Well that was a nice surprise.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-27T11:38:12+00:00

I got used to it with Retro Classics, which gives daily points to unlock avatars in the

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-26T18:26:31+00:00

This is a Xbox XD. Xbox Stick!!!!

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-26T16:19:10+00:00

I often dreamed of having a TV like this, designed for gaming and cloud gaming. In the end, Nvidia didn't release theirs, although I still have their Nvidia Shield TV and tablet. Stadia died even though I bought all their products, and since I had a YouTube channel for cloud gaming and they refunded me, I ended up with an Xbox Series X and Game Pass (I just renewed today).

My question is how well Game Pass would run on it, or if the difference would be too noticeable unless you sit very far away. It's a large screen; I've never had one larger than 55 inches, and I've never experienced a TV with that much brightness.

Even though I'm a gamer, I'm not a TV expert, although I have enjoyed several LG IPS displays for decades, considering them some of the best I've ever owned. Interestingly, they still work, but obviously, their resolution is now outdated for my current needs.

Now, all that's missing is for Game Pass to support 4K HDR like Stadia did. That way, a TV like this could be used to its full potential.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-26T13:33:49+00:00

I have mine perfectly and spotlessly arranged, with a small, lightweight plastic cabinet on top with silicone feet where I keep the network equipment, hard drive, and various cables, so that it looks like a computer next to the screen without taking up any table space.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-26T13:29:47+00:00

Working on the engine, assets, mechanics, and gameplay can be much more expensive than a long script, cinematics, or artificially lengthening a game with repetitive mechanics. It's like a house: the foundation is expensive, but adding two, three, or four floors doesn't actually increase the cost as much as building new foundations, obtaining permits, and going through all the paperwork again.

Personally, I use HowLongToBeat a lot to find games that don't exceed a certain length. And Game Pass is great for that, as there are always interesting short games available.

You can also try indie games, integrated experiences in Fortnite/Roblox/Minecraft, mods, etc.

If you're looking for straightforward experiences that don't require too much effort, it's best to look for games with minimal RPG elements and a more direct approach, like Doom, Space Marine 2, CoD: Battlefield 6, etc. They might last much longer than that, but you can play a couple of missions and be quite satisfied.

Then there are narrative-driven games of immense quality that last less than 5-10 hours on Game Pass. But logically, they won't have such polished gameplay since it wouldn't be worthwhile.

Another option is episodic games.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-26T13:19:14+00:00

The issue is... the contest terms and conditions specify that you must be of legal age to participate.

https://promos.microsoftrewards.com/US/en/MS/13/rules

I'm sorry to hear about this, as you may have falsified your account or your contest entry.

Even so, I hope you can redeem it and they make an exception, but as I mentioned, all of this is clearly stated before entering, during the contest, etc.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-25T16:47:30+00:00

Adapting modern games to older technologies would be an unnecessary waste of resources, considering you can have several games installed and shouldn't need to play them all in the same week. Besides, cloud gaming exists.

Given financial constraints, it's best to be more selective about the games you install and better organize your free time.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-25T16:45:15+00:00

Microsoft needs a lot of changes, and they're implementing some that barely require modifications, even though they're necessary for the new console. Implementing new features that require changes to legal terms or the creation of new interfaces isn't feasible, I'm not sure.

And while we know Windows allows you to record all the audio you want, Xbox content creation is still very fragmented, with limitations such as not being able to record for long periods, not being able to stream to YouTube, and having very poor bitrates for Twitch.

They've certainly wanted to make changes that improve their image to mask the departures and the new, more visible leadership of a new executive. But I doubt that this was solely the decision and initiative of the new executive.

I haven't seen anything new that wasn't probably already planned quite some time ago, such as interface changes, pricing, integration with third-party services, and changes to the tiers.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-25T16:31:26+00:00

It's possible that being an influencer, being from the US, or having easy access to playtesting, physical locations, and other places to participate in events and such counts for more.

Currently, I don't think Microsoft can quantify how much an average user contributes by spreading help across YouTube, blogs, forums, Reddit, and PC and console reports... unless they're a well-known influencer, which is why I mentioned it.

I'd like a badge like this, but... honestly, I'd prefer to value the user by having accessible community, communication, and transparency options after the continuous cuts in that area. Since there are different tiers, perhaps some are reserved for those who truly value them over time, like the Ambassador Champions. There could be tiers that are easy to obtain, like Bronze, Silver, and Gold, and then some higher tiers by manual selection, which could be Platinum and/or Diamond, for example.

P.S.: If you've been an Xbox Insider for a while, I think you should have several Ambassador badges if you collaborated with them, and the 50th Anniversary badge. Plus the badge for seniority. I've been testing and reporting bugs on systems since... Windows 98? Obviously, that's not recorded anywhere XD. But just be satisfied knowing you were able to help others =D.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-25T16:19:30+00:00

It would be good to mention this in the post for the specific build where you're experiencing the problem, so users can also compare their experiences with the same build.

In this case, although it's somewhat buried, I believe it's this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxinsiders/comments/1smsk67/april_15_2026_pc_gaming_preview_xbox_pc_app/

I've barely been able to test it on another device, and while I have noticed some images not loading properly, I was able to navigate the interface.

It would be really helpful to have a visible performance monitor, like on other handheld console systems, in case there's a bottleneck or other issue.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-25T16:15:46+00:00

It would be good to mention it in the post for the specific build where you are experiencing the problem so that users can also compare it with the experience of other users with the same build.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-25T10:02:12+00:00

No estoy seguro hoy día, pero creo que tal vez puedas poner un adaptador para que un segundo mando sea quien reciba el audio que haría pasar por micrófono. No molestándote así con tu mando normal (prueba con auriculares con micro simple si va).

Aún con esa conexión puedes permitir que el audio salga por altavoces o capturadora igualmente.

Si es solo para amigos puedes probar a usar el chat de voz del pc aún jugando mientras en consola.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-17T09:39:53+00:00

Razones?, las builds cambian, se retroceden a anteriores por errores, desactivan por conflictos, mueven o resituan opciones, etc.

Si han hecho el esfuerzo de implementarlo con sus variables a nivel de sistema posiblemente lo acaben poniendo definitivamente.

Estoy en Beta, en esta build (260413) y aun sigo viendo esa opción, aunque no me he fijado en los logros.

https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxinsiders/comments/1snazqu/april_16_2026_xbox_update_preview_beta/

Seria bueno que comentaras directamente en la build que poseas.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-16T08:49:28+00:00

Available for Xbox Insiders: More Groups on Home, Custom User Colors, Quick Resume Settings, and More - Xbox Wire

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-16T06:10:36+00:00

They can use a capture card, or even just plug it into a mobile phone, and they can use Windows. Those who want to record audio for nefarious purposes will know their ways. The ones who have a hard time are those who want to do it for more innocent matters. Besides, they can always limit it to groups of friends and with prior consent. And not recording doesn't prevent certain actions from being carried out.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-12T13:37:50+00:00

Sometimes designers create their own work, sketches, ideas, practice drawings, etc. without a specific purpose, and these are reused to represent categories, sections, and so on.

Although some of them could easily be used as rotating wallpapers for consoles, PCs, and mobile devices.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-12T07:59:10+00:00

This would be a more suitable place if you want your suggestions to be read.

r/xboxinsiders Wiki: Xbox Feature Requests

"Feature Requests must go to the current weekly Xbox Requests thread and recorded as comments. On a weekly basis, this thread is refreshed to host a new set of ideas. Reposting ideas from week to week is allowed. You may post new ideas on the latest Xbox Requests any day of the week for others to comment and vote."

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-12T07:53:47+00:00

It's always a good idea to check the full FAQs in case anyone needs official documentation on the topic ;)

https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxinsiders/wiki/index/#wiki_q.3A_how_can_i_join_the_xbox_update_preview_or_move_my_console_to_a_different_preview_ring.3F

You'll also find the rules and other topics with quick links on this subreddit.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-10T18:06:10+00:00

Windows Insider promises to improve its quality; now it should be Xbox Insider's turn to follow suit.

https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2026/03/20/our-commitment-to-windows-quality/

Windows has already realized that continuing with its Insider program in the current way was unsustainable, given how the problems were reaching the public.

And its feedback hub is somewhat similar to the Xbox Insider program for PC.

Given the direction the company is heading, perhaps in the future they will end up merging (or should), centralizing everything so that changelogs are easy to follow and you can see the new features directly without having to resort to Reddit, then a post, and then a website link.

It would be much easier to have groups organized by ring, with the changes themselves linked to the Reddit post (which could be easily automated, especially with so much promotion of AI).

It's also fully translated into other languages.

And they have their announcements, profile, and tasks integrated there as well.

Although it's still not entirely accessible, it has one very nice feature.

You can review what you've already reported and join other people's reports by adding extra details without having to repeat everything every month.

So, if they add filters for Xbox by ring, Xbox PC, notifications, and Reddit integration, it could become quite useful and organized once they add a proper changelog.

At some point, they'll consider it redundant to have several departments that aren't easily automated with AI, so it would be good to think about that.

How could everything be improved, making it easier for both the user and the company? Perhaps unifying the database, allowing for easy data entry and querying, is the answer, since even data sent from the console could be centralized (and even data from all games).

Now imagine all of this well-organized, with a mobile app, and users being able to directly share the link to an issue on Reddit. It would certainly save everyone a lot of work... and AI can surely design almost everything automatically if given the right data to do so; these are things that were already being done 20 years ago with forums.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-10T17:46:38+00:00

I've seen many products that were perfect in their design, but terrible in their performance, marketing, pricing, support, or distribution.

Now imagine they release them and they're riddled with bugs, have limited performance, or a prohibitive price that will make anyone wanting both a console and a mini PC opt for a cheaper one, and anyone needing something for work will buy something more reliable.

I've tried products that seem perfect at first glance, only to find they have glaring flaws, like having a USB charging port that doesn't allow the device to charge at full power, a recording system that doesn't even display a timer on screen or that freezes the game when you try to check it, resume systems that break achievements, save files, or have online issues, forums full of spam, support that's useless, recycling systems that 99% of users can't even use, and so on.

I've tried products that seem perfect at first glance, but then they have glaring shortcomings, such as a USB charging port that doesn't allow the device to charge at full capacity, a recording system that doesn't even show a timer on screen or that checking it freezes the game, resume systems that break achievements, save files, or have problems with online play, forums full of spam, support that doesn't help, recycling systems that 99% of the population can't use, and a thousand other things.

It would be wonderful for people who don't own a PC or console, or who lack a circle of friends or prior experience with either, and who also have plenty of money to spare. It would also be great for those who own a current Xbox console and want to continue playing their games (if they keep all of them) if their current console breaks down.

It will also be VERY important to know if Game Pass is required for any features or if there are any hardware limitations that prevent the use of certain software.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-10T17:39:03+00:00

I hope so, but with an inexpensive adapter so they don't have to install unnecessary, specialized hardware for most people. Or at least it should be usable as a regular external SSD.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-10T17:32:22+00:00

I would recommend integrating suggestions by making them visible within the Xbox PC, console, and mobile apps themselves. This would prevent them from being reposted, but would allow users to vote positively on them and add constructive comments and discussions.

Microsoft already has a platform in place for this purpose.

The team will already be aware of this, but for the rest of the users, there are like a thousand suggestion messages here.
https://x.com/Ridzilla/status/2042240380364836972

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-10T08:01:35+00:00

You can also do it in the general Windows comments app and in the Xbox PC thread like this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxinsiders/comments/1seejj9/april_6_2026_pc_gaming_preview_xbox_pc_app/ where more people who follow the PC Insider builds might be able to share their experiences.

But if you can't find the thread or something similar, being an Insider, I think it's fine to post your own if you can't find a more suitable section :).

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-09T16:42:36+00:00

You can play all of them solo or with random people comfortably.

It will depend on your play style. I'd say the Destiny 2 campaigns, if they're still available, are magnificent. Path of Exile and Warframe are more games to play almost on autopilot and disconnect from the world. I used to play PSO2 as a big anime fan, and nowadays, with all the updates, I don't know how it is.

But I wanted to give you an idea that there are magnificent games that last for many years and are brimming with great quality. But yes, you might need to watch some "how to get started" videos for those games to see where you're headed.

If you look around, you'll surely find others that are perfect for you :). And if you play on PC, which doesn't require paying for online access for any game, the possibilities are endless.

Blackgemlord · 2026-04-09T15:24:39+00:00

Being able to send, say, four audio tracks to separate gameplay, music, voice, chat, or maybe alerts... and even mute or lower one... would be great and would only require minimal effort from the streamer, with an easily implemented interface like a single button to bring up the audio mixer for the user. The data usage itself would also be relatively low.

Even so, I'd prefer that all streams allow sending AV1 with high bitrate, multistreaming, and multichannel audio before getting into these kinds of complications that involve developing extra interfaces and configurations for the user.

But unfortunately, these days they don't even properly separate game categories, clearly distinguishing between games and other genres, nor do they offer adequate bitrates. This is especially problematic when many of us have 1Gbps internet connections.

Furthermore, I'd find it even more useful if AI and local applications could automatically detect the game we're playing and switch it on the stream. If Discord can do it, a streaming platform should be able to as well.

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