With the arrival of the PS4 Pro a whole new world of mid-generation hardware upgrades has been unlocked. What was once considered to be reliably consistent is now multi-dimensional with more than one hardware configuration available to consumers. It's an evolution of the market that has confused many consumers, but has also created incredible new opportunity.
Microsoft is on-schedule to release its competitor to the PS4 Pro in a year's time. Currently code named Project Scorpio, the upgrade to the Xbox One has been described as an even more significant jump in terms of processing power. While that could end up meaning that the price of the console will be more abrasive than that of the PS4 Pro, it also means that it'll be by far the most powerful gaming console on the market once it releases.
In terms of software, developers are now having to deal with optimizing on multiple hardware configurations, and apparently the older Xbox One is going to suffer as a result. Bogdan Iliesiu of Angry Mob Games shared with GamingBolt:
For gamers who are serious about graphics, this paradigm will be welcomed. We have already seen significant compromises made when developing games for the Xbox One, to a point where it's become a well-debated problem. Being able to solve this without abandoning an entire generation of games is something many consumers will find attractive.
But for those who expect many years of high quality of life experiences from the affordable base Xbox One model, this could prove problematic.
