Microsoft’s legacy lineup of mice, keyboards, and webcams are being discontinued. The news comes per a statement from the company’s senior communications manager (via The Verge).
“We will continue to offer a range of Surface-branded PC Accessories — including mice, keyboards, pens, docks, adaptive accessories, and more. Existing Microsoft branded PC accessories like mice, keyboards, and webcams will continue to be sold in existing markets at existing sell-in prices while supplies last,” says Dan Laycock.
Microsoft has a long and rich history of making its own in-house PC peripherals. Once the Surface brand got off the ground, we started seeing the release of Surface-branded accessories in addition to the existing Microsoft-branded ones.
It makes sense for Microsoft to combine its efforts under a single, unified hardware brand going forward. That said, it’s bittersweet as it will likely spell the end for some classic Microsoft offerings.
The latest feature coming to Microsoft’s Phone Link app is iPhone support. The new Windows 11 app update is rolling out globally, according to Microsoft, and will be available for all PC users by the middle of May.
With the update, iPhone users can access phone calls, notifications, and iMessage threads directly on their PCs. While it’s a step in the right direction for cross-platform compatibility, the implementation is limited.
iMessage support is limited to one-on-one conversations, so don’t expect to participate in green bubble group chats from your laptop. Other functionality, like quick camera roll access, is only available for Android phones.
There are still so many question marks surrounding Microsoft’s pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard. (Image credit: Xbox)
Microsoft’s $68.7 billion USD (about $93.7 billion CAD) acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been rejected by the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
In a statement, the regulatory group said Microsoft “failed to effectively address the concerns in the cloud gaming sector” that Microsoft’s buyout of Activision Blizzard would lead to “reduced innovation and less choice for UK gamers over the years to come.”
Specifically, the CMA estimates that Microsoft already controls 60 to 70 percent of the cloud gaming market thanks to Xbox, Windows and its Azure cloud network. Therefore, there are concerns that ownership of Activision Blizzard’s extensive catalogue would only “reinforce Microsoft’s advantage” in this space.
For the CMA, cloud gaming presents an affordable alternative to consoles and PCs and “gives them much more flexibility and choice” regarding where they can play. “Allowing Microsoft to take such a strong position in the cloud gaming market just as it begins to grow rapidly would risk undermining the innovation that is crucial to the development of these opportunities,” it argues.
Over the past few months, Microsoft has been attempting to address anti-competition concerns by striking 10-year deals with the likes of Nintendo, Nvidia and Ukrainian cloud company Boosteroid to guarantee games like Call of Duty on those respective platforms. Microsoft said it offered similar agreements with Sony, although the PlayStation maker has instead been trying to block the deal altogether.
However, the CMA says there have been three major “shortcomings” in Microsoft’s case to buy Activision Blizzard:
“It did not sufficiently cover different cloud gaming service business models, including multigame subscription services.
It was not sufficiently open to providers who might wish to offer versions of games on PC operating systems other than Windows.
It would standardise the terms and conditions on which games are available, as opposed to them being determined by the dynamism and creativity of competition in the market, as would be expected in the absence of the merger.”
In a statement, Microsoft president Brad Smith said the company remains “fully committed” to the acquisition and will appeal the CMA’s decision. “We have already signed contracts to make Activision Blizzard’s popular games available on 150 million more devices, and we remain committed to reinforcing these agreements through regulatory remedies.” He went on to say that the decision “appears to reflect a flawed understanding of this market and the way the relevant cloud technology actually works.”
We remain fully committed to our acquisition with @ATVI_AB and will appeal today's determination by the CMA. Here's our statement. pic.twitter.com/ylvDP5RUqQ
Microsoft is reportedly working on developing a smaller Surface Pro that would feature an 11-inch display as well as a Surface Go 4 model that would be powered by an Arm processor.
As reported by Windows Central, the smaller Surface Pro is codenamed ‘Luxor’ and would have a similar shape and size to the Surface Go, a budget-friendly 10.5-inch tablet.
The tech giant currently only has a 13-inch screen for its Surface Pro 9, regardless of whether it’s an Intel or an Arm-powered model. The rumoured 11-inch model would allegedly include a 120Hz display, the same as the 13-inch.
The gossip didn’t stop at the Surface Pro, with talk circulating about an Arm-powered Surface Go 4 model. The model has been codenamed ‘Tanta’ and is said to ship with a chip based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c. The Qualcomm-powered model may be the first time we see the Surface Go line feature 5G support.
Window’s Central is claiming that these new models are unlikely to ship before the Fall of 2023, making early 2024 a more accurate prediction for their premiere. Microsoft and Intel are also both hinting at a new Windows 12 operating system, making both companies’ near future something to keep an eye on.
Despite the last Windows update adding unwelcome advertisements under the Windows icon in OneDrive’s cloud backups for some users, the company will be adding more ads to its free services when users go to sign out.
In a blog post from the company, it was revealed that its in-OS advertising plan known as “badging” was introduced to help users recognize the benefits of signing up for a Microsoft account, OneDrive and other security systems. The notices appear for local user accounts as messages above the sign-out button within the Start menu.
The new beta mode, going out to Insider users for now, also includes a new gallery mode for File Explorer, so it’s not all bad news.
One of the ads mentions the slim 5GB of cloud storage offered for free on OneDrive when signing up. The previous version of the OneDrive ad saw an alarming “backup your files” text, which has since been replaced with an “access your files from everywhere” message instead.
As you can imagine, users we’re not thrilled at the prospect of being greeted with more advertisements within their operating systems. Microsoft tried to soften the blow by claiming that the company was taking feedback for the ads. Microsoft has been trying out different advertising schemes in its start menu since late last year.
Although users can currently disable these ads by going through Window’s settings, Microsoft has not yet made it clear if the new “sign out” ads will have this option.
Staten is a major get for Netflix’s burgeoning games division, as he served as a writer and the director of cinematics on Bungie’s Halo games. After working on Destiny for Bungie, he left the company to join Microsoft proper as a senior creative director, writing the likes of ReCore and Crackdown 3. Microsoft would later bring him on to help 343 Industries ship the long-delayed Halo Infinite in 2020. However, Halo Infinite‘s post-launch support has been rocky, while 343 itself has lost a lot of staff, so it makes sense that Staten was looking elsewhere.
Netflix Games, meanwhile, is very much still in its infancy following a November 2021 launch. Currently, there are around 55 games on the platform, which offer several mobile titles to Netflix subscribers at no additional cost. Last month, Netflix also confirmed that there are nearly 100 games in development for the platform, with 16, in particular, being made in-house.
As part of those first-party efforts, the company has purchased a handful of studios, including Oxenfree developer Night School Entertainment, while also opening one in Helsinki, Finland. Netflix is also early in development on a cloud service that would bring its game to other platforms its service supports, such as smart TVs. It remains to be seen how Staten will factor into Netflix’s gaming ambitions.
Microsoft could be looking into exploring the possibility of a Windows handheld mode for devices such Valve’s Steam Deck, after a leaked Twitter video showed what looks to be a prototype from the company.
The Twitter video posted by the user by @h0x0d, appears to show an early concept of Windows 11 UI for handheld devices. It also features a launcher and Windows gaming shell designed for touchscreens and controllers.
The video stems from a hackathon project inside Microsoft in September. The event usually sees ideas and projects presented by employees that sometimes end up getting support from Microsoft executives.
As echoed by the narrator in the video, the current option to run Windows on handheld gaming devices has been chock-full of issues. Valve offers drivers to run Windows on its Steam Deck, but with no dedicated launcher (like SteamOS has) and a hard-to-navigate UI, maybe it is time for an upgrade.
Further, some handheld gaming devices, such as the Ayaneo 2, already rely on Windows without optimization from Windows. This requires the companies to build their own interfaces and launchers to smooth out the process.
The video goes on to reference prototype handheld work done by a senior UX designer at Microsoft, Dorthy Feng. Most notably, it includes a launcher capable of opening games from Steam, Epic Games Store, PC Game Pass, EA Play and more. It also features a Steam Deck-optimized keyboard and a floating taskbar.
The prototype wasn’t the only thing to come out of the hackathon project, with another developer creating a way to use Steam Deck controls across Windows and Hayden McAfee, a senior software engineer for Microsoft designing a gaming shell for Windows.
The project resulted in drivers and services being installed, controllers beginning to work and a functional launcher. Although early, things are looking promising for an updated gaming experience with Windows.
If the work done on the project wasn’t enough incentive, the video ends with a call to action directed at fellow Microsoft employees to “get serious about handheld gaming on Windows.”
Although the demo is all we have for right now, don’t be surprised if you see Microsoft inch closer to its own handheld mode for gaming devices in the future.
I’ve been experimenting with Microsoft’s Xbox Series X for the past few months because I wanted to see if it could replace Sony’s PlayStation 5 console in my heart. I’ve been using the PlayStation 5 since its launch, and before that, the PlayStation 4. That said, I was an Xbox 360 player, so getting back to the world of Microsoft has been an interesting experience after all this time.
When I picked up the Xbox Series X, I was skeptical that it would offer real value over PlayStation’s premiere console, and while I don’t outright state which one is better in this story, Microsoft’s console offers several advantages.
How it went
I’ve used the Xbox Series X for about three months, and during that time, I didn’t play it every day, and it also wasn’t a half-and-half situation. For the most part, I still spent a lot of time on the PlayStation 5 — not because I outright preferred it, but because I play a lot of Overwatch 2 and my friends and I talk over the console’s voice chat. I also played Hogwarts Legacy on the PlayStation 5 because it offered exclusive content on Sony’s console. That’s not to say I haven’t spent dozens of hours using the Xbox Series X over the last few months, however.
In fact, there have been weeks where I’ve spent a considerable amount of time only using Microsoft’s flagship system. What attracts me to the console is its Game Pass Ultimate membership, which is still unrivalled across the video game industry. Of course, PlayStation has PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium, but in its current state, it pales compared to Game Pass.
Game Pass Ultimate immediately gave me a library of dozens of great games on the Series X, allowing me to try out several titles I otherwise wouldn’t have. With all that said, there are a few reasons why I think Game Pass’s offering is better than PlayStation’s and what keeps me returning to the console.
“…Playing most titles on Xbox Series X didn’t feel notably different than on the PS5.”
I love that Game Pass Ultimate gets new triple-A titles as soon as they come out. PlayStation’s subscription service, on the other hand, doesn’t release new games right when they launch. In fact, only a few indies have been released at launch, including Stray and Tchia.
With Game Pass, I was impressed with titles like Atomic Heart and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and I was ecstatic that I could play them on their release date. With Game Pass Ultimate, you can preload these titles in advance, another useful feature. For example, one of the games you can download ahead of time is Redfall, an upcoming co-op first-person shooter I’m excited about.
Speaking of games, playing most titles on Xbox Series X didn’t feel notably different than on the PS5. That said, I found the Series X’s controller awkward and thick, and I’m still more of a fan of the PS5’s DualSense because it’s thinner and aesthetically more pleasing.
Other Game Pass titles I played included Weird West, which I spent a ridiculous amount of time playing, along with Grounded and Minecraft Dungeons.
Game Pass Ultimate offers so many titles, and I love its freedom. It feels like being back in the era when you could rent games, allowing you to try them out before buying them — and if you don’t like the title, it’s not a significant loss. For example, playing Atomic Heart without buying it outright was useful. I learned that I really didn’t like the overt sexual tone of one of the NPCs and decided to stop playing.
Sony and PlayStation could catch up to Game Pass one day, but the company would need to add newly released first-party titles (and I don’t see that ever happening), but until then, Game Pass Ultimate has my heart.
At the moment, Microsoft has no exclusives that attract me to the console on the same level as Sony’s God of War: Ragnarök or Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. While I like Grounded and Halo Infinite, they don’t make me feel that I need to purchase an Xbox. However, with Bethesda’s offerings like Starfield and Redfall on the horizon, I’m glad I have a Series X to play. I’m also intrigued by Hi-Fi Rush. Thankfully, all these exclusives are available on Game Pass.
While Sony has launched a couple of games on PS Plus Extra, I won’t consider purchasing that until all first-party exclusives are released on its game subscription service (which probably will never happen).
Aside from Game Pass, I’m a big fan of the Xbox Series X’s ‘Quick Resume’ feature. It allows players to hop back into a game without menus, even after the console is off. I wish the PS5 offered similar functionality; it’s good at starting games up quickly, but jumping right into the game with Quick Resume is even faster.
I also liked how much smaller and lighter the Series X is compared to the PS5. Typically if I’m staying at my parent’s place for the holidays, I avoid bringing my PS5 because it’s too big to move around easily. On the other hand, the Series X is easy to carry. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it portable, but it’s a lot easier to pack into a bag and take with you than Sony’s console.
PS5 or Series X?
I’m not totally sold on switching to the Series X, but that’s mostly because my friends are still on Sony’s console. Overall, based on my experience, I don’t necessarily find one console better, but Game Pass and Quick Resume are top-of-the-line features that I wish Sony’s PS5 offered.
With this in mind, unless a game or content is exclusive to the PS5, I might buy it on Xbox instead. And with Game Pass, having exclusive titles like Redfall and triple-A content on release day like Lies of P (my most anticipated title of the year) available through the subscription service, Xbox is difficult to beat.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $16.99/month and includes access to EA Play, game streaming and the PC version of Game Pass. The Xbox Series X costs $599.99. Sony’s PlayStation Plus subscription service is available in several tiers, including ‘Premium,’ $21.99/month ‘Extra,’ $17.99/month ‘Essential’ $11.99/month. The PlayStation 5 costs $649.
Sony’s God of War Ragnarök PS5 bundle is available for $669.96 at Best Buy and Amazon. The regular disk edition of the PS5 is available for $649.96 at Best Buy and Amazon.
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Microsoft is launching its Image Creator tool to Edge users around the globe. Using the toolset, users will have access to the Dall-E powered tech via the Bing chatbot.
“Image Creator is now available on desktop for Edge users around the world,” confirms Microsoft. Once accessible, Image Creator is to be integrated into Edge’s sidebar. To get started, users must manually add the Image Creator tool to your sidebar. Open the sidebar and click the ‘+’ button and select the tool.
Once complete, Users can then type in what they’d like generated into an image. Bing will then take that request and attempt to match the prompt as accurately as possible. It then creates four high-res images. Once complete, users can download the image or upload it to social media.
Microsoft was first discussing the integration of OpenAI’s DALL-E into Edge and Bing Chat last month. The company claims it is using the “very latest DALL-E models.” In a blog post, Microsoft claims that this tool can become useful in the creation of social posts, PowerPoint images, and additives to documents.
Previously, the Image Creator tool was exclusively available to Bing Chat preview users. However, it is now rolling out to users on a wider scale. As of the time of writing, the Image Creator feature isn’t accessible via Edge on my devices. However, the rollout may be sporadic.
Microsoft has announced plans to add the new Microsoft 365 Copilot AI assistant to its OneNote software.
The company initially publicized its plans to implement Copilot for other apps such as Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint in March 2022. Now, OneNote is expected to join the lineup and show off what the AI-powered assistant is capable of.
“As your notetaking partner, Copilot uses your prompts to draft plans, generate ideas, create lists, organize information, and more,” said Greg Mace, a product manager for OneNote.
Users can also ask the AI to create event plans and generate talking points for upcoming meetings. Sounds pretty good right?
currently playing around with Microsoft's AI Copilot for Word, thanks to @XenoPanther. It's only supposed to be available in “private preview” for “select Microsoft 365 enterprise customers,” but a few registry keys here and there and you can get the basics working 👀 pic.twitter.com/TSO1KgnqwH
Microsoft hasn’t shown Copilot in practice within OneNote yet. If it operates similarly to how it does in Word, users will be able to highlight paragraphs and Copilot will offer up rewritten text automatically.
The tech giant has not revealed an official date for Copilots launch in OneNote, however, a small number of Microsoft 365 customers are currently testing preview versions in apps like Outlook and Word.
For now, Microsoft users will have to wait for the company to iron out all of the wrinkles before the official launch.
