Xbox One S vs PS4 Neo release date, specs comparison: Project Scorpio may prove the dark horse

Xbox One S is set to arrive in AugustMicrosoft

Although the Xbox One S and PS4 Neo have release dates scheduled for late 2016, it is said that the Sony console is coming off as a better update than Microsoft's iteration. However, this will only last until Xbox decides to formally unveil the awaited Project Scorpio.

According to Microsoft, while the Xbox One S is primarily a slimmer version of the current-gen console, the tech giant has featured upgrades under its hood. For one, the Xbox One S upgrades its maximum storage to a massive 2TB drive, and also tweaks processor and GPU levels. In addition, the upcoming console will also support 4K display for Blu-Ray and video, although games will only get to enjoy HDR support and not a full-scale 4K output.

Perhaps the biggest tweak that Microsoft has done to the Xbox One S is integrating its power unit into the console, which makes it similar to the build of its rival, the PlayStation 4. However, its 40 percent smaller body has a drawback – the new Xbox One S does not have native Kinect support.

As for the PlayStation 4 Neo, its major feature is 4K gaming, which is a big plus given that the new console is said to target the fledgling VR gaming industry. Reportedly, the specs for the PS4 Neo are such that it will readily support the PlayStation VR headset right from the get-go. Reportedly, although both consoles share upgrades over their predecessor, the PS4 Neo slightly comes out on top.

However, this is purportedly just until Xbox releases the Project Scorpio. While the tech giant has yet to confirm details on its massive console update, supposed leaks on its features and specs paint out Project Scorpio to be a next-gen console. Against the PS4 Neo's 4.14 teraflops performance, the upcoming Xbox upgrade will reportedly offer a massive 6 teraflops. Display-wise, the Scorpio also comes out on top – it will allegedly use next-gen Vega architecture GPU from AMD, which is a step-up version of the current Polaris-backed graphics unit in the PS4 Neo.

However, fans may need to wait a bit longer for the next-gen console wars, since Microsoft has yet to come out with a release period for Project Scorpio.