The first details on a powerful new Xbox console, release dates for anticipated games like Cyberpunk 2077, and another developer acquired by Xbox Game Studios led Microsoft’s packed slate of announcements for its E3 briefing on Sunday.
Project Scarlett, the next-generation Xbox console, will be released for the 2020 holiday season. Halo Infinite will launch alongside it.
The pitch sounds a lot like what Sony was talking about with PlayStation 5. The emphasis is on “reducing load times.” There will be a solid-state hard drive which can be used as “virtual RAM” to cut down on loading times. The AMD processor will be “four times more powerful than Xbox One X,” it will use “high-bandwidth GDDR6″ RAM, and will be able to do 8 K resolution and 120 FPS.
Cyberpunk 2077 will star Keanu Reeves, and it’s coming out on April 16, 2020.
“How’s it going? Hello, Los Angeles! E3! All right. Good to see you. All right. I gotta talk to you about something. CD Projekt Red. Cyberpunk 2077. All right.”—Keanu Reeves, appearing on stage to rapturous applause.
“It’s nothing short of breathtaking.”—Reeves.
“You’re breathtaking.”—Audience member.
Double Fine Productions is joining Xbox Studios.
Microsoft continues its string of big developer acquisitions by buying the creator of Psychonauts. A new trailer for Psychonauts 2 followed.
Xbox One is getting “console streaming,” aka remote play.
You’ll be able to stream your games off of your home Xbox One, to “anywhere,” starting in October.
Gears 5 is coming on September 10.
It’s not called Gears of War 5, but that’s what it is. You’ll be able to play it four days early by buying the special edition or having Game Pass Ultimate. A multiplayer tech test, with a new game type called “arcade,” will hit in July. The new horde mode will be shown at Gamescom in August. There will also be a Terminator: Dark Fate crossover character pack.
There’s an all-new, redesigned Elite controller, called “Series 2.”
It’s got an internal battery this time, that will give you up to 40 hours of gameplay on a single charge. It’s got a charging dock. It’s got Bluetooth. It’s probably pretty expensive.
Sega’s online RPG Phantasy Star Online 2 is finally coming to the West, on Xbox One and PC.
It’s free to play. Spring 2020.
Tales of Arise is coming in 2020.
The latest from Bandai Namco’s Tales RPG series. Coming to PC as well as Xbox. (And, you know, probably other platforms, but Microsoft isn’t gonna mention those.)
The Elden Ring was officially announced.
This is the collaboration between Hidetaka Miyazaki (Dark Souls) and George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones).
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Battletoads is back, baby.
It’s a 2-D, 3-player, couch co-op sidescrolling brawler with Saturday morning cartoon animation. No release date details.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is back, too.
For Xbox One and PC. I guess this makes sense if Microsoft is making video games again.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is coming in 2020.
It’s an action RPG. I don’t know what was happening in the trailer but they were all screaming each other’s names.
The Outer Worlds will be released on October 25.
The latest RPG from Obsidian, which is now part of Xbox Game Studios, kicked off the show.
Bleeding Edge, the new game from Ninja Theory, got a new trailer.
It’s a first-person action combat multiplayer game from the maker of Hellblade, which is also now a part of Xbox Game Studios.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is out February 11, 2020.
The sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest is almost here. Well, actually I guess February is kinda far away. Depends on how you think about it.
Minecraft Dungeons is coming Autumn 2020.
It’s a third-person, top-down, cooperative multiplayer Minecraft action game spinoff. Billed as being “from the creators of Minecraft,” which is probably true in a loose sort of way.
We saw some more footage from Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order.
If you didn’t get enough of it during EA Play, Microsoft had a bit more for you. It’s still releasing on November 15 and did not get delayed in the last 24 hours.
A Blair Witch game is coming on August 30.
A horror game where you and a dog named Bullet creep around a forest with a flashlight and get the bejeezus scared out of you. Remember when people thought that movie was real? Maybe this game is real.
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, with remastered audio and 4K graphics.
Coming this spring to PC.
Forza Horizon 4 is getting a Lego Speed Champions expansion.
Yep, it’s Lego in Forza. Launching this week.
More games. So many more games.
Spiritfarer (ThunderLotus). The Legend of Wright, an RPG that looks like a kid is drawing it on notebook paper and cardboard (coming 2020). A new Wasteland 3 trailer. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (“all nine films, all-new game”), coming 2020. 12 Minutes is an “interactive thriller about a man in a time loop,” coming soon. Way to the Woods (2020). Dying Light 2 (Autumn 2020). The mobile Gears Pop! game that crosses Funko Pops with Gears of War (“pre-order soon”).
And there’s State of Decay 2: Heartland (available now). Crossfire X, a new game based on the popular online shooter from Smilegate (“first to console on Xbox One in 2020″). A new trailer for Borderlands 3 (September 13).
Lots of stuff is coming to Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass is coming to PC.
Microsoft showed a sizzle reel of indie games, then said that all of them will be on Xbox Game Pass on day one: Dead Static Drive, Pathologic 2, Star Renegades, The Good Life, Totally Accurate Battle Simulator, Creature in the Well, Killer Queen Black, Riverbond, Unto the End, Blazing Chrome, Felix the Reaper, Undermine, Supermarket Shriek, Secret Neighbour, Ikenfell, Lord of the Rings Living Card Game, Totem Teller, Cross Code, and, folks, probably at least a couple buried in there that I missed.
Batman Arkham Knight, Metro: Exodus, Hollow Knight, and Borderlands the Handsome Collection have all hit Xbox Game Pass today. So will Commander Lilith and the Fight For Sanctuary, a new piece of content for Borderlands The Handsome Collection that will lead into 3.
Xbox Game Pass for PC is also launching in open beta today, with over 100 games including Imperator: Rome and Football Manager 2019. The Master Chief Collection is also coming to PC, “starting with Halo: Reach.” There’s also a membership called Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, where you get access to both console and PC Game Pass services, plus Xbox Live Gold, all together.
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