Microsoft aired its Xbox Series X gameplay reveal on May 7, giving fans a serious glimpse at third-party Xbox Series X games during a special Inside Xbox stream. This particular stream was the first in the Xbox 20/20 series, a reoccurring set of streams that will air every month running up to the Xbox Series X release later this year, with each stream focusing on a different aspect of next-gen Xbox.
This time around Xbox chose to focus on Xbox Series X games from its third-party partners, and not the studios developing first-party games for the forthcoming console. We got to see 13 titles which will arrive during the launch window of the Xbox Series X. Let’s dig into five key pieces of information you may have missed during the stream.
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Halo Infinite gameplay and other Xbox Game Studios titles will be revealed in July
Whilst the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal was focused on Xbox’s third-party partner developers, right at the start of the presentation we got a small but important notification from Matt Booty, head of Xbox Games Studios. He told us when we’d be seeing gameplay from Microsoft’s first-party studios.
In July, we can expect trailers and gameplay from the Xbox Games Studios squadron, which includes a number of gigantic development houses like Double Fine, Ninja Theory, Obsidian, Mojang, Rare and of course, 343 Industries, who are working hard on Halo Infinite. If you’re excited by the third-party titles on display but more looking forward to the real heavy hitters, you only have a month or two to wait!
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will support Smart Delivery and every game shown will be Xbox Series X Optimized
Microsoft used some jargon with this reveal, so it’s a good idea to break it down and figure out what it means for the upcoming slate of games. First off, it was revealed that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla as well as Call of the Sea, Chorus, Scarlet Nexus, Second Extinction, The Ascent, Bloodlines 2 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon will support Smart Delivery, an innovative new feature for Xbox Series X that enables cross-gen functionality.
This means that you’ll only have to buy these games one time and you can play them across every current and next-gen Xbox console. If you buy it on the Xbox One and later upgrade to a Series X, you won’t have to purchase games like Cyberpunk 2077 and all Xbox Games Studios titles again, as they will also benefit from this system.
Beyond Smart Delivery, every game shown is Xbox Series X Optimized which basically means they’ll take advantage of the power of the new console, with 4K resolution, up to 120 FPS, fast load times and more. This is similar to the Xbox One X Enhanced system that was already in place.
Every major publisher is making games for Xbox Series X, with many more partnered
During a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it segment, we got a glimpse at all of the publishers who are working on games for the Xbox Series X. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that every major publisher (EA, Bethesda, Activision, 2K and so on) has games in development for the new console, but also flashed a screen showing all of the publishers that are partnered with Microsoft to make games in the future.
Even giving the list a scan reveals some peculiar inclusions, like Roblox, Psyonix (of Rocket League fame), IO Interactive, PUBG Corp, WB Games, Playdead (of Inside fame) and many more. Plenty of daydream-worthy collaborations on the cards there!
Yakuza: Like a Dragon has cross-save and will launch on Xbox Series X, Xbox One and Windows 10
The penultimate trailer during the conference introduced us to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, a Yakuza series spin-off from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, who most recently released Judgement.
As well as the zany trailer that introduced satellite laser attacks, gigantic lobsters and lots of fuzzy hair (typical of the series’ trademark charm,) we also got to hear from studio founder Toshihiro Nagoshi. Nagoshi-san informed us that Like a Dragon will be a launch title for the Xbox Series X but crucially will also land on Windows 10.
Earlier in the week, a Steam page for Like a Dragon was leaked (via IGN), suggesting the game will also come to PC. In a blog post after the show, it was revealed that the game will have a cross-save system to support its Smart Delivery functionality, meaning you can continue the story if you decide to upgrade to a Series X from an Xbox One.
Bloober Team is working with the composer of Silent Hill on The Medium
Bloober Team shocked us all with another first-person survival horror game following in the footsteps of Observer and 2019’s Blair Witch. This time around, the game is set in Poland (where the studio is based) and is centred around the idea that “your perspective changes your perception.”
You’ll explore an abandoned hotel in Krakow as protagonist Marianne, as she unravels a terrible tragedy. It all looks and sounds a bit like Silent Hill, which makes a lot of sense when you realise that Bloober Team’s composer Arkadiusz Reikowski is working with Silent Hill’s musical maestro Akira Yamaoka to create The Medium’s score.
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