Report: Project Scorpio Plays 4K UWP PC Games Natively
By Jasmine Henry 25 October 2016
A new report suggests that Xbox One Project Scorpio can play 4K UWP PC games natively and that Project Scorpio dev kits will become the new default for developers.
One of the biggest stories out of E3 2016 was Microsoft’s reveal of Project Scorpio. A new and improved version of the Xbox One, the Scorpio’s beefed up hardware supports virtual reality in ‘high fidelity,’ 320 GB per second of memory bandwidth and 4K gaming.
With Project Scorpio not set to release until holiday 2017, there’s still plenty of time to go and there are still plenty of points that Microsoft could make to sell gamers on the console. One such point, according to Windows Central, is that the console can play 4K Universal Windows Platform PC games natively and developers will have to make few changes in order to get their 4K-supporting UWP-developed PC game running in 4K on Project Scorpio. Gears of War 4 has 4K support, as does Rise of the Tomb Raider, so expect both of those to make good use of the hardware come next year.
Windows Central‘s “highly credible source” also explains that Project Scorpio will become the “one-stop shop” for Windows 10 and Xbox One development. Project Scorpio dev kits will “be able to mimic an Xbox One at a hardware level so developers can test how their games scale between different power levels” too, so those who don’t plan to upgrade to the new Xbox One and fear the old model of the console being left behind have little to worry about.
The report notes that this method of developing games should make it far more likely that more triple A games end up on the Windows 10 Store, helping Microsoft to establish its storefront as a serious competitor to Steam. However, as the Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare compatibility issue has shown, the company has a long way to go to enticing players to buy games for Windows 10 from it directly instead of Steam. And, if Microsoft is to avoid more refunds as people complain about a lack of players, the company may need more than just the biggest releases to encourage gamers.
Moreover, Microsoft also has an uphill battle when it comes to the perception of UWP. Yes, UWP development can make getting games on PC and Xbox One a simple process, but UWP has also been heavily criticized by industry heavy hitters like Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney who says that Microsoft is “subverting the rights” of developers and publishers.
How Microsoft will combat that ahead of Project Scorpio’s launch is unclear, but the company will need to act in order to establish native 4K/UWP gaming as the huge selling point that it hopes it can be.
Source: Windows Central
