Topic: PlayStation 5 --OT--

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Power matters but how much, it can greatly depend on expectations, performance metrics and format. Games, regardless, require power to run and how much will depend on expectation, what performance is deemed acceptable (or better) and the 'format' - whether its a portable device for example or maybe a console, a laptop, a tablet or a desktop.

A case in point is a game like Wolfenstein 2 which got released on the Switch. Because of its 'format', it was deemed acceptable for that game to run at much lower performance metrics and, because the Switch is much lower in terms of Hardware specs (not a criticism, just a statement of facts) the fact the game runs at all is better than expectation. However, if the performance metrics we see on the Switch for Wolfenstein 2 were the metrics that the PS4/XB1 were capable of, I doubt very much that it would be deemed acceptable - Visually or the 30fps frame rate.

Standards, whether its something that can be 'relatively' easy to measure (Resolution, Frame Rates) or much more difficult to quantify simply, (like level of anti-aliasing, ambient occlusion, shadows, reflections - maybe even Ray Tracing implementation), there will be some degree of expectation and power will be essential as to whether games meet that expectation on the hardware. If expectation is full HD and 30fps as a minimum, that would require lower power than if the expectation is to offer full native 4k and 60fps as a minimum in the same title with the same visual settings.

Power doesn't matter too much if the person isn't too bothered about small differences between devices an, if the difference between PS5 and XB2 (for want of a name) is +/- 3fps and/or +/- 5% difference in native resolution with the same quality visual settings, that may not matter to some but if the difference is say 720/30fps vs 1080/60fps in all the multi-platform games on a home console for around the same price, I doubt people would opt for the 720/30fps console to play CoD, Fifa, RDR, GTA, BF, AC etc etc Maybe they will pick up the much weaker console down the line to play whatever Exclusives once enough have released that takes their fancy and the prices of the console have dropped.

There will be people that buy MS or Sony regardless of the power - even of its a 'significant' difference, even if one has stricter censorship of games, even if it operates in its own eco-system bubble - not that there is anything wrong either way - its their choice. Power though is what determines the way a game looks and runs - and by looks, I am not just referring to the resolution. If you expect 4k (in a 4k Era), 60fps, Ray Tracing and reasonably high visual settings, that will require a certain 'minimum' standard for the components in a Console. Happy to accept 1440p or less, 30fps or better, that will require a certain minimum for the hardware specification. Not every game is going to be built for the console and as such, will require a certain standard to run ALL games as the developer designs. If that's ultra realistic with long draw distances, that will require a certain standard to hit certain metrics.

If Power didn't matter at all, we would have stopped developing more powerful devices for gaming. It matters but other factors can influence how important the power is. The Switch proves that people are willing to make do with 'low' res 30fps just to play on the go but if the PS4 played Wolfenstein to that Standard, it would be ridiculed. Its relative and maybe specific 'power' figures don't matter too much as long as its in the same 'ball park' and relatively close between the two competitors. The base XB1 is less than a whole switch worse than the PS4 as far as GPU computational power, more than a whole Switch in docked mode which really does impact numerous games more than 'a little' bit but that difference would be much less significant as a percentage with much more powerful GPU's. 1.32 vs 1.84 meant the XB1 was only 70% that of the PS4 at launch (the S was a bit closer) but 13.32 vs 13.84 would make the weaker only 96% despite both having the same numerical difference and would perform much closer. That small a difference, power probably doesn't matter too much but power matters if you want games to hit certain performance metrics - whether that's 720p, 1080p, 1440p or 4k (with the same visual settings), 30fps or 60fps - power matters. You aren't going to run Last of Us pt 2 at 4k/60 on a PS4 so the amount of power needed to hit that metric matters. If 720/30 is the standard you want, the amount of power matters too - although you would expect the 'power' of the PS4 to be more than adequate to run that game at that metric. The amount of 'power' needed to run the Witcher 3 at 720/30 matters - one of the reasons that game is unlikely to be ported to the Switch.

Power matters but whether, as a customer, you care too much just as long as you have 'enough' to play the games you want at least at a standard you find acceptable or not is a different matter. You may be happy if the game runs 'well' on your console regardless of the metrics and power only matters when there isn't enough to do that. Others may care if the games don't run at certain metrics - like 60fps or full HD whilst others may care what metrics their hardware enables them to achieve - something that seems quite important in the PC gaming world, having the 'highest' benchmarks, the highest frame rates at 'ultra' settings so for them power matters....

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how both turn out.

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@KidBoruto You are correct, this is just who I am. Written words are also open to more interpretation, misreading something because their is no accents or stress on certain words that the spoken word can utilise to change the whole context of a single sentence. Its much easier, for example, to denote whether a person is being sarcastic especially if you can also see their body language too. When written though, its impossible to denote the intention of writer.

@Kidfried Thank-you - I wouldn't change, don't think I could if I tried LOL

If there is a 'word/character' limit, I haven't yet reached that on this forum. I have on others though and had to try and find a way to edit them down, or 'if necessary', have to copy the later part and paste into the next box - spread it out over 2 blocks...

As far as I am concerned, People have the option to read, assuming people still have that talent of being able to read, even just skim through - although they may take something out of context because they didn't read it properly or just use the various methods to skip the text altogether. It takes me fractions of a second to go from the top of a page to the bottom - something you may need to do with some articles having over 200 comments. I also wonder if these people that complain, actually read lengthy reviews or just skip to the 'in conclusion' bit at the bottom??

Anyway, that's off topic

The point I was making is that Power does matter. I doubt people would buy a PS5 that's barely more powerful than the Pro with maybe a better CPU, a console that is targetting 1080/60 as a minimum but not as powerful as the X. People would be disappointed, worried if it will be up to the task in a few years down the line. People were complaining about the Switch power and the fact it was no where near the base XB1 but the amount of power became no issue because its good enough to run a lot of games portably.

The minor details of 'power' probably don't matter too much - as long as the games look and run well enough within a 'range' of specs - like between 900-1080p 30fps min and certain games 60fps - what they don't want is too little power that a game runs at 15-20fps.

I am sure that people don't care too much if the PS5 has 12Tflops or 14Tflops - not that they really know what that could translate to. Couldn't care too much if the CPU runs at 3Ghz or 3.2Ghz, won't care too much if its multi-threaded or single thread only. As long as the games look and run well enough, the power doesn't matter too much.

If the Xbox is 20% better, that may not matter to a PS fan who is going to buy a PS5, get to play PS exclusives and not overly bothered that multi-platform games look and run better on Xbox - at least they look and run good enough, better than the PS4/Pro offered too. That's fair enough, that's their decision and not a wrong decision either.

For some, those that care more about having the best looking, best performing multi-platform games, especially if 90%+ of their games are multi-platform releases. If that is Xbox, so be it - maybe a few years down the line, pick up a cheaper PS5 for the few exclusives they missed. For example, over the 5yrs+ of this generation, I have bought less than 3 exclusive games a year on either console. I don't own 15 exclusives on either Platform - not that I have purchased. Regardless which is 'best' I will end up with both because I don't want to miss out on those 2-3games a year that I need a specific console for.

Power doesn't matter too much to me in the fact I will buy both, both will be better than the existing consoles, both will be an upgrade etc As someone who has an interest in technology and specs, I will be interested in the more minor details - minor for some because they don't care as long as their games run.

In general though, its the 'power' and the way its built that will determine how well those games run and the way they look too. Some won't notice that the floor a few metres in front of their character drops to a low res texture version just as long as the game runs without drastically dropping frames or struggling with poor frame pacing - something power can solve - at least if you want to keep the game looking as sharp as it does. I do agree that Games matter more as without games at all, its just a lump of plastic with electronic bits underneath. Power matters more to the games and the developers who has to build and optimise down to the specs, whether the tech can actually realise their vision, stuck with the problem of balancing their vision, all the effort they put into the visual design etc with making the game run at an acceptable frame rate. Cut back on one and get the backlash of downgrading visuals or being too 'soft' and blurry or get the backlash that the game doesn't run smoothly, feels bad to play.

The PS5/XB2 will be looking to keep pace with PC's and the ability to offer a 'platform' to play the latest, greatest, biggest, most technically demanding titles at a 'reasonable' level both visually and frame rates in the 4k era, offer the full range of multi-media apps - inc 4k, HDR and maybe even 8k it seems - makes sense as every manufacturer of displays is certainly offering 8k so best to support that. Also must have some 'ray tracing' compatibility too because that's 'next gen'. Sony or MS won't want to release a device that's not 'powerful' enough so that they cannot offer some games that only work on PC's or worst, on the other console. I don't know how those hardcore Sony fans would feel if a developer comes out and says their game is coming to Xbox and PC because the PS5 isn't capable of running it, lacks the power to run it as the developer wants it to run? Not that I see that happening as I doubt Sony's PS5 will be lacking but that's why we have 'new' generations because the old generations lack the power to do the games justice - hence power matters...