Microsoft details Xbox's presence on the Gamescom 2023 showfloor
Here's what to expect from Team Green in Cologne later this month.
What you need to know
- Ahead of Gamescom 2023 later this month, Microsoft has revealed details about Xbox's presence at the show.
- 30 Xbox games will be playable across 150 stations, with photo ops, community events, and presentations in a 300-seat theater that you can attend and engage with each day.
- Some games at the event include STALKER 2, Payday 3, Armored Core 6, Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion, and Persona 5 Tactica.
- Microsoft is also livestreaming three-hour long broadcasts across three days for those that can't make it to Gamescom in-person. These streams will feature developer deep dives and community
Ahead of the Gamescom 2023 trade fair coming to Cologne, Germany later in August, Microsoft has revealed what fans can expect to see from Xbox on the showfloor.
During the event, attendees can look forward to the opportunity to enjoy 30 games across 150 gaming stations, engage with various "photo ops and activities," and view presentations for Starfield, Forza Motorsport, and Ara: History Untold in a 300-seat theater. Playable games at the show will include the world gameplay debuts of STALKER 2, Payday 3, Jusant, Armored Core 6, Party Animals, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Under the Waves, Persona 5 Tactica, and more, along with Towerborne and upcoming content headed to The Elder Scrolls Online and Microsoft Flight Simulator. The full list of games can be found here.
Microsoft is also hosting a PC Game Pass Challenge that will give fans the opportunity to win a variety of different prizes, including PC Game Pass subscriptions, HP OMEN gaming laptops, HyperX PC gaming headsets, and memberships for NVIDIA GeForce NOW Ultimate. Details on this challenge are scarce, though Microsoft calls it an "adventure" for attendees to experience in its blog post.
Notably, the full Xbox Booth has been organized with safety and accessibility in mind. The entire area will be wheelchair accessible and Xbox Adaptive Controllers will be available to those that need them. Additionally, certain stations will have desks with adjustable height, and several American Sign Language (ASL) and German Sign Language (DGS) interpreters will be present along with "Here to Help" staff that will offer general assistance. Microsoft says that sensory aids and a quiet room will be available, too.
You'll find the Xbox Booth at Hall 8 of the Koelnmesse trade fair center at the North entrance. Below, we've listed when it's scheduled to be available throughout Aug. 24-27.
- Thursday, Aug. 24: 10:00am – 8:00pm CEST
- Friday, Aug. 25: 10:00am – 8:00pm CEST
- Saturday, Aug. 26: 9:00am – 8:00 pm CEST
- Sunday, Aug. 27: 9:00am – 8:00pm CEST
If you can't make it in-person, Microsoft will be livestreaming for roughly three hours each day throughout Aug. 23-25 to bring you coverage of the event. These streams will include plenty of developer deep dives and gameplay footage, along with segments centered around the Xbox community. The broadcast will be available in English, German, Castilian Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Latin America Spanish, and ASL, and will be streamed live on Xbox social media channels on YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook, among others.
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Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you'll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he's not writing or gaming, there's a good chance he's either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).