Most titles at E3 including Forza were running on X1 hardware and as you said it out-performed DriveClub that is a PS4 exclusive. MGS 5 looked amazing too. We'll have to wait until a dev gets their hands on them both and really pushes them till near breaking point later this gen.

I wonder if this will make the slightest difference to the consumer but to the developer. The added memory means developers can use less compressed textures, which makes developing more a matter of "mash compile."

Honestly, I don't think we'll be comparing "graphics" this generation as opposed to a developer's chosen art-style. Our eyes probably can't discern any significant difference between "systems." Even with the Wii U, when people are posting screenshots my eye sees style, not a polygon count. I can see how power was still relevent(ish) during the PS3/360 generation, but that was basically because of the overusage of the Unreal 3 engine...which I still think is kinda ugly.

This time? I am much more worried about launch XB1's having RROD issues again than any late-life "weak by comparison" problems.

Did they now? The latency is nowhere near where your suggesting at all. Maybe about 20-25% max. You also forget the advantages of the unified GDDR5? Both CPU and GPU can access it at the same time. Once the developers get their heads round this was the machine fly. No need to send information back and forth between memories.Everything the GPU needs from the CPU, it can access. Everything the CPU needs from the GPU, it also can access. There is NO need for it to copy data from the main ram to a different pool of RAM. That along with the huge bandwidth advantage, will put it ahead of the X1.

So what do you think the liverpool chip is in the PS4?

THe internet has concluded that PS4 is the more powerful system. Whether we will see this in 3rd parties is dependant on whether there is clause imposed by MS where developers must make X1 games identical to ps4 games. Otherwise the 50% power advantage will obviously be utilised by devs, whether it will hugely visible or something we screen grabs to prove is something yet to be determined.

Honestly though I've seen PC games switch between low to medium and medium to high setting with only subtle differences, its not always bleedingly obvious. Sometimes, subtle texture differences which you won't notice unless you go and scrutinise a specific object.

latency will still play a big role in the CPU getting the information it needs fast enough for it to perform its calculations.  The CPU works on smaller sets of data so it crunches those pretty fast but if its dealing with latency issues with the ram, it will have an effect.  No matter how fast one part is, the complete system will always be hampered by its slowest component.

This discussion takes place every console cycle. People were talking about the Cell procesor and how much more powerfull the PS3 was then the Xbox 360. In the end the games looked the same on both consoles. When it comes to 3rd party franchises the only difference you will see this cycle just like every other cycle is Kinect (Love it or hate it) support on Xbox 1 vs None on he PS4. They will look identical. As for 1st party you will be pressed to see any real differences and it will be hard to tell since you can't compare them side by side. Other then direct hardware comparisons its possible Xbox publishers will use the MS advantage in cloud computing to drive some new innovative technologies like they were talking about Forza where your car continues to compete in other races using you style of driving while your not playing but even that remains to be seen.

I'm old enough to remember Xbox vs PS2 and Xbox 360 vs PS3 and even though one console had the real advanatage over the other in most cases you never would have know.

I will get both eventually but I'm getting Xbox One first because I like the Kinect. Get what you like and be happy we have a choice.

John

It could just that Evolution studios are not that experienced when it comes to Driving sims. The forza team are specialist, they've spent a whole generation working within this specific field and optimising engines to create the best driving sim (ish) game they can. Evo studios however have spent the last 7 years making Motostorm titles which are not about glossy carss, but instead desctuction and huge open racing environments. Possibly this why Driveclub doesn't quite compete with Forza.

Wow, everyone claiming that a device A is x% more or less powerful than device B has no clue about how technology works. You could make a numbered claim for a synthetical benchmark. For instance that a device can render in a specific situation more polygons than the other device. But the next benchmark can bring results that are completely different. Different devices have usually a different focus, on which aspect they focus. So such claims are pretty much pointless.

Even more, as no one of us really has access to the hardware and these 'hard numbers' are completely speculation. Crack all the devices, run a SPEC-benchmark on all compared devices and we talk again. About that different compilers influence the results on a SPEC-benchmark.

In the end, the discussion is even more pointless, as consoles are never bought for power. They are bought for games. So we could discuss, which game looks how good on which console. So far completely pointless, as both aren't released. Pointless even then, as this will not only influenced by raw power of the machines, but also by the effort put into the development of the game. and even more pointless, because better looking games make not better games.

So the best would be to discuss the games we like and which platform supports us with the best games we want to play. Depending on personal preferences I think all next-gen-platforms have something good to offer.

TL;DR: You can't play with raw power alone.

You do know the group that is making drive club also made the Motorstorm games.  They hve been making driving games since the stuio was formed and I believe most were sims.  If they are not use to making driving games by this time then I believe we can discount DriveClub being anything worth while.  Also only being 35% complete at this stage seems pretty far behind to make a release in November.