Despite the demise of E3, the month of June is still dominated by traditional gaming conferences. The eagerly-awaited Xbox Games Showcase 2024 featured some thirty new Xbox games, as well as the announcement of three new Xbox Series consoles, offering more storage space and new colors. Here’s a review of the key announcements of this 2024 Microsoft event.
Digital Xbox Series X and a Galaxy Black version
While many rumors seem to point to the imminent arrival of a PlayStation 5 Pro, Microsoft prefers to expand its range to offer something for every need. The new Xbox Series X All-Digital offers 1TB of storage, and is dressed in the famous “Robot White”. However, this new console does not feature a Blu-ray drive, to meet the needs of gamers who prefer to download and use Game Pass. €449,99.
The Xbox Series X Galaxy Black, meanwhile, still features a Blu-ray player and offers 2TB of storage, twice as much as the original Xbox Series X. It also comes with a matching controller, dressed in black and the iconic Xbox green. The console is adorned with glitter reminiscent of a galaxy, to great effect. It is now the flagship of the range, priced at €599.99.
Like the Xbox Series S Carbon Black, this model is also available in “Robot White”. Like its counterpart, it offers 1TB of storage and is also intended for 100% digital use. This latest model is a full-color variation, rounding out the range to give players even more choice. Its price remains unchanged at €349.99.
An avalanche of games at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024
This Xbox 2024 conference was also about games. For over an hour, Xbox played a series of trailers for games from third-party publishers, most of which will be available on release in the Game Pass. A strategy reinforced by the arrival of the behemoth Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which is available as part of the subscription offer from day one. Excellent news for subscribers and for the Xbox ecosystem. The Game Pass is an unbeatable offer that alone justifies the purchase of an Xbox Series when you play a lot of games, giving access to over 500 titles for €14.99.
Alongside a host of games from other publishers, Xbox has also announced its release schedule for exclusive titles, as well as games from the various studios recently acquired by Microsoft. We were able to find out what Xbox Studios, Bethesda and Activision Blizzard have in store for the coming months:
- June 12: Fallout 76, Skyline Valley expansion
- June 26: World of Warcraft: The War Within expansion
- July 25: Sea of Thieves: 13th season
- September 4: Age of Mythology: Retold
- October 8: Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred
- October 25: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- End of year: Starfield Shattered Space DLC
- 2025: Fable
Among the undated games presented, Gears of War: E-Day made a strong impression with a cinematic trailer at the end of the conference. No gameplay to speak of, but the franchise is one of Xbox’s big selling points, and the announcement of a sequel should delight fans. With Xbox’s busy schedule, we’ll have to be patient before we know more.
There’s no release date yet for Perfect Dark, whose heroine’s face has been revealed, along with a few gameplay snippets. Developed by The Initiative, the cult game is set to return in a modernized version that is already shaping up to be particularly exciting. The original 2000 game was developed by Rare, since acquired by Microsoft, and was a big hit on the Nintendo 64. A franchise that will please nostalgic fans and new generations of gamers alike.
With the Xbox Games Showcase 2024, Microsoft pulled out all the stops and showed its strengths at a time when other console manufacturers no longer offer this kind of event. The Game Pass will be further enriched in the coming weeks, and new triple-A productions are in the pipeline. Xbox has solid arguments to convince gamers, and continues its efforts to offer quality titles in its subscription offering. Enough to boost Xbox Series sales?
