Microsoft promise a new update to fix the weekend’s connectivity issues on Xbox

Tuffcub 10/05/22 Comments Closed

Over the weekend many Xbox players found they could not buy or even launch games, some glitch in the system was preventing access to the functions.

We're aware that some users in Europe are encountering issues when attempting to launch downloaded games or start Cloud Gaming sessions. Our teams are investigating. Keep checking our status page for updates. https://t.co/kQKp1LYR4o

— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) May 8, 2022

Most of the issues do seem have be resolved now but there are a few players who are still having problems. Microsoft has now tweeted that a new patch for the consoles will be coming soon and it should fix any outstanding issues.

We’ve seen significant improvement to the issue that has prevented some users from purchasing and launching games. We expect full mitigation in the coming days with the roll out of a new update.

— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) May 9, 2022

The issues affected games that been purchased outright as well as those on Game Pass. It’s been a while since we’ve seen such a big outage, those of you who have been gaming for a while will remember Xbox Live and the PSN going offline quite regularly, especially during the days of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

In related news, the free Xbox Games with Gold for May 2022 have been revealed, with four free being handed out to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Live Gold subscribers over the course of the month. It’s the same story as usual, with a selection of games that can get you through the shortest month on the calendar, but how does it compare to the upcoming batch of PS Plus titles?

What are May 2022’s Xbox Games with Gold?

The four games are the usual mixture of two Xbox One titles and two Xbox or Xbox 360 games that can be played via backward compatibility. Everything is obviously playable on Xbox Series X|S as well. The four games will be made available at different points through the month, as follows:

Yoku’s Island Express – 1st to 31st May
The Inner World – The Last Wind Monk – 16th May to 15th June
Hydro Thunder Hurricane (Xbox 360 BC) – 1st to 15th May
Viva Piñata Party Animals (Xbox 360 BC) – 16th to 31st May

So, do May’s Games with Gold add up to a good month for subscribers, or are they disappointing?

Yoku’s Island Express is probably the best known of the bunch. Coming out in 2018, this game mixed together pinball mechanics with a Metroidvania in a fantastically original way.

In our Yoku’s Island Express review, Dom called it “a beauteous, aurally delightful treat that riffs off the Metroidvania template and pinball tables in a smart and playful manner,” but hazarded that “It’s somewhat tempered by the dual frustrations of the pinball mechanic’s need for constant precision and a lacklustre fast-travel system.

We were much less favourable over the adventure game The Inner World – The Last Wind Monk, with Aran saying it’s “far from being a bad adventure, game but it is nowhere near as good as some other recent releases.”

Looking back at the two Xbox 360 titles, you have the racing game Hydro Thunder Hurricane, which will take you to Monster Island and the Bermuda Triandle for a bit of variety, while Viva Piñata Party Animals was a minigame-filled spin off to the adorable Viva Piñata franchise. Can we have a new Viva Piñata game, Rare?

So, what do you think?

Can I still download the April 2022 Games with Gold Games?

Yes! You’ve still got a few short hours to grab most of last month’s games. Due to Microsoft’s staggered freebies, Outpost Kaloki X has already exited the service, but the the other three games are still available until the end of this month or into the middle of May.