Microsoft Weekly: Gaming level, update revel, Surface bevel

[KRS]

There was a big focus on gaming accessibility from Microsoft these past seven days, as well as some worthwhile Windows 10 updates and intriguing Surface developments. All that and more is below in your Microsoft digest for the week of May 12-18.

Gaming level

Games, as well as the way people play them, have been two pretty important subjects for Microsoft this past half of a fortnight.

Arguably the biggest news was the initial leak of an Xbox One controller designed for players with disabilities. While folks threw puzzled looks at the oversized, turntable-looking A and B buttons, the confusion surrounding this peripheral was dissipated soon enough. A couple of days later, Microsoft revealed that this was the Xbox Adaptive Controller, also cluing people in that the two giant buttons were actually remappable. Furthermore, the controller – which is available now - features an array of 3.5mm connectors and a USB Type-A connector on either side.

Also available now is the 1805 feature update for the Xbox One. While it’s been in testing for the most part of this month, it’s finally being made accessible to everyone, bringing a 120Hz refresh rate setting, the ability to organize apps and games into Groups, and much more.

 

What won’t be accessible after the end of May are certain titles for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. The Redmond giant is removing no fewer than 21 games from the subscription’s lineup, including the BioShock trilogy, Blood Bowl 2, XCOM: Enemy Within, and others. As the service is being positioned pretty much like the Netflix of games, it should be no surprise that it operates in a similar manner when it comes to content licensing.

All is not lost if you want something more permanent for your game library, since Deals with Gold has you covered. Discounts go as high as 85% for Hyperdrive Massacre, or 75% for Dragon Age: Inquisition – Game of the Year Edition to name only a couple. Games with Gold aren’t half bad either, as Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is free on the Xbox One from May 16 to June 15, and Vanquish costs a similar zero dollars on the Xbox 360 between May 16-31.

Pirates of legend or mere landlubbers have reason to be happy too, given that update 1.0.7 for Sea of Thieves has at long last showed up. Besides the UI changes related to the health bar, chests, and clothing, we also now know that The Hungering Deep feature update for the game is coming on May 29. To hold us over, Rare has released a spiffy new trailer to watch.

The last bit of news concerns No Man’s Sky, which is getting full multiplayer functionality in July, as well as an Xbox One release on the 24 of the aforementioned month. For something a little less far away, you can check out State of Decay 2, which got an interesting review from our very own Pulasthi Ariyasinghe.

 

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