Xbox Partner Preview Date Set: When, How To Watch And What To Expect

The fall season typically is the last push for gaming companies to strut their latest developments, and Xbox is no exception. The Xbox Partner Preview is coming on October 17th at 1PM ET, chock full of new tidbits. Sony held its State of Play event in September, and Xbox follows with its own event. 

The event should last about 25 minutes, and come packed with new game trailers and glimpses at what is next. Alan Wake 2, the popular suspense-filled game, is set to receive its Lake House expansion. Another preview title will be Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, which builds on the franchise. Xbox Partner Preview will also showcase Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, along with some more surprises. 

The event will cater to the Xbox, PC, and Game Pass aficionados, as Microsoft widens its appeal. The story between Xbox and the PlayStation is an interesting one, with Xbox Series X sales lagging behind the PlayStation 5. This seems to push developers towards the Sony product due to more widespread adoption, giving an edge to Sony. 

New games such as Wuchang: Fallen Feathers should be exciting for Xbox fans. It is a souls-like action RPG, which is slated for release sometime in 2025. As a player of the Alan Wake 2 game, the expansion should bring even more edge-of-your-seat gameplay to the title as well. 

Microsoft has a big advantage with the popular Game Pass, however. Available on both Xbox consoles and PC, it casts a wide net for gaming enthusiasts. It therefore seems like the Xbox brand may eventually be more service based, instead of a pure hardware play. With massive acquisitions of game studios during the last several years, Microsoft has also secured significant franchises to its name. 

The Blizzard-Activision deal came with some drawbacks (and eventual layoffs), but also plenty of fresh content for Microsoft. The ever-popular Call of Duty franchise, which will stay be available across many platforms including Sony, is certainly the gem of the collection. 

Hardware wise, we do not expect Microsoft to launch anything to rival the PlayStation 5 Pro that was announced last month. With its grip on both Xbox and PC, Microsoft still has the hardware it needs for its content to do well.

The Xbox Partner Preview should bring some exciting news to gamers, including some worldwide premiers as we gear up for the end-of-year season.