Jason Ronald
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Game Pass, Cloud Gaming and Cross-Platform Play: The New Rules of Xbox
Xbox is evolving beyond the traditional console experience, with cloud gaming, Xbox Play Anywhere, and cross-play becoming central to its strategy. Games like Halo: Campaign Evolved and Gears of War: Reloaded now launch across multiple platforms including PlayStation 5 and Steam, allowing players to seamlessly continue their progress across devices. This shift emphasizes account-led continuity and broad accessibility over hardware exclusivity.
Project Helix isn’t one box: Xbox chief Asha Sharma says it’s a ‘family of devices’
Xbox chief Asha Sharma has begun referring to the upcoming Project Helix as a 'family of devices' rather than a single console, suggesting a broader hardware strategy. This shift in terminology, coupled with past partnership announcements with AMD and a VP's non-denial of third-party involvement, indicates a more expansive vision for the next generation of Xbox hardware, which is confirmed to run PC games.
Xbox announces disc-to-digital feature that lets you digitise physical Xbox One and Series X games
Xbox has announced a new disc-to-digital feature allowing players to convert physical Xbox One and Xbox Series X games into digital licenses. This feature, available for testing to Xbox Insiders starting August 31st, aims to enhance game preservation and provide greater flexibility for players. The digital entitlement means discs will no longer be required for play and enables benefits like Play Anywhere on PC and cloud streaming where supported.
Xbox officially announces disc to digital program
Xbox has officially announced a new "Disc to Digital" program that will allow players to convert their physical game discs into digital licenses. This feature, launching first for Xbox Insiders on August 31, will enable users to run compatible Xbox One and Xbox Series X games digitally, unlocking access to Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming. The initiative is presented as part of Xbox's commitment to game preservation.
Xbox to let Insiders convert physical game discs into digital entitlements later this month
Xbox Insiders will begin testing a disc-to-digital feature on August 31, allowing owners of supported physical Xbox One and Xbox Series X games to claim a digital entitlement. This initiative aims to enhance game preservation by providing digital access to owned physical titles. While thousands of games will be supported at launch, not all titles will be included, and only one digital license can be generated per disc.
Xbox’s Disc-To-Digital Program Officially Announced, And It Sounds Pretty Great
Microsoft has officially announced its Disc-To-Digital program for Xbox, allowing players to digitize their physical game discs for Xbox One and Xbox Series X consoles. This feature grants digital benefits like Xbox Play Anywhere and Cloud Gaming, though it is tied to the specific disc and account. The program will exclude Xbox Series S owners and is expected to roll out to Xbox Insiders on August 31st before a wider release.
Free, Ad-Supported Gaming Is Now Available On Xbox In A Test
Microsoft has launched a test for a free, ad-supported version of its cloud gaming service on Xbox, available to select Xbox Insiders. This initiative aims to make gaming more affordable by allowing players to stream games for up to an hour after watching ads, without interrupting gameplay. The program, previously tested internally, is now being rolled out publicly to explore new ways for players to access games without upfront purchase or new hardware, provided they have a stable internet connection.
Original Xbox games on PC means one less reason to buy the next console
Xbox is making original Xbox console games playable on PC, starting with Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live And Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road To Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy. This initiative, which includes achievements and customizable graphics, aims to enhance backwards compatibility and game preservation. The move raises questions about the necessity of purchasing future Xbox consoles if games are readily accessible on PC.
Xbox announces backwards compatibility for PC and handheld devices
Xbox is expanding its backwards compatibility initiative to PC and handheld devices, starting with four classic titles: BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy. These games will be available for purchase and via Game Pass, with existing digital licenses transferring to PC. This move is part of a broader effort to preserve Xbox games and bring them to PC, alongside enhancements for graphics and future Achievement support.
Microsoft is bringing original Xbox exclusives to PC for the first time, starting with four 'classic games'
Microsoft has launched a new program to bring original Xbox exclusive games to PC for the first time, starting with four titles: BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy. These games are available for purchase on PC and included with all Game Pass plans, offering enhanced features like customizable graphics. This initiative is part of a broader effort by Xbox to preserve and make older games accessible on modern platforms.
You Can Now Play Some Original Xbox Games On PC Via Backwards Compatibility
Xbox has announced that backwards compatibility is now available on PC, allowing players to access select original Xbox games. Jason Ronald, VP of Next Generation at Xbox, shared the news, confirming that four classic titles are now playable on the platform.
Microsoft launches Xbox backward compatibility for PC
Microsoft has begun rolling out Xbox backward compatibility for PC, starting with four classic titles: BliNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fusion Frenzy. These games support up to 4x resolution upscaling and enhanced graphics settings, with plans to add features like achievements in the future. This initiative is part of a broader effort to preserve Xbox games and bring them to PC, occurring amidst industry-wide discussions on game preservation and recent layoffs within Microsoft's gaming division.
Following layoffs and muddy strategy shifts, Xbox announces Backward Compatibility on PC program, with Blinx and Conker leading the first wave
Xbox has launched a new Backward Compatibility on PC program, bringing classic titles like Blinx: The Time Sweeper and Conker: Live and Reloaded to PC and handhelds such as the ASUS ROG Ally. This initiative includes enhanced features like up to 4x resolution upscaling and is available through Xbox Game Pass or individual purchase. The program aims to revive Xbox's strength in backward compatibility, with plans for future updates and achievements.
Xbox Reveals Four Classic Xbox Titles As Part Of "Backward Compatibility on PC"
Xbox has launched its "Backward Compatibility on PC" initiative, making four classic original Xbox titles available to play natively on PC with enhanced graphics options. The titles include BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy, all of which are also included in Xbox Game Pass. Future updates will bring achievements to these and other original Xbox games.
Xbox is after my nostalgia-loving heart with this new translucent 25th anniversary Series X inspired by the OG console
Microsoft is releasing a limited edition Xbox Series X console and controller to celebrate the brand's 25th anniversary. Inspired by the original translucent green Xbox from the early 2000s, the console features a transparent green chassis and a retro-inspired controller. It is set to launch in November 2026.
This new limited edition Series X looks like the ultimate machine for Xbox lovers
Microsoft has unveiled a limited edition Xbox Series X console celebrating the brand's 25th anniversary. The console features a translucent green design reminiscent of the original Xbox and special anniversary branding. A matching translucent green Xbox Wireless Controller will also be available. The limited edition collection is set to release in select markets in November.
Xbox announces hire of veteran analyst Matthew Ball as chief strategy officer, and AI and Amazon veteran as CTO
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has appointed industry analyst Matthew Ball as chief strategy officer and Amazon veteran Scott Van Vliet as chief technology officer as part of an ongoing management restructure. Ball, a recognized metaverse expert and longtime gamer, will report directly to Sharma, while Van Vliet will focus on improving the product development pipeline. Chris Schnakenberg was also promoted to corporate vice president of partnerships and business development.
ID@Xbox Director Says XBOX is Preparing For its Next 25 Years, Not Going Through a “Midlife Crisis”
Xbox director Guy Richards stated that the company is focused on its next 25 years rather than a "midlife crisis," emphasizing adaptation to evolving player behavior and business models. Recent leadership changes under CEO Asha Sharma aim to accelerate innovation and community connection, including retiring features like Copilot on mobile and console.
Xbox Has Seemingly Rebranded to XBOX (Seriously)
Microsoft Gaming has seemingly rebranded to XBOX, adopting an all-caps version of its name following a Twitter poll. This change, spearheaded by CEO Asha Sharma, follows other recent updates including a new logo, console start-up animation, and adjustments to Game Pass pricing. The article notes that time will tell if this rebranding will be a lasting change.
Xbox plans to share more on its next console, Project Helix, 'later this year'
Xbox VP of next generation Jason Ronald confirmed that more details about the upcoming console, codenamed Project Helix, will be revealed later this year. Early hardware is expected to ship to developers in early 2027, suggesting a potential consumer release within the next couple of years. This announcement follows the discontinuation of Copilot for Xbox and abandonment of Xbox mobile app functionality.
