Next Gen Console vs This Gen PC graphics

[Zersy]

While looking for a new graphics card the thought that these may become obsolete when Microsoft and Sony release their new consoles came up.

Current Gen PC graphics card are already very high end but are limited in their capability by developers due to having to make the standards equal across all platforms. I think the current graphics tech in our consoles is already out of date since we can get almost the very same visual experience on the PS Vita.

The main question is will the new consoles be more powerful then the current high end gaming PC's ? It seems unlikely to me since I predict PC will catch up and pass consoles as it always does but the thought that Next Gen consoles having more powerful graphics card is an interesting topic for discussion.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

It's very unlikely that consoles will ever be more powerful than an up to date PC.

Thankfully, that matters little, since consoles are a locked format it means that devs get very good at optimising games for them. So while they will be less powerful, games will look much better than on a PC with similar spec.

[sub]At least, I think so, correct me if I'm wrong.[/sub]

 

[Chairman Miaow]

It's very unlikely that consoles will ever be more powerful than an up to date PC.

Thankfully, that matters little, since consoles are a locked format it means that devs get very good at optimising games for them. So while they will be less powerful, games will look much better than on a PC with similar spec.

[sub]At least, I think so, correct me if I'm wrong.[/sub]

Sounds about right, but at this stage, PC is so far ahead of consoles, that top of the line current gen PC stuff will probably still be able to run next gen stuff, even if it is only on lower settings.

 

[Zhukov]

The main question is will the new consoles be more powerful then the current high end gaming PC's ?

No.

Not even close.

The key phrase there is "high end". A high end PC is several times more powerful than next gen console will be.

The funny thing is that most of that power goes to waste on a gaming PC since basically every game released these days is built around being able to run on console hardware, that being where the market is.

 

[TheComfyChair]

No, they wont be anywhere close.

Thermodynamics (The thermal output of a high end GPU and CPU is very large compared to a 360) would limit them to around about 1/4 to 1/6 of the performance of the best GPU's of the time (2013/14 assuming a very low 25% performance increase for the next two generations) if MS and Sony pushed the boat out as much as they possibly can. They could get more if they spent a LOT of cooling ect. but we know that isn't happening (RROD anyone?). But they wont because neither can take that kind of expense on the chin considering they'd also need a hefty CPU to back it up anyway, further increasing the cost and thermal demands.

A good CPU is something they definitely can't get their hands on since Intel generally doesn't deal with console manufacturers now. They couldn't afford an 8 core AMD piledriver both thermally and cost wise. That leaves them with IBM, who, simply put, aren't great. Or ARM, which simply doesn't have the performance unless it had a huge number of cores which would be a pain to develop for.

The current high end is >20x faster than the 360, just as a reference for you

Basically, PC gaming has been 'next gen' since 2008. The knowledge that consoles simply cannot receive an upgrade to put it even close to being on par with PCs is bound to be one of the reasons for this delayed console cycle.

P.S. Note that the 360 and ps3 were closer back in 2006 than a console could ever be now as PC components were smaller back then and produced less heat. As performance increased, so did the cooling requirements.

 

[Nomanslander]

Umm...? I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at here. There isn't anything that a console can offer that isn't being manufactured for a PC. So how is this possible? I'm no computer engineer and I don't know the exact history, but I'm pretty sure there's never been a time when consoles have ever caught up to PCs let alone surpassed them since its all the same tech. Plus consoles are always made cheap so Sony or Microsoft can turn a profit selling them for far less than what would cost a high end gaming PC. For consoles to ever really catch up to PCs, the tech will have to stop being upgraded as it has been every year since the creation of it. And that will only happen when silicon reaches its limits. Which will eventually happen, and should turn out to be interesting because then we're going to start seeing all the companies in silicon valley banging on the doors of computer scientists in Berkeley demanding them to stop dilly dallying and start working on them quantum computers that they've been wide-eye theorizing only up till now (if you ask me, we have a better chance of discovering cold fission before that happens).

...

Yeah, sorry, I have a wandering mind and I kinda went off topic there a bit.

lol

 

[Bertylicious]

In addition to the sage comments already posted, I would also like to add that the next gen consoles will be featuring fewer proprietry components. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the new PS4s will be making use of Nvidia chipsets and that Microsoft will follow a similar approach.

Basically the console will be a small PC with some minor tweaks to the hardware and dedicated drivers that make them much more efficent than a pound for pound PC equivilant, but it's the fact that the kit inside will be designed by third parties that is key. It is those 3rd parties that drive PC gaming because even if all the big name developers put two fingers up at the PC tommorow, there would be hordes of indie & small scale producers who would step into the breach.

If you build it they will come and all that.

 

[TheComfyChair]

In addition to the sage comments already posted, I would also like to add that the next gen consoles will be featuring fewer proprietry components. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the new PS4s will be making use of Nvidia chipsets and that Microsoft will follow a similar approach.

Basically the console will be a small PC with some minor tweaks to the hardware and dedicated drivers that make them much more efficent than a pound for pound PC equivilant, but it's the fact that the kit inside will be designed by third parties that is key. It is those 3rd parties that drive PC gaming because even if all the big name developers put two fingers up at the PC tommorow, there would be hordes of indie & small scale producers who would step into the breach.

If you build it they will come and all that.

And then you have new AAA studios being crowdfunded for PC as well Star Citizen being funded for example.

No matter what publishers do PC gaming will always be strong just for that reason, the community is just a hell of a lot more 'into it' as a whole.

 

[TheComfyChair]

Umm...? I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at here. There isn't anything that a console can offer that isn't being manufactured for a PC. So how is this possible? I'm no computer engineer and I don't know the exact history, but I'm pretty sure there's never been a time when consoles have ever caught up to PCs let alone surpassed them since its all the same tech. Plus consoles are always made cheap so Sony or Microsoft can turn a profit selling them for far less than what would cost a high end gaming PC. For consoles to ever really catch up to PCs, the tech will have to stop being upgraded as it has been every year since the creation of it. And that will only happen when silicon reaches its limits. Which will eventually happen, and should turn out to be interesting because then we're going to start seeing all the companies in silicon valley banging on the doors of computer scientists in Berkeley demanding them to stop dilly dallying and start working on them quantum computers that they've been wide-eye theorizing only up till now (if you ask me, we have a better chance of discovering cold fission before that happens).

...

Yeah, sorry, I have a wandering mind and I kinda went off topic there a bit.

lol

Quantum computers are actually possible though, cold fission isn't I don't think it'll be the next step after electron based CMOS, but it'll happen at some point.

 

[Bertylicious]

In addition to the sage comments already posted, I would also like to add that the next gen consoles will be featuring fewer proprietry components. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the new PS4s will be making use of Nvidia chipsets and that Microsoft will follow a similar approach.

Basically the console will be a small PC with some minor tweaks to the hardware and dedicated drivers that make them much more efficent than a pound for pound PC equivilant, but it's the fact that the kit inside will be designed by third parties that is key. It is those 3rd parties that drive PC gaming because even if all the big name developers put two fingers up at the PC tommorow, there would be hordes of indie & small scale producers who would step into the breach.

If you build it they will come and all that.

And then you have new AAA studios being crowdfunded for PC as well Star Citizen being funded for example.

No matter what publishers do PC gaming will always be strong just for that reason, the community is just a hell of a lot more 'into it' as a whole.

I am going to go formally on record in stating that I do not believe Star Citizen will ever be finished. If it even makes it to the release stage it would be a much, much, much, simpler form than it is currently being marketed as.

Totes agree with everything else though.

 

[Lunar Templar]

i have a better question

who cares?

it's not like having 'more power' inherently makes games better, sure it CAN, but what can be, and what usually is are two different things

 

[endtherapture]

i have a better question

who cares?

it's not like having 'more power' inherently makes games better, sure it CAN, but what can be, and what usually is are two different things

We could have bigger games and more physics and bigger battles with more participants and possibilities of stuff.

Skyrim on console was incredibly limited on what it could do compared to even PC mods, and in all honesty the console orientated engine holds the game back so much.

If you want the current gen to stay forever...well enjoy your grey colours, chest high walls, and extreme stagnation.

 

[Lunar Templar]

i have a better question

who cares?

it's not like having 'more power' inherently makes games better, sure it CAN, but what can be, and what usually is are two different things

We could have bigger games and more physics and bigger battles with more participants and possibilities of stuff.

Skyrim on console was incredibly limited on what it could do compared to even PC mods, and in all honesty the console orientated engine holds the game back so much.

If you want the current gen to stay forever...well enjoy your grey colours, chest high walls, and extreme stagnation.

1) the only console i have, is a PS2, less powerful then the current gen and with more colors, so, the 'grey/brown' problem isn't the hardware's fault (better games to)

2) larger scale =/= good, nor does better hardware ensure greater numbers, case in point, the Dynasty Warriors series, bringing you 600 + NPC battle since >.> the PS1 maybe?

no, the problem with the games of this gen isn't the hardware, even suggesting that is laughable give all the examples form the last gen that can gun such arguements down.

the stagnation problem is the fault of the DEVELOPERS and PUBLISHERS who feel the need to copy ever mildly successful and painfully BORING gun wank game out there.

so

no, for the copy/paste circle jerk the mainstream has going on right now, they don't need better hardware. not like they'll do anything worth while with it anyway, or have save like one or two games this whole gen

 

[endtherapture]

i have a better question

who cares?

it's not like having 'more power' inherently makes games better, sure it CAN, but what can be, and what usually is are two different things

We could have bigger games and more physics and bigger battles with more participants and possibilities of stuff.

Skyrim on console was incredibly limited on what it could do compared to even PC mods, and in all honesty the console orientated engine holds the game back so much.

If you want the current gen to stay forever...well enjoy your grey colours, chest high walls, and extreme stagnation.

1) the only console i have, is a PS2, less powerful then the current gen and with more colors, so, the 'grey/brown' problem isn't the hardware's fault (better games to)

2) larger scale =/= good, nor does better hardware ensure greater numbers, case in point, the Dynasty Warriors series, bringing you 600 + NPC battle since >.> the PS1 maybe?

no, the problem with the games of this gen isn't the hardware, even suggesting that is laughable give all the examples form the last gen that can gun such arguements down.

the stagnation problem is the fault of the DEVELOPERS and PUBLISHERS who feel the need to copy ever mildly successful and painfully BORING gun wank game out there.

so

no, for the copy/paste circle jerk the mainstream has going on right now, they don't need better hardware. not like they'll do anything worth while with it anyway, or have save like one or two games this whole gen

Hardware is needed to evolve gameplay. If we got new hardware, open ended shooters like Crysis and Far Cry might become more popular, as opposed to current gen cover based shooting.

Better hardware will allow more options in gameplay, better AI, dynamic gameplay, physics based gameplay etc. etc.

 

[The Lunatic]

Depends.

"Average PC" against "Average Next-Gen" probably next-gen will be more powerful.

"Gaming PC" against next-gen, next generation consoles will likely be a year or so behind at the point of release.

Consoles take a few years to develop, they release already outdated due to this.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Hardware is needed to evolve gameplay. If we got new hardware, open ended shooters like Crysis and Far Cry might become more popular, as opposed to current gen cover based shooting.

Better hardware will allow more options in gameplay, better AI, dynamic gameplay, physics based gameplay etc. etc.

None of that is guaranteed though, in fact I'm more inclined to think the only 'innovation' we'll get next gen, for all the supposed power those systems will have, is a fucking graphics boost. No smarter AI, no great improvement to gameplay related software, just a new shine on the same shit we go now.

yeah, real looking forward to that, lemme tell ya /sarcasm


so no, I don't think new hardware will bring about any worth while change, despite the possibility's, I've seen no reason to think it'll be used to its fullest to craft anything worth while, so why give the craftsman better tools when he isn't using all of the ones he has now

 

[The Comfy Chair]

Depends.

"Average PC" against "Average Next-Gen" probably next-gen will be more powerful.

"Gaming PC" against next-gen, next generation consoles will likely be a year or so behind at the point of release.

Consoles take a few years to develop, they release already outdated due to this.

Well considering the average PC is used by non-gamers, statistically speaking, you're correct But the average PC on steam will be better though.

 

[m19]

Next gen consoles will be based on today's PC technology. But just enough to not make it too expensive, unlike a no holds barred high end PC. So...

 

[sneakypenguin]

They won't be more powerful than say 1000 dollar pc, but graphically you might see 1-2 years where they look the same since devs can write to the hardware on consoles. But any high end rig off the bat will beat a console and 2 years after release your entry lvl gtx/amd equivalent cards will blow them away.