There is a rather massive gulf in power between the PS4 Pro, which represented a conservative upgrade over the base PS4 hardware, and the more radical redesign of the Xbox One in the form of the Xbox One X. The question is, given that both these consoles are iterative, that most games are multiplatform, and that we are past the point of diminishing returns graphically, will normal players see much of a difference in games running on PS4 Pro versus the Xbox One X?
According to the developers at Headup Games and Happy Tuesday, currently working on the game Hero Defense, there will be a graphical difference between the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X- but it won’t be something that sticks out for most players for long.
“We believe that a unique visual experience is not just centred around hardware. When playing photo realistic AAA multimillion dollar games you will be able to see differences. As indie developer our main focus is on an optimal experience rather than maxing out content and hardware requirements,” the development team said in an exclusive interview with GamingBolt.
“Personal note: I feel this is like going to the movies and watching a 3D movie. The first minutes you go “WOW!”, then your eyes have adjusted and you barely notice it’s 3D – Therefore some people might notice but I doubt that it will significantly improve the perception and satisfaction with the game you are playing.”
I think I agree with this- if for no other reason, than because we are now conclusively past the point of diminishing returns. Nonetheless, there will always be the player who wants the top notch visual experience- and for consoles, those players will be able to get that experience on the Xbox One X.