When will pc graphics start to really outpace console (this gen) graphics?

[ZenfoldorVGI]

Reasonable said:

Well, unlike certain PC gamers (BTW I have PS3 and Wii and play on 360 also, so I'm not exclusive on PC) I'm not at all bitter about the shift, nor do I see it as anything to mourn.

I want to play games, all sorts of games, and the HW, whether a PC or a console is just the delivery mechanism for me.  I have no trouble moving to consoles, so long as they support varied games, etc. which they are shaping up to do quite nicely.

I think the mod community is a bit more important than you note, because it allows not just for game extensions, some fantastic ideas and a lot of free content, but it also feeds the gaming industry.  Many developers such as Epic, id, Valve, etc. have taken talent that may never have been noticed without mods.

Also, I've enjoyed building levels myself, and I would mourn an environment where I couldn't create my own quest, dialogue, etc. in something like Oblivion or Fallout 3.  For me mods/editors are the last great PC element that needs to cross over to consoles.

BTW I hope you don't mind my post in reply to your images - but trust me, as someone who's coded in the past, and has access to non-gaming, high end graphical programs for architectural design, etc. you never want to post images and imply that a PC couldn't surpass any visual image delivered on a console this gen.

 

 

 

Well, my only issue is that you're dealing in graphical theory. Of course a more powerful spec sheet is capable of delivering more powerful graphical specs.

However, I must insist that we deal with real world games. One of the major strengths of the console is that they have those big developers capable of delivering the money and production values that can really push hardware.

The PC gaming argument has always been about "potential." Afterall, only a relative handful of PCs are capable of pushing a game like Warhead to its limits, and those rigs mostly belong to entheusiast gamers.

What about those PCs who can't play a game in HD? They are PCs too.

What about the supercomputer at langley? You COULD make photorealistic graphics on that computer.

However, that doesn't mean that "PC gaming has photorealistic graphics." It just means that a computer somewhere in the world could achieve it with trillions of dollars.

So, really, we have to limit our arguments to the content available. If developers choose their limit on the PC, then that is the reality of PC gaming, and not the potential. Sure, it's ok to speculate about the future, but we can't base our entire argument behind it.

That said, you're pretty astute. I salute your excellent contribution to this thread. I was lucky to find you.