Last year's E3 was all about new console hardware. In 2014 it'll be about the games.

Now that the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are out in the wild, the biggest gaming show around will see a shift in perspective when it kicks off next week — it’s time to see what next-gen games really look like. Exciting new releases have been slim for both consoles, and outside of Titanfall there haven't been many exclusive games to differentiate the Xbox One and PS4. That should change at E3, where we're likely to see huge new properties for both consoles, including the likes of Halo and Uncharted. Now that the Xbox One will soon be sold without a Kinect, the two consoles are on even footing when it comes to price. This means that the games that will be the key differentiator between the two.

While Microsoft and Sony duke it out for first place in the console war, Nintendo will be out to prove that it's still a big player. The Wii U hasn't been selling, but Nintendo has a few tricks up its sleeve that could salvage the struggling console — there's more to look forward to than just an HD Legend of Zelda.

Outside of the big three, PC gaming will likely have a relatively small presence, especially with the delay of Valve's Steam Machines, but games like Civilization: Beyond Earth should help keep PC gamers interested. And with Sony's Project Morpheus and Facebook's acquisition of Oculus, this could be the first big coming out party for virtual reality games: we've seen plenty of the technology, but there have been few commercial VR-exclusive games announced to date. That will soon change.

The Verge will be live from Los Angeles next week to bring you all the news, starting with a full day of press conferences on Monday, before the show floor opens up on Tuesday. In the meantime, here's what to expect from gaming's biggest showcase.