Xbox Boss Discusses Project Scorpio's "Higher Price" and Reasoning Behind It

Microsoft's upcoming Project Scorpio system has been described as the "most powerful console ever made." As such, it's going to cost more than the Xbox One S (which starts at $300), but its exact price point remains a mystery. In an interview with Levelup.com, Spencer discussed Scorpio's price at a high level, saying the system is targeted at people who want a high-end experience.

"Scorpio will be a premium console. It will cost more than S, obviously, that's how we are building it," he said (via Gamepur). "We have not announced the pricing yet, but I want to make sure that the investment we are putting into the product of Scorpio meets the demands of the higher-end consumer and that will be a higher price."

Also in the interview, Spencer pointed out that Project Scorpio is not a replacement for the Xbox One. It will live alongside that system, with games and accessories for Xbox One also supporting Project Scorpio. This is all part of Microsoft's attempt to build an ecosystem that, not unlike the PC market, allows people to buy a console that meets their pricing and performance needs.

"There is not one product that our customers come in and buy," he said. "Some people come in and buy the 500 GB Xbox One S. Many people now are now buying our original Xbox One consoles that are a really good price. There is no one product that you look at and say, 'This is the product that defines how you are doing in that market.'"

"It is really the breadth of all the products you have at all the price points," he added. "For us, when we think about Scorpio, it's for a higher-end customer who demands the most they can get out of a console, and we built a console to meet that demand."

Spencer's comments about Project Scorpio's price are apparently in response to analyst Michael Pachter telling Gamingbolt that it would be "suicide" for the console to cost more than $400.

Sony's PlayStation 4 Pro, which launched on November 10, is priced at $400. Microsoft has said Project Scorpio is more powerful than the PS4 Pro, so much so that the performance gap will be "obvious." Project Scorpio is slated to go on sale in holiday 2017.

What do you think Project Scorpio's price point will be? Let us know in the comments below!