Microsoft is preparing to hold another Xbox Series X showcase on July 23 that will be chock-full of new games and unannounced hardware. The event is officially called the Xbox Games Showcase.
Microsoft and Sony have been taking turns with big livestream reveals as they prepare to launch their next-generation consoles this holiday season. Microsoft kicked things off in May with an hourlong event that featured footage from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Dirt 5, among others. Sony followed with a livestream last month that showcased a variety of PlayStation 5 games and a new PlayStation 5 Digital Edition console.
Microsoft is planning to hold its next event on July 23, and it may unveil both new games and a long-rumored Xbox Series S. Although Microsoft hasn’t made any announcements, the rumor mill is churning out predictions on a daily basis.
Below, we’ve compiled a collection of the rumors surrounding Microsoft’s next event, along with a guide on how to watch the show when it airs. And be sure to check back throughout the month as we update this page with more details.
The event will stream on Thursday, July 23. The show will kick off at 8 a.m. PT with a preshow and move to the main event at 9 a.m. PT.
Last time around, Microsoft streamed its reveal event live on Twitch, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Mixer.
Here are all the platforms where you can watch the stream, according to Microsoft:
The YouTube channel will support Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Castilian Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Polish, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, and Arabic translations.
Microsoft said it will air highlights right after the show, and that it will be available on demand shortly after it airs.
Rumors have been swirling for weeks that Microsoft is planning a more budget-friendly next-generation console code-named Xbox Lockhart.
That device, which could be known as Xbox Series S at launch, will apparently have fewer features than the upcoming Xbox Series X but come at a more affordable price. It may also ditch discs, similar to the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition.
Microsoft hasn’t confirmed Lockhart exists, but considering references to it have leaked in Microsoft documentation and the Xbox Series X devkit, it’s likely in the works.
Whether the Xbox Series S will actually be at the event, however, is up in the air. Recent reports suggest Microsoft may push the announcement to August.
Microsoft confirmed that it will be debuting campaign gameplay footage of Halo Infinite during the event, and recent rumors suggest Fable 4 could also be announced. Earlier this week, some eagle-eyed observers noticed that Microsoft took over the Perfect Dark Twitter account, but hadn’t published any tweets. Could that also be in the works?
Also expect some new looks at the upcoming NBA2K21, FIFA 21, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. A new development house called The Initiative, which was founded in 2018 by former designers on God of War and Uncharted games, has been working on a secret project that may also debut at the show.
Updated on July 16, 2020: Added streaming locations, languages, and Halo Infinite info.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.