Hollow Knight: Silksong's highly anticipated demo will be playable at Xbox's booth during Gamescom 2025. Discover everything about this first public demo and the game's intriguing development journey.
Xbox Booth at Gamescom 2025 to Feature Silksong Among Major Titles
Silksong Demo Available on PC and ROG Xbox Ally X
Hollow Knight: Silksong will make its debut as a playable demo at Gamescom 2025. Microsoft confirmed in a July 28 Xbox Wire post that Silksong will be featured at their booth from August 20-24 in Cologne, Germany.
The demo will be accessible on both PC and the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally X handheld device, a collaboration between Xbox and Asus ROG. This portable gaming system was first unveiled during the Xbox Games Show at Summer Game Fest 2025, where Silksong was confirmed as a playable title.
The ROG Xbox Ally X incorporates the Xbox interface, providing access to games across multiple platforms including Game Pass, Steam, and Epic Games Store. Scheduled for Holiday 2025 release, its launch aligns with Silksong's anticipated arrival.
While Xbox hasn't specified the demo's scope, fans are thrilled by this development that signals the game's approaching release.
The Road to Release
2025 has brought a series of tantalizing updates for Hollow Knight fans. It began with co-creator William Pellen's January 15 tweet hinting at "something big coming," coinciding with Nintendo's Switch 2 announcement and sparking speculation about a potential Silksong reveal during April's Switch 2 Direct.
Team Cherry's Matthew "Leth" Griffin further fueled anticipation by confirming on January 18 that Silksong was "real, progressing, and will release." When Steam's metadata updated Team Cherry's copyright from 2019 to 2025, the community interpreted this as preparation for new announcements.
The game briefly appeared in Nintendo's Switch 2 showcase, confirming a 2025 release (without specific date) while maintaining its original Switch compatibility. Subsequent updates included ACMI's May 2 announcement of a Silksong demo at their September Game Worlds exhibition, and a Steam package update - the first in 15 months - that led to fresh speculation about a surprise launch alongside Switch 2.
During Summer Game Fest 2025, Silksong received an unexpected mention in the Deadpool VR presentation before being featured in Xbox's showcase. Xbox President Sarah Bond confirmed the game would launch with Game Pass on their new ROG Xbox devices, though Team Cherry clarified this didn't indicate a console-exclusive release window.
With its Gamescom 2025 appearance now confirmed and a confirmed launch "BEFORE holiday 2025," Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally nearing completion. The game will release on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, Nintendo Switch/Switch 2, and PC in 2025.
