The Gears 5 release is just over a month away, and today, Microsoft unveiled a limited edition Xbox One X bundle for the game. It’s the first first Limited Edition Xbox One X since the Project Scorpio Edition, and sports a never-before-seen dark translucent casing as well as laser-etched cracks across the console’s frosty top surface, complete with snow drifting across a golden Locust symbol on the back. Read more for a video and additional information.
Photo credit: Windows Central
Project xCloud aims to bring console quality gaming to phones and tqblets, but let’s face it, using a touchscreen controls just won’t cut it, especially for FPS games. Sure, there’s systems like AdaptControl which can adapt to the ‘drift’ typically occurring when using virtual on-screen controls, but touch-based emulation of traditional gaming controls like D-pads, buttons and joysticks aren’t responsive enough. So, Microsoft has been working on prototype Xbox mobile controllers for smartphones that attach to each end. Read more for additional pictures and information.
A new Microsoft Flight Simulator game is coming to PC (Windows 10) and Xbox One platforms through Xbox Game Pass in 2020. In the announcement trailer, we get a preview of a variety of flyable planes, including small two-seaters to massive 747s, complete with satellite data, thanks to Microsoft’s Azure engine, which brings the world to life, including real-world locations like the pyramids at Giza as well as the Seattle Space Needle. Read more for a flight test video and additional information.
Slated for release in Q4 2020, Microsoft’s Project Scarlett will use a semi-custom AMD Zen 2 processor architecture with Radeon RDNA architecture, and GDDR6 memory, which is plenty of power for 8K graphics, real-time ray tracing and even 120 frames per second gaming performance. Say goodbye to loading times, this console will utilize SSD storage that doubles as virtual memory to for blazing fast performance. “We’ve created a new generation of SSDs. We’re using the SSD as virtual RAM,” says an Xbox representative. Read more for another video of Xbox’s Phil Spencer on the new console, another picture and additional information.
Microsoft officially launched its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription today ahead of the company’s E3 press conference. At $14.99 per month, users gain access to Xbox Live Gold as well as Xbox Game Pass for both Xbox and PC. How good of a deal is Ultimate? Well, considering that Xbox Game Pass for PC / Xbox costs $4.99 / $9.99 respectively as well as Xbox Live Gold for $9.99 per month, that is a combined total of $24.97 per month. Read more for a Microsoft press conference livestream direct from E3 2019 and a link to where you can buy it now.
Meta Threads, a clothing company which hosts top styles from influencers and esports teams, has partnered with Microsoft for their second generation of Xbox apparel, launching June 11th during E3 2019. The pieces found in this line highlight both athletic and technological influences, all the while maintaining an urban stylish tone to create functional modern clothing for gamers everywhere. “Working with a team as talented as Xbox has made the creative development process an incredible experience. Gaming remains a dominant force in pop culture and our goal is to capture the lifestyle beyond just the screen, bringing it into our fan’s every day lives. We are excited to announce our second collection with Xbox at E3 and are looking forward to future projects,” said Steve Nabi Co-Founder and President of Meta Threads. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
Microsoft Inc. has teamed up with the makers of Axe body spray (Lynx in markets outside the US) to release a line of Xbox-branded personal care products that include a body wash, deodorant and shower gel. “Lynx Xbox is a fresh scent of pulsing green citrus, featuring top notes of kaffir lime and winter lemon, aromatic herbal middle notes of mint and sage, and woody bottom notes of patchouli and clearwood. Containing a range of natural essential oils, the Xbox Lynx range comes with a sleek new look and features a body spray, deodorant, and shower gel,” according to the official description. Unfortunately (or fortunately), it will be exclusive to Australia when it launches in July. Read more for an Xbox One X extreme drop test video with a $1,900 Samsung parachute and additional information.
Programmer Voxel9 managed to get the XQEMU Xbox emulator running on a Nintendo Switch and uploaded a video showing a few games running, including the first Halo. “Yep, you read the title right, XQEMU successfully compiles and runs on a Nintendo Switch running the new updated Linux4Tegra Ubuntu…I’m running mborgerson’s performance WIP branch…For those wondering what exactly I was using for input, I had to use a PS4 controller, as joy-cons connected as a pair don’t appear to have an SDL2 gamepad mapping for them, making them undetectable by the emulator,” said Voxel9. Read more for the video and additional information.
Photo credit: Yeong seok Go
Industrial designer Yeong Seok Go has some interesting ideas for next-generation Xbox controllers, and it’s basically a split-design inspired by smooth pebbles. Simply put, rather than using several different types of game controllers for various titles (shooters, racing, etc.), this design enables you to move your hands in a natural manner, whether it be punching out combos, aiming in an FPS, or even driving a supercar. Read more for additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: Wccftech
Microsoft and Nintendo are teaming up to publish more Xbox games on the Switch, involving both direct ports and a Switch app to allow for Game Pass, the Netflix-like subscription service for video games. To be more specific, Microsoft is looking to publish Ori and the Blind Forest, which is currently an exclusive for Windows 10 and Xbox platforms, on Switch. That’s not all, project xCloud, the cloud-based game streaming service Microsoft showcased at E3 2018, could be coming to Nintendo’s console, too, enabling you to play games on the Switch that its limited hardware otherwise wouldn’t be able to handle – like Halo – provided you have a reliable and high-speed internet connection. Read more for another video and additional information.