Xbox wins "Not-E3" again, the new king of consistency

That time of year has once again come and gone. What was once the starting point for weekly events has now become the punctuation mark: the Xbox Games Showcase.

To start, let me clarify my views and say that this showcase was a solid 'B' if we're in the mood for scoring performances. With Sony's State of Play and Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest both earning a decent C.

These last few years have been a total upheaval of previous iterations. After a decade of watching Xbox events, believing, "This is the year they'll finally blow the lid off gamers," only to be let down time and time again, Xbox has entered an era of consistency — Marking a pivotal turning point in the maker's story.

Xbox has formally demonstrated its ability to standardize success in gaming presentations. This started only a few years ago, when the Xbox showcase of 2023 first brought true belief to the eyes of gamers. Finally, we saw the platform Microsoft had promised, exhibiting countless bangers.

Then, the company decided to set a proverbial 400-foot bar with last year's showcase, illustrating multiple successive years where I've been left gawking at what's shown.

Sure, this year's showcase wasn't as good as what was bestowed on us in 2024. Yet, one after another, we were gifted with the sights of Xbox Game Studios Clockwork Revolution, Grounded 2, and Outer Worlds 2.

All of which, and more, are coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one. This marks the definitive reason to purchase an Xbox, or at least to begin investing in the Xbox ecosystem. With Xbox Games Studios and the Xbox showcase, satisfaction is now an expectation, not a wish, as it was years before.

Also, sidebar people. Obsidian Entertainment is entering GOAT status with its unbelievable track record of releasing high-quality games. With three releases this year alone. What the actual hell?

Anyways, back to what I was saying! Xbox is not only delivering with its own creatives but also reaching pivotal agreements with third-party studios that continue to provide more value to the Xbox ecosystem.

This includes partnerships with studios that have only ever felt at home with PlayStation's events, such as Nintendo juggernaut Game Freak and their jaw-dropping work on the Beast of Reincarnation.

Or Atlus making their way once more to an Xbox event with Persona 4 Revival. Invincible VS, A fighting game that's not Killer Instinct?

Xbox and PlayStation are suddenly at odds, battling for the creations of these studios like never before. Sure, more games are coming to Xbox Game Pass, but there's now a sudden reappearance of the much-loved feature, Xbox Play Anywhere.

Horror specialists Blooper Team—the incredible creators of the Silent Hill 2 remake on PlayStation are now working on their new game, Cronos: The New Dawn, which, like the rest of the games, were featured Xbox Play Anywhere titles.

A space that was once dominated year in and year out by the likes of Sony is now a week where they show up announcing a State of Play only days before the actual event. Almost as if they were forced to make an appearance.

Don't get me wrong, games like Nioh 3, Ghost of Yōtei, and Pragmata look astonishing, and I can't wait to get my hands on them. However, Xbox showed up in a way that the State of Play and Summer Game Fest failed to do.

Summer Game Fest was a wonderful celebration of what creators can make without the workforce of billion-dollar studios. You only need a few exceptional individuals to create something truly remarkable, but it felt like that big-title magic was missing.

Then, there was the State of Play, which focused on the creations they do best. Highlighted by Ghost and Nioh 3, their lack of first-party titles in comparison to Xbox is something that astonishes me. With reveals of games like Wolverine years ago, what else are they working on outside of Intergalactic?

Xbox showcased multiple first-party titles, including upcoming AAA RPGs, a new survival game, and others, alongside third-party demonstrations that featured an unreal-looking Mudang Two Hearts, a game from former CD Projekt Red staff called The Blood of Dawnwalker.

Heck, we're getting another Plague Tale game and even a second Pokémon look-alike in Aniimo. All of which were shown at the Xbox showcase. It's remarkable how concrete this event was, considering it didn't feature multiple titles we're already familiar with.

And that's the thing: this was still a solid showing from Xbox while somehow managing not to show more of Fable, Contraband, State of Decay 3, Perfect Dark, a new Forza Horizon, the new Kojima game, Everwild, and more. Not to mention any unannounced projects still in the works.

What happens when we finally get a Fable Direct like The Outer Worlds 2? What about the teasing of Halo coming once more on the 25th anniversary of Xbox in 2026?

Other platforms have some catching up to do.

This is for all gamers

There's so much more that Xbox can do tha we've seen or heard about, but haven't been given final demonstrations of. Xbox is now, by itself, a showcase not only for Xbox gamers but PC and PlayStation players, too.

While that might not always be great news to the ears of some gamers, it's becoming the showcase to watch if you want to see some of the best upcoming titles across all platforms. Taking the crown that Summer Game Fest tries so hard to earn every year.

Think about that. The Xbox showcase was better for third-party gamers than the actual third-party showcase, Summer Game Fest. Even if you disagree, the fact that it's in the conversation at all is all too wonderous to ignore.

There was more first-party Xbox Studio content shown that is coming to PlayStation, Switch, and PC than there were Xbox exclusives. Indiana Jones DLC, Fallout 76 update, Outer Worlds 2, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3+4, and Age of Mythology: Retold Heavenly Spear, all coming day and date to PlayStation.

Sure, Grounded 2, Clockwork Revolution, and Keeper are only coming to Xbox (for now), but there are so many reasons for other platform holders to watch an Xbox showcase than ever before.

Even if you disagree with my take that Xbox took this year's podium as a PlayStation, Switch, or PC gamer, Xbox's showcase has shown it's the must-watch event for all gaming enthusiasts.

That, in itself, is precisely what they wanted. And it's just another reason why I think Xbox earned the number one spot yet again.