Many were surprised when Microsoft revealed its new Xbox “Scorpio” console at this year’s E3 show, the biggest video game event of the year no doubt. This is because most pundits had expected the Redmond giant to keep their new console under wraps and only announce the Xbox One S, a slimmer, lighter, cream-coloured model of the Xbox One that will be available for purchase this August.
But the Scorpio looks likely to be “the most powerful console ever built”, as Microsoft’s Xbox boss Phil Spencer himself stated during his presentation at E3, a machine more than 4 times more powerful than the current Xbox One which will have full support for 4K resolution and will be able to handle virtual reality games with aplomb. Actually, a video played during Microsoft’s presentation showed several game devs praising the new console, with renowned Bethesda game director Todd Howard stating that thanks to the Scorpio’s power his team would be able to develop a VR version of their video game hit Fallout 4.
Aside from the Scorpio’s announcement, it was also a big surprise that Sony decided not to reveal their upcoming PS4 “Neo” console, an upgraded version of their best-selling PS4 which like the Scorpio, will also support 4K or ultra-high definition resolution and will be able to handle VR games and work with Sony’s upcoming PlayStation VR headset better. But if gamer’s were surprised by the Neo’s absence from E3, so was Sony by Microsoft’s announcement of the Scorpio, with Sony’s Andrew House saying that he “was surprised by the step of announcing something over a year ahead of time” according to The Guardian.
With great upcoming exclusives like Horizon: Zero Dawn, the PS4 is certainly the most attractive console to buy right now.
If one thing is clear though, is that Microsoft’s announcement of new consoles and the fact that Sony’s Neo is on the horizon must have left those looking to buy a new console in a state of bewilderment… Should they wait to get an Xbox One S, a Xbox Scorpio o the PS4 Neo? In my view, the answer is that prospective console buyers should likely not wait to get any of these consoles, and just a get a PS4 now.
The reason for this is that Sony’s PS4 is the best-selling console this generation by far, actually there are more than 40 million PS4 owners out there right now, making it very likely that there will be plenty of video games released for the system for years to come.
The PS4 is also a more powerful console than Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox One S, despite the hardware improvements found in Microsoft’s revised Xbox model, although obviously the Scorpio and Sony’s new Neo will have the hardware edge.
But still, the PS4 will be forward compatible with the Neo as both machines will be able to run any PlayStation game, although obviously the Neo will offer a smoother experience and better-looking graphics. If anything, it might be wise to wait until Sony unveils the Neo as this will lead to a price drop of the vanilla PS4 model, making it a better buy. Because even if the Xbox One does have its merits, the truth of the matter is that the PS4 is increasingly looking like the winner in this console generation.