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E3 2016 is in the rear view, and now we're left with tons of new game announcements, some new hardware, and a few surprises.
But as it seems to be every year, a lot of E3's focus centers on the battle between Microsoft and Sony for console supremacy.
We couldn't want to hear just how both Sony and Microsoft would pitch the world on their fourth coming step-up consols.
Microsoft decided to show their hand, dishing out info about the Xbox One S, and looking ahead The Project Scorpio.
Would Microsoft have kept quiet if these two new consoles didn't leak out before E three?
We're not totally sure but at least the company decides to come clean about these upcoming consoles.
First is XBox One S, a smaller, all white console with a built-in power supply and support for HDR and 4K video.
Though not for [UNKNOWN] gaming.
Then there's Project Scorpio which the company claims will be the most powerful console ever made, but we don't know much beyond that.
Microsoft simply teased the notion that it's coming soon, likely next holiday season in 2017.
On the other hand, Sony kept completely quiet about NEO, that's the upgraded PS4 that the company has already acknowledged.
But if the plan is still to release new hardware this year, we'd imagine some kind of public introduction between now and the Fall will happen.
Of course, Sony does have new hardware in the form of PlayStation.
VR that hits October 13 for $400.
But it would be nice to know if PSVR will be able to benefit from Neo at all.
So, let's switch gears to what really matters, though, and that is the games.
Most of XBox significant games are console exclusive meaning a lot of them will also be playable on PC.
They include Forts of Horizon 3, Gears of War 4, Halo Wars 2, Recor, Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, and Scalebound.
[NOISE] On the other hand, Sony actually made a significant splash with a slew of new exclusive PS4 titles.
among them were a new God of War game, a new post apocalyptic survival game called days gone.
Horizon zero dawn.
Detroit become human.
A new Spiderman game.
The last guardian.
A new game from Hideo Kojima called death stranding.
And even a Crash Bandicoot remaster.
Sure, a lot of those games don't even have solid dates, but the laundry list of titles certainly cements the PS4's already impressive collection of titles.
And that's not even counting VR.
Sony teased a Batman VR game, and announced that Resident Evil 7 would be entirely playable on PS VR.
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Now, to be fair, we're still not completely sold on the Playstation's headset.
But we'll know soon enough if it's worth the purchase, come October.
So with all that information, who came out of E3 in better shape?
We can't deny that Sony definitely has Microsoft beat when it comes to exclusive titles.
But Microsoft has what feels like a more lucid plan when it comes to their new hardware roadmap.
Even if it feels like their console options are all of a sudden a bit overwhelming.
Microsoft doesn't necessarily have an answer to Playstation VR just yet, though it's safe to say that Project Scorpio will support some kind of AR or VR solution, whether it's Microsoft's own HoloLens technology, Oculus, or even both.
We definitely think waiting to see what becomes of Xbox One S, Sony's Neo, and Playstation VR is the wise move.
That should give you a better idea of which console to buy and what the future might hold for each platform.
Either way, it's tough to deny that the rest of 2016 and beyond Is going to be an exciting time for games.
It's amazing what can just change in a year.
It definitely feels like we're at the start of a big shift in games in consoles, and we'll be here to guide you through it.
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