PS4 Xbox One Ahead of High End PCs

Although we don't have the complete picture regarding either the PS4 or the Xbox One, we know both consoles are leagues above their predecessors. But just how powerful are these new machines, and more specifically, how do they compare to current high-end PCs?

With PC gaming becoming not just an alternative but a preferred option for games over the past few years, these new consoles will, at the very least, have to match the rigs gamers use today. And thankfully, according to Electronic Arts' CTO Rajat Teneja, they do.

In fact, Teneja believes that the "architectures" of these new machines are a "generation ahead of the highest end PC on the market." Not on par with, but actually superior to current-gen PCs.

"Our benchmarks on just the video and audio performance are 8-10 times superior to the current gen. The compute capabilities of these platforms and the data transfer speeds we can now bank on, essentially removes any notion of rationing of systems resources for our game engines."

Although the quote is sure to generate a heated discussion, it's unclear if Teneja is suggesting the PS4 and Xbox One are a generation ahead because of their compute capabilities or raw hardware. At a glance, the PS4's hardware appears to be on par with a current high end PC (not the highest though), but that's not taking into account the dedicated processor for background downloads, and how the various moving pieces will work together.

The Xbox One, on the other hand…well, we don't know too much about Microsoft's console, only that it features 8 GB of RAM and "8 billion transistors." Teneja gushed about both consoles, though, so you have to believe Microsoft is working with similar hardware all around.

PS4 Used Games Sony

It's also important to mention that the PC market is flourishing not only in raw power vs. the current-gen systems but in game offerings with the popularity of free-to-play MMOs and services like Steam; in fact Nvidia just unveiled the GTX 780. But, for the time being, and maybe for the foreseeable future — and according to EA's CTO — the next-gen consoles are ahead of the curve. We'll see when Battlefield 4 comes out and is benchmarked on all platforms.

However, with talk of machines that are as powerful as $1,000 PCs, one has to wonder just how expensive these consoles will be, and how well they will sell.

Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi thinks that with the way the Xbox One is targeting not just gaming, but also cable services, that the next generation of Microsoft consoles could be looking at moving "a billion units." This generation, Mehdi believes, is about 300m units, and if consoles were strictly about gaming, that would translate into 400m units for the next-generation. But a cable initiative blows the roof off those predictions. Will the Xbox One actually move a billion units? Unlikely, but it's good to dream big.

Do you think that the PS4 and Xbox One will end up outperforming high end PCs at launch? Does Microsoft have a shot at selling 1 billion units?

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Source: GI.biz, OXM