Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Retro is going strong with the latest batch of indies headed to Xbox One through ID@Xbox

Will Fulton
By

gdc 2015 idatxbox shovel knight gall
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Lo-fi platformer Shovel Knight and post-apocalyptic role-playing game Wasteland 2 are coming to Xbox One, along with over 50 other games announced by Microsoft as in development for the ID@Xbox program.

Shovel Knight arrived in 2014 on 3DS, Wii U, and Windows, following shortly on Linux and Mac. It’s also coming to PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PS Vita on April 21. It’s a pixel-perfect tribute to the 8-bit gaming era, embracing classic platforming tropes while imbuing them with modern polish and design touches. Its first free expansion, Plague of Shadows is set to debut at PAX East 2015.

ID@Xbox @GDC: Shovel Knight

Wasteland 2 also debuted in 2014, following a successful Kickstarter campaign to revive the classic, ’80s role-playing game that served as direct inspiration for the Fallout series. Xbox One is the first and only announced console release for the game, after first coming to Linux, Mac, and Windows.

ID@Xbox @GDC: Wasteland 2

Magic Duels: Origins is a free-to-play adaptation of Richard Garfield’s seminal, collectible card game, Magic: The Gathering. Collect cards, build decks, and battle to the death against other wizards in this classic strategy game’s console debut.

ID@Xbox @GDC: Magic Duels™ Origins

ID@Xbox launched in 2013 to help facilitate independent developers bringing their games to popular audiences on the Xbox One. The first wave of games arrived in early 2014 and the program has grown steadily since. According to Microsoft, more than 1,000 studios around the world are currently creating games using the ID@Xbox development kits, with more going out every week.

Recommended Videos

To see the full rundown of games being added to the program, head over to the Xbox Wire post.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Will Fulton
Will Fulton
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…
Best PS5 SSD deals: Add more storage to your PS5 from $120
A 2TB WD Black

When the PlayStation 5 was originally released, it had the option to expand its internal memory, which was quite small at the time at a little under 900GBs. Of course, the issue is that there weren't any SSDs that worked on the new standard the PS5 was using, so even if you wanted to upgrade, you couldn't. Luckily, since then, there have been a lot of great SSDs for the PS5 that have been released, and upgrading its storage is pretty easy and can be done by pretty much anybody, provided they have a screwdriver. So, whether you picked up a PS5 from one of the PS5 deals or already have a PS5 and want to upgrade, be sure to check out the SSDs that will work great for your PS5 below.
Our favorite PS5 SSD deal

It wasn't that long ago that you'd have to pay well over $100 to get an SSD for your PS5, and often, it'd be slower than the pricier alternatives. These days, you can buy a Samsung 980 Pro 1TB SSD with heatsink for just $120 from Best Buy, thereby saving $45 off the regular price of $165. The SSD offers speedy performance while also having its own nickel-coated high-end controller to help deliver effective thermal control. It means it won't overheat and performance won't be compromised. Being a PCIe Gen 4 SSD, you get twice the data transfer speed of PCIe Gen 3 which is useful. Offering maximum read speeds of 7,000 megabytes per second, it's a good upgrade to go alongside your existing hard drive with 1TB offering plenty of extra space at a shrewd price.

Read more
The Sims 5: release date speculation, trailers, gameplay, and more
sims 4 for rent expansion pack shared living the 6

It's time to brush up on your Simlish if it's rusty because the long-awaited The Sims 5, aka Project Rene, is officially on the way. This has been the longest gap between main entries since the series began, and while we did get tons of expansions for The Sims 4 to hold us over, plus the change to it becoming free to play, we're more than ready for a new entry. Each time a new game in the franchise comes out, die-hard fans always need to have a bit of skepticism about what features will be there -- both new and returning.

We can't answer all your questions yet, but here's everything we know about The Sims 5.
Release date speculation

Read more
VR headset deals: Meta Quest 2 and VIVE XR
htc vive vs pro headphones

While VR may not be as big as was predicted back in the early 2000s when the original Oculus Go was released, there is still a considerable market these days, and some great VR games like Half-Life: Alyx that you can have fun with. Of course, VR headsets remain expensive, and while options like the Meta Quest don't necessarily require a high-end gaming PC, they can still be a bit pricey for those who just want to put a foot in the hobby. Luckily, there are some good deals you can take advantage of, even on some of the best VR headsets, so be sure to check out all your options below.
Meta Quest 2 -- $199, was $200

Even though the Meta Quest 3 came out quite recently, the Meta Quest 2 is still a pretty powerful contender, especially since it has a wider library and app support than the Quest 3 currently has. Even more so, the Quest 2 is a lot cheaper than the Quest 3, and with the latest permanent discount down to just $200, that's a whole $300 or so difference from the Quest 3. Of course, the Quest 3 does have more advanced AR and slightly better performance with software and Wi-Fi, but that may not be worth the extra cost for some. Either way, be sure to check out the breakdown between Quest 2 and Quest 3 to get a better sense of what you should pick up.

Read more