Image used with permission by copyright holderHere’s some good news for users who purchased Xbox Fitness: It looks like refunds are being sent out.
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it would be shuttering Xbox Fitness, making all previously purchased content unavailable. All content, namely video workout courses, had to be purchased through an app, which will also disappear. The announcement, which generated ire from fans, was quietly updated, announcing that users would receive a refund in the form of store credit on their Microsoft accounts. Those refunds appear to be coming through this week.
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Microsoft has started sending out emails to users with credit for what looks like all content purchased on the platform. A user on NeoGAF, the largest gaming forum on the internet, posted a screen grab of the email:
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Microsoft Fitness debuted in 2013 as a launch title for the Xbox One. Using the Kinect motion sensor, it tracked players’ movements as they worked out along live-action video on-screen. It also featured workout celebrities like Jillian Michaels and Tracy Anderson. Over time, Microsoft also updated Xbox Fitness to include different types of workouts and even removed the Kinect requirement, opening it up to a larger player base.
Reception online seems to be positive. Many users are happy that they’re getting their money back for a product that will completely shut down. It’s still unfortunate, as Xbox Fitness was more than just watching a workout video. It was interactive and there was a points system as well, making it game-like. It seems that users stopped using the program, meaning that it wasn’t profitable for Microsoft to continue paying licensing fees to celebrities and fitness programs.
Microsoft has also updated its FAQ to account for the refunds.
There’s still another video game fitness option on the market. Wii Fit U uses Nintendo’s balance board along with a pedometer. Granted, it’s a far more subdued affair when compared to Xbox Fitness.
Microsoft just opened up the Xbox Console Streaming preview to all Xbox Insiders
Now everyone can try playing their Xbox One games on an Android phone
Microsoft has been slowly rolling out access to its Xbox Console Streaming for Xbox One since late last year, but that has all just changed. Now, anyone who's in the Xbox Insider Program can check out the Xbox Console Streaming preview.
There, are still some limitations, as mentioned in Microsoft's announcement. First of all, you'll have to be a part of the Xbox Insider program, but anyone with an Xbox account can sign up to join the program. The Xbox Console Streaming app is also currently only available on Android (6.0 or higher) phones and tablets, so iPhone and iPad users are out of luck.
The Alienware m16 R2 gaming laptop with RTX 4070 is $500 off
The gaming laptop deals of the holiday season aren't over yet, as there are still some excellent offers, such as Dell's discount for the Alienware m16 R2 with the Nvidia RTX 4070. From its original price of $2,600, the machine is down to $2,100. It's still pretty expensive, but it's actually a steal at that price, and the $500 in savings is huge. You're going to have to be quick in completing your purchase though, as there's no information on how much time is remaining before this bargain expires.
Why you should buy the Alienware m16 R2 gaming laptop
We highlighted the Alienware m16 R2's great gaming performance in our review of the gaming laptop, and this configuration that's on sale comes with the mighty Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card. Combined with the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and 64GB of RAM, which doubles the recommended specification from our guide on how much RAM do you need, the Alienware m16 R2 won't have trouble running the best PC games at their highest settings. It's going to be ready for the upcoming PC games of the next few years as well -- it will be a while before you need to start thinking about making any upgrades.
I’m a Steam Deck apologist. Here’s why I’ve been using the ROG Ally instead
Since its launch, I'm a bit of a Steam Deck apologist. It doesn't need the advocacy, as the Steam Deck is easily the best handheld gaming PC you can buy, but even in the face of competition from the ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw, I still use my Steam Deck for gaming on the go. A couple of apps have been slowly changing that story, however.
I like playing on my Steam Deck OLED due to the convenience. SteamOS isn't perfect, no, but it allows me to pick up and play my games quickly, which I value more than the higher performance available on Windows handhelds. A couple of key tweaks to the Windows experience can unlock that pick-up-and-play experience, and ever since configuring the ROG Ally X properly, I've been gravitating toward it more and more for my handheld gaming.
A proper sleep
