News Xbox Players Encouraged To Change Two Camera Settings In Hogwarts Legacy
"I can't tell you how much smoother the game feels"
Guide Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon In March 2023
The full list of confirmed games so far
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (February 27 - March 3)
Including another major XGP launch
News Xbox Leak Reveals Ubisoft+ Will Include 60+ Games, Here's The Full List So Far
Launch should be just around the corner!
News Two Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Titles Get Early 2023 Release Dates
Update: Valheim is now dated for March!
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (February 13-17)
We've got a lot on the way!
News - February, 2023
Tuesday28th Feb 2023
News Xbox Games With Gold For March 2023 Announced
Three games in this month's batch!
Update: Microsoft has now confirmed these, along with a third game! You'll find more details below. "Travel across eras this March in Games with Gold! On Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, start the month with a visit to a 1960s-era set sci-fi mystery in Trüberbrook or strategize WWII battles in Sudden Strike 4-...
News Atomic Heart 1.3.3.0 Patch Notes Released, Dev Hints At New Features In Next Update
The patch arrived late last week
Atomic Heart launched on Xbox — including Game Pass on day one — a week ago today, and its launch hasn't been without some niggling issues. Thankfully, developer Mundfish has already begun rolling out updates, with version 1.3.3.0 arriving on Xbox last week. This patch is more about bug fixing than anything...
Reminder Seven Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass Today (February 28)
The final departures of February
It's that time again! We've got seven games that are leaving Xbox Game Pass today, and unfortunately there are some pretty big favourites in the pile, including Alien: Isolation and Octopath Traveler. Here's the full list of titles leaving Xbox Game Pass today, February 28th: Date Game Platform February 28
News Xbox Gets Another Free Dynamic Background, Available Today On Series X|S
This is one of the best yet!
Team Xbox is back with another free Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S dynamic background! This time it's to celebrate the release of Destiny 2: Lightfall, and this is definitely a pretty cool looking addition to the lineup. To find the background, all you need to do is go to Settings, followed by
Deals All 60+ Backwards Compatible Games In This Week's Xbox Sales (February 28 - March 7)
A big selection of original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles
We've got good news if you're a fan of classic original Xbox and Xbox 360 games, as it's a big week for backwards compatible deals on the Xbox Store! This is primarily thanks to the massive Xbox Super Saver Sale that went live earlier today, bringing us some true Xbox classics with discounts of up...
News Phil Spencer: Xbox Won't 'Play The Game' Of Adding Exclusive Content To Call Of Duty
"I know this is part of the industry..."
Xbox boss Phil Spencer appeared in a new interview earlier today with the YouTube channel Xbox On, where he talked about a variety of topics including the games he's been playing, January's Xbox Developer Direct and much more. Primarily though, the interview was centred around Microsoft's ong
Deals Xbox Super Saver Sale Now Live, 350+ Games Discounted
Another massive week for Xbox deals!
Once again, it's time for another set of weekly Xbox deals! For the week between February 28th and March 7th, we've got over 600 new deals to take advantage of, many of which are part of the massive new Xbox Super Saver Sale! You'll find some of our handpicked highlights from the hundreds of new Xbox deals this...
News Elden Ring 'Shadow Of The Erdtree' Expansion Officially Announced
Welcome back, tarnished
FromSoftware has officially announced an upcoming expansion for its 2022 mega hit, Elden Ring. While further details are thin on the ground at the moment, we have a name, and a pretty incredible piece of concept art - shown above. The team says that 'Shadow of the Erdree' is "currently in development" at FromSoftware,...
News Xbox Claimed Some Market Share From PlayStation In 2022, Suggests Analysis Firm
"Sony sheds market share to Microsoft"
Entertainment industry firm Ampere Analysis has posted a new report on the gaming market in 2022, and it makes for some pleasant reading for Xbox fans. The firm has updated its sales estimates for Xbox Series X|S consoles up to the end of 2022, while also claiming that Microsoft gained some market share from...
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (February 28)
Two more titles added to the library!
The final Xbox Game Pass drop of February is here! Two more games are coming to the service today, February 28th, including the much anticipated addition of Soul Hackers 2. Here's a breakdown of what's new on Xbox Game Pass: Merge & Blade: "Experience an addictive puzzle and a massive auto-battler in...
Poll Are You Happy With March 2023's Xbox Games With Gold?
Is Sudden Strike 4 your highlight?
Microsoft has officially announced March 2023's Xbox Games with Gold, giving us a look at three more games we'll be able to play at no extra cost with our Xbox Live Gold memberships next month. <related ids="145797"> There are some good games across the board here, all of which have around a 70-75%...
News Xbox Might Have More 'GoldenEye Type Announcements' Before June's Showcase
But the team is mainly focused on that event
As part of his interview with YouTube channel Xbox On earlier today, Xbox boss Phil Spencer was asked about the team's upcoming plans, revealing that most of the focus right now is on the annual Xbox summer showcase taking place this June. However, he also mentioned that there will be some news coming...
News Paradox Interactive Teases 'Big News' Ahead Of Xbox Sponsored Showcase
The Paradox announcement show airs March 6th
Publisher Paradox Interactive has revealed it will be hosting an "announcement show" next week in partnership with Xbox. It'll air on Monday, March 6th at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm GMT. So, what can we expect? Paradox is teasing "big news" - with 3 new games, 4 new expansions, gameplay reveals and updates...
News Destiny 2 Is 'Blocking' Sign-Ins As Lightfall Expansion Arrives On Xbox Series X And S
If you're running into issues, here's what to do
Destiny 2: Lightfall is now live after a brief period of downtime for Bungie's MMO shooter, but there appear to be some launch day problems specific to the Xbox Series X|S versions of the game. "We are investigating an issue blocking sign-in for some Xbox Series X|S players. These players will not...
News Game Pass 'Instrumental' In The Development Of Xbox Exclusive The Gunk
The team loved working with Xbox
Xbox console exclusive The Gunk got quite a bit of attention around its launch in late 2020, likely in large part due to the title's Xbox Game Pass inclusion right around when Xbox Series X and S were brand-spanking new. As it turns out, Xbox's involvement in bringing The Gunk to market was "instrumental" in getting...
News Xbox Game Pass Expands To 40 More Countries With PC Preview Program
PC Game Pass is growing
Xbox has revealed that the PC side of its Xbox Game Pass coverage is growing, with a whopping 40 new countries gaining access to the service in preview form. The expansion begins today, with the following countries able to access the PC Game Pass library from February 28th: Albania Algeria Bahrain Bolivia Bosnia and...
Monday27th Feb 2023
News Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Achieves His First 100% Completion Of 2023
It's actually his first since 2018!
Phil Spencer, the Head of Xbox, conjured up quite a bit of attention over the weekend as he revealed that he'd just completed every single achievement in Vampire Survivors to date - his first 100% completion of 2023. At present, there are 162 achievements in Vampire Survivors if you include the Legacy of the...
News The Outer Worlds Gets Remastered Visuals In New 'Spacer's Choice Edition' For Xbox Series X|S
Along with improved performance & an increased level cap
2019's fantastic The Outer Worlds is getting a special definitive version on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (along with various other platforms) next week in the form of The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition. This version of the game will introduce various new features including a...
Video Xbox Series S Turned Into 'Retro Gaming PC' Running Windows 98
What can't this console do?!
We've seen lots of emulation projects up and running on Xbox Series X|S, in large part thanks to the availability of the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) on the two consoles. YouTuber Modern Vintage Gamer is often keen to show some of these projects off, and his latest video attempts to basically turn an Xbox Series S...
News Xbox's Future Isn't Reliant On Activision Blizzard Deal, Reassures Phil Spencer
"It’s not some linchpin to the long term"
Microsoft and Team Xbox are set for more talks this week in relation to the company's ongoing attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard - this time with the UK's Competition and Markets Authority. Ahead of those talks, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has been in discussion with UK outlet
News Forza Horizon 5 'Rally Adventure' Full Car List & Open World Details
Get ready to rally
Late last week, Forza Horizon 5 dev Playground Games fully revealed the game's second expansion, Rally Adventure. The off-road focused affair arrives March 29th, and ahead of launch, the team has released quite a lot of information about what to expect from FH5's final major DLC pack. We'll break down the big talking points so...
News Wanted: Dead Publisher Talks Plans For 'Reworks' And 'Additions' On Xbox
"This journey is far from being over"
Wanted: Dead didn't get off to the best of starts earlier this month, acquiring a Metacritic score of 59 for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, but the team behind the game seems committed to making improvements across all platforms. In a message posted on social media over the weekend, it was explained that the...
News Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Dev Shares Tips On How To Beat Free Demo, Now Live On Xbox
Waking the fallen
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is set to kick off March 2023's Xbox Game Pass lineup in style, arriving as a day one release across Xbox and PC on March 3rd. Ahead of that launch, players can go hands-on with a free demo that will be live for the next month-or-so - and any progress made in this demo carries over to the
News 'Blood Bowl 3' Dev Posts Lengthy Community Update After Poor Fan Reception
"No matter the disappointment, we can always see the passion behind it"
Blood Bowl 3 launched on Xbox last week, and unfortunately the reviews haven't been overly great so far, with the game sitting on a Metacritic high of 58 right now. The reception from its player base hasn't been ideal either, with the team already responding to fan complaints...
News Fallout Creator Says New Vegas Remaster Would Be 'Awesome'
The studio behind the original is now owned by Xbox
Since Xbox's acquisitions of both Obsidian and Bethesda — the two companies behind 2010's Fallout: New Vegas — fans' wishes for a modern remaster of the Xbox 360 RPG have been rife. Having said that, the notion of 'New Vegas Remastered' clearly isn't just a fan wish either. In a new interview...
News Arkane's Deathloop Has Now Been Played By 5 Million People
It launched on Xbox Game Pass last September
Arkane's Deathloop finally made its debut last September, becoming one of the best Xbox Game Pass games in the process. It seems this new player base has boosted stats since the initial PlayStation 5 and PC release - with the developer announcing this unique Groundhog Day-style video game has now been...
Sunday26th Feb 2023
Guide Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon In March 2023
The full list of confirmed games so far
Looking for a complete list of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in March 2023? It can be pretty difficult to keep track of all the comings and goings in the world of Xbox Game Pass every week, so we've put together this handy guide to provide an overview of what's coming to Xbox Game Pass in March, as well as...
News Tango Gameworks Founder Thanks Fans For Support Ahead Of Departure
Asks Xbox fans to "continue support" for Tango releases
Earlier this week, it was revealed the legendary game designer Shinji Mikami would be leaving the Microsoft and Bethesda Japanese studio Tango Gameworks. Mikami's team most recently wrapped up work on the shadow drop Game Pass release, Hi-Fi RUSH. Now, following Bethesda's official...
Saturday25th Feb 2023
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (February 27 - March 3)
Including another major XGP launch
Welcome to your new Xbox games roundup for February 27th to March 3rd! We've got a couple of big releases on the way next week in the form of Destiny 2: Lightfall and the day one Xbox Game Pass launch of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, while you'll also want to look out for the likes of Scars Above and Catan: Console...
Poll What Score Would You Give 'Atomic Heart' On Xbox Game Pass?
Are you enjoying it?
February has been another solid month for Xbox Game Pass, with Atomic Heart arguably being the biggest launch of the month - and one of the biggest of the year so far. Mundfish's sci-fi shooter has been out for a good few days now, so, how are you finding the game? Here at Pure Xbox, we scored Atomic Heart 7/10 in our review...
News Baldur's Gate 3 For Xbox Has 'Run Into Some Technical Issues'
Splitscreen co-op is causing problems
One of the highlights at Sony's 'State of Play' event yesterday was the confirmation Baldur's Gate 3 would be coming out this August. Unfortunately, an Xbox announcement was nowhere to be seen, even after the broadcast. While Larian Studios has already confirmed with our colleagues at Push Square that the third...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 25-26)
Exploring the world of Atomic Heart?
Welcome to the weekend! As always, we've got a bunch of new Xbox Game Pass titles you can try out this weekend including the day one release of Atomic Heart, another batch of Free Play Days games, and hundreds of discounts as part of the
Friday24th Feb 2023
News Xbox's Phil Spencer 'Excited' To Bring First Party Game To PlayStation Plus
The Xbox-developed title comes to PS Plus in March
Xbox may be struggling to strike a deal with Sony over Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal, but it doesn't seem to be stopping other agreements going ahead between the two gaming rivals. During yesterday's State of Play livestream, Sony announced that Xbox's Minecraft Dungeons i
Talking Point Are You Happy With The Forza Horizon 5 Expansion 2 Setting?
Many rally returns
Playground Games finally revealed Forza Horizon 5 Expansion 2 yesterday in the form of 'Rally Adventure', an all-new DLC pack arriving next month. The expansion takes clear inspiration from Forza Horizon 1's own rally add-on, bringing a more down-to-earth DLC to Forza Horizon 5. The question is, what do we all make of the...
News Microsoft President Questions Whether Gaming Consoles Will Still Be Around In 10 Years
"There may be someone else standing here in 2033"
Microsoft's continued attempts to push its Activision Blizzard acquisition through are resulting in quite a few 10-year 'deals' being struck by the company. Xbox has agreed such deals with both Nintendo and Nvidia, with
News Baldur's Gate 3 Devs 'Aren't Playing The Exclusivity Game' With PlayStation
Despite yesterday's 'State of Play' trailer
Update: It turns out the Xbox version of Baldur's Gate 3 has run into some technical issues during development, which is why it hasn't been announced as of yet. We've covered this story elsewhere on Pure Xbox: <related ids="145700"> Original story: One of yesterday's biggest 'State of Play'...
News Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Launch Trailer Is Here Ahead Of Xbox Game Pass Release
Just one week to go!
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is certainly one of the biggest Xbox Game Pass additions announced for March so far, and its release is so close now! Team Ninja's upcoming slasher hits the library on March 3rd, with a free gameplay demo out now ahead of launch. Of course, your
News Halo Infinite's 'Biggest Multiplayer Update' Yet Shown Off In Season 3 Launch Trailer
Echoes Within arrives March 7
Halo Infinite is getting its biggest multiplayer update to date next month, when 'Echoes Within' arrives across Xbox consoles and PC on March 7th. The game's third major season includes 3 new hand-crafted maps, new weapons & equipment, fresh Forge content and more. It's all shown off in the launch trailer up above,...
News Street Fighter 6 Is Officially Landing On Xbox Series X And S This June
Get a look at Zangief, Lily and Cammy in the latest trailer
Capcom showed up to PlayStation's State of Play event in a big way last night, including announcing a free demo for the upcoming Resident Evil 4 Remake. Well, the team also delivered a brand new Street Fighter 6 trailer, confirming the game's June release date. Street Fighter 6 hits Xbox...
News Mortal Kombat 12 Has Been Confirmed, Seemingly Launching In 2023
Get over here!
If a new Street Fighter and Tekken weren't already enough, it seems we could be getting one more heavy-hitting fighting game in the near future. In a Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call yesterday, Andrew Slabin - the company's executive vice president of global investor strategy - noted how "Mortal Kombat 12" was set to arrive this...
News Resident Evil 4 Continues To Look Phenomenal, Free Gameplay Demo 'Coming Soon'
We neeeeeed it
Right, we're not going overboard in saying we've got a potential GOTY candidate coming next month are we?! Seriously, Resident Evil 4 Remake continues to look that good, and there's even more good news - you'll be able to play the game early, "soon". During yesterday's State of Play trailer, Capcom not only showcased some late game...
Thursday23rd Feb 2023
News Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Comments On High-Profile Bethesda Departure
"Looking forward to our continued friendship"
Bethesda has officially confirmed that Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami is leaving Xbox studio Tango Gameworks, and the Xbox boss has swiftly commented on the team's high-profile departure. Phil Spencer has taken to Twitter to thank Mikami for his "leadership" and "guidance" since Xbox acquired the...
News Hogwarts Legacy TV Series Reportedly In The Works At HBO
From book to film to game to TV show. Makes sense!
It's no secret that Hogwarts Legacy has been a huge sales hit so far, with the game getting off to a flying start at retail here in the UK. It's looking like that very commercial success at launch has prompted HBO to start work on a TV series based on the game, according to a new report. Outlet...
News Forza Horizon 5 'Rally Adventure' Expansion Leaps Onto Xbox This March
The Horizon Festival is expanding!
Developer Playground Games has revealed that Forza Horizon 5's second major expansion is based on all things off-roading. The 'Rally Adventure' expansion pack launches March 29th on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The new DLC harkens back to the early days of Forza Horizon. The first game in the series featured...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (February 23-26)
Included with Xbox Live Gold & Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Free Play Days is here once again, with three titles available to play and download for free as part of Xbox Live Gold this weekend. Destiny 2's big 2022 expansion leads the charge here — on the eve the game's upcoming Lightfall release — while two other Xbox One titles round out the...
Deals Get Up To 90% Off In The 'DC Franchise Sale' On Xbox (February 23-26)
DC heroes, unite!
Xbox's usual array of Deals with Gold and spotlight sales are already live for this week, Feb. 21-28, but another sales promotion has now joined the roster for this coming weekend. The 'DC Franchise Sale' is live from today, February 23rd, through Sunday, February 26th. It's not a huge promotion in terms of volume, but there are...
News Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League Shows Off Its Frantic Gameplay, Coming To Xbox This May
"Co-op gameplay" and "behind the scenes" trailers
Today's PlayStation "State of Play" event for February 2023 treated us to a lengthy look at Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League ahead of its release for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and various other platforms on May 26th, 2023. This is the first time we've properly laid eyes on the gameplay for...
Report Resident Evil Creator Shinji Mikami Is Leaving Xbox Studio Tango Gameworks
Update: Bethesda confirms Mikami's departure
Update (14:15 GMT): Bethesda has now publicly announced the departure of Shinji Mikami from Tango Gameworks. The long-time developer will leave the company "in the coming months", with Bethesda posting this statement on his exit: Original Story (11:00 GMT): Legendary game designer Shinji Mikami is...
News Elden Ring Reaches Incredible Sales Milestone Ahead Of One Year Anniversary
For a new IP, this is amazing!
Has it really been almost a year already since Elden Ring arrived on Xbox? It certainly doesn't feel that way, with FromSoftware's latest epic lasting long in the memory of many players. Oh, and by many players we mean many players. Publisher Bandai Namco has revealed that Elden Ring has now sold a whopping 20 million...
Wednesday22nd Feb 2023
News Xbox Game Pass Version Of 'Atomic Heart' Gets Huge Day One Update
The patch hasn't been explained yet!
Atomic Heart's February 2023 Xbox Game Pass arrival was a much-anticipated one, with Mundfish's bonkers sci-fi shooter fast becoming one of the month's biggest additions to the service. As it turns out, the game's file sizes are pretty huge as well, including a mysterious day one patch that the developer is yet...
News Xbox Says It's Offering 'Better Deal' Than Sony's Current COD Contract, Which Expires In 2024
"It's a better deal for Sony than the one they have right now"
Microsoft has been very upfront about offering Sony 10 years of Call of Duty on PlayStation following Xbox's Activision Blizzard acquisition, an offer also extended to Nintendo this week. Even though the likes of Nintendo have now accepted the deal, the PlayStation owner is yet to accept...
Deals Over 40 Games Are Discounted By 85-95% On Xbox This Week (February 21-28)
Come grab a bargain
If you're in the mood to purchase some super cheap Xbox games from February 21st to February 28th, then we've got you covered! Below, we've picked out the games with the absolute biggest discounts in this week's sales. There are some amazing titles in this list, including XCOM 2 at a whopping 95% off, Agents of Mayhem, ONE PIECE...
News Amazon Games To Publish 'Throne And Liberty' MMORPG On Xbox Series X|S
Featuring "massive-scale" PvP & PvE combat
Amazon Games and NCSOFT have announced today that the "highly anticipated" new MMORPG Throne and Liberty will be coming to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (along with PC and PS5) thanks to Amazon's involvement as publisher. Throne and Liberty has been in development for some time now, and promises to...
News Phil Spencer's Xbox Series S Travelled With Him To ActiBlizz Court Hearing
"I love travelling with my Series S"
There may well be lots of serious business talk going down at these Activision Blizzard court proceedings, but it doesn't seem to be stopping Phil Spencer from playing games. The Xbox boss has made sure he can squeeze in some precious gaming time this week, by packing in his Xbox Series S and an xScreen...
News No Man's Sky Brings Its Fractal Update To Xbox Game Pass
With lots more to come throughout the year
Hello Games is back again with another mammoth No Man's Sky update, this time dubbed 'Fractal'. While a fair chunk of today's update is focused on Sony's PSVR2 headset, there's plenty of stuff coming to the Xbox version, which is still a part of the Xbox Game Pass library at the time of the update's launch!...
News Microsoft Defends ActiBlizz Acquisition By Highlighting PlayStation's Dominance Over Xbox
"Globally, it is about 70/30"
Stop us if you've heard this one before! Microsoft has once again been alluding to PlayStation's dominance in the market as a reason why regulators shouldn't be worried about Xbox's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Speaking at the big European Commission hearing this week, Microsoft president Brad Smith threw around...
News Xbox 360 Era Gears Of War Director Teases Return To Franchise
Mr. Ortega worked on Gears 2, 3 & more!
The Coalition has seemingly been working away on its next Gears of War game for a few years at this point, with Gears 5 launching back in 2019. While we've not seen any kind of real 'Gears 6' announcement just yet, a key developer from the Xbox 360 days of the franchise has seemingly returned to work on it...
News Xbox Set To Unveil Another New Controller Variant This Month
Expect an announcement very soon
Microsoft has already announced a new Xbox controller in February in the form of the Stellar Shift special edition variant, and it looks like we're going to get another one before the end of the month in the form of the "Velocity Green". This was leaked by the very reliable billbil-kun on Twitter this week with a...
News Ori Developer's Next Game Will Attempt To 'Revolutionise' The ARPG Genre
"Diablo, PoE, etc.: We're coming for you"
Moon Studios creative director Thomas Mahler has speaking a bit about the plans for the Ori studio's next game on Twitter today, revealing that it will take the form of a "top-down" ARPG with major aspirations. In his message, Mahler explained that the game will serve as a "make-or-break moment" for the...
News 'The Mageseeker: A League Of Legends Story' Is Bringing Its Pixel RPG To Xbox
“Hope will not make them pay for what we’ve lost. I will.”
It's been announced that the creators of Moonlighter (Digital Sun) are working on a brand-new League of Legends experience called "The Mageseeker", taking the form of an indie 2D pixel action RPG. All we've got so far is a teaser trailer and a little bit of information, along with the...
Poll What Do You Think Of EA's Wild Hearts So Far?
Have you played the Game Pass trial? What do you think?
EA and Koei Tecmo have been working away on their Monster Hunter competitor for some time now, and the result of that labour — in the form of Wild Hearts — is now out in the... wild. Anyway, enough of our silly puns, we'd like to know how you've been getting on with the game so far. In our...
Tuesday21st Feb 2023
Deals All 20+ Backwards Compatible Games Included In This Week's Xbox Sales (February 21-28)
Some fantastic OG Xbox & Xbox 360 titles!
Another set of Xbox deals has just gone live on the Xbox Store which means another round of backwards compatible discounts from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras to get stuck into! We've got some great Xbox & Xbox 360 classics on sale this week, including a sizeable collection of Rockstar titles...
News Another Seven Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass Soon (February 28)
The latest titles on the chopping block
Update: Microsoft has now confirmed these removal dates, as well as the full set of platforms. We've updated the table below. Original story: The official Xbox app has revealed that seven games are set to be removed from Xbox Game Pass in the latter part of February 2023, including some very popular titles...
News Microsoft Signs Binding Contract To Bring Call Of Duty To Nintendo
Update: Brad Smith clarifies his comments
Update (Tue 21st Feb, 2023 23:55 GMT): As part of today's European Commission hearing, Microsoft's Brad Smith clarified his comments from earlier in the day to explain that his mention of a "contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendo's gamers" was focused around Call of Duty. You can see what he said down...
News Microsoft And Sony Fail To Make Activision Blizzard Agreement At EU Court Hearing
The Xbox owner has a contract "ready for Sony to sign"
After today's EU court hearing regarding Xbox's purchase of Activision Blizzard, the landscape has changed significantly. Nvidia has agreed a deal with Microsoft, Nintendo has entered an agreement with Xbox - things are looking up. However, there's still the small matter of PlayStation owner...
News OG Xbox Live Replacement 'Insignia' Continues To Grow With 11 New Supported Games
Online multiplayer is back
You're probably well aware of Insignia at this point - it's a new replacement service for Xbox Live 1.0 on the original Xbox - and the good news is that it's continued to add new supported titles throughout the early part of 2023. When we last mentioned Insignia, the supported list sat at around 40 games, but we're going...
News Xbox Game Pass 'Friends & Family' Plan Extends To Six More Countries
The rollout continues
Microsoft has announced today that the Xbox Game Pass "Friends and Family" plan has extended to six more countries, with those countries being Chile, Hungary, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sweden. If you live in one of those regions (or Colombia and Ireland which already have access to the plan), you can now sign up...
News These Four Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (February 28 - March 3)
The latest official roundup of new titles
It's time for another official Xbox Game Pass roundup! Microsoft has today announced four games coming to the service in late February and early March, including the day one release of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty! Here's the full list of games coming to Xbox Game Pass next week: Date Game Plat
News Forza Horizon 5's Second Expansion Will Be Revealed This Week
Put it in the calendar
It's finally almost time for Xbox and Playground Games to reveal the second expansion for Forza Horizon 5! The announcement will be made in a Twitch stream on Thursday, Feburary 23rd at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm GMT. This was confirmed in a tweet from the official Forza Horizon Twitter account earlier today: The first...
News Xbox Series X And S Price Increases Begin To Affect Europe
Sweden is the latest nation to see a price hike
It's been a little under a month since Microsoft announced Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S console price hikes in Japan, and now the company has increased prices in another region. As spotted by Gaming Deputy, both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are now more expensive in Sweden. Both consoles...
Guide How To Use The Scanner In Atomic Heart On Xbox
It's a little janky at first
The 'Scanner' in Atomic Heart is an invaluable tool for mapping out levels and finding loot, but on Xbox at least, it's a little finnicky to use right from the get-go. The mechanic is introduced during the game's intro, but the way it's explained to the player doesn't quite add up. The good news is that once you know...
News Microsoft Agrees Deal With Nvidia To Bring Xbox & ActiBlizz Games To GeForce Now
Phil Spencer has made a statement on the partnership
There's been another big acquisition-led showdown in the EU today, as Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo and other companies all meet to discuss Xbox's Activision Blizzard deal. One of those other companies is Nvidia, who've just agreed a deal with Microsoft relating to bringing Xbox games to the 'GeForce...
Deals 200+ Games Added To This Week's Xbox Sales (February 21-28)
Plenty to choose from!
It's time for another set of weekly Xbox deals! This week, we've got over 200 new deals that have been added to the likes of Deals with Gold, Spotlight and Deep Silver & Friends Sales, which we've highlighted in the table down below. However, don't forget that the Activision/Ubisoft Publisher Sales and the Anime Month...
News 2016 Xbox Exclusive 'ReCore' Reappears With Cryptic Social Media Post
Remember ReCore?
ReCore was one of those weird exclusives from the Xbox One era, spawning from an unlikely partnership between Microsoft and a developer with experience working on Metroid Prime. Well, the game's official Instagram page has posted a rather cryptic message this week - its first post in more than five years. We have no idea what this...
News The 'Must-Own' Fight'N Rage Is Getting A Free Xbox Series X|S Upgrade Next Week
Including a new 120FPS option
It's been announced that 2019's Fight'N Rage is getting a free Smart Delivery upgrade for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on March 1st, which will bring support for 120 frames per-second to the game. If you haven't heard of it, Fight'N Rage is a side-scroller beat 'em up experience which is inspired by similar arcade...
News Atomic Heart Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (February 21)
Reclaim a robot-filled Russia
Arguably February's biggest Xbox Game Pass drop has officially arrived! Yep, Atomic Heart is now available in the Game Pass library - delivering a big, bonkers FPS set in an alternate history version of the Soviet Union. Below is a brief introduction to Atomic Heart, along with the game's launch trailer. We'll also...
Monday20th Feb 2023
Guide Atomic Heart Release Date, Release Times & Preload Details On Xbox Game Pass
Everything you need to know
It's finally almost time for Atomic Heart to launch on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S as part of the February 2023 Xbox Game Pass lineup! This is arguably the most highly anticipated Game Pass launch of February, and it takes the form of a wacky FPS with some action RPG elements thrown in. Here's everything...
News AI-Generated Bethesda 'Leaks' Give Us A Glimpse Into A Scary Future
"This is so well done it's downright frightening"
We're in for an interesting future, folks. You've probably heard about all the "AI" discussion lately, like the ChatGPT chatbot that's been dominating headlines, and now we're starting to get a glimpse at how video game "leaks" will evolve in the future with this technology. In fact, it's pretty much...
Roundup Here's What The Critics Think Of 'Atomic Heart' On Xbox Game Pass
The reviews are in
It's been a long time coming, but Atomic Heart is almost here for Xbox Game Pass players. While the title is already live on Xbox in certain regions, its official release date is set at February 21st, 2023. The reviews are now starting to come in, so here's a quick roundup of what the critics are sayi
Review Atomic Heart - An Interesting Alt-History Crusade, But Not A True Great
Shaky Soviet adventures
Anybody who's ever played Irrational's BioShock Infinite will be immediately familiar with the opening sequence of Atomic Heart. You arrive at an 'idyllic' utopian city by boat — a city that happens to be floating amongst the clouds of a post-WW2 land dominated by Soviet science — before a short guided tour takes a turn...
News We've Got Our First Confirmed Xbox Game Pass Launch Of 2024
Possibly even an Xbox exclusive
We're only just kicking off Xbox Game Pass in 2023, and we've already got a confirmation for 2024! Whitethorn Games announced over the weekend that pixel art platformer Magical Delicacy is hitting the service next year. In the game, you'll play as a young witch called Flora in a metroidvania-inspired cooking...
News Atomic Heart Is Already Live On Xbox Game Pass In New Zealand
Watch out for spoilers
At the time of writing we're still around 13 hours away from the release of Atomic Heart on Xbox Game Pass here in the UK, but some people are already playing the game early - and that's courtesy of the New Zealand launch. Yes, once again, the "New Zealand trick" is getting all sorts of attention on social media, as Xbox...
Video Digital Foundry Analyses All Performance Modes For Hogwarts Legacy On Xbox
The amount of options is almost overwhelming
The team over at Digital Foundry has finally dug into the performance of Hogwarts Legacy on all console platforms, and you can tell why it's taken this long! Not only did the outlet set out to cover the game's launch day versions rather than pre-release code, but it also tested 21(!) modes across three...
News Here Are The Patch Notes For The Final Assassin's Creed Valhalla Update On Xbox
Arriving this Tuesday
It's been an amazing few years for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and it all finally comes to an end this Tuesday, February 21st, as the game is getting its final ever update on Xbox (and other platforms) in the form of Patch 1.7.0. There's nothing major here as we're just looking at bug fixes for the most part, although keep in...
News Atomic Heart Performance Seems A Mixed Bag On Xbox Series S
Looking at early testing
Atomic Heart hits Xbox Game Pass tomorrow, February 21st, with outlets now posting reviews, early footage and the likes around the web. In and amongst these are some early tests of the Xbox Series S version of the game, which despite a 60FPS performance target, seems a bit mixed so far. While The Xbox Tester appears...
Roundup All The Xbox Reveals From IGN Fan Fest 2023
From Redfall to Diablo
You may have noticed over the weekend that quite a lot of Xbox news was doing the rounds, and that's because IGN was hosting its annual "IGN Fan Fest" event for 2023, featuring a bunch of exclusive details. As part of this, we were treated to new Xbox Game Pass 2023 release dates, information on highly-anticipated Xbox titles...
News Layers Of Fear's Next-Gen Remake Launches On Xbox In June 2023
Featuring parts of the first two titles
Bloober Team has become known for its short and sweet horror games over the last few years, which largely kicked off with the arrival of the first Layers of Fear in 2016. We've seen a sequel since, and now the team is creating "horror reimagined" by combining elements of the first two Layers of Fear titles...
News Surprisingly, There Are 'No Current Plans' For Hogwarts Legacy DLC
Surely we'll see it at some point?
As many had expected, Hogwarts Legacy looks set to become one of the biggest (if not the biggest) Xbox launches of 2023, smashing records all over the place since its Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S release earlier in February. Therefore, you would expect that DLC plans would be in the works, but apparently that's...
Sunday19th Feb 2023
Talking Point Are You Ready For Crytek's Famous FPS To Return To Xbox?
It's been 10 years since Crysis 3 hit the 360!
'Can it run Crysis?' The famous phrase was thrown around like nobody's business 15 odd years ago, as Crytek's debut Crysis game put PCs around the world through their paces. In the years following, two sequels arrived that were admittedly more catered towards console players, before the series was...
News Redfall Open World Shown Off In Extended Look At Arkane's Game Pass Shooter
Coming exclusively to Xbox & PC this May
Arkane is bringing its newest FPS to Xbox Game Pass on day one in May 2023, and as we near the game's upcoming launch date, the team continues to show off heftier chunks of Redfall gameplay, as expected. Well, this latest look — which arrives via IGN's 'Fan Fest' event — is all about Redfall's open world...
News Xbox Game Pass RPG 'Lies Of P' Heads To The Service In August 2023
Bring it on!
As part of IGN's ongoing 'Fan Fest' event, the team behind upcoming soulslike RPG Lies of P has dropped a brand new trailer, revealing a more specific window for when we can expect this one to hit the Game Pass library. While the specific date isn't quite nailed on just yet, Lies of P is now scheduled to launch on Xbox Game Pass in...
Saturday18th Feb 2023
Guide Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon In February 2023
The full list of confirmed games so far
Looking for a complete list of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in February 2023? It can be pretty difficult to keep track of all the comings and goings in the world of Xbox Game Pass every week, so we've put together this handy guide to provide an overview of what's coming to Xbox Game Pass in February, as well...
Feature These 10+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (February 20-24)
Including this major new FPS!
Welcome to your new Xbox games roundup for February 20th to February 24th! The highlight next week is undoubtedly Atomic Heart, which arrives on Xbox Game Pass on day one, but we've also got some other exciting new releases on the way to Xbox including Like a Dragon: Ishin and
News Octopath Traveler 2's Glowing Reviews Make The Xbox Situation Even More Painful
What's going on, Square Enix?
Back in September of last year, we discovered that for whatever reason, Octopath Traveler 2 wasn't scheduled for a release on Xbox, despite having been announced for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Unfortunately, that still seems to be the case as of right now, and that's especially disappointing...
Pick One Which Is Your Favourite 'EA Originals' Game On Xbox?
It Takes Two? Wild Hearts? Let us know!
It's time for another round of Pick One! This week, to celebrate the release of Wild Hearts as part of the EA Originals program, we thought we'd take a look back at the history of that "Originals" initiative on Xbox. In case you didn't know, EA Originals is something the company has been working on for a few...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 18-19)
How about some Wild Hearts?
Welcome to the weekend! If you're looking for Xbox content to keep you busy over the next few days, we've had a bunch of new Xbox Game Pass titles this week, there are two fantastic Xbox Free Play Days additions, the XDefiant technical test is ongoing, and there are
Friday17th Feb 2023
News Two Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Titles Get Early 2023 Release Dates
Update: Valheim is now dated for March!
Update: It's now been confirmed that Valheim will be heading to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S as part of Xbox Game Pass on March 14th, 2023! You can check out the brand-new trailer down below. Original story: Xbox Game Pass for 2023 is already looking pretty stacked, with Xbox Game Studios and more...
News 'The Settlers: New Allies' Is Officially Getting An Xbox Version This March
Update: We've got a date!
Update: We've finally got a date! The Settlers: New Allies arrives on Xbox on March 23rd, 2023. Pre-orders are now available on the Xbox Store in Standard and Deluxe formats. The Settlers: New Allies (Xbox Store) - £49.99 / $59.99 The Settlers: New Allies Deluxe
News Three Rivals Feel Microsoft's ActiBlizz Deal Would Have 'Negative Impact On Competition'
The latest from the UK CMA's investigation
The UK Competition and Markets Authority is still investigating Xbox's Activision Blizzard deal, with the final report currently set to be published by April 26th. While we've heard plenty about Sony's clear objections to the merger, today the CMA posted new findings relating to other gaming competitors...
News Redfall Physical Release Will Contain A Disc After All, Bethesda Updates FAQ Page
Update: Bethesda has clarified the situation
Update (22:30 GMT): Bethesda has made an update to its Redfall FAQ page to clarify the situation, confirming that the Xbox physical release will ship with a Blu-ray disc. Phew! Here's the team's updated FAQ answer, which is a little clearer this time around: "The physical retail version of the Redfall...
News Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition Doesn't Seem Very 'Definitive' On Xbox Series S
Users are reporting performance issues across the board
Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition finally arrived on Xbox Game Pass yesterday, after it had previously leaked as an upcoming addition to the service some weeks prior. While the game's new title suggests that Flying Wild Hog's FPS has been enhanced — it is now classed as 'optimized for Xbox...
News Saints Row's Disappointing Reboot 'Underperformed' For Embracer Group
"We believe it is mainly an effect of mixed reception"
Saints Row burst back onto the open world scene last August on Xbox... well, when we say "burst", we mean it sort of crawled back into the spotlight. Anyway, despite our own disappointment with the title, we did think it might have done okay commercially thanks to the name and its summer release...
News Working With Xbox Was 'Positive Experience', Says Team Behind Hi-Fi RUSH
"There was no interference in a good way"
Hi-Fi RUSH turned out to be an absolute banger of a shadow drop last month, with developer Tango Gameworks delivering one of the highlights of the year so far right onto Xbox Game Pass. While the title was in production well before Xbox bought owner Bethesda, the team has had positive things to say about...
News Slime Rancher 2's First Major Update Brings New Themed Biome To Xbox Game Pass
The 'Song of the Sabers' update is here
Slime Rancher 2 is out now on Xbox Game Preview & Xbox Game Pass, and the team at Monomi Park has revealed the game's first major post-launch update roughly five months after release. The 'Song of the Sabers' update is out now, and things are looking very
News Marvel's Midnight Suns & XCOM Director Leaves Firaxis After '23 Wonderful Years'
A new era begins
There's been a major shakeup at the 2K studio Firaxis Games today, as the former creative director on XCOM and Marvel's Midnight Suns, Jake Solomon, has announced he's leaving the studio after 23 years. In a message to fans, Solomon pointed out how grateful he was to Firaxis and 2K for their support over the past couple of decades,...
News Xbox Game Pass Shooter Battlefield 2042's Next Season Of Content Arrives This Month
The eleventh hour is coming
Battlefield developer DICE has unveiled the Season 4 gameplay trailer for Battlefield 2042, bringing a brand-new map, specialist, gadgets and more to Xbox Game Pass later this month. 'Season 4: Eleventh Hour' arrives for EA Play & Xbox Game Pass members on February 28th, with the headlining act being a huge new map...
News Ex-Apex Legends Director Forms New Studio Wildlight Entertainment
Loaded with FPS developer talent
A new game studio called Wildlight Entertainment has been formed. While the name may not immediately grab your attention, some of the people at the studio might! It's led by former Apex Legends game director, Chad Grenier - also known for his work on the Titanfall series and his past development history with Call of...
Competition Win Two Tickets to PAX East!
Wicked Pissa
We've teamed up with our friends at ReedPop to offer you some free tickets to PAX East, which is taking place March 23-26 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. We have 2x pairs of four-day passes up for grabs so that you can attend with a friend or family member. All you need to do is answer the question below to be in with a...
Thursday16th Feb 2023
News Halo-Themed 'Infinite Depths Collection' Brings Energy Sword & More To Sea Of Thieves
Long John Silver
We've seen Halo stuff come to Sea Of Thieves before with themed pirate ship sails, but Rare is going even deeper this week with another big crossover. As part of a new 'Pirate Emporium' update, a bunch of Halo-themed gear is coming to this Xbox seafaring adventure. Yep, the gaming crossovers just keep on coming don't they? You'll...
News Bethesda Is 'Still Sorting Stuff Out' For Xbox's Upcoming Starfield Showcase
"We'll have more info to share on the showcase when it's ready"
Bethesda is really taking its time over everything Starfield, isn't it? We suppose that should be a good thing in the long run, given how some recent Bethesda games have launched! Anyway, a recent Discord post from a developer over at Bethesda suggests that the team is still figuring...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (February 16-19)
A couple o' biggies!
Free Play Days is here once again, and it's a big one! Two huge AAA titles are playable for free as part of Xbox Live Gold this weekend, including Ubisoft's Far Cry 6, which is having a free weekend across all major platforms. Far Cry 6
Roundup Here's What The Critics Are Saying About EA's 'Wild Hearts'
Initial reviews are in
We've been hearing quite a lot about EA's answer to Monster Hunter in recent weeks - and we're about to hear a whole lot more! The review embargo for Wild Hearts is now up ahead of tomorrow's Xbox launch, and the reviews are beginning to trickle in, including here at Pure Xbox! Check out our review below: <related...
News Metro Exodus Follow-Up Reportedly 'Fully Playable' Ahead Of Reveal
Another post-apocalyptic adventure is coming
It's been a good four years now since 4A Games unleashed Metro Exodus onto Xbox One, and it's starting to sound like the next game in the series isn't too far off. Insider Gaming is reporting that the next Metro title is in a "fully playable" state right now ahead of a potential reveal in the coming...
News XDefiant Dev Gives 'Honest Take' About What To Expect From The Ubisoft FPS
"We don't have the big money..."
You may have seen some chatter on social media over the past few days about upcoming Ubisoft free-to-play shooter XDefiant, and that's because it's hosting a playtest for "insiders" this week across all platforms. Ahead of the playtest, Ubisoft San Francisco Executive Producer Mark Rubin had some interesting...
News Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (February 16)
Rise up, warriors!
We've got another title coming to the Xbox Game Pass library today! Flying Wild Hog's new version of Shadow Warrior 3 is now available to download and play, serving as a newly optimised version for Xbox Series X and S users. The Definitive Edition of Shadow Warrior 3 includes a whole bunch of new content, including a 60FPS...
Poll How Many Games Have You Bought Because Of Xbox Free Play Days?
We're curious
Xbox Free Play Days is something we highlight every week here at Pure Xbox, but if you haven't paid much attention to it, it's a program for Xbox Live Gold members where free trials are made available for various games from Thursday to Sunday. Obviously, the hope is that you might want to buy them after the trial period is over. The...
News Like a Dragon: Ishin! Gets Free 'Combat Demo' On Xbox Series X And S
Test our your sword skills
Yakuza spin-off Like A Dragon: Ishin! heads to Xbox as a current-gen-only title next week, and ahead of that nearby launch, SEGA has dropped a free 'Combat Demo' onto the Xbox storefront for players to test out their fighting skills. The demo is available now on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S systems, weighing in at just...
News Disney Dreamlight Valley 'Festival Of Friendship' Now Live On Xbox, Here Are The Patch Notes
The game's third major update arrives on Game Pass
The highly popular Disney Dreamlight Valley has today received its third major update to date on Xbox Game Pass, bringing a whole bunch of new content and features to the game as part of the "Festival of Friendship". This update debuts the characters of Olaf (from Frozen) and Mirabel (from Encanto)...
Wednesday15th Feb 2023
Guide Xbox Adds More Perks For Game Pass Ultimate Members (February 2023)
Here's what you can claim for free this month
The Xbox Game Pass Perks program is back once again for February 2023, and although we haven't seen many Perks in the first couple of weeks, we've still got some OK ones for the likes of Apex Legends and Madden NFL 23. Here are the Xbox Game Pass Perks you can claim in February 2023: Apex Legends -...
News Here's What's Included In The Xbox February 2023 Update
All the new features and changes
Microsoft has revealed the new features and changes coming in the Xbox February 2023 update, which officially rolls out today! The highlight is that the recently announced sustainability updates are now available to everyone (not just Xbox Insiders), but we've also got some other cool additions including Google Home...
News Hogwarts Legacy's First Major Update Arrives On Xbox, Here Are All The Patch Notes
Magically fixed up & ready to go
The standard edition of Hogwarts Legacy hasn't even been out for a week yet, and developer Avalanche has already delivered a patch for Xbox and PC players! Version '1120320' of Hogwarts Legacy is now live on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, squashing a bunch of bugs and generally improving the overall experience...
News Cities: Skylines Remastered Free Upgrade Brings New 'Map Editor' To Xbox Game Pass
"Create your own maps and use them in-game"
We have a new Xbox Game Pass addition today, February 15th, although this new arrival is a little different to normal! Cities: Skylines Remastered comes to the service today as essentially an entirely new version of the city builder. So, rather than an update to the existing version of this Xbox Game Pass...
News Xbox Game Pass Launches Enable 'Secure Success', Says Indie Publisher
"But please gamers, continue to explain why it's bad for us"
Xbox Game Pass has been in the headlines again recently, mainly due to comments coming from the UK CMA's Activision Blizzard report, and following this, Mike Rose of Descenders publisher No More Robots has taken to Twitter once again to talk about how beneficial the service has been for...
News DOOM Composer Mick Gordon Lends Talents To Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Title 'Atomic Heart'
Atomic headbang
After years and years of development over at Mundfish studio, Atomic Heart still has a few secrets tucked away even if we've seen a lot of this game over the years. One of those secrets is that legendary DOOM composer Mick Gordon features on the game's soundtrack - get ready to struggle staying seated while playing this game! Gordon...
News Xbox Game Pass Is Getting 'Final Fantasy 7' Content, In The Form Of PowerWash Sim DLC
No FF7 remake? No problem
Final Fantasy 7 Remake may still be MIA on Xbox platforms, but Square Enix seemingly has us covered - on Xbox Game Pass no less! The surprisingly popular PowerWash Simulator is getting free, official Final Fantasy 7 DLC in the form of the upcoming 'Midgar Special Pack'. You read that right; gaming's favourite hosepipe sim...
News Microsoft Will Defend Its Xbox Activision Blizzard Deal In EU Court Hearing Next Week
Will the company see success?
Some of you may remember (unless you're as lost as we are at this point) that not too long ago, Microsoft reportedly received a 'statement of objections' from the European Commission in regards to the Xbox ActiBlizz deal. That statement basically included a bunch of things the commission wants to see altered for the...
Reminder Six Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass Today (February 15)
Your final chance to play this FPS campaign
Here we go again! We've got six games that are leaving Xbox Game Pass later today, including the brilliant metroidvania Infernax, and one of the campaigns for the Xbox exclusive CrossfireX, which is no longer purchasable and will be shutting down forever in May - so if you haven't played it yet, you...
Deals Xbox Anime Sale Continues With Second Wave Of Deep Discounts (February 15-28)
Up to 90% off!
The second wave of Xbox's 'Anime Month' sales promo has arrived, featuring a bunch of themed discounts across movies, TV, and of course, games. Earlier this month we highlighted some of the best deals from round one, and we're back for more with the second wave! We'll be sticking to the games here, with the majority of the following...
News MLB The Show 23 Gets Gameplay Reveal And Free 'Tech Test' On Xbox
Try it out before it arrives this March
MLB The Show 23 is one of the few confirmed Xbox Game Pass titles for March 2023 so far, and ahead of its release, you can actually try the game for free over the next few days as part of a free technical test. To take part, you'll need to reside within the United States or Canada and be 18 years old or over...
Tuesday14th Feb 2023
Deals A Bunch Of Games Are Discounted By 85-90% This Week On Xbox (February 14-21)
Come grab a bargain
Looking for some super cheap Xbox games this week? We've got you covered. Microsoft has dropped the price on a nice little selection of Xbox titles over the next few days - at over 85% off across multiple promotions. A lot of these deep discounts reside across the ongoing indie and Spotlight sales on Xbox Live — including...
News 'Wild Hearts' Is Going Down Well, But The Xbox Series S Version Is Getting Criticism
It seems quite poorly optimised
The free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and EA Play trial for Wild Hearts went live on the Xbox Store yesterday ahead of the game's full release on February 16th, and for the most part, it seems like people are enjoying themselves so far! We've seen plenty of positivity surrounding the gameplay on social media, and quite a...
News Microsoft Says Xbox Game Pass 'Creates Another Option' For Devs To Make Money
Despite admitting the service can harm game sales
The UK CMA's recent report on the whole Xbox ActiBlizz deal contained plenty of standout comments, including one relating to Microsoft admitting that Xbox Game Pass can hurt game sales in the 12 months after titles are added to the service. Following this report, the notion that Xbox Game Pass can...
Talking Point Do You Buy Less Third-Party Titles Because Of Xbox Game Pass?
Or is it more of a first-party library to you?
The viability of Xbox Game Pass has once again been in the spotlight this week, as Microsoft continues to fight various authorities to pass its Activision Blizzard deal. While the company has seemingly admitted that Game Pass affects individual game sales (a point that seems obvious to us anyway),
Review Wanted: Dead - A Highly Disappointing Hybrid Slasher/Shooter
It sounded good on paper...
"A new hybrid shooter/slasher from the makers of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive!" Now, just wait a minute. We absolutely adore Ninja Gaiden, it's one of the all-time great hack and slashers. And Dead or Alive? Well...we mean, somebody probably likes that too, but let's not confuse the issue, the point is that Wanted: Dead...
Deals 350+ Games Added To This Week's Xbox Sales (February 14-21)
Including Activision and Ubisoft Publisher Sales!
Update: The second wave of the Xbox Anime Month Sale is also now live, which we've covered elsewhere on Pure Xbox. It features some great discounts for top titles including Cyberpunk 2077! <related ids="145198"> Original story: It's time for another set of weekly Xbox deals! This week, we've...
News Strategy RPG 'Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord' Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (Feb 14)
Mount up
We have another Xbox Game Pass arrival today, folks! TaleWorlds Entertainment's huge strategy RPG Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord comes to the service today, February 14th, across Xbox consoles, PC and cloud. Here's some more info on this latest Xbox Game Pass addition, along with the game's launch trailer: Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord...
News Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Dev Skipping Xbox One To 'Evolve The Experience'
"This new generation allowed us to do exactly that"
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is EA's second current-gen only release of the year, following the well-received Dead Space remake last month. Both of these titles are clearly pushing new tech, then, and the team behind the STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order sequel has further explained its reasoning for...
News Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Is Now Ready To Preload On Xbox Game Pass
Almost prime time
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is on track to be one of the biggest Xbox Game Pass drops in March 2023, and it's now available to preload! Yep, ahead of the game's March 3rd launch, Team Ninja's upcoming action RPG is ready to slash away at your storage space on Xbox. Exactly how much storage space you ask? Well, it's not a bad one all...
News Far Cry 6 To Receive 'Free Weekend' On Xbox, And You Can Pre-Install The Game Now
Cancel your plans
We already know one of the titles heading to Xbox Free Play Days this weekend, as Ubisoft has confirmed that Far Cry 6 will be getting a free access period from Thursday to Sunday, with pre-installs available now. You'll be able to play the full version of Far Cry 6 for free from February 16th at 4PM local time until February 20th...
Roundup 'Wanted: Dead' Is Off To A Rough Start With The Critics
It's not impressing folks in its current state
Old school action game Wanted: Dead is now out in the wild, and to be frank, it's sounding like some critics wish that it never managed to escape from developer captivity. This Ninja Gaiden-like is intentionally a bit of a throwback, so it's worth keeping that in mind here, but yeah, early reviews and...
Monday13th Feb 2023
News Wild Hearts 'Welcome To Minato' Story Trailer Arrives, Xbox Game Pass Trial Begins Today
Wild thing
EA's Monster Hunter competitor Wild Hearts begins rolling out on all platforms this week, starting with the early access trial which goes live today, February 13th. Ahead of the game's global rollout, the dev team has dropped a brand new story trailer to add some context to all of your upcoming monster hunting adventures. Koei Tecmo...
Feature EA DICE's Sole 'Medal Of Honor' Game Shuts Down This Week, And We Wanted To See More
It's a shame the studio never got a 2nd attempt
Most of you probably remember the Medal of Honor series from its so-called 'glory days' of the early 2000s. A bunch of WW2-themed MoH titles graced the original Xbox back then, before the series started to die off in tandem with Call of Duty's meteoric Modern Warfare-fuelled rise to stardom. However,...
News The Witcher 3 Update 4.01 Is 'Baffling', Worsens Performance Mode On Xbox Series X
Not quite smooth sailing
At the beginning of the month, CD Projekt RED deployed a brand new The Witcher 3 patch for current-gen consoles, with one of the update's major objectives being to improve the game's ray tracing mode. While update 4.01 seems to have done that fairly successfully, it's made some 'baffling' changes to the game's 60FPS...
News Old School Action Game 'Wanted: Dead' Gets Lengthy Launch Trailer Ahead Of Xbox Release
Shootin' n' slashin'
Wanted: Dead — from some of the developers behind classics like Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive — hits Xbox tomorrow, and the team has now dropped a chunky launch trailer just before release. The new trailer provides exactly what we expected to see from it to be honest, going off of all the pre-release media shown so fa
News The Team Behind Xbox Exclusive Shoulder Of Giants 'Wants' To Be Included With Game Pass
"It's definitely something that we want"
Anything indie that manages to find its way onto Xbox Game Pass tends to make a bigger splash on the Xbox platform, and we're starting to see small developers clamour for inclusion on the service. The latest such team is Moving Pieces Interactive — the dev behind S
News Xbox-Owned Studio Double Fine Seemingly Has Two Projects In The Works
At least from the time of Psychonauts 2's launch
Late last week, Xbox studio Double Fine Productions uploaded a gargantuan documentary to YouTube detailing the whole development process on 2021's Psychonauts 2. While the 32-part doc is likely littered with tidbits of info on the studio's projects, episode 30 in particular drops a hint on what might...
News Hogwarts Legacy Sells 80% More Copies At UK Launch Than Elden Ring
The physical sales data is in
Right, we always suspected that Hogwarts Legacy would sell extremely well given the popularity of the IP, and that sentiment is already starting to ring true. While only limited sales data is available right now — these findings are based on physical sales in the UK — the game is off to flying start. First off,...
News Dead Island 2 Release Date Brought Forward, No Longer Clashes With Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Zombie limbs successfully rearranged
Deep Silver has announced that the long-in-development Dead Island 2 is now launching a bit earlier than anticipated! Sure, the move is probably not going to make up for the years and years worth of delays, but Dead Island 2 now hits Xbox on April 21st, 2023. The game's previous release date was locked in for...
News Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 Trailer Showcases Free Maps & Modes For Multiplayer
Dive in on Feb. 15th!
Activision and Infinity Ward have just dropped the Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 launch trailer, which finally showcases a bit more of the multiplayer content coming to MW2 this month. The standouts here are the free maps and modes arriving as part of the game's second major seasonal content drop. Fan favourite modes...
Sunday12th Feb 2023
Reaction Halo Infinite's New Playlist Feels Key To The Game's Future
We're loving these Forge maps!
If there's one core issue that's plagued Halo Infinite pretty much since launch, it's been the severe lack of meaningful post-launch content. The team hasn't delivered any new weapons at all so far, and additional maps for us to play around with have been pretty hard to come by as well. Late last year though, Forge's...
Saturday11th Feb 2023
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (February 13-17)
We've got a lot on the way!
Welcome to your new Xbox games roundup for February 13th to February 17th! We've got quite an interesting week ahead, with new releases including the likes of Wanted: Dead, Wild Hearts and
News Three Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In March 2023 So Far
Looking at the month ahead
Update: We've now got quite a few more confirmations for March 2023! Here's the list: <related ids="134085"> Original story: We're nowhere near the end of February 2023's Xbox Game Pass additions yet, but as we like to do around this time of the month, we're taking an early look ahead at what's been confirmed for...
Feature New Xbox Releases: All Games Coming Out In February 2023
Release dates for every February Xbox launch
Welcome to our roundup of all new Xbox games coming out in February 2023! Below, we've listed every Xbox game with a February 2023 release date, including all confirmed Xbox Game Pass releases so far. We've also got a guide to all new Xbox games release dates in 2023 elsewhere on Pure Xbox: <related...
Pick One Which Of These Xbox Classics Would You Remaster?
Tough choices
When Pure Xbox relaunched back in early 2020, one of the things we used to do as part of these weekly "Pick One" features was to ask the PX community which classic Xbox games they'd like to see remastered. We did a bunch of these over a number of weeks, and the first three games that came out as winners were The Simpsons Hit &...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 11-12)
What's got your attention right now?
Welcome to the weekend! If you're looking to keep busy on Xbox over the next few days, don't forget we've got the launch of Hogwarts Legacy along with various other games, the arrival of multiple new Xbox Game Pass titles, three Free Play Days offerings that you can enjoy through Sunday night, and lots of
News Double Fine Unveils 32-Part Documentary On The Making Of Psychonauts 2
Seven years in the making
If you're a Psychonauts 2 fan, then we hope you haven't got too many plans this weekend, as Double Fine has unleashed an absolutely massive documentary onto YouTube about the making of the beloved hit sequel. This documentary has been seven years in the making, and follows the Double Fine team from the initial concept...
Friday10th Feb 2023
News New RPG 'Sea Of Stars' Causes Controversy As Devs Leave Xbox Owners Hanging
"There is a lot happening behind the scenes"
You may have seen that a game called Sea of Stars was featured as part of February 2023's Nintendo Direct, with a free demo hitting the Nintendo Switch eShop on the same day, and it's been proving very popular so far. However, there has also been a
News Team Ninja Reveals Impressive Xbox Performance Targets For 'Wo Long Fallen Dynasty'
Details on all four Xbox versions
Team Ninja's upcoming action-RPG Wo Long Fallen Dynasty is now just a few weeks away from launch on Xbox Game Pass on March 3rd, 2023, and we now know how it'll perform across all four Xbox consoles! Those consoles are the Xbox One, the Xbox One X, the Xbox Series S and the Xbox Series X. The latter two are treated...
News EA's 'BOGOF' Xbox Sale Returns, With A Different Batch Of Games
Cheaper options, but not cheap enough!
Last month, EA brought a 'Buy One Get One Free' sale to Xbox Live, offering up a selection of recent titles as part of a two for one deal. Well, the same promo format has returned this month, only this time it features a lineup of mostly older and cheaper titles. EA's current BOGOF sale is now live through...
Feature 2023 Has Already Treated Us To Multiple GOTY Candidates On Xbox
It's been an amazing start to the year
It's the end of another busy week, and with the launch of Hogwarts Legacy happening today (the standard version), we thought we'd take a quick chance to reflect on just how good the new release slate has been for Xbox in 2023 so far. Looking at Metacritic, Xbox has been absolutely inundated with top-quality...
News Sony Feels Microsoft Is Committing 'Obvious Harassment' In Relation To ActiBlizz Deal
What is going on?!
Not too long ago (although it all seems like a blur at this point), Microsoft ordered Sony to attend court to present its findings regarding Xbox's Activision Blizzard purchase. That court trial hasn't gone ahead yet — the hearing is currently planned for August 2nd — but it seems like Sony isn't too happy with Microsoft's...
News Hogwarts Legacy And Fable Are Getting A Lot Of Comparisons From Xbox Fans
"No wonder it feels so magical"
It's officially Hogwarts Legacy launch day for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and that means even more people will be able to get access to a game that's already been smashing records left, right and centre over the past few days. We've been keeping an eye on what players have been saying about the title recently,...
Report More Xbox Employees Impacted As Part Of Microsoft's 10,000 Layoffs
Reductions in marketing and the Gaming Ecosystem Group
Bloomberg has reported that more Xbox employees have lost their jobs this week as part of Microsoft's ongoing plan to implement 10,000 layoffs throughout the company, while the Surface and HoloLens divisions have also been affected. According to the outlet, the Xbox reductions this time have...
News Alan Wake 2 Is 'Playable From Start To Finish' As Remedy Plans Polishing Phase
We finished the manuscript, Alice
Alan Wake is an Xbox 360 gem, and ever since it re-entered the minds of us all via Alan Wake Remastered, we've been pretty hyped for the game's sequel. Remedy has been locked on to a broad 2023 release for Alan Wake 2 since it was first announced, and the game launching this year is starting to sound a lot more lik
News Crime Boss: Rockay City Gets Violent In 'Lost Candy' Mission Footage
Scheduled for an Xbox release in 2023
Crime Boss: Rockay City was one of the games that got quite a lot of attention following its appearance at The Game Awards 2022 last December, and it's already been confirmed for an Xbox (and PS5) release at some point in 2023. It's coming to PC first though, and ahead of that release, we're starting to get...
Thursday9th Feb 2023
News Atomic Heart Dev Reveals Xbox Series S Performance Targets, And It's Good News
Frame rate fans rejoice
Last month, Atomic Heart developer Mundfish responded on Twitter to reveal that its upcoming FPS would run at a dynamic 4K / 60FPS on Xbox Series X and PS5. At the time, the team didn't tell us how Xbox Series S would handle things, but a new dev interview has now dropped all the juicy details. To get to the point
News Multiple Games Announced For Xbox Following February's Nintendo Direct
New games and release dates
If you're a big follower of our sister site Nintendo Life, then you'll probably have seen all the Nintendo Direct coverage from this week's event already, but did you know that some of those games are also coming to Xbox? Following the event, various games were either announced for Xbox for the first time, or received...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (February 9-12)
Included with Xbox Live Gold & Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Free Play Days returns for the weekend, and we've got a full three-game selection this time around! One of these titles is available as part of Xbox Game Pass already (The Ascent), but the other two are welcome entries for the program. Scarlet Nexus The Ascent TT Isle of Man: Ride o
News Rock Band Tweet Goes Viral As Hyperkin Asks Epic Games To Make A New Version
"Completely blown away by the community response"
We're still having a fantastic time with Rock Band 4 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S to this day, but unfortunately it's not getting the attention it deserves for one big reason - the instruments are so expensive as they're no longer being produced. Seriously, the prices are crazy,...
News Call Of Duty Fans Aren't Happy With Modern Warfare 2's Season 2 Update
"6v6 COD is dying"
Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward has fully unveiled its Modern Warfare 2 & Warzone 2.0 roadmap for Season 2, and it's safe to say the info drop is proving somewhat controversial. While Warzone 2.0 players seem fairly satisfied with what's coming during the game's second season, MW2 mult
Video 7 Amazing Xbox Game Pass Games You Can Beat In Under 7 Hours
For those who enjoy shorter titles
We obviously love a big, epic adventure here at Pure Xbox (here's hoping Starfield will satisfy our needs there), but there's also a growing number of us in the community who are beginning to appreciate the shorter games in the Xbox Game Pass library as our lives get busier and our potential playing time decreases...
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (February 9)
Dive in!
Microsoft is bringing two more titles to the Xbox Game Pass February 2023 lineup today, with one arriving via the EA Play library. That addition will be the latest Madden release, adding to the sizeable sports collection now available within Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Expect that one to drop at some point later this afternoon. Here's a bit...
News Analysts Predict Xbox's Activision Blizzard Deal Will Close Soon, Despite UK Objections
"We read today's release as a signal..."
We finally heard from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority on Microsoft's attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard yesterday, and it wasn't good news, with the CMA provisionally finding that the takeover "could result in higher prices, fewer choices, or less innovation for UK gamers". However,...
Poll What Do You Think Of Hot Wheels Unleashed On Xbox Game Pass?
Enjoying it so far?
It feels like we were waiting ages for Hot Wheels Unleashed to arrive on Xbox Game Pass - mainly because it was supposed to join the service back in December - but now it's finally here, available in its huge Game of the Year format for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC and Xbox Cloud Gaming. The question is, what do...
News Activision Blizzard CEO Accuses Sony Of 'Trying To Sabotage' Xbox Takeover
Bobby Kotick speaks out
The latest chapter in the never-ending Microsoft and Activision Blizzard saga arrives in the form of comments from Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who hasn't held back with his thoughts on Sony's role in the process. Speaking to the Financial Times this week, Kotick accused Sony's leadership team of "suddenly" failing...
News Vampire Survivors Update 1.3 Brings 'Bat Country' Stage & More To Xbox Game Pass
Bat them away
Vampire Survivors developer Poncle has revealed its first free update since the game's 'Legacy of the Moonspell' DLC pack, and it brings a new free challenge stage to all players, including on Xbox Game Pass. And the best bit? It's available today, February 9th! Update 1.3.0 brings the new 'Bat Country' challenge stage, three new...
News Fatal Frame: Mask Of The Lunar Eclipse Unveils Story Trailer As Xbox Pre-Orders Go Live
Photo Mode also confirmed!
We're now exactly one month away from the release of Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and pre-orders have officially gone live on the official Xbox Store ahead of the game's launch on March 9th, 2023. You're looking at £39.99 / $49.99 for the standard version of the...
Wednesday8th Feb 2023
News Another Six Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass Soon (February 15)
Including this Xbox exclusive FPS
Update: Microsoft has now confirmed the official dates and platforms, which we've updated below. We've also got six more games that have been announced for Xbox Game Pass in mid-February! Original story: The official Xbox app has revealed that six games are set to be removed from Xbox Game Pass in the middle part...
News These Six Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (February 9-21)
The latest official roundup of new titles
It's time for another official Xbox Game Pass roundup! Microsoft has today announced six games coming to the service in February, including Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, Atomic Heart and much more! Here's the full list of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in mid-February:...
Talking Point What Happened To Xbox's 'Resolution Boost' Program?
It was discussed before the Xbox Series X launched
Microsoft has done a pretty amazing job over the last five years-or-so in enhancing our old libraries and bringing them forward to newer consoles. In the Xbox One X era, the team focused on enhancing Xbox 360 and original Xbox games for the system, while the FPS Boost program was a great feature...
Review Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition - Microsoft's PC Classic Makes Its Debut On Xbox
RTS historical battles…with a controller
Where do you start with Age of Empires 2? It’s arguably the greatest RTS (and perhaps one of the best games) of all time. When it made its debut back on Microsoft Windows in 1999, it received absolutely huge levels of praise for not only taking the series to the next level, but also bettering the genre in...
News Cities: Skylines Remastered Arrives Next Week As Free Xbox Series X|S Upgrade
Update: Also included with Xbox Game Pass!
Update: It's now been confirmed that Cities: Skylines Remastered will be part of Xbox Game Pass! <related ids="144114"> Original story: The fantastic city-building game Cities: Skylines is officially getting a remastered version next week in the form of Cities: Skylines Console Remastered, which...
News 'Challenging' Sci-Fi Shooter 'Scars Above' Heads To Xbox Later This Month
Returnalike
Developer Prime Matter has unveiled a brand-new gameplay trailer for its upcoming adventure Scars Above - an adventure that the team is labelling a "challenging sci-fi shooter" coming to consoles and PC. The first thing we thought when watching this clip is how much it reminds us of PlayStation exclusive Returnal, and well, if the team...
News UK Authority Proposes Excluding Call Of Duty From Xbox Activision Blizzard Deal
Amongst other potential changes
The UK CMA has today published a new report on its ongoing investigation into Xbox's ActiBlizz deal, and there's a lot to unpack here in regards to the likelihood of the purchase actually going through. While there are plenty of wrinkles to this report, much of the focus is once again centred around Call of Duty. The...
News Xbox's Activision Blizzard Deal Could Be 'Harmful' To The Industry, Claims UK Regulator
The CMA gives its provisional verdict
It sounds like Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have got a tough task ahead in the UK over the next few months, as the UK Competition and Markets Authority has provisionally decided that Xbox's attempted takeover of ActiBlizz "could result in higher prices, fewer choices, or less innovation for UK gamers". In...
Deals Lots Of Games Reduced By 90% In This Week's Xbox Sales (February 7-14)
More ultra-cheap bargains!
Looking for some cheap Xbox games from February 7th to February 14th? Once again, we're going through the biggest discounts in this week's set of Xbox sales, particularly in terms of the 90% reductions which include the likes of Panzer Dragoon: Remake, The Flame in the Flood, XCOM 2: Collection and a whole bunch of racing...
News Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Looks Impressive In New 9 Minute Gameplay Demo
Not long to wait!
Respawn's upcoming Star Wars: Jedi sequel may have suffered a short delay to April 2023 recently, but it seems like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's marketing cycle is about to kick into gear anyway. We've only seen bits and pieces on the upcoming title since its
News Microsoft CEO Suggests ActiBlizz Deal Would Help Xbox 'Compete' In Japan
Expanding territories
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella appeared on CNBC this week to talk about the future of the company, including what's next for the Xbox team. Of course, this discussion led to questions about the Activision Blizzard acquisition, and how Microsoft is responding to the current regulatory approval processes going on around the world...
News Halo Infinite Launches New Matchmaking Playlist For Forge Maps
Try out four new maps right now!
It's not been the best period for Halo Infinite, but 343 Industries is pushing on by delivering a new "highly requested" feature. Ahead of Season 3, Infinite community-made Forge maps now feature their own unique matchmaking playlist. This adds four new maps to the mix, created by Halo Infinite players. The maps...
News Apex Legends Becomes Less 'Battle Royale' With The Introduction Of Traditional Team Deathmatch
Remember Attrition
Apex Legends Season 16 is almost here, and normally we wouldn't be that fussed if it was a standard battle royale-filled season of content to be honest. However, developer Respawn is going back to its Titanfall roots with the addition of a traditional team deathmatch mode. Yep, Apex sounds like it's becoming a broader...
Tuesday7th Feb 2023
News Xbox Players Encouraged To Change Two Camera Settings In Hogwarts Legacy
"I can't tell you how much smoother the game feels"
Hogwarts Legacy is now officially available for anyone to bought (or buys) the Deluxe Edition of the game for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, with the standard version arriving three days later on February 10th. Now that players have had access to the game, they've been encouraging anyone playing...
News Xbox Is Getting A Free-To-Play Madden NFL Competitor This Year
Built using Unreal Engine 5
If you're an NFL fan, you may be aware of the Maximum Football series of games that have been released on Xbox over the past few years, and now we're getting a brand-new one - this time built using Unreal Engine 5, and launching as a free-to-play title on PC this spring and consoles later this year. The new Maximum...
News Futuristic First-Person Shooter 'LEAP' Comes To Xbox This March
One giant leap towards, errm, respawning most likely
Blue Isle Studios has announced that its futuristic fast-paced FPS, LEAP, is coming to consoles next month including Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. The game is currently in Early Access on PC, with its upcoming console release serving as the game's 1.0 launch point. Pricing on LEAP's console...
News Xbox's 'Stellar Shift' Controller Includes A Special Background For Series X|S Owners
Unique to the controller!
Original story: The new Xbox "Stellar Shift" controller was announced earlier today, launching in select markets worldwide, and you might be interested to know that it comes with a unique feature - a special dynamic background for Xbox Series X|S. By plugging the controller into your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console,...
Poll What's Your Favourite Special Edition Xbox Series X|S Controller So Far?
They're all pretty stellar aren't they
As Xbox announces yet another special edition Series X|S controller, we've been thinking about our favourite gamepads of the generation so far. Despite the fact that we've seen lots of stock issues across the industry during the COVID-19 era, Microsoft has managed to put out a solid amount of unique controller...
News Microsoft Announces New Special Edition 'Stellar Shift' Xbox Controller
Lookin' stellar, launchin' today!
(Update): Well, it's now official! Immediately after we reported on the new controller leak, Microsoft formally announced the Xbox Stellar Shift Wireless Controller. The latest Xbox pad in the 'Shift' lineup launches today for £59.99 / $69.99, and this one comes with its own unique Xbox Series X|S dynamic...
News Hot Wheels Unleashed Joins Xbox Game Pass Alongside 50+ Add-Ons
Including multiple expansions
We're onto our third Xbox Game Pass February 2023 release today, and it's a big one in the form of Hot Wheels Unleashed - Game of the Year Edition for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC and Xbox Cloud Gaming! This version of Hot Wheels Unleashed actually comes with no less than 51 pieces of DLC (so get ready...
News 'Atomic Heart' Xbox Preload Now Live, Launches On Game Pass Later This Month
You might need to clear some space
Mundfish's crazy-looking shooter Atomic Heart is just about two weeks away from launch, and the team has updated the game on Xbox Live so we can get the full thing preloaded before it hits Xbox Game Pass. For Xbox Series X users, Atomic Heart is a chunky 78.6GB at the time of writing, so you might want to make...
News Madden NFL 23 Touches Down On Xbox Game Pass This Week
As part of EA Play
It's that time of year again, as the latest Madden is officially dropping on Xbox Game Pass! Specifically, we'll be able to play Madden NFL 23 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and EA Play beginning this Thursday, February 9th.
Deals 250+ Games Added To This Week's Xbox Sales (February 7-14)
Including RPG and 2K Publisher sales!
It's time for another set of weekly Xbox deals! This week's discounts are for brand-new 2K Publisher and RPG sales, alongside the usual Deals with Gold and Spotlight offers. We've also still got a lot of stuff that has been carried over from last week, including the massive Ubisoft Publisher Sale and the first...
Deals All 20+ Backwards Compatible Games Added To This Week's Xbox Sales (February 7-14)
Some 360 classics on the cheap!
As part of Xbox's digital discounts for this week, the team has included a selection of backwards compatible (Xbox 360) titles across various different promotions. An RPG sale and a 2K Publisher sale dominate this week's deals, along with the usual Deals with Gold and Spotlight offers. Don't forget that we've still...
Video Fascinating Hogwarts Legacy Comparison Shows Several Film Vs. Game Scenes
The game is amazingly faithful to the movies!
We're used to seeing plenty of video game comparisons these days - many of us like to be aware of the differences between the Xbox and PlayStation versions of a game, for example. However, this week's Hogwarts Legacy launch has provided us with a unique comparison point: how the open world RPG stacks up...
Monday6th Feb 2023
News Xbox Leak Reveals Ubisoft+ Will Include 60+ Games, Here's The Full List So Far
Launch should be just around the corner!
Back in early January 2023, we started hearing rumblings that Ubisoft Plus might be gearing up for a release on Xbox, with around 20 games appearing on the Xbox Store with a Ubisoft Plus tag. Now, it seems we might actually have the full list of games that will be included with the catalogue, which has...
News Hogwarts Legacy Has Five Different Performance Modes On Xbox Series X
Take your pick
Our official Hogwarts Legacy review for Xbox Series X has finally landed today at Pure Xbox, and we're pleased to say we've been absolutely loving the game so far, giving it an "Excellent" 9/10 review score. Interestingly, we discovered during the review process that Hogwarts Legacy actually has five different performance modes on...
News Xbox Owners Are 'Moving To New Zealand' Again For Hogwarts Legacy
Some people are playing it already
It's finally almost time for Hogwarts Legacy to arrive on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, with fantastic reviews being dished out across the board earlier today, and some Xbox players actually already have their hands on it early. Why? Well, it's the return of that old "New Zealand" trick on Xbox again, which...
News New 'Xenia' Emulator Makes Xbox 360 Emulation Come Alive On Xbox Series X|S
The start of something big?
Ever since the release of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S back in late 2020, we've been hearing about emulators that are supported on the two systems. We wouldn't suggest trying these for yourself, but nevertheless it's fascinating to see that these two consoles are becoming emulation powerhouses. The latest Xbox...
Review Hogwarts Legacy - A Harry Potter Fan's Dream, The Best Game In Franchise History
Somehow, it's lived up to the hype
Harry Potter games have always been popular on Xbox dating back to the early 2000s, but we've never had a particularly great one, perhaps aside from LEGO's Harry Potter Collection. Sure, the Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets games were definite highlights on the original Xbox, and maybe you even liked some...
Roundup Hogwarts Legacy Reviews Have Finally Arrived Ahead Of Xbox Launch
Here's what the critics think
Hogwarts Legacy has been an incredibly hyped game by both Harry Potter fans and open world RPG aficionados alike since its announcement multiple years ago, and well, it's finally almost time for launch. Hogwarts Legacy drops this week for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (the Xbox One version will follow in early April),...
Guide Hogwarts Legacy Release Date, Release Times & Preload Details On Xbox
Everything you need to know
We've been hearing about Hogwarts Legacy for such a long time, and now it's finally ready to launch on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S! The huge open world Harry Potter experience is heading to the two next-gen Xbox consoles for the time being, and will be followed up with an last-gen Xbox One version in a couple of...
News Call Of Duty 'Full Annual Premium Release' Set To Launch In 2023
Water is wet
Activision Blizzard's latest financial report is now out for public viewing, or at least a summarised version of it is via the company's investor website. New ActiBlizz financials means one surefire thing - plenty of talk about Call of Duty. Alongside lots of boasting about how much money last year's Modern Warfare 2 made — along...
News Xbox Reveals Release Dates For A Bunch Of New Game Pass Indies Coming In 2023
The future is bright
Recently, Pure Xbox was invited to a secret ID@Xbox event to check out a bunch of new gameplay and other details on some of the biggest indie titles coming to Xbox Game Pass in 2023. Not all of that gameplay is publicly available just yet, but we did get some brand-new release dates and release windows, so we thought we'd throw...
News The 'Excellent' Marvel's Midnight Suns Now Has A Free Trial On Xbox
Containing the opening hours of the game
Marvel's Midnight Suns developer Firaxis Games has announced that its recent tactical RPG is now free to try on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S! Yep, all current-gen Xbox owners can now get a taste of the action, with the trial period offering up to three hours of gameplay in total. The Marvel's Midnight...
News Xbox Marketing Budget Reportedly 'Reduced' In The Wake Of Microsoft Layoffs
Will we hear less from the company in the coming months?
While the team at Xbox have finally been a little more vocal about their upcoming slate of games recently — namely in the form of Xbox Developer Direct and future showcase announcements — it turns out that the platform's marketing push, generally speaking, could actually be reduced in...
News Xbox Game Pass RPG Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Gets Free 'Final Demo' This Month
And progress carries over!
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty dev Team Ninja has announced that a second free demo will launch for the title later this month, shortly before its Xbox Game Pass launch. This follow-up will focus on two early stages that didn't feature in last year's Xbox demo. 'Chapter 1: Village of Calamity' and 'Chapter 2: Two Chivalrous He
News Bandai Namco Shares An Extensive Look At Tekken 8 Gameplay
Along with the reveal of Nina Williams!
It was back at The Game Awards in December that we were treated to our first proper look at gameplay for Tekken 8, and now Bandai Namco has treated us to more snippets, along with the reveal of Nina Williams! You can get a lo
Saturday4th Feb 2023
Feature These 10+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (February 6-10)
It's time to get magical
Welcome to your new Xbox games roundup for February 6th to February 10th! We've actually got a very quiet few days ahead for new releases, but don't forget that Hogwarts Legacy arrives on February 10th, with a three-day early access period for anyone who buys the Deluxe Edition. Also, Hot Wheels Unleashed is finally making...
News The New 'Pinball FX' Arrives On Xbox Consoles Later This Month
Digital pinball evolved
Developer Zen Studios has announced that a new version of Pinball FX, which launched on the Epic Games Store in March of last year (in Early Access), is coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on February 16th, 2023. This version of the game will feature brand-new exclusive tables along with the ability to access...
Pick One What Was Your Favourite Xbox Game Pass Game In January?
Hi-Fi Rush? GoldenEye? Monster Hunter? Tell us!
It's time for another round of Pick One! With January in the books, we're looking back at a slightly bizarre month for Xbox Game Pass, but one that ultimately ended up turning into some of the best few weeks we've seen in quite a while. The service only treated us to two games between January 1st and...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 4-5)
Is it still Hi-Fi RUSH for you?
Welcome to the weekend! If you're looking for something to play on Xbox over the next few days, we've been treated to various new Xbox Game Pass titles this week including Age of Empires 2, we've got three Xbox Free Play Days additions that are live right now, and there are also various
Friday3rd Feb 2023
News The 'Worst Xbox Game Of 2022' Is Shutting Its Servers This May
Including the single-player campaigns
It's been a week of closure announcements in the world of Xbox and we've got another game to add to that list, as Metacritic's worst-rated Xbox game of 2022, CrossfireX, is officially shutting its servers this May. The news was announced by the CrossfireX team today, with the explanation being that "the game
News 'Guilty Gear Strive' Beta Is Free This Weekend Ahead Of Xbox Game Pass Launch
Get your fight on
Arc System Works' popular fighter Guilty Gear Strive is coming to Xbox this spring, including day one on Xbox Game Pass! If that sounds like too much of a wait, you can give the game a whirl before launch with the new cross-play beta, which is now live for the coming weekend. Oh, and it's totally free! Yep, the team has officially...
News Xbox 360 'May 2023' Closure Message Was An Error, Says Microsoft
"The Xbox 360 marketplace will not close in May 2023"
Update [Fri 3rd Feb, 2023 01:35 GMT]: A Microsoft spokesperson says the Xbox 360 Marketplace will not be closing in May 2023. The message on the website was apparently "posted in error". Here's the full response (via Gematsu): "This message was posted in error and we can confirm the Xbox 360...
News Two Free-To-Play Xbox Games Are Closing Down For Good Very Soon
Servers going dark
Is 2023 fast becoming the year of the gaming shut down? While Microsoft has officially walked back its support page comments on the Xbox 360 store closure, two other Xbox experiences are indeed closing down in the next few months. The teams behind two free-to-play Xbox games, Rumbleverse and Knockout City
News Dragon Ball: Kakarot Finally Launches For Xbox Series X|S With Awkward Workaround
The new DLC is also now available
The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S version of Dragon Ball: Kakarot was supposed to launch all the way back in mid-January, but due to various issues, the release was postponed indefinitely a few weeks ago. Well, we've got good news and bad news! The good news is that the next-gen version is finally now available...
Soapbox As A First-Time Player, Dead Space Feels Stuck Between Two Different Genres
It's a visual treat nonetheless
Back in the Xbox 360 says, the original Dead Space somehow managed to evade my gaming grasp. I'm not entirely sure how — the concept is certainly up my alley — but either way, the series slipped by and I never got around to playing it. So, when EA Motive revealed it would be fully remaking the first game from the...
News Zombie MMO 'The Day Before' Reveals 10 Minutes Of Uncut Gameplay
The walking dead... literally
After a somewhat controversial delay revolving around the game being blocked on Steam, zombie MMO The Day Before is now set for a November 2023 launch, at least on PC. Following this announcement, the team behind the game has dropped some uncut gameplay to try and soften the blow of its unfort
News Sinister Fishing RPG 'DREDGE' Launches On Xbox Consoles This March
"A single-player adventure with a sinister undercurrent"
Team17 has announced today that sinister finishing adventure DREDGE will be coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on March 30th, 2023, developed by the New Zealand-based Black Salt Games. This is a single-player fishing adventure in which you'll complete quests, sell your catch...
Talking Point Do You Think We'll See Hellblade 2 On Xbox In 2023?
It hasn't been announced, but it seems possible
Xbox Game Studios looks set for a much busier year in 2023. We've already been treated to the surprise drop of Hi-Fi RUSH from Tango Gameworks, and we've got the likes of Redfall, Forza Motorsport and Starfield on the way. But what abou
News 'Inkulinati' Is Getting Impressive Feedback On Xbox Game Pass So Far
Despite some silly one-star reviews
Although it was overshadowed by the arrival of Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition earlier this week, Inkulinati also launched on Xbox Game Pass back on January 31st, and the reception seems to be
News Phil Spencer Praises The Excellent Control Scheme In Age Of Empires 2 For Xbox
"Having a great time playing co-op campaign"
It's been a good few days for Xbox Game Pass, with the highlight arguably being the arrival of Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S for the very first time! The reviews have been really good for this new console version of the strategy classic, and
Thursday2nd Feb 2023
News Xbox Game Pass Shooter 'Back 4 Blood' Has Officially Ended Development
"We’ve traveled on a fantastic adventure together"
Developer Turtle Rock Studios has announced today that Back 4 Blood has officially ended development, explaining that the studio is working on another new game and doesn't currently have a large enough team to continue working on new content for Back 4 Blood moving forward. The news was announced...
News Two Additions Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (February 2nd)
Including a great gothic roguelike RPG
It's the first day of Xbox Game Pass in February 2023! We can't quite stretch to calling this roundup two "new games" as we usually would though, as only one of them is brand-new to the service, while the other is a new cloud addition. The highlight today, then, is Darkest Dungeon, which is a fantastic gothic...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (February 2-5)
Three titles to enjoy
Xbox's Free Play Days promotion returns this weekend, with a distinct twist to celebrate 'Amine Month'. Yep, two of the free play choices for this week are anime-themed, with one Ubisoft title rounding out the selection. Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising
News 'Wild Hearts' Will Have Free 10-Hour Trial On Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Later This Month
Play to your heart's content
EA's Monster Hunter-like Wild Hearts is out later this month, and ahead of launch, the team has taken part in a Reddit AMA to talk about how the game is shaping up heading into its release month. There are some int
News The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Patch Improves Ray Tracing Performance On Xbox Series X
Amongst other fixes & changes
CD Projekt RED has detailed its latest The Witcher 3 Next-Gen patch, and it brings with it some very welcome performance improvements for console players - notably in the game's ray tracing mode on Xbox Series X. Update 4.01 also makes changes to the game's screen space reflection quality, which applies to both the...
Talking Point Would You Like To See The New 'Forza Motorsport' In VR?
GT7 VR has us thinking of what could be
IGN has posted quite a lengthy deep dive on all things Gran Turismo 7 VR, right on the eve of the game's huge update that'll make Sony's racer fully compatible with PSVR 2. Of course, this is a PlayStation exclusive racing series and has been since the dawn of the brand, but this preview has really got us...
News New Info Suggests Xbox Developer The Coalition Has 'Cancelled' Two Games Recently
Don't worry, Gears 6 is still in the works
Earlier today, we shared a report from well-known journalist Jeff Grubb about the upcoming Gears 6, and now he's also been speaking as part of Thursday's Game Mess Mornings show at
Roundup Here's What The Critics Think Of Xbox Planetary Adventure 'Deliver Us Mars'
The sequel to Deliver Us The Moon has arrived
Deliver Us Mars is finally here! No, not the literal delivery of Mars as a place for all humans to forge new life, we mean the sequel to the hit video game Deliver Us The Moon. You know, the much more important news! Anyway, indeed, KeokeN Interactive's next adventure is available now for Xbox One and...
Rumour Gears 6 Development Has 'Begun In Full' Within The Last Year
Update: Other Coalition projects reportedly scrapped
Update: Jeff Grubb has since revealed more about what he knows regarding The Coalition's upcoming plans. In a discussion during Thursday's Game Mess Mornings show at Giant Bomb, Grubb stated that all projects aside from Gears 6 have been scrapped. There were apparently two others in the works...
Deals Lots Of Games Reduced By Up To 90% On Xbox This Week (January 31 - February 7)
Across a wide range of Xbox sales
Looking for some cheap Xbox games from January 31st to February 7th? Fortunately, we've got absolutely loads of Xbox games that have been discounted by up to 90% across various Xbox sales this week, including a Ubisoft Publisher Sale, Anime Month Sale, THQ Nordic & Handy Games Sale, and the usual Deals with...
News 'Titanfall 3' Hopes Dashed As EA Reportedly Cancels Unannounced Respawn Project
Triple dashed
'Titanfall 3' has been on our hypothetical wishlist for years at this point - in fact, probably since right after we wrapped up Titanfall 2's fantastic single-player campaign way back in 2016. EA doesn't seem to have gotten the memo though, at least according to a new Bloomberg report about an internal cancellation. Journalist Jason...
Wednesday1st Feb 2023
News 'Undisputed' Boxing Game Launches To 'Very Positive' Reviews, Xbox Release On The Way
It's already out in Early Access on Steam
It's been ages since a great new boxing game arrived on Xbox, so we've been keeping a very close eye on the progress of Undisputed (formerly known as eSports Boxing Club) over the past few years. Well, good news! Undisputed officially launched in Early Access on Steam earlier this week, and so far the...
Guide Microsoft Rewards: How To Claim 2000 Bonus Points On Xbox In February 2023
Your Monthly Bonus Round instructions
It's that time again! We're big fans of the Microsoft Rewards program here at Pure Xbox, which allows you to complete tasks in order to earn redeemable points which can be spent on gift cards, donations and much more. February 2023's "Monthly Bonus Round" challenge has just begun, and by satisfying a few easy...
News These 18 Games Could Be Permanently Delisted On Xbox Next Week
In other words, buy them while you can
Microsoft caused a lot of fuss yesterday when it was announced that over 40 games were being removed from the Xbox 360 marketplace beginning on February 7th, 2023, and that's definitely bad news for a few titles in particular. Although many of the games in the list have since transitioned to the modern Xbox...
News Shadow Warrior 3 Makes The Leap To Xbox Series X|S This Month With New Performance Modes
Next-gen warrior
Devolver Digital has announced that bonkers first-person shooter Shadow Warrior 3, which first launched last year on Xbox One, is getting a native next-gen version later this month. Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition, as the new version is called, will contain a bunch of new features aimed at taking advantage of current-gen...
Guide Microsoft Rewards: How To Complete February 2023's 'Xbox Game Pass Dynamic Duos' Punch Card
500 points for just a few minutes' work!
It's Microsoft Rewards time! In addition to the new February 2023 Monthly Bonus Round punch card on Xbox, we've again got a second punch card this month in which you can acquire an extra 500 points in just a few minutes. The punch card is called "Xbox Game Pass Dynamic Duos" and requires you to obtain one...
News Amnesia: The Bunker Will 'Reinvent The Rules Of Horror' On Xbox Game Pass In May 2023
Update: Release date pushed back slightly
Update (Wed 1st Feb, 2023): It's been confirmed today that Amnesia: The Bunker has been delayed slightly to May 16th, 2023. The game is still set to release for Xbox One, Series X and Series S as part of Xbox Game Pass. Original story (Thu 1st Dec, 2022): We've got a new Amnesia game on the way! Amnesia:...
News Redfall Requires 'Persistent' Online Connection Even In Single-Player
Bethesda FAQ page confirms
Following last month's Xbox Developer Direct showcase, we now know quite a bit more about Arkane's open world shooter Redfall, including a proper nailed-on release date for the game. In light of the latest gameplay deep dive, and the release date reveal, the team at Bethesda has updated Redfall's FAQ page, and it provides...
News Monster Hunter Rise's First Xbox Game Pass Update Improves Performance
Rising frame rates
Monster Hunter Rise arrived on Xbox Game Pass last month, with Capcom finally bringing this Nintendo Switch launch exclusive over to Xbox consoles almost two years after release. Despite the leap in system power with this port, there have been a few minor problems on Xbox - problems that have now been addressed in a brand-new...
Deals Xbox 'Anime Month' Sale Provides Deep Discounts On Japanese Titles
Monster Hunter, Mega Man & more!
Xbox is bringing the heat with some of these recent sales promotions, and another one has just gone live! Alongside this week's major Ubisoft sale — which has the potential to be even better thanks to a 'Just For You' bonus — the Microsoft Store has now set an 'Anime Month' sale live, featuring a selection of...
News Atomic Heart Overview Trailer Reveals Runtime & Lots Of New Gameplay Details
Coming to Xbox Game Pass this month!
It's almost Atomic Heart time for us Xbox Game Pass folk, and a couple of weeks out from the game's launch, Focus Entertainment has dropped a brand-new gameplay overview trailer that provides one of the most in-depth looks at the game yet. The above clip — which is almost 10-minutes in length — shows us more...
News Resident Evil 4 Remake Preview Details New Mechanics & Sidequest Content
Overmauled
We can officially say it - Resident Evil 4 Remake arrives on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S next month! Naturally, then, we're going to start to hear more about the game as its launch date draws ever closer, and a new Game Informer feature details a fair amount of fresh info on Capcom's upcoming adventure. The GI preview is restricted...
News Hogwarts Legacy's Official Launch Trailer Lands Ahead Of Xbox Series X|S Release
A wonderful world awaits
After what feels like years and years of anticipation, Portkey Games' sprawling Harry Potter RPG is almost here for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S players. Yep, Hogwarts Legacy launches first on current-gen platforms later this month, which means it's time for the big launch trailer. The above clip is crammed full of...
News WWE 2K23 Shows Off A First Look At The New 'WarGames' Match Type
The first gameplay trailer
Last week treated us to the announcement of WWE 2K23 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (coming on March 17th, 2023), and now we've got our first look at some actual gameplay from the upcoming release. The most notable part of this first gameplay trailer is the WarGames match type, which makes a brief...
News Pure Xbox Game Club February 2023: Hi-Fi RUSH
Come join the PX Game Club!
Want to enhance your Xbox Game Pass experience? Come join the official Pure Xbox Game Club! We can't take any credit on staff for this — the PX Game Club is the work of ralphdibny and the rest of the contributors over at the Pure Xbox forums, who have established a community that meets up every month to play a game on
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