Skip to main content

How to watch January 2024’s Xbox Developer_Direct

Developer Direct '24 key art teasing Ara: History Untold, Avowed, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, and Ara: History Untold.
Microsoft

Microsoft will hold the first notable video game showcase of 2024 today with its second annual Developer_Direct showcase. As Microsoft comes off a successful 2023 with games like Hi-Fi Rush, Starfield, and Forza Motorsport, this show is poised to give us an in-depth view of the development of games coming this year, like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and Avowed. Plus, we’ll see MachineGames’ Indiana Jones game in action for the first time.

Xbox fans who are curious about the company’s lineup of games over the next year or so will definitely want to tune into the January 2024 Developer_Direct. To help those planning to watch, we’ve rounded up information on when and where you can watch and what you should expect from it.

When is January 2024’s Xbox Developer_Direct?

2024’s Xbox Developer_Direct will begin at 12 p.m. PT today, January 18. Microsoft has not confirmed a specific length, but it’s expected to be under an hour long because as The Elder Scrolls Online Global Reveal live stream will take place after the Developer_Direct at 1 p.m. PT.

How to watch January 2024’s Xbox Developer_Direct

Microsoft plans to live-stream this Developer_Direct via all its official gaming channels. That means we can expect live streams of it on Xbox’s YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch pages, as well as Bethesda’s YouTube and Twitch. Microsoft will also host the show on Steam and its official ASL-supported Twitch account. We’ve embedded the livestream above, so you can watch it right from Digital Trends.

What to expect from January 2024’s Xbox Developer_Direct

Senua stares ahead wearing war paint.
Microsoft

Very clear expectations of what will and will not show up at this year’s Developer_Direct have been set. Microsoft has confirmed four games for the show: MachineGames’ untitled Indiana Jones game, Obsidian Entertainment’s RPG Avowed, Oxide Games’ 4X strategy game Ara: History Untold, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II from Ninja Theory.

The Xbox Wire post that revealed the show’s game lineup says that for the Indiana Jones game, MachineGames will highlight “more than 10 minutes of game and developer insights,” providing firm details on things like its story and gameplay. Meanwhile, Avowed will get a “deep dive into the gameplay experience,” with emphasis being placed on showing off the game’s main themes and focus on reactivity.

The Ara: History Untold segment will “unveil exclusive new gameplay and share more details about the inspiration, key features, and road ahead.” Finally, the show will focus on Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, with the Xbox Wire post promising that Ninja Theory “will speak to the ambition and meticulous care involved in creating Senua’s journey of survival.”

In terms of what we shouldn’t expect from the event, another Xbox Wire article confirms that no Activision, Blizzard Entertainment, or King games will be part of the show and that there will be no surprise launches like what happened with Hi-Fi Rush last year. Still, this showcase will establish a clear picture of what Xbox’s 2024 will look like, especially if any of the four confirmed games get release dates.

Editors' Recommendations

Tomas Franzese
Gaming Staff Writer
Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
For Microsoft, indies aren’t Game Pass extras. They’re the future of Xbox
A list of indie games on Xbox appears in a grid.

Xbox may be about as corporate a brand as you can find, but it’s been a surprisingly vital platform for independent developers. That dates back to the Xbox Live Arcade days of old, when small developers were given a place to easily publish their projects on consoles. Rather than pulling away from those days, Xbox has only doubled down on its relationship to indies in the years since through initiatives like ID@Xbox and a Developer Acceleration Program designed to help underrepresented developers get their games out.

Over the past few months, the brand has been on a global tour to reach small developers directly and court them to Xbox. That effort would take the company to New York City on November 18, where Xbox leadership would speak to local developers and students about how to submit to their programs (the event would also feature a questionably timed speech from New York City Mayor Eric Adams amid an FBI investigation into his campaign funds). It’s clear that Microsoft is investing a lot of time and money into signing deals with small developers, but why make the effort when it could comfortably thrive just by publishing major titles through acquired publishers like Activision Blizzard and Bethesda?

Read more
The best Xbox Series X exclusives
Master Chief meeting the Weapon in Halo Infinite.

Microsoft's latest console, the Xbox Series X, is a powerhouse, oftentimes matching or outperforming the PlayStation 5 in multiplatform releases. But how are the exclusives? The Xbox Series X had a thin lineup at launch, but over the years has amassed a more than impressive catalogue of titles.

We will only include Xbox One games if they've been optimized for Series X and S (like Gears 5). Also, we're ignoring PCs entirely. If you factor in PC releases, Microsoft hasn't had a console-exclusive game in years. While many exciting games are still to come, such as Fable and Hellblade 2, there are more than enough to keep you satisfied until then.

Read more
The best Xbox Series X games for 2023
Key art for Starfield

After an uneven console cycle with the Xbox One, Microsoft's latest consoles are aimed at getting the ship back on course. The Xbox Series X is a next-generation powerhouse that rivals gaming PCs, while the Xbox Series S is an affordable stopgap for those who are curious about trying new games.

There's no shortage of games to play on either console thanks to Xbox Game Pass, which gives players immediate access to a library of titles old and new. That built-in catalog is an extra value on top of all the new games available on the system that take advantage of its impressive technical specs. When it comes to first-party exclusives, the Series X is still growing. Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 gave a good boost to the console's library following a somewhat sparse first year. More games are also on the way. Microsoft's Bethesda acquisition will bring exclusives like Starfield and the potential addition of all Activision Blizzard games would further bolster that list, but the console's real strength lies in third-party support.

Read more