Xbox Scorpio update: Platform chief Mike Ybarra makes two things clear
Anticipation is high for Microsoft's upcoming console, Xbox Scorpio, which is set to arrive next winter. With the recent release of the Xbox One S — an upgraded version of the standard Xbox One — gamers want to know if Microsoft is planning to develop Scorpio-exclusive games.
Windows Central recently sat down with Mike Ybarra, Xbox Platform chief, to discuss the new system's potential. When asked about the transition from the Xbox One S to Project Scorpio, he made Microsoft's intentions pretty clear.
"As we announced at E3, Scorpio will be 100% compatible with all Xbox One titles and there will be no Scorpio exclusive games, pending any potential unique accessories such as VR," Ybarra began. "Experienced developers who make PC games or ship their titles on multiple platforms are very familiar with the development process of targeting multiple performance configurations. We see this today, with developers authoring content at 4K resolution or higher to take advantage of high performance PCs, and then scale the content accordingly for systems with different spec ranges."
"We expect developers to do similar with Xbox One vs. Scorpio titles," Ybarra continued. "Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for developers to target multiple devices including Xbox One S, Project Scorpio and the full breadth of Windows 10 devices."
Ybarra has set the record straight on the future of Xbox consoles. On one hand, the Scorpio will be completely compatible with all Xbox One titles, but on the other, there will be no Scorpio-exclusive games, save for virtual reality titles.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft's head of Xbox games marketing, has explained the company's desire to eliminate console generations and create an inclusive "family of devices." A new era of platform gaming is on the horizon.