Microsoft and Eurogamer have gone all out with a massive Xbox Scorpio reveal, showcasing the hardware and performance stats of the next Xbox. While the 12GB of RAM and and 326GB/s memory bandwidth are very impressive, Microsoft was quiet on the most important thing: how much all this is actually going to cost. Why was that left out of the big reveal? Because Microsoft isn’t quite done yet.
You’ll also notice there were no shots of the actual console anywhere, only pictures of hardware and game footage. This strongly suggests Microsoft isn’t done with the final design of the console. At this point, it’s likely the company only knows what kind of hardware is going to come in the box. Since the story of the Scorpio so far has been “most powerful console ever,” it makes sense Microsoft would reveal the actual tech first.
Now that we know about the tech, the price point is the real mystery. As Eurogamer reports, the Scorpio is better in just about every way compared to the PS4 Pro, and outshines an Xbox One easily. Seeing as how the PS4 Pro is available for $399, the Scorpio cannot be more than $499.
We’ve seen in the past how technically superior consoles fall by the wayside at too high a price point (looking at you, PS3, launching at $499). While the $499 price really hurt the PS3’s initial sales, Microsoft can at least show demonstrable advantages the Scorpio will have over a PS4 Pro. The PS3 and Xbox 360 were pretty much on par with each other; another reason why the PS3’s launch price was such a killer during the console’s early days.
Anything above $499, and we feel most people will tune out. Yes, the console is definitely geared towards the hardcore crowd, who traditionally are more willing to spend the cash for a better experience. But if Microsoft wants to get any crossover appeal, the price will have to sound somewhat reasonable. Hearing a new console is “over $500” is harder to swallow than “$499.”
So when will we know about the price? The smart money is during the Microsoft press event at E3. It’s fairly surprising that Microsoft didn’t wait until June for the full reveal, but since this is really just a hardware and specs dump, it is an easier message to deliver via text than on a stage. Can you imagine how boring a presentation would be with a presenter just reading off high-end tech specs?
Microsoft’s E3 presentation can now focus on showing off the fancy final design of the hardware, probably some kind of controller upgrade, reveal the release date and the price all at once.
So what do you think? Would you pay $499 for an Xbox Scorpio? What about $599? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
