What was already going to be a once-in-a-generation year for gaming – a new generation of consoles, a wave of new next-generation games, and the launch of new ways to play with game streaming – 2020 has become the year that challenged us all and tested every commitment Xbox has made in the face of COVID-19. Difficult tests tend to reveal your true priorities in life, and for the folk at Xbox they are the health and safety of there employees, our fans and partners. Team Xbox also want to be transparent in letting gamers know what they are doing and what they’re thinking during such a crucial time.
Clearly, this year has challenged us to rethink the way we come together to celebrate the important milestones in gaming, and that means working with the knowledge that we may not be able to come together in the same place. Having seen firsthand the resolve of Xbox players, families and friends coming together, doing the right thing and staying home to help flatten the curve, Team Xbox have felt energised to rethink there approach. How they can share that feeling of excitement and anticipation we all get in gaming’s biggest moments?
So, what is in store for 2020?
This is a momentous year for Xbox, with next-gen console paving the way for all the games and services to come together in even better ways imaginable. Here’s what 2020 looks like, just to start:
- The goal remains to launch Xbox Series X and Halo Infinite this Holiday
- All 15 Xbox Game Studios teams are hard at work on next-generation games for Xbox Series X and Xbox Game Pass
- The best development teams around the world are working hard to have their games ready to play on Xbox Series X this holiday
- For PC players, the plan at Xbox is to support the community by making all Xbox Studio major releases at launch available with Xbox Game Pass for PC, including Halo Infinite, Wasteland 3, Minecraft Dungeons and of course, Microsoft Flight Simulator.
- There will be new updates and titles lined up for Xbox Game Pass for console and PC
- An expanding of Project xCloud into new countries and on new devices—and later this year Project xCloud and Xbox Game Pass will come together, enabling you and your friends to play together in more ways.
It’s a lot – and that’s saying something in 2020, a year which could be summed up as “a lot.” With all this in mind, The folk at Xbox have set out to create new touchpoints to celebrate gaming and share what’s next with it’s global community.
Xbox 20/20
Starting with the May 7 episode of Inside Xbox, The team will be showcasing what happens next in the world of Xbox, every month, which is why we’re calling it “Xbox 20/20.” These monthly moments will take place throughout the rest of the year and will be a way for Team Xbox to engage, connect and celebrate with you about what’s in store for the next generation of gaming, including what’s next for Xbox Series X, Xbox Game Studios, Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud. Every month the aim is to bring something different!
For the Xbox 20/20 May update, the focus will be on giving you a first look at next-gen gameplay, trailers and sneak peeks from a wide variety of publishing partners and independent developers across the globe and industry, including Ubisoft’s recently announced Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and hear from game creators about what they’re doing with their games on Xbox Series X.
The team will be confirming games that utilise the new Smart Delivery feature, which ensures that you always play the best version of the games you own for your console, across generations. And all the games you’ll see will be Xbox Series X Optimised, meaning they are built to take advantage of the powerful Xbox Series X features that make games look and feel incredible, including 4K resolution at up to 120 frames per second, DirectStorage, hardware-accelerated DirectX raytracing, super-fast load times and much more.
In July, there will be dedicate time to focus on the incredible games coming from Xbox Game Studios. A number of Xbox’s studio teams are looking forward to sharing first looks at new gameplay, insights from development teams being optimised for Xbox Series X, and brand-new game announcements.
How to join Xbox 20/20 on May 7
On May 7th the next episode of Inside Xbox airs, and the first moment of Xbox 20/20. You can tune-in at 16:00 UK time via the following
- Mixer.com/Xbox
- Twitch.tv/Xbox
- Facebook.com/Xbox
- Twitter.com/Xbox
- YouTube.com/Xbox for the 4K stream.
Live language support for the episode will be in English, LATAM Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German and Italian, and the episode will include live Audio Descriptions at /MixerAD.
As we’ve seen in recent weeks, gaming is being used for entertainment, for inspiration, and for strengthening social connections between you and your friends through shared adventures. As you continue to connect with your friends around the world through gaming, we look forward to sharing more of Xbox plans at complete Xbox, so you can all join us as we look into the future of Xbox.
You’ll get more news and updates on Xbox Series X, reveals of new Xbox Game Studios and development partner titles, details on the future of Xbox Game Pass, and much more.
Stay safe and game on!