PS4/Xbox One Gap Getting Smaller: SDK Update Unlocks More of XB1 GPU

The battle between the consoles has been pretty heated since both were launched in late 2013. At the core of the debate has been the fact the PS4 uses a stronger GPU than the Xbox One, this has led to many game developers offering better resolutions and graphics quality settings on PS4 versions of the game compared to Xbox One versions. The latest input comes from developers Rebellion who have commented that the gap between the two current-gen consoles is closing. Rebellion Games are responsible for the Sniper Elite series and the latest Sniper Elite 3 title. They believe that Microsoft’s recent Xbox One SDK update has done a great deal to close the gap as it allows an extra 10% of the console’s GPU, that was previously reserved for handling the Kinect module, to be used in games.  Rebellion are expected to patch the Xbox One copy of Sniper Elite 3 in the very near future to take advantage of this new Xbox One development.

“It’s a bit hard to tell right now – although there will of course be a little boost straight away – we should be supporting this in the future in Sniper Elite 3. In the end, just like last generation, it’s not just about the hardware – it’s about the tools, guidance and support you get from the platform holder that makes a huge difference, and I think it’s safe to say the distance is closing…I’m not sure we ever claimed the frame rate would be locked, but we have achieved regular performance at 60FPS at native 1080p on both, so we’re pretty proud of that effort and our in house engine team should be praised with what they’ve pulled off when you think it outclasses some multi-platform games from much larger studios. Players experience maybe a little more screen tear on the Xbox One but both consoles can lock the frame rate at 30 to cut that out. Overall, for a game on five platforms we’re pretty happy.”

I don’t know about you but locking the frame rate at 30FPS to get a smoother experience is a deal-breaker. Additionally, I cannot see the gap between the two consoles ever closing since they both use architecturally identical hardware, optimisations for one console’s GPU or CPU will generally be applicable to the other. Developers will be able to narrow the gap but closing it will not be possible unless Microsoft upgrade the Xbox One with better hardware.

Source: World’s Factory Via: WCCFTech

Image courtesy of IGN