With E3 2016 just around the corner, more evidence appears that suggests Microsoft is set to make a strong move into virtual reality with the Xbox One.

At this year's E3, plenty of gamers are expecting a glut of hardware announcements alongside the gameplay footage and new project reveals that are the bread and butter of the event. Many are expecting news on updated versions of the current consoles on the market in particular, with speculation continuing to rumble over a PlayStation 4K. Although Xbox boss Phil Spencer has called the rumors over an enhanced Xbox One "creative chatter" recently, many are still expecting some kind of announcement of that kind - and it looks as though Microsoft will have another trick up its sleeve.

Those interested in exactly what will be coming up at E3 2016 now have the ability to search by specific product categories over on the official site, and one of the choices happens to be Virtual Reality. From a list of drop-down options after that point, Xbox, Xbox Live, and Xbox One are all categories that can be selected. This certainly points towards a number of companies looking to promote VR experiences specifically for Xbox.

There are four companies that appear under the Xbox One tab, with two names that gamers may find familiar. Maximum Games is the publisher behind Farming Simulator, while Rebellion is responsible for the Sniper Elite titles, and currently has Sniper Elite 4 scheduled for release this year. Rounding off the list are Readily Information and 3DRudder.

These new E3 2016 listings certainly match up with some other news that appeared this week. A major European developer, which remains unnamed at this point, has allegedly confirmed that it is going to debut a Xbox VR game at E3 2016 with a view to releasing the title in 2017. Since Rebellion is based in the UK, there certainly has to be a possibility that it is the developer in question.

There is, of course, the question of exactly what VR hardware will fit with the Xbox One. After all, Microsoft had previously reached an agreement with Oculus to make the Xbox One controller and games compatible with the Rift headset, so perhaps further discussions have taken place between the two companies. Meanwhile, there is the possibility of further movement on the HoloLens, or maybe even the outlying chance of another headset in the works.

Of course, the addition of new hardware may put additional strain on the Xbox One console, which may well be why suggestions of an upgraded Xbox One with more power have been doing the rounds. Whether this, or the addition of VR projects to Xbox, come to fruition remains to be seen. Thankfully, with E3 2016 coming up very soon, gamers will not have a long wait to find out exactly what Microsoft has planned.

Source: E3 2016 (via Destructoid)