Daily Meh: Microsoft Releases Project Scorpio Specs, Gaming Blogs Lose Their Shit

This post has been put in the Soapbox section, you have been warned.

Just as the headline says, Microsoft released the specs list for Project Scorpio and every gaming blog lost their shit with hyperbole.  Here are the specs that were released:

While not everyone who reads this information may be tech savvy it doesn’t take a fucking genius to know that the higher the number the better (except when talking processor architecture).  Did this stop the great blogs out there from losing their shit?  No!  Kotaku was gracious enough to paraphrase the Digital Foundry Release posted by Eurogamer.net, that really wants you to GET HYPE:

…in short, their technical wizards say it’s more powerful than any video game box we’ve seen

Gee, thanks a lot for trying to start up the hype engine.  I WOULD FUCKING HOPE IT’S THE MOST POWERFUL CONSOLE, IT’S FUCKING NEW!!!  They also said:

Whereas the PS4 Pro was an iteration, Scorpio appears more like a new console generation, although Microsoft promises that it will play Xbox 360 and Xbox One games.

For fuck sake, please don’t drink the Kool-Aid!  Is Scorpio more powerful than the PS4 Pro?  Yes, yes it is.  Is it so powerful that you can call it a new generation?  No, no it is not.  Here’s the thing, the Xbone was underpowered for what it was trying to do in the first place (one of the reasons it’s lost so handily to the PS4).  It is not however leaps and bounds over the PS4 Pro, a console that everyone has touted as a PS4.5 rather than a new console generation.

I fully agree that the PS4 Pro is not a new console, and I for one did not shell out the money to buy one for myself (I let me day job do that).  Is it faster?  Yes, it loads games faster.  Does it provide 4k gaming?  Yes it does and most 4k gaming is still meh.  Is it worth buying one?  Only if you don’t currently have a PS4, then you’re talking about a $100 increase rather than $400.

The XBone is probably the most convoluted and shitty launch seen by something so promising (they’re really lucky Nintendo shit the bed with the Wii/Wii U).  The OS runs excruciatingly slow in comparison to the PS4.  Not only was it underpowered compared to the PS4 (not by a lot but still some) it was trying to do way too much with that lower power, making it feel even worse that it should have.  And don’t even get me started with the reveal shit show where they didn’t even talk about gaming and then when they did talk about their gaming a month later they shit all over everything that made the X360 good.

Here’s the thing:

Is Scorpio better than the XBone?  It’s not that hard to be.  The XBone is so bad that they lost a ton of the market to Sony and pretty much only Xbox fanboys are left with it.  Is it worth buying if you already own an XBone?  Yes, primarily because the XBone is so terrible and not because Scorpio is a great new console.  In order to run all of those virtual systems it will need all of that power.  Virtual systems on one console are still a great idea, I’m just glad that the XBone’s poor execution of them didn’t kill their implementation in their tracks.

Is it more powerful than the PS4 Pro?  Sure looks that way.  Is it worth buying if you already own one?  That remains to be seen, but we will most likely see it at E3 this year (since MS has pretty much guaranteed a Holiday 2017 release).

Here’s a good little purchasing breakdown for you:

Have no current-gen system and want one?  Buy a PS4 Pro
Have nothing and can wait until the holiday?  Wait and see if Scorpio tickles your fancy.  If it’s too expensive for you buy a PS4 Pro
Have a PS4?  Stick with it unless you want to be able to brag to your bros about how you have all the 4K’s
Have an XBone and want to jump ship?  I’m sorry MS sold you magic beans that didn’t turn into a beanstalk, buy a PS4 Pro
Have and XBone and want to give MS more money?  Buy a Scorpio, it’s not like Microsoft will fuck you over, repeatedly, without lube.

Thanks for reading, I’ll put the soapbox away now.