According to Thurrott.com, the hosts of Windows Weekly discussed Microsoft’s plan to significantly increase prices for Microsoft 365 subscriptions starting in mid-2026. They covered the final Patch Tuesday of 2025 for Windows 11 and noted the notable absence of Xbox Series X|S consoles during Black Friday sales. Other topics included Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 launching on PS5, Red Dead Redemption coming to mobile via Netflix, and the New York Times suing Perplexity AI. The conversation also touched on new AI initiatives like the Agentic AI Foundation partnership and Google Workspace Studio for creating automation agents.
The AI Tax Is Real
So, Microsoft 365 is getting more expensive. Big surprise, right? Look, you didn’t think all those Copilot demos and AI features were just going to be free forever. Here’s the thing: this mid-2026 timeline is pretty telling. It gives businesses and users a long runway, basically a warning shot. Microsoft is betting that by then, its AI tools will be so baked into daily workflow that the price hike will feel inevitable, maybe even justified. But is it? I think we’re going to see this “AI tax” model everywhere. Companies are pouring billions into this tech, and they need a return. The question is, will the productivity gains actually match the new cost for most people?
A Shifting Games Strategy
The Xbox sales note is fascinating. No Black Friday prominence for the Series X|S? That doesn’t sound like a company pushing hardware. It sounds like a company in transition. Combine that with Microsoft Flight Simulator landing on PS5, and the strategy gets clearer. They’re becoming a software and services giant, full stop. If the next Call of Duty is a hit and Game Pass stays strong, who cares what box you play it on? Meanwhile, bringing Red Dead Redemption to mobile via Netflix is a genius move for engagement. It’s all about getting the games—and the subscriptions—in front of as many eyes as possible, anywhere.
The Agent Future Rolls On
And then there’s the AI agent stuff. A thousand companies partnering on some Agentic AI Foundation? That’s a gold rush. Google’s letting business users create code-free agents for automation. That’s a solid, practical use case. But the chaos is real, too. The New York Times suing Perplexity is just the first of many, many legal battles over how AI consumes and reproduces information. Gartner saying “no” to AI browsers is a classic analyst move—pumping the brakes on hype. The trajectory is obvious, though. We’re getting these agents whether they’re fully baked or not. The race is on, and the bill, as we see with Microsoft 365, is coming due.
Tools and Takeaways
If you want to dive deeper into all this, you can catch the full discussion on Windows Weekly episode 962 or check out their YouTube channel. For the practical side of tech, the show also mentioned useful tools like Rufus for creating bootable USB drives and MSEdgeRedirect for, well, redirecting Microsoft Edge. And for more IT-focused talk, there’s always RunAs Radio. Basically, it’s a messy, expensive, and automated future. Buckle up.
