Xbox Scorpio Reveal - Digital Foundry - Thursday 6th April

geotrig

Any mention of when he signed his contract and what the annual bonuses are with MS :pac:

ibFoxer

emmetkenny wrote: »

This was only a tech announcement rather than anything else. Hopefully when they show the actual console then we see loads of games etc.

I haven't seen the YouTube videos yet just read the specs and seems to be a decent jump over the One/One S. Happy enough to be honest.

Seeing the specs what are people's thoughts on price? €450-€500? Less?

I'd take a guess at €500, unless they can somehow cost it down to the same as the PS4 Pro

maximoose

CPU
Scorpio - 8 custom cores (described as "evolved" Jaguar cores) clocked at 2.3 GHZ (x86)
Xbox One - 8 Jaguar cores clocked at 1.75 GHZ
PS4 Pro - 8 Jaguar cores clocked at 2.1 GHZ

GPU
Scorpio - 40 customized compute units at 1172 Mhz
Xbox One - 12 GCN compute units at 853 Mhz (914 Mhz on the S)
PS4 Pro - 36 improved GCN compute units at 911 Mhz
Memory and memory bandwidth
Scorpio - 12 GB GDDR5, 326 GB/s bandwidth
Xbox One - 8 GB DDR3 + 32 MB ESRAM, 68 GB/s for DDR3 + 204 GB/s for ESRAM = 219 GB/s bandwidth
PS4 Pro - 8 GB GDDR5, 218 GB/s bandwidth

Hard drive
Scorpio - 1 TB HDD
Xbox One - 500 GB/1 TB/2 TB HDD
PS4 Pro - 1 TB HDD
Optical Drive
Scorpio - 4K UHD Blu-Ray
Xbox One - Blu Ray on Xbox One, 4K UHD Blu-Ray on Xbox One S
PS4 Pro - Blu-Ray

Other notes from the video:
"At the front end of the GPU sits the command processor, which takes the instructions from the CPU and processes them. And here's where things get really interesting - Microsoft's engineer's have effectively made a hardware implementation of DX12 integrated directly into the GPU command processor. Draw call instructions on the CPU that would typically require thousands of instructions are now reduced to just 11. Yes, 11. State changes that are also heavy on CPU are now cut down to just 9. Microsoft tells me that this custom hardware alteration should drop CPU rendering workload by half on titles built on DX12 renderers."

Turn 10 were able to port Forza 6 to Scorpio in 2 days, running at true 4k / 60FPS at only 66% GPU utilization

I generally don't know what the hell most of the stuff discussed in the videos actually means in reality, but it sounds neat :pac:

Looking forward to actually seeing the console in action

super_furry

All sounds very impressive and 4k 60FPS will convince some, but what's it going to do for people like me who don't want to buy a new television? Microsoft need to sell the 1080p features and improvements to me and then I might be interested.

FAILSAFE 00

Very nice indeed.

Oafley Jones

emmetkenny wrote: »

This was only a tech announcement rather than anything else. Hopefully when they show the actual console then we see loads of games etc.

I haven't seen the YouTube videos yet just read the specs and seems to be a decent jump over the One/One S. Happy enough to be honest.

Seeing the specs what are people's thoughts on price? €450-€500? Less?

I'm in, provided it's 500ish and under. I was hoping for some sort of hint at VR/AR. I really need to start selling off/get rid of consoles though. I've two 360s, a One and a PS4 OG that I'm not using and basically hoarding.

maximoose

maximoose wrote: »

CPU
Scorpio - 8 custom cores (described as "evolved" Jaguar cores) clocked at 2.3 GHZ (x86)
Xbox One - 8 Jaguar cores clocked at 1.75 GHZ
PS4 Pro - 8 Jaguar cores clocked at 2.1 GHZ

GPU
Scorpio - 40 customized compute units at 1172 Mhz
Xbox One - 12 GCN compute units at 853 Mhz (914 Mhz on the S)
PS4 Pro - 36 improved GCN compute units at 911 Mhz
Memory and memory bandwidth
Scorpio - 12 GB GDDR5, 326 GB/s bandwidth
Xbox One - 8 GB DDR3 + 32 MB ESRAM, 68 GB/s for DDR3 + 204 GB/s for ESRAM = 219 GB/s bandwidth
PS4 Pro - 8 GB GDDR5, 218 GB/s bandwidth

Hard drive
Scorpio - 1 TB HDD
Xbox One - 500 GB/1 TB/2 TB HDD
PS4 Pro - 1 TB HDD
Optical Drive
Scorpio - 4K UHD Blu-Ray
Xbox One - Blu Ray on Xbox One, 4K UHD Blu-Ray on Xbox One S
PS4 Pro - Blu-Ray

Other notes from the video:
"At the front end of the GPU sits the command processor, which takes the instructions from the CPU and processes them. And here's where things get really interesting - Microsoft's engineer's have effectively made a hardware implementation of DX12 integrated directly into the GPU command processor. Draw call instructions on the CPU that would typically require thousands of instructions are now reduced to just 11. Yes, 11. State changes that are also heavy on CPU are now cut down to just 9. Microsoft tells me that this custom hardware alteration should drop CPU rendering workload by half on titles built on DX12 renderers."

FutureGuy

Don't have 4k TV. As with PS4 Pro, meh.

CatInABox

Just watched those two videos. Very interesting, seems like they've really put a lot of thought into it.

Judging from the size of the renders in that video, Scorpio is going to be Xbox One S sized. Pretty impressive again.

Oafley Jones

FutureGuy wrote: »

Don't have 4k TV. As with PS4 Pro, meh.

Automatic Supersampling for 1080p TVs. I don't have any 4K tvs either, but there's more benefits with these systems than just resolution.

maximoose

EG:Project Scorpio Explained

ForzaTech demo, which is a stress test based on the Forza Motorsport 6 engine, running the maximum number of cars around a track with dynamic weather and all the bells and whistles turned on.

How did it do?

Smashed it. At the same graphics quality settings as Xbox One, the demo ran at a full 4K resolution, at a perfect 60 frames per second. For Xbox One to do this at a standard HD resolution of 1080p uses about 90 per cent of that console's power. Scorpio was only using 60-70 per cent of its resources to run this demo. The graphics settings were then ramped up to the equivalent of the ultra settings on the PC game Forza Motorsport Apex, and Scorpio still didn't break a sweat

tony1980

Edit: Not trying to start anything, just found it an interesting analysis.

degsie

console pron right there....

wexdevil

Seems like a decent refresh,I'll probably pick it up at launch.

Stone Deaf 4evr

jaysus eurogamer arent half milking the clicks, there must be 6 different articles and 4 videos.

its the years advertising budget all in one afternoon.

Mickeroo

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

jaysus eurogamer arent half milking the clicks, there must be 6 different articles and 4 videos.

its the years advertising budget all in one afternoon.

Yeah, and pretty much the exact same info in each one.

degsie

wexdevil wrote: »

Seems like a decent refresh,I'll probably pick it up at launch.

might wait for the scorpio-s myself

bigphil2

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

jaysus eurogamer arent half milking the clicks, there must be 6 different articles and 4 videos.

its the years advertising budget all in one afternoon.

Why wouldnt they,itll probably pay wages for months!

Native 4k so easily with existing games is really really good
I'm impressed, very much so
And that's not even pushing the GPU beyond 70%

super_furry

super_furry wrote: »

All sounds very impressive and 4k 60FPS will convince some, but what's it going to do for people like me who don't want to buy a new television? Microsoft need to sell the 1080p features and improvements to me and then I might be interested.

Watch the end of the video
It caters for all

CatInABox

tony1980 wrote: »

Edit: Not trying to start anything, just found it an interesting analysis.

Haha, I can hardly complain if the guys doing the reveal are putting out videos like that.

From one of the Eurogamer articles:

I don't have a 4K TV and I doubt I'm going to get one any time soon. Why should I care?

Microsoft has made a commitment that (unlike PS4 Pro) all improved Scorpio modes for games must be available regardless of the display that's connected. So even with a regular 1080p TV, you'll be able to choose between performance modes that make the game run better, or resolution modes that will then "supersample" the 4K image down to your 1080p display, which should give you superb image quality - basically, a fantastically smooth and pretty picture. It's like having the ultimate anti-aliasing solution.

OK, how about this: Scorpio will run absolutely all Xbox One games better, whether they get patched with 4K/Scorpio enhanced modes or not. Rather than running on an emulated Xbox One, they'll run with the full power of Scorpio unlocked, which in most cases should mean: more stable frame rates that hit their target more often; no screen tearing; maximum possible resolution at all times; nicer-looking textures; and faster load times, thanks to the improved hard drive and the spare 3GB of fast RAM.

It's very impressive stuff, can't wait to see more now.

Most of the video I watched if not all of it was him talking about the scorpio running old games. Sigh not sure why i expected anything else.

Anyone else find when they see something run at 60fps that it seems off or not right for a minute until you adjust to it ? Sooooo many years of 30fps games

Spudman_20000

I know it's obvious to say, but the pricing will be critical. If the Scorpio is aimed at "that premium customer, the gamer that expects the absolute best versions of the games", isn't that gamers who already would own a gaming PC?

I think we're probably looking at a price tag of at least €500. I'd be surprised if they shift many units as they think they will at that price.

Falthyron

M!Ck^ wrote: »

Native 4k so easily with existing games is really really good
I'm impressed, very much so
And that's not even pushing the GPU beyond 70%

But existing console games are not on par with PC versions, For example, the image quality, draw distance, and various effects will not be the same. Enabling a game to run at 4K and 60fps is great, but more graphical power should be pushing boundaries, not putting a lick of paint on past titles.

This is no different to my PC being able to play Darksiders at 4K and 144fps. Its great and all, but I have already played the game and while it may look prettier, I am not interested in going through it again. Besides, the improvements aren't that substantial when compared to the original. I very much doubt the Xbox Scorpio will be able to run native 4K at 60fps for new games. And if they advertise as such, the image quality will be significantly less than that of the same game on a PC.

We need to see new games running at 4K and 60fps on the Scorpio and then compared to PS4Pro and PC to make a solid conclusion.

FAILSAFE 00

Deleted User wrote: »

Most of the video I watched if not all of it was him talking about the scorpio running old games. Sigh not sure why i expected anything else.

Anyone else find when they see something run at 60fps that it seems off or not right for a minute until you adjust to it ? Sooooo many years of 30fps games

Yes. Being a PC and a console gamer I am constantly switching between games running at 30-60 FPS and sometimes up to 120 FPS. It takes my eyes a few minutes to adjust when going back and forth.

Stone Deaf 4evr

Falthyron wrote: »

But existing console games are not on par with PC versions, For example, the image quality, draw distance, and various effects will not be the same. Enabling a game to run at 4K and 60fps is great, but more graphical power should be pushing boundaries, not putting a lick of paint on past titles.

This is no different to my PC being able to play Darksiders at 4K and 144fps. Its great and all, but I have already played the game and while it may look prettier, I am not interested in going through it again. Besides, the improvements aren't that substantial when compared to the original. I very much doubt the Xbox Scorpio will be able to run native 4K at 60fps for new games. And if they advertise as such, the image quality will be significantly less than that of the same game on a PC.

We need to see new games running at 4K and 60fps on the Scorpio and then compared to PS4Pro and PC to make a solid conclusion.

I suppose the reason they're referring to old games, is at least it gives you a benchmark to visualize from. If they came and said crackdown 3 is running in 4k at 60fps, we have no way of knowing whether that game has the graphical style of GTA V or Super meat boy.

Falthyron

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

I suppose the reason they're referring to old games, is at least it gives you a benchmark to visualize from. If they came and said crackdown 3 is running in 4k at 60fps, we have no way of knowing whether that game has the graphical style of GTA V or Super meat boy.

As opposed to being blown away by how incredible Crackdown 3 looks... Or any other game shown for the first time at E3, for example. Show us something new, fresh, impressive, exciting, being played in real-time, etc. Do something...

Spudman_20000

The more I think about the Scorpio, the more confused I become. I mean, its basically next generation hardware that runs current generation games. I could understand if it was launched with Scorpio-specific games, but it's just going to run the same game with better graphics.

Will One owners really be tempted to upgrade for prettier graphics and faster load times for a big price tag? Colour me unconvinced. If MS want to get into a "my daddy is stronger than yours" argument with Sony, good luck to them.

Blazer

As impressive as the gains made in the cpu st 4K it's the gpu that's the bottleneck. 4K at 30/60fps will come at the expense of quality.

TitianGerm

Spudman_20000 wrote: »

The more I think about the Scorpio, the more confused I become. I mean, its basically next generation hardware that runs current generation games. I could understand if it was launched with Scorpio-specific games, but it's just going to run the same game with better graphics.

Will One owners really be tempted to upgrade for prettier graphics and faster load times for a big price tag? Colour me unconvinced. If MS want to get into a "my daddy is stronger than yours" argument with Sony, good luck to them.

I think you need to scratch the "Generation" thing now with Microsoft. We will see periodical upgrades in three tiers.

Once Scorpio launces we will have budget (One), mid tier (One S) and high tier (Scorpio). Then as a new more powerful console is released the One will be canned and the S will become the budget machine.