Microsoft gave the world a first glimpse of a powerful next-generation Xbox gaming console aims to release late next year disclosed at a gala event of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) video game industry.
Xbox said at the E3 event that it is adding the ability for players to stream games in their libraries for play on mobile devices with Game Pass subscriptions. “We will bring Xbox to the cloud with Project and console streaming,” Spencer said. “Where you play is entirely your choice, you decide.”
The E3 opens with gamers gradually moving away from traditional console play and Google seeking to capitalize on that trend with a new Stadia service allowing people to play cloud-powered games on any connected device.
According to the Entertainment Software Association, which runs E3, more than 164 million adults in the United States play video games, and three out of four U.S. households have at least one video game player.
Microsoft also announced the launch of a beta version of an Xbox Game Pass that lets people using computers powered by the latest Windows software access a library of more than 100 video games.
A highlight of the show was an appearance by actor Keanu Reeves, who was greeted with a standing ovation and shouts of adoration by a packed audience in the Microsoft Theater downtown.
The action game is set in a troubled future where humans are enhanced with technology. “The feeling of being there, of walking the street of the future, is really going to be breathtaking,” Reeves said of the game, which is set for release in April for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles as well as personal computers.