Since Microsoft’s e3 2016 reveal of new console ‘Project Scorpio’, speculation has run rampant as to what exactly this new device would be, and where it would fit into the console market. Particularly, the seemingly complete Xbox ecosystem. We finally have some clarity though, thanks to today’s announcement which covered not only the specs of the machine but eluded to some of Microsoft’s greater intentions for the product.
Let’s get the technical stuff out of the way first. Here’s a breakdown of the specs we know so far:
- 8-core AMD processor with a 2.35GHz clock speed, made specially for the console.
- GPU running at a 1,172MHz clock speed and 6Tlops.
- Massive 12GB of GDDR5 ram.
- Insane 326GBps of memory bandwidth.
- 1TB hard drive.
- Ultra HD Blu-ray optical drive.
- A Vapour Chamber cooling system; only vaguely described so far but hopefully this means no Red Ring.
This is by far the most powerful console ever made. It obviously out-specs the Xbox One S, but it also comes in above the PS4 Pro by a significant margin in all key specs, namely system memory where it boasts an additional 50% over Sony’s flagship.
Project Scorpio, which is yet to be given an official Xbox name, will join the Xbox One and Xbox One S family, and will enjoy compatibility with all the same software and accessories. That means there’s no need to re-buy games or equipment that you already own and enjoy. In an age plagued by forced hardware redundancy and dubious backwards compatibility on consoles, this is huge.
While not necessarily ‘specs’, the other two major selling points being touted by Microsoft are the console’s 4K output and the capacity for high-res VR experiences. Now, both of these things are possible on other consoles, but the Xbox team, as well as developers like Bethesda’s Todd Howard, argue that no machine has been capable of delivering these experiences with such a high degree of detail and fluidity as what we can expect from Project Scorpio. Looking at the spec sheet, it’s hard to disagree with them.
Check out the Project Scorpio announcement video below:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1dRgWpGePs[/embedyt]
