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Artwork for The XB2

The XB2 — An Xbox & Gaming Podcast

Rand & Jez
Xbox
Game Pass
Call Of Duty
Playstation
Halo
Fable
Xbox Game Pass
Starfield
Gears Of War
Cyberpunk 2077
Perfect Dark
Ubisoft
Nintendo
Indiana Jones
Helldivers 2
Activision Blizzard
Steam
Microsoft
Elden Ring
GTA 6

The world's best Xbox and gaming podcast is here: The XB2. 😎 Connect with us at TheXB2.com, for YouTube, Discord, Patreon, and much more. Also known as The Xbox Two, we're an Xbox-first gaming podcast featuring "The Xbox Two!" We're two Xbox lifers and industry analysts, Jez Corden of WindowsCentral.com and YouTuber Rand Al Thor 19. Every Friday, we discuss the week's gaming news, share exclusive... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes442Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
LeisureTechnologyVideo Games

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The XB2

Latest Episodes

🦈 Get Surfshark 80% OFF! ⁠https://surfshark.net/XB2⁠ | 100% log free VPN! #Sponsor

The Xbox Two Podcast is back! This week Rand and Jez will be talking about Asha's plan for Xbox and potentially the return of exclusives, Xbox Game Pass actually got... more

🦈 Get Surfshark 80% OFF! ⁠⁠http://www.surfshark.com/XB2⁠⁠ | 100% log free VPN! #ad

AIRED FIRST ON PATREON.COM/XB2 (April 14, 2026)!

THE THIRTENE SIXETHHS XB2+1 IS HERE. HANGING OUT WITH SUNNY GAMES of STATE OF DECAY FAME AND FORTUNE.

Jez... more

🦈 Get Surfshark 80% OFF! surfshark.net/XB2 | 100% log free VPN! #Sponsor

Hey gang. Jez here with another bonus solo show. Rand is dealing with a ton of IRL stuff at the moment (iykyk), so I decided to drop by with another quick chat about t... more

🦈 Get Surfshark 80% OFF! ⁠⁠http://www.surfshark.com/XB2⁠⁠ | 100% log free VPN! #ad

Hey guys, XB2 406 is delayed to Monday as Rand deals with IRL stuff today. We'll talk some random Xboxxy news and take your questions ahead of Monday's regular show.... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Recent Guests

Malte Burup
Developer on Death Howl
Death Howl (11 bit Studios)
Episode: XB2+1 (INTERVIEW): Learning about 'Death Howl' and small-team Xbox dev with Malte Burup
Tomas Sala
Indie game developer known for The Falconeer and Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles
Episode: XB2+1 (INTERVIEW): Talking Xbox and game dev with The Falconeer's TOM SALA
Dirt Griggity
Content creator known for Xbox and gaming commentary
YouTube channel Dirt Griggity
Episode: XB2+1 (Ep. 34) Talking Xbox with DIRT GRIGGITY!
Dave Oshry
CEO of New Blood Interactive, known for developing indie games such as 'Blood West' and 'Dusk'.
New Blood Interactive
Episode: XB2+1 INTERVIEW: Talking Xbox and gaming with NEW BLOOD INTERACTIVE!
Jon Sikamikanico
Co-founder of XboxEra
XboxEra
Episode: XB2+1 (Ep. 33): Talking Xbox and Gamescom with XboxERA's Jon Sikamikanico!
Colin Moriarty
Host of Sacred Symbols and Last Stand Media
Last Stand Media
Episode: XB2+1 (Ep. 32) Talking Xbox, Helldivers 2, PlayStation, and more with COLIN MORIARTY!
Samuel Tolbert
A writer for Windows Central and a gaming analyst, co-hosting this episode to discuss the latest in gaming news.
Windows Central
Episode: XB2+1 (Ep. 31) Talking Xbox, layoffs, and SGF with Samuel Tolbert
Miles Dompier
Social media manager at Ilphonic Games
Ilphonic Games
Episode: XB2+1 (Ep. 30) Talking Xbox Showcase HYPE with MILES DOMPIER!
Everborn Saga
Friend and gaming enthusiast
Episode: 365: Xbox Showcase predictions, Xbox handheld delayed, Xbox Game Pass is dangerous?!

Hosts

Jez Corden
Co-host of The XB2; Xbox-focused journalist and host with Windows Central involvement.
Rand Al Thor
Co-host of The XB2; widely recognized Xbox commentary host with The XB2 brand.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 1.3k ratings
  • Fatman eats and yawns

    Fatman eats and yawns

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    carloy
    United States12 days ago
  • Loud commercials

    The commercials are louder than the podcast audio, which completely ruins the listening experience

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    InMyOpinionMinion
    United States20 days ago
  • Uninformed rubbish

    Uninformed and inane podcast. Radical political drivel. Used to be good, but now biased and ignorant.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    fulltilted
    United States23 days ago
  • Loud commercials

    Please fix the issues with commercials being louder than the podcast audio its ruining the listening experience.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    InMyOpinionMinion
    United States2 months ago
  • Loud commercials

    There’s seems to be more commercials playing during the podcasts now and the audio for the commercials is louder than the podcast audio (which is illegal in certain jurisdictions). I don’t mind ads but the loudness is ruining the podcast for me.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    InMyOpinionMinion
    United States4 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Mixed feedback on tone at times; some listeners wish for tighter topic structure and less personal banter.
Listener sentiment underscores strong loyalty and consistency, with praise for long-form, in-depth Xbox coverage and candid conversations.
Generally positive: hosts are knowledgeable, balanced in gaming discussions, and provide insider-style industry context.
A few reviews call out biases or aggressive viewpoints, but many highlight the show's entertaining banter and accessible insights.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

405.75 (Bonus): Xbox Game Pass HUGE price cut, Patreon Q&A, random Xbox topics
Q: What is the fundamental reason behind the $30 Game Pass price, according to your sources?
The price hike was tied to the cost and cannibalization effects of including Call of Duty in Game Pass; Microsoft needed to claw back some of that expenditure by adjusting the price, especially since Call of Duty drives significant but expensive retail sales and support overhead.
XB2+1 (INTERVIEW): Learning about 'Death Howl' and small-team Xbox dev with Malte Burup
Q: Why did you decide to publish Death Howl on Xbox via Game Pass?
Access and exposure were key goals; it aligns with the broader strategy of reaching more players without paywalls, and 11bit handled the talks with Xbox.
XB2+1 (INTERVIEW): Learning about 'Death Howl' and small-team Xbox dev with Malte Burup
Q: How did the Souls-like branding affect reception and marketing?
The team leaned into the Souls-like elements after testers noted similarities, which helped market the game, though it caused an initial backlash before players tried the demo.
XB2+1 (INTERVIEW): Learning about 'Death Howl' and small-team Xbox dev with Malte Burup
Q: What was the core size of the development team during Death Howl's production?
The core team started with two people and expanded to three after about a year, with two external contributors handling music and sound effects.
394: Xbox in 2026 rumor explosion, Xbox Dev_Direct, and what's next for Xbox?
Q: What can we expect from the January Developer Direct?
I do think there will be more games than just Fable, Forza, and Beast of Reincarnation.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The XB2

What is The XB2 about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Two longtime Xbox-focused hosts share weekly insights, banter, and industry context around the latest in Xbox, gaming news, and ecosystem shifts. Expect candid takes on headset, console, and platform strategies, plus interviews and anecdotes from the broader gaming world. The show is known for expert scene awareness, a conversational tone, and a willingness to debate current industry moves with humor, making it a strong fit for listeners who want both analysis and personality from an Xbox-centric perspective.

Where can I find podcast stats for The XB2?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The XB2. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The XB2 and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The XB2 get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The XB2, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The XB2?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The XB2, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The XB2 have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The XB2 has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of The XB2 are there?

The XB2 launched 10 years ago and published 442 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The XB2?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The XB2?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The XB2 from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The XB2?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The XB2. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The XB2?

Recent guests on The XB2 include:

1. Malte Burup
2. Tomas Sala
3. Dirt Griggity
4. Dave Oshry
5. Jon Sikamikanico
6. Colin Moriarty
7. Samuel Tolbert
8. Miles Dompier

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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