Xbox reportedly planning one of its “biggest booths ever” at Gamescom 2023

Xbox claimed last month that its Gamescom booth would be one of its largest ever, and it appears that this is the case, with sources claiming that it will go "all out" with playable versions of major upcoming releases.

The details:

• Jerret West, CMO at Xbox, stated in a mid-July post via Xbox News Wire that the company's presence at this year's Gamescom between August 23-27 will be its "biggest ever," with more information to follow. According to Insider Gaming's sources, Microsoft is aiming to allow all attendees to play builds of its biggest releases and share more details ahead of their releases.
• Insider Gaming believes that Forza Motorsport, Towerfall, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be among the demos. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is the most notable here, as many fans were concerned about a delay due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, which forced its developers to relocate to Prague, and multiple hacks on GSC Game World's workplace, resulting in several gameplay videos and other content leaking online.
• It's also possible that Microsoft or its partners will make major announcements at the event about both upcoming and existing projects, with Gamescom's Opening Night Live promising "numerous world premieres and exciting announcements." It's unclear what these potential announcements could be, but given that Starfield is due out next month, we could hear more about Bethesda's RPG's post-launch support.

More Microsoft news:

• Xbox is now testing the ability to map keyboard keys to controller buttons, starting with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controller. Currently, only insiders have access to the feature, which can also be used on a PC when connected via USB.
• After a new method to circumvent Microsoft's block was discovered, Xbox is reportedly suspending players who use emulators in the retail mode of the Series X/S. The ban wave has not affected those who are using the console's developer mode.