We are providing new gaming experiences for players in March. Xbox Insiders will be the first to test out new highly demanded console features, we have updates to share from the recent GDC, and there are new dynamic backgrounds on console for Sea of Thieves and Towerborne. Read all about these exciting updates, including new game additions, below.
Here’s What’s New
New Console Features for Xbox Insiders
Earlier this month we unveiled some exciting new features for select Xbox Insiders to test before they roll out broadly for console players in the near future. These include:
- More Groups on Home. Players can now customize Home with up to 10 groups.
- Custom Color. Players can now create a custom color that’s uniquely theirs to express themselves across the console.
- Quick Resume Settings. Players can now disable Quick Resume on a per-game basis to ensure those games always launch fresh.
- Profile Badges in Guide. See a player’s five most recently unlocked badges when viewing their profile.
Read more detail about these new features over at the associated Xbox Insider post.
Xbox at GDC
Earlier this month at GDC we shared more about how we’re building the next generation of Xbox for players and developers. This included an early look at Project Helix, our next-generation console designed to play Xbox console and PC games. We also shared the news that Xbox mode will begin rolling out to all Windows 11 devices in April and highlighted the continued momentum around Xbox Play Anywhere with its catalog now spanning more than 1,500 titles.
Read the full recap from Jason Ronald here.
Xbox Console – Dynamic Backgrounds
Crimson Desert, Sea of Thieves and Towerborne introduced new dynamic backgrounds for Xbox Series X|S consoles, allowing you to customize your console to celebrate these games.
Game Additions
Handheld Compatibility Program – Optimizing Play for Players
The Handheld Compatibility Program makes it easier for you to identify which games are optimized for handheld play. This update is now visible on product detail pages across select Windows devices and featured in the handheld compatible channel on Home on supported Windows handhelds.
Recently, the following games were added to the program:
- Crimson Desert (Handheld Optimized)
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Handheld Optimized)
- Towerborne (Handheld Optimized)
Xbox Play Anywhere – Buy Once, Play Anywhere
Over 1,500 games now support Xbox Play Anywhere, making it easier than ever to switch between PC, console, and supported handhelds for Xbox Play Anywhere games you own at no extra cost to you. Jump into games like High On Life 2 and Reanimal now. Your progress travels with you, including saves, add-ons, and achievements. Just sign in with your Xbox account on any supported device and pick up right where you left off.
These are the games added to the Xbox Play Anywhere collection in February:
- Aerial_Knight’s DropShot
- Aquamarine: Explorer’s Edition
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect X
- “Buy The Game, I Have a Gun” -Sheesh-Man
- Car Cops
- Cash Cleaner Simulator
- Cinemoji Collection
- Clue: Murder by Death
- Death Match Love Comedy!
- Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
- Dragon Spira
- Ghetto Zombies: Graffiti Squad
- Guess the Flag! – World Flags Quiz
- Harvest Café
- Headhunters
- Heart of the Forest
- Hidden Cats in Christmas
- High On Life 2
- Liquor Store Simulator
- Mini Racer Car Shop Simulator
- Puzzle Book
- Real Cake Maker
- Reanimal
- Relooted
- Revenge on Gold Diggers
- Romeo is a Dead Man
- Showgunners
- Sleeping Beauty: Hidden Object Game
- Speed Dates
- Starfall Defenders
- Starsand Island
- Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown
- Sudoku Relax
- Tiny Biomes
- Ufophilia
- Un.Key
- Woodturning 3D
Check out the full list of available games that players can enjoy anywhere.
Stream Your Own Game – Over 1,000 Games
We’re continuing to grow the Stream your own game collection in Xbox Cloud Gaming. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential subscribers can now stream from a library of 1000+ games they own, across supported devices. That includes titles like Marathon andResident Evil 7 biohazard.
More games, more flexibility, and more ways to play – wherever you may be.
Recently added:
- Crimson Desert
- Docked
- Dragonkin: The Banished
- GreedFall: The Dying World
- John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando
- Kingdom Rush Origins
- Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered
- The Long Dark
- Marathon
- Metal: Hellsinger (Xbox One)
- Metal: Hellsinger (Xbox Series X|S & PC)
- Minishoot Adventures
- Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
- Omori
- Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf
- Screamer
- Snake.io
- WWE 2K26 Standard Edition
- …and many more!
Coming soon:
- Dunjungle
- Easy Delivery Co.
- Mega Man Starforce Collection
- Resident Evil 7 biohazard
- Super Meat Boy 3D
- Train Sim World 6
- …and many more!
Check out the full list of cloud-playable games available to stream on supported devices here. For more information on Stream your own game, learn more here.
Xbox Adds More Games for Mouse & Keyboard and Touch Controls
Xbox supports wired USB mice and keyboards for navigation in select games and apps, as well as across Xbox and Windows devices.
For players enjoying Xbox games on mobile, Xbox touch controls deliver a controller-free experience for hundreds of titles. Today, there are 190+ games with mouse and keyboard support active on cloud and 260+ games with touch controls available on cloud, giving you more ways to play than ever before.
Some games even provide custom control overlays or render their own touch layouts, creating a tailored experience for each title’s unique gameplay. Learn how to set up and customize your touch controls here.
Here are the latest titles added this month:
Touch:
- BallXPit
Mouse and keyboard:
- Achilles: Legends Untold
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect X
- Bum Simulator
- Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator
- Death Howl
- Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed
- Echoes of the Plum Grove
- The Expanse: A Telltale Series
- The First Descendant
- Gigabash
- High On Life 2
- Relooted
- Roadside Research
- Scars Above
- SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
- Starland Island
- Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster
For support on setting up devices, see here for more details.
Help Shape the Future of Xbox
Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for future updates and the latest and greatest Xbox news. For support related to Xbox updates, visit the official Xbox Support site.
We love hearing from the community, whether it’s a new feature idea or feedback on something we can improve upon. Xbox is always evolving, and your input helps shape what’s next. If you’d like to help create the future of Xbox and get early access to new features, join the Xbox Insider Program today by downloading the Xbox Insider Hub for Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One or Windows PC.
Happy gaming!
