A new console and the reveal of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate were among the big announcements on yesterday’s Inside Xbox. Here’s a quick roundup.
The long-rumoured Xbox One S All-Digital Edition was finally unveiled on April’s Inside Xbox. The console features a 1TB hard drive, and comes bundled with Forza Horizon 3, Minecraft, and Sea of Thieves. It will be priced at $249/£200 and released on May 7, 2019.
It was also confirmed that Xbox Live and Xbox Game Pass will be bundled together for the monthly price of $14.99. Subscription will give members access to a 100+ library of games, monthly Games with Gold, online play, and Deals with Gold sale discounts. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will roll out later this year.
Six new games were also confirmed for Xbox Backward Compatibility. Fable 2, Fable 3, Ninja Gaiden 2, Splinter Cell Blacklist, Splinter Cell Conviction, and Splinter Cell Double Agent are all now compatible and each game has been enhanced for Xbox One X.
Other announcements of note included new content of Rare’s Sea of Thieves, and new features for the Windows 10 Game bar overlay, including Spotify integration.
Finally, Phil Spencer stopped by to speak about working with first-party studios and preparations for E3. He also spoke about alpha-testing Project xCloud, saying:
“There’s something magical about taking my Xbox experience with me. When I boot up, it is me, P3 is on, all my friends are there, all my messages are there, I don’t feel like I’m disconnected. I can launch my games, I’m not having to grind a separate set of characters or something, it is my state that I have when I’m sitting in my home or at my PC that goes with me, and I really love that.”
Inside Xbox announcements – April 2019
- The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition – Released on May 7, 2019
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – Coming in 2019
- New features for Windows 10 Game Bar
- Sea of Thieves – New game mode and Quests coming soon
- 6 new games confirmed for Back Compat
- Preview of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Rage 2, and Warhammer Chaosbane
- Xbox FanFest E3 2019 details confirmed
- Project xCloud update
Ahead of this year’s E3, it was announced that the Xbox FanFest will return, running from June 9 – 10, 2019. Tickets provide access the Xbox E3 2019 Briefing, a FanFest Showcase, and also include a 3-day pass to E3 itself. Head over the official website for ticketing information.
