Microsoft talks Project Scorpio and the end of the console generation

Techradar sat down with Microsoft's Albert Pinello to discuss Project Scorpio, and its impact upon the concept of the console generation.

[Imp0ssibl3]

Seriously doubt Scorpio or PS4 Pro will be the end of console generations.

[peewee11016]

Yeah we heard this before the Ps4 and XBOX 1 came out. What happen? both consoles are selling at a high pace...
TBH they want to start becasue they came out and said they LOST.... They want to start ahead but TBH it wont recover almost a 30 to 35mil deficit

[Eonjay]

Ok so I can see why Microsoft wants to end this gen but then what is the motive for purchasing an Xbox One S today? They want to start a new gen and get ahead of Sony. They will call themselves the gen leaders even if Scorpio sells less than Pro (it will) because thats how their PR operates.

[miyamoto]

But before the PS5 it will be:

Sony PS4 + PS4 Slim + PS4 Pro
versus
Microsoft Windows PC + Xbox One + Xbox One S + Project Scorpio
versus
Nintendo NX

[S2Killinit]

In my opinion there are some shady statements in this interview:

MS: This "focus on continuity" is what prevents Project Scorpio from being a fully-fledged Xbox Two. Every Xbox One game will play on both the original Xbox One and the Scorpio, and it will be the same disc for both. "When they plug it [the game disc] into an Xbox One S it will play an Xbox One S performance, and when they put it in a Scorpio it will play at Scorpio performance. I don't foresee a world where there's two different discs at retail."

So, what about the fact that non of the VR games will work with Xbox one or xboxone S? Or how about the time when MS said "it will be up to the developer if they want to make exclusives for scorpio"? Isn't that the definition of next gen? the fact that they have backward compatibility for scorpio does not mean that they aren't leaving xbox one owners behind. Exactly how stupid does this guy think we are?

[Kingthrash360]

Miyamoto
MS Windows pc...won't count as console sales......ofcorse they will add pc software sales like halo 6 sale numbers will be combining pc and scorpio versions....but a windows pc wont count as a scorpio sale. If anything ALL will count as a windows software sale.

[donthate]

Scorpio is going to be a beast!

Scorpio as the only console with upgraded RAM is going to get some mean 4K textures and with 6TFlops, 100%+ memory bandwidth increase and spiffy CPU, we are going to get native 4K resolution on games., If it is the last console generation, it is definitely going out with a boom!

But reality is that I think that MS is securing gaming future with Xbox and PC being side-by-side in one ecosystem. It's pretty sweet being an Xbox gamer right now.

[XStation4pio_Pro]

@Eonjay: People who don't want to pay for Scorpio or don't need that much console or don't care about 4k and want to save money will buy xb1 S.
The PS4 Pro is more or less just as much the "next gen" as Scorpio is. Scorpio is just coming out later but is the same idea as PS4 Pro. Sony did it to (most likely) have more power for VR and MS did it to have more power than PS4 and both of them admitting that 4k is probably more important than they thought it would be.. The gen 7 console were launched in a very similar way. This is hardly a MS only thing.

Sony fanboys are just pissed that MS will have the more technically powerful console (for a probably shortening amount of time).

[fr0sty]

Colonel, there are two native 4K games on PSPro currently. It's how the dev chooses to use the available hardware. Even MS said not all Scorpio games will hit native 4K.

[badz149]

For those Xbox fanboys still in denial about the Scorpio being next gen, think about the Wii and Wii U and even the Xbone itself. They all play all ot almost all their previous gen games and that's what you call backward compatible!

Sure the Scorpio will play Xbone games just fine, but will the Xbone be VR compatible? No! Unlike the original PS4, the Xbone is already not getting HDR like the S. And MS are saying they are leaving it to the devs to make Scorpio exclusives, which will not run on the original Xbone. That's pretty "next gen" to me already.

MS are just too proud to admit that they already lost this gen and started talking about "the end of console generation" like they are in control of it but the truth is, they control nothing! They just want to end this gen early because the gap is getting more and more embarrassing for them. But Sony aren't flinching and will continue to do their own thing. The Pro is a reactionary move towards the widened power gap with the PC but trust me, there will be a next gen with the PS5.

[Fatal-Aim]

No one left behind yet the Scorpio is the only Xbox that supports VR. Ok.

So let me get this straight: a game console that doesn't support games.

[Loggie]

@S2Killinit: Just to point out he specifically said that all Xbox One games will play on Scorpio, not the other way around. Thus any VR games would be Scorpio exclusive unless you could also play it without the VR. If the game doesn't require VR then it won't really need to be exclusive, unless performance requirements mean that it most definitely cannot run on the Xbox One even with substantial reductions in graphics (I imagine this would be unlikely). Nonetheless, I agree that exclusives to Scorpio (outside of VR-only games) would be ridiculous and in itself likely spell the end of at least the Xbox One. It sounds to me like M$ themselves want to kill consoles entirely. They have the PC gaming market, and if they kill consoles entirely no one would have any choice but to game on PCs.

[seanpitt23]

There will definitely be a ps5 in 2019.

For Microsoft it all depends on how the Scorpio sells if it does well then there will be another one. I personally think it will do well people have been wanting a really powerful console for some time and this is that console (so is ps4 pro) but this will play most game native 4K/30fps and some games at 4k/60fps and 4k tvs should be even cheaper come next year. All Microsoft have to do is make exclusives for the Scorpio only not on pc and sell it for around $499.

[Kingthrash360]

So premium means sell it at the same price as the xbo when it launched? Naw think more like 599. Even at 499 it's pricy...especially when around the same time sony might drop the pro to 349. It will already have more games....vr games games running in 4k native and updcaled with a hdr library. ..hopefully devs will go for it 1080 or 1440, 60fps...
The scorpio will have a hill to climb....even if they make their games exclusive again (they wont).
Lastly we know nothing so far. ..their has already been flip flops from the scorpio doing 4k 60 uncomprimised. ..said by Albert penello then it went back to xbox exclusive games will run at 4k. Nothing about 4k 60 uncomprimised. So it's like do they even know what's going on with the scorpio or is it just a mind game for hype?

[seanpitt23]

@ king
Don't forget the xbox 1 came with kinnect that's why it was $500 the Scorpio will not come with kinnect.if Microsoft price it at $499 it will sell well

[ColonelRex]

There is absolutely no way the xbox scorpio will have any native 4k/60 fps games. Even a $1000 GTX titan x gpu struggle with that with current gen games.

[rainslacker]

@King

Hey, it works for Apple. Apple markets all it's new phones as premium products, and they stay high in price even after their next gen comes out, even though they really aren't that much better(if at all) as a lower priced competing product.

Not that I think MS has anywhere near the mind share in terms of "premium" product that Apple does, and likely MS will price it's system at a point which is reflective of the technology in it, unlike smart phones(otherwise they're doomed), but at the same time, it's very possible MS could be trying to get this market....which is odd, because even Apple isn't a market leader in terms of sales, but they do get copious support....although(a lot of these) I doubt Scorpio will sell enough to warrant that kind of support....at least not initially.

@bg

There will always be a certain portion of the market which will want something great, even if it's not that great. But MS has to ask itself, "does it want to make a product which will sell well enough to get support", or "does MS want to make a product which will rate criticially well, make a profit, but never live up to it's full potential because they can't get their heads out of their asses to balance power and price for a mainstream consumer product". Because you know....successful consoles have that balance, and they succeed based on how mainstream they come....not how niche or powerful they are.

Surface is great. It's a PC in a tablet without the restrictions that other tablets have. Elite controller is great, but how many people actually have one? What other consumer level products does MS make that people buy at high prices? Office? Nope, that's free now through OneDrive. Windows? Nope, that's free now. Nokia Phones? Nope, piss poor market share.

Premium consoles have been a thing before. CD-I, 3D0. They failed, because they were over priced, despite being more powerful and more than capable. MS can't succeed without balance, and the notion of more power only serves a very niche part of the console market....and will serve even less of that market if they can't find the right price point. If they can't find that, then no dev support. No games. No sales for the consoles, and everyone talking it up now have to try and figure out reasons why it somehow has the best game selection, and is the best place to play, while publishers barely give it any notice outside whatever compliance mandates MS puts on it from it's X1 in general....which itself may dwindle if they can't manage to get that to pick up. Sony is quickly approaching that point where the PS2 started to dominate software support.....consider that.

[seanpitt23]

@colonel
Well they just announced a ps4 pro tile to be confirmed at native 4K at 60fps yes it's not a demanding game but it can do it. So if the ps4 pro can do it iam sure Xbox Scorpio will be able to play SOME games at native 4K 60fps.

I didn't say current gen titles I said some games probably indie less demanding games.

[Yetter]

"All Microsoft have to do is make exclusives for the Scorpio only not on pc..."

This makes no sense

[PoSTedUP]

It depends. If MS is gonna push hardware upgrades every 6 years with full backwards compatibility, Sony may have to follow suit if it catches on. Only because (and I'm no hardware expert) not having to develop two different versions of games and/or port a version over to the other console is way more appealing to devs especially when the user base isnt going to restart every generation; they'll be maximizing profit and may want to jump-ship to MS. But at the same time all Sony has to do is include full BC and call it the PS5. So technically we would still see generations but with a little less reason to buy an upgraded console right away if games Still look great and there aren't any real exclusive incentives.

[zb1ftw777]

"If it catches on"

"lol"

Its a huge success already.

[PoSTedUP]

Console hardware upgrades being the norm? I didn't know they were selling so well. Nor do i have any data on what devs though about their experience with them in figures and dev-costs.

[OB1Biker]

I don't think Sony will follow Ms. They have different approach to console gaming from now on.
Ms blurring the line between PC and xbox whereas Sony needs to keep a strong identity to console gaming and that also means exclusives.

[PoSTedUP]

Thats true but there is a possibility this approach may work out better for consoles. I was just saying hypothetically, and if that may be the case sony would have no choice but to follow MS in that light if it starts to hurt sony.

[Trigem]

@OB1Biker I agree! Too many Xbox Fanboys are quick to spout statements like "Xbox is looking to the future!" or "Hah! We can play Xbox Exclusives on PC now too!" like they're completely obsessed with the Xbox Logo and blame Playstation for sticking to who they always were in the first place. A household name with a Royal lineage. A gaming company. Not some TV and Sports addicted, PC blowing conglomerate. That's why, I think Xbox should just end it with Scorpio. They should just quit and stick to PC. Then everyone else can enjoy "traditional" console gaming with Nintendo and Playstation.

[rainslacker]

Essentially, we're talking about a paradigm which makes the cross gen port an ongoing thing. It's not quite as annoying for the dev though, as the hardware is essentially the same, so it becomes easier to manage, and is pretty fluid if you plan it right. But the work has to keep getting put into it.

It's not so much the BC that's the issue on the dev side, rather the forward compatibility. The companies can't mandate perpetual FC because it means that game design can never advance past what we have now. This gen, that may not seem important, because for the most part, game design hasn't changed that much, if at all, and everything we play now could have been done last gen with some concessions made. But going forward, something is going to innovate to push things forward, and the longer the FC mandate is imposed, the longer it's going to be between those innovations.

This is truly the first gen since the 2600/7200 days where there has been no real advance in game play beyond graphics.

However, it seems this paradigm is already a thing. Sony is adopting it first, MS just announced it first. I think Sony was actually ahead of MS in this idea, but that's another discussion.

The ideas behind it are sound, and it's not that bad so long as a cut off period for legacy support happens at the right time frame. Devs have to be given enough freedom to be able to not be held back by legacy support, and the only thing that would keep it in place for some games is the impetus to sell more copies to the older install base.....which is exactly how cross gen games happen now. It's really no different, outside the development being simplified for those ports to actually happen.

[Lennoxb63]

Actually, Sony said they're still doing generations after the Pro. MS isn't doing generations anymore.

[PoSTedUP]

We'll see how it works out. That's what my comment was speculating on.

[starchild]

I think in practice they will both do essentially the same things. Microsoft is talking about the end of generations due to the forward and backward compatibility, but now that Sony is using x86 architecture I bet the PS5 will be backwards compatible and the PS4 Pro will be forward compatible with PS5 games (at reduced settings). So it amounts to basically the same thing, even if their rhetoric is somewhat different.

[Mystogan]

Its the end of having to purchase new games and new controllers to go with your new console. Phil already said that they already have ideas going around for Scorpio 2.

[miyamoto]

By "end" does Panello means Bill Gates' eugenics agenda will come to the video games industry also???

https://www.google.ca/webhp...

[RosweeSon]

Ps5 2020/2021. NX2 2021, Xbox 720 somewhere in between the two.

[_LarZen_]

If they sell enough then it most likely will be. But let's not confuse the end of console generations with the end of consoles. There is a big difference... :)

[Trigem]

I agreed. This is how the losing camp feels though...

[rainslacker]

They might change it to be this ever rotating mid-gen thing like we're seeing now, thus effectively killing the traditional generation as we know it.

Doesn't mean that old hardware will be supported indefinitely though, thus the generations will be more software oriented than hardware oriented.

[Artemidorus]

They make alot of money from consoles it's the mistakes that cost them.

[fanboysmackdown]

Exciting time to be a gamer with these two new upgrades. They cheaped out on the current consoles....especially MS with the useless Kinect, so now we'll get to see what a true upgrade will do the new titles coming our way in the next three or so years.

[Shubhendu_Singh]

I don't know why you have so many downvotes.
Xbox One was powerful, but not nearly powerful enough what MS could make. The existence of Scorpio is testament to that fact. Not to mention they were scared of another RROD and made that thing a behemoth sized console which still wasn't powerful than PS4. All facts here.

[lawgone]

Yeah, love my Xbox One (now have an S) but they definitely went conservative on the power and design side and you'd have to assume the RROD/hear issues had something to do with that. Now they seem to be more confident again.

[miyamoto]

Scorpio was a mythological monster scorpion created by Gaia for one single purpose: to kill Orion the giant huntsman.
MS is still living up to the Xbox mandate since the creation of the original Xbox: "Kill PlayStation!"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...
http://ca.ign.com/articles/...

[thejigisup]

Sony still has Kratos, so yeah... doesn't matter what mythos you use.

[Red_Renegade]

kratos kills everything, even himself.

[Trigem]

Wow, you Xbots seriously throwing around mythology and pantheons? Thank the Gods, we have Kratos to wipe out this plague. Oh wait, I think he already has been busy...slaughtering Xbox One alongside the Holy Armies Of The Playstation Nation.

[rainslacker]

Except Kratos has been taking a vacation, and seems he went and started a family because Sony hasn't needed his help yet...

[Trigem]

@rainslacker Oh yeah, you're right! Nathan Drake has been plenty busy massacring everyone over at Xbox. Looks like Masterchief won't be saving them this time.

[Trigem]

@City1979 In fantasy land. Because Masterchief and Marcus Fenix are dead.

[PhoenixUp]

Microsoft eventually has to reveal a legitimate next console sometime in the future. They can't use the base Xbox One as the lowest common denominator for their console games forever.

[ape007]

exactly

[Eonjay]

Wrong. The Xbox One S still needs to sell. Microsoft will reveal their console after the holiday rush and acting like your wishes supersede Phil's puts you out of compliance with the Xbox code of conduct. You are now required to purchase 2 Xbox One consoles and a Kinect.

[TheCommentator]

At the same rate, MS will support FC in all consoles going forwards. When XB1 gets phased out is when Scorpio becomes the lowest common denominator, yet your XB1 games and BC360 games will still play on the newest hardware available. You could call Scorpios' replacement a new generation or not but, when it arrives, new games will then be one disc that works in both Scorpio and its' replacement instead.

[rainslacker]

MS will drop the X1 compliance mandate the moment the Scorpio receives a good enough install base to maintain 3rd party developer support without having to pay copious sums of money to obtain it.

MS history is against them on this, and I feel MS is looking for a way to either have a fresh start for this gen, or simply forget about this gen altogether.

I think MS is smart enough though to know that they can't just drop the X1 so quickly, so they are going to have this legacy support, which is probably the only way they can actually get Scorpio support from the get go with enough significance to actually get a foothold in the market.

MS has called this a premium console, and while that's great for those looking for such a thing, publishers are looking at what sells, and what will sell their software. Premium or not, those $100+ million dollar budgets need to sell, and you don't sell a lot in the premium market, particularly when that market is historically cost conscious and less concerned with what they're actually getting for their money, so long as it can play the games they want to play. Even if MS drops official compliance for forward compatibility, expect devs to continue to support it so long as the software sells on X1.

The tricky part is going to be if MS can maintain X1 sales to such a degree that that legacy hardware actually is being brought or used by a significant number of people after Scorpio's release. Traditionally, prior generation consoles can continue to sell software, and even hardware, well into a new gen, but they usually have a much larger install base to maintain those sales. I'm unsure if MS current X1 sales will facilitate ongoing user engagement, so the OGX1 may be dead much sooner than one may assume....no matter how reassuring Phil is right now.

[coreyweb]

No doubt they're moving past the original xbox one. But it won't be any different than a PC. The original xbox one WILL be compatible with everything.....it just will run the games on "Low" settings, etc. etc......basically just like a old PC that can't run new games optimally.

It'll be quite easy to "still support" it.......there will just be plenty of reasons to "upgrade."

So ya....the original xbox one will likely be dead......probably in a year or two. But that's still like a 5 or 6 years run which really isn't that bad.

[curtis92]

I think what they mean by end of console generations probably means: whatever new system is coming out won't require you to upgrade to all new stuff. But the lowest common denominator will change as we go forward, it just won't be limited to the latest sytem.

For example:

Xbox one & scorpio work together.

Scorpio and Gen 5 xbox will work together, however you won't be able to play Gen 5 games on XBO. You will, however, be able to play XBO games on Gen 5 Xbox.

Gen 5 xbox and Gen 6 Xbox will work together, however you won't be able to play Gen 6 games on Scorpio... you get the idea...

[Godmars290]

Isn't the Scorpio now their lowest legit console? I mean, a few price drops and another slim model, the XB1 can easily be phased out. Nevermind that this is MS we're talking about so if they decide to stay with consoles, make another, they'll just revise history and their fan camp will go right along with it.

[trainsgofast]

WOW can't wait 4k FMS7 at 60fpa,Halo 6, and FH4 all at 4k 60FPS. The system has the GPU to do 4k now when we see the CPU we will know about the FPS.

[peewee11016]

6-flops is no where near enough to do a full native 4k buddy lol.

[Lennoxb63]

I think you forget that they said the GPU alone is 6 tflops. Not the entire console.

[Mexxan]

Your wrong. My rig with a modest Asus 1070 Strix currently delivers FM6A at 4K 60fps on Ultra with the res forced on. So its great I'm playing optimum now - with how optimised Scorpio will be, it's going to be able to hit these same settings all day. DX12 is the synergistic other part of Scorpio.

I'm replacing my vanilla '4 with PS Pro and it's going to deliver great experiences, but too many Sony fans are going just on TFlops and opinions in the ether or from people who don't run and enjoy 4K now. It's simple. It will hit 4K native at 60fps on some 1st party games. Target will be achieved. It will be great for non-pc gamers.

[Shakengandulf]

You're setting ya self up for disappointment.

[vergilxx3]

Like Sony once said "The next gen doesn't start until we say so"

pretty much true ..

[EpicSandwich]

That's when they were in the lead. Tables have turned, scorpio put ms in the lead. Now it's up to Ms to hold onto that win.

[P_Bomb]

In the lead of holding on to what now? Scorpio is literally not out for another year plus. You guys get way too excited over spreadsheets.

[BlackTar187]

In the lead? Lol the losing competitor usually doesn't get to say when the start over happens for the market, maybe for them but not the market.

[Shakengandulf]

Scorpio hasn't put Microsoft anywhere because it doesn't exist.

[rainslacker]

How have the zero sales of Scorpio put MS in the lead?

I'm no math major....although I actually am...but I'm pretty sure that zero(current Scorpio sales) =/= 20 million(last reported and assumed lead of PS4).

It's like saying Sony is on the decline due to PS4P. Despite not selling any PS4P's yet. Ironically, every sale of PS4P over the year between the two systems release, will only mean that it actually has a lead....and Scorpio won't.

Or are you waxing philosophically based on your hopes and dreams of your ideal utopia where dreams may come?

However, maybe verg is right. Maybe MS can't call the Scorpio a next gen system, despite it actually being one, because Sony hasn't given them permission, because they are in the lead, so I guess they do get to decide when the next gen starts if I understand the context of your comment correctly.

[gbsrnctaln]

I think they are looking the cell phone model and are moving towards it. I think most people upgrade their phones every two years or so and most carriers have plans where you upgrade for free every two years. Why couldnt consoles work like this? Have a program where we pay a monthly fee for Live/PSN which includes the console, with the opportunity to trade in your old console for the latest and greatest every two years? Obviously it would have to be priced right, but I think this model might increase the rate of technological progress in consols...maybe even let them leap infront of PCs. Look how much faster our pnones have progressed compared to consoles.

Edit: or just upgradable consoles.

[Kokyu]

People need phones they dont need gaming hardware.

[gbsrnctaln]

Oh yeah I forgot that cell phones have always existed and land lines are extinct.

[Kokyu]

@gbsrnctain

The phones and phone lines havent always existed, they've only been around about 100+ years now. Line arent extinct, never said they were but the amount of peope who still have a land line is so small phone companies dont even actively seek new customers. The average consumer, even in 3rd world countries, have a cell phone its become a normal, basic and needed part of life, gaming hardware on the hand isnt. You should think a little harder before you speak.

[gbsrnctaln]

They are still a luxury item. You dont "need" them. Especially the smartphones that the majority of people who own a console have. And whether or not a smartphone is a necessity...wtf does that have to do with the subscription model. People pay a monthly subscription for netflix and the app is included. Oh wait I guess netflix is a necessity.

[sampson3121]

Bad Journalism if you ask me. I mean you can't even distinguish between was, is, and going to be?

"Microsoft made headlines when it announced that Project Scorpio was the "most powerful console ever created", and with 6 TFLOPS of computing performance it certainly feels as though there's a certain amount of truth to its words."

the ps4 Pro is, not was, or going to be.

stop sucking MS d-ck

[EpicSandwich]

Pspro isn't native 4k so no it was "not" and is not "going to be"

[sampson3121]

it will play games in NATIVE 4k. so please do some f-ing research, and stop being a MS sheep

[Kokyu]

@Sampson

No the Ps4 Pro wont play games in 4k you should read more. Andrew House himself said Ps4 Pro upscales only no Ps4 games will be native 4k with the small exception of maybe a few old Indie games.

[TheUndertaker85]

Scorpio GPU will sport roughly 30% more capability along with the already existing 10% more CPU speeds.

Xbox One CPU: Clocked at 1.75 GHz
PS4 CPU: Clocked at 1.6 GHz

Xbox Scorpio GPU: 6 Teraflops
PS4 Pro GPU: 4.2 Teraflops

[sampson3121]

your reading comprehension is lacking.

my statement is pointing out that this article is acting as if the console already exists, it doesn't. I don't understand why these sites act as if the Pro is in competition with the Scorpio when the Scorpio is only some numbers on a sheet of paper. THE PRO IS THE MOST POWERFUL CONSOLE . not a console that's coming out a yr from now. It would be like them saying the ps5 is more powerful than the Scorpio 3 months before its release. i call BULL$HIT.

what MS did by announcing the scorpio one yr before it's release is a desperation move by them.
I hope sony returns the favor by doing the same just before the scorpio's release.

[TheUndertaker85]

No actually, my reading comprehension is fine.

Xbox Scorpio is already out to devs developing titles for the system. Rather commercially available or not when PS4 Pro releases it will be behind Scorpio in every aspect.

You also noted PS5 which isn't even "specs on paper". So let's say PS5 may be less powerful than PS4 Pro even since again, it's not even "specs on paper".

What's more humorous about your comment is the "sheep" like mentality, calling for a PS5 to combat Scorpio. PS5 would in every sense be calling for a next gen machine, which again isn't even "specs on paper", to go up against a machine made to increase available resources of current gen systems and content. Then further if your argument was even remotely valid you yourself invalidated it, talking up a console that also falls into the category of "specs on paper".

This whole argument also leaves out the UHD drive that'll be in Scorpio that will not be available in PS4 Pro allowing larger disc capacities and more native content not losing quality due to data rates or abilities.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

@Sampson3121

It exists as dev kits. It's coming. I know you want to wish it away.

[rainslacker]

MS hasn't finalized the specs yet, so the "dev kits" out in the wild are just PC's, just like every other console release in history where target specs are given, and the games made are essentially PC games with special API's, which have to be adapted to the actual console API when actual dev kits come.

MS is "targeting" 6 TFlops. They may achieve it, and probably will....but that targeting word is quite indicative of them not having nailed down final specs, and at this point, being a year out, I doubt they even have the first form factor ready for testing internally.

[ITPython]

I'm sure the goal for MS is to get out of the closed-console market since they are at such a huge disadvantage to Sony and lose each time. I'm guessing they are really going to be pushing the whole Windows gaming aspect since that is where they have the advantage.

My prediction is that Scorpio is basically going to be a hybird XB1 and Windows PC. Meaning the console will be able to play all XB1 games, as well as PC games (maybe not all PC games at first, but the door will have been opened). I mean the XB1 is already running off Windows 10, so it could theoretically be done. And with 6Tflop, the Scorpio could play most PC games at decent enough settings.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Well there is zero evidence for this.

[bleedsoe9mm]

just more like pc leave it up to devs on when to stop supporting old graphics cards and old console hardware . its not like that didn't happen already with devs supporting 360 and ps3 2 years into this gen . some devs will support old hardware where others won't , it will be up to the consumer whether they think its time to buy the newest hardware to get all the games they want to play .

[MultiConsoleGamer]

There are no more console generations. New console upgrades every two years. Count on it.

[PistolsAtDawn]

Does seem now like Sony and MS have just offset their releases and every 2 years or so one will be outdoing the other....and for people like me that love playing all the consoles that sounds great....essentially consoles will be getting a bump every 2 years.

[XXanderXX]

Am on board so I say bring it on ..

[Export]

I called it almost a year ago ... they are coming out with version and the console as we know , its done . Its going to be like a pc version for consoles .

[sampson3121]

ms should talk about a lack of games instead of a console that's on a piece of paper.
the sheep follow.

[PistolsAtDawn]

See, people like you say that, but having and loving all the consoles...I don't see that this gen. I see the sheep talking about how great the Sony exclusives are....and with very few exceptions i feel that they have fallen short. Yeah, I can look at Metacritic too, but all that's happened is it's been proven to me over and over not to trust Metacritic to tell me what a good/bad game is. We keep seeing all these lists of Sony exclusives (usually packed with games that aren't exclusive at all, are just timed, and/or are games that NO ONE would know about without those lists). It seems like Sony has been good for about 1 decent exclusive per year this gen...and even then they are usually MASSIVELY over-rated. I was a PS gamer long before an Xbox gamer, so there isn't really an initial bias for me....I just want great games....this gen I've actually been having more fun with the MS ones. It looks to me like with big Sony struggling and PS4 is massive lead of console sales...Sony is more than happy to just ride the wave for a bit on 3rd party games and promises of exclusive games off in the distance somewhere. So what happens when Scorpio becomes the preferred/lead console for development of 3rd party games?

It seems to me that ESP after NMS and the PS4 Pro launch/announcement...that Sony-Only fans are clinging SOOOOOO hard to the idea that Sony has the best exclusives like it's the last straw, that they are going out of their way to dismiss excellent MS games....can't MS AND Sony both have great games?

[corroios]

Microsoft failed everysingle new ip this gen . This qb and recore failed. The old formula doesnt have the same impact. What excelent games ? Another forza? Every year? Gears? That story already ended, but here comes another one.

They lack first party games, they lack studios and teraflops wont change that.

[stalepie]

The headline isn't really supported by the article, by Pinello's statements.

[Gwiz]

Flying Lure

[phoenixwing]

sooner or later the developers will get antsy and phase out one of the older systems so that they can create a better game. Same thing happens with pc.

[bleedsoe9mm]

well of course ms isn't saying your hardware is going to last forever

@phoenixwing when 1070 come out devs aren't required to stop making games for the 970 , they stop when it no longer makes sense . if you don't have a 4ktv or care about games being 1080/60 you could be happy playing on your xb1 but at some point enough people will move on that you'll have to as well . imo this gives the opportunity for more people to get in on an ultra cheap entree level console and still have a core system for hardcore players that care about performance . the big bonus is your library will go with you when you upgrade like steam does when you buy a new pc .

[phoenixwing]

which brings us back to the argument of new generation leaps which are par for the course.

[Smokingunz]

"So while the Scorpio might offer a generational leap in performance, it remains firmly in the same generation as the Xbox One."

Sounds like a new system to me. It might be the last generation console for them. MS salty about the ps4 putting a beating on the x1 in sales. I guess go back to pc MS I'll just support nintendo and Sony (mabye) as a gamer from the 90's iv watched the game industry of today go down the drain. No new ip's, oversaturation of remaster weak consoles that barely looks better than last gen (aka xbox one ) these current consoles may just be my last, I wasn't impressed by them. Nintendo is the only gaming company that's still in tune with gaming.

[Lennoxb63]

You just invalidated your entire comment by saying Nintendo is the only gaming company still in tune with gaming. They don't even know that gamers are older than they were in the 80s-90s.

[Trigem]

Feels like things are just getting started.

[conanlifts]

Ms are gearing up for console releases every few years, with forward compatibility and ltd backwards compatibility. So that's all they mean by an end to console generations. Its not an end to console releases and i think reading the comments some people are a bit confused by this concept.

[Jayszen]

Scorpio may well be the most powerful console but to what end? Being the most powerful is just one aspect of a successful console and it is not even the most important one. Look at Wii, it was the least powerful of the three major consoles last generation but sold the most because it had the games that consumers wanted and it attracted gamers from age groups and demographics that were, are, unique to the Wii. The PS4 has been successful partly because of all the missteps Microsoft made and all the popular decisions that Sony made in the months before launching this generation. The other reason is that gamers trust Sony to invest in new IPs and support the console till the end, something that Sony has done from the days of the PS1 and something Microsoft has NOT done since the original Xbox. Sony as a brand has a strong following and is trusted and this is something Microsoft has yet to achieve.

[Trigem]

Excellent points. Xbots are now riding on the "Superior Power" of Scorpio rather than what it is really about. The engine under the hood has never been the most important selling point of the PS4, but the respect, love and adoration for the PlayStation brand. Though, I do not blame Xbox...they're still climbing the steps and learning from the sensei.

[NextGenCeo]

Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox one S, PS4 Pro current generation console.

Nintendo NX, Xbox Scorpio, PS5 will be next generation console. I don't know NX backwards compatibility but PS5 and Xbox Scorpio can play Old gen console games.

If someone says 'Xbox Scorpio not a next gen it's current gen console!' Don't believe them! If it was current gen console it's already been released and it was not huge performans gap between last gen hardware.

PS4 Pro 2 times faster and not native 4K console! But Xbox Scorpio already almost 6 times faster than original Xbox One hardware! Clearly it's not a midgen update and yes Microsoft already lost current gen and they opening new page with Xbox Scorpio and of course they thinking 'Console Generation done' but they doesn't know still!

When Sony and Nintendo says 'Consoles are death' than i can believe. Otherwise i'm not believing any words comes from Microsoft. Sorry.

(ESL guy sorry for english)

[nicsaysdie]

I hope everyone hears what Microsoft is saying. Old games will be forward compatible with Scorpio. The same can not be said of the reverse situation. Scorpio games will not be reverse compatible with the one or one s. Scorpio is in fact a new generation regardless of how this is spun.

[SegaGamer]

You're wrong. There will be no such thing as a Scorpio game, it will be an Xbox One game that will work with all Xbox One consoles. The Original Xbox One, the Xbox One S and the Scorpio. This was said at E3 and has been said many times since. Either you are deliberately spreading misinformation or you have no clue what you are talking about.

[nicsaysdie]

I didn't know how to respond to this initially, but I thought about it and here goes.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/xb...
That's a link in which loftis states the Scorpio exclusives will be decided by the devs. I hope what you say is true and there won't be Scorpio exclusive games. Because I don't want to HAVE to buy a new console to be able to play some new exclusive I'm dying to play only 4 years after buying what was supposed to be this awe inspiring piece of machinery I hope Microsoft doesn't make exclusive Scorpio games as you are so vehemently stating. But if that is the case, why give yourself an out? Why say that the decision to make Scorpio exclusive games is up to the developers? Why not state wholeheartedly as a company "we will not allow exclusive games"? As far as your questioning the motives or intelligence of anyone posting to this or any other article, the only stupid thing is blindly following ANY company and not asking questions, or questioning past decisions. Last time I checked doesn't Microsoft have a pretty long standing history of anti consumerism not just within the Xbox brand, but within the whole company? Where's the cloud power? Necessary kinect? If cloud power isn't just a pipe dream then why not just use that tech to increase the power of the already established install base of the Xbox one? Why does Scorpio need to exist? More importantly, when dealing with a company with a track record of misinformation, the only stupid person is the one who doesn't ask questions. That makes you a sheep.

[jnvegas]

Meanwhile, waiting on PS5 like.. is it 2020 yet?

[Shakengandulf]

Sounds reasonable.

[jjb1981]

I'm just not excited for either since I don't have an HDR TV. I am ready for Gears 4 though.

[Shakengandulf]

You don't need hdr, hasn't stopped anyone from enjoying games up till now.

[WilliamSheridan]

Do you people really not understand what "end of console generations" means? I'm reading the comments and all I can think I'd, are you people stupid? Xbox One and PS4 selling great has nothing to do with ending generations. What that means is, there won't be a next generation, just more powerful current generation machines, kind of like how Samsung manages it's Galaxy Note line. Same phone, fully compatible, more power.

[SegaGamer]

There is no point mate, they just refuse to listen or they are too stupid to understand.

[zodiac909]

If microsoft pulls out of the market, it's just more room for Sony, Nintendo and possibly another company to step in and claim that space, there's always space for a console in the games market.

[Sixstring]

This whole thing is dumb to try comparisons,I mean the PS4 Pro makes more sense because it's an improved version of the same console at a reasonable pricepoint for what it is. The Xbox Skorpio is Microsofts next Gen,it will make the Xbox One look stupid and it will likely be extremely expensive for a console. AND by the time it releases Sony will be ready for the PS5,terrible strategy for competing.

[SegaGamer]

Why do people like you keep saying this ? The Scorpio is EXACTLY the same thing as a PS4 pro, a mid gen console. There is nothing to suggest that it isn't. It's not a whole new console, it's still an Xbox One. All games released on this new system will work with all older models of the Xbox One and all existing Xbox One games will work with any new model. It really isn't that hard to understand.

[Derpy]

Console generations are not ending, they're just saying that because they want people to buy their mid-gen systems.

[rezzah]

They are just trying to control the direction of the industry, that power is in the hands of the consumer.

[FreddyFazbear]

Console generations are a bad idea. Imagine changing consoles every after 2-3 years when developera are still grasping and developing games for it. This is not smartphone/tablet industry. Im sure sony will not do this. I cant say for the other.

[Errorist76]

Scorpio is just another proof Microsoft will abandon another console generation early.

[MaxiPower90]

Dear gaming company's. As long as there are people that want to purchase consoles there will be consoles. The moment you try and move away from that fact someone will be there to take your place,

[oSHINSAo]

"Game developers will choose to take that 6 TFLOPS and do what they think is best for their visions for the game ... if somebody wants to make a 1080p game and make it the most amazing looking game of all time on Scorpio? Great"

This is what i meant, hope to see some 1080p amazing looking games than just more pixelated games, we still haven't seen Movie-like looking games

[Drithe]

MS wants the console generation to end. MS would have a distinct advantage over everyone then. But that will never happen. True gamers will always want a console.

[Godmars290]

Yeah, I can't help thinking this MS trying to burn down/ruin the console market, the concept of consoles, since they've failed to actually control it. Nevermind that the online direction they've taken and influenced has alienated certain consumers who at this point wont be regarded.

[oldassgamer]

Blah blah blah... How much will it cost?

[lawgone]

So the article actually says nothing about the end of consoles. Totally misleading.

[zerocarnage]

The comments below, while there may be some truth to what has been said there is also a large amount of crap as well added to it all. The amount of ms bashing is unreal here, I mean I'm no ps4 owner but I'd never want Sony to fail like you get the feeling with people's comments below. Gaming would not be what it is today without each and every dev doing there own thing. I apprecciate the fact that every dev somewhere along the line has made advancements some where and done good for the industry.

What ever you lot say, none of you can dismiss the fact that none of the console devs are saints. They're all after our money, yet some of you always get it in your head that the competition is wrong and evil while what you own and the brand your behind can't do nothing wrong, pathetic and ridiculous.

I can't see the console ending, simply way to much money to be made from us all, which developer in there rite mind would bow out of a good chunk of sales from consoles and software, it would be a silly move.

I also do not see a console being any less of a console just because the machine we buy no longer plugs in and plays to our tv sets like it once did. changes to the console will always happen down the line and rather than it being the typical old console where we just put a cartridge in n it loads and off you play, does not make it a pc. Just because new ways of interacting with the machine make it look/feel more pc like there is still a lot that pc's will always make it a pc over consoles becoming a pc, consoles are just simply adjusting themselfs to become hybrids that can do both, either way they will always be console first hand.