PS4's first 720p game

[greenmedic88]

As with any developed for PC game, there is a degree of flexibility with regards to performance.

Since we're talking consoles, that flexibility is up to the developers to decide where the hardware resources they have available to run their apps should be best allocated.

Do we favor higher frame rates (fast moving, constantly refreshing backgrounds, quick camera movement, etc.)?

Do we favor higher resolution (exploration of environments or realistic visual direction, etc.)?

Do we favor computational intensive effects (more realistic VFX/particle effects, dynamic lighting, physics simulations, etc.) to create a different visual direction?

Off hand, I'll say that most developers will take the visual hit (effects, anti-aliasing, draw distances, etc.) before dropping frame rates to a degree that their game becomes unplayable or noticeably rough. Same goes for resolution not that it's a bad design call to prioritize realistic effects at the cost of native render resolution to a certain degree. But there's no point in shooting for realism if developers are left with a soft focus, blurry mess which would have to take art direction into account to make upscaled, lower resolution visuals to work.

The OP seems to be thinking along the lines that 8th gen game development will be working backwards as though developers will treat the PS4 like an upgradable PC, which it isn't. Console development works within a pre-set box of restrictions (some more restrictive than others) and good development is a matter of optimizing those resources for maximum performance and visuals. In short, do more with the same resources.

Everyone knows and accepts that good developers are able to use those resources more and more efficiently over time and since the 7th gen, we've seen console operating systems streamline to free up more resources for game engines which aids developers.