Decker

I've been wanting to ask this for some time, but didn't want it to digress into a flame war between consoles in the immediate post-launch period

I keep hearing about how games are running on 1080 on a PS4 and 720 on an Xbox One. I look online, but there's no real way to tell the difference in a streaming video. So the question is : Is the difference between 720 vs 1080 really noticeable in a living-room sized HDTV while seated on the couch? Because if so, it might be the deciding factor in choosing between the two consoles, and if it's not, then who cares?
Since almost none of us have the same game for both next-gen systems to switch to back and forth, I was wondering if there are any good articles about comparing games on the two resolutions in practical applications.

I know I can easily see the difference between 30 FPS and 60 FPS in an action game (Going back to NFS Rivals is difficult after playing some Forza 5 even though I think Rivals is a more-fun game).

mattysemo247

No poll? Fail!

But yes, I think it does matter to some extent. I try to compare it to watching something on blu ray (1080p) and over the air TV (and I think most cable channels are also 720p, but someone else might have to verify that since I don't have cable). If it doesn't bother you, then don't worry about it. I think it's harder to identify when you are looking at it without something to compare it with. Most of the time I can easily tell a difference when they have the side by side comparison online. But as you also pointed out, I think the framerate matters more than the resolution.

Oh, and just to add, it's always fun to look at Lens of Truth from time to time to see their screen shots. They go into pretty good depths about what they are looking for and what they notice between the different versions.

http://www.lensoftruth.com/

Guru Askew

This isn't even a debate because its quantifable. Its facts and figures. And yes, people can see the difference.

This is coming from an Xbox One owner. They need to figure out a way to match PS4's resolution and framerate on cross-platform games, there's no way around it.

Decker

That was actually intentional. I wanted to hear people's opinions and experiences. I don't know how many of us have actually watched the same game play on the same screen on the two systems back-to-back. Sure looking at the numbers there's a difference and the more resolution, the better (at least in theory, and if not sacrificing frame rate). Randomly sampling if people care about these potentially meaningless measurements is sort of another issue

On second thought, it wouldn't have hurt to run a poll perhaps. I just don't know how I would have voted.

RichC2

Frame rate > graphical quality > resolution. But when the first two line up yes, very obvious. And this is all "within reason", Superman 64 at 60 fps isn't impressive.

A game designed for 1080p, down scaled to 720p usually looks fine. A game designed for 720p upscale to 1080p usually looks OK. A game designed for 480p upscaled to 1080p usually looks horrible, Wii Nintendo made games being an exception, super smash bros brawl looks nice at 1080.

chess

It mattered in every generation until this one.

This forum, of all places, is the weirdest place to see people laughing off fairly sizeable power differences between the two consoles. If you've ever upgraded from a DVD to a BRD, and you find yourself chuckling at resolution differences between these gaming systems, it might be time for some introspection.

Honestly, it would bother me if I'd just bought a next gen system that plays cross-gen games at 720p-900p and low frame rates, and I would be concerned about what's going to happen when actual next gen games start showing up late this year and early next year. It would be nice if devs could squeeze a bit more out of the XBO, and they will find some ways to optimize over time, but it will never catch up.

RichC2

To its credit, 480p to 720p is a massive jump, 720p to 1080p - to the naked eye - is far less substantial.

I find it is much more noticeable in games than it is in movies. The PS4 is more powerful than the Xbox One, there's no question there, and there is no "catching up" that is going to do. However, the games will still look substantially better than the Xbox 360 and run better too.

The PS4 though will constantly be there to sort of rub its face in it, and cross-platform titles will obviously work better on the PS4.

I'm just glad this forum above all else had the knowledge to not jump on the "Direct X 12 will make the Xbox One amazing!!" train, that shit is just getting ridiculous on other forums. The One doesn't need to catch up or need "saving", it's fine how it is.

MoviePage

Yes, it matters.

It does not, however, matter enough to give me reason to buy both new systems yet. Only must-have exclusive games can do that. I'll take gameplay over graphics, every time.

chess

Same.

I often have a hard time differentiating between upressed DVD and BRD, depending on how a film was shot and without looking at the two back to back.

But on games (and animated movies), any blur really stands out.

RichC2

Precisely. And this is why I haven't jumped on board with either yet. The exclusives are laughable all around at this point and most cross platform titles appear to be on PC this gen. I actually have everything to play Call of Gundam and still don't get the hype.

fujishig

DVD to BRD seems different to me, though, since the source material is different. I don't think many cross platform games do all that much to improve the visuals of one system over another, especially with the similar architecture. Has anyone here actually done a personal comparison (switching from one system to another)?

Also, when did Call of Gundam come out?

RichC2

Digital Foundry does upclose comparisons, there isn't a whole lot to compare at this point. The big thing this time around appears to be them building for a central powerful PC and then scaling back for the PS4 and Xbox One editions.

http://www.eurogamer.net/?topic=digital_foundry

Call of Gundam = Titanfall = Today on the One and PC, 25th on the Xbox 360.

taffer

Resolution definitely matters. Look at a game at 1080p on PC compared to the same game at 720p on console, and it is definitely noticeable. Heck, 1440p is starting to become the norm with PC gaming, and that is a noticeable jump in quality over 1080p. People spend a lot of money on high-end gaming PCs because it's most definitely noticeable. Whether it's worth the money or not is debatable, but it's definitely noticeable.

Also, regarding an HDTV in the living room, well that depends on two different variables. The size of the TV and the seating distance. A lot of people forget the seating distance variable. Many people claim 1080p is useless on a small <40" TV. That's wrong because it ignores seating distance. If high res only mattered for large screens, then high res monitors, or heck even high res tablets with Retina-like screens, would be pointless. The seating distance matters.

RichC2

Well that's another thing, you actually need to play the PC version in 720p and 1080p to have a fair comparison. Most console versions (360 and PS3 at least) of PC games basically run in Medium Detail mode.

Distance also does play a role, and it will be more noticeable on a computer monitor than on a TV. I say it isn't as substantial a change only because I game on my PC on a 106" screen sitting about 11 feet back. Closer on a smaller screen will probably be night and day.

Decker

So are we saying that - for example - the difference in Call of Duty Ghost on the One vs the PS4 would be comparable to, let's say, watching a war movie on a DVD vs Blu Ray?

If it's really that big a difference, you'd think Sony would make it part of their advertising campaign. The fact that it's almost never mentioned in ads, or only mentioned in reviews that say things like "while the game runs in 1080 on the PS4 and 720 on the Xbox One, the frame rate is the same on both systems and the difference is negligable" makes me think it isn't a big deal.
If we're talking about DVD vs Blu Ray difference -- that's pretty dramatic in my book.

wlj

i had no idea the Xone didn't produce 1080p. That is a big drawback. That is unacceptable in my opinion.

RichC2

As time goes on and graphical demands increase, I actually expect both consoles to be closer to 720p/900p than 1080p. And the comparison would be more watching Band of Brothers on HBO HD vs. Blu-ray. (depending of course on your provider, HBO HD is 720p here)

I just hope this gen we have fewer oddities. Like in Dark Souls II that is literally just coming out, it has a more fluid, higher FPS on the Xbox 360 (averaging around 38 fps), while the PS3 edition is closer to 28 fps. The difference being the Xbox 360 edition has screen tearing galore while the PS3 version has constant V-Sync.

This is a comparison between 1080p on the PS4, and 900p on the Xbox One with Assassin's Creed 4.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/N2w8P6SUktk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>)

So while not a night and day difference, it's noticeable to an extent.

Here's a 720p vs 1080p video, but I'm pretty sure other things were turned way down on the 720p edition:

Decker

It can do 1080p. It rarely does though. Forza 5. Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare, Ryse (almost -- 910p or something like that). It hasn't been able to match the PS4 in bringing cross-platform games to 1080p/60 FPS yet. Doesn't mean they won't get there eventually. Clearly there's some issue with processing power when compared to the PS4 though.

chess

I wasn't comparing them directly, since DVD is 480p and BRD is 1080p, but the principle (a>b) is the same, so it's funny to see movie buffs (ostensibly) laugh sub-optimal resolutions off so consistantly.

I can't play this because it's 790p! Dur hur.

chess

There are a few cross platform games where both are 1080/60, mostly sports titles.

[edit] Originally missed your comma usage on PvZ. Sorry.

fujishig

But on a PC game, aren't the details higher, allowing for the resolution change to make a bigger difference? I don't really know, I'm asking.

taffer

The thing with these online videos is that they aren't the same as actually viewing the game in person. You notice more of a difference when viewing in person versus viewing a youtube video.

RichC2

In 1080p, that 720p vs 1080p is embarrassingly bad for the Wii U. But yes you are correct.

That's the gap that has closed with this gen. Assassin's Creed 4 on the PC (maxed out), PS4 and Xbox One are about even with detail, physics, etc; just different resolutions (up to 4K (pc), 1080p (ps4) and 900p (x1))

I mean don't get me wrong, there are a few differences (God Rays on the PC version aren't as prominent in the PS4 and Xbox One editions, you can crank the shit out of some AA on the PC version), but the overall detail is roughly even across all 3 platforms.

Raul3

Yeah, FIFA, Madden, etc. all (?) EA Sports games are 1080p/60 in both consoles.

So yeah, it matters, but it shouldn't be the main factor for most people.

If you are playing online, and the infrastructure sucks, the resolution is nothing.

And this:
http://kotaku.com/if-youre-asking-me...box-1540295552

maxfisher

I just picked up the Xbone today, so I don't really have a basis for comparison between the two current consoles. I will say that the difference between Assassin's Creed 3 on 360 and Black Flag on PS4 blew me away. Obviously there's a lot more going on there in terms of differences, but I'm sure resolution helped account for some of it. Also, I'm sitting 12' from a 10' screen, so I'm sure that differences in resolution are more apparent on that set up than on a typical tv screen.