After all the hub-hub stemming from Sony's conference focusing on their newest console, Microsoft isn't wasting any time firing shots across the bow. Albert Penello, senior director of product management and planning at Xbox, had a lot of things to say to IGN about their upcoming 'Project Scorpio' console in comparison to the PS4 Pro.
“I believe that the difference between what we’re going to deliver with Scorpio from a performance perspective and PS4 Pro will be obvious to customers,” Penello stated. “I believe we have the best value this holiday, and I think we’re going to have the most powerful box next year.”
Penello went on to state that Microsoft was feeling 'very confident' when they first made their announcement for the Xbox Scorpio, and that after the PS4 Pro announcement they were "more confident today that they were going to have the most powerful console ever made."
Penello stated that he found it 'very interesting' that both Microsoft and Sony 'arrived' at a similar conclusion, which he says is due to the changing 'landscape' and 'expectations of gamers.
I think that console generations are really, really exciting for people, but super disruptive to developers and to customers. And this idea that we’re thinking beyond console generations doesn’t mean that we’re not going to have exciting, new, more powerful hardware.”
Quick Take:
Essentially, the thing to take away from all this is that the gaming console as we know it is dead, and that we have now fully entered the age of pre-packaged PC's. For a while now, it has been repeatedly stated that this would most likely be the last console generation, and after this summer I'm inclined to agree. There will be new 'consoles' in the future, but mostly in the form of hardware upgrades and little else. To summarize, if you want real innovation, head on over to Nintendo. If you want a cheap gaming-focused PC that is powered by a controller, get a Playstation or an Xbox.
What do you think of Microsoft's Project Scorpio after the PS4 Pro's anouncement? Let us know in the comments!
