Xbox Adds Analyst Matthew Ball, Names New CTO
Xbox hires game industry analyst Matthew Ball to lead strategy. Xbox also has a new CTO as part of a second round of major leadership changes this month. Full details 👇https://t.co/i7vgBUElIv
Microsoft Unveils Intel‑Powered Surface Devices, Prices Remain Steep
Microsoft is launching its Surface Pro 12 and Surface Laptop 8 devices with Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 processors today. Three new Intel-powered Surface devices arrive for businesses, but they all have high price tags. Full details 👇https://t.co/iTmz0UPL9R
Sony Drops PC Ports for PlayStation Exclusives
PlayStation exclusives aren’t coming to PC anymore. Sony has scrapped plans to launch a PC versions of Ghost of Yōtei and other titles, but online games will still come to multiple platforms following this change in strategy https://t.co/9G8SoK5Kab
AMD Brings 3D V‑Cache to Ryzen PRO Workstations
AMD’s best CPU tech for gamers is coming to workstations too. AMD’s new Ryzen PRO 9000 CPUs include chips with 3D V-Cache, previously only seen in AMD's more gaming and creator focused CPUs https://t.co/X6TU4Ec6aE
Meta Debuts Unblocked Grok AI on Threads
Meta launched its own version of Grok on Threads today, and you can’t block it 😬
Forza Horizon 6 Leak Not Caused by Pre‑load Issue
UPDATE: Playground Games say the leak of Forza Horizon 6 build was "not the result of a pre-load issue." It's still not clear how the game leaked, though https://t.co/neosk8XA1A
TikTok's £3.99 Ad‑free Tier
TikTok is letting UK users pay to remove ads. If this removes all the Ninja coffee machine ads, it might be worth £3.99 a month 😅 https://t.co/KvkM2Wt2w7
Windows 11 Gains macOS‑style Speed with Dynamic CPU Scaling
Windows 11 is getting a macOS-like speed boost. Microsoft is using dynamic CPU scaling to speed up the Start menu, app opening times, and more as part of efforts to fix Windows 11. Details 👇 https://t.co/Gv3oP1T261
Unencrypted Steam Preload Leaks Forza Horizon 6 Early
Forza Horizon 6 has been leaked and cracked a week before its release. The source of the leak appears to be an unencrypted Steam preload 😬 full details 👇 https://t.co/neosk8XA1A
PS5 Sales Tumble 46% as Prices and Shortages Bite
Sony’s PS5 sales plummet amid price rises and a memory crisis. PS5 sales dropped by 46% year-over-year https://t.co/x8TPWGUfHF
Robot Lawn Mower Hacked, Owner Run over by Device
“A hacker ran me over with a robot lawn mower.” 😬 Yarbo’s bladed robots have massive security holes, allowing people to hack and control them. Wild story https://t.co/X9q7WcnGfB
Inside Xbox's Return: Asha Sharma's All‑Hands Reveal Changes
it's time to go inside the return of Xbox. In my Notepad 📒 newsletter this week I dig into Asha Sharma's first internal Xbox all-hands, with more detail on the changes going on at Xbox. Live now for subscribers 👇...
Paying for Sports, but No 4K Champions League
seriously debating why I subscribe to TNT Sports when they can’t even show Champions League games in 4K. It was the same last week in the HBO Max app, and now the Bayern v. PSG game isn’t in 4K either....
Microsoft Offers Cash, Stock, and Healthcare to Retirees
scoop: Here's what Microsoft is offering long-serving employees to voluntarily retire. Some Microsoft employees will be offered a package of healthcare, cash, and stock vesting if they voluntarily retire. Full details 👇 https://t.co/2A6NPrfaAP
Xbox Gets Fresh Boot Animation and Sound Next Week
Xbox consoles are getting a new boot animation next week, complete with a slightly tweaked boot-up sound. Microsoft’s new Xbox CEO continues to make changes that are designed to please fans https://t.co/sLz2RLRjr1 https://t.co/ZiybbhTnKP
Starfield Lands Top‑5 in April PlayStation Downloads
Starfield debuted at #4 in the PlayStation Store download charts for April in the EU, and #5 in the US / Canada https://t.co/TZHPFYL9Kc https://t.co/7UD8UfjUyW
Microsoft Appoints Office and LinkedIn Chief to Lead Teams
scoop: Microsoft’s Office and LinkedIn chief now runs Teams in latest reshuffle. The departure of veteran exec Rajesh Jha has triggered another wave of organizational changes inside Microsoft. Full details 👇 https://t.co/wc20qWX7b0
Copilot Axed Across Microsoft After Underdelivering
sounds like Copilot is gonna be removed from a bunch of places at Microsoft, because it’s fair to say it hasn’t lived up to its promise in many areas
Microsoft Pulls Xbox Copilot After Platform Reorg
wow. Microsoft is scrapping Copilot on Xbox, just hours after a big Xbox platform reorg. Xbox Copilot on mobile is being killed off and development of Copilot on Xbox consoles is over https://t.co/hCBlQAfScV
Xbox Revamps Leadership to Blend Legacy and Fresh Expertise
Microsoft's Xbox chief says today's Xbox platform changes are all about "promoting leaders who built Xbox and bringing in new leaders with consumer and technical expertise we do not yet have." https://t.co/w1w8EJy23P
US Gov to Pre‑Approve Google, Microsoft, xAI Models
Google, Microsoft, and xAI will allow the US government to review their new AI models. The Center for AI Standards and Innovation will now evaluate new models before they’re released publicly https://t.co/esafvxPaCb
Modern Warfare 4 Skips Xbox One, PS4 Launch
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 won’t launch on Xbox One or PS4. A truly Modern Warfare
Xbox Series X Gets 4K Sharper Game Graphics Update
Microsoft is improving the sharpness of gamerpics and some game and achievement art at 4K resolution on the Xbox Series X. It’s being tested with Alpha and Skip-Ahead Alpha testers today https://t.co/ASBmJQ9pFa
UK EV Registrations Hit 2 Million, up 15%
2 million EVs are now registered across the UK, up 15% from last year. “With March 2026 seeing the highest demand ever recorded,” according to the Department for Transport. That’s around 5% of all cars in Britain, but I definitely...
Xbox Game Dev Update Likely Recap, Not New Helix News
Xbox is holding a Game Dev Update next week, targeted at game developers. It will offer “a closer look at Project Helix and what it represents for the future of Xbox.” I wouldn’t expect any news from this though, more of...
Microsoft Fixes Bug Blocking Xbox 360 Games on Series X
looks like Microsoft has fixed the bug preventing people from launching some backwards compatible Xbox 360 games on new Xbox Series S/X consoles
Xbox Mode Rolls Out to All Windows 11 PCs
Microsoft’s Xbox mode is now available for all Windows 11 PCs. The Xbox mode aims to bridge the gap between Windows and Xbox consoles, and you just need the latest Windows update to get it enabled. Details here 👇 https://t.co/PPdq8baL0u
Xbox Update Lets You Disable Quick Resume Per Game
Xbox owners can now disable Quick Resume for specific games. It’s part of a new Xbox console update today that also includes custom dashboard colors and more https://t.co/eKIGzyAaS4
Microsoft‑OpenAI Split yet Remains Tightly Intertwined
Microsoft and OpenAI split this week, but somehow kept it together. I dig into the partnership-turned-situationship in Notepad 📒 this week, live now for subscribers 👇https://t.co/kGonEv65FY
Microsoft’s Auto SR Boosts Xbox Ally X Performance
Microsoft’s DLSS competitor is now available on the Xbox Ally X handheld. Xbox Insiders can try out Auto SR, which improves frame rates and visual quality in PC games. Full details here 👇https://t.co/4dFLva9nhQ
Microsoft Refocuses on Fundamentals to Win Back Consumers
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella just commented about winning back consumers across Windows, Xbox, and more: "When it comes to our consumer business, we're doing the foundational work required to win back fans and strengthen engagement across Windows, Xbox, Bing, and Edge....
Microsoft Q3 Shows Broad Revenue Decline, Xbox Hardware Plunges
Microsoft's Q3 2026 (fiscal) earnings: • 💻 Windows OEM + devices revenue down 2% • 👾 Gaming rev down 7% • 🕹️ Xbox content + services rev down 5% • 🎮 Xbox hardware rev down 33%
Xbox Launches Diablo IV Lord of Hatred Dynamic Background
Xbox has released a new Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred Dynamic Background for Xbox Series S / X consoles https://t.co/XtKzmAVM9Q
Xbox Employees Receive New Xbox Email Addresses
scoop: Microsoft is giving Xbox employees an Xbox email address. The change is part of scrapping Microsoft Gaming in favor of Xbox and the "We are Xbox" effort. Details here 👇 https://t.co/8vTg135inV
PS5 Can Now Run Linux and PC Games
Your PS5 can now transform into a Linux PC. A developer has released a method to get PC games running on a PS5 console with Linux. Details 👇 https://t.co/R5gSyp43vG
GitHub Patches AI‑found Critical RCE in Under Six Hours
GitHub rushed to fix a critical vulnerability in less than six hours. A critical remote code execution vulnerability was discovered using an AI model and patched within hours. Details 👇 https://t.co/MVGhe8zsCX
Microsoft Unveils Dynamic Background for New Xbox Logo
Microsoft is working on a new Xbox Dynamic Background of the new Xbox logo https://t.co/K5eAl1j3HO
Valve Releases $99 Steam Controller, No Steam Machine
Valve is launching its Steam Controller without the Steam Machine. It'll cost $99 and arrives on May 4th https://t.co/NdzvzIupEb
OpenAI Exits Microsoft AGI Pact, Goes Multi‑cloud
Microsoft and OpenAI’s famed AGI agreement is dead. The two companies have re-negotiated their partnership into one that lets OpenAI bring its products to any cloud provider https://t.co/UQqClioyNI
All Xbox Console Logos Refresh with New Design
Microsoft has updated every Xbox console generation logo with the new Xbox logo design 1. Xbox Series S / X 2. Xbox One 3. Xbox 360 4. Xbox you can download them as wallpapers here https://t.co/RNq0nYdi7u https://t.co/1mqg9PrMLB
Xbox's Quirky Double Fine Delivers Back‑to‑back Oddball Hits
Xbox’s weirdest studio is on a roll. Double Fine’s Kiln is goofy and delightful, and Keeper last year was also wonderfully strange https://t.co/jTexUBGFUw
Microsoft Now Lets You Pause Windows Updates Indefinitely
Microsoft will let you pause Windows Updates indefinitely, 35 days at a time. This is a good change, and it makes sense security wise that Microsoft wouldn’t let you totally disable updates https://t.co/rs0FWzHBtZ
New Xbox Logo Likened to Apple, but Forgets Original Dashboard
I see a lot of people saying the new Xbox logo looks like Apple’s Liquid Glass. Did y’all forget about the original Xbox dashboard 😉 https://t.co/JqWvyJpTzF
Xbox Accelerates OS Revamp with Daily Helix Meetings
Xbox chief Asha Sharma also mentioned during her all-hands yesterday that the teams are meeting daily on Project Helix, and that there will also be biweekly Xbox Series S/X console updates until end of the year. The reinvestment in Xbox...
GitHub Outage Validates Employee Reliability Concerns
yesterday I reported on GitHub employee concerns about reliability and leadership, and then hours later GitHub suffered a catastrophic outage 😬 https://t.co/bu8hHLNJzi https://t.co/b14mPlkd29
Microsoft Unveils New Xbox Strategy Blueprint
"We Are Xbox": read the memo defining Microsoft’s gaming future. Microsoft’s new Xbox leader starts to talk strategy for the company’s gaming business 👇 https://t.co/69IhB4NQQG
Xbox's New Chief Plans to Rethink Exclusives and Release Windows
Microsoft’s new Xbox chief is "reevaluating" exclusive games and release windowing. Asha Sharma has a new strategy for her return of Xbox. Full details 👇 https://t.co/fE1GLkCsVi
Microsoft Revives Xbox Org, Drops Microsoft Gaming Division
scoop: Microsoft is bringing Xbox back and scrapping Microsoft Gaming. During an internal all-hands today, Microsoft's new Xbox CEO announced the return of the Xbox org and lots more. Full details 👇 https://t.co/3YouKgHh7i
Microsoft’s Executive Exodus Accelerates Early 2024
for my Notepad 📒 newsletter this week I'm digging into the wave of Microsoft executive departures in recent months. There's a lot of changes going on inside Microsoft, and the pace feels notable this early in the year. Live for...
Xbox Rewards Doubles Points During Your Birthday Week
Microsoft launched an Xbox Rewards "birthday bonus" feature this week with extra perks during the week of your birthday 🎂 "Get 2x Rewards points on every game or add-on purchased in the Store during your birthday week." https://t.co/VP0oXBc9eq