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Nintendo has reminded owners of the Switch 2 that the screen protector film installed on the console at the factory is not meant to be peeled off. The console, which launched in mid-2025 at $450 and later rose to a standard $500 price point, includes this film as part of its design rather than as an optional add-on.
NAT type describes how easily a gaming device can communicate over the internet, with Open, Moderate and Strict tiers on Xbox and PC (and equivalents on PlayStation and Switch). Open allows unrestricted connections but isn't practical or secure for most setups since it bypasses router protections, while Moderate works behind a router and Strict blocks necessary ports, causing matchmaking issues.
Xbox Series X/S remain third in global console sales behind Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5, a gap attributed to a lack of standout exclusives. Despite this, Microsoft's consoles offer stronger backward compatibility with older game libraries than Sony's PS5, letting players access many classic titles cheaply. Sony, by contrast, has leaned more heavily on new releases to drive its platform's popularity.
Bloomberg reports that Microsoft is weighing multiple acquisition offers for Arkane Studios, including from Ubisoft and at least two other unnamed companies, with a management buyout also under consideration. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the company is exploring options ahead of a December deadline but gave no further details. Arkane had been rumored as a possible target of Xbox's earlier layoffs and project cancellations.
Microsoft's new Xbox Nano controller, launching tomorrow, includes an unannounced feature allowing it to pair directly with Xbox Cloud Gaming servers over Wi-Fi via the Xbox mobile app, bypassing a console or PC. The capability is currently being privately tested on Microsoft's new Xbox Cloud Gaming website.
Microsoft has released the Xbox Nano, its smallest controller yet at just over 5 inches long and 101 grams, aimed at children and people with smaller hands. The controller shrinks the ABXY buttons, thumbsticks, triggers and bumpers compared with a standard Xbox controller, while keeping the D-pad and center Xbox button the same size.
Enclosed cabinets, often used for a tidy entertainment center look, can trap heat around gaming consoles like the Xbox and PlayStation. This restricted airflow can degrade performance or shorten the lifespan of the hardware, according to the report.
Helen Chiang, who left Microsoft as Xbox's chief operating officer less than two weeks after her July promotion, published a LinkedIn post denying she was fired for policy violations, leaking confidential information, or joining a rival. She also denied allegations of discrimination, bullying, harassment, insider trading, embezzlement or fraud, while confirming she was terminated.
Bloomberg's Jason Schreier confirmed that Gears of War: E-Day cost roughly $500 million to make, a figure first reported by Kotaku and excluding marketing spend. Windows Central's Jez Corden suggests the total may reflect The Coalition's broader spending since its last release, including engine and tools work for other Xbox studios, though most of it likely went to E-Day itself. Early sales data from Alinea and The Verge show the game sold around 400,000 copies three weeks after launch, with about 1.7 million more playing via Game Pass.
A comparison of current PC component prices found that matching or beating the Xbox Series S's 1080p-1440p gaming performance requires a custom build using only new, currently available parts, since no modern PC hardware directly mirrors the console's older custom chip. The analysis excluded refurbished components due to price volatility and restricted the build to parts obtainable from major retailers today.
Microsoft has continued using AA battery-powered wireless controllers for standard Xbox editions since the Xbox 360, even as competitors like Sony and Nintendo moved to internal rechargeable batteries. Sony's PlayStation 3 introduced a built-in rechargeable battery, and Nintendo switched the Wii U to rechargeable power in 2012, but Xbox controllers have retained the two-AA-cell design throughout.
An Xbox manager stated that artificial intelligence is currently being applied in the development of Xbox games, and that such tools are already widespread across the broader video game industry. The comments frame AI adoption as an existing practice rather than a future possibility for game studios.