TheLegendOfMart, on 19 January 2013 - 12:31, said:
They won't though. They always code for the lowest common denominator, do you really think that gamers will be ok with one console having noticeably better graphics for multiplatform games?
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That may be true for multiplatform titles but it'll show with exclusives. And even with the difference in memory, games may still look better on the PS4 (despite its memory limitations).
Blackhearted, on 19 January 2013 - 13:31, said:
If the target of the next gen would end up being 1080p then memory bandwidth will be incredibly important. Think of a pc graphics card, and how adding more ram doesn't make it more powerful, how it doesn't suddenly make it capable of more than it could do with the amount it originally shipped with. The same will apply to the xbox 720/3/whateverthehellyouwannacallit. They can add as much ram as they like, but if the gpu isn't powerful enough to be able to make use of all the extra assets the extra ram would allow, or it's somewhat starved in bandwidth it wont make a difference.
Memory bandwidth isn't as important as pixel and texture fillrate. A good example is the Radeon HD 7970. It has less pixel and texture fillrate than the GeForce GTX 680 but more memory bandwidth (264 GB/s vs. 192 GB/s). Even with a difference of 72 GB/s, the GTX 680 slightly outperforms the HD 7970 at resolutions of 1680x1050 and 1920x1080. The only time this isn't the case, with most games, is at a resolution of 2560x1600 where the extra memory bandwidth helps.
With that said, Microsoft only needs a certain amount of memory bandwidth for 1080p. But with a difference of 124 GB/s, the PS4's GPU will definitely have an edge.
Blackhearted, on 19 January 2013 - 13:31, said:
Specs are important actually. The low end specs of the current consoles lingering around as long as they have like a bad odor does is the reason why progress in gaming graphics has nearly screeched to a halt.
Agreed. There was a huge push for better graphics hardware and software back in 2004. It all ended when the current-gen consoles were released. Developers stuck to DX9 longer than they should have.