Call of Duty fans got some good news this week as Xbox head Phil Spencer confirmed the game will be released on Xbox Game Pass. After Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, it took some time for some of his Activision Blizzard games to make it onto subscription services.
The good news continues, with reports stating that Xbox games people own will be available through Xbox Cloud Gaming in 2024. This is a welcome addition to the library of titles already available through the service.
On the non-gaming front, Dell has launched three gorgeous XPS laptops: XPS 13, XPS 14, and XPS 16.
Here you’ll find all the biggest news stories from the past week, plus tech deals and the latest reviews.
call of duty on game pass
Microsoft gaming CEO Phil Spencer confirmed this week that Call of Duty will be released on Xbox Game Pass. First-party games are typically released on Xbox Game Pass on day one, but titles may be delayed, such as when we need to integrate content acquired through a gaming company acquisition.
“Our intention is for the complete portfolio of games from ZeniMax, Activision Blizzard, and XGS (Xbox Game Studios) to be on Game Pass from day one,” Spencer said in an interview with Game File. “We’re working on the backend so that you can access the PC and console at the same time,” he added.
Spencer also discussed whether Microsoft will move away from physical media, which has been a hot topic lately.
If you’re a new Game Pass subscriber or your subscription has expired, jump to the week’s sale roundup to see the best deals on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
new xps laptop
Three new Dell laptops launched this week. Dell introduced new Ultrabook sizes with the XPS 14 and XPS 16, and refreshed the XPS 13 with a new design. All three laptops feature modern designs with zero-lattice keyboards, invisible tactile touchpads, and rows of tactile function keys.
The design of the XPS 13, XPS 14, and XPS 16 will be familiar to anyone who has seen the XPS 13 Plus. Dell took inspiration from the XPS 14 and its design when he created the XPS 16. This laptop also transitions his XPS 13 to a new design, eliminating the need to sell both the XPS 13 Plus and the “classic” XPS 13.
In addition to a modern design, the new XPS laptops run Intel Core Ultra graphics and either NVIDIA GeForce RTX or Intel Arc graphics.
Our editor-in-chief has already published a review of the Dell XPS 14, so you can see how the new laptop compares to the competition.
Games on Xbox Cloud Gaming
Xbox Cloud Gaming is a great service for streaming games to a variety of devices, including smartphones, PCs, some smart TVs, and certain game consoles. Although there is a large and growing library of titles available for streaming, only certain games can be streamed through this service. You’ll soon be able to stream games you own that aren’t in your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate library.
Spencer commented on the long-awaited and highly requested feature on X (formerly Twitter) this week. When asked about streaming owned games through Xbox Cloud Gaming, Spencer said, “It should be this year.”
Microsoft has long been talking about adding the ability to stream owned games through Xbox Cloud Gaming, so we’re glad the wait is almost over.
Sticky notes update
Microsoft only started teasing major updates to Sticky Notes a few weeks ago, but you can already try out the redesigned application. The new Sticky Notes app on Windows is now available in preview and is much more modern than previous versions.
Microsoft says the new experience is “focused on creating and recalling notes more seamlessly than ever before.” The new Sticky Notes app includes a fresh design and a new stool for capturing screenshots that makes it easy to find the source of images.
The Sticky Notes app team has promised in the past that the update will not convert the app to a web app. This is welcome, as many people have complained about the performance and optimization of his web apps on Windows.
You can try out the new Sticky Notes by signing up for the Microsoft 365 Insiders Current Channel (preview). To take advantage of the new experience, you must be running OneNote Windows version 2402 (build 17328.20000) or later.
review
We love getting the latest laptops, accessories, and games. We’ve also been known to sit down and enjoy episodes of the Halo TV series. We’ve shared a ton of reviews this week, so check out the entire list below to stay up to date.
Information of sale
Getting a new gadget is great, but now you’re paying too much for it. That’s why we look for great deals on computing, gaming and TV every week to help you find the best deals. This week, we covered a sale on the Dell XPS 13, a discount on a “very nice” Samsung S95C TV, and a bundle where you can get a $300 Target gift card. Here are the best deals from the past week that are still active at the time of publication.
