All The News From Inside Xbox: New Xbox One Confirmed, Game Pass And Live Bundle, New Game Reveals At E3 2019

As with many of the Inside Xbox livestreams, the latest one had plenty of news and announcements that paint a clearer picture of Xbox's future. You may have heard about Sony revealing details on the next PlayStation console, but Microsoft has a new console of its own coming soon--an Xbox One S without a disc drive. The all-you-can-eat game downloading service Game Pass will get a new tier option that packs in Xbox Live Gold, and Gears 5 multiplayer will be shown very soon. What's probably the most exciting thing is head of Xbox Phil Spencer stating that Microsoft's E3 2019 presentation will feature "things nobody has seen before" from the company's new game studios.

If you want to watch the stream yourself, check it out here. Otherwise, read through all the good stuff we plucked out from Inside Xbox.

Xbox One S All-Digital Edition Confirmed

Rumors and leaks preceded this reveal, so it wasn't much of a surprise when Microsoft made the official announcement for its disc-less Xbox One S. The new version of the console will launch on May 7 for $250 USD and come bundled with Sea of Thieves, Minecraft, and Forza Horizon 3. It's built with the same exact specs as the Xbox One S, sans the disc drive of course.

Read the full Xbox One S All-Digital Edition story here.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Announced

Combining Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold into one subscription option has also been rumored for a while. Microsoft confirmed that it's bundling the two services and calling it Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which sensibly coincides with the all-digital Xbox One S announcement. While it's available for a few select users, it'll launch in full later this year for $15 a month.

Read the full Xbox Game Pass Ultimate story here.

Phil Spencer Says Big Things From New Studios Coming For E3 2019

Inside Xbox concluded with a few words from head of Xbox Phil Spencer. He affirmed Xbox's presence at E3 by saying, "We are the platform holder that has a live stage show...We're taking the responsibility of being out there representing gaming." He continued to say that some of Microsoft's newly acquired studios will have things to show that nobody has seen before.

Read the full story on Phil Spencer's comments here.

Spencer Also Says He's Been Grinding In Destiny 2 Using Project xCloud

While Microsoft's cloud-based game streaming service Project xCloud is still in development, Spencer stated that he's been using a sort of alpha build himself. He said he's still trying to grind out light level 700 in Destiny 2 and has been doing strikes on his phone using an Xbox controller.

Gears 5 Multiplayer Reveal Coming Soon

The focus of the Gears 5 content during the Inside Xbox stream was esports. The Coalition's studio head Rod Fergusson stated that TBS's show ELeague will be doing a six-part series on the professional competitive scene for Gears of War in June, which will include a Gears 5 multiplayer reveal. A Gears 5 invitational competition will also take place in July, ahead of the game's release later this year.

Read the full Gears 5 Multiplayer Reveal story here.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Is Now Backward Compatible

The 2008 stylish character-action game Ninja Gaiden 2 is now backward compatible on Xbox One along with a suite of visual enhancements for Xbox One X. Like any of the backward compatible games, you can either use an existing physical copy of the game or download it digitally.

Read the full Ninja Gaiden 2 Backward Compatible story here.

Splinter Cell And Fable Games Get Xbox One X Enhancements

While we may not have a new game in the storied stealth-action franchise from the Tom Clancy extended universe, three last-gen Splinter Cell games just got Xbox One X Enhancements. Splinter Cell: Double Agent (Xbox 360 version), Splinter Cell: Conviction, and Splinter Cell: Blacklist now include enhanced visuals and resolution. The same treatment was extended to the RPGs Fable 2 and Fable 3.

Game Bar For PC Gets A Major Upgrade

PC gamers got a little bit out of the Inside Xbox stream as well; Windows 10 users are getting a significant update to Game Bar. It'll now be widget-based with modules that you can pop in and out to customize the things you want. For example, you can have chat volume mix, Spotify, and streaming accessible while staying in-game using the new Game Bar overlay.

Rage 2 Gameplay Walkthrough

Tim Willits, director at developer Avalanche Studios, walked us through a brief Rage 2 gameplay segment. Rage 2 is confirmed to feature the coveted, overpowered gun of Doom fame, the BFG 9000. There will also be Arcs, which are sci-fi-styled underground tombs with weapons and abilities to earn.

Xbox Fan Fest At E3 2019

Xbox Fan Fest will be expanding this year by offering 700 tickets. This grants you access to Microsoft's E3 stage presentation, hands-on with upcoming games, some swag, and much more. Tickets are acquired via random drawing and those 18 years old and up can enter starting April 19 at 9am PT--winners will be announced on April 25.