E3 2015: What to expect from Microsoft’s Xbox One event

TORONTO – Microsoft is gearing up for a big day at the 2015 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), as it prepares to give gamers an in-depth look at what’s to come for Xbox One.

E3 will set the stage for Microsoft to stir up excitement for its upcoming release of Halo 5: Guardians, the latest installment of its hit gaming series Halo, and other titles coming to Xbox One over the next year.

But the company is likely to put a lot of focus on its augmented reality device HoloLens, as virtual reality continues to be a big theme in the gaming industry.

The press conference kicks off Monday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Here’s a look at what we can expect from Microsoft’s Xbox One event:

Halo 5: Guardians and other Xbox titles

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The fifth installment of Microsoft’s hit gaming series Halo – which will be available for Xbox One on October 27 – will be the star of the company’s E3 press conference.

Microsoft has been busy teasing users with trailers for the game, including two live action trailers released in March, but Monday’s event is expected give gamers the first in depth look at the new game.

But those trailers have hinted towards some changes to gameplay, such as the ability to control two different characters in the game – Master Chief, the main character from the previous Halo games, and Lock, a new super solider.

Halo 5: Guardians is expected to be a big release for Microsoft, whose Xbox One console lags behind Sony’s PlayStation 4 in global sales.

Microsoft is also likely to tease the next installment of Activision’s Call of Duty series, dubbed Black Ops 3, and the sequel to the 2013 remake of Tomb Raider.

Virtual reality

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Last week, Microsoft surprised many with the announcement that it was partnering with Facebook-owned virtual reality company Oculus to make its VR headset compatible with the Xbox console and devices running the new Windows 10 operating system.

But Microsoft is also working on its own virtual reality project dubbed HoloLens – an augmented reality headset that allows wearers to interact with and see 3D digital holograms in their own environment.

We haven’t heard many more details about HoloLens since it was first announced in January, but with virtual reality a big topic at E3, we might get some more details during the event.

Xbox One on Windows 10

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Microsoft’s new operating system Windows 10 will be available on July 29 and one of the features includes the ability to stream games from an Xbox One to a Windows 10 device, so long as they are on the same network.

Microsoft demoed the feature for the first time last month during its Build 2015 conference, but the company might provide more details on the feature during its press event.

How to watch the press conference

You can tune into Microsoft’s press event online through Xbox.com, YouTube’s E3 channel, or on gaming site Twitch.