Xbox Series X Games & Console Announcement: Time & How To Watch Live
Microsoft's first look at Xbox Series X games is here, and fans can tune in to the Xbox 20/20 First Look showcase livestream below to see more. The reveal will show off new games for the Series X, as well as a look at some new features Microsoft is bringing to the table for its next-gen console.
Microsoft announced the showcase in late April, saying that Microsoft and third-party developers were teaming up to showcase Xbox Series X games. The First Look will also be just the first of many Series X reveals, as Microsoft announced Xbox showcases will happen every month going forward. These will likely follow similar formats to the First Look, giving fans a glimpse at new first- and third-party games coming to the system after its holiday 2020 launch.
Fans can get find the YouTube stream embedded below, which began at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET. Links to other stream locations can also be found below, including Microsoft-owned streaming platform Mixer and Amazon's dominant platform, Twitch.
Besides YouTube, the reveal stream is also available on Mixer, Twitch, and Facebook. Microsoft began the stream by announcing its first-party Xbox Game Studios games will be showcased beginning in July, and these kinds of showcase streams until then will instead focus on third-party partner games. These partners include Ubisoft, who will be showing off the newly revealed Assassin's Creed Valhalla - set in ancient England and starring customizable viking warrior Eivor - in today's livestream.
Ubisoft has already announced that Valhalla will launch in Xbox's Smart Delivery service, which allows players to purchase it for Xbox One and then upgrade to an Xbox Series X version for free. Smart Delivery, which is guaranteed for Xbox's first-party games and is an option for third-party publishers, is part of a big shift in the way games are being released for next-gen consoles. The PS5 and Series X's launch is different from past generations in that few games so far are truly exclusive to the new consoles. Many are launching on both current- and next-gen platforms, and publishers like EA have embraced similar upgrade systems to Xbox's Smart Delivery, removing the usual "enhanced edition" relaunches of recent game releases on next-gen consoles.
The Xbox Series X is set to launch in holiday 2020.