Back in mid-March, Microsoft revealed the key features of the Xbox Series X console, which is expected to arrive on Holidays 2020. Now, the company held the traditional Inside Xbox event, though in an online format due to the pandemic. Let’s discuss new titles and everything we know so far.

Facts

Let’s start from what Microsoft told us about Xbox SeriesX so far:

• The transition of Gears 5 to the new graphics (higher than GeForce RTX 2080 level) took developers only two weeks. The game already works in 4K at 100 FPS. There are plans to raise the frame rate to 120 FPS;
• NVME SSD, using a unique memory management system, gives instant access to 100 gigabytes of data, which will especially affect open-world games;
• As you noticed, older games will automatically receive HDR support;
• Backward compatibility with Xbox One is implemented at the hardware level;
• Backward compatibility games will be able to increase resolution without changing the source code;
• Hardware ray tracing was shown on the example of Minecraft.

What is more, you will be able to freeze up to three games (for now) if you need – in case you were invited for multiplayer while playing solo. Also, the time for loading screens was decreased from 50 seconds to 8 seconds and this was shown on the example of the State of Decay 2.

Games for the upcoming Xbox Series X

No games by Microsoft but a whole lot by others. Yep, Inside Xbox did not show us their games but showed some by partners of theirs. Major ones are Assassinʼs Creed Valhalla and The Medium – horror from the authors of Layers of Fear and Observer.

We were also informed that games purchased on the Xbox One can be launched for free on the Xbox Series X through the Smart Delivery program. This means if you already have Assassinʼs Creed Valhalla on an old console, you don’t need to pay money for it again when you buy the Xbox Series X. 

Titles

ASSASSINʼS CREED VALHALLA

Viking Eivor and his warriors sail from Norway to England to start a new life there. They burn down, kill, and rob other people’s villages. The developers promise that the world Valhalla will be smaller than in the last part – Assassinʼs Creed Odyssey. 

THE MEDIUM

The big-budget horror of the Polish studio Bloober Team is about a young medium who can move between the real world and the world of spirits. Music for The Medium is written by Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka.

VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE — BLOODLINES 2

In the new trailer for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 shows the life of a typical vampire: you run around on the roofs, kill mortals, dance and generally enjoy life.

SCORN

Horror by studio Ebb Software, inspired by the work of Swiss artist Hans Giger. It looks like a perfect game in the Alien universe.

Feedback of the audience

Unfortunately for Microsoft, people seemed to expect much more and thought that the words “next generation” meant it. Gamers from the Assassin’s Creed series felt particularly hurt by the presentation of the Inside Xbox. They were expecting to see Valhalla gameplay on the next-generation console. Unfortunately, developers (not Microsoft) presented only a cinematic trailer for the title about the Scandinavian assassin.

Note: Microsoft informed us that the big show and announcements users should wait no earlier than in July.