Microsoft revealed in a blog post today an update on Xbox Series X. The big takeaway from the update is that Project xCloud will be coming to Game Pass Ultimate. Let’s breakdown everything that Microsoft said today!
Phil Spencer said that at Xbox, they listen to the players, game developers and content creators to tell them what is wanted for the future of gaming. He continues that they are building a future where us and our friends can play the deepest, most immersive and interactive games ever created across Xbox, PC and mobile devices.
Phil Spencer talks about the community on Xbox and how we will always be welcome! They are building Xbox for players from all walks of life, everywhere in the world. Harassment and hate take many forms, but none have a home on Xbox. They have a safety team that will investigate any reports and support you 24/7 around the globe. They are also working on new technology to reduce hate speech and toxicity, giving us a safe gaming community.
Spencer continues on about the Xbox itself and says that it is designed to deliver a new level of fidelity, feel, performance and precision never seen before in console gaming. Games will look and play best on Xbox Series X, he notes that it packs 12 teraflops of GPU power including raytracing and support for up to 120 frames per second. It will virtually eliminate load times with their custom SSD and Xbox Velocity Architecture.
Everyone Xbox Game Studios title released in the next few years will be available on both Xbox Series X and Xbox One. Microsoft will not force an upgrade to play Xbox first party exclusives. That’s a pretty neat feature! Games for all three prior Xbox consoles will be able to play on day one on the Xbox Series X with backward compatibility! The Xbox One games that require connect will not be available to play on Xbox Series X (glad there aren’t that many!). Backward compatibility doesn’t end with games, you can take your Xbox One Elite Controller and Adaptive Controller to the Xbox Series X.
In the Xbox Series X Update, Phil Spencer also noted that you can buy games once and with smart delivery technology. If you own a title that supports Smart Delivery like Destiny 2, Gears 5 and Halo Infinite, you will automatically have access to the version which plays best on your Xbox console. Upcoming third party titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077 and Marvel’s Avengers have committed to supporting Smart Delivery. Also Xbox Play Anywhere digital titles will enable you to buy once and play on both Xbox and Windows 10 PCs. For those multi-platform gamers out there this is really dope!
Microsoft is carrying over a previous incentive and is going to have Xbox All Access as a service. For a low monthly price with no up-front costs, no finance charges or hidden fees, you will get an Xbox Series X and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. So you wont have to put all the money down on the system and then purchase Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Big news for Xbox Game Pass was shared as well! All Xbox Game Studios titles will launch day one into Xbox Game Pass. Games like the new Halo Infinite will be available day one for you to play without having to physically or digitally buy the game if you don’t want to. Games do come and go from Xbox Game Pass so if you did like the game, you would always have the ability to purchase it. For those that have Game Pass Ultimate, this September, in countries that are supported, Project xCloud is being integrated with Game Pass Ultimate for no additional cost. With this integration, you will be able to play over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles on your phone or tablet and since Xbox Live connects across devices, you can play with your Xbox live friends or players around the world. So day one when Halo releases, it can be played anywhere you go across devices! That is huge news right there! Cloud gaming will be coming to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and will allow you to take your game with you but also continue your game right where you left off from any of your devices!
We should get more from Microsoft on July 23rd at their Xbox Games Showcase which will give us a look at the Halo Infinite Campaign. Will Microsoft unveil the lower priced version of the Xbox? Will we get a release date or price? I am excited to see what they present! Let us know what you think about the Xbox Series X update and the huge Game Pass Ultimate xCloud update below in the comments or on our Twitter Account!
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