Rumor: XBO Slim later this year; Scorpio in 2017; Oculus support possible

[johnhoftb]

http://kotaku.com/sources-smaller-xb...erf-1778634446

Mod Edit: Let's keep platform war out of this and keep to the topic at hand.

Microsoft is preparing at least two new Xbox models for release in the next two years, sources tell Kotaku. Later this year we’ll see a cheaper, smaller Xbox One, and next year Microsoft will release a more powerful version of their premiere console.

The 2017 Xbox, which is codenamed Scorpio, will have a more powerful GPU, according to three people familiar with this model, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to speak about Microsoft’s plans. We hear that it will also be technically capable of supporting the Oculus Rift and that Microsoft is pursuing a partnership with Oculus. As for 2016, sources have told us there’s at least a more compact version coming by year’s end. One source believed it will include a larger 2TB hard drive, double the capacity of the most spacious current model. We’re expecting Microsoft to announce the more compact machine at E3 next month. (Kotaku’s Jason Schreier and Kotaku UK’s Keza MacDonald both independently corroborated this information.)

When asked about these plans, Microsoft and Oculus representatives did not provide comment.

The two consoles form part of a wider Microsoft strategy, codenamed “Project Helix” according to one source, to converge Xbox and Windows. For a while now Microsoft has been clear that they want their two prestige brands to work together, as they’ve announced big new exclusives like Halo Wars 2 and Sea of Thieves for both Xbox One and PC. Developer sources have told us that Microsoft’s new mandate is to release future games–including the flagship Halo series–on both platforms. The recently-cancelled Fable Legends, which was playable across Windows 10 and Xbox One, was one of the first games to implement this strategy.

In addition, people familiar with Microsoft’s plans have told Keza that the company is moving toward an iterative approach for their consoles, not unlike Apple. Sources say that instead of one hardware revision every five years or so, as has been the case with previous console cycles, Microsoft plans to move towards an incremental model, with more frequent hardware releases and games that are both forwards and backwards compatible across both Windows 10 and different Xbox models.

In March, Xbox boss Phil Spencer dropped some hints about this new approach, telling journalists that he’d like to see consoles take a PC-like evolution. “I look at the ecosystem that a console sits in and I think that it should have the capability of more iteration on hardware capability,” he said. A few days later, he elaborated. “What I’m saying is as hardware innovations happen we want to be able to embrace those in the console space, and make those available and maybe not have to wait seven or eight years for things to happen.”

Of course, Microsoft is no stranger to changing their high-level hardware plans, as we saw in 2013, when the company reversed course on an always-online Xbox One. With Microsoft, anything can change at any time. We hear that the folks at Xbox have yet to finalize the specs for 2017’s Scorpio, although they briefed third-party publishers on the device during a secret event last week, according to a source.

Development sources raised the concern that although the Scorpio model will be capable of supporting 4K resolution thanks to its GPU upgrade, as of right now there is no planned upgrade to the console’s I/O transfer speed–the speed at which the console can transfer assets from a disc or hard drive to its memory. This could mean long loading times for games specifically designed to support 4K, due to their larger assets.

Two months ago, Kotaku broke the news that Sony is preparing an upgraded version of their PS4, which is code-named Neo and will also have a more powerful GPU. Although Sony has not yet confirmed the existence of that device, other news outlets have come forth to corroborate details. We’ll likely hear more from both first parties next month at their respective E3 press conferences. Microsoft’s event is Monday, June 13 at 12:30pm Eastern. Sony’s is that night at 9pm Eastern.

[dope_danny]

They've already poisoned the well in consumer minds with the xbox brand to the point people not into games still go "isnt that the thing that spies on you for the NSA?" and i cannot imagine how they think dividing their userbase between hardware iterations will improve this. Already the xbox sales are dropping and the money for them is coming in from digital goods sales. Assuming at some point the power gap actually effects gameplay at some point they really must be banking on new hardware sales purely from early adopters replacing the current xbone console.

But i suppose if they made wise decisions they wouldn't be struggling to salvage the brand with the whole "we win10 fam tbh" marketing cringe they are pushing right now to begin with.

[dope_danny]

Unless these systems are quite a bit cheaper then I don't know that this will make up the 20 million console difference between them and Sony this generation.

Actually the big problem this gen is not competing with your current competition but your previous iteration. Sonys biggest problem has been convincing the ps3 install base to upgrade and even though they mostly dropped support for it like a year before the xbone came out i imagine they are eyeing their massive xbox 360 userbase just as much. Because it was traditionally easier to get those already buying your brand to keep buying it than gain new consumers. Its brand loyalty at its base level. This time around however consumers are more resistant to it because the last few years have been rocky quality control wise to say the least. People are wary of upgrading and with ps3 and 360 games getting cheaper every day why bother on a $300+ console with one or two games when all the award winners of 2014 or earlier can be bought for 2 bucks each?
The incentives just arent there yet.

[barackopala]

It's sad that this generation of consoles is so far behind and the new generation of graphic cards are going to be quite cheap for the level of performance they'll deliver.

AMD apparently is going to be quite cheap so it's a win/win for me.

[Deleted]

It's sad that this generation of consoles is so far behind and the new generation of graphic cards are going to be quite cheap for the level of performance they'll deliver.

AMD apparently is going to be quite cheap so it's a win/win for me.

It's ridiculous how far it's behind, so far the only smooth running games are the exclusives and even half of those can't run without dropping to 20fps or lower in action.

[Aeula]

I won't be buying a console every year like apple tries to get people to do with its products. I'll just stick PC from now on instead, especially since PC games are getting more controller support in recent years.

[Asmekiel]

I won't be buying a console every year.

Considering that by the time this new version will be released the Xbox One release is over 3 years ago, you won't have to.

[Tech614]

It's sad that this generation of consoles is so far behind and the new generation of graphic cards are going to be quite cheap for the level of performance they'll deliver.

AMD apparently is going to be quite cheap so it's a win/win for me.

Scorpio is rumored to be 6 TF if rumors are true. That's smoking a 980TI even. If true, it seems MSs last ditch effort is to try to brute force power to win the war. It will fail.

- - - Updated - - -

Considering that by the time this new version will be released the Xbox One release is over 3 years ago, you won't have to.

4 years actually Scorpio is holiday 2017 per rumors. The same time frame between the original xbox and the 360.

[Zeta333]

If true, it seems MSs last ditch effort is to try to brute force power to win the war. It will fail.

You say this as if MS will die off if they dont jump in sales and beat sony. Both Consoles are doing well. One has sold more than the other is all. And remember sony is rumored to be doing the same thing with a new more powerfull version of thier current gen console. And tbh it just sounds like them doing what sony was rumored to be doing and making a VR compatable console and then a streambox. Nothing more.

[Tech614]

You say this as if MS will die off if they dont jump in sales and beat sony. Both Consoles are doing well. One has sold more than the other is all. And remember sony is rumored to be doing the same thing with a new more powerfull version of thier current gen console. And tbh it just sounds like them doing what sony was rumored to be doing and making a VR compatable console and then a streambox. Nothing more.

The Xbox One has not sold well. It has sold well in NA and completely shit the bed in every other region. It will be lucky to break 25 mil sold before scorpio which puts it barely above the original xbox which was a colossal failure for MS.

PS4 Neo is rumored to be 4.1 TF, massive difference from the colossal 6+ TF beast the Scorpio is rumored to be. If a game is made specifically for the Scorpio it stands almost no chance of being able to run on the Xbox One or PS4 base, and would have a seriously gimped port on PS4. Just for comparisons sake as no one but first/2nd party studios for MS are going to make something specifically for it.

[johnhoftb]

http://www.polygon.com/2016/5/25/117...ne-two-scorpio

Polygon's sources are saying that the Xbox Scorpio will be 6 TFLOPS, about 4 times as powerful as the standard XBO.

- - - Updated - - -

https://mobile.twitter.com/XboxP3/st...09199044501506

From Phil Spencer's twitter:

Lots of creative chatter today. Excited to share our gaming story at E3 on June 13th http://www.xbox.com/en-US/e3

[dextersmith]

I'm skeptical people would regularly pay anything substantial to upgrade/replace the xb the way they do phones.

[Remilia]

TFLOPS is a pointless number. There are many things that's going to limit that number. Bandwidth, CPU, workload type, software, and whatever I can't think of atm.

There's also the possibility that hardware backwards compatibility isn't going to happen if they do too big of a hardware revision. Unless they increase the level of software abstraction, it's going to provide more overhead and worse hardware utilization, rendering that TFLOP number even more useless. Software emulation is also an option but that's a terrible option imo.

If they're going for a much more powerful machine they also need to set guidelines or force to leave behind a user base which will leave a sour taste to the user base. If we took new PS4's rumors at face value, then that means hardware backwards compatibility is possible but everything must be compatible with the PS4's base model.

If there's no backwards compatibility (of any kind) then that means it's going to be a gigantic PR clusterfuck since they went the software emulation route for Xb360.

PR is always the biggest issue when it comes to new hardware. This is for any side. The biggest issue Xbone had was PR, this is something they can't fuck up if we take rumors as fact.

And let's keep platform war out of this, just talk about the topic at hand.

[johnhoftb]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1223679

Rumor from The Sam's Report podcast.

Xbox Media Streaming Stick (Think Chromcast)

Xbox Slim

Upgraded Xbox

Revision to the XBO controller

Xbox One interface on PC/shared ecosystem

[RuneDK]

If this is true, much like the PS4K/neo/ps4.5 then fuck these two companies. To shit on your early adopters like this is terrible. Consoles aren't telephones nor are they computers(and even then upgrading more than every 3-4 years for a PC means you didn't future proof your computer since 4k isn't the standard right now).

[Tech614]

TFLOPS is a pointless number.

Hardly. Yes it means nothing if the rest of your system is bottle necking the GPU but do you really think MSs engineers are some amateur hour idiots going to put a 6 TF gpu on the chip only to have it be bottle necked severely?

I mean seriously...

[Remilia]

Hardly. Yes it means nothing if the rest of your system is bottle necking the GPU but do you really think MSs engineers are some amateur hour idiots going to put a 6 TF gpu on the chip only to have it be bottle necked severely?

I mean seriously...

If they want to keep backwards compatibility, yes, actually. The CPU is going to bottleneck that hard. Then there's software that is completely up to the developers, not Microsoft.
If they go for a new CPU then they're going to deal with the PR fun with no backwards compatibility, whether it matters or not to the person. It's all PR.

[Aeula]

Considering that by the time this new version will be released the Xbox One release is over 3 years ago, you won't have to.

Their long term goal is to do an apple and release more frequently. Which means that next console will be outdated within a year.

The games industry as a whole will suffer too, since they'll have to release several versions of the same game to make sure all the platforms (Old and new) can play them. Which won't be financially viable. All around bad business model for this industry.

[Edge-]

Their long term goal is to do an apple and release more frequently. Which means that next console will be outdated within a year.

Based on...? The last console generation was around 7 years long, this generation may see a ".5" halfway point rather than a full transition 3 years into it.

That's about all the info we have right now (since again, none of this is officially announced/confirmed). I don't see how that leads you to think they want annual hardware refreshes, especially since they'd basically have every single major AAA publisher abandon large scale projects at that point.

[Tyresias]

If this is true, much like the PS4K/neo/ps4.5 then fuck these two companies. To shit on your early adopters like this is terrible. Consoles aren't telephones nor are they computers(and even then upgrading more than every 3-4 years for a PC means you didn't future proof your computer since 4k isn't the standard right now).

4k is not even remotly close to being the standard. For gaming at least the standard is transitioning from 1080p to 1440p for most highend single card builds. If you want 4k in current demanding games that's a 4-5k rig with 2 top of the line gpu's if you want anywhere close to 60fps smooth at max settings minus AA wich is pointless at that ress. People that owna 4k fully capable rig are an extreme minority. If you mean playable at 4k then probably like half to most current games would run on a gtx 960/970 or amd r9 370-390 range with lowered to very lowered settings.

I do agree that if you have to change consoles that often you might aswell say fuck it and go PC