We're expecting to see lots of new games and footage at Xbox and Bethesda's 90-minute E3 2021 show this Sunday, but if you want to see it in its best possible quality, you're going to want to watch the replay again after it's over.
Microsoft has confirmed that it will only be streaming the live event in 1080p at 60 frames-per-second regardless of where you watch it, but the rebroadcast will be available in 4K quality immediately following the show.
"The show will be streamed in 1080p at 60fps. For a more representative look at the visuals contained in the showcase, we recommend watching the 4K / 60fps rebroadcast of the showcase on the Xbox YouTube channel, which will be available after the conclusion of the premiere."
We'll be hosting the show here at Pure Xbox when it takes place at 10am PT / 6pm BST this Sunday, and Xbox has advised that the event will also be available in many different languages - along with a version with American Sign Language (ASL) and Audio Descriptions (AD) in English on the Xbox YouTube channel.
Don't forget that a special Xbox FanFest is also taking place an hour prior to the event on Sunday, featuring access to exclusive content, a Q&A livestream, and special guest appearances including Xbox boss Phil Spencer.
Will you be tuning in for the 4K rebroadcast of Xbox's show this Sunday, or are you happy with 1080p? Tell us below.
Comments 19
Last year's stream was a mess, lots of freeze frames and flickering. Hope it's a bit more stable this time.
@Olliemar28 Would assume that's why they are doing this. It's too many people for these to live stream 4k with our current infrastructure.
That's disappointing.
I'm fine with that. I can watch trailers from interesting games again with 4k.
As long as we dont get buffering im ok with that
I'll probably watch both, I'll do the 4k the next day
Disappointing that with all their resources they can't do better than 1080p. I'll be there for the hype and flow of the event, but it's annoying our first view is compromised.
Hopefully it is high bitrate, in sync and not filled with buffering, all problems that have affected their streams in the past.
As long they don't have that awful stuttering and freezing problem that plagued both their Xbox showcases from last year I'll be fine with 1080p. My gaming laptop doesn't even have a 4K screen anyway lol
@themightyant Twitch has better bitrate.
@themightyant I wonder what streaming platforms pushed back on it? Youtube/Google is always a mess with these live events. Speaking of having resources and still missing the mark....
It's funny though, I thought nobody cared about Xbox....but it brings down every major streaming platform when the hold an E3 presentation?
No problem as i gonna watch it in 720p anyway. That's the best my internet connection can do 😢
@NEStalgia I understand that it is technically very difficult to get a high quality stream out to so many people simultaneously yet i'd hoped that Microsoft, being one of the 3 largest cloud providers, might have solved this by now. Sadly it seems not. A lower bitrate 1080p 60fps is the best on offer, I was hoping for at least 1440p.
Sony are in the same boat, 1080p streams then 4K trailers almost immediately after. Though, and maybe i've just been unlucky, i've had more issues with choppy streams recently on the Xbox side.
"I thought nobody cared about Xbox" What do you mean? PLENTY of people care about Xbox.
So dissapointed ...I just had biotic eye implants installed so I could see the difference of 4k....guess il have to settle for blurry 1080p
@themightyant I'm not sure MS has any opportunity to do anything about it, though. They have no video streaming platform. They closed Mixer, moved everyone to Facebook, they don't have a TV streaming platform of their own. MS isn't in the streaming game at all outside games, which is a whole different thing, but they're not offering video over that service. They're actually unique among the big tech companies for not having a video streaming service. But what else is new. It's a story that began with Zune.
The limitations are being hit by Youtube (Google), Twitch (Amazon), Twitter, TikTok, WeChat (Tencent), Reddit (Amazon again...)
And I was mocking the internet meme that PS is so popular and Xbox isn't, and Sony outsells XB 3:1 etc.
I'll live, this won't bother me.
@NEStalgia Yep. You're right NONE of them have managed to solve mass simultaneous 1440p or 4K streaming yet. Was just hoping for a bit better than the quality of recent streams. Horizon looked so much better after in a higher bitrate 4K (even after YouTube compression). As long as it's a decent quality, stable 1080p, it will be ok.
I don't know about 3:1, never head that. Last gen was reported to be a little over 2:1 (approx. 115M to 50M units) and currently the number leaking out of retailers at the moment is somewhere between 3:2 and 2:1, not that it means anything while we are supply constrained.
Regardless i'm hopeful a very strong E3 and increased actual hardware available before Christmas for willing buyers will help level that alleged gap and promote more healthy competition, which ultimately we gamers benefit from.
@themightyant Technically it's probably not even any of those companies fault, but the Tier 1's (UUNET/Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, CenturyLink/Lumen, etc.) They only have so much capacity, and a big live stream like that funnels a lot of data through a single lane, all at once in way that, say, Netflix isn't doing with distributed programming. Verizon, at least, seems to have gone head-first into gaming with cross-advertising X1X years ago, and now actually being a top level E3 sponsor, with their own booth and presentation in the schedule. AT&T OTOH....they're probably busy working on how to cap gaming behind their satellite TV programming, despite owning Warner's gaming division.... Sprint probably just assumes Tetrinet is the latest in gaming technology, and Lumen wishes all this entertainment garbage would go away so they can focus on enterprise data. Comcast controls the "last mile" in most of the US, but they're not even a Tier 1 provider and have no say over the backbone...which is good for everyone. It would be like giving EA control over a console store.
Yeah, I'm sure 3:2 or 2:1 is much more realistic. Still, though, you'd think if Sony can't bring down the internet, MS wouldn't be a problem for it with a third or less market. Or at least that's what the internet thinks. Of course Sony doesn't have big E3 presentations anymore, just random "Directs."
If what Sony said about the supply constraints continuing "into 2022" is true, I doubt MS will be in much better shape for a long time. XSX has less bespoke hardware, so it might be easier to procure supply than SP5, but it's probably still mostly shared constraints in supply. This gen is going to be weeeeirrrd.
This is the time to shine!
I always watch the rebroadcast. Live shows make me nervous. 😅
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