What you need to know
- Microsoft will host a June live stream to "highlight the Xbox platform and services," Bloomberg reports in an interview with Xbox head, Phil Spencer.
- The scheduled monthly event could serve as the potential unveiling of the long-rumored Xbox Series S, alongside the growing focus on services like Xbox Project xCloud and Xbox Game Pass.
Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Series X continues to gun for late 2020 availability, with further reveals slated for the flagship next-generation console. The initial focus has fallen on Xbox Series X hardware, receiving a glimpse at its monolithic tower-style casing, and a granular dive into system specifications. The console shows promise, expected to lead the market with sizeable performance gains, establishing a firm baseline for the next console cycle.
The biggest mystery currently surrounds games — an area of focus of Microsoft on May 7, with the first of its "Xbox 20/20" streams. In an era of social distancing, the platform holder adopts monthly live streams, each spotlighting various elements of the next-gen box. The first includes a showcase of third-party titles from Microsoft "partners," with its July installment focusing on first-party titles from Xbox Game Studios.
Microsoft skirted reference to the expected June event in its Xbox 20/20 unveiling, focusing on the imminent third-party event and its Xbox Game Studios event two months later. However, it looks like June provides an outlook for the Xbox platform, potentially host to the long-rumored Xbox Lockhart — AKA Xbox Series S.
In an interview with executive vice-president of Gaming at Microsoft, Phil Spencer, Bloomberg reports June will "highlight the Xbox platform and services." Aaron Greenberg, general manager, Xbox Games Marketing at Microsoft, also teases the June event, stating "news will be done differently than [an] Inside Xbox show."
Talk of Xbox Series S has circulated for years, with Microsoft reportedly exploring a two-pronged next-generation approach. While the Xbox Series X current represents the pinnacle of upcoming hardware, Redmond continues to explore a more affordable entry point for budget-conscious gaming. We understand Xbox Series S targets graphical performance around four teraflops (TF), with some next-gen features, compared to the 12TF of Xbox Series X. But the main sell of Xbox Series S will be affordability, putting a focus on that price — still a mystery for both consoles in early May.
The event may also feature other fundamentals from the growing Xbox services and subscription library, such as Project xCloud, the upcoming Xbox game streaming platform targeting a public release in 2020. Xbox Game Pass also remains a continued focus, recently clocking 10 million subscribers across Xbox and PC.
Expect additional details in the coming month, following the Xbox Series X gameplay reveal on May 7. Let us know what you hope to see from Xbox 20/20 streams in the comments section.
Xbox Series X/S
Main
- Xbox Series X: Everything we know
- Best games coming to Xbox Series X/S
- List of Xbox Series X specs
- What is the Xbox Series X release date?
- How much does Xbox Series X cost?
- Why you can't preorder Xbox Series X yet
- Best Xbox Series X Headsets
