Project Scorpio Price: Phil Spencer’s 2017 Premium Console Remarks vs Xbox One X’s $499 Launch

What Spencer actually said​

The remarks came on IGN's Unlocked podcast. In the hour-long conversation, Spencer covered the just-announced Xbox Game Pass, gave an update on Project Scorpio, and explained why Microsoft moved its E3 briefing from Monday morning to Sunday afternoon. GameSpot's report said that on pricing, Spencer did not give anything away, but said again that people can expect a "premium" price.

His reasoning was about the customer, not a dollar figure. He said he called it a premium console so people would be clear it was built for the premium gaming customer. That customer buys the majority of the games, plays the most and spends the most hours and dollars. He compared it to the Elite controller, which Microsoft also treated as a premium product.

He also tried to head off alarm. He said he wasn't trying to scare anybody on price, and that Microsoft would pick a price it thought was fair for the product, with customers delivering their verdict. GameSpot also reported that he teased a pre-E3 reveal, with no plans solidified, and said the console would have a "premium" look that still seemed familiar within the Xbox family.

"Premium" did not mean "replacement"​

Spencer positioned Scorpio as a high tier, not the new default. In GameSpot's account, he expected the cheaper Xbox One S to sell far better, saying the majority of the consoles Microsoft would sell would be the Xbox One S. One forum commenter at the time read this as Scorpio being closer to an "Xbox One Pro" than an "Xbox Two." That is fan interpretation, not Microsoft's statement. Still, it matches the framing Spencer gave.

Earlier hints, and the guessing game​

This wasn't Spencer's first "premium" remark. In a 2016 NZGamer interview, he said Microsoft designed the Xbox One S and Scorpio in parallel to create a good "price continuum," where a higher price fairly reflected higher performance. He added that people shouldn't worry the console would be unlike any console price they had ever seen. In a separate 2016 GameSpot interview, he also said "premium" meant a premium Xbox One, not a "high-end gaming PC rig for a couple of thousand dollars." That article's text isn't in my search results, so treat that quote as drawn from the earlier interview rather than the March one.

Outlets filled the gap with speculation. Mic wrote that readers should expect it to cost at least as much as the PS4 Pro's $400 price tag, if not more. That was a forecast, not a disclosed number.

What it actually cost​

The answer came on June 11, 2017. Microsoft unveiled Xbox One X, formerly code-named Project Scorpio. Microsoft's Xbox Wire recap said it would launch in all Xbox One markets starting Nov. 7 and retail for $499, £449, €499, CA$599 and AU$649. Microsoft footnoted those as estimated retail prices that could vary.

Spencer did not state $499 in the March interview. The price came three months later, so it shouldn't be read back into his podcast remarks. The $499 figure does fit the "premium" framing. It sat well above the $399 Xbox One S price Spencer cited for Australia in 2016.

Microsoft also said the console would join the Xbox One family and coexist alongside Xbox One and Xbox One S, with all Xbox One games and accessories compatible. That matches Spencer's message that Scorpio wasn't replacing the rest of the lineup. Microsoft's performance claims (better textures, smoother frame rates, faster load times, true 4K with a 4K display) are product marketing, not independent measurements.

Why this matters now​

• Don't take the date at face value. A page stamped October 2026 doesn't mean this is current Xbox news. The remarks are from March 2017, and GameSpot's report ran March 2, 2017.
• Check what a headline claims. A "talks about the price" headline in this case meant "explained the pricing philosophy, withheld the number."
• Watch for filler pages. The submitted page carried a real-sounding Xbox headline over unrelated placeholder text. For readers and admins alike, a headline alone is weak evidence.

Summary​

In March 2017, Spencer said Scorpio would be premium, aimed at heavy spenders, and fairly priced. He expected the Xbox One S to remain the volume seller. He revealed no price. Microsoft announced $499 for Xbox One X that June, with a November 7, 2017 launch.