PlayStation Neo vs. Xbox Project Scorpio vs. Nintendo NX: Console Comparison

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Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony are on a mission to get their fans pumped up and ready for their next line of consoles, the Xbox Scorpio, Nintendo NX and PlayStation Neo. As the months have gone by, each manufacturer has had more information leaked concerning what we can expect from each device. So in this article, I am going to compare all three and offer an opinion as to which one you should buy.

Console Design

Xbox Scorpio: Microsoft showed off some interior components of the console at E3 and, within the accompanying video, appeared to show onlookers some shots of what could have been the outside too.

However, I doubt the final design of the Xbox Scorpio has been decided yet, and anything they do have is, therefore, subject to change. Furthermore, it looks like the company has learned from previous mistakes with the Xbox One and its heavy duty design and tried to put that right with the Xbox One S, so maybe we could see something a little more evolved using visual cues from that console.

Nintendo NX: Many of the rumors currently doing the rounds have suggested that the NX will feature a hybrid design, meaning it will be both a handheld portable gaming device and something that you can plug straight into your living room television. The console is said to come with two controllers that can be either attached or detached from either side of the device, allowing for multiplayer gaming while on the move.

Rumors have also suggested that with the Nintendo NX we will see the return of cartridges; however, whether this is for backward compatibility is not known as the console will also offer titles via digital download.

PlayStation Neo: Sony has so far remained tight-lipped about the design of its next console. However, what is known points towards a more condensed PS4 upgrade so that it could look something like the previous console but be slimmed down somehow. It’s fair to say that Sony will be looking to differentiate it enough to give it its own identity, but while it is not considered to be a next-generation device, it should retain something of a resemblance to its predecessor.

Power

Xbox Scorpio: One thing I know for sure about the Xbox Scorpio is that it will offer 4K gaming, as Microsoft promised as much at E3 2016. Furthermore, the company claims that the graphics chip inside the console will not only be capable of 4K gaming but offer it at an astounding 60fps, which would make games look amazing.

Its SoC (system-on-chip) will provide a massive 6-terraflops of processing power, which can be compared to high-end PC capabilities.

Nintendo NX: If you are a Nintendo fan and hoping that the NX will provide you with a gaming experience on par with that of the other two consoles in this article, I am sorry to say, that this will not be the case. The console is being reported as being on par with the PlayStation 3 performance-wise and possibly, at a push, with the PS4 as well.

The reason behind this lack of power is the CPU which Nintendo has chosen to use. Equipped with an NVIDIA Tegra mobile CPU, it will offer Nintendo NX users a decent amount of power, but due to the console’s reported hybrid nature, it has to balance graphical requirements with power-efficiency.

PlayStation Neo: Where the Xbox Scorpio and Nintendo NX can be considered to be the next-generation consoles from their manufacturers, Sony has made it clear that with the PlayStation Neo, users will be getting an iteration, meaning the next step in the evolution of the PS4 console. So with that in mind, like the NX, the Neo is not expected to be able to compete with the Scorpio.

Power-wise, the PlayStation Neo will improve on the PS4 by offering a CPU with a faster clock speed of 2.1Ghz compared to the previous 1.6Ghz; it will also come with an improved graphics chip. However, it is also believed to be overclocked from the original at 800Mhz to 911Mhz. As for memory, it is also believed to be the same unit but just overclocked from 176Gbs to 218Gbs.

Specs compared

Xbox Scorpio, PlayStation Neo, Nintendo NX specs Compared

Which one should you buy?

If you are a fan of one of the manufacturers in this article, then it is highly likely that you have already chosen to purchase their next console. However, if you find yourself sitting on the fence, I would dismiss the Nintendo NX if you do not care about Mario and Zelda and want to keep your smartphone or tablet for mobile gaming.

As for the Xbox Scorpio and the PlayStation Neo, it is the console from Sony that is likely to hit the shelves first. Current rumors suggest that could be as early as September, so you could have a powerful VR-ready gaming console ready for when the PlayStation VR is launched sometime later.

However, if you want something that is truly different with the power to dwarf both the Nintendo NX and the PlayStation Neo, you will have to wait until Christmas 2017, as that is when Microsoft’s next-generation console is being rumored to hit the shelves. So if I had to choose, I would get the Neo now and save hard for the Scorpio in 2017. What are you going to do?

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