Microsoft’s E3 conference – Xbox Scorpio and Slim, cross-platform exclusives and more

June 13, 2016

Microsoft has unveiled two new Xbox consoles at its E3 conference, along with expanded cross-platform gaming support and a heap of exclusive games.

Check out everything that happened at Microsoft’s E3 conference below:

Project Scorpio

Microsoft announced two new Xbox consoles, the slimline Xbox One S and the powerful Project Scorpio.

Project Scorpio is an upcoming Xbox console set to launch next year. Microsoft has stated that the console will be aimed at true 4K gaming and VR performance.

Here is what we know so far about the 4K gaming console:

6 TFLOP/s floating performance rating
8 CPU cores
320GB/s memory bandwidth
True 4K gaming

Xbox One S

Microsoft has officially unveiled the Xbox One S, a slimmer iteration of the Xbox One which boasts 4K video support and powerful hardware.

Here are the features of the slimline console:

New, slimmer design.
40% smaller than the original Xbox One.
2TB hard drive.
4K Ultra HD video support.
High Dynamic Range (HDR) support.
Streamlined controller.
Vertical stand.

The Xbox One S will be priced at $299. All three Xbox consoles will share the same game library and will remain fully compatible.

Xbox Live

Xbox Live is set to receive better network infrastructure, resulting in more reliable and faster servers.

Background music, language/region independence, and Cortana will be implemented for the Xbox One platform.

Various community-based features have been announced, including Xbox Live social clubs, Arena tournament platform, and a Looking for Group function.

Xbox Play Anywhere

Gears of War 4 will support cross-platform play between PC and Xbox One for all co-op game modes, including the co-op campaign and the popular Horde mode.

Xbox Play Anywhere means that gamers who purchase certain games digitally will be able to play the game on both PC and Xbox One, with achievements and rankings carrying over between platforms.

These games include Ark: Survival Evolved, Gears of War 4, Forza, Killer Instinct, and Scalebound.

Xbox Preview

Xbox Preview has announced a number of new upcoming titles, including We Happy Few and a standalone Gwent card game by CD Projekt RED.

A Gwent beta will be hosted in September 2016.

Gears of War 4

The Coalition showcased co-op gameplay for Gears of Wars 4 at the Microsoft press conference, along with a custom Gears of War 4 Xbox Elite controller.