The best gaming and entertainment gifts for the holiday season
Microsoft has introduced a new hybrid Xbox Wireless Controller that lets users play games on both Xbox One and PlayStation Vita. The controller can be used to play games that were initially developed for PC or consoles. It also includes DualSense, which allows games to be played on the big screen for which they were designed.
Major attacks on the Microsoft cloud services have prompted it to change its software security
Microsoft has launched the Secure Future Initiative (SFI), which aims to “keep data safe” in the cloud. It plans to use automation and artificial intelligence to improve the security of its cloud services and cut time it takes to fix vulnerabilities, enable better security settings out of the box, and harden its infrastructure to protect against encryption keys falling into the wrong hands.
Microsoft reorganized its marketing and Xbox teams to better prepare them for the future
Microsoft Interactive Entertainment CEO David Capossela has said the company’s gaming is progressing well beyond $1 billion limit. “We are excited to announce…Microsoft gaming is on a multi-year journey to reach players where they are, on the devices they choose to play, and our strategy is working,” he added. Capossela has served at Microsoft for 32 years.
Microsoft completed its acquisition of Call of Duty
Microsoft has finalised its $68.7 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard and will now be the “third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony”, the company said. It also announced that Activision, Blizzard, and King’s “much loved library of games” will be available in Game Pass and other platforms. The games will be available on a variety of cloud gaming services.
Phil Spencer sent a memo to employees welcoming them to Microsoft
Microsoft has signed an agreement with Activision Blizzard for a cloud-based subscription gaming service called Xbox Game Pass. Activision Blizzard said it will continue to own its current and future PC and console games for the next 15 years. Earlier, Activision Blizzard said that Modern Warfare 3 and Diablo IV won’t be coming to Xbox Game Pass this year.
The hardware event had everything that Microsoft had to announce:Surface Laptop Studio2,Surface Laptop Go 3, and Copilot in Windows
Microsoft has announced that its voice-based assistant, Copilot, will be available on Windows X later this month. The feature will allow users to control aspects of thedesktop experience with voice or text commands. Copilot will be available on the Windows desktop, as a stand-alone app and also within Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Edge.
Microsoft announced at its hardware event that there would be a Surface Laptop Go 3
Microsoft unveiled its newSurface laptops, Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Studio 3, which were available for pre-order through its online store on Tuesday. “Surface Laptop Studio 2 features a high-end, high-end Intel Core i processors, 4GB of RAM and comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics card,” Microsoft said. The laptops are priced at $1,999 and $1,499, respectively.
A leaked memo says that Microsoft will give its vision for Windows and more at a special event
Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella has said it is time to “modernise” Windows with Copilot technology. “We give ourselves…opportunity to transform our software offering and the consumers experience in an Al and Copilot-first world by bringing Windows, Web, and Services into one team under Mikhail Parakhin,” Nadella said. CoPilot is a AI-powered system that uses artificial intelligence to understand user behaviour.
Read the email where Microsoft is reacting to the PS5 reveal
Microsoft has released unredacted details of its next-gen console plans in a lawsuit filed against the company by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The documents revealed Microsoft plans to subsidize the Xbox Series X and S consoles in 2021 to hit its price targets of $499 and $299, respectively. The documents also revealed that Microsoft’s next console will use the cloud.
The step-up model of a mechanical keyboard is on sale for $71.99
Microsoft has released a new ‘universal’ wireless controller that can be used across Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s cloud services. The controller is compatible with Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. The controller also features a gyroscope and magnetic Hall-effect sticks that can be “float-resistant”, similar to the Joy-Con controllers. It’s expected to launch on October 8.