Graphical Advancements...

As we proceed...

So as I sat at home during Reading Week spending way too much time figuring out what to write about for this blog, I logged on to Facebook as most university students looking for inspiration do. Guess what? I found it! A post on my news feed drew my attention to Sony's Official PlayStation 4 announcement. 

This blog post is based on the specifications outlined for the next-gen console, specifically what's brewing in the graphics department and what I think about all of this. We will also talk about what the PS4 can and cannot do and compare it to a couple other gaming consoles, after all the Xbox 720 is coming out soon isn't it? We'll cover gamers' expectations as well as where the PS4 will deliver the most value for their ever-so-loyal customers. 

A Brief History

PSOne, PlayStation 2, PS3...PS4. 

I'll do you one better...

With the long-awaited PS4 just about ready to hit the shelves we slowly begin to see the evolution of gaming technology through Sony's eyes. Graphically advance in so many ways, the PS4 now steps into the limelight and attempts to show consumers how far their company is dedicated to providing their fans with the most value for their big money. But it's important to see the history that has brought the PS4 to its place, already ahead of the competition, amongst today's next gen consoles. The journey was long but well worth it as Sony has grown far beyond the walls that technologically limit consoles nowadays and have become a gaming giant in what seems like a fortnight. But no matter where you are in life, it is always important to remember where you came from and so I present the evolution of PlayStation... 

As you can clearly tell, PlayStation has come a long way. So now that we have honored the past let's move on to the future of gaming and where better to begin than the graphical aspects of the PS4.

The Core is Key

If it isn't apparent already, there is no design out for the PS4. Sony's PlayStation Announcement was released before the blueprints for the PS4's design came into the hands of the public. Of course there are mock-ups and fake designs out there but as far we know the PS4 could be shaped like a bagel. However, Sony did reveal their new Dualshock 4 which is meant to be the controller for their new console. The controller features motion-sensing through a 'light bar' that will interact with the camera, improved SixAxis motion control, a touchpad and a "share" button for PlayStation Network interaction. The light pad interestingly enough changes colours to identify players and help the camera keep track of individual player motion. 

Enough talk about the only piece of meat Sony has revealed thus far, let's move on to the juicy graphical specifications of this beast. Before we do this, let me just verify that the specifications I mention on this blog are based on information collected from multiples websites including techradar, vgleaks, Kotaku and digitaltrends. This is just to ensure that my sources of information are plausible, detailed and realistic projections that just make sense. More information about the PS4 including its launch dates and hard drive specs should be out by that time of year when E3 rolls around. 

I think it's pretty awesome that Sony has already codenamed the PS4 - 'Orbis'. The Xbox 720 is codenamed 'Durango', but more on that later. Keep these names in mind because I like them a lot more than the repetitive console names because they give the platforms a personality and are a lot cooler. Without further ado. 

Orbis will be clocked at 1.6 GHz and will be packing EIGHT...that's right I said EIGHT x86 processor cores. WOO! Sporting 18 Radeon GCN units, Orbis is ahead of the game with the super fast GDDR5 despite the 4GB of RAM assigned to its Graphics Core. Furthermore, Orbis will pack 1.84 teraflops of raw processing power and is expected to have a Blu-ray drive. It's 64-bit processor is based off AMD's "Jaguar" processor line which is generally built for mobile products. So game developers having been constrained by a market dominated by dual-core systems have something to look forward to with the PS4. Of course this also means that developers moving from PC to console game development will find it easier to adapt since ports between the two will take less time to optimize. Sony surprises us yet again with a low-power core bundled in to help process tasks in the background. 

Okay so that's all well and good, but what does this mean? What's all this information you're throwing at me and how does it make the PS4 better? Well I sure am glad you asked...

Bark and Bite

Does the Orbis live up to the hype and what has really changed since the PS3? It's certain that the PS4 can talk the talk...but can it really walk the walk?

Let's begin by focusing on Orbis' additional processor. Anyone with a PS3 can tell you that the download times for games are painfully long and that not all can be completed in the background. Orbis manages to fix this by using the additional processor to focus on the download while the player can begin playing the portion of the game that has already partially downloaded. This is a lot like live streaming and is common to the manner in which YouTube plays a video once it is partially downloaded. This neat feature is exciting for gamers who don't enjoy the long wait and would rather begin their adventure while the rest of the game continues to download in the background. 

Furthermore, the eight processor cores and high-speed GDDR5 RAM mentioned earlier will be optimal for allowing Sony to maximize their system's data pipe allowing for faster RAM and more of it. This in turn allows developers to create bigger textures, larger levels, more complex A.I., etc. Unifying the main system and video memory on Orbis allows the console flexibility over time and means that if the system's video card runs out of memory, the main system's memory can always simply pick up the slack. 

The new Blu-Ray drive will significantly shorten loading and installing times and USB 3.0 ports make it an altogether well-rounded system with fast connectivity options for networking and peripherals. 

The PS4 blows the WiiU out of the water and can be considered better than the Xbox 720 in many aspects. Again, the PS3 did the same thing against the Xbox 360 and succeeded without the Red Ring of Death. Sony's impressive innovation is taking over the console market as Orbis continues to out-do the known specification of Durango (which admittedly has the cooler name of the two - the D is not silent). At this point in its development stage, the argument can be made that the PS3 doesn't stack up fantastically against the graphical prowess and performance of a PC which would be cheaper just to upgrade from graphics card to memory and hard drive. Of course the PS4 isn't as impressive when compared to the PC, but it is important to understand and make note of how far the PS4 has come from its predecessors. So when it is stated that the PS4 is a "next-gen" console, it has the means to back up the claim based on the progression from where it was to where it is now. 

Food for thought

As a proud owner of the PSOne, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 I have been rooting for Sony the whole way, I guess my parents just did a good job of raising me. 

Let's discuss the graphics and games. 

With highly anticipated titles like Killzone: Shadow Fall and Watch Dogs on the horizon, I take a look at the graphical advancements and I don't seem to see too much of a difference in the display of creativity. Take a look at the following videos which feature gameplay from Killzone and Watch Dogs as they attempt to strut the graphical prowess of Orbis. 

Now that you've seen the PS4's capabilities, what do you think? Not all that different from that of the PS3 I'd say. But we must remember that it's not always about the graphics, the PS4 has so much more to offer than superior graphics. Orbis' hardware is meant to handle so much more than a robust graphics system using tons of shaders. When we begin to measure consoles based on their graphics or how good games look on their respective platforms we get sidetracked by our superficial impressions with judging the book by its cover. What am I trying to get at?

Orbis is particularly great because of its untamed raw processing power. It can do so much in comparison to its predecessors and that is the mark of a true next-gen console. So expect impressive world scales, smoother and seamless animations as well as brilliantly crafted artificial intelligence. There's going to be far more to do in the scope of gaming capabilities and replay value will shoot through the roof. With all this content its no wonder that games coming out for the PS4 will be available through digital download. It is important to look forward to the games that are going to push Orbis' boundaries and really manage to surprise us with groundbreaking gameplay features. Personally I can't wait for God of War 4 to come out. It's going to be EPIC.

In Conclusion

The PS4 is a beast of a console with impressive graphical specifications and a lot more to offer the gaming market than many next-gen consoles. Of course most of our expectations are simple speculations and hopes for what Sony promises the PS4 will be, but I'm certainly looking forward to this wonderful machine exceeding my expectations and delivering more than just impressive graphics.

An interesting remark about next generation consoles came up on a forum amidst my research:

"The graphical gameplay of next generation consoles usually evolves to what the last generation's cut scenes looked like."

By that theory, the PS4's cutscenes might just look like motion pictures...woah.