Microsoft is planning to launch a new game console, the Xbox Series X, later this year.
With no possibility to hold individual events or participate in E3 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft will hold Nintendo-style virtual events for the rest of the year. Called Xbox 20/20, these monthly streams will keep users updated on the Xbox Series X, launch titles, Project xCloud, etc.
The first such event is slated for May 7. That event will focus on the next-generation gameplay and sneak peek at the third-party games for the Xbox Series X. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has already been confirmed for Xbox Series. Microsoft said it will confirm several games that will take advantage of its Smart Delivery feature, which will give users access to games they own on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X. You can watch the first Xbox 20/20 stream on the official Xbox channels on Mixer, Twitch, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
June will focus on the Xbox platform, while the July event will highlight games being developed by Xbox Game Studios. Other months will majorly focus on Xbox Game Pass, and its game streaming platform Project xCloud. Microsoft plans to roll out the xCloud game streaming service later this year.
Microsoft is planning to launch a new game console, the Xbox Series X, later this year. The Series X is Microsoft’s most ambitious game console to date. The console has a new design language, resembling a PC tower. The Xbox Series X will support 8K resolution with frame rates of up to 120 fps, ray tracing, 12 teraflop GPU, 16GB GDDR6 RAM, custom-designed processor, AMD’s Zen 2 and RDNA 2. The new Xbox Series X is squarely aimed at Sony’s PlayStation 5 which is also set to be released towards the end of this year. Neither of the companies disclosed the price of the next-generation game consoles.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Xbox chief Phil Spencer warned that sales of its new game console could be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. He expects a delay in some third-party titles for the Xbox Series X. Microsoft has already delayed Minecraft Dungeons from April to May. Sony, Microsoft’s biggest rival in the video game market, has announced that it will be delaying Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II “until further notice”.