Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has posted a pledge of player-first commitments in a new blog on Xbox Wire, outlining what players can expect from Microsoft's next-gen plans as we edge closer to the release of Xbox Series X.
While the post itself doesn't reveal anything new that we didn't already know about the Xbox Series X, it's worth reading in full as an impressive summary of Microsoft's approach to the upcoming transition from Xbox One to Xbox Series X, which makes it clear that every type of player matters during this period of change.
Each of the ten pledges comes with their own few paragraphs explaining their commitments in more detail, but – in short – they are as follows:
- You will always be welcome
- Your games will look and play best on Xbox Series X
- You play new games day one with Xbox Game Pass
- You won’t be forced into the next generation
- Your games will not be left behind, thanks to backward compatibility
- Your Xbox One gaming accessories come into the future with you, too
- You can buy games once at no added cost
- You choose how to jump into the next generation of gaming
- You are in control of a healthy and balanced gaming lifestyle
- You will get more from your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership
The blog post also confirms that Project XCloud, Microsoft's cloud streaming software, will be rolled into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from September onwards, at no extra cost to the subscriber. That means you'll be able to access Game Pass' full library of Xbox games on your phone or mobile device, without having to pay more for the advantage.
"The future of gaming has never been more exciting and limitless," concludes Spencer. "It's a future you’ll explore on your terms, not constrained by restrictive policies. Where your gaming legacy will not be left behind and where you will not be locked out of new exclusive Xbox Game Studios games even if you choose to stay with your current console for a while."
Lastly, Spencer confirmed that next week's Xbox Series X games showcase will provide a "first look at the Halo Infinite campaign and more", suggesting that single-player will be the focus for the gameplay debut of 343's upcoming shooter sequel, though here's hoping we'll get a peek at multiplayer too.
We'll be sure to cover all the announcements out of the show as soon as they debut, so tune into GamesRadar next Thursday, July 23, when Microsoft finally lifts the curtains on its slate of upcoming Xbox Series X games.
Here's everything we know about the upcoming Xbox Series X pre-orders too.
