Microsoft News Roundup: Xbox Games Showcase, Starfield, File Explorer losing features, Intel dropping ‘Core i’ branding, and more

A big week of news kicked off with the Xbox Games Showcase.

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The Xbox Games Showcase headlined the last week of news in the world of Microsoft. Starfield made the most noise, both good and controversial, and the much-anticipated title is already up for preorder. We also saw Intel change its Core processor branding, Microsoft announce several features its removing from Windows 11, and Surface replacement parts become available.

With all that news rolling out, it can be easy to miss a few stories. Luckily, we recap each week of news in a collection of bitesize pieces. If you have the day off, sit back and enjoy the holiday with some Microsoft news. If you’re at work, find some time to catch up on everything from last week.

Xbox Games Showcase 2023

Microsoft held the Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct last week. Dozens of major titles were shown off and discussed at the event, including Starfield, Star Wars Outlaws, Hellblade 2, and Forza Motorsport. Our team covered the Xbox Games Showcaselive as it happenedand recapped the major announcements from the event.

It’s worth browsing through all of the Xbox Games Showcase coverage, but one storyline stuck out. Starfield was at center stage, and it drew both awe and criticism. The fact thatStarfield will be locked at 30 FPSon Xbox caused complaints, but Bethesda Director Todd Howard explained why the game would be limited to that frame rate. The director mostlyplays Starfield on Xbox Series Sand says it’s “great.”

Our Managing Editor and guru of games Jez Corden highlightedanother issue with Starfield; the fact that it only supports nine languages. Microsoft has been criticized for its localization efforts in the past, and the company will continue to be called out unless things change.

While there was some controversy around Starfield, the Xbox Games Showcase appeared to be an overall success. Tons of titles were shown off and there’s a lot of excitement in the gaming community. Corden said it best in his piece “The Xbox Games Showcase 2023 was incredible — now it’s time to execute.”

File Explorer losing features

While Microsoft is modernizing File Explorer on Windows 11 and adding features, the company is alsotaking some away.

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“We are removing a handful of old settings under Folder Options in File Explorer as part of an effort to clean up the number of settings for File Explorer,” said Microsoft. “Many of these are legacy settings that have been around for ages and are not being regularly used by people on Windows 11.”

Most of the features that are going away are used rarely, according to Microsoft, though some enthusiaststook to Redditto express frustration.

Here’s a full list of what’s going away, aslisted by Microsoft:

Teams Chat being stripped from Windows Taskbar

Sticking with the theme of things that are going away, Microsoft also announced that it willremove the integrated Teams Chat menu on Windows 11. At the moment, you can access a chat app powered by the free version of Teams through the Taskbar on Windows 11. In the near future, Microsoft will replace that integration with a pinned shortcut to the free version of Microsoft Teams.

We’ve struggled to find anyone that this change affects. The Chat integration with the Windows 11 Taskbar was a frustration to many rather than a useful feature. Anyone that wants to hide it has to jump through Taskbar settings rather than just right-clicking it and unpinning it.

Surface replacement parts now for sale

When Microsoft first launched its Surface family of PCs, the devices were infamously difficult to repair. That has steadily improved over the years, and it took a large step forward last week. It’s now possible to buy Surface replacement parts directly from the Microsoft Store. Kickstands, SSDs, keyboard and trackpad parts, cameras, and more are available for purchase.

Components can be purchased for the following devices:

TheSurface Pro 9 is the “most repairable"Surface Pro, according to iFixit. Other Surface devices have become easier to repair as well. The ability to buy parts from the Microsoft Store should make repairs a bit simpler.

Surface replacement parts

Whether you’re looking for a new screen, SSD, power supply, kickstand, speaker, or other components on your Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, or Surface Studio, Microsoft has you covered with official parts available on the Microsoft Store.

Intel changes Core naming

Intel announced its “most significant brand update in 15 years” last week. The chipmaker will drop the “i” from its Intel Core branding. The company will remove redundant parts of CPU names, making it easier to determine which chip is inside a PC. Intel will also introduce Intel Core Ultra processors as its highest-tier chips as well.

Our Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubinosummarized the changes made by Intel:

Processors with the new branding will look like this:

Because Intel chips are in a wide range of devices, the naming of its chips can be rather confusing. The new branding should make things easier to digest for general consumers.

Reviews

Our experts love to get their hands on the latest gadgets and gizmos. Our team recently reviewed the ROG Ally, ASUS ROG Swift OLED, and the Hyperkin Xenon Wired Controller. Jump through the reviews below to check out the hottest tech and see if it’s worth picking up.

Deals

Having tech is great. Spending a fortune on it is not. That’s why our team looks for the best deals on laptops, games, accessories, and more. With Father’s Day happening over the weekend and graduation season upon us, many retailers have ongoing discounts. Here are the best deals that we’ve covered recently that are still live.

Note that some of the deals may have changed since we initially covered them. Pricing below is accurate at the time of publication.

Dell XPS 15 |$1.899$1,099 at Dell

This model of the XPS 15 features a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU paired with NVIDIA RTX 3050 graphics. Thanks to a $800 discount, it’s one of the best laptop deals you’ll find.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen 6) |$4,279$1,299 at Lenovo

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga is one of Lenovo’s best convertible laptops. This model is a couple of years old, but it holds up well. Its tall 14-inch 3840 x 2400 display gives it a modern look and its internals make it a great choice for productivity.

Other models from $998.99

Dell XPS 13 Plus |$1,849.99$1,099.99 at Best Buy

This futuristic PC has a unique design that stands out in a world of clamshell laptops. It’s thin, light, a gets the most of its body by having a zero-lattice keyboard and a haptic trackpad. Right now, you can get it for $750 off.

Logitech June Sale | Save up to $50

You can save up to $50 on a massive range of devices from Logitech through the company’s June sale. If you enter the codeLOGIGRADyou’ll save $20 on orders of $120 or more and $50 on orders of $250 or more.

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.