Microsoft is starting to test new changes to the Xbox Home UI that will eventually arrive for everyone in 2023. The changes will include tweaks to the layout and design to make it easier to find Xbox games and apps or navigate to areas like the settings interface. Microsoft will conduct a variety of Xbox Home experiments over the coming months before launching its new Xbox Home UI in 2023.

“We know the Xbox homepage is where our gamers spend the most time, and it’s a space that’s very personal,” says Ivy Krislov, senior product manager lead of Xbox experiences. “We also know we can always be listening and learning how we can do better here while keeping your experience fast and familiar. With that, we’re kicking off a multi-month series of experiments to learn how to create a more personalized home screen experience and address some of the top trends and fan requests.”

A random subset of Xbox Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring will get access to some of the Xbox Home experiments this week. The first round of preview updates includes a new “jump back in” row at the top of Xbox Home that includes the usual recently played games and apps. You’ll notice (in the screenshot above) that there’s no longer a bigger tile for the most recently used app or game, and the interface is a lot more like Microsoft’s Xbox TV app.

Image: Microsoft

Image: Microsoft

That Xbox TV app also has a search function up top and quick access to settings — Microsoft is bringing both to its main Xbox Home console UI. There’s even a pinned tile for access to the Microsoft Store alongside the usual “My games & apps” tile. Unfortunately, the ad tile still exists and is pinned to the Xbox Home screen.

When you scroll down, Microsoft will show curated categories and recommendations based on the games you play, and there should be a more consistent design throughout with improved layouts.

Xbox users have been calling on Microsoft to redesign its Xbox Home interface for months, with suggestions to focus on showing more of the dynamic wallpapers, remove the ads, and offer up more customizability for the Xbox Home screen. This redesign doesn’t address all of that quite yet, but there are months left for more tweaks that could make it a lot more customizable.

I’d personally like to be able to fully customize the Xbox Home UI, pin apps and games freely up top, and remove the static tiles Microsoft forces everyone to have. I can fully customize my iPhone homescreen and move apps, games, and widgets wherever I want, so why not allow something similar on Xbox?

“We want to ensure this experience is the best it can be, and we know getting it right will take some time which is why we will be rolling it out slowly and iterating throughout the process,” explains Krislov. “With your input, we’re looking forward to launching this new, better Home experience in 2023.”

Update, September 8th 11:20AM ET: Article updated to note testers will get access on September 9th, not today as an early copy of Microsoft’s blog post had indicated.

Microsoft is reintroducing its tablet-friendly taskbar in the latest preview of Windows 11. The taskbar was first introduced in February alongside other new features included for eventual rollout in Windows 11, but it was later pulled for more internal development. Microsoft said in a blog post that the taskbar is part of an update rolling out to Windows Insiders in the developer channel and is only available for PCs that can be used as tablets like 2-in-1s, not laptops or desktop PCs.

The taskbar itself is designed to be hidden when a tablet user isn’t using it, allowing more needed screen space. When it’s collapsed, it shows “critical” things on it like the time and battery percentage. When it’s expanded, it reveals several apps, widgets, and the Start button, and it looks to be more suitable for touch when in use. The taskbar is designed to return to its optimized position when it’s disconnected or when the keyboard is folded back on a 2-in-1 device.

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft is also rolling out other features that work on non-2-in-1 devices in its latest update, specifically to its System Tray. The latest update brings animated icons and illustrations to its Settings app by adding them to its sidebar when you hover over the options in the menu. These updates also include some bug fixes to the Settings, Widgets, Task Manager, and Windowing.

Sony has labeled Microsoft’s offer to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation “inadequate on many levels.” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer revealed to The Verge last week that the company is committed to keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation for “several more years” beyond the existing marketing deal Sony has with Activision. Sony isn’t impressed, though, just as Microsoft is in the middle of trying to get its $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard deal approved by regulators.

“Microsoft has only offered for Call of Duty to remain on PlayStation for three years after the current agreement between Activision and Sony ends,” explains PlayStation chief Jim Ryan in a statement to Games Industry.biz. “After almost 20 years of Call of Duty on PlayStation, their proposal was inadequate on many levels and failed to take account of the impact on our gamers. We want to guarantee PlayStation gamers continue to have the highest quality Call of Duty experience, and Microsoft’s proposal undermines this principle.”

Ryan’s statement makes it clear that “several more years” is actually three years after Sony’s Call of Duty marketing deal ends. Bloomberg originally reported earlier this year that Microsoft was committed to releasing Call of Duty on PlayStation “for at least the next two years,” suggesting that Sony’s marketing deal for the franchise could expire in 2024. That could mean Microsoft has only offered up until 2027.

“I hadn’t intended to comment on what I understood to be a private business discussion, but I feel the need to set the record straight because Phil Spencer brought this into the public forum,” continues Ryan in the statement. Spencer said Microsoft’s offer “goes well beyond typical gaming industry agreements,” but it’s clearly not enough to ease Sony’s concerns over the franchise.

Image: Activision

Lawyers for Sony and Microsoft have been arguing over the importance of Call of Duty in documents submitted to Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) regulator, and it’s clearly a big deal for both companies. Sony claims it would be difficult for other developers to create a franchise that rivals Activision’s Call of Duty and that it stands out “as a gaming category on its own.” Microsoft argues it’s not as important as its rival makes it out to be. The reality is somewhere in the middle.

Microsoft may well need to offer more guarantees over Call of Duty’s future to Sony, especially as competition fears over the franchise are being examined by regulators in the UK, Europe, US, and elsewhere. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) moved to investigate Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal more closely last week. The CMA is moving to a Phase 2 investigation that will see it appoint an independent panel to determine whether Microsoft’s control over games like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft could harm rivals.

Brydge’s latest keyboard case for the Surface Pro 8 is a little different than the company’s previous versions. The $229 SP Max Plus consists of a rugged, backlit keyboard and a rugged, detachable case for Microsoft’s current-gen Surface tablet — all of which have an antimicrobial coating. Notably, it operates with a physical connection, not a wireless one. Getting connected via Bluetooth isn’t (usually) that finicky, but you won’t have to worry about that at all here.

The two pieces connect via Brydge’s new proprietary, very strongly magnetized SecureConnect pogo pins, allowing the keyboard to run off the tablet’s battery once attached, instead of needing to be recharged on occasion.

Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge

The SecureConnect pogo pins that push power from the tablet and into the keyboard require one very big sacrifice: one of the Surface Pro 8’s two USB-C ports. The inside of the SP Max Plus case has a USB-C plug that you need to carefully align to insert into the tablet, so you’ll want to be doubly certain that you aren’t putting it in wrong (lest you be in a rush and snap off that easy-to-miss and very delicate USB-C plug in an instant, as I did). Note: This was my fault, and I’m no product designer, but it was immediately clear that a better solution would have been for Brydge to include a low-profile USB-C insert that just permanently lives in the Surface Pro 8 and sends power when it’s flush against the case.

Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge

For giving up one of your precious USB-C ports, which could otherwise be used for data transfer, charging, or connecting to a monitor, Brydge’s SP Max Plus gives you very little in return. In fact, it’s just the keyboard functionality. I’d be happy if it at least returned the port on the side of the keyboard for charging, but that’s not what you get here. The keyboard has a spot near the hinge where you can store the Surface Slim Pen 2, but you can’t even charge it in the cradle, which is disappointing.

The SecureConnect mechanism seems like a solution to a problem that doesn’t really exist. I asked Brydge if its method for connection was better than Microsoft’s. Brydge spokesperson Hannah Matthews told The Verge that “Our point of connection (SecureConnect) is not better than the Microsoft type cover (which uses fangs), but it is equivalent.” Okay then.

Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge

The SP Max Plus might make sense if you’re someone who’s looking for the most protection possible for your trusty Surface Pro 8. And for some people, losing a USB-C port won’t be a deal-breaker. But if you use Microsoft’s latest tablet for creative uses, or just don’t want to give up any ports, this probably isn’t the right Brydge product for you.

If you have Xbox friends that like to breathe heavily into their microphones, blast loud music in the background, or click loudly on their controller, the new Xbox noise suppression feature is here to save you. Xbox Series X and S owners are getting an update today that has noise suppression during party chats to remove annoying clicks, background music, and breathing.

Noise suppression is enabled by default, but Microsoft notes that it’s easy to toggle on or off. “If you want to keep some types of background noise in your parties, like music, you can also turn noise suppression off,” explains an Xbox support note. “Just open the guide, scroll to Parties & chats, and select Options. There you can enable or disable noise suppression.”

Image: Microsoft

Xbox noise suppression is similar to Discord’s Krisp audio filters and Nvidia’s impressive Broadcast app that allow PC players to filter out background noise.

This new Xbox dashboard update also includes a new way to join friends’ games. “Now the friends you share your game clips and screenshots with can not only watch your captures, they can start playing right away on their mobile device or PC with cloud gaming,” explains Microsoft. All you need to do is tap play from a clip, and you can start playing directly in a browser. It’s similar to how Google Stadia lets you share clips and friends can jump into games.

Microsoft is bringing its Xbox Elite 2 controllers to the company’s Xbox Design Lab later this year. Xbox owners will be able to order custom color variants of the Xbox Elite 2 in the same way they currently can for existing Xbox Series S / X controllers.

“Player choice has always been at the core of the elite series design philosophy. That is why we’re also excited to announce that we will be bringing Elite Wireless Series 2 Controllers to Xbox Design Lab later this holiday,” explains Daniel Ruiz, senior marketing manager for Xbox accessories. “We’ll have more details to share at a later date.”

The announcement that Xbox Elite 2 controllers are coming to Design Lab arrives just as Microsoft announces a more affordable Xbox Elite 2 Core controller. The Core model is priced at $129.99 but doesn’t ship with the usual interchangeable components. These have to be purchased separately.

Microsoft hasn’t revealed all the color options that will be available for the Xbox Elite 2 controllers in the Design Lab, but a teaser video (above) shows purple, pink, white, red, blue, orange, and green options. The Core model ships in a new white option, so it’s easy to imagine this becoming the standard Xbox Design Lab option (without the interchangeable components).

Microsoft last updated the Design Lab earlier this year with new pastel colors — soft pink, orange, green, and purple — as well as new Camo Top cases with matching side caps. Xbox Design Lab also offers metallic finishes and rubberized grips, and it allows players to customize just about every part of an Xbox controller. You can apply individual colors to parts and even add printed text to a faceplate for an additional fee.

Update, September 7th 10:45AM ET: Article updated with color information for the Xbox Design Lab Elite controllers.

Microsoft is announcing a new Xbox Elite 2 Core controller today, and it’s priced at $50 less than the existing Xbox Elite 2. The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core (yes, that’s the full name!) is available for preorder today for $129.99, but it doesn’t include the usual interchangeable components — you’ll have to purchase those separately.

The Xbox Elite 2 Core, as we’re calling it, offers the usual adjustable-tension thumbsticks, wraparound rubberized grip, and shorter hair trigger locks, and it now comes in white. It’s the same white controller we saw in leaked video footage last month, and it’s essentially designed to be a more affordable Xbox Elite 2 controller.

Image: Microsoft

This new Xbox Elite 2 Core also doesn’t ship with a carrying case, either. If you want the rear paddles, variety of thumbsticks, and carrying case, you’ll need to purchase a separate “Complete Component Pack” for $59.99. The pack includes the following:

• Carrying case
• Charging dock
• Classic thumbsticks (2)
• Tall thumbstick (1)
• Dome thumbstick (1)
• Cross-shaped D-pad (1)
• Set of four paddles: medium (2), mini (2)
• USB-C cable

Image: Microsoft

The existing black Xbox Elite 2 controller will still be available for $179.99, and both controllers will come with a one-year warranty. Microsoft was forced to extend that warranty period from just 90 days to a year after both the original and Xbox Elite 2 controllers experienced issues. Some Xbox Elite 2 owners complained of stuck buttons or stick drift, and Microsoft’s warranty extension applied retroactively.

“We’ve heard players loud and clear and have continued to improve Elite Series 2 controllers to be more reliable than ever before with refined components that are built to last,” says Daniel Ruiz, senior marketing manager for Xbox accessories. “For added peace of mind, Elite Series 2 controllers come with Microsoft’s 1-year limited warranty.”

Preorders for the new $129.99 white Xbox Elite 2 Core controller start today over at Microsoft’s online store, and it will start shipping on September 21st.

Microsoft is committing to keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation for “several more years” beyond the existing marketing deal Sony has with Activision. Microsoft Gaming CEO and Xbox chief Phil Spencer made the commitment in a written letter to PlayStation head Jim Ryan earlier this year, and it’s the clearest sign yet that Call of Duty won’t suddenly disappear from PlayStation platforms if Microsoft’s $68.7 billion deal is approved by regulators.

“In January, we provided a signed agreement to Sony to guarantee Call of Duty on PlayStation, with feature and content parity, for at least several more years beyond the current Sony contract, an offer that goes well beyond typical gaming industry agreements,” says Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer in a statement to The Verge.

Exactly how many years Call of Duty is guaranteed on PlayStation still isn’t crystal clear, but Bloomberg originally reported earlier this year that Microsoft was committed to releasing Call of Duty on PlayStation “for at least the next two years,” suggesting that Sony’s marketing deal for the franchise could expire in 2024. Microsoft then publicly committed in February to keeping Call of Duty “available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future.”

Image: Activision

Call of Duty fans still debate over whether Microsoft could technically make the game an Xbox exclusive if the Activision Blizzard deal finalizes. Microsoft’s latest statement doesn’t address what happens after those “several more years,” but it’s clear the company is willing to guarantee Call of Duty on PlayStation for a longer than usual period than it contractually has to.

Part of that commitment will be to ease fears from regulators who are analyzing Microsoft’s $68.7 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard. Lawyers for Sony and Microsoft have been arguing over the importance of Call of Duty in documents submitted to Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) regulator, and it’s plainly a sticking point.

Sony claims it would be difficult for other developers to create a franchise that rivals Activision’s Call of Duty and that it stands out “as a gaming category on its own.” Microsoft argues it’s not as important as its rival makes it out to be. The reality is somewhere in the middle. Microsoft has also argued in these documents to CADE that not distributing games like Call of Duty at rival console stores “would simply not be profitable” for the company.

Microsoft says a strategy of not distributing Activision Blizzard games on rival consoles would only be profitable if the games could attract a high number of players over to the Xbox ecosystem, resulting in revenue to compensate for losses from not selling these titles on rival consoles.

Image: Bethesda

The fears around Xbox exclusivity for Call of Duty have also been stoked after Microsoft acquired Bethesda last year. Microsoft promised to retain existing contractual agreements with Sony for Deathloop on PlayStation but went on to make Redfall and Starfield Xbox and PC exclusives.

Call of Duty competition fears have also played a big part in the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) moving to investigate Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal more closely. The CMA is moving to a phase 2 investigation that will see it appoint an independent panel to determine whether Microsoft’s control over games like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft could harm rivals.

The battle over Call of Duty between Xbox and PlayStation has existed for as long as the franchise has. Sony famously secured a deal for extra Call of Duty downloadable content for PlayStation fans in 2015, after Xbox had been the traditional home for Call of Duty. That battle will surely continue as lawyers for Microsoft and Sony continue to argue about Call of Duty, and regulators try to decide exactly how important it really is.

343 Industries is delaying its next season of Halo Infinite to March 2023, extending its current season that started in May to 10 months long instead of the original promised three months. While Halo Infinite players are desperate for fresh content, the long-awaited Forge beta has also now been delayed and will launch on November 8th alongside the co-op mode.

Forge was originally planned for September, and it will allow Halo Infinite players to edit multiplayer levels and build new maps to share with fellow players. It was hugely popular in previous Halo games, and leaks have shown that Forge in Halo Infinite looks like it will be a lot of fun for players. 343 Industries is launching two new multiplayer maps alongside Forge on November 8th, and they’re both built using the Forge editor.

Campaign co-op and mission replay will also be available on November 8th, after a delay from a “late August target.” But 343 Industries is sadly scrapping plans for a local split-screen co-op mode. “In order to improve and accelerate ongoing live service development, and to better address player feedback and quality of life updates, we have reallocated studio resources and are no longer working on local campaign split-screen co-op,” said 343 Industries in a statement to IGN.

While that’s bad news for Halo fans hoping to relive the fun of some couch co-op, Halo Infinite players will be able to team up online using the co-op feature once the winter update launches on November 8th.

Players have been complaining about the XP system in Halo Infinite ever since its launch, and the new winter update will include new ways to earn XP. Instead of being forced to complete challenges, there will be a new Match XP beta that lets players level up alongside completing the battle pass.

Image: 343 Industries

Once season 3 eventually launches on March 7th, 2023, Arena and Big Team Battle will get new maps, and players will get access to a new shroud screen equipment ability that lets them disappear from the radar. Halo Infinite will also get a much-needed in-game reporting system to allow players to report cheaters easily.

Forge will be a big test for Halo Infinite, particularly after the game’s delayed release and continued seasonal delays. Halo Infinite launched to much interest last year, but that interest soon turned to criticism over cosmetics, the XP system, and a lack of content. These next Halo Infinite releases appear to be tackling the feedback head-on. Let’s just hope they now arrive on time.

Microsoft has added a new sidebar to its Edge browser with buttons that let you see information about a site, check your email, access Microsoft Office, and even strip the essential elements of a recipe out of an overly long post (via Windows Central). The new feature seems to build on the “Search in sidebar” function added to Edge in 2020, but it adds even more multitasking abilities.

The sidebar includes some small but useful panes, like the one that lets you search the web and quickly read articles, or the one that includes a variety of widgets, such as a calculator, dictionary, internet speed test, and unit convertor. Some of the panes are more fully featured; the Outlook one, for example, lets you read and send emails, as well as see your calendar (as long as you’re logged into your Microsoft account, of course).

Unfortunately, the Microsoft Office pane isn’t as useful. It does give you quick shortcuts to recent documents, as well as to apps like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, but clicking on them just opens them in a new tab. While that could help some people work a tiny bit faster, I was personally hoping I’d be able to open a mini spreadsheet next to whatever site I was browsing. The games sidebar is similar — it’s just shortcuts to web games.

Then there’s the “Discover” sidebar pane, which promises to add “contextually relevant info for any page.” From my testing, that can include information about a news site that ranks how reliable and accurate it is and shows info on what countries people visit it from. It also does its best to add context for specific articles on those sites, or for other things you’re reading, usually with information from Wikipedia (funnily enough, that’s sometimes the case even when you’re reading a Wikipedia article).

Perhaps one of the Discover pane’s most useful tricks, though, is when you’re on a recipe site, where the sidebar will automatically pull out the list of ingredients, potentially saving you from having to scroll through paragraphs about the writer’s favorite singer — though I will note that you may still have to do that if you want to read the actual instructions on what to do with those ingredients.

Grid View

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  Discover can pull out some essential recipe information.
  
  

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  It can also add rudimentary context to some articles, usually with info from Wikipedia.
  
  

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  In this case, that wasn’t particularly helpful.
  
  

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  That’s a little better, though.
  
  

The sidebar itself is somewhat customizable. You can hide or show it using a keyboard shortcut (Control + Shift + / by default), and can choose which buttons you want to appear on it. Microsoft says it plans on adding “new features to the sidebar in the future,” but for now there’s enough there that it’s probably worth giving it a shot if you’re an Edge user.

If the sidebar doesn’t show up automatically, make sure you’re on the latest version of the browser, and then click the “···” menu in the top right. You should see a “Show sidebar” button. If you don’t, go to Settings > Appearance, and scroll down to the Customize toolbar section, where there’s a “Show sidebar” toggle.

PS: Here’s the obligatory Opera / Vivaldi / [insert your browser of choice here] did it first.