WW 869: Pretty, Pretty Bueno - Xbox business update, ChromeOS Flex, OpenAI's Sora

02/21/24 • 133 min

Microsoft's big Xbox strategy event was exactly what Paul expected it was going to be. Hopefully, this calmed some nerves.

Xbox strategy reveal

It was going to be about Activision Blizzard originally (nailed it)
All first-party games will be in Game Pass on day one (as is the case now)
Game Pass will only be on Xbox (whatever "Xbox" means as it's on PC too)
The strategy is unchanged: Meet gamers where they are
But the best experience is on Xbox (this is like going from "Windows only" to "Windows first" to "Windows best")
Portability across hardware platforms is a key part of the strategy - Backward Compatibility, etc.
A future generation of Xbox console hardware will offer "the largest technical leap you have ever seen in a hardware generation."
Oh, and four games are coming to "other consoles."

Windows 11

Microsoft is quietly adding off-ramps to the Insider Program after killing the Magic window with their screwed-up release schedule
Canary and Dev - 24H2, same builds. New navigation pane in Widgets - new accessibility setting for low-vision users - that same tired weather experience on the lock screen that is already in stable and seriously kill me now I can't stand this company anymore. Oh, and there are ISOs.
Beta - New prompts for that "manage mobile devices" features, updates to Snipping Tool and Notepad (also in RP)
Release Preview - We're testing Moment 5 now, so this is a huge update
Microsoft fixed a bug that let Edge siphon browser data from other browsers
Stardock brings pre-release support for Arm versions of Start11, Fences, and Groupy to new Object Desktop Insider program
Google has an answer for those out of support Windows 10 PCs

Build 2024

Microsoft confirms that Build 2024 is May 21-23 in Seattle. No word on press invites

Microsoft 365

Microsoft will finally unify the Teams clients on Windows and Mac
Microsoft is killing Publisher in 2 years and even though no one uses it, people are freaking out

Microsoft to use Intel Foundry for at least one in-house custom AI chip
Now OpenAI is worth over $80 billion, is world's third-biggest unicorn
OpenAI announces Sora and... HOLY #$%^
Gemini (formerly Duet AI) comes to all Workspace customers
Google brings Gemini down to size with Gemma for free, local use
Adobe Acrobat is getting an AI assistant

Xbox

Game streaming is (probably) coming to all the Xbox games you own
More (non-AB) games are coming to Game Pass in February
Microsoft goes after Apple's non-compliance DMA compliance in the EU
Epic announces a game store for iOS in Europe, will launch this year
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story will release on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch on March 13

Tips and Picks

Tip of the week: Androids by Chet Haase
App picks of the week: Dashlane, Firefox 123, Bonjourr
Cocktail of the week: Sumi - This is a "clasicos Baltra" from the most famous bar in Mexico City. Tanqueray Ten Gin, Violet liqueur, Jasmine syrup, Yuzu, Egg white. Serve in a coupe glass, and garnish with dried flowers.

Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Sponsors:

Microsoft's big Xbox strategy event was exactly what Paul expected it was going to be. Hopefully, this calmed some nerves.

Xbox strategy reveal

It was going to be about Activision Blizzard originally (nailed it)
All first-party games will be in Game Pass on day one (as is the case now)
Game Pass will only be on Xbox (whatever "Xbox" means as it's on PC too)
The strategy is unchanged: Meet gamers where they are
But the best experience is on Xbox (this is like going from "Windows only" to "Windows first" to "Windows best")
Portability across hardware platforms is a key part of the strategy - Backward Compatibility, etc.
A future generation of Xbox console hardware will offer "the largest technical leap you have ever seen in a hardware generation."
Oh, and four games are coming to "other consoles."

Windows 11

Microsoft is quietly adding off-ramps to the Insider Program after killing the Magic window with their screwed-up release schedule
Canary and Dev - 24H2, same builds. New navigation pane in Widgets - new accessibility setting for low-vision users - that same tired weather experience on the lock screen that is already in stable and seriously kill me now I can't stand this company anymore. Oh, and there are ISOs.
Beta - New prompts for that "manage mobile devices" features, updates to Snipping Tool and Notepad (also in RP)
Release Preview - We're testing Moment 5 now, so this is a huge update
Microsoft fixed a bug that let Edge siphon browser data from other browsers
Stardock brings pre-release support for Arm versions of Start11, Fences, and Groupy to new Object Desktop Insider program
Google has an answer for those out of support Windows 10 PCs

Build 2024

Microsoft confirms that Build 2024 is May 21-23 in Seattle. No word on press invites

Microsoft 365

Microsoft will finally unify the Teams clients on Windows and Mac
Microsoft is killing Publisher in 2 years and even though no one uses it, people are freaking out

Microsoft to use Intel Foundry for at least one in-house custom AI chip
Now OpenAI is worth over $80 billion, is world's third-biggest unicorn
OpenAI announces Sora and... HOLY #$%^
Gemini (formerly Duet AI) comes to all Workspace customers
Google brings Gemini down to size with Gemma for free, local use
Adobe Acrobat is getting an AI assistant

Xbox

Game streaming is (probably) coming to all the Xbox games you own
More (non-AB) games are coming to Game Pass in February
Microsoft goes after Apple's non-compliance DMA compliance in the EU
Epic announces a game store for iOS in Europe, will launch this year
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story will release on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch on March 13

Tips and Picks

Tip of the week: Androids by Chet Haase
App picks of the week: Dashlane, Firefox 123, Bonjourr
Cocktail of the week: Sumi - This is a "clasicos Baltra" from the most famous bar in Mexico City. Tanqueray Ten Gin, Violet liqueur, Jasmine syrup, Yuzu, Egg white. Serve in a coupe glass, and garnish with dried flowers.

Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Sponsors:

Previous Episode

WW 868: PaulyBrowserous - Sudo for Windows, new FTC complaint, Mozilla refocuses

On this spicy episode of Windows Weekly, Paul, Leo, and Richard try to pronounce "Sudo," watch an expensive Copilot ad, marvel at big Arm revenues, discuss the latest in internet browser news, and debate the FTC's motivations as they go after Microsoft once again!

Windows 11

Big changes in Insider, with Canary and Dev moving to the same 24H2 builds
Windows 11 is going to get its AI moment this year
With the announcement of 24H2, does that mean nothing big mid-year as rumors suggested?
Patch Tuesday arrives. Copilot moves to the right of the system tray after 10 seconds of testing
Brave ships its browser on Arm in stable
Windows will likely get an AI game upscaling feature

AI/Antitrust

Report: Azure is allegedly 2/3rds the size of AWS by revenue, thanks to AI
Microsoft Bing and Edge avoid the EU DMA
Google Gemini officially replaces Bard
Grammarly lays off 230 to focus on AI
Mozilla scales back dramatically, will focus on AI in Firefox
Arc Sync comes to Arc on Mac only

Cloud/server/dev

Google One surpasses 100 million users. New AI tier is coming to take on Copilot Pro
Arm revenues are in. Look at those margins!
Notion acquires Skiff. Ladies and gentlemen, the Notion Office is coming
.NET 9 Preview 1 arrives. Are annual updates too much?

Xbox

Xbox says it will come clean on its strategy
The FTC claims that Xbox layoffs violate the terms of its Activision Blizzard acquisition promises
Microsoft tells the court that the FTC is wrong on multiple levels
There's a new Xbox system update
Sony doesn't meet its quarterly PS5 sales target, will miss its annual target, and the PS5 is falling off a cliff
Disney invests $1.5 billion in Epic Games. "F U, Apple!"
Flight Simulator jumps the Minecraft Shark

Tips and Picks

Tip of the Week: Microsoft PC Manager - Avoid at all costs
App Picks of the Week: DuckDuckGo browser, Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Devices for Windows
RunAs Radio this week: Maximizing Metadata with Emily Manicini
Brown liquor pick of the week: Starward Pedro Ximenez Cask

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Sponsor:

kolide.com/ww

Next Episode

WW 870: The Return of the Copilot - Windows 23H2, Lenovo Laptops, Copilot Pro

The newest version of Windows 11 is entering a new rollout phase. Some new exciting hardware from Lenovo emerged from this year's Mobile World Congress. And Paul has been using Copilot Pro for some time and is quite happy with it so far!

Windows

Windows 11 version 23H2 enters a new rollout phase - the "you're getting it whether you want it or not" phase.
Canary: Wi-Fi 7 support, 16 new actions for Windows (+13 there already), separates from Dev channel again.
Photos app to get generative erase functionality.

Hardware

Snapdragon X Elite destroys Intel Core Ultra in AI performance tests. Is this finally the year of Windows on Arm?
Intel rolls out vPro versions of Core Ultra for businesses.
Lenovo imagines transparent displays, ships actual ThinkPads.
HP brings NPUs to its consumer PCs.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 series is now available in the U.S. with unique Copilot features.
Microsoft lays out its 2024 event calendar, and Ignite is in Chicago in November!