It’s been a hectic week of leaks for Microsoft resulting in the company having to release many details about their upcoming Xbox Series X ahead of their supposedly planned schedule. However, it now appears they did, in fact, have an event planned; and it too has been leaked online.
Earlier this week, a string of leaks rumouring not only hardware details about the Xbox Series X, but a second console tier forced Microsoft to release details about the Xbox Series S —it’s smaller and less expensive console releasing alongside the Xbox Series X. However, more leaks revealed that Microsoft had an entire digital event prepared to reveal these details.
A series of tweets from Twitter User WalkingCat (@_h0x0d_) revealed the Xbox News Breifing 2020—a 30 minute event where Xbox President, Phil Spencer, Sr. Director of Xbox Platform Marketing Cindy Walker, Head of Platform Engineering and Hardware Liz Hamren, and Head of Xbox Partnerships & Ecosystem Sarah Bond; spoke at great length about the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
While most of the details within the Xbox Virtual Press Briefing was made public as Microsoft attempted to control the narrative in the midst of earlier leaks, it’s interesting to see that Microsoft did have a plan to showcase their new consoles—one, seemingly with some production value behind it.
While this does raise the questions of corporate secrecy and what companies are owed in terms of withholding information for “scheduled releases,” Microsoft was definitely wise to get out in front of it and deliver details to the public. Considering this information could easily occupy the same space as a handful of tweets, it’s interesting that Microsoft didn’t just release the Xbox Virtual Press Briefing first.
In any case, Microsoft has given themselves a competitive edge over Sony, who has yet to release any concrete details about the PS5, and has so far alienated it’s audience with a pre-order application for it’s upcoming console.
[UPDATE] As this story was being written, Sony announced their Playstation 5 Digital Showcase, which may very well deliver price and release date details to the public. Whether this is in response to Microsoft’s announcements is debateably, however it would seem highly likely.