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Xbox Project Scorpio: everything we know about Microsoft's new console

Microsoft is building its most powerful console ever, Project Scorpio. Announced back at E3 2016, Xbox Project Scorpio will debut later this year in time for the holidays. Microsoft has started to share more information about the powerful hardware inside, and we're expecting to see the console at E3 in June. Follow along for all the latest news and rumors for Xbox Project Scorpio.

  • Tom Warren

    Apr 13, 2017

    Tom Warren

    Microsoft to unveil its Project Scorpio Xbox console at E3

    Project Scorpio

    Microsoft’s Xbox chief, Phil Spencer, has officially committed to unveiling Project Scorpio at E3 this year. While many had speculated that Microsoft could hold a separate event ahead of E3 to reveal the design and name of Project Scorpio, Spencer says in a new blog post “We’re excited to unveil Project Scorpio and the amazing game experiences it powers at E3 this June.”

    Spencer had previously hinted that Microsoft might hold an event ahead of E3, and it’s now clear the software maker will not show off its new Xbox console at its Windows education-focused event on May 2nd. Microsoft has revealed some Scorpio information ahead of E3, including the final hardware specifications and what the developer kit looks like. Microsoft will now host its E3 press conference on June 11th at 5PM ET / 2PM PT, where we’re expecting to see the final design, naming, and price of the next Xbox.

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  • Tom Warren

    Apr 12, 2017

    Tom Warren

    Microsoft’s Project Scorpio dev kit hints at what the next Xbox could look like

    Project Scorpio dev kit
    Project Scorpio dev kit
    Gamasutra

    Microsoft is revealing what its Project Scorpio dev kit looks like today. Gamasutra has published all the details on the Project Scorpio dev kit, and at first glance it looks a lot like a slightly bigger Xbox One S. The design is a combination of the robot white for the top section, and a black bottom that houses the expansion ports and Blu-ray drive.

    While it might look like an Xbox One S, the dev kit also includes a real-time clock and an OLED display with five programmable buttons at the front. The screen is designed to display data like frames per second, which is for Xbox games developers who want to see that information at a glance. Microsoft’s Project Scorpio dev kit also includes the same ports as the retail Scorpio unit, alongside three USB ports at the front and a network card for debug information.

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  • Andrew Webster

    Apr 6, 2017

    Andrew Webster

    Project Scorpio focuses Xbox on games — so where are they?

    Project Scorpio

    The next Xbox is a powerful machine. As Digital Foundry revealed today in a lengthy rundown of specs, Project Scorpio — the codename for the next Xbox One — will be both faster and more powerful than its predecessor and its console competitor, capable of running games in native 4K. Even older Xbox One titles will see an improvement, in some cases with smoother performance, improved textures, and the ability to play at a higher resolution. These are all great additions that will surely improve the Xbox experience. But all the talk of better processors and GPUs doesn’t solve the Xbox One’s fundamental issue: it needs more and better games.

    The reason the PlayStation 4 is handily outselling the Xbox One has little to do with technical specifications. It’s because Sony has curated a formidable lineup of console exclusives and exclusive content for multiplatform games. In 2017 alone, a year already rife with potential game-of-the-year candidates, the PS4 has seen notable titles like Persona 5 and Horizon Zero Dawn that aren’t available on Microsoft’s platform. And it’s a trend that looks to continue: much-anticipated multiplatform game Destiny 2 will feature PlayStation-exclusive content for the first year after it launches. Meanwhile, the comparatively underpowered Nintendo Switch has been riding a wave of goodwill largely on the back of one excellent game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

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  • Apr 6, 2017

    Chris Plante, Sam Byford and 2 more

    Xbox Project Scorpio: 6 questions left to answer

    project scorpio

    Microsoft has exclusively revealed the specs for Project Scorpio in a unusual and exhaustive collaboration with Digital Foundry. The many videos and stories go into great detail about the CPU, GPU, and various other technical aspects of the upcoming console, going so far as to speculate about how drastically Project Scorpio will improve Xbox One and Xbox 360 games. But the reports — based on spec reveals and a single tech demo — raise as many questions as they answer.

    Some of the questions remaining are simple (what’s the cost?), while others speak to Microsoft’s long-term ambitions (what role does Project Scorpio play in the Windows universe?). We’ve collected our six biggest questions, which we hope will be answered by the time Microsoft’s big Project Scorpio event rolls around at E3 this June.

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  • Andrew Webster

    Apr 6, 2017

    Andrew Webster

    How Project Scorpio makes Xbox One games look better

    Today, Digital Foundry provided an early glimpse at the next Xbox, Project Scorpio, with an in-depth look at the specs that will power the console. Specs are great, but what do they mean in practice? Along with the big reveal, DF released a video showcasing five different ways that Scorpio will improve current Xbox One and 360 games. (Scorpio will be compatible with all current Xbox One games, as well as all backwards compatible-enabled 360 titles.)

    The list includes things like faster loading, smoother performance with reduced screen tearing, and improved texture filtering. Scorpio will also feature fairly substantial GameDVR support, allowing users to capture 4K, 60 fps video, along with improved screenshot capabilities. “Retroactive screen captures are a new featuring coming to the Scorpio GameDVR,” DF explains. “Users will have the ability to scan through their captures with 'to-the-frame' precision, allowing them to extract the precise screenshot they want.” And for games that support dynamic resolution, Scorpio will allow you to play them at full resolution.

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  • Tom Warren

    Apr 6, 2017

    Tom Warren

    Microsoft reveals its final Xbox Project Scorpio specs

    Microsoft previously revealed some Project Scorpio specifications, but today the company is unveiling a lot more, thanks to Digital Foundry. Eurogamer's separate vertical, that focuses analysis on the speeds-and-feeds of gaming PCs and consoles, has published a big overview of the graphical power of Microsoft's next Xbox console.

    So far, we've known that Project Scorpio will run at 6 teraflops, ahead of its main competitor the PlayStation 4 Pro with 4.2 teraflops of graphical power. Microsoft also plans to replace its 8GB of DDR3 RAM / 32MB of ESRAM with 12GB of GDDR5 memory on Project Scorpio. While many had hoped Microsoft would transition to AMD’s latest Ryzen CPU architecture, Digital Foundry has revealed that the company is sticking with a custom Jaguar-based processor.

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  • Tom Warren

    Apr 4, 2017

    Tom Warren

    Microsoft to reveal Xbox Project Scorpio specs this week

    Microsoft Project Scorpio
    Microsoft Project Scorpio

    Microsoft is planning to unveil its Xbox Project Scorpio specifications later this week. Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry has confirmed it will run an “exclusive Xbox Scorpio reveal” on Thursday at 9AM ET, following speculation. Microsoft reportedly invited Digital Foundry to its campus recently to observe the internals of Project Scorpio and witness Forza Motorsport 7 running at 4K resolution.

    Windows Central reports that Project Scorpio will include a compact design, alongside an integrated power supply unit. It’s unlikely we’ll see the design of the console on Thursday, or its final naming. Microsoft appears to be ready to unveil its specifications ahead of its scheduled press event at E3 where it’s expected to  focus primarily on games available for the new console.

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  • Tom Warren

    Mar 2, 2017

    Tom Warren

    Xbox One and Project Scorpio will support mixed reality headsets next year

    project scorpio

    Microsoft is planning to support mixed reality headsets on Xbox One and the upcoming Project Scorpio console in 2018. The software giant revealed the launch timing at the Games Developers Conference this week, while shipping Windows Mixed Reality (previously Windows Holographic) headsets to developers. “Our plan is to bring mixed reality content to the Xbox One family of devices, including Project Scorpio, in 2018,” says a Microsoft spokesperson.

    While Microsoft originally revealed that Project Scorpio was VR-ready, it appears we’ll have to wait until next year to experience Microsoft’s mixed reality vision for its upcoming console. That's an unusual delay, and means Project Scorpio will launch later this year without support for these new headsets. Sony launched its own PlayStation VR back in October.

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  • Andrew Webster

    Jan 12, 2017

    Andrew Webster

    Game developers aren’t so sure about PS4 Pro and Project Scorpio

    With the PlayStation 4 Pro, Sony ushered in a new era of mid-cycle console upgrades, one that will continue with the release of Microsoft’s Project Scorpio later this year. But according to a new survey from the Game Developers Conference, game creators aren’t necessarily on board with the idea. Based on GDC’s findings, only 18 percent of developers view consoles like PS4 Pro and Scorpio as a positive thing for the industry.

    The majority of respondents, 41 percent, were undecided on the benefits of the new consoles, while 36 percent felt neutral on the topic. For many, the issue seems to be the extra work involved in creating games for multiple versions of the same console, and the potential for splitting up the userbase. “I do not want the markets to be divided,” wrote one respondent. “I also do not want the eventuality of a yearly release of a new console as I believe this could damage the console market severely.”

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  • Andrew Webster

    Jun 13, 2016

    Andrew Webster

    Project Scorpio is a 4K-capable, VR-ready Xbox One launching next fall

    The next major addition to the Xbox family is coming next year. Today at E3 in Los Angeles Microsoft officially revealed the long-rumored Project Scorpio, an enhanced version of the Xbox One that's capable of running 4K-native games, and which will also support virtual reality experiences and feature a hefty six teraflops of power. According to Xbox chief Phil Spencer, Microsoft views the new device as much more than a simple refresh.

    "The important thing for Scorpio is that it's a dramatic step up for us in terms of hardware capability," he told The Verge in an interview last week. "Because as we saw 4K gaming and really high-end VR taking off in the PC space, we wanted to be able to bring that to console. Project Scorpio is actually an Xbox One that can natively run games in 4K and is built with the hardware capabilities to support the high-end VR that you see happening in the PC space today... when it ships it will be the most powerful console ever built."

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