Enhance your IoT projects with our special offer! Get 20% off a yearly subscription to the Arduino Cloud Maker Plan using code CLOUD20MAY. Valid until the end of May, this deal saves you $14.38, reducing the price from $71.88 to $57.50.
Benefits of the Maker Plan:
Unlimited dashboards: Visualize sensor data in real time.
Device management: Control up to 25 devices from anywhere.
Over-the-air updates: Keep your devices up-to-date.
Real-time notifications: Get instant alerts via email or app.
Extensive resources: Access a vast library of IoT projects and tutorials.
What is Arduino Cloud?
Arduino Cloud is the next exciting journey to bring your creations to life in a snap. It’s an all-in-one IoT solution that empowers makers to create from anywhere, control their devices with stunning dashboards, and share their projects with anyone.
Global Accessibility Awareness Day is an opportunity to continue to recognize our community of players with disabilities, whose partnership and advocacy have helped create an inclusive and thriving global gaming community. There are over 450 million players with disabilities worldwide, and we want to highlight the importance of accessibility so gaming can be enjoyed by as many players as possible across all facets of the Xbox community.
At the same time, we acknowledge that accessibility is an ongoing journey to which Xbox remains committed. We created Xbox for players around the world as a place to play, to build community, and have fun. Everyone is invited to play, and we strive to bring intentional, inclusive practices and thinking to everything we do. As part of this journey, we are continuously partnering with the disability community to help shape our accessibility products and services, proactively collaborating with nonprofit organizations, and taking the time to listen and learn when we miss the mark.
Ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we also want to highlight new updates and accessible features, community support, resources and more.
This includes:
Providing new updates for those impacted by the unauthorized accessories update on Xbox, including updates to the Xbox Adaptive Controller, and a continued commitment to investing in accessibility-focused hardware, working with accessibility hardware manufacturers to become authorized Designed for Xbox partners, and listening to community feedback.
Announcing the Proteus Controller (available for preorder), a Designed for Xbox video game controller kit featuring innovative ‘snap and play’ parts that easily connect together and allow players the ability to play their favorite Xbox and PC games right out of the box.
Announcing accessibility updates across gaming, including spotlighting some of our games with accessibility features including Candy Crush Soda Saga, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, and Diablo IV.
…and more!
Fostering Inclusive Community
Gaming is about bringing people together to connect and join shared joyful experiences. To promote awareness and knowledge of accessibility support among allof our players, we’re excited to share the following:
Coming in June: Earn the new Xbox Ambassador Accessibility Ally Badge for your Xbox profile:Want to add a new community badge to your Xbox profile? Beginning in early June, you can earn the Xbox Ambassador Accessibility Ally badge for your Xbox profile by completing quests and knowledge checks to reach a new top level in the Xbox Accessibility Explorer Path on the Xbox Ambassadors website. Since launch in October 2022, the Xbox Ambassadors community has completed over 2.7 million quests to learn more about gaming accessibility and the features available. Become an Xbox Ambassador today and select the “Accessibility” tab on the Quests page to get a head start!
New Xbox Support articles, categorized by disability: Finding accessibility features you need for play just got easier. While many features are commonly used across a multitude of players, Support.Xbox.com has five new articles that detail the accessibility features available for players with specific disabilities, including speech, cognitive, vision, mobility, and hearing.
Creating Accessible Experiences
New updates to Xbox Adaptive Controller: The Xbox Adaptive Controller was created to support players with limited mobility in building adaptive gaming setups unique to their needs. Based on community feedback from an update impacting unauthorized accessories on our platform, we are updating the Xbox Adaptive Controller to expand support for more accessories connected via USB port. This update will better support full functionality of some accessibility peripherals. Each port now supports up to 12 buttons, a second stick, and a hat switch. This update will be rolled out to Xbox Insiders over the coming weeks and available publicly via a controller update prompt in the coming months.
Continued investments in accessibility: We appreciate and acknowledge that gaming with a disability is highly individualistic, and the solution for one may not be the solution for all. To that end, in addition to the Xbox Adaptive Controller firmware updates above, Xbox remains committed to:
Continuing to innovate and invest in Xbox’s accessibility offerings – taking into account feedback from the disability community and non-profit organizations to create products that elevate your gaming experience and cater to diverse needs. We look forward to sharing more updates in the future.
Working with accessibility hardware manufacturers to become authorized Designed for Xbox partners: Recognizing the importance of expanding gaming for people with disabilities, we are accelerating and streamlining the onboarding process for these partners.
Receiving feedback from those in the gaming and disability community who have been impacted by the unauthorized accessories update on our platform: If manufacturers have particular peripherals they’re interested in partnering with Xbox on, or if players with disabilities have specific devices they’d like Xbox to consider, please connect with us by phone or chat via Xbox Support at https://aka.ms/XboxAccessibilitySupport.
Preorder for the Proteus Controller: The Designed for Xbox team has been collaborating closely with our partners at Byowave to develop the Proteus Controller, a modular adaptive kit giving disabled gamers the tools to build their own way to play. The unique modular video game controller kit features innovative ‘snap and play’ parts that easily connect together and comes with everything that gamers need to play their favorite Xbox and PC games right out of the box. The Proteus controller is available for preorder today at byowave.com.
Improved Filtering & Sorting in My Games and Apps on console: You can now filter and sort games shown in My Games & Apps on console based on the accessibility or technical features they support.For example, if you want to find which games have narrated game menus, you can filter by Accessibility > Narrated Game menus and find your next game to play.
Enabling Play with Expanded Accessibility Features
On our accessibility journey, we know that to achieve our goals of making gaming a place where more players can have fun, we need to continue bringing new accessibility features to our games. Below is a roundup of games to play with notable accessibility features.
New Accessibility features in Candy Crush Soda Saga:Candy Crush Soda Saga is excited to announce a new accessibility menu that centralizes all accessibility features including audio, visual, and haptic feedback. The new audio accessibility options include bass control, reduction of high frequencies, sound effects, music controls, and mono stereo, with a robust level of customization around bass control and high frequency reduction (currently available for iOS only). Visit the King Community Page to learn more.
Accessibility features in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III: This past December, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III launched several accessibility features, including a settings menu update that flags features related to motor, vision, audio and cognitive adjustments with tags to allow filtering and greater customization. The newest feature includes a new accessibility preset called “Low Motor Sprain’ to reduce the physical effort required when playing by reducing the number of button presses or holds being required. Check out more details here.
Accessibility Updates to Diablo IV: In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day tomorrow, see how the Diablo development team is working closely with the accessibility community and finding new ways to expand access to gaming for everyone. Video link will be available via the Diablo YouTube Channel on May 16.
Empowering Game Creators to Include Accessibility in Design & Development
At Xbox, we believe bringing accessibility into development processes from the very beginning is the best way to include diverse perspectives and make gaming something everyone can enjoy. To support others in creating more accessible experiences, we are excited to share the following creator and developer resources:
New Game Accessibility Workshop Toolkit:Inspired by years of accessibility feature innovations, Xbox Research has created a Game Accessibility Workshop Toolkit available for all developers. The toolkit includes instructions and visual assets to help game developers conduct Game Accessibility Workshops on their own. Combining the power of Microsoft Inclusive Design with Xbox’s approach to game accessibility, the toolkit makes it easier for developers to design with accessibility in mind, from the start. The Game Accessibility Workshop Toolkit will be live and available to download on May 16 at 9 am PT via the Microsoft Game Dev Blog.
New Article on Accessibility of Gaming AI Experiences: With the rising use of AI across the gaming industry, our Gaming Accessibility team has put together a brief paper on how developers can think about the applicability of accessibility with gaming AI experiences, along with ideas for accessibility innovation. Learn more at: Accessibility of Gaming AI Experience
Join Team Xbox as we recognize the more than 450 million players with disabilities who are part of building such a great gaming community!
Starting today, Team Xbox is rolling out some highly requested features to continue to improve cloud gaming across devices and screens where Xbox is available. Also, to celebrate the upcoming game launch for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, you will be able to experience a new channel on the Xbox app for PC.
Use Your Mouse and Keyboard with Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta)
Mouse and keyboard support for cloud gaming will start rolling out today. You can now use your mouse and keyboard for your gaming experience on web browsers (Edge or Chrome).
To start gaming with your mouse and keyboard on web browsers, follow these steps:
Later this month, you’ll also be able to use the Xbox app on PC by selecting a game that has a mouse and keyboard badge. From there, you will be able to use your mouse and keyboard to control the game, just like you would on a PC game.
Pro Tip: You can also switch between using a mouse and keyboard combination and your controller at any time, by simply pressing any key on your keyboard or the Xbox button on your controller.
Mouse and keyboard support will initially be available for 26 titles, including:
ARK Survival Evolved
Atomic Heart
Cities: Skylines – Mayor’s Edition
Cities: Skylines – Remastered
Deep Rock Galactic
Doom 64
Fortnite (browser only)
Gears Tactics
Grounded
Halo Infinite
High on Life
House Flipper
Inkulinati (Game Preview)
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
Norco
Pentiment
Quake
Quake 2
Sea of Thieves
Slime Rancher 2
Sniper Elite 5
State of Decay 2
Terraria
The Sims 4
Valheim (Game Preview)
Zombie Army 4: Dead War
Celebrating Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II With a New Channel
We can’t wait for the return of Senua on May 21 in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. To celebrate, our team has been working on a special channel that will elevate the new entry in the series, while also making it easier to find the previous title. The channel will also feature a captivating video that we hope you enjoy. Go pre-install the game today and be ready for launch day!
Compact Mode Improvements are Starting to Roll Out
We have started previewing new Compact Mode features, including Jump back in and Friends, with a subset of players and with all Xbox Insiders. To learn more about the changes you may see when you access the Xbox app on PC, click here.
Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for future updates and all the latest and greatest Xbox related news. For support related to Xbox updates, visit the official Xbox Support site.
We love hearing from the community, whether you have a suggestion for a new feature that you’d like to see added, or you want to give feedback on existing features that could use some improvement. We’re always looking for ways to improve Xbox experiences for players around the world. If you’d like to help create the future of Xbox and get early access to new features, join the Xbox Insider Programtoday by downloading the Xbox Insider Hub forXbox Series X|S and Xbox Oneor Windows PC. Let us know what you think!
Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Madison Heights, Michigan, Galco is a leading e-commerce distributor that specializes in providing a wide range of industrial and commercial electrical and electronic products, focusing on maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO).
Known for strong expertise in sourcing hard-to-find, high-quality products and guaranteeing exceptional customer service – including cross-referencing, free in-house technical support, same-day shipping on in-stock products and repair services both on-site and send-in – they are able to provide customized control panel solutions and engineered systems to clients across the United States.
Having noticed growing demand for integrated solutions in industrial automation over the past few years, they are joining the System Integrators Partnership Program by Arduino Pro at Platinum level to offer clients access to a wider range of innovative products and services. “The partnership with Arduino comes with a unique product technology mix, able to enhance the automation and control product offering for our customers. Not to mention greater potential to expand our footprint into the higher education vertical market,” comments Bob Marshall, Vice President of Engineering and Services at Galco.
Find out more about the partnership – and stay ahead of the curve on the latest developments and breakthroughs in the field of industrial electronics and automation – by following Galco’s online podcast series, Tech Talks: each episode includes in-depth insights into the world of industrial electronics and automation through engaging discussions with industry experts and insiders, who offer valuable knowledge and real-world experiences to shed light on technological innovations driving the industry forward.
Strategic Partnerships Advisor to Arduino Paul Kaeley notes, “With its mission to ‘enable the world today for a better tomorrow’, Galco aligns with Arduino’s core values at the deepest level. We are thrilled to support the company and excited to see the results of this synergy develop.”
The System Integrators Partnership Program by Arduino Pro is an exclusive initiative designed for professionals seeking to implement Arduino technologies in their projects. This program opens up a world of opportunities based on the robust Arduino ecosystem, allowing partners to unlock their full potential in collaboration with us.
We’re ready to bring our unconventional take on automation to one of North America’s leading industry events: come meet us at Automate Show in Chicago, taking place May 6th-9th, to find out more about open-source hardware and software solutions unlocking new opportunities to empower engineers and educators alike.
1. Get a closer look at the Arduino Opta: with its small form factor, low power consumption, and built-in connectivity options, our groundbreaking micro PLC is “the Swiss Army knife” of industrial automation. Zero vendor lock-in, tons of programming flexibility: choose among the key IEC 61131-3 languages or the Arduino environment, or even combine the two approaches to further boost capabilities.
2. Discover the brand newArduino PLC Starter Kit, based on the Opta WiFi and Arduino PLC IDE: a training solution that plugs right into the future of industrial automation, designed to introduce students in vocational institutes and tech-oriented academies to IEC 61131-3 standard programming languages and Modbus communication.
3. Be the first to know about the Opta’s I/O Expansion Modules: Arduino ProOpta Ext D1608E and Arduino Pro Opta Ext D1608S multiply real-time control points with 16 programmable inputs and 8 digital (electromechanical or solid-state) relay outputs; Arduino Pro Opta Ext A0602 instead allows users to configure new analog I/O to interact with 0-10 V and 0/4-20 mA signals, and get temperature values through PT100, diversifying data acquisition capabilities and expanding actuation possibilities.
4. Learn more about ACE-100: a comprehensive training program designed to equip participants with the skills and knowledge needed for industrial and building automation using the Arduino Opta. Gain hands-on experience and practical insights into PLC programming, and earn your Arduino Certified Engineer credential!
5. Live demos featuring products from our ecosystem, from a manufacturing command and control platform developed with AWS Monitron and the Opta WiFi to a vibration-based anomaly detection solution powered by the Nicla Sense ME to… you’ll have to visit to discover how many different challenges can be solved with open-source!
Keep an eye out for Arduino even beyond the booth! Weintek USA (#5463) will showcase a joint Opta demo, part of a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing STEM HMI+PLC training programs across the United States.
So, whether you work in automation or are simply curious about the technology trends shaping your industry today, Automate Show is the fair for you!
Register to attend here, and visit the Arduino team at booth #2853 at McCormick Place in Chicago, from May 6th to 9th. Want to schedule some one-on-one time with our experts? Click here to schedule.
We are thrilled to announce the newest addition to Arduino’s System Integrators Partnership Program: Interactive Engineering Corp. (IEC), based in Ohio, is a best-in-class solution provider in engineering and manufacturing, bringing to the table a unique blend of expertise and aligning seamlessly with Arduino’s core values of industrial innovation. Indeed, their philosophy combines technical excellence in design with flexible manufacturing, to deliver solutions quickly and efficiently both in the United States and on a global scale.
One of IEC’s standout features – as a full-service electronics manufacturer with over 20 years of experience – is their comprehensive range of services. From PCBAs to wire harnesses, sheet metal, assemblies, and LCD displays, they offer everything needed to bring a product to market. Their ability to manufacture in large quantities ensures scalability and reliability for clients across various industries.
As a Gold-level partner, IEC is poised to open up new avenues for accelerated product development in key verticals, leveraging the Arduino Pro range and accessing custom support services driven by our dedication to unlocking new possibilities.
“Joining the System Integrators Partnership Program is an important milestone for us. Until now, most of our partnerships have been in the embedded and board level space, but with Arduino at our side we are ready to grow more into the machine automation field,” commented IEC’s Director of Engineering, Jeremy Nocchi.
Furthermore, the collaborative partnership is based on a shared vision that recognizes the importance of ease-of-use for customers and accessibility, with a strong focus on retrofitting legacy solutions as a way to sustainably embrace innovation. With that in mind, Strategic Partnerships Advisor to Arduino Paul Kaeley spoke for the company: “We extend a warm welcome to IEC and look forward to a fruitful partnership that drives innovation, fosters collaboration, and unlocks endless possibilities for our customers and the industry as a whole”.
The System Integrators Partnership Program by Arduino Pro is an exclusive initiative designed for professionals seeking to implement Arduino technologies in their projects. This program opens up a world of opportunities based on the robust Arduino ecosystem, allowing partners to unlock their full potential in collaboration with us.
The ID@Xbox Digital Showcase will premiere on April 29, 2024, at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST.
Get the latest updates on games like Vampire Survivors, Dungeons of Hinterberg, 33 Immortals, Lost Records Bloom & Rage, and more!
If you miss out, IGN will have the ID@Xbox Digital Showcase archived on their channel after the show concludes.
Last year, you got a first-hand look at Karateka, Axiom Verge 2,Sea of Stars, and many other incredible games during the first IGN x ID@Xbox Digital Showcase. Today, we’re excited to announce that the show is returning on April 29, 2024, with another batch of hotly anticipated indies for you to play across Xbox and PC.
On top of epic trailers, fresh gameplay, and new reveals, the show will feature new details on upcoming games like Dungeons of Hinterberg, 33 Immortals, Lost Records Bloom & Rage, and many others.
The ID@Xbox Showcase will premiere on April 29, 2024, at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST and you can tune in across all IGN Platforms.
We are also proud to share that the ID@Xbox Digital Showcase will also be available in American Sign Language (ASL): Stream the ID@Xbox Digital Showcase in ASL. We hope you’ll join us for lots of indie goodness, but if you cannot watch live, the showcase will be available on demand post-premiere on IGN’s channels, and of course, we’ll have a recap of everything showcased on Xbox Wire!
Explore games that allow players to explore and engage with the natural world
Help Duriel sacrifice his horde as they donate buckets of maggots to Tiggywinkles animal rescue hospital
Learn about a new building at Rare, which has sustainability at its heart
At Microsoft we have made bold commitments to improve the impact of our business on the environment. Consequently, Xbox has made strategic, innovative and meaningful investments that scale up across the gaming industry:
Our Shutdown (Energy Saving) power mode, Active Hours and Carbon Aware console updates have made the use of our consoles more energy and emissions efficient.
The Xbox Sustainability Toolkit has empowered game developers to optimize their game code for energy efficiency on Xbox consoles and beyond.
In addition to these software innovations, we are making advancements in hardware and infrastructure spaces as well:
We are supporting impact reductions in-office, with Rare unveiling a new LEED Gold accredited building on its UK campus — Xbox’s first mass timber building in Europe for Xbox Game Studios.
As important as it is that we make these material changes, one of the great benefits gaming can have on environmental issues is often overlooked! The medium of gaming can act as a tool which provides world exploration for those that may not easily access the natural environment. It also fosters outside of the box thinking, empathy, and team action – all necessary ingredients to solve environmental issues. Gaming can unlock the world, break the barriers of what is possible and inspire environmental action for generations to come.
Read on to learn more about gaming as a medium for environmental change and how Xbox is celebrating Earth Day.
Bring climate and sustainability science to life with incredible animals. Minecraft Education Planet Earth III created in partnership with BBC Earth engages students with a free curriculum that includes lesson plans and discussion guides. Explore the way these animals’ lives are intertwined by playing as both predator and prey, parent and offspring, friend and ally, and discover the precarious balance of survival.
Research climate change while learning the principles of AI. With Minecraft Education AI for Earth students will learn principles of AI while taking their first steps into this exciting realm of computer science. Learners will use the power of AI in a range of exciting real-world scenarios, including preservation of wildlife and ecosystems, helping people in remote areas, and research on climate change.
Explore games with environmental themes on Game Pass
Simulation games provide a unique ability to explore and grow environments while also managing and regenerating natural resources. Check out these games that highlight these themes within their mechanics and stories:
Lightyear Frontier (Game Preview) (Available with Xbox Game Pass on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud) – Build a sustainable ecofarm and carefully manage your relationship with the ecosystem in this peaceful open-world farming adventure on a planet at the far edge of the galaxy. This game encourages sustainability efforts, including planting trees to replace those you harvest and cleaning up pollution. Invite up to three friends to create a flourishing homestead.
Coral Island (Available with Xbox Game Pass on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud) – Play a part in conserving native flora and fauna, dive into the seas to clean up the coral reef, and pick up trash all around the island in this family-friendly farming simulator inspired by Southeast Asia. The development team from Indonesia included themes of conservation in the way players must maintain the island’s ecosystem all while encouraging you to form a bond with nature.
Stardew Valley (Available with Xbox Game Pass on Console, PC, and Cloud) – You’ve inherited your grandfather’s overgrown farm plot and with a little dedication, you might be able to restore Stardew Valley to greatness! With an anti-consumerism plot against the JoJa Corporation and a whole lot of land to explore, Stardew Valley showcases love of nature and focuses on life’s simple pleasures.
Give
The Seattle Aquarium uses Xbox Controllers to research the depths of local waterways
Xbox is excited to spotlight and support the incredible underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) research work of the Seattle Aquarium—a program designed to inform habitat restoration efforts throughout the region and reverse the decline of local kelp forests. The aquarium’s ROV Nereo, named after the scientific name for bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana), is a small, customizable, and easily maneuverable device that can dive up to 100 meters deep and transmit live video and data to the surface. Our favorite part? The researchers use Xbox controllers to pilot the ROV Nereo and navigate through the dense and dynamic kelp forests in Elliott Bay, the waterway surrounding the aquarium.
In addition to providing food and shelter for hundreds of marine animals, bull kelp also sequesters carbon from the water and locally mitigates the effects of ocean acidification. While some regions in the Salish Sea have thriving kelp forests, other regions are seeing up to a 95% decline, and researchers aren’t always sure why. The aquarium’s ROV work helps researchers survey declining kelp ecosystems and the factors that impact their health so the broader Washington kelp conservation, restoration, and management community can work towards restoration.
To expand the scope and scale of this work, the aquarium is collaborating with the Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources Shellfish Program to help them get their own ROV program up and running. The aquarium is also partnering with state agencies and Reef Check to compare ROV and scuba diving as methods for collecting data, and to evaluate the effectiveness of different environmental monitoring strategies. By using Xbox controllers to operate the ROV, the aquarium is not only making research more fun and accessible to future generations of marine conservationists, but also demonstrating the power of technology for environmental conservation and education. Through education and outreach events with a variety of local organizations, the aquarium hopes this program will inspire more people to appreciate and protect the kelp forests and the marine life they support.
Duriel the Maggot King has enlisted Diablo IV fans to help sacrifice his horde. For every 25 likes on the Earth Day post from Diablo’s X account, Blizzard will be donating a bucket of Maggots to Tiggywinkles, up to 666 buckets of maggots, to help feed their bird nursery. With each bucket containing roughly 45,000 maggots, you could help Blizzard fund Tiggywinkle’s bird rehabilitation program for more than two years by simply liking their post.
Tiggywinkles is a specialist animal rescue hospital in the UK. They are dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating all species of local wildlife. Every animal brought to the hospital is given a chance and treated with the best available care. Any animal or bird unable to be released back to the wild is maintained at the Hospital, in as natural conditions as possible. Head to the Diablo X account to help turn likes into buckets of maggots for the birds.
Engage
Barn X on the Rare Campus
Xbox has constructed its first mass timber building in Europe at Rare, the Xbox Game Studio and creator of Sea of Thieves. The new solar-powered studio is already inspiring game developers to create unique shared experiences for players.
Located in Twycross, Leicestershire, Rare’s new building – called ‘Barn X’ – was opened in early 2023 on the Rare campus, which is surrounded by nature in the heart of the English countryside.
Rare’s Studio Head, Craig Duncan, said: “Our new barn is a demonstration of leading-edge sustainability and environmental design, creating a model green workplace. The opportunity to expand our campus by building a state-of-the-art environment for our teams while supporting Microsoft to achieve its sustainability goals has been genuinely rewarding. The new space design promotes collaboration, creativity and wellbeing, which are essential ingredients for a team to create fun experiences for players everywhere.”
Barn X has recently been certified LEED GOLD for its design and construction – a worldwide-recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership. It is one example of how Microsoft is implementing sustainable solutions for the future as it pursues its goal to be carbon negative by 2030.
You can read more about the new building and how it is enabling creativity and enhancing wellbeing here.
Playing for the Planet Annual Impact Report
As a founding member of the Playing 4 The Planet Alliance, we are excited to share the 2023 Annual Impact Report. The report includes:
A measure of progress towards Playing 4 the Planet’s strategic goals.
Updates on focus areas, such as decarbonization, The Green Game Jam, and more.
A review of members’ commitments towards sustainability.
And even more from Team Microsoft: Visit Microsoft Unlocked to explore innovations across Microsoft products, partners and customers that are helping to achieve our carbon goals!
The new, no annual fee Xbox Mastercard, issued by Barclays, is now available.
The Xbox Mastercard allows cardmembers to earn card points with everyday purchases and redeem those points on digital games, add-ons, and more at Xbox.com.
The Xbox Mastercard will be available to Xbox players 18 years and older in the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii starting today.
Terms and conditions apply1, 2
In September 2023, Xbox Insiders received early access to the Xbox Mastercard to help shape the customer experience. The credit card delivers a unique value tailored to players by using a points system that allows them to spend points on things they love.
Starting today, the Xbox Mastercard with no annual fee is available to all residents in the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii. Learn more about earning card points that can be redeemed for digital games, add-ons, the first payment of subscriptions, consoles, accessories, and more at Xbox.com.
With the Xbox Mastercard, cardmembers can earn card points for every $1 spent on purchases including:
Xbox & Microsoft – Earn 5x card points on eligible products at the Microsoft Store.
Streaming services – Earn 3x card points on eligible streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.
Dining delivery services – Earn 3x card points on eligible dining delivery services like Grubhub and DoorDash.
Everyday purchases – Earn 1X card points on all other everyday purchases.
Cardmembers will also get access to more benefits including a few new benefits that start today:
A bonus of 5,000 card points (a $50 value) after first purchase.
Three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for new Game Pass members after their first purchase. Current Game Pass members can easily gift it to a friend or family member so everyone can join the fun.
(New) Plus, both new and existing cardmembers can earn two 3-month codes to gift to friends or family to try Game Pass Ultimate for the first time when $7,000 or more is spent within first 12 months of opening the card account.
(New) Cardmembers are upgraded to Level 2 of Microsoft Rewards, earning rewards faster with Xbox Mastercard.
(New) Boost the volume with 3 free months of Spotify Premium Individual for new and existing cardmembers (for new Spotify Premium Individual users only). 3
Flexibility of use with contactless payments and digital wallets.
Online access to cardmembers’ credit score for free, which allows users to keep an eye on their credit score and receive alerts when their score has changed.
$0 Fraud Liability protection, so cardmembers are not responsible for charges they didn’t authorize.
(New) Plus, Barclays Money Basics is now available for educational information to build your financial knowledge on credit scores, fraud prevention, budgeting, and more.
All benefits are available to both new and existing cardmembers. Terms and conditions apply.
Cardmembers can choose from one of five iconic designs and personalize it with their gamertag. Play anywhere with Xbox, pay anywhere Mastercard is accepted.
Team Xbox continues to bring new ways to make Xbox better, with players at the center, as we refine the experience and deliver brand-new features based on your feedback. This month’s update sees game hubs available for all PC players, new navigation options are starting to roll out in the Xbox app on PC, and the Xbox April Update is rolling out soon to all consoles.
PC Gaming | Xbox app on PC experience updates
Game hubs are now available for all PC players
Back in February, we announced that our team had started rolling out game hubs for our PC players to connect even more with their favorite games.
Today, we’re excited to share that all PC players can now enjoy game hubs inside the Xbox app on PC. Navigate to any game in your library or in the sidebar to track your progress, discover the latest content and add-ons, connect and compete with your friends, and get the latest news from developers.
With this official rollout of game hubs to all players on the Xbox app, we’re also bringing back a fan-favorite feature: game captures. Any game clip or screenshots you’ve captured through Game Bar for a specific game will now be displayed in its respective game hub and locally stored on your PC. You can browse your captures in the app, copy them to the clipboard for easy sharing, or quickly jump to the file location. You can learn more about game captures here.
We’re just getting started with game hubs and can’t wait to share new improvements with future updates.
New sub-navigation menu options for the Xbox app on PC are starting to roll out
We have started previewing a new sub-navigation experience under the “What’s Happening” section of the Game Pass tab in the Xbox app on PC with a subset of players and with all Xbox Insiders. To learn more about the changes you may see when you access the Xbox app on PC, click here.
Xbox console experience updates
The Xbox April console update is starting to roll out
Starting today, the Xbox April update will be rolling out to all consoles.
If you’re using Discord Voice on your console, you’ll now be able to hear soundboard audio from others in the channel or call. If you don’t want to hear these sounds, a mute button for soundboard audio can be found in the Discord Voice options: Open the guide and go to Options > Mute soundboard.
Do you save your favorite gaming moments as game captures? If you’re using OneDrive to back up your game captures and clips, now, when you upload a game capture, you’ll get a notification on your console letting you know if you’re running low on space.
Also, we’ve added a new control on your consoles so you can block whether users on your device can install or uninstall games and apps. You can enable access restrictions with a “guest pin” and disable these new controls when a game or app install or uninstall happens. Your guest will be prompted for the “guest pin” to complete the activity. To view and adjust the new options, navigate to Settings > System > Access restrictions.
Help shape the future of Xbox
Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for future updates and all the latest and greatest Xbox-related news. For support related to Xbox updates, visit the official Xbox Support site.
We love hearing from the community, whether you have a suggestion for a new feature that you’d like to see added, or you want to give feedback on existing features that could use some improvement. We’re always looking for ways to improve Xbox experiences for players around the world. If you’d like to help create the future of Xbox and get early access to new features, join the Xbox Insider Programtoday by downloading the Xbox Insider Hub forXbox Series X|S & Xbox Oneor Windows PC. Let us know what you think!
Our team at Embedded World (April 9th-11th in Nuremberg) has announced not one, but two groundbreaking additions to the Arduino Pro range that are ready to elevate your prototyping and connectivity experiences. Say hello to the Arduino Portenta Mid Carrier and the Arduino Pro 4G Module!
This ultimate companion to the Portenta boards family is your gateway to seamless prototyping and expanded connectivity, designed to grant you zero hassles and maximum efficiency.
From CAN lines to Ethernet, microSD, USB, camera interfaces, and more, it allows you to effortlessly tap into high-density signals through dedicated headers. Plus, debug pins and the RTC battery backup will simplify your development journey even more.
Compatible with Portenta C33, Portenta H7, and Portenta X8, it adapts to your evolving development needs with ease. Whether you’re delving into machine vision prototyping or testing cellular connectivity, this is the carrier for you.
Arduino Pro 4G Module: revolutionizing connectivity
Are you ready to revolutionize your connectivity game? Engineered to seamlessly integrate with the Portenta family, the Arduino Pro 4G Module comes with a plethora of benefits, ensuring your projects thrive with lightning-fast data throughput and high bandwidths, powered by a robust Cat.4 modem from Quectel.
Enjoy secure data transfer, long-range global coverage even in the most isolated locations, and cost-efficient flexibility – all in the widely adopted Mini PCIe form factor: from remote maintenance to building safety inspection, the possibilities are endless.
The full details are available on our website, but you can also jump right to purchase from the Arduino Store!
Embark on your journey of innovation with Arduino’s expanding ecosystem
Our end-to-end ecosystem of hardware, software, and cloud solutions keeps expanding to meet your needs. The Portenta Mid Carrier and Arduino Pro 4G Module are only the latest additions that promise to unlock new realms of creativity and innovation for seasoned developers and passionate hobbyists alike.
So, what are you waiting for? Dive into a world of seamless prototyping and unparalleled connectivity today, with the Portenta Mid Carrier and Arduino Pro 4G Module.
“Edge AI is a crucial technology in this world of finite resources. It allows us to monitor and optimize consumption in real time: so the use of electricity or water, for example, can be optimized not just for today, but for the future. Manufacturing, agriculture and logistics can minimize their impact, with huge potential for cost savings as well as lowering our carbon footprint,” explains Fabio Violante, CEO of Arduino.
Edge AI has witnessed a remarkable surge in recent years, driven among other factors by the urgent need for efficient resource management and sustainability. Indeed, this technology leverages real-time data analytics and predictive modeling to enable proactive decision-making in a wide variety of sectors.
The 2024 “State of Edge AI” Report, curated by Wevolver, contains a plethora of examples and insights relevant to applications ranging from healthcare to automotive.
For example, edge AI solutions facilitate precision farming practices by analyzing soil moisture levels, weather patterns, and crop health data to optimize irrigation and fertilization, thereby maximizing yields while minimizing environmental impact.
In logistics and transportation networks, deploying AI-powered edge devices in vehicles and infrastructure makes real-time monitoring of traffic conditions and route optimization feasible. This not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances safety by mitigating the risks of accidents and breakdowns. Edge AI also facilitates the development of smart cities by enabling intelligent management of utilities, transportation systems, and public services through seamless integration with IoT devices and sensors deployed across urban environments. This empowers municipalities to optimize resource allocation, reduce congestion, and enhance the overall quality of life for residents.
In addition to optimizing resource and energy use to reduce financial and environmental impacts, edge AI-powered systems can lead to significant cost savings by foreseeing equipment failures. Predictive maintenance was indeed the focus of our contribution to this year’s report, showcasing products like Opta, Nicla Sense ME and Portenta Machine Control and success stories (like AROL’s and Engapplic’s) that bring the benefits of edge AI into the realm of present, tangible opportunities for enterprises in any industry and at any stage of their development.
“Simplicity is the key to success. In the tech world, a solution is only as successful as it is widely accepted, adopted and applied — and not everyone can be an expert. You don’t have to know how electricity works to turn on the lights, how an engine is built to drive a car, or how large language models were developed to write a ChatGPT prompt: that plays a huge part in the popularity of these tools,” Violante adds. “That’s why, at Arduino, we make it our mission to democratize technologies like edge AI — providing simple interfaces, off-the-shelf hardware, readily available software libraries, free tools, shared knowledge, and everything else we can think of. We believe edge AI today can become an accessible, even easy-to-use option, and that more and more people across all industries, in companies of all sizes, will be able to leverage this innovation to solve problems, create value, and grow.”
The Arctic Camo Special Edition controller is now making its worldwide debut! It was originally launched in the United States on May 2023 at select retailers and will now expand to international markets to reach more fans. Arctic Camo features a patchwork of rugged white and grey that all tie together into one striking visual. This monochromatic multitool, from the thumbsticks to the hybrid D-Pad and all the way to the triggers, is the perfect purchase for gamers who crave a controller that exudes both style and sophistication.
Like the rest of the Camo series, Arctic Camo comes with features which make Xbox controllers stand out. Enjoy modern sculpted surfaces and refined geometry for enhanced comfort during gameplay – with a hybrid D-Pad that allows your fingers to glide across the surface, textured grips on the bumpers, triggers, and back case for a stronger support. By using Bluetooth and Xbox Wireless, the Arctic Camo controller can connect to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, PC, mobile phones and tablets (see xbox.com/controller-compatibility for more details).
With a 3.5mm audio jack, you only need your favorite compatible headset to either fully immerse yourself within the gaming world or coordinate with your friends to campaign collectively. Play longer with up to 40 hours of battery life (varies with usage and other factors) and save all your best memories on the expedition through the dedicated share button. Tailor your experiences with the Xbox Accessories app which lets you remap your controller’s buttons and create controller profiles to have vastly different personalization options for your games.
Continuing our fervent commitment to women’s sports, I’m pumped to announce we have created, with our long-time WNBA team partner the Atlanta Dream, a brand new block party-meets-basketball event that only Atlanta can deliver: the first ever, Atlanta Dream HoopFest – Powered by Xbox 3-on-3 outdoor high school basketball tourney, slated for Friday, April 5, 2024, from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Atlantic Station Greenspace, to celebrate the city of Atlanta’s 404 Day, an annual celebration of all things unique to Atlanta. For more information, follow the @AtlantaDream on all social channels.
When we began working on this idea last year, it was crucial to both us and the Dream to not only create an event that reflects the amazing global influence of Atlanta, but excites both Xbox and Dream fans. This influenced everything from the date choice down to the design of the brand-new HoopFest logo, which creatively weaves in the Atlanta skyline against a distinctive Xbox Sphere with true basketball vibes.
The free event on April 5, 2024, will not only include high school boys and girls basketball team brackets, but a true block party, including DJ music, food, merch, the Atlanta Dream Hype Team, members of the Atlanta Dream organization, Xbox, Microsoft, and even Overtime there to cover the event. For those lucky teams who win their bracket, each player will win a custom Atlanta Dream HoopFest Xbox Series S console, among other gifts and prizing.
Gaming will very much be part of the party too. All attendees can visit our uniquely designed, The Locker Room, a Microsoft x Xbox space where fans can play a range of great Xbox games, including recent Xbox Game Pass additions like NBA 2K24 and EA Sports Madden NFL 24. It’s also a great chance to learn more about the Power Her Dreams program, where alongside The Atlanta Dream, Microsoft provides STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programming to empower young women and girls to lead. This activity serves to help the Atlanta Dream expand foundational level access points for young girls and women within sport and learn about technical skills like coding by creating mini-games on Surface devices.
So, if you are up for a good time full of gaming, music, sports and more, come on over to Atlantic Station on Friday, April 5, 2024, 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and catch a block party that only The ATL, the Dream, and Xbox can create together!
When you think of automation, what’s the first image that comes to mind?
For many of us, it’s a robot. From the blocky, square-headed characters of sci-fi comic fame to household more complex creations like the Replicants of Blade Runner — robots have captured our collective imagination for a long time.
It’s no surprise, then, that lots of Arduino users eventually set out to build a robot of their own.
In this article, we’ll look at how to build your own robot with Arduino and share some project examples from other makers.
What exactly is a robot?
The term “robot” can cover a lot of potential meanings, so let’s agree on a definition.
Here’s what the Oxford Dictionary says:
“(especially in science fiction) a machine resembling a human being and able to replicate certain human movements and functions automatically.”
It’s a good start, but do all robots resemble humans? Here’s Oxford’s second definition:
“a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, especially one programmable by a computer.”
This seems more accurate since it encompasses things like construction robots, robotic pets, and robotic vehicles.
Humans have been attempting to build robots for centuries, although most of our success has taken place within the last few decades. Today, thanks to advancements in hardware and automation technology, almost anyone can build their own robots at home.
What do you need to build a robot?
Building your own robot might seem like an unimaginably complex task. After all, aren’t robots the stuff of sci-fi movies and leaked military prototypes?
The good news is that building a robot doesn’t have to be a monumental undertaking, and can in fact be done with some fairly simple and easily obtained components.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Some simple components like wheels, sensors, and switches (this will vary greatly depending on the type of robot you’re planning to build)
Some basic coding and automation skills (you don’t need to be a coding wizard)
This is, of course, just a starting point. You can build a fairly simple robot, or you can ramp up the complexity and sophistication as much as you like — the sky really is the limit here. For beginners, though, you can find everything you need at the hardware store.
Explore Arduino robots
With Arduino’s products and other components, it’s possible to build your own robots more easily than ever before.
We need to look no further than the Arduino Project Hub to find a ton of inspiring ideas. Let’s explore a few.
Line-following robot
Robots don’t have to be ultra-complex humanoid feats of engineering.
In fact, if you’re just getting started with robotics, it helps to keep things simple. Check out this great example — it’s a simple, car-shaped robot designed to follow a colored line on the floor.
The robot constantly monitors data from its infrared sensors in real time and adjusts movement based on feedback, ensuring it never strays from the line.
If this kind of project interests you, you’ll love the upcoming Arduino Alvik, which will have a line-follower functionality. Alvik’s user-friendly interface makes MicroPython coding and robotics project development easier than ever, making learning and creating a breeze.
Alvik is also equipped with a range of sensors including a ToF distance sensor, line follower array, color sensor, and more. It’s especially impressive when it comes to swiftly detecting and navigating obstacles and colors.
Did you think playing music was a uniquely human trait?
Well… think again — this musically-inclined robot is capable of controlling piano keys automatically. The device was able to play piano keys 1,875 times in the space of a minute, beating the human world record by a significant margin.
The project used a range of tools including solenoids and a custom-designed Java software interface.
A chess-playing robot arm
Robots have been giving us humans a run for our money in the world of chess for quite some time.
For a new spin on the machines vs. humans saga, take a look at this robotic arm capable of physically moving the chess pieces.
The arm was created using a 3D printer and works by using a visual recognition system to watch the opponent’s move and then formulate a response.
One of the most interesting things about this robot is the code used for move recognition. Because the robot uses visual recognition to follow the human’s moves, there’s no need for additional complex hardware like reed switches to be built into the chessboard, unlike other chess-playing robots.
Stay tuned for Robotics Week!
If you have a passion for building robots or just want to learn more about this topic, you’ll love Robotics Week, which takes place this year from April 6th-13th.
It’s a full week of events — many of which are virtual — all centered around robotics and STEM.
In the meantime, visit our Project Hub for more inspiration — where you can search by category and difficulty level. And don’t forget to share your own projects with our community!
This year we have so many talks, presentations, and announcements we had to spread out over three days! Arduino Days 2024 will be held from March 21st to 23rd – giving us more time to celebrate our community with our yearly event: 100% online, free, and open to all.
The full schedule is now available on the dedicated Arduino Days website: explore the program to find the topics that are the most inspiring or interesting to you, and turn on notifications for the three YouTube lives linked below.
Day #1: March 21st from 3:30 PM CET — Let’s Get to Business
We start off with a day dedicated to innovative transformation for professionals. From Bob Martin (Wizard of Make / Senior Staff Engineer at Microchip) and Foundries.io CEO George Gray, to founder and CEO of Blues Ray Ozzie and Bosch general manager Marcellino Gemelli – you’ll hear from a variety of pros who are leveraging the open-source ecosystem to innovate their industry with flexible, reliable, out-of-the-box solutions.
Day #2: March 22nd from 3:30 PM CET —Makers in the Making
On the second day, the spotlight turns to the educators who embrace Arduino as a platform to teach STEM and engage students of all ages and skill levels. Discover how teachers can use Arduino’s Science Kit R3 to reveal the beauty of physics in Alan Bates’ talk, or find out how Alvik supports MicroPython beginners with project-based learning in Austin Gardner’s. And don’t miss new product presentations: we’re excited to introduce you to the upcoming PLC Starter Kit!
Day #3: March 23rd from 3: 30 PM CET —All About the Community
Last, but definitely not least, Saturday will be a huge celebration of makers’ diverse skills and passions! Join this third awesome session to hear about a variety of original projects presented by their own creators, and dive deep into topics ranging from accessibility (with inventor Danielle Boyer) to product quality testing. Don’t miss our partner talks – with STMicroelectronics, Analog Devices, and more – and keep an ear out for our latest major announcements, including one for the new product we’ve been working on with Silicon Labs.
We hope you’ll join us to celebrate Arduino Days live on YouTube, and let us know what your favorite sessions are in the chat comments.
Don’t forget there will also be dozens of in-person independent events around the world: check out the Arduino Days website in a few days for the official map!
No matter how you decide to show your love for open source, we look forward to seeing you at Arduino Days!
In March last year, we announced a 10-year partnership with Boosteroid to bring Xbox PC games to more players around the world. In June, we brought the first batch of Xbox PC games to Boosteroid and today, we’re taking another step in our partnership. We’re bringing more high-quality, immersive PC games by giving players another option to stream select games purchased through Microsoft Store on Windows, or available with a Game Pass membership. Our partnership continues to accelerate access to players by letting them choose how and where they play their games.
Starting today, you can play Deathloop, Dishonored, Dishonored 2, Dishonored: Death of The Outsider, Gears 5, Gears Tactics, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Pentiment. You can also enjoy cross-play and cross-save features with your Xbox console and Windows PC for these games. We’ll continue to add more hits and fan favorites from our extensive catalog of PC games over time.
To get started, you’ll need to gain access to the game through the Microsoft Store – either via a PC Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, or by a direct purchase of the game through the Microsoft Store – along with a Boosteroid membership.
Once you’ve picked the game you want to play, it only takes a few steps to get playing. Just follow these simple instructions:
Log into your Boosteroid account on any supported device (PC, smartphone, tablet, smart TV, etc.)
Go to “Library” and select “Xbox” to see all supported games.
Browse the Xbox PC library and select the game you want to play
Click on the “Play” button to launch the game on Boosteroid.
Log into your Microsoft account that owns the game or has your Xbox Game Pass membership
Confirm your Microsoft account and start playing!
The quality of your gaming experience on Boosteroid depends on your hardware, location, software, and network. For more details on server locations and to check the quality of your connection to the Boosteroid servers, visit the website.
That’s it! You are now set to use Boosteroid to play your favorite Xbox PC games on Windows, MacOS, Linux and mobile devices. No downloads, no installations, no hardware upgrades, just pure gaming fun.
We are proud to work with Boosteroid so their members have the choice to find and play their next favorite game from Xbox. This is one of our many partnerships planned globally with a variety of cloud gaming providers, including EE, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Nware, and Ubitus. We are committed to enabling players to stream games from Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, and Activision Blizzard through the cloud gaming service of their choice.
We’ve just wrapped up our second Xbox Partner Preview – a broadcast that brought you new game reveals, trailers, and news from the likes of EA, Square Enix, Sega, and many more. Over the course of 30 minutes, you got brand new looks at 14 incredible games coming to Xbox and Windows from our third-party partners.
On today’s broadcast you got first peeks at brand new games, like The Sinking City 2 and Creatures of Ava, a release date reveal for Frostpunk 2 and Final Fantasy XIV Online, a detailed look at the upcoming Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess — and we even snuck in a shadow drop in the form of the entire original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Trilogy, which is available for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S today!
If you couldn’t tune in, fear not! We have every single announcement and reveal from the show in handy text form waiting for you below:
Final Fantasy XIV Online Set for Full Release on March 21 for Xbox Series X|S
Square Enix treated us to a first look at the release date trailer for Final Fantasy XIV Online ahead of its full launch announcement on March 21 for Xbox Series X|S. It was also announced that a Starter Edition will be available through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks for a limited time from March 21 to April 19, 2024. You can start playing Final Fantasy XIV Online today with the Open Beta which is now live on Xbox Series X|S.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Coming to Game Pass in 2024
The Sinking City 2 made a world premiere appearance during the show, with a trailer showing the iconic Lovecraftian city of Arkham, and the very unpleasant sights within. The long-awaited sequel from Frogwares is evolving into a full-on horror game, as you guide a new character through the mysteries of why Arkham is flooding, and take on some of its abominable residents along the way. Find out much more in our exclusive interview on Xbox Wire.
SEGA delivered the first exclusive details on the upcoming Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass that will allow players to dive deeper into the world of Persona 3 Reload featuring new costumes, background music, and extended story content with Episode Aigis -The Answer-. Get more details here on Xbox Wire with our detailed, first-look preview.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone Trilogy Available Today on Xbox
Surgent Studios and EA Originals delivered a fresh look at the upcoming Tales of Kenzera: Zau, showcasing its beautiful and treacherous lands in a new trailer narrated by Abubakar Salim, and how the unique interchangeable gameplay between the mask of the sun and the mask of the moon can influence how you traverse this unique world. Look for Tales of Kenzera: Zau to launch April 23, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S and Windows.
Chucky is Ready to Bring a Bloody Good Time to the World of Roblox
RocketRide Games and Universal Products & Experiences revealed Griefville: Survive the Nightmare! for Roblox during today’s Xbox Partner Preview broadcast. Describing itself as a “chilling interactive experience,” it’s inspired by the beloved classic horror films of the ‘80s and ‘90s — with horror movie icon Chucky at the center of it all. And in a bonus surprise, you can experience Roblox, Griefville, and Chucky today on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S!!
New Game Reveal: Creatures of Ava, A New Creature Saver Game From Inverge Studios
Jump behind the wheel of fan-favorite monster trucks like Megaladon, El Toro Loco, and Grave Digger in a new thrilling off-road arcade racing experience that’s ready to rock on Xbox. Look for Monster Jam Showdown to land on Xbox Series X|S in 2024.
11-bit Studios shared a deeper look at its upcoming emotional sci-fi game that features a unique blend of adventure, survival, and base-building elements. As Jan Dolski, you’ll play as a simple worker who creates alternative versions of himself in a desperate attempt to escape from a planet where even sun rays can prove deadly. Look for the The Alters to come to Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows.
First Berserker: Khazan Shows Off Its Visceral Combat in Action
Based on the DNF (Dungeon & Fighter) Universe, The First Berserker: Khazan focuses on the betrayed hero Khazan who is seeking revenge against those who orchestrated his downfall. During today’s Xbox Partner Preview broadcast, Nexon gave us a deeper look at the fierce gameplay we can expect to see when the game arrives on Xbox Series X|S.
11-Bit Studios showed off more of its upcoming city survival game set 30 years after an apocalyptic blizzard ravaged Earth, transforming our world into a harsh, icy wasteland. In Frostpunk 2, you must face a new deadly threat that appears on the horizon — human nature and its unsatiated thirst for power. Look for Frostpunk 2 to arrive with PC Game Pass and Windows on July 24, 2024.
Riffraff Games revealed their upcoming title, Sleight of Hand, with an amazing cinematic trailer. This upcoming 3rd-person stealth game of hard-boiled espionage action will have you infiltrate your old witch coven using a cursed deck of cards in the rain-slicked city of taboo, where ritual magic and cursed artefacts set apart those with power from those without.
Today, we’re thrilled to announce the next Xbox Partner Preview, this time featuring a mix of new and upcoming games for you from publishers like Capcom, Nexon, EA, and others with more than a dozen new trailers over the course of a 30-minute broadcast.
During Xbox Partner Preview, you can learn more about combat and traversal in Tales of Kenzera: Zau, with a video narrated by Abubakar Salim himself, see new gameplay from Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, get a closer look at The First Berserker: Khazan, and other great titles coming to Xbox, Windows, or Game Pass.
Our Xbox Partner Preview format is all about sharing exciting games news from our talented studios from across the globe with no frills: just new game reveals, release date announcements, and fresh new gameplay from upcoming games, coupled with unique behind-the-scenes stories from developers on Xbox Wire.
This event will be digitally broadcast on Wednesday, March 6, at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT across our Xbox channels on YouTube and Twitch and it will feature updates on a variety of Xbox and Windows games that are launching on our platforms.
We hope to see you back here on Wednesday, March 6!
Q&A
What time does Xbox Partner Preview begin? Wednesday, March 6, at 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time / 6pm UK time.
How do I watch? Xbox Partner Preview will be available through a variety of outlets, and in over 40 languages. It will also be viewable with American Sign Language, British Sign Language, and English Audio Descriptions:
Please note the YouTube streams will be in 4K at 60fps, while all other channels will be 1080p / 60fps.
Is the event available in languages other than English? We will be providing subtitle support in the following languages: Arabic (MSA), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional – Hong Kong & Taiwan), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Farsi, Filipino, Finnish, French (EU & Canadian), German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian & EU), Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Castilian & Mexican), Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese. For the first time we’ll also be supporting Bengali, Māori, Punjabi (Gurmukhi), Swahili, Tamil, Urdu and Zulu in hopes of gauging interest for future broadcasts.
Aside from going directly to a regional Xbox channel, you can find support for all languages, at YouTube.com/Xbox. ASL and AD video will be listed separately, but just click the gear icon in the lower righthand corner of our primary stream to choose the language of your choice. Oftentimes YouTube will default to a random language when you join the stream so you may also want to switch over to English if needed.
Is the show going to be Accessible to those with low/no hearing or low/no vision? There will be a version of the show with Audio Descriptions (AD) in English on the Xbox YouTube channel, and American Sign Language (ASL) on Xbox’s YouTube channel and the /XboxASL Twitch channel. The /XboxOn YouTube channel will also carry a British Sign Language (BSL) feed.
I’m not going to be able to watch, where can I find out what was announced? As announcements roll out during the broadcast, the Xbox Wire team will be publishing detailed blog posts containing key announcements right here on Xbox Wire (including localized versions in Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, LATAM Spanish, and Japanese). A full show recap will go live immediately following the end of Xbox Partner Preview.
Co-streamer and content creator notes for the Xbox Partner Preview: We at Xbox greatly appreciate any co-stream efforts and aim to ensure you have a smooth experience if you choose to do so. However, due to forces beyond our control, we cannot guarantee that glitches or disruptions by bots and other automated software won’t interfere with your co-stream. For those planning to create post-show breakdowns of Xbox Partner Preview in the form of Video on Demand (VOD) coverage, we recommend you do not use any audio containing copyrighted music to avoid any action by automated bots, and to also consult the terms of service for your service provider.
We can’t wait for you to join us on Wednesday, March 6 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT for the next Xbox Partner Preview! See you soon.
At Xbox, we strive to create games that inspire, entertain, and connect players from around the world. As a publisher and platform we are committed to meeting players where they are, by bringing more games, to more people, and on more devices. And at the heart of all we do are our players, and the vibrant communities that they build around the games they love.
Today we are announcing that four fan-favorite Xbox games will be coming to Nintendo Switch and Sony platforms this spring. The studios that built these celebrated games have drawn on their multi-platform experience to open the worlds they created to even more players and communities.
Pentimentfrom Obsidian Entertainment, a truly unique, critically acclaimed, and award-winning narrative adventure game with a striking visual style inspired by history itself will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on February 22.
Hi-Fi RUSH, the award-winning and beloved rhythm-based action game where the world syncs to the music from Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks will be coming to PlayStation 5 on March 19 at midnight UTC, with pre-purchase available on PlayStation 5 digital storefronts on February 21.
Grounded– also from Obsidian Entertainment – a co-op survival adventure phenomenon that has welcomed 20 million players into the backyard, will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on April 16. Cross play will be supported across Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Sea of Thieves, the shared world adventure game from Rare, will be coming to PlayStation 5 on April 30 – and will be available to wishlist by PlayStation 5 players starting tomorrow, February 22. Having built a passionate community of more than 35 million players from around the world, the support of cross play for Xbox, PlayStation and PC will allow players to experience epic pirate adventures with friends on more platforms.
These titles join franchises like Minecraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Diablo – which already reach players and fans on multiple platforms – and we’re excited for more players to experience these worlds and stories on more platforms.
Whether it’s Nintendo Switch and PlayStation players surviving in the backyard together in Grounded, or PlayStation players getting to live a pirate’s life in Sea of Thieves, with cross-play, these multiplayer titles available will bring more people together and continue to grow their communities of players.
Our first party games will come to Game Pass day one.
A robust and innovative multi-year hardware roadmap.
Compatibility with your library is a priority, inclusive of cross-play, cross-save, and robust cloud features.
Xbox will continue to help game creators find the biggest audience possible.
And as we shared at Developer_Direct, earlier this year, players can look forward to Senua’s Saga:Hellblade II, Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and more on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass this year.
There’s never been a better time to play, and we can’t wait for more players to experience these great games.
Today, on a special edition of the Official Xbox Podcast, we shared an update on plans to continue to bring more games to more people around the world, with the exciting news that the first Activision Blizzard game on Xbox Game Pass will be Diablo IV, beginning March 28.
Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty also shared the vision on game exclusivity, the future of Xbox hardware, and the overall Xbox promise. There’s a lot to talk about, so we encourage you to watch the full episode here:
With the combined creativity across Team Xbox, players can expect an incredible 2024 with the likes of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, Towerborne and more coming your way, alongside continued updates for our blockbuster franchises Call of Duty, Minecraft, Forza, TheElder Scrolls Online and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
There will be even more to play as we begin to fulfill our commitment to offer Activision and Blizzard games with Game Pass, both new releases and classic games from its legendary catalog. We’re happy to share that Diablo IV will be available to play by the 34 million Game Pass subscribers on both PC and Xbox consoles beginning March 28! This is only the start of Xbox players being able to enjoy Activision and Blizzard games on Game Pass – we look forward to sharing more soon.
Our combined studio teams already ship some of the biggest franchises and critically-acclaimed adventures across multiple platforms: Minecraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo, The Elder Scrolls Online, and more have built communities across consoles, PC, and mobile. Likewise, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda have brought dozens of games to Steam alongside Xbox consoles on launch day; the teams at Xbox have extensive experience supporting multiple platforms, while continuing to invest heavily in our studios, our consoles and services.
Indeed, our games are reaching more players than ever; across Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, King, and Xbox Game Studios, we reach hundreds of millions of players across console, PC, and mobile.
To ensure long-term success for both Xbox and the industry as a whole, we must continue to evolve. Today we announced that we will expand the communities we reach: we are currently in the process of bringing four Xbox games to other platforms. These are titles which have been available to Xbox players for at least a year, including hidden gems that deserve to be experienced more widely, and live service games whose communities will benefit from welcoming even more players. We will share more details on these titles soon.
By bringing these games to more players, we not only expand the reach and impact of those titles, but this will allow us to invest in either future versions of these games, or elsewhere in our first-party portfolio. There is no fundamental change to our approach on exclusivity.
Likewise, our commitment to game preservation is unwavering. Xbox players should have confidence in building your digital library in the Xbox ecosystem. We will continue to reward that with the most robust, player-friendly experiences, including backwards compatibility, cross-play, cross-save progression, convenient cloud gaming, and more. Xbox consoles will continue to provide a flagship experience for players; it’s where you get the best value and convenience, it’s where Game Pass provides unprecedented access to an ever-evolving library of games. To be clear: Game Pass will continue to be only available on Xbox platforms.
This is what it means to be part of Xbox:
The biggest games in the world will be on Xbox.
Our games will come to Game Pass day one.
A robust and innovative multi-year hardware roadmap
Compatibility with your library is a priority, inclusive of cross-play, cross-save, and robust cloud features.
Xbox will continue to help game creators find the biggest audience possible.
Whether you’ve been with us since 2001, recently joined Game Pass to enjoy games like Starfield or Palworld, or are looking forward to the next season of Call of Duty, the creative teams at Xbox are stronger together – no matter where you play. Xbox will be around for decades to come – we hope you’ll join us on this journey.
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