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Microsoft makes it easier to switch between some games on Xbox Cloud Gaming

By Monica J. White Published March 27, 2025

A woman holding a remote while looking at an Amazon Fire TV with the Xbox app on it. It's on the Cloud Gaming menu with Fallout 76, Senua's Saga Hellblade 2 and more on it. — Amazon

Microsoft has just unveiled a bunch of gaming-related updates, and while they seem like rather small tweaks, they could be helpful for Xbox gamers who don’t play on the actual console. The TL;DR includes a cleaner Game Bar UI, Game Pass benefits, and a way to seamlessly shift in and out of games using Xbox Cloud Gaming. Let’s dig in.

The new Xbox Cloud Gaming game toggle. — Microsoft

First, perhaps my favorite of all the announcements: Microsoft has made it easier to switch from one game to another in Xbox Cloud Gaming. Unfortunately, this only concerns Assassin’s Creed games so far, such as Assassin’s Creed Shadows — but it’s still pretty cool.

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Prior to the update, you’d need to go back to the Xbox homepage to launch a new game. Now, games can be launched directly from the same window, without having to go back. It’s a small change, but could prove to be a great quality-of-life update for gamers. The best part is that Microsoft says it’ll be rolling out in other cloud-playable games “soon,” so it’s not going to be all Assassin’s Creed forever.

Speaking of games you can play in the cloud, Microsoft added new titles to the list of games you can play on supported devices (if you own them, that is). This includes Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Gotham Knights, but also Party Animals, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Wobbly Life. More games are coming soon, including Raft, which is one of my favorite survival games to date.

Microsoft Game Bar — Microsoft

Next, Microsoft’s Game Bar has a whole new look, and it’s only the beginning — the company says that several visual enhancements will roll out this week. Game Bar now has a refreshed design with various widgets, including the Home Bar and separate widgets for resources, capturing gameplay, and performance tracking.

Lastly, if you’re using the Xbox Game Pass, you’ll be eligible for some free goodies as part of your subscription. This applies to free-to-play games and includes cosmetics, in-game currency, and other fun stuff in titles like Heroes of the Storm or Naraka: Bladepoint.

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Monica J. White

Computing Writer

Monica is a computing writer at Digital Trends, focusing on PC hardware. Since joining the team in 2021, Monica has written…

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The best Yasuke gear in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Yasuke stares down an enemy in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

After a fairly lengthy intro in Assassin's Creed Shadows, you will have access to both Naoe and Yasuke and can swap between the two as you please for the rest of the game. Your XP is shared between the two characters, but each one has their own skills to master and gear to equip. Naoe is more suited to sneaking and assassinating enemies without being detected, while Yasuke takes a more direct approach and is built for open combat. This means each one should be using the appropriate gear to support that playstyle. Weapons, armor, and trinkets are dumped on you for doing almost everything, which makes sorting through it all and finding the best gear a bit annoying. For Yasuke, these are the pieces of armor and weapons you should focus on getting.
Best Yasuke gear

Just like Naoe, Yasuke can hold two weapons, wear armor and headgear, plus equip a trinket.
Weapons
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Gaming

The best Naoe gear in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

One of the protagonists in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

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Best Naoe gear

Naoe can hold two weapons, plus armor, headgear, and a trinket. These are the ones we found to be the most powerful for her.
Weapons
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