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Microsoft makes it easier to switch between some games on Xbox Cloud Gaming

By Monica J. White Published March 27, 2025

A woman holding a remote while looking at an Amazon Fire TV with the Xbox app on it. It's on the Cloud Gaming menu with Fallout 76, Senua's Saga Hellblade 2 and more on it. — Amazon

Microsoft has just unveiled a bunch of gaming-related updates, and while they seem like rather small tweaks, they could be helpful for Xbox gamers who don’t play on the actual console. The TL;DR includes a cleaner Game Bar UI, Game Pass benefits, and a way to seamlessly shift in and out of games using Xbox Cloud Gaming. Let’s dig in.

The new Xbox Cloud Gaming game toggle. — Microsoft

First, perhaps my favorite of all the announcements: Microsoft has made it easier to switch from one game to another in Xbox Cloud Gaming. Unfortunately, this only concerns Assassin’s Creed games so far, such as Assassin’s Creed Shadows — but it’s still pretty cool.

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Prior to the update, you’d need to go back to the Xbox homepage to launch a new game. Now, games can be launched directly from the same window, without having to go back. It’s a small change, but could prove to be a great quality-of-life update for gamers. The best part is that Microsoft says it’ll be rolling out in other cloud-playable games “soon,” so it’s not going to be all Assassin’s Creed forever.

Speaking of games you can play in the cloud, Microsoft added new titles to the list of games you can play on supported devices (if you own them, that is). This includes Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Gotham Knights, but also Party Animals, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Wobbly Life. More games are coming soon, including Raft, which is one of my favorite survival games to date.

Microsoft Game Bar — Microsoft

Next, Microsoft’s Game Bar has a whole new look, and it’s only the beginning — the company says that several visual enhancements will roll out this week. Game Bar now has a refreshed design with various widgets, including the Home Bar and separate widgets for resources, capturing gameplay, and performance tracking.

Lastly, if you’re using the Xbox Game Pass, you’ll be eligible for some free goodies as part of your subscription. This applies to free-to-play games and includes cosmetics, in-game currency, and other fun stuff in titles like Heroes of the Storm or Naraka: Bladepoint.

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Monica J. White

Computing Writer

Monica is a computing writer at Digital Trends, focusing on PC hardware. Since joining the team in 2021, Monica has written…

Gaming

The best hideout upgrades in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Yasuke trains outside in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

There have been various forms of upgradable bases in Assassin's Creed games before, but none as deep as in Assassin's Creed Shadows. Besides being a relaxing location where Naoe and Yasuke can hang out with their various allies, you will also be building entire structures that add new functions to the game. You're tutorialized on them only to get access to Scouts, but the rest of the buildings and upgrades are up to you. Since resources are so precious, investing in the wrong structures can set you back hours. Instead, we best hideout upgrades you should get in Assassin's Creed Shadows.
Best hideout upgrades

The most obvious tip to start with should go without saying, but don't bother purchasing any of the decorative buildings until you have built and upgraded all the ones that provide benefits. Unless you're mainly interested in playing Assassin's Creed Shadows as a mini Animal Crossing game, leave that until the end.
Stables
Your first order of business should be to upgrade your stables. This building is a little misleading since it has nothing to do with your mount but actually relates to those stockpiles you will come across in various camps and castles. These are packed with resources, but you are required to mark them for Scouts to collect and bring back to your hideout. The Stables first allow you to even use this feature, and upgrading it increases how many supplies you get from each pile. This will help fund all future upgrades so should be done as early as possible.
Study
Speaking of Scouts, you will need them quite often throughout the game for revealing quest locations and gathering supplies. Unless you pay, you can only use a scout once per season, and you only start with three. Building and upgrading your Study not only gives you more scouts to work with but also increases their scouting range on the map.
Tera
Don't overlook this smaller building in the lower sections if you're trying to earn XP. This building can't be upgraded so all you need to do is get it once and you're done, but it increases all your XP gain, no matter what source it comes from, by 10%. That is massive if you're trying to power level your characters.
Forge
Finally, the Forge can be left for last in our opinion. You will have a quest to build one, but that's all you should do with it until late into the game, if at all. Each upgrade increases the maximum level you can upgrade your gear in, which is great, but completely unnecessary for most of the game. You are always finding new gear at your current level while completing quests and looting chests so spending your resources to buff a weapon or piece of armor tends to be a waste when you find something better right away. The later upgrades do allow for better engraving, but again, this is best saved for the end game when you know what gear you want to stick with.

Gaming

3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (March 21-23)

Key art for 33 Immortals

A lot of us will have our hands full this weekend playing Assassin's Creed Shadows, but Ubisoft's latest open-world adventure may not be to everyone's tastes. Fans of Fallout might have their eye on the upcoming Xbox Series X game Atomfall, which is also coming to Game Pass on release, but that still leaves an entire weekend with nothing to play. Or, it would if there wasn't a nice selection of new titles added to the service ready for you to dive into. This weekend has something for everyone, such as a brand new Roguelike co-op game, a non-violent adventure game staring Greek gods, and a hardcore JRPG. Let's not waste any more time and give you the rundown on the best new Xbox Game Pass games worth playing this weekend.
33 Immortals
33 Immortals - Official Launch Trailer

This day one addition is still technically in early access, but we already love what 33 Immortals is doing. This is one of the most creative co-op games yet, with 33 players all working together in a massive raid-like dungeon. 33 players might sound like a lot, but the game is built on your team working in groups to tackle different corners of the map as smaller squads. Each game is randomized to an extent, but the goal is to always complete various challenges and unlock the route to the boss. That boss is no joke, and keeping yourself and as many allies alive until the end is key to taking it down. There's still a lot to be added and polished, but 33 Immortals is shaping up to be another potential co-op darling.

Gaming

The best ways to earn XP in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Yasuke fighting in the snow in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is still an open-world RPG at heart. It has some new features like Scouts and two protagonists, but you will still be leveling up, investing points into skill trees, and getting better gear over the course of this adventure. There are a few wrinkles here, such as Naoe and Yasuke each having their own unique skill trees and Knowledge Points acting as a progression gate, but your main concern will still be gettin XP as fast as possible to boost your stats. There are a ton of things to do in Assassin's Creed Shadows, but not all give XP equally. If you want to power level your characters fast, here are the best ways to earn XP.
Best ways to earn XP

Assassin's Creed Shadows makes it somewhat easy to know what is in it for you to do each specific task. When you highlight any objective on the map, you will see the XP rewarded alongside any other items or gear. That's a good place to start, but it doesn't tell the entire story since some tasks can be done very quickly and others might take the better part of an hour.

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