Yeah it will probably be only slightly better just to say they have the more powerful console. Probably same relative difference we have now between PS4 and Xbox One.
Post Xbox One Two Scorpio, what should Sony do next? *spawn* (oh, and Nintendo?)
- Thread starter mpg1
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I think if MS were to announce before Sony, they would have come in less powerful for sure. I think with no word on MS front about it, they are definitely ho hum staying quiet. I think for MS their best strategy right now is to wait until they see Sony's offering before jumping in.
I'm really don't see Microsoft wanting to go another round where they are the lesser powerful system. Even if it is by only a little bit. I think they wait and come out after PS4 neo.
I think the most interesting thing about a new Xbox will be the type of memory system they choose. Will they continue with esram or just move to a completely unified memory system like Playstation.
If the Xbox system is targeting 1080p, I think it's can be on the lower side of Neo but come out with better BC and software solutions than if they go with a completely new system. BC is likely their best differentiating feature. Selling new games with older BC titles included (or a cross buy W10) offers more value (imo) than awkward gimmicky retailer pre-order bonuses. Like QB for W10&XBO + Alan Wake+DLCs vs. QB + a cheap QB watch.
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Thinking in terms of what MS are going to compete with, given Kinect is dead, they have the options of:
1) Trying to revitalise Kinect
2) VR solution
3) Budget console
4) Hardcore console
5) 'New gen'
None are clearly the better options regards the current market, but I think powerful console is the best place to compete. However, with PS4 having an entrenched market lead, it'd be very OXB vs PS2 I think, even offering substantially better than PS4N. At which point they may just go with a lower cost, simpler upgrade plan, and start into the whole iterative console cycle full force, with a new machine every two years? Maybe try something radical like that, because the status quo for the console space is no longer stable.
Hmm, that's more business talk than next-gen hardware prediction...
1) Trying to revitalise Kinect
2) VR solution
3) Budget console
4) Hardcore console
5) 'New gen'
None are clearly the better options regards the current market, but I think powerful console is the best place to compete. However, with PS4 having an entrenched market lead, it'd be very OXB vs PS2 I think, even offering substantially better than PS4N. At which point they may just go with a lower cost, simpler upgrade plan, and start into the whole iterative console cycle full force, with a new machine every two years? Maybe try something radical like that, because the status quo for the console space is no longer stable.
Hmm, that's more business talk than next-gen hardware prediction...
1. Kinect like a lot of the motion control related peripherals we saw last gen was a solution in search of a problem. It is dead in terms of gaming imo.
2. They'd have to partner with someone for VR. Hololens isn't for gaming.
3. A budget console to me would just to be to continue with the Xbox One and lower the price to $200 or something...
4/5 Most probable scenario.
I think what's less clear to me is the platform Microsoft is aiming for. It seems they are trying to coalesce everything around Windows store and the Universal Windows Platform but I don't know how that ends looking with regards to Xbox.
Yes and no. It so happens that VR requires sensors to operate; see Vive, Rift and PSVR. Kinect can easily rival these sensors today as well as be useful outside of the VR space, kinect can still do things that Vive, Rift and PSVR cannot -- in which these solutions require additional hardware for improved hand tracking and motion detection, Kinect can theoretically operate without entirely (probably not as good as a hardware solution though, some games demand buttons where Kinect will have none).
Possibly, this depends entirely on what is required in the future space of VR. Being late to the show isn't a terrible thing.
If they're going to include ESRAM, they should stick it on die for most cost effectiveness. Could be ignored in XB2 games though if it's more trouble than its worth.
As a platform though to generate sales, Kinect is no good. Trying to sell XB2 "with even better Kinect control" will fall on deaf ears. "With best ever VR experience (enabled by Kinect)" would be a message with more chance of success.
If they develop an open DX VR standard and allow anyone to use any headset, they'd have a major competitive advantage IMO. T'would also support Windows 'consoles'.
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HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are both 1080x1200 per eye and 90Hz. I think if Xbox decides to allow VR, it should be open and allow either headset to be used.
Maybe that's how Xbox can market a new console. There's really no way to do good vr on Xbox One, so they can just sell an Xbox One VR that has more power for people who want a console that can do a VR experience, and on top of that it could run the games better. Game engines like UE4 and Unity already have support for both headsets. I imagine big studio engines like Frosbite do as well.
With regards to Kinect. I think that efforts to try to integrate more physical interaction/physical exertion into video games will never become mainstream. Video games are popular because it's interactive entertainment that requires little physical activity as possible.
I think VR for gaming purposes which just end up being more immersive display that you use with a traditional controller.
I think VR for gaming purposes which just end up being more immersive display that you use with a traditional controller.
If I were a gambling man, I'd bet that Xbox One.5 would go with ESRAM again, perhaps a slightly larger amount (2160x1200 might be a good target for VR) and then they'd emulate with HBM2 in a future console. The ESRAM blocks seemed to be in 8MB blocks of SRAM. Not sure how the memory controller is setup, but another 16MB might be a big help. Just not sure how much die space would be left for APU upgrades to the GPU, like CUs.
I think that selling Kinect would make the whole thing too complicated, since Kinect will never be bundled again. Their best bet is to support Oculus Rift and Vive, and those both come with their own solutions for player tracking. They may miss out on some Oculus or Vive specific games, but I think that most VR games will be designed to the features that are shared by Oculus, Vive and PSVR rather than to the features exclusive to one. The best bet to having a lot of sales will be to make sure your game works on all three. PS4 exclusive games obviously don't need to worry about the other two.
It may work in 2018 when Rift and Vive reach $399. If it allows Cardboard or OSVR it may have a better chance.
I'd like to get a Surface Pro that can play Xbox One games, but with UWP it seems it won't happen. If Xbox can run Excel and Powerpoint, it will boost some sales.
MS shoud be licensing Kinect tech to 3rd parties at this point.
For the short term? Race to the bottom:
- Make XBOne cheap.
- Continue to work on BC. Try to entice budget-minded consumers who are still clinging to 360s to migrate to XBone.
- Continue to invest in 1st-party development. PC releases should help with the financial viability of these investments.
- Hope that the 1st party exclusives and any other unique features they can come up with for the system will entice some PS4/Neo owners to invest in XBOne as a second console.
- Leapfrog Neo with any uprgraded SKU.
- As soon as they can roll out a Zen+Vega based APU with M.2 SSD storage (with support for archiving games to external storage and "while playing" restore to primary storage for play similar to the current install while you play setup for disc-based games) @ $399 get it out there. With full XBOne BC and all of the available 360 BC.
The response from Microsoft to Sony PS4Neo all depends too much on how Sony handles the developer mandates for PS4. If most or all of the extra PS4NEO sits idle unless it's doing VR then MS has a mectric ton of time before having to respond.
Without knowing the Sony mandates, I can't indicate what MS should do.
Without knowing the Sony mandates, I can't indicate what MS should do.
If there is a shift toward mid-gen upgrades with forward/backward compatibility, I would hope it's been discussed enough with third parties, and epic, unity, etc... and it will probably happen across the board with MS, Sony and Nintendo. Nintendo said the NX isn't replacing the WiiU, so could be BC/FC. Spencer refered to shorter upgrade cycles like smartphones (VM abstraction implies BC/FC), and sony's Ito-san said a years ago x86 and amd arch enables the possibilities of an upgraded PS4 but nothing to announce at the time. It wouldn't be surprising they all have similar plans.
NX power somewhere between PS4 and PS4K, x86/amd
PS4K about twice the PS4
XB1.5 three times the XB1
I see this as the least damaging situation for devs, all three close enough to be the same performance target and all using the same assets. Whichever platform is the odd man out would be pressured to follow or risk alienation by major publishers. This seems to be how sony was convinced to up the 4gb to 8gb at the last minute, they were told by third parties if they launch at 4gb "they are done". It's how nintendo shot themselves in the foot too.
If NX doesn't have 8GB GDDR5 or HBM, and adequate gpu, they'll be in trouble again.
Or... MS finally buys Nintendo, and NX is code name for New Xbox. Mind fuck!!!
NX power somewhere between PS4 and PS4K, x86/amd
PS4K about twice the PS4
XB1.5 three times the XB1
I see this as the least damaging situation for devs, all three close enough to be the same performance target and all using the same assets. Whichever platform is the odd man out would be pressured to follow or risk alienation by major publishers. This seems to be how sony was convinced to up the 4gb to 8gb at the last minute, they were told by third parties if they launch at 4gb "they are done". It's how nintendo shot themselves in the foot too.
If NX doesn't have 8GB GDDR5 or HBM, and adequate gpu, they'll be in trouble again.
Or... MS finally buys Nintendo, and NX is code name for New Xbox. Mind fuck!!!
Yah, I don't know what kind of money that would bring in. Kinect is a key part of their AR future, with Hololens. Using it to map a room in real-time for projecting AR seems like a much better fit for the technology.
If Sony or MS every buy Nintendo, the world should mourn. It would be a horrible day for the industry. Nintendo needs to start selling their games for Playstation and Xbox, but that's for another thread.
Absolutely, but MS already tried to buy them, so it's a possible scenario.
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