Microsoft Weekly: more Xbox games for PS5, new Surface devices, Windows updates, and more

In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, we look at the new Surface devices, new optional updates for Windows 11 and 10, fresh preview builds in the Insider program, app updates, new Xbox games getting ported over to PlayStation 5, and more.

Table of contents:

1. Surface event
2. Windows 10 and 11 news
3. Windows Insider Program
4. Updates are available
5. Reviews are in
6. Gaming news

Surface event

Here is the hardware that Microsoft announced this week.

Microsoft had a special Surface event this week where the company announced the Surface Laptop 7 for Business and the Surface Pro 11 for Business. Both devices are near identical copies of their Snapdragon-powered siblings, with the biggest change being Intel's new Core Series 2 processors. Also, the Surface Laptop 7 for Business is the first Surface Laptop with optional 5G connectivity.

In addition, Microsoft announced the Surface USB4 Dock, a more affordable docking station that expands the number of available ports and peripherals that you can connect to your Surface device equipped with a USB Type-C port.

If you want to learn more about these devices, check out our fresh Specs Appeal articles (here and here) comparing new Surface devices in detail to their predecessors.

Windows 11 and 10

Here we talk about everything happening around Microsoft's latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And of course, you may find a word or two about older but still supported versions.

Windows 11 and Windows 10 version 22H2 received their first non-security updates in 2025. Windows 11 24H2 got KB5050094 with new taskbar animations and new features (plus a fix for USB audio device issues and Auto HDR issues), Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2 received KB5050092, and Windows 10 received the new Outlook and a few minor changes in KB5050081.

Also, Microsoft released new recovery updates for Windows 11 version 24H2 and Windows Server 2025.

Moving from Windows updates to Windows stats, we have Statcounter and its latest data for January 2025. According to the findings, Windows 11 reached a new all-time high. Right now, the OS sits at 36.65%, which is a 2.53-point increase over December 2024. Windows 10, on the other hand, is declining, and it is now about to cross the 60% on its way down.

Finally, Microsoft posted a detailed blog post to explain in detail what feature deprecation means in the Windows world.

Windows Insider Program

Here is what Microsoft Released this week for testing in the Windows Insider Program:

Windows Insiders in the Dev and Canary Channels can try the updated Phone Link pane in the Start menu. The most important change in the latest version is iPhone support. Now, Windows 11 can work with Apple's smartphones and display battery levels, calls, messages, contacts, and even let you send files. Previously, all those features were Android-exclusive.

Updates are available

This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties.

PowerToys, everyone's favorite set of utilities for Windows 10 and 11, received its first feature update in 2025. Version 0.88 arrived with one new utility, a lot of fixes for existing modules, and one removed tool. The new module is ZoomIt (it will help you with presentations), and the removed utility is Video Conference Mute. Also, a future PowerToys update will bring big improvements to the Advanced Paste module.

Windows Auto Dark Mode is another useful utility for Windows 10 and 11 users, especially those upset about the system's lackluster dark mode. Version 10.4.2.29 arrived this week with native ARM support, additional image type support, and other important fixes.

Microsoft has some bad news for those using the Dev Home app on Windows 10 and 11. In May 2025, Dev Home will go six feet under, and most of its features will spread across other parts of the operating system. Although the idea was neat, developers mostly agree that the Dev Home offers little to no benefit to them, and its demise will not upset many of them.

Dev Home is not the only thing Microsoft is killing. Microsoft sent out emails to Microsoft 365 subscribers to notify them that the built-in VPN service in Microsoft Defender is going away. Instead of it, Microsoft promises to "invest in new areas that will better align with customer needs."

Microsoft is now testing a new tool to help Edge users stay away from scareware or tech scam websites. The new scareware blocker is available in preview, and it works by blocking full-screen websites and showing you a warning that the website is potentially malicious.

If Microsoft Edge is not your cup of tea and you prefer the ol' reliable Chrome, be aware that Google is killing Chrome Sync on older browser versions. How old? If your Chrome is over four years old, first of all, what is wrong with your PC? Second, get ready to upgrade because Chrome Sync will soon stop working on your device.

If you use the classic Outlook app, beware of a couple of known issues. Microsoft revealed that Outlook 2016 has some problems with search and offered a workaround via Windows Registry. Another bug is related to clicks and scrolls when reading emails.

Files, our favorite third-party file manager for Windows 11, received a massive update this week. Version 3.9 arrived with a new layout, improvements for tags, tabs, archive support, thumbnails, and many more.

Other notable updates include the following:

• Microsoft announced the results of the second quarter of the 2025 fiscal year with a $69.6 billion revenue
• Microsoft is once again in talks to buy TikTok's US operations
• Microsoft Translator Pro is now available on iOS
• OpenAI's o1 reasoning model is now available for free to everyone via Copilot
• Microsoft brought DeepSeek R1 to Azure AI Foundry and GitHub

And here are the newest drivers and firmware released this week:

• Nvidia updated its Nvidia app with new display settings and more
• Nvidia 572.16 with RTX 5090 and 5080 support
• Intel 32.0.101.6557 Non-WHQL and 32.0.101.6262 Non-WHQL with Spider-Man 2, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Civilization VII support
• Surface Book 3 received new firmware with fixes for camera performance issues
• Surface Go 3 received new firmware with fixes for audio and microphone issues

Reviews are in

Here is hardware and software we reviewed this week

This week, we have only one review with a very specific topic. If you have ever wondered about the difference between a clean Windows 11 installation and an in-place upgrade in 2025, check out this article by Sayan Sen.

On the gaming side

Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts and more.

This week's gaming section kicks off with a major one: Microsoft finally acknowledged rumors and announced the release of Forza Horizon 5 on the PlayStation 5. The game is now available for preorder, and it will be coming to the PlayStation Store sometime this spring, with Panic Button responsible for porting the game over to the Japanese console.

As expected, Electronic Arts revived the first two original The Sims games. Both titles, along with their DLCs and expansions, are now available for purchase with optimizations for modern platforms. The first part costs $19.99, while the second one is $29.99. Hardware requirements are pretty modest, so you can expect to have a good time even on very old hardware like the AMD FX-6300, 4GB of RAM, and a GTX 600 Series graphics card.

Larian Studios is finally adding split-screen support to Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox Series S. After months of delay and plenty of concerns about performance issues, the studio has finally managed to address all problems and prepare split-screen support for Microsoft's lower-end console. It will arrive as part of the game's Patch 8 update.

There is some good news for those who miss the good old days of the first two installments of The Sims. According to a new report, Electronic Arts and Maxis are getting ready to re-release The Sims and The Sims 2 on PC with support for modern systems and all the additional content. There is no word about consoles, though.

Nvidia revealed new games that are now available on GeForce NOW. The latest titles that you can play in the company's cloud include Avowed, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Civilization VII and many more.

Finally, Microsoft released an update for the Xbox app on Windows 10 and 11, adding several improvements, such as the ability to run games from the system tray, session recaps, updated social widgets, and more.

Other gaming stories from this week include the following:

• Hogwarts Legacy is getting official modding support this week on PC

• PlayStation exclusive Rise of the Ronin to launch on PC soon with new features

• Sony revealed PC hardware requirements for Marvel's Spider-Man 2

• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is getting an FOV slider, PVP cross-play toggle, new enemy type, and more

• Dino Crisis 1 and 2 are now available on the GOG store with Windows 10/11 support and enhancements

• No Man's Sky Worlds Part II expanded its universe with gas giants, water worlds, and more

Microsoft Weekly background image by AJS1 on Pixabay

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