Over the past month there has been a significant amount of Sturm und Drang surrounding Battlefield 3’s apparent graphical inconsistencies across its various console iterations.

While the PC version -- the version gamers have been seeing in the majority of the game’s jaw dropping trailers -- is going to deliver the visuals gamers expect, the console versions, most notably the Xbox 360 version, will need a little extra effort in order to even come close.

That “extra effort” comes in the form of a high-res texture pack, which gamers were informed could be installed in order to take the game from a “standard def” experience to a more palatable high definition one.

But just how important is that high-res texture pack to the visuals of the 360 version of Battlefield 3? We have the video that shows a side-by-side comparison, and the results are pretty astounding.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH4WjYcRSlE&feature=channel_video_title

As you can see, the high-res texture pack doesn’t necessarily make the Battlefield 3 visuals high definition, but it does at least give them the detail gamers have been prone to seeing in DICE’s breakdowns of the game. In fact, looking at certain areas up close reveals that certain items are actually removed from a scene in the non-high res game.

It’s definitely a compelling case for why gamers who do have the space should install the high-res pack, but what about those who simply cannot accommodate a large install? Do they deserve to be punished for lacking a bigger hard drive?

Regardless of how gamers might feel about this issue, the writing is clearly on the wall: install this high-res texture pack first thing. PC players might not have anything to worry about, their high-powered rigs will do the heavy lifting, but console players might want to consider the PS3 version.

How do you feel about this “disparity” between the non high-res and high-res visuals in Battlefield? Should Electronic Arts have revealed this pack a bit sooner?

Battlefield 3 releases October 25, 2011 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Source: Kotaku