For your convenience, we typically compile the top stories of each week, along with Major Nelson’s video recap, into a feature we call This Week on Xbox.

With the year – and indeed the 2010s – drawing to a close, we’ve broadened our look back to include the entirety of 2019. The 12 stories below, one from each month this year, are a collection of informative highlights, announcements, and wrap-ups from some of our biggest events of the year, as well as a few fun features that we loved putting together for you in 2019 on Xbox Wire.

Thanks for reading and we can’t wait to share more stories with you in 2020.

January

Mixer Embers Available Now

The first phase of Season 2 launched in November 2018, and it’s been phenomenal to see the Mixer community’s response. From launching fun Stickers and Effects to communities rallying around their favorite streamers’ Sparks milestones, we’ve had a blast seeing the community interact in new ways, and we appreciate all the valuable feedback you’ve given us so far…Read more

February

Welcome (Back) Aboard – 5 Ways Sea of Thieves has Evolved Since Launch

When’s the last time you’ve teamed up with a few privateering pals and set sail in Sea of Thieves? If you’ve taken a break from the breakers, you may be surprised at how much more you’ll find floating around the game these days. Rare has continually updated Sea of Thieves (over 30 times in less than a year!), including 4 major, game-altering expansions, delivered for free… Read more

March

Inside Xbox March Episode News Recap

Today, on our March episode of Inside Xbox, we made a big announcement about one of the world’s most popular games coming to Xbox Game Pass, revealed some major news regarding Halo: The Master Chief Collection, unveiled some of our plans for E3 2019, introduced a gorgeous new controller, shared info on new modes coming to State of Decay 2, and much more… Read more

April

Introducing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Coming Later this Year

In June 2017, we launched Xbox Game Pass – with the goal of empowering gamers all over the world to discover their next favorite game. We also wanted to use Xbox Game Pass as a platform for developers to introduce their amazing games to millions of new people. From the beginning, the service was built based on input from gamers and we’re always listening to fan feedback… Read more

May

Our Approach to PC Gaming

We believe the player should be at the center of their gaming experience and be able to harness the unique benefits of the devices they choose to play on. Nowhere is that belief more important than on the PC. As the creators of Windows, we have a unique responsibility to ensure we’re investing in experiences that benefit players everywhere, while respecting the PC… Read more

June

Everything We Announced at the Xbox E3 2019 Briefing

Today, Xbox showcased a blockbuster lineup of 60 anticipated games for both console and PC in its Xbox E3 Briefing and shared a glimpse of the future with Project Scarlett, which launches alongside Halo Infinite in 2020. Headlined by the biggest game of 2019, Gears 5, along with over 30 games premiering with Xbox Game Pass, the Xbox E3 Briefing delivered 11 world premieres… Read more

July

How to Get the Most Out of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

This year has seen a number of big Xbox announcements, from our new approach to PC Gaming to all of the news we shared onstage at E3. For many of us, however, the most exciting news was that we created a brand-new membership plan that would benefit gamers in a huge variety of ways. Called Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, this program combines Xbox Game Pass for Console… Read more

August

Inside Xbox gamescom News Recap

Today, on a special gamescom episode of Inside Xbox broadcast live from Cologne, Germany, we gave fans a closer look at some of the year’s biggest upcoming games, revealed new titles coming to Xbox Game Pass, showed off some new enhancements to Age of Empires II DE, pulled the curtain back on new accessories, and much more. For a full recap, read on below or watch… Read more

September

Gears 5 breaks records as biggest launch for any Xbox Game Studios game this generation

Thanks to the incredible support from our fans, Gears 5 kicked off the Holiday season strong – attracting over three million players in its opening weekend and setting new records for Xbox Game Pass with the biggest launch week of any Xbox Game Studios title this generation. The performance easily doubled the first week’s debut of Gears of War 4 and made Gears 5 the most-played… Read more

October

Xbox Console Streaming (Preview) Available Now

Today, we at Team Xbox are excited to talk about Xbox Console Streaming, our new system feature that lets you play your Xbox One games from your console on a mobile device. If you’re an Xbox Insider in the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings in the US and UK, you can now try a preview of Xbox Console Streaming. You’ll be able to play your owned and installed Xbox One games… Read more

November

Everything We Announced at X019

X019 kicked off with the biggest episode of Inside Xbox ever, celebrating all things Xbox with an incredible slate of news, including over ten Xbox Game Studios games on stage, three brand new games revealed from Xbox Game Studios, and four more world premiere titles from developers around the world. Inside Xbox was also home to big news from Xbox Game Pass .. Read more

December

Power Your Dreams with Xbox Series X, Available Holiday 2020

For eighteen years and three console generations, the Xbox community has shown us the power both games and fun can have on all of us. As we enter a new generation of gaming, we see a future where you’re instantly absorbed in your games – where worlds are even more lifelike, immersive, responsive and surprising – and where you are at the center of your gaming experience… Read more