The Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct are just days away and anticipation levels are building. The former will pack new trailers and world-premieres reveals for dozens of upcoming games for the Xbox Series X and PC, while the latter will be an in-depth look at Bethesda’s upcoming sci-fi RPG.
The live-streamed presentations are set for this Sunday (June 11) and are practically guaranteed to be two of the biggest gaming events of the whole summer. They also come in the wake of last month’s PlayStation Showcase 2023, and it’s highly likely that the live events will be compared to each other as fan rush to declare their chosen platform as the winner.
While Sony’s PlayStation Showcase 2023 was a pretty solid event offering first looks at new PS5 games and an extended gameplay demo for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the general feeling was the show could have been stronger. This puts Microsoft in a great position because if the Xbox and Starfield showcases can deliver, then Xbox has a chance to dominate the gaming conversation for the next few months.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the four things we want to see from the Xbox Games Showcase 2023. If the event can hit all these points, it could be a highly memorable gaming event. Plus, we’ve also got all the details on how to watch the Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct down below as well.
What we want to see from Xbox Games Showcase 2023
No CG trailers
The PlayStation Showcase 2023 was packed with exciting games, but many of the biggest revealed came via swanky cinematic trailers such as Bungie’s Marathon reboot and new co-op shooter Fairgame$. At the Xbox Games Showcase, we want to see fewer CG trailers and more gameplay footage. Fortunately, it seems that Microsoft is of the same thinking as Xbox’s Aaron Greenberg recently tweeted: “None of our first-party games in the show are full CG trailers. Everything is either in-game footage, in-engine footage, or in-game footage with some cinematics.” And naturally, we’re expecting a boatload of Starfield gameplay during its own dedicated direct.
None of our first party games in the show are full CG trailers. Everything is either in-game footage, in-engine footage, or in-game footage with some cinematics. Each of our trailers will be labeled so it is hopefully clear for our fans.June 4, 2023
Release dates
There’s nothing more deflating than seeing a cool trailer or gameplay demonstration and the final splash screen offering up a vague release window like “Fall 2023.“ Even worse is when a trailer doesn’t include any indication whatsoever of when the game in question will be in our hands. At the Xbox Games Showcase, we want to see cool games, but we also want to know when we'll be able to play them for ourselves. We obviously don’t expect firm release details for every title included in the event, but we want at least a few concrete launch dates.
MIA Xbox games
It’s time for Xbox to showcase some of its missing-in-action games. During the 2020 iteration of this event, we got confirmation that Fable 4 was in development, but three years later we haven’t had a single fresh update. The same is true of Avowed, a fantasy RPG from Obsidian the developers of Fallout: New Vegas. Plus, it’s also been years since we last caught a glimpse of Everwild and Senua's Saga: Hellblade II. These games have been absent for too long, now is the time to show us the good. At the very least, it seems one of the above is practically confirmed. Xbox's Twitter account recently teased that Fable will feature — and we can’t wait to see what new adventures we can expect in the land of Albion.
Do you love ✨ GAMES ✨ as much as we do? Then you won’t want to miss the Xbox Games Showcase: https://t.co/YSurRjtzpn | #Starfield #XboxShowcase pic.twitter.com/O1qSlXHNmYMay 30, 2023
New IPs
Yes, we're excited to see more from the fourth-mainline Fable game and are hoping for details on the inevitable Gears of War 6. Plus, anything Halo will undoubtedly grab our attention. But we also want to be surprised by brand-new games. Xbox has a pretty strong stable of franchises under its belt, but we want to see that list of recognizable series grow over the next few years and that can only happen if Microsoft invests in new intellectual property (IP). Of course, Starfield is the first original game from Bethesda Game Studios in more than 25 years, so we’re eagerly awaiting the slew of details its own presentation will surely bring to the table.
How to watch Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct
The Xbox Games Showcase 2023 and Starfield Direct are scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 11 starting at 10 a.m. PT, 1 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. BST.
The Starfield Direct will begin immediately following the Xbox Games Showcase. Both live-streamed events will be available to watch across all major video-sharing platforms including YouTube, Twitch and Facebook. We will add an embedded video link before the showcase starts so check back on Sunday.
Following the main events on Sunday, there will be an Xbox Games Showcase Extended live stream on Tuesday, June 13 at 10 a.m. PT, 1 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. BST. This will include interviews with the teams working on the game featured in the main showcase as well as a couple of fresh updates from third-party developers.
