Microsoft didn’t waste any time getting to the Scorpio news as they opened with the console name and design. After that, they showed a huge mix of gaming titles including over 20 exclusives (either full exclusives or coming to the Xbox first). Included in the mix were the new Metro and Ori titles, Anthem, Battlegrounds, Forza 7, Cuphead, Crackdown 3, Sea of Thieves, and a host of other titles we’ll touch on below. The theme through the entire show was games running in 4K and optimized for the One X. So unless we say otherwise, you can pretty much assume all the games below are either 4K or optimized in some way on the platform.
We’re not sharing everything below that was shown during the conference. So please search out the full conference on your favorite platform if you’d like to see it all!
Xbox One X (previously Project Scorpio)
Finally we’ve know what the console looks like, when it’s coming, and how much it will cost. Officially the Xbox One X, the console is even smaller than the Xbox One S and looks to be a matte black similar to what you would find on higher quality laptops. We also got a look at the plethora of titles that are coming to the Xbox One ecosystem and will be enhanced for the X. The highlights of the X:
- Release date : November 7th
- Price : $499
- Fully plug and play with all Xbox One S accessories including the power cable and Kinect adaptor.
- Will improve all titles in some form (whether 4K support, framerates, or even loading). If you’re playing on a 1080p TV, it will use Supersampling to provide a higher quality picture than before and reduced loading times as well.
Original Xbox Backwards Compatibility
Yes! There were rumors this could be coming but most didn’t think Microsoft would do it given the engineering challenge and small audience. So chalk this up as another feature “for the fans”, but no matter what, we’re hugely excited for this. Microsoft has confirmed the following:
- Original Xbox game discs can be inserted and will work just like Xbox 360 BC.
- The titles will be improved in visuals and frame rate.
- One of the often requested titles, Crimson Skies, made an appearance.
- Microsoft even said that you can setup a LAN party between the original Xbox and Xbox One X if you chose to.
Crackdown 3
The Crackdown 3 debut this year began with Terry Crews and gave us a high-intense look at the single player component including gathering some orbs!
- Release date : November 7th
- Additional footage to be shown through the week including multiplayer.
State of Decay 2
State of Decay 2 has certainly grown since we last saw it. Building upon the success of the initial game, State of Decay 2 looks to give you the ability to build entire civilizations in a much larger world.
- Release date : Spring 2018
Forza Motorsport 7
There’s not a whole lot to say here but for car fans, I can tell you were are a little giddy over this one. Seeing the new Porsche GT2 RS was an interesting touch for a game show, but the highlight was the game itself. It looks absolutely stunning and the later discussion about new AI behavior and dynamic weather sounds fantastic.
- Release date : October 3rd
- Native 4K/60fps confirmed for Xbox One X.
- Over 700 cars including Porsche from the outset.
Anthem
This is already generating a lot of hype and it’s certainly one of the game demos that blew us away. Bioware and EA’s “Destiny-like” IP certainly looks to bring some competition to the shared world genre and frankly, the game looked stunning in 4K running on the X.
Release date : 2018
Metro Exodus
Talk about blowing us away. This trailer in 4K looked almost lifelike and truly phenomenal. Metro, while not a massive sales success, is a beloved, critically acclaimed series and Exodus certainly looks to continue that precedent.
- Release date : 2018
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Everyone and their non-gamer friends knew about this one, but what we saw today was quite impressive. It’s clear that Ubisoft has spent some time making sure AC would make waves again as the scope of the title looked to be well beyond what we’ve normally expected.
- Release date : October 27th
Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds
This one surprised the crowd (but not the SG editors who called this!). That’s right, Battlegrounds, the game that’s become a sensation across the industry, is coming to console this year. On Xbox One X, it will be uniquely optimized.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Ori and the Blind Forest was a surprise hit for the Xbox One and one of the best Metroidvania titles in recent years. Moon Studios follow up looked absolutely gorgeous on stage.
Deep Rock Galatic
This one came out of nowhere but seemed like a really unique mix of Minecraft and Astroneer with co-op combat. We want to learn more but we’re intrigued!
The Last Night
Speaking of coming from out of nowhere. The Last Night had an incredibly unique art style and some amazing lighting. We’re not sure entirely what the title is about just yet, but it’s already generating a lot of talk.
Sea of Thieves
We received a full gameplay video of Sea of Thieves and frankly, it looked like a lot of fun especially once the ship battle was shown. Here’s the demo!
Release date : Spring 2018
Cuphead
We have a release date finally! Cuphead coverage was brief but looked as great as ever. It’s coming September 29th!
Ashen
With a unique artistic direction and interesting trailer, Ashen certainly caught the attention of many watching.
Black Desert
Another MMO is heading to the Xbox One platform and this certainly looks interesting as well. From the video we seem to make out traditional RPG style classes like a knight, archer, and wizard along with a more action orientated battle system. We can’t wait to see more of this one too!
Minecraft
We couldn’t have an Xbox update without talking about Minecraft. Some great news for fans as several major features were announced including some unexpected ones!
- Crossplay are coming to Xbox, Windows, tablets, and even the Nintendo Switch! When asked why there was no PlayStation, it was made clear that Sony was approached but said no.
- Servers are coming to the platform with community marketplaces.
- Games and communities will be fully supported.
- A “Super Duper” pack will be released for free for the Xbox One X with full 4K support.
ID @ Xbox Sizzle Reel
As we have the past few major Xbox shows, we got an indie sizzle reel today. Some great looking games on the horizon!
