Xbox Boss: Differences Between PS4 and Xbox One are “Minor”

It’s a hot topic of conversation right now: The differences in resolution between certain multiplatform PlayStation 4 and Xbox games. For instance, we recently learned that the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition will run at 60 frames per second on PS4, while the Xbox One version will often hover around 30FPS.

There has also been talk about Watch Dogs running better on Sony’s console, and some multiplatform launch games – such as Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – also seemed to perform better on the PS4.

However, Xbox director of product planning Albert Penello says this stuff is blown way out of proportion. During a recent GamertagRadio podcast, the boss said in fact, the differences between the two consoles are “pretty minor.”

 “Look, I’ve had a lot of time to think about this and I believe in what I said. I believe that the differences are not that great. And I know what is going on behind the scenes and I have access to more information about some of this…than a lot of people. Sometimes I think people tend to neglect the points that are in my favor and they like to highlight the points that tell me I’m wrong. Right now, I still think Ryse is still the best looking game on any platform. Period. End of story.”

Penello further added that of the 12 multiplatform titles launched on the PS4 and Xbox One, all but 3 performed the same on both machines. That’s not a big deal in his estimation, and gamers also forget that this is a “long generation.” Who knows what developers might be able to accomplish on the Xbox One in due time?

“…there’s a frame rate thing going on with Tomb Raider, there is a resolution thing going on and yeah, okay, there’s a lot of reasons why that could be true but we’re only weeks in; we just shipped…it’s a long generation.”

Some will argue that frame rate isn’t even that big of a deal. Others claim that it’s more important than the max 1080p resolution. Tech buffs can debate all they want; I’m not qualified to really judge.

Things DO change over the course of a generation

Yeah, don’t forget that at the start of last generation, multiplatform games on the 360 tended to outperform their PS3 counterparts. That didn’t last, though. Towards the end of the era, most developers were actually using the PS3 as the lead development platform, so that helped a great deal. In short, there’s no telling what the future will bring. Just because PS4 games outperform Xbox One games right now doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way.

However, we have heard that the PS4 is simply a more capable machine, so that’s worth noting.