All the New Xbox One Hardware Rumors Heading Into E3 2016

One of the big talking points at E3 2016 next week could be new hardware. Microsoft is rumored to have multiple announcements lined up to debut at the event. We've now collected all the rumors and reports here to give you a primer.

According to reports from May, one of the consoles Microsoft may announce at E3 will be a version of the Xbox One that is 40 percent smaller than the current model. This system is said to include a 2 TB hard drive (existing models have 500 GB and 1 TB hard drives) and may go on sale this year. It could also have a slightly redesigned controller.

There is no word on pricing yet, however. It should also be noted that if Microsoft does indeed announce an "Xbox Mini," it wouldn’t be much of a surprise, given that the Xbox 360 got a slimmed-down update; Sony has done the same with its consoles in the past.

Microsoft may also use its E3 2016 briefing to announce new streaming hardware in the form of devices akin to Google's Chromecast and Amazon's Fire Stick. It's not expected that these systems will run high-end games, but would instead be better suited for "lightweight games," much like the Apple TV. Pricing could be in the area of $100-$175.

Looking further out, Microsoft is also rumored to be working on a more powerful version of the Xbox One to launch in 2017. This system is said to be four times as beefy as the existing model and might be VR-ready. If the leaked PlayStation 4 Neo specs prove to be accurate, the new Xbox One would be even more powerful than that console, too. Whether or not this system is announced at E3, however, remains to be seen.

Though not hardware-specific news, Microsoft may also use its E3 2016 briefing to discuss an initiative that will further unite the Xbox One and PC. Microsoft has already made inroads here, as the November Xbox One update introduced Windows 10 as the console's underlying operating system.

As part of Microsoft's Universal Windows App program, Microsoft is rumored to launch all of its flagship games in the future, including entries in the Halo and Gears of War franchises, across console and PC. This is already happening for one major series, as all future Forza games are coming to both systems.

We may know how much of this is real and what might be "creative chatter" in less than a week. Microsoft's E3 2016 briefing is scheduled for Monday, June 13, starting at 9:30 AM PST.

Sony may also announce new hardware at its own briefing later that day. Check out this story to learn more: Every PS4.5/Neo Rumor Heading Into E3 2016.