It’s been a good few weeks without hearing anything further regarding Sony’s seemingly absurd plans to release a new iteration of the PS4 later this year, so it comes as no surprise that we’re starting to get more solid facts about Xbox possibly doing the same. Coming from Kotaku once again (who had two different writers corroborate sources independently and arrive at the same story) have seemingly made a startling discovery. Microsoft is also planning their own more powerful Xbox One, and it’s going to tie into VR.
Microsoft already have one hand in the pocket of Oculus, and if these reports are true they could be seriously leap-frogging the PlayStation VR plan. The new more powerful Xbox is reportedly codenamed Scorpio, and is being targeted to be able to support the Oculus Rift at launch. That would mean a massive jump in terms of graphical power, but one that Microsoft isn’t looking to use to make the current Xbox One redundant. Instead, this is simply tying into a more frequent hardware iterative scheme, which Phil Spencer actually hinted at earlier this year. Accoding to the information, Microsoft is aiming to hit 6 Teraflops of computing power. If you compare that with the current PlayStation 4, which sits at 1.8 Teraflops, that’s a pretty significant upgrade.
On top of that, Microsoft is also apparently going to be announcing these plans at E3, along with a new Xbox One model coming out in 2016. This model will feature the same processing internals as the current Xbox One, but in a slimmer package with a suspected larger hard drive. This is the slim version of the console that is about due, and I can certainly see this being fact within a few weeks time.
This all ties into a strategy Microsoft is apparently dubbing “Project Helix”, as they attempt to further merge their PC and console enterprises together. In terms of software, this was meant to kick off with the now cancelled Fable Legends, but Microsoft reportedly have plans to continue with already announced titles such as Sea of Thieves and Halo Wars 2, as well as new instalments in the Halo franchise. Yes, it seems Halo is coming back to PC the next time we see it.
Kotaku also learnt that Microsoft is taking many hints from the way Apple operates, in that they’re aiming for an iterative approach to console hardware from now one. That means smaller but more frequent upgrades, much like the two-year cycles core iPhones iterate through. This is all planning in flux, so don’t expect all of it to hold when Microsoft is finally ready to talk about it.
And when that will be is anyone’s guess. This sounds like far too much to address in one press conference, although it is reported that Microsoft has already briefed third-party developers at an event held last week. We might not have to wait much longer then.
Last Updated: May 26, 2016
Admiral Chief Protector
May 26, 2016 at 07:41
But will it still have such a large PSU?
miaau
May 26, 2016 at 09:11
Yes. We keep it on hand, if a house intruder comes in, BAHHHM, that intruder is OUT. We have it mounted on top of the doorway to the TV room, you have to enter in a certain way, else it deploys.
Really annoying when the wife forgets, as when it deploys, it plugs out the power as well. Damn. Also, is awkward moving her body to get it back. Damned if I will wait for her to wake up before I continue playing.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
May 26, 2016 at 09:13
XD
miaau
May 26, 2016 at 09:15
Ta, in a funny mode today. Mood or mode. Cannot decide.
Wrote the wife an e-mail about how our financial dreams are coming true, cause I won the OMO Lottery today. At least, I got an SMS that claimed I did.
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 26, 2016 at 09:30
Did you phone the honourable Mr Jonas as requested & pay the deposit required to get the cheque which he’ll put in the mail immediately?
miaau
May 26, 2016 at 09:36
Nah, they said they will debit my account. And it was a Ms Mapula, with a very odd sounding South African Accent. If she says she is from SA, then she must be.
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 26, 2016 at 07:45
Does MS actually know what their customers want?
I get very worried when I hear companies talking about how they want to operate like Apple. Because what they mean is Steve Jobs. And what they mean by that is the fabled “he got people to buy stuff they didn’t know they wanted”. Which they try to copy. And we then end up with a square wheel. And they can’t understand why people don’t buy it. Because it worked for Apple.
miaau
May 26, 2016 at 09:09
That is a good question. Does any company know what their customers actually want? I see this far too often. Business Analysis theory, in product design, should allow for some small measure of what the customer wants.
Ultimately, there are still a lot of variable out there. for example, was your sample group of customers really a good overall sample, or do they skew the results? Did you ask them the right questions? (sometimes the right questions are not known in time, only experience or further analysis leads to that)
Some guess work is required, I think, in any large enterprise like this.
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 26, 2016 at 09:29
MS demonstrated a serious lack of analysis when they launched the Xbone. That disastrous launch. Yoh.
I think the problem in many companies, particularly tech companies, is that they live in a bubble. They’re constantly surrounded by people who love tech, who’re excited for the newest & shiniest things, and assume that everyone else is like that too. It’s so obvious with VR, they’re pushing the hell out of it, tech people are excited for it, majority of consumers are lukewarm.
miaau
May 26, 2016 at 09:35
YES, “They’re constantly surrounded by people who love tech”
AND they dislike people who try to keep things grounded. I think.
Greylingad[He Charges!]
May 26, 2016 at 11:41
You see, in that case the design elements aren’t considered well enough, take any device/App/tool/thing that can be used, and you will find that the ones that offer function before features are the ones that sell. If something works and is reliable, it will sell, whereas if something has features but the basic functionality is questionable, it won’t sell. Finding the common ground is the hard part, which evidently, Steve Jobs was good at identifying.
Ed, Edd and Eddie
May 26, 2016 at 09:31
The Bigger Question is do the customers know what they want, In software development the customers mostly have no idea of what they want, and blame everybody besides them selves if the end product is not what they want. So by buying the crap, we are skewing the results our selves ie. the Kinect was never a working concept but millions were sold are VR headsets going to be the same?
miaau
May 26, 2016 at 09:34
YES, that is also true.
Bastards. said with feeling.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
May 26, 2016 at 09:15
What will the new one be called? XBOX Quatro?
Greylingad[He Charges!]
May 26, 2016 at 11:34
Xbox…Dos…
Darren Peach
May 26, 2016 at 14:29
Hey, Leave DOS alone…… A better name would be Uno Dos.
Gardos
May 26, 2016 at 14:35
I cracked a smile. Good job!
Darren Peach
May 26, 2016 at 14:18
How do I take this news. Do I endeavor to do better and try get back to a secure enough position that I risk wasting money on one of these upgrade XBOX unos, Or do I buy a new fridge ?
Avithar
May 26, 2016 at 15:29
doubt this will actually be smaller compared to V1