PlayStation 4 Pro vs. Xbox Scorpio

Sony has finally unveiled the PlayStation 4 Pro and the console is due to go on sale November 10^th this year which makes it the first console from this new wave to be released; unlike the other consoles, the full details about the PS4 Pro have been revealed.

Details on the Xbox Scorpio and Nintendo NX are extremely limited right now as they are both due for release in 2017;  while the upcoming Nintendo NX is rumored to be a very different console, it’s not attempting to compete against the PS4 Pro or Xbox Scorpio.

It’s an interesting decision to release an upgraded console mid-generation cycle and it looks like both Sony and Microsoft are trying to cater to owners of 4K televisions. Both consoles are thought to be fairly similar and once again the manufacturers will be competing with each other.

Specifications

The full specifications for the PlayStation 4 Pro have now been revealed on the official website [1] and the new console certainly features some nice improvements that allow it to run games at 4K resolution. All PS4 Pros will feature a 1TB hard drive with over double the GPU power seen in the original PlayStation 4 model; beyond this however, there haven’t been too many other major changes. The console still features the same CPU which means that other game aspects such as AI or physics won’t be improved and it also maintains the same amount of memory.

Unfortunatley, the PS4 Pro lacks a 4K Blu-ray drive which is strange considering that Sony were the ones to first introduce this to consoles; the console also looks very similar to the PS4 model design.

Xbox Scorpio is still relatively unknown, Microsoft won’t be revealing all of the details about the console until it gets closer to release day. Some information is available however and from what Microsoft has revealed, it looks to be considerably more powerful than the PS4 Pro.

4K

For most gamers it won’t mean anything, but this is the focus of the upcoming consoles; to bring 4K gaming in the eighth console generation. This is mostly important for people who own a 4K television. They will both contain HDR technology as well, which can improve the graphics for games on HDR televisions. It’s still uncertain how game graphics and video quality will compare between the two consoles.

Gaming

Ensuring that both consoles are well supported upon release is very important and will have a huge effect on their sales, especially during the start of their lifetimes. Sony and Microsoft have both released details about how their consoles will be treated, what games they will receive and what accessories will work with them.

Sony has confirmed that not all PS4 games will be getting native 4K versions but they will be upscaled to 4K resolution with the PlayStation 4 Pro. Some developers have already confirmed that they will not be releasing new 4K versions of their games for the new console. In addition to this, Bioware has revealed that the upcoming Mass Effect game will run at 30fps on the PS4 [2].

Details for the Xbox Scorpio are not entirely clear just yet but Microsoft has confirmed that all first party games will work on the Scorpio and the Xbox One; all XBO accessories will also work with the new console. Not all games will run at 4K resolution, but it does contain a 4K Blu-ray player.

VR

It’s been confirmed by Sony that the PS4 Pro will support their PS VR headset and will run their exclusive VR games such as Batman Arkham. Microsoft however has revealed that the Scorpio will work with several VR headsets instead and should support most games for those VR platforms.

Verdict

It’s still too early to say which one is better but the Xbox Scorpio seems to have an edge right now; it supposedly features better performance, more choices with VR, a 4K Blu-ray player and all previous Xbox One accessories will work with it.

Exactly which console comes out on top will become more clear as details about the Xbox Scorpio are released. Until then, gamers will be able to upgrade to the PlayStation 4 Pro this November.

 

[1] PS4 Pro Specs https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/explore/ps4/tech-specs/

[2] Mass Effect Andromeda http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2016/09/08/mass-effect-andromeda-frame-rate-protagonists-discussed/

Other Sources:

http://www.cnet.com/uk/products/microsoft-xbox-one-project-scorpio/preview/

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-pro-specs-release-date-and-price-confirmed/1100-6443352/

https://blog.eu.playstation.com/2016/09/08/ps4-pro-the-ultimate-faq/