It has been a tough, unsteady console era for Xbox, however the firm has a product showcase for our perusal later this week.

Microsoft’s gaming model introduced a brand new Companion Showcase livestream on this morning, slated to happen on Thursday, March 26 at 1 p.m. ET. You’ll be able to watch the stream on YouTube or Twitch at the moment.

Xbox was very clear to level out that first-party Xbox Sport Studios productions is not going to be the main focus right here, as it can as an alternative focus on upcoming third-party releases. These embrace RGG Studio’s Stranger Than Heaven, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, and one thing new for the already-released Stalker 2.

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Whereas it is regular for sport corporations to periodically present us their wares on this vogue, the timing is a giant a part of why this Xbox associate stream is fascinating. Simply final month, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer and president Sarah Bond each concurrently left the company. Spencer’s exit wasn’t terribly stunning, given the powerful place Xbox discovered itself in underneath his management, however Bond hitting the ejector seat reasonably than entering into Spencer’s footwear was a giant deal. As an alternative, Microsoft put former AI government Asha Sharma in command of Xbox.

These management adjustments got here after a years-long spiral that has resulted in Xbox being in a fairly powerful place, financially and by way of status. Large acquisitions of manufacturers like Bethesda and Activision Blizzard haven’t resulted in a better output of high quality first-party video games as some hoped they’d, whereas Xbox Collection {hardware} has lagged behind the competition. There’s additionally the matter of Xbox being a priority target for the BDS movement due to Microsoft’s work with the Israeli army; talking anecdotally, many individuals I do know have stopped enjoying Xbox video games due to this. Xbox has unveiled some very vague plans about its subsequent console, however that hasn’t stopped the bleeding by itself.

If nothing else, it is going to be fascinating to see if Xbox’s advertising adjustments in any respect underneath the brand new management staff. We are able to all discover out collectively on Thursday afternoon.