Xbox launches Xbox Series X and S consoles with livestream and London rooftop display

Xbox has celebrated the launch of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S with a livestream and rooftop installation in London.

Gamers from across the UK joined a six-hour livestream yesterday to see the Xbox On team playing Xbox Series X optimised titles such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Gears Tactics, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Destiny 2.

The centrepiece of the livestream was a rooftop display set against the backdrop of St Paul’s Cathedral and the London skyline, using a purpose-built 4K holographic installation that showcased the innovative features of the Xbox Series X.

Standing 12ft high, the “Dreams Within” installation used four 4K projectors to create a holographic chamber, with multiple cameras employed to give the effect of shimmering transparency as a light show played within and around it, accompanied by a dramatic binaural soundtrack.

James Butcher, Xbox Business Lead for UK and Ireland, said the event was designed to showcase the uniqueness and power of the Xbox Series X.

“The Xbox Series X is our fastest, most powerful gaming console ever, sets a new bar for performance, speed and compatibility and enables a new level of realism and immersion,” he said. “Gamers are at the heart of everything we do, and that’s why we wanted to use this launch event to celebrate the gaming community.

“Fans joining the livestream could not only see the latest games being played on the world’s most powerful console, but they could also take part in the event by completing challenges and quizzes, to win an Xbox Series X.”

Much of the innovation with the Xbox Series X is also built into Xbox Series S, including  backward compatibility, allowing gamers to play more than 2,000 titles stretching back to the original Xbox, the ability to seamlessly switch between multiple games with Quick Resume and Smart Delivery – which allows customers to buy a supported game once and always have the best available version for whichever Xbox console they play on.

Thirty creative and diverse optimised titles for the Xbox Series X and S will be available to play from day one, and 20 of these support Smart Delivery.

Many of those games will also be included in Xbox Game Pass, giving gamers a library of titles that can be played on Xbox or PC for just £10.99 a month. From today, Game Pass Ultimate will also include EA Play for free, giving gamers access to titles such as FIFA 20, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Need for Speed Heat.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate’s cloud gaming feature will let gamers play many of those titles on Android devices, wherever they are.

“This Xbox generation is for everyone,” Butcher added. “The Xbox Series X has unrivalled power and speed. The Xbox Series S is the smallest console we have ever made and, for a great price, it allows people to just jump into the next generation of gaming and start playing.

“People can use the controllers and headsets they already own on both of those consoles, and with Quick Resume they can load games in seconds. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S offer the best experience in gaming.”

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