As an unabashed fan of Xbox One, I’m looking forward to tonight’s “Project Scorpio” reveal. And like any Xbox fan, I have some expectations.

The most important, perhaps, is that Microsoft fully reveal this new console tonight and not leave any unanswered questions. The only thing we should be wondering about—and debating—after today is how well the new console will do in the market.

I expect Microsoft to make its case, decisively, for why “Project Scorpio” will be better than the PlayStation 4 Pro across the board. And that part of being better is that this console actually provides 4K gaming capabilities. Which would be a key differentiator with the PlayStation 4 Pro. Which does not.

I expect Scorpio to be an Xbox One. By which I mean that it will look, operate, and feel like the Xbox One S, which will remain in the market alongside it. Just as a powerful workstation-class PC is still also obviously a PC, so should Scorpio very obviously be an Xbox One.

I expect Scorpio to play all Xbox One and backward compatible Xbox 360 games, and for it to actually improve the experience of both. By which I mean faster load times and in some cases even better graphics. I’d love to see—but do not expect—some current releases updated for Scorpio for improved visuals.

I expect Scorpio to be competitive on pricing. Which in this case means within the confines of its competition (PS4 Pro), compared to the Xbox One S, and given the high-end nature of its components. The PS4 Pro costs $400, by the way.

I expect Scorpio’s final branding not to be lame. One rumor suggests that the name may be Xbox One 10 S. That name is lame. It had freaking better not be Xbox One 10 S.

Mostly, I expect that I’ll be buying at least two of these consoles between now and the end of 2017. Assuming, that is, that Microsoft can keep them in stock. I expect that they may have problems with that.

See you tonight.

Tagged with Scorpio