Microsoft news recap: new Home UI coming to Xbox next year, redesigned Smart Campaigns experience for Microsoft Advertising, and more

Microsoft news recap is a weekly feature highlighting the top Microsoft news stories of the past week. Sit back, grab some coffee, and enjoy the read!

Xbox to launch brand new Home UI in 2023

A new Home UI is being worked on, due for launch in 2023, on Xbox consoles. A random set of Xbox Insiders who are part of the Alpha Skip-Ahead Ring have started testing the new UI this week, so that feedback can be collected on the experience.

Xbox Insiders in the Alpha Skip Ahead Ring – tomorrow our goal with a new 2308 build is a subset of users will see the new Home Experience – Stay tuned for build plans tomorrow – in the meantime we have plans today for 2209!

— Brad Rossetti (@WorkWombatman) September 8, 2022

US Army to take delivery of first batch of HoloLens 2 based “combat goggles”

The US Army is to accept delivery of its first batch of HoloLens 2-based combat goggles, from Microsoft, following a mostly successful test, after the programme was originally placed on hold.

PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan says Xbox Call of Duty offer is “inadequate on many levels”

CEO of PlayStation, Jim Ryan, has weighed in on Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, claiming that Microsoft’s offer to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation is “inadequate on many levels.”

Had good calls this week with leaders at Sony. I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship.

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) January 20, 2022

Microsoft Advertising launches a newly redesigned Smart Campaigns experience to help SBMs optimize their operations

A new Smart Campaigns experienced has been released to Microsoft Advertising in the US, making it efficient and reliable for small and medium businesses to get up and running with online advertising, and now also assists in setting up ads across multiple platforms.

That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Microsoft news.