The Windows Central Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered

Windows 11 just keeps getting better

In this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden break down the latest Windows 11 insider features, focusing heavily on major overhauls coming to context menus, File Explorer polish, and options to force apps to open full-screen. They also dive into a surprising new Signal 65 processor study highlighting how Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 chips stack up against Intel and AMD, wrap up recent Windows 11 improvements from March onward, and touch on various tech ecosystem shifts. This episode of the Windows Central Podcast is sponsored by Surfshark VPN. Unlimited devices, access your content from anywhere, and auto-block malware on Windows, Edge, and other platforms from $2.50/mo, with 3 months extra FREE. Sign up today! <ul data-slate-fragment= "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

The Surface Phone finally leaked?

On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Zac and Jez sit down to discuss newly leaked images of an old Windows Phone prototype that looks suspiciously like it could have passed for a Surface Phone back in the day. Is this the Surface Phone finally revealed? Also on the agenda: Microsoft begins its push to unify Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot, Windows gains support for Xbox backward compatible games, and the latest news from the gaming world.

Microsoft explains how its modernizing and fixing Windows 11

In this episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden sit down with Marcus Ash, Corporate Vice President of Design and Research for Windows at Microsoft. The discussion centers on the user experience vision for Windows 11, balancing modernization with legacy app compatibility, and optimizing system efficiency across diverse hardware configurations. The Windows Central Podcast is sponsored by Surfshark VPN. Unlimited devices, access your content from anywhere, and auto-block malware on Windows, Edge, and other platforms from $2.50/mo, with 4 months extra FREE. Register today!

Windows can now play (some) Xbox games

Welcome back to the Windows Central Podcast! It's Daniel Rubino and Jez Corden in the driver's seat this week, tackling a massive news cycle in the Xbox and tech space. We kick things off with a frustrating trend: LG monitors forcing McAfee pop-ups, and we get a little philosophical about the "enshittification" of our hardware. On the gaming front, we dive deep into the newly discovered OG Xbox emulation coming to Windows PCs and what it means for the future of game preservation. Jez also gives us the behind-the-scenes breakdown of his exclusive interview with Todd Howard, contextualizing the recent, devastating Bethesda layoffs with the push for Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5. We also unpack the latest reports on Xbox studio heads pushing back against Game Pass, break down that surprise 86% spike in Xbox console sales in June, and get a little bit of sticker shock over the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8.

Copilot OS leaked (and Microsoft laid off thousands)

The tech world is sweating, and it's not just the summer heatwave. This week on the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel Rubino, Zac Bowden, and Jez Cordon sit down to unpack a massive wave of Microsoft layoffs. We break down Asha Sharma's internal memo revealing a staggering 14 layers of middle management at Xbox, why the gaming division has struggled to capitalize on massive acquisitions like Fallout and Minecraft, and whether turning Xbox into an independent subsidiary is the brand's last chance for survival. Zac walks us through the shocking Discord leak of "Project Ion," an experimental, web-native Copilot Operating System built entirely inside Microsoft Edge. Finally, we break down the quiet arrival of Snapdragon X2-powered Surface devices, the new 24 GB RAM "sweet spot," and why sources tell us the Surface Go lineup is officially dead.

The path ahead for Xbox

On this episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Zac and senior Xbox editor Jez Corden sit down to discuss the current state of Xbox, and where the business is headed. It has been a wild month since Asha Sharma took the reins as Xbox CEO. While the team has been working to re-capitalize the brand and bring back some big-name exclusives, the narrative over the last week has taken a sharp negative turn. Between heavy rumors of Microsoft looking to sell off or close down certain first-party studios, console price hikes hitting shelves, and a massive rethink of what the next-gen hardware looks like, we wanted to figure out what's actually going on with Xbox as a business. In this episode, we break down the brutal economic realities hitting the industry. From the "RAM apocalypse" destroying console profitability to how free-to-play giants like Fortnite and Roblox have completely upended the old hardware subsidy model. We also look ahead at the next-generation "Helix" console, discussing whether Microsoft can actually deliver on its open Windows/Steam ecosystem vision if the hardware costs a grand, and what Sony's shift away from physical media means for the future of discs.

A massive week for Windows and Xbox

New Surface PCs are here, and WOW are they expensive

Welcome back to the Windows Central Podcast! In this special drop episode, Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden dive deep into Microsoft's massive new wave of Surface devices announced this week. While the consumer versions are slated for later this summer, today is all about the brand-new commercial portfolio. We break down the three newly refreshed business devices: The Surface Laptop 8 (the 13.8-inch and 15-inch flagship) The Surface Laptop 13-inch (the mid-range option) The Surface Pro 12 (the 13-inch flagship 2-in-1) (And yes, we spend a few minutes laughing about how incredibly confusing Microsoft's naming conventions have gotten!) 💻 Hands-On with the Surface Laptop 8 Daniel gives his first-hand impressions of the new 13.8-inch Laptop 8, which packs some serious under-the-hood upgrades despite keeping last gen's nearly perfect exterior design. We talk about the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" X7 chip, the surprisingly capable B390 GPU, and just how quiet those fans stay under a heavy lifting load. 🔒 Killer New Commercial Features We also dig into the features that business users are going to love, including: The Haptic Touchpad & Windows 11 Haptic Signals: How Microsoft's new API makes the digital world feel tactile when you're closing windows, snapping apps, or scrubbing video timelines. The E-Privacy Screen: Daniel explains the tech behind the new electronic privacy display option that instantly cuts down viewing angles at the press of the F1 key to keep your sensitive data safe from over-the-shoulder lookers. 💰 The Price of Business & What's Next for Consumer Models We wrap up the episode addressing the elephant in the room: the price hikes. We discuss why these enterprise units are crossing into the $1,950+ territory, the reality of component pricing, and how Microsoft's strategy compares to Apple and other PC OEMs. Plus, we look ahead to what we can expect when the Snapdragon X2-powered consumer variants drop later this summer.