Xbox One spec defense was no PS4 snub, insists Microsoft exec

Last week, Microsoft's product planning manager Albert Penello called the next-generation console specs "meaningless," saying that the games will be the ultimate deciding factor on which console is better. However, it seems many critics took Penello's words harshly and thought that Penello was bashing the PS4. Of course, there's nothing wrong with downplaying the competition, but Penello insists that's not what he meant.

Penello says that he was "not diminishing Sony's performance claims and...wasn't trying to be arrogant or dismissive." He continues by saying that both Sony and Microsoft engineers working on their respective gaming consoles "are unbelievably talented and experts in their field. Nobody knows the specifics of how the machines are architected or if there may be bottlenecks in one system or accelerators in another that change the impact of the published specs."

However, Penello affirms his stances on the premise that games will be the deciding factor on which console is best, not necessarily which console has the more-impressive spec sheet. He says that specs are important, by many gamers won't really be looking at how fast the processor is or how much RAM it has on the inside.

Penello says that "games on both systems looked awesome." He brought up Ryse and "thought it was the most next-gen looking game [he] saw on either platform," despite the flack that the game received when it was found out that it was playing on a high-end gaming PC rather than the intended Xbox One. He also notes that he's "biased" and "didn't have time to see everything." At least he's being honest.

Frankly, the whole story was blown out of proportion, and it seems Penello thought so as well. Granted, he used the PS4 as an example of how specs aren't everything, and how Sony keeps annoyingly talking the PS4 up spec-wise, but then again, we think Penello has every right to discuss the competition and convince gamers to pick the Xbox One.

VIA: VG247

SOURCE: NeoGAF Forums