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Want a sneak peek at the latest games coming to Xbox and PlayStation 5 this year?
Xbox will host its annual Developer_Direct, a series of livestream events produced by Microsoft Gaming to showcase upcoming titles, updates, and content you can expect to see released this year. This year is particularly notable as it will also mark the start of Xbox's 25th anniversary celebrations.
Not only that, but the latest showcase promises exclusive gameplay footage and developer commentary from some highly anticipated titles, including the rebooted Fable from award-winning studio Playground Games, Forza Horizon 6, and Beast of Reincarnation created by Game Freak, the studio behind the Pokémon series.
With previous Developer_Direct broadcasts, Microsoft has held back a few more titles to surprise viewers, including launching an entire single-player game with no notice to Game Pass subscribers. So it's well worth tuning in.
And it's not just Xbox console owners who should be on the edge of their seats. Microsoft was the single biggest publisher on PlayStation last year, with strong sales from franchises like Call of Duty, Minecraft, and Forza on the rival console. Some of the biggest Xbox exclusives, including Gears of War, Halo, and new additions like Indiana Jones And The Great Circle will be released on PS5 and PC as part of a platform-neutral approach.
The titles announced at Developer_Direct are expected to show up in PlayStation owners' stores to purchase soon.
The event kicks off tonight at 6pm GMT / 1pm ET / 10am PT and will be streamed live on official channels, including:
Developer_Direct kicks off tonight at 6pm GMT / 1pm ET / 10am PT and will be streamed live on official channels
|MICROSOFT PRESS OFFICE
Previous Developer_Direct showcases have always included more than three titles, so there's a good chance Microsoft's got something extra tucked away. Based on previous showcases, you can expect about a 45-minute presentation.
If you can't make the livestream, a full recap will go live on Xbox Wire immediately following the show.
If you're looking to enjoy the upcoming games planned for Xbox consoles, you can access them through Xbox Game Pass. This is a paid subscription service where you can get access to hundreds of games across Xbox consoles, PC, and cloud gaming. Recently, there was a massive Game Pass price rise in the UK.
Xbox Series X is the flagship console from Microsoft, but you'll be able to play most of the titles announced at the latest Developer_Direct on rival PlayStation consoles
| MICROSOFT PRESS OFFICEExisting Xbox Game Pass Core subscribers have been moved to the new Essential plan at £9.99 per month, while Standard users have transitioned to Xbox Game Pass Premium at £14.99 per month.
Those already subscribed to top-of-the-line Game Pass Ultimate will keep their plan, but the cost will rise to £29.99 from £14.99 when the next billing cycle begins.
- Xbox Game Pass Core > Essential | Was £6.99, Now £9.99
- Xbox Game Pass Standard > Premium | Was £10.99, Now £14.99
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate > Ultimate | Was £14.99, Now £29.99
However, many noteworthy new features come with these upgraded tiers.
Microsoft has kept the same three subscription tiers for its Xbox Game Pass service, but the names, prices, and perks included in each plan have changed with the latest shake-up | MICROSOFT PRESS OFFICE For starters, no matter which tier you choose, you’ll now get access to both PC games and cloud streaming — something that previously only available in the priciest Game Pass Ultimate tier.
Even the basic Essential plan includes console and PC titles, along with unlimited cloud gaming. That means you can stream not just the games in the Game Pass library, but also any games you already own.
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The catalogue of games available to stream or download to your console enjoys some new additions too.
Essential now gives you a curated selection of over 50 games, including favourites like Hades and Stardew Valley. Premium now bumps that up to more than 200 titles, with 40 new additions, including Diablo IV and Hogwarts Legacy. Ultimate subscribers will have access to more than 400 video games worldwide.
Microsoft is even promising over 75 new day-one releases each year, which means that you can play brand new games the day they're released without paying more than the subscription fee. This is a 50% jump from how many day-one games they offered previously.
Premium subscribers won't get those day-one releases, but Microsoft has committed to bringing all Xbox-published games — except the latest Call of Duty — to Xbox Game Pass Premium within twelve months of launch.
Save £60 on Game Pass Ultimate with a digital gift card from Loaded
Want to avoid the £22.99 per month subscription for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate? Loaded, formerly known as CD Keys, offers digital gift cards that unlock a 12-month subscription to the top-of-the-line plan for less than the previous price tag. Just £139.99 for the year, you'll pay a little over £11 per month for this plan.
Game Pass Ultimate includes all Xbox games from Microsoft-owned studios on day one, Ubisoft+ Classics with hits like Ghost Recon Breakpoint, and cloud gaming to stream a massive library instantly — no console needed
The Ultimate tier is trying to soften the price hike with some serious extras. For instance, you're getting Fortnite Crew bundled in from November 18 - that's normally £9.99 monthly and includes the Battle Pass plus 1,000 V-Bucks each month.
There's also Ubisoft+ Classics thrown in, worth £6.99 monthly, giving you access to games like Ghost Recon Breakpoint and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
Cloud gaming is finally becoming available to Ultimate users, which allows you to stream and play a large library of console and PC games instantly from the cloud to a variety of devices without needing a powerful console or significant storage.
The rewards programme is getting a revamp too. Ultimate subscribers can earn up to £100 yearly (100,000 points) just by playing, while Premium users can grab £50 and Essential players £25. You'll get multiplied points on purchases - 4x for Ultimate, 2x for Premium.