Topic: Xbox One S and Scorpio: clearing doubts up

I am reading a lot of misleading information on this website about Microsoft's future plans, so I post a link to an interview that clears the doubts up:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-06-15-xbox-boss-phil-s...

I think one of the most interesting parts is when he explains why Scorpio is not out this year and why a 2016 console won't be able to really handle 4K resolutions. Actually, Sony has confirmed their 4K escalation plans for Neo, and DigitalFoundry (Eurogamer) thinks that PS4Neo won't be able to handle resolutions above 1080p without escalation.

Neo is targeted at hardcore gamers and the hardcore gamers want the very best so they might avoid Neo and wait for Scorpio. I don't know, we'll see, but probably the hardcore gamers that already own a PS4 and skipped Xbox One might be even more interested in Scorpio. Anyway, kudos to Microsoft for showing both consoles (Xbox One S and Scorpio) at the same time, so nobody feels ripped off when they buy an Xbox One S.

About Xbox One S features, I have read all kind of things, so here they are:
4K Blu-ray player and 4K output
New controller (Bluetooth, textured grip and new design)
40% smaller
Internal power supply
2TB (includes stand), 1TB or 500GB
Technically slightly more powerful for High Dynamic Range and 4K support
Integrated IR blaster

I heard haven't seen if it's confirmed but that Xbox One controllers will work on the Scorpio as well which is a nice touch.

@Tasuki: Yes, according to the official website, the new controller is both Xbox Wireless (the technology that Xbox One uses) and Bluetooth, so it works with any Xbox One model and PCs without adapter.

http://www.xbox.com/en-IE/xbox-one-s?xr=shellnav

@VanillaLake: If you really believe that then more fool you! There is no way that developers will want their games running on much inferior hardware that look ugly and/or with unplayable frame rates - the XB1 is already having to play games at 720p. If they think that people would rather have native 4k over all the effects and want to play games at 30fps when they could play them at 1440/60 with all the visual effects then they have NO idea about gamers! 18 months is a LONG time in gaming and developers are just getting their hands on the new CPU's/GPU's. in a year these will be pushed and therefore games will become increasingly difficult to run on such dated and weak hardware. It didn't take developers long to push the current hardware and beyond. Of course MS want you to buy XB1's and Software in the meantime but I bet when the Scorpio releases, it won't take long before some games will not be coming to XB1!!

Neo is an enhanced PS4 - nothing more, nothing less. Its not too powerful so that the difference is excessive and I have NO doubt that Sony sees this as a stop gap before the PS5 launches - a way to prolong the 4th generation enough to get to the 5th without releasing that 5th and annoying the 4th gen user base. I am under no illusion that in 2-3yrs time, this is very likely to be replaced by the PS5 - Its a 'short term' solution.

With all that 'extra' power, do you really think MS will 'force' developers to release very poor games on the XB1? Do you think MS are planning to release its next gen console a year or so after Scorpio because games won't run on 'both' even though they can and would run perfectly well on 'Scorpio'?

It will be like the DVR promise - Our customers have said they don't want shoddy, poor performing XB1 games releasing, developers don't want to spend days trying to get them running at some level only for them not to sell because they are so poor etc etc. Scorpio has the power to run Oculus Rift and VR games at an acceptable level so as not to induce motion sickness and resolutions to provide an immersive experience - XB1 can't do that with non-VR games! If they do, as they have promised, add VR, then VR experiences/games etc will certainly not come to XB1 so already we have that disparity! That means that NOT EVERY Game/Hardware etc will come to XB1 too. I see this as nothing but PR BS to allay fears of buying an XB1 or Slim and I can easily see their stance changing a bit closer to the Scorpio's launch (or soon after). Would you (or others) buy a £250-350 Slim knowing that its only going to be 'replaced' or not have access to all the games/experiences the Scorpio will have a year later? If it is 'iterative' release this year along with the Neo - let developers enhance their games with its power as they see fit - boosting frame-rates and visual quality - it won't matter if some are 'not' enhanced significantly as its just an iterative console - at least its not as 'bad' as the vanilla XB1 is! All those 1st and 3rd party games - Forza Horizon 3, Gears 4 - Already developed for 4k HDR for PC's, BF1, Titanfall 2, CoD, ME:A - already developed in 4k for PC's as well as existing games Fallout, Witcher 3 etc already developed at 4k for PC's. That whole interview is PR BS!!! Its releasing 4yrs after XB1 because 3yrs would be too early for a replacement and it would be admitting it 'messed' up with this gen!

@BAMozzy: It's almost like MS just wants to put its mistakes of the Xbox One behind them and I don't blame them. I think their arrogance of last gen got them this gen as it did to Sony last gen with the PS3. With Mattrick and his "media" box they figured that people would buy it cause they were MS and did well with the 360. By snubbing the gaming community it cost them big time. Let's not forget the Xbox One was a media box first and a game console second.

I feel with the Scorpio they are doing what they would have wanted with the Xbox One.

As for that PR BS it's smart of them too, they don't want to do like Nintendo did with the Wii U fan base. How many Nintendo Fans are upset that pretty much except for Zelda Nintendo has abandoned the Wii U and even Zelda is getting an NX release as well.

@Tasuki:
What really stuns me about MS' arrogance was... The 360 wasn't even the best selling console last gen, the Wii was. Usually a company goes stupid after 'winning' a generation or two but you're right, the people at MS were so far up their own rearends when planning X1 and the result was almost disastrous. Fortunately Spencer seems to be steering the ship in the right direction but being real his job was made easier by the previous regime. Just look at what Mattrick did and do the complete opposite.

I still feel MS are just selling a concept rather then anything concrete, plus there seems to mixed messages on what this system is supposed to do which gives the impression that not everyone is on the same page. Also if their really targeting 4k and high end performance then their essentially going after a more PC crows which I don't feel they can win with that. Console consumers want a box that's less then $400 can last five plus years and more importantly is backed by the biggest 3rd party games and a wide variety of exclusives that you can only get on that box.

@Tasuki: @Gamer83: "Just look at what Mattrick did and do the complete opposite". Agreed.

Correct. At this point in time, Scorpio is a PowerPoint presentation. It doesn't mean it won't be realised exactly as they're pitching it, of course.

@get2sammyb: Just so I'm not biased I remember Mark Cerny described PS4 as a supercharged PC, and also you play a demo of everything game that's on the system and obviously those things turned out to be the case. In other words the picture is very muddy and will remain so till probably next E3

Honestly, it's much more than a "PowerPoint presentation", all seems to indicate they have everything planned already just waiting for next year's technology. I really appreciate that they presented it this year before Xbox One S is released, it makes sense. I'm not being selfish since I have an Xbox One and I won't get Xbox One S, but it's kind of them anyway.

@Tasuki: Of course the PR BS is sensible - if I was in their position, I would no doubt be saying something similar. There is no way I would say we have our 'next' generation Xbox coming out a year after our 'slim' model that will make these 'almost' obsolete. No way I would say that the Scorpio will have its own experiences/software that will not be available to XB1 owners at this point in time. However if/when the Scorpio is released, I would be very surprised if EVERY software/hardware runs on XB1 too - including VR. It may not 'immediately' have these available but if, as the rumours are to be believed that OR is going to work on it and as Phil Spencer confirmed it will have VR, then how will this work/run on XB1? I guess you can load up the Witcher 3 on a 5yr old PC but 'playing' it would be a very different thing.

Releasing the Scorpio this year, apart from impacting on sales of the Slim/XB1, is almost an admission of failure regarding the current gen. Its been a relative success in sales but they certainly got a lot wrong and spent the last 2yrs trying to correct those - some they can't - like the decision to use such a low powered GPU and bolt ESRAM onto it...

Its obvious BS saying MS are taking their time to develop games etc for it in 4k. We saw Forza Horizon 3 running on a PC at 4k during their briefing and I believe Gears 4 will run at 4k on PC too. I know Forza 6 will run at 4k as will a number of other 1st and 3rd party games released and due to be released too so to say they are taking their time to develop games in 4k for it is BS - there is already games in 4k available, due out etc that could easily be patched or ported to the Scorpio if it released today!

I am under no illusion as to what the Neo is and that its unlikely to be the most powerful Playstation for 5yrs (as you would expect from a new console release) but a short term option that is likely to be superseded in a few years by the PS5 - the equivalent of N64's Expansion pack in essence - its not suddenly going to make the PS4 gen last 8yrs before a new gen. If the Scorpio is 'iterative' as they want us to believe, then is this going to be replaced a year or 2 later with their 'next' gen system that isn't restricted to software that must run on much inferior hardware?

@adf86: Yup, things change.

@Gamer83: I honestly think that the company just put to much faith in Mattrick's hands when it came to the Xbox One they gave him the ball and he didn't listen to any of the coaches and then his fumble costed them the Super Bowl so they benched him. It was his arrogance I believe costed them.

@adf86: People need to remember MS is a software company first and a hardware company second. The whole reason they entered the console gaming market was because at the time console gaming was outselling PC gaming big time it wasn't like it is now. They had Games for Windows but it was seriously losing them money. So of course they want concepts on a bigger, faster more powerful hardware.