Mobile devices will be more powerful than PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2017, ARM forecasts

That supercomputer in your pocket will soon make Sony's and Microsoft's latest home gaming consoles look old and crusty.

[Gamist2dot0]

3 year old tech, sounds about right.

[kneon]

It wouldn't matter if they were twice as powerful as a PS4, the problem is the battery would die in minutes if you ran them at full tilt, or it might just burst into flame. Modern phones are very powerful in theory, in practice they can't use that power except in very small bursts.

Just watching a 4k 360 video will drain the battery on most high end phones in about an hour or two.

[MatrixxGT]

Shit. The phones are already bursting into flames.

[rainslacker]

Most of the mobile devices power isn't even available to the developers to work with. Most of it is protected by the OS on these devices, and a lot of the power can't be taken advantage of due to the fact that most of the things available to the developer are very high level.

It's getting better, but it's more archaic than what was available in the NES days in terms of having access to all available power. Most device makers use that extra power to run their own bloatware.

[Princess_Pilfer]

Also, input devices. Touch Screens are dog **** for most game types, and having to carry around a controller is just one extra thing to do, which is why handhelds continue to exsist despite the mobile phone market eating most of the casual crowd.

[chrisx]

Wonder where the "mobiles will overtake consoles" articles are,had a lot of those last year

[kneon]

We've had those every year for about the last 5 years. But whatever power you can cram into a phone, can be crammed into a console at far lower cost and much better reliability.

[Tapani]

Yeah nothing mobile is going to render 4K without help from a dock or something that can help with the cooling or somehow enable more cores etc. Good luck with competing with Pro and Scorpio...

[Razzer]

Yep. Nailed it.

[darthv72]

4k is just a resolution number. Render pong in 4k and guess what... it's still 4k.

It's what you do within that number that matters most.

[ARESWARLORD]

Yes I know it is a resolution number but you could use 4K and fill every pixel with a real drawing and have a proper image or you can upconvert it so you could redo pong in 4k but you would have to redo it from the ground up not just stretch the image and upconvert it. Remember you got to break things down a little more so you don't confuse guys on this site the more that know the way things work the better. or as GI Joe used to sey knowing is half the battle

[Fist4achin]

I like to use my phone for primarily phone and Internet. I don't do any hard-core gaming on it and can only imagine my battery getting drained even faster than it already is if it were to be a dedicated gaming machines as well. I'm pretty happy with my consoles for gaming and will probably stay that way.

[RegorL]

Who said they would compete with Pro and Scorpio?

* Tablets (there are quite some space in those), even some space for a fan
* Better than PS4 and XB1 (not PS4 Pro and Scorpio)
* by 2017
* low level APIs like Metal and Vulkan are coming
* Using wall power is not that convenient for VR, mobile technology would be a better fit...

It will happen! Saying that it won't because a wall power connected now is much faster is to be ignorant of history.

Supercomputers a few years ago.

ASCI Red (1997) used 850 kW => 1,3 TFLOPS (peak)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

[NextGenCeo]

Today 2017 and anyone see any Tablet game on market better visuals and gameplay then PS3 Last Of Us or Uncharted 3 or Gears Of Wars or Halo on Xbox 360?

But they was saying 3 years ago ARM graphics power more then PS3 and Xbox 360 right? Just lies. Because only numbers can't give in practice same performance especially with limited Low Level Hardware API and not dedicated GPU and CPU programming tools!

I hate those kind of news because they are thinking every single person on this market stupid. When they give PS3 Uncharted 3 or Last Of Us performance on the tablet or phones then i start believe them but they still not even close for that. Because Android or IOS doesn't have dedicated gaming low level api standart's.
They saying we are gone catch PS4 performance!! With 3000mah battery and Android 6.0 really? Good luck Idiots...
(ESL guy here)

[superchiller]

Very well said.

[kevnb]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/...
Although the best I've seen on ios is stuff like the bioshock port and xcom. It seems the market for console like games just isn't there yet even though it's completely possible on ios.

[Rangerman1208]

There are a few Mobile games that DOES look pretty good like Assassin's Creed Identity, some FPS, indies, etc. But even then, that still doesn't help the devices from getting the same games of the same genres over and over again.

Also, what I hate about the Mobile devices is that soon the company will no longer give support with the device (now that the newer version will be coming) and not to mention that a lot of mobile games requires an updated version, and the version will be necessary defending how new your Mobile device is. In other words, if your device can no longer be upgraded to a certain version, then you MUST buy the newer devices.

[RegorL]

Vulkan on Android is coming...

[NextGenCeo]

I hope but integration Vulkan Api on Android platform take several years. And mostly phones and tablet's doesn't have Vulcan compatible hardware chip and Android os on market right now so this can be in time but not short term.
(ESL guy here.)

[rocketpanda]

Meanwhile silly floaty controls will alway hamper it along with the pile of f2p titles. The only time I enjoy playing on smartphones and tablets is for CCGs. I fits the platform very well.

Objectively it might become more powerful, same as PC hardware which is, but it is the software that matters in the end. People buy consoles for quality gaming experiences, you don't get that on mobile. Even Mario run just a silly runner game. Pokemon go was great for a whole month before people realized it was a hallow experience fueled by nostalgia.

[zeal0us]

Snapdragon, Exynos, Meditak, and Kirin have a ways to go before they can overtake an APU let alone low-end CPU.

[Derceto]

This isn't exactly mind boggling. These systems were already dated when they hit the market.

[Defiantmac]

Thing is a lot of people like to sit at home on the couch with a controller set up to their big screen and just game like that. Mobile doesn't cater to that hardcore gaming style.

[datriax]

I've yet to see anything on mobile that even resembles anything in the same zip code as current consoles.

Sickeningly muddy textures and hilariously low geometry on models. Don't tell me they're magically going to jump to surpass them this year. Blow it out your a**.

[ApexWolf22]

Yeah F'n right, and it'll be affordable too...

[bluefox755]

I don't buy that for a second, it'll be a few years before we see a game on a mobile platform that looks as good as Witcher 3 or Uncharted 4 on PS4.

[gamer7804]

Can't wait to play horizon on my phone next year!

[windblowsagain]

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Here it is

[Automatic79]

No chance, Scorpio says hello.

[Gecksta]

Well therve got 11 months. Might need five more years to get too PS3 !

[GameBoyColor]

No fan in phones=terrible for gaming.

[conanlifts]

The company making mobile chips makes statement saying their chips will be great.....

I am sure they can remain neutral without any bias whatsoever.

[rainslacker]

There's nothing wrong with the chips themselves. Even the PS4 and X1 have mobile style chips in them.

It's the devices that are the problem, as they hold back that power from actually ever being accomplished.

[yeahokwhatever]

Try not to conflate mobile(laptop) processors and mobile(phone) processors. they're not always the same thing. In this case, they're specifically talking about ARM processors, which is like a phone or the Vita. A processor found in a nice laptop or PC is an entirely different beast where the architecture of the thing isn't limited to a few watts. If there was tech that allowed a 4 watt ARM processor to out perform an i7 @95 watts, don't you think Intel would have maybe said something about it?

[rainslacker]

They kind of are the same thing. ARM isn't x86, never meant to imply that, but a processor is a processor. They just work with less power, and sacrafice certain functions which aren't really required for mobile.

[objdadon]

They came out in 2013 and were in development years before that so........🤔

[Zarock]

We've been hearing the same thing for the past decade now and nothing happened.

[Kabaneri]

All that power is pointless if you dont have the games to utilize it, and a platform that is comfortable to play on.

[one2thr]

And yet I havent seen a mobile game that looks better than Uncharted Golden Abyss or Killzone Mercenary. PS vita games, heck I havent seen a mobile game with the better exploration freedom and fluidity than the PS vita version of Gravity Rush, and sone people think mobile phone are going to surpass the ps4 and xbox one in graphics capabilities in 2017. LMAO Literally(Redbull and rum)

[Jalapeno]

EA's CEO or COO once said in 2015 that tablets and phones would be more powerful than the PS4 and XB1.

http://www.gamespot.com/art...

[EyeAmTJ]

yeah ok

[Gotcha5]

Win 10 is coming to ARM?

[yeahokwhatever]

and DX12! and HDR unicorns with golden nostrils that spray fountains of sex.

[slavish0]

I have seen some amazing graphics on mobile but I just don't play cell games personally.

[quent]

moving goal post again I see, do you even have any self awareness of how much of a fanboy you are ?, the only thing you're contributing to N4G is de valuing the AGREE button, fanboys like you are the reason why many people avoid owning consoles, just not to be associated with people like.

If you're 9 year's old I apologize because you don't know any better, but I highly doubt that

[KillZallthebeast]

Phones are unlikley even tablets. Look at the switch it isnt hardware limitations but a powersource no sane company is going to make a phone that has 30 minutes of battery life

[yeahokwhatever]

lol..oh venturebeat.

[masterfox]

omg so powerful! , must be over 9000!! :D

[Tzuno]

Hype is to high, come down to earth.

[SethBrundlefly]

We will use our phone for local CPU/GPU eventually, with wireless connection to tv and vr/ar. Perhaps in ten years or more. Keyboards/joysticks/gamepads/r acing wheels will not go away however, since we need a interface between man and machine. Next milestone where we can replace them? 50-100 years?

[Malice-Flare]

with 30 mins play time on current battery tech...

[EverydayGuy]

Good luck trying to power that

[Razuel]

meanwhile nintendo chooses tech that is already 2 years old.

[fllysurfer]

Power or no power, screen touch input on a surface won't replace the controller experience for playing games.

[Pancit_Canton]

No thank you.

I would rather spend $400 on a dedicated gaming console rather than spend $800 on shovalware filled games on mobile phones with 2-3 hours of battery life.

[pyroxxx]

Will take them decades to reach PS3/360 gen,.. this is such BS it is laughable.

[WheatBread]

A phone will have better graphics than your console, LOL. Peasants.

[kingjosh1876]

Still don't want to play with shitty touch screen controls

[FreeSpeech69]

Too bad it's all touch only microtransaction garbage

[Muzikguy]

More powerful? Maybe in certain areas, but at the end of the day it won't matter. Will there be 8GB of dedicated RAM? Will there be controllers? Will the screens be bigger than 7 inches? Mobile will always have a chance of catching up or passing in areas because the consoles are fixed while mobile keeps upgrading. Hasn't changed the outcome yet and I don't see it happening

[cash_longfellow]

More powerful but still crap.

[SliceOfTruth888]

lol yeah ok

[Einhander1971]

Like I have said on other forums when the switch is a success Sony and Microsoft will be
Jumping on the bandwagon to create something similar, ps5 will be like switch but more power
By then. Still power means nothing to Nintendo there games are fantastic anyway, the art style
The tight game mechanics are unmatched.

[Einhander1971]

Power performance means nothing without great games, mobile device performance might have
more power than 360, PS3 but I don't see something like God of war 3 running on mobile yet.
Nintendo will have the best mobile device with games that are unmatched.

[Silly gameAr]

Heard this one all last gen, about how mobile devices are going to surpass consoles. Looks like its making a comeback. How about that gameplay tho?

[Lulz_Boat]

this is not true. there no way a mobile processor can create ps4 quality graphcis without a good cooling system. it's just NOT possibile at the moment. look at the all new cellphone,multi core... eight core blah blah blah, on the paper are already 'better' than ps4 and xbone. but when you run a game..... meeeeeh

[MetalNCarnet]

Mobile will forever be crap. Have not played a game on my phone in years. No desire to waist my time.

[Nexus530]

No. No they won't

[C-H-E-F]

LMAO

[NerveGearneeded]

i believe it, top tier smartphone is also $200-300 more than price of a console. the number of smartphone users is forecast to reach 2.1 billion. its where the money is at.

[hiawa23]

Wait, but 2017 MS and Sony are moving to the Scorpio and Pro

[About30Ninjas]

It doesn't matter how powerful the next iPhone or the next Galaxy is mobile games will still look like PS2 games

[Sm3000]

Like the article said, this can do wonders for VR. The only obstacle would be battery life. Already smartphone VR is untethered

[andrewsquall]

Yet we still have to wait for a mobile game that can even come close to......................2007&# 39;s Uncharted Drake's Fortune lol.