We take a look at what Sony Corp could be showcasing at E3 this year

We’re going to be soaking in a lot of virtual reality news this year. As far as Sony is concerned, it is definitely going to set aside a major part of its E3 2016 press briefing for its upcoming PlayStation VR device. That might make a lot of consumers frown, since the E3 stage is where you get to see major industry companies and publishers announce new upcoming games. However, there are two major reasons for Sony to do so.

Firstly, it’s almost impossible for Sony to hold another E3 briefing that matches the excitement and hype levels of last year’s conference; that one was simply magical. Secondly, at this point Sony has nothing to prove. The PlayStation 4 continues to dominate the market, increasing its lead over Microsoft’s Xbox One every day. Sony would rather take the stage to market its upcoming virtual reality headset, which, it already is confident, will sell millions.

PlayStation VR

Sony has announced to hold a special media event on March 15 just before Game Developers Conference. It’s highly speculated that the company is going to be releasing new information about PlayStation VR, possibly a price point and release date.

This gives precedence to an earlier rumor which stated that Sony plans to launch the virtual reality device in fall this year. This would make it vital for Sony and PlayStation VR to make their presence known at E3 2016; announcing the launch lineup, detailing each game, unveiling new bundles, and convincing the masses that this is their solution to experience VR on PlayStation 4.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Guerrilla Games’ upcoming single-player action role-playing game is still slated for a late 2016 release on PlayStation 4. That being said, the game has mostly kept its distance from our newsfeed and there’s still a lot that we don’t know about the game. Suffice to say, it won’t be surprising to see Sony delay the game into the first or second quarter of 2017.

We could possibly see Guerrilla Games take advantage of the E3 stage this year to release yet another gameplay trailer to entice the eager audience.

Crash Bandicoot

The last installment in the popular platform franchise happened in 2008. Since then, we have only been treated to a rumor mill that has been churning once or twice every year. About two years ago, Game Rant reported about a source close to Naughty Dog who claimed the game to be in development. Only recently, PlayStation Middle-East shared a Crash Bandicoot image on Twitter with the caption “Most wanted: Where are you Crash?” We’ve had had enough teasers, and it would be good if Sony resolved the situation at E3.

Gran Turismo Sports

Polyphony Digital’s upcoming racing game is the thirteenth installment in the Gran Turismo franchise, and specifically noted by Sony to not be taken as Gran Turismo 7. Announced last year at the Paris Games Week, the standalone game is slated for a release on PlayStation 4 this year. Unless Sony plans to delay the game to 2017, expect a new trailer and details to pop up at E3 2016 for a fall launch.

Lots of Indie Games

Sony has always been proactive in showcasing and supporting the many games coming out from our indie industry. It goes without saying that we’ll be seeing a significantly lengthy montage video comprising of new upcoming indie games at E3 2016. Whether or not they are released in a timely fashion, is an entirely different debate.