Microsoft today is relaunching the Xbox Design Lab. After announcing a temporary closure starting back in October 2020 to give it time to refresh the service as Xbox Series X/S launched, Microsoft took to the official Xbox Wire today to announce the relaunch of its bespoke Xbox controller program. Alongside some additional design options, this means the latest model Xbox wireless controllers can now be customized to your heart’s content, providing you’re willing to shell out the slight uncharge for doing so. Head below for all of the details. 

This year, Xbox turns 20. That’s right, our favorite gaming console is nearly of legal age, and Microsoft is taking a walk back down memory lane for a celebration. You’ll find exclusive gear drops, wallpapers, profiles, and even the ability to go back to where it all started: Halo. So, let’s take that stroll back in time and see how far Microsoft has come in the past two decades.

Back in January, Microsoft announced that they would be raising the price of Xbox Live Gold. This received quite a bit of backlash, and Microsoft quickly reversed the change, as well as announced that they would no longer require Xbox Live Gold to enjoy free-to-play multiplayer titles. Well, it’s finally time for that to start being integrated, and Microsoft is beginning with its Alpha Skip Ahead release cycle. While this is a private release (invite-only), it’s at least progress toward it being integrated into the public release.

Microsoft is announcing an Xbox Live Gold price increase for the first time in years. Taking to the official Xbox Wire, the Live Gold team is announcing the first major price jump in as many as 10 years today and they are quite significant in some cases. While they won’t immediately effect existing subscribers, it appears as though Microsoft is looking to push folks to convert Live Gold accounts over to the newer, all-encompassing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier. Head below for more details. 

Today we are getting our first look at the new Pulse Red Xbox Controllers. After introducing the latest-edition wireless gamepad alongside the release of Xbox Series X/S in carbon black, robot white, and shock blue, Microsoft is expanding the lineup today with the new Pulse Red variant. With custom mapping, the new Share button, and the striking red colorway, this model sports the same enhancements the initial colorways carry and is set for release starting next month. Head below for more details. 

After spending 38 years of releases on PC, Microsoft Flight Simulator will finally make its way onto game consoles — Microsoft’s latest Xbox Series X/S units, to be exact. The company announced these plans last night, and one could argue this move may help sell consoles to gamers and non-gamers alike. While this experience is unlikely to rival the graphical capabilities that gaming PCs are able to pull off, many are bound to agree that Flight Simulator on Xbox is going to look great on the big screen. Continue reading to learn more.

Microsoft just confirmed the pricing of both the Xbox Series S and Series X, but there’s quite a difference between the two. Considering the Series S comes in at $299 and the Series X will cost you $499, which should you buy? The answer might not be obvious, but we’ll do our best to break down the differences between the consoles below. We’ll be laying out the main feature sets of each and who should pick up the higher-end Xbox Series X vs. the more budget-focused Xbox Series S this time around.