Microsoft’s Xbox Project Scorpio is the most anticipated piece of gaming hardware in the industry today – but could it give VR the boost it really needs?

We already know that Xbox Project Scorpio is going to be powerful – it’s beastly enough to overpower the PS4 Pro. Many gamers are salivating at the prospect of having a truly 4K, 60FPS capable console sitting under their 50-inch 4K television sets.

This got me thinking; is that enough for Xbox Project Scorpio to be a success? What else could it do to set itself apart? Then, it hit me: VR.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. PSVR was well delivered on the PS4 Pro. It had a decent number of launch games. It made VR affordable. As far as the launch of a new peripheral goes, PSVR has been a reasonable success.

I think Xbox Project Scorpio can do better.

Microsoft has already announced that they’re working on affordable VR – what if Project Scorpio came bundled with VR as standard?

Hear me out: we know that Project Scorpio is going to be expensive. It’s loaded with gaming PC quality hardware and has been designed to blow the PS4 Pro out of the water. As a piece of tech, it has not be designed to appeal to the general gamer – it has been engineered to pique the interest of the hardcore console gamers who want to stick with a system under their TV but want more from their hardware.

If Xbox Project Scorpio came bundled with VR as standard, it could be the icing on the cake. And, Microsoft isn’t adverse to including such hardware with their consoles as standard; Xbox Ones originally came bundled with Kinect. It cost them more money to include it but at the time they thought it would take their console to the next level.

The problem with Kinect was that it didn’t add enough to the gaming experience to be worthwhile. VR is different and I am convinced that more games will support it going forward than those that supported Kinect. Games like Elite: Dangerous have strong VR support and future first-person games are sure to add the functionality.

If Microsoft were to price Xbox Project Scorpio at £400, or £500 with VR included, I know which option I’d go for. While this ludicrously low price may seem absurd to some, I argue that it could be enough to entice PC gamers interested in VR but who can’t justify an upgrade to consider adding Scorpio to their collection, while also giving PS4 Pro players something to envy.