Project Scorpio Next-Generation Xbox Gaming Console Debuts In Microsoft Store (betanews.com) 65
BrianFagioli quotes a report from BetaNews: Microsoft's next generation of video game console is currently called "Project Scorpio." This will be a truly new console, although it will be backwards compatible with all Xbox One games -- nice. In fact, you will even be able to use your Xbox One controllers and other accessories. While we do not have a definitive date of when it will go on sale, today the next Xbox console makes its debut in the Microsoft Store. We even get a slightly better idea of when it will be in stores. Microsoft reaffirms its prior stance that the console will launch in time for the 2017 Holiday season, giving us more confidence that it will launch then. Beyond that, we are none the wiser regarding a date. Heck, we don't even know definitively if it will use the "Xbox" branding (although it probably will). One thing is for sure, though -- simply putting the game system in the Microsoft Store is an important step leading up to the ability to pre-order. You can view Project Scorpio's Microsoft Store page here.
It's still an XBone... (Score:2, Insightful)
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with a 980 ti video card, old tech is old before release as usual
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The XBone is built around an AMD APU, but I don't know which desktop Radeon card would be the closest to it. Consoles do get more performance out of the same hardware than PCs though, because of lower-level APIs and having only one optimization target.
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That hasn't been true for at least 1, more likely 2, generations of consoles now. With MS trying to achieve compatibility between XB and PC, and with more and more games being produced that have to run on very different platforms, from XB to PS to PC and sometimes even ... whatever Nintendo has in the race now, that advantage has vanished.
The only thing that's left for now is that PC players usually try for higher resolutions and hence need more hardware power, and with 4k TVs that's going to be a thing of
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That hasn't been true for at least 1, more likely 2, generations of consoles now.
What makes you think that?
With MS trying to achieve compatibility between XB and PC, and with more and more games being produced that have to run on very different platforms, from XB to PS to PC
That doesn't mean you're running the same code on all those platforms. Yes you can write UWP applications that can be run on PC and XBox but you think the AAA studios are writing their games as UWP to run on PC and XBox? XBox One hardware is not the baseline for these games, they run on older PC hardware too because they use different rendering engines and graphics APIs, just like how PC, XBox, PS and Nintendo's offerings are all different. There's a really rampant misconception th
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Your anti-consumer attitude in the original XBone launch...
Whoa, there. It took you until the Xbox One to realize that Microsoft is anti-consumer? Have you learned nothing about their tactics over the last 30 years? Microsoft doesn't give a flying fuck about what their customers actually want or don't want and the only time they react is when it begins having a significant impact sales. I'm a bit thrown off by the fact that you don't know this already.
preorder... (Score:2)
"We're sorry but Project Scorpio is currently out of stock and cannot be added to your cart. We apologize for any inconvenience."
then why have the preorder now option?!!
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Intriguing. (Score:2)
Re:PS1, most likely (Score:1)
4k my asshole (Score:1)
Unless this new xbox is powered by a Kaby Lake i7, and dual gtx 1080, it isn't going to show play 4k even at 30fps without serious neutering of the graphics.
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980 ti most likely
Frame interpolation, checkerboard render, 1080p fx (Score:3)
In a leaked presentation, MS has already outlined how performance will be achieved. Frame interpolation, checkerboard rendering, and rendering effects at 1080p and compositing them with 4k geometry, all this is on the table
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Well you can extrapolate it out to all the PS4 models except the most recent, yes. But since this article was about Microsoft, I didn't feel right about bringing up Hillary Clinton. Woops, er, I mean Sony.
Re:Feel right (Score:1)
Derp (Score:2)
Hasn't been that expensive in a LONG time.
AMD laughing all the way to the bank (Score:1)
So now, Sony is going to have to give AMD another pile of cash and release a Playstation that's even faster than "Project Scorpio", just after they thought they scored a winner with the PS4 pro.
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I don't get why they are bothering to do this (Score:4, Insightful)
It's already underpowered compared to last year's GPUs, they're requiring compatibility with the original Xbox One undermining its potential, announcing it only a couple of years away from a new generation giving it little time to amass support much less thrive, diving in with little first-party support as-is, and their PR line is that it is a premium system that will carry a premium price. If this is what you want you can already get a PC plus have access to Steam and other game catalogs.
It doesn't exactly sound like Scorpio will have much of a chance.
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It's already underpowered compared to last year's GPUs
But you're talking about GPUs that end up underutilized in PCs due to the need to support millions of configurations. For the price of a highend gaming GPU you could get and xbox and a playstation.
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No matter how many configurations there are, they still spec the game based on a majority of systems, what everyone is expected to handle. A game will be built around this ballpark spec, and then just run at a higher resolution, frame rate, higher anti aliasing... But still the same basic framework and assets.
Re:I don't get why they are bothering to do this (Score:5, Insightful)
No matter how many configurations there are, they still spec the game based on a majority of systems, what everyone is expected to handle.
Right so instead of exploiting specific architectural features of the GPU for efficient processing it's usually just a generic implementation because you need to target millions of different configurations with various different capabilities. Whereas on the console since you only have 1 or 2 targets you get the results by optimizing a platform-specific solution rather than having your customers throw expensive hardware at a generic solution.
I don't understand how people can still be surprised by this, console hardware always has a theoretical performance deficit compared to PCs because on a console it is more effectively utilized. This has been the case for pretty much the entire history of consoles and every time a new one is announced we see the same surprised comments about how the processing power isn't cutting edge ... it doesn't have to be.
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Indeed. What amazes me are the people who insist that CPU technology has stalled because what we already have is good enough for day-to-day use. These same people insist consoles suck because they're underpowered.
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Platform specific optimization isn't the magic fix you seem to think it is. Console hardware is always underpowered, most games perform badly hitting 30fps at best. It doesn't matter what optimization are done the creaking hardware is simply years behind the times.
People complain about consoles being underpowered because guess what... they are underpowered.
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Platform specific optimization isn't the magic fix you seem to think it is. Console hardware is always underpowered, most games perform badly hitting 30fps at best.
Actually it is and the important thing is consistent framerate.
People complain about consoles being underpowered because guess what... they are underpowered.
But they just aren't, it's just not necessary to throw more powerful hardware at the games. It's certainly not as though we're seeing these great innovations in PC games vs consoles by virtue of the higher theoretical power, ultimately it ends up just being higher resolution and more AA. Which often is not noticable on consoles because you're sitting further from your TV than you are your PC display.
Re:I don't get why they are bothering to do this (Score:5, Insightful)
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Right but what you say is part of my point... that devs are designing for these low spec systems because that's what everyone has. They won't be optimizing for the few percent that have high end hardware... all they will get is the same game running in higher resolutions, higher frame rate, and more anti aliasing... Basically Scorpio will do what the Xbox One does but at 4k (or attempt to). This won't be a new level of gaming.
The only real advancement we will get is when the majority moves over to a new thr
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Consoles being cheaper than PC is a myth. Consoles prices are subsidised. You pay £10-20 more for each console game and for that reason over the life time of the system you end up spending more than you would on a PC for inferior hardware and performance.
I'll stick with 60fps and max settings for the same price as 30fps and mid settings you would get on a console.
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Same reason why some people build $10,000 PCs: bragging rights.
Yeah, but, does it have RGB lighting?!
Wake me when it's here (Score:2, Interesting)
Seriously, why does anyone still give a fuck when MS announces something?
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Yes, yes, this will be the most ... well, considering it's Microsoft that's announcing here, let's see IF, and if, WHEN the console arrives, and whether it still IS the most powerful console when it finally gets here.
It's trivial to announce something. Want me to announce a PS5 that will blow the snot off that XBox? Easily done. Delivery? Umm... Really Soon Now (tm).