In our previous PS4 v PC graphics article, we considered the graphics performance of the Sony PlayStation 4 compared to a personal computer using systems that are of comparable cost. In this second article we look at the comparison based solely on absolute performance.
Absolute Performance – PS4 v PC Graphics
Looking at the free cost constraint debate, a different picture emerges. Removing budget factors leaves us free to consider the latest graphics cards, and in this case, the gaming console has several reasons why it can’t compete with high-end PC graphics.
The first is the upgradeability of PCs. The graphics card in a high-end PC is removable and upgradeable, allowing the user to take advantage of new technological developments without having to change the entire unit.
Due to the fixed spec nature of consoles, Sony would have to settle for one spec and stick to it. This is compounded by the long development times for a game console: the graphics hardware of choice is often outdated by the time the console is released.
Companies like AMD and NVIDIA spend more than a billion US dollars each year on graphics research and development. This leads to the continuous development of graphics hardware, and due to the upgradable nature of computers, consumers can keep up with these developments. Graphics cards like the Radeon R9 series and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 700 are examples of high-performance graphics cards on the market. A consumer would expect to pay an amount at least equal to the cost of a full PS4 for such cards.
Power is another reason a console doesn’t use the most powerful GPUs available. Gaming consoles like Xbox One and PlayStation will have a maximum power draw of around 300W, while high-end gaming computers may have power supplies reaching 1000W. This type of power generates a lot of heat and for dissipating this heat requires a large case to house the power supply and manage airflow. Additionally, noisy fans would be required and the resulting combination of size, heat and noise would be unacceptable in the home environment that the PlayStation 4 is likely to be used in. The gaming PC is typically a piece of specialized hardware used in a more dedicated location, like a game room or bedroom, where such issues are more acceptable. Also, the electricity used to power a PS4 is not free, and with rising energy prices, consumers are becoming more aware of how much it costs to run a piece of consumer electronics. A 1000W console simply wouldn’t sell in sufficient numbers to justify its development budget.
The last factor is cost. Powerful processors, large power supplies, and large cases with the large heat sinks and fans required to deal with the heat generated by a powerful gaming PC all cost money. Building and launching a console with these specifications would result in too high a retail price to generate the sales necessary for it to be an acceptable business model. Higher-end gaming PCs are likely to sell in much smaller numbers, but the higher price of hardware, particularly graphics cards, allows this market niche to continue.
In conclusion, Sony’s PS4 and gaming PC operate in two different areas of the market. The technology used in PC graphics is state of the art, at the limits of current semiconductor technology. Form factor, upgradeability, power supplies, and consumer demands for simply the best available technology allow for it. That is why it is not possible to have a console that can beat a PC.
High-end gaming PCs already have a clear performance advantage over the PS4, with games like Battlefield 4 being able to run at higher resolution and with higher quality textures on PC than on console. This chasm will only widen if you consider that we are in the early years of the current generation game console. It may be five or six years before we see the rise of the successor to PS5 and Xbox One and by then PC graphics cards will have evolved tremendously.
