All articles tagged with #xbox series x
Xbox and PC receive 40 new games this week, with five titles launching day-one on Game Pass. Key releases include Battlefield 6, Planet Zoo 2, and the soulslike Valor Mortis on October 13. The week also features Castlevania: Belmont's Curse and Beyond These Stars.
US video game hardware sales dropped 15% in August 2026, reaching a 13-year low. Rising component costs from a global memory shortage forced Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo to raise console prices significantly. These hikes have suppressed unit sales, with Xbox and PlayStation both hitting their lowest sales points since 2013.
Nintendo Switch 2 was the best-selling console in the US for August 2026, but overall hardware sales dropped 15% to 559,000 units, the lowest August total since 2013. Rising prices for memory and storage components have driven average console costs to record highs, causing unit sales for Xbox and PlayStation to fall significantly despite higher revenue per unit.
CD Projekt Red released Patch 5.01 for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, addressing launch issues on PC and consoles. The update adds a toggle for bloom effects on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, fixes a critical audio bug where voiceovers became too quiet, and resolves various gameplay glitches. While the patch improves stability, some players note that disabling path tracing with DLSS 5 yields minimal performance gains. The remaster continues to see record player counts despite initial technical hurdles.
Minecraft Dungeons 2 has entered the top five of the biggest Xbox Game Pass debuts of 2026, currently holding the fourth spot. According to TrueAchievements, the co-op action RPG attracted 14.8% more active Xbox players than Gears of War: E-Day during the first week, despite E-Day having only one day of full access compared to Minecraft Dungeons 2's full launch week. The game also outperformed NBA 2K26 by 16.2% in active player counts. While it is expected to drop in the rankings next week as Gears of War: E-Day gains more time, no other 2026 Game Pass launch is likely to surpass its current performance.
A modder has successfully ported the open-source KytyPS5 emulator to the Xbox Series X, creating a new experimental version called PS5X. This allows certain PlayStation 5 titles to run on Microsoft hardware, though performance remains unstable. The project translates Vulkan graphics instructions to DirectX 12, bypassing the Xbox's lack of native Vulkan support. While large exclusives remain unplayable, smaller titles like 'Quake 2' and 'Gex Trilogy' are functional, with newer additions like 'GTA 5' currently under testing.
Gears of War: E-Day launches globally on October 6, 2026, with preloads starting September 29. The game requires 115GB of storage and a mandatory SSD on PC. Premium Edition buyers gain a five-day early access advantage starting October 1.
Microsoft’s latest Xbox Series X|S update, currently rolling out to Xbox Insiders ahead of a wider year-end release, adds several quality-of-life features: start-up animation customization across generations, support for up to five profile badges with the option to hide badges, improved local search with access to club and achievement histories, expanded Remote Play to 1440p and higher bitrates, and cloud-play improvements that allow background downloads while streaming, plus a new Voice Clarity option to reduce background mic noise.
GTA 6 will launch on both PS5 and Xbox Series X with similar performance on base hardware, but price nudges buyers toward PlayStation: PS5 variants (standard $649.99, digital $599.99) are cheaper than Xbox Series X ($799.99); digital-only GTA 6 is priced at $79.99 for the standard edition and $99.99 for the Ultimate; a PS5 Pro could offer better visuals at a steep $899, while Xbox Series S is a cheaper, weaker option. A PC port is expected later, and a Switch 2 port is speculative. Overall, PS5 is the best value for most players at launch.
Xbox will add 25 new games across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC next week, with a Game Pass title among them. Highlights include Halloween: The Game and Mewgenics on Sept 8, Hot Wheels Infinite Rush and The Royal Writ on Sept 10, and NHL 27 closing the week on Sept 11, along with dozens of other titles and features like achievements, wishlists, and preorders via the Microsoft Store.
GTA VI launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Sony markets it as playing best on PS5, with Netflix footage shot on PS5 highlighting strong visuals. Digital Foundry suggests the game is a graphical powerhouse but may not include a 60fps mode at launch. Xbox Series X is expected to offer a comparable experience, while Series S details remain unclear. Pre-orders reportedly favored PS5 (per IGN), though Microsoft has disputed the numbers.
GTA 6 will launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S; for most players, the PS5 lineup offers the best value given current prices, with PS5 base/digital/Pro costing around $599–$899, while Xbox Series X variants run higher. The game costs $79.99 standard / $99.99 Ultimate on all platforms. PS5 Pro could boost visuals at $899.99, and Xbox Series S is a cheaper option at $499.99 with weaker specs. A PC port is expected later, while a Switch 2 port remains unconfirmed.
Rebel Wolves confirms a day-one 60fps Performance Mode for The Blood of Dawnwalker on PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X, with Series S capped at 30fps and PS5 Pro getting visual upgrades; the title launches Sept. 3, 2026 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Microsoft is commemorating Xbox’s 25th anniversary with a limited-edition Series X reportedly priced as high as $900, releasing November 27, featuring a translucent green cabinet, 1TB storage, a special anniversary controller, and hidden easter eggs, with pricing parity to the PS5 Pro and a hint that Microsoft expects further console-price hikes in 2027 as AI-driven memory costs rise.
Microsoft has hiked Xbox console prices worldwide due to rising memory and storage chip costs, with the Series X (disc version) now £670 and the Series S at £430; in the US, base consoles rose to $499 and higher-memory variants to $749, with EU prices up as well, as RAM and GPU costs rise amid AI demand. The moves follow Sony’s PS5 price increase and come amid broader industry cost pressures, while Microsoft also faces gaming-revenue dips and a major restructuring that cut about 3,200 jobs.