Very little is known about Microsoft’s next foray into console gaming beyond its codename and expected release timeframe.
However, thanks to a deep dive by the folks over at Windows Central, more details about Microsoft’s next console offering have surfaced.
According to the head of Xbox Phil Spencer, “is designed to power 4K games and “high-fidelity VR.” On top of powering 4K games Windows Central also reports that development for Project Scorpio will remain relatively streamlined.
With minimal changes, developers have been able to create apps for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile that work across all sorts of devices, including phones, laptops, tablets, Xbox One consoles and even the holographic HoloLens.
Our source told us that any game programmed natively for UWP on Windows 10 will run on Project Scorpio with a trivial amount of changes. This has always been Microsoft’s vision for UWP.”
With that being said, some gamers have already begun getting a taste of Projet Scorpio’s prowess over the past few months with releases such as Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3 and Rise of the Tomb Raider. When gamers play those selected games at 4K resolution on a high-end PC, the experience is analogous to how a UWP developed Project Scorpio game will eventually run.
When a game is being run by a customer, it will detect the hardware making the runtime request and unpack the correct assets dynamically. Since UWP games on PC already support most Xbox features, including controllers, there will be a minimal amount of work involved when bringing PC UWP games to the Xbox consoles. Our source told us that games such as Gears of War 4, ReCore, Rise of the Tomb Raider and Forza Horizon 3 are already using this system on Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs today. There’s also a fair chance the new Call of Duty on the Windows 10 Store is also using this system to prepare for Scorpio, but without seeing the app’s manifest, there’s no way to know for sure.”
Other questions addressed by the Xbox group involve whether or not the Windows 10 Store will compete with Steam as far as being a gaming hub and paraphrasing Xbox team member Mike Ybarra, the answer is no.
Lastly, for any early adopter who may feel jilted by the seemingly sudden upgrade timing this console generation, rest assured Project Scorpio is more than just hardware. According to Windows Central “Finally, Project Scorpio will run on the Xbox One OS, with additional features that support VR and 4K gaming. Whether it will retain the same visual interface is unknown, but considering Project Scorpio is designed to sit alongside the Xbox One, rather than supersede it, it makes sense.”
Project Scorpio was first unveiled during E3 2016 as Microsoft’s next version of its flagship Xbox gaming console but almost as a side note to the company’s announcement of its revised and slimmed-down version of the Xbox One.
Not it seems that Project Scorpio will be more than just a hardware evolution from a previous game console and more of software feat that binds all of Microsoft’s future initiatives. Check out Windows Central recent report for a bit more minutia on Project Scorpio.
