Now that the PS4 Pro has hit the shelves and the Xbox Scorpio will follow in about 12 months, it’s time to talk about how these two mid-generation console upgrades are not created equally. The fact that the PS4 Pro is now available to buy means we know a lot more about it than the Xbox. However, there’s already enough information available to make a telling comparison.
Xbox Scorpio vs. PlayStation 4 Pro
When it comes to console gaming, the emergence of 4K and VR have forced both Microsoft and Sony to rip up the console rule book. Neither device is considered to be next-generation, but in Sony’s case, the PS4 is only three years old. Even so, it has seen fit to add to what it now calls the PS4 family.
So what’s the Xbox rationale behind the Xbox Scorpio? To answer that question, you have to understand that the two consoles are moving in different directions. Sony has stated that it wants to prevent its console users from moving to PC gaming, and it thinks the PS4 Pro can avoid this. As for Microsoft, it has taken a less obvious approach, insisting that the Xbox Scorpio will usher in the end of console cycles.
So now that we have more questions than answers about the Xbox, let’s have a closer look at each device.
Which is more powerful: Xbox Scorpio or PS4 Pro?
Confidence is the key to getting on, and in a recent interview with Poloygon.com, the senior director of product management at Xbox showed he and his Xbox team have it in spades.
In that interview, Albert Penello talked about the anticipation surrounding the launch of the PS4 Pro, and said: “I feel pretty good about the decisions we’ve made. Both we and Sony are investing in 4K as the future of the console space, and we have a history of adding features to our hardware.”
He went on to discuss his confidence that the Xbox Scorpio will be the dominant device soon after its launch but also explaining that both he and everyone else at Xbox are concerned that the PS4 Pro will have a one-year headstart on the Xbox.
Why such confidence?
According to Microsoft, the Xbox Scorpio will have a GPU capable of operating at 6 teraflops. Compare that number to the 4.2 teraflops computing power of the PS4 Pro, and you can immediately guess why the confidence.
The difference in these figures equates to an overall performance difference of 43%, in the Xbox Scorpio’s favor. And this is the reason why Albert Penello and the rest of the Xbox team are confident. They know that the Scorpio will provide a performance advantage over the PS4 Pro that will be both obvious and startling.
Scorpio release date
While right now Xbox is sitting firmly on facts and figures about Scorpio, it’s pretty obvious that from a GPU standpoint, it will be a more powerful console. However, a console is the sum of its parts, and there are certain things we can only guess about. Microsoft has talked about the Xbox Scorpio having an increased memory bandwidth, but it hasn’t said whether this means it will have more RAM compared to its predecessors.
In the interview with Pologon.com, Penello was asked about a more specific release date. However, he simply reiterated what Xbox Chief Phil Spencer had said in the summer, and that is that the console can be expected to be ready for launch during the Holiday season of 2017. It’s thought that the late timing has everything to do with developers. Xbox wants them to become familiar with developing for 4K gaming with the PS4 Pro. This approach, according to Panello, will benefit the Xbox Scorpio when it launches next year.
