Xbox Scorpio: This is how much power is in Microsoft's 4K console

Philipp Rüegg

7.4.2017

Translation: machine translated

Microsoft has revealed new details about the upcoming Xbox Scorpio console. It is set to be the most powerful console in the world and enable 4K gaming without compromise. It is now clear what hardware performance it will actually deliver.

Sony has already had a 4K console on the market since last autumn with the PS4 Pro. But with a few drawbacks. For native 4K resolution and ideally at 60 fps, this is only rarely enough. Microsoft's own console upgrade will follow this year: the Xbox Scorpio. It should be significantly faster than the PS4 Pro and even be able to keep up with top PCs.

The hardware experts at Digital Foundry were given exclusive insight into the Xbox Scorpio (not the final name) and took the opportunity to analyse it in detail. Here are the most important findings:

The hardware

Anyone who has ever played a game in 4K resolution on their PC knows that graphics require a brutal amount of power. Even the most modern graphics cards don't always master the top class. The Xbox Scorpio is therefore equipped with an x86 processor with eight cores and a clock speed of 2.3 GHz. The graphics card is designed to deliver 6 teraflops of performance at 1172 MHz. It is supported by 12 GB GDDR5 RAM with a memory bandwidth of 326 GB/s.

The technical data speaks for itself. Compared to the Xbox One, the processor is 30 per cent faster and the graphics card is 4.6 times faster. Instead of 8 GB, there is now 12 GB RAM. In theory, the Xbox Scorpio is a "true beast" as Digital Foundry puts it.

Microsoft demonstrated the performance using the Forza Motorsport 6 graphics engine. With a comparable level of detail as on the Xbox One, the Scorpio achieved a stable 60 frames per second in 4K. At the same time, it only used 60 to 70 per cent of the available performance. The Xbox One, on the other hand, ran almost at its limit with 90 per cent utilisation.

Comparison with PS4 Pro and PC

Digital Foundry tested "Forza 6 Apex" with similar settings in 4K on the PC. Only the GTX 1080 managed an absolutely stable frame rate. A GTX 1080 counts a whole 9 teraflops. Digital Foundry believes that PC games need to significantly increase their efficiency. A GTX 1080 Ti even has 11.3 teraflops.

The PS4 Pro, on the other hand, has a CPU clock rate of 2.1 GHz and 4.2 TFLOPS. On paper, the Scorpio is therefore significantly more powerful than Sony's flagship. The memory bandwidth is also significantly higher than that of the PS4 Pro and even higher than that of a GTX 1080. As with the Xbox One S, a UHD Blu-ray drive is also installed.

And without a 4K TV?

As with the PS4 Pro, you will also benefit if you don't own a 4K TV. All Xbox One games should be able to tap into the Scorpio's performance. They will either run faster or look better. Just like on the PS4 Pro thanks to performance patches. Even 360 classics should shine in new splendour.

Price and date

The Xbox Scorpio is due to be released this year, probably in autumn. Microsoft will officially unveil the console on 11 June at the E3 gaming trade fair and we will hopefully finally get to see a few games. Digital Foundry estimates the price at 500 dollars - the same price as the Xbox One back then. Including customs and import fees, you can expect to pay between 550 and 600 francs in Switzerland.

Conclusion

The first impression of the Xbox Scorpio is extremely positive. In terms of performance, it seems to be beyond reproach. Real 4K gaming should be possible with it and with significantly fewer compromises than with the PS4 Pro. Even PC gamers could be jealous. As always, however, it all comes down to the software - i.e. the games. As no one is developing exclusively for the Xbox Scorpio for the time being, the potential will not be fully utilised. Nevertheless, you can look forward to sharper textures and a better frame rate. The Xbox One currently struggles even with a resolution of 900p. The jump to 3840 X 2160 pixels will be more than impressive.

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Philipp Rüegg

Senior Editor

Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.ch

Being the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur. more