Some new information about the next Xbox console, codenamed Scorpio, has released in a video detailing the console’s development kit. Additionally, a commercial has been spotted relating to Microsoft’s next piece of hardware.
In the video above, the voice of Xbox, Major Nelson, interviews Kevin Gammill from the Xbox engineering team. While the video mostly talks about the Scorpio development kit and why it was made, there are some little bits of information about the Scorpio dropped in as well.
Before you get too excited about the look and design of the developer kit, Major Nelson mentions the kit doesn’t look much like the Scorpio. “Physically, it looks different,” he says around the 1:30 mark in the video. “I see things on here I haven’t seen on Project Scorpio.”
These differences include more impressive hardware, like more RAM and a bigger hard drive, than what customers will be able to buy. This is to allow developers to make games with fewer restrictions, then optimize the game down to work on standard consoles. It also allows developers the ability to iterate on games much faster. Other differences include the added display at the bottom of the console and some extra buttons. These are also developer tools that will not make it to the retail version of the console, despite developers finding a number of uses for the extra display.
We do know what the Scorpio will look like from the back, however. “I also noticed on the back, it looks very similar to the Scorpio unit, but there’s an additional network port,” says Major Nelson at the 3:15 mark in the video. The added network port is another developer tool, but everything else will probably make it onto the retail version of the console. This includes two USB ports, an HDMI input, and HDMI output, an optical audio output, an ethernet input and a power cable slot. There also looks to be a port for a Kinect to plug into.
While this may sound minor to most people, Microsoft has also redesigned the Scorpio development kit to be able to be stacked on top of each other. This was previously not possible due to the way the console was designed to vent. It’s unclear if the stackable design will be included in the final Scorpio specs, but this doesn’t seem like a feature your average gamer would really want. After all, most people will not have multiple Scorpios to put on top of each other.
Microsoft has also released a new commercial, seemingly showcasing the power of the Scorpio. While the ad is only six seconds long, it ends with the tag line of “Feel True Power.” This must be in relation to the Scorpio and the fact that it will be “The most powerful console available” when it releases. The real takeaway from the ad is the fact that a regular-looking Xbox One controller is used. This could be because Microsoft doesn’t want to reveal the new Scorpio controller, but a more likely scenario is the Scorpio will be compatible with all previously released Xbox One controllers. It’ll be nice getting a new console and not having to buy all the accessories all over again.
The full Xbox Scorpio reveal will be coming during the Microsoft E3 press event on June 11 at 5 p.m. EDT. Microsoft’s press event will be broadcast live on YouTube and through your Xbox console, as well as on a number of other major gaming websites.
So what do you think? Are you excited for more information on the Xbox Scorpio? What else do you think Microsoft will announce before E3? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
