(Reuters) – Microsoft (NASDAQ:) kicked off its annual Xbox Games presentation on Sunday, unveiling a new all-digital version of its Xbox Series X and S consoles, as well as trailers for more than a dozen games, including the next installment, “Call of Duty.”
The Games Showcase comes at a pivotal time for Xbox and Microsoft as the gaming industry faces a downturn and publishers grapple with declining sales, layoffs and studio closures.
Microsoft showed off three gaming consoles, including a diskless version of the Xbox Series X and S consoles, as well as a special version of the Series X with 2 terabytes of memory.
The hardware upgrade could help Xbox boost sales of its consoles, which compete with Sony (NYSE:) PlayStation 5.
Games on display included Doom: The Dark Ages, the latest installment in the long-running Doom franchise, as well as a sneak peek at the newest game, Gears of War, ending a five-year wait for the game to release. one of the most popular features of Xbox.
A significant number of games, including the new “Doom” and “Call of Duty,” will be available on Xbox Game Pass on launch day, indicating that Microsoft is betting big on the subscription service as it tries to attract consumers struggling with a relatively milder problem economy.
The game presentation was followed by a special report from Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:), which highlighted the features, characters and gameplay of the new Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which is scheduled for release in October.
Software developers Treyarch and Raven (NASDAQ:) showed clips from the game’s campaign set in the early 1990s, touting features like a new movement system that allows players to run in all directions, and a look at the fan-favorite game. Zombie mode.