Windows 11's March 2026 Insider builds add custom user folder names in setup, improved debloat policies, new admin protections, and other changes.

The Lenovo Legion 7i 16" (Gen 10) is a near-perfect laptop for mid-range gaming, casual use, and even productivity, and it's now on sale for a 24% discount at Best Buy.

Bethesda's game director Todd Howard says that The Elder Scrolls 6 has been smoother to develop than Xbox's Starfield thanks to Creation Engine 3.

Helldivers 2 is releasing a new Uncover the Truth update later this week with new Illuminate enemies, some big balance changes, and more.

A new datamine suggests Wuthering Waves could be coming to Xbox, with platform references discovered in game files, though no official announcement has been made.

A $599 Mac laptop and $899 Surface laptop just don't compare, and it's not because the Surface is so much better that it warrants its higher price tag.

Satya Nadella unifies Copilot leadership under a former Snap VP, signaling a shift toward in-house "Superintelligence" and independence from OpenAI's models.

GitHub is a vast labyrinth of amazing open-source software projects, and it can be hard to see some of the awesomeness within. This app changes all that.

Among Microsoft's announcements for Xbox Game Pass additions for March 2026, one game caught everyone by surprise. Absolum, a popular beat em' up with Roguelite elements released in 2025 for PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC, is finally coming to Xbox and Xbox Game Pass later this March.

The MacBook Neo isn't equipped to run PC games at their full potential, but these laptops on sale for Best Buy's Tech Fest certainly do.

Xbox Game Pass rounds out March 2026 with major additions including Resident Evil 7, Disco Elysium, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, alongside several smaller and returning titles across multiple tiers.

Intel's new Core Ultra 200HX Plus Series mobile chips bring FPS gains to high-end gaming laptops with in-house performance-boosting "IBOT" tech.

Microsoft is stripping Copilot Chat from Office sidebars for non-licensed users on April 15, 2026, rebranding the included version as "Copilot Chat (Basic)."

Microsoft finally released a firmware fix for the Surface Pro 11 for Business, resolving "hover-inking" and touch accuracy issues that plagued the Intel model for a year.

Google promoted a Chrome extension that secretly ran malware for a year, even after Microsoft Edge banned it, exposing millions of users.

Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs ship with a dedicated Copilot key. This free app restores the lost Ctrl key and fixes Microsoft’s controversial change.

The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro wireless headset for Xbox and PC has received one of the biggest discounts it's had in months, courtesy of Best Buy's Tech Fest event.

Crimson Desert could be one of the grandest fantasy adventure games ever made, and now it's just a few days away from its release date and launch times.

The internet is laying into NVIDIA's DLSS 5 tech for making NPCs look like AI slop, but Bethesda's Todd Howard thinks it's "amazing" in Xbox's Starfield.

Even already rendered video game artistry is being replaced by AI overlords as Nvidia unveils a new neural rendering technique for lighting.

A new update to the Xbox PC app introduces manual library additions, allowing users to launch apps and games directly from the interface without relying solely on supported storefronts.

For just this week, the amazing Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (Gen 3) wireless gaming headset has been price-chopped by 25% in honor of Best Buy Tech Fest.

Amazon has a special 34% discount on the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X processor, a CPU with fantastic performance rates when paired with RTX 4080 graphics cards, while being affordable for budget-conscious PC builders.

Stop struggling with your TV's laggy interface. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus is down to $25, offering snappy 4K streaming and Xbox cloud gaming for half off. (158 chars)

Xbox says it is removing friction for developers, but readers debate whether install base, Game Pass, and platform priorities still matter more than tooling.

Eight months after it began, the legal battle between Subnautica 2's creators and its publisher Krafton has ended in victory for Unknown Worlds' leadership.

Microsoft Edge 146 begins the retirement of Collections and custom primary passwords, but it also makes a change that stops passwords from being deleted when clearing history.

Best Buy is hosting a limited-time Tech Fest sales event, and it has discounted a bunch of laptops and 2-in-1 laptops with huge price cuts between 25% to 40%.

Best Buy's $300 discount on the Zenbook A14 makes the MacBook Neo look like a ripoff. You get 16GB of RAM and 12-hour battery life for just $699.

Reports claimed Xbox cancelled Project Moorcroft, but an interview with ID@Xbox director Guy Richards suggests the initiative evolved instead. Xbox continues to support game demos through ID@Xbox demo festivals.

A critical Windows 11 bug has been traced to the Samsung Galaxy Connect app, prompting Microsoft to pull the app from its Store to stop new installs.

Straight and to the point, the former Vice President of Blizzard calls bullshit on people who's existance depends on earning more internet upvotes.

Xbox says its ID@Xbox program generated hundreds of millions in sales on the Xbox Store. Despite that success, the company is introducing changes to improve how games are discovered.

A new experimental emulator called XeniOS aims to bring Xbox 360 games to iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Based on the Xenia emulator, the alpha build already runs some games but still has limited compatibility and requires sideloading with JIT enabled.

The original Xbox One “VCR” model has reportedly been jailbroken almost 13 years after its launch. Researchers bypassed the console’s boot ROM security using a hardware technique known as voltage glitching, allowing unofficial software to run and opening new possibilities for preservation and hardware research.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman predicts AI will shift from subscriptions to utility billing, charging by usage like power or water.

Our subreddit is quickly becoming one of the best places for Windows, Surface, Xbox, and PC fans to talk directly with us and with each other. Here’s why we built it — and why you might want to join.

Originally announced in 2024, Microsoft's plan to integrate Copilot across various areas of the Windows 11 shell has been shelved as the company reevaluates its AI approach in the OS.

Microsoft just announced Copilot Health, a secure vault for your medical history and wearable data. While 67% of our readers say they aren't ready to hand over the keys to their health data, I have a different perspective.

Windows 11 struggled in 2025, but it may have paved the way for Project Helix. Microsoft promised to reduce the pain points of Windows 11, and gamers may be the biggest benificiaries.

Amazon is offering an 8% discount on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3X laptop. While it's not the best price drop, it has made it on par with the newly released MacBook Neo while offering superior RAM, storage, and other hardware features.

The Xbox ROG Ally X that betrayed me is back, but I've found solace in the detachable arms of the Lenovo Legion GO and don't know if I can go back.

The HP Omnibook 5 with a 14-inch OLED 2K display, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and Snapdragon X processor has been given an insane 57% discount as part of HP's response to Apple's MacBook Neo making waves on the internet.

Fallout and Starfield composer Inon Zur believes one day, we'll all think Xbox's Starfield is a "legendary" RPG, and that Todd Howard is a "visionary."

Former Xbox programming director Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has joined Commodore, but it's not his "full time gig." Could he return to Xbox at some point?

Windows Central Replay Terms & Conditions

Nearly a full year after its introduction, Microsoft has announced the Xbox AI Gaming Copilot is coming to consoles later in 2026.

The latest Windows 11 preview build introduces the ability to specify a custom user directory for your account, something both macOS and Linux have supported for decades.

Black Ops Royale has a bunch of new Operator Order challenges with exclusive rewards. Here's how to complete New Orders and unlock the Bogey Camo.

Windows 11 March 2026 update adds native Sysmon, WebP wallpapers, Taskbar speed test, Quick Machine Recovery for Pro, and more.

Microsoft has significantly streamlined Xbox development, cutting onboarding time to about 30 minutes and introducing Foundation Mode, which gives developers free access to PlayFab cross platform backend services when shipping games on Xbox.

One of the nine Operator Orders in Black Ops Royale is Memories, rewarding an Operator skin for Mason. Here's how to complete it and unlock the reward.

Out of nowhere, Square Enix has announced that it's releasing another classic JRPG from its backlog onto Xbox and PC, the turn-based throwback to early Final Fantasy games called Bravely Default.

Microsoft has revealed the first hardware details for Project Helix, the next generation Xbox console. The system will use a custom AMD system on chip and feature new technologies such as FSR Diamond, DirectStorage, and improved ray tracing performance.

Apple’s MacBook Neo can technically run Parallels, but the reality of Windows performance on Neo may disappoint.

Walmart is offering a 33% discount on the GameSir G7 SE Wired Xbox controller, taking its already budget-friendly price to a near bargain-bin price that's way cheaper than the official Xbox controller.

Xbox has confirmed that Automatic Super Resolution will arrive on Xbox Ally X in a preview this April. The AI powered feature uses the device’s NPU to upscale games and improve performance.

Firefox just extended support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 by six months, giving systems that refuse to die more time to get updates.

Microsoft’s Copilot Health isn't a doctor, but it wants to manage your data from 50,000 hospitals. Can we trust the company's new "Secure by Design" mandate?

Podcast: Daniel and Zac discuss Apple's new MacBook Neo and how it might impact the Windows market going forward. Also on this episode: Windows 12 rumors, what's real and what's not? Plus, the latest on Project Helix, the next-gen Xbox.

Call of Duty: Warzone has finally dropped Black Ops Royale and a bunch of new Operator Order challenges with exclusive rewards. Here's how to complete the Lost Tags and unlock the Spotted Camo.

The Call of Duty: Warzone developers have announced they're testing Casual mode-style bots in the new Black Ops Royale mode next week, and fans are angry.

Years after his departure from Blizzard, former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan has revealed why he left the studio, citing layoff threats over revenue.

The new Altitude Tactics event in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has a new weapon to unlock upon completion. Here's how to do it as fast as possible.

Turtle Beach's VelocityOne KD3 Race Wheel & Pedal System is a top-notch mid-range racing wheel for players looking to play games on Xbox and PC with greater control and immersion, and it's now on sale for a 39% discount.

AI-generated wallpapers have sparked debate across the web, but I still love our Windows 11-inspired Windows Central wallpaper.

Microsoft's EVP of Experiences & Devices is retiring, and four new leads are taking his place who will now report directly to the CEO instead going forward.

After years of gaslighting the market, Apple is back to selling the thing it said you didn’t need.

We have just discovered a rare discount for the Acer Aspire 14 AI, providing workers and casual PC users a chance to own a dependable AI laptop that's roughly the same price as the new MacBook Neo while offering stronger hardware.

Love the MacBook Neo's price but hate all of the compromises required? Let me introduce you to the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1, now down to just $549.

The mastermind behind Windows 8 and Surface RT has thoughts on Apple's new MacBook Neo, and says it validates his efforts from 2012 that the market originally rejected.

Microsoft has scrubbed the "This is an Xbox" campaign from official sites, signaling a sharp pivot toward "Project Helix" and a return to console-first branding.

OpenAI’s trillion‑dollar dream is under pressure as Pentagon deals spark backlash and QuitGPT drains millions of users from ChatGPT.

Microsoft’s return-to-office policy aligns with Seattle's gridlocked traffic, with commute speeds dropping to just 5% during rush hour.

Amazon UK's Spring Sale is offering a 37% discount on the Snapdragon X Elite/16GB RAM configuration of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition for a limited time.

Valve, maker of Steam and games like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and TF2, has responded to a New York lawsuit filed against the loot boxes in its games.

During its GDC keynote, Microsoft and Xbox announced that the Xbox Backwards Compatibility Program is returning in some fashion later this year.

Microsoft is retiring Teams meeting recording expiration emails on June 1, but the promised setting to keep them active isn't ready yet.

Minecraft developer Mojang has announced the date and time for the first Minecraft Live 2026 show in a new trailer. Here's everything you need to know.

At GDC 2026, Microsoft outlined the future of PC and Xbox game development, positioning Windows as the foundation for the next-generation of gaming via unified GDK.

Microsoft confirms two Critical Office flaws (CVE-2026-26110 and -26113) that trigger via the Preview Pane. Here’s why "local" doesn't mean you're safe from remote threats.

A court ruling has stopped AI agents from shopping on Amazon, raising serious questions about whether users or corporations truly own customer account data.

The Microsoft Surface Pro laptop with its top-of-the-line Snapdragon X Elite processor, 13-inch OLED display, 16GB of RAM, and more sublime features is now under £900 thanks to Amazon's UK Spring Sale.

Since Microsoft effectively killed Windows 10, there have been a lot of old PCs sitting idle. This partnership between Google and Back Market wants to sell you a $3 USB stick full of ChromeOS Flex to revive your old hardware.

Faster processors at lower prices are part of Intel's Arrow Lake Refresh plan, and it might win back the PC gamers if Core Ultra 200S Plus can pull it off.

I can't help but wonder what the development of Crimson Desert might have been like for Pearl Abyss without targeting the Xbox Series S.

Apple’s MacBook Neo shakes up the market, but ASUS Co-CEO claims it’s basically an iPad with more computing power.

Outlook for Windows is finally fixing a long‑standing pain point, allowing users to attach files offline and send them once they’re back online.

There's no explanation, but Microsoft says the Fallout 1st subscription will return "later in 2026." As for what's going on is anyone's guess.