Galen Hunt, a distinguished engineer at Microsoft, posted about a job opening for an IC5 Principal Software Engineer. The person who fills that role will be part of a team that translates Microsoft's C and C++ systems to Rust.

Rust is a modern programming language designed to make software faster and more reliable. Unlike older languages such as C and C++, Rust includes built‑in safeguards that prevent many common programming mistakes.

These protections help developers avoid bugs that can lead to crashes, security issues, or unpredictable behavior. While Rust can take some time to learn, the result is software that’s safer and more dependable.

Hunt shared the following on LinkedIn about the new role:

"My goal is to eliminate every line of C and C++ from Microsoft by 2030. Our strategy is to combine AI *and* Algorithms to rewrite Microsoft’s largest codebases. Our North Star is “1 engineer, 1 month, 1 million lines of code”. To accomplish this previously unimaginable task, we’ve built a powerful code processing infrastructure. Our algorithmic infrastructure creates a scalable graph over source code at scale. Our AI processing infrastructure then enables us to apply AI agents, guided by algorithms, to make code modifications at scale. The core of this infrastructure is already operating at scale on problems such as code understanding."

Considering Windows 11 has been out for years and Microsoft is just getting around to making a somewhat consistent dark mode, Hunt's goal of eliminating every line of C and C++ from Microsoft by 2030 seems ambitious. However, AI may speed up the process and there's a good chance the shift to Rust is a higher priority than making a dark mode for the Run prompt window.

Microsoft has been shifting parts of its code to Rust for years. As highlighted by Thurrott.com, Microsoft started rewriting parts of the Windows Kernel using Rust in 2023. Even though AI hadn't exploded into the public eye back then, Microsoft was already experimenting with using LLMs to translate C and C++ code into Rust.

Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Enterprise and OS Security David Weston spoke on the transition to Rust last year. An Azure blog post by Jeffrey Cooperstein from 2023 explained several benefits of transitioning to Rust.

"Decades of vulnerabilities have proven how difficult it is to prevent memory-corrupting bugs when using C/C++. While garbage-collected languages like C# or Java have proven more resilient to these issues, there are scenarios where they cannot be used. For such cases, we’re betting on Rust as the alternative to C/C++. Rust is a modern language designed to compete with the performance C/C++, but with memory safety and thread safety guarantees built into the language. While we are not able to rewrite everything in Rust overnight, we’ve already adopted Rust in some of the most critical components of Azure’s infrastructure. We expect our adoption of Rust to expand substantially over time."

Cooperstein highlighted the "major investment" Microsoft will make over several years regarding the move to Rust.

The new role advertised by Hunt will continue the work to modernize Microsoft's code as part of the Future of Scalable Software Engineering group in the EngHorizons organization in Microsoft CoreAI.

What do you think about AI being used to replace Microsoft's code at a massive scale? Let me know in the comments.

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Ex-Bungie executive Christopher Barrett — a longtime developer at the studio that majorly contributed to Halo, Destiny, and Marathon before he was fired last year due to a dispute over complaints of inappropriate workplace behavior — has revealed that the original idea behind Marathon actually stemmed from an MMO my parents played 20 years ago: Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC).

I have fond memories of watching my family enjoy the acclaimed 2001 title when I was a kid, and even dabbled in it myself a bit when I grew older, but I haven't heard it mentioned by anyone for years. Thus, to learn that it was primary inspiration for Marathon came as quite a surprise. After reading why, though, I immediately understood.

"The original inspiration was not Tarkov or extraction shooters. It was Dark Age of Camelot. A tense living world experience filled with co-op player stories and the potential danger of other players," wrote Barrett in a post on social media. "Extraction was just a convenient mechanic leveraged to create a ~15 minute game loop where players in the same session have multiple opportunities to succeed or fail."

That description sounds exactly like DAoC's realm vs. realm (RvR) zones in which players from the MMO's three distinct realms — Albion, Midgard, and Hibernia — could encounter each other and engage in PvP while fighting through dungeons and other points of interest filled with PvE mobs.

It also sounds a whole lot like the foundation of extraction shooter gameplay in general, which made me realize the core concept of the genre can be traced back to RvR MMO experiences as much as it can be to early-2010s ARMA and DayZ modding.

Barrett went on to list some of his "original design goals" for Marathon, some of which include persistent servers players can always spawn onto or extract from — think ARC Raiders sessions, but without a timer — a player-driven "living world" with "emergent dynamic events," a focus on facilitating unique player stories and experiences, and survival elements like broken limbs or leaking gas tanks to keep players on their toes and push them to creatively adapt.

He also imagines a game that draws on the lore and story of the original Marathon titles to present "a compelling, deep, interesting world that feels worthy of your time," an experience with completely unique and customizable player characters ("no heroes"), "live service robustness" and consistent updates, and win conditions that ensure playstyles beyond "PvP twitch dominance" have a "path to success."

Barrett concluded by noting that "I obviously can’t speak to the current game direction," and indeed, Marathon has deviated from this original vision in some ways. For one, the game has distinct Runner characters ("personality matrixes," if you will) with hero shooter-esque abilities, and it also features timed raids instead of persistent servers.

With that said, it also seems to be leaning in the direction of this original concept a bit compared to the game we saw earlier this spring. As revealed in a recent ViDoc showcase, proximity chat is coming to promote more social interactions between players, and PvE encounters are being made more dynamic and dangerous too; I expect these will encourage on-the-fly decisions to team up and help ensure each match feels unique.

We'll know for sure how the finished version of Marathon plays when it launches at some point in March 2026. It was originally scheduled to release on September 23, 2025 this year, but was delayed in June.

What do you think of Christopher Barrett's original vision for Marathon, and how it compares to the version of the game that Bungie is making now? Let me know in the comments.

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The GameSir G7 SE Xbox is one such example, as it's a remarkable controller with responsive buttons and comfy ergonomic features, all for a budget-friendly price that's been knocked down further to $35.99 at Walmart for Christmas.

Why buy this controller for Christmas?

The GameSir G7 SE Wired controller is our winner in the "Best Budget" category of our favorite Xbox controllers of 2025 and beyond.

It's got responsive controls thanks to being outfitted with Hall Effect sensors in its triggers and analog sticks to help the controller better detect player inputs.

It has a sturdy, ergonomic design that's comfortable to hold and durable enough to withstand years of use (and rage-quitting abuse), and its buttons can be remapped to the player's liking by using GameSir's Nexus software app.

Of course, the most stand-out selling point of this controller is its MSRP of $54.99. Being $10 cheaper than the standard Xbox wireless controller while having features you'd expect from a premium controller is one heck of a bargain, which has become an absolute steal now that it's on sale for $35.99 at Walmart.

Alternative discount

If Walmart's stock of the GameSir G7 SE Wired controller runs out or it expires, Amazon's $44.99 discount (was $49.99) can be used as an alternative backup option.

FAQs

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

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However, it can be an expensive hobby to get into, as laptops can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Fortunately, Walmart is hosting a special Christmas sale on a couple of PC gaming laptops and compatible accessories to help you get started with PC gaming while saving a significant amount of money, and we've rounded up the best discounts on offer.

FAQs

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

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You can, however, effectively transfer the ownership of files or folders in OneDrive with a trick — though there are limits.

By making a parent folder, placing content within it, and sharing the parent folder with a user, another person can then use the Copy to feature in OneDrive to move the content somewhere else.

It's an inelegant solution that takes time and has limits. OneDrive cannot move or copy files over 100GB in size. It also lacks support for moving up to 30,000 files at once.

Perhaps most importantly, following the steps outlined below will not transfer file-sharing settings. Following these steps essentially makes a copy of the files.

I've used the steps below to transfer over 80GB of photos and videos of my daughter to her OneDrive account. I then had her OneDrive account share the folder with me so I still have access, but the files are hosted on her account (my daughter is 3 months old, so I handle her OneDrive account).

How to transfer ownership of OneDrive files or folders

To transfer the ownership of OneDrive files or folders, use these steps:

1. Using the account that currently hosts the files you'd like to transfer, create a parent folder (a new folder that you can place the files in).
2. Place the files you would like to share into that parent folder using the Move to feature or by dragging and dropping the content.
3. Share the parent folder with the person you want to receive those files.

4. Using the account you want to receive the files, open the parent folder that was just shared.
5. Within that parent folder, select the folder that includes the files you'd like to transfer.
6. Use the ... menu to select Copy to.
7. Select the location you'd like to have the copied files be located.
8. Select Move here.

FAQs about transferring OneDrive file and folder ownership

More resources

Explore more in-depth how-to guides, troubleshooting advice, and essential tips to get the most out of Windows 11 and 10, start browsing here:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

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And now, OpenAI's ChatGPT has joined the fray. The AI firm recently rolled out an annual review feature, Your Year with ChatGPT, to users in select markets, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

An OpenAI spokesman told TechCrunch that the new feature will be available to Free, Plus, and Pro users, provided they have enabled the “Reference Saved Memories” and “Reference Chat History” options in the app’s Settings. The feature won't be available for Team, Enterprise, and Education accounts.

Much like Spotify's Wrapped feature, OpenAI's Your Year with ChatGPT feature includes catchy graphics designed to recap your year. It also consists of a "poem" that attempts to capture your general vibe for the year based on your interactions with ChatGPT.

You will also get an award based on how you've used ChatGPT throughout the year. For instance, someone might be awarded the "Creative Debugger" badge if they mainly used the chatbot to find solutions for complex problems and similar tasks.

It'll also highlight some statistics about your interaction with ChatGPT, including your most talkative day and total chats. Interestingly, the company also attempted to make the whole experience a bit fun by jokingly highlighting the number of em dashes used between you and the chatbot.

The feature is available on the ChatGPT web app and mobile app for iOS and Android. To access your annual review, Your Year with ChatGPT should already be on your home screen across your Android, iOS, and web apps. Alternatively, you can ask ChatGPT for your recap directly.

This news comes after Google launched Gemini 3, which might have potentially contributed to ChatGPT's decline in traffic. Consequently, CEO Sam Altman was rattled into declaring "code red," though he recently indicated that OpenAI is eyeing a January exit from the situation. He further explained that the company declares code red multiple times when competitive threats emerge.

Did you get your 'Wrapped' moment from ChatGPT, and what did you think? Or did you have its settings disabled from the start? Let me know in the comments and vote in the poll!

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The software giant continues the slow process of porting legacy features to the Settings app, and even though there is still a lot of work to do, the last cumulative update for Windows 11 introduced a new version of the Settings app that includes a "Virtual Workspaces" page.

From this new page, you can enable or disable features like Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, and more without having to open the legacy "Windows Features" (Turn Windows features on or off) page.

In this how-to guide, I'll outline the steps to get started with the Virtual Workspaces feature on Windows 11.

How to enable virtualization features on Windows 11

To enable virtualization features through Virtual Workspaces, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click the Advanced page on the right side.
4. Click the Virtual Workspaces setting.

5. (Option 1) Turn on the virtualization feature, including:

• Containers: Offers services and tools to create and manage Windows Server Containers and their resources.
• Guarded Host: Enables the computer to create and run a "Shielded Virtual Machine" using remote attestation.
• Virtual Machine Platform: Enables platform support for virtual machines
• Windows Hypervisor Platform: Enables virtualization software to run on the Windows hypervisor.
• Windows Sandbox: Enables the dependencies required to run the Sandbox feature.

6. (Option 2) Turn on the Hyper-V available features.

• Hyper-V GUI Management Tools: Installs the Hyper-V Manager snap-in and Virtual Machine Connection tool.
• Hyper-V Module for Windows PowerShell: Configures Windows PowerShell cmdlets for managing Hyper-V.
• Hyper-V Hypervisor: Sets up the Hyper-V Hypervisor.
• Hyper-V Services: Installs the services that you can use to create and manage virtual machines and their resources.

7. Click the Restart now button.

Once you complete the steps, the computer will reboot to apply the components to enable the virtualization feature.

How to disable virtualization features on Windows 11

To disable virtualization features through Virtual Workspaces, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click the Advanced page on the right side.
4. Click the Virtual Workspaces setting.

5. Turn off the virtualization feature (if applicable).

6. Click the Restart now button.

After you complete the steps, the device will reboot to apply the changes to turn off the feature.

It's important to note that it's still possible to enable these and other features from the "Windows Features" page and PowerShell.

FAQs about getting started with Virtual Workspaces

These are common questions regarding Virtual Workspaces settings.

More resources

Explore more in-depth how-to guides, troubleshooting advice, and essential tips to get the most out of Windows 11 and 10, start browsing here:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

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According to Team RICOCHET, more than 800,000 accounts have been permanently banned from Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Call of Duty: Warzone due to the team's cheat mitigation and detection efforts.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's season one integration with Call of Duty: Warzone saw a flood of new hackers released into the popular first-person shooter franchise's lobbies after the game's proprietary anti-cheat system suffered from data outages and other issues.

That led Activision and the Call of Duty team to reprioritize plans for Black Ops 6's post-launch content to put more work into cheat mitigation efforts. Changes to cheat mitigation weren't just at the software level, as Activision's legal teams buckled down by sending cease and desists to disrupt the cheat business by targeting developers and resellers.

It has only been a month since Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched, but cheat disruption efforts are off to a strong start for this entry, as well. Activision has reported that 39 resellers have been disrupted so far, with 5 resellers and 3 primary vendors also shutting down operations to distribute Call of Duty cheats.

With the launch of Black Ops 7, Team RICOCHET would require Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 to launch the game. That cheat detection would expand to Call of Duty: Warzone with Season One integration into BO7.

Call of Duty's cheat disruptions have been widely successful due to the renewed vigor in detection, mitigation, and cessation. In the year following Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's launch, 295 resellers were disrupted in total, with 53 resellers shutting down cheat operations for good. The team also reports that 11 primary cheat vendors were also taken down.

Team RICOCHET has shared several updates on cheat disruption tactics since the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. According to reports, the new mitigation and detection tools led to a nearly cheat-free beta for BO7. The team has also been active on social media by replying to players who share videos of suspicious interactions to report when offending accounts are banned.

While the Shutdowns Wrapped is a celebration of Team RICOCHET's recent successes with anti-cheat efforts, it is not the end of the work that must be done to keep Call of Duty cheaters at bay. In the Season 1 progress report, Team RICOCHET shared additional plans to expand TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirements and the introduction of the Secure Attestation Wizard so that players can verify if their PCs meet the game's security and anti-cheat requirements.

"The goal is simple," wrote Team RICOCHET in a Call of Duty Blog post, "cleaner matches, faster detections, and a more secure foundation for every player."

Did the numbers surprise you, or does it feel like cheaters are still slipping through? Drop your thoughts below — especially if you’ve noticed improvements (or new problems) in Black Ops 7 this year. The anti‑cheat team says they’re making progress, but the real test is what players are experiencing in the wild.

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It's an outstanding value-for-money AI laptop that any serious or casual laptop user will enjoy for its high-performing specs for productive workflows or simple web browsing.

Why buy the ASUS Zenbook A14 for Christmas?

The ASUS Zenbook A14 is packed from its inner circuits to its clamshell casing with substantial features that make it one of the best Windows laptops we've ever covered on this site.

This laptop has a refined, ultra-light, minimalist design made with a custom "Ceraluminum" coating that reduces its weight for easy carrying while making it scratch-resistant to preserve its stylish appearance.

On the performance front, the ASUS Zenbook A14 is outfitted with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus processor (8-core) and the Windows on ARM OS. With these, the laptop will boot up, log you in, run web browsers, and launch compatible native ARM64 apps as quickly and easily as a man breathes.

Not to mention, this Copilot+ PC is equipped with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) with 45 TOPS, allowing it to run AI-empowered tasks like researching facts from the internet and editing images in seconds with little load unless put under extremely heavy workloads.

With specs like these, plus a 14-inch OLED display (1,920 x 1,200 FHD+ resolution) with 400 nits max brightness and 60Hz refresh rates, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage space, and much more, it's a laptop worth every penny, especially now that it's $959.00 MSRP has been cut down to $799.00 at Amazon for Christmas.

Alternative discounted configurations

If Amazon's discount offering for the ASUS Zenbook A14 (with the 1TB SSD) expires or it runs out of stock, here are discounts for alternative configurations being sold elsewhere as backup options:

• $999.99 at Best Buy (was $1,199.99) (32GB RAM, 1TB SSD)
• $749.99 at Walmart (was $799.99) (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

FAQs

Arrives after Christmas and need a gift sooner? 

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

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Call of Duty HQ currently ranks as the second most played title in the US across Xbox and PlayStation, but that figure combines engagement from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Call of Duty: Warzone, and the newly released Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. This aggregation makes it difficult to directly compare Black Ops 7 with Battlefield 6 on a like-for-like basis.

What we do know is that Black Ops 7 has reportedly underperformed relative to expectations. European launch data shows opening week sales down 63% compared to Battlefield 6, and more than 50% compared to Black Ops 6, suggesting that Call of Duty’s overall strength may be masking a weaker individual release.

Battlefield 6’s numbers might tell a more complicated story

While Battlefield 6 engagement includes both the paid core multiplayer and REDSEC, the game’s free-to-play battle royale mode, it still has not been enough to challenge Call of Duty’s dominance in the most-played charts in the U.S.

Thanks for reporting from Circana, we can see that for the week ending December 13, 2025, Battlefield 6 sits at seventh place, slipping slightly from sixth the week prior. That drop suggests that even with a flagship free-to-play battle royale offering, Battlefield 6 is struggling to keep pace with the broader Call of Duty HQ ecosystem.

Circana Player Engagement Tracker - Top 15 Titles by Total Weekly Active Users (Not Concurrent) - W/E Dec 13, 2025- Mortal Kombat 1 returns to XBX top 15 with Game Pass add.- The Last of the Druids content and a free weekend promotion lifted Path of Exile 2 on Steam US/CAN.

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-23T11:21:32.697Z

That said, landing in sixth or seventh place remains a strong result and reflects a healthy player base. However, it also highlights a potential mismatch between Battlefield’s approach and current player trends.

With extraction shooters like ARC Raiders maintaining momentum, it appears many players are looking for something more distinctive. In that context, a traditional battle royale mode may not be the draw it once was, especially in an increasingly crowded live service space.

This may not be the only point of concern for Battlefield 6, as eagle-eyed fans have raised questions about whether some paid cosmetic items make use of generative AI. You can read more about that here.

What else does Circana report?  

As expected, Fortnite continues to hold the number one spot across both platforms, with Grand Theft Auto V (Remastered) sitting comfortably at number three, again on both platforms.

On PlayStation, Roblox lands at number four, while on Xbox it ranks even higher, at number 3. The remainder of the top ten is largely made up of long-running live service titles, reinforcing just how difficult it is for newer releases to break through and maintain momentum week to week.

Do these rankings match what you are actually playing right now, or do they miss the mark? Take part in the poll below or comment and let us know where your time is going.

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With numerous accolades secured, Sandfall has now shifted its focus to future projects like its next game. But notably, those who expect the developer to grow in size following Expedition 33's massive success will be surprised to learn that the studio has no plans to do so whatsoever.

That news comes from comments from director Guillaume Broche (thanks, GamesRadar) in which he details why Sandfall isn't aiming to make a "larger-scale production" moving forward. "No, I think it's good to have limitations when you are creative," he said. "It's the best way to be the best version of yourself."

While the developer could "scale up" with all the funding and acclaim it now has, Broche explains that Sandfall would rather focus on "making games" instead of contending with all the management that running a larger, wider team would entail.

"We could scale up now that we have a lot more money, but I would say it's not tempting for us because even the management team and myself, we'd have to be hands-on and doing things for ourselves," he said. "We love making games more than we love managing, so we want to keep doing that. These past five years were some of the best of my life, and I want to be happy like that again."

I'm sure the thought of expanding Sandfall significantly and ambitiously trying to tackle a bigger and bolder project than Expedition 33 is, at the very least, a little tempting, but I fully understand why Broche and others at the studio hold the position they do, and I admire them for it.

While Expedition 33 wasn't made by a team of just 30 developers as is so often rumored — external contractors contributed majorly to the award-winning RPG — Sandfall does have a tight core team, and undoubtedly, that small size helps the studio stick to a unified vision and focus on development rather than management.

The decision to steer clear of some very strong opportunities for growth in order to retain the same development process that led to the creation of Expedition 33 speaks to Sandfall's prioritization of passion and enjoyment over maximizing profit and success. That stands out at a time when it seems like big-name studios publishers are continually pushing for larger and larger games, and at a time when more than a handful of those ambitious projects don't work out.

It's worth noting that despite ending 2025 on a somewhat sour note — it was disqualified from The Indie Game Awards for briefly using AI-generated placeholder textures — Expedition 33 was the year's biggest third-party Xbox Game Pass game, and is available to play on Microsoft's buffet-style gaming service now.

If you'd rather not play Expedition 33 through Xbox Game Pass, you can alternatively pick up a full copy of the game. It's usually $49.99, but thanks to a nice deal, you can pick up the PC version for $29.49 at Loaded.

Do you think Sandfall Interactive is making the right call in choosing to remain the size that it was when it developed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Or do you believe the developer should grow and "scale up?" Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Zampella was an extremely influential figure in the video game industry. He was best known for his work on Call of Duty during his time as CEO of Infinity Ward, where he helped shape one of the most successful franchises in gaming history.

He later went on to serve as the head of Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind Titanfall and Apex Legends, further cementing his impact on modern game development.

It is tragic news, and our thoughts are with his friends, family, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.

A lasting legacy across generations of games

Whether you knew Vince Zampella by name or not, you have almost certainly felt his influence. He played a defining role in shaping Call of Duty during the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era while serving as CEO of Infinity Ward.

That influence is still felt today across modern shooters. Many of the design principles established during that period continue to inform how multiplayer games are built and supported to this day.

After leaving Infinity Ward, Zampella went on to co found Respawn Entertainment in 2010. The studio became known for titles such as Titanfall, Apex Legends, and Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, each pushing the genre in different ways.

Zampella later served as an executive at Electronic Arts, where he oversaw multiple teams and franchises, including Battlefield, further extending his impact across the industry.

What has been reported so far

Unfortunately, Vince was involved in a single-car crash at around 12:45 p.m. on December 21, 2025, in Los Angeles and passed away at the scene.

It is a loss that will be felt across the entire industry. Vince Zampella’s influence extended far beyond individual studios or franchises, shaping how games were made, played, and supported across multiple generations. As tributes continue to pour in, his work and legacy will live on through the countless developers he inspired and the millions of players who grew up with the games he helped create.

He will be sadly missed, and our thoughts are with his loved ones, family, and friends.

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Arkane Austin's shutdown was a tragic end for the studio's employees and for fans of its creative, systems-driven games, and it's also one we haven't gotten much of a behind-the-scenes perspective off. At least, not until now.

Recently, former director Harvey Smith — known for contributing to System Shock and Deus Ex, in addition to Arkane Austin's projects — went on the My Perfect Console podcast to discuss his time in the gaming industry, and recounted what it was like for him and for other Arkane devs to get the bad news.

"I got a call the night before and spent a very stressful night thinking about that, every company makes the decisions they make for the reasons they make them," Smith said. "I don't agree with them often."

"It was a shock, because we had done really good work, and this is a group of people, in some cases, who had worked together for one project [and] in other cases, like me and Ricardo Bare [Prey and Prey: Mooncrash writer] for instance, had worked together since the late nineties," he continued.

But while the closure of Arkane Austin led to many painful breakups of longtime developer partnerships, Smith noted that he was worried most about the effects of the shutdown on younger devs.

"Who I really felt for were the people that were new, like, this was their first project, or they'd only been in the industry for a little while," he explained. "Mostly it was shock and it was trying to help, especially the people that, for whom, this was just a mind-blowing experience."

Smith then told host Simon Parkin that for a time, he hadn't processed the shutdown on a personal level much, as he was "head down" on improving Redfall before Arkane Austin's impending dissolution. Redfall infamously had disastrous stability issues in addition to its controversial gameplay design; Smith and others worked intensely to resolve these, and "only really a couple of months into it did I stop and breathe."

Ultimately, he believes Redfall may have been more positively received if the game launched in its improved 1.4 state, and is thankful that Microsoft and Xbox allowed the devs to patch the title up after launch. However, he argues that closing the studio was the wrong call.

"It was not a decision I agreed with. I did believe very much in the future of the studio. We were working on something very cool," Smith said.

It ultimately wasn't confirmed what that "very cool" project was, though he did go on to note that Arkane Austin was, at one point, creating a new Thief game, though development stopped after Eidos Interactive retained control of the property.

Interestingly, he also made mention of a Blade Runner game that the studio was working on for a time. "We were working for a while on a Blade Runner game, which was super exciting to me," he said. "What we could have done with Blade Runner…"

As a huge fan of Dishonored and Prey myself, losing Arkane Austin was crushing, and has me worried for the future of immersive sims like those titles. One excellent one you can play right now is the Early Access game Gloomwood from DUSK developer David Szymanski and publisher New Blood Interactive, and there's a chance Marvel's Blade — in development at Austin's sister studio Arkane Lyon, responsible for Deathloop and Dishonored 2 — could be one as well.

Was Microsoft and Xbox wrong to close Arkane Austin after Redfall flopped with critics and consumers? Do you think it made the right call? Let me know what you think in the comments.

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If OpenAI manages to raise $100 billion from investors in its next funding round, the firm's market share is expected to grow by 50%.

Interestingly, the company is also laying groundwork to go public and may file with regulators as early as the second half of 2026. Market experts and analysts claim it might be one of the largest IPOs in history with a potential valuation of around $1 trillion.

More recently, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared his thoughts on the company’s potential evolution into a public entity during an interview on the Big Technology Podcast. The executive indicated that he wasn't excited about leading a public company.

While Altman indicated that "it's wonderful to be a private company," he admitted that the firm still needs a lot of capital. He indicated that the company would need to cross shareholder limits to achieve this feat.

"I do think it's cool that public markets get to participate in value creation," Altman added.

This news comes amid rising competition from the likes of Google, following the successful launch of Gemini 3 with advanced capabilities across coding, video, and images. The competitive threat rattled CEO Sam Altman into "code red."

However, we recently learned that OpenAI declares code red multiple times in a year as a response to competitive threats. "It's good to be paranoid and act quickly when a potential competitive threat emerges," Altman concluded.

Do you have any thoughts on Sam Altman's leadership? Will OpenAI retain its morals when it becomes a public company? Let me know what you think.

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Thankfully, JSAUX's line-up of FlipGo portable monitors is here to help lighten your burdens with their extra screens to give more room for your work apps, high-refresh rates to load them faster, and crisp resolutions so you can see what you're doing with clear detail.

On top of that, several of them are now on sale on Amazon just in time for Christmas with the lowest prices they've seen in a month.

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It was later revealed that the studio behind Expedition 33, Sandfall Interactive, had used “AI, but not much,” according to the game’s producer.

Further clarification showed that AI-generated placeholder assets had been used early on, before being removed once the issue was flagged. That detail first surfaced publicly on X more than seven months ago.

Sandfall Interactive has also been clear about its stance on creative AI, drawing a firm line between limited tooling and authorship. The studio previously stated:

Despite that position, the Indie Game Awards still chose to strip Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 of its awards (via Insider Gaming), reallocating its Debut Indie Game of the Year award to "Sorry We're Closed" and instead giving Blue Prince Indie Game of the Year.

Clair Obscur’s disqualification highlights an impossible line to draw

In a statement released by the Indie Game Awards, they say:

Despite the developers only using generative AI for placeholder assets, it will likely become increasingly difficult to define what actually counts as AI usage in games. As tools evolve, the line between assistance, automation, and authorship becomes harder to draw in any meaningful way.

There is also a risk that strict rules like this encourage silence rather than transparency. If studios fear outright disqualification and online discourse, some may choose not to disclose limited or non-creative AI use at all.

The Indie Game Awards’ straightforward rule could leave very few games eligible in the coming years, particularly as more studios adapt to AI-assisted tools as part of everyday development workflows.

Generative AI or AI in general did not suddenly arrive

The issue with AI as a tool, regardless of the ethics behind it (which is equally as important), is where the line is actually drawn. AI is not a new concept, and it has been used in game development for years, only gaining its current negative reputation due to illegal training practices on copyrighted content, which most people rightly see as unacceptable, and I do agree here.

As game development has advanced, so have the tools used in the process. Features like Photoshop’s content-aware fill, smart selection, and upscaling all rely on AI-driven systems in some form, yet they have been widely accepted for years.

That raises an uncomfortable question about consistency. If those tools are acceptable, where does that leave procedural generation, automated texture work, or AI-driven NPC logic? The point is not to equate them directly, but to highlight how quickly the line between acceptable automation and unacceptable AI becomes blurred.

As these tools continue to converge, drawing a clear and enforceable boundary is likely to become increasingly impractical.

Legitimate concerns do exist

There is a real concern that widespread adoption of AI will lead to job losses, particularly for artists. Generative tools are becoming increasingly capable of mimicking the work of concept artists, writers, designers, and other creative roles.

We are already seeing an industry-wide shift, with studios becoming more open about how they are using AI. Most recently, Larian Studios came under heavy criticism after admitting to limited AI use during development.

Backing Larian publicly were the developers behind Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, who stated, “Larian said they were doing something that absolutely everyone else is doing and got an insanely crazy shitstorm.”

Even Todd Howard has weighed in on the topic, suggesting that AI can be useful for speeding up iteration and certain processes, but not for generating creative work outright.

Concerns around AI go beyond job replacement. Rising component costs, particularly RAM and storage, are already being felt as demand increases to support AI datacenters, and that alone is enough to leave a sour taste for consumers, regardless of whether these tools are genuinely useful in the development process.

Whether we like it or not, though, it does appear that most studios are using AI in some form, which makes a zero-tolerance policy risky. Rather than encouraging openness, it may discourage transparency and push developers to quietly use these tools instead of being clear about where and how they are applied.

Economic pressure is shaping how studios build games

Game development has evolved significantly over the past decade, and it has become more demanding as a result. Modern games require far more assets than before, often at much higher resolutions, alongside more complex animations and larger, more detailed worlds.

This is not a cheap process. Games built during the early Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era were developed under very different constraints, and that model is no longer realistic for most studios today.

Development cycles have also stretched considerably in some cases, sometimes tripling in length, with no guarantee that a finished game will find commercial success.

While indie games often punch above their weight and can make some AAA releases look unfocused by comparison, studios like Sandfall Interactive have still acknowledged using AI in limited, practical ways. That mirrors the restrained approach discussed publicly by Larian, rather than any shift toward replacing creative work outright.

That does not mean all uses should go unchallenged. Calling out egregious or exploitative applications of AI still matters, as that scrutiny is essential to finding a sensible balance that protects creative work.

For many studios, limited AI use is less about replacing staff and more about saving time. It can help speed up iteration, improve prototyping, or handle repetitive, non-creative tasks that would otherwise slow development down.

This is also where rigid award criteria begin to feel out of step with reality. If eligibility rules fail to account for the economic pressures studios are operating under, they risk excluding a growing number of games built using tools that are fast becoming standard across the industry.

What do you make of the Indie Game Awards’ decision, and do you actually care if limited AI tools are used during game development at all? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and take part in the poll below.

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In the lead-up to launch, Battlefield’s European General Manager Rebecka Coutaz stated that players would not see generative AI used within Battlefield 6 itself. She did acknowledge that generative AI was explored during preparatory stages, describing it as a way “to allow more time and more space to be creative.”

That approach mirrors a growing trend across the industry, where AI tools are framed as early-stage support rather than something intended to appear in final, player-facing content.

What have players found?

That promise of no generative AI appears to have been short-lived, following the introduction of questionable cosmetics within a paid bundle. Several of these items stand out visually because they do not fully make sense, which is what initially drew player attention.

One example shows an M4A1 depicted with two barrels at the end of the weapon, a detail that has raised eyebrows. Alongside this, some cosmetic descriptions are also being flagged by players as potentially AI-generated.

Because this content is part of a paid bundle, it is difficult to frame it as a leftover or unused asset, and it instead appears to be a deliberate inclusion. While this is on a far smaller scale than the more egregious uses of generative AI seen in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, it still places Battlefield 6 at odds with earlier messaging.

Perhaps this is a sign of things to come for Battlefield 6 and future EA titles, as the company does have a partnership with Stability AI, an image generation model. If you want to see the full list of potential AI additions to Battlefield 6, u/heshtegded on Reddit has compiled a list.

Do you actually care if generative AI is used for cosmetics in Battlefield 6, or is this a non issue as long as it does not affect gameplay? Let us know what you think in the comments, and take part in the poll below.

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It is no secret that Halo Infinite was originally positioned as a 10-year live service platform, intended to grow and evolve over time. What ultimately shipped fell well short of that ambition.

While it took roughly four years for Halo Infinite to reach feature and content parity with Halo: Reach, it is now generally accepted as a solid entry in the series. Some even regard it as 343 Industries’ strongest contribution to the franchise to date, and that contribution just got its sequel, but it isn’t what you think.

How Halo continues its story outside of games

I will avoid spoilers here for anything post Halo Infinite, but the Halo games since 343 Industries took over, and now under Halo Studios, have unfortunately felt increasingly disjointed. While the studio got off to a strong start, despite my own issues with the gameplay, Halo 4 delivered a largely cohesive story that directly continued from the events of Halo 3.

Sadly, this was the last time the mainline Halo games felt meaningfully connected. The jump from Halo 4 to Halo 5 proved confusing for anyone who had not kept up with the expanded universe through books, with the introduction of Blue Team for the first time in the games, leaving some players confused.

That confusion was only compounded by the fact that Halo 5’s story is widely regarded as the weakest in the franchise. As a result, large portions of its narrative were quietly abandoned in favour of the direction taken with Halo Infinite. While that was likely the right decision, very little was done to bring game-only players up to speed, especially when Halo 5’s ending is picked up directly in a book rather than a game.

This is not a new phenomenon either. Halo 3: ODST also received its narrative follow-up outside the games, with Halo: New Blood focusing on Buck, a fan favourite character, whose story is continued in Halo: New Blood following on from the events of ODST and detailing his eventual recruitment into the Spartan IV programme.

The Halo Infinite sequel

If you have not pieced things together yet, the sequel to Halo Infinite is, in fact, a book. Halo: Edge of Dawn was released within the past week and is written by Kelly Gay.

She is a well-established name within the Halo universe, having authored several well-regarded entries, alongside her own Gods and Monsters and Charlie Madigan series.

The book picks up immediately after the ending of Halo Infinite, acting as a direct continuation of the campaign rather than a standalone side story. It expands on the Endless, reveals the chosen name of the Weapon, Master Chief’s new AI companion following Cortana’s departure, and provides deeper insight into Zeta Halo itself.

Without spoiling any details, the story raises an important question about the future. When Halo 7 eventually releases, will players be expected to already understand these developments, or will the game retread ground that has already been covered in the books, something the series has rarely, if ever, done before?

As a lifelong fan who also enjoys the novels, because they are all genuinely great books, it is still disappointing to see major story developments reach only a small portion of the audience. At times, it genuinely feels as though Halo has become a book series first, with the occasional game used to move things forward.

Halo’s story has increasingly continued outside the games, with major plot developments now unfolding in books rather than playable campaigns. Does that approach work for you, or does it make the series harder to follow if you only play the games? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and take part in the poll below.

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The good news is that there will be a bigger presence of PCs (Windows laptops, desktops, etc.) this year, with some truly exciting innovations from all the major companies. I can’t wait to share some of that information once the embargoes lift — despite the criticism Windows gets these days, Microsoft’s partners are working hard and creating some outstanding creations.

The bad news is, I can’t help but notice how different the tech space is in 2025 compared to 2015. More specifically, the era of “fans” seems to be over, replaced with disappointment, cynicism, and just fatigue over the non-stop onslaught of services, not to mention the dreaded AI buzzword.

Don’t get me wrong, tech fans had a negative side to them, too, but the reason fans existed is that they were passionate about the product, resulting in them acting more like ambassadors for the product than consumers.

Of course, Windows Phone was the pinnacle of this for Microsoft. This very site was founded nearly 20 years ago (2007), covering Windows Mobile, where a very dedicated audience arose. But when that ended, we still at least had Panos Panay and that devilishly crazy Surface team, which was continuously surprising us. Yeah, some of those ended in failures, e.g., Surface Book, Surface Duo, and Surface Neo, but if anything, it was because the device concept was too ahead of its time.

(Seriously, imagine a Samsung Z Trifold, but running a variant of Windows with Continuum in 2026? That was the dream, baby!)

But all that is gone, now, too, even though Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 are without question the best they have ever been.

And while Dona Sarkar sometimes received the harshest criticism from fans, the Windows Insider program was, dare I say, genuinely fun during the development of Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile (2016 to 2019)! That’s all gone, too.

These days, the unthinkable has happened: Xbox is now getting wobbly legs. Between Game Pass price increases and the lackluster sales of Xbox consoles, I’ve never seen Xbox fans seem so despondent. And if that is getting you down, the constant drumbeat of studio closures and game cancellations will.

This isn’t just a Microsoft problem, either. No one thinks Google or Android is “cool” anymore (wait, did they ever?). The only thing interesting about Google today is what Samsung is doing with its foldable phones and Galaxy series. But the AI stuff? Besides doing the same nonsense as Microsoft, it’s also destroying the entire online publishing business through its constant changes in search and Google Discover, often giving favor to YouTube, a brand that it owns. Crazy that!

Even Apple lost its flair with its big whiff on Vision Pro, costing millions. Sure, it still makes great hardware, but everyone is bored with them. Maybe they’ll recapture some of that magic when it inevitably copies Samsung with its first foldable expected in 2026. But I’m not seeing a lot of Apple fans these days, either.

I’d write a few paragraphs about Amazon, but did that company ever have fans? Everyone uses it out of reflex, but its consumer line of hardware is just sad. I was even tempted to look at the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, and these goofs could not only not ship it for Black Friday, but it’s still not shipping until after Christmas despite its original December 10^th release date.

A lot of this stems from my own history on this site, and I remember how tech, while competitive, was fun. These sites were written by geeks for geeks, who just loved the potential of technology. Now that tech is used to track us, distract us, divide us, and drain our wallets. And everything in publishing is about big business (don't get me started on social media).

And yet, ironically, there is some amazing stuff happening. Qualcomm is one of the most interesting things to happen to the Windows world since NVIDIA’s RTX cards became the go-to tool for gamers. Dell, HP, and Lenovo are also all doing some exciting work (though HP needs to return its Spectre series and designs ASAP). And handheld gaming PCs are on the cusp of being amazing.

I believe this all boils down to a sad fact for 2026: We’re no longer customers, just consumers, and most tech companies only aim to extract as much profit from us as possible.

At some point, the problem stops being “innovation cycles” and starts being the simple truth: people are tired. Tired of recycled ideas, tired of corporate spin, tired of being told the future is exciting when it feels increasingly hollow.

Big Tech isn’t losing momentum by accident — it’s losing momentum because it stopped earning enthusiasm.

But maybe I’m just bitter and stuck in nostalgia, so let me know in comments and our poll what you think. Was tech more fun 10 years ago? Is the era of tech fans really over (and is that even a bad thing)?

We live in the social media generation, don't we? Clips of the campaign on TikTok without context, screaming how Black Ops 7 is the worst Call of Duty in history. Those people must have skipped Vanguard. But sure, the user ratings could back up this sentiment.

I've already written about how I feel like Call of Duty fatigue is setting in and that, in an ideal world, taking a break for a year might be a smart idea. Surprisingly, Activision has responded to some of the criticism, promising that the days of back-to-back releases of the Modern Warfare and Black Ops franchises will never happen again.

Coming straight after Black Ops 6 was, in hindsight, not the smartest move, especially when right before, we had two Modern Warfare titles in a row.

Black Ops 7 has been with us for a month, and I've been playing it a lot since November 14, to the tune of about 150 hours. Here's how it's been.

Let's talk about the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 campaign

I don't want to dwell on it too much, but obviously the campaign is one of the more contentious parts of the game. My colleague, Cole Martin, wrote our full review of Black Ops 7, and I'm not going to go over old ground.

Was the campaign good? I don't think it's as bad as the social media clips would have you believe. The story is wild. Personally, I think the mistake was trying to link Black Ops 7 to Black Ops 2. Aside from characters and the timeline, there's not much else linking the two.

The campaign follows the story started in Black Ops 6. It's set in Avalon, mostly, from Black Ops 6. The Guild, the protagonist organization, is from Black Ops 6. Optics matter. I'm not sure why, beyond hype, Black Ops 2 was ever brought into it. It's not a sequel.

The best part of the campaign is the Endgame mode, which you can now play without touching the story missions. Sure, it follows the same sort of weirdness the campaign delivers, but it's great fun to play.

It's an extraction sandbox, but a far more forgiving one than almost every other game out there of this type. If you die, you lose your Combat Rating and your gear, but it's also not amazingly difficult to stay alive.

It's set on the Avalon map, to be used in the upcoming Blackout revival, and if you played Black Ops 6 you'll recognize plenty of the POIs.

But compared to every other mode in Call of Duty, it's so chilled. I've played a ton of Endgame in pursuit of the Genesis Mastery Camo, and now the 100% completion. At times, it almost doesn't feel like Call of Duty.

There's so much camaraderie in the lobby, with players using game chat to organize and team up for a big push against the final boss or the World Event bosses.

That it's a pure PvE experience is its strength. Instead of competing against each other, everyone can work together. Share success. My only concern is how long it'll get new content. I want more. It's been my favorite Black Ops 7 experience overall.

Multiplayer is multiplayer

I refuse to get drawn into the debate on whether the "open" playlists really are as open as they were supposed to be. Or whether the "standard" SBMM playlist is being pushed. It's Call of Duty multiplayer, expect sweatiness. That's just how it is.

If you want a casual multiplayer shooter, you're in the wrong place. That's as true now as it's been going way back, SBMM or no SBMM.

However, ignoring this topic, the multiplayer is a big improvement over Black Ops 6. The addition of the wall jump has added just enough extra spice to Omnimovement without being overbearing, and the maps are significantly more fun to play on.

The first couple of weeks were hard work, I won't lie, as the more committed players were all racing to unlock the Singularity Camo (I still haven't decided if I'm bothering at all.)

There are some old maps brought back to life, too, such as Raid and now Standoff. I think they play pretty well with the Black Ops 7 movement and weapons, and as someone who never an affection for Raid, I've found it enjoyable this time around.

If I had to pick fault, though, it would be with the seemingly never-to-end meta of running an overclocked UAV, Looper, and constantly getting Scorestreaks. With the Overclock, you can't even down them with a single shot from a rocket launcher.

This is the type of play that makes players back out of lobbies. I'm not afraid to say I do, too. I'm too old for that crud. It's exhausting.

The overall feel of the multiplayer mode is good, though. It's fast and fluid, exciting, and on the occasions you get into a properly competitive match not marred by endless Scorestreak spam, it's rewarding. I've had some of my most fun Call of Duty matches in years on Black Ops 7, both as a winner and a loser.

I'm looking forward to ranked play this year for sure. The anti-cheat seems to be holding up, which deserves a shoutout because lord knows we've been crying for it.

With a much-reduced weapon list and no streak spam, I'm hopeful of a strong competitive experience. The map pool is solid, too, based on what I've seen in the early Call of Duty League matches.

I need to spend more time on Zombies

As someone who traditionally steers more towards PvE over PvP, I never spend enough time on Call of Duty: Zombies. What I have seen firsthand and through consuming a ton of Zombies content, though, is generally positive.

It plays a lot like Black Ops 6 Zombies, which I think is fine, though I appreciate that old hands may not be a fan of the mechanics. Armor plating is still awful, though. It feels like you spend too much time applying plates. A Warzone mechanic we could do without.

The two maps so far are good, Ashes of the Damned especially. Zombies launched much stronger this year, I feel, purely down to the quality of the maps. Liberty Falls in Black Ops 6 was pretty average, but both Ashes and the newest arrival, Astra Malorum, are far better.

While I haven't any time to speak of playing Cursed, its addition this year is a definite win. Even now, the ninth relic still hasn't been found on Ashes of the Damned. Given the tradition of Zombies puzzle-solving, it adds some welcome depth. And difficulty.

A ridiculous amount of things to do in Black Ops 7

Four sets of Mastery Camos, Dark Ops, and Calling Card challenges to 100%, as well as 35 weapons and counting to level up to Prestige Master 250. The regular Prestige grind, the Prestige Master grind, weekly challenges, and limited-time events.

All things that you can do right now in Black Ops 7. Will every player want to try to unlock everything? Absolutely not. For those who enjoy doing that? You can't deny the amount of content.

A lot of it is also fairly easy to accomplish, even as a more casual player. The Mastery Camos this year are more straightforward, and you have one tier less to complete on every weapon to use it.

There's a decent mix of straightforward challenges and the ludicrous, though. If you want every Zombies Dark Ops, for example, you have to go to Round 999. A 100+ hour time investment.

How have I progressed over the past month? I've done the Genesis Camo, progressing with two of the others, hit Prestige with a bunch of weapons, close to the Campaign/Endgame 100 percenter, and got up to Prestige 9.

But I'm not getting bored yet, and that's the most important thing. And there's still so much more to chase.

There are still some frustrations

Content-wise, I'm personally really happy with Black Ops 7. But I'm less happy with annoying bugs that were around in Black Ops 6 and still haven't been fixed. I'm not talking about game breakers, though there have been a few crashes.

Little things like player levels not showing correctly, Calling Card challenges not tracking properly, and likewise issues with Camo challenges tracking.

While working towards Genesis, I counted at least eight weapons where the challenge would not track unless I went back to the loadout screen and either removed the camo or deleted the weapon build and started again.

Calling Card challenges also still seem to experience bugs in tracking properly. There has been swearing.

I also really, REALLY, am tired of my profile just resetting to something I had it set to previously. Yes, I do want to use the Christmas calling cards and emblems while it's the right season for them. Black Ops 7 loves to say "nah, you're just going to have something else."

When little bugs like these are still a thing in Black Ops 7, having existed throughout Black Ops 6, it doesn't fill you with confidence.

Don't buy into the negativity if you haven't tried it, Black Ops 7 isn't a bad game

As much as I've enjoyed Black Ops 7 so far, it's clear it hasn't been the sort of success that Activision and Microsoft had hoped for. It's still sold well, and there's still a huge number of players, but when you're at the level this franchise usually is, every percentage drop is exaggerated.

But the truth is that it's not a bad game. You don't have to like all of it, but if you haven't played it, don't just blindly follow the social media trend.

It's better than Black Ops 6, and it's definitely better than the last two Modern Warfare titles and Vanguard. There's a lot going on around the franchise, a heck of a lot of noise, but try it. You might find you're surprised. I'm having a blast, and long may it continue.

Are you already playing Black Ops 7, or are you waiting for a bigger discount? Let me know in the comments and vote in the poll!

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Over time, Steam evolved into an all-in-one ecosystem, combining a storefront, social features, a mod hub, and a central launcher for digital libraries. That broader focus helped it cement its position at the centre of PC gaming.

Today, Steam is the dominant PC game distribution platform, leaving little room for competitors like Epic Games and Xbox to make meaningful headway. More than 90 percent of Steam users are on Windows, and the platform regularly sees over 100 million monthly active users across all operating systems.

Steam’s December update pushes it into the 64-bit era

Perhaps long overdue, the Steam client is now fully 64-bit on Windows 10 and Windows 11, applying to 64-bit versions of the operating system. Systems still running 32-bit Windows will continue to receive updates until January 1, 2026.

For those unfamiliar with what this will achieve, moving Steam to a 64-bit client brings some benefits, including improved memory access, better stability, and a stronger foundation for future updates with better performance.

This is not the only change included in Steam’s latest update. Friends and Chat have received long-awaited improvements, including the ability to report suspicious or harassing messages directly from within a chat window.

Elsewhere, Valve has addressed issues affecting Big Picture Mode and Remote Play, alongside a broader set of fixes and quality of life improvements.

Steam Input also sees meaningful additions, with Nintendo Switch 2 controllers now supported over USB on Windows, as well as GameCube adapters in Wii U mode with rumble support, which is a surprising addition to see in the patch notes.

Alongside new hardware support, the update introduces refinements to gyro controls. It resolves issues where DualSense Edge, Xbox Elite, and Nintendo Joy-Con controllers were failing to pair correctly or load the appropriate configuration.

Steam’s shift to a 64-bit client is a big step forward for Windows users, but it also marks the beginning of a wider transition away from older systems. Have your say below and let us know how this update affects you.

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Recently, the Bazzite X (Formerly Twitter) account has been sharing updated usage statistics, and the timing is notable. Since Windows 10 reached end of life, the project has seen an apparent increase in new users.

This is not enough to seriously threaten Microsoft, but it is significant for an independent Linux distro with no corporate backing. Valve does not own Bazzite and is not an official SteamOS release; instead, it builds on the same foundations to deliver a focused gaming experience.

In a recent post on X, Bazzite revealed weekly user growth of around 1.25x over the last 30 days. That may sound modest, but for a niche operating system, it represents a meaningful rise. So, what does 1.25x actually mean? Let’s take a closer look.

Linux gaming is finally viable, but there are still hard limits

It is no surprise to see this surge. Around 90% of Windows games can now run on Linux thanks to Proton. However, kernel-level anti-cheat systems still block major titles like Call of Duty, Apex Legends, Battlefield 6, Rainbow Six Siege, and Valorant from running on Linux.

Gaming is not the only limitation. Linux still lacks native support for Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office, and most professional-grade modelling software, although alternatives do exist.

Despite these drawbacks, Bazzite is still pulling in around 50,000 weekly users, a figure that continues to rise alongside that 1.25x growth. The project has also served a total of 2 petabytes of installs. For those unaware, one petabyte equals 1,000 terabytes, and each terabyte contains 1,000 gigabytes.

For context, Linux currently accounts for 3.20% of Steam users, compared to 94.79% on Windows as of November 2025.

It is still a massive gap, but there was a time when climbing above 3% felt impossible. The difference in user experience between Bazzite or SteamOS and Windows, especially for a console-like setup, is now night and day in my opinion.

Not only that, but Linux has also been shown to improve gaming performance on the Xbox Ally and other Windows handheld gaming PCs, while making the device feel far more like a traditional console.

If anything, this progress highlights how far Linux has come. Ideally, that momentum will push Microsoft to move faster, rather than getting slowed down by the realities of being such a large company, where decisions and meaningful feature updates can take far longer to land.

Have you considered switching away from Windows for gaming, or is Linux still a step too far? Let us know in the poll below.

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This raises an obvious question. Is this a new trend, or something that has been building for years?

Steam is currently running its Winter Sale, with heavy discounts across thousands of older titles, and that behavior is reflected in Steam’s most-played charts. While some 2025 releases are maintaining healthy player counts, the biggest games on the platform are still typically older, well-established titles.

A closer look at how Steam players are spending their time

Steam Replay 2025 offers valuable insight into personal play habits, while also showing how the wider Steam audience is spending its time. The data shows that only 14% of total playtime came from games released in 2025.

It does not stop there. Steam also breaks down how players engage with slightly older titles, revealing that 44% of total playtime was spent on games released between one and seven years ago. That alone outweighs new releases by a significant margin.

Classic games continue to perform strongly as well. Titles released eight or more years ago accounted for 40% of all playtime, once again surpassing engagement with new releases.

With this in mind, it raises a natural question about how these figures compare to previous years. Fortunately, Steam Replay makes it easy to look back at earlier data.

In 2024, 15% of playtime was spent on new releases. Recent releases accounted for 47%, while games eight or more years old made up 37% of total playtime.

Going back even further to 2023, the contrast becomes even clearer. Just 9% of playtime was spent on new games, while 52% went to recent releases and 38% to classic titles.

So how do your own stats stack up against the wider Steam audience? Are you spending most of your time jumping into newer releases, or do you find yourself sticking with recent favorites or even returning to classic games you have played for years?

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It's a thirsty beast, for both water and power. It's at least partly to blame for the massive number of layoffs that occurred in 2025. It gives wrong answers, it hallucinates, and I think it just told someone to jump off a building. AI is not a great party guest.

As another unintended consequence of the age of AI, one of my favorite hobbies is being laid to rest, at least for the time being. I'm talking about PC building, of course, which is in the process of being destroyed by the ongoing DRAM and NAND shortage caused by the buildout of AI datacenters around the world.

DDR5 RAM prices have reached unprecedented heights, and storage isn't far behind. This is affecting all tech that uses storage and memory (which is most of it), but it's also causing unintended price spikes elsewhere. For example, AMD's Ryzen 7 5800X3D gaming CPU is now selling for more than a new Ryzen 7 9800X3D, solely because the older chip supports DDR4 RAM (which hasn't seen the same intense squeeze ... yet).

Laptops and pre-built PCs are also affected, and most of the major brands have signalled that they have already or will soon raise prices. Considering DDR5 RAM costs are approaching the price that you'd have paid for a great Windows laptop at the start of 2025, a lot of users are going to be left behind once the price hikes are fully realized.

The worst part? There's not really an end in sight. AI firms have bought up years' worth of DRAM and NAND from manufacturers, and those manufacturers are happy to sell to the highest bidders. That leaves only the scraps for the rest of us.

Time for a conspiracy theory — In 10 years, local PCs will no longer exist

I love entertaining conspiracy theories — at least those that aren't entirely out of the realm of reality — and I've lately seen some suggest that the skyrocketing price of tech is all part of a manufactured future where we no longer have PCs for local computing.

I'm not sure if I agree, and you should definitely consider it with a heavy dose of skepticism like me. Still, it's an interesting idea, and it goes something like this:

AI is causing extreme shortages of the fundamental hardware that goes into our laptops, tablets, PCs, phones, graphics cards, TVs, etc. We've only just begun this cycle, and it's expected to get a lot worse before it gets better (if it ever does).

We could ultimately arrive at a time when buying a PC is no longer an option for most people. We won't just stop computing when that happens, which will lead to a newfound rise of cloud computing, where your favorite OS is only accessible with a ... you guessed it ... paid subscription.

Cloud-based devices don't need as much performance hardware inside, keeping costs down for end consumers. Corporations will rope us in with low subscription prices for the cloud, and once we're all hooked, they'll start jacking up the cost.

Big corporations LOVE subscription models. Small monthly payments add up, and the consumer feels like they're getting a better deal when they don't have to drop a lump sum. I honestly don't know the exact number of subscriptions leeching my bank account every month. Why not add one more?

Beyond the economic aspect, a world relying entirely on cloud computing is a privacy and agency nightmare. This year, there were several high-profile internet outages that blacked out a large portion of the web for hours at a time. Try cloud computing without an internet connection.

And if you thought that Microsoft, for example, was already taking too much interest in what you do on your PC, just wait until everything — and I mean everything — is hosted on its cloud servers. Was that an audible gulp from the surveillance state canaries at the back of the room?

What happens if the AI bubble pops before this theory has time to come true?

Plenty of experts believe there's an AI bubble that's already inflated to the point that it's bound to pop. The countless billions of dollars being poured into the business need to be paid back at some point, and so far, there's not really a solid answer as to how that will be accomplished.

Should the AI bubble pop, tech firms will be left with expensive and powerful data centers sitting idle. Wouldn't they be perfect to host all the new cloud users who can't afford a real PC? Wouldn't that help pay back the massive debts accrued during the AI race?

But wait, wouldn't tech prices return to normal if AI's demand suddenly dried up? Not necessarily, and that's ignoring the likely economic depression that would ensue. Micron, one of the biggest memory and storage suppliers in the world, already pulled its consumer Crucial products to focus on supplying AI. It might not be the last.

How long would it take for markets to return to normal? Wouldn't it be easier to put those idle datacenters back to work, this time for good ol' computing — something people actually need? As with any good conspiracy theory, the deeper you dig, the more questions it raises.

I want to know your thoughts on what the future of computing will look like if the AI-fuelled hardware catastrophe doesn't stop. What's your best argument for or against this theory? Sound off in the comments section below!

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However, I've realized something recently. Newer games are becoming more and more expensive these days, and oftentimes, they launch in sub-optimal conditions that require months, or even an entire year's worth of patches to fix (I'm looking at you Monster Hunter Wilds).

So, as part of my New Year's Resolution for 2026, I'm dedicating my time to completing Xbox and PC titles from my giant games backlog that I never got around to playing for various reasons, like waiting for their post-launch development to be finished, waiting for them to be cheaper, or not having the time to play them.

Here are my top-priority backlog games I plan to play and finish in 2026, finally.

The Divinity Original Sin series

When I was younger, I was never really interested in CRPGs due to how complicated they were. But that all changed after playing and immensely enjoying Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, so I'm planning on playing more of them in the future.

The first CRPGs in my backlog I wish to tackle are the Divinity Original Sin games after seeing Larian Studio's grand and gruesomely dark reveal of its next Divinity game at The Game Awards 2025.

Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2 are turn-based CRPGs set in the fantasy world of Rivellon and have the players embark on epic and insane adventures where they must save the land from evil mages, demons, and potential cosmic horrors.

The first game, released in 2014, was critically acclaimed at the time for its complex combat system, where you had to manipulate the environment in creative ways (like covering areas in water then using thunder spells to electrocute entire hordes, for example) to achieve victory, and limitless character class customization.

It also featured complex moral choices that can take the story in wild directions, and a two-player co-op mode where players can fight each other in Rock-Paper-Scissors style mini-games to settle who gets to make their morality choice.

Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition is available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows, Steam, or GOG.

Divinity: Original Sin 2, released in 2017, improved upon the foundations of the first Divinity: Original Sin while adding tons more features that would set the gameplay groundwork for Larian Studios' award-winning hit, Baldur's Gate 3.

You can play one of six pre-made Origin characters with unique backstories and questlines, or create your own hero that's either a Human, Lizard, Elf, Dwarf, or Undead.

In addition, you have greater degrees of player freedom when it comes to player choice (like killing any NPCs without fear of soft-locking your progress), more skills and spells to dominate the battlefield with, and the ability to play in 4-player online or offline split-screen co-op.

There's even a Game Master Mode where a player can create their very own campaign and have players download and challenge them.

On top of that, Divinity: Original Sin 2 recently received an Xbox Series X|S 60FPS Upgrade Update, which allows owners of the Xbox One version to upgrade it to the Xbox Series X|S version for free.

Divinity Original Sin 2 is available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows, Steam, or GOG.

Baldur's Gate 3

This is going to come as a major shock, but I haven't played Baldur's Gate 3 yet.

This is because it was stuck in early access for what felt like ages. When it finally did come out, it was constantly receiving performance and content patches that radically changed the game, so I decided to wait until it was completely finished.

Now that Larian Studios has moved on from Baldur's Gate 3 and has a ton of mods available for it, I'd say it's now the time to play it.

For those unaware, Baldur's Gate 3 is the long-awaited continuation of the Baldur's Gate CRPG series, originally headed by BioWare of Mass Effect fame.

You play as one of several Origin characters or a custom-made character on a quest to save the titular town of Baldur's Gate from being invaded by horrifying creatures known as Illithid while racing to find a cure to remove parasites the Illithid have planted into your brain before they consume you.

This game earned a perfect 5/5 review score from our Diablo 4-lover, Jennifer Young, won the Best Game award at the BAFTAs, and won several awards (including GOTY) at The Game Awards 2023 for its deep, rich storylines, well-written characters, and gameplay systems that perfectly adapted the ruleset of Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition in videogame form.

Not to mention, Baldur's Gate features an insane level of character creation, sublime quality voice acting, and an intricate turn-based combat system that rewards tactical play, and endless replay value thanks to its gargantuan myriad of dialogue choices and character build potential.

Baldur's Gate 3 is available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows, Steam, or GOG.

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous

After loving Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, I'm curious to see what Owlcat Games' previous games are like while I wait for the release of their next big WH40K project, Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, by checking out Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.

For over a hundred years, the mortal realms have invaded by demons pouring out of a gaping rift in reality known as the Worldwound, and the demons are slowly winning.

Will you help lead the crusade to fight back against these demons or turn to darker paths for your own benefits?

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is an immensely dense game backed with mountains upon mountains of character class customization, a combat system that can be freely switched between turn-based or real-time-with-pause depending on the player's preference, and a novel's worth of intriguing dialogue choices that take the story in insane directions.

There's also a tactical-army management system, over ten companions with compelling personalities and questlines to explore, and several Mythic Paths to travel upon that will ascend your character into godhood.

As someone who played the actual Pathfinder tabletop RPG in their youth, I can't wait to see how Owlcat Games has adapted it in video game form.

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows, Steam, or GOG.

The Hollow Knight series

Time to confess another gaming mishap I've made; I've never played the Hollow Knight games, which is shocking because it combines two of my favorite genres, Metroidvanias and Soulslikes.

However, around the time the original Hollow Knight came out, Monster Hunter: World had consumed my life to the point where I wouldn't play any other game for several years.

With the release of Hollow Knight: Silksong and the announcement of a free DLC expansion for it, I'd figured it was about time I finally gave the Hollow Knight series its due and see how they have earned so much love and praise over the years.

If you're like me and never played it, the Hollow Knight games are sidescrollers that combine the complex exploration gameplay of Metroid or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night with the dark atmosphere, gothic aesthetic, and brutal difficulty of Soulslikes like Elden Ring or Dark Souls.

These games are universally praised for their gorgeous hand-drawn 2D artstyle, compelling settings packed with intriguing lore, and addictive gameplay that's perfectly paced and packed with enough content to keep you hooked for months.

As someone who grew up playing Super Metroid and is a rookie Soulslike player, I can't wait to finally dive into the world of Hollow Knight in 2026.

Hollow Knight and Hollow Knight: Silksong are available for purchase at Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows, Steam, and GOG.

Ninja Gaiden series

When I was a kid, I actively stayed away from the Ninja Gaiden games because of how notoriously hard they were, which would've sent my impatient, childish, past-self into uncontrollable fits of rage.

Now that I'm a more patient and skilled adult, craving for thrilling challenges, it's time I went back to conquer my childhood fears, especially after playing and loving Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and Ninja Gaiden 4.

The Ninja Gaiden franchise has been around since the 1980's, pitting players against insurmountable odds as the master ninja, Ryu Hayabusa.

Whether it's old-school 2D platformers on the NES or the modern 3D hack-and-slash titles by Team Ninja, the Ninja Gaiden series kept players coming back for their insane combat systems, over-the-top boss fights, and teeth-grinding difficulty that did not hold players' hands and rewarded those who stared death in the face.

The older NES games are more challenging to acquire these days, but the older 3D games like the Ninja Gaiden Sigma series are available on PlayStation and PC via Steam, and the Ninja Gaiden Black games, like Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, are available onWindows PC and Xbox.

Control

One of the intriguing announcements that caught my eye was the reveal of Control: Resonant, a sequel to Remedy's critically acclaimed Control.

As someone who hasn't played a single one of Remedy's games, I had no clue about the plot Control: Resonant was following up on, but I was hooked on the bizarre visuals and superhero-esque combat system shown in the trailer.

As a result, I'm going to give the original Control a go in 2026 to see what on Earth is going on (and potentially Alan Wake 2 as I've heard that its DLC expansion is relevant to the story).

The original Control from 2019 is an action-adventure game where you play as a woman named Jesse Faden.

While searching for her missing brother, Jesse's travels take her to the heart of a secret organization called the Federal Bureau of Control, which is being ripped apart by a supernatural phenomenon that you have to stop from destroying humanity.

Control was praised for its strange yet compelling story, haunting visuals, and fun combat system that mixed gunplay with superpowered mayhem, so I'm looking forward to seeing if it lives up to hype in 2026.

Control is available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows and Steam.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine series

Here comes another "I can't believe this guy hasn't played this" moment from me, as I haven't played the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine series despite my love for the Warhammer 40,000 franchise.

This is mainly because they focus on the Ultramarines Chapter of the Space Marine faction as protagonists, which I'm not too interested in compared to other factions like the battle-hungry Orks, techno-zealot Adeptus Mechanicus, demonic Chaos Marines, or the psychotic Dark Eldar.

Plus, by the time Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 came out, I was more invested in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader and the retro-inspired boomer-shooter, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun.

However, after seeing how awesome Ultramarines can truly be through their Secret Level shortfilm on Amazon Prime, I'm going to redeem myself by going through both Space Marine games in 2026, especially now that the original Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine has been remastered.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 1 and 2 are third-person shooters that follow the trials and tribulations of Titus, a hardened veteran of the Ultramarines Space Marine Chapter.

While the first game was considered a cult classic, its sequel became a mega-hit that improved upon its gunplay and gameplay content in every way while raising the bar for Warhammer 40,000 games in general.

My fellow WH40K fanatic, Samuel Tolbert, even gave Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 a 4/5 Star Review for its highly detailed graphics, visceral combat system, challenging battles where you faced hundreds of enemies at once, stellar audio design, and robust co-op mode that's still receiving free updates as we speak.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Re-Crafted and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 are available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows and Steam.

Age of Mythology: Retold

When I was a little kid, I would sometimes have a go at real-time strategy games my family would play, despite my being absolutely terrible at them, like StarCraft, Warcraft 3, Age of Empires, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, and Age of Mythology.

I have fond memories of playing the single-player campaign where the Atlantean hero, Arkantos, would travel the world with an army to defeat evil villains and monsters based on Greek, Viking, and Egyptian myths.

So imagine my rush of nostalgia when Age of Mythology was finally getting remastered as Age of Mythology: Retold, with newly improved graphics, console controller compatibility, quality-of-life improvements, and DLC expansions.

After playing turn-based tactical games for so long, I think it's time I returned to my roots and learned how to play RTS properly this time, as I'm craving to relive my childhood in 2026 with Age of Mythology: Retold.

Age of Mythology: Retold is available for purchase on Xbox and PC via Windows and Steam.

Are there any games in your backlog you haven't played yet but plan to finally visit in 2026? If so, let us know in the comments section below.

FAQ

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One of the Xbox Wireless Controller's more expensive yet artistically rich variants, the Heart Breaker, has just gotten a rare 39% discount so that players can appreciate its beauty for $49.00 at Amazon instead of its usual MSRP of $79.99.

Why buy the Heart Breaker Edition of the Xbox Wireless Controller?

The Heart Breaker Edition of the Xbox Wireless Controller functions identically to the regular version, right down to its responsive controls, comfortable ergonomics, and stable wireless connectivity to Xbox consoles, and Bluetooth connectivity to Windows PCs, tablets, and phones.

In addition, the controller can even play Xbox games via Xbox Cloud Gaming with just a TV linked up with an Amazon Fire TV Stick and an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate account.

The only major difference is that the Heart Breaker sports a custom-made clamshell by Xbox Design Lab with a bold pink, purple, and blue collage color scheme that's pleasing to the eye.

So, if you don't like the standard Carbon Black or Robot White Xbox controllers and fancy treating yourself or your loved ones to a prettier rendition of one of the best Xbox controllers for less this Christmas, then the Heart Breaker Edition is not a bad choice now that it's on sale for $49.00 at Amazon.

Alternative offerings

If Amazon's stock of the Xbox Wireless Controller (Heart Breaker) runs dry or it's discount expire, here are some alternative back-up discount options.

• $49.00 at Walmart (was $79.99)
• $49.49 at Target (was $69.99)

FAQ

Arrives after Christmas and need a gift sooner? 

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

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Earlier this month, in December 2025, Mozilla appointed a new CEO amid ongoing financial pressure. Unfortunately for long-time fans of the browser, that leadership change comes with a strong push toward AI. Still, there may be a saving grace on the horizon, raising the question of whether Firefox can adapt without losing its identity, or if it is finally time for some users to look elsewhere.

Firefox as an AI browser

It seems like nobody can escape the pull of AI lately, and Mozilla Firefox is no exception. New CEO Anthony Enzor-DeMeo has outlined plans to evolve Firefox into what he describes as a modern AI browser, a direction that has alarmed many users and raised questions about whether it is time to look for an alternative that avoids AI altogether.

Fortunately, at least for now, Mozilla has confirmed that users will be able to disable all AI features within Firefox if they choose. This means AI functionality will be opt-in, rather than something forced on users by default.

That already puts Firefox in a better position than competitors like Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome, neither of which offers a clear, one-click way to disable AI features across the browser fully.

For the time being, Mozilla appears committed to user choice, and being a trusted software company, with the new CEO stating:

Mozilla is dubbing the opt-out of AI features an AI kill-switch internally, giving users a straightforward way to disable any and all AI features within Firefox, with the Firefox Web Developer account on Mastodon stating:

The bigger question is whether this will be enough for you, or if you have already decided to move elsewhere and adopt a different browser.

If you have made the switch, which browser did you choose? Let us know in the comments, and take part in the poll below to tell us whether you plan to stick with Mozilla Firefox, are considering a move, or have already left.

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Over the next week or so, plenty of people will gather around dinner tables and hang out in homes. I suggest having some news to talk about that's easy to digest and not so controversial.

"RAM prices sure have gone up lately, I'm glad I got my nephew a gaming PC for his birthday in July," you'll say. "Really? I can't afford a new PC. Can I make mine use less RAM?" your relative will ask.

But of course! you'll exclaim. Mauro Huculak has an excellent guide on how to reduce RAM usage on Windows 11. Holidays saved. 🎅❄️🎄🎁

Weekly Windows Wrap: The Big News

• How to reduce RAM usage on your PC
• Windows Insider Canary Channel catches up
• Dev and Beta Channel Insiders see improvements
• You can now lock your PC through your Android phone

Snark aside, things actually have slowed down on the Windows 11 news front since it's almost Christmas. But Insiders have some new features to play with, and Microsoft expanded the availability of the option to lock a PC from an Android phone through Link to Windows.

With RAM prices skyrocketing, our guide on how to reduce RAM usage on Windows 11 could be critical. If you can make sure your current PC meets your demands, you can put off buying a new one or upgrading.

Sales on Windows 11 PCs

Several of the best Windows laptops are on sale as we approach Christmas and the end of the year, as are some of the best gaming handhelds. But retailers did not make it easy to find the best bargains.

The Surface Pro 11 is discounted this week, but finding the best price takes way more effort than it should. If you want it in black, head to Newegg, but if you want it in Sapphire (blue) you have to jump over to Walmart. Amazon has the best price for the oft-forgotten "Dune" model (it's not based on the books).

Things got even muddier when an outlet claimed one deal was the best price ever. And while that was technically true for a very specific model at one specific retailer, that piece did not show the real best prices.

Hunting deals takes a lot of work. It's one part of my job I'm surprised still requires a human touch. In my experience, AI and tracking tools have a hard time finding the lowest prices and placing deals in context.

Even if an automated tool finds the lowest price on one model, it often misses things like a nearly identical version being on sale elsewhere. Due to stock availability, you'll occasionally see a model with a better chip, more RAM, or more storage cost less than a different model.

Unfortunately, the excellent deal on the most affordable Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch) with a Snapdragon X Elite was a 24-hour flash sale and has already ended. There is still, however, a good deal on a model with more storage.

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In addition to the changes rolled out during the last half of November, the software giant has made previews of versions 25H2 and 26H1 available in the previous two weeks.

In the Canary Channel, devices received two previews, including builds 28000.1340 and 28020.1362, which introduced a wide range of changes to bring version 26H1 closer to the feature level as version 25H2 in the Dev and Beta Channels.

Additionally, the Dev and Beta Channels didn't make many changes during the first half of December, but the company managed to release build 26220.7344 with several interesting improvements, and build 26220.7523 brought more AI integration.

In this recap, I'll highlight the biggest changes available through the Windows Insider Program.

Biggest improvements from the Windows Insider Program in December 2025

These are the improvements Microsoft has rolled out since my last roundup of changes.

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

As part of Microsoft's strategy to keep pushing AI on Windows 11, starting with build 26220.7344 in the Dev and Beta Channels, Windows 11 received support for the Model Context Protocol, an open standard that enables universal communication between AI agents, apps, tools, and services.

According to the company, AI agents can discover and connect with other tools and agents on a secure and manageable on-device registry (ODR).

In addition, Microsoft has released two AI connectors, including File Explorer and Windows Settings.

The File Explorer Connector allows agents to connect to File Explorer to manage and manipulate local files with the user's consent.

On Copilot+ PCs, this feature can perform searches using natural language to find the exact file based on description, metadata, and content, and it can even search for images using image classification.

The Windows Settings Connector allows users to find and change settings as well as navigate directly to a specific settings page on Copilot+ PCs.

Update Orchestration Platform (UOP)

The preview build 26220.7344 also introduced the Unified Update Orchestration Platform, which allows developers to build a more consistent and predictable update experience through the Settings app.

If a developer decides to implement this new orchestration, you'll be able to check for and download updates for the application on the "App Updates" page in Settings > Apps. However, the application will continue to download updates from the developer's server, not from Windows Update, but it will automatically check for updates based on the user's activity.

Windows MIDI Services

In the Beta and Dev Channels, during the month of December, devices also received the new Windows MIDI Services, a new MIDI API, Service, and SDK for the operating system.

As part of this new experience, Windows 11 gets full support for WinMM MIDI 1.0 and WinRT MIDI 1.0, in-service translation, enabling any API to use any MIDI 1.0 or MIDI 2.0 device.

Furthermore, there's a new loopback and app-to-app MIDI support, and Microsoft is pushing improvements and bug fixes.

The company also notes that the App SDK and Tools are separate downloads.

Xbox Full Screen Experience for PCs

Windows 11 build 28020.1362 expands the Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE) to more handheld gaming devices in the Canary Channel.

The feature has been designed to make the gaming experience more like a console experience.

On your handheld device, you can enable the feature in Settings > Gaming > Full screen experience and turn on the "Enable full screen experience on startup" toggle switch.

Settings app with AI agent

As part of the latest preview build in the Canary Channel, the Settings app is getting the same AI agent already available on Copilot+ PCs to help users find and change settings.

In addition, on the Home page, the "Recommended settings" card will now show inline agent actions for the most recently modified settings.

Furthermore, in the latest release of Windows 11, the AI agent isn't getting any new features, but the company is expanding the feature to more languages, including German, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Hindi, Italian, and Simplified Chinese.

File Explorer new dark mode improvements

Devices in the Canary Channel have received dark mode enhancements for File Explorer, meaning that now you'll find more elements using the dark color scheme.

For example, the dark mode experience now expands to dialogs for copy, move, delete, progress bars, charts, confirmations (such as skip, override, and file selection), and error messages.

If you're installing the latest preview in a Copilot+ PC, you'll also notice that the placeholder in the search box now makes it clear that search now uses AI, and you can use natural language to search for files and folders.

On the Home page, when you hover over a file, the app displays a new inline menu with options such as "Open file location" and "Ask Copilot."

We have already seen these changes in other channels, but it's not until build 28020.1362 that Microsoft is bringing these changes to the Canary Channel.

Although the company didn't mention it, you can now enable the "MAX_PATH" option in the "Advanced" settings page to remove the path limitations for traditional file and folder functions.

Finally, Windows 11 build 26220.7523 rolled out with an updated version of File Explorer that includes support for Windows People Card (WPC), which adds the ability to display people icons with their information in the Activity column of Home, Recommended, Favorites, and Recent.

This feature has been available before, but it was limited to commercial customers. Now, Microsoft is bringing it to users with a Microsoft account configuration.

Drag Tray disable option

The Drag Tray, the feature that lets you drag a file to the top of the screen to share it with other apps, isn't new, but in the latest operating system preview, you can now disable it.

If this feature isn't for you, in Settings > System > Nearby Sharing, you can now use the "Drag Tray" toggle to enable or disable it.

Mobile Devices settings integration

In the "Bluetooth & devices" section, Microsoft is finally integrating the features to manage mobile devices into the Settings app.

In the past, from the "Mobile devices" page, you had to open an external page to access the features once your phone was linked to your computer, but now, that's no longer the case.

On the page, you'll find another page (usually with your phone brand and model) that lists all the available features, including the ability to remove the mobile device from your account.

Virtual Workspaces in Advanced settings

In the "Advanced" section, there's a new entry to access the "Virtual Workspaces" page that allows you to manage virtually every virtualization feature in the operating system. For example, you can enable or disable Hyper-V, Virtual Machine Platform, Windows Sandbox, and more.

This integration means that you no longer have to manage these features from the legacy "Windows Features" page.

Keyboard and text cursor from Control Panel

Microsoft continues its quest to port Control Panel features to the Settings app, and with the release of build 28020.1362, the company added two new settings: "Keyboard character repeat" and "Cursor blink rate."

The Keyboard character repeat feature is available on Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Keyboard, and the options include character repeat delay and rate, and there's an option to preview the changes.

On Settings > Accessibility> Text cursor, you'll find the Cursor blink rate setting with a slider to control the blink rate and a preview to test the changes.

Quick Machine Recovery improvements

The Quick Machine Recovery feature has been available for computers enrolled in the Canary Channel, but in the latest update, the company is changing the behavior.

Starting with this release, the feature will be enabled by default on Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro (unless the device is managed). Also, the feature will run only once. If the solution isn't found during the first scan, the user will be directed to the Windows Recovery Environment to select additional troubleshooting steps.

As a result of the changes, the settings page has been updated. After enabling the feature, you only need to turn on the "Automatic check for solutions" option.

The default configuration of the feature is to run the scan once, but you can decide how often the computer should reboot to look for solutions.

Windows Studio Effects for more cameras

Windows Studio Effects is no longer limited to your built‑in camera. Microsoft is extending support to more camera hardware, giving you the same polished, professional look across more setups.

On Copilot+ PCs, you can now use Studio Effects with a second camera, such as a USB webcam or your device's rear camera.

These features can be enabled on Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras, select the webcam, and then click the "Edit" button for the "Advanced camera options" setting.

Windows Spotlight for desktop changes

If the Spotlight feature is enabled on the desktop, you'll now be able to change to the next wallpaper from the context menu, and there's even a new option to get more details about the active background.

Click to Do new actions menu

On Copilot+ PCs, those enrolled in the Canary Channel are now getting an updated version of the Click to Do context menu with inline options for Copy, Save, Share, and Open.

Additionally, if a large image or table appears in the snapshot, the context menu of Click to Do will now open automatically.

Furthermore, on build 26220.7523, Click to Do introduces support for Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Taskbar with Ask Copilot

Starting with build 26220.7523 in the Dev and Beta Channels, Windows 11 adds a new "Ask Copilot" toggle switch on the "Taskbar" settings page that lets you replace the Windows Search experience with Copilot in the Taskbar.

If you opt in to the feature, you can enhance your search experience with AI for searching files, settings, and apps. You can also access other AI tools like Copilot Vision and Voice, and through this experience, you can also invoke other AI agents, something that's not possible with the traditional search feature.

Microsoft notes that Ask Copilot can search and present results, but it doesn't have access to your data.

Taskbar with AI agents

In the Dev and Beta Channels, the preview build 26220.7523 rolls out a preview of AI agents for the Taskbar, which is one of the features part of Agentic OS vision for Windows 11.

The feature allows agents to show as apps in the Taskbar, providing live updates of tasks in progress while they run in a secure environment.

The company is also preparing to release the Researcher in Microsoft 365 Copilot, an agent that can conduct research and generate reports.

The company says the agent will gradually roll out to commercial customers in the coming weeks.

Windows 11 Agent Launchers

Microsoft is also introducing Agent Launchers, a new framework designed to register AI agents in the operating system once and make them discoverable and launchable from compatible experiences.

When you invoke an agent, it opens its dedicated chat interface, enabling an interactive, context-aware workflow in which the agent can ask clarifying questions, retain context, and take actions to complete tasks.

Also, registered agents can surface in supported entry points such as Ask Copilot on the Taskbar, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and other compatible applications.

Microsoft 365 Copilot already uses this framework to expose built-in agents such as Analyst, focused on data insights, and Researcher, designed to create structured, in-depth reports.

For developers, the framework offers flexibility and control. Agents can be registered statically during app installation or dynamically at runtime.

Narrator with new customization

Narrator has a new personalization feature that lets you decide exactly how interface elements are announced as you navigate apps. Instead of relying on a fixed speaking order, you can now choose which properties Narrator reads aloud for each control type, such as buttons, checkboxes, links, sliders, and text fields, and reorder or omit details to better match your preferences.

Customization is available through "Narrator key + Ctrl + P," where you can select, deselect, and reorder spoken properties per control type.

On Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft adds a natural language input box that lets you describe changes in plain language, such as asking Narrator not to announce selection or position information. Changes apply consistently to that control type within the current app, and you can preview how announcements will sound before saving. A reset option is also available to restore default behavior at any time.

Voice Typing with new animation in Touch Keyboard

Starting with build 26220.7523, Microsoft is rolling out an updated version of the Touch Keyboard that introduces a new animation that appears directly on the dictation key rather than a full-screen overlay.

Discover Windows widget

In the "Widgets" board, Microsoft is also adding a new "Discover Windows" widget that provides tips to help you get the most out of your device.

You can add the widget to the Widgets board or Lock Screen.

Voice Access streamlined setup

Starting with the latest preview in the Dev and Beta Channels, the operating system introduces a new and easier setup process to get started with Voice Access.

The new wizard guides you through downloading the correct speech model, selecting the preferred microphone, and providing an overview of how to use the feature.

According to the company, the Windows Insider Program will no longer receive any more builds until January of next year.

What are your thoughts on the latest improvements coming to Windows 11? Let me know in the comments.

More resources

Explore more in-depth how-to guides, troubleshooting advice, and essential tips to get the most out of Windows 11 and 10. Start browsing here:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

Why would I want to turn off CPU Boost on my handheld?

When CPU Boost is active, the CPU draws more power. That reduces the amount of power available to the GPU, which is far more important for gaming in some instances. Most modern games are GPU-dependent rather than CPU-dependent, especially at common handheld resolutions like 720p and 1080p.

CPU Boost can also negatively affect efficiency. The increased power draw leads to faster battery drain and causes temperatures to rise more quickly, which can contribute to thermal throttling during longer gaming sessions.

How to disable CPU Boost

Disabling CPU Boost is extremely straightforward and very easy to do, just follow the images above or if you'd prefer follow this guide below:

1. Open Armoury Crate SE either using the Armory Crate button or typing it in search.
2. Once in Armoury Crate SE, navigate to the Settings menu.
3. Within the Settings menu, select Performance.
4. Within the Performance menu, choose the Eco Assist option.
5. Turn off CPU Boost on the right-hand side.

When disabling CPU Boost makes sense

Hopefully, this has helped improve performance on your device. As with most tweaks like this, results can vary on a case-by-case basis.

This change is most likely to help in GPU-heavy games such as Black Myth: Wukong, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and similar titles, where smoother performance and better efficiency matter most.

Your experience may vary but re-enabling CPU Boost can be done by:

• Launch Armoury Crate SE using the dedicated Armory Crate button or by searching for it in Windows.
• From the main interface, open the Settings section.
• Select Performance from the available options.
• Open the Eco Assist menu within Performance.
• Toggle CPU Boost on from the right-hand side.

Disabling CPU boost won’t magically transform every game, but for titles that struggle with thermal limits or inconsistent frame pacing, it can be one of the easiest ways to get a more stable experience on the Ally.

The best part is that you can toggle it on or off whenever you need, letting you choose between raw speed and smoother, cooler gameplay.

As handheld gaming PCs continue to blur the line between portability and power, small optimizations like this can make a big difference in how your games actually feel in the moment.

If you use an Xbox Ally or ROG Ally, it is worth trying this setting for yourself. Results can vary depending on the games you play and your power profile, so let us know how CPU Boost behaves on your handheld by voting in the poll below.

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It's a modest console with reliable performance, a crisp display, ergonomic grips, and an affordable price tag that's become even cheaper as its $599.99 MSRP has been slashed down to $489.99 at Amazon.

Why buy the Xbox Ally?

While I personally prefer using the Steam Deck for playing games locally, I can't deny that the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally gives it some healthy competition, especially when it comes to cloud gaming.

It features ergonomic grips inspired by the Xbox Wireless Controller's grips, which are very comfy to hold.

It also has an efficient cooling system with silent fans to prevent distracting noise, responsive controls, and a 7-inch IPS display capable of rendering images with 1080p resolution, accurate colors, and up to a 120Hz Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support.

The Xbox Ally also has an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor to enhance its performance so it can run indie and graphically modest AA games, or stream games via Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce NOW smoothly with ease, with little noticeable latency.

However, the Xbox Ally will struggle to run graphically demanding AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077 above low settings.

Its other considerations include a storage size of 512GB, no HYPR-RX or AI enhancements (which are included in the Xbox Ally X), and somewhat shorter battery life for gaming (2 hours for demanding games and 7 hours for indie/lower-end titles).

However, you can upgrade its storage issues by picking up the best microSD cards for Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X to fix this handheld's limited capacity to store games.

If you can put aside some gripes, the Xbox Ally is a great Windows 11 handheld for cloud gaming, especially now that it's on sale for $489.99 at Amazon.

Alternative Discount

If Amazon's stock runs or its deal expires, there is a similar discount for the Xbox Ally for $489.99 at Best Buy, which you can use as a backup option.

FAQs

Arrives after Christmas and need a gift sooner? 

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

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One such bargain is for Microsoft's Surface Laptop 7, one of the best laptops we've covered, which is currently on sale for $1,469.99 at Amazon.

Why is this 2024 laptop worth it in 2025 and beyond?

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is one of the best Windows-on-ARM laptops we've ever seen and one of the finest Copilot+ PCs available. Our Senior Editor and Windows laptop expert, Zac Bowden, loved it so much that he labelled it better than the MacBook Air when he gave the Surface Laptop a perfect 5/5 review score.

This configuration of the Surface Laptop 7 that's on sale features a thin, minimalist design fit for portable travel, a 15-inch touchscreen display capable of rendering images with smooth 120Hz refresh rates, and 66Whr of battery life to get you through the day.

Additionally, this laptop includes performance-enhancing hardware to improve workflow production, like Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processor, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 45 TOPS to help it perform local AI tasks more efficiently.

While its specs are not suitable for playing AAA PC games, they're absolutely perfect for workplace environments or casual browsing, as they make multitasking with Microsoft Office apps and researching information on the internet a breeze.

The only major problem with this laptop, aside from no anti-reflective coatings for its screen or presence detection features, is its relatively steep MSRP of $2,099.99.

Thankfully, this price point has become more affordable for a limited time as it's now $1,469.99 at Amazon, giving PC users a chance to buy it for Christmas and use it tackle new office challenges awaiting them in 2026 and beyond.

Alternative Discounts

Should Amazon's stock of this laptop configuration run out or its discount expire, here are some alternative discount options from other retailers you can use as backup options:

• $1,599.99 at Best Buy (was $2,099.99)
• $1,499.00 at Walmart (was $2,099.99)

Alternative discounted configuration

If you don't fancy the 15-inch model, the 13.8-inch model with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, 1TB of storage, and 16GB of RAM, is also on sale for $986.14 at Amazon.

FAQs

Arrives after Christmas and need a gift sooner? 

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Likely helped by weaker Xbox performance overall due to its lack of sales, Nex Playground edged past Xbox Series X|S to claim third place in units sold for the month, I’m sure in part thanks to its $250 price tag.

Devices like this serve as a stark reminder, at least to me, of how short-sighted Microsoft can sometimes be. The shutdown of Windows Phone, which could have strengthened Microsoft’s broader ecosystem efforts, and the eventual closure of Cortana, an early AI voice assistant, both stand out as missed opportunities that feel especially relevant in hindsight.

Nex CEO says Wii lessons and subscriptions are key

In an interview with The Game Business, the CEO of Nex, David Lee, said the company set out to learn from the rise of Nintendo’s Wii, but also from the challenges that followed. While Wii succeeded in bringing new audiences into gaming, Lee explained that many of those players only ever bought a handful of games, creating long-term Sustainability issues for the platform. Lee goes on to say:

Building on this, Lee added:

The Nex Playground has since found success with younger audiences, offering games based on popular IP such as Bluey, Peppa Pig, Fruit Ninja, and more.

Access to that library is handled through Play Pass, a subscription service that unlocks a growing catalogue of games for a recurring fee. The parallels with Xbox Game Pass are clear, although the focus here is firmly on families and younger players rather than a broader gaming audience.

Oh, how this could have been Kinect

As mentioned at the start, Microsoft’s ability to be short-sighted can be impressive at times. Here, it is easy to imagine an alternative reality where Microsoft repurposed Kinect toward a more family-oriented audience, expanding what an Xbox could be years before the phrase “this is an Xbox” was ever coined.

Instead, Kinect was discontinued in 2017, and we do not live in a world where Microsoft can see the future. With the benefit of hindsight, Nex Playground makes it hard not to wonder whether that decision was too hasty, and to add insult to injury, their vision aligns with just what Microsoft wants to do, with Lee adding:

As Nex’s CEO makes clear, the console’s success wasn’t an accident In an industry that often chases power over play, its Kinect‑like approach proved there’s still room for hardware that prioritizes inclusivity over specs.

Whether this strategy can be replicated in today’s market is another question entirely, but its unexpected victory over Xbox stands as a reminder that sometimes the biggest wins come from thinking outside the traditional console race.

Do you think Microsoft should have repurposed Kinect rather than discontinuing it, or did it make the right call at the time? Share your thoughts below, and let us know how you feel about Microsoft’s ongoing tendency to end support for hardware and software that later feels more relevant than ever.

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Blizzard already has two big launches set for the first half of 2026

Looking ahead, Blizzard already seems set with two big launches coming fairly early next year. World of Warcraft: Midnight is set to arrive on March 2, 2026.

Meanwhile, Diablo 4 is getting its second expansion with the launch of Lord of Hatred on April 28, 2026, bringing new story and two new classes, including the Paladin, which is available now for anyone that preorders the expansion.

I'm curious what the teams have further down the line, as it seems unlikely that new expansions will be ready for Diablo 4 and World of Warcraft in 2027. Might we see Blizzard launch some entirely new games?

Do you think Blizzard can actually hit that pace without sacrificing quality, or is this just corporate optimism talking? Drop your thoughts below and hit our poll — what do you want Blizzard’s new release era to look like?

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Of course, you can also just buy the laptop for almost $200 off, regardless of the calendar or any upcoming events. Right now, the Surface Laptop 7 is $699.99. Quite frankly, that's a ludicrous price for a Surface Laptop 7 with a Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.

Update 10 AM ET December 21: As we expected, this deal was a one-day only for "Super Saturday," before Christmas. As such, the price has reverted back to a still-decent $901.60, but still far from the $699 we saw yesterday. - Daniel Rubino, Editor-in-Chief

Get a Surface Laptop 7 before Christmas

The discounted price on the Surface Laptop 7 only went live today, December 20. It was $926 before that. Its price now matches the best-ever deal on this specific Surface Laptop 7 (there's a chance a model of a different color has sold for less, but I haven't seen it).

Right below the current price, you'll see a note from Amazon that says, "Arrives before Christmas" (assuming you've found the deal in time).

That section will detail the delivery date depending on what you choose. For example, if my brother in the United States ordered a Surface Laptop 7, it would arrive this afternoon or the next day. Delivery times will vary based on your area and whether you have Amazon Prime.

I don't recommend buying something because a deal ending or a deadline makes you feel anxious. But if you already know you want a Surface Laptop 7 and have a budget set aside for it, don't leave the PC in your cart or wish list. Order it in time for it to be delivered when you'd like.

Need more? The 15-inch Surface Laptop 7 with a whopping 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD is also 30% off, bringing it down to a much more affordable price.

Why get a Surface Laptop 7?

We're big fans of the Surface Laptop 7 around here. We've followed the lineup from it being announced on stage to Microsoft revamping the design of its flagship laptop. The latest iteration earned 5/5 stars in our Surface Laptop 7 review.

The Surface Laptop 7 is known as the "MacBook Air Killer," "the clamshell form factor perfected," and the best Windows on ARM laptop. Much of that praise is thanks to the design of the PC.

The Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Laptop 6 looked dated at launch and sported the same general design as the first Surface Laptop. Things changed with the Surface Laptop 7.

The Surface Laptop 7 has thinner bezels, rounded display corners, and a large haptic trackpad. In some ways, Microsoft caught up to the industry with the Surface Laptop 7. In other ways, it passed the competition.

Physically, the Surface Laptop 7 is most like the MacBook Air. It also competes with Lenovo's Yoga Slim 7x, ASUS VivoBook S 15, and Dell XPS 14.

The Surface Laptop 7 blends together a modern design, an attractive 120Hz display, a haptic touchpad, and AI features to create an excellent experience.

If you love the design and feature set of the Surface Laptop 7 but use it for everyday computing, you should avoid overpaying for a model that's overkill.

Electing to have more RAM and storage in a laptop is one of the quickest ways to drive up the cost of that PC. If you only use your laptop for general productivity and streaming media, you may not need extra RAM or storage.

This Surface Laptop 7 still runs on the snappy and efficient Snapdragon X Elite. Its 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage are plenty for everyday computing. If you use a cloud service like OneDrive, Dropbox, or iCloud, you likely won't feel the squeeze of a 256GB SSD.

Alternative discounted configurations

While 256GB is enough storage for some users, you may need more storage if you handle large files or a lot of files. Luckily, there are some other Surface Laptop 7 models on sale, including one with 1TB of storage:

• Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD — $968.42 at Amazon (was $1,699.99).
• Snapdragon X Elite, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD — $1,599 at Walmart (was $2,099.99).

FAQ

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The collaboration between these studios is bringing a new, wild-west-themed roguelike titled Erosion to Xbox and PC in 2026.

The premise of Erosion is fairly simple: the protagonist’s daughter is kidnapped by an evil warlord, who drags her into a living Pillar capable of warping time itself. She needs to be saved, and you’re going to do it. It's a tale as old as time, but there are some unique twists involved in Erosion.

Each death comes at the cost of actual time, pushing the world forward a decade and changing the open world around you. Your daughter, too, ages with the world, effectively putting a limit on the number of times you can die during your time with Erosion if you want to actually save her. Take too long, and you might not have a daughter left to save.

The trailer for Erosion highlights this gameplay element. We first see the hero being greeted by an excited little girl, happy to be saved by her daddy, only for her to morph into an agitated young adult who asks, “What took you so long?” The final transition shows an elderly woman collapsing into her father’s arms before transforming into flower petals and blowing away.

The passage of time is not only reflected in the age of the protagonist’s daughter. Erosion offers players a massive wasteland as a sandbox in which they can explore, but this voxel art world can be impacted by player actions and choices.

Destroy a building during a shootout, and it might not be there when you return a decade later, for example. In fact, the entire village may be nothing more than just a ghost of its former glory.

It's not all death and destruction, though. You can opt to help out the locals you encounter in Erosion, often with humorous unintended consequences. Helping out a store owner early on might lead to that shop becoming an empire later down the road. You could also cause a small farm to become the home of a new cultist compound that worships the Great Ol’ Rooster.

It's all a gamble in Erosion, really, especially when you visit Al Cashino, the local casino, where you can gamble until your little heart’s content.

The overworld of Erosion is vibrant and lively, with plenty of opportunities for trying your luck. The sands of the world are ripe with fishing opportunities, letting you uncover strange buried creatures from beneath the dunes. Steal a fresh new ride and take it to the salt flats for a high-risk, high-reward race.

Become an accomplished bounty hunter, taking down criminals for your own gain. Or challenge your foes to a duel — remember that death pushes time forward a decade, though, so be sure to aim true.

Speaking of aim, Erosion features dozens of weapons to choose from, with the opportunity to build out your protagonist with more than a hundred skills and modifiers that come together for some really crazy synergies.

The voxel art world of Erosion is yours to toy with as you please. Rain down orbital ferrets and watch the wiggly little fellows tear the town down to nothing more than little cubes of rubble. Equip the Ebony Rooster and take on the warlord with its arsenal of bouncy voxel eggs. Or simply settle for flipping a few poker tables.

Erosion challenges players to master the world’s unique timeline, putting the control to rewrite the game’s future to experience every single possibility. Exploring the world and completing quests can help you unlock permanent upgrades so that you can experience and shape the story based on your experiences and choices.

Plot Twist and Lyrical Games are taking the 11 bit studios approach to launching Erosion, opting to release the game into Early Access on PC via Xbox PC and Steam in early 2026. A console port of Erosion is expected for Xbox Series X|S later in the year. A price has not yet been confirmed, but Erosion is heading to PC Game Pass on day one as part of the subscription plan.

What do you think of Erosion? Are you interested in playing? Fill out our poll and tell us more in the comments.

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Other regions may follow, but that has not been confirmed, and Valve has yet to officially comment on the phasing out of the LCD model.

The Steam Deck LCD has been Valve’s most affordable handheld to date. If I’m allowed to speculate, rising RAM and storage prices could be part of what is making the LCD model harder to justify in the current market.

Typically priced at $399, the Steam Deck LCD has been one of the most affordable handheld PCs, especially for what it can do. That was even more true over Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when it was discounted by 20%, which could suggest Valve was keen to get rid of remaining stock.

Good bye, Steam Deck LCD — You were an amazing handheld

I’ve actually recently purchased a Steam Deck OLED for my sister for Christmas, but it is still sad to see the LCD variant being phased out. It could be down to rising component costs, but Valve has not confirmed a reason.

When visiting the Steam Deck storepage, users are given a disclaimer stating:

The original Steam Deck began shipping in February 2022, and it helped push PC handhelds into the mainstream, long before the ROG Ally, Xbox Ally, and Legion Go handhelds came to the market.

If the Steam Deck LCD continues to disappear from shelves, the OLED effectively becomes the default option for new buyers. On Valve’s own comparison page, the Steam Deck OLED starts at $549, which is a tougher ask than the Steam Deck LCD's $399 entry point for a lot of people.

If you have been waiting for a Steam Deck LCD, this may be your last chance to grab one at its best price, before availability tightens and resellers move in. Scalpers always seem to show up at the worst time

I'm certain the Steam Deck LCD will end up being remembered fondly. Still, this does set an awkward precedent for future Valve hardware that people hoped would hit a “console-like” price point.

If component pricing stays high, it becomes harder to imagine any so-called Steam Machine-style device landing as a genuinely affordable box, especially as Xbox has confirmed its next console will be a high-end premium device.

It is a bit of a shame to see the Steam Deck LCD quietly disappear, especially as it played such a big role in making PC handhelds feel accessible in the first place.

What do you think about Valve ending Steam Deck LCD production? Do you think it's a good idea for Valve to only sell the OLED option going forward? Tell us about it in the comments.

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It would ultimately go on to become the best-selling game of 2025, with Season 1 updates and the launch of the free-to-play battle royale Battlefield REDSEC helping to maintain the game's popularity. Its numbers have tapered off and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 outsold it in November, but it still maintains a very strong player base and all signs point to it remaining the year's overall best seller.

It's within this context that Battlefield Studios has revealed what's coming to the game in future seasons and 2026, including Season 2 and beyond, in a new Community Update post (Season 1 is expected to end mid-January). Alongside some interesting multiplayer statistics and spotlights of fan-made Portal creations, we got an idea of what to expect from upcoming content updates.

The devs say they're "refining core gameplay, balance, and quality-of-life improvements across Multiplayer, REDSEC, and Portal," while also building new maps and weapons "that introduce fresh tactical opportunities and keep the experience evolving in meaningful ways." There will also be "fresh experiences for future seasons," implying more experimental, limited-time modes like Winter Offensive's Ice Lock are on the way.

Beyond that, Battlefield Studios is also looking to integrate Battlefield Labs testing into the live version of Battlefield 6 in some way (currently, its playtests run on separate builds), and hopes to introduce solo REDSEC battle royale play "at a quality level that feels right for Battlefield."

Oh, and the nimble minigun-equipped Little Bird helicopter is still on the way, too: "And for those keeping an eye on the skies…yes, a certain little bird is eager to say hi again."

"Whether you’re reading this between matches, on the way to see family, or taking a well-deserved break from the battlefield, thank you for being here. Your support throughout launch, your energy during Season 1, and all of your Only in Battlefield moments have made this year unforgettable," the studio wrote in its post.

"Your reports and thoughtful discussions have helped us iterate quickly and focus on the things that matter most. We will continue to build on this collaboration as we move into the new year."

The developers also noted that from now until New Years and the arrival of 2026, "the team will be taking a short breather to recharge," and that "communication may be quieter during this time." They assure players that support services and anti-cheat operations will continue as normal, though.

"From all of us on the Battlefield team, thank you for an amazing year. Happy holidays, stay safe, and we will see you on the Battlefield again soon," they added.

This is a nice letter to fans from the devs, and also a good overview of what we can expect to see from Battlefield 6 in 2026 and beyond. As for the new types of content mentioned? Fresh maps, weapons, and the eventual return of the Little Bird are all exciting, as are new modes to enjoy. I don't care about battle royale solos (or REDSEC in general), but for those that do, it's good to see that's in the oven as well.

Some additional things I really want to see from Battlefield 6 is an official server browser with official persistent Battlefield Studios-maintained servers, as well as better spotlights for creative community Portal maps and modes. Hopefully we'll get both in the new year.

Have you been enjoying Battlefield 6 since its launch in October? Do you still play often, or have you moved on to other games? Let me know in the comments.

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Razer then sought to correct that in 2024 with the Blackshark V2 Pro Wireless Xbox Gaming Headset, so Xbox players can finally experience its rich sounds. Now, at the end of 2025, its $199.99 MSRP has been slashed down to $104.99 at Amazon during the holiday sales.

Why is this one of the best gaming headsets to buy for Xbox?

There are plenty of reasons why hardcore Xbox players should consider owning a Razer Blackshark V2 Pro for Xbox.

This gaming headset features impeccable sound quality when listening to games, thanks to its 50mm TriForce Titanium drivers, spatial audio support, and customizable audio profiles to let the user adjust the EQ levels to their personal preferences.

There are also a couple of pre-installed audio profiles tuned for competitive online multiplayer titles like Call of Duty, Battlefield, or Arc Raiders to help players better hear enemy movement or teammate call-outs.

The Razer Blackshark V2 Pro for Xbox's mic quality also matches its headset audio quality, as its unidirectional, detachable microphone with 32KHz sampling rates can convey your voice with exquisite detail while isolating it from distracting background noise.

Of course, a wireless headset's audio quality means nothing with a stable wireless connection to back it up. Thankfully, the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro for Xbox more than delivers it with stable, responsive, and reliable Razer Hyperseed 2.4Ghz wireless or Bluetooth connections to prevent audio latency.

Add in a long-lasting battery life of 70 hours, an extremely comfy, ergonomic design that's pleasant to wear for many hours, and some compatibility with PC (minus Razer Synapse support and audio profiles for Valorant and Counter-Strike), and you've got one of the best Xbox Gaming Headsets on the market.

So, if you're looking for a premium-grade Xbox Headset to buy for Christmas, today's your lucky day as Amazon's sale is offering the Razer Blackshark V2 Pro for Xbox with a 48% discount for $104.99 at Amazon.

FAQ

Arrives after Christmas and need a gift sooner? 

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

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However, the LucidSound LS15X possesses these enticing qualities while sporting a slick design and a budget-friendly price of around $70, which Amazon has reduced even further to $55.30.

Why should you buy the LucidSound LS15X wireless gaming headset in 2025?

For a budget wireless gaming headset costing below $100, the LucidSound LS15X sure doesn't feel like a one for how good its sound quality is.

When my colleague, Jez Corden, reviewed the LucidSound LS15X in 2021, he remarked how impressed he was at its excellent positional awareness and warm, sweeping bass that sounded completely natural when Jez tested it out with Call of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield V.

On top of that, it features a microphone with above-average sound quality, stable wireless and Bluetooth connectivity with little to no audio latency, comfortable earcups that make it pleasant to wear, and a long-lasting battery of 15 hours before needing to recharge.

The only downsides of this gaming headset are that its build quality can feel brittle in hand, and its adjustable head strap doesn't stay in position stably.

Plus, its audio control dials and buttons lack sufficient information and feedback when operating them, which can make adjusting audio on the LucidSound LS15X a somewhat confusing and frustrating process.

If you can disregard those nitpicks, then we highly recommend the LucidSound LS15X for anyone looking to purchase an Xbox or PC wireless gaming headset with rich sounds without breaking the bank for Christmas.

If you're interested in this consumer-friendly stocking filler, the LucidSound LS15X is on sale for $55.30 at Amazon for a limited time.

FAQ

Arrives after Christmas and need a gift sooner? 

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Impacted games included Rare's new IP Everwild as well as The Elder Scrolls Online-maker ZeniMax Online's new MMO, and tragically, the Perfect Dark reboot as well. Microsoft also shut down the studio it formed in 2018 to make Perfect Dark, The Initiative, at the same time.

The revival of Rare's dormant stealthy sci-fi FPS series was announced in 2020, and had just gotten a gameplay reveal trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 months before the axe came down. Thus, while it was understood the game went through development struggles, its cancelation nevertheless came as a complete shock to most — and not just to players, either.

In a new interview with TheGamer, Alix Wilton-Regan — the actress that would have starred as protagonist Joanna Dark, also known for roles in Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Cyberpunk 2077 — revealed that the news of the layoffs, cancelation, and closure of The Initiative came out of nowhere, and that she found out "at the same time as everybody else."

"I was as shocked, surprised, and devastated as everyone else was when the funding was pulled, and the studio was closed," she said. "I did not see it coming. I was absolutely blindsided when the project was defunded."

"It was devastating. So many people lost their jobs. An entire workforce was disbanded. There was an ecosystem of creativity and collaboration that was in place that we lost overnight," she continued. "It was really difficult, really difficult for everybody."

Wilton-Regan explained she'd recorded "bits and bobs throughout '23," and that The Initiative was also "doing lots of performance capture for it in '24," giving her the impression that the project had progressed a lot.

She'd "done entire chapters of this universe" and noted that the team "had delivered several milestones that the client was really happy with," but she ultimately didn't know how far Perfect Dark had come. Evidently, Microsoft didn't consider further development to be viable after seeing where it was at.

There was hope when Take-Two tried to save Perfect Dark from Microsoft's cancelation, but after that rescue attempt fell through due to disagreements about ownership of the IP, Wilton-Regan felt crushed.

"That was the day I was really sad because that was the day I lost hope," she said. "I couldn't say too much about it ... But certainly, everyone was working really hard behind the scenes to bring Perfect Dark back. And then one day, I heard from the creative director that the deal hadn't gone through, and that really everything had fallen apart, and production was fully stopping."

"I've never experienced in my career before what I experienced with Perfect Dark. And I guess now that I know that it can happen, you become really frightened that the same thing could happen again," she added.

Notably, Wilton-Regan is playing Lara Croft in the newly announced Tomb Raider: Catalyst. But while that role has helped keep her spirits afloat, she has a fear of that opportunity collapsing as well (Tomb Raider dev Crystal Dynamics has experienced three layoff waves this year).

"The saving grace for me when Perfect Dark fell apart was that I'd already been shooting Lara for about a year as well," she told TheGamer. "I was playing Joanna over here, and I was playing Lara over here, which was wonderful and genuinely one of the most creatively exciting times of my life. And I just felt so relieved that I still had Lara, but I also felt really frightened about losing Lara. I'm still frightened of losing Lara."

I wish nothing but the best for Alix Wilton-Regan and everyone else who worked on the canceled Perfect Dark reboot, and was affected by The Initiative's closure. Note that recently, two of its lead devs joined Take-Two to make a new 2K studio.

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The sad truth is that many games don't run all that well on certain handheld gaming PCs, but you don't always know that until you've already bought the game.

So, for all of you other handheld owners (or soon-to-be handheld owners), I decided to make a list of the games I enjoyed playing most this year on my portable gaming devices. If any games catch your eye, make sure to wishlist them so you can eventually play on your own handheld.

😉 Pssst — It turns out many of these games are on sale right now, so they could make for ideal Christmas gifts.

Every title listed below plays well on Xbox Ally X, ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme), Legion Go S (Z1 Extreme), Legion Go, and Legion Go 2, but some might have issues on Steam Deck and Xbox Ally. To help, I've indicated whether each game is Steam Deck verified or not.

Little Kitty, Big City

I technically first played this game last year, but my niece discovered that I owned it a few months ago, and every time she's come over since, she's wanted to play it on my Xbox Ally X.

I'm not surprised she was drawn to it, since it allows you to wander the streets while playing as a cat and doing cute and mischievous cat things.

The last time my niece was here, we literally spent hours tripping people and stealing their phones, sandwiches, and other items. It's a super fun, laid-back adventure, and it plays beautifully on handhelds. It's Steam Deck verified, too.

Amber Isle

I'm a sucker for cozy games with cute animals, and so of course Amber Isle caught my attention. The game started by letting me design my own perfect little dinosaur character before introducing me to other dinos and teaching me how to craft items.

It's a cute little shopkeeping life sim that easily runs on most handheld gaming PCs. It's marked as Playable for Steam Deck, and I found that it ran well on my Deck, but some of the text was just a bit small.

Kingdom of Night

I'm actually still playing this game right now, but I've put six hours into it already and have been enjoying the ride so far.

Like many of you, I have been eager to see the Stranger Things finale on Netflix, and that's what initially drew me to Kingdom of Night. It's clear to see that it's inspired by Eleven and the gang.

The dark pixel-art aesthetic perfectly emphasizes its 80s focus, where teens in a small town fight off supernatural horrors after discovering that a girl has been taken.

I find the combat engaging, while the story keeps my focus. Now, some parts of the game feel a little cheesy, like the fact that it takes place in the fictional city of Miami, Arizona, but, honestly, that also adds to the charm. It's very well suited to handhelds and is even Steam Deck verified.

PowerWash Simulator

I'm veeeeeeery late to the party on this one, but I finally removed PowerWash Simulator from my backlog this year. Damn, it is so satisfying to spray water at something that is absolutely grimy until it sparkles in squeaky-clean perfection.

I discovered for myself that this is the perfect game to play while watching a show. Honestly, it was hard to put my handhelds down sometimes because of how much this game hooked me. And yes, it is Steam Deck verified.

The Plucky Squire

The Plucky Squire grabbed my attention from the first time I saw a trailer for it. It's an extremely playful game that has you take on the role of a popular children's book character who suddenly acquires the power to break out of his pages and explore the real world that his book exists in.

By interacting with the real world and game elements, I was able to solve a number of clever puzzles, all while uncovering a humorous tale. It plays beautifully on my Steam Deck and is Steam Deck verified, so it should run on most PC gaming handhelds.

My Little Puppy

Grab a box of tissues; this one's a tear-jerker. A friend of mine randomly came across this game and suggested it to me. Since I have a corgi, I basically had to play it.

You take on the role of a little dog who is awaiting their human, "Daddy," in heaven, but after watching several other dogs reunite with their parents, this dog's dad doesn't show up. So, the corgi goes looking for them.

It's a relatively short game filled with mini games and puzzles that I was able to beat within 6 hours. During my playthrough, I smiled, I felt confused, and yes, I cried, but I do recommend it overall.

WARNING: This game surprisingly has some pretty dark moments, so only play if you're up for that sort of thing. And yes, it is Steam Deck verified.

Blue Prince

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I started playing Blue Prince on my Xbox Ally X, but I soon found myself obsessed with the roguelike puzzle game.

At the start, you're informed that you're set to inherit your eccentric uncle's vast fortune, but only if you can make it through his shifting maze of a mansion and access Room 46. It isn't nearly as straightforward as it sounds, since you only have a certain number of steps you can use before you're forced to end the day and start again the next, but that's what makes this fun.

This game offers the perfect mix of luck and strategy, since you aren't ever quite sure what rooms you're going to unlock or what items you're going to find. There are clues to various puzzles scattered throughout the massive home, but you'll need to pay attention if you want to put everything together. I recommend keeping a notebook handy, seriously.

It's marked as Playable for Steam Deck, since it runs well, but some text can be hard to read.

Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo

I first happened upon this adventure puzzle game while in Brazil for Gamescom Latam. As you can see, the art style is definitely inspired by the Paper Mario series, but it offers a playful story all its own.

I got to play as a snake who awakens in the afterlife and goes on to assist other souls they encounter. It's a charming little game with relatively simple graphics that are ideal for handhelds, and it's even Steam Deck verified.

Baldur's Gate 3

During the spring, my husband and I finally convinced one of our friends to play 2023's Game of the Year winner with us. We'd both beaten it separately, so this was our first time playing together — my friend and my husband on PC, me on my ROG Ally X.

I had a total blast revisiting this adventure, whether I was waiting to see how my friend responded to the game's biggest reveals or watching scenes unfold that I hadn't seen before after someone made a decision I wouldn't have made on my own. Sometimes it was absolutely chaos, but that just added to the fun.

In terms of handhelds, Baldur's Gate 3 is Steam Deck verified and runs beautifully on my various handheld devices. If you like turn-based fantasy RPGs, you should definitely play Baldur's Gate 3 on your handheld, and if your friends do too, you can party up and play together.

Dave the Diver

When Dave the Diver finally came to Xbox this year, it reminded me that this game has been on my backlog for a while now, so I finally downloaded it and played it on my Xbox Ally X.

It didn't take long for me to get sucked into the gameplay loop, which has me exploring watery depths and hunting fish by day and managing a sushi restaurant by night.

It's an extremely satisfying game, and the surprises kept coming to keep me engaged for several weeks. It's also Steam Deck verified.

Minecraft

Minecraft is one of those games that a couple of friends and I dive back into every now and then. It's always a blast, whether we're building the biggest castle we can imagine (complete with a minecart roller coaster) or exploring the world looking for new animals, biomes, and other surprises.

I've played several hours on my Xbox Ally X and Legion Go 2, and it runs beautifully. It is not Steam Deck verified (since it isn't on Steam), but it can run well on Valve's handheld if you take the time to install it in desktop mode and make some adjustments.

Immortals Fenyx Rising

I'll admit, I was initially thrown off by this game's terrible name, but don't let that stop you from playing it, especially if you like playful open-world games. I'd previously beaten this game, but I ended up buying its DLC and replaying it this year on my ROG Ally X.

From the moment I first played Immortals Fenyx Rising, it became very clear that this RPG was inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While exploring a colorful world filled with Greek gods, I can ride horses, glide using Icarus' wings, fight monsters, dive into small shrine dungeons, and find ways to increase my stamina, health, and other skills.

The main goal is to save the gods who have been subdued by the mighty Typhon, a Titan who has taken control of the land. In addition to being a fun game to play on handhelds, I also learned more about Greek mythology, thanks to the sarcastic and humorous characters in this story.

This game is marked as Playable on Steam Deck, with Steam noting that players are sometimes required to tap the screen or manually bring up the keyboard to interact with certain menus.

Horizon Zero Dawn

The original Horizon Zero Dawn has been one of my favorite games ever since it released back in 2017. When the game was remastered, I bought a copy of the game and played it again, hopping between my ROG Ally X and Steam Deck.

Story-wise, the premise is that a young woman named Aloy has grown up as an outcast from her local tribe since birth. She stumbles upon an ancient compound made by people who died over 1,000 years ago and finds some ancient tech that tells her about the world around her, including the weak points of huge machines that walk the earth.

She soon sets off on a journey to unravel a mystery and find out what happened to the ancients. Let me tell you, it never gets old stalking powerful machines, setting traps, taking them down with a bow and arrow, and harvesting parts so I can improve my gear.

Another fun thing for me is that the game takes place in the American West, allowing me to virtually explore iconic locations I've been to in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Arizona. This remaster is Steam Deck verified.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

When Expedition 33 first released in April 2025, I played it on my ROG Ally X, and it ran okay, but it sometimes froze and shut down. A few months later, the game got an update that optimized it for handhelds.

I eventually started a new game on my next-gen Xbox Ally X, and the experience was soooo much better. I love being able to sit in my bed while perfectly parrying enemies and diving deeper into this masterpiece of a game.

In case you didn't know, Expedition 33 received a mountain of accolades and praise this year and eventually ended up snagging a very well-deserved Game of the Year win at The Game Awards.

Everything in this game is enjoyable to me, from the unique story and interactive turn-based combat to the somber music and haunting art style. If you haven't played it, I recommend checking it out. It is Steam Deck verified.

BONUS: Xbox Game Pass

As a bonus, I just want to put it out there that I played dozens of games this year on my various handhelds via Xbox Game Pass, including Blue Prince, Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and much more.

So, if you'd like access to a huge game library, with many titles that are perfect for handhelds, I recommend subscribing.

Excellent games to play on handheld gaming PCs

Looking back, I've gotten a ton of use out of my handheld gaming PCs this year, playing dozens of titles that range from cute little indie games to more graphically intense adventures developed by huge studios.

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that some games run better than others on Xbox Ally X, Steam Deck, and Legion Go 2. While performance can often be increased by changing system settings or a game's specific graphics settings, some games just aren't ideal to play on handhelds.

Do you have a game you love to play on your handheld gaming PC? What do you think is the best handheld? I'd love to hear about it; tell me your thoughts in the comments below.

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It feels like you can't click twice without a Copilot button being waved in your face in most of Microsoft's services. You can turn them off or uninstall them in many cases, but the rush to add Copilot AI services underpins Microsoft's oddly panicked and often incoherent strategy around the tech.

We write a lot about Copilot and AI in general, being on the Microsoft beat. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is reportedly forcing staff to adopt AI or face being pushed aside, as rumors of internal projections being cut create questions around the business. There is a general sense of negativity around AI if you look at social media, at least. LG and Microsoft came to a deal to incorporate Copilot in its TVs recently, but the ensuing backlash forced LG to give users an opt-out.

Microsoft's early investment in OpenAI has been hailed as one of the most forward-thinking in recent history, and gave Microsoft a commanding position over its leading AI models, powering ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. Google seems to be forging ahead, though, as the big competitors keep leapfrogging each other in performance benchmarks.

Either way, AI is and remains controversial ... but it's almost certainly here to stay. Which is why I want to hear from you: Are you actively using AI today?

Microsoft Copilot certainly has its uses. I use it personally almost daily for format shifting primarily. It's a useful tool for organizing large walls of text from a =TEXTJOIN() spreadsheet function and quickly turning it into something more readable without jumping through Excel hoops. It can be useful to recap information on the web too, as long as you double check the facts for hallucinations. Copilot in Azure and Github has found its audience in businesses of all shapes and sizes too. The ability to silo corporate information within Azure and maintain legal compliancy with data protection laws gives Copilot an edge for use in governmental, legal, and financial institutions for example.

It's also irritating at times too. Microsoft's "AI" features in Photos for example, barely work. Copilot is still prone to providing sycophantic, and often outright incorrect information. It's also monstrously expensive to maintain, with a business model whose long-term viability is often questioned. The tech is responsible for ballooning RAM prices, an increase in carbon emissions, and turbo-charging misinformation and spam bots.

I tend to use Microsoft Copilot partially because I write about Microsoft products and services, but it's hard to overlook how integrated some of the competing options are. In the past, Microsoft had a coherent ecosystem of products and services where Copilot might've made more sense, particularly where mobile is concerned. Since it's now effectively locked only to PC, I suspect many users are opting for services more prevalent, and crucially, more integrated on mobile, such as Google Gemini and ChatGPT. Even Samsung AI offers better tools than Copilot in a lot of cases, particularly with image and video editing.

Many analytics firms suggest that Copilot is actually one of the most heavily used out there, albeit far behind ChatGPT. But there's clearly some semantics to be discussed here, given that Copilot is, in itself, powered by ChatGPT.

I'm curious how you guys are using Microsoft Copilot, if indeed you are using it at all. And if you're not, which services are you using instead? Hit the comments, and let us know.

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Indeed, excitement for the series seems just as sky high as it was when Season 1 came out, though this time around, the new season is releasing episodically every week on Wednesdays — and one surprise Season 2's later episodes may have in store could be a performance from one of the most legendary actors in Fallout history.

That actor is Ron Perlman, best known by film and TV audiences for his performances as Hellboy in movies from that franchise and Clay Morrow in Sons of Anarchy. To Fallout fans, though, he's the iconic narrator of the opening cutscenes in nearly every game, including 1, 2, Tactics, 3, New Vegas, and 76. He also voiced Butch Harris in The Hub in the original RPG, the newscaster at the start of Fallout 4, and most endings in the titles he did intros for.

Outside of Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, Perlman's distinctive deep and resonant voice has been audible in every Fallout game ever made, with his most notable delivery being the series' "war never changes" tagline. Naturally, that's had fans wondering if he'll appear in the TV show at some point — and when Dexerto recently asked Bethesda's Todd Howard about that, his response suggests that it's a very real possibility.

"Look, love Ron, we've worked with him a lot," Howard said (after reiterating the showrunners' intention to avoid canonizing any one New Vegas ending). And so, I think when you think about him and you think about that voice, you know, you think about like, 'Hey ... is there a place and what's the right one?'"

That's hardly an indication that Perlman will appear in Season 2, though it does, at the very least, signal that the producers at Bethesda and Amazon are thinking about ways he could be brought onto the show in a way that feels fitting.

It's important to note, though, that Perlman was present at the Los Angeles premiere of Fallout Season 2 earlier this month, and was in a photo taken with all the show's cast members. This implies he may actually have a role in Season 2 — one that Howard didn't want to spoil in his interview.

Earlier this year at Corpus Christi Comic Con, Perlman also noted he "can't talk about number two" when asked about Fallout, suggesting the possibility of a Season 2 appearance. "But just in 'not talking' about it I think I just talked about it," he added.

If Perlman is in Fallout Season 2, what role might he be playing? It's impossible to say for sure, though many fans believe he's behind the extremely deep, gravelly voice heard in Season 2's official trailer (read our full breakdown). This voice is extremely similar to those we've heard from Super Mutants in the games, so if that is Perlman, he could be playing the beloved Super Mutant Marcus from Fallout 2 and New Vegas, or perhaps an entirely new character.

Of course, this is all just speculation. But even if Perlman isn't in Fallout Season 2, I do hope he appears in the show in one way or another in the future.

Note that if you've never played the Fallout games he lent his voice to, all of them are playable on both Xbox and/or PC through Xbox Game Pass.

Would you like to see Ron Perlman play a role in the Fallout TV show? Do you want him to reprise his role as a narrator in some way, or play a character in the show itself? Sound off in the comments.

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Rather than eating the cost or waiting for prices to drop (if they ever do), there's a third alternative. Newegg is still offering some RAM and motherboard bundles in which you can get DDR5 for a much more reasonable price. Don't need a new board? Someone does, and you can be the one who provides it.

G.Skill's Flare X5 32GB DDR5 kit can be had for about $210 when bundled, while Corsair's Vengeance 32GB DDR5 kits can be had for either $150 or about $170 when bundled.

FAQ

Arrives after Christmas and need a gift sooner? 

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

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This is a premium-grade mobile controller with extremely responsive controls, top-notch ergonomics, and a long battery life of 40 hours, and its Xbox Edition is now on sale for $144.99 at Amazon.

Why buy the Backbone Pro?

The Backbone Pro has plenty of enticing qualities that help transform your mobile phone into one of the best Xbox cloud gaming controllers and one of the best controllers for mobile gaming in general.

It's immensely comfortable to wield for long hours of playtime thanks to its large grips with laser-etched texturing. and very subtly curved triggers fit for adults.

It also has extremely responsive controls (which are remappable) with reliable Hall Effect Triggers, sturdy Bluetooth and local USB-C connectivity, pass-through USB-C charging so you can recharge alongside other devices using a single dock or hub, and it has a long-lasting battery of 40 hours when Bluetooth mode is in use.

The only major drawbacks of this mobile controller are that you need to sign up for the monthly Backbone+ service to access Xbox Cloud Gaming via Xbox Game Pass and NVIDIA GeForce Now (as stated by my colleague, Jez Corden, in his review of the Backbone Pro), it has no Hall Effect analog sticks, and it has a steep MSRP of $179.99.

That last sticking point has, fortunately, been stomped down to $144.99 at Amazon for a short time as part of Amazon's discount.

If you can set aside those other quibbles, then the Backbone Pro for Xbox would make a fine Christmas present for yourself or your fellow Xbox buddies if you all frequently indulge in Xbox Cloud Gaming on your mobile devices.

FAQ

Arrives after Christmas and need a gift sooner? 

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Microsoft also improved navigation in the Store, sped up loading times, and improved the update process for apps.

Many big-name apps are also in the Microsoft Store now, including Adobe Creative Cloud, Discord, Slack, and Spotify.

Speaking of Spotify, there is no Spotify Wrapped equivalent for the Microsoft Store. I'd love to see how many apps and updates I installed throughout the year and which apps I spent the most time on.

Several companies and brands have copied the concept of Spotify Wrapped, including PlayStation, Instagram, and YouTube. Xbox skipped the trend in 2025 but plans to do something similar next year. If you'd like a wrap-up of your year in Xbox gaming, True Achievements can help.

The Microsoft Store does not have a wrapped section for individual users, but Microsoft Store Vice President Giorgio Sardo shared a year in review piece that highlights improvements.

Sardo covered many of the improvements discussed above, plus Special Events in the Store. He also explained how the Microsoft Store is better personalized for each user.

The Microsoft Store also gained an AI hub to help people discover AI apps.

What Microsoft left out

As you would expect from a piece written by the vice president of the Microsoft Store, "2025 in review" focuses on positive changes.

Overall, I feel the Microsoft Store is in a good place. It's now a must-use app and continues to get new features. There was, however, quite a bit of bad news and controversy surrounding the Microsoft Store this year.

The Microsoft Store no longer allows you to disable automatic updates. Generally speaking, updates are a good thing, but there are times people prefer to stay on the older version of an app.

This year, Microsoft also shut down its Movies & TV storefront that lived within the Microsoft Store. New purchases stopped being possible in July, though previously purchased content is still viewable through the Movies & TV app.

Technically, the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 Mobile reached its end in 2025 as well. Windows Phone has been dead for years, so I doubt many were affected by the change.

While not part of the Microsoft Store directly, some of Microsoft's apps in the Store drew criticism this year. Microsoft claims the new Outlook is native, but that's not exactly the case. Microsoft has pushed people toward the new Outlook for quite some time, including stopping the old Mail & Calendar app from working last year.

Microsoft is supposed to create flagship experiences on Windows 11. If the company makes web apps and tries to pass them off as native, it sends a signal to other companies and app developers.

The Microsoft Store Awards for 2025 upset many, including myself. The award winners appear to have been picked based on how much they rely on AI, not the quality of the apps or games.

Some of the apps that won awards are useful and well-made, but there are some baffling entries on the list. Castle Craft is a mobile-style game that came out in 2024, and it was named the 2025 Microsoft Store game of the year.

Oddly, when Sardo highlighted several apps and games in the 2025 year in review, he did not name Castle Craft:

"We welcomed exciting new arrivals to the store, including innovative productivity tools like Raycast, Noteastic and Cephable, fan-favorite games like Fortnite, Hollow Knight: Silksong and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, accessibility apps like DotVista, and standout apps such as RunCat 365 and Adobe Premiere Elements 2026."

I'd have thought the 2025 Microsoft Store game of the year would be mentioned by name. Instead, Sardo linked to the 2025 App Awards winner.

Do you think the Microsoft Store is in a good place in 2025? Do you have a favorite change or improvement to the Store? Let us know in the comments!

The game in question is Halo: Recruit, a short virtual reality experience that launched in 2017 for Windows Mixed Reality. At the time, it was designed to showcase Microsoft’s push into virtual and augmented reality rather than act as a full Halo release.

However, in what now feels like a familiar Satya… I mean, Microsoft pattern; Windows Mixed Reality itself was discontinued in 2023. With the platform gone, Halo: Recruit appears to have quietly vanished alongside it a coupleof years later.

What exactly was Halo: Recruit?

Whilst only a short, standalone release designed to showcase the capabilities of Windows Mixed Reality, Halo: Recruit was not received particularly poorly. It functioned far more as a technical demo than a complete game, offering a brief glimpse of the Halo universe in VR rather than a substantial experience.

Its removal from the Microsoft Store appears to have gone largely unnoticed, and it is currently unclear how long the title has been delisted. Microsoft has not provided any explanation, leaving its disappearance easy to miss unless you were actively searching for it.

Interestingly, GeneralKidd also highlighted another obscure Halo project, though this was one never officially released. This was a Pokémon Go-style concept tied to Halo 4, with ties to 7-Eleven, Doritos, and Mountain Dew?

The project, titled Halo 4 King of the Hill, reportedly revolved around scanning Mountain Dew and Doritos codes to level up your character, with 7-Eleven stores acting as real-world locations similar to gyms. The idea never progressed beyond the concept stage, but it remains one of the more unusual Halo experiments that surfaced during that era.

A frustrating trend for some games

Despite being a relatively unknown entry in the Halo franchise, it is still a shame to see it delisted without any word from Microsoft. It feels unnecessary, especially when leaving these titles listed would seemingly cause no harm.

It is a small frustration I have with situations like this. We have seen similar cases with Halo: Spartan Strike and Halo: Spartan Assault no longer being accessible on specific platforms, and it leaves a sour taste.

As a lifelong Halo fan, seeing parts of the franchise quietly disappear like this is always disappointing.

Do you think Microsoft should be more transparent about removals like this, or is it just part of the digital era we live in? Share your thoughts below — how do you feel about losing access to games you thought were safe in your library?

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First released in 2002 on PlayStation 2, and later arriving on Xbox and PC in 2003, Vice City quickly stood out for its setting, soundtrack, and tone.

It was also critically acclaimed, and for many players, it was their first real introduction to an adult-rated game.

What feels like an ancient past at this point makes this latest development even more surprising and impressive. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is now playable directly in your web browser, according to a post on Reddit.

Playing GTA Vice City in a browser

From the Dos Zone team, who have a hefty background in browser-based game preservation, titles like Doom, Half-Life: Deathmatch, and the original GTA are all playable in a browser thanks to the team's efforts.

Because it runs entirely in a web browser, the demo works on Windows and Android, and should also function on macOS, iOS, and Linux as long as a modern browser is supported.

In terms of input and display, the demo supports a wide range of screen resolutions, standard keyboard controls, and controller support. I tested it on my Xbox Ally X without any issues, making the game accessible across devices, including tablets and phones, albeit somewhat awkward with touchscreen controls.

Progress can be saved locally, with optional cloud saves available through the js-dos platform, allowing sessions to carry over between devices.

There is a demo limitation, however. Progression is blocked at the first story checkpoint at the Ocean View Hotel, unless you provide proof of ownership.

To continue beyond that point, users must upload an original Vice City game file, which is verified using checksums to confirm it matches retail assets.

The legality and how to play

The legal situation remains unclear. DOS Zone says it does not distribute original game assets and relies on user-supplied files, but that does not guarantee rights holders will accept a publicly playable browser version of the game.

Whilst the legality of this is unknown, it still is an impressive feat that the team has managed to accomplish, and it begs the question, what else could run in a browser, Crysis perhaps?

If you want to check it out for yourself, you can check out the demo by clicking here.

Do you think browser‑based versions of classics are the future of retro gaming, or do you prefer the original console experience? Drop your thoughts below and tell us how you’ll be revisiting Vice City!

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It's amid emerging claims that scaling laws have begun to stop, preventing top AI labs like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google from developing advanced AI models. Microsoft and OpenAI recently renewed the terms of their multibillion-dollar partnership under a new definitive agreement, which allows the software giant to pursue AGI independently or in collaboration with third parties.

And as it now seems, we might have just gotten a vague idea of what it might cost to keep up with the ever-evolving AI industry.

During a recent episode of the Moonshots with Peter Diamandis podcast, Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman indicated that it will cost "hundreds of billions of dollars" to keep up with frontier AI development over the next 5-10 years. (via Business Insider). "Not to mention the prices that we're paying for individual researchers or members of technical staff," the executive indicated.

Interestingly, the executive compared Microsoft to a "modern construction company" with hundreds of thousands of workers building gigawatts of CPUs and AI accelerators.

The executive indicated that the cost required for frontier AI model development, but admitted that "clearly there's a structural advantage by being inside a big company."

However, Microsoft isn't throwing in the towel on AI anytime soon. According to a leaked internal memo, CEO Satya Nadella is seemingly ushering in a new dawn for Microsoft with a keen focus on intelligence, integration, and AI. The executive admitted that Bill Gates' software factory vision might have worked for decades, but it's no longer enough.

Nadella is reportedly pressuring high-profile executives to work faster and leaner on AI projects or leave the company. Insiders indicated that Microsoft is attempting to fly a sinking ship with "gimmicky" AI tools while other products take a backseat.

Following Microsoft's new agreement with OpenAI, AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman indicated that "Microsoft needs to be self-sufficient in AI. And to do that, we have to train frontier models of all scales with our own data and compute at the state-of-the-art level."

Microsoft has already formed a new MAI Superintelligence team to pursue this feat.

This news comes as investor interest in generative AI has begun waning, as they continue to question the billions plunged into the industry without a clear path for revenue generation.

It will be interesting to see Microsoft venture into its next chapter with a bias in AI despite the capital issues that abound. Mustafa Suleyman also indicated that Microsoft would jump ship on its AI projects if it poses a significant threat to humanity, aligning with his campaign for humanist superintelligence.

Do you think Microsoft will eventually come out on top in AI? Let me know.

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