Browsing: Microsoft

Welcome back to yet another roundup of MMO and MMO-adjacent industry news! Today’s headlines feature a couple of pieces of gadget news, and yes, both of them are a little bit odd. But we’ll start with the one that’s a bit closer to our immediate interests here at MOP.

Microsoft has patented an “ad-credit” system to display adverts and announcements during PC and Xbox game sessions without disrupting gameplay.

A gamer plays with an Xbox controller at the Gamescom Asia X Thailand Game Show 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 18, 2025. (Photo by Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto

Most narratively driven computer games don’t change much once they’re released to the public. But what if AI could change a game based on how a player interacts with it? A patent filed by Microsoft in June might allow future Xbox games to do just that. 

On September 3, 2026, CNBC reported that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Xbox division will impose monthly time limits on cloud gaming for Game Pass subscribers starting in November, ending years of unlimited access. Game Pass Ultimate subscribers are capped at 15 hours per month, Premium subscribers at 10 hours, and Essential subscribers at 5 hours.

Microsoft is expanding the availability of Auto SR (Super Resolution) to Copilot+ PCs based on Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors.

According to Xbox’s Software License Agreement, if you try to circumvent the console’s “technical limitation, security, or anti-piracy system,” your console can be rendered permanently unusable immediately or after an update. That said, it’s uncertain if that means that Microsoft will directly brick your Xbox Series X or if the company is warning against messing with…

According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Asha Sharma is taking an unusually blunt approach to fixing Microsoft’s struggling Xbox business. The 38-year-old executive has no background in videogames, but is already pushing through layoffs, strategic changes and a major reset for the gaming division MC Tech Desk September 13, 2026 /…

Microsoft is ending unlimited Xbox Cloud Gaming for Game Pass users. Starting in November, Game Pass Cloud Gaming will have a monthly hour limit. Even the top-tier Game Pass Ultimate plan will be limited to 15 hours of cloud streaming per month, with lower tiers receiving even fewer hours. To stream longer, gamers will need…

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate pricing has been up and down over the last 12 months, with a huge increase last October and a price drop to $22.99 per month in April. Some customers are now getting it for less, with a reported discount of nearly $7 per month.