amount to nothing. Parent company Microsoft has reportedly cancelled Rare's long-in-development project Everwild. The news comes amid broader layoffs across Microsoft's Xbox division. Rare employees will likely be part of the Xbox layoffs, according to Video Games Chronicle. VGC and Bloomberg's Jason Schreier were the first to report the game's cancellation. (Schreier added that an MMORPG project from Zenimax, codenamed "Blackbird,"

Topics: development everwild microsoft rare xbox

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Xbox Elite Wireless Controller 2 Is Overkill for Most People, but Still Delivers an Epic Gaming Experience

cnet.com See Full Bio 2026-02-16 11:00:14

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 (or Elite 2 for short) has arguably been the industry gold standard for a pro-level game controller for the past decade. Over the years dozens of competitors have cropped up, hoping to give Microsoft a run for its money. While the Elite 2 still isn't perfect, it still sets the bar high. What I like about the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 One of the best things the Elite 2 has going for it is the layout -- it's almost identical to the standa

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I Can't Wait to Drop Into Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 on Xbox Game Pass Soon

cnet.com See Full Bio 2026-02-18 11:07:36

The Tony Hawk games were some of my favorite titles when I was growing up. The soundtracks helped form my musical tastes, and the games helped propel me and my friends to learn to skateboard. So when Microsoft brings Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 to Xbox Game Pass on July 11, I'm going to grab my (virtual) deck and returning to some familiar gaps and rails in the game. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a CNET Editors' Choice award pick, offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Se

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The Best Gadgets of June 2025

gizmodo.com Raymond Wong 2026-02-19 04:46:52

With developer conference season in the rearview mirror—Google gave us boatloads of AI, Android XR smart glasses, and a hell of a lot of Veo 3 slop, and Apple ushered in “Liquid Glass” for all of its “26” software—we can now turn our full attention back to checking out the shiny and comforting world of gadgets because it’s just goddamn depressing everywhere else you look. If it’s not the technoking being a dingus again, it’s the world’s most powerful man grifting with a shitty gold Android phone

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Xbox Needs to Get Weirder or Die Trying

gizmodo.com James Pero 2026-02-21 17:56:01

Xbox is in a weird place right now, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. In fact, people with more important opinions on the subject than myself seem to agree: if Microsoft doesn’t get its shit together on hardware, the box as we know it is cooked. Laura Fryer, the former director of the Xbox Advanced Technology Group for the original Xbox project back in May 2000 and former executive producer for Microsoft Games Studios up until the Xbox 360 days, put it bluntly in a recent video. “Obviousl

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Best Games of 2025 So Far: Death Stranding 2, Expedition 33, Assassin's Creed Shadows and More

cnet.com See Full Bio 2026-02-20 15:23:00

At the start of the year, 2025 was going to be all about Grand Theft Auto 6, which had so much hype that players were already expecting it to win Game of the Year. That changed last month when Rockstar Games announced that its highly anticipated game would be pushed to 2026. Though this year might not have what could be the biggest game of the decade, 2025 so far has some great games from the most unlikely places. With the launch of the Switch 2 and Summer Game Fest already happening in early J

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Must-Play Games of 2025 So Far: Death Stranding 2, Expedition 33, Assassin's Creed Shadows and More

cnet.com See Full Bio 2026-02-22 09:23:00

At the start of the year, 2025 was going to be all about Grand Theft Auto 6, which had so much hype that players were already expecting it to win Game of the Year. That changed last month when Rockstar Games announced that its highly anticipated game would be pushed to 2026. Though this year might not have what could be the biggest game of the decade, 2025 so far has some great games from the most unlikely places. With the launch of the Switch 2 and Summer Game Fest already happening in early J

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Puzzle platformers, desktop aquariums and other new indie games worth checking out

engadget.com Unknown 2026-02-22 03:00:29

Welcome to the latest edition of our indie game roundup. We’ve got quite a bit on deck this week, starting with a few nuggets of news. In case you missed it, the Steam Summer Sale is upon us, which means there are bargains galore on the storefront (we’ve rounded up some of the tastier deals). If you're anything like me, you'll end up buying a bunch of games that you'll never end up playing but hope to get to some day. In any case, good luck with your deal hunting! I read an interesting story o

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Meta’s Xbox-Branded Quest 3S Just Sold Out for All the Wrong Reasons

gizmodo.com James Pero 2026-02-22 05:00:47

Everyone loves limited-edition stuff. There’s Sony’s 30th anniversary PS5, or Analogue’s many limited edition Pocket handhelds, or— I don’t know—the Shamrock f***ing Shake. But there’s one type of person who loves limited-edition stuff more than your average consumer, and it’s a scalper. For proof of that, see Meta’s recently released Xbox-branded Quest 3S. See Meta Quest Xbox Edition at Best Buy In case you missed it, Meta’s new limited-edition Quest 3S bundle just recently sold out, which on

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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Review: The Best Content Deal in Gaming

cnet.com See Full Bio 2026-02-22 08:00:05

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. 8.2 / 10 SCORE Game Pass Ultimate Buy at Amazon $60 at HP Pricing $10 a month (Console Core) $12 a month (PC) $15 a month (Console Standard) $20 a month (Ultimate - PC and Console) Pros Unique breadth of features Great for both console and PC gaming Catalog of hundreds of games Cons Available games change frequently PC integration headaches Cloud gamin

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The Xbox 360 dashboard just got updated… to advertise newer Xboxes

theverge.com Andrew Liszewski 2026-02-26 08:40:34

is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid. Earlier this week some devoted Xbox 360 users booted up their aging consoles to find that Microsoft had updated the home screen to finally resolve an issue with box art. But in addition to that fix, several users on Reddit, as well as Kotaku, have confirmed the update also adds some sizable ads for the Xbox Series X / S consoles to the 360’s dash

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Microsoft’s Xbox PC launcher gets going with Steam, Epic, and other games showing up

theverge.com Tom Warren 2026-02-26 08:50:56

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Microsoft announced earlier this week that it would start testing its new aggregated gaming library on the Xbox app for Windows, and it’s now starting to show up for testers today. This new library experience lists Steam, Battle.net, Ubisoft, Epic Games Store, and Riot Games titles that are all installed on a PC from various other launchers — much like GOG Galaxy. I’ve been tr

Topics: app experience games pc xbox

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What is an Xbox?

theverge.com Tom Warren 2026-02-26 17:00:00

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Microsoft’s “This is an Xbox” marketing campaign in November always felt a little too early. If you ask a friend or family member what an Xbox is, the response is likely going to be “it’s a game console.” Xbox is ingrained in popular culture as a box under your TV that you play games on, but Microsoft’s ads over the past six months have been attempting to redefine the Xbox as a

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I Wish Meta and Microsoft's New Quest 3S Xbox Edition Was More Than Just a New Color

cnet.com See Full Bio 2026-03-03 22:00:00

I have major throwback memories to 2016 as I open up the limited-edition Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition. This new VR bundle includes a black Quest 3S VR headset with Xbox green highlights, similarly colored Touch controllers and an Xbox controller, too. The original Oculus Rift headset I reviewed years ago also came with an Xbox controller inside, because back then Oculus didn't even have its VR Touch controllers yet. It was also black, not white like the current Quest headsets. It's funny how thing

Topics: 3s black quest vr xbox

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Xbox will reportedly conduct another major round of layoffs next week

engadget.com Unknown 2026-03-04 11:58:46

It seems the cuts just keep on coming within Microsoft's gaming division. A company-wide reorganization is taking place, and that's slated to include another major round of layoffs within the Xbox team. Those cuts will be confirmed next week, according to Bloomberg. Engadget has contacted Microsoft for comment. Microsoft confirmed last month that it would lay off about three percent of its total workforce across all teams, levels and regions in an attempt to streamline operations and flatten it

Topics: cuts gaming microsoft xbox year

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Meta just launched a $400 Xbox Edition Quest 3S headset - and it's full of surprises

zdnet.com Cesar Cadenas 2026-03-04 12:27:00

Meta Meta has officially entered into a new partnership with Microsoft by launching its "first-ever limited edition" headset -- the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition. For this new bundle, the tech giant isn't changing the headset's hardware. It's still the same Quest 3S running on a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset. It still supports full-color pass-through and can display content on a huge, 26-foot digital screen. The hardware may be staying the same, but the various differences will make this package a

Topics: 3s headset meta quest xbox

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Meta announces Xbox-branded Quest 3S that supports cloud gaming

venturebeat.com Rachel Kaser 2026-03-04 16:00:58

Meta announced today that it is making a limited edition of its Quest 3S headset in collaboration with Xbox. The Xbox Edition is a bundle that comes with a Quest 3S headset, an Elite Strap, Touch Plus controllers and an Xbox Wireless Controller, all in the distinctive Xbox colors of Carbon Black and Velocity Green. The collaboration highlights the catalog of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Cloud Gaming, the latter of which is available on the platform. The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition launches today f

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Microsoft planning ‘major’ Xbox layoffs next week

theverge.com Tom Warren 2026-03-04 17:17:05

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Microsoft is planning to cut jobs in the company’s Xbox gaming business, as early as next week. I first reported in Notepad earlier this month that Microsoft was planning Xbox layoffs “potentially by the end of the month,” and now Bloomberg says a round of “major layoffs” is due next week. I understand managers at Microsoft have been briefed about Xbox cuts and wider layoffs i

Topics: cuts layoffs microsoft month xbox

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Meta’s Quest 3S Xbox Edition Is a Great Value, but There’s Just One Big Tradeoff

gizmodo.com Kyle Barr 2026-03-04 22:00:23

Microsoft wants everything to be an Xbox, but the problem with its ongoing ambition to rebrand every gaming-capable device as a pseudo gaming console is so few devices look like an Xbox. The next step on Microsoft’s wacky, winding road to regaining hardware supremacy is a $400 bundle that includes a Meta Quest headset with a unique colorway, an Xbox controller, and a few months of access to Game Pass Ultimate for game streaming. If you were looking to dip your toe into VR, the $300 Quest 3S is s

Topics: 3s game quest streaming xbox

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A week in Xbox VR with Microsoft and Meta’s new $399 headset

theverge.com Tom Warren 2026-03-04 22:00:00

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Microsoft and Meta announced an Xbox-branded Quest VR headset last year, and it’s going on sale today for $399.99. The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition is a custom colorway VR headset that comes bundled with an Xbox wireless controller, matching Touch Plus controllers, and three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. I’ve been using the Quest 3S Xbox Edition over the past week, and I wa

Topics: headset microsoft quest vr xbox

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The Morning After: Samsung’s big foldable Unpacked event takes place on July 9

engadget.com Unknown 2026-03-05 03:09:08

The third Unpacked of 2025 (following installments in January and May) will be on July 9 at 10AM ET, kicking off in Brooklyn, New York. The company usually debuts its latest foldables in the summer, so we’re expecting to see the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 here. However, there’s an extra wrinkle (don’t say wrinkle with foldables!): It’s looking like the premium Galaxy Z Fold Ultra is joining the family. What exactly can you expect? We've written all about it. When it comes to foldables, one rece

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Xbox app now lets Windows Insiders launch games from Steam, Epic, and more

techspot.com Daniel Sims 2026-03-05 17:23:00

Something to look forward to: Xbox Insiders can now test a new feature that enables launching games from different storefronts directly in the Xbox PC app. The functionality first leaked in March and is slated to roll out alongside the ROG Ally X handhelds later this year, allowing users to start games with a controller and bypass the traditional Windows desktop entirely. Juggling games across Steam, the Epic Games Store, GOG, the Xbox app, and other clients has long frustrated users. Some laun

Topics: app games steam storefronts xbox

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The Xbox PC app will soon integrate your various game libraries into one place

engadget.com Unknown 2026-03-06 12:24:52

Microsoft is getting ready to make the Xbox PC app your go-to gaming hub, regardless of where you buy your games. The company has announced that Xbox Insiders enrolled in the PC Gaming Preview will get early access to a new aggregated gaming library within the Xbox PC app for Windows 11 PCs as well as handheld devices. The new feature is coming to the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X this holiday season. Gamers' libraries are often split across different platforms like Steam, Xbox, Epic Games,

Topics: app gaming new pc xbox

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Xbox App for PC Now Integrates Your Steam Games

cnet.com See Full Bio 2026-03-06 11:48:00

The Xbox App on PC is now integrating purchased games from people's libraries across various supported storefronts, including Steam, Microsoft announced Monday. This feature is currently limited to those in the Xbox Insider program, which gives early access to software updates. Windows users can access the Xbox Insider Hub here. The update aggregates all titles across supported PC gaming storefronts to turn the Xbox App into a universal launcher. This is especially handy for people who buy game

Topics: games gaming microsoft pc xbox

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Microsoft’s Xbox UI update lets you pin games and customize your homescreen

theverge.com Tom Warren 2026-03-06 22:11:50

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Microsoft is rolling out a new update to its Xbox Home UI that allows Xbox owners to pin apps and games on the homescreen. It’s part of a number of customization changes to the Xbox Home UI, including the ability to hide system apps and reduce the number of apps and games listed in the most recently used section. You can pin up to three of your recently launched games or apps

Topics: apps games microsoft recently xbox

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Microsoft adds Steam games to its Xbox PC app on Windows

theverge.com Tom Warren 2026-03-07 08:00:00

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Microsoft is starting to test its new aggregated gaming library in its Xbox PC app on Windows. Xbox Insiders will now be able to see their Steam and Battle.net games all within the Xbox app this week — making it a single launcher for most installed PC games. This new consolidated library will roll out to the Xbox app later this year, as well as new devices like the ROG Xbox Al

Topics: app library microsoft pc xbox

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Xbox's VR headset with Meta could be released sooner than we thought

engadget.com Unknown 2026-03-07 20:05:12

Xbox has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a chunky console. It's recently taken on the form of an Asus gaming handheld, and it might even be packaged as a VR headset soon. According to an image leaked on X and Game Sandwich, Xbox is reportedly teaming up with Meta to release an Xbox-branded Quest 3S headset in the coming days. The rumored specs show a very similar build to the base model Quest 3S with 128GB of storage, but will reportedly be bundled with an Xbox wireless controller

Topics: game headset meta quest xbox

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Xbox’s Best and Only Move Left Is to Become a PC

gizmodo.com Kyle Barr 2026-03-13 23:14:35

Your next Xbox device, whether it’s a console, handheld, or some other strange, eldritch device with a glowing green “X”, may be a PC in everything but name. Xbox President Sarah Bond told the world this week that it was working on a sequel to the Xbox Series X console. Hell, there is a whole extended “family” of devices bearing the Xbox name currently in the works. The announcement implied more than just new hardware. Microsoft’s whole brand could shift to being more PC-like with a game-themed

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Latest Tech News

Xbox hit hard with layoffs: from cancelled games to a shuttered studio

Phil Spencer isn’t retiring as the chief of Xbox ‘anytime soon’

Everwild has reportedly been cancelled amid Xbox layoffs

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller 2 Is Overkill for Most People, but Still Delivers an Epic Gaming Experience

I Can't Wait to Drop Into Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 on Xbox Game Pass Soon

The Best Gadgets of June 2025

Xbox Needs to Get Weirder or Die Trying

Best Games of 2025 So Far: Death Stranding 2, Expedition 33, Assassin's Creed Shadows and More

Must-Play Games of 2025 So Far: Death Stranding 2, Expedition 33, Assassin's Creed Shadows and More

Puzzle platformers, desktop aquariums and other new indie games worth checking out

Meta’s Xbox-Branded Quest 3S Just Sold Out for All the Wrong Reasons

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Review: The Best Content Deal in Gaming

The Xbox 360 dashboard just got updated… to advertise newer Xboxes

Microsoft’s Xbox PC launcher gets going with Steam, Epic, and other games showing up

What is an Xbox?

I Wish Meta and Microsoft's New Quest 3S Xbox Edition Was More Than Just a New Color

Xbox will reportedly conduct another major round of layoffs next week

Meta just launched a $400 Xbox Edition Quest 3S headset - and it's full of surprises

Meta announces Xbox-branded Quest 3S that supports cloud gaming

Microsoft planning ‘major’ Xbox layoffs next week

Meta’s Quest 3S Xbox Edition Is a Great Value, but There’s Just One Big Tradeoff

A week in Xbox VR with Microsoft and Meta’s new $399 headset

The Morning After: Samsung’s big foldable Unpacked event takes place on July 9

Xbox app now lets Windows Insiders launch games from Steam, Epic, and more

The Xbox PC app will soon integrate your various game libraries into one place

Xbox App for PC Now Integrates Your Steam Games

Microsoft’s Xbox UI update lets you pin games and customize your homescreen

Microsoft adds Steam games to its Xbox PC app on Windows

Xbox's VR headset with Meta could be released sooner than we thought

Xbox’s Best and Only Move Left Is to Become a PC

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