This year’s Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct unveiled a fascinatingly bright future for gamers and game developers. Headlined by a new 1TB Series S console and the upcoming integration of PC Game Pass into NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Xbox is set to revolutionize the gaming industry.
Phil Spencer, the Head of Xbox, alongside Sarah Bond, Matt Booty, and Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard shared insights into Microsoft’s visionary approach to gaming during the “What’s Next for Gaming” event. With the gaming community’s unprecedented growth—evidenced by a 46% year-over-year increase in PC Game Pass users—Xbox aims to pioneer industry advancements, unlock doors for creators, and render gaming accessible to all.
The focus for Xbox in the years to come will rely on producing top-notch games, enabling creators to build their ambitious projects, and universalizing gaming. Xbox players can anticipate more consistent release of exclusives, including at least four first-party games annually.
Xbox’s first-party games have amassed over 150 million monthly active users. Investing in new franchises and diversifying its line-up, Xbox, along with Fable, Clockwork Revolution, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and others, are projected to offer the most formidable array of games in the industry.
An eagerly awaited addition to this roster is Starfield. As Bethesda Game Studios joins the Xbox family, a grand collaboration has taken shape, culminating in Starfield, predicted to become the most played title from Bethesda Game Studios.
Supporting creators of all sizes is a significant pillar of Xbox’s future. Showcasing the power of this commitment, ID@Xbox, the indie program, has so far paid over $4 billion to over 5,000 creators globally. Additionally, the new Developer Acceleration Program is championing diversity, helping less-represented voices enter the space.
Game Pass offers developers the opportunity to have their games played by millions of members. With its recent expansion into 46 more markets, reaching a total of 86, developers can now access millions of potential new players worldwide.
There are over 5,000 games currently under development for Xbox from developers across 100 countries, making it the most diverse and accessible platform in the industry.
As supply chain issues subside, the Xbox Series X is becoming more accessible globally, while the Xbox Series S offers an affordable entry point into the next-gen gaming, appealing especially to new Xbox users.
Adding to the affordable strategy, Xbox is launching a 1TB version of the black Series S on September 1. This higher storage capacity console will cater to gamers looking to expand their library.
A new Home User Experience is in the pipeline, promising an even faster and more user-friendly console experience. This refined system, developed through the Insider program and feedback, will roll out in the coming months.
With the addition of streaming select PC games via Nvidia GeForce NOW, Game Pass members can enjoy the PC Game Pass catalog on any GeForce NOW compatible device. This feature is set to roll out in the months to come.
Xbox’s future is a thrilling one – with industry growth, new first-party titles each year, more ways to deliver and access games, and diverse ways to play. As we embark on this exciting journey, the future of gaming looks promising, all thanks to Xbox’s visionary approach.
