Tue Jun 16, 2015 11:18am EDT Los Angeles

Videogame console titans Microsoft and Sony vied for attention ahead of the industry's annual E3 conference, giving fans sneak peaks of the latest Xbox and PlayStation games.

Microsoft also told gamers that new Xbox One consoles would have "backward compatibility", meaning they will also be able to play games made for the older Xbox 360.

Fans were shown clips of upcoming Xbox games - "Halo 5: Guardians", "Rise of the Tomb Raider" and "Gears of War" - at an event at the University of Southern California Galen Center on Monday.

Meanwhile Sony unveiled the newest games for its PlayStation 4 including "The Last Guardian" and "Horizon: Zero Dawn", at a separate event in Los Angeles.

It also told fans a deal with Activision would allow PS4 owners to be the first to play the upcoming "Call of Duty: Black Ops III" this summer.

The two console makers held the events ahead of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), which takes place on June 16-18 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.