Windows Central

1. Xbox's Starfield gets Nintendo Switch 2 rating days after its PS5 release, keeping hopes for a port of Bethesda's RPG alive — here's what we know

   Is Starfield coming to Nintendo Switch 2? A new rating suggests that it is, though recent reports claim the port in development has been difficult to make.

2. "The stuff that we're seeing is really well put together": Xbox game publishing chief says Forza Horizon 6 takes him back to the golden years of racing games

   Forza Horizon 6 will likely be one of the biggest Xbox games of the year, and CCO Matt Booty says "It really feels like a whole new, fresh game."

3. Microsoft's Xbox games lead Matt Booty says its studios are in a "culture of cultures" and work together more than you think — Blizzard is even helping with Fable

   Xbox Game Studios has over 30 teams under its wing, and chief content officer Matt Booty says they collaborate more often than many believe they do.

4. Rumored feature coming to Steam that will help you track prices, and Microsoft should copy it immediately for Xbox and PC

   A Steam backend update suggests expanded price history tracking could be on the way. The feature highlights a gap on Xbox, where users still rely on third party tools to track game pricing.

5. Xbox and Best Buy want to help you build your first video game in 2026

   Xbox Game Camp returns in 2026 with a new program in Minneapolis, offering a 12 week training course for young developers to build games, learn key skills, and create a portfolio with Microsoft.

6. Microsoft prepares display upgrades and two stage launch for new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop with Intel and Snapdragon chips this year

   New PCs from Microsoft will consist of new chips, display upgrades, and higher starting prices this spring and summer.

7. Someone discovered Seagate's Xbox Storage Expansion cards can be used on PC — which has made their value more meaningful with these discounts

   Several discounts have been discovered for the Seagate Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox, giving people a chance to increase the storage space of their Xbox's (and PC's via a special peripheral) for less.

8. ID@Xbox makes a bold claim — “Games launching day one into Game Pass… do very well on other platforms as well”

   ID@Xbox director Guy Richards says Xbox Game Pass boosts game discovery and can drive sales beyond Xbox platforms, highlighting its wider impact across the industry.

9. Before Forza Horizon 6 takes us to Japan, let's remember where the legend began almost 14 years ago

   Forza Horizon 6 may well be upon us, but the franchise owes its roots to the first Horizon Festival in Colorado almost 14 years ago. Take a trip down memory lane with this epic retrospective.

10. "Users can now simply ask what happened": AppControl's optional AI integration gives you in-depth PC diagnostic history in plain English — It works with popular LLMs, but I'll use offline models for added security

    AppControl has replaced Task Manager on my PCs, and it seems like it's just getting started. The latest update adds optional AI integration that answers questions regarding system history, which is basically like having your own private IT tech inside your system.

11. Our friends at Tom's Guide are upgrading: Here's what it means, and how our sister site's overhaul affects Windows Central

    Our sister site, Tom's Guide, just launched its overhaul, featuring all-new shopping tools and exciting prospects for the future. Here's what it all means.

12. WWE 2K26 review: It comes close to being the best in the world — but yearly releases are clearly holding it back

    WWE 2K26 delivers the best gameplay and biggest roster in the WWE 2K series, but there are bigger issues elsewhere.

13. ASUS Zenbook A16 vs. Zenbook S 16: Lots of similarities don't necessarily make for an easy choice, and it might come down to pricing and performance hardware

    ASUS now has Zenbook A16 and Zenbook S 16 models on the market, and at first glance, they seem quite similar. But once you get inside, differences begin to appear. I've put together this comparison based on our reviews of both laptops to help you make the right decision.

14. "This is one headset that absolutely will not disappoint anyone": Our favorite Xbox headset raises the bar for sound quality with a price that's lower than I expected

    Turtle Beach's Stealth 700 (Gen 3) gaming headset is back on sale for a 33% discount, so players can enjoy its immaculate soundscapes and comfortable ergonomics at a lower price.

15. "One of the better laptops I’ve encountered and one I’d happily use daily": This high-end ThinkPad is a solid bet for professionals — especially after this generous discount

    The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition laptop is having a Doorstopper discount at Lenovo, giving business professionals a chance to own its powerful specs for office work for 18% less.

16. I've finally found a loophole to block a specific type of YouTube ads, and it won’t cost you a dime: Just a little teamwork

    YouTube viewers can now work together to prevent ads from playing during livestreams without paying for Premium.

17. Microsoft veteran says the Task Manager was under 80 KB because "small was fast and fast mattered" — but wishes "we had carried more of that taste, not the suffering"

    Microsoft veteran Dave Plummer shares why the original Task Manager was lean, fast, and designed to stay calm when Windows crashed.

18. "The Lotus guys probably figured it didn't matter to be wrong": Excel thinks 1900 was a leap year because of a small shortcut taken in the '80s — I'll think of this next time I want to cut corners

    Microsoft Excel was originally created as competition for Lotus 1-2-3, which has had lasting effects on my favorite spreadsheet software. Here's how a small shortcut taken in the '80s has lasted through until 2026.

19. Starfield's sales on PlayStation 5 make me wonder why Xbox even bothered... was this worth devaluing exclusivity?

    Reported Starfield sales on PS5 suggest a slower start than expected, raising questions about Xbox’s multiplatform strategy and whether moving away from exclusivity impacts hardware value.

20. Overwatch Season 2 just dropped with new hero Sierra and a launch on Nintendo Switch 2

    Overwatch Season 2: Summit arrived today, and it’s a massive update introducing high-octane DPS hero Sierra and a bounty of rewards to earn on an all-new battle pass.

21. "We have ideas that we want to get out there": Bethesda's Todd Howard says Xbox's Starfield and Fallout 76 were "creatively different" by design, for better or worse

    Bethesda's Todd Howard says Fallout 76 and Starfield were different than its usual RPGs by design, as the devs "have ideas that we want to get out there."

22. Your Xbox Storage Expansion Cards can have a life after the console; as it turns out, you can use it as PC storage

    A Reddit user has found a way to use an Xbox Expansion Card on PC with a CFexpress adapter, potentially giving unused storage a second life with faster-than-SATA SSD speeds.

23. Surface Laptop prices are skyrocketing — this deal might be your last chance to own one without taking out a mortgage

    Microsoft's 7th Edition Surface, one of the best AI laptops we use daily for its supreme workflow performance and perfected clamshell, is now 38% off to defy the recently announced price hikes.

24. Subnautica 2 publisher changes from Krafton to the game's devs on Xbox and Steam amid Early Access legal battle — is Unknown Worlds indie once more?

    The publisher of the upcoming Xbox Game Pass title Subnautica 2 has been changed from Krafton to its devs, raising questions about their partnership.

25. Metro creator Dmitry Glukhovsky says Metro 2039 "will be darker than anything you've seen before" ahead of full reveal — is Artyom's story finished?

    Ahead of the full Metro 2039 reveal, franchise author Dmitry Glukhovsky says the game will be darker than any other entry in the acclaimed FPS series.