From October 8 to October 11, members of XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential can play Screamer and Family Man for free during Free Play Days. ARC Raiders is available for free to all XBOX members from October 8 to October 15. Players can also try timed trials of High On Life 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Little Nightmares III, and Rogue Waters. Discounts on games are available for those who wish to purchase them after the event.
Screamer is developed by Milestone S.r.l., has a rating of 84/100, and is priced at .99 with a 60% discount during the event. Family Man, developed by No More Robots, has a rating of 47/100, priced at .99 with an 85% discount. ARC Raiders, developed by Embark Studios, has a rating of 11953/100, priced at .99 with a 50% discount. High On Life 2, developed by Squanch Games, Inc., has a rating of 2090/100, priced at .99. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, developed by GSC Game World, has a rating of 7190/100, priced at .99 with a 30% discount after Free Play Days. Little Nightmares III, developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., has a rating of 592/100, priced at .99. Rogue Waters, developed by Tripwire Interactive LLC, has a rating of 45/100, priced at .99 with a 75% discount during Free Play Days.
Matthew Ball, chief strategy officer at Xbox, clarified that GTA 6 will not be available for streaming on PC and will not be an exclusive offering for Xbox. He stated that while the game will launch on Xbox on November 19, it will not be streamed exclusively or to PC. The Xbox Cloud Streaming app for PC will not include GTA 6, and the decision to exclude PC from streaming options is notable given Rockstar Games' history of favoring console releases. Additionally, Xbox's new streaming limitations will restrict players to 15 hours of gameplay under the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, with extra hours available for purchase, coinciding with the release of GTA 6.
Microsoft has secured non-exclusive cloud streaming rights for Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI), announced on October 7, 2026, ahead of the game's launch on November 19, 2026. Xbox Series X|S users will be able to stream the game, but cloud gaming support will not be available for PC platforms. The agreement allows for the possibility of GTA VI streaming on other platforms, including Sony's PS5. Microsoft will introduce a new paid Cloud Gaming plan in November, separate from Game Pass, allowing users to purchase cloud playtime hours. Starting in November, Game Pass members will have monthly usage limits based on their subscription tier: Ultimate (15 hours), Premium (10 hours), and Essential (5 hours). Members can purchase additional cloud playtime if they exhaust their monthly hours.
Gears of War: E-Day was released on October 6, 2026, and is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Game Pass, and Steam. The game supports Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing seamless gameplay across console and PC without extra costs. The narrative focuses on the first three days of the Locust invasion, featuring characters Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago as they navigate the chaos in Kalona. This storyline explores Emergence Day, providing a new perspective on the initial hours of the invasion.
Xbox has secured exclusive streaming rights to Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), allowing players to access the game on PC via cloud streaming at launch without needing an Xbox console. The streaming deal is expected to start with the game's release in November. Xbox's Game Pass subscription model is also changing, with new pay-as-you-go plans launching in November for timed streaming access to GTA 6. Xbox's Chief Strategy Officer stated that pre-order numbers for GTA 6 are strong on their platform, while PlayStation has secured marketing rights and is promoting exclusive enhancements for the PS5 version.
Rockstar Games will unveil GTA 6 next month, with the game initially available exclusively on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. PC gamers will not have a dedicated version at launch but can access the game through Xbox Cloud Gaming. Xbox has secured exclusive streaming rights for GTA 6, allowing players to play on various devices, including PCs, smartphones, and handheld consoles. To play via cloud streaming, PC players must purchase the game through Xbox, and new cloud streaming hour limitations are set for different Game Pass tiers. The game launches on November 16.
The RedMagic Astra 2 tablet can be turned into a gaming PC by docking it, connecting it to a larger monitor or TV, and using external accessories like keyboards and controllers. It has a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and an internal liquid cooling system that allows for high-quality PC game emulation and native android gaming. External storage is recommended for running high-end AAA games on the tablet.
Minecraft Dungeons II was released on September 29, 2026, and features full cross-platform play across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, allowing up to four players to team up. Players can join sessions through matchmaking or by sharing a party code. To enable cross-platform play, players must sign into their accounts and toggle the setting in the game options. Crossplay allows players on different platforms to join the same session, while cross-progression enables saved character transfers between platforms. Xbox players need an active Game Pass subscription for online multiplayer, PlayStation users require PlayStation Plus, and PC players only need to own the game.
- Microsoft Jewel is a mobile game that offers familiar gameplay for those who have played it on PC or through the XBOX mobile app.
- Players can match three or more jewels to clear them from the board, build their score, and make room for their next move.
- The game offers Daily Challenges, XBOX Achievements on mobile, and the ability to sync progress between mobile and PC versions.
- XBOX Game Pass members receive Premium benefits when playing Microsoft Jewel on PC.
