Xbox Scorpio: Major Nelson starts the countdown for E3 2017

Major Nelson has already begun the countdown to E3 2017: through his Twitter profile, Larry Hryb reminds us that “only” 159 days are missing at the beginning of the show in Los Angeles. What Microsoft has in reserve could be of interesting surprises?

[Gazondaily]

Looking forward to E3. Have a feeling they'll rely heavily on Scorpio. They need to show new ips though.

But super excited for Scorpio. I reckon it'll do a lot of beastly things.

[MasterCornholio]

I hope it does alot more than just play X1 games at 4K. I'm expecting to see a next gen leap with all that power.

@Annoyedgamer

We won't know that until they reveal it. I mean alot of people are saying that it will contain the latest tech from AMD such as Xen and Vega so expectations are very high for the device. Plus Microsofts is marketing it as a true 4K device that can run games without any comprises. That's what the majority of consumers are expecting from Scoprio.

[Gazondaily]

Well it'll do VR too. That alone should be pretty good based on what we know about the power of it.

But yeah, if it just does x1 games at 4k, I'll be disappointed.

Devs should be able to prioritise other things over res.

[bouzebbal]

This is a tricky position they are in. First if it turns out to be as powerful as they claim it will be then they cannot develop exclusive software for it cause that would mean they are giving up x1 support.
On the other hand if it is used like PS4 Pro/PS4 to enhance all existing games then it will be too expensive for what it is (499$ following the rumors).
They are partnering with Oculus and Vive but we all know no one would buy these headsets due to their prices, on top of buying a scorpio. Wouldn't make a single sense!!

I'm not looking for the reveal, i'm looking forward to post e3 articles really showing what it can do. e3 reveal is just PR brainwash as always.
Remember cloud compute and stuff on x1... we never saw that in action.

MS have so much to prove.

[TankCrossing]

If all it does is play X1 games at 4k then it would not be so different to the PS Pro. It is releasing a year later, so it seems fair to expect about 1 years worth of advancement.

What have Microsoft done so well in the past that warrants higher expectations?

[BizarroUltraman]

Well it is an Xbox One. Lol....If anyone watches the Dec. 30th airing of Xbox weekly. Major Nelson clearly states. "Xbox Scoprio will allow you to play 4K games natively on Xbox One".

[annoyedgamer]

You won't. Its either or. 4k or sharply better graphics.

[ABizzel1]

I'm more interested in what comes of the Scorpio than what the PS4 Pro becomes.

The PS4 Pro was clear cut. The PS4 Pro compared to the base PS4 is practically a dual GPU PS4 with an overall overclock to the entire console. It's a easy upgrade, just sell your current PS4 and get at minimum half off a PS4 Pro.

The Scorpio on the other hand compared to the original XBO is rumored to be a completely new GPU (over 4x more powerful / Vega architecture), new CPU (Excavator or Zen architecture), with more RAM (4 additional GB / up to 5x faster). That's not a upgrade IMO, that's a new console. I know MS wants to label it as a upgraded XBO, but I just don't see it with it being over 4x more powerful.

I see Scorpio as a new Xbox console, that will have a high degree of backwards compatibility with the majority of XBO games Day 1, as well as digital Xbox 360 game, so in that sense it can be considered a XBO upgrade. The hardware to make Scorpio has already been in development by AMD, so there's little reason to hold off on launching Scorpio for nearly a year, besides:

1. Getting more production going.
2. Getting price down.
3. Getting software and service ready (and by that I mean making sure BC is good for both 360 and XBO)

I see MS switching to a 4 year cycle and dropping a new console like a Steam Machine, and let the old one run games 720p - 1080p (XBO), the current console (Scorpio in this case) run sub / native 4K, and rinse and repeat since resolution isn't the biggest selling point for games. So in another 4 - 5 years we'll have Scorpio 2 running next-gen games in 4k, while the 2017 Scorpio runs those same games at 1080p.

*I truly think this is their successor (even though they won't admit it),
*I think this is their new strategy (get rid of generations, and sell a low-end and high-end console to 60m gamers)
*Make Xbox hardware as accessible as PC (Make Xbox what Steambox should have been)
*Recoup profits via software on both Xbox and PC (hence game anywhere incentive)

It's a risky move to make, but they have to try something new, just like Nintendo with the Switch, because PlayStation owns the traditional console global market, therefore the competition needs to create a successful niche for themselves.

Nintendo handheld/console hybrid (N-Fusion)
Xbox PC SteamMachine
PlayStation keep pace with traditional consoles

I called all this years ago.

[ULTp0ltergeist]

I think the fact that Microsoft wants to take the 'leap' with all that power with it's exclusive just proves it is taking the first leap, so power to them if true. But I'd rather have the first year of Scorpio with publishers mastering everything in full HD, then get to 4k as tools mature. But Microsoft potentially will take the leap so that's a good sign.

[Kingthrash360]

So much over hype. They need to announce new games that will launch with the scorpio. It will be a fail otherwise. They have a minimal amount of games and seeing that scalebound and crackdown and cuphead and below were announced years ago it wouldn't be a huge thing to put on stage without some kind of new games.
If they have some new games up their sleeves then it will be a great thing for them.

[Unspoken]

Keep on trying to raise expectation's past what it can do but in reality we know what to expect based off previous releases of tech.

It will be a huge leap past what the Xbox One can do in resolution, frame rate, and textures, (and now maintain better performance than than sub 4k PS4 Pro). Initially we'll see higher PQ in current games and once devs have had the hardware in their hands and learn the intricacies of the tech, only then will we see new software development to take advantage of it.

Microsoft will have the most powerful console again.

[TheCommentator]

Abizzel, it's not a completely new GPU, it's a more powerful version of the one found in the XB1 already, which is why MS is rumored to be going with Vega. Vega is the first GPU for the computer that supports both FL12.0 and FL 12.1, something that only the XB1 GPU currently supports. The reason the XB1 GPU looks so different is because it's a prototype for the last 3 years worth of changes the industry has witnessed, culminating in Vega. MS also heavily modified the CPU in the XB1 to include features not seen in CPUs of the time, like the 6ops/clock capability that will bring greater benefit to multithreading and help to keep it contemporary to more modern CPUs as well. So you see, MS modified their system to allow for it to be relevant far longer than PS4 because they modified their hardware to take advantage of new gen graphics engines and HW acceleration, something we're just now beginning to see in games like FH3 and Gears 4.

Sony decided to spend frugally and slightly modify outdated off the shelf PC parts in order to run old engines really well, and that's why they had to essentially duct tape an extra outdated GPU to the PS4 for the PRO, why they can't read the UHD Blu Ray codec, and why the system is a space heater in your living room at 310 watts. Sony didn't pioneer anything, they reacted to the market frugally because they had no money for R&D. Did it pay off? Absolutely, since Sony has a crushing lead in marketshare, but that doesn't obfuscate the point that they were acting like a cornered animal who would do anything to survive. Hell, if they didn't have a mole planted in MS, they would have launched the PS4 with a paltry 4GB of ram and no advantage at all.

You want to know why MS had a slogan, XB1"Beta tested in the future"? Now you do, because MS prototyped many of the features that have been filtering into the computer industry for the last 3 years when they built the XB1.

[monkey602]

I think Microsoft have well and truly dug a hole with the Scorpio now.
It's an unwinnable situation, damned if they do - damned if they don't.

If the Scorpio does just have a prettier library of the same games then what's the point?! If they build exclusive titles to take advantage of the system then theyve quickly forgotten about the Xbox one and again repeated their trend from the 360 and given minimum support to their current hardware to focus on the upcoming. If that's the case why would you buy a new console from them?

All I know for sure is that the current criticism of Microsoft isn't going to ease up anytime soon and to be honest they deserve that

[dcbronco]

I think Scorpio will have more power than initially thought. When they performed the Doom demo at 4K they had a lot of other things going on and weren't even using Vega drivers. I believe it will be closer to 7 teraflops on the GPU. It also didn't have all of the new tech turned on that will make Vega much more efficient as a GPU. If Ryzen is also the CPU with it's new innovations even at 7 teraflops it should punch above it's weight. Well above. For instance, the neural net built-in on Zen. If that is programmable it could seriously help in making games run more smoothly.

[RosweeSon]

No it won't just be Xbox one games silly... got BC as well these days 🙏🏻🙄
😉
That extra power is sure gonna come in handy for achievements? Might actually pop up on console before they do on my phone oh and Kinect 👍🏻🙄
Lol

[Utalkin2me]

Lets not look at our games lineup or what we are offering the consumer now. Lets look forward for E3....SMH. Whoever runs PR for MS should be fired.

[MasterCornholio]

I know that Microsoft says that it will support VR. My only question is how will Microsoft support VR on the Scorpio.

"But yeah, if it just does x1 games at 4k, I'll be disappointed.

Devs should be able to prioritise other things over res."

Agreed. With Microsoft hyping up the power of the system I expect a next gen leap in visuals with it. Playing Xbox One games at 4K would be a disappointment to me. It should be able to play next gen games at 4K to be worthwhile.

@Kribwalker

"Why would playing Xbox one games at 4K be a disappointment when playing PS4 games at checkerboard to 4K is not a disapointment with the pro?"

Actually many people trash the PS4 because of that. According to them checkerboarding is just fake 4K. Also they claim that the system isn't worth it because it's just playing PS4 games at a higher resolution. They claim that an upgrade is only worth it if it delivers the next generation of visuals. Basically 4K current gen games are not good enough.

@Tim

"Playing the PC versions of games on terms of quality, is exactly what they need to show. "

I agree with you there especially with their claims of uncompromised 4K. Basically the Xbox Scorpio should be able to play games like the Witcher 3 with maximum graphical settings and at a stable 4K. That's what the majority of consumers expect from Scoprio and that's what Microsoft should deliver.

Because if Scorpio only plays Xbox One games at 4K than what's the point? An increase in resolution isn't enough to justify the upgrade for most people.

In case anyone is wondering the reason why my expectations for the device are so high is because of the way Microsoft is marketing it.

@Tank

"I just want to know if you were similarly disappointed in the PS4 Pro"

Well even before Sonys presentation the leaks made it out to be a PS4 that plays current gen games at 4K or at a resolution much higher than 1080.

With the Scoprio we have Microsoft claiming that it will run games at a native 4K without any compromises so I'm expecting alot more from the system. Otherwise they would have just pulled a Cerny and say that 4K is very difficult to achieve which is why they developed new rendering methods to make games look good on 4K TV.

"or if you are simply posturing to troll at a later date."

Nah I'm just setting my expectations high due to what Microsoft is saying about the system. They did say the difference between Pro games and Scorpio games would be really noticeable so I'm expecting a really big upgrade.

@Tank

"If they fail, will you look to PC or is your interest in power only a facade?"

I can always wait until the Next Xbox or the PS5 if I want a big upgrade. But your right for now I should just stick with my PS4.

[freshslicepizza]

the next forza will be 4k and so will halo and probably all of their upcoming xbox one games. they can't control how third party reacts so we dont know for instance if the new mass effect will be 4k or the next red dead redemeption but my guess is all microsoft published games will be.

i honestly dont like how microsoft continues to put most of there emphasis on e3. they should do more stuff throughout the year. i understand e3 is the big show. they also need to talk about new games, this should be the majority of the conference, not scorpio.

[Kribwalker]

Why would playing Xbox one games at 4K be a disappointment when playing PS4 games at checkerboard to 4K is not a disapointment with the pro?

[bouzebbal]

"Actually many people trash the PS4 because of that. According to them checkerboarding is just fake 4K. Also they claim that the system isn't worth it because it's just playing PS4 games at a higher resolution. They claim that an upgrade is only worth it if it delivers the next generation of visuals. Basically 4K current gen games are not good enough."

Do you go after what clueless trolls say or what you think yourself?
I think playing games at higher resolution is always welcome, but this upgrade shouldn't be too pricey, which is apparently not the case for xbox.
If it can run games at higher resolution then PS4 and really add value to gaming through performance then it will be good, but only if it is priced correctly.
I do not think they are trying to compete with PS4 because PS4 is on a league of its own, but pricing the console over 50$ more than Pro will be suicide.

[BizarroUltraman]

Hold up, same things could be said about PS4 Pro!

It has double the horsepower in gpu yet the games arent that much visually appealing than the vanilla PS4. Runs crisper and fooliage and lighting things like that get a boost.

Xbox Scorpio will vastly improve its visuals. If you're going from Xbox One to Scorpio.

To you and I who have PS4 Pro the difference might not be that great when we get the Scorpio. Thats assuming you even have an Xbox in your setup.

[TankCrossing]

Your expectations for Scorpio are quite lofty and unrealistic so it is likely you will be disappointed. I just want to know if you were similarly disappointed in the PS4 Pro, or if you are simply posturing to troll at a later date.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

Your first comment: " I'm expecting to see a next gen leap with all that power." Its not a next gen console It'll really good but I think you need to lower your expectations, plus X1 still needs to be supported along side Scorpio, sounds like the Scorpio is is gonna be the highest spec mid gen console with out spilling over to a completely new machine.

[TankCrossing]

But that's just it, you are clearly not basing it on what Microsoft have said. They said "it will play Xbox one games at 4k." You are saying "it better not just play Xbox one games at 4k, I expect a generational leap!".

How would you even define a generational leap? What do Microsoft have to deliver to satisfy you? If they fail, will you look to PC or is your interest in power only a facade?

[VenomUK]

A new console debuted at E3 is exciting! I'm hoping there will be Scorpio exclusive games that take advantage of the power. It would also be nice to see Microsoft show games.

[1Victor]

All I want is a well balanced system with good games not a rushed job like the 360 was.

[QUIMICOMORTAL]

As they should since the x1 and its lineup clearly isn't going anywhere

[eagle21]

Xbox sales are about to tank 40% before E3, then snail slow until the holidays.

[RosweeSon]

If they really heavily on Scorpio that's even worse we already know it's coming since they told us last E3 so we've waited a whole year to find out it's still coming?! Wow what about the 6-7 months since last E3 and the 5 months leading to the next one. They could announce a few games surely. Announce anything other than yeah we have some games due in 2018 and a new console that no ones making games for yet we don't know how much we're gonna overcharge you for it as we haven't decided what's in it?... madness.

[Trekster_Gamer]

Can't wait to see footage of what it can do!

Hopefully at least a Halo 6 tease running on the Beast!!

[Godmars290]

Care to point out the value in announcing new titles if they can't deliver them?

[IamTylerDurden1]

Will he address Scalebound being cancelled? Pretty early for a countdown, it kind of takes the focus off all the games releasing between now and e3.

[lelo2play]

"Xbox Scorpio: Major Nelson starts the countdown for E3 2017"

Problem is, Microsoft has very few exclusives until E3 2017. That should worry them...

[Nyxus]

E3 will be interesting!

[Bigpappy]

I am just enjoying people's expectations or lack there of. It is interesting that people think developer can not make game that take advantage of Scorpio's power if the games are also playable on X1. Yet developer are able to do just that on PC's and have done so for eternity.
I personally will not speculate, I want to see what's on offer when they do the reveal. But I do know that I am buying it. Worst case is that all my games jut perform better and I get to see even better performance as we go forward.

[whitesoxfalife1976]

exactly pap

[ninsigma]

I see and agree with what you're saying but the other side of it is looking at this purely from a console perspective. Of course it's gonna take advantage of the power to run x1 games even better and make them look even better but that's what people are calling "playing x1 games in 4k" I guess as opposed to when we get a new generation of consoles, the games are designed specifically for that console which is when we see major differences. I know this isn't a "new gen", at least MS has said as much, but what people are getting at is that playing x1 games in 4K is not going to be that generation leap difference even though the spec difference is the equivalent of one.

Edit: fixed autocorrect.

[SegaGamer]

E3 is always interesting these days, really exciting and fun to watch too. Every year we get articles saying E3 is dying, but i don't think that is the case at all. With online streaming taking off in the last few years, i think it has only gotten bigger.

[whitesoxfalife1976]

i dont to speculate i want to be surprise just like last E3, in which was a megaton this year les nuke'm.....

[gamerswin24]

Oh man I love new hardware reveals no matter from what company it comes from. I am looking forward to the Scorpio reveal.

[Fishy Fingers]

Yup, always interesting to see what they bring to the table.

Personally I don't expect much difference from the Pro. Improved resolution/frame rate (albeit slightly better than the Pro) over the standard XB.

Hopefully they'll have some new titles to show alongside it.

[gamerswin24]

My main gripe with Xbox is lack of variety and new quality IPS. Then comes the power disparity and as a new Xbox S owner I can tell you the resolution differences in games are very noticeable to me (but that wont matter come Scorpio bcus they'll be on top or at minimum equal in this regard).

I'm with you bro, Microsoft please come out swinging not only in hardware but also software.

I'm also interested to know the resolution and form factor of their vr. As a psvr owner I am happy and things can only get better with new vr solutions e.g. Scorpio VR.

[yomfweeee]

Oh wow thanks for the NEWS.

[Z501]

Really? It's January.
Where's the countdown for games releasing before June? Show more love for your games, not for an expo.

*If this comment 'offends' you. Tell me. What's offensive about saying. "Show more love for your games"?

[buttcheeks]

Lol

[thisismyaccount]

They do these ever since 2013 ... pre-e3 hype by nelson and Co. Unbelievable this person has actually won an Emmy Award for sumtin. Can´t say i hate him, but he sure has done some shitty things in the past ...the way he always "acts". Year 2014 was XBOX biggest year, then it was year 2015 and then 2016 .... can not wait to play Forza 7.

https://imgur.com/a/q4v87
https://imgur.com/a/Yet1F
https://imgur.com/a/kNbTz
https://imgur.com/a/lk14t

[Gyarados]

They don't have any exclusives worth crap in the first half of 2017, AGAIN.

The only thing you'll see M$ and fanboys talking about is scorpio. Tells you how dire the situation is for games. Lol.

[whitesoxfalife1976]

its coming dont worry....

[buttcheeks]

Winter is coming

[shiva1]

Why do you care? When you have upfront said scalebound is a commercial flop without even releasing but praised NMS which wasnt even released back in time.....

Why do you care about the love of games what xbox is releasing. You never watch E3 right?

[shiva1]

@Pathankishan

Hahahaha.... So here is where you have come to cry. No probs...

But please note i am not going to troll in sony articles and cry there. If there is a mention of xbox then sure i will be there.

[cfc83]

Scorpio i'm sure i read may have access to alot more mods ?

edited my post to read 'alot more mods' as opossed to 'all mods'.

[Fishy Fingers]

'All mods' of what exactly? Very vague statement/claim.

I presume you mean games that already have mod support on PC? While I wouldn't be surprised if they bolster their interest in mod support I can't see it being universal and will always require 'approval' to maintain system stability.

[cfc83]

Wouldn't the decision be down to publishers/developers. As they own the game, they own the mods too surely ? If scorpio owners have resolution options, i'm sure all mods will run at a stable rate at 1080p. Obviously certain mods of a more 'adult nature' may not be allowed. Obviously there will be licensing issues with some games. Though i do think the Scorpio will have access to alot of mods in numerous games.

[Fishy Fingers]

It's not just the game but the hardware MS will be interesting in maintaining stability. Sure it's the studios option to allow mods but they will still need to pass MS approval. Much like fallout.

[XXanderXX]

June can't get here soon enough, Xbox E3 is going to be Amazing ........

[ninsigma]

Hmmmm if he's hyping up E3 then it's likely that's where we'll see Scorpio for the first time. Looking forward to seeing it. I wonder if it will look vastly different to the xbox one/S. Also looking forward to seeing how they implement VR on the machine. Will it be their own or having compatibility with oculous and vive. Either way it's good for the market to have more than one vr capable machine in the console space. It'll be interesting to see if they change their mind and have games that aren't playable on xbox one/S and make use of that horse power.

[BizarroUltraman]

Yeah I figured.... wish it was more early and left E3 for games. Oh well, still excited for it!

[ninsigma]

It'll be interesting nonetheless :)

[fllysurfer]

Its troublesome to see the promotion of computational prowess take place of promoting games on platforms.

[buttcheeks]

Great Microsoft e3 will be about everything except exclusive games

[whitesoxfalife1976]

take ya cheeks and place them onto your lips fa me......

[buttcheeks]

OK just for you tho baby boy

[whitesoxfalife1976]

thanks gladly appreciate it cheeky lips, lmao

[OsafuneKatana]

More excited for sony's E3 because they actually show new stuff.

[buttcheeks]

Bro did you see Microsoft horrible conference last year they announced state of decay 2 (indie) dead frame rate 4 (timed) and forza (annual)

[Tussin187]

I'm also hoping they show us Crackdown again as well. Been waiting to see what that game is about and all its cloud stuff whether you believe it or not. It's been awhile.

Fanboy goggles aside, I can't image what they showed before plus a Scorpio upgrade. Minds are going to be blown if they can actually pull it off. This years E3 is going to be good for everyone ( the big 3). Can't wait!!!

[shiva1]

Just go to the table where it compares polaris and vega 10. It may not be the full blown vega 10, and even if its half of it...thats more. Vega 20 in 2018 and Navi in 2019.

But really excited for whats coming.

http://wccftech.com/amd-veg...

[Boomaka]

Can't wait to see ninty and sony's e3.