Xbox One X is more powerful than PS4 Pro, but Microsoft needs to prove it

By Jez Corden
last updated

The Xbox One X has finally been revealed, and it's a beast.

The six-teraflop (TF) "monster," as described by Microsoft, was unleashed at the company's E3 2017 conference, alongside 42 games, 22 with console exclusivity.

There has been a lot of commentary in the press and across social media about the Xbox One X's price point — $499 — and while a lot of the more vicious dissent was silenced by Microsoft's strong E3 showing, some genuine questions remain about its capability to take on the PlayStation 4 (PS4) Pro.

Xbox head Phil Spencer said in an interview that the Xbox One X is in a league of its own, and that the PS4 Pro is more suited for a comparison to the Xbox One S, rather than One X. That may well be true, but here's why Microsoft is going to have to demonstrate that to both the general public and hardcore gamers.

Price wars

On paper, the Xbox One X crushes the PS4 Pro into dust. It has UHD Blu-ray, HDMI pass-through, 40 percent more power, and a smaller design. When you look at the spec sheet, it's hard to argue against the Xbox One X's $100 markup, and if you're into 4K, an extra $100 alone isn't going to shy you away from a purchase.

We all know 4K TVs are expensive already, and if you have the disposable income to pick up one, you probably aren't worried about paying a little extra to get the most out of your set. You can only do that with the Xbox One X, because the PS4 Pro lacks that UHD Blu-ray option.

For media enthusiasts, the UHD Blu-ray optical drive is probably enough to sway them, but they also have the option of picking up an Xbox One S, which is far cheaper, and also powers 4K media. The Xbox One X is for gamers, and therein lies the problem.

The Scorpio engine that powers the Xbox One X.

The Scorpio engine that powers the Xbox One X.

The PS4 Pro remains a compelling option, particularly because it's $100 cheaper. Microsoft will need to work hard to demonstrate that the value of the Xbox One X extends beyond specs, particularly because it's relying on third-party games to do the job (except for Forza 7).

The big three aren't talking

ARK: Survival Evolved's developer Wildcard recently conducted an interview in which it described the Xbox One X as having truly incomparable power next to the PS4 Pro. The company described how the Xbox One X can handle higher quality textures, better frame rates, and various other visual enhancements that the PS4 Pro simply can't due to hardware limitations. Make sure you take a look at that interview right here.

Forza Motorsport 7 is one of the only photorealistic games that really showcase how the Xbox One X could be more powerful than the PS4 Pro.

Forza Motorsport 7 is one of the only photorealistic games that really showcase how the Xbox One X could be more powerful than the PS4 Pro.

Developers don't want to tell their customers invested in other platforms that their version of the game will be worse (unless you're, ahem, Bungie).

Wildcard admitted that the PS4 Pro version of ARK would be inferior, after repeat questioning from the interviewer. Developers don't want to tell their customers invested in other platforms that their version of the game will be worse, and I think this could potentially present a problem for the Xbox One X when it comes to the heavy, system-selling hitters.

We talked to EA, and the company wouldn't tell us what resolution Battlefront II would gun for on Xbox One X. We've seen from leaked marketing materials and from conversations with multiple other sources at EA that Star Wars: Battlefront II is aiming for a 4K resolution, 60 frames per second (FPS) on Xbox One X, and it's being tested in the same labs as high-end PCs. But oddly, EA won't talk to us about the Xbox One X resolution in any official capacity. Presumably, that's due to a marketing deal it has with Sony.

Call of Duty: WW2, Destiny 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, and various other huge games also have marketing deals with Sony, which, if Battlefront II is any indication, will reduce the visibility of the Xbox One X's objectively superior power.

Differences 'imperceptible' to the human eye

Some media outlets, such as Digital Foundry, will do their pixel-by-pixel tests and probably show that in some cases, the Xbox One X version of multiplatform games will be the best version. But whether that information gets communicated more broadly to the less-connected gamers out there (of which there are tens of millions) remains to be seen. Beyond marketing deals that favor Sony, I think the Xbox One X could have a problem with developers who simply don't want to utilize the console's additional overhead.

I played Assassin's Creed Origins at the Xbox Showcase in Los Angeles at E3, and it was stunning, quite easily one of the most beautiful games I've ever seen. I've never cared much about resolutions or visual wars, but after playing that game at 4K with HDR, I never want to lay eyes on a 1080p monitor ever again.

I spoke to a developer from Ubisoft working on that game and inquired about the version parity between PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. He told me that Assassin's Creed Origins will be 4K at 30 FPS on both the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, which I found a little confusing. If the PS4 Pro can handle 4K 30, how is Assassin's Creed Origins utilizing the Xbox One X's additional overhead? It isn't, apparently.

How is Assassin's Creed Origins utilizing the Xbox One X's additional overhead? It isn't.

The developer told me that both versions use dynamic resolution scaling to maintain frame rate stability, so more intense scenes might see the 4K resolution drop below momentarily to keep the game running smoothly. He said that the Xbox One X version's resolution would most likely drop below True 4K far less often, and perhaps not at all when compared to the PS4 Pro, but also that the differences would be "imperceptible to the human eye."

If the difference between Assassin's Creed Origins across Xbox One X and PS4 Pro will be imperceptible, and this trend extends to other major third-party AAA games like Call of Duty: WW2 and Destiny 2, what's the point of getting an Xbox One X over a PS4 Pro?

Final thoughts

I spoke to people at Xbox about this concern, and every person I talked to expressed confidence that the Xbox One X version of these big-name games will be demonstrably superior in almost every scenario. I want to believe them, but considering even the team behind Assassin's Creed Origins, with which Microsoft has a marketing deal, refuses to admit one version looks better, I'm a little concerned.

The spec delta is clear, but the real-world benefits for AAA multiplatform games are not.

Microsoft has Forza Motorsport 7 to showcase the full potential of the Xbox One X, but that's a single game. Crackdown 3, State of Decay 2, and Sea of Thieves all have stylized art that, while gorgeous, isn't exactly what I'd consider a decent showcase for the Xbox One X's full power.

Microsoft needed a game like Crytek's Ryse (which frankly, is still one of the best-looking games on Xbox One today) to fully show what this thing can do because clearly the big AAA third-party developers aren't willing to do it this year.

Anthem looks eye-wateringly beautiful, as does Metro Exodus. But they're a long way off, and we have no idea what the PS4 Pro versions of those games will look like.

It's on Microsoft to demonstrate that the Xbox One X versions of these big AAA games truly are the best versions (if indeed they are). Otherwise, consumers deciding which console to purchase to go with that sparkly new 4K TV this fall won't have a good frame of reference.

The spec delta is clear, but the real-world benefits for AAA multiplatform games are not. That's a real problem when deciding whether to pay $100 more for the Xbox One X.

Windows Central at E3 2017

Jez Corden
Jez Corden
Co-Managing Editor

Jez Corden a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!

157 Comments
  • Truth of the matter is that it's up to MS to boost it's 1st party offerings for quite a few reasons - mainly to attract new gamers and to take advantage of the abilities of it's very own system.  You can't expect 3rd party developers to put extra development into a game for a niche market, unfortunately.  Microsoft has already said that even standard Xbox One games will look better on Xbox One X which makes that differentiation even thinner. Saying that, I'll definitely buy the Xbox One X and look forward to mainly the 1st party offerings that take advantage of the power of the machine. This was more of a move of not wanting to fall behind.  I don't think it's necessarily a bad one but I don't see a large amount of average gamers justifying this purchase when the Xbox One S is half the price with the same games.
  • Double the price of S could change a purchase, but $100 more than PS4 Pro isn't really that all that much when considering the total cost of tv, controllers and all those games. It's merely a few meals out for most people. If it is a big deal for some, get the S. If price is a problem for many, as is suggested, then the S should be a huge problem for the PS4 Pro.
  • I have no idea what you're talking about.
  • He means that if the 100$ difference between PlayStation pro and Xbox one X is a problem for Xbox then why not the difference between PlayStation Pro and Xbox one S isn't an even bigger problem for PlayStation.
  • Exactly, especially when Phil Spencer said he considers Xbox One S to be the PS4Pro's competitor, not X as it is in a league of its own.
  • What Spencer consider isn't really what and how the people will see things...
  • It's really simple. It's because the PS4 slim and XB1s are in competition and around the same price.
  • The thing you're missing with 3rd party devs is that the majority will be developing for PC as well as console and will probably already have 4k assets, so adding those to the game for the X will not take much more time or effort.
  • Absolutely correct. Most devs already have the workflow for PC development in place, in fact, PC is often the initial base target for most AAA games before they are scaled back for consoles, developing for the Scorpio is hardly an issue. Let's see how it turns out, I'm pretty sure the Scorpio will have more in common with high end PC gaming than the mainstream consoles of today so development should not be difficult.
  • Thank you ChavasRegal and Keymd for hitting on this part of the puzzle. You guys are absolutely correct. When devs build a game their desire is to see what they've imagined shared with their players. Just like the interview with the dev from Ark Survival Evolved... my takeaway from this interview is seeing the excitement popping out of this guy because of the power on-tap of the Xbox One X. The interviewer was clearly a PS4 fan as he was trying everything to level the playing field but the dev wouldn't have a bar of it. Game Developers want the potential best from their creation, no doubt. Unless of course they are constrained by contracts and clauses. Ark is built for PC, and the dev said they normally try to hit low to mid settings for consoles, however with the X they were able to add this, and that shader, and were still able hit Epic settings (max settings for PC) easily!  
  • Worth every penny of $100 I reckon to future proof your purchase, plus it has UHD BLU-RAY, makes the $100 difference chump change.
    Plus, like all new tech-give it time. 12 months from now there will be heaps of games.
  • The only problem I have is with the games. Soo much power for ID games?
  • Your title in the main page is "Sony might stop Xbox One X from achieving its true potential" but when you open the article the title is "Xbox One X is more powerful than PS4 Pro, but Microsoft needs to prove it" I think the 2nd title is more accurate. Its up to Microsoft to make the One X a success. They need to spent money do increase their 1st party offerings, and strengthen their relationship with developers and publishers. Remember back in the Xbox 360 days when the big cross-platform games were announced/shown on Microsoft's E3 stage, the Xbox versions of CoD, GTAIV and many more games were releasing DLCs time exclusive to Xbox. Microsoft needs to make that happen again.
  • Phil Spencer has repeatedly said that they will not go that route again - at least not while he is the head of Xbox.  I agree with it only because I always thought it was bad for gamers.  After the initial debacle that was the Xbox One reveal, they really had to over-correct on this issue.
  • They dont need to go the exclusive route but they definitely need to aggressively expand their 1st party offerings so they can make the case themselves for their own product. If they dont the determining factor for the average shopper will always be price and they will lose that battle every time. Which is obviously the big issue expressed in this article.
  • If price is the issue, then the S should completely dominate PS4 Pro.
  • I personally believe the age of Exclusive titles on a platform to 'win' in the market is dead.
    The way forward is to give the best experience with the best infrastructure, along with Play Anywhere and X-Play capability. I really sync with Phil Spencer's outlook when talking exclusives. The gamer comes first and their experience playing the games they love with the community and friends they want to play with. Exclusives are a 'divider' when X-Play is a 'uniter'. There will always be 1st party games that may have reasonable timed exclusives, but I'd rather be able to play coop with a friend that is playing on PC, or (now) Switch, when I'm on Xbox. However X is more than capable to run any game built to tap its full potential, True4K/60fps and using the technologies built into the console. As Phil and others have said, they are not going to dictate how developers build for X, it is up to the developers that have a passion to see their creations the best it can be, and write those reasonably easy code additions and include 4K assets already available.    
  • Totally disagree. We've seen it throughout history and even in the current gen.  3DS and PS4 with a huge library compared to the competition is leading. 
  • Well, the X launch was enough for me to want to purchase one. I really can't wait for it's release.  
  • Hmm and where are the games? if you know what i mean.
    We want exclusives, not more multis...
  • Why? What freaking difference does it make if games are on multiple consoles?
  • Looks like there are few company fans here who down voted you. I guess they don't want games, their priority is a company/brand. lol
  • Yep, a company fan. I prefer XBox live gold, the controllers, I like Cortana, and the parental control options on XBox. As far as I can tell there are more than enough high quality games of any type I care about to keep me busy. And no, I didn't down vote just asked a question.
  • I didn't reply to you I replied to the fanboys who voted him down. He wants MS to invest in making new games and he is getting down voted. Typical MS fanboys...
  • I don't see how you could be more wrong. Everyone wants games but if a game is available for your console then how exactly does it help you that it's not available for another? The fact is that it doesn't help you at all so I'd say those down-voting that comment are actually the opposite, i.e. they are the ones who just care about games, and it's those who are calling for exclusives that are more interested in the brand.
  • He is telling MS to invest in making games. MS have hardly announced ANYTHING in years and rely on 3rd party and old gen game. Sorry but you guys and the ones who don't want MS to invest in making games are weird.
  • Jez, it's possible that the team behind Assassins Creed Origins just don't want to say "that" out loud out of fear of pi ssing off PlayStation fans. After all, they'd like to sell as many copies as possible. Them not "saying" it doesn't mean it's not true. We'll see.
  • Going by your logic, wouldn't it be better for them to have parity then? So not to p off PlayStation fans.
  • Well I wouldn't be surprised if they actually aimed for parity. Which would be horrible mind you.
  • If the X1X was harder to access the power I would agree with you, but it's pretty easy to develop/upgrade the XO engine for example.
    Parity is always possible, but we never really saw it with the X1 & PS4, even though it looked like it sometimes.
    Your right though it would be horrible, and a terrible place for gamers in general to be in
  • its not HIS logic, its an observation of marketing and how business etiquette maybe in play. I hate it when people say going by your logic.. it uses no logic to the context of the reality, its like using an analogy and refusing to budge that it does not fit the real situation completely and carrying down that route as if it is the infallible complete story working logic to fit the analogy and not the thing it's self 
  • Whatever you may say, it's his observation which doesn't make his interpretation of the situation correct. Therefore his logic. Which he was ok with me saying, and didn't take offence to, and took how it was meant.
    His logic would indicate it would be simpler to just make the game have parity from the start so not to p off PlayStation fans. Which no one would like. We have no idea how 4pro & X1X will perform across the board yet in comparison to eachother. Even if it's just what difference higher quality assets will make.
  • What I think is that the extra power isn't utilized only for for higher resolutions. As we all know, when they're tweaking a game for a certain console they can't turn all graphics settings all the way up and that's why the PC version at max settings always looks better so maybe even if games would have the same resolution as PS4 pro, they would look much better as if they are running on a PC at max settings.
  • Which one is it WC?  The XBox One X is targeted at the 35+ crowd with disposable income or at consumers where the $100 difference matters?  The job for Microsoft is to figure out its target audience and market it heavily and then throw money at some developers to have games that will excel under the new platform much more than on the other platform.  They just need that "one game" to rule them all and nobody will care.  Whatever that Flag Ship game is , it has to be really good.  While Forza 7 could be that game, that is not enough. 
  • I agree, whilst Forza is a great IP it's not enough to sustain a good 1st party line up. MS really need some new great 1st party IPs to both test the console and draw in a new type of audience. This is something that has been lacking since the last two generations. Looking back to the OG Xbox days and seeing things like Crimson Skies, Mech Assault, Fuzion Frenzy, Kung Fu Chaos, Brute Force etc. and seeing nothing of the sort today makes me sad.
  • Being within the tone of other articles on this site should you be writing about how Xbox users can make a smooth transition to PlayStation?
  • Yoy can transition to XBX.
  • Zing!~
  • Ha Ha! Nice one :D 
  • What I've learned from owning a PS4 these pass 2 years is, too many casual gamers can ruin gameplay on the best of games.
  • What does that mean? 
  • He's trying to say that he doesn't want me on his squad. 
  • playing against folks that offer no competition/resistance is not fun.
  • oops
  • "...ahem, Bungie..." LOL... So true
  • Great article. You hit alot of good points around how similar the features of S and X are (with the X costing $250 more for 4k gaming). I wish they would have announced an "upgrade tier" for $399 w/o controller and maybe 500gb HD (or a trade in deal for X1 / X1S).
  • One article I read concluded. If you have an X1/S get a PS4 Pro. If you have a PS4 get a XoX.
  • That's an interesting conclusion to make.  Since I don't have either, my options are more open. :)
  • There are a few things to keep in mind with all of this. First, this is no surprise. Whatever the outlier is in this sort of situation, there's going to be letdowns. The Switch doesn't get a lot of high end games because it doesn't have the power to handle them and the developers don't want to go to the trouble of downgrading their product to meet its hardware capabilities. The X won't get to flex its muscles every time because of similar reasons. This is the nature of things and the complex nature of game development.  This does bring up the value of developer support. Microsoft needs to work with the developers to make it easier to leverage that kind of power. Development, especially game development, can be a labor of love, but it's also a business. Reduce the business case for not taking advantage of the power and let the love shine through. As far as what developers say though, keep in mind that it could be like the favorite child. A parent when asked which child is their favorite will often say they love them all equally, even if one child is bringing home A's every night and the other is being brought home by the police every night. One is clearly the favorite, but the parents won't go on record saying that. I will be interested in seeing how PC gaming impacts this over time. When a developer makes that cutting edge game for PC were only 2% of gamers can play it at the highest settings, will that trickle down to the X? And will we see more games that push the envelope of what X can do as gaming PC's become more powerful?
  • good article you hit it right on, I think that more games that will scale up to the full potential of the Xbox one x are coming, they are just not ready to talk about them at this time. Any time a new console launches it takes developers time to learn how to make the most out of the hardware and this will be no different. I think the biggest issue is not having a 4k TV that can take true advantage even a lot of 4k TV's that have already been purchased do not have the HDR support so while they will look better than 1080p they are not going to be as great as the 4K TV’s that do support HDR. This I think is the biggest issue with convincing purchasers . I have one of the older 73 inch Mitsubishi DLP's and of course to get that size or larger in 4K HDR will cost a bunch. I don’t really want to go down in size to get 4K either and the projector I use for gaming is not even 1080p and there are not any lower priced 4K HDR projectors for sure.
  • "When you look at the spec sheet, it's hard to argue against the Xbox One X's $100 markup, and if you're into 4K, an extra $100 alone isn't going to shy you away from a purchase." It's very easy to argue against the price. For example: - the console only brings a 1TB HDD. For something that claims to do true native 4K, that's not nearly enough space. Not unless Microsoft stops the games from installing on the HDD and starts running the games directly from the disc (but that would require Xbox One X games to come in UHD Blu-Ray format and the original Xbox One wouldn't be able to play them). - And it lacks bluetooth support (which means, in connectivity terms, it's a step backwards from the One S). All of that makes it rather obvious the 100€ extra are hardly justifyable.   "If the difference between Assassin's Creed Origins across Xbox One X and PS4 Pro will be imperceptible, and this trend extends to other major third-party AAA games like Call of Duty: WW2 and Destiny 2, what's the point of getting an Xbox One X over a PS4 Pro?"   And this is yet another reason why the 499€ price tag plays against the One X. Let us be realistic here for a moment: which console has the higher marketshare? PlayStation. Which console dominates most markets worldwide? PlayStation. Now put yourself in the shoes of a game developer. WHY would you actively jeopardise your game on the console that has more customers just because the one with half its userbase is more powerful? You wouldn't. When push comes to shove, third party developers will look at the maximum native 4K gaming that the PS4 "Pro" can handle and probably top out their games there. They will not develop two completely different games - on for the PlayStation and one for Xbox - with different textures etc just to match the power of each respective console.   And why is the One X at a disadvantage? Well, blame Microsoft. If Microsoft hadn't botched so clamorously the launch of the Xbox One, maybe they could have gotten ahead of Sony since the Xbox One was a better console than the PS4. If they had gotten the head start, they'd be in a position of driving developers towards their objectives. But because of the launch of the Xbox One, they now have to deal with whatever developers do in light of whatever Sony decides.   If the One X lasts another, say, 5 years (ie. if Microsoft doesn't replace it in a couple of years), maybe once the PS5 is out they'll be able to finally get most developers putting games in 4K60fps on the One X. Because THEN they'll also be doing it for the PS5. But until Sony releases that one, Microsoft will keep fighting an uphill battle to convince developers to develop two versions of their games.
  • There is no "developing 2 versions of their games". It's merely a question of configuring the game. Just like a PC game can run on 1080p and on 4K, so can a console game be reconfigured for different systems. Mostly, textures are already way bigger than what would need to be used for 4K so you don't have to rebuild textures either.
  • This. PC gaming has had this forever already. I'm pretty sure Scorpio will be the equivalent of 4K at low (or maybe medium) settings on PC gaming. It is not a big deal to implement this as the default Scorpio setup.
  • See my answer below.
  • Except here you're not talking about running games in two different resolutions on the same platform as you are on PC. You're talking about developing two games for two platforms. And whilst, yes, graphics are always larger than the standard definition the game runs on, for 4K graphics you'll need to expand those still. And the question is whether game developers are interested in spending resources to do that for a platform that has, potentially and at best, only half the users the main one has. Making a game run at 4K60fps requires a lot more development than one that tuns only in 2K and the console upscales the rest. Or that tuns at 4K put at half the frame rate.
  • Developing for PC and Xbox One X has much in common. Your fixation on two different platforms is true but there are so many similarities with PC and X it is basically deving for 1. This is the beauty of One OS across all devices, and the Play Anywhere push. Games are normally developed on PC to begin with. It is a relative 'cake walk' in terms of developing for games to add 4k assets, turn this shader on, and this feature to X and keep the settings on high for 4K/60. Devs are already coming out saying how easy it is to dev for X because of the devkit etc etc. Then after they sort the X version of the game they then reduce the output for the PS4/Pro versions. (Adding, the superscaling to Xbox One/S is a simple process already factored into the devkit as part of DX12, and the common OS, etc).
  • Yes, OneCore is an advantage. However, the game that runs on your Xbox One isn't the one running on a PC. So whilst the devs might say it's easy to develop for the One X, it doesn't mean they'll prioritise it. Or even take that approach you suggested of leaving the PS4 development for last. Quite the contrary. They'll for sure be more concerned with the game on the PlayStation - which has the largest console share - than with the One X. It's a question of priorities and resources. And even though OneCore makes Xbox development easier, it doesn't mean devs will prioritise Xbox versions of their games.
  • You still do not get it. It is not about developing a game for a particular platform but about tuning features like texture resolution, filtering, framerate etc. to a particular performance level. It is _NOT_ that these features are fixed in the code and you need a different code path to enable them.
  • My understanding of UHD blu-ray is that the difference between the two is the number of layers.  So a regular BluRay player should be able to read the first two layers of a UHD blu-ray.  So we could potentially see games released on UHD and still be usable on both generations of consoles with the 4k assets being on the last two layers. 
  • Not possible. That was what some people initially thought when it was announced 4K discs would still be Blu-Ray. And when Sony skipped the UHD player on the PS4 "Pro" some theorized that a software update could make the player UHD-capable. But it can't. The problem is the players still need extra hardware to be able to read the layers of a UHD Blu-Ray and decode them. The Xbox One player (just like the PS4 "Pro") lacks such a player. And therefore they can't read UHD discs.
  • Double sided game disks..... Proably not though, if the 4K content doesn't fit on the regular disk it will be a downloadable patch, 
  • If only there would be Gran Turismo for Xbox, that proof would have some sense, but...
  • Totally agree with Ryse. Beautiful looking game. I'd love to see what a developer can do with Xbox One X if they stick to 1080p and use the system's teraflop power to push the render quality as far toward realism as possible.
  • Ryse 2 at native 4K / 60fps as an Xbox One X launch title is what they needed. It's too bad things went sour with Crytek. This is why Microsoft needs more first-party studios. Just look at Crackdown 3. That game should look absolutley phenomenal, but it just looks okay. That doesn't mean it won't be fun; it just means that Jez is right: no one will care that Xbox One X is whatever-fold more powerful than PS4 Pro if the games don't look like it.
  • I am also not impressed with the visuals of Crackdown 3. To me it looks too similar to the graphics of the first game. Now Forza, Metro, and Anthem on the other hand are jaw dropping gorgeous.
  • You guys are really starting to excel at spreading FUD. 
  • Interesting, particularly when it has been revealed that AC Origins wasn't 4k and isn't expected to be. Digital foundry has done an analysis.
  • A 3rd party game that will not be released for months, the developer takes the easy way out because they need to make it work on platforms such as the PS4, and that is a hit against the XBX? The Sony fans are starting their manufactured excuses and attacks early. And if it happens with the XBX, will it not also happen with the PS4P? But I expect you to make up some reason to excuse it being the same on the PS4P.
  • I honestly don't care at all about 4K. I own both PS4 Pro and Xbox One and I'll be buying most games on Xbox One because that's where I socialize. Yes I know most games would look marginally better on PS4 Pro. I bought a PS4 for PSVR and I love it. Xbox has nothing to compare to that experience so I had no choice. I really don't care about these marginal resolution differences (which is why I never became a PC gamer). I wouldn't be a console gamer in the first place if I cared this much about resolution and frame rate. As a console gamer I'm used to there always being a better looking PC version of the games I play. Resolution has never been a deciding factor for me. 4K is very dumb marketing.
  • They should use this extra power for VR. That was the expectation of many people. Disappointing they didn't announce anything and instead said they were focusing on AR/VR for PC.
  • They explained the reasoning behind not showing VR/AR. The PC focus, yes. 
    Let the console come out. There will be VR/AR coming, there was just too much to bring this E3, in fact some even said there were too many games featured in the briefing. X is a big deal.  Phil Spencer's decision not to announce a number of upcoming games or new IPs so far in advance is another thing that he also addressed. Sony's idea to announce new games so far in advance is crazy, there were even a number of games announced for the second E3 this year, for late 2018 release, possibly. So no doubt there will be a third announcement of these same games at E3 2018. What's the point.  
  • Exclusives are defining I think for a system. Look at the Switch. Severely underspeced when compared to these behemoths, but is outselling everything just because of their IPs being solid (I cannot put down Zelda and stopped playing FFXV on my Xbox One S). Mind boggling. there was nothing at E3 that compelled me to go and stand in line for the new Xbox. Happily content with my One S right now and since they'll be getting the same games for at least a year (which isn't that compelling in the first place), should be fine with it until Sony shows their next one (which I hope has backwards compability and UHD support, reasons I went with the One S over the Pro).
  • I can't believe people can't tell the difference with 4K I work retail and I can show an older person the difference and they notice it right away. I thibk those who claim they cant see either have a medical issue or are bullshitting because they can't afford the price. Consumers love to drag new ideas and technology down in ways and its childish.
  • BAGs complain about everything especially now that ms is bringing highend 4k to consoles..(aka broke ass gamers)
  • I always laugh when I hear that argument. A friend even claims that he can't tell the difference between SD and HD. No, the difference between 1080 and 4K is not a big of a jump from SD to HDit is quite noticeable. HDR is what truly makes 4K shine (literally, shine in the visuals), but the increase in the feel of a movie makes a huge difference.
  • I can confirm for a fact that my family can't tell the difference of HD and SD. They insist on watching channels we have in both in SD. They know we have a Blu-ray player yet they insist on renting everything on DVD. Most people think DVD is HD. I consider myself pretty tech savvy and I'd struggle to explain to most people what exactly HDR is and why they should care.
  • Good for you. Meanwhile, those of us who are not blind (no offense to the blind including cool8man in with you) enjoy quality. Oh, and because you struggle to explain HDR to others doesn't mean that it is not bad, it just means that you have decided not to understand it - mostly because you are blind and cannot tell the difference between HD and SD.
  • This may be true for 70+" screens but doubt anyone could tell the difference on let's say a 40-55" Per the comparison below most people assumed the PLASMA was the the 4K TV. So, picture quality, how colors, shadows, etc pop out is more telling. Also, supposedly that HDR is one of the features that many reviewers say makes the ultimate difference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RodCjVf-5AE
  • Come over to my house and we will watch the BBC "The Hunt" in 4k on my 55" 4K HDR tv and tell me you cant tell the difference. It's like watching the scene unfold behind a pane of glass, not recorded halfway across the globe and being replayed.
  • Most have probably not even seen 4K, they just parrot whatever crap they hear online :-(
  • It all depends on the screen size. At E3 for example, the screens for people to play the game were small. If the game wasn't running in 4K, people wouldn't be able to tell.
  • ...hope you post an article when the preorder links go live... that's all i care about....
  • Xbox One X can install Window OS? Or Linux OS 😂😁 this **** 99.9% hardware are same as PC.
  • Xbox One already runs Windows 10 ;) It just doesn't run the desktop shell version of it (I wish it did 'cause even that would be better than the current UI).
  • I'm sick of these marketing deals that Sony has with the biggest up-coming games like Destiny 2, RDR2, BF2 (I missed CoD WW2 out on purpose as I couldn't give a toss tbh, even though CoD shifts consoles). The exclusive content deals for Destiny 2 suck as well, given the games cost the same on both systems. C'mon MS it's not like you can't afford to fund the same kind of deals. It would help shift more Xbox consoles if MS could get the same kinds of deals...and some great exclusives wouldn't hurt too. Games comparable to the Uncharted series, and Last of Us etc. I'll prempt any responses like "go and buy a PS4 then", I can't afford or justify the cost of a 2nd console. Which I guess goes for a lot of gamers who are committed to the Xbox ecosystem.
  • Sony Is Taking The Concept Of PS4 Exclusivity Way Too Far http://flip.it/f5eUdM
  • lol that article made me laugh. Spencer is such an hypocrite. I had respect for the guy. I've lost all respect these last few days.
  • Did you see MS's presentation? SO MANY timed deals. It's not about marketing which real gamers shouldn't care about. It's delaying FULL games on rival console. That is what real gamers should shout about.
  • I just think that there are some scummy deals being made at the moment, and it's us that's suffering for it.
  • PS4 50% HIGHER GPU VS XBOX ONE---> SONY CHARGES $100 DOLLARS LESS THAN MS XBOX ONE XBOX ONE X 40% HIGHER GPU VS PS4P--->MICROSOFT CHARGES $100 MORE THAN PS4P  
  • That's actually an interesting comment.
  • Kinect is what you are forgetting was factored into that price difference.
  • MS needs to"unleash the beast" and show games that only the Xbox One X can run created for the One X. What's the point in creating the strongest game system if its held back by weaker system? They need to show a New EXCLUSIVE game that takes a hot steamy dump on Sony. And Xbox needs to show it sooner rather then later cause at the rate technology moves it won't belong till ps has a powerful system on there hands...and they have the first party exclusive studios to show it off.
  • The CPU continues to be the bottleneck here. While a high end PC version can run 4K at 60fps, although you do need a GTX 1080ti and adjust the settings to get 60fps, it's doable. Even if you want to play at 1080p at 120fps, it's up to you. While the Xbox One X has a better GPU and more RAM available over the PS4 Pro, both will struggle to hit 4K at 60fps, except for the easiest of games. Even 1080p at 60fps, that's why the developers will aim for a higher resolution over a higher frame rate.  Realistically, 30fps will be the target frame rate for most games as both console's have that CPU limitation. Textures will look better on the One X and it will likely hit a higher resolution easier, probably similar to what we saw between the regular PS4 and Xbox One. If Assassin's Creed already needs to use a dynamic resolution on the Xbox One X instead of a locked 2160p, then it's pretty clear that the CPU continues to be the issue.
  • You have to understand that dynamic resolution only helps the GPU not the CPU. So your reasoning is invalid.
  • The X's CPU has been enhanced to eliminate bottlenecking  "The new x86 cores in Scorpio are 31 per cent faster than Xbox One's, with extensive customisation to reduce latency in order to keep the processor occupied more fully, while CPU/GPU coherency also gets a performance uplift. There's significant hardware offloading too - some of which is inherited from Xbox One, some of which is radically new."
  • I agree. Though it's enhanced a bit in Xbox One X, still poor and less powerful than Intel Core i3. Jaguar is basically a cpu for smart devices.
  • how's an 8 core CPU less powerfull than an i3? last time i rembered the consoles were very optimized. I don;t think an PC could touch the performance on CPU from an console. even with 4 cores like i7. or at the same price.
  • Why is this a problem? How does it effect how you play the game? If Sony allowed cross platform play it might be a problem if PS players had some kind of advantage because of exclusives. Since they don't, I really don't see what difference it makes.
  • When will people realize just because a system is more powerful doesn't mean its gonna sell good. The og Xbox was more powerful than the ps2 and that didn't sell good. The ps3 was more powerful than the 360 and that didn't sell good. Now you have stupid people at Microsoft thinking just cuz its more powerful its gonna sell good but it's not gonna sell good cuz the games suck no exclusive titles that are system sellers
  • Worked well for the PS4 though didn't it.
  • I think the problem is also the MS "fans" who will just keep praising and defending MS no matter what they do. MS got to open up. Do market research on people who didn't buy the XB1. Invest in making games instead of misleading us with bs like "launch console excluisve" or whatever that is!!! 
  • The research has already been done.  Gamers hated the initial messaging that Mattick had.  The message that made it seem the console was more about media and people complainging about always on.  That perception is what caused a gamer uproar and gave the PS4 its lead from the start.  That plus every fanboy talking up how it wasn't as powerful and claiming 1080p vs 900p on some games was such a deal breaker.   All of these things are what lead to the bad start from the XB1 and Spencer is doing everything to right that perception.  He cares about games and he's giving you options to have the more powerful console product in hopes devs will have no gripe to complain about what they can't do on the xbox that they can on the PS.  Hopefully the devs and more first party exclusives will start to follow suit cause he's done all he can to put out a good prouduct and good face for the organization.  
  • Accurate summary...
  • The problem is that besides the MS/XB fans or XB1 owners I don't see many people excited about XB1x.  Higher resolution was one of the many reason the PS4 sold better but the PS4 had more exclusives/games for most of the gen. Consoles and exclusives sells consoles. That's always been the case for decades. 
  • Luckily, the XOX isnt just all power, its a highend 4k experience, you know, like how bluray is the highend experience to dvd. I am looking forward to seeing my XOX light up my 115" 4k projector.That in and of itself will be a new experience..and dont forget uhd bluray. Anyone recommend a uhd movie that really shows off what uhd bluray can do?
  • And here's is when CryTek should come to make that console blow like they did with the Xbox One back in the day.
  • The timing couldn't have been worse, considering what's going on with Crytek right now.
  • I think it's going to be similar to the PS4 versus the Xbox One, there will be some framerate and res improvements in certain games and a few visual improvements in multi plats but without a side by side (other than the framerate) it won't be overly obvious. The biggest difference will be in first party and exclusive titles, and that will mean that the One is going to need exclusive titles people want.
  • The appealing thing about the Xbox One X for gamers is the complete package. I.e. the guide, Xbox Live, Looking For Group, Clubs, UWP Apps, etc. Obviously we want pretty looking and fun games, that's a given, but it's the complete package for gamers that makes the Xbox the best console.
  • You forgot BC, im going back through my og xbox collection as we speak..to see what i can look forward to on the XOX
  • Complete package with hardly any first party games and exclusives
  • The One X is DOA man. Sure it's great hardware and the $500 price tag isn't "that" bad but who is the audience. I know this question has been posed over and over on the web but I still don't get it, who will by this console outside of die hard MS fans? I'm a die hard MS fan and I won't even buy this console, the reason, because I can't play the new Spider-Man game on it, and there you have it.... To be fair though, I also predicted the Switch would crash and burn hahaha. 
  • If dont have a ps4 because i cant play halo 5 on it..
  • Touché. I personally feel Sony has better exclusives and so far consumers agree.
  • It won't be dead on arrival, that is possibly the stupidest comment I've seen in this article.
  • Harsh man 😢  
  • Sorry, i accidently hit a parked car yesterday so I wasn't in the best mood.
  • It's all good man, sorry to hear about that.
  • Basically the people on the Xbox side who are as dedicated as the Sony fans who bought the PS4 Pro are.
  • Also, the Switch had Zelda, that is all it needed. The fact that it is now also getting new Mario and Metroid (HELL YEAH!) games means it doesn't even matter what Microsoft or Sony do, I suspect the Switch is likely to come out on top. And who wins? We do, the gamers.
  • 4k with 60fps is the only way
  • Sure, if you own a 4k TV. To me though, 60 FPS is far more important than resolution. I'm a PC gamer with a 1080p TV fyi.  
  • So you don't own an Xbox One currently? Or an Xbox 360?
  • I technically own a 360 but I don't know the last time I fired it up.
  • I am not a gamer.  But my Samsung 40" HDTV clearly has problems.  Seems there are 2 dim bands across the screen.  At some point I will replace.  I will buy a 4K TV.  But what about my  55" 15 year old Plasma 1080p screen downstairs?  My son is off to college and did not take his XB one with him.  No one uses it. But I have a better sound system downstairs o watch movies.  How about a nice 60" 4K TV?  Why would I care about spending $500 versus $400 on a consol? Also.  I thought Microsoft is designing Windows 10 to make programs move easily from Desktop to Xbox.  Isnt a game on the PC just a program?  Why would it not run on xbox?
  • Went should you care about spending the extra 100 dollars ?because you could use them to help buy a good 4K TV from LG instead of buying a Samsung Tv.
  • Or save a grand and get something from Changhong or TCL that looks almost as good and has a better warranty period.
  • And from which money you are going to buy the 4k blueray player, which apparently is included in the XBox deal?
  • The Samsung Samsung UBD-K8500 costs less than 200€ now. The Xbox One S costs 250€. There. Two good and cheap UHD players.   Besides, he said he had problems with his TV. Then asked why should he care if the console cost 100€ more or less. I told him why. Because he will be spending money on it he could use to buy a TV that isn't crap.
  • Xbox's big problem was that it would sometimes go under 1080 while ps4 wouldn't. This now makes this problem belong to ps4 pro which if talked about will hurt ps4 pro just like it did xbox.
  • Sony, the sore loser. Sony, who plays dirty amd has inferior products.
  • Sony is fighting for its life. They lost the TV and portable music market which they once dominated. They are only minor players in the PC and cell phone market. The gaming market is only consumer electronic market that they dominate. If they lose this market, they are effectively finished. 
  • Xbox one X will run basically the same game as pc, so the whole sabotage bs doesnt add up
  • Nope, PC is already ahead of the Xbox One X, granted you will be spending at least a grand for that privilege.
  • i don't think it's developers that don't want to say what the best version is.  many already make games for PC where you can get better specs than console anyway.  it's the Sony console maker that bought up rights for marketing that don't want it known which version will be better.
  • "imperceptible to the human eye." and there is it, no matter what anyone says unless your sitting with the devices side by side or running benchmark software on both you will never see the difference and that goes for the Xbox One, PS4, XboxOneS, PS4 Pro and the Xbox One X, with the naked eye and just the one console your never going to see it. For me its about personal preference I really want the Xbox One X becuase for me its the best bet to have something that is on par with a high-end PC (which i cant afford) so ill get all the power and still be able to game with all my buddies online, I honestly cant wait to get my hands on one.
  • I'm in the Xbox ecosystem because I'm an achievement *****, but that being said, I also own a PS4 and it really is no contest visually between the two systems, but graphics don't mean squat in the grand scheme of things it's about what games you like to play. Also I find the One to be a lot more convenient because it works with my remote whereas the PS4 doesn't.
  • I agree with you it all depends on what a person wants to play and where thier buddies are, I prefer the One becuase it just intergrates into everything else i have like my PC, Phone and Tablet just makes everything feel very smooth and easy to use, but it reall all just boils down to personal preference and as long as your enjoying your time who cares what is the "best".
  • The only thing I think that's immediately noticeable is games that run 60FPS on One X/PS4 Pro and 30FPS on One S/PS4 One thing that disappointed me about the Assassins Creed demo on Xbox One X was that I noticed the odd hiccup in the frame rate. The performance still looks really good, nothing like syndictate or AC 4 which felt a little unplayable to me on Xbox One
  • This is the most annoying statement that keeps popping up. I replaced my 1080 TV with a 4kHDR set in January and the difference is remarkable. Even games on the Xbox One or regular HD cable look better.
  • But now your talking about moving from one type of TV to another so yes you are going to see a big difference because now your 4K is going to give you more PPI, but its not going to increase your fps of the game its just going to make your picture look better.
  • Is this article serious? Metro, Forza 7, Anthem blew us away. Like nothing like it ever before. The Sony conference visually was so underwhelming on comparison. Anthem is not possible to look like that on the Pro. Not even close. Digital Foundry have an article as to just how good that was. And how Pro wouldn't come close to those visuals. It proved it on stage there and then.
  • Anthem looked visually great, but it also looked boring as Hell. I have absolutely no interest in the game because it wasn't thrilling at all, just pretty pictures and that's it. If you want a pretty game over a fun game then hey, I guess Bioware have found their target audience. That being said, Metro is going to be incredible, I couldn't care less about how it looks, I just love that World and the way the team approaches an FPS.
  • That's not what i was talking against. Part od the article is talking about can your eyes see a difference. My post is talking against that point. MS conference visually blew Sonys away. I'm not talking from a gameplay point of view. Visually One X has already proved its a vast step up. And developers have barely scratched the surface of the device in less than a few months they have had dev kits. As for your comment about Anthem. That's fine. I know alot of people who will buy this game in a heartbeat. It's a game like Destiny. But made by the same team that made Mass Effect 1-3 and also has people working on it who made Kotor. This game should blow Destiny/The Division away in terms of the talent behind the game.
  • MS's conference was packed with time 3rd party indie games that will also come on PS4 and other multiplats. ZERO exclusives. I can play ALL those games without EVER buying a XB1. 
  • ZERO exclusives huh? What about State of Decay, Crackdown, Sea of Thieves, and Ori? Before you trot out PC, let me remind you Microsoft is on a big push for Play Anywhere. I will be surprised if Microsoft ever releases a game only on XBox, there is even talk of Halo 6 coming to PC.
  • MS isn't making you play on Console if you don't want. You can play them on PC. MS still makes money from PC sales to. One X is for those who don't like PC gaming and are choosing which console to buy. For those people which there are millions can't play alot of games if they buy a PS4 instead. And will have inferior multiplats to boot. PC gaming isn't an option for many. Sales of PC titles show this. At the same time MS isn't shutting out its Xbox PC crowd. They are embracing the coexistance of their 2 platforms together. Any MS PC exclusive you buy is being a part of their grand Xbox Vision. So buy what version you will. Consumers are winners and MS are winners. But this breaks the Fanboy arguenent of console wars. And most on the internet can't handle how MS have changed their approach to the gaming market. It just doesn't compute with sad Console wars people.
  • What I don't get is why people who are firmly in Microsoft's camp care about graphics now. Why didn't anyone care about this when Sony had the upper hand in the visuals? It's just hypocrisy and makes me laugh.
  • I don't think people didn't care. For me PS4 didn't fulfill my Media needs at all. No 4K bluray, i cannot intergrate my Freeview and it has less than half the apps in my country compared to Xbox One. I have spent the last 12 months with just one box under my TV for everything. I could bot have done this with a PS4. The PS4 is just a games machine. And now with One X it isn't even the best equipped at that in terms of power for the artists to use and create. Graphics have always been important to me. Just not the only thing. I cannot justify spending £300 on a console that lacks in so many features. And i want to be all digital. I wouldn't in a million years buy Digital titles from PSN. As with their track record i would not be able to play them on a newer console. I would have to pay AGAIN and use PSNow to play titles i already paid full price for on the gen before. Something my mate is extremely pissed off about. He bought digital titles on the PS3 that are wasted. He cannot play them on PS4. So it's lost burnt money.
  • Definitely agree with Ryse. I've seen it at 4K on PC and it's absolutely stunning. Is it getting a 4K60 patch for One X or is it too old now for them to be bothered?
  • Cheap 4K TVs will bring people to the XB1X and the PS4 Pro this holiday season.
  • Sony just has to continue to flood the market with Playstation exculsive games and it will drown out any message that Microsoft will be trying to get out about the Xbox One X. 
  • You know, it doesn't matter how it's configured, some moron will always find fault with it, you can't please everyone, so those who do find fault, don't buy it. Damn how much power do you want or need, it's not a rocket ship, it's a gaming console, that's a little better than the Xbox S at twice the price. Enjoy people. Buy one for the less fortunate.
  • There is one valuable lesson that Ms needs to learn real fast if they're really want the Xbox One X to be successful. They have to stop relying on other developers to be a representative of what their product is capable of. Be the leader and set a standard for them to strive for. They should have learned this by now. It amazes me how rich of a company Microsoft is with all
    of the blunders that they make. That being said I will be in line to get my Xbox One X this fall.
  • Well i think all Sony did was stste that it was the most powerful and compare a few screenshots. I imagine that everyone with a 4k TV wants content. MS have us the XBox S, great console and the cheapest 4k Blu ray player. Now they have given us a games console that supports 4K games. I think anybody shopping for a Pro is now looking at an 'X'.
  • We need games like ryse 2, exclusive realistic AAA mature titles. Its the hardcore crowd that will buy the xbox one x so show us the power of the console. Its the job of microsoft to show what their console can do, not the third partys. We need AAA realistic titles