What to expect from Xbox at the biggest gaming show of the year

Between new versions of the Xbox One gaming console, a Roku-like streaming box, and a boat load of awesome new games, there are loads of announcements to look forward to from Microsoft's Xbox division very soon. 

Always nice to see a visual representation of the rift between Xbox and PlayStation.  Lucy Nicholson / Reuters

These announcements are coming courtesy of Microsoft's press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo ("E3" for short), a massive annual video game show where major companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo show off their new games and hardware. 

Here's what you can expect Microsoft to announce during its press conference on June 13:

New consoles

Ever since the release of Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4, Microsoft has been playing catch up: the PlayStation 4 has sold about twice as well as the Xbox One. 

As a way to pick up the slack, rumors indicate that Microsoft may announce a new, slimmer version of the Xbox One for release later this year.  A few years after the release of the Xbox 360 — Microsoft's previous gaming console — a slimmer version was released, so there's already precedent. 

A slimmer version of the Xbox One will probably be announced, in addition to a rumored high-powered Xbox One codenamed "Scorpio."  YouTube/Xbox

Microsoft might also reveal a more powerful, beefed-up version of the Xbox One, reportedly codenamed "Scorpio."  If this turns out to be true, expect "Scorpio" to work like a new version of the iPhone — the new console might have slightly improved features (like supporting higher-resolution 4K output for newer TVs, and having quicker load times), but both the standard Xbox One and the "Scorpio" will almost certainly be able to run the same games. 

The big caveat to that is virtual reality. 

The three major players in the world of virtual reality are PlayStation VR (which works with the PlayStation 4), the HTC Vive, and the Oculus Rift (both of which require a PC). 

Currently, the Oculus Rift comes with an Xbox One controller, so it wouldn't be a huge surprise if the "Scorpio" furthers the existing ties between the Oculus and Microsoft, allowing Oculus Rift games to be played on the new Xbox One. 

Since the Oculus Rift already comes packaged with an Xbox One controller, some are speculating the rumored beefed-up Xbox One will run Oculus Rift games.  Currently, it can only be used with powerful PCs.  Oculus/Tech Insider

As of right now, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive games can only run on extremely powerful PCs, so if Microsoft is able to boast that its new console supports the Oculus Rift, that would go a long way to potentially competing with Sony's PlayStation VR. 

Though E3 is largely focused on gaming-related announcements, we might also hear more about the two streaming devices Microsoft is rumored to be working on: one is a Chromecast-like streaming stick, and the other is a more capable streaming box, like Roku or Apple TV. 

New games.  Lots of new games. 

Though information about new consoles is certainly welcome, the main draw for E3 is what actually runs on those consoles: video games! 

To that end, expect lots of exciting news from Microsoft's own stable of developers ("first-party" developers), as well as news from external companies that are releasing games exclusively on the Xbox One (so-called "third-party" developers). 

Around this time of year, promotional images that are supposed to be held back until E3 inevitably start trickling out accidentally.  One such leak is for a new "Dead Rising" game, an open-world game series played from a third-person perspective where you kill hordes of zombies in creative ways. 

The leaked promotional image for "Dead Rising 4," which will likely be officially unveiled at Microsoft's press conference on Monday.  ThisGenGaming

Promotional images for "Dead Rising 4" were posted by gaming site ThisGenGaming and later corroborated by Kotaku.  Based on the fact the character in the image resembles the main character from the first "Dead Rising" (Frank West), some are speculating "Dead Rising 4" will be a remake of sorts. 

A big title sure to have a presence at Microsoft's presentation is "Gears of War 4," the newest entry in a series that's had a huge impact on third-person action games in the last decade. " Gears of War" made duck-and-cover shooting the norm in third-person action games. " Gears of War 4" was first unveiled during Microsoft's E3 conference last year, so it's all but certain that we'll see more of it very soon. 

An image from the famously (infamously?)  dark and gritty "Gears of War 4."  Microsoft

Since we're hot off the release of last fall's "Halo 5," we likely won't hear anything about an inevitable "Halo 6" quite yet.  But don't worry, "Halo" fans: we will probably see a good bit of "Halo Wars 2," the sequel to the sleeper-hit strategy tactics game based on the "Halo" franchise. 

One of the most intriguing trailers shown at Microsoft's press conference last year was for a game called "ReCore."  In the trailer, we see a young woman scavenging a desert wasteland with the help of a robotic dog. 

Even Rey from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," a fellow desert scavenger, didn't have a cool robot dog.  Microsoft Studios

Since then, we haven't heard much else.  Given that its being developed by Comcept, a studio started by Keiji Inafune (the man behind the original "Mega Man"), and Mark Pacini (a leader on the beloved "Metroid Prime" series), "ReCore" has the potential to be truly special. 

Also revealed last year was "Sea of Thieves," a first-person multiplayer pirate game.  It's being made by Rare, a game company that's been around for ages — in the '90s, they made classics like "GoldenEye 007," "Banjo-Kazooie," and "Perfect Dark."  And since Rare's last few games have been tied to Kinect, Microsoft's ailing motion-control platform, many are excited to see whether this gaming icon will be able to capture the magic of years past once more. 

There are many other games that will likely have a presence at Microsoft's press conference, including a new "Forza Horizon" game, the indie-developed spaceship exploration game "Tacoma," the chaotic open-world destruction of "Crackdown 3," and the colorful multiplayer game "Gigantic." 

A sequel to "Forza Horizon 2" will probably be unveiled!  Playground Games / Microsoft

A few surprises

In an effort to re-capture that magic from last year, Microsoft might try to pull a big surprise announcement out of its sleeve this year, too. 

The announcement that hundreds of Xbox 360 games would be playable on Xbox One was a huge hit.  Expect more fan service like that.  YouTube/Larry Hryb

To keep with the theme of providing an oft-requested feature, Microsoft might offer an update to its previous announcement that it was open to collaborating with developers to make cross-platform play a reality — meaning, even though you're playing "Overwatch" on Xbox One, you'd potentially be able to play with your buddy on PlayStation 4.  This requires a lot of collaboration between Sony, Microsoft, and the game developer in question, but maybe Microsoft has something new to report. 

Whether the surprise announcement will be the upgraded Xbox One codenamed "Scorpio," a ton of newly backwards compatible games, or something entirely different is anyone's guess, but with E3 just around the corner, we won't have to wait long to find out.