Xbox takes to the London skyline to launch the next generation of consoles

Gamers around the UK are celebrating the launch today of the next generation of gaming with the Xbox Series X, our most powerful console ever made, and Xbox Series S, next-generation performance in our smallest console ever.

In a six-hour livestream to mark the launch last night, hosts from Xbox On showcased some of the games available to play from today, including a look at London in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Watch Dogs: Legion gameplay on Xbox Series X.

Viewers were invited to complete live interactive challenges, and the countdown culminated in a spectacular rooftop display set against the backdrop of St Paul’s Cathedral and London’s iconic skyline, using a purpose-built 4K holographic installation specially created to showcase the innovative features of the new Xbox Series X.

Standing 12 ft high, the Dreams Within installation used four 4K projectors to create a holographic chamber, with multiple cameras employed to give the effect of shimmering transparency while a stunning light show played within and around it accompanied by a dramatic binaural soundtrack.

“Gaming has the power to inspire, to connect and entertain us, and this next generation of gaming is coming at a time when play is more important than ever,” said Phil Spencer, executive vice-president of Gaming at Microsoft. “There are three billion people who play games across the globe; our vision is to make gaming great for every player on every device for every generation in every location around the world. The launch of Xbox Series X and Series S marks a moment for us to celebrate the power of play together.”

Xbox Series X, our most powerful console ever made, and Xbox Series S, next-generation performance in our smallest console ever built, will go on sale today with thousands of games available from across four generations of Xbox to play immediately including over 30 fully optimized titles built to leverage the consoles next generation features.