As it stands right now, the PlayStation 4 (PS4) is in the lead sales-wise when compared to the Xbox One by nearly 2:1. Positive marketing along with capitalizing on the competition’s mistakes helped catapult Sony’s latest home console into an early, and quite significant, lead. Since then, Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, has been steering the ship back onto a solid course, and the console has been gaining much more favorable attention.
But, with the gap between the PS4 and the Xbox One being incredibly large, both companies are now looking to the next round, and that’s when the upgraded consoles come in. On Sony’s side you have the PS4K, while Microsoft’s camp is working on the recently announced Project Scorpio. It’s become very clear that each company is planning on approaching gaming on different fronts, so which upgraded console will prove to be a better option for players?
To answer that question, we decided to take a look at what we know about each of the upcoming pieces of hardware to help you decide what fits you best.
PS4K
Very little is know about Sony’s upcoming PS4K. At first, there was nothing more than a string of rumors alluding to a more powerful version of the current hardware. With graphics and framerates, along with the advent of VR, taking center stage in recent games, Sony need to look to the future and create something more powerful.
A few days before E3 2016 kicked off, Sony finally revealed that it is indeed working on the PS4K. It is to be a console that supports 4K resolution, and it will not replace the current hardware. In fact, all future games will still support the standard PS4 available now, and developers will have the option of adding support for the PS4K to leverage the new level of power. It’s an interesting approach, providing the option to those who want it, while not leaving anyone behind, namely the 40 million plus consumers who have already bought into this latest generation. Unfortunately, other than those few tidbits, there isn’t much else known. No specs, no release window, no software lineup, nothing. Sony also didn’t include the new console in their E3 press conference, deciding to instead focus on games and a little bit on PSVR.
There’s a good chance that the PS4K will bolster the abilities of the PSVR. After several hands-on demos with the hardware, it’s clear that it is pushing the PS4 to its very limits. And while more comfortable and affordable than its competition, the PSVR cannot hold a candle to the Rift and the Vive’s graphical fidelity. The PS4K may help to change that.
Going off of what little we know, the PS4K seems like the perfect option for those who want a boost in graphical fidelity and a bit more horsepower for virtual reality. The fact that the standard PS4 will remain with complete support means that there isn’t much else that the PS4K could offer. If Sony has no plans on gating off content it really will be just a prettier option for those who want it.
Project Scorpio
Project Scorpio is yet another confirmation of recent rumors. At E3 2016, Micorsoft opened up with the Xbox One S, a smaller, slightly more powerful version of the current hardware that supported 4K media streaming and HDR (High-Dynamic Range) color for it’s gaming for more vibrant visuals. Yet that was just a half-step forward, the company also unveiled at the very end that they were were making a much more powerful console, one that would be VR ready and fully support 4K gaming, and they titled it Project Scorpio.
While details are still slim on the hardware, there were a few details shared in the announcement trailer regarding some of its specs and capabilities:
- 8 CPU Cores
- Over 320 Gbps of memory bandwith
- 6 Teraflops of GPU power
- Will support full 4K gaming
That’s all pretty impressive, and makes it understandable why Microsoft is already touting the Scorpio as the most powerful console ever. This is much more powerful than any console, be it from Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo, has ever put out, capable of the highest resolutions without sacrificing framerate or any other features. Something that only high-end PCs have been capable of doing so far. It’s pretty much a direct response to everything that fans have been asking for over the past couple of years, just more oomph in every aspect of gaming. Microsoft seems to have a much more focused plan for this upcoming hardware than Sony does. It’s more than just an option for fans, it’s also an option for developers to make the experiences they really want to.
Which is Best?
Honestly? It’s too early to make that call. On the one hand, Microsoft is very clear on what they hope to achieve with Project Scorpio. A powerful home console, capable of delivering top-tier gaming experiences to fans without leaving behind early adopters. VR ready, 4K capable, and every developers dream. We even have a few numbers to drool over as we wait for more information. Sony, on the other hand, hasn’t done its big spiel yet. We have very little understanding of what the PS4K is, and even less knowledge regarding any numbers other than the four in 4K.
One thing that does remain to be seen, though, is how well each company will be able to keep its promise of leaving no platform behind. Both the Xbox One and PS4 are very young, slowly approaching their third birthdays. Each has begun building an impressive library, with more big games still slated for the future, ahead of the new hardware. Having consoles even only 50% more powerful, let alone the beasts that are promised to release, would be tempting to developers to leave behind the standard boxes altogether. Being held back by what’s already detrimental can be detrimental to the growth fans are hoping for with the new hardware.
For now, we’ll have to bide our time and wait for more details. Until then, we can say both are definitely looking like exciting prospects as we move towards a new year.
