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Windows Central Podcast LIVE has started! This week: RTX Spark review rundown, including ASUS ProArt, HP OmniBook Ultra, Surface Laptop Ultra, and we'll talk about the ASUS XBOX Ally X20 handheld. WATCH NOW: buff.ly/jxOdbbm

We have the Surface Laptop Ultra! RTX Spark Reviews – Windows Central Podcast LIVE

Your source for the best stories and insights from the world of Windows, Surface, Xbox, HoloLens, and everything Microsoft. Hosted by Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden SPONSOR: Head over to…

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After testing the entire October Insider build, we came away with a mixed but promising impression. Here are the 9 features that stood out to us. Full analysis buff.ly/xU95caR

After hands‑on testing, these 9 Windows 11 Insider features from October genuinely stand out

Discover the biggest Windows 11 Insider changes in October 2026, from a redesigned Search experience to better recovery and accessibility tools.

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I haven’t taken a trip without my Steam Deck since 2022. This weekend, it stays home. A Lenovo RTX Spark laptop has 10 hours on the road to replace it. What should I test?

Ray tracing ate 10% of my battery every 10 minutes. Can this RTX Spark PC still replace my Steam Deck on a 10-hour road trip?

RTX Spark laptops have only just arrived, and there's still a lot to be discovered. This weekend, I'm taking the Lenovo Pro 9n on a 10-hour round trip to see how well it serves as one device for gamin...

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Halo 3 inside Fallout: New Vegas is exactly the kind of mod chaos I’ve come to expect in 2026. buff.ly/11egUlI

Halo 3 is now running inside Fallout: New Vegas, and at this point nothing in gaming surprises me anymore

Master Chief can explore the Mojave, drive a Warthog, fly a Banshee, and play through Fallout: New Vegas.

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Switch emulation has apparently been achieved on Xbox Series X, and the performance is far better than anyone predicted. buff.ly/8wVJofW

Nintendo Switch emulation hits Xbox Series X, delivering better‑than‑expected visuals and gameplay

An Eden-based Nintendo Switch emulator has appeared on Xbox Series X, with several major games already booting.

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Our Surface Laptop Ultra review is LIVE! Has Microsoft finally built its MacBook Pro competitor? It’s beautifully built with a ridiculously fast GPU for heavy AI workloads This is probably the closest Windows has ever come to having its own MacBook Pro. But it's not the laptop everyone should buy

I've lived with Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra, and here's how it stacks up against MacBook Pro

Microsoft's top of the line Windows 11 PC is finally here, and it's giving the MacBook Pro a real good run for its money.

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Halo Studios reportedly explored much more ambitious plans for Halo 2 and Halo 3 remakes under "Project Manihi". It sounds like the project was considered alongside a new mainline Halo game before layoffs changed those plans.

Xbox reportedly had much bigger plans for Halo 2 and Halo 3 remakes before layoffs canceled them

A reported Halo Studios survey reveals what could have been included in planned Halo 2 and Halo 3 remakes before the layoffs.

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Minecraft Bedrock Edition has never officially been available on Mac, but a community project called Blockintosh is working to change that. Soon, it looks like even Apple fans will be able to crossplay with Windows (and everyone else).

A Minecraft fan has Bedrock Edition running on macOS with Windows and Xbox crossplay

A 22-year-old developer is getting Minecraft Bedrock running on Apple Silicon, opening the door to cross-platform play on Mac.

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Planning to buy a new Windows 11 device? You might be eligible for 25 free XBOX PC games worth over $500! Here's how the giveaway works and which purchases qualify:

Windows 11's latest promotion is gifting 25 free Xbox games to new PC buyers

Microsoft is giving away 25 free Xbox games to eligible PC users to celebrate Windows 11's next update and Xbox's 25th anniversary. Here's how to claim them.

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NEW VIDEO: The new Xbox PC app doesn’t just look better — it performs better, especially on Xbox Ally. 🔗 buff.ly/sdCtt8C

Tested: Xbox’s rebuilt PC app delivers huge gains on Xbox Ally, from load times to responsiveness

I installed the leaked build of the new Xbox PC app on my Xbox Ally, and the performance and usability gains for navigation are night and day.

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REVIEW ROUND-UP: The RTX Spark superchip is shaping up to be one of NVIDIA’s most ambitious mobile designs yet. Full laptop reviews land tomorrow, but we already have reviews and impressions of the SoC, so we're rounding them all up in one place for you: buff.ly/T1P4HRu

Here's what reviewers are saying about NVIDIA's RTX Spark before laptop reviews go live

Early impressions point to strong AI performance, powerful graphics, and a surprisingly polished first-generation platform, but we'll learn much more when full laptop reviews arrive tomorrow.

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After years of Windows 11 feeling like something Microsoft had to convince people to tolerate, Microsoft now thinks the OS itself can help sell you a new PC. buff.ly/YNpHjg6

Microsoft thinks Windows 11 is finally good enough to sell PCs

After years of pitching Copilot and AI features, Microsoft's latest Windows 11 showcase focuses on speed, reliability, customization, and quality-of-life improvements.

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Black Ops 7 was not a success by COD's lofty standards, and Activision is apparently going to address what players didn't like with MW4. In a new interview, Activision's Chief Marketing Officer talks about recent misses, nostalgia, and trying to get better in touch with the community.

Activision marketing chief admits Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 missed the mark: "It was not something that our community was looking for"

Black Ops 7 was not a success by Call of Duty's lofty standards, and Activision is apparently going to address what players didn't like with Modern Warfare 4.

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UNBOXING: Inside ASUS’ $2,499 ROG Xbox Ally X20 bundle are the translucent 20th-anniversary handheld, XREAL AR glasses, a custom dbrand Killswitch, accessories, and even a space for your own Xbox controller. Let's take a closer look: buff.ly/Om7TOm3

I unboxed ASUS' outrageous $2,499 ROG Xbox Ally X20 bundle, and it's somehow even more excessive than I expected

The $2,499 ROG Xbox Ally X20 bundle is unapologetically excessive, packing ASUS' 20th-anniversary handheld alongside XREAL AR glasses, a custom dbrand Killswitch, and a massive Pelican case. I've…

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Microsoft appears ready to replace 'Favorites' with 'Bookmarks' in Edge. It's a minor change, but it removes one of the last terminology differences that Chrome users would notice.

Microsoft Edge may be copying one more thing from Google Chrome

Microsoft appears ready to replace Favorites with Bookmarks in Edge. The change is minor, but it removes one of the last terminology differences Chrome users notice.

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Of all things, 'Halo-64' now brings Halo: Combat Evolved multiplayer to the Nintendo 64, featuring all 13 multiplayer maps, four-player split-screen, bots, Firefight, and Rumble Pak support. Gamers are living in interesting times.

Halo: Combat Evolved is coming to the Nintendo 64 with split-screen multiplayer, for some reason

Halo: Combat Evolved is running on Nintendo 64 with four-player split-screen, bots, Firefight, and Rumble Pak support.

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Gears of War: E-Day has received another major post-launch update, introducing Ranked Versus alongside fixes for stability, performance, Campaign progression, account linking, Weapon Mods, and more!

Gears of War: E-Day adds Ranked Versus alongside a huge patch with fixes across every mode — Here's what changed

The Coalition has launched Ranked Versus for Gears of War: E-Day while rolling out another substantial round of fixes.

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It may not outperform every competitor in every category, but RTX Spark brings something distinct to the Windows ecosystem: a strong emphasis on local AI performance. Its pricing means it's aimed at a narrower audience, but for RTX Spark presents a credible mobile solution for on-the-go AI power.

I tested RTX Spark, and here's what I learned over the last week

The first RTX Spark PCs launch tomorrow, and I've spent the last week testing what this new chipset from NVIDIA is good at.

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Epic Games is boasting about major performance improvements to its new 'vibe-coded' launcher, including faster startup times. Meanwhile, Valve has already released a Steam update that reportedly cuts its own startup time to around five seconds. PC gamers win either way.

Epic Games Challenges Steam With Faster New Launcher

Epic Games says its rebuilt launcher is dramatically faster, just as Valve rolls out its own major Steam performance improvements.

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The 2026 'Golden Joystick Awards' will close public voting for various Game of the Year categories on October 23, then announce the winners on November 11. Here's the full nominee list and where you can vote for the winners! ⤵️

The Golden Joystick Awards are right around the corner, but there's still time to vote for your favorite games

The Golden Joystick Awards are closing public voting for their shortlist award nominees soon. Here are the games you can vote for while there's still time.

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"It has always been our intention for Big Walk to be played by groups of friends, and we know that keeping the game off Xbox runs counter to those intentions." Big Walk developers at House House have explained why the hit indie game isn't coming to Xbox, citing a broader boycott of Microsoft.

Indie hit 'Big Walk' is on PS5 and Switch, but the developers say Xbox is off the table while Microsoft remains a boycott target

Big Walk developer House House says an Xbox release won't happen while Microsoft remains a BDS boycott target.

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Halo 5: Guardians remains absent from PC, but a community-run 'Reforged' project is working to change that. Campaign, multiplayer, co-op, and Warzone are already playable in development builds, but you'll need to provide your own legit game files.

Halo 5 is coming to PC with its campaign and multiplayer — This is how the fans are making it happen instead of Xbox

Halo 5 still has no official PC port, but a community project is working to bring the entire game across.

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Amazon's NanoMatte feels like the future of mobile displays. It's matte without the blur, glossy without the glare. It’s exactly the kind of upgrade that could push the next Surface Pro into a new tier of usability. OPINION: buff.ly/Zw9Td7S

Microsoft, please steal this feature from Amazon's new tablet

The Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro has a Nanomatte anti-glare display that reduces reflections and improves pen input. It sounds like a perfect fit for Surface Pro.

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Fallout, Elder Scrolls, and Minecraft appearing in Xbox exclusivity surveys is a big deal. These aren’t small titles! Even asking the question hints at how far Microsoft is willing to go. Full analysis: buff.ly/et4WjLD

Microsoft is gauging interest in Fallout, Elder Scrolls, and Minecraft becoming Xbox exclusives — yes, really

Microsoft is actively asking Xbox users with multiple consoles how they'd react if big franchises went fully console exclusive.

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Razer's Viper V3 Hyperspeed is "an affordable gaming mouse that reigns supreme", and that's especially true when Amazon drops it to $42.99. Grab it while it lasts: Deal link 🔗 winc.shop/Razer-Viper-... Flawless wireless, excellent build quality, a comfortable design, and solid battery life.

Microsoft discontinued the Zune HD in 2011. In 2026, it's running Super Mario 64. Honestly, not a bad second act!

Someone ported Super Mario 64 to the Zune HD, proving Microsoft’s discontinued iPod rival still has some life left in it

Microsoft's Zune HD was discontinued in 2011, but it's still getting some play today. Just maybe not in the way you think. If you have one lying around, you might want to try out this Super Mario 64 h...

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Why does this Total War: SHOGUN 2 soldier look like the front of a Mercedes? 🚗 Players say AI upscaling is behind the remake’s strange artwork, and Steam reviews are brutal.

"Holy vibe-coded slop" — Total War: SHOGUN 2's remake is a Steam disaster, and players are certain that AI upscaling was never disclosed

SEGA launched the Total War: SHOGUN 2 Complete Edition remake this week, and it currently sits at the worst rating possible on Steam. Why? It's a bad remake, but the developer also allegedly failed to...

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