At its Games Showcase yesterday, Xbox unveiled Halo Campaign Evolved, which effectively rebuilds the 2001 campaign from the first Halo game from the ground up as an accurate remake with major added content. Players step back into the shoes of the Master Chief for the first ten missions on Alpha Halo, which have been updated with sharper visuals, new cinematics, streamlined controls, and better level flow.
Xbox opened its 2026 Games Showcase with extended gameplay from Gears of War E-Day, handing the series the lead spot for the first time. What followed was a focused look at the opening days of the Locust War, rebuilt from the ground up and aimed squarely at longtime fans who remember the original tension. Release arrives October 6, 2026, exactly twenty years after the first Gears of War reached players. The game lands on Xbox Series X and Series S, on PC through Steam and the Xbox app, and via cloud streaming. Game Pass Ultimate subscribers gain day-one access. Xbox leadership confirmed during the show that this release stays exclusive to Xbox consoles and PC, with no version planned for PlayStation 5.
Microsoft picked June 7 to show off a new limited edition Xbox Series X, called the X25, that celebrates the company’s gaming hardware reaching its 25th birthday. The machine carries a translucent green shell that lets light pass through and gives a glimpse of the structure inside. This marks the first time a Series X has received a see-through treatment.
ASUS took the Xbox Ally X and made changes that target the exact points players have mentioned most often. The new limited edition ROG Xbox Ally X20 carries a larger, brighter screen, refined controls, and a distinctive look. It arrives only as a bundle with a pair of AR glasses and marks twenty years of the ROG brand with a collector focused design.
Photo credit: Everton Favretto/Tecnoblog
Leaked images from a Brazilian certification lab capture Microsoft readying a gamepad built from the ground up for streaming. Compact and straightforward, the device shrinks the familiar Xbox layout into something pocket friendly while keeping every essential control intact. White and black versions appear in the shots, both sporting a clean rectangular body with short grips that suggest easy one handed carry for travel or couch sessions alike.
Gamers everywhere just gained a cleaner path to play on their Windows 11 machines. Microsoft started pushing out Xbox Mode on April 30 in select markets, with the update spreading to more users over the coming weeks. This full-screen interface draws straight from the console playbook yet runs on everything from laptops and desktops to tablets and handhelds. Players flip into it when they want games front and center and slip back to the regular desktop whenever they need to check email or open another app.
Gamers who have spent years glued to old arcade cabinets or their living room floors, feverishly wanting to achieve that perfect dunk will understand why NBA The Run needs to exist. This game is set for release on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam in June 2026, featuring fast-paced three-on-three play and short knockout competitions on courts all around the world.
Most gamers have a foggy memory of the weird X-shaped Xbox from the early 2000s. Microsoft cobbled it together as a one-off prototype made of machined aluminum, but the actual console followed a very different path. Tito Perez, of Macho Nacho Productions, wanted to change that. His current project includes step-by-step directions so that anyone with basic equipment and an original Xbox may build their own working version in a transparent container that looks exactly like the prototype.
Holding the official Xbox Wireless Controller in Shock Blue, priced at $39 (was $70), makes you appreciate the ergonomic design. When you consider how the geometry has been refined and the contours sculpted to accommodate different hand sizes, it’s fairly astounding, because it’s all about making you as comfortable as possible during those extended gaming sessions. Texture grips on the handles, triggers, and bumpers help you maintain a solid grip on the device even when things get hot and you’re sweating bullets in those online matches.
Photo credit: Video Games History
The original Xbox prototype made a comeback appearance at GDC 2026, generating a lot of interest as part of a larger Microsoft exhibit showcasing Xbox history. That first concept design was originally shown at the Game Developers Conference in March 2000, just as the company was about to enter the console market.