HomeWinBuzzer NewsMicrosoft’s Project Scorpio will be Priced like Console Says Xbox Chief

Microsoft’s Project Scorpio will be Priced like Console Says Xbox Chief

Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s Xbox division, says the company has sought to balance specs and price for Project Scorpio. However, this means it will come with a price tag similar to a new generation console.

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announced Project Scorpio in the summer. It will be a super-spec'd console with full 4K gaming capabilities. However, while it will push the Xbox brand closer to PC gaming, Microsoft says the device will be a console. In other words, despite its high-end specs, Project Scorpio will be marketed and sold as a console.

This means it will not be priced excessively against other consoles. Indeed, Microsoft is likely to make Project Scorpio the same price as any new console. Xbox chief spoke to AusGamers recently and discussed deeper plans for Project Scorpio. More specifically, he explained how the company is balancing the strong specs with affordability.

“You want a platform that is balanced between memory bandwidth, GPU power, you know, your ability to move memory and [an] amount of memory around in many ways is more inhibiting to the performance of your game than absolute teraflops on any one of the individual pieces, and when we designed Scorpio we really thought about this balanced rig that could come together at a price-point,” Spencer says.

“Like, I want Scorpio to be at a console price-point, I'm not trying to go and compete with a high-end rig. And because we're building one spec, we're able to look at the balance between all the components and make sure that it's something we really hit that matters to consumers and gamers.”

Likely Price of Project Scorpio

It is worth noting that Microsoft has yet to fully detail the specs of Project Scorpio. While Microsoft wants to stay competitive, Spencer has previously said the device will be expensive to reflect its premium quality:

“It is really the breadth of all the products you have at all the price points,” Spencer added. “For us, when we think about Scorpio, it's for a higher-end customer who demands the most they can get out of a console, and we built a console to meet that demand.”

While there are clearly mixed signals from Spencer, the most likely scenario is Project Scorpio is priced like a new console. Normally, when a mid-life upgrade arrives, it is more affordable than a new device. For example, the current Xbox One S does not cost as much as the original Xbox One at launch.

While Project Scorpio will be an Xbox One, its specs will make it a new console in all but name. This means the device will cost around $450 and almost certainly under $500.

SourceAusGamers
Luke Jones
Luke Jones
Luke has been writing about all things tech for more than five years. He is following Microsoft closely to bring you the latest news about Windows, Office, Azure, Skype, HoloLens and all the rest of their products.

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