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Results for " xbox " 1,633 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle

11 Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass In Early July 2026

Here's what's leaving soon

purexbox.com logo
Jul 2 • 6:00 AM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Report: Xbox Disc-to-Digital Feature in Testing, Microsoft "Likely" to Stop Disc Production Too

Both Sony and Microsoft look ready to drop disc drives from their next-gen consoles.

digitalfoundry.net logo
Jul 2 • 6:00 AM EDT • Technology • digitalfoundry.net
Xbox reportedly to follow PlayStation's example and ditch discs for next-gen console Project Helix

The next Xbox console may also ship without a built-in disc drive, but Microsoft may have a solution for discs from older generations.

eurogamer.net logo
Jul 2 • 4:32 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net
Onimusha: Way of the Sword Release Date Moved Forward

Capcom has announced that Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the upcoming action-adventure sequel for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, will now be released earlier than previously guided: it will be available on September 4 rather than September 25.

ign.com logo
Jul 1 • 8:41 PM EDT • Technology • ign.com
Attack on Titan 3 launches this winter, first gameplay

Attack on Titan 3 will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC via Steam this winter, publisher Koei Tecmo and developer Omega Force announced.

gematsu.com logo
Jul 1 • 6:57 PM EDT • Technology • gematsu.com
Xbox is reportedly considering dropping disc drives as it tests new feature that lets players digitize physical games

A new report now claims Xbox, like PlayStation, is set to "drop the disc drive."

gamesindustry.biz logo
Jul 1 • 4:35 PM EDT • Technology • gamesindustry.biz
New details emerge on Xbox 'Positron', Microsoft's disc-to-digital program — as it seems likely Xbox Helix will drop discs too

Xbox Helix is likely to be joining PlayStation 5 in dropping discs. A new report describes how Microsoft plans to mitigate the issue.

windowscentral.com logo
Jul 1 • 2:41 PM EDT • Technology • windowscentral.com
Xbox testing disc-to-digital feature that digitizes a physical game collection

Microsoft’s disc-to-digital feature could be essential for next-gen Xbox consoles.

theverge.com logo
Jul 1 • 1:41 PM EDT • Technology • theverge.com
Indie Selects for July 2026: Gameplay That Will Make Summer Pop

The ID@XBOX team has handpicked five Indie Selects for July that are ready to light up your night like a sky full of summer fireworks.

news.xbox.com logo
Jul 1 • 12:00 PM EDT • Technology • news.xbox.com
DOOM: The Dark Ages Goes Supersonic With New DLC Chain Spear

DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations is its first major DLC, showcasing a versatile new Chain Spear. Read more inside to learn about the deep movement tech it adds to the game:

news.xbox.com logo
Jul 1 • 10:00 AM EDT • Technology • news.xbox.com
Sony will cease production of discs for new PlayStation games in 2028

New games sold for PlayStation consoles will only be available digitally and won’t be sold on discs effective January 2028, Sony has announced. The move applies to all PlayStation games released from that point on, including those made by Sony and those released by third parties. The PlayStation group calls the change “a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” according to a PlayStation blog post reviewed by Game File in advance of its publication. As movies, TV and music have shifted from physical media to an age of downloads and streaming, Sony’s move could speed the demise of physical media in a gaming. The industry has offered consumers games via cartridges, cassettes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays across a 50-year stretch. Sony has been reporting to investors in recent years that PlayStation games have been increasingly purchased as downloads, not as discs. The most recent figures show nearly four in five purchases of full games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were purchased digitally in the past year. Stats like that may cause today’s news to carry an air of the inevitable. But Sony’s declaration for 2028 is still likely to produce a shock, as the biggest gaming platform on the planet that uses game discs leaves them behind. Discs going away, but the fate of game boxes is unknown Sony is committing to still selling games in physical retailers even after they drop discs in 2028. Just how those games will be sold—in boxes with codes inside, as cards marked with digital redemption codes—is unclear. Digital games will also continue to be sold in the online PlayStation Store. New games released for PlayStation consoles prior to January 2028 will be unaffected by the policy change, Sony says. That means the PS5 games of 2027, be they a new Madden, a new God of War, a new Call of Duty, a new Sly Cooper (one can dream?), would still potentially be offered on disc. PlayStation 6 implications Sony’s timeline for a transition to a no-disc era will also spin up more speculation about the timing and configuration of Sony’s next-generation console, the probable PlayStation 6. “This pretty much guarantees that PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest,” Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games research analyst at Ampere Analysis tells Game File. Harding-Rolls also concludes from today’s news that “the base version of a PS6 will not include a physical media drive,” as Sony looks to keep costs down on the device. Sony itself is saying nothing about the PS6 today: not its timing, nor how it might or might not support internal or external disc drives in order to run disc-based PS4 and PS5 games, should the console be backwards compatible. The many signs this was coming Industry support for games being released on physical media has been waning. As has consumer interest in them. PC games effectively went all-digital years ago, thanks to the popularity of playing games through Steam and other digital storefronts. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that kept much of the global population home helped shift shopping patterns toward downloads. Sony’s own data shows PlayStation game downloads being an uncommon consumer choice a decade ago and now becoming the norm. On consoles, physical media has been in such decline that Sony and Microsoft both launched their current gen Xbox Series and PS5 consoles in 2020 with cheaper versions that lacked disc drives. In early 2024, Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, told me that ““[w]e ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing.” He added that the game industry had become an outlier in still supporting disc-based entertainment, even as movies and TV have bailed on discs in favor of downloads and steaming: “Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive. And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we’re going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact.” Last year, the Nintendo’s Switch 2, which uses cartridges rather than discs, introduced the concept of game-key cards, which are physical media that contain no game, just a prompt for a download. Even disc-based games aren’t what they once were, now frequently containing just stubs of games rather than the whole thing. The website Does It Play has tested over 3000 games and found that, for example, that the disc version of this year’s hit 007: First Light, only contained the game’s first mission, with the rest needing to be downloaded. Beyond all that, last week brought the news that Grand Theft Auto VI, likely the biggest game launch this decade, will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series without a disc-based version. Today’s big news comes to you for free. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and ensure more of my work is possible, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Discs helped define PlayStation However the trends in entertainment may be going, it is still remarkable to see PlayStation ditch discs given their importance in PlayStation history: In the late 1990s, the first PlayStation’s support for games on relatively cheap CD-ROMs instead of traditional game cartridges allowed the upstart console to outmaneuver cartridge-based systems from Nintendo and Sega, as it drove down game prices down in the process. (The cheaper disc format even prompted Final Fantasy VII maker Square to taunt Nintendo in a magazine ad, saying that if the game was “available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1200.”) PlayStation devices often doubled as machines for watching movies and TV on the latest disc-based formats. In the late 2000s, for example, Sony’s pricy PS3 gained traction as a go-to device for playing then-novel Blu-Ray discs. In 2013, Sony effectively roasted the digital game-sharing restrictions proposed by rival Microsoft for its upcoming Xbox One console by showing how games could be shared for the then-upcoming PS4. In a 21-second clip that has over 20 million views on YouTube, one PlayStation executive simply handed a game box—presumably with disc inside—to another, who said “thanks.” Sony’s possible motivations The PlayStation announcement today cites “consumer preferences” and a shift away from discs among “the broader entertainment industry,” but does not delve into the decision-making process that brought Sony to this point. Sony is not discussing the economics of this move (I asked!), but there are a number of potential factors: Abandoning discs will spare Sony the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, which analysts and industry veterans I spoke to said could account for $1 or so of a game’s retail price. For first-party games, that’s direct savings for Sony, though the amount is limited by the winnowing percentage of people who were even buying the disc-based versions. For third-party games, Sony could pass the savings on to partners or just retain the better profit margin for themselves. As the 2024 comments from Phil Spencer alluded to, leaving discs behind could mean leaving disc-drives behind, allowing Sony to produce consoles more cheaply. Switching to digital-only for games could diminish the risks of copies of new games leaking. It would also seemingly make second-hand sales of used games impossible, pushing more people to buy their own copies of games. These economic benefits for Sony could be boons for the games industry overall, Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls tells Game File. Among other things, it could free publishers and retailers from having to worry about securing an inventory of game discs when trying to sell games, he noted. “If there is a way to streamline the business of games retail, I generally think it’s a good thing for the industry as it removes unnecessary costs,” Harding-Rolls said. “This will help offset pressure on margins from other directions – development and staffing costs for example.” Should the industry shift from game boxes that contain discs to smaller, cheaper game cards, Harding-Rolls said, that reduces pressure on publishers and retailers. “The advantage of everything going digital for the industry is that sales can be tracked much more easily and there is less commercial risk for publishers wanting to continue selling via retail,” he said. The shift to no discs will also likely impact game development timelines, as developers will no longer face the same urgency to have a build ready to submit to PlayStation for the production of a disc, as industry experts noted around GTA VI’s no-disc news last week. Instead, projects may gain weeks of development time, in the event delivery deadlines for platform approval move closer to release date. Preservationists’ likely worries While millions of gamers have shifted to digital, there are still people who associate game discs—and only game discs—with actual ownership of PlayStation games. That portion of the gaming community spoke up last week about wanting to buy a version of GTA VI that they could hold in their hands, could lend to a friend and could potentially pop into a well-preserved PS5 console three decades from now and still see it run. Such gamers didn’t want to worry that they’d merely purchased a digital copy that could lose access to the game if, say, the company behind the game someday turns of the servers that transmit downloadable copies. Digital copies of games are inherently less long-lasting, because consumers aren’t actually buying a game (on a disc), just buying access to the game. The fine print in online gaming shops notes this, as does a recent law that went on the books in California in 2025. That lasw requires game publishers doing business in the state to refrain from words like “sell” when offering digital copies of games, unless they explicitly tell consumers that what’s being sold isn’t the game itself but a potentially revocable license to access it. A Sony spokesperson noted to Game File that “[w]ith all digital content, including games, movies, and music, players are purchasing a personal license for non-commercial use.” Regarding the fears of PlayStation games being lost to time in an all-digital era, the rep also noted that Sony remains “committed to delivering experiences from past generations to the new platforms our players are using.” They noted that PlayStation has used emulation and remasters to keep offering its classic games to modern gamers. It’s true that many consumers have become accustomed to not having physical copies of new music albums or movies, but the relative precariousness of digital copies of games is in fact being highlighted today by…. Sony’s other big announcement: the upcoming closure of the PS3 and PS Vita online stores Sony said today that it will be closing the online marketplaces for its PlayStation 3 console and PS Vita handheld in most countries in July 2027 (sooner elsewhere: August 2026 for the PS3 store Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua; late 2026 for PS3 in other Latin American countries and the Middle East). “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming,” Sony said in its announcement, saying the move “was not an easy decision for us to make.” Sony said that PS3 and Vita marketplaces “are no longer able” to support modern commerce systems, prompting a “need” to close the shops and focus on more modern PlayStation platform stores. The news may spark some deja vu. Sony announced back in March 2021 that it planned to take the PS3, Vita and PlayStation Portable marketplaces offline that summer. The move would have caused some 2,000 digital-only games to become unavailable for new purchasers, according to a VGC analysis at the time. Fans complained loudly. By April 2021, Sony walked back the PS3 and Vita shop closures, with then PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying “it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here.” This time around, Sony is giving a longer notice period in most regions. The closure of those stores is still likely to cut off access to new purchases of digital-only PS3 and Vita games. The current PlayStation 5 marketplace sells PS5 and PS4 games, as well as a selection of PS1 and PS2 games. It does not sell PS3 games, because games for that platform can’t run on the system (some are offered via a PlayStation Plus streaming option). Vita games also aren’t sold via PS5. Sony says digitally purchased PS3 and Vita games will be downloadable after the stores’ shutdowns “for the foreseeable future.” Sony’s move contrasts with Microsoft’s Xbox platform, which continues to sell and support games from all four Xbox console generations. But it puts it in line with Nintendo, which disabled purchases in the marketplace for its Wii console (a contemporary of the PS3) in 2019. Nintendo discontinued purchases in the online shop for its 3DS portable (a contemporary of the Vita) in 2023. The big questions about Sony’s 2028 post-disc era Will Microsoft follow suit, ending support for new disc-based games on Xbox platforms and therefore all game consoles, too? Whether Microsoft does or not, will third-parties that can no longer release games on discs for PlayStation, simply ditch the disc options across the board? Given the GTA VI no-disc experiment launching this November, will more game publishers decide to forgo disc-based offerings even in 2027? How will no-disc PS5/6 games be packaged and sold in brick-and-mortar retail stores? What becomes of game sharing in an all-digital era? Will Sony modify its current set-up, which currently allows some sharing of digital games across a pair of consoles, to allow more casual lending? (See for example, Nintendo’s year-old system of letting players lend a digital game to another player in a “family group” for up to 14 days.) Will there be a version of a PS6 with a disc drive? Or will a drive be offered as an add-on? And how will gamers who want to retain access to PS4/PS5 disc-based games react to whichever configurations Sony chooses to offer? What will the final disc-based PlayStation game be?

gamefile.news logo
Jul 1 • 8:00 AM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news
Xbox ends deal to fund and publish IO Interactive's Project Fantasy; redundancies expected

Developer says it must "adapt to new reality" as Xbox reshapes investment priorities

gamesindustry.biz logo
Jul 1 • 5:00 AM EDT • Technology • gamesindustry.biz
Microsoft set to cut thousands of jobs next week, spanning Xbox, sales and consulting

Microsoft is preparing another round of layoffs, spanning Xbox, sales and consulting, as it holds down operating costs while pouring more than $100 billion into AI infrastructure.

geekwire.com logo
Jun 30 • 9:30 PM EDT • Technology • geekwire.com
Microsoft eyes thousands of new job cuts in coming days

Microsoft is planning job cuts that are expected to affect areas such as sales, consulting, and Xbox as it ramps up AI spending.

businessinsider.com logo
Jun 30 • 7:08 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Xbox Layoff Plans Reportedly Include Closing Arkane, Canceling Blade

The cuts will apparently start next week.

engadget.com logo
Jun 30 • 4:59 PM EDT • Technology • engadget.com
Xbox Pulls Out of ‘Project Fantasy’ Video Game From IO Interactive

The ‘007: First Light’ makers had teamed up with Xbox for the new video game

bloomberg.com logo
Jun 30 • 1:49 PM EDT • Technology • bloomberg.com
Xbox weighs canceling Blade game and shuttering Arkane

Microsoft could shut at least five studios as part of big Xbox layoffs starting next week.

theverge.com logo
Jun 30 • 1:00 PM EDT • Technology • theverge.com
The Sims 4 Update: Official Patch Notes (June 30th, 2026)

Maxis and EA have just released a brand new The Sims 4 Update across all officially supported platforms. Including PC, Mac, Xbox and Playstation platforms.

simscommunity.info logo
Jun 30 • 12:59 PM EDT • Technology • simscommunity.info
Concern Mounts About Rumored ‘State Of Decay 3’ Cancellation At Xbox

Xbox fans are now worried about reports that State of Decay 3 may be cancelled, despite recent previews, ahead of big layoffs.

forbes.com logo
Jun 30 • 10:51 AM EDT • Technology • forbes.com
GTA 6 Could Skip 60 FPS Entirely, as Rockstar’s Insane Detail Forces a 30 FPS Lock Even on PS5 Pro

With GTA 6, Rockstar Games is set to raise the bar for what is possible to achieve on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S much like the studio did with Red Dead Redemption 2, but this is likely coming at a price. Although the highly anticipated next entry in the series is rumored to feature a performance mode running at 60 FPS, it is extremely unlikely this is real, as, according to the tech experts at Digital Foundry, the level of detail shown in the latest footage would make it very difficult to scale everything down to allow for 60 […]

wccftech.com logo
Jun 30 • 6:01 AM EDT • Technology • wccftech.com
Xbox is reportedly considering closing State of Decay developer Undead Labs

Having a promising project like State of Decay 3 in development is seemingly not enough to save Undead Labs from being shuttered, according to new reports.

eurogamer.net logo
Jun 30 • 5:04 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net
CWA union says Xbox workers are not "disposable" as layoffs loom

"The money is there. Leadership is simply choosing where it goes and who pays"

gamesindustry.biz logo
Jun 30 • 4:47 AM EDT • Technology • gamesindustry.biz
Xbox has been promising 'State of Decay 3' for years — and now it faces cancellation, despite its trailers and alpha. What are we even doing here?

Increasingly it looks like Xbox's layoffs are going to be catastrophic.

windowscentral.com logo
Jun 29 • 5:03 PM EDT • Technology • windowscentral.com
Rumour: State of Decay 3 Dev Also Facing Xbox Axe, Just Weeks After Game Was Revealed for PS5

Looking for a buyer

pushsquare.com logo
Jun 29 • 4:00 PM EDT • Technology • pushsquare.com
The CWA and 3,500+ Unionized Xbox Employees Are Ready to Fight Back Against Xbox’s Reported Imminent Mass Layoffs

The CWA and over 3,500 unionized Xbox employees are ready to fight against the reported layoffs coming from Microsoft yet again.

wccftech.com logo
Jun 29 • 2:10 PM EDT • Technology • wccftech.com
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Pre-Order Ad Reminds Everyone It's 'Not On Xbox Game Pass This Year'

The messaging mess is in full swing

kotaku.com logo
Jun 29 • 1:59 PM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com
Sony Tiptoes Over PS6 Release Date, But Insists It Won't Just Follow Xbox

Keep on guessing

pushsquare.com logo
Jun 29 • 1:00 PM EDT • Technology • pushsquare.com
Black Flag Resynced's Full Resolution & FPS Details Revealed For Xbox Series X|S

All the visual & performance info you need

purexbox.com logo
Jun 29 • 12:37 PM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Alleged Modern Warfare 4 ad uses ‘not on Xbox Game Pass’ as a selling point

This year’s Call of Duty will be the first to skip Game Pass since 2023…

videogameschronicle.com logo
Jun 29 • 12:03 PM EDT • Technology • videogameschronicle.com
Xbox Expects The 'Component Crisis' To Get Worse For Consoles In 2027

Specifically for console storage and memory prices

purexbox.com logo
Jun 29 • 10:15 AM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Xbox reportedly stops signing third-party Game Pass deals

Studios are apparently no longer being offered Xbox Game Pass deals. But what does this actually mean?

eurogamer.net logo
Jun 29 • 9:49 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net
Potential Xbox Series X|S owners: You should probably upgrade this July

With warnings of further price hikes coming for the video game console market, potential Xbox Series X|S owners might want to upgrade in July 2026.

trueachievements.com logo
Jun 29 • 6:17 AM EDT • Technology • trueachievements.com
Xbox Announces 'Record' Pre-Orders For GTA 6 In Response To New Report

A rare statement has been issued

purexbox.com logo
Jun 29 • 6:00 AM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Xbox reportedly pausing new third-party Game Pass deals, developers say

Developers in line for Game Pass deals ‘got the rug pulled from under them’ it’s claimed…

videogameschronicle.com logo
Jun 29 • 5:21 AM EDT • Technology • videogameschronicle.com
Grand Theft Auto VI Rumored to Offer 60 FPS Mode on PS5/Xbox Series X, But Maybe Not at Launch

One of the reasons Grand Theft Auto VI fans are eager to learn the currently missing details on PS5 Pro enhancements is that the most powerful console available on the market is expected to include a performance mode targeting 60 FPS. However, according to a credible source, there's a decent chance that even the base PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's roughly equivalent Xbox Series X will support 60 FPS in Rockstar's massively anticipated game. The rumor comes from the popular Polish gaming podcast Rock and Borys, which features Remigiusz "Rock" Maciaszek and Borys Nieśpielak. It is the latter who shared in […]

wccftech.com logo
Jun 29 • 3:35 AM EDT • Technology • wccftech.com
Life Science Reagent Market Forecast Points Higher Toward 2035, Driven by Biopharma Scale-Up and Cell Therapy Expansion

World life science reagent market forecast 2026-2035: CAGR 6-8%, index 2035=185. Bioprocessing, cell therapy, and QC drive growth. Key players: Thermo Fisher, Merck, Danaher.

indexbox.io logo
Jun 28 • 11:41 PM EDT • Science • indexbox.io
😐 Neutral (3%)
It’s the End of an Era for Xbox Game Pass, According to a New Report

A new Xbox Game Pass report has warned it is about to be the end of an era for the Microsoft subscription service.

comicbook.com logo
Jun 28 • 9:32 PM EDT • Technology • comicbook.com
Claims GTA 6 is selling 8 times as many copies on PS5 as Xbox "doesn't represent pre-order data", insists Microsoft

Microsoft has refuted claims that its rival system, the PlayStation 5, is outselling the Xbox edition of Grand Theft Auto 6 by a rate of 8-to-1.

eurogamer.net logo
Jun 28 • 3:04 PM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net
Xbox Pre-Order Sales For GTA 6 Break Records Despite PS5 Blitz

Microsoft says Xbox pre-order sales have broken records

kotaku.com logo
Jun 28 • 12:04 PM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com
The 10 'Most Wishlisted' Upcoming Xbox Games According To Microsoft

Based on the MS Store's new filter

purexbox.com logo
Jun 28 • 10:00 AM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
‘People should wait for real data’: Xbox refutes claims that GTA 6 on PS5 is outselling Xbox 8-to-1

Xbox says it’s “had record orders” for the next Grand Theft Auto…

videogameschronicle.com logo
Jun 28 • 7:47 AM EDT • Technology • videogameschronicle.com
Xbox One gets a rare busy month with 12 noteworthy games coming July 2026

Microsoft's Xbox One consoles will enjoy a surprisingly busy month for new releases in July 2026, with 12 noteworthy games confirmed.

trueachievements.com logo
Jun 28 • 6:59 AM EDT • Technology • trueachievements.com
"This doesn’t represent pre-order data," Xbox disputes reports of PS5 crushing GTA 6 preorder demand

As rumors of a massive sales gap circulate, Xbox sets the record straight on why affiliate clicks are not the same as console sales.

windowscentral.com logo
Jun 27 • 9:26 AM EDT • Technology • windowscentral.com
Microsoft Responds to Reports of GTA 6 PS5 Pre-Orders Trouncing Xbox

"People should wait for real data"

pushsquare.com logo
Jun 26 • 12:30 PM EDT • Technology • pushsquare.com
PS5 Pre-Orders of GTA 6 Apparently Outpacing Xbox by 6:1

Not gonna be close

pushsquare.com logo
Jun 26 • 12:30 PM EDT • Technology • pushsquare.com
Take an 8-Minute Gameplay Tour of the Remade Havana in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced

Join Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced lead level designer Jean Strachen as she takes you on an eight-minute gameplay tour of Havana. See what it looks like now in the gorgeous new remake that will be released for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on July 9.

ign.com logo
Jun 26 • 12:00 PM EDT • Technology • ign.com
Xbox Sales Are Its Lowest Ever This Month, PlayStation Its Lowest Since 2000

Xbox and PS5 sales have cratered due to skyrocketing prices based on skyrocketing component costs they have to pay.

forbes.com logo
Jun 26 • 10:51 AM EDT • Technology • forbes.com
Here's How The New Xbox Prices Compare To PS5, Switch 2 & Steam Machine

Going live as of August 2026

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Jun 26 • 6:00 AM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Smart voices in business react to Apple and Xbox price hikes

After Apple and Microsoft's Xbox raised prices due to a shortage of memory chips, tech observers are not optimistic about future prices.

businessinsider.com logo
Jun 26 • 12:44 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
😐 Neutral (21%)
ahah
100%
It's Xbox's turn (again), as console prices keep going up

Microsoft announced a price hike for the Xbox Series consoles today, the third in little over a year. Effective August 1, the Xbox Series S, which launched in 2020 for $300, will cost $500 in the U.S. The Xbox Series X, which launched in 2020 at $500, will go for $800. This follows a round of PlayStation 5 price increases from Sony this spring, and a slow-motion increase for Nintendo’s Switch 2, which will kick in in the U.S. in September. (Mind you, there were also eight video game industry price hikes in six months of 2025). The chart up top shows the sudden ascent of console prices over the past year, a sudden surge in an already unusual hardware generation. Prices had been flat for years, now “up” is the new “flat.” Game console prices used to go down across the length of a console generation, but not this time around. Microsoft’s explanation for the new price hike today: We hoped another price increase would not be necessary, and we have spent the last several months working with suppliers on options. Unfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027. The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles. Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make. This is an issue well beyond game consoles. Apple announced price hikes on its computers and tablets today as well. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: Brutal Bungie cuts Bungie laid off “most” of its Destiny development team and some developers who worked on Marathon, the newest game from the struggling Sony-owned studio. A WARN notice issued by Sony to Washington State, where Bungie is based, tallied cuts impacting 292 workers, effective next month. That’s strictly for Bungie/Sony jobs in Washington and wouldn’t account for any elsewhere. The video I clipped below shows the redacted list of Bungie cuts filed to Washington State officials. As you’ll see, I had to scroll for a while… In a note emailed to PlayStation workers and published online, PlayStation game studios chief Hermen Hulst offered the following explanation for these latest cuts at Bungie: This is painful news, especially for talented colleagues whose roles have been eliminated. This decision was made only after extensive discussion and careful consideration, and I want to provide some context on how we arrived here. Over the past several months, together with Bungie leadership, we reviewed the studio’s long-term direction, development priorities, resource needs, and role within our broader portfolio strategy. We explored multiple alternatives before concluding that a reduction was necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals. In 2022, Sony bought Bungie for $3.7 billion. The studio’s marquee game, the multiplayer live service shooter Destiny 2 was losing popularity at the time. Its next game Marathon, released earlier this year, has been well-reviewed but had a slow start. Bungie is renowned for making great shooter games, and Destiny fans have mourned the wind-down of Destiny 2. They’ve also expressed bewilderment over reports that Destiny 3 is not, per Bloomberg, immediately in the cards.

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Jun 25 • 8:21 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news
Microsoft is raising Xbox prices yet again — this time by up to $150

Microsoft said memory and storage prices have increased by "more than 2.5x" and it expects "another doubling by the fall of 2027."

businessinsider.com logo
Jun 25 • 1:53 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Following Apple, Microsoft Dramatically Hikes Xbox Prices, Again

Just hours after Apple increased its hardware prices across the board, Microsoft is doing the same with its Xbox consoles. For the third time.

forbes.com logo
Jun 25 • 1:45 PM EDT • Technology • forbes.com
Microsoft lifts price of Xbox consoles due to soaring component costs

Microsoft said it's increasing the price of Xbox game consoles after Apple announced price hikes for MacBooks and iPads.

cnbc.com logo
Jun 25 • 1:34 PM EDT • Technology • cnbc.com
Xbox prices spike another $100 or more

Xbox blames the memory shortage for the price hike.

theverge.com logo
Jun 25 • 12:49 PM EDT • Technology • theverge.com
Updated XBOX Console Prices

Effective August 1, 2026, the price of XBOX consoles will be increasing by US$100 for 512 GB models and US$150 for 1 TB models.

news.xbox.com logo
Jun 25 • 12:35 PM EDT • Technology • news.xbox.com
'GTA VI' preorders open for PS5 and Xbox: Price, bonuses, Ultimate Edition exclusives

All preorders come with a bonus Vintage Vice City Pack.

mashable.com logo
Jun 25 • 12:00 AM EDT • Technology • mashable.com
Xbox Insider update adds Xbox 360 achievements to Game Hubs

The Xbox updates just keep on coming with new features such as expanded Gamertags and improved Game Hubs that Xbox Insiders can now test out.

trueachievements.com logo
Jun 24 • 12:35 PM EDT • Technology • trueachievements.com
Prime Day has some solid deals on Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox games

Save on PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox games.

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Jun 23 • 4:00 PM EDT • Technology • theverge.com
Top 35 Best Prime Day Gaming Deals That Our Shopping Experts Have Hand-Picked, Including Switch 2 and PS5 Games

There's a surprisingly healthy amount of video game deals up for grabs in the 2026 Prime Day sales, including some killer discounts for PS5, Switch, and even Xbox owners. (I promise I haven't forgotten you.)

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Jun 23 • 1:30 PM EDT • Technology • ign.com
Notorious Xbox and PS5 shovelware publisher booted off PlayStation Store

Sony is continuing its crusade against low-effort shovelware titles and is now delisting close to 1,000 Afil Games titles from the PlayStation platform.

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Jun 23 • 12:26 PM EDT • Technology • trueachievements.com
Kojima Says Only Xbox And Phil Spencer Understood OD, His New Horror Game

Apparently, former Xbox boss Phil Spencer got OD while other video game CEOs didn't

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Jun 22 • 5:18 PM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com
OD has a secret system to help players too scared to keep playing, Kojima says

Kojima shares new OD image and claims it’s scarier than any other game…

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Jun 22 • 3:31 PM EDT • Technology • videogameschronicle.com
Hideo Kojima Says Upcoming Xbox Horror Game OD Has a Special System for People Who Are Too Scared to Keep Playing

Hideo Kojima has teased his upcoming Xbox horror game, OD, revealing it includes a special system designed for people who are too scared to keep playing.

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Jun 22 • 12:49 PM EDT • Technology • ign.com
'Gears of War' movie reveals first plot details: 'The origin story of Delta Squad' (exclusive)

'Gears of War' movie plot revealed: Netflix's live-action adaptation will be 'the origin story of Delta Squad.'

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Jun 22 • 12:30 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com
'Sea of Thieves' live-action movie in the works as Xbox plans more than a dozen adaptations (exclusive)

'Sea of Thieves' live-action movie, based on the video game, in the works with Marvel filmmaker behind 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day.'

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Jun 22 • 12:10 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com
The Elder Scrolls Online Prepares to Set Sail for Adventure with High Seas of Tamriel, Its Most Ambitious Experiment in Years

Among all the exciting events happening this year, like the return of the Thieves Guild and the Night Market, one that really caught our eye is the High Seas of Tamriel in-game event.

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Jun 22 • 12:00 PM EDT • Technology • news.xbox.com
Xbox at 25: Gaming giant seeks to level up play and Hollywood adaptations

Xbox enters a new era with its 25th anniversary. Key figures from inside the gaming giant, including the new CEO, talk new ways of play and Hollywood adaptations.

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Jun 22 • 12:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com
Xbox at 25: Gaming giant seeks to level up play and Hollywood adaptations

Xbox enters a new era with its 25th anniversary. Key figures from inside the gaming giant, including the new CEO, talk new ways of play and Hollywood adaptations.

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Jun 22 • 12:00 PM EDT • Technology • ew.com
Founding Xbox Staff Says Original Skepticisms Are Coming True

Gears of War producer Laura Fryer is concerned that Microsoft is not properly disciplined to weather long term supply chain pains

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Jun 21 • 4:03 PM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com
“Our goal is simple”: Xbox unveils major push to simplify Unreal Engine development

How Xbox is making it simpler than ever for creators to build and ship games on PC.

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Jun 21 • 8:59 AM EDT • Technology • windowscentral.com
Ori director says Game Pass ‘could’ve worked’ if Xbox didn’t ‘slop out mediocre content like a factory’

The Moon Studios CEO argues Microsoft has not delivered enough hit games…

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Jun 21 • 8:16 AM EDT • Technology • videogameschronicle.com
XBOX Handheld logo appears on official Microsoft game pages

XBOX Handheld appears as a new "way to play".

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Jun 21 • 7:26 AM EDT • Technology • videocardz.com
Xbox Forces PS5 Players To Jump Through Hoops To Play ‘Halo: Campaign Evolved’

PlayStation and Xbox players are getting a look at just how many hoops they or their friends have to jump through in order to play Halo: Campaign Evolved together.

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Jun 20 • 11:26 AM EDT • Technology • forbes.com
Halo: Campaign Evolved Has Some Weird Xbox Account Requirements For Local Co-Op

Not a big issue on Xbox Series X|S, but it potentially is on PS5

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Jun 20 • 9:30 AM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Halo: Campaign Evolved PS5 players will require an Xbox account and gamertag to play – as well as PS Plus to play split-screen co-op

Players will require an Xbox account and an Xbox gamertag to Halo: Campaign Evolved on PS5.

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Jun 20 • 8:51 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net
One of My Favorite Xbox Studios Is Being Shut Down – What Xbox Games Are Now Cancelled or Shutting Down Because of the Closures?

Xbox is in the process of a reset, with multiple studios reportedly in danger of closure. What does this mean for the games they're making? We look at which Xbox games could be cancelled, and which are safe.

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Jun 20 • 8:00 AM EDT • Technology • ign.com
Gears of War: E-Day's strong summer showing triggers series-wide popularity spike

Gears of War: E-Day's strong showing this summer, coupled with its recent Xbox exclusivity, has led to the Gears franchise doubling its audience.

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Jun 20 • 7:01 AM EDT • Technology • trueachievements.com
"It helped": Years of Xbox Series S game optimization probably made life much easier for Nintendo Switch 2 developers

Series S optimizations may have given developers valuable experience when bringing modern games to Nintendo Switch 2.

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Jun 20 • 6:31 AM EDT • Technology • windowscentral.com
PlayStation May Be Interested in Buying Xbox and Bethesda Studio

PlayStation may be interested in buying an Xbox and Bethesda studio following reports Xbox is about to have a "reset."

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Jun 19 • 10:03 PM EDT • Technology • comicbook.com
Halo Studios Unveils Six Hours Of Footage From Campaign Evolved's Main Menu

It's a beauty!

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Jun 19 • 11:30 AM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Game Pass Could’ve Worked, Moon Studios Boss Says, But Xbox Never Delivered the Big Hits It Needed

Moon Studios boss Thomas Mahler says Game Pass could have worked, but Xbox never delivered the standout hits needed to make it succeed.

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Jun 19 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • wccftech.com
ROG Xbox Ally X20 Marks The 'Opportunity Of A Lifetime', But Expect A High Price

ROG’s Director of Product shares a little more of what to expect

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Jun 19 • 8:30 AM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Ubisoft+ Premium Is Free Across Xbox & PC For The Next Five Days

Just remember to cancel if you don't want it

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Jun 18 • 2:30 PM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
EA SPORTS FC 26 Is Now on EA Play

Members can shape your legacy in The World's Game. Get unlimited access with EA Play, and score a Supercharge Pack starting June 18 until July 17.

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Jun 18 • 1:00 PM EDT • Sports • news.xbox.com
Rockstar quietly gives us probably our best look at GTA 6's Vice City yet

Rockstar has also shared the cover art and more official images along with the pre-order release date for GTA 6 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

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Jun 18 • 10:58 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net
Digimon Story: Time Stranger free update launches July 9, adds Terriermon Assistant, Graphics Mode options, more

Publisher Bandai Namco and developer Media.Vision will release a free update for Digimon Story: Time Stranger on July 9 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC, and at launch for Switch 2 and Switch…

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Jun 18 • 10:28 AM EDT • Technology • gematsu.com
The Grinch 2: Saving Christmas announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Switch, and PC

Publisher Outright Games and developer Casual Brothers, in cooperation with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, have announced adventure game sequel The Grinch 2: Saving Christmas. It will launch for PlayStatio…

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Jun 18 • 9:18 AM EDT • Technology • gematsu.com
Amid Concern Over Xbox Studio 'Bloodbath,' New Report Says Developers Are Being 'Punished Today for Following Orders'

A new report suggests Xbox layoffs will likely result in a "bloodbath" of job losses and studio closures, leaving developers "punished" simply for following Microsoft's orders.

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Jun 18 • 7:44 AM EDT • Technology • ign.com
Treyarch Confuses Xbox Fans With Black Ops 1 & 2 Reveal For PS5

"The games are compromised on both Xbox and PC"

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Jun 18 • 6:00 AM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Xbox is porting two classic Call of Duty games to PlayStation — and they're coming very, very soon

Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2 will soon finally be playable on modern PlayStation systems.

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Jun 17 • 4:14 PM EDT • Technology • windowscentral.com
Former Sony Boss Says Xbox Is 'Misunderstanding' The Industry

'The last couple weeks have been a real roller coaster. Feel bad for the dev teams'

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Jun 17 • 2:08 PM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com
'There Are Other Xbox Studios in Trouble': Ominous Reports as Microsoft 'Bloodbath' Looms

Messed up

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Jun 17 • 2:00 PM EDT • Technology • pushsquare.com
'It's Going To Be Pretty Brutal' - Jason Schreier Reveals More On Upcoming Xbox Layoffs

The Bloomberg reporter has published a new 30-minute video

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Jun 17 • 12:10 PM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Rockstar Announces Free PS5 And Xbox Series X/S Upgrade For Grand Theft Auto V

Owners of GTA V on last-gen hardware will be able to play the current versions free of charge.

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Jun 17 • 8:00 AM EDT • Technology • gameinformer.com
Analyst says Xbox CEO Asha Sharma’s Next 100 Days will be about “the job she was Actually Hired to do,” with Mass Layoffs Looming

Xbox chief executive officer Asha Sharma went from being the new face of Team Green, leading the platform into a new era, to being no different from the last in the eyes of players in the blink of an eye. After making Game Pass cheaper, re-centering console hardware and bringing exclusives back, Xbox fans praised her quick action and transparency. Now, however, with multiple studios reportedly being closed and more mass layoffs looming, she and her regime are no different from Spencer's. Industry veteran and analyst Joost van Dreunen calls it "the job she was actually hired to do." Van […]

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Jun 16 • 1:58 PM EDT • Technology • wccftech.com
Xbox Game Pass loses another eight games in June 2026

The next wave of games leaving Xbox Game Pass in June 2026 has been confirmed. In total, eight games will be removed from Game Pass at the end of the month.

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Jun 16 • 9:57 AM EDT • Technology • trueachievements.com
Rumor: Xbox Planning to Close South of Midnight & Hellblade Studios

Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory, and Double Fine are talking with Microsoft to find another way, it is said.

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Jun 16 • 8:24 AM EDT • Technology • 80.lv
Forza Horizon 6 update reduces 1,000-hour grind for multiplayer Xbox achievement

Playground Games has rolled out a new update for Forza Horizon 6, which makes an achievement easier to unlock and balances the game's crazy AI racers.

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Jun 16 • 7:15 AM EDT • Technology • trueachievements.com
Xbox Game Pass adds new day-one game today

Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play Stormcloud Games' 3D action-platformer Junkster today, as it launches into the service for console and PC.

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Jun 16 • 5:45 AM EDT • Technology • trueachievements.com
Microsoft reportedly negotiating closures of multiple Xbox studios, including Psychonauts' Double Fine, South of Midnight's Compulsion and Hellblade's Ninja Theory

The expected Xbox restructuring and lay-offs reportedly include potential closures for three well known games studios.

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Jun 16 • 5:10 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net