With traditional trade shows like E3 and Gamescom cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft is planning to bring a slice of the show floor experience to your 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, Microsoft’s Glenn Gregory cautions that the demos won’t always be representative of the final product, since many of the games are some way off their release. That’s standard practice for show floor demos, of course, but it’s unusual for a major gaming platform to make unfinished games available to such a wide audience.
There’ll be more than 60 demos available, and while the list is still being finalized, Gregory says it should include “somewhere between 75 and 100 when the dust settles.” Confirmed titles include Cris Tales, Destroy All Humans!, Haven, Hellpoint, Skatebird, The Vale: Shadow of the Crown, Raji: An Ancient Epic, and Welcome to Elk.
Microsoft’s Summer Game Fest Demo Event will be available to access from July 21st to July 27th on Xbox One consoles. The company is planning to show off next-gen Xbox Series X games at a separate event this month.
