Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, has only just finished up the Microsoft E3 2016 conference in which he announced “the most powerful console ever”, Project Scorpio. One of the biggest features for Microsoft’s new console is the ability to create console-like games in full Virtual Reality. Spencer has just said that current generation consoles do not have the power necessary in order to power a virtual reality title to the quality of a console game.
When talking to Wired, Spencer said that “The truth is, a console that can run a 2D version of Doom or Fallout today, which a PS4 and Xbox One can, is not going to be able to do a stereoscopic, high-framerate version of those games. . . The capability and the hardware spec that they need to deliver a console-like experience to VR was a requirement of 6 teraflops, which clearly, today’s consoles – PlayStation 4 and Xbox One – don’t have.”
While we don’t know if Xbox Scorpio’s virtual reality solution will be through a Microsoft-developed headset or through an already developed headset—like the Oculus Rift which Microsoft have partnered with—the lack of VR on Xbox One was obviously done for a reason. What is worth noting is that the competition, Sony’s PSVR, is designed to run on the current generation PlayStation 4 although rumored reports say that the experience is less than what consumers are expecting. I for one can’t wait to find out what Microsoft’s VR will eventually be like, or the Scorpio as a whole for that matter. Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Source: MCV
Lewis is a games journalist, freelance gaming and consumer-tech journalist. They contributed 344 articles to ICXM between 2015–2017, focused on opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news: has since served as Editor-in-Chief at StealthOptional and Gaming Editor at MSPoweruser, with bylines at Gfinity Esports and FRVR.