Microsoft is unveiling a new Xbox PC app that launches "up to 60 percent faster" than before, with an overhauled design to match new updates to Xbox Cloud Gaming on the web and smart TVs. Xbox Insiders will be able to start testing the updated Xbox PC app today, and the updated Xbox Cloud Gaming interface will start rolling out over the next few weeks.
Ever since Microsoft launched its Xbox Ally handheld devices last year, it was clear the Xbox PC app still needed a lot of work to feel more like an Xbox console experience on Windows. Microsoft has greatly simplified the app now, with a design that no longer feels like you're clicking a mous …
“See you later, alligator” takes on a whole new meaning with this gator-themed console from Xbox. An homage to Florida, home to many of the behemoth creatures, the console is waiting for a lucky gamer to grab it – being mindful of the teeth, of course, which already have an Xbox controller balanced between them.
Measuring five feet long from scaly snout to thrashing tail, the X-BITE looks so real that anyone unfamiliar with its origins could be forgiven for jumping on the phone to their local animal control. Gleaming green eyes, complete with X-shaped irises, peer out from the top of the shovel-shaped head, which is complete with two rows of bright white teeth. The Xbox controller perched between its jaws has tooth marks on it, perhaps evidence of an ill-advised fight on the part of the original owner attempting to keep it.
In the video on the Xbox website, the X-BITE is perched on its own stand, lifting it up in the air so that its clawed feet are poised as if in mid-swim. Or mid-charge, depending on the point of view. The silhouette of an Xbox Series X is visible in its stomach, stretching the green scales into a rectangular shape, the amber glow of the power button visible even through the gator’s thick skin.
Xbox Just Made a Giant Alligator-Shaped Series X Console, and You Can Win It for Free
Despite the fact that an alligator appeared to treat the console like an appetizer, the post on the Xbox news site makes it clear that the Xbox Series X within is entirely functional. All the player would need to do is press the button to turn it on. The alligator itself was crafted with care, designed by the same studio – John Nolan Studio – which is behind animatronics and other creatures for The Witcher. This unique console was built with a combination of 3D modeling and fabrication, along with sculpting.
For anyone interested in combining their love for gaming with a perennial conversation starter, Xbox is offering the Xbox Series X-BITE for free, as part of an online contest. Here’s the catch (no pun intended) – there’s only one. Interested gamers have three options to enter, though, including X, Instagram, or TikTok.
Whatever social media platform they choose, the directions are simple. After making sure to follow the @XBOX account, just share the sweepstakes post. Don’t forget to add the #XbiteSweepstakes hashtag to the post before it goes live.
It’s also important to note that the winner has 48 hours to claim their prize. “Miss the window,” according to the Xbox post, “and this gator makes a clean getaway.”
Built to play. Not to pet. Enter for a chance win!
Follow and repost with #XbiteSweepstakes for a chance to win the one-of-a-kind playable XBOX Series X-BITE.
I revealed yesterday that the new Xbox Nano controller supports a Wi-Fi connection directly to Xbox Cloud Gaming, and now Microsoft is making it official today. Two new Xbox previews will let players try out using a phone as a controller on smart TVs, as well as cloud connect on the Xbox Nano to connect directly to cloud servers.
"Instead of a Bluetooth connection to your TV, cloud connect uses your Wi-Fi to connect directly to the cloud server running your game," says the Xbox team. "That can help reduce input latency, so gameplay may feel more responsive."
Players in the US will be able to preview the new cloud connect option for the Xbo …
Halo Infinite is offering players a surprising content update that may tempt some gamers back into the most recent installment in the franchise for some exciting action.
Halo Infinite Adds 10 Maps This Week
Things have been quiet on the Halo Infinite beat for quite a while, but the game isn’t dead yet. A surprise update arrived this week and delivers 10 new multiplayer maps to the game.
All 10 new maps were part of the Halo Fest Forge Contest that took place earlier this year, and they’ve specifically been added to a Halo Fest Showcase playlist.
Here is a full list of all the new maps players can access after downloading the latest update:
Abundance
Bits and Pieces
Cascade
Eulogy
Hierarch
Sanctum
Shade’s Promise
Sluff
Sojourn
Unconveyed
Players can dive into CTF: Arena, King of the Hill: Arena, Oddball: Arena and Slayer: Arena modes if they want to see any of the new maps in action.
Xbox hasn’t announced the next official installment in the Halo franchise yet, but the reorganization did move development of the next project to Activision, which will be responsible for producing the next mainline game for the franchise.
The remaining Halo Studios team has been scaled down and the remaining members are now responsible for community support and multiplayer maintenance on existing games like Halo Infinite.
Leadership at Xbox is trying to develop games for the tentpole franchises more frequently, so it will be very interesting to see how long it takes for Activision to get a Halo title off the ground and how different that project might look from the previous games in the series.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more Halo news and updates.
Halo Infinite is available now on PC and Xbox Series consoles.
November is officially here and Xbox is ready to share the additions that are coming to Xbox Game Pass early this month with the latest wave of titles.
Every Title in Xbox Game Pass November Drop
The next big wave of Xbox Game Pass additions has officially been revealed and, although it’s a long list, there aren’t as many blockbusters, day ones, or exclusives to make the first November wave terribly exciting.
Sports fans may be happy to find Football Manager 27 on the list and there are a few titles that had previously been limited to Ultimate subscribers that are making their way to the Premium tier, as well.
Warhammer Survivors could be an interesting addition and the 1.0 release of Void/Breaker could potentially appeal to fans of roguelites.
Here is the full list of additions…
Football Manager 27 (PC)
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Pit of Goblin (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC)
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – November 4
Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
Void/Breaker (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – November 4
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – November 5
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Firefighting Simulator: Ignite (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – November 5
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass
MySims Cozy Bundle (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 5
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Football Manager 2027 Console (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – November 10
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Warhammer Survivors (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – November 10
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Tanuki: Pon’s Summer (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 10
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Hope in the City (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – November 11
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Thronefall (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – November 11
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – November 12
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
Aphelion (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – November 17
Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Paw Patrol: Dino World (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 17
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
Additionally, Game Pass Essential subscribers will find the following additional titles in the Essentials library beginning November 15:
Banjo Kazooie (Cloud and Console)
Banjo Tooie (Cloud and Console)
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (Cloud and Console)
Gears of War: Judgement (Cloud and Console)
Halo: Spartan Assault (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Perfect Dark (Cloud and Console)
Viva Piñata (Cloud and Console)
Viva Piñata: TIP (Cloud and Console)
Be sure to check back soon for lots more Xbox Game Pass news and updates.
Microsoft is about to launch its new Xbox Nano controller tomorrow, and the tiny device has a little secret. The Nano can connect directly to Xbox Cloud Gaming over Wi-Fi to improve latency. It's a feature Microsoft hasn't officially announced yet, but one I've been anticipating since the Xbox Nano leaked earlier this year.
The Nano will be able to connect directly to Microsoft's cloud servers to reduce latency, much like how Google's Stadia controllers used to work. This new cloud connect feature for the Nano is being privately tested on the new Xbox Cloud Gaming website, and it will require you to pair the controller over Wi-Fi to Microso …
Even though I knew Microsoft's new Xbox Nano controller was tiny, I still gasped when I unboxed it a few days ago. The compact controller is small enough to slip into a pocket unnoticed, and it has been designed specifically for younger people, or for anyone with smaller hands.
I'm not young, but I do have small hands, and I've been surprised at how comfortable the Nano is during gaming sessions. At just over 5 inches long, almost everything on this controller has been shrunk down somehow. The ABXY buttons are ever so slightly smaller than a regular Xbox controller, and the thumbsticks feel like miniature versions. Microsoft hasn't changed …
Bethesda is officially confirming today that the next Elder Scrolls game will be called The Elder Scrolls VI Sentinel. The confirmation came in a less than 10-minute video celebrating 40 years of Bethesda game studios.
It's been more than eight years since Bethesda officially announced the existence of the sixth game in its Elder Scrolls series, and studio chief Todd Howard made the announcement today and called it the "perfect time" to fully name the game.
Bethesda isn't sharing any more details on The Elder Scrolls VI Sentinel today, though. The Xbox Wire press release on the name is literally just a picture of the logo.
Former Xbox COO and Minecraft executive Helen Chiang has responded to reports about her departure from Microsoft, disputing claims that she was fired for violating company policy. In a public statement, the executive pushed back on speculation about her exit and raised concerns about how her situation was handled.
Former Xbox COO Helen Chiang Disputes Policy Violation Claim
Screenshot: YouTube Web Summit
Following her recent departure from Microsoft, Helen Chiang has responded to claims that Xbox fired her in a post on LinkedIn titled “Clarity is Kindness.” The former Xbox chief operating officer directly challenged the claim that a policy violation led to her exit of the company.
“There has been some speculation about my abrupt departure from Microsoft, including claims that I was ‘fired for a policy violation’. That’s not accurate and while I won’t turn this into a play-by-play, silence should not be mistaken for agreement. What has been said about my departure, and what has been left unsaid, has created a picture of me that I hardly recognize. It’s important to me to set the record straight.”
For context, Eurogamer previously reported that a source familiar with the situation alleged Chiang had been dismissed over policy violations. However, the outlet explicitly stated that it had not independently verified that allegation. The claim was subsequently covered by other publications, including Windows Central.
Screenshot: Helen Chiang
In her response, the former Minecraft executive specifically denied leaking confidential information or leaving to work for a competitor. She also denied engaging in discrimination, bullying, harassment, insider trading, embezzlement, or other fraudulent activity.
“I stand by my record: both the results I delivered and the way I have treated people throughout my career. I won’t let speculation define my character or erase that record,” she wrote.
Helen Chiang Says She Intended to Stay at Xbox
Screenshot: Xbox
According to Chiang, she had wanted to continue her career at Xbox. Addressing speculation that she had left for another company, the former executive emphasized her connection to the business.
“You don’t spend two decades somewhere without developing a deep loyalty to the people, teams, and businesses you’ve helped build. XBOX was never just another stop in my career. My end game was always to keep building here.”
Chiang also rejected suggestions that she had left because she was passed over for a larger role. She said she had not actively pursued greater responsibilities and had been promoted into the COO position in July without requesting it.
Screenshot: MOJANG
“I went where the company believed I was needed and where I could have the greatest impact. I did not ask for my most recent role, either and was promoted into it in July,” she explained. Her departure came just months after that promotion. Before becoming Xbox’s first chief operating officer, Chiang had spent more than two decades at Microsoft, with her previous responsibilities including leadership of Mojang and the Minecraft business.
While Chiang did not disclose the specific reason for her exit, she questioned whether standards of fairness and accountability had been applied consistently in her case. “I have serious concerns about how they were applied in my case, and I believe those concerns deserve to be taken seriously,” she wrote.
For now, the circumstances surrounding her departure remain unresolved publicly. Her statement disputes the reported policy violation explanation, but does not provide a full account of what happened. After thanking those who had contacted her with support, Chiang closed with a final message: “This is not how I ever imagined my story here would end. And it is not the whole story.”
Xbox's former chief operating officer, Helen Chiang, suddenly left Microsoft less than two weeks ago after being promoted into the role in July. I wrote in my Notepad newsletter last week that it seemed very weird for Chiang to suddenly depart Microsoft after 21 years with a surprisingly short memo from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. Now, Chiang says she has "serious concerns" about how she was treated.
In a lengthy LinkedIn post - entitled "Clarity is Kindness," a reference to Sharma's WSJ profile - Chiang doesn't dispute that she was fired, but she doesn't say why she was let go. Eurogamer reported last month that Chiang had been "terminated for p …
To anyone listening closely to what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has been saying over the past couple of years, this week felt like the clearest sign yet that AI is about to fundamentally change the size of Microsoft's workforce. Microsoft is now offering voluntary buyouts to around 60,000 employees across the US, UK, Canada, and India.
It's the first time the company has presented such an offer to so many employees, expanding greatly upon the retirement offer that was limited to around 9,000 employees earlier this year. It's all part of an ongoing effort to avoid reducing investment in AI infrastructure by lowering Microsoft's operating cos …
Xbox's first chief operating officer (COO) is leaving after the new role was created just a few months ago. Helen Chiang is leaving Microsoft today, according to an internal Xbox memo seen by The Verge. Chiang has been at Microsoft for 21 years, serving as the head of Minecraft before being promoted to Xbox chief operating officer in July.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced Chiang's departure in a surprisingly short memo today. "Helen Chiang is leaving Microsoft today. I'm grateful for her years of service and wish her well," said Sharma. As Chiang is departing today, her immediate responsibilities are being split up between other Xbox leaders …
My first reaction: The next Xbox is dead on arrival. It's DOA.
My second thought: Microsoft knows people won't pay that much. It couldn't possibly charge that much money if it wants next gen to be a success. "I wouldn't release it at all," former Microsoft exec Mike Ybarra recently said.
My third thought: Didn't Microsoft alreadysay out loud that it knows people won't pay that much?
Hope you're all having a wonderful Christmas-New Year Holiday season!On Christmas morn 2025, as I relaxed in the sitting room waiting for the rest of the family to get ready for some holiday festivities, listening to holiday music, I could not help but marvel at the fact that my little Logitech Squeezebox Radio sitting over the fireplace, released back in 2009 continues to go strong all these
I made a Korean dosirak (lunchbox) for my father made up of many traditional sidedishes. Here's a list of them all, plus recipes for each if you want to recreate what I made.
Login
