Microsoft arrived in 2020 with most of its cards on the table. After all, the Xbox team had previously revealed the Xbox Series X, Microsoft's next-generation premium console, at the 2019 Game Awards. So, with most of its intentions in sight, Microsoft quickly dug into the technical details. in 2020 and spent the rest of the year nurturing its service library, which will ultimately be the backbone of your next-gen experience. Throughout this year, it's become increasingly clear that consoles are not Microsoft's primary focus. The broader Xbox ecosystem has grown tremendously in the last 12 months, and Xbox Game Pass has received significant expansions that have made the service a successful product in its own right. It's fair to say that we've seen a noticeable shift in Microsoft's gaming approach this year, which seems to place a higher value on the Xbox community than ever before, regardless of which platform in its ecosystem it's on. choose to play. about. To get you familiar with the state of Xbox right now, here's a look at some of Microsoft's biggest moves in 2020.
Specifications on deck
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(Image credit: Microsoft) It was February 2020 when Microsoft first confirmed the 12 teraflops of power that would be living under the hood of the Xbox Series X, in a blog post detailing the device's technical specifications. This is where we first heard about new features like ``Smart Delivery,'' which Microsoft explained means that if you buy a version of an Xbox game that supports this feature, like Halo Infinite or Cyberpunk 2077, you'll always have access to the best version of this game in the future, no matter what hardware you are playing it on. So that's backward compatibility; When it comes to backwards compatibility, Microsoft mentioned that the X-series will offer an unprecedented "four generations of games"; every game that can be played on Xbox One could be played on series X, ranging all the way up to OG Xbox launch titles like Blinx: The Time Sweeper. With 4K 120fps and ray tracing also confirmed early on, consumers had a pretty good idea of what they'd get from a Series X purchase a few months before launch. Microsoft's open-book approach continued in March, when we received the full Xbox Series X data sheet, noting a 1TB SSD and proprietary expandable storage. This was supplemented by a video explanation of the Quick Resume feature, which would allow players to store up to three in-game save states that they can navigate to in seconds with a press of the Xbox button.
To play or not to play
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(Image credit: Sega) Microsoft has been more transparent than ever about the technical structure of its next-gen consoles throughout the year, beating Sony in early 2020 with flashy, jargon-friendly features that won gamers over. . But consumers wanted new games to run on the latest Microsoft hardware, which turned out to be less of a communications home run. May's Xbox Series X gameplay showcase was next, where Microsoft didn't show off much gameplay at all. There were a few footage sequences in between trailers for games like The Medium and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, but the entire conference was poorly received by fans expecting bigger games and extended gameplay. Xbox's Aaron Greenberg noted that the team "set false expectations" in the days following the show.
Halo finished
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(Image credit: 343 Industries) Back in July, we finally got proper gameplay from Microsoft, with their then-released title Halo Infinite leading the way. Who could forget that open world vacation, which introduced the world to our friendly friend Craig the Brute? Of course, the Halo Infinite hype was derailed soon after in August 2020, when Microsoft shocked the entire industry by postponing its blockbuster next-gen launch title to 2021. The loss of Halo Infinite created a void that Microsoft struggled to fill. ahead of the Xbox Series console launch in November. But with Perfect Dark, Everwild, Fable, and a potential Obsidian Skyrim slayer in Avowed, the future looks bright for Xbox exclusives. If only the games mentioned above didn't feel out of reach. The incredible quality of the Xbox Game Pass library has definitely helped overcome the obscurity, leveraging great titles like Control, Celeste, Destiny 2, and more throughout 2020.
An explosive acquisition
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(Image credit: iD Software) It's funny to refer to Avowed as a Skyrim killer because, back in September, Microsoft no longer needed it. In what was by far the biggest gaming report of the year, Microsoft acquired Zenimax Media, Bethesda's parent company, for €7.5 billion, gaining a handful of iconic franchises. Doom, Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Dishonored, and Wolfenstein are now made under Microsoft's tender wing, with console exclusivity for those games still in question. Will The Elder Scrolls VI be exclusive to Xbox? That would be a very lucrative trump card up Microsoft's sleeve, but there's still no definitive answer from top dog Phil Spencer. The sheer goodwill of acquiring such a massive development cabal drew attention to Sony's exclusive offensive as the launch of the PlayStation 5 neared. As if that wasn't enough for September, it was also when Microsoft officially revealed the Xbox. Series S, which unfortunately already leaked to heaven in previous months. A nifty little unit, this 512p-capable 1440GB console isn't quite as powerful as its next-gen peers, but it has completely undermined the budget upgrade landscape at £299.99 / £249.99 / AU499. PS This will be compare to the Xbox Series X, a 4K 120fps beast at $499 / £449 / AU$749, available for those in need of a more serious upgrade. On the tail end of a September blockbuster, pre-orders for the Xbox Series went live (and sold out fast) and we were on our way to the races.
A solid launch
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(Image credit: Microsoft) By November 10, we knew just about everything to expect from Xbox Series X/S. This resulted in the biggest launch in Xbox history, with VGChartz estimating between 1.2 million and 1,4, 24 million Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S units sold globally within XNUMX hours of launch. So it's no surprise that both consoles are once again like gold dust to find on launch day, and still not easy to find. But was the Xbox Series X everything we hoped for? In our Xbox Series X review, we noted the "extra boost" in load times and fidelity provided by the console's technical prowess and its well-executed features like Quick Resume, Smart Delivery, and backwards compatibility. Still, the missing launch library stood out as the Achilles heel of the X-series, and still does.
Value and service
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(Image credit: Microsoft) As the next-gen launch nears, the lack of screaming exclusive games means Microsoft has been pushing hard for Xbox Game Pass to be the best gaming deal around. Or should we say Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, because it's now the obvious choice if you're considering joining Microsoft's ecosystem of services. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate was introduced at the end of 2019, but it has really taken off this year. Starting in December 2020, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription gets you Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass for PC and console, cloud streaming to mobile via Project xCloud, and the entire EA Play library for just € 14.99 per month. With several introductory offers on the table, it's a definite bargain if you double down on Xbox in the near future. Xbox Game Pass for console and PC is now $9.99 per month and can be purchased separately, and by doing so, you'll lose all previous benefits earned with Ultimate. It certainly seems like both are being pushed to focus on a single, homogenized service, which could be further developed in 2021. With Xbox cloud streaming coming to iOS next year and games like Among Us, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order and Doom Eternal coming to Game Pass for the past few weeks, it's a very lucrative time. an Ultimate subscriber. The treats have not stopped coming, and we imagine there will be more in the near future.
A promising future
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(Image credit: Future) In response to the popularity of Xbox Game Pass in 2020, we're sure Microsoft will look to reward its audiences even more next year as it begins offering exclusives through the service that harness the power from the console. Potential 2021 releases like Psychonauts 2, Everwild, and Halo Infinite would warrant early adopter purchases, especially when they become available on day one via Xbox Game Pass. With this strategy, Microsoft is offering the opportunity to dodge the higher retail purchases currently required with a PlayStation 5 in favor of an endless subscription situation. It all depends on your spending style, but it's hard to overthink the downsides when scrolling through this unprecedented library of games. It's the ace up Microsoft's sleeve that will no doubt be bolstered by the massive Bethesda acquisition. Microsoft may have scrutinized some individual aspects of its 2020 plan, but the transparency and consistent timeliness of new games has earned fans' favor. As a result, the broader Xbox ecosystem is truly stronger than ever. Xbox Series X and S may not be essential microphones right now, but for all types of gamers, Xbox Game Pass is becoming very hard to ignore. Today's best Microsoft Xbox Series X deals