Windows 10: Microsoft announces new Designed for Xbox partner hardware program

Brink · Sep 2, 2020

At Xbox weâve long believed that accessories are a critical part of the gaming experience. Whether itâs controllers, headsets, or storage for that catalog of games we know youâve collected over the years, accessories enhance the user experience on Xbox. Since the launch of the original Xbox, the Designed for Xbox program has focused on engaging with partners to build the best possible accessories for Xbox across a range of categories. With the launch of Xbox Series X, weâre committed to continuous compatibility, as we know that how and where an accessory works is incredibly important to the overall experience.

Today marks the beginning of the next generation for the Designed for Xbox program. Weâll discuss compatibility of your favorite Xbox One accessories, introduce the new Designed for Xbox look, and share some new partnerships we are especially excited for. These new partnerships represent new experiences for our gamers on Xbox Series X and canât wait to hear what you think.

Continuous Compatibility

Before we dive into whatâs new, letâs talk about tried and true. Many folks are wondering what a new console generation means for the products they already own and love. If you have a favorite Xbox One accessory, like a SteelSeries headset that fits just right or a Thrustmaster Wheel you want to put more mileage on, youâre in luck! Designed for Xbox is working hard with our partners to ensure continuous compatibility across as many products as possible.

Any officially licensed Xbox One accessory that connects to your console wired or wirelessly via USB will work on Xbox Series X. Additionally, any headsets that connects via your Xbox Wireless Controllerâs 3.5mm port will also be supported.

Some gaming headsets that utilize an optical cable may require a firmware update to support game and chat audio over USB on Xbox Series X. Soundbars and headsets that do not receive updates may be connected directly to your televisions optical port. Starting this holiday, many Designed for Xbox controller charging solutions will also include a second battery door to fit both the new and existing Xbox Wireless Controllers.

The New Designed for Xbox Look

Starting today, you will begin to see your favorite Designed for Xbox partner accessories with a brand-new look and feel.

We have shifted to a sleek new badge, retiring the previous design. A different look, while maintaining the same confidence and dependability you have come to expect with a Designed for Xbox accessory.

Unsure which platforms your new accessories will work with? Check out the side of the packaging where our partners will tell you exactly where your accessory is supported.

The Designed for Xbox badge communicates how closely we have worked with our partners on each product to test quality, performance, safety, and security with all Xbox hardware experiences. It also communicates continuous compatibility as we move into the next generation of gaming. The Designed for Xbox badge ensures these accessories provide the best possible experience while gaming on your Xbox console, regardless of generation. Weâve been a part of our gamersâ journey since the beginning of Xbox and canât wait to take this step with you into the next generation of Xbox gaming.

Whatâs on the Horizon

Today, Designed for Xbox is partnering with over 34 gaming brands around the world and have expanded our licensed accessories in categories such as accessibility, PC, Cloud Gaming, and even American Girl. But we arenât finished! We will continue to expand the Xbox ecosystem with innovative products and experiences, all while maintaining a level of quality we are proud of. The Designed for Xbox programâs mission has always been to enhance the user experience on Xbox by building quality consumer products from brands they love. Our partners have been wonderful supporters of Xbox, and for that, we are excited to continue building these great relationships in the next generation of gaming. Weâre also thrilled to have new partners joining the program to deliver new and unique game experiences:

Bang & Olufsen is a luxury audio brand based in Struer, Denmark. Every Bang & Olufsen product is characterized by the unique combination of beautiful sound, timeless design, and unrivalled craftsmanship. Since 1925 Bang & Olufsen has been pushing the boundaries of audio technology and now joins Designed for Xbox with a new audio proposition for the high-end gaming segment.

Audeze is an award-winning premium audio technology company focused on science, innovation, and craftsmanship. Their passion for precision audio has earned them several patents and an outstanding reputation among audiophiles, gamers and professionals worldwide. Audeze will be releasing the Penrose X Wireless Planar Magnetic Headset as their first Designed for Xbox product, and canât wait for Xbox Series X players to experience the unparalleled audio quality.

OtterBox, the No. 1 most-trusted brand in smartphone case protection, is teaming up with Xbox in the development of the next generation of gaming accessories. OtterBox will unveil a holistic portfolio of accessories early next year designed to keep gamers connected when it matters most, wherever they might be. As the long-time leader in mobile protection, OtterBox is excited to design for Xbox as it leads the way in go-anywhere gaming.

Nacon is a French gaming brand created in 2015 that designs and distributes a wide range of gaming accessories aiming to meet the needs of all players on console and PC, from casual to pro-gamer. Nacon will be developing officially licensed controllers for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC, as well as mobile gaming accessories for cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Honeycomb Aeronautical is a worldwide leader in flight simulator hardware, both for home use and flight training. They will be working with Microsoft on developing the next generation of class leading flight controls for Xbox Series X and Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Geek Made Designs specializes in creating âfurniture for your controllerâ with their solid wood controller and console stands. Their love of gaming and their passion for design drives each product they make and inspires new creations regularly. They take great pride in every creation as they locally source and select each piece of lumber from the Pacific Northwest, then cut, carve, and hand finish their designs.

Cable Matters offers a complete line of cables, adapters, docking stations and networking products for the home, office, and data center. They are excited to partner with Designed for Xbox on active optical HDMI cables. These cables will reliably deliver the next-generation graphics promised by the new console at distances up to 10 meters, a distance virtually unachievable with traditional HDMI cables.

Weâre looking forward to the next generation of the Designed for Xbox program and working with partners to build the best possible accessories for Xbox in the future. Visit https://www.xbox.com/en-US/designed-for-xbox for details.
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Source: Designed for Xbox â A New Look, Continuous Compatibility - Xbox Wire

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Brink · Sep 2, 2020

Announcing New Microsoft Student Partners and Program Updates

Hi—my name is Pablo Veramendi, and I’ve had the honor of managing the Microsoft Student Partner program since January. I’ve spent much of this year getting to know amazing students across the globe who are making an incredible impact through technology. Student Partners epitomize Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more—they are on-campus leaders with a passion for making a difference, building vibrant communities, and sharing the latest tech with their peers.

Student Partners are doing amazing things to inspire their communities to learn and grow. Antonina Awino, a Student Partner in Kenya, started the first women in STEM program at her university to better connect female students and experts and encourage women to pursue STEM. The 2018 Imagine Cup World Champions, Hamayal Choudhry and Samin Khan of team smartARM, created an award-winning AI robotic prosthetic hand and continue to share their passion for accessible tech through the Student Partner program. Georgia Kalyva from Greece has shared public speaking tips and hosted tech workshops to help students build a variety of skills for their future career. These are just a few examples showcasing the awe-inspiring enthusiasm and talent Student Partners share.

I'm thrilled to announce exciting program changes to support our Student Partners with new tools and resources to help fulfill their passion to solve problems in the world around them, and to welcome our first group to the 2019-2020 program year!

Student Partners will continue to have access to free tools and resources, and can now earn badges and achieve new milestones for activities and contributions, such as hosting a data science workshop focused on climate change.

Microsoft professionals are providing student-specific best practices, how-to’s, and introducing new tech so Student Partners are well equipped to engage with their peers. From discussing imposter syndrome, to exploring career paths, to taking deep-dives into topics like ethical implications of AI, we’re here to ensure Student Partners have a robust tool kit to become agents of change.

New Student Partners are now accepted quarterly—applications are always open and we’ll select and onboard new Student Partners once per quarter to ensure students from around the world have the opportunity to join when it works best for them.

Student Partner Milestones

Student Partners get unique access to Microsoft resources and personnel to help them lead and make a difference in their communities. This year, we’re rolling out new Student Partner Milestones to better recognize outstanding achievements to learn, lead, and share.

Alpha 1- new Student Partners enter the program at Alpha 1 and receive exclusive access to our global student network and Microsoft experts on Microsoft Teams, an Office 365 subscription, access to Snag It and Camtasia software, and more.

Alpha 2- Student Partners who complete a Microsoft Learn path will unlock Azure credits with Visual Studio Enterprise subscription benefits.

Beta - Student Partners who complete the requirements for Alpha 2 and have hosted an event for other students in their community will earn the Beta badge to unlock event support and resource benefits. This could include an invitation to join our annual Microsoft Student Partner Summit!

Gold - select Student Partners who have gone above and beyond in earning their badges and serving their local community will be invited to the Gold milestone and can become Student Partner Program Regional Leaders, gain access to special events, and may be invited to become a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP).

Apply today!

From hosting workshops and hackathons, to providing guidance to other students, to sharing product feedback directly with Microsoft, Student Partners make a lasting impact and gain valuable skills for their future career. I can't wait to work with students from across the globe to empower their communities!

If you’re passionate about using tech to make a difference in the world around us, eager to help your fellow students, and want to build your skills while leading in your community, we want to hear from you! Applications for the Student Partner program are open, and the next group of Student Partners will be announced in January 2020 (applications for this round are due November 30, 2019). Apply today!
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Source: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/...es/ba-p/835676

Brink · Sep 2, 2020

Announcing New Microsoft Student Partners and Program Updates

Hi—my name is Pablo Veramendi, and I’ve had the honor of managing the Microsoft Student Partner program since January. I’ve spent much of this year getting to know amazing students across the globe who are making an incredible impact through technology. Student Partners epitomize Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more—they are on-campus leaders with a passion for making a difference, building vibrant communities, and sharing the latest tech with their peers.

Student Partners are doing amazing things to inspire their communities to learn and grow. Antonina Awino, a Student Partner in Kenya, started the first women in STEM program at her university to better connect female students and experts and encourage women to pursue STEM. The 2018 Imagine Cup World Champions, Hamayal Choudhry and Samin Khan of team smartARM, created an award-winning AI robotic prosthetic hand and continue to share their passion for accessible tech through the Student Partner program. Georgia Kalyva from Greece has shared public speaking tips and hosted tech workshops to help students build a variety of skills for their future career. These are just a few examples showcasing the awe-inspiring enthusiasm and talent Student Partners share.

I'm thrilled to announce exciting program changes to support our Student Partners with new tools and resources to help fulfill their passion to solve problems in the world around them, and to welcome our first group to the 2019-2020 program year!

Student Partners will continue to have access to free tools and resources, and can now earn badges and achieve new milestones for activities and contributions, such as hosting a data science workshop focused on climate change.

Microsoft professionals are providing student-specific best practices, how-to’s, and introducing new tech so Student Partners are well equipped to engage with their peers. From discussing imposter syndrome, to exploring career paths, to taking deep-dives into topics like ethical implications of AI, we’re here to ensure Student Partners have a robust tool kit to become agents of change.

New Student Partners are now accepted quarterly—applications are always open and we’ll select and onboard new Student Partners once per quarter to ensure students from around the world have the opportunity to join when it works best for them.

Student Partner Milestones

Student Partners get unique access to Microsoft resources and personnel to help them lead and make a difference in their communities. This year, we’re rolling out new Student Partner Milestones to better recognize outstanding achievements to learn, lead, and share.

Alpha 1- new Student Partners enter the program at Alpha 1 and receive exclusive access to our global student network and Microsoft experts on Microsoft Teams, an Office 365 subscription, access to Snag It and Camtasia software, and more.

Alpha 2- Student Partners who complete a Microsoft Learn path will unlock Azure credits with Visual Studio Enterprise subscription benefits.

Beta - Student Partners who complete the requirements for Alpha 2 and have hosted an event for other students in their community will earn the Beta badge to unlock event support and resource benefits. This could include an invitation to join our annual Microsoft Student Partner Summit!

Gold - select Student Partners who have gone above and beyond in earning their badges and serving their local community will be invited to the Gold milestone and can become Student Partner Program Regional Leaders, gain access to special events, and may be invited to become a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP).

Apply today!

From hosting workshops and hackathons, to providing guidance to other students, to sharing product feedback directly with Microsoft, Student Partners make a lasting impact and gain valuable skills for their future career. I can't wait to work with students from across the globe to empower their communities!

If you’re passionate about using tech to make a difference in the world around us, eager to help your fellow students, and want to build your skills while leading in your community, we want to hear from you! Applications for the Student Partner program are open, and the next group of Student Partners will be announced in January 2020 (applications for this round are due November 30, 2019). Apply today!
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Source: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/...es/ba-p/835676

Cluster Head · Sep 2, 2020

Microsoft Will Announce New Hardware at E3

Microsoft Will Announce New Hardware at E3

We are still several weeks away from Microsoft’s E3 press event but what the company will talk about is starting to come into focus. Based on sources inside the company, expect to see new hardware at the event and there will also be a new standard controller that ships with the Xbox One.

The new standard controller will look similar to the current design, which isn’t too surprising, but will likely come in a new color. Considering that Microsoft currently ships a black controller, a white default design seems like a decent mid-cycle refresh for the console to help spur sales.

In addition to an updated standard controller, the company is exploring new interactions between the PC and the Xbox One to further extend the capabilities already present between the two (game streaming). Seeing as Microsoft wants to make Windows 10 on the desktop and Xbox one a ‘killer combination’, they are looking to leverage the ecosystem to create unique experiences for games that are on other platforms too.
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Source and more: https://www.thurrott.com/xbox/xbox-o...ew-hardware-e3

Windows 10: Microsoft announces new Designed for Xbox partner hardware program

Microsoft announces new Designed for Xbox partner hardware program

Microsoft announces new Designed for Xbox partner hardware program

Microsoft announces new Designed for Xbox partner hardware program

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