r/windowscentral

I've covered Surface devices long enough to see the good, the bad, and the ugly. From the Surface Duo to the Surface Hub, the brand has been through a lot.

What's your take on the Surface brand in 2026? Do you feel the trimmed down portfolio helps Microsoft deliver premium PCs to the Surface faithful or do you prefer the more experimental days of Surface?

Is Microsoft giving fans what they want, or has the soul of Surface shifted too far?

In a memo viewed by Windows Central ...

Xbox is going through one of its biggest internal shakeups in years. Asha Sharma is restructuring leadership across the division while the future of Xbox hardware looks rough. The article breaks down why Microsoft is making these moves now, how serious the situation has become, and why the message inside the company is that Xbox needs to evolve fast.

Our new article also digs into the growing gap between Xbox’s long‑term hardware plans and the reality of the market, plus what this shift could mean for the next generation.

Do you think Xbox can turn things around with leadership changes, or is the hardware outlook too far gone?

Full story only at Windows Central🔗👇
https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/we-need-to-evolve-xbox-ceo-overhauls-leadership-as-xboxs-hardware-future-looks-increasingly-bleak

Valve confirmed that Steam Deck 2 is in active development, and we think the team is seriously evaluating ARM as a future option. Not because x86 is failing, but because ARM could open the door to better battery life, cooler thermals, and more flexible hardware designs.

Our latest article by Cale Hunt breaks down what Valve said, why ARM is even on the table, and what it would take for the ecosystem to support it.

Q: Do you think a future Steam Deck should stay with x86, or is ARM finally becoming realistic for handheld gaming?

Full story at Windows Central👇
https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pc/valve-steam-deck-2-development-arm-possibilities

I built this because I keep seeing people call WPF dead, but I still think it has room for fun UI experiments.

Microsoft is putting the spotlight back on backward compatibility, and this time it is directly asking players to help shape what comes next. Xbox VP Jason Ronald highlighted a fan‑run voting site that lets people choose which classic Xbox and Xbox 360 games they want to see revived through the backward compatibility program.

It's not an official Microsoft tool, but the fact that leadership is pointing players toward it suggests they are paying attention to what fans want.

The interesting part is how much demand there still is for older titles, especially ones that never made the jump to newer hardware. With the program paused for years due to licensing and technical hurdles, this seems like the first sign of movement in a long time.

Which games would you bring back if Microsoft actually acted on this list?

And do you see this as a real signal of future updates, or just a fun community moment?

Full story at Windows Central👇
https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-highlights-fan-voting-site-as-xbox-vp-calls-on-players-to-choose-which-classic-games-should-return-via-backwards-compatibility

Anyone got it yet?

Being in the UK I'm expecting I'll see it probably just in time for Christmas 😂