Microsoft: Games Launching Within Xbox Scorpio Time Frame "Natively Render At 4K"
In a little dig at Sony and their rival PlayStation 4 Pro console, Microsoft Studios Publishing general manager Shannon Loftis has said they are gunning for 'native 4K'.
Aside from a pledge of supporting virtual reality gaming with the more powerful Scorpio update to Xbox One, Microsoft is keen to highlight the differences their hardware refresh has over Sony and PlayStation. The battle lines are drawn over 4K visuals.
"Any games we're making that we're launching in the Scorpio time frame, we're making sure they can natively render at 4K," Microsoft Studios' Shannon Loftis told USA Today.
This will be quite a wedge they'll be keen to drive in as Sony with their PlayStation 4 Pro hasn't been able to promise 'true' 4K but instead has revealed the visuals would be up-scaled. It's all rather moot for those without a fancy 4K supporting screen anyhow.
Sony has faced criticisms that they're awfully close to giving a misleading impression of the PlayStation 4 Pro as being a '4K console' when it's not actually outputting native 4K.
"I would say the majority will be upscaled – at least based on the game portfolio I have seen to date,” said Sony's Andrew House on the PlayStation 4 Pro.
"I think that whatever the term is, it’s a question of whether people see a demonstrable difference in the game experience or not, rather than the term we use to apply to it. I think that’s what people are looking for and they’ll make their judgement as to whether that’s working for them or not.”
Microsoft, while late to the party with their revised and improved Xbox One, can however take advantage of Sony's PlayStation 4 Pro going first and will look to exploit the feeling around 4K and whether the Pro is even powerful enough for it without big trade-offs.
PlayStation 4 Pro releases November 10th, 2016.
Project Scorpio is currently scheduled to release the newer Xbox One in Q4 2017.
