COLUMN: Setting the record straight on next-gen resolutions
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will both be launching later this month, and there has been a lot of talk lately in the gaming community about what the specifications of each console could mean for multiplatform titles in the next generation.
Sources in the industry have confirmed that the upcoming game “Call of Duty: Ghosts” will run at a resolution of 1080p on the PS4 as compared to 720p on Xbox One. Some people consider this to show that the PS4 is going to be the more powerful system.
Contrary to the opinions of many fanboys, these minor differences between the multiplatform games are no indication of either console’s superiority or inferiority.
When it comes down to it, the hardware of both systems is very similar, aside from the extra processing power of the PS4’s RAM.
Videos comparing the gameplay on both consoles have shown some minor graphical improvements on the PS4 version, but they would not be apparent to the average gamer. To the untrained eye, like mine, the difference between the resolutions is practically unnoticeable.
It’s important to also remember that the games we are talking about are launch titles. We are just discovering what we can do with this technology. The ways in which the games are produced is going to change dramatically in the next few years, so judging the consoles on what we are seeing now makes little sense.
The resolution issue could boil down to technological power, but another possible explanation for the disparities in the games is the novelty of the technology involved. COD developer Infinity Ward said optimizing their new game for Xbox One was difficult because of memory allocation issues.
Because the technology is so new, it will take time for game makers to work out the technical issues. Once game studios have worked with the consoles for a while and ironed out the process, it’s possible that performance on the two consoles will be indistinguishable in a few years’ time.
As game development for this new generation’s consoles evolves, the Xbox One’s specifications may limit its ability to keep up with games for the PS4. This could widen the gap between the two versions of multiplatform titles, making for two very different gameplay experiences.
Though buyers may want to consider this possibility this November, I doubt that the difference in specifications will greatly affect gamers in the future.
Everyone seems to be rushing to judgments on Xbox One and PS4. The hardware of the consoles may actually play a part in the future of multiplatform games, but only time will tell.
