Native 4k capability. VR ready hardware. 60fps. You're picturing a PC, but if the latest info about Microsoft's next piece of hardware in the "Xbox" family is true, Microsoft might actually be picturing the same thing.
At E3 this year, the head of the Xbox Division, Phil Spencer, came out to announce a huge leap in tech for the struggling Xbox brand. An Xbox with the ability to play games in 4k, handle high end VR graphics, and an Xbox that can finally offer you a library of games that can run at the illustrious 1080p 60fps label gamers have been hunting for during this console cycle.
While we didn't get a great look at the product itself, we did get to see some of the tech that'll be going inside during a small sizzle reel for the console, and it really does seem like Microsoft might be overdoing it. Just a tad.
You see, Microsoft and Sony have had great sales numbers for their flagship consoles, however Sony's PS4 is going on ahead with a comfortable lead over the Xbox One. Part of this is because of a perceived difference in the power between both consoles. The consoles are nearly identical in most regards, however the PS4 edges out the Xbox One with 1.84 Teraflops, compared to the XONE's 1.31 Teraflops.
Since neither of these consoles are really all that cutting edge, that .53 Teraflop difference and a strong library of games has made buying a PS4 or a PC the go to choice over the last few years, but it seems like Project Scorpio is looking to change that, and with it, the entire console landscape as a whole.
How so? Well, because the monster that Microsoft is expected to release in 2017 boasts full 6 Teraflops of power. 6 Teraflops. You could give put an angry bunny in a room with a PS4 and an Xbox One, and you still wouldn't have enough Teraflops to get the power that this new console might have.
The teaser shows a new 4k Chipset, what appears to be an actual Graphics Card instead of a small on-board graphics chip, and if you look at the placement of the logo, it appears that the next "Xbox" will really just be a large gaming rig, so what gives?
Can we really consider Project Scorpio to be a console? From the teaser that we were shown, it looks like the Xbox'll share more aesthetically with a gaming PC tower than a traditional console. Seeing as this is Microsoft that we're talking about, would it be fair to consider a PC tower with an Xbox logo on it a console?
With such a strong piece of hardware coming in the not so distant future, and with the lines between the PC and Console markets already being blurred, are we witnessing the first signs of an end to the age of traditional consoles, or is Microsoft secretly plotting world domination with a piece of hardware that has the potential to shift the paradigm?
Only time will tell if the age of small consoles that you can put just about anywhere is over, however I hope for my wallet's sake that this new tech doesn't cost as much as the PS3 did when it launched, because if so then it might be a tough pill to swallow, even with the upgraded new duds.
Share This Article
