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Forums - Gaming Discussion - Power struggle: the real differences between PS4 and Xbox One performance

El_Machete said:

PlayStation 4 is currently around 50 per cent faster than its rival Xbox One. Multiple high-level game development sources have described the difference in performance between the consoles as “significant” and “obvious.”

Our contacts have told us that memory reads on PS4 are 40-50 per cent quicker than Xbox One, and its ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) is around 50 per cent faster. One basic example we were given suggested that without optimisation for either console, a platform-agnostic development build can run at around 30FPS in 1920×1080 on PS4, but it’ll run at “20-something” FPS in 1600×900 on Xbox One. “Xbox One is weaker and it’s a pain to use its ESRAM,” concluded one developer.

Microsoft is aware of the problem and, having recently upped the clock speed of Xbox One, is working hard to close the gap on PS4, though one developer we spoke to downplayed the move. “The clock speed update is not significant, it does not change things that much,” he said. “Of course, something is better than nothing.”

Even this close to launch, “the hardware isn’t locked,” said another source. Sony and Microsoft are each still working on the graphics drivers for each console, and Xbox One is lagging behind in this regard – Microsoft “has been late on their drivers and that has been hurting them,” said one source. Another described Xbox One’s graphics drivers less charitably as “horrible”. Both consoles’ graphics drivers will continue to improve right up to – and beyond – launch, which will even up the difference in performance a little.

Xbox One does, however, boast superior performance to PS4 in other ways. “Let’s say you are using procedural generation or raytracing via parametric surfaces – that is, using a lot of memory writes and not much texturing or ALU – Xbox One will be likely be faster,” said one developer.

Both platform holders are, of course, encouraging developers to take advantage of each console’s unique features (the DualShock 4’s touch pad and Kinect, for example) but there’s little enthusiasm for either among the developers we spoke to. “They really want us to make use of platform specific stuff to give their version a leg up over the other,” said one source. “But unless there’s a good design reason or incentive we rarely do.”

Indeed, despite that gulf in speed, the differences between cross platform launch window games will be negligible; with tight deadlines to meet, it’s more expedient for developers to deliberately create near-identical versions.

“The poor [graphics] drivers have made it difficult to push either of them, and the developers aren’t familiar with the hardware yet,“ said one source. Another stated that we’ll begin to see far greater use of each platform’s unique features once we’re past the first wave of releases, when developers have more time and experience with each console’s quirks.

One source even suggested that enforcing parity across consoles could become a political issue between platform holders, developers and publishers. They said that it could damage perceptions of a cross platform title, not to mention Xbox One, if the PS4 version shipped with an obviously superior resolution and framerate; better to “castrate” the PS4 version and release near-identical games to avoid ruffling any feathers.

This claim was later countered by a contact at a different studio. “It would be totally fine for us to make one version prettier without any political difficulties but it usually doesn’t make financial sense,” they said, “unless it’s a very simple tweak.”

The difference between cross platform launch window games will be small, and improved graphics drivers plus the power of the cloud might yet tip the balance in Xbox One’s favour. Nonetheless, at launch, PS4 will be the more capable console.

http://www.edge-online.com/news/power-struggle-the-real-differences-between-ps4-and-xbox-one-performance/

I was wondering who were they contact ? Cerny or kaz or youshida ? Everythime something positive comes about ps4 they never say their source name and which devs said that . other thing I wonder why edge been behind Sony for ages ill bet Sony paid them good at least edge need to change their name to official playstation magazine.  keep going edge u doing good job at end u gonna come out such a loser at end of September . 



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I think MS panics and drops by $50-$100 by next March if things don't go their way.



The only reason to post this"Article" is to create discontent. It's another super secret source "high up" in the development world that is telling these "secrets".

I have made mention of this before, but will say it again. How is it that individual developer guy has such great detailed info on both systems? Because they don't. Development for multiple platforms is broken up into different groups. Each group focuses on their individual platform. So how do these super informed people possibly have time to already be expert on both systems designs? Especially if the developers are fighting to optimize the games for release. Either you have or haven't learned the system set ups in detail. The sources admit they haven't yet. So how can they conclude a % increase? This isn't going to be resolved in 2 months as many hope. It will take 2 years to probably know the truth. Even with a system tear down, it doesn't take into account proprietary systems designs as whatever their testing with won't be optimized for the particular architecture. Just give it up now, the answer will always be debated anyway.



kowenicki said:
El_Machete said:


I agree and disagree. I agree that this shit is getting very annoying, but think about this. Many are still deciding which console to get and will keep deciding until the last minute, all information is important. If you already made your decision then this is not for you.

Given that there is a price, power/performance difference then i think it is more important than ever too keep the consumer informed.

 "One basic example we were given suggested that without optimisation for either console, a platform-agnostic development build can run at around 30FPS in 1920×1080 on PS4, but it’ll run at “20-something” FPS in 1600×900 on Xbox One."

This is alarming and should be talked about, but again I dont blame if you are sick of it. We have been doing this for almost a year now :(

You are merely keeping the consumer informed? lol.  wow.

....and with regard to your bolded comment on the quote... the quote actually sounds like a selective and vague load of bull pulled out of someones arse to me rather than something to be alarmed about.  A game running at 30fps at HD on PS4 will run at sub HD and sub 30FPS?  Yeah, sure.

its been said before PS4 time to triangle is close to the PS1 and recent rumors of CODG having similar results as this quote back from E3, it says unoptimized that doesnt mean that it will release on XB1 @ 1600x900 with a 20 something frame rate



                                                             

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landguy1 said:
The only reason to post this"Article" is to create discontent. It's another super secret source "high up" in the development world that is telling these "secrets".

I have made mention of this before, but will say it again. How is it that individual developer guy has such great detailed info on both systems? Because they don't. Development for multiple platforms is broken up into different groups. Each group focuses on their individual platform. So how do these super informed people possibly have time to already be expert on both systems designs? Especially if the developers are fighting to optimize the games for release. Either you have or haven't learned the system set ups in detail. The sources admit they haven't yet. So how can they conclude a % increase? This isn't going to be resolved in 2 months as many hope. It will take 2 years to probably know the truth. Even with a system tear down, it doesn't take into account proprietary systems designs as whatever their testing with won't be optimized for the particular architecture. Just give it up now, the answer will always be debated anyway.

exactly, developers don't know shit and never talk to their collegues.  the FACT that development teams work completely independantly without any collaboration and don't share any code across platforms and STILL come out with nearly identical games just proves that every device ever created are exactly identical under the hood.  really, we should trust the true experts like penello for being the only one with real intiment knowledge of both xbone and ps4..



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Nsanity said:

This reads something like the pro Sony Thuway over on NeoGaf would have posted:

"if the PS4 version shipped with an obviously superior resolution and framerate; better to “castrate” the PS4 version and release near-identical games to avoid ruffling any feathers"

I don't see the problem with that comment, it has happened before.



Multplat devs don't know shit about XBone and PS4.

MS knows more about the both of them since it is them who develops for both.

 

 

Edit - By the way, why all the hate for EDGE now? I thought they were loved by the MS camp and people always said they were one of the more credible magazines?

What changed?



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landguy1 said:
The only reason to post this"Article" is to create discontent. It's another super secret source "high up" in the development world that is telling these "secrets".

I have made mention of this before, but will say it again. How is it that individual developer guy has such great detailed info on both systems? Because they don't. Development for multiple platforms is broken up into different groups. Each group focuses on their individual platform. So how do these super informed people possibly have time to already be expert on both systems designs? Especially if the developers are fighting to optimize the games for release. Either you have or haven't learned the system set ups in detail. The sources admit they haven't yet. So how can they conclude a % increase? This isn't going to be resolved in 2 months as many hope. It will take 2 years to probably know the truth. Even with a system tear down, it doesn't take into account proprietary systems designs as whatever their testing with won't be optimized for the particular architecture. Just give it up now, the answer will always be debated anyway.


Just wrong, simple as that.

Devs are working on both, there will be tech teams in companies that have employess working on 1 console, but leads will be working on both and moving there team about as necesary to make sure tech on both is up to a minimum standard for the game. There is no such thing as fixed teams pre platform in tech departments at game studios. 

Yes ive worked in many. 



landguy1 said:
The only reason to post this"Article" is to create discontent. It's another super secret source "high up" in the development world that is telling these "secrets".

I have made mention of this before, but will say it again. How is it that individual developer guy has such great detailed info on both systems? Because they don't. Development for multiple platforms is broken up into different groups. Each group focuses on their individual platform. So how do these super informed people possibly have time to already be expert on both systems designs? Especially if the developers are fighting to optimize the games for release. Either you have or haven't learned the system set ups in detail. The sources admit they haven't yet. So how can they conclude a % increase? This isn't going to be resolved in 2 months as many hope. It will take 2 years to probably know the truth. Even with a system tear down, it doesn't take into account proprietary systems designs as whatever their testing with won't be optimized for the particular architecture. Just give it up now, the answer will always be debated anyway.

Indeed, devs within the same companies never talk or exhange information. It is complete magic that they get multiplatform parity.



iPhone = Great gaming device. Don't agree? Who cares, because you're wrong.

Currently playing:

Final Fantasy VI (iOS), Final Fantasy: Record Keeper (iOS) & Dragon Quest V (iOS)     

    

Got a retro room? Post it here!

Euphoria14 said:

Multplat devs don't know shit about XBone and PS4.

MS knows more about the both of them since it is them who develops for both.

 

 

Edit - By the way, why all the hate for EDGE now? I thought they were loved by the MS camp and people always said they were one of the more credible magazines?

What changed?

they saw which one was the better console between the PS4 and Xbox One, and parised it over the other.