Building further on unifying the console ecosystem, Microsoft’s new Project Scorpio will be capable of playing both Xbox One and Xbox 360 games.
While the architecture that was used to build Xbox 360 games are really old, they are being slowly ported to the Xbox One console as part of the backward compatibility program. Phil Spencer, head of Xbox commented that the company doesn’t want to segregate their gamers into different platforms but rather allow them to keep playing their favorite games on any console of their choice.
Sony has already launched its more powerful PS4 Pro console priced at $400. Microsoft is not aiming to deliver full 1080p gaming but rather is going big to offer true 4K gaming experience. It requires a mammoth setup to be able to run games at this resolution. The proposition is an expensive one which will push the overall price of the Project Scorpio to great levels. The division’s head, Spencer assured that it is definitely not going to be priced at a level that was never witnessed by the console buyers. Playstation 3 was the most expensive in recent times as it was launched for a MSRP of $600. Scorpio could be on the same lines!
Being an extremely powerful console to play all sorts of new titles at 4K resolution is just the beginning. The platform will obviously lack a game catalog which they aim to solve by bringing all Xbox One games onboard. With the backward compatibility program, over 250 Xbox 360 titles already work on the new console and the same will be carried forward with Project Scorpio as well. It is good news for gamers who already has a huge collection of Xbox games they have acquired throughout the years.
And, we also anticipate that Scorpio console will have HDR and upscaling support to make lower resolution, old games look great on a big screen television. Almost every aspect of the console is promising except for the pricing which could make a lot of gamers think twice. But, it is the lack of expensive hardware that led to below average performance of PS4 and Xbox One consoles.
The premium hardware on next generation consoles will ensure they stay relevant and can run games seamlessly at least for five years if not for seven like how the PS3/ Xbox 360 managed to in the past.