Technical Comparison Sony PS4 and Microsoft Xbox

[Hecatoncheires]

We need to give name to those GPUs. Something futuristic for MS, and something emotional for Sony.

"Cernynator" would be great for the PS4 GPU! Hasta la Vita, Baby!

 

[mosen]

For video, that's not that hard. Wouldn't expect it for gaming. Also, isn't HDMI 1.4a limited to 24fps? If you actually care about 4K video, you'll want to wait for HDMI 2.0.

Also for games. maybe they means 2D games or something else, I don't now.

Update: A representative from Microsoft confirmed to Polygon that Xbox One games will support both native 4K resolution and upscaling to 4K.

http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/23/4359450/xbox-one-will-support-4k-output-resolution-and-3d

 

[MrFox]

For video, that's not that hard. Wouldn't expect it for gaming. Also, isn't HDMI 1.4a limited to 24fps? If you actually care about 4K video, you'll want to wait for HDMI 2.0.

No, it's 30 fps for the standard UHDTV resolution (which is QuadHD).

Still, the timing for HDMI 2.0 is a bit tight but not impossible.

On January 8, 2013, HDMI Licensing, LLC announced that the next HDMI version is being worked on by the 83 members of the HDMI Forum and that it is expected to be released in the first half of 2013.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

But Major Nelson Confirmed 3D and 4K support for x1.
http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/23/4359450/xbox-one-will-support-4k-output-resolution-and-3d

Not really. 2D games, maybe. Check the thread on 4k resolutions, wherever it went.

 

[MfA]

I'm more interested if it it will support 1080p60 in 3d (ie. effectively 1080p120). That's the format we really need for stereoscopic gaming at the moment.

 

[Bagel seed]

I'm more interested if it it will support 1080p60 in 3d (ie. effectively 1080p120). That's the format we really need for stereoscopic gaming at the moment.

The graphics would be too gimped. A clean 720p120 would do nicely imo. Which if the rumored 1080p60 fps PS4 versions become reality, could meet that target.

 

[Mitchings]

I'm not sure comparing in game to bullshots and pre-rendered footage is particularly fair is it?

I agree.

However, if they were to be compared I'd say Xbox One has a more showy trailer along with boosted contrast/saturation.

PS4 however has more natural lighting and effects. The polygons are also far less obvious (if at all).

 

[Brad Grenz]

The rumble in the triggers of xbox one is really a cool feature .

Can sony add it in DS4 ? or should they?

Sony has already said the DS4 features "enhanced rumble" but I don't know that they've gone into too much detail on that...

 

[Lalaland]

Sony has already said the DS4 features "enhanced rumble" but I don't know that they've gone into too much detail on that...

From the DF article on Sony's GDC talks

Norden revealed that the touchpad has an exceptional 1920x900 resolution, and that rumble has been significantly improved in the new pad. The vibration motors in the old DS3 had a larger "analogue" unit capable of multiple levels of motion, along with a smaller one that could just turn on and off. In the DualShock 4, both motors have been upgraded to offer varying levels of vibration, defined by the developer.

No mention of additional motors just greater programmability for what's there already.

 

[XpiderMX]

Do we know how much resources are reserved for system in PS4?

 

[warb]

Do we know how much resources are reserved for system in PS4?

Nothing official I think, but it seems likely it will match XB One, at least to begin with, because they can't take more away later. KZ SF tech slides have it using a bit less than 5GB, as MS have available for X1

 

[XpiderMX]

Nothing official I think, but it seems likely it will match XB One, at least to begin with, because they can't take more away later. KZ SF tech slides have it using a bit less than 5GB, as MS have available for X1

I guess that the "7GB for games" is only a rumor.

 

[Tap In]

Speaking of the controllers

interesting breakdown on the ONE controller

The two analog sticks are slightly smaller and have been redesigned with new ridges instead of strategically placed bumps. On engineer told me they now take 25-percent less force to move. And then there is the D-Pad which got a much needed design – it’s now a much more aggressive “X” or plus sign.

During a tour of Microsoft’s Xbox Scientific Labs, engineers explained to us that a key change—flipping the rear battery pack 90-degrees and putting it inside the controller — has shifted the center of gravity, making the new device “feel” lighter. It’s true, it did.

The new controller is also filled with some new technology, the most noticeable of which might be the new haptic feedback motors in the triggers, (it also now use magnetic sensors instead of mechanical ones). The Xbox One controllers still have the same two larger motors for gameplay vibration (explosions, getting shot, etc), but now there’s a tiny motor in each trigger, which means you can get new, subtle bits of feedback during gameplay...

...the on-screen action coincided with large and small vibrations throughout the controller. Those at my fingertips were noticeable and quite interesting. While the demo wasn’t particularly exciting, I can imagine the new trigger-based haptic feedback enhancing gameplay..

On the front of the new controller, you’ll find an IR sensor. It allows it to communicate with the Xbox One’s new Kinect controller. While Microsoft didn’t go into great detail about how this will be used in gameplay, it does add one interesting feature. Imagine there are two people playing in front of an Xbox One. The Kinect knows, via facial recognition, who they are. It also knows, thanks to the IR sensors, who is holding which controller. If the two players switch controllers, they do not start controlling each other’s characters. Instead, Xbox One sees that they are each holding different controllers and communicates with the controllers through Kinect to switch player controls.
There is also a high-speed connection port on the Xbox One controller, but Microsoft wasn’t ready to offer any details on what future peripherals might plug into it.

Microsoft has also been putting the near final controllers through a rigorous test where they replicate 10 year's worth of button depressions in two days (that’s roughly 2 million presses, which is 4-5 presses per second). Not only were they testing button durability, but the system also read the actuation on the other side to record any and all fails. I also saw a slo-mo video of a drop-test where the Xbox One controller bounced off a hard floor; only section of plastic popped off, as it was designed to do, so so the engineers could see the real-time effects of the drop on internal components. The engineer told us the controller performed as expected.

also lab technician on reveal show said there was a 15% communication speed improvement over 360

 

[Pete]

I think that guy is referring to multiplats, which devs are probably targeting 1080p 30fps on Xbox. So might as well urge them to try for ~60 on PS4 with the power difference.

I don't get how 50% higher specs translates to 100% higher framerate? Assuming both consoles are clocked the same, the basic argument should be more 40 vs 60fps (or 30 vs 45) at the same res, or different resolutions at the same framerate, no? I don't doubt certain techniques may favor once architecture over another, but I'm just going on basic GPU specs.

If we're all just exaggerating for effect, then ignore me and carry on.

 

[djskribbles]

Nothing official I think, but it seems likely it will match XB One, at least to begin with, because they can't take more away later. KZ SF tech slides have it using a bit less than 5GB, as MS have available for X1

AFAIK, not even GG knew about the upgrade to 8GB until fairly recently. 3GB of GDDR5 dedicated to the OS seems excessive. When the PS4 was rumored to have 4GB of GDDR5, the rumor was just 512MB for the OS. After we knew it was going to be 8GB, the new rumor was that 7GB would be available for developers. 1GB seems more likely to me... 2 at the most.

 

[Scott_Arm]

I don't get how 50% higher specs translates to 100% higher framerate? Assuming both consoles are clocked the same, the basic argument should be more 40 vs 60fps (or 30 vs 45) at the same res, or different resolutions at the same framerate, no? I don't doubt certain techniques may favor once architecture over another, but I'm just going on basic GPU specs.

If we're all just exaggerating for effect, then ignore me and carry on.

I think they're going by the ROP count (16 vs 32), assuming double the fillrate will double framerate if all else remains equal.

 

[Bagel seed]

I don't get how 50% higher specs translates to 100% higher framerate? Assuming both consoles are clocked the same, the basic argument should be more 40 vs 60fps (or 30 vs 45) at the same res, or different resolutions at the same framerate, no? I don't doubt certain techniques may favor once architecture over another, but I'm just going on basic GPU specs.

If we're all just exaggerating for effect, then ignore me and carry on.

They may push for 1080p vertical res only, or a dynamic resolution to get closer to 60 fps. Maybe it could be a toggle in the menu settings too. "HFR mode - Slightly lower resolution at times, but improved frame rate".

When gaming on PC, I find anything above 30fps makes a huge difference in controls and feels. Would definitely appreciate if PS4 versions made this happen, even if not a locked 60.

 

[(((interference)))]

I don't think they're really going to reserve 3 GB for the OS, 2GB max should be fine- they're not running Windows simultaneously with the Game OS or anything like that. Nor do they need memory for Kinect voice and skeletal tracking databases.

And MS does all of what they're currently doing in 2GB, the remaining 1GB is only reserved for future use and not being currently used for anything.

So I really don't see why Sony will match them on the memory reservation when their OS seems more lightweight and their vision for the device is more focused than MS' all encompassing entertainment box.

 

[astrograd]

I think they're going by the ROP count (16 vs 32), assuming double the fillrate will double framerate if all else remains equal.

And what of the bandwidth necessary to actually feed those ROPs?

 

[astrograd]

They may push for 1080p vertical res only, or a dynamic resolution to get closer to 60 fps. Maybe it could be a toggle in the menu settings too. "HFR mode - Slightly lower resolution at times, but improved frame rate".

Ok, and how would this exact same thing not be done on X1's display planes though? That's the entire reason they were designed based on the leak and the actual patent for them.