Windows Central confirms that the upcoming Xbox One-family console will get an integrated PSU. Of course, this is hardly a major surprise, but it is welcome nonetheless. Mostly because this means Microsoft has certainly ditched the terrible external power brick forever. Aside from the demise of the external PSU, the report also sheds more light on the potential of Project Scorpio. As we already know, Project Scorpio is a 6-teraflop gaming beast that will bring native 4K gaming to consoles for the first time. 4K resolution will also extend past gaming. The console will support HEVC and VP9 codecs which will allow streaming of services like Netflix in 4K. Xbox One S users will know that the console already has this ability, so it makes sense that it comes to Netflix. Game DVR and streaming will also be given HEVC coding to allow 60fps playback at 2160p. This naturally leads to Beam, the streaming service that Microsoft acquired last year. 4K capabilities are not new on Beam, although they have only been tested so far. Microsoft seems to be pointing towards bringing 4K streaming to Beam on Scorpio. As a comparison, the Xbox One can stream in 720p at 30FPS.
Project Scorpio on Low Resolutions
We reported last week that Project Scorpio is not only for those seeking 4K thrills. Indeed, most casual gamers still have Full HD 1080p screens. The console will also have several enhancements for lower resolutions. Project Scorpio will help current Xbox One games reach their dynamic scaling goals more often. Some games get upscaled on the Xbox One, but Scorpio will help them reach resolution more efficiently. Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of Project Scorpio’s performance for gamers will be its frame rate management. The console will drop frames less frequently, so current titles should play smoother and look better
