Phil Spencer considers PlayStation 4 Pro an Xbox One S competitor and not a true 4K console

Update: Spencer also commented on the dubious third-party deals Sony makes to keep content off of other systems. Spencer promised that the deals Microsoft makes will only go towards marketing as he doesn’t believe in this terrible industry practice Sony has perpetrated.

Ever since Microsoft revealed the Xbox One X, they’ve made bold claims about the console’s performance. Because of the fact that the Xbox One X can run almost all games at 4K, he says that he considers the PlayStation 4 Pro an Xbox One S competitor. Since both of the systems rely on upscaling games to 4K, it’s a fitting comparison. In an interview with Eurogamer, Spencer said:

“I look at the PlayStation 4 Pro as more of a competitor to the Xbox One S than I do to Xbox One X. This is a true 4K console. If you just look at the specifications of what this box is, it’s in a different league than any other console that’s out there. When I think about techniques to somehow manufacture a 4K screen like what some other consoles try to do, this is different than that.”

4K is a substantial leap over games upscaled from 1440p or 1800p, and if you look at comparison photos of even a title like World of Tanks, the difference is night and day. World of Tanks looks much more clearer on Xbox One X than PlayStation 4 Pro. Microsoft definitely made the right decision by focusing on true 4K because similar to the 1080p phrase Sony used for years. Despite loving consoles, gamers always want the best device and the Xbox One X is definitely that. Despite its $499 price, we expect it to sell really well come November 7.

For those asking about first-party games, Spencer revealed that he knows Microsoft has to focus on them but he’s cautious to reveal titles early after what happened with Scalebound. They announced the game too early and it never amounted to much other than a buggy, broken mess. Microsoft is going to be at Gamescom so expect some reveals there as that conference is about the future of gaming, E3 is about 2017.