There’s a reason that, month after month, Vampire Survivors has been the most-played game on Steam Deck: it’s a blast. Your character auto-fires weapons as thousands of enemies invade the screen. All you have control over in the heat of the moment are the character’s movement and their weapon and item loadout (there are persistent powerups you can unlock as well). It’s one of those games that you have to play to really get the appeal, and it’ll soon be far easier for many people to check it out.

Vampire Survivors will make its console debut on November 10th, when it will hit Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The game will also be available on Xbox Game Pass. While it only costs $5, this will lower the barrier to entry even further. 

The fact that Microsoft is bringing one of this year's biggest breakout hits to Xbox Game Pass isn’t a big surprise. Vampire Survivors was already available to PC Game Pass members.

Also coming to Xbox consoles and Game Pass this month is Return to Monkey Island. The revival of the adventure series landed on PC and Switch in September. It’ll be available on Xbox, PC Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming on November 8th. According to publisher Devolver Digital, Return to Monkey Island will hit Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 then, but not Xbox One or PS4.

The console edition of Football Manager 2023 will hit cloud, console and PC on November 8th as well. The full-blown PC version of the game will land on Game Pass then too. On the flip side, Football Manager 2022 and Football Manager 2022 Xbox Edition will leave Game Pass that day.

There's a lot of other stuff for Game Pass members to look forward to this month. A 2D metroidvania game called Ghost Song, which sees you exploring a distant moon, will arrive on cloud, console and PC on November 3rd. Obsidian's Pentiment, one of the few remaining first-party Xbox exclusives for this year, will land on all three platforms on November 15th. Somerville, from a studio cofounded by Inside and Limbo executive producer Dino Patti, will debut on the same day.

Meanwhile, you can play the full seasons of The Walking Dead: A New Frontier and The Walking Dead: Michonne on PC Game Pass as of today. Sidescrolling beat-'em-up The Legend of Tianding just landed on console, cloud and PC as well.

Elsewhere, Halo Infinite's winter update will arrive on November 8th. That will finally bring online campaign co-op and Forge mode to the game, along with new maps, a fresh game mode and (at last) a way to earn XP just by playing multiplayer games. On November 11th, Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Editionwill be available as a free update. Helicopters, gliders and a true-to-life airliner are among the additions.

Update 11/1 11:40AM ET: Noting that Return to Monkey Island isn't coming to last-gen consoles for the time being.

Earlier this year, Sony PlayStation boss Jim Ryan said that Microsoft's promise to support Call of Duty on PlayStation for three more years was "inadequate on many levels." Now in comments to the gaming podcast SameBrain, Xbox chief Phil Spencer appears to have extended that timeframe to forever, or at least as long as PlayStation exists as a platform.

"We're not taking Call of Duty from PlayStation," he said. "Our intent is not to do that, and as long as there's a PlayStation out there to ship to, our intent is that we'd continue to ship Call of Duty on PlayStation, similar to what we've done with Minecraft since we've owned that. 

"We've expanded the places where people can play Minecraft, we haven't reduced the places, and it's been good. It's been good for the Minecraft community—my opinion—and I want to do the same as we think about where Call of Duty can go over the years."

Spencer made the comments just as the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a "Phase 2 investigation" into Microsoft's proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision. One specific reason cited is concern that Microsoft could restrict Call of Duty from PlayStation consoles. In response, Microsoft accused the UK regulator of specifically adopting Sony's complaints in its initial probe. Despite that, Spencer said Microsoft is confident that the deal will be approved by the end of its fiscal year in June 2023.

Microsoft and Discord plan to make joining a voice channel from an Xbox console easier. If you’re a frequent Discord user, you may recall the companies recently launched Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S integration. Following a beta test in July, Discord started rolling out the feature to all Xbox users in September. Unfortunately, in its current iteration, the integration isn’t as straightforward as one would hope; joining a voice chat involves a transfer process that requires the Xbox mobile app.

That’s about to change. In a blog post spotted by The Verge, Microsoft announced it was removing the need to use a phone to join Discord voice chats as part of a beta update Xbox Insiders can try out right now. The new software adds a server browser that allows you to join a voice channel directly from your console. You’ll still need your phone handy if you want to call a specific friend over Discord, but the update otherwise simplifies what was an overly complicated process previously. While the feature is currently in beta, Microsoft will likely roll it out to all Xbox users sometime over the next few weeks.

Microsoft wants to bring a taste of Xbox game shopping to your phone. As The Vergeexplains, a company filing with the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has revealed plans to build a "next generation" Xbox store that's available on mobile devices, not just consoles and PCs. The shop would unsurprisingly lean heavily on content from the proposed Activision Blizzard merger. Call of Duty Mobile and King's more casual games (think Candy Crush) represent more than half of Activision's revenue and would help attract gamers to the new platform, Microsoft said.

The purchase would boost Microsoft's mobile gaming and ad revenue, according to the company. It would also offer "much needed expertise" in developing and marketing these titles.

The software giant is aware there will be challenges. It will require a "major shift" in consumer habits to pull them away from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, according to the filing. Microsoft says it will apply its open app store philosophy to the Xbox mobile shop, including equal treatment for third-party apps and choices for in-app payments.

It's far from certain that Microsoft will launch the Xbox mobile game store as outlined. The CMA is conducting a deep investigation of the Activision Blizzard buyout over concerns it might hurt competition, particularly in console gaming. There's also no practical way to install a dedicated Xbox game store on iPhones and iPads. While Android users can sideload third-party stores, Apple requires use of the App Store. Microsoft struggled to bring Xbox games to the App Store, and had to offer Game Pass streaming through the browser. Short of antitrust lawsuits forcing Apple to open its platform, Microsoft may have to be content with courting Android gamers.

The strategy behind the filing isn't subtle. Microsoft wants to convince UK regulators that the Activision Blizzard deal would preserve or even improve competition, and the prospect of an Xbox mobile store theoretically helps. Agencies like the CMA might not see it this way, however. Officials are still concerned that Microsoft's potential ownership of Call of Duty on console, cloud and mobile would give the company too much control over the games industry, and the developer's promises to support rival platforms might not be sufficiently reassuring.

Sony has revealed when you'll be able to get your hands on its premium DualSense Edge controller for PlayStation 5, but be prepared to shell out a pretty penny for it. The $200 peripheral will be available on January 26th in the US, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Pre-orders will open on PlayStation Direct on October 25th.

The DualSense Edge is "built with high performance and personalization in mind," Sony says. You can swap out the standard thumbstick caps, for instance, and use the included high dome caps or low dome caps instead. Replaceable stick modules will be sold separately for $20. For the back buttons, you can opt for half-dome or lever versions, both of which are included with the controller.

You'll be able to adjust the thumbstick sensitivity to your liking and remap the controls (including the back buttons) as you wish. Trigger stops and dead zones are adjustable as well. Those could come in handy if you play games that demand twitch reactions, since you'll be able to reduce the travel distance.

There's the option to save these settings to unique profiles you can switch between by using shortcuts. You can adjust audio levels via shortcuts too. What's more, the controller comes with a braided USB-C charging cable that you can lock into place.

The DualSense Edge is clearly geared toward serious gamers, particularly given that price. It's almost three times the cost of the standard $70 DualSense. However, it's in the range of the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, which starts at $150, and as of Tuesday is customizable through the Xbox Design Lab. The DualSense Edge is the same price as Scuf's Reflex gamepad for PS5. Scuf also offers more expensive models, which may cast the initial sticker shock of Sony's latest offering in a slightly less harsh light.

Razer, you may recall, recently teased a 5G handheld device that's focused on cloud gaming. The company took the opportunity at RazerCon to formally announce the system, which it calls the Razer Edge — yep, Razer finally went there with its branding.

The Edge has a 6.8-inch AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 144Hz and a Full HD+ resolution of 2,400 x 1,080. Razer claims the display has 87 percent more pixels than competitors’ devices. The Steam Deck’s screen, for instance, has a 1,280 x 800 resolution. The Edge's Gorilla Glass touchscreen also has a 288Hz sampling rate, which should make it pretty darn responsive.

Razer worked with Qualcomm and Verizon on this device. It runs on the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 Gaming Platform, which was developed exclusively for the Edge. The device has a 3Ghz octa-core Kryo CPU and an Adreno GPU, along with active cooling and six air vents. Razer says early benchmarking shows that the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 delivers two to three times the speeds of typical mobile platforms, such as the Snapdragon 720G.

Razer

The device has a 5,000mAh capacity battery, as well as 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of storage. On the audio front, there are two-way speakers with Verizon Adaptive Sound and a pair of digital microphones. There's a webcam too — you'll have the option to livestream your gameplay.

The Edge is comprised of an Android 12 tablet housed inside the new Razer Kishi V2 Pro controller. The latter has the same analog triggers as the Kishi V2, along with microswitches, programmable buttons and what Razer claims is an "ultra-precise" D-pad. What makes the Kishi V2 Pro different is that it has HyperSense haptic feedback and, blissfully, a 3.5mm headphone jack. Together, the tablet and controller weigh 400.8 grams, which is a bit less than a pound.

As for the games, the Edge, which will only be available in the US at the outset, will come with launchers for Epic Games, Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now preinstalled. You'll also be able to access remote play services such as Steam Link, Moonlight and Parsec.

Razer

Since this is a cloud gaming-focused device, connectivity is key. Razer says the Edge has WiFi 6E that performs on an "uncongested" 6GHz channel and has multi-gig bandwidth support for fast download and upload speeds. When you're on the go, you'll be able to connect to cloud gaming services through 5G as long as you have the right model.

The 5G version of the Razer Edge is a Verizon exclusive. Pricing and exact availability will be confirmed later, but it should be out in January, around the same time as the WiFi model. That version will run you $400 and it'll be available from Razer's website and RazerStore locations. You can reserve one for a refundable deposit of $5. Razer hasn't revealed pricing or availability for the standalone Kishi V2 Pro controller.

That's not an insignificant price for the WiFi model, and it's likely that the 5G version will cost more, but the specs seem solid for the money. It seems like an option worth considering for on-the-go cloud gaming if you'd rather not slot your phone into a controller and you don't want to lug a Steam Deck around.

The Razer Edge isn't the only handheld device focused on cloud gaming. Logitech's $350 G Cloud Gaming Handheld, which doesn't have WiFi 6 or 6E support, will be available next week. Other notable manufacturers are turning their attention to cloud gaming as well. Google this week announced three Chromebooks from Acer, ASUS and Lenovo that are designed for streaming games.

Razer

The Edge was far from Razer's only product announcement at RazerCon. Along with the Kraken Kitty V2 Pro wired headset (featuring swappable bunny, bear and cat ears with Chroma RGB lighting) and some other gear, the company showed off its Hammerhead HyperSpeed earbuds. 

The earbuds feature Chroma RGB, active noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5.2 and 2.4GHz connectivity (via a USB-C dongle you can plug into your console or other device) to minimize latency. Razer claims you'll get up to 30 hours of total battery life, factoring in top ups from the charging case. Hammerhead HyperSpeed is available in PlayStation- and Xbox-braded variants. The earbuds cost $150 and they will be available in November.

Razer

Microsoft's $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard will have to gain approval from various regulators around the world before the deal can go through, including the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA, which first announced its investigation in July, published a summary of its initial probe in September and recommended a more in-depth inquiry. As Ars Technica notes, a Phase 2 investigation could end up prohibiting a merger or requiring the entities involved to sell parts of a company. Now, shortly after the CMA published the full text (PDF) of its decision, Microsoft released a scathing response (PDF), accusing the regulator of relying "on self-serving statements by Sony."

In its response that it has shared to Ars, the tech giant said the CMA's decision was rooted in the concern that Activision's catalogue of games, specifically the Call of Duty franchise, will allow Xbox to "foreclose its competitors." Microsoft called that concern "misplaced," arguing that the CMA is overstating the importance of Activision Blizzard's games when it comes to competition in the space. It also said that it plans to make Call of Duty more accessible by adding Activision's titles to its Game Pass subscription service. 

Sony did not welcome the idea of this "increased competition," the company said, stressing that its rival "protect[s] its revenues" by not making newly released games available through PlayStation Plus. Microsoft also said that there's no basis for the idea that making Call of Duty available on Game Pass would make people more likely to buy an Xbox console. The company said CoD games would also be available for purchase on PlayStation and buying them would be cheaper than buying an Xbox for Game Pass access.

The CMA has adopted Sony's complaints "without the appropriate level of critical review," Microsoft continued. It added: "The suggestion that the incumbent market leader, with clear and enduring market power, could be foreclosed by the third largest provider as a result of losing access to one title is not credible." Microsoft wrote in its response that it's looking forward to working with the CMA through Phase 2, and it sounds like it's determined to make the regulator understand the benefits of the deal. 

As for Sony, a spokesperson repeated its stance in a statement sent to Reuters, calling the deal "bad for competition, bad for the gaming industry and bad for gamers themselves." Microsoft's acquisition would give the Xbox ecosystem "a unique combination of tech and content," they said, which in turn would give the tech giant a dominant position in gaming that would have "devastating consequences for consumers, independent developers, and Sony itself."

It seems like Microsoft just can't stop confirming Xbox partnerships this week. On Tuesday, Xbox Cloud Gaming support for Meta Quest 2 and some new Chromebooks was announced. Now, Microsoft has linked up with Apple to finally offer an Apple Music app on Xbox consoles.

As spotted by Eurogamer, you can snag the app on an Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S console by searching for it on consoles, or download it remotely from the Microsoft Store. As with other music apps on Xbox, such as Spotify and Pandora, you can listen to Apple Music in the background while you're gaming. In the Apple Music app, you can watch music videos, follow time-synced lyrics while you listen and create playlists. You'll be able to access curated gaming-focused playlists too.

Although Apple Music has been available on PlayStation 5 for the last year, Xbox users have had to wait until almost two years into the Xbox Series X/S lifecycle for the app. Apple TV, on the other hand, has been available on Xbox consoles since the Series X/S debuted in 2020.

The timing of Apple Music's arrival on Xbox is definitely interesting. It comes just ahead of Microsoft's big Surface event. Perhaps there will be a little more Xbox news to come out of that showcase.

You'll eventually have another way to access Xbox Cloud Gaming titles beyond consoles, PCs, tablets and phones. Microsoft is working with Meta to bring the service to the Meta Quest Store, which means it will be available on Meta Quest 2 headsets and perhaps even Meta Quest Pro.

A Game Pass Ultimate subscription is required to use Xbox Cloud Gaming. On Meta Quest 2, you'll be able to play console games from the service on a giant virtual 2D screen, so you won't actually be playing VR versions of them. What's more, you won't need to use the Quest 2 controllers either. You'll have the option to connect an Xbox controller to your Quest 2.  

Microsoft and Meta haven't said exactly when Xbox Cloud Gaming will be available on the headset. However, they hope to share more details soon.

You won't have to wait long to earn bonuses for playing and buying PlayStation games. Sony now says its PlayStation Stars loyalty program debuts in the Americas on October 5th, while Australians and Europeans will have access October 13th. Stars is already active in Asia, including Japan. The program is free, although you will receive some benefits if you're a PlayStation Plus member.

You currently have to access Stars through the PlayStation App on mobile devices if you want the "full" experience. You can sign up on the web, however, and Sony expects to reach PlayStation consoles in the future.

As previously explained, you earn rewards in PlayStation Stars by completing activities and campaigns ranging from the very basic (playing any game once a month) to the challenging (being one of the first to score a game's platinum trophy in your region). You'll earn loyalty points you can put toward your PlayStation Network wallet, digital collectibles (no, not NFTs) and certain products. You can also receive collectibles directly.

You can improve the number of rewards you get by advancing through trophy- and purchase-based status levels. However, you'll have to top that up 13 months after the end of the calendar year when you reached them. If you reach level 2 this October, you'll have until January 31st, 2024 to do something extending that status.

The strategy and its motivations aren't new. As with Microsoft Points and Nintendo Gold Points, this gives you an incentive to keep coming back to your console — and spending money. Given that it's free, though, it might be worth a try even if you only occasionally fire up your PS5.