With traditional trade shows like E3 and Gamescom canceled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft plans to bring a portion of the showroom experience to its living room. As part of Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest, Microsoft will make dozens of demos for upcoming Xbox One games available to download for a week.
In a blog post, Glenn Gregory of Microsoft cautions that demos will not always be representative of the end product, as many of the games are somewhat far from launch. That’s standard practice for showroom demonstrations, of course, but it’s unusual for a major gaming platform to make such unfinished games available to such a wide audience.
There will be more than 60 demos available, and while the list is still being finalized, Gregory says it should include “between 75 and 100 when the dust settles.” Confirmed titles include Crystals, Destroy all humans!, Refuge, Infernal point, Skater, The Vale: Shadow of the Crown, Raji: an ancient epicand Welcome to elk.
Microsoft’s Summer Game Fest demo event will be available for access July 21-27 on Xbox One consoles. The company plans to showcase next-gen Xbox Series X games at a separate event this month.
