In the interview Spencer confirmed that Microsoft has ” thought about the price performance of what we wanted to hit with the Scorpio, relative to what we were going to be able to do with the S. So that we would have a good price continuum….”
People should expect Project Scorpio to cost more than the S series, but not extraordinarily high for a console. According to the Xbox Chief “the opening price point for the Xbox One S, and the different hard drive sizes, … [will be] a critical part of this whole product” and that thinking about it as a product line people “should expect the pricing to kind of be in line with that.”
Based on that, the console should be getting a price of more than what Microsoft currently asks for the Xbox One S (US $299 with a bundle), but likely not more than around US $500.
Xbox Goals and Hints at Specifications
Interestingly, Spencer indicated that Microsoft is not concerned about outselling other console companies, saying that Microsoft “had other goals in mind”.
Microsoft wants Project Scorpio to provide the best gaming experience for users. They also would like developers to feel that the upcoming console will allow them to provide their best content for the most profit.
Spencer indicates that Project Scorpio will offer a good 4K experience, even for users without the bandwidth to stream 4K content. Although he would not confirm that the Scorpio will contain a 4k drive, however, it would appear one will be an available option based on his comments. Project Scorpio is expected to boast more RAM and a larger processor and GPU than S consoles.
He also discussed that Scorpio would support the EA Access subscription gaming content. Additionally, they intend to work with indie developers and support publishers with exclusive business models.
Graphics Demonstration Issues
Another concern that Spencer discussed was 4K HDR graphics and how it really looks like. In fact, Microsoft would like to show 4K graphics at the next E3, however, up to now there is no 100 foot 4K screen available on the market at this time for an impressive demo.
Referring to online-videos about 4K, Spencer argued that people wouldn’t be able to appreciate the full quality of 4K content over the internet.
With that in mind, Microsoft plans to encourage consumers to visit their local Microsoft Stores and other locations to experience 4K in person so they would get a better idea about what 4K was all about.