Xbox Series X launch will be digital-first: Microsoft avoiding real-world events until July 2021

At this point, booking any events in the coming months is at best optimistic, and at worst foolhardy.

So, it is no real surprise that it seems like the launch of the Xbox Series X could well be an all-digital affair, forgoing the usual event-based extravagance that normally leads a new console generation.

But what does that mean? Here's everything you need to know about the Xbox Series X digital launch...

The Xbox Series X launch could be all-digital

This statement came, initially, from Twitter user @gcaughey, who shared a tweet with an image from an email or some other communication that stated this:

"In light of the challenges presented by COVID-19, Microsoft has been closely monitoring the developing global situation and re-assessing the over company-wide in-person event strategy."

"As a company, Microsoft has made the decision to transition all external and internal events to a digital-first experience through July 2021… We will continue to evaluate the situation and look forward to connecting in person when the situation allows."

Microsoft confirms the digital-first launch for Xbox Series X

It's a very sensible statement, but it also came from a somewhat odd source.

To verify the story, Eurogamer reached out to Microsoft to get official confirmation and was told that, "In light of the challenges presented by COVID-19, we are adjusting our event calendar and strategy.

"For the remainder of 2020 we are embracing the opportunity to experiment with new platforms to provide our partners, customers and developers the highest quality, digital-first experiences."

Read more: Xbox Series X controller has a weird feature

Will you log into an online event to celebrate its arrival?
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Will you log into an online event to celebrate its arrival?

This means that it's highly likely that the Xbox Series X launch event will be an online event, which is kind of nice because it means everyone is invited.

Of course, as Microsoft will be monitoring what goes on, it means they'll also react accordingly.

That means that if events do end up going ahead this year, and there is no risk to their employees, then they may well still attend them.

Don't expect any big Microsoft events in real life.
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Don't expect any big Microsoft events in real life.

It was for the greater good

The most important thing in this statement is that it seems to be for the benefit of its employees. It's nice to see a company looking out for those who keep it running, instead of expecting them to put their lives on the line just to keep the bottom line nice and high.

It also means that Microsoft isn't convinced that things will be back to normal until July next year, which is, perhaps, a more conservative estimate of when everything could be sorted.

Though it does fall in-line with some of the estimates given by certain health officials.

Everyone is playing everything by ear at the moment, and while that is stressful, it's important to remember that people are at the heart of all of these events and companies and that they need to be looked after too.

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