Engadget Podcast: Xbox's leadership shakeup and Samsung's Galaxy S26

Engadget · Feb 27, 2026 · Collected from RSS

Summary

This week, we're diving into the big changes at Xbox and what it all means for Microsoft's gaming future. Phil Spencer, the longtime face of Xbox, announced he's retiring last week. He'll be replaced by Microsoft's former CoreAI CEO Asha Sharma, instead of his longtime deputy Sarah Bond, who plans to leave the company. Will this change actually help the beleaguered Xbox division, or is it another example of Microsoft shoving AI into everything? Also, Samsung held its latest Unpacked event this week to announce its new Galaxy S26 family. They look pretty much the same as last year, but the Ultra model includes a unique privacy feature that can instantly make the screen unreadable to bystanders. It's one of those features we expect to see in every phone eventually. Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Podcasts Topic Xbox leadership falls apart. what happens next with Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond out? – 1:53 Samsung Unpacked: Privacy display on the S26 Ultra looks amazing – 27:27 U.S. Defense leadership gives Anthropic a Friday deadline to let it use Claude as it sees fit – 42:38 MrBeast editor accused of insider trading on Kalshi – 50:40 Discord delays age verification program after user revolt – 54:09 Around Engadget – 1:04:04 Working on – 1:05:16 Pop culture picks – 1:08:21 Credits Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Igor Bonifacic Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/engadget-podcast-xboxs-leadership-shakeup-and-samsungs-galaxy-s26-150000180.html?src=rss

Full Article

This week, we're diving into the big changes at Xbox and what it all means for Microsoft's gaming future. Phil Spencer, the longtime face of Xbox, announced he's retiring last week. He'll be replaced by Microsoft's former CoreAI CEO Asha Sharma, instead of his longtime deputy Sarah Bond, who plans to leave the company. Will this change actually help the beleaguered Xbox division, or is it another example of Microsoft shoving AI into everything?Also, Samsung held its latest Unpacked event this week to announce its new Galaxy S26 family. They look pretty much the same as last year, but the Ultra model includes a unique privacy feature that can instantly make the screen unreadable to bystanders. It's one of those features we expect to see in every phone eventually.Subscribe!TopicXbox leadership falls apart. what happens next with Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond out? – 1:53Samsung Unpacked: Privacy display on the S26 Ultra looks amazing – 27:27U.S. Defense leadership gives Anthropic a Friday deadline to let it use Claude as it sees fit – 42:38MrBeast editor accused of insider trading on Kalshi – 50:40Discord delays age verification program after user revolt – 54:09Around Engadget – 1:04:04Working on – 1:05:16Pop culture picks – 1:08:21CreditsHosts: Devindra Hardawar and Igor BonifacicProducer: Ben EllmanMusic: Dale North and Terrence O’BrienIf you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.

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The Verge1 day ago

Xbox is in danger. Will Microsoft fix it or kill it?

Today, we’re talking about the future of Xbox. Phil Spencer, a two–time Decoder guest who’s led Xbox for more than a decade, retired last week. But in a shocking twist, his deputy and long-assumed successor, Sarah Bond, is also out too, and the Xbox division is now in the hands of Asha Sharma, one of Microsoft’s AI executives with no prior game industry experience. It’s a major leadership transition that suggests Microsoft wants to make serious changes to its gaming division, which owns franchises like Halo, Call of Duty, and Minecraft. There is no better person to talk to about all of this than Tom Warren, a senior editor here at The Verge and author of the excellent Notepad newsletter. Tom is actually on parental leave right now, but Microsoft has a longstanding habit of disrupting his well-earned time off with major news. So, Tom was gracious enough to come on the show after he published a major scoop about what exactly went down at Xbox this past week. There is a lot to say about Xbox: The story of the console and Microsoft Gaming is a complicated one, with a lot of twists and turns since it made its big splash in the video game industry 25 years ago. Yet for a majority of that time, it’s been stuck in third place, behind Nintendo and PlayStation. That’s a surprising thing to say for a division of a company worth trillions of dollars that also owns some of the most celebrated gaming properties in all of entertainment. Verge subscribers, don’t forget you get exclusive access to ad-free Decoder wherever you get your podcasts. Head here. Not a subscriber? You can sign up here. So Phil Spencer, who started at Microsoft in the late 1980s and took charge of Xbox in 2014, was given the job of trying to turn the division around. Since then, Spencer has tried numerous moves: the Netflix-style Game Pass subscription service; a major push into cloud gaming; buying Activision Blizzard King, the maker of Warcraft and Candy Crush; and many, many different iterations of X

Engadget2 days ago

Xbox consoles now support 1440p streaming

Microsoft has announced that its rolling out support for streaming games at 1440p on Xbox consoles. Game streaming is a key benefit of paying for a Game Pass subscription, and as of 2025, now also includes games players own that aren't part of the larger Game Pass library. The higher bitrate streaming option will let subscribers with an Xbox Series X or S, Xbox One X or Xbox One play their games at a higher resolution, provided the game and their display supports it. Microsoft previously only offered 1440p streams on select Fire TVs, LG TVs, Samsung TVs, web browsers and the Xbox PC app. At least for now, 1440p is only available to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Beyond the new streaming option, Microsoft is also making improvements to the Xbox PC app and the Xbox experience on ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. On PC, the Xbox PC app now includes "navigation sounds" that play when you use the app's interface with a controller. These new sounds are supposed to make controller input feel more responsive and intuitive. On the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, meanwhile, Microsoft is making it even easier to format removable storage like microSD cards, and updating drivers to improve compatibility on select games. The last week has been particularly tumultuous for Microsoft's gaming division. Former Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer announced his retirement on Friday, alongside the appointment of Asha Sharma, the President of Microsoft's CoreAI division, as his replacement. Opinions differ as to whether Sharma's new position will be good or bad for Xbox, but more changes are likely on the way. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-consoles-now-support-1440p-streaming-204115304.html?src=rss

The Verge4 days ago

Billions of dollars later and still nobody knows what an Xbox is

The last few years of Xbox have been expensive. Under Phil Spencer's leadership, Microsoft has spent billions of dollars in an attempt to build an ambitious future for gaming that looks a lot like Netflix. And while its subscription service Game Pass started out as a good deal for gamers (although now not so much), that spending spree has led to catastrophic layoffs, studio closures, and confused and inconsistent messaging about what Xbox actually stands for. And with Spencer set to retire as new leadership takes charge, the future of Microsoft's gaming efforts looks increasingly unclear. Spencer announced his retirement last week, after ov … Read the full story at The Verge.

Ars Technica4 days ago

New Microsoft gaming chief has "no tolerance for bad AI"

But Asha Sharma faces scrutiny for lack of gaming experience.

The Verge4 days ago

Inside Microsoft’s big Xbox leadership shake-up

Asha Sharma named EVP and CEO, Microsoft Gaming. | Image: The Verge, Microsoft Xbox fans had been anticipating the retirement of Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer for years, but what most hadn't expected was the departure of Xbox president Sarah Bond too. For many outside the company, Bond seemed like Spencer's natural successor, a deputy of sorts. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Microsoft CFO Amy Hood clearly didn't agree. Instead of picking Bond for the role, Microsoft promoted Asha Sharma, a former Microsoft AI executive, to the top of Xbox. The decision to overlook Bond might have surprised many Xbox fans, but for the more than a dozen current and former Microsoft employees I've been speaking to, it's felt inev … Read the full story at The Verge.

Ars Technica7 days ago

Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer steps down after 38 years with company

Microsoft CoreAI exec Asha Sharma will take over in surprise executive shake-up.

Engadget Podcast: Xbox's leadership shakeup and Samsung's Galaxy S26

Full Article

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Xbox is in danger. Will Microsoft fix it or kill it?

Xbox consoles now support 1440p streaming

Billions of dollars later and still nobody knows what an Xbox is

New Microsoft gaming chief has "no tolerance for bad AI"

Inside Microsoft’s big Xbox leadership shake-up

Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer steps down after 38 years with company

Engadget Podcast: Xbox's leadership shakeup and Samsung's Galaxy S26

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Xbox is in danger. Will Microsoft fix it or kill it?

Xbox consoles now support 1440p streaming

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Related Articles

The Verge1 day ago
Xbox is in danger. Will Microsoft fix it or kill it?
Today, we’re talking about the future of Xbox. Phil Spencer, a two–time Decoder guest who’s led Xbox for more than a decade, retired last week. But in a shocking twist, his deputy and long-assumed successor, Sarah Bond, is also out too, and the Xbox division is now in the hands of Asha Sharma, one of Microsoft’s AI executives with no prior game industry experience. It’s a major leadership transition that suggests Microsoft wants to make serious changes to its gaming division, which owns franchises like Halo, Call of Duty, and Minecraft. There is no better person to talk to about all of this than Tom Warren, a senior editor here at The Verge and author of the excellent Notepad newsletter. Tom is actually on parental leave right now, but Microsoft has a longstanding habit of disrupting his well-earned time off with major news. So, Tom was gracious enough to come on the show after he published a major scoop about what exactly went down at Xbox this past week. There is a lot to say about Xbox: The story of the console and Microsoft Gaming is a complicated one, with a lot of twists and turns since it made its big splash in the video game industry 25 years ago. Yet for a majority of that time, it’s been stuck in third place, behind Nintendo and PlayStation. That’s a surprising thing to say for a division of a company worth trillions of dollars that also owns some of the most celebrated gaming properties in all of entertainment. Verge subscribers, don’t forget you get exclusive access to ad-free Decoder wherever you get your podcasts. Head here. Not a subscriber? You can sign up here. So Phil Spencer, who started at Microsoft in the late 1980s and took charge of Xbox in 2014, was given the job of trying to turn the division around. Since then, Spencer has tried numerous moves: the Netflix-style Game Pass subscription service; a major push into cloud gaming; buying Activision Blizzard King, the maker of Warcraft and Candy Crush; and many, many different iterations of X

Engadget2 days ago
Xbox consoles now support 1440p streaming
Microsoft has announced that its rolling out support for streaming games at 1440p on Xbox consoles. Game streaming is a key benefit of paying for a Game Pass subscription, and as of 2025, now also includes games players own that aren't part of the larger Game Pass library. The higher bitrate streaming option will let subscribers with an Xbox Series X or S, Xbox One X or Xbox One play their games at a higher resolution, provided the game and their display supports it. Microsoft previously only offered 1440p streams on select Fire TVs, LG TVs, Samsung TVs, web browsers and the Xbox PC app. At least for now, 1440p is only available to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Beyond the new streaming option, Microsoft is also making improvements to the Xbox PC app and the Xbox experience on ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. On PC, the Xbox PC app now includes "navigation sounds" that play when you use the app's interface with a controller. These new sounds are supposed to make controller input feel more responsive and intuitive. On the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, meanwhile, Microsoft is making it even easier to format removable storage like microSD cards, and updating drivers to improve compatibility on select games. The last week has been particularly tumultuous for Microsoft's gaming division. Former Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer announced his retirement on Friday, alongside the appointment of Asha Sharma, the President of Microsoft's CoreAI division, as his replacement. Opinions differ as to whether Sharma's new position will be good or bad for Xbox, but more changes are likely on the way. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-consoles-now-support-1440p-streaming-204115304.html?src=rss

The Verge4 days ago
Billions of dollars later and still nobody knows what an Xbox is
The last few years of Xbox have been expensive. Under Phil Spencer's leadership, Microsoft has spent billions of dollars in an attempt to build an ambitious future for gaming that looks a lot like Netflix. And while its subscription service Game Pass started out as a good deal for gamers (although now not so much), that spending spree has led to catastrophic layoffs, studio closures, and confused and inconsistent messaging about what Xbox actually stands for. And with Spencer set to retire as new leadership takes charge, the future of Microsoft's gaming efforts looks increasingly unclear. Spencer announced his retirement last week, after ov … Read the full story at The Verge.

Ars Technica4 days ago
New Microsoft gaming chief has "no tolerance for bad AI"
But Asha Sharma faces scrutiny for lack of gaming experience.

The Verge4 days ago
Inside Microsoft’s big Xbox leadership shake-up
Asha Sharma named EVP and CEO, Microsoft Gaming. | Image: The Verge, Microsoft Xbox fans had been anticipating the retirement of Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer for years, but what most hadn't expected was the departure of Xbox president Sarah Bond too. For many outside the company, Bond seemed like Spencer's natural successor, a deputy of sorts. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Microsoft CFO Amy Hood clearly didn't agree. Instead of picking Bond for the role, Microsoft promoted Asha Sharma, a former Microsoft AI executive, to the top of Xbox. The decision to overlook Bond might have surprised many Xbox fans, but for the more than a dozen current and former Microsoft employees I've been speaking to, it's felt inev … Read the full story at The Verge.

Ars Technica7 days ago
Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer steps down after 38 years with company
Microsoft CoreAI exec Asha Sharma will take over in surprise executive shake-up.