Xbox Scarlett: Phil Spencer claims new console will trump PS5 in terms of power, price

With Microsoft's big Xbox event in London, gamers were eagerly waiting for announcements related to the Xbox Scarlett. Unfortunately, the show ended without any teasers or hints related to the next-generation console. Instead, fans were treated to news about Black Friday deals, new IPs, and service enhancements in the near future. While this might have disappointed a lot of people, a recent interview with Phil Spencer, head of gaming and Xbox, sheds a little light on the Xbox Scarlett.

Speaking to The Verge, Spencer confirms that his team had a lot to learn from the previous console generation. He likewise noted that Microsoft priced its machine higher than its biggest competitor and eventually led to sluggish sales. Despite Nintendo releasing the Switch a little later than the two brands, it ended up surpassing the Xbox One and is not sitting just below Sony.

"I would say a learning from the Xbox One generation is we will not be out of position on power or price," said the company executive. "If you remember the beginning of this generation we were a hundred dollar more expensive and yes, we were less powerful," he added.

Now, Microsoft appears to be pulling out all the stops with the Xbox Scarlett. Sony is already teasing tidbits of information regarding the PS5. Flaunting its new features, processors, SSD, controllers and more.

Some of the subjects touched upon during the interview are backward compatibility and cross-play. The gaming industry already knows the PS5 will support backward compatibility, but Sony remains tight-lipped as to how far back it can go in terms of software support. Moreover, the ability to play with gamers on the PS4 was never hinted at all. The way Spencer puts it, the Xbox Scarlett seems to fully support these features.

However, unlike its rival, Microsoft chooses to refrain from revealing more about the upcoming gaming system. A report covering the company's XO19 presentation claims it was focused more on new IPS, Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud. The latter is a big push to promote game streaming in order to compete with the likes of Stadia and PlayStation Now. Nevertheless, it was implied that its debut might be early next year.