With E3 2018 almost upon us, the major publishers are pulling out all the stops, and Microsoft is no exception. Set to hit the stage Sunday, June 10th at 1:00 PM PDT / 4:00 PM EDT, the showcase will be streamed live all around the world for fans to enjoy. Considering what we know about Sony and Bethesda's plans for the conference, Xbox is going to need to bring its A-game if it has any chance of earning its time in the spotlight.

Compared to other publishers, who have been quite vocal about what's been planned to bring to the table this year, Microsoft has been fairly quiet regarding its showcase. It is likely that the tech giant will want to put more emphasis on upcoming exclusive titles, so expect to see the likes of a new Forza or more details about Crackdown 3.

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As is previously mentioned, Xbox doesn't have as much in the way of established content to show off in the way PlayStation does, but it seems likely that this year it will lean heavily on these brands. The franchise most are expecting from the publisher this year is Halo, a brand that hasn't had a proper installment since 2015's Halo 5: Guardian. While it may not launch this year, fans know that 343 Industries has been hard at work on the title for a while now so a reveal wouldn't be much of a shock.

Other than Halo, the other heavy-hitter getting a lot of word of mouth recently is Gears of War. Gears of War hasn't been MIA as long as Halo, releasing a new title back in 2016, but it wouldn't come as a surprise to hear something out of The Coalition regarding a new game. In fact, recent rumors have pointed to as many as three different Gears of War titles being in development at once, one being a battle-royal game.

In terms of hardware, Xbox doesn't have a whole lot to put on display. Fans will likely get a look at the Xbox One Adaptive Controller, a controller for people with a range of disabilities, in action. It's also possible that Microsoft might finally bring something to the table regarding VR after the discontinuation of the Kinect though that might just be wishful thinking.

Whatever Xbox does decide to bring to the table, it's sure to impress hardcore Xbox fans but at this point, but it's not them Xbox needs to impress. Microsoft struggles to sell to a casual audience because PlayStation is in a better position regarding games. Assuming Phil Spencer is telling us the truth and many new unannounced games are coming to E3, Xbox might just have a chance to get back on top.

Microsoft's Xbox E3 2018 press conference's begins at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST on Saturday, June 10, 2018.

Microsoft‘s E3 2018 press conference is set for Sunday, June 10, 2018, starting at 1:00 PM PDT / 4:00 PM EDT.