Transistor Dev Defends Against Claims That PS4 Will Be Obsolete In Few Years, Targeting 1080p/60FPS

Creative Director, Greg Kasavin shares his thoughts on PS4 and Transistor.

[Eonjay]

This is actually very legitimate due to the cost of a high end PC versus a console.

[cleft5]

Console lifespan depends more on the games than the quality of the hardware, of course the hardware is very important.

If the PS2 and PS3 is any judge than the PS4 will be relevant for at least another 6 years. That's more than enough time to enjoy PS4 games. Also, it really looks like Sony is going to issue in a Golden Age of gaming for the PS4. The last time that happen was with the PS2 and that console lasted for around 10 years before Sony stopped producing new PS2s.

At $400 this console is already a steal, when Sony starts dropping the price in a few years to $300 and then $200, it will easily revitalize the PS4 at that point, if it even needs it.

[psoomah]

The PS4 being based on an x86 HSA APUs means it's replacements, if based on a future x86 HSA APU, will be far easier and less expensive to develop and will have built in backward hardware compatibility ... and all the programming expertise developed by the devs should be directly applicable.

[schubacca]

This is why MS talks about balance. Both the X1 and the PS4 have been designed to last years. I am not talking secret sauce, but both machines have potential that will be unlocked in the years to come.

[Army_of_Darkness]

I bet you my soon to be ps4 will last longer than your gaming PC(before it needs an upgrade that is) ;-)

Point is my ps3 has been going 7 years now, so within those 7 years I wonder how much times the pc fannies have paid to upgrade their precious gaming pc to stay relevant and still be ahead "graphically"??

[Magicite]

I would say PS4 will hold for at least 8 years, that is, game developers will support the system with AAA titles that long.

[Magicite]

In fact they stopped producing PS2 only in 2012.

[ShinMaster]

It's mostly the PC fanboys that make that claim.

They make that claim every single new console generation, yet consoles remain as popular and profitable as ever. It must suck to be a PC elitist and be wrong for decades now.
So I ask, obsolete to whom? Not to gamers or developers.

[ikkokucrisis]

I don't see anything wrong with consoles going obsolete in 4 years. People buy $400+ phones every other year with a monthly service plan. Why should purchasing a console every 4 years be such a big deal? That's what the average lifespan of previous consoles used to be.

It would be even smarter of the console manufacturers to just keep the general architecture the same and simply scale up the specs (e.g. go from a 8 core to a 16 core CPU, or go from 8GB to 16GB of RAM) so the developers don't have to relearn anything.

[tokugawa]

these consoles can last for a few years.

one thing that is gegining to stick in my head is this though.

IF,the ps4 does start destroying the xbo in the grfx and sales department (which could infact become reality on both counts), then i think that this next gen will be over in 4 years like the original xbox.

i can see microsoft sitting around as the dust cloud gets smaller.

[BaronVonRhett]

@ Army of Darkness. Well my last computer lasted since 2004, so I think I have you beat.

[mikeslemonade]

Xbox 360 was obsolete since Gears 2 came out. But games still kept coming out looking a little better and better. Being obsolete doesn't mean the system stops being a success.

[ChrisW]

@ShinMaster,

Any PC elitist will say that electronic technology is obsolete in a matter of months... They are about 1% of the PC niche.

But what truly defines a PC as being obsolete is when it can no longer play most up and coming AAA games on even medium settings, which normally takes about 6 or 7 years on average depending on if it was a 'high end' PC or not.

[Irishguy95]

Army of Darkness my PC is 2007 and I still haven't upgraded, it runs games better than the Ps3/360...always. Very noticeable in multiplats where I a better experience. Other than them, PC exclusives that try look better than console games even on low settings.

This is the reason Optimization is such a sorry excuse for console fanboys, Game engines get optimized, not hardware. As the engines are optimized for consoles they are inadvertently optimized for PC's too. The exception was the Ps3 because of it's idioctic Cell processor which was so different than the rest, which led to it having lesser Multis than Xbox for years until devs finally started working with it. Either way my 2007 PC ran the games better. It has a 2006 GPU in it too, still an 8800GTX

[DeadIIIRed]

Irishguy95 - the average PC build according to steam would have tech from 2007-2008 and only be able to squeeze out the minimum settings on Battlefield 3 (which looks terrible even compared to consoles).

I love the enthusiasm from PC gamers giving their individual experience, but the larger picture is that most PC rigs today can't touch seven year old consoles.

[RVanner_]

@ Army of Darkness
I'm sorry but you have probably paid out just as much if not more overall than the average PC gamer over the last 7 years. And yet they have enjoyed a far more technically impressive experience throughout. There are many other advantages to console gaming but I'm afraid the cost argument is not one. People who have experience with both platforms know this.

[deSSy2724]

@Army_of_Darkness

ofc games on consoles are more optimized than PC games. Example, the X1800 based GPU in Xbox360 and 7800gt based in PS3 is better than X1950 for example in real time scenarios. I own a PC, PS3 and Wii so i know what im talking about, im in the PC era since 80s. You are completely ignoring the fact that 95+% new PS3 games are running in sub HD or 1280x 720 AT BEST and ofc 30 FPS, no AA, very low graphics settings etc

[StoutBEER]

Wait, isn't Transistor an Indie? Or am I wrong?

[Conzul]

Yeah, but a damn good one. It's the indie I'm most-pumped for IMO

[JohnS1313]

High end PCs are way too expensive. A PS4 is much better plus developers can make their games just for one console instead of a million different possible computers.

[MidnytRain]

You can get a GPU for 200 bucks today that'll probably outpace next-gen consoles.

[5eriously]

@WrongSpelledRain list them please and explain why they are better refering to specs, else you are just trolling!

[blackmagic]

Here ya go:

Powercolor Radeon HD 7950 - $190

3.32 TFLOPS, 925 Mhz Clock, 240Gb/s 384 bit GDDR5, 28 Compute Units, 1792 Stream Processors, 112 texture units
http://www.newegg.com/Produ...

vs PS4
1.84 TFLOPS, 800 Mhz Clock, 176Gb/s 256 bit GDDR5 (shared), 18 Compute Units, 1154 Stream Processors, 72 Texture units

[MidnytRain]

Lol, I don't know much about specs (they're not real-world anyway), but search around for benchmarks and do some reading. The proof is in the results. The HD 7950 Blackmagic posted and the 660 ti are good examples. These are cards you can get for about $200 and can push games like BF3 at ultra at ~30 frames with anti-aliasing at 2560 x 1600 resolution.

[insomnium2]

I don't think games will ever be that optimized for your Radeon Blackmagic. The install base for that particular GPU is what? 10k? 100k? 1000k? Whatever it is it's pathetic compared to one single console configuration where the devs can optimize the hell out of it's specs.

You win on paper but everything else is pretty much out in the wild.....

[blackmagic]

@insomnium2
On PC, the developer optimizes for a target amount of power not a specific hardware configuration. Developers make games that are balanced and designed to run smoothly with a target power then the pc gamer has the power to manipulate the engine to suit their own rig.

Console gamers talk a lot about optimization but it takes years for that to happen while the PC industry completely walks away in terms of power. It's great that naughty dog got the last of us running on ps3 but it took them seven years to build that expertise and believe me when I say that a game running at 1280x720, 30 frames per second with basic AA is completely unimpressive and makes me sad that such a talented developer was so constrained by their hardware environment.

On PC, the developer makes a balanced game. The PC Gamer is the one that optimizes the hardware. The choice is yours.

[3-4-5]

Games will keep players on consoles, that is where the majority of good games come from.

[awi5951]

NO most Pc's have expansion slots and atleast a quad core cpu. With that in mind they only thing a person would need to upgrade their pc is a new power supply since retail dealers put in crap power supplies. A mid end nivdia card or ATI card will surpass the PS4. So you are looking at 75 dollars for a 650 corsair power supply and a 150 to 200 dollar ati card will beat the PS4.

When it comes to nivida you would need a 260 dollar card though since they run at higer prices. But you can get your standard pc you already have in your home above PS4 performance easily for less than the cost of the PS 4.

[xXxSeTTriPxXx]

Cool story bro

[N4Flamers]

How do you not factor in the cost of the pc into your equation before you ad another 275 to it?

Might as well just buy a ps4 then.

[ded1020]

Not really, no. No optimization in your pc. Just raw power. And you don't know what new tricks will come up in the next gen based off of the consoles HSA arch. Also, I don't have a quad core cpu. You gonna give me a free one? Is there a quad core cpu tree somewhere?

PC its always the same. You get what you pay for. You buy the cheap fix now, be prepared to spend more sooner rather than later. Consoles are cheaper than PC's. You can't really successfully argue otherwise.

[awi5951]

@N4Flamers and ded1020

Because ive built pc's with Better specs than ps4 for 500 dollars and the cost of parts are going down.The outgoing gen of graphics cards have more raw horsepower than the ps4 and with the older parts you can easily build one thats better. A PS4 will not out class the 550 dollar pc i just built my sister with dual 7850 2GB and 6 core cpu. Computer cases, motherboards, and ram can be found dirt cheap at like 30 dollars each. You dont need to buy the high end stuff unless you plan to overclock your system its not needed.

I bet you that the new games that come out on the PS4 and xbox one that are multiplat wont look as good as even a 2 year old pc.

Just wait untill BF4 on other games come out i bet 2 year old pc's with cheap 100 dollar graphics cards will still run at 60 fps on ultra with x4AA @ 1080P and the console version will have to be scaled back its the same old story just give up already.

These consoles arent even worth the prices they are charging the parts dont even add up to what they are charging. Atleast last gen the xbox and ps3 was worth the money when they came out. The xbox had a GPU that wasnt even on the market yet these consoles are already 2 years old. The 660ti the 7850 7950 already outclasses them and they have weak cpu's. Anyone that knows amd cpus more cores does not mean better performance. Amd doesnt do multicore well at all.

And pc's have optimizations like crazy its called drivers some drivers that come out increase game performance 15 to 50 percent.

[insomnium2]

@awi

"Because ive built pc's with Better specs than ps4 for 500 dollars and the cost of parts are going down"

Your PCs will never see the optimization consoles do so just throwing out specs is kinda irrelevant. On paper they are impressive for sure but everything else is up to the devs.

[awi5951]

@insomnium2

Wrong wrong wrong wrong their are hacks and mods that makes game run better than the developers could ever dream of. Some developers just suck and ive downloaded hacks and mods that made a unplayable game run silky smooth by some random guy that cared enough to fix this jacked up game that a developer put out.

[awi5951]

@insomnium2
And for you info the PS brand has all been about whats on paper they crap out numbers and they never live up to them. My stats come from in game performance you can look them up on any pc website the consoles dont even qualify as mid grade pc's anymore because everyone is upgrading and the older cards have dropped in price.

That sounds like microsoft's excuse why its weaker than the ps4 lol. IT doesnt change the fact that its weaker lol. Optimization will not make up for the console being far weaker. My pc can run BF3 on ultra @ 1080P at 80 fps with x4AA. The ps 4 cant even do that now. And i have a far better 8 core running at 4.5gigs not some sorry 1.7 nonsense put that little (^(*^&*( away lol. Metro last light runs on ultra @ 1080P 60 fps its the pc benchmark right now and the ps4 doesnt have the cpu to make it run at 30 fps so you are so so wrong.

[SnakeCQC]

Console games have a much higher optimisation than pc games, which is why visuals can be pushed so far. Pc game devs depend on the user to upgrade every two years or so.

[ded1020]

TRUTH

I remember, after just buying and upgrading my then 5 year old pc back in 2010.
Looking at God of War 3 and being like "Hot damn, a game this good looking is coming out on this old ass hardware I bought for $600.
I'm throwing out the $2k hardware(from 2005) for newer $1k hardware, and games are STILL running like ass half the time on PC. (thanks lack of optimization)
Since then I've been on the razors edge on staying above ass on my pc.
With PC elitists like Jeff G from GB saying I'm not "dedicated enough" to keep up, has made me realize that if I just settle for a little less, I'd have more money and games.

[SnakeCQC]

Its nice too see other people who aren't blinded by fanboyism. My second biggest gripes with gaming on pc is when its working everything is great but when there's a problem it can take alot of work to diagnose the problem and fix it.

[xKugo]

True statement.
PC gaming depends ENTIRELY on the raw power of your individual parts because developers do next no optimization for the games. If somebody has better specs than you in the PC gaming community, they will always have better graphics than you will unless you upgrade past their own specs. The luxury that we enjoy relies solely on both our willingness and ability to upgrade core system specs. No such dilemma exist on consoles, which in the gaming industry is seen as a massive advantage pro-console.

Something else to note: No one in the entire PC gaming community will EVER experience what their respective specs are capable of because no developer is willing to optimize for each and every PC set-up there is. Great example, if the PS4 had my core specs(GTX 780, 4770k clocked at 4.1Ghz and 8GB of DDR3 + 8GB of GDDR5( I just spent 800 dollars on the gddr5)) then the PS4 would thrash the same exact set-up in a PC because of vastly superior optimization for it's games.

[awi5951]

@ded1020

IF you paid 2k for a pc something is wrong with you. Just because alienware or whoever says they are the best doesnt mean its true. Just like Bose has lied and says their speakers sound the best and the average joe believes it. Their is no logical reason to pay that much.

[FTLightspeed]

@xKugo

where does that 8GB of GDDR5 go on your pc? the motherboard?

[DoctorJones]

@xKugo

Wow, you are a complete liar.

'( I just spent 800 dollars on the gddr5)'

This is why I never trust console gamers who downplay pc gaming and then tell us they have a monster pc that they never use. Most of the time they're talking out of their ass and don't have a clue what they're talking about.

[50Terabytespersec]

enough with PC versus PS4 etc.. yadda yadda , What it boils down to; and get your brainwashing consumer head out of your arse... IS BUDGET!! GAME DEV BUDGETS!!!!
Go ask MS and Sony and other companies ....
How the hell can you create an engine and fill all the RAM and Hard drive space with a team of 5 people and 100 Grand ...LMAO...
I don't care how much RAM you can shove in your PC and you SSdrive is 1 Terabyte a second.... Who is gonna green light millions and buy a great story to boot , for a PC platform ?when only a small fraction off nerds with no life can spend 1000 on a rig that will also be obsoleted in 6 months ...DUH ..Ever heard of Sony Pictures ??? Don't forget why they call them big budget Hollywood films ...GO ask how much it cost to make Avengers... a matter of fact go ask ILM and Weta etc how much they charge for all that man hours and huge production staff?? Figure out the math... Guess what hi calibur games require the same amount of Talent!!

[Beastforlifenoob]

@DeadIIIRed

You know the developers of Battlefield 3 said that the lowest settings on PC were still higher than console...

[yellowgerbil]

Won;t be obsolete, My PS4 will still play games at the best possible setting 8 years from now. If I was to buy a PC it would be obsolete long before that.
That is why I'm a console gamer. I care more about story, gameplay and style than graphics. And I've found those to be far better in console games Naughty Dog for instance.

[cleft5]

To be fair, if you where to spend a great deal of money on a PC than hardware wise the PS4 and Xbox One would already be obsolete. However, hardware isn't what determines the relevance of a console, it is the games and how many units a game developer can sale.

There is a reason that GTA5 came to the consoles first and has yet to be announced for the PC, despite the fact that we all know it will eventually come to the PC. Developers tend to primarily make games for the consoles first because they can sale more units to that market. A market that is specifically geared towards buying and distributing games.

Regardless, next-gen consoles are good news for PC gamers, because the baseline for games will be raised. This benefits PC gamers with nice rigs because the console ports they get will now be closer to a game that was developed primarily with PC specs in mind. It's a win-win situation.

[ATi_Elite]

Yeh which is why Diablo III and Minecraft came to PC first with each selling over 15 million units before being released to console.

So your whole POINT about games going to console first is WRONG.

Consoles have their games and audience while PC has it's games and audience.

[Nekroo91]

ATi_Elite how dare you to defend pc sales . cant you handle the facts?! software sales 1 year
xbox 360 154,515,522
ps3 148,974,355
pc 29,631,542

so good luck with the 15 million diablo 3 sales.
Pc elitist are the ones who call console players peasants for some reason they are the ones who seem who cant afford any games. so lets me play my only game on my gaming pc... irony

[Gorilla_Killa_X]

@Nekroo91 PC game software sales reached $20 billion last year. So your numbers are off. Going by your sales number of roughly 30 milliin, PC games sold for $667 or on average.

PS. I am not a PC elitist. I game on my PS3 primarily.

EDIT: Just fyi for y'all two, Diablo 3 sold 12 million on PC. Minecraft at 12.2 million.

[hazardman]

@ati

Actually its not that they went to PC first as they were already exclusive to PC.

If anything they brought it to console to get a broader consumer base. Why leave it on PC when theres 100mil+ gamers on console. To much $$$ to leave on table!!

[ded1020]

Thats 20 billion dollars combined over all of time.(already been pointed out)
Consoles have done 22-25 billion over time.
It's pretty known that, when a game is coming out simultaneously across the platforms, pc does the worst.
I mean look at bf3 sales.
As much as it's hailed as the best looking pc game and the stuff consoles can only dream of, 360 sold the most copies of that game, followed closely by PS3, and lagging far behind was pc sales.
7 mill, 6.6 mill, and 2.4 mill, respectively according to vgchartz. I know that doesn't reflect digital sales, but the scales aren't gonna tip much more either way.
It's not that there aren't a lot of pc gamers out there.
There aren't a lot that have or want these bleeding edge money gobblers of pcs to run this shit on.
And without that, though the appeal of PC is still there (backwards compatibility come to mind here) The draw of flashy high end games is gone.
That is until you see/are interested in new consoles ;)

[Gorilla_Killa_X]

ded1020...you claims of 20 billion dollars all time is ludicrous. The video game industry made $80 billion last year alone. And $25 billion all time for consoles is just as crazy. With 150 million Xbox 360s and PS3s, if each console had 1 new game bought, that equals 7.5 billions dollars alone in one year. So you are trying to say that in the 40 years of consoles they have only sold 25 billion dollars of software. Get outta here.

Yeah I agree that PC versions of games sale less than their console counterpart but your lifetime sales is ridiculous. PC game software had $20 billion in sales in 2012 and is expected to do $25 billion this year alone, which might surpass consoles sales. Fact.

One more thing, VGchartz is a joke. They don't count digital sales which PC has a higher percentage of than Xbox or PlayStation. Don't believe me, look at the VGchartz sales for minecraft on PC. What's that, it says 0. Minecraft has sold over 12 million units on PC but VGchartz says...0.

I'm done.

[Gorilla_Killa_X]

How can you disagree with math? Use your head and some common sense. If you are gonna disagree, let me know why.

[worldwidegaming]

8 years? Try 5! Tech is evolving faster and faster. Eventually smartphones will catch up and we do not want that...

[I_am_Batman]

Even if the smart phones catch up they will probably be double or even triple the cost of the PS4.

[Dan_scruggs]

The Transistor dev is right. The PS4 is a locked piece of hardware and wont be able to adapt to new tech. It may be strong now but in a few years it will be a relic. You wouldn't buy a 6 year old phone or PC would you? The yearly incremental increases in technology will ensure that that tech keeps blazing forward in ways the home console market can't.

[hazardman]

Thats ok tho no? I mean dev says its obsolete right. But yet its gonna take several yrs to see what the devs can do with new hardware. So then which is it then... or maybe im just to damn high to understand all this mumbojumbo!!

[5eriously]

Ever heard of firmware upgrades? I guess not. Many smart phones are also locked pieces of hardware yet third party firmware always seems to improve things.
Look at the PS3 hardware and how the firmware updates improved the console for all these years adapting it to use new features. The same and even more so will apply for the next gen.

[kingduqc]

"My PS4 will still play games at the best possible setting 8 years from now"

LOL, yeah right. More like the lowest setting available.

To be fair, a PC that you buy 800$ will out do a ps4 you get for 400$ + 400$ for online. You get better visual, better price for games. But consoles gamer are clueless about that.

[ded1020]

Though I agree the ps4 won't have the best looking graphics for 8 years, it's still pushing technology towards HSA which isn't in a $800 machine. Plus that machine isn't going to be catered to like the ps4 so assuming you're buying this mythical machine today, it'll still perform WORSE because its un-mature technology and maturation will come when you give AMD/nVidia more money.

[xKugo]

$400 dollars for online accumulates to 8 years worth of online. If you don't upgrade that PC by that time, you will not be out-performing anything which includes the PS4. Forget about running it at a superior resolution and frame-rate. Comparable specs to the PS4 in a PC won't even run a game 8 years from now on low settings.

[kingduqc]

"Though I agree the ps4 won't have the best looking graphics for 8 years, it's still pushing technology towards HSA which isn't in a $800 machine. Plus that machine isn't going to be catered to like the ps4 so assuming you're buying this mythical machine today, it'll still perform WORSE because its un-mature technology and maturation will come when you give AMD/nVidia more money."

You really are clueless aren't you?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1...

Here, i5, crossfire 7950 and under 800$ Take your hdd you got and the dvd reader on your actual pc and bingo you go yourself a 800$ pc that will outperform by 3 fold the ps4 in 8 years. There is no magic to it, HSA isn't going to magically triple the performance... get this out of you head in 7 years you'll be playing in 720p barely 30 fps just like ps3 and this pc will do 1080p 40-50 fps with better image quality.

[yellowgerbil]

you took my quote outta context.
I choose ps4 because I know that there won't be new upgrades I'll need for future ps4 releases. 8 years from now that same box will play new games without me having to buy some new piece to make it reach the quality.
We are not clueless, and with plus I could go without ever buying a game at all and still have a dozen games a year for only 50$ so pricewise pc is no better either.

[Majin-vegeta]

We all know what this is gonna turn into.

http://youtu.be/9QGQtJL7hSk

[Goku781]

As long as great games with no problems with the system running them and nothing is rushed, who cares what anyone says. Everything gets out dated eventually.

[SegaSaturn669]

If a single game drops below 60 fps, I'm trading this SOB in for 4 Ouyas. Because our future currency will have 100 dollar bills replaced by them.

[Xsilver]

if i can keep getting great games from console publishers like now i'm always gonna stay with consoles.

[GribbleGrunger]

The article suggests that's what they've said in the past but the actual quote from the developers doesn't say anything of the sort. Hits are important.

[Ohlmay]

I can't see every game being 1080p 60 FPS on next-gen consoles, like the next Battlefield, the Battlefield 4 is currently 720p 60 FPS on next gen consoles, the next Battlefield will be even more hardware intensive, how will next-gen consoles run it at 1080p 60 FPS?

[grassyknoll]

Games on the next gen consoles will have to use multi threading, personally Battlefield 4 is being bottlenecked by the CPU, not the graphics cards. Once optimised for multi threading the consoles will performance dramatically better & PC will benefit too.

[EXVirtual]

Exactly. Optimization is the key.
Look at GTAIV and compare it to GTA5 on the current gen consoles.
The world in GTAV is much bigger, but the graphics are much better as well.

[Bladesfist]

Actually Frostbite 2 is one of the most heavily threaded engines around at the moment. It utilized all 8 cores of my 8150 and the game was not CPU dependent it was way more GPU heavy.

[xKugo]

If that is correct, then the grater performance on consoles will belong to the Xbox One because it has a balanced(weak) CPU and GPU, whilst the PS4 has a pretty strong GPU and weak CPU, thus bottlenecking any advantage the PS4 would have.

[ded1020]

I don't think DICE are the guys that are going to be first out the gate to show "next gen" off.
I see them more like Epic in that they are producing an engine intended for wide use across all (EA) games and thus aiming for the middle road.
First parties are the ones you should look toward, and I think all sony's first party are confirmed 1080p.
60fps is another story, but these machines haven't even released yet.
I'd give that time.

[AceBlazer13]

of course it'll be obsolete the ps5 has to come at some point.

[Pancit_Canton]

The developer(s) who say that will probably disappear before the console become obsolete.

[BG11579]

Technically next gen consoles are already obsolete when compared with todays' computers, yet this doesn't matter at all.
Consoles depends on software not on the hardware.
Look at GTA V in current gen consoles, most sold game ever.
While there are games in a console and people to play it, a console is never obsolete!

[iistuii]

Agree its a massive seller. But I can't play it, pop up, textures loading, terrible jaggie slow down. If it comes to PC I'll buy, but to even get it running on those consoles is an achievement.

[yellowgerbil]

technically isn't Mario 1 the most sold game ever? because it came bundled with the NES I think it sold probably at least 25mil copies if not 40 or 50 counting rereleases on gameboys and wii shop etc.

[BG11579]

I really don't think so. The console park today is must bigger than in the past. GTA V had the best start, better than COD and the PC version is still not out... Amazing selling numbers.
NES is an amazing console. Some friends of mine still create some games for it, just for the fun.

[ZoyosJD]

Wii Sports was bundled with 80 mil wii consoles. GTAV is (will be?) the highest selling individual game ever.

[iistuii]

These consoles are very easy to work with & very easy to program for. That's what devs and everyone agrees with. Now my point is as this is true & they are struggling to get games running at 1080 or 60fps then they are already obsolete in the hardware terms. Battlefield 4 on the equivalent of PC medium settings not even hitting 1080p, & it's not just Dice/EA there are plenty of games being made that are like that. I'd understand if it was like the cell, & needed time to get to grips with, but it's not.

[Lykon]

No disrespect to PC gamers But I don't have the time , money or patience to deal with PC gaming and everything that entails. I want a custom built hardware console that's simple to use with high quality controllers that will sit under the TV and double as a blue ray player. If that means a graphics disadvantage in a few years then so be it. Leading edge graphics are not the main concern for me. The other thing PC gamers go on about is the pirated software. Well I am on a small budget, but I manage fine just buying very special games day one ... and then games I missed or didn't have time to play on release are usually half price or less by the time I get to them. And also we definitely wouldn't have games like GTA V if everyone started using copies.

[boing1]

Developers will go where money is, which means consoles. What will happen is that you'll see gimped versions on PC. Again.

[MasterCornholio]

PC gamers better start buying more games then to prevent that from happening.

Nexus 7 2013

[prodg52]

It's not a gimped PC version if it was never intended for high end PC in the first place. As a game developer, why would I spend the time and money to max out a gaming PC and only generate a few sales when I can make a game with mid range specs and sell millions on both PC and consoles?

[boing1]

Exactly my point.

[Hozi]

if pc gaming was the pinnacle of all gaming then I'd agree but when you got the most power and not a lot of support from the devs. it's quite idiotic to say that CONSOLES will be obsolete in 5 years...if PS3 and 360 are still kicking after 7 years then what makes you think the PS5 will croak?

think some more before writing such nonsense.

[aquamala]

I'm glad next gen consoles will finally catch up to mid range PCs of today, but in a couple of years they will be far behind again..

[KYU2130]

The article title is flame bait. The article never says that the PS4 will be obsolete. This article is purely about one developers view of console vs. PC evolution.

[Corpser]

Gaming in 1080p will be amazing! Lol.

[Eiffel]

Welcome to 2005.

[Shakengandulf]

Pc gaming in 2005 never looked this good though.

[5h4h4b]

You better go tell that to your steam community. Haha

[strigoi814]

So the PS4 would be like bigfoot by the time it get released into the wild...very hard to find and trace

[prodg52]

Consoles are a great thing for developers. It keeps costs down. It takes a lot of time and MONEY to produce games at 1080p/ 60fps. If developers had to code all games to top PC specs many would go out of business. Imagine the time and effort it would take to create photo-like textures for a 4k display.

[robotgargoyle]

It's kinda of a crazy argument, the whole "gaming pc v.s. console" debate. I have a friend who has a beastly gaming pc, and recently watched him play Splinter Cell: Blacklist on it. Wow! Now, I have Blacklist on xb360. It's not a bad looking game, but on pc, it's face-melting!

Has he dumped hundreds of dollars on a sweet graphics card? Yes. Had to upgrade his motherboard? Yup.....and the list will continue to grow and the money will continue to be spent. His pc games will always look better than my console.

Consoles are the cheap route. I still get great looking games for a fraction of the cost. The fixed hardware allows devs to wring everything they can out if them. Got 8 years out of my console without upgrading.

Smartphones and tablets are evolving too rapidly, but will never replace PCs or consoles. Deep rewarding experiences are not meant to be played on a small touchscreen on the bus or waiting at the doctor's office, they're meant to played at home with a controller or mouse n keyboard.

PCs will not make consoles obsolete. Devs will make their games run on anything that an generate money. Didn't think Doom3 could run on an original xbox . Didn't think Crysis 2 would run on an xbox 360. They don't run at 250fps ( hell, not even 60fps) at max settings, but they do run.

[esemce]

Any console that plays games from Naughty Dog, Team Ico or Sony Santa Monica will never be obsolete.

[I_am_Batman]

The PS2 could do all that.

[johnny555]

What most don't understand is..... bleeding edge technology is not just the latest chip from NVIDIA or ATI/AMD...... there's technology on the software side also and that makes it bleeding edge.

You can have the best graphic card processor combo but if you don't have the latest game for it, then it is good for nothing. Same goes for the opposite.

What console makers do is, they give you the best balance of technology and software, without any of the overhead of a full multi-purpose OS to slow it down.

For the IT crowd..... why did VMWare stop making their VMWare server that ran on top of Windows server in favor of their ESX server that runs on bare metal...... For the simple fact that the ESX server running on bare metal was so much faster that they stop making the other.

Same applies to games, you can run games on top of windows or just run games directly on the hardware bypassing all the overhead.

Next time, I'll write a little about the Cloud!!! LOL....

[chobit_A5HL3Y]

i feel more comfortable playing on a console than a pc. easier for me to just play on my ps3 than on my comp~ the only exception for me is the sims~

[FlyingFoxy]

PC's are a hobby for me, i enjoy building them every so often. People who complain about costs usually don't weigh up the pro's. Plus with even PS4 needing you to pay subscription fees to play online, it only leaves the handhelds and Wii U with free online play. This has always been a big plus of PC gaming.

Besides the fact the games are always £10 cheaper minimum on PC.

PC is very versatile, you get people saying we brag about frame rate and overall image quality etc.. yet they argue over PS3/360 like that.. but as soon as PC comes into it they get all defensive and say it sucks and is expensive, makes me laugh and they need to get their facts right.

Yes PS4 is powerful for a console, but compared to a higher clocked Intel chip on PC.. not very powerful, but still good. I do like the look of a few PS4 games but in all honesty the ones i really look forward to always get released on PC anyway, which are mainly Valve games.

[Rageanitus]

this happens often!!!!! on PC's and console on players do not see this

http://www.shacknews.com/ar...

Xbox 360 did well last gen because ppl were satisfied with the average graphics and resolution, but imo these constant sales in PC games and higher quality of gaming surpasses most console games. Yes I do enjoy the Console exclusives but hey at heart I still prefer playing on the PC>

All I can say fanboys only stick with one platform, I play on all platforms because I am a gaming fan.

[alexkoepp]

Ps4 will still be relevant for a long time, it isn't even out yet. I wouldn't call the hardware obsolete but yes it is already outclassed by PC's.

We now have 4K tvs and last I had read the PS4 won't be doing any games in 4K res, and I believe microsoft said there isn't anything preventing 4K games on XB1 should a developer choose to make them.

Bottom line is the PS4 at least gaming wise isn't going to be taking advantage of the latest TV technology... so while obsolete certainly isn't true there is something to be said for that...

[Rageanitus]

One determining factor is NATIVE 1080p at constant 45+ FPS.

If it cannot do that then it is outclassed. We will have to see. If it can do this great! If it can do it for 1.5 years without downgrading textures and polygon count on games then it is powerful. I am skeptical also because most modern PC's require alot of cooling. the X1 and Ps4 don't seem to have alot of cooling room.

Console only fanboys tend to forget that AMD is struggling against nvidia/intel for the past 10 years!.... and the PS4 and xbox one are somewhat like PC's

[Saryk]

I’ll state this and if you look at my previous post through the years, it will be the same.If you have a gaming family or plan on buying a large selection of games, then PC all the way. Yes the hardware is a bit more expensive, but when you are paying for 3 people’s gaming habits, the PC is WAY cheaper! However if you only plan to buy/play several games or your friends all have the same console, console all the way.
The more games you buy the less a console is the cheaper value!
To the morons who say they will need to upgrade their PC 6 months after it’s built, castrate yourself!

[SatanSki]

Yeah, yeah another claim noone can prove right. We'll see in five years. Im rather sceptical

Offcourse its N4G. You dont need any proof when prising Sony product

[Jazz4108]

I dont think the comparison of consoles and pc are a fair one as they are two diffrent machines usually purchased for diffrent reasons and one is upgrade friendly. They both have positives and negatives but all in all I enjoy consoles more as games matter to me more than spending money on the latest cards and updating drivers to get a game to work is not my thing but I understand why its popular as it is a very good gaming platform if you enjoy the responsibility of keeping it up to date. Lol looking back that is one long last sentence.

[mysteryraz11]

pc is irrelevant it will never threaten the consoles

[spok22]

Ive never gamed on the pc even when i had the opportunity to do so. so no. pc will not make the ps4 obselete in a couple of years for me and im sure many others

[McScroggz]

People who claim the PS4 will be obsolete are just snobs. The PS3 is pathetically weak compared to high end gaming PC's yet look at a game like The Last of Us and tell me with a straight face that the power of PC's will make the PS4 obsolete.

[Bolts]

Pffft. The threat to the console isn't the PC. They actually complement each other. The real threat are the tablets.

Unless Sony and MS pack their consoles with enough real computing power the ipad and google tablets will destroy this dated console industry. More and more kids are growing up gaming on their ipad instead of their hand helds so the trend toward mobile is already there. Once the tablets reach the point where they can stream BF 3 to the TV then it's all over.

It might not happen today, but with the console staying static and the constant march of mobile this, future is a certainty.

[grimmweisse]

Consoles are definitely not staying static, console gaming has evolved in leaps and bounds, and continuing to do so. The difference tablets and mobile devices get new iterations and hardware changes yearly, where consoles remain constant through itself lifespan only keeping it's hardware relative through it's generation for good reason.

Sure, tablets and mobile gaming is "big" in a casual way, but it's far from what gaming is. Most mobile games are free to play, or/and pay to win. So it's more casual and probably gets younger games into gaming as a whole, and gives them a taste of what gaming can be. That is why console and PC gaming will predominately be where gamers will want to play games if you want a grander and more fulfilling experiences.

I have loads of games on my ipad, they are not by any definition killer games in comparison to PC and console, but provide quick fire enjoy during travelling or when at a cafe.

Until I see a casual mobile game break sales records like GTA or COD for day one sales, then I will take those statements back.

[annus]

It's static as in static hardware, which consoles are.

[fyapitt]

Xbox one......day one thank u

[ziggurcat]

who's claiming that PS4 will be obs... oh, right... PC elitists. although, they're already doing that now...

[voodoogts]

Yet with xb1 being ancient and obsolete, Microsoft busines will countine to grow and make money each year.

[lawgone]

Dearest N4G fanboys, please read the following quote from this article:

“From a developer perspective our stance is very simple: We want there to be a bunch of vibrant, successful gaming platforms. The competition between platforms results in better games and better value for game players.”

Read it again. And again, and again, and again, and...

[grimmweisse]

Hardware always becomes obsolete, regardless of platform. It's up to developers how to best make use of the platform and tools available.

As for the ps3 and 360, for 7 to 8 year old hardware, developers still manage to produce some quality titles, especially their respective first party titles.

PC will always have the upper hand in terms of visual and tools available, although it is dependent on how much money the user is willing to invest in components, where consoles the hardware is a constant throughout it's lifespan. Console gaming is cost effective gaming for those not willing or have no interest in configuring hardware, installing drivers, or spend more than required to enjoy gaming.

[Mithan]

It's already obsolete, but not at that price.

[SancLunatic]

I have had my PC since 2004 and it's still not obsolete. And before people play the exclusives card, I played the Last of Us and I am playing GTA V PS3 on my PC. Oh and the PS3 version of GTAV is not even native 720p on my emulator, but it will do for now until the superior PC version comes out.

[mysteryraz11]

lol pc fanboys pirate there games, and pcs will never kill or affect consoles

[AKR]

You can also pirate games on consoles too. Have you ever heard of DS, Wii, PS3 or XBOX 360?

[AKR]

Did you build this emulator yourself? You must have - as there's no legit PS3 emulator accessible to the public. Besides, your PC would need to be immensely powerful in order to emulate a PS3.

[grimmweisse]

Please tell me how a 2004 PC can emulate PS3 games? I'm really curious, as there is not PS3 emulator out there to date!

A 2004 spec PC has trouble emulating PS2 games, so there isn't a chance in hell it will emulate PS3 games if one did exist.

[sGIBMBR]

The guy is talking out of his arse, just like the rest of the elitists here trying to downplay consoles.

[Cueil]

Consoles are already obsolete from a hardware perspective and they haven't even come out

[AKR]

PCs will always outshine consoles, no matter how powerful consoles become. Consoles are closed systems; once their specifications are finalized and they begin their production run - they virtually stay the same until their successor is introduced. (Don't bash me yet)

BUT EVEN SO: While you can pop open your rig's hood and install a new graphics card, add more RAM to it, and things of that nature - that's a very expensive operation. With consoles - you only pay for the machine itself and you have it forever (unless you sell it or break it). So of course, it's much cheaper to operate than a PC.

That's the stark contrast between consoles and PCs; consoles have always been the more accessible option. Not to mention they have a much better fun-factor than PCs, in a few areas (i.e: Wii Motion+, Kinect, PlayStation Eye, Wii U Gamepad, Dualshock 4, Vita's touchpad, 3DS' dual screen and 3D effects, etc.)

So in the end - the PS4 will be outshined by PCs (probably already is) ~ but that really doesn't matter. I don't know why this is even up for discussion. This whole talk about specs is getting out of hand; especially considering everyone now wants to keep comparing it to PC (which is as asinine as it gets). But even so - it will always be more accessible than any high-end PC.

[Jovanian]

'With consoles - you only pay for the machine itself and you have it forever'

I think this isn't really the case. Hardware failure, the desire to upgrade to newer models or slimer models with higher memory capacity, and the price of online play pretty much equalizes the cost of maintaining a console. I owned a console, and I can guaran-damn-TEE any doubters that all of my friends went through at least one console where they spent money to get it fixed or replaced, me including. People think since the initial price is low for consoles, its lifetime price is low. Errrrr~ Wrong. It all adds up

[xkevmandc]

it's Obsolete NOW!!! CHEAP and OLD parts. and PS4-fans think they got something...lol

[Jovanian]

Guys, its 2013.

If these supposedly 'next gen' consoles cannot consistently and reliable output games at 60 fps and 1080p native standards, then that is f%$king pathetic. PCs have been doing this for nearly a decade and a half.

Little by little news leaks out that a game is actually going at 30 fps in single player or the multiplayer is actually 900p native...they shouldn't even have to be making these sacrifices at all.

The fact that its 2013 and games still can't achieve this basic standard known to PC for years is just really eye-opening to just how detrimental consoles have been to gaming. Never have I heard of a game getting dumbed down controls or dumbed down graphics to be able to function on the PC, its the other way around

So yeah, PS4 and Xbone tech is equally obsolete as hell. Its been obsolete ever since the designs were dreamt up for them. I imagine at least another console generation before we get 60fps 1080p standard on the pathetic consoles, but then PC will already be orders of magnitude outpacing them once again.

Cancerous used games industry, online passes, gamestop, pay to play online ONTOP of internet fees, the ability to have your console BANNED, rehashed AAA games with prequels and new trilogies lined up, overpriced 60 dollar plus tax games, and graphics that are already dated by years, I am damn glad I got out of console gaming.

Funny how console gamers are all 'graphics don't matter graphics don't matter graphics don't matter!' but if you direct the argument between an xbone and a ps4 graphics all of a sudden matter!

Hypocrites

[iistuii]

Couldn't put it any better myself...

[Enigma_2099]

This shouldn't even be an argument. That's just the nature of technology. What those people making these claims need to remember that this will ALSO happen to the XBox One.

[TheOneEyedHound]

Yeah.... I prefer to play The Last of Us, Beyond 2 Souls, Uncharted 2,3 ect ect ect then Crysis 3 on max. So I won't have a problem.

@Swadian: Yes graphics matter, but so do games and budget.
Not everybody is a nerd.

If I was gaming on Pc all I will be looking forward to are late Multiplats. The way I see it "do I prefer 2001 a space odyssey (Playstation brand)? Or Mission to Mars(Pc).

[fyapitt]

Garbage

[rawrlolrofl]

its common fucking sense. PC's will simply have more advanced graphic OPTIONS available that will scale to individual hardware. console is fixed hardware so they will maximize what they can out of it. end of story

[Badassbab]

Compared to a high end PC's today the PS4 and Xbone will launch with inferior hardware but that's not the point of consoles. They are fixed efficient hardware that are meant to last for years.