Xbox games Archives

AppWizard

May 14, 2026

Summer Game Fest 2026 schedule and all the other summer showcases full of gaming announcements you won’t want to miss

As summer approaches, numerous video game showcases are scheduled, including the return of the PC Gaming Show. A comprehensive schedule of events includes: - Six One Indie Showcase: May 21, YouTube - Access-Ability Showcase: June 5, 8 am Pacific / 4 pm BST, YouTube - Summer Game Fest: June 5, 2 pm Pacific / 10 pm BST, YouTube, Twitch, TikTok - Day of the Devs: June 5, following SGF, YouTube - Wholesome Direct: June 6, 9 am Pacific / 5 pm BST, YouTube - Future Games Show: June 6, 12 pm Pacific / 8 pm BST, YouTube, Twitch - Xbox Games Showcase: June 7, 10 am Pacific / 6 pm BST, YouTube, Twitch - PC Gaming Show: June 7, 12 pm Pacific / 8 pm BST, YouTube, Twitch - Black Voices in Gaming: Day/time TBA, YouTube, Twitch - Women-Led Games: Day/time TBA, YouTube, Twitch Unconfirmed showcases include Sony's State of Play, typically held in late May or early June, and Nintendo Direct, which may not participate this year. There is speculation about a gameplay reveal for GTA 6 during the summer showcases, but Rockstar Games may choose to announce it discreetly after the major events.

AppWizard

May 9, 2026

Xbox Launches New Free PC Game Perfect For Achievement Hunters

Xbox gamers on PC can now access a new free game called Microsoft Jewel, a sliding puzzle game from Xbox Game Studios. The game allows players to fill a meter and collect Bonus Jewels by making matches, creating Power Jewels, and clearing jewels from the board. It does not require Xbox Game Pass, but having it eliminates ads during gameplay. Players can unlock achievements in the game, which contribute to their gamerscore and can earn them points through the Xbox Rewards Hub. These points can be exchanged for in-store credit vouchers, and players with both Xbox and PC can earn double the points.

AppWizard

April 27, 2026

Xbox’s 50 Free Games For PC Owners Offer Comes With A Massive Catch

Asha Sharma, the new Head of Gaming at Microsoft, is leading a transformation of the Xbox Game Pass, which includes a 23 percent reduction in subscription price. However, the popular game Call of Duty will no longer be available as a 'day one' title on the service. The restructuring aims to address perceptions that the Ultimate Tier is too expensive and will introduce additional subscription tiers, including a 'Starter Edition' for PC players. This new tier is expected to offer ten hours of cloud gaming monthly and access to over 50 games, but it will not include online multiplayer capabilities, disappointing many players. The changes may reflect a shift in the approach to online multiplayer as cloud gaming becomes more prevalent.

AppWizard

April 17, 2026

More than half of PC gaming revenue comes from games outside the top 20, according to analysts

Every year, a significant portion of players' engagement on consoles remains concentrated within the top 20 games, primarily in genres like sports, shooters, and sandbox experiences. According to Newzoo's PC & Console Gaming Report 2026, over half of the total revenue from PC gaming now comes from titles outside the top 20, with playtime for these games increasing by 44%, while engagement with the top 20 has plateaued. The PC ecosystem supports long-term interest in diverse titles, exemplified by games like Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and Skyrim, which thrive years after release due to ongoing sales and community modifications. Survival games and action RPGs benefit from substantial content updates that attract new players. In contrast, PlayStation users tend to revisit classic first-party exclusives, while Xbox games not in the Game Pass library struggle for attention, with new free-to-play offerings accounting for less than 1% of overall playtime. The PC platform allows games to generate sales long after leaving bestseller lists, leading to frequent discounts on platforms like Steam to maintain sales momentum.

AppWizard

April 15, 2026

Future Games Show and PC Gaming Show Return on June 6th and 7th

June will feature several gaming showcases, including the Future Games Show on June 6th at midnight PDT, which will present world premieres and trailers. Following that, the PC Gaming Show will take place on June 7th at midnight PDT, showcasing over 50 PC titles. The Xbox Games Showcase is expected to reveal release dates for titles like Halo: Campaign Evolved in July and Fable in autumn, along with speculation about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Gears of War: E-Day, the latter of which will have a dedicated Direct with a gameplay reveal and is anticipated for release in the latter half of the year.

AppWizard

March 30, 2026

We’re finally getting Gears of War E-Day gameplay as Xbox locks in major June 2026 showcase

The upcoming Gears of War E-Day Showcase will take place on June 7, 2026, at 10 AM PDT / 1 PM EDT / 6 PM GMT. It will include a dedicated direct presentation from The Coalition, unveiling new details, gameplay, and insights into the origins of the multiplayer series. Emergence Day, a pivotal event in the Gears of War universe, is expected to unfold primarily in the city of Kalona, where Marcus and Dom's families reside. E-Day marks the catastrophic emergence of the Locust horde, which decimated a significant portion of the human population. The showcase will also feature updates on other titles, including Fable and State of Decay 3, and may provide insights into the future direction of Microsoft's gaming division under new CEO Asha Sharma, who is considering making Game Pass more affordable.

AppWizard

March 25, 2026

Project Helix will make things easier for game devs, says indie program lead, because “one Xbox build” is all you need

Chris Charla, with 16 years at Xbox and 13 years in the ID@Xbox program, discussed Project Helix, the next-generation Xbox system. It will allow users to play both PC and Xbox games, contrasting with competitors like Sony. At the Game Developers Conference, he highlighted the goal of simplifying game launches, enabling developers to create a single build for Xbox, PC, and cloud platforms. Project Helix will support easy PC and cloud gaming. Charla mentioned that developers currently working on Xbox and PC will benefit from Project Helix, with support for Xbox API, backend integration, and marketing. The system is expected to release in 2027 or 2028, and it may resemble a "gaming PC" running Windows 11.

AppWizard

March 21, 2026

Xbox Project Helix Specs Leak: Why Microsoft’s New Console is Amazing

Microsoft's gaming console, codenamed Project Helix, integrates console and PC ecosystems, featuring a custom AMD System on Chip (SoC) with a 3nm process, and a GPU based on AMD's RDNA 5 architecture. It reportedly rivals Nvidia’s RTX 5080 in rasterization and outperforms the RTX 5090 in ray tracing. The console includes a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for enhanced AI capabilities, supporting both Xbox and PC games natively. It utilizes AMD’s FSR Diamond technology for near-native 4K visuals and incorporates DirectStorage technology for faster load times. Project Helix supports four generations of Xbox games and is expected to have alpha development kits available in early 2027, with a consumer launch in 2028, priced between ,000 and ,200.

BetaBeacon

March 17, 2026

How to Play Original Xbox Games On Android : Requirements, Install Steps & Tweaks

The X1 Box emulator allows Android devices to run original Xbox games, requiring specific requirements such as Android 8+, a 64-bit ARM processor, Vulkan-compatible GPU, and at least 8GB of RAM. Additional features like save states, controller support, and shader caching enhance gameplay, while limitations such as app crashes and performance variability may occur on less powerful devices.

BetaBeacon

March 15, 2026

You Can Play Original Xbox Games On Your Android Phone – Here’s How

To play original Xbox games with X1 BOX, you need to set it up by downloading necessary files such as MCPX Boot ROM image, Xbox's BIOS, a pre-formatted Xbox hard drive image, and XISO game ROMs. Emulators like X1 BOX are legal, but obtaining ROMs from games you don't own is illegal. It is recommended to legally source all ROM files to avoid legal issues.