Game Pass
The latest Game Pass coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
ASUS ROG Xbox Ally Hands-On: Windows Meets Xbox in a Handheld Console
Microsoft’s long-awaited answer to the Steam Deck is finally taking shape. At a recent showcase, ASUS and Microsoft jointly unveiled the ROG Xbox Ally, a Windows 11 handheld that boots into a...
Xbox Cloud Gaming on the Verge of Ad-Supported Tiers as Microsoft and AMD Team Up for Next-Gen Hardware
Microsoft is developing a new low-cost tier for Xbox Cloud Gaming that could be funded by advertisements, a move the company’s CFO laid out in stark detail at a recent investor summit. Xbox Chief...
Microsoft Signals Cheaper Cloud-Only Xbox Game Pass as Streaming-Only Users Multiply
Microsoft is actively exploring a lower-cost Xbox Game Pass tier that strips away console and PC perks in favor of a cloud-only streaming subscription, according to comments from an Xbox executive...
Xbox PC App Insider Preview Unlocks Local Game Installs on Arm Windows 11 PCs
Microsoft has pushed a long-awaited update to the Xbox PC app for Windows Insiders, finally allowing Arm-based Windows 11 devices to download and run PC games locally rather than being tethered...
Xbox Series X|S Legacy Ends as Microsoft Pivots to Windows Handhelds: Inside the ROG Ally Strategy
Carl Ledbetter, Microsoft’s head of Xbox device design, has drawn a line under the Xbox Series X|S generation, signaling that the company is pivoting hard toward a Windows-first hardware strategy...
Borderlands 3 and Sea of Stars Lead Xbox Game Pass Exodus on August 31 — Here’s How to Beat the Clock
Microsoft confirmed today that five games are leaving Xbox Game Pass on August 31, 2025. The headliners are Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition and Sea of Stars, just weeks before the launch of...
Windows 11’s Centered Taskbar and Open Store Bet: Why Game Devs Won’t Get the Full Payout
Microsoft’s Windows 11 debut reframed the desktop as a mobile‑first, touch‑aware platform – and it made a bold promise to developers: bring your own payment system and keep every cent you...
Xbox App Preview Brings Native Game Installs to Windows on Arm Laptops
Microsoft has quietly turned a long-awaited key in its Windows on Arm gaming story: a new Insider preview of the Xbox PC app now allows select Arm-based Windows 11 devices to download and run...
MSI Claw A8's $860 Price Tag Fuels Fears That PC Handhelds Are Repeating the Netbook Collapse
The pre-order pricing for the MSI Claw A8 in China landed like a warning shot across the bow of the handheld gaming market: 6,999 RMB, or roughly $860 before any subsidies, and just shy of $1,000...
Microsoft Unlocks Local Xbox Game Downloads for Windows on Arm Insiders
Microsoft has begun rolling out a preview that lets Arm-based Windows 11 PCs download and play Xbox PC app games locally, breaking a longstanding cloud-streaming-only limitation. The update, version...
Pulled Amazon Listing Ignites ROG Xbox Ally Frenzy as $499 Price Leak Points to October Launch
A briefly live Amazon product page for the Asus ROG Xbox Ally appeared and then vanished within hours earlier this week, and that blink-and-you-miss-it event now stands as the strongest signal yet...
Xbox App on Arm: Insiders Can Now Download and Play Games Locally, Fueled by Prism Emulator Boost
Windows on Arm just took a giant leap toward becoming a legitimate gaming platform. Microsoft is rolling out an update to the Xbox PC app that, for the first time, lets Windows Insiders download,...