Microsoft vows console-range prices for Project Scorpio

Microsoft doesn’t want Project Scorpio to end up competing with high-end PCs in terms of pricing. Instead it wants the machine to stay within the console range.  Image YouTube/Microsoft

While Microsoft’s Project Scorpio is rumored to be quite the beefy piece of gaming hardware, the company is still keeping its eye on a “gamer-friendly” price tag.

The head of the Xbox division, Phil Spencer, has vowed to find the balance of offering a 4k- and VR-ready machine that’s not priced as much as a high-spec PC rig, reports TechRadar.

“I want Scorpio to be at a console price-point, I’m not trying to go and compete with a high-end rig,” said Spencer, “and because we’re building one spec, we’re able to look at the balance between all the components and make sure that it’s something we really hit that matters to consumers and gamers.”

Spencer also touched on the topic of Nintendo titles being made available on the Xbox. “As someone who’s been in this industry and played games forever, I’ll still say it: Nintendo has the strongest first-party of anybody,” Spencer said.

He added, “They’re just fantastic and the memories that they have instilled in so many of us, who’ve played their games and had those delightful experiences … having those on Xbox would be great.”

Considering the number of unusual moves that Nintendo has been making as of late, like bringing Mario to the mobile gaming platform, the possibility of the Italian plumber appearing on Xbox is not exactly zero.

Whether Mario gets to the Xbox or not is a long shot, but at least gamers are being assured that Project Scorpio’s commercial form will be within reach as far as pricing is concerned.  Alfred Bayle