Microsoft killed Skype, confirmed AI in Call of Duty, and helped pirate Windows 11 – all in one week
News A busy few days by Microsoft meant the death of Skype wasn't even the biggest news story this week.
Windows & Software
GPT 4.5: The AI 'revolution' that comes with a cost (literally) but talks like a 'thoughtful human'
AI OpenAI recently launched GPT-4.5, with Sam Altman claiming interacting with the model feels like talking to a thoughtful person. However, "it's not a reasoning model and won't crush benchmarks."
Windows 11 meets Windows Vista — A new theme delivers the ultimate nostalgia hit
Windows A new theme for Windhawk lets you customize Windows 11 to look more like Windows Vista.
DeepSeek drops to #51 in Apple's App Store, losing its lead over ChatGPT
AI DeepSeek has tumbled to #51, weeks after dethroning OpenAI's ChatGPT as the most downloaded free AI app in Apple's App Store in the United States.
PC Hardware
Take my money, AMD — Why an RDNA 4 GPU is headed into my PC
PC AMD revealed its next-gen RDNA 4 graphics cards, and the info available so far is enough for me to make a final decision on my next PC upgrade.
These pre-built PCs are ideal for playing Flight Simulator
PC Flight Simulator is the premier title for anyone who loves to fly, and having the right PC for the job can make all the difference. Here are my favorites.
I can't pick a favorite — the award-winning Razer Blade 16 or its new big sibling — but you can preorder both now
Laptops The Razer Blade 18 features a dual mode display that can switch from 4K gaming at 240Hz and FHD+ gaming at 440Hz. The Blade 16 won our best gaming laptop of CES 2025 award earlier this year.
Want one of NVIDIA's RTX 50-series GPUs? Read this first.
PC Gaming NVIDIA's RTX 50-series GPUs are the latest, but that doesn't mean the greatest. I have 5 reasons to skip this generation, plus 3 reasons where they make sense.
Gaming
Forza Horizon 5 cars: Full car list, new additions, DLC, gifts, and more
Forza Cars Forza Horizon 5 is the largest and most ambitious entry in the franchise yet, and its car list reflects that. Here's every car in FH5, including DLC.
Monster Hunter Wilds crosses a million concurrent players on Steam
PC Gaming Capcom's Monster Hunter Wilds has already reached over a million concurrent players on Steam, but "Mixed" player reviews are pouring in on Steam.
Two Point Museum review: Two steps forward, one step back
Review Two Point County comes to life yet again in this third installment in the Two Point series, but Two Point Museum doesn't learn from its predecessor's mistakes.
Peripherals & Accessories
Best gaming chairs in 2025: The comfiest seats that supported our backs (and butts)
Chairs I've picked the best gaming and office chairs that Windows Central has tested for the gamers, remote workers, and even your children for every budget and need.
I tested a Thunderbolt 4 hub that's built into a new monitor
Monitors The Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor is an excellent productivity-focused display with a feature I didn't know I needed — a full Thunderbolt 4 hub.
Razer Monitor Stand Chroma review: A great addition to my desk, but costly
Review The Razer Monitor Stand Chroma lifts your monitor, gives you some added shelf space, and provides extra USB ports... but it really costs this much for the aesthetics.
Razer Handheld Dock Chroma review: More ways to play, but is it worth it?
Review The Razer Handheld Dock Chroma is a docking station for all handhelds, and it's solid in most of the ways that matter. It's a little costly and a little imperfect.
Microsoft
Windows 365 Link is tiny in real life photos
Microsoft Microsoft's Windows 365 Link is coming this spring with an Intel N250 Processor and $349 price tag. Now, new images show us just how small it really is.
Windows Phone 'revived,' Windows 95 graphics, & Halo TV show gets a second life on Netflix
News Windows Phone, Windows 95, and the Halo TV series filled this week's headlines. We also got the chance to discuss Microsoft's shifting Surface lineup.
Satya Nadella: AI agents need a "sandboxed" guarantee to power Fortune 500 companies
AI Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was recently interviewed by Dwarkesh Patel, discussing the tech giant's recent quantum breakthrough, AGI, and more.
Bill Gates' premature Harvard exit led to Microsoft's success
MICROSOFT Bill Gates says 2 AM sneaking to code at 13 and leaving Harvard to run Microsoft as CEO heavily contributed to its $3 trillion success.
Artificial Intelligence
GPT 4.5: The AI 'revolution' that comes with a cost (literally) but talks like a 'thoughtful human'
AI OpenAI recently launched GPT-4.5, with Sam Altman claiming interacting with the model feels like talking to a thoughtful person. However, "it's not a reasoning model and won't crush benchmarks."
DeepSeek drops to #51 in Apple's App Store, losing its lead over ChatGPT
AI DeepSeek has tumbled to #51, weeks after dethroning OpenAI's ChatGPT as the most downloaded free AI app in Apple's App Store in the United States.
OpenAI rolls out Deep Research for ChatGPT Plus users
AI Deep Research AI agent is now accessible for ChatGPT Plus, Edu, Enterprise, and Teams users. Previously, it was only available to Pro users for $200/month.
Claude 3.7 Sonnet: Anthropic's "most intelligent" AI to date
AI Anthropic recently unveiled Claude 3.7 Sonnet, touting it as the "most intelligent model to date," and also launched Claude Code for agentic coding.
More from Windows Central
The director of one of 2025's best games was a Windows Phone fan, showcasing good taste
Windows Phone Daniel Vávra of Warhorse Studios fame was a Windows Phone fan, showcasing good taste. He also had a similar experience that I did upon visiting Microsoft HQ.
Windows Phone revived: Lumia 1020 "upgraded" with full-fledged iOS and 5G
Phones A tech enthusiast turned a Lumia 1020 Windows Phone into an iPhone. The resulting device is gorgeous but makes us wonder what could have been.
You can now finally have a bottom web address bar for Microsoft Edge mobile
Apps It’s taken a few years, but Microsoft is finally letting the web address bar live on the bottom where God intended.
Samsung Agentic AI leaks ahead of Galaxy Unpacked 2025
AI Veteran tipster Evan Blass recently revealed some information about the upcoming lineup of Samsung phones, including a new Night mode for videos, Audio Eraser, and revamped Google Gemini.
