Xbox

Split Fiction, the new game from It Takes Two developer Hazelight Studios, launches today on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. Because the game requires co-op play, Hazelight is bringing back the popular Friend Pass program.

Xbox testers that have installed the latest Alpha or Alpha Skip-Ahead builds are waking up to consoles that have been reset to default factory settings. Luckily, any games installed locally haven’t been wiped. While serious bugs like this do occasionally happen with pre-release software, the early Alpha builds of Xbox dashboard are often very stable and reliable so issues like this are incredibly rare.

Xbox’s been hard at work bringing its exclusives to the PS5. There was Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, and Sea of Thieves to start, but now it’s targeting bigger releases like Indiana Jones and The Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5. Microsoft announced that it was targeting Spring of 2025 for the beautiful racing game’s release and now we have a confirmed date: April 29th. You can even pre-order the game to get early access starting April 25th.

Microsoft will bump how many points it takes starting April 20th, 2025, writes Pure Xbox. Afterward, those who use the Rewards auto-redeem feature to cover their subscription after accruing enough points will need to set it up again.

LG is expanding its Gaming Portal from smart TVs to “additional markets, platforms and devices — including LG Smart Monitors and StanbyME lifestyle screens,” according to a press release. The service will come to those new platforms “by the second quarter of this year.”

A new sign in Black Ops 6 is very heavily hinting toward a March announcement of the rumored Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 remaster. Microsoft-owned Activision owns both the Call of Duty and THPS franchises, so the cross-promotion makes some sense. The THPS and Xbox X accounts are being coy, too.

Avowed launches widely today, including on Game Pass. While it’s not especially innovative, the game is a very well-crafted take on the genre, and one that I personally really enjoyed for its worldbuilding, storytelling, and quirky side-missions.

Xbox has revealed a new controller that seems designed to revive the impossibly cool gadget trend from the late 90s and early aughts where everything was see-through. Called the Pulse Cipher Special Edition, the controller features a deep-red transparent casing that lets you see all its innards including the rumble motors. It’s $74.99 and goes on sale February 4th.

As in, the original PC game, which will be available to subscribers starting on January 14th. It’s the highlight of a rather scant batch of new titles coming to Game Pass.