Xbox Partner Showcase revealed — Xbox Play Anywhere expected to feature heavily this week on November 20

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Xbox is ramping up its Winter showcase season with a new marketing beat, slated for November 20.

As a researcher following Microsoft’s developments, I recently discovered and reported that they’re hosting a Partner Preview event in November. The focus seems to be heavily on their Xbox Play Anywhere program. Over the last few years, Microsoft has really been emphasizing Play Anywhere, as they work towards bringing their development tools for Xbox and PC closer together.

When developers certify their games for Xbox Play Anywhere, players can save their progress and buy the game once to play on both Xbox and PC. Selling games through Xbox PC also gives developers a larger share of the profits, but it does mean they need to keep the code consistent across all versions.

Microsoft announced today on the Xbox Wire blog that the next Xbox Partner Preview will be held this Thursday, November 20th. The broadcast will showcase upcoming games from developers like IO Interactive, Tencent, and THQ Nordic, and will include new game reveals and updates on what’s coming to Game Pass.

You can watch the Xbox Partner Preview event live on Thursday, November 20th, at 10am Pacific Time, 1pm Eastern Time, or 6pm in the UK. It will be streamed on Xbox’s official YouTube and Twitch channels.

According to Windows Central, the upcoming Xbox showcase will likely highlight already announced games, though there might be a few unexpected reveals. For instance, a recent listing suggested that *Silent Hill 2* will launch on November 21, so it’s likely we’ll see a surprise announcement of its availability at the event. Microsoft also has plans for *The Game Awards*, where they’ll be heavily promoting some of their games. Plus, they usually hold a Developer Direct in January, offering in-depth looks at upcoming titles – primarily their own games, but sometimes from other developers as well.

Both games, and platform hints too

Handheld devices like the Xbox Ally are transforming how people play Xbox games. Microsoft’s recent “This is an Xbox” campaign emphasizes that Xbox games and services are available on many different devices. However, the campaign has faced criticism for downplaying the importance of the Xbox Series X|S consoles, which have seen significant drops in sales since the initial surge in demand during the pandemic.

Microsoft faces a significant challenge in proving to dedicated gamers that its current plans will succeed in the long run. Doubts about Xbox’s direction are higher than ever, and Microsoft hasn’t done much to address those concerns. Recent price increases, shifts in strategy, and reduced interaction with the gaming community have created an Xbox experience that feels different from what players are used to. Even with these challenges, the Xbox platform remains strong and continues to attract substantial support from game developers.

Microsoft recently achieved a significant victory by bringing Fortnite to the Xbox PC app. This means PC gamers who enjoy Fortnite no longer need to download and install the separate Epic Games Launcher. The Xbox app is already included with Windows 11, and with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Fortnite players now receive added perks on both PC and Xbox consoles.

Xbox Play Anywhere has helped Xbox players continue their games on different devices, but Valve’s Steam platform is now creating some competition. Steam essentially offers what Microsoft hopes to achieve with Play Anywhere, but it’s much further along and more established. Steam boasts better tools for game developers, more flexible publishing options, and a massive library of games that already work across Steam Machines, PCs, and NVIDIA GeForce Now – posing a real challenge to Microsoft’s plans. However, Xbox still has popular titles like Call of Duty, Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox, and works with Windows, so it’s still a strong contender in the market.

As a huge Xbox fan, I’m really excited for the November Partner Showcase! I’m hoping it’ll show us just how many developers are on board with Microsoft’s Xbox Play Anywhere plan, and what kind of games we can expect when it officially launches on November 20, 2025. It’ll be great to see what support they’re getting!

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2025-11-17 19:10