New PS4 Specs - Tell me why anyone with a PC would buy one?

[NateTheBrewer]

Let me preface this by saying I only gripe about console specs because they hold game development back - how many games have we seen not released on the PC, or when they are, the graphics quality is hampered due to a poor port from the console.... I mean why double all of your texture resolutions just because the gaming platform you are moving to supports it easily....? Same thing with player counts...

http://totalgamingnetwork.com/conten...Hardware-Specs

Main Processor
- Single-chip custom processor
- CPU : x86-64 AMD "Jaguar", 8 cores
- GPU : 1.84 TFLOPS, AMD next-generation Radeon based graphics engine

Memory
- GDDR5 8GB

Soooooo as for the CPU, there are already 8 core CPU's out on the market, and regardless of how many cores it has, they will need to keep the clock speed low to reduce heat and power consumption. A 3.7 GHz 4-core processor tends to perform better than an 8 core 2.0 GHz processor because of the speed at which it works at, regardless of spreading workload across cores.

The GPU is a joke - it is average now, but in a year or two it will be slower than even an average gaming PC:

GTX 560 1.09 TFLOPS
GTX 570 1.41 TFLOPS
GTX 580 1.58 TFLOPS
GTX 590 2.49 TFLOPS
GTX 660 1.88 TFLOPS
GTX 670 2.46 TFLOPS
GTX 680 3.09 TFLOPS
GTX 690 5.62 TFLOPS

If you put them any of the above in SLI, you will see higher numbers.

The best sign of underpowering-to keep-costs-down is the 8GB GDDR5... This means the system memory will be shared with the GPU. So unlike in a PC where the discrete GPU has its own memory, this will be more like an embedded system which shares memory across both the CPU and GPU. In a GTX 570, you have 1280 MB of dedicated memory on the card. What people fail to realize is that during 3D rendering, a graphics card with its own dedicated memory will also allot system memory to itself as a buffer (to feed texture data, etc.). Not sure how to to do this with an ATI card, but on an Nvidia card you would click on the Nvidia console, then go to system information on the bottom. You will see the following values (an example from my system):

Dedicated Video Memory (Card 1): 1280 MB
Dedicated Video Memory (Card 2): 1280 MB
Shared System Memory: 2816 MB

So just to be able to 'feed' the graphics cards, more memory is allotted from the system as a buffer. You add on top of this whatever operating system they are running, physics processing, audio processing, scripting for the environment (events, enemy AI, etc.) and this will get used up quick. With the price of memory right now, why not make it 16 GB?

I just love how they tout new gaming systems as cutting edge, where all they have done is take previously-next-gen-but-now-mediocre gaming hardware and made it cost-effective to produce.

[K PhaNTOM]

Yes, it's definitely not future proof. If you build a PC with those specs right now it would be obsolete already. Maybe Microsoft will go all out on their Xbox and we have something to look forward to.

[{CLR} Cobalt]

Yes, console development has torn a hole in games for a long time. Developers could come up with a game that would make a high end PC squeal, but they cant because then the poor ass console guys wouldnt even be able to load it. But because it's about profits and shareholder responsibility, they have to do for the consoles too.

I read a while back that BF4 was gonna utilize even more of the frostbite engine. Is supposed to really be something. And even then they wont be using but about 40% of what it could do.

Console manufacturers cant put quality components in their box because of heating issues and cost to the consumer. Little Johnny's mom and dad aint gonna shell out $1700 for a box for the kid. Just aint gonna happen. So they have to cheapen the product to even sell it.

Marketing wise, it's genious. But factually having the ability to really play the game with good quality components will never be a goal for them. Never has, never will. It all boils down to the sales first and foremost. Console manufacturers never have to worry about the PC players, because there is no competition in that arena. They know that the game developers will continue to keep the games dumbed down enough so that they will work with Consoles and PC's. All the while PC players have to suffer with games that could be better. Developers have the technology , but they cant implement it to make everyone happy. Thus they choose the lesser of two evils.

It is what it is, and as long as the console sales continue to dwarf PC's, little Johnny can have his fun after school , none the wiser that his box is crap and always will be.

If console players were smart they would revolt against what they have to use. And why they cant be on par with PC's. But thats for a whole other discussion.

[trip202]

On top of this Sony will have to combat all the complaints of so called "sexism" (lack of female presenters)

[K PhaNTOM]

On top of this Sony will have to combat all the complaints of so called "sexism" (lack of female presenters)

I can say with confidence that nobody has ever cared. Ever. I don't want some pretend presenter, give me someone who knows what they're talking about.

[trip202]

I don't care either, but there are a lot of complainers out there - http://m.kotaku.com/5985822/why-were...tation-4-event

Could affect sales.

[Rand{CLR}]

It's not remotely about the specs, but instead about the games, and increasingly general utility. It's a lot easier to turn something like a PS4 into a full digital entertainment box with streaming Youtube and the like than to set up a PC to do the same.

With the games, all the consoles get exclusives (though XBox far less so since Microsoft is involved). One of the best games of the last 20 years? Super Mario Galaxy 2. It's on by far the weakest current system but it will never appear on a PC legally. The only way to play it is to have a Wii. Sony has Infamous, Uncharted, Little Big Planet, Heavy Rain, and other superb unique titles.

You can't compare console sales to PC sales. A closer comparison would be consoles vs. enthusiast/gamer PC sales, and console game sales crush PC sales for the same titles. Here is one recent article on this topic: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/0...he-fps-market/

I own a PS3 and a Wii and spent much of last summer picking up a dozen retro systems. I started on the Intellivision and the NES. I love console games, especially old school favorites, but I also love PC games. Both will continue to have a place. Our challenge is helping ensure PC gaming survives. We know PC games are far more capable and powerful in the right hands, but the trends are clearly in favor of consoles--and so are the profit margins.

-Rand

[{CLR} Cobalt]

It's not remotely about the specs, but instead about the games, and increasingly general utility. It's a lot easier to turn something like a PS4 into a full digital entertainment box with streaming Youtube and the like than to set up a PC to do the same.

With the games, all the consoles get exclusives (though XBox far less so since Microsoft is involved). One of the best games of the last 20 years? Super Mario Galaxy 2. It's on by far the weakest current system but it will never appear on a PC legally. The only way to play it is to have a Wii. Sony has Infamous, Uncharted, Little Big Planet, Heavy Rain, and other superb unique titles.

You can't compare console sales to PC sales. A closer comparison would be consoles vs. enthusiast/gamer PC sales, and console game sales crush PC sales for the same titles. Here is one recent article on this topic: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/0...he-fps-market/

I own a PS3 and a Wii and spent much of last summer picking up a dozen retro systems. I started on the Intellivision and the NES. I love console games, especially old school favorites, but I also love PC games. Both will continue to have a place. Our challenge is helping ensure PC gaming survives. We know PC games are far more capable and powerful in the right hands, but the trends are clearly in favor of consoles--and so are the profit margins.

-Rand

Everything you said is true. I could care less about a console being able to run my other stuff. Thats why I bought a Blu-Ray player. But besides that, like I said, we wont see any games come out that will perform the way they could perform if it wasnt for having to be ported for the console kiddies. Thats my beef in general. If some company would start to put out games for PC only and really put some kick in em. I wouldnt be so put off with the whole thing in the first place. But because of the almighty Dollar, "cough" Activision "cough" all have gone the way of ports and the games get dumbed down.

Thats the only thing that bothers me about the whole process. I could give two sheits about the console market as a whole. But I would really like to see just one good game come out for PC's that didnt have to be crippled for the sake of marketing for people who cant afford a high end gaming machine. And believe me, there arent very many people that have both platforms. Some, but the majority of the demographic dont have the money to do both. So they go with the simple and cheap method.

That was the genious of the marketing strategy. But they sold out performance for market share plain and simple. Gaming will never ever reach it's potential because of it. They have the technology, but not the werewithall to take that step with out devestating their bottom line. Thats why it will never happen, ever.And thats the part that saddens me the most. So much potential, without ever seeing it come into play.

[NateTheBrewer]

Everything you said is true. I could care less about a console being able to run my other stuff. Thats why I bought a Blu-Ray player. But besides that, like I said, we wont see any games come out that will perform the way they could perform if it wasnt for having to be ported for the console kiddies. Thats my beef in general. If some company would start to put out games for PC only and really put some kick in em. I wouldnt be so put off with the whole thing in the first place. But because of the almighty Dollar, "cough" Activision "cough" all have gone the way of ports and the games get dumbed down.

Thats the only thing that bothers me about the whole process. I could give two sheits about the console market as a whole. But I would really like to see just one good game come out for PC's that didnt have to be crippled for the sake of marketing for people who cant afford a high end gaming machine. And believe me, there arent very many people that have both platforms. Some, but the majority of the demographic dont have the money to do both. So they go with the simple and cheap method.

That was the genious of the marketing strategy. But they sold out performance for market share plain and simple. Gaming will never ever reach it's potential because of it. They have the technology, but not the werewithall to take that step with out devestating their bottom line. Thats why it will never happen, ever.And thats the part that saddens me the most. So much potential, without ever seeing it come into play.

Exactly... It's the convoy mentality of moving at the speed of the slowest ship... Currently PS games are handicapped by their console counterparts.

[- J i n^ -]

have u guys seen the gtx titan OMG its sooooooooooo niiiiiiceeeeeee im debating to get it or ps4 LOL

[K PhaNTOM]

have u guys seen the gtx titan OMG its sooooooooooo niiiiiiceeeeeee im debating to get it or ps4 LOL

Slower clock than a 690. Not as much RAM as 690. 1 chip to 690's 2. Costs the same as a 690.

Nope.avi

[NateTheBrewer]

Slower clock than a 690. Not as much RAM as 690. 1 chip to 690's 2. Costs the same as a 690.

Nope.avi

This is correct. It's target is CUDA compute clusters.

[Nilesjones]

Have you guys watched the announcement of the PS4 live? I was watching that and couldn't stop laughing. They kept saying stuff like, "Now that we finally have the technology to do this and that, we can bring a better experience to the gaming consumer."

Seriously though, the blame should be put on the so called gamers of this world. There are over 14 million gamers online that complain about quality all the time, but we still feed in money to this broken system. If we truly want gaming to reach it's potential, we need to start preaching to people that you can easily save enough money for a decent PC and get away from console gaming. We need to start converting people who play consoles to play PC. If they complain about the controller, let them know that you can put a stupid Xbox controller on the PC! We need more PC gamers than console gamers. I went into Gamestop the other day -- Yeah I know that place sucks. But I wanted to buy Crysis 3 direct lol! They had this small ass section for the PC and walls covered in console crap. We've got to put a stop to this at some point.

[Qicmee]

Careful Niles, You're sounding older. Like those guys I know who used to play a lot, then they got married, they got kids, and now they have a real life (but no time for games).

Consoles play games, same as PCs, but the designs are aimed at different targets. Consoles are better for socializing & sharing media than $1000 game PCs. For example, it's nice to have a console game system running on TV during a party. 2-4 people can play at once in the same room. That's what consoles are designed for. I don't get paid enough to let party people near my PC.

[Rand{CLR}]

Forget about Gamestop for PC gaming. If you want to pick up something physical get it through Best Buy (Amazon is going to be the best physical PC dealer now, but Best Buy is faster). Their model is focused on consoles and used game sales. You can make out pretty well on the used side if you're careful, time the sales right, and hit the right Gamestop, but you're not going to find anything worth anything for PC gaming right now. At best they have a three-foot-wide rack with 2-3 shelves that are half empty.

Consider the price differences too. PC gaming will never reach the numbers of consoles due to price alone. Some folks here spend as much on a video card alone every year or every other year as a current generation console costs. Most of us are on systems that cost between $1200 and $1700 and invest a couple hundred minimum over the lifetime of the box. Doesn't include games, accessories, and monitor(s). Most console-only gamers probably spend less than that for their system, extra controllers, memory, and their games (unless they buy everything new at full cost), and they certainly aren't spending that much all in one go. Completely different economies of scale.

One positive of this difference? Shovelware doesn't really exist for the PC. We don't have to put up with hundreds of cheaply made, poorly coded, overpriced dreck games in between a handful of gems. The overall quality is higher.

-Rand