As both the consoles; PS4 and Xbox One approach the end of their life cycles, it’s safe to speculate about how soon we could expect the next-gen consoles and what we could expect from them. Although the guys at Sony have been very tight-lipped about their plans for the future, despite a leak regarding PS5 earlier, Microsoft has hinted for what it could bring to the fans as soon as 2020. Let us talk about the next Xbox codenamed Project Scarlet.
Microsoft’s Project Scarlet And What It Means For Gamers?
We got a tonne of new games, both Xbox exclusives and third party titles at Microsoft’s E3 2018 conference. However, what we were not expecting was the mention of how the folks at the Xbox department were already working on the next generation of gaming hardware.
“Our hardware team… is deep into architecting the next Xbox consoles.”
Before this quote, Phil explained on how various teams were working to improve AI in video games, to boost cloud performances, and make the games accessible everywhere from the console itself to PC and even to handheld devices. We got a little more insight during an interview in which Phil Spencer pointed out:
“I’m always wishing games would start quicker.”
This gives us an idea that the Xbox team has goals to reduce loading times of games, both for them to start and then resume in-game. Maybe, Phil was rather impressed by the lack of any loading screens in God of War and he is looking to capitalize on it.
What About Frame Rate and Resolution?
Moreover, booting up a game even before it installs is common nowadays on both PS4 and Xbox One. The latter uses the FastStart technology to load up the important game files before so to ensure the player can play the game while the rest of the components and files install over time.
With a next-gen console, the tech could even be more powerful and would reduce both download size for a game all the while ensuring there is a minimum delay for the player when booting up the game.
Moreover, Phil also shared some resentment regarding how consoles could not reach the performance of powerful PCs and their GPU and CPU units and how they would like to improve on it. After all, this affects the frame rate directly and affects how smooth or fluid a gameplay experience could be.
“I think frame rate is an area where consoles can do more. When you look at the balance between CPU and GPU in today’s consoles they’re a little bit out of whack relative to what’s on the PC side.”
It is safe to assume Phil has plans for at least 60 FPS and 1080p for future consoles. This is a standard for most games now on consoles but going beyond that is something only the PC could do. If Xbox pulls out a tech to boost frame rate beyond the normal 60 FPS then, it will be quite a thing.
The above two aims should really be the benchmark for every console. Both maximizing resolution without a loss in quality and not compromising the performance of the game itself.
What Games Will Be On Project Scarlet?
These announcements came after Phil announced that Xbox has acquired 5 previously independent studios including Ninja Theory which worked on Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. This could finally mean the next Xbox can take advantage of its core processing power and deliver exclusives on the level of PS4 this gen; something which was very much absent from Xbox One this generation.
When Will It Release?
The brief tease this year would likely mean the guys over at Microsoft are looking to reveal the next-gen console no later than 2019. Of course, the official launch would then have to be maximum fall 2020 and this has to be before Sony’s next console if Xbox really wants to win this time. It has to rely on its marketing, a competitive price for the console, an earlier release date and lastly some decent day-1 launch titles.
Of course, we will continue to update our Project Scarlet article as we gather more information. In the meanwhile, do not forget to let us know what you expect from it in the comments section below!
