Graphics

[Craterloads]

Have been playing through Metro last Light over the last few days, a game which is regarded as one of the most graphically intensive games available today. No doubt it's a good looking game, and runs fairly smooth, but.

Maybe it's just me but I can't see almost 10 years of graphics card advancements and £100's difference, going by the visuals alone. Yes it's crisper, it runs at double the frame rate but the visual difference between 8-9year olds consoles and a high end PC is just meh.

For example, a comparison video.

http://uk.gamespot.com/metro-last-light/videos/metro-last-light-graphics-comparison-6408373/

Now i'm running a fairly high end rig, GTX 670 clocked to hell and back, Ivy bridge, lots of RAM, big SSD, around a £1000 machine. Yet a £100 8 year old console is not that far behind in regards to visuals.

My question is, what gives? Why am i not being blown away with around 20x the power of a 8 year old console (tech inside even older). For example we went from PS1 in 1994 to gears of war in 11 years, yet in 10 years in graphics advancements were barely seeing improvements at all apart from being slightly sharper?

 

[Craterloads]

Higher Resolutions is one main advantage. You try blowing up that GOW to 1080p and watch how shocking it looks. Etc

I think gears is 720p native. I game @ 1080p on a 50" Pana GT50 and there is a difference between 1080 and 720, it's nothing more than being slightly sharper.

My system barely does 60fps on metro @ 1080p

 

[Craterloads]

I can only comment on the recent games I've played, but if you take this video for example

http://www.eurogamer.net/videos/sleeping-dogs-face-off-ps3-vs-pc-video

At first glance the game looks similar and I can see your point of view regarding the prices/advances of PC hardware vs differences of the 2 platforms, but I have the game on PC and PS3 (thanks PS Plus) and trust me those video's don't tell half the story.

As apposed to a direct comparison try this. On the video above cover your hand over the PS3 version so you can only see the PC game running for 20 seconds or so, then swap.

Just watched, whilst there is a clear difference in sharpness and better IQ, just not 10 years worth and £100s of pounds more. id expect that going from a GTX 580 to a 680, not a 7600GT.

When you consider the PS3 version is running on a gimped 7600GT it make you wonder.

I agree about the frame rates, I cant stand 30fps anymore but I expect more than an extra 30fps and a crisper image given the power/price gulf between the two.

 

[Craterloads]

have you actaully seen metro on console???

screenshots comparison don't show the real differences.

True, I watched the video of the comparison which obviously isn't 100% considering the loss in compression. But I have played it maxed out on my PC (no SSAA of course) and like I said there's not much in it say against something like the Last of Us (the last console game I played)

 

[Craterloads]

I hear you. Just built myself a new rig with 4770k and GTX 780, playing games in 1440p and yet I see these PS4 vids and think, was it really worth it? My rig cannot play some games at 60fps at that res. Still, I prefer the PC gaming community and mods make it worth it.

I still prefer PC simply because of the price of games and better FPS, the community not so much as I find it a bit of a chore getting online compared to say starting up MV3 and jumping straight into an online match with mate or strangers.

 

[Craterloads]

I think the huge leaps in gaming visuals are behind us though . I'd expect similar results when you see video's comparing the same game from PS3 to PS4.
It's not a PC specific thing. In 2 months time you'll see games released on both consoles and the difference will be more like that video I posted than what changes you got from 1995 to 2005.

Going from a Spectrum 48k to an Amiga is nothing like going from a 360 to an Xbox one, regardless of the number of years.

That is true (although Kiizone SF footage does look amazing), raises the question though. Is it worth it for the incremental increases we will see from now on. With so much more horsepower you would expect something like a Titan to be able to actual photo realism .