@ lost tears of kain... Super mario 64 had a 33% attatch rate =)

Im sorry but I havent seen gt5, but I have seen prolauge, and to say the truth it looks better by a landslide.

No-one seems to be willing to respond to my post so I'll pose it as a direct question instead. Specifically speaking to environments... Download an HD gameplay only feed of PGR4 and GT5 (no fly-bys or replays!). Watch them... Then answer this:

Do you honestly believe that the (gameplay!) trackside details -- i.e. all environment detail outside of the cars themselves is better in GT5?

Yes, the car modelling is amazing. The surrounding cars while racing look great in GT5 and from the gameplay video, the game looks pretty darn smooth.

But, the track sides, barriers, signs, and other enviroment detail are much lower in quantity than in PGR4 and I think PGR4's graphics in this department are untouched.

PGR was shooting for environment if you remember their original interviews...

All that said, if GT5 gets the environment to look like the tracks, it's going to be freakin' amazing. I'm not nearly as big a graphics fiend as I am a gameplay fiend and I think that on the 360, Forza2 > PGR4. Once you go 60fps, it's hard to go back.

@kn

The environment in GT5 proluague? There havent been any videos just of one track. There have been screenshots, they look insanely realistic.

I love that PGR4 is adding Bikes, I love some of the weather effects seen in many of the videos especially the rain, from puddles on the track to water droplets on the cars its looks real sweet! A new Prodigy track is in the game too.

GT5 really goes for it with car detail, almost anally. They have a heritage to uphold with this series which I can't see them loosing it with GT5.

I cant choose between them. They are both looking real great. Both will be awesome online, whats important is how they will play.

PGR has an arcade feel to it with the ability to drive multiple dream cars from the start, points awarded for stunts, powerslide etc, also the bike handling doesn't look very realistic.

GT is much more simulator based with an emphasis on progression, learning and development throughout the game.

Whether I get a PS3 or 360 will not come down to either of these games.

You are wrong here is a video of GT5

http://www.gamersyde.com/stream_4294.html

ars look amazing but clearly the environments are way down.

Bad mirrors, 2d trees static crowds etc.

Yes i know, why i said a FEW in history have done it...... Silly Ishy /slap

Yea it was huge, almost the console savor at one point, and its why galaxy will be so big

As Selnor mentioned, the gamersyde video is clean enough to get a feel for the trackside environment.  Clearly that area of the game needs some work.  I'm specifically talking about IN GAME trackside detail while playing. 
The cut scenes shown at the beginning with the guys walking around the car are phenomenal and in this sense, the environmental detail is amazing.  I'm only concerned with the cars and tracks along with the trackside details in this comparison.  Clearly there are other things that are solid in GT5... in car views, insane car detail, 1080P, 60fps, many, many cars, and so on.

I wonder if GT5 will begin working on trackside detail now that the car models are so amazing and bring that to the level of the cars.  If they do, it will be a pinnacle in video game racing... 

GT5's tracks were definitely lacking, when you look really closely at the two games picking a winner becomes harder, but at a glance GT5 looked a lot more real. The framerate, car models and lighting all had me thinking it was way ahead of PGR4 for the first half a minute or so.

But yeah, once you start paying attention to the little details, it's lacking.

Still, they have time to make the little details better before the actual Gran Turismo 5 is out.