Microsoft is seemingly preparing to introduce an often-requested feature to the Xbox version of the Microsoft Store as of a future update. Gamers will soon be able to gift content to one another via their Buy Now , based on a preview build that is currently doing the rounds.
While the company is yet to officially announce this feature, members of the Xbox Insider program who are running built 1710 are reporting that gifting functionality is already available, according to a report from Windows Central. As such, we can perhaps expect to see it rolled out to all Xbox One users as of the upcoming fall update.
Over the course of the Xbox One’s lifespan, we’ve seen Microsoft respond to a bevy of requests from its community regarding new features. It was fan pressure that prompted the much-touted addition of Xbox 360 backward compatibility, and likewise, it was players who pushed for mouse and keyboard support.
The option to gift a piece of content is right next to the standard purchase button on a product page in the storefront. It’s possible to deliver the gift straight to the recipient’s Xbox Gamertag, or to their email address. If the latter option is selected, they will receive a 25-digit pre-paid code that can be redeemed to any account. It remains to be seen whether or not this functionality will still be present in the final version of the feature, but it would certainly be handy to have.
The only reason it might be removed from the fall update is that the ability to purchase codes lends itself to reselling, which can be a thorny issue for the companies that operate digital storefronts. For years, it was possible to gift games via email or to another user’s inventory via Steam, but Valve retired that functionality in May 2017.
The fall update for the Xbox One is set to introduce various new features and improvements, like an overhaul of the system’s user interface, an expansion of its avatar creation tools, and backward compatibility with original Xbox titles. Given that members of the Insider program have been testing the update since August, its official release shouldn’t be too far off.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.