Follow Us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter UPDATE (October 28, 2026, 1:45 am CEST): Scott Van Vilet, CTO of Xbox, has just published the following note on X, indicating the intention to address the problems that the press and creators have had (for years) in obtaining review codes compared to other platforms. Reviewing a game on XBOX requires too many steps these days. Press and creators should be able to trade and play, and that’s ultimately what the team is headed toward. The first updates will arrive soon. October 28, 2026 Original article: Infinity Ward is celebrating some rave reviews right now for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which hit a comfortable 89 on PlayStation and 86 on PC. By extension, it should be a total success for Microsoft, given that they, you know, own Activision. Unfortunately, there’s one glaring omission in that Metacritic infographic, and it’s Xbox. We are incredibly grateful for the reception of Modern Warfare 4 and for everyone who has been a part of the journey so far. With a Metacritic score of 89 on PlayStation and 86 on PC, we are honored by the recognition and grateful for all the community support. #MW4 is out now 👉 https://t.co/0N5m5B5qEy October 26, 2026 If you head to Metacritic, the lack of mention of an Xbox score immediately makes sense. The Xbox Series X version of Modern Warfare 4 does not have any official Metascore. It is listed at a dismal “TBD” based on a total of two critical reviews. So Microsoft owns Activision. Microsoft owns Call of Duty. However, when it comes time to rack up critical praise for the biggest blockbuster under its banner, there aren’t enough reviews on Xbox to even generate a benchmark score. Doesn’t look good, does it? I’m not going to blame the “Xbox tax” on this one, don’t worry; The reality is much more banal. Platform preference isn’t to blame here, but the review process itself on Xbox is unnecessarily painful, and Xbox needs to do something about it. Gaming keys vs. whitelist shenanigans Modern Warfare 4 may have taken over Xbox dashboards, but where are the reviews? (Image credit: Windows Central) Most journalists and game creators will be offered a variety of platforms to review a game, and they choose the path of least resistance. That path is usually PC/Steam, where you get a simple game code or access to a pre-release beta branch, or PlayStation, where you can redeem a code and be done. On Xbox, however, the process is more complicated. You must provide your Xbox Live device ID, which is hidden within system and developer settings, to a PR firm and wait for the publisher to manually whitelist your individual hardware before a code or build is registered. Many of us are working against strict embargoes under an influx of game releases, especially in this absolute storm of releases that is the fourth quarter, and any additional steps to take can pile up in the inbox. Even if someone wants to cover the Xbox version of a game, convenience almost always dictates choosing Steam or PS5. Xbox had the foresight to take over everyone’s Xbox dashboard for Modern Warfare 4, but not to secure any kind of Metacritic presence. Case in point: For Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 specifically, our own review was conducted on PC simply because that was the platform offered for the official review event. When covering major releases or updates, PC and Steam codes are almost always released first because beta branches make distribution easy for publishers. Meanwhile, getting early access on Xbox is a bit like doing my tax self-assessment. Some titles, like Gears of War: E-Day, have had a healthier ratio. It was accessible through an internal version on the dashboard and was much easier, so yes, of course, although it wasn’t on PlayStation, we have a healthier distribution of 87 Xbox reviews vs. 83 PC reviews. However, this is not the norm. PC and Steam codes are almost always sent first because beta branches make distribution easy for publishers. When reviewing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, I had to start playing on Steam and wait a few days for the Xbox whitelist to complete before I could switch platforms (thank goodness for cross-save). I could have waited, sure, but when you’re on a tight schedule, time is a luxury you don’t have. I also had the exact same problem reviewing the DLC for Goat Simulator 3. When an outlet dedicated specifically to covering Xbox has to resort to playing pre-release games on PC just to get the embargo, what chance does the average reviewer have in a cross-platform outlet? Why would a reviewer jump through additional technical hoops for Xbox when a PS5 or Steam key is in their inbox ready to download with a single click? Xbox needs to fix this early access issue (Image credit: Activision) Xbox already faces an uphill battle when it comes to hardware market share and media coverage. But allowing its own pre-launch access to remain so cumbersome is self-harming for the brand. When publishers do not distribute Xbox codes efficiently, fewer outlets review Xbox versions. When fewer outlets review the Xbox versions, the Metacritic scores sit at “TBD.” This, in turn, creates a public perception that no one plays or cares about the platform, even when the game in question is published by Microsoft itself. Players looking for reviews can buy on the platform where there is the most coverage. It quickly becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If Microsoft wants Xbox to remain a primary platform for game reviews and media coverage, it needs to make its review platform much easier to access. Until redeeming an Xbox Early Access code is as simple as entering a key into PlayStation or Steam, we’ll continue to see Xbox-owned games celebrated everywhere but Xbox. Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your ideas and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
