Level up GeForce NOW experiences this summer with 40% off Performance Day Passes. Enjoy 24 hours of premium cloud gaming with RTX ON, delivering low latency and shorter wait times. The hot deal comes just in time for the cloud's highly anticipated launch of Dune: Awakening - a multiplayer survival game on a massive scale set on the unforgiving sands of Arrakis. It's perfect to pair with the nine games available this week, including the Frosthaven demo announced at Steam Next Fest.

Try Before You Buy
Level up to the cloud, no commitment required. For a limited time, grab a Performance Day Pass at a price that's less than an ice cream sundae and experience premium GeForce NOW gaming for 24 hours. With RTX ON, enjoy shorter wait times and lower latency for supported games, all powered by the cloud. Dive into popular games with upgraded visuals and smoother gameplay over free users, whether exploring vast open worlds or battling in fast-paced arenas. Take the experience even further by applying the value of the Day Pass toward a six-month Performance membership during the limited-time summer sale. It's the perfect way to try out premium cloud gaming before jumping into a longer-term membership.

Microsoft's Xbox has just become the only console capable of playing the complete mainline Final Fantasy game saga. Thanks to a surprise release of Final Fantasy XVI for the Xbox Series X/S, announced during Xbox Showcase, this addition means all sixteen numbered titles are now playable on a single console family for the first time. For many years, PlayStation was the traditional platform for Square Enix's celebrated franchise. However, Microsoft has steadily changed that reality through its commitment to backward compatibility and a series of important cross-platform deals.

The arrival of the action-focused XVI completes a library that already includes classics like the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, with Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade set to join them this winter. The only title not included in this comprehensive lineup is Final Fantasy XI, which continues to thrive as a subscription-based online multiplayer game with its dedicated community. With its vast catalog, enhanced by the value of Game Pass, Xbox has successfully repositioned itself as a top-tier destination for RPG enthusiasts.

Wicked Isle, the first story expansion for Atomfall, is available now. This new pack adds the Midsummer Island location to the game together with a host of new leads, characters, enemies, weapons, items and more for you to discover. You may even uncover new potential endings for the main story. Included as part of the Deluxe Edition, and available for separate purchase on all platforms, Wicked Isle digs deeper into the folk horror elements of Atomfall as you take a boat ride across the dark and lonely waters of the lake in Wyndham Village to reach Midsummer Island.

To access Wicked Isle you need to head to docks on the shore in Wyndham and find Bill Anderson, a boatman who's an expert at navigating the treacherous waters of Lake Wyndhamere. As you approach, Bill will call you over, asking for help locating something he's lost. This is where your journey to Midsummer Isle begins. Once you agree to help Bill, he will take you over to the island and give you your first lead. From hereon in it is up to you to explore as you like.

Shuhei Yoshida, the former head of Sony Entertainment, has decried the outsized impact of game subscription services, essentially saying that they had the potential to stifle innovation and put too much emphasis on AAA and first-party games and make it even more difficult for indie developers to break into the scene. In an interview with Game Developer, Yoshida shared his concerns about the rise of subscription services, adding that Sony's approach was less harmful than Xbox Game Pass, specifically because Sony wasn't trying to launch AAA titles straight to the subscription model like Xbox is.

Yoshida's implication is that Sony's model of allowing games to have a traditional release before going to PlayStation Plus is likely a healthier approach than the day-one AAA launches that became popular on Xbox Game Pass. His concerns boil down to the aforementioned issues with innovation, saying that "what [type] of games can be created will be dictated by the owner of the subscription services," and adding that "the big companies dictate what games can be created, I don't think that will advance the industry," however he also takes issue with the financial side of things, implying that, if gamers have day-one access to games on subscription services, they won't want to pay up-front for games. This last point has implications for innovation as much as his former thought, because if game developers depend on subscription services for launches, it might make them more averse to trying new things. These comments seem all the more relevant in a modern gaming landscape, where indie developers seem to be largely responsible for pushing the envelope. You simply need to look at the popularity of games like Hades, Terraria, or the roguelike and survival-craft genre in general for evidence of such.

Among my many endeavors as a teenager, from learning to drive and how to play guitar, one stood alone on a mountain of impossibilities: landing an Ollie. It would come in time after a lot of practice and many bumps and scrapes. From there I'd move on to landing Shov Its, pulling off the occasional Manual, landing an Ollie down some stairs, and grind on a few curbs. The kick-flip, though, remains elusive to this day. Among the many things skateboarding taught me, like perseverance and how to "walk it off," it also taught me how to look at the world around me, in a different way. Where someone would just see an empty parking lot, I would see endless possibilities of curb grinds. Stairs? I bet I could Ollie down them. That rail? Not a chance.

This is what the Tony Hawk games dialed up to 11, creating elaborate levels loosely inspired by real-world locations, encouraging you to examine its surroundings and assemble your own "run" while pulling off tricks you could only dream of. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, launching July 11 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox PC, Steam, PlayStation 4|5, Nintendo Switch 1|2, and day one with Game Pass, brings us back to this world with some of the most elaborate levels the series has ever put out, now with a significant boost in overall quality and playability—the game has never felt more fun.

Xbox players worldwide are facing sticker shock this week as Microsoft quietly implemented significant price increases across its latest hardware lineup and select first-party titles. The standard Xbox Series X with 1 TB of storage now carries a suggested retail price of $599.99, up from $499.99. The digital-only Series X has jumped to $549.99, and the special Galaxy Black 2 TB edition now lists at $729.99, compared with its original $599.99 launch price. Meanwhile, the more affordable Xbox Series S saw its 512 GB model climb from $299.99 to $379.99. A newly introduced 1 TB version of the Series S is now priced at $429.99. European customers will pay €349.99 for the base Series S and €599.99 for the standard Series X, while in the United Kingdom, those figures are £299.99 and £499.99, respectively.

Microsoft has also raised prices on accessories. The basic wireless controller increased from $59.99 to $64.99 in the U.S., and the Xbox Wireless Headset now costs $119.99 in North America. Some specialized peripherals, such as the Adaptive Controller and Adaptive Joystick, remain at their previous prices, relieving gamers needing those devices. On the software side, specific first-party titles launching this holiday season will carry a $79.99 price tag instead of the usual $69.99. Digital buyers will continue to benefit from Xbox Play Anywhere, which allows a single purchase to cover both console and PC versions at no extra charge. Importantly, Xbox Game Pass subscription fees are unchanged for now, even though Microsoft tweaked console and subscription pricing as recently as mid-2024 and made a minor adjustment in June 2023. In a statement, Xbox leadership acknowledged that these changes will be tough on fans. Still, the leadership said rising development, manufacturing, logistics costs, and ongoing trade-policy uncertainties drove them.

Towerborne is available now in Xbox Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Cloud, Game Pass, and as an Xbox Play Anywhere title. It's a big moment for all of us at Stoic (Banner Saga Trilogy), and we wanted to take a moment to talk about our journey so far—and where Towerborne is going next. At its core, Towerborne is a new kind of Looter Brawler—side-scrolling, pick-up-and-play combat fused with deep ARPG progression. You take on the role of an Ace, a spirit-forged hero sworn to defend the Belfry, humanity's last refuge. Venture solo or squad up in online co-op (or couch co-op on Xbox!); every swing, every loot drop, and every Umbra companion you recruit pushes back the darkness beyond those tower walls.

Our release via Xbox Game Preview marks a watershed moment in Towerborne's journey, a game we started building years ago. That early spark of imagination grew into the world you're stepping into today. Yesterday's release also brings a sizable update that deepens progression through the new Class Mastery system, reshapes the world map with dozens of handcrafted missions, and introduces fresh Umbra, legendary gear, and a formidable new foe.

Bethesda Studios has confirmed that it will officially reveal its long‑rumored remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion in a live stream set for April 22. The event begins at 8:00 a.m. PT (11:00 a.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. BST) and will be available to watch on both YouTube and Twitch. The teaser image shows a close‑up of a battle‑worn eye alongside the Roman numeral IV, with the simple tagline "All will be revealed." Fans have already started marking their calendars in anticipation of what promises to be a significant announcement. This confirmation arrives after a plethora of leaks over the past week. Community members uncovered a hidden backend link to an official Oblivion remaster website, and images allegedly supplied by Virtuos Studio compared the original 2006 game to an impressive modernized version. And now these rumors are true, with Bethesda posting a teaser on X.

Bethesda has rebuilt Oblivion using Unreal Engine 5, bringing enhanced textures, fully redone lighting, and potentially new environmental effects. Rumors also suggest that the combat system may see updates inspired by Souls‑style blocking, while stealth, archery, and stamina management could receive fresh tuning to meet today's standards. Speculation continues that Bethesda might "shadow drop" the remaster on the same day it is revealed, allowing players to purchase or download it immediately. Reports indicate the game will launch on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, mirroring the modern platforms of the original's 2006 debut on Xbox 360 and Windows, with a PlayStation 3 port arriving in 2007. There is no word yet on a Nintendo Switch 2 edition, but as an Xbox first‑party title, the remaster will almost certainly be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one, granting subscribers instant access.

Today we have our final Do & Don't Comic—with only one more day to go until the release of Commandos: Origins arrives. Consider it done! We—at Claymore Game Studios and Kalypso Media—thank you for sharing your excitement for Commandos: Origins with us and we wish you lots of fun when you finally get your hands on the game from tomorrow onwards. Commandos: Origins is gearing up for digital release on April 9th, 2025, and will be available on Steam, on day one with Xbox Game Pass for console and PC and on Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.

ALARM! You have been selected for a mission which will shape the fate of the entire world. Witness the very beginning of the legendary elite WWII force in Commandos: Origins. The long-awaited sequel to the Commandos series brings you right back to the foundation of the real-time tactics genre.

It's not every day that you turn on a game and realize you can't even describe its genre. Blue Prince—arriving on April 10 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC (Steam), PS+ Game Catalogue and Game Pass—is a beautifully confounding thing. It's part first-person puzzle, part-strategy deckbuilder, part-roguelite, part-narrative mystery box—and yet none of these quite communicate exactly what developer Dogubomb has managed to create here. You play as Simon, who's just inherited a 45-room estate called Mount Holly—or he will inherit it, if he can find its secret, seemingly impossible 46th room. There's also the small matter of Mount Holly being, well, magical. Every day, its floor plan changes, asking you to piece it back together again—making each journey to discover that secret room an entirely new challenge.

If that sounds a bit confusing, that's entirely the point. Blue Prince is remarkably light on traditional tutorials, instead dropping hints and tips in its shifting rooms along the way. Initially, you'll need to throw yourself into the core process of drafting rooms—upon opening each door you come across, you'll draw three possible rooms that could be behind it, drawn from a pool of potentials. Some rooms are rarer than others, while others will only appear in specific place, but almost every one includes something to collect, a puzzle to solve, or a wider effect on your current run.

Rebellion, one of the world's most successful independent video game developers and publishers, has announced that Atomfall significantly surpassed the one million player mark over the weekend, having only launched last week. In total Atomfall has now been played by over 1.5 million players. A brand-new IP set in the north of England, Atomfall is Rebellion's most successful launch in the company's 32-year history.

"We are delighted that so many players are enjoying Atomfall," said Jason Kingsley CBE, CEO and co-founder of Rebellion. "To have surpassed the one million players in such a short space of time speaks volumes for the creativity and dedication of the entire team here at Rebellion. Our size and stability mean that we can take risks to create something as different as Atomfall. Happily, that risk is paying off. We are a British company, and the game is a true reflection of that. Not only is it set in the lush, beautiful countryside but Atomfall also draws inspiration from so many classic British books, films and TV series. We hope that players continue to enjoy exploring the world of Atomfall and are looking forward to future content for the game."

As the third part of what you might call a trilogy, I went into my first hands-on for DOOM: The Dark Ages with some expectations. While they have their differences, DOOM (2016) and DOOM: Eternal had lain the groundwork - I felt like I knew what id Software had in store for me, even if this prequel story and its new medieval sci-fi aesthetic might put it in a different context. Three hours later, my expectations had been blasted to pieces like so much Arachnotron meat. DOOM: The Dark Ages retains the core hallmarks of id's recent games—pulse-pounding combat, gloriously Grand Guignol aesthetics, and music as ear-rattling as its guns—but it pushes the structure of DOOM far beyond what we've known before. I was able to play slices of four distinct sections of The Dark Ages, each designed to show me a different facet of the game, and each revealing quite how wild this will get. Let me walk you through each one.

Story Mission
"Before he became a hero, he was the super weapon of gods and kings." So reads the text slate that opens DOOM: The Dark Ages. It's an absurdly badass mission statement for the game that follows. But, playing just the opening stretch of the game, it pays off multiple times. This section showed off the most familiar form of DOOM. A cutscene (yes, there are cutscenes for the story now, not just codex entries) introduces the demon-beleaguered planet of Argent D'Nur, the questionably benevolent god-race known as the Makyrs, and our familiar lead character kept captive to be unleashed on hellish threats. And from there, I'm handed a shotgun and a shield, and told to do what a DOOM Slayer does best.

Starting this week, we're rolling out even more value to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members with in-game benefits for free-to-play games. Members will get items like cosmetics, characters, in-game currency, and more for additional games, including Heroes of the Storm, Naraka: Bladepoint, Smite 2, and The Finals. Plus, we're adding even more benefits starting in April 2025, like Call of Duty: Warzone and Enlisted. With seasonal content drops, members always have new benefits to look forward to.

These new additions expand upon existing in-game benefits, including unlocking the full roster of champions in League of Legends, six skins in Overwatch 2, all Agents in Valorant, and more. Whether it's customization, personalization, or progression, players get even more from Game Pass. To access all these in-game benefits, Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members just need to log in with their Xbox profile or link their Xbox profile with each game's account. Then, simply launch the game with Xbox on PC or console and your extra benefits will be available in-game. For Game Pass Ultimate members, these benefits will be available when playing with Xbox across cloud, console and PC.

At Xbox, our mission is clear: bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. We believe that gamers should be able to play the games they want, with the people they want, anywhere they want. Central to this vision is empowering game creators to deliver exceptional content across all platforms seamlessly. Our goal is simple: to make every screen in the world an Xbox.

Since the original Xbox debuted as the first game console equipped with a built-in hard drive, this kernel of innovation has been at the core of our identity. With Xbox Live, we reshaped multiplayer gaming, establishing an industry standard for online connectivity, community building, and digital distribution. Furthering our commitment to accessibility and choice, Xbox Game Pass introduced a subscription model that redefined how players discover and engage with games, creating new opportunities for developers to connect with audiences worldwide. Since our earliest explorations in the console space, we're proud to have led the way in ensuring that hardware and services can best meet the changing needs of the gaming audience.

What's better than first-person sprayer PowerWash Simulator? A second PowerWash Simulator! That's right, we're thrilled to finally be able to talk about the next soap-erior sequel in our beloved franchise, PowerWash Simulator 2, coming in 2025 to Steam, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Epic Games Store. Available to wish list now on your platform of choice. Those of you who are eagle-eyed Game Pass fans may have enjoyed the original already, but for those unfamiliar with the concept, let me give you the rinse. PowerWash Simulator is what it says on the tin: find yourself in a mess, clean it up, build your business, become deeply immersed in soothing satisfaction, and indulge in some fascinating lore, including a mayor, a cat and… aliens?

That sounds random, but this game has been so beloved (by over 17 million of you!) that we wanted to give you more. Design Director Dan Chequer tells us a little more about why a sequel was the natural next step. "PowerWash Simulator has exceeded our expectations by taking off in the incredible way it has. Although we've added a huge amount of incredible content to the original game, we built and designed the game over four years ago when we never expected it to become so large. As a result, it has some technological limitations keeping us from adding new and interesting features. So, it made sense to start discussing where we could go from here."

The wait is finally over—Avowed, Obsidian Entertainment's highly anticipated fantasy RPG has officially launched! Step into the breathtaking Living Lands, a wild and mysterious island located in the Pillars of Eternity world of Eora, and embark on a journey filled with danger, discovery, and adventure. Play today on Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox app for Windows PC, Battle.net, Steam, and cloud, to experience Obsidian's latest RPG adventure. Also available on Game Pass!

A Land in Turmoil
The Living Lands is a frontier unlike any other. This rugged and untamed island has become a haven for exiles, dreamers, and adventurers seeking a fresh start. Its vibrant regions and scattered settlements pulse with life, each hiding untold stories and ancient secrets waiting to be uncovered. But this land of promise is fraught with peril. The Dreamscourge, a devastating soul-plague, is driving settlers to madness and turning them against one another. The very land itself resists colonization, haunted by echoes of lives long past. As an envoy chosen by a foreign emperor and blessed by a mysterious god, you are thrust into the heart of this chaos. With divine powers at your fingertips and the will to shape your own destiny, you'll confront ancient threats, unravel mysteries, and decide the fate of the Living Lands. Will you unite its people or watch as their struggles tear them apart? The choices you make will define the future of the Living Lands—and the person you become.

Obsidian's latest RPG, Avowed, is undoubtedly quite a challenging game to run even on capable hardware, if recent reports are anything to go by. It was previously mentioned that the game will focus on visuals and fidelity instead of fast-paced gameplay, and might be limited to 30 FPS on the Xbox Series X. For those who need a refresher, the 4-year-old Xbox Series X packs a GPU with just over 12 TFLOPS of raw performance, courtesy of its 52-CU RDNA 2 GPU. Now, however, it appears to have been confirmed that the game will indeed be able to hit 60 FPS on the Series X.

In a recent interview with YouTuber MinnMax, Avowed game director Carrie Patel confirmed that the game will be able to hit 60 FPS on the aforementioned console. Previous leaks sourced from a person who was able to play the game on Microsoft's consoles stated that the game will be limited 40 FPS on the Series S, and 60 on the Series X, the latter part of which has now been confirmed to be the case. Of course, there will be a downgrade in the quality of visuals to be able to hit the vaunted 60 FPS mark, but that is nothing out of the ordinary for consoles. UE 5-based Avowed is set to launch on the 18th of February, and will be available with the Xbox Game Pass, which has witnessed quite a delightful series of major launches lately.

Typically, if I'm holding my breath while playing a game, it's because I'm focused on the rhythm of say, an intense combat sequence or platforming section. The tension stems from the precise, real-time input needed to triumph in those situations, a perfectly-aligned leap or parry. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, an RPG in which the main mechanic is placing dice into a slot at your leisure, does not require the lightning fast touch of a button, and that in itself is a testament to how exhilarating the game can be.

Citizen Sleeper 2 is the sequel to 2022's Citizen Sleeper, and a compelling evolution to the first instalment that introduces new characters, stories and mechanics. You don't necessarily need to have played the first game, but it does help in understanding the nuance and complexities of the unforgiving, dystopian world that Citizen Sleeper is set in. While the first game often felt like an isolated journey where helping yourself was often a zero-sum game, Citizen Sleeper 2 introduces a crew system, alongside some other clever new features, allowing your Sleeper to become the quirky, unappointed protagonist of your very own episodic sci-fi adventure.

GeForce NOW turns five this February. Five incredible years of high-performance gaming have been made possible thanks to the members who've joined the cloud gaming platform on its remarkable journey. Since exiting beta in 2020, GeForce NOW has changed how gamers access and enjoy their favorite titles. The cloud has come a long way, introducing groundbreaking new features and supporting over 2,000 games from celebrated publishers for members to play.

Five years of cloud gaming excellence deserves a celebration. As part of an epic February lineup of 17 games coming this month, every week, GeForce NOW will deliver a major game release in the cloud. This includes the highly anticipated Kingdom Come: Deliverance II from Warhorse Studios, Avowed from Obsidian Entertainment and Sid Meier's Civilization VII from 2K Games. Make sure to stay tuned to GFN Thursdays to see what else is in store. This GFN Thursday, check out the nine titles available to stream this week, including standout title Pax Dei, a medieval massively multiplayer online (MMO) game from Mainframe Industries. Whether seeking mythical exploration or heart-pounding sci-fi combat thrills, GeForce NOW provides unforgettable experiences for every kind of gamer.

When you ask fans, "What's the quintessential action game?" the NINJA GAIDEN series is one of the legendary names that is guaranteed a mention. With roots as far back as the original 1988 arcade game NINJA GAIDEN (Ninja Ryukenden in Japan), the series has captivated fans in various forms over the years, from 2D to 3D, with its focus on swift traversal, eye-catching swordplay, and ninjutsu techniques, all jam-packed into exhilarating action gameplay.

In particular, the Xbox version of NINJA GAIDEN, released on Xbox consoles in 2004, stood out for its smooth controls and elegant action, earning its place as a revolutionary action game. The series' biggest allure lies in deeply satisfying and challenging battles featuring its iconic lead character, master ninja Ryu Hayabusa. The NINJA GAIDEN series has gained a reputation for being notoriously difficult, but with a near-unmatched sense of accomplishment upon clearing levels and defeating bosses that drives players to persevere. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Team NINJA, the studio behind the majority of these iconic titles, has declared 2025 to be "The Year of the Ninja."

This GFN Thursday recaps the latest cloud announcements from the CES trade show, including GeForce RTX gaming expansion across popular devices such as Steam Deck, Apple Vision Pro spatial computers, Meta Quest 3 and 3S, and Pico mixed-reality devices. Gamers in India will also be able to access their PC gaming library at GeForce RTX 4080 quality with an Ultimate membership for the first time in the region. This follows expansion in Chile and Columbia with GeForce NOW Alliance partner Digevo. More AAA gaming is on the way, with highly anticipated titles DOOM: The Dark Ages and Avowed joining GeForce NOW's extensive library of over 2,100 supported titles when they launch on PC later this year. Plus, no GFN Thursday is complete without new games. Get ready for six new titles joining the cloud this week.

Head in the Clouds
CES 2025 is coming to a close, but GeForce NOW members still have lots to look forward to. Members will be able to play over 2,100 titles from the GeForce NOW cloud library at GeForce RTX quality on Valve's popular Steam Deck device with the launch of a native GeForce NOW app, coming later this year. Steam Deck gamers can gain access to all the same benefits as GeForce RTX 4080 GPU owners with a GeForce NOW Ultimate membership, including NVIDIA DLSS 3 technology for the highest frame rates and NVIDIA Reflex for ultra-low latency.

LG Electronics (LG) has announced a partnership with Xbox, providing players access to hundreds of games with the Xbox app on LG Smart TVs. Owners of LG's latest Smart TVs will be able to effortlessly discover and play a wide selection of PC and console games from industry-leading partners, and soon Xbox, through the new Gaming Portal. This versatile, gaming centric hub is designed as an all-in-one solution for seamless navigation and personalized gaming, both for the latest AAA games and casual webOS app games.

For gaming enthusiasts, LG Smart TV users can soon explore the Gaming Portal for direct access to hundreds of games with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, including popular titles like Call of Duty: BlackOps 6, and highly anticipated releases like Avowed. With Game Pass Ultimate, players will also be able to stream a catalog of select Xbox games they own such as NBA 2K25 or Hogwarts Legacy.

GeForce NOW is kicking off 2025 by delivering 14 games to the cloud this month, with two available to stream this week so members can get started on their New Year's gaming resolutions. This year's CES trade show will open with a keynote from NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang on Monday, Jan. 6. GeForce NOW is offering members front-row seats in a virtual stadium, so they can hear the latest announcements and get hyped with livestreams - no downloads or installations required. It's all powered by GeForce NOW cloud streaming and hosted by ZENOS, an innovative virtual stadium platform. Members can enter the virtual stadium starting at 3 p.m. PT on Monday, Jan. 6. In addition, gear up to participate in NVIDIA GeForce LAN 50 gaming missions starting on Saturday, Jan. 4, at 4:30 p.m. PT. Stream #GeForceGreats games to unlock incredible in-game rewards with GeForce NOW.

Mission Possible
It's rewarding to be a GeForce NOW member. Unlock exclusive rewards during CES by doing what gamers do best - playing the game. Members can participate in GeForce LAN 50 gaming missions even without a game-ready rig.

It looks like the end of the console-exclusive era is marching ever forward. On the one hand, more game studios are embracing simultaneous launch strategies, as was recently emphasized by both Square Enix and Ubisoft adopting multi-platform simultaneous launches for Fantasian Neo Dimension and Assassin's Creed Shadows, respectively. The latest game to join this trend is Outer Worlds 2, which will launch on all platforms—Xbox Series S|X, Windows, PlayStation 5, and even Game Pass—simultaneously in late 2025. The surprising bit about the multi-platform launch of The Outer Worlds 2 is that Microsoft purchased Obsidian Entertainment, the studio behind The Outer Worlds, leading many to believe that future games in the franchise would be Xbox/Windows-first. While the original Outer Worlds was released after Microsoft bought Obsidian, the launch contract predates the acquisition, so it also had a simultaneous launch, regardless of Microsoft's ownership.

In addition to the swathe of new games embracing multiple simultaneous platform launches, Jez Cordon, executive editor at Windows Central and well-regarded source for gaming rumors, recently also sparked rumors with a post on X suggesting that no future games developed by Microsoft or its subsidiary studios will be permanent console exclusives. In a reply to a comment criticizing Microsoft for seemingly keeping some games on Xbox and others not, Cordon said "They don't. They're all coming to PlayStation over time."

Forza Motorsport, Xbox Studios's cinematic 2023 live-service racing sim, is getting a nice visual upgrade in an upcoming update (titled Update 15) shortly after the first anniversary of its release. On December 9, Forza Motorsport will get Ray-Traced Global Illumination (RTGI), making the racing game and all its shiny cars look more realistic. RTGI will be available for all PC versions of Forza Motorsport as of December 9—as long as the game is up-to-date that is—although it will need to be manually enabled in the game's graphics settings. After being enabled, RTGI will apply to both gameplay rendering and in-game cinematics, as well as the built-in photo mode.

While Forza Motorsport's minimum recommended GPU specification is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, you will need at least an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20-series or AMD RX 6000-series graphics card to take advantage of RTGI, with the game's developer, Turn 10, recommending an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or better for high graphics and RTGI settings. For the uninitiated, RTGI helps increase realism by simulating how light interacts with surfaces and materials, more accurately rendering indirect lighting and shadows in-game. In NVIDIA's blog post announcing the updated visuals for Forza Motorsport, it recommends using the RTGI in conjunction with DLSS Super Resolution or DLAA to get the highest frame rates. Forza Motorsport is available for PC on Steam (currently 50% off), the Microsoft Store, and PC Game Pass