You can now sign up to test Microsoft Flight Simulator in VR

The new Microsoft Flight Simulator is an immersive beast of a PC game, and we can only imagine how immersive it might get in VR but you might not have to imagine much longer, because Microsoft has just opened signups (via Eurogamer) for a closed beta of the virtual reality experience. There are quite a few requirements if you want to be considered, though. Not only do you have to own the game, have a Windows Mixed Reality headset, be a registered Microsoft Flight Simulator “Insider” and sign an NDA, you’ll need a slightly beefier PC than the base game with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 or better sporting 8GB of VRAM, as well as 16GB of system memory. And, you’ll need to prove your PC qualifies by submitting your DxDiag (press your Windows start button, type “dxdiag”, hit Enter) so Microsoft can confirm those specs and that your system isn’t prone to BSODs or other major system errors. (The DxDiag file is basically just an inventory of your system, but it does also list recent application crashes.)

Intriguingly, it doesn’t look like you’ll need the HP Reverb G2, the specific headset that Microsoft originally said would get first dibs on the game. Any Windows Mixed Reality headset will apparently do to start, which should be neat for those who got deep discounts on items like the Lenovo Explorer and Samsung Odyssey over the past couple of years. The company isn’t saying when the closed beta will begin, but it had previously promised a free VR update this fall, so it probably won’t be long. If you’ve got an Oculus, HTC, or other VR headset, there’ll be a second wave of closed beta for other devices as well. It’s not surprising Microsoft might want to be cautious with the VR rollout, because the game initially tended to eat powerful gaming PCs for lunch. Even our Nvidia RTX 3080 wasn’t enough to run it at full bore, partly because we hadn’t paired it with a fast enough CPU. That said, we’ve seen some framerate improvement in recent updates, so perhaps VR won’t be a tremendous stretch this holiday. And maybe it’ll give you more time to find a flight stick.

Tiktok And Twitter Reportedly Have Had Talks About A Deal

Twitter has had preliminary discussions about a “combination” with TikTok, the Wall Street Journal reported, making the social media platform the latest possible suitor for the popular video-sharing app. As the WSJ notes, it’s not clear whether Twitter would pursue a possible acquisition of TikTok, and any such deal would have big obstacles. The biggest challenge to any deal is the Trump administration’s executive order from August 6th, which bars TikTok parent company ByteDance from handling transactions in the US.

The order takes effect within 45 days. The administration considers the Chinese-owned app a potential security threat, despite no evidence indicating ByteDance or TikTok has ever shared Americans’ data with the Chinese government. TikTok has said it plans to challenge the Trump administration’s order. And then there’s Microsoft, the only company so far to publicly acknowledge it was in talks with TikTok owner ByteDance for a possible acquisition. The WSJ says Twitter would be considered a long-shot in a bid for TikTok, with Microsoft the likely front runner in any deal. Twitter is much smaller than Microsoft, and the WSJ’s sources say the social platform could be likely to face less antitrust scrutiny than Microsoft. But Twitter also doesn’t have as much money as the software giant for a possible purchase. Microsoft said in an August 2nd blog post that its CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to President Trump about a possible TikTok acquisition, which would include TikTok operations in the US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Microsoft said it expected its talks to wrap by September 15th. Any deal with Twitter would involve TikTok’s US operations, according to the WSJ. Twitter declined to comment. A TikTok spokesperson said the company does not comment on market rumors.

Samsung And Microsoft Will Let You Run Galaxy Note 20 Application On Windows 10 Pc

Samsung and Microsoft announced at last year’s Galaxy Unpacked that they would be forming a closer partnership to help Android and Windows work better together. At today’s Galaxy Unpacked, the two companies revealed new integrations between their two ecosystems including a way to run apps from your Galaxy Note 20 on your Windows 10 PC. Here’s a GIF from Microsoft showing a Windows 10 PC running WhatsApp and Instagram side by side from a Galaxy Note 20:

You’ll only be able to use one app at a time on your PC at first, but Microsoft says that you’ll be able to run multiple apps, as is shown in the GIF, sometime in November. You’ll also be able to pin apps to your Windows taskbar or Start menu so you can access them more quickly. The two companies are also making it easier to sync information between your Galaxy Note 20 and the Microsoft 365 suite of apps. Notes from your Samsung Notes app will be able to sync with the OneNote app and with your OneNote feed in Outlook on the web, for example. Microsoft says this feature is “coming soon.” And Samsung Reminders will be able to sync across Microsoft To Do, Outlook, and Microsoft Teams.

Microsoft announces new Windows 10 Design

Microsoft is introducing a new Windows 10 Start menu design that will de-emphasize its Live Tiles. The software giant first hinted at the refreshed design earlier this year, and it’s arriving for Windows 10 testers today. “We are freshening up the Start menu with a more streamlined design that removes the solid color backplates behind the logos in the apps list and applies a uniform, partially transparent background to the tiles,” explains Microsoft in a blog post.

Essentially, the reduction in the color of the blocky tiled interface on the Start menu will simplify it slightly and make it easier to scan for the apps you use on a daily basis. It’s a subtle change, but it certainly makes the Start menu look a little less chaotic and avoids many tiles sharing a similar blue color. Alongside an updated Start menu, the latest Windows 10 build includes some big changes to Alt-Tab. “Beginning with today’s build, all tabs open in Microsoft Edge will start appearing in Alt-Tab, not just the active one in each browser window,” explains Microsoft. This seems like a change that might be a little confusing for veteran Windows users, but Microsoft is thankfully allowing you to switch back to the classic Alt-Tab experience.

Microsoft experimented with Alt-Tab changes in Windows 10 builds in the past, back when the company was planning to add tabs to every app. There will likely be a lot of feedback around any Alt-Tab changes here, especially if Microsoft plans to turn this on by default when its next major Windows 10 update ships later this year. Microsoft is also making some smaller changes with this new Windows 10 build. The default taskbar appearance will also now be more personalized with the Xbox app pinned for Xbox Live users or Your Phone pinned for Android users. This will be limited to new account creation on a PC or first login, so existing taskbar layouts will remain unchanged. Notifications now include an X in the top right corner to allow you to quickly dismiss them, and Microsoft is also improving its Settings app in Windows 10. Links that would typically push you toward the system part of the legacy Control Panel system page will now direct you to the About page in Settings. This will now house the more advanced controls typically found in that system section of the Control Panel, and Microsoft is promising “there will be more improvements coming that will further bring Settings closer to Control Panel.”

Microsoft’s second next-gen Xbox Update

A leaked Microsoft document recently hinted at the company’s second next-gen Xbox, and now rumors suggest it will be fully revealed in August. Eurogamer reports that Microsoft had originally planned to unveil the console, codenamed “Lockhart,” in June. Microsoft has now reportedly moved these plans to August, and Eurogamer claims the console will be named the Xbox Series S. Microsoft has been working on this second cheaper next-gen Xbox console for months.

A Microsoft document, leaked last week, shed some further light on the company’s plans. Microsoft’s Xbox Series X devkit, codenamed “Dante,” allows game developers to enable a special Lockhart mode that has a profile of the performance that Microsoft wants to hit with this second console. While we’ve been reporting this performance includes a slightly underclocked CPU, The Verge has seen additional documents that suggest Lockhart will actually have the same speed CPU as the Xbox Series X. The Lockhart console will also include 7.5GB of usable RAM, and around 4 teraflops of GPU performance. The Xbox Series X includes 13.5GB of usable RAM and targets 12 teraflops of GPU performance for comparison. If the reports are accurate, Microsoft could choose August to unveil this second next-gen Xbox alongside pricing for the Xbox Series X. This second console is designed as a more affordable option, with 1080p and 1440p monitors in mind. Microsoft would have to detail some type of pricing alongside its Lockhart reveal, and it’s reasonable to assume it will be heavily tied to the Xbox All Access subscription. Xbox All Access is currently priced at $19.99 for an Xbox One S All Digital Edition subscription that includes Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (Xbox Live and Xbox Game Pass). Microsoft is also bundling its Project xCloud game streaming technology into Xbox Game Pass later this year, so a subscription next-gen Xbox console could be appealing to those who don’t need the more powerful Xbox Series X option.