Phil Spencer

Microsoft’s head of gaming has discussed what he’d like to see in a potential Xbox handheld.

Say what you will about Starfield, but there’s no denying the hype around Bethesda Game Studios’ next big title, The Elder Scrolls 6. In a tweet celebrating 30 years of the franchise, the developer confirmed that it’s “playing early builds” of the eagerly-awaited sequel.

Bethesda has celebrated the 30th birthday of The Elder Scrolls series, and in doing so provided a brief update on the in-development The Elder Scrolls 6.

Phil Spencer has tried all of the new PC gaming handhelds: the Asus ROG Ally, the Lenovo Legion Go, and the Steam Deck. He’s impressed. But he can’t shake one question. How would he make them more Xbox?

With Amazon’s new Fallout TV show slated to hit Prime next month, longtime Fallout fans have already started wondering what the next official entry in the iconic post-apocalyptic video game series will look like.

The US has filed a lawsuit against Apple, accusing it of illegally limiting competitors and holding a monopoly over the smartphone market.

Xbox is jumping into spring with a huge slate of games coming to Xbox Game Pass. Starting today, the service will be getting Lightyear Frontier, a space exploration and farming sim with a mech, and MLB The Show 24, which also launched Tuesday across platforms and will feature women players for the first time in franchise history.

It can be difficult keeping track of the various comings and goings in the games industry, which is why we compile them in semi-regular round-ups.

Something Wicked Games has reportedly laid off «most of» its staff, according to a handful of people impacted.

A new Xbox devkit was rated in South Korea yesterday by the National Radio Research Agency. It's unclear what this console is, but there are a couple of possibilities, such as the leaked all-digital Xbox Series X and separate handheld.

Leaked specifications for Sony's unannounced PlayStation 5 Pro console have been posted online, and show the upgrades present in the souped-up console expected to launch later this year.

As the gaming community eagerly anticipates Rockstar Games highly awaited GTA 6, a recent leak has stirred excitement, hinting at the arrival of the next-gen PS5 Pro, potentially setting a new benchmark for gaming consoles. Scheduled for a speculated release later this year, just in time for the holiday season, the PS5 Pro could be the ultimate platform to experience the next instalment of the iconic franchise, according to insider reports.

Hi-Fi RUSH is now available for pre-load on PlayStation 5 ahead of its release later this week and weighs in at 15.5GB.

Thomas Mahler, the co-founder of Moon Studios and creator of the Ori games, has said that he fully believes in the direction that Phil Spencer is taking with Xbox.

An Xbox insider has responded to recent rumors that have claimed Ninja Theory is porting to the PlayStation 5. Reports of more Xbox-exclusive titles going multi-platform have become more common since Xbox CEO, Phil Spencer, announced four of the platform's first-party games would also be going to Nintendo and PlayStation devices.

Sea of Thieves is off to a strong start on PlayStation, taking the lead in preorders. In February, Xbox announced that some of its games would no longer be exclusive to its platforms, and that roster included Sea of Thieves. Several games were rumored for a while, and their official announcement during Xbox's Business Update podcast only confirmed what many had already suspected.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is not coming to the PlayStation 5, a well-known Xbox insider has said. The claim was offered in response to a newly emerged rumor that Ninja Theory is already working on a Hellblade 2 PS5 port.

Former Xbox, Sega and Electronic Arts executive Peter Moore believes that “serious questions” are being asked about the future of console generations.

Developer Rare has announced that Sea of Thieves is getting a new anti-cheat system in the near future. This marks the developer's first step in truly addressing cheating issues within Sea of Thieves.

Microsoft is likely debating the future of Xbox consoles, as the market is rapidly changing, making launching new hardware more difficult and expensive, according to Xbox and EA's former boss.

Since Starfield's launch, players have been able to get their hands on one of the RPG's best spacesuits really early in their spacefaring adventure, but no longer.

It feels like the video game console is at a crossroads. With Xbox Series X and S floundering in the ‘console war’, Sony suggesting PlayStation 5 is approaching the second half of its life after missing sales targets, and uncertainty around the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, there is growing concern that the traditional video game console business could be under threat.

The full release of Final Fantasy XIV on Xbox Series X|S is coming later this month on 21st March, with a Starter Edition of the game being bundled in as an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate perk until 19th April.

Microsoft's and Bethesda's Starfield isn't coming to PlayStation 5 anytime soon, according to journalist Jez Corden.

Sony has secured the complete Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy as a console exclusive.

Microsoft has announced Final Fantasy 14 will be released on Xbox Series X/S on March 21.

Final Fantasy 14 now has an official release date on Xbox.

People have been playing for over a decade at this point, but in all that time, it's doubtful they've reached a character Level of 1337. series has been a massive success story for Bethesda since the first game released in 1994. That success extends to the fifth installment in the main franchise, which remains incredibly popular with players.

Toys for Bob — the Activision Blizzard studio behind the likes of Skylanders, Crash Bandicoot 4, and the Spyro remasters — has announced it's parting ways with Activision to become an independent company once more. It also says it's «exploring a possible partnership» with Microsoft as development on its new game gets underway.

PlayStation is set to lay off around 900 employees worldwide.

As it lays off around 900 people across Sony's stable of studios, including cuts at Naughty Dog, Insomniac, and the entirety of now-defunct PlayStation London, PlayStation Studios is also canning multiple unannounced projects. 

Helldivers 2's lead developer Johan Pilestedt seems open to a crossover with Destiny, saying that it would "make sense" for the setting. He even tagged Bungie in his comment, perhaps in a bid to see if the studio would be open to arranging some kind of collaboration for the two games.

players are teaming up to kill bugs, spread democracy, and, just maybe, to end the console wars once and for all. As a co-op game, in which the threats are much bigger and stronger than a single player could ever hope to be, teamwork is in its very nature. While things like teamkilling do happen in , its multiplayer meta focuses on communication and collaboration.

Microsoft is reportedly preparing to launch a new white, digital-only version of its top-end Xbox Series X console in «June or July» this year.

Following the rumors and then the confirmation from Microsoft that several Xbox exclusives (Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Pentiment, and Hi-Fi Rush) would launch on rival consoles from Sony and Nintendo, many gamers took that as an admission of defeat in the console war. However, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter shared a completely different view in his latest appearance on Pachter Factor, believing that to be an incorrect perception of Microsoft's true gaming plans.

Helldiver 2‘s popularity has drawn in players from around the world ready to spread democracy across the galaxy. Unfortunately, Arrowhead’s servers weren’t prepared for just how popular the game was going to be, which has led to frustrating issues.

Microsoft first-party games Pentiment, Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush, and Sea of Thieves will soon be available on Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation platforms. Xbox confirmed on Wednesday that much like other popular multi-platform games like Minecraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Diablo, players will soon be able to access these exclusive games on their Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. This move underscores a larger trend in the gaming industry towards greater accessibility and cross-platform interoperability. By adopting this strategy, the company hopes to encourage greater inclusivity and reach a wider range of gamers.

Final Fantasy 14 has officially begun its open beta for the Xbox Series X|S version. New players can download the free trial of Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox and start their journeys in Eorzea and beyond right now.

Xbox and Rare have confirmed that Sea of Thieves is coming to PS5 on April 30, and will feature full cross-play across Xbox, PlayStation and PC.

Last week, on the heels of rampant rumors and speculation, Microsoft announced that while they aren’t porting their biggest games like Starfield to other platforms, they would be bringing four slightly lower-profile games to the competition. At the time, Phil Spencer wouldn't say what these games were, but as of today we now know three of the four. During the latest Nintendo Direct it was announced Grounded and Pentiment are coming to Switch, and now we know Hi-Fi Rush is coming to PS5.

Former Xbox console exclusives Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves are both confirmed to be coming to PS5 in the coming months. Hi-Fi Rush is slated to make the jump to PS5 on March 19 with Sea of Thieves joining later on April 30.

Now that the dust has mostly settled on Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the question remains over when those games will start to trickle onto Xbox Game Pass. Xbox head Phil Spencer seems to still want Call of Duty and other big titles on the pass, but it remains to be seen when it could happen.

Microsoft has confirmed multiplatform release plans for four first-party titles.

Microsoft has finally laid out when people can expect Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, and Grounded to go fully multiplatform.

We learned earlier today that Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush, once console exclusives to Xbox, are two of four games releasing on other consoles in the coming months. Shortly after that, Obsidian and Bethesda announced that both games will receive a physical and digital release.

During Wednesday’s Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase, we learned about two of the Xbox Game Studios titles that are going multiplatform. The games in question are Obsidian Entertainment’s Grounded and Pentiment, and the latter will launch tomorrow on Nintendo Switch.

Microsoft and Bethesda finally confirmed that Hi-Fi Rush is going multiplatform. In particular, it was announced that the rhythm action game is coming to the PS5 next month.

The worst-kept secret in gaming has just leaked even more dramatically, as a trailer confirming that Hi-Fi Rush is coming to PS5 has just appeared on Bethesda's Latin American YouTube channel.

Following the announcement of Pentiment and Grounded heading to the Nintendo Switch, it seems like Hi-Fi Rush is slamming its way onto the PS5 this March.

In its Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase event, it was revealed that Pentiment and Grounded, two Xbox exclusive Obsidian Entertainment games, are making the leap to the Nintendo Switch. It has been a tumultuous couple of weeks for Phil Spencer and Team Xbox after speculation and concern swept over the community regarding rumors indicating that Microsoft was considering becoming a third party developer, similarly to what Sega did after the Dreamcast. The uproar eventually pushed Phil Spencer to respond and announce that not only were they listening to fan concerns, but a planned poidcast around the company's future would reveal more.

After confirming that some of Microsoft’s console exclusives would be heading to new platforms, two of them have been confirmed for their Switch debut. Two Obsidian games, Grounded and Pentiment, are making their way to Nintendo Switch.

Obsidian Entertainment's former Xbox-exclusive titles Pentiment and Grounded are coming to Nintendo Switch.

Following on from today’s news that Pentiment and Grounded are coming to Nintendo Switch, Microsoft has announced that fellow Xbox game Hi-Fi Rush is coming to PlayStation 5.

The first two Xbox games coming to Nintendo Switch have now been confirmed, courtesy of today's Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase.

With Diablo 4 becoming the first Activision Blizzard game to launch for Game Pass on March 28th, the door is seemingly open for other titles to follow. Speaking to Game File’s Stephen Totilo, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said the company intends that “the full portfolio of games from ZeniMax, Activision Blizzard and XGS – Xbox Game Studios – will be on Game Pass, day one.”

Pentiment and Grounded have both been confirmed for a Nintendo Switch launch.

Xbox games Pentiment and Grounded are confirmed as coming to Nintendo Switch.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has addressed lingering questions around the company stance on physical media following last year's leaks of an «adorably all-digital» Xbox Series X refresh, saying Microsoft continues to be «supportive» of the medium, and insisting «getting rid of physical, that's not a strategic thing for us.»

Phil Spencer has gone on record on why Microsoft Gaming suddenly fired 1,900 of their own employees after the Activision Blizzard King merger was finalized months earlier.

The open beta for the Xbox Series X/S version of Final Fantasy 14 has now started.

Helldivers 2 is a PlayStation console exclusive, so it’s not available on Xbox Series X or S. Not only has Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer voiced his disappointment in this, but so have many Helldivers 2 players, who are asking for more backup in the fight against the Terminids and Automatons.

So with that all in mind, let's take a look at what we could expect to see in that swift 25 minutes.

Will this year’s Call of Duty launch day one on Game Pass? Xbox boss Phil Spencer has suggested it will.

Last year, an all-digital Xbox Series X leaked via FTC court documents, which many fans worried was another hint towards an all-digital future. It's a concerning precedent because the Xbox 360 digital storefront is shutting down in July, meaning that physical media is the only way to get games for the platform going forward. If something similar happened to an all-digital generation down the line, it'd be a huge blow to preservation.

Xbox head Phil Spencer has clarified that Microsoft will continue to support physical media.

Microsoft Gaming’s Phil Spencer has indicated a change in strategy for the company.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has confirmed that Xbox will not be moving away from physical media anytime soon, despite the market trending towards digital purchases.

Even with its continued push for Game Pass, Xbox has no intention of fully abandoning disc-based games, according to Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer.

Microsoft‘s head of gaming has claimed that getting rid of physical media isn’t a strategic goal for Xbox, but its support for disc-based games appears far from unwavering.

One Google engineer is showing off a PlayStation Portal hack that allows the device to play PSP games. The PlayStation Portal is designed to be a handheld device that remotely controls the user's PS5 console, but that hasn't stopped enthusiasts from trying to expand upon the accessory's utility.

Starfield’s latest update has added support for AMD FidelityFXTM Super Resolution 3 and Intel Xe Super Sampling.

Sony is expected to launch a souped up version of the PlayStation 5 later this year, analysts have suggested.

A Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase has been confirmed for later this week.

Nintendo has announced a new Nintendo Direct Partner showcase for later this week on Wednesday February 21.

Following comments from Xbox boss Phil Spencer over how he's unsure who's helped by Helldivers 2 not launching on Microsoft consoles, Xbox fans have set up a petition directed at PlayStation to try and convince them to bring the co-op shooter to Xbox Series X|S. Close to 23,000 signatures have been garnered so far, with the petition saying it «heralds the arrival of a beloved franchise on new platforms» and «signifies a potential turning point in the ongoing console wars».

For the best part of this generation, Sony’s been pressured by a vocal part of the gaming community to borrow Xbox Game Pass’ unproven business model with PS Plus. The platform holder eventually decided to take a half-step, merging PS Now with its existing subscription but resisting the urge to add day one first-party software to the service. It’s described this strategy as unsustainable.

Microsoft has officially confirmed it’ll bring four formerly exclusive games to rival platforms like PS5, but it won’t say which ones. As part of a bizarre podcast featuring executives Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty, the trillion-dollar tech titan danced around the rumours which have been doing the rounds for weeks now.

Microsoft will not release Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5 – yet. Xbox boss Phil Spencer stressed these two titles are not part of the four unnamed outings it’s officially bringing to Sony’s system, but in a follow-up interview with The Verge he seemed hesitant to rule out the possibility of them ever getting converted in the future.

In case you missed it, Xbox's top dogs set live a podcast yesterday, publicly announcing the company's long-rumoured intention to bring a selection of first-party games to rival consoles. After so much noise around the subject, it hardly came as a surprise, but it's still a noteworthy shift in how the platform holder will handle its in-house titles going forward. While the messaging was kept fairly vague, we can get a touch more context from a company memo, sent from Phil Spencer to staff before the podcast's debut. It's now available to read in its entirety online.

Microsoft will bring four first-party titles to PS5, but it’s refusing to name which. Said titles will not include Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which will remain exclusive to Xbox and PC, until circumstances change. Xbox bigwig Phil Spencer, however, has seen the success of Helldivers 2 – and is struggling to see the advantage of the PlayStation-published shooter not being available on Xbox.