Microsoft Weekly: Windows Update updated, Windows Insider updated, Xbox updated

This week's news recap is here with Microsoft updating Windows Update, announcing major changes for Xbox and Game Pass, new exclusive Xbox accessories, a bunch of reviews, and various interesting stories about Windows.

Quick links:

1. Windows 10 and 11
2. Windows Insider Program
3. Updates are available
4. Reviews are in
5. Gaming news
6. Great deals to check

Windows 11 and Windows 10

Here, we talk about everything happening around Microsoft's latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And, of course, you may find a word or two about older versions.

Microsoft also released new recovery updates for Windows 11 and a new emergency update to address repeated restarts. Speaking of updates, if you plan to upgrade from Windows 10 to 11, you may want to consider driver upgrades as well, as one user discovered that failing to do so cripples drive speeds significantly.

It may be a better variant to clean-install Windows 11 if you want to upgrade. Rufus, a very useful tool for doing that, received a major update this week. Now, you can enjoy more conveniences when creating a bootable media, including the ability to remove bloat and unwanted stuff like Copilot. Ventoy, a similar utility, also got a useful update this week.

Other Windows 11-related issues include bizarre pixelated crashes and death loops, which Microsoft has yet to address (there are bugs with Remote Desktop as well). On the bright side, Windows 11 is about to get a useful update with performance improvements, so hopefully things will get better. It also recently received a built-in network speed test powered by Ookla (sort of).

Microsoft also shared some useful info on fixing Windows 11's File History feature and how to download the latest version of TypeScript with improved performance.

To finish this week's Windows 11 section, here is a fresh list of cool and useful apps for Windows 11 in 2026. You can find there apps for AirPods, cross-platform AirDrop, useful toolbars, and other handy tools that every user could enjoy. We also have a list of 10 quick tweaks that make Windows 11 slightly better (at least according to our fellow Usama Jawad). Usama also posted his rumblings about Task Scheduler, an incredibly powerful Windows tool that Microsoft continues ignoring for some reason, and an interesting story about a File Explorer bug that was not actually a bug.

Windows Insider Program

Here is what Microsoft released for Windows Insiders this week:

In this week's preview builds, users discovered that Microsoft is working on a new display feature that should make screens easier on the eyes by applying custom color filters. It is called "Screen Tint," and it should join the existing Night Light feature for your eye comfort.

Updates are available

This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties.

Files is among our favorite File Explorer alternatives, and its latest update, version 4.0.39 Preview, introduced a major customization feature. Now, you can select what buttons appear on the toolbar, switch themes with a keyboard shortcut, preview media length in tooltips, and more. The update is now available on the official website and in the Microsoft Store.

Firefox received a major feature update this week. Version 150.0 arrived with improved Split View, new features for the built-in PDF editor, enhancements for Firefox Translate, the ability to share multiple tabs with a single click, and more.

Opera also received a notable feature update. The latest release brought new streaming platforms integration into the browser's sidebar and a native volume booster, which can now crank the volume by up to 500% witout messing with media streaming.

Here are other updates and releases you may find interesting:

• Microsoft Teams and Outlook are getting significant changes soon.
• Microsoft shares what's coming next for OneDrive.

• GitHub halts new Copilot signups amid soaring usage and rising costs. It is also reportedly moving to token-based billing soon.

• VirtualBox 7.2.8 arrives with fixes for Windows 11 BSOD, Secure Boot, and more.

• A major lawsuit claims Microsoft overcharged for Windows Server on rival cloud platforms.

• Microsoft launched VS Code 1.117 with custom AI model support and fluid chat animations.

• Microsoft offers voluntary buyouts to veteran US-based staff as AI investments surge.

Here are the latest drivers and firmware updates released this week:

• Intel 32.0.101.8735 non-WHQL with fixes for Pragmata.

Reviews are in

Here is the hardware and software we reviewed this week

This week, Steven Parker reviewed the UGREEN NASync DXP4800 Pro, a refreshed network-attached storage with a newer processor, dual PCIe 4x4 lanes, and DDR5-5600 memory. For its price, it is a great NAS, just beware of minor quirks here and there.

Also, we reviewed the Aulumu M10, a very cool-looking metal power bank with a built-in Apple Watch charger, MagSafe, and an integrated USB Type-C cable. There are also Windows 11-like LED indicators, good thermals, and overall great craftsmanship. It is not the fastest power bank, so you will have to deal with slower charging speeds, but it is still a nice addition to your Apple device family.

Finally, check out Steven's review of MIXX Analog Plus, a 2-in-1 vinyl and CD player with Bluetooth streaming.

On the gaming side

Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts, and more.

The biggest gaming news of the week was about Microsoft reducing the price of Xbox Game Pass. Asha Sharma, Xbox's new boss, announced that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is going from $29.99 to $22.99, while PC Game Pass drops to $13.99 from $16.49. However, there is a massive string attached to this change: no more day-one Call of Duty releases. Microsoft also announced a new Xbox logo and its updated strategy. A new Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition is reportedly on the horizon as well.

In addition to reducing the cost of Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft announced a new wave of games for the catalog. New additions include Vampire Crawlers, Aphelion, Kiln, Sledding Game, Trepang 2, and more. These games are coming this month, with nine titles leaving the service.

New games are also available on NVIDIA GeForce NOW. The service received Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors, Tides of Tomorrow, Diablo III, MapleStory M, and more. Also, the service now has labels for games from Game Pass and Ubisoft+.

Forza Horizon 6 is launching next month, and to celebrate, Microsoft announced a limited edition of the Xbox Wireless Controller and Headset. These are now available for preorder, with availability on May 19.

Now, here are this week's deals and freebies in our Weekend PC Game Deals issue, including the latest giveaway from the Epic Games Store.

Great deals to check

Every week, we cover many deals on different hardware and software. The following discounts are still available, so check them out. You might find something you want or need.

• UGREEN Magnetic Power Bank 15W - $32.99 | 34% off
• 27-inch Samsung Odyssey G5 Monitor - $159.99 | 36% off

• 85-inch Hisense Class QD7 Series Mini-LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV - $699.99 | 22% off

• AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 16-core AM5 Desktop Processor - $499 | 23% off

• Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL 8KHz Esports Gaming Keyboard - $169.99 | 32% off

• Logitech Signature Slim Solar+ Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard - $79.99 | 20% off

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