What is it? Microsoft's annual celebration of all things Xbox
Where is it? London, UK
When is it? November 14-16, 2019
X019 is officially in full swing and, while we didn't get any official news on Xbox Project Scarlett, there were plenty of other big announcements during X019's special Inside Xbox stream to keep us going for the next while.
So what were the biggest announcements of X019? Well, Xbox Game Pass is getting a heap of new titles, more than 50 new titles are coming to Project xCloud's preview and Microsoft revealed its Black Friday deals. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, Rare, Dontnod and Obsidian also revealed their new IPS.
So, strap in, and we'll take you through all the biggest announcements you may have missed from X019. We've also embedded the Inside Xbox stream below, so you can catch up on all the action.
- Xbox Project Scarlett vs PS5: what we know so far
X019: what is it?
Outside of E3 2019, X019 is Microsoft's biggest event of the year. Marketed as "the annual global celebration of all things Xbox", the event is typically Microsoft's way of updating fans on the things it announced at E3 as well as making big new announcements or providing first looks at upcoming games and/or hardware.
X019: the biggest announcements
Big updates to Project xCloud
The vast majority of the big news from X019 revolves around Microsoft’s cloud gaming platform, Project xCloud. At the show, Microsoft announced that it would be adding 50 new games to the service from 25 partners that include Madden NFL 20, Devil May Cry 5, and Tekken 7. We also learned that xCloud would be available on Windows 10 PCs in 2020 and will soon support additional game pads from third-party controller manufacturers.
50 new games are coming to Xbox Game Pass
If you’ve been running low on games to download from Xbox Game Pass, you’ll be pleased to know that Microsoft announced at the show that 50 new games will be available on the service shortly. Immediately after the show you’ll be able to download Rage 2 and Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, while in the near future you’ll see Darksiders III, The Witcher 3 and Final Fantasy VII through XV all available on Xbox Game Pass.
Rare is developing a new game called Everwild
One of the biggest surprises at this year’s show was Everwild, a new IP from Rare, the company behind Xbox One’s Sea of Thieves and N64 classics like Banjo-Kazooie, GoldenEye and Perfect Dark. We don’t know a ton about this one yet, but we did get a first look thanks to a trailer that debuted on stage. Make sure to check it out below.
Black Friday Deals
As you’d expect, Microsoft plans on going hard for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This year, US gamers can expect to see the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition for $149.99, which comes bundled with Minecraft, Sea of Thieves and Fortnite Battle Royale with the Legendary Rogue Spider Knight Skin.
The Xbox One X will get a minor price drop down to $349.99 and will be available inside a number of bundles including the Gears 5 Special Edition bundle, while select Xbox One Controllers will get a $20 price drop from November 24 to December 2.
In terms of Black Friday game deals, Microsoft used XO19 to announce that Forza Horizon 4, Sea of Thieves: Anniversary Edition, State of Decay 2 and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will all be 50% off this holiday season. Microsoft also announced that Gears 5 will get a smaller (but still appreciated) 33% discount for Black Friday.
Tell Me Why reveal
Dontnod Entertainment, the studio behind Life is Strange, revealed its new narrative adventure Tell Me Why, which features the first playable videogame hero from a major studio and publisher who is also transgender. Check out the trailer below.
Grounded reveal
Xbox Game Studios and Obsidian Entertainment announced Grounded, a new first-person, co-op survival game coming Spring 2020 to Xbox One through Xbox Game Preview and with Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft Store, and on Steam. Check out the trailer below.
- Check out the best Xbox One games available right now
