Microsoft launches a 'velocity green' Xbox controller

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft leans into its "green" branding with a new colour for its Xbox Series S/X wireless controller. The new velocity green controller is now available for CAD 74.99. Its entire front is green with black accents seen on the hybrid D-pad and controller buttons. The triggers and bumpers come in black, while the back case is white. 

This controller comes with up to 40 hours of battery life and has textured grips on areas like the triggers and back case. It also has a dedicated Share button to share screenshots or gameplay. And you can use it with PCs and mobile devices. 

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Apple Music is now available on the Xbox

If you've been waiting for Apple Music to make its way to Microsoft's Xbox consoles, your wait is over. You can now download the Apple Music app on the Xbox Series X and S. You get a one-month free trial if you're a new user. The interface is similar to how it looks on Apple TV. According to Apple and Microsoft, there are plans to bring the Apple Music and TV apps to Windows 11 later this year. 

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'Valheim' will exclusively launch on Xbox consoles in 2023

Viking survival game Valheim will finally make its way from the Windows PC to become an exclusive console title on the Xbox. During Microsoft's Xbox Game Showcase, publisher Coffee Stain and developer Iron Gate announced that Valheim will be coming to the Xbox Game Pass for the Xbox One and Xbox Series X in early spring 2023. It will also be playable via PC Game Pass (and on the Microsoft Store) in fall 2022.

Both versions will have full cross-play support at launch when they're released so Vikings can "build, fight, and survive together"—whether you got the title on Steam, Microsoft Store, or console. Valheim is also expected to get its Mistlands update this year, which brings a new, tree-dense biome.

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Microsoft used Xbox dev kits for a 'Halo Infinite' tournament

Photo by Billy Freeman on Unsplash

The ongoing Xbox shortage hasn't just affected consumers; even Microsoft itself had run into issues because of it. This weekend, the company reportedly used Xbox Series X dev kits to run its first big Halo Infinite tournament, the Halo Championship Series' Raleigh Major. Microsoft couldn't get enough retail consoles to use. 

But, according to 343 Industries' esports lead Tahir Hasandjekic, the dev kits are "functionally identical" to off-the-shelf consoles and would operate in that mode. They won't look like the competitors' consoles at home, but they should function the same. In the simplest terms to describe the situation, Hasandjekic said, the "global supply chain shortage is real."

Via: Engadget