Both the Xbox and PS4 have basically the same GPU.. X86 games rely most heavily on the GPU. The PS4 ( reportedly ) has a slightly more powerful CPU ( especially once you consider some of those extra cores on the PS4 are supposedly locked down for other functions - the GPU only needs so much CPU for the GPU to hit max performance - IE, Max frames and polygons ) ..Both system have more then enough CPU to hit max GPU performance. Just 8 years ago you needed the best CPU to max out the best GPU - but the CPU world got competitive and CPU's started coming out alot more often. CPU's are no longer 'behind' GPU's like they were a decade ago. Now an 'above average' CPU will power the best GPU - unlike 10 years ago when CPU's got nominal ( slight ) performance increases every 6 months. In todays world many higher-mid range CPU's have more then ample power to play the best games - and choices are broad and fairly cheap compared to 10 years ago when 'near' the top end processor was easily 600 dollar by itself.
The PS3 has a more powerful CPU, but it didn't really matter. Sony needs to worry about launching the PS4 at a cost near the Xbox - which last generation they didn't and it hurt them financially big time. Sony sold their NY headquarters for 1 billion to help raise cash in 2012 and most of us are aware of Sony's financial troubles over the last 4 years.
The problem is all the companies making multi-platform titles ( which seems to be steadily growing ) don't care all that much about making a title look a-lot "prettier" on any ONE console - because frankly it cost too much when they can just put out the same product and maximize profits. Optimizations for 1 console frankly take more labor - which equals more dollars. They don't care if COD looks better on any one console because all the MANY companies making these multi-platform games AREN'T fully dedicated to MS, Sony, or Nintendo.
So...What good does it do to have a console that is 12% more powerful ( overall ) if no one actually spends the money to make the PS4 or Xbox version actually look visibly different? I'm here to tell you MOST games simply won't look different. Sony will have a few exclusives that will highlight the PS4 and M$ will do the same for the Xbox - otherwise ( like this generation ) the majority of the best selling games ( Mostly multiplatform titles ) will continue to look virtually the same on either console.
This generation will see MORE ports then ever. The game quality will be closer then ever because you have 2 consoles with almost the same GPU specs - both x86 architecture! Many ports could be directly from PC. This generation will revive the PC gaming title selection quite a bit, IMHO.
Games on the new Xbox and PS4 will be hard to differentiate and worse they will be ported often. Fortunately because they are actually BOTH x86 this time.. and using basically the same video card - the quality should be very very close
