Microsoft’s live press event at E3 2016 started off with a bang. The Xbox One S, priced at $299, started things off with the smallest Xbox One yet. The Xbox One S is slimmer, smaller, and features an integrated power supply, no power brick included with the newest addition to the Xbox One console lineup. The Xbox One S will also feature up to 2 TB internal HDD, IR Blaster, and a new Xbox controller, complete with Bluetooth support. The Xbox One S will be priced at $299 and available starting in August 2016.
Next up, Microsoft revealed Xbox Play Anywhere, making games available for Xbox and Windows 10 available in a single purchase, without the need to purchase games separately. Gears of War 4, Killer Instinct, and Forza Horizon 3 are the first of many games to be available through Xbox Play Anywhere, with many more games are sure to follow.
Forza Horizon 3 also made its debut at E3 2016. Forza Horizon 3 will be set in Australia, set to arrive on Xbox One Windows 10 on September 27, 2016. Forza Horizon 3 will be packed with features, including a 4-player campaign co-op mode, realistic weather and traffic conditions, and 350 cars to drive.
ReCore got a new gameplay trailer, giving fans an actual gameplay trailer. Announced back at E3 2015, the latest gameplay trailer for ReCore should have many fans anticipating playing this Xbox One exclusive game when it is released. The ReCore gameplay trailer is certainly interesting and hopefully, ReCore can live up to the hype.
Next, Microsoft announced new Clubs, Looking for Group, and Arena features coming to multiplayer gameplay on Xbox Live. Clubs and Looking for Group on Xbox Live will have communities where Xbox Live gamers can share their game experiences and be able to find like-minded Xbox Live friends to play with online. Arena on Xbox Live will be a new tournament platform for Xbox Live gamers, making it easier to register and compete in online game tournaments.
Microsoft also confirmed support for Cortana, background music, and language region independence will also be available for Xbox One and Xbox Live sometime later this Summer or early Fall. Microsoft is giving cross-platform play got a lot of attention with games like Minecraft Realms will be playable on a number of platforms, including Windows 10, iOS, Android and Gear VR devices.
Project Scorpio is perhaps the biggest news at Microsoft’s E3 2016 event. Project Scorpio is a new console that Microsoft is working on, calling it “the most powerful console ever.” Microsoft says it will support high frame rate VR and will ship out sometime in November 2017. Project Scorpio will have 8 XPU Cores and 6 teraflops of power, with support for 4k gaming. Microsoft noted that all Xbox One accessories and Xbox One games with be backward compatible with Project Scorpio and Xbox One S.
What was your favorite announcement from Microsoft’s E3 2016 event? Let us know in the comments.
