Orbis Unmasked: What to expect from next-gen


Recommended Posts

They'll have to be emulated, and I don't think current gen HW is really fast enough to emulate the power5 architecture of them fast enough. Though the Wii was also Power 5 as I Recall, and is being emulated by the weak cpu in the WiiU. So maybe the more powerful chips in the new consoles wil be fast enough to emulate the more powerful power5 chips from them... I dunno, we'll have to wait and see, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I suspect they'll go with the "the ones that want to play old games have the old hardware" strategy. compatibility with old hardware isn't really a big deal.

I really have to ask, have you seen it in person? SMB on the WiiU's graphics are awesome, and I'm not sure how anyone can say otherwise. My only guess is they are just watching YouTube videos of it and have never seen it in action. On my 55" TV it looks brilliant. It is still the same art direction the series is known for, but so much crisper. There is a HUGE difference between it and it's Wii counterpart.

I'm basing my opinions on the YouTube videos, though that's how I judge most games. I know there's a difference between the Wii and Wii U versions - there is a huge difference in resolution, for starters - but my point was that I don't like the direction they went in. Everything looks very sharp and clinical, unlike competitors like Rayman Legends. I'm also not a fan of the animations, as they seem very stiff and the jumping looks wrong. I can't say I've ever been a particular fan of Mario games but now they're starting to look very dated.

I don't think it's just me, though. The Metacritic score for NSMBU (84) is noticeably lower than NSMB for Wii (87) and lower than Rayman Origins (87), the most recent Rayman game. People expect more from a generational jump. As I said, to me NSMBU looks like a browser-based game and not a flagship product for a new console. It may be enough for those with nostalgia for the original games but it's not enough to carve out a new audience. It just doesn't appeal to me.

They'll have to be emulated, and I don't think current gen HW is really fast enough to emulate the power5 architecture of them fast enough. Though the Wii was also Power 5 as I Recall, and is being emulated by the weak cpu in the WiiU. So maybe the more powerful chips in the new consoles wil be fast enough to emulate the more powerful power5 chips from them... I dunno, we'll have to wait and see, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I suspect they'll go with the "the ones that want to play old games have the old hardware" strategy. compatibility with old hardware isn't really a big deal.

Wii is based on the PowerPC 750CX architecture, along with the Wii U. Hence backwards compatibility is easy to do (no emulation, just virtualization).

I don't think we'll see much backward compatibility just as we didn't see much of it this gen ether. Heck, I honestly don't see MS ending 360 production right when the new Xbox comes like they did with the first. We could see one more 360 redesign that will coexist with the new system for at least another 2 years I bet.

Rumour is Sony will be unveiling the PS4 pre-E3. Am I the only one kind of wishing they both unveil at E3? I guess even if that were the plan everything would leak out early as norm for big E3 announcements (besides the usual last minute "we're porting an exclusive!" surprise).

Heck the leaks we have right now are probably fairly solid indicators.

Rumour is Sony will be unveiling the PS4 pre-E3. Am I the only one kind of wishing they both unveil at E3? I guess even if that were the plan everything would leak out early as norm for big E3 announcements (besides the usual last minute "we're porting an exclusive!" surprise).

Heck the leaks we have right now are probably fairly solid indicators.

I think they'll reveal the console pre-E3, and reveal games at E3 with demos. Rumor is Sony wants to launch ahead of XBox, even if it's by a month or so.

Rumour is Sony will be unveiling the PS4 pre-E3. Am I the only one kind of wishing they both unveil at E3? I guess even if that were the plan everything would leak out early as norm for big E3 announcements (besides the usual last minute "we're porting an exclusive!" surprise).

Heck the leaks we have right now are probably fairly solid indicators.

In the past, I said a GDC reveal for the hardware and game reveal at E3 would make sense (for both Sony and Microsoft). If Sony does indeed reveal the PS4 at GDC 2013, then Microsoft would be compelled to do the same.

The rumours are that it'll run on Windows 8 Kernel, I know Microsoft is keen to have consistency between devices. I wouldn't be surprised if it had the ability or functionality of a Windows RT OS geared more for Gaming.

Xbox was always based on a modified NT kernel. I think it's safe to assume that it will be based on NT v8.

So what's going to produce a better result? Less faster RAM, or more slower RAM?

I guess the right question is who will have better tools at launch? Microsoft will for sure but will Sony learn from their mistakes of the past? The Durango schematic also showed a 32MB ESRAM in addition to the 8GB DDR3. I wonder how that makes difference?

I don't think we'll see much backward compatibility just as we didn't see much of it this gen ether. Heck, I honestly don't see MS ending 360 production right when the new Xbox comes like they did with the first. We could see one more 360 redesign that will coexist with the new system for at least another 2 years I bet.

I expect both PS3 and Xbox 360 to continue selling for at least couple more years (till 2015-16?) until next-gen hardware takes off and is ready to take over in terms of sales+library.

Xbox was always based on a modified NT kernel. I think it's safe to assume that it will be based on NT v8.

I guess the right question is who will have better tools at launch? Microsoft will for sure but will Sony learn from their mistakes of the past? The Durango schematic also showed a 32MB ESRAM in addition to the 8GB DDR3. I wonder how that makes difference?

I expect both PS3 and Xbox 360 to continue selling for at least couple more years (till 2015-16?) until next-gen hardware takes off and is ready to take over in terms of sales+library.

i expect the ps3 to sell longer than that, heck you realize sony just recently finally stopped production of the ps2
So the nex-gen console is going to to be using current gen PC specs, by the time these come out the specs are going to be old - I'll stick with PC's thanks

I already game at 2560x1600 @60fps and the new consoles from Microsoft and Sony can't match that. If they're already behind now then it will only get worse, particularly if it's going to be another eight years before they're replaced. And UHD / 4K is just around the corner, like 1080p was when the X360 and PS3 were released. If that's anything to go by then by the time the next-gen consoles are replaced PC users will have already been enjoying 4K / 8K displays with autostereoscopic 3D (glasses-free 3D) for years.

As always, if you can afford PC gaming then that's the best option.

So the nex-gen console is going to to be using current gen PC specs, by the time these come out the specs are going to be old - I'll stick with PC's thanks

Shame PC doesn't get a lot of the console exclusives.

If the PC got Uncharted, Gran Turismo, etc... I wouldn't need a PS4.

So the nex-gen console is going to to be using current gen PC specs, by the time these come out the specs are going to be old - I'll stick with PC's thanks

I already game at 2560x1600 @60fps and the new consoles from Microsoft and Sony can't match that. If they're already behind now then it will only get worse, particularly if it's going to be another eight years before they're replaced. And UHD / 4K is just around the corner, like 1080p was when the X360 and PS3 were released. If that's anything to go by then by the time the next-gen consoles are replaced PC users will have already been enjoying 4K / 8K displays with autostereoscopic 3D (glasses-free 3D) for years.

As always, if you can afford PC gaming then that's the best option.

You guys are right but to be fair, PC gaming will always be ahead in performance and technology. There's no doubt about that. Don't underestimate the benefits of a fixed hardware platform though. Developers will be able to squeeze more out of a console than a gaming PC. This will show as both next-gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft mature in the years following their respective releases.

And not only that, things like having a 64-bit CPU and a D3D11.1 GPU in a console will benefit PC gaming. It's a much-needed boost because of how long developers have stuck with DX9 (which is something that was heavily influenced by current-gen consoles).

I'm a PC gamer at heart so I probably won't buy a next-gen console right away. I'd rather build a gaming PC that will last me a very long time. My current PC was built in late-2007 with minor upgrades in 2008 and it has served me well.

We'll have to wait and see though. My guess is developers will go for a 1080p @ 30 FPS standard. Even with the rumoured specs, I can't see next-gen consoles running something like Unreal Engine 4 at 60 FPS. Something like that requires cutting-edge PC hardware which is far more capable than next-gen consoles.

  • Like 1

It's the premium price as well, you buy a games console for ?300-400 and you know that it will be able to play ALL games for the next 8-10 years.

With a PC try playing the latest games with a 5 year old graphics card and CPU and see how far that gets you.

To play the latest games with maxed out graphics you need to buy a new GPU at least every 2-3 years, you are nearly buying a new console every 2-3 years as new graphics cards are ?250+ up to ?400-500 for the best ones.

  • Like 3

You may get the console hardware cheap but you pay for it by the software prices staying higher significantly longer than they do on the pc. In the long run consoles don't actually end up much cheaper.

It's the premium price as well, you buy a games console for ?300-400 and you know that it will be able to play ALL games for the next 8-10 years.

With a PC try playing the latest games with a 5 year old graphics card and CPU and see how far that gets you.

To play the latest games with maxed out graphics you need to buy a new GPU at least every 2-3 years, you are nearly buying a new console every 2-3 years as new graphics cards are ?250+ up to ?400-500 for the best ones.

You may be able to play the latest games 5 years down the line, but the quality of graphics on some of the latest titles are extremely poor compared to their PC counterparts.

All in all I think it balances itself out, PC's cost more to start with and you get insane graphics and framerates, whilst consoles are cheaper but stay on a set standard graphics wise. Playing the latest titles on 5 year old hardware can still get you better graphics than current consoles can do.

You may be able to play the latest games 5 years down the line, but the quality of graphics on some of the latest titles are extremely poor compared to their PC counterparts.

All in all I think it balances itself out, PC's cost more to start with and you get insane graphics and framerates, whilst consoles are cheaper but stay on a set standard graphics wise. Playing the latest titles on 5 year old hardware can still get you better graphics than current consoles can do.

i don't know, I'd say 343i did a pretty good job of pushing the 360 to the limits graphics wise

and I'd also say it compares pretty well to pc game graphics

I'll just play games on both my pc and a console. You can talk about hardware all you want but I can't wait to see the games we get on both sides now that devs can move off of dx9 and on to dx11.1. At the least ports won't suffer like they have.

I'll just play games on both my pc and a console. You can talk about hardware all you want but I can't wait to see the games we get on both sides now that devs can move off of dx9 and on to dx11.1. At the least ports won't suffer like they have.

Games no longer being bound to directx 9 will not suddenly make half-assed ports disappear.

True you do have a point there - Halo 4 does look insane. But don't you think thats because it was built with the Xbox in mind? I'm sure they made a load of optimisations for the xbox to make it look that good - because its their main release platform.

I was thinking more along the lines of the latest COD titles or Battlefield 3. There really is no comparison from PC to consoles graphics wise. What the consoles produce is really average at most.

You may get the console hardware cheap but you pay for it by the software prices staying higher significantly longer than they do on the pc. In the long run consoles don't actually end up much cheaper.

Luckily in the UK console games tend to half in price in a month :laugh: A little bit of patience and you're sorted, but yeah at launch PC is always cheaper.

Luckily in the UK console games tend to half in price in a month :laugh: A little bit of patience and you're sorted, but yeah at launch PC is always cheaper.

PC games are often half price before launch. Take the latest Tomb Raider for instance - it was available for ?17.55 from GMG. Even without any discount the Amazon price is ?24.99, which compares to ?37.94 on both PS3 and X360. And that's how Microsoft and Sony make up the money for offering their consoles at a discounted price. If you were to buy 12 games in a year with that sort of mark-up then you'd have spent an extra ?156; over the life of a console that would work out to ?1248. And a lot of people buy more games than that.

Console gaming is very much like mobile phone contracts, in that the real price is hidden. Even with the cheaper games PC gaming still works out more expensive but it's not that bad considering you get much better quality visuals (resolution, textures, polygon count, view distance, etc) and higher framerates, plus additional capabilities like 3D and VR tech like the Oculus Rift.

Luckily in the UK console games tend to half in price in a month :laugh: A little bit of patience and you're sorted, but yeah at launch PC is always cheaper.

I've adopted the "wait 6 months, then buy" method. I used to get caught up in getting a game at launch, or close, but realised it was costing me too much and the premium was rarely worth it.

You may be able to play the latest games 5 years down the line, but the quality of graphics on some of the latest titles are extremely poor compared to their PC counterparts.

Yeah......no.

kucha-skrinshotov-uncharted-3-grafika-huzhe-gow3killzone-3-i-bez-mlaa_9.jpg

Uncharted_3_Screen_6-000.jpg

image_killzone_3-13238-2035_0009.jpg

Try running the latest games with nVidia 7900GT graphics. BF3 for example runs at 12FPS on 7900GTX with everything turned off.

  • Like 1
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • US citizens are paying to their government, who could use that to fund healthcare and tuition and relieve the costs of these for citizens instead of making tax breaks that overwhelmingly favor the rich. I'm not saying that tariffs are the correct solution, but what else would they be used for? What else could Trump have in mind for wanting them, if he hasn't figured out that labor costs are higher in the US?
    • I’m in need of a new chair and it sounds like the backrest cannot be locked? I also sat on a Herman miller and was devastated that it couldn’t be locked also, what is going on with chairs. I want to be able to lock the backrest into any position but not even the Herman’s do that
    • Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 Ergonomic Office Chair review: The Ikea of chairs by Steven Parker I've reviewed a few gaming chairs over the past three years or so and generally found them to score well in our reviews. SIHOO reached out asking if I was interested in taking a look at their flagship chair, the Doro C300 Pro V2. I never got the chance to check out its predecessor, but the V2 is described as an "Adaptive Ergonomic Chair." It became available to buy in April of this year. Let's get things rolling with a closer look at the specifications and features. Specifications Doro C300 Pro V2 Model Ergonomic Materials Mesh Back and Seat; Soft PU Coated Armrests Height adjustability 45.5 - 53 cm / 17.5" - 20.9" Seat (w+d) 52 x 43 - 47 cm / 20.5" x 16.9" - 18.5" (adjustable) Backrest 52 – 60 cm / 20.5" - 23.6" (adjustable) Lumbar support Mesh built-in (adjustable) Armrest adjustability 8D Bionic Armrests Rocking angle 105°, 120°, 135° (fixed) Neck support Mesh built-in (adjustable) Net weight 27.3 kg / 59.64 lbs Weight support 150 kg / 330 lbs Colors Black, White Warranty 5 years (upon registering) Price $499.99, $539.99 Introduction At first glance, it looks like a chair that in another life wants to be a Herman Miller; It certainly looks like my Aeron Remastered, but the Doro C300 Pro V2 has quite a few more features and costs quite a bit less. SIHOO says that it is made up of a "DynaCore" system that tracks your movement and synchronizes the headrest, backrest, lumbar support, and armrests as you shift, twist, or recline. They also say that the "SyncroFlex Backrest" molds to your spine, which kind of describes how the mesh fabric works in most ergonomic chairs, but anyway. Below are the meat and potatoes measurements for the chair. Here is the same tech sheet, but in inches. Durability I would be remiss to not talk about the various durability testing this chair underwent before coming to market, as this is claimed on the product page. First of all, the chair is BIFMA-, SGS-, and TÜV-certified. As for durability, the tests undergone were: 100,000 Castor cycles tested 120,000 Armrest cycles tested 120,000 Recline cycles tested 120,000 Gas lift cycles tested 60,000 Armrest durability cycles tested 120,000 Rotation cycles tested Nothing about weights testing, though. Now that's all disclosed, now onto my own personal findings. Assembly The Doro C300 Pro V2 came in two large boxes (1) (2), and everything was packed very well, protecting the different parts of the chair. In the box, there is a folded sheet that explains the 12 steps to assemble it; they are: Remove the bottom cover on the aluminum base; Insert the five legs into the aluminum base and use ten screws to fasten them; Insert the castors into the legs; Replace the bottom cover on the bottom of the aluminum base; Place the Class 4 Hydraulics gas cylinder into the aluminum base; Screw the bottom part of the arm rests, taking care of the orientation using two screws on each side; Use three torx screws to fasten the footrest to the bottom of the seat; Fasten the backrest to the seat using four torx bolts; Fasten the armrests to the backrest using four Torx bolts (two on each side), taking care to note the orientation; Place the chair onto the Class 4 Hydraulics gas cylinder; Insert the headrest into the top of the backrest; Use two torx screws to fasten the headrest to the backrest. There's also an online guide you can refer to. Carefully unpacking the two boxes took around 15 minutes because almost everything is wrapped in plastic and protective foam; the chair assembly itself took around an hour. I say in the above assembly steps to take note of the orientation, because it's not obvious which way around the bottom portion of the armrests go, and although there is an L and R on the bottom of the armrests, it also wasn't clear from the instructions which was actually left or right, facing the chair, or in the seated down orientation? Anyway, I ended up putting the bottom portions on the wrong sides, and after securing one of the armrests, I discovered that although it was on the correct side, the armrest base could rotate a full 360°, but not when bolted to the chair, so I had to remove it, rotate it, and then bolt it back on. Truly an Ikea experience! Also, to complicate things further, although all the parts are labeled from A to X (yes, that's 24 parts) unhelpfully, these letters do not appear on the parts themselves or the package with the bolts, screws, and washers. There's also a pair of protective gloves in the box, but I think they were made for much smaller hands than I have. Even my friend, who is 5.1, had difficulty putting them on. Once assembled, I needed to sit down. Anyway, as I said, it looks quite similar to my Herman Miller. And here is the back of it. If you look at the product page and on Amazon, it seems like a lot of thought has gone into the chair itself and what it's capable of, but there is no mention at all about the castors, and this is an area where I think the chair trips up quite quickly. I found it difficult to move the chair in any direction. I asked a friend who came to visit me earlier this week to test my findings, and she said that the wheels were "no good," so it definitely isn't just me. I am 6'2 myself and a big guy, I work from home and gained a few pounds from mostly staying in and the hell away from other people. However, the Doro C300 Pro V2 is rated for up to 150kg (330lbs), which in my case is used well within its max rating. Ergonomics The number of adjustments you can make, right up to setting it in nap mode — which I haven't fully tested yet — is what you'd expect from a premium chair. Yes, you can go up and down (max 7.5 cm adjustment), rock back and forth (with tilt adjustment), and lock the chair between three stages of 105°, 120°, 135°, which is not quite as flat as the AndaSeat I tested at 160°. Some thought has also gone into the "8D" armrests, too, which are cushioned but quite firm; you'll only know it if you press hard into the PU-covered tops, which give about half a centimeter, but it's enough to ensure your skin won't get awkwardly stuck to it in warmer (or sweatier) conditions. It almost feels like plastic and is very easy to keep clean. However, the armrest positions move far too easily, and I am not sure what that "elbow" function is. Maybe it is good for a short person with short arms, anyway, I never used it and kept it flat at all times. There are eight levels of adjustment for the armrests, they are: backwards, forwards, swing left/right, height up and down, tilt, and 360° rotation, which can be handy for desk clearance. As I said, the armrest pads shift far too easily, which could give off an ergonomic vibe, but who wants the armrest sliding when you are shifting weight? The height adjustability does lock into place when lifting and adjusting. Comfort This is ultimately what it boils down to at the end of the day, right? Quite a lot of reviews praise the comfort of this chair, and I don't disagree that the mesh seating is quite comfortable. I am used to the material from my daily Herman Miller. However, the backrest cannot be locked into place, and this is actually a feature; as you shift or recline yourself on the chair, the backrest moves with your body. It took some getting used to. The lumbar gives ample support, but I would have preferred an adjustable one built into the seat base, as this causes the backrest to move up and down at will. Again, as with my previous chair review, this chair is also rated for tall people, but nowhere in the product documentation does it say how tall. Being 6'2 myself, I'm happy to say that the backrest is tall and wide enough, and thought has been given to being able to adjust the neck rest, but as others have mentioned in their reviews, people as tall as 6.2ft is about the limit for the neckrest. Conclusion What I didn't like The footrest is rated for 15kg (33 lbs), which to me seems a bit light, and after looking online, it seems like a chair footrest for adults must be at least twice that rating. In all honesty, they are just hollow metal tubes, so it is not recommended to let a kid sit on them. I also feel like it doesn't really go out far enough for my height, so that kind of puts the dampener on me being able to use it regularly. I'll just have to continue to use my subwoofer as a footrest! I do not like the armrests being able to shift around as easily as they can, and they are a little too forward-positioned in the chair to comfortably sit close to my desk, because even in the lowest height position, they don't allow me to go under the desk like is possible with my Herman Miller. I also feel like this chair could have been delivered partially constructed, especially the armrests on the seat, and why the aluminum base wasn't already pre-constructed (without the castors) is baffling, considering it would have fit in one of the two boxes that way. The instructions also need to be clearer. On the pamphlet, there's an A to X listing (which is also used in the steps), but none of the physical parts use this lettering system! What I did like I'll be honest, I haven't used it for very long, just one week, and seating comfort is subjective after all! Any spills wiped straight off it, the stitching, and the lines look great, not a fray to be seen or stitch out of place. It looks kind of cool, too. My favorite feature of these seats is the nap mode. While you're not lying completely flat, it leans far back enough to make you easily doze off after a heavy gaming or working session. Overall, this chair offers plenty of comfort features. The MSRP does vary quite a bit depending on the region, at £549.99 in the UK, and €580 in Europe, and $599 before tax in the U.S. However, shipping is free, which is a bonus for such a heavy item. Is it worth it, though? At three years' warranty, I think it's a decent deal. Another firm out of Germany sent me a free replacement hydraulic gas spring for a chair that failed after almost four years, so it was well outside its two-year warranty. My advice is to always try, as you might have the same luck I did. If I could fault it at all, it would be the constant shifting of the armrests and backrest. Where to buy Although the footrest variant normally costs $539.99, it has been discounted to $469.99 on the official website in Black or White. In fact, the non-footrest variant is only $40 cheaper. On Amazon, it currently costs more at $499.99 links below. Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 for $469.99 (official website) Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 for $499.99 at Amazon US SIHOO provided a free sample without any review or pre-approval. Good to know This Amazon link is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Making US citizens pay is a prominent tool? Joke of the week…
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      jessse3334 earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Reacting Well
      JuvenileDelinquent earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • One Month Later
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      flexorcist earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      506
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      207
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      151
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      73
    5. 5
      macoman
      62
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!