With conferences cancelled indefinitely, companies are increasingly dependent on online events to make the hype. As they prepare to release a next-generation console before the end of the year, expect plenty of live feeds and blogs from Microsoft and Sony in an attempt to flesh out all that their respective systems have to offer.

Today, Microsoft has taken to YouTube, Mixer and Twitch to give the world a better idea of what to expect from the next Xbox Series X version. Recent updates have, of course, been largely focused on console hardware, as the company tries to distinguish from the upcoming PlayStation - after all, the systems will likely be launched within weeks of each other.

This time, however, the games were very much the thing. The Xbox team presented a dozen titles from a baker this morning, including:

- Assassin's Creed Valhalla (Ubisoft)

- Infinite Light Memory (Playism)

- Call of the Sea (Raw Fury)

- DiRT 5 (Codemasters)

- Madden NFL 21 (Electronic Arts)

- Scarlet Nexus (Bandai Namco Entertainment)

- Contempt (Ebb)

- Chorus (Deep Silver)

- Second extinction (systemic reaction)

- The Ascension (Neon Giant / Curve Digital)

- The Middle (Team Bloober)

- Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 (Paradox Interactive)

- Yakuza: Like a Dragon (SEGA)

The company has not issued specific dates for the titles (these will be largely publisher-dependent), but a recent blog notes, "Our goal remains to launch Xbox Series X and Halo Infinite this Holiday." Clearly, the language of MS is more uncertain than ever before - after all, these are uncertain times in which we live.

All of the above titles are "Xbox Series X Optimized", which means they will be able to be played in 4K at 120FPS, load faster and use DirectX raytracing among others. Nine of the 13 also use Microsoft's Intelligent Delivery System, which saves users from having to rebuy titles, regardless of the console on which it is played.

Source: techcrunch.com