Phil Spencer teases Gears 5 "enhancements", likely for Xbox Series X

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Almost as good as getting a new Gears for Xbox Series X

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Gears 5 is getting some "enhancements" from its developer, and it sounds like they're headed to Xbox Series X.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently shared some pictures on his Twitter account from a studio visit to Gears studio The Coalition. Spencer got an early look at Gears Tactics, which he described as rocking "faster paced and deep turn-based gameplay". The studio also booted up what appears to be a new-and-improved version of Gears 5 for him.

Spencer says this version of Gears 5 "looks better than Gears has ever looked." Spencer stops short of directly saying that these enhancements are for an upgraded version of Gears 5 for Xbox Series X, but since it already looks pretty darn good on Xbox One X, that's the option that makes the most sense.

In previous generations, talking about an enhanced next-gen version of a current-gen game would mean you could look forward to buying a new, remastered copy of the game. However, Microsoft has confirmed that if you buy Halo: Infinite for Xbox One you'll also be able to play it on Xbox Series X with Smart Delivery, and it's a safe bet that this extra-pretty version of Gears 5 will work in a similar way.

I'm not sure if you'll technically be able to buy an Xbox Series X version of Gears 5 if you don't already own a copy or if you're still buying an Xbox One game with enhancements, but whatever. It all works out the same anyway.

Hopefully playing through Gears 5 on Xbox Series X will tide you over while we wait for any more news about Gears 6. Neither Microsoft nor The Coalition have officially talked about the next game in the series yet, though the art director of Gears 5 has admitted that he wants to get a little bit of The Handmaid's Tale aesthetic going for Gears 6.

See what else is on the way with our guide to upcoming Xbox Series X games.

Connor Sheridan
Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and was formerly a staff writer at GamesRadar.