This week on the Windows Central Podcast, Dan and Zac are back to break down a massive turning point for Microsoft. It feels like the company is finally "looking in the mirror," and we’ve got the inside scoop on what that means for your favorite devices and services.
In this episode:
The Return of Xbox: We discuss the major internal reorg as Microsoft Gaming officially rebrands back to simply "Xbox." From new @xbox.com emails to a leadership overhaul under Asha Sharma, the "rebel" spirit is back.
A "Quality" Revolution for Windows: We go deep on Project K2, the code-named initiative dedicated to fixing Windows 11. We’re talking about the new WinUI 3 Run box, the ability to pause updates indefinitely, and a "Low Latency Profile" that could boost your app launch speeds by 40%.
The Copilot Correction: Microsoft is admitting where they went too far. We talk about why Copilot is being stripped out of the Xbox OS and simplified in apps like Notepad.
Game Pass & Call of Duty: Big changes are here for your wallet. We break down the new $22 Ultimate pricing and the strategic shift that moves Call of Duty from Day 1 to a Year 1 arrival on the service.
Surface’s Identity Crisis: Are Surface devices getting too "safe"? We brainstorm what it would take to reinvigorate the brand—from Surface Pro XLs to the return of those high-energy live launch events.
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss new Surface PCs leaks that tell all about Microsoft's upcoming wave of hardware this spring, as well as recent price hikes and the death of Surface Hub. The crew also discusses the latest progress on Microsoft's big Windows K2 effort, including some internal insight on some upcoming changes to the Start menu and Windows Insider Program improvements.
On this episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac break down Microsoft's big announcement about Windows 11 and how the company is moving to address its biggest issues this year. It's a huge announcement that includes a detailed roadmap of new features and changes that the company intends to deliver throughout 2026, starting with bringing back the movable Taskbar!
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss Apple's new MacBook Neo, and how it might impact the Windows PC ecosystem going forward. Is Windows in trouble? Also on this episode, the latest rumors on Windows 12: What's real and what's not?
Plus, we also run down what was announced from Microsoft at GDC 2026, including what we know about Project Helix, the codename for the next Xbox coming in 2027.
On this episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Dan and Zac discuss Microsoft's plans to bring back the ability to move the Taskbar on Windows 11, plus other plans around addressing "pain points" across Windows this year. The crew also talks about Windows 12, what AI could do to software design, and more!
On this episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Dan and Zac discuss Microsoft's announcement around plans to address pain points across Windows 11 in 2026. A reaction to recent backlash? Plus, Microsoft plans to pull back on AI in Windows.
The Windows Central Podcast is back for 2026, and this week Zac and Dan discuss the current state of Windows 11. Why do so many people hate it, and is it really Microsoft's fault? Also on the agenda: What's next for Windows and Surface?
The Windows Central Podcast is back, and this week Dan and Zac discuss Windows' 40th anniversary, recent backlash from customers around agentic OS plans and the future of Windows, as well as the latest news from Ignite, the Valve Steam Machine, and Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 gaming performance.
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss Microsoft's big Windows announcement relating to new Copilot and agentic AI experiences coming soon to Windows 11. They also discuss what this means for a possible Windows 12, and where computing as a whole is headed. Also on the agenda: Windows 10 EOL and the Xbox Ally is here!
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss the big Windows reorg news and what it means for the future. Is Windows 12 around the corner? Plus, the team talk about Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X2 chips, Windows 10 reaching EOL, the impact of annual feature updates, and the latest changes to Microsoft's 365 and Game Pass subscriptions.
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Dan and Zac discuss the latest with Windows 11: new updates for Paint and Notepad, plus Windows 10 EOL and Consumer Reports asking Microsoft to extend support. Also on the agenda, Intel & NVIDIA are teaming up to create new chips fused with RTX GPUs, and Meta launches it first Ray Ban Display glasses with AI built-in. Should Microsoft do the same?
We're back after a summer break! On this episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss the latest ongoings with Windows 11, our first impressions with Microsoft's upcoming handheld gaming mode, and the news around Google being ordered to let phone makers preload apps that compete with Google services, such as Bing and Copilot!
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Dan & Zac discuss Microsoft's new "Windows 2030 Vision" series, the first of which hints at a potential future "Agentic OS" from Microsoft. What might that look like? We also discuss Microsoft's new Windows XP crocs, WinUI going open source, Dan's thoughts on the Surface Laptop 7 now that he's used one, Lenovo's rollable laptop, and OpenAI's new GPT-5 announcement!
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Dan and Zac take a look back at Windows 10 as it celebrates its 10th anniversary and discussing how it's evolved over the years. We'll also get into Microsoft's strong financial performance and the recent company layoffs. We've got a lot to say about the new Copilot features in Microsoft Edge and what we've seen with Copilot Vision on smartphones. Plus, we'll talk about the state of the Surface line, a couple of very special limited-edition laptops, and the upcoming GPT-5 integration into Copilot. We'll also be covering the latest on Windows 10 security updates, Adobe's new ARM-native beta apps, and a great deal on the Asus ZenBook A14. And of course, we'll be discussing the future of AI and its potential impact on our lives
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Zac and Ben discuss Satya Nadella's memo on layoffs, Nvidia's ARM chip delays, the business-focused Surface Laptop 7 with 5G, new Windows features, Microsoft closing its Movies & TV storefront, Lenovo Legion Go 2 leaks, and share impressions of the new Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 and Flip 7 phones.
The Windows Central Podcast is back after a short hiatus, and this week Dan and Zac discuss the latest ongoings with Windows 11, how it's finally overtaking Windows 10 in marketshare, and some of the new features that are now in testing. The gang also discusses the new Samsung Galaxy Fold 7, and how it makes them yearn for what could have been with the Surface Duo. On that subject, Zac reveals some interesting details about the Surface Duo roadmap, had it not been scrapped. They also discuss what Google merging ChromeOS and Android together could mean for Windows.
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Zac hosts a solo episode where he discusses his thoughts around Microsoft's recent layoffs, the closure of Xbox studios and game projects, and the general vibe being a Microsoft "fan" in 2025. He also discusses the Microsoft's rounding error that had some of us thinking Windows had lost up to 400 million devices in three years, the Surface Earbuds, and thoughts on what damage a cheap MacBook could do to the Windows ecosystem.
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss Microsoft's announcement around free security updates for Windows 10, as long as you sync your PC settings to the cloud. The crew also discuss the latest on Windows 11, the new BSOD screen, and Dell's new 14 and 16 Premium laptops, the replacements for the XPS!
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss the latest news with Windows 11, Microsoft's announcement that the next Xbox will be powered by an AMD chip, Windows Hello no longer working in the dark, and the latest with AI.
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss the big Windows and Xbox news that broke over the weekend: The Xbox Ally is official, and with it comes major changes to Windows for gaming handhelds. The crew also talks about WWDC and Apple's new Liquid Glass, and how we think it's just a worse version of Aero Glass from Windows Vista. We also talk about the new iPadOS updates, and how they could pose a threat to low- and mid-range Windows PCs.
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss the current state of Windows 11 on gaming handhelds, and how failures like Windows Core OS and Windows CorePC have put Microsoft on the back foot in this new mobile category. Also on the agenda: Windows 11 Start menu designs, Bing Video Creator, and AI leading us down a lonely path.
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac are back to discuss what's top of mind from Build 2025 and how it compared to Google I/O. Also on the agenda: Surface Pro 12-inch review and Surface Laptop 13-inch first impressions, the latest from Windows 11, OpenAI buys Jony Ive design company, and Google's XR platform gets closer.
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Zac is on his own as he discusses the potential death of Surface Laptop Studio, the rumored AMD powered Arm-based Surface coming in 2026, Qualcomm's job listing suggesting the next Xbox will be Arm based, and layoffs.
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss Microsoft's latest wave of Surface PCs, our initial impressions of the new Surface Pro 12-inch, and how they fit into the lineup. They also discuss a whole bunch of new Windows 11 features that are coming later this year, including a new AI agent in Settings, the updated Start menu, and more.
On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss the latest on Windows 11, our thoughts on Recall, Click To Do, and AI in Search as Copilot+ PCs gear up to finally receive them, and Phone Link in Start. They also discuss Edge's new Copilot New Tab Page, the latest on PC shipments, and Intel job cuts.
The duo also chat about what they want to see in the Surface Pro 12, and what Microsoft could possibly name its upcoming smaller Pro and Laptop devices.