Power struggle: the real differences between PS4 and Xbox One performance

PlayStation 4 is currently around 50 per cent faster than its rival Xbox One. Multiple high-level game development sources have described the difference in performance between the consoles as “significant” and “obvious.”

Our contacts have told us that memory reads on PS4 are 40-50 per cent quicker than Xbox One, and its ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) is around 50 per cent faster. One basic example we were given suggested that without optimisation for either console, a platform-agnostic development build can run at around 30FPS in 1920×1080 on PS4, but it’ll run at “20-something” FPS in 1600×900 on Xbox One. “Xbox One is weaker and it’s a pain to use its ESRAM,” concluded one developer.

Microsoft is aware of the problem and, having recently upped the clock speed of Xbox One, is working hard to close the gap on PS4, though one developer we spoke to downplayed the move. “The clock speed update is not significant, it does not change things that much,” he said. “Of course, something is better than nothing.”

Even this close to launch, “the hardware isn’t locked,” said another source. Sony and Microsoft are each still working on the graphics drivers for each console, and Xbox One is lagging behind in this regard – Microsoft “has been late on their drivers and that has been hurting them,” said one source. Another described Xbox One’s graphics drivers less charitably as “horrible”. Both consoles’ graphics drivers will continue to improve right up to – and beyond – launch, which will even up the difference in performance a little.

Xbox One does, however, boast superior performance to PS4 in other ways. “Let’s say you are using procedural generation or raytracing via parametric surfaces – that is, using a lot of memory writes and not much texturing or ALU – Xbox One will be likely be faster,” said one developer.

Both platform holders are, of course, encouraging developers to take advantage of each console’s unique features (the DualShock 4’s touch pad and Kinect, for example) but there’s little enthusiasm for either among the developers we spoke to. “They really want us to make use of platform specific stuff to give their version a leg up over the other,” said one source. “But unless there’s a good design reason or incentive we rarely do.”

Indeed, despite that gulf in speed, the differences between cross platform launch window games will be negligible; with tight deadlines to meet, it’s more expedient for developers to deliberately create near-identical versions.

“The poor [graphics] drivers have made it difficult to push either of them, and the developers aren’t familiar with the hardware yet,“ said one source. Another stated that we’ll begin to see far greater use of each platform’s unique features once we’re past the first wave of releases, when developers have more time and experience with each console’s quirks.

One source even suggested that enforcing parity across consoles could become a political issue between platform holders, developers and publishers. They said that it could damage perceptions of a cross platform title, not to mention Xbox One, if the PS4 version shipped with an obviously superior resolution and framerate; better to “castrate” the PS4 version and release near-identical games to avoid ruffling any feathers.

This claim was later countered by a contact at a different studio. “It would be totally fine for us to make one version prettier without any political difficulties but it usually doesn’t make financial sense,” they said, “unless it’s a very simple tweak.”

The difference between cross platform launch window games will be small, and improved graphics drivers plus the power of the cloud might yet tip the balance in Xbox One’s favour. Nonetheless, at launch, PS4 will be the more capable console.

Uh huh.

You know, MS and Sony had what?  7 years time to develop a new console?  This is the first gen where it looks as if one of them really fucked up.  Maybe it's because there was no clear winner in last gen, meaning that there is no one system that can be seen as the benchmark for what is to be expected?  I mean, PS2 and Xbox were far apart as well, but PS2 was the 'benchmark', and nobody complained it was relatively underpowererd.  Now MS and Sony are seemingly neck-to-neck, and all of a sudden it is perceived as a major problem that one of the two systems (which were developed in parrallel without any knowledge of what the other was doing) isn't as powerfull as the other.  The consoles have always been very different, and multiplat games have always looked less impressive as they cater to the weakest link. Maybe now it's a point of interest since for the first time ever, the build of both consoles is close enough to eachother and transparent enough so that about anyone can understand the differences?

I really don't see why this is being blown so out of proportion.  Unless, of course, the sole reason is to make the PS4 look good and bash the Xbone.

"One Edge source claimed that politics could come into play, with it better to "castrate" the PS4 version of a game so not to ruffle Microsoft's feathers."

Shit like this bothers me.

1. Why are people afraid of "ruffling" Microsoft's feathers? Isn't this the company that has shareholders who want out of consoles?
2. Developers didn't have any problem back in the Xbox 180 days making every game superior on that platform, but yet they can't do the same for PS4?
3. Developers have already bragged about games for the PC being vastly superior to the new consoles, so why would it be an issue to make each console stand out against each other as well?

I don't like the idea of games being held back from being as good as they can to satisfy ANY hardware maker. Your job is to make games be the best they can be for the CUSTOMER. Not to worry about Microsoft being upset that you're making a better version on a better system.

gamingeek said:

Serious question, is anyone going to buy The Wonderful 101?

I was thinking about it, but with the car troubles I've had over the past few months I'm looking into a new vehicle which is a big expense and I really don't think I'll be buying many new full price games at all except for the ones I am dying for. I'm not dying for Wonderful 101.

Right now, the only games I plan on getting for the rest of this year are:

• Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
• Watch Dogs

Also tempted by Splinter Cell and GTA 5.

gamingeek said:

Nobody complained about the ps2 castrating cube and xbox games but I could spot boxy Ps2 ports a mile off.

Xbox always got the best versions though. They were designed for PS2 first of course, but Xbox versions were clearly better. Even Gamecube versions at times.

Even Xbox 360 got the best versions of most games for a long time, despite PS3 being more powerful. Of course they had the excuse of PS3 being hard to develop for as a reason why. Now with PS4 being an easy development platform AND a better piece of hardware, if Microsoft somehow manages to get better versions of games yet again its going to look very fishy to me.

Kinda annoying, I spend years building an amazing animated dvd collection, then these web based rental services throw them all on there for streaming, even stuff that isn't out on dvd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZB3nmKf2m8

aspro said:

You will buy a console GTAV.  

I just wanna chow Padme's beaver.

^ You got  Daikatana, Aspro? Even for $2.39, I've gotta pass on that one.